Highlander FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
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Volume 63
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Issue 09
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THE PROTEST
THE VOTE
What started as chants at the Bell Tower quickly turned into occupation, as students protested for nearly 8 hours outside Chancellor Wilcox’s office.
Page 2
THE AFTERMATH
The UC Board of Regents approved hiking up tuition, but faced fierce resistance from some of their toughest critics.
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Tensions boiled over in a town hall as students questioned Chancellor Wilcox’s stance and transparency on the tuition plan.
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
highlandernews.org
Massive Highlander protest prompted by UC tuition plan AMY ZAHN Contributing Writer
Nearly 150 to 250 UCR students turned out for a protest on Nov. 18 as part of a systemwide “Day of Action” in response to UC President Janet Napolitano’s proposed tuition plan, which was voted on and approved by the UC Board of Regents two days after. Organized by the ASUCR Office of External Affairs, UCR’s protest and class walkout began at 11:15 a.m. at the Bell Tower and made its way to Hinderaker Hall, where it developed into an unplanned sit-in outside Chancellor Kim Wilcox’s office that lasted until about 7:45 p.m. At the Bell Tower, students voiced their concerns about the tuition plan amid chants of “Fund the UC!” and “UC, UC, you’re no good, treat your students like you should!” Secondyear student Melissa Marquez stated that the tuition hike “would make education almost unattainable” for her, and that if it passed, she would “probably consider withdrawing.” Secondyear linguistics major Johnson Pham held similar sentiments. “Sometimes, I have to buy textbooks over eating,” he said. Openly advocating in support of the tuition plan, Wilcox came out to address the protesters after
they marched to Hinderaker Hall and demanded to see him. In response, ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan demanded an explanation for why he has “directly opposed” students regarding tuition. Wilcox said that while he did not want tuition to be raised, “costs go up … we have to decide how we’re going to pay for the costs.” Wilcox’s recent salary increase was also a topic of contention for students, which Wilcox countered, saying that his salary was “set by the (UC) Board of Regents and (Napolitano)” and is set “in comparison to the market.” Wilcox returned to his office after being repeatedly interrupted. Shortly thereafter, the demonstration moved to and remained at the fourth floor of Hinderaker. At that time, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul D’Anieri and Vice Chancellor of Planning and Budget Maria Anguiano addressed student concerns. Topics covered included: what the tuition increase would fund; the possibility of cutting programs without an increase in funding; and the alleged lack of transparency behind the announcement of the tuition proposal — occurring less than two weeks before its scheduled vote.
D’Anieri promised that a goal for next year’s budget would be “to make it more transparent,” and Director of Media Relations Kris Lovekin stated later that a third of the revenue from higher tuition will go to financial aid, and that the rest “will be used to pay salaries, build buildings, open labs, furnish classrooms and all the other necessary costs of operating the university.” While the plan does promise to invest in improvements for the UC, many students are not impressed. “You can’t invest in what you don’t have,” said third-year Sarah Belknap, who was worried that many students “don’t have (the money) to pay in the first place.” Fourth-year Valencia Youkhanna agreed. “The only thing I see is a number at the bottom of my GROWL account,” she said. A couple of hours into the sit-in, third-year Neftali Galarza articulated the protesters’ demands, which included that Wilcox withdraw his support for the proposal and issue a formal apology to the campus, that Wilcox take a voluntary pay cut, and that the regents “reject the proposal and work towards identifying alternatives.” Thus far, these demands have not been met. Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Photo of the Week
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UCR students hold a candlelight vigil for the 43 students of Raul Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College who went missing in Mexico on Sept. 26.
Quotebook “Students have always had to pay the price of economic mismanagement by the state.”
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Strategic Communications James Grant, who was present for part of the protest, expressed his own trepidations later in an interview. “The choice the university faces is to slip toward mediocrity, or maintain the quality and great value of a UC education,” he said, echoing the sentiments of many other administrators. Since UCR buildings close at 5 p.m., UCPD officers entered Hinderaker due to concerns that protesters were trespassing. Administrators later announced that protesters could stay until 9 p.m.; however, the remaining 28 students voluntarily left the
building at around 7:45 p.m. “In this case, students were peaceful and no arrests were necessary,” said UCPD Assistant Chief of Police John Freese, adding that “we definitely understand the need to allow for protests on campus.” Protesters like Katherine Zoque viewed the demonstration as a short-term success due to the high student turnout. “We don’t consider this us giving up. We don’t consider this us leaving,” said Zoque. “We consider this us regrouping. We are trying to make this bigger … we’re going H to come back with full force.” ■
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Tuesday
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER ASUCR VP of External Affair, Abraham Galvan speaks at the protest against the tuition hike.
Tuesday Talk- Guy Talk 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Costo Hall 245
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A Healthy Walk/ Run for a Healthy Heart 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. The Well (HUB 248) Wellness Wednesday: Make Crafts For Kids 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. HUB 355
Wednesday
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Thanksgiving
Thursday
28 Friday
GO! PB&J (Peanut Butter & Jogging) 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. The Well (HUB 248)
UCR Women’s Basketball vs. Stephen F. Austin State University 4 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
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22nd Annual Festival of Lights 12 p.m. Downtown Riverside
UCR Men’s Basketball vs. Abilene Christian University 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
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Free Movie Sunday 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. La Sierra Library
Castle Lighting and Open House 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Benedict Castle
Weekday Carillon Concerts 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Bell Tower
Peer Connections Online Chats 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Logon on out.ucr.edu
Saturday
Sunday
1
Monday
- UC Student Regent Sadia Saifuddin
on the approved tuition plan
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
NEWS
highlandernews.org
UC regents approve systemwide tuition increase SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UC President Janet Napolitano was present at the recent UC regents meeting that voted to pass a tuition increase, causing protests around the UC.
Student demonstrations erupted at last week’s UC Board of Regents meeting as many condemned the lack of affordability of UC President Janet Napolitano’s proposed tuition plan. Much to the chagrin of Gov. Jerry Brown and UC Student Regent Sadia Saifuddin, who voted against the tuition increase, the regents approved the plan by 14-7. Crowds of students chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, tuition hikes have got to go!” and linked arms to prevent the regents from entering the meeting room last Tuesday. A glass door was shattered as students attempted to storm into the meeting room. A 21-year-old UC Berkeley student was also arrested and charged with two counts of felony vandalism and inciting a riot. Addressing the panel of
regents, Saifuddin said protesters’ actions might appear “unsavory to you all” but the anger and fear students may be experiencing should be kept in mind. “This is not just $612 more a year. This is rent. This is another job they need to get. This is food they cannot buy.” ASUCR President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan also commented during the public forum period and encouraged the board to look at long-term funding solutions. Viewing the tuition increase as a political maneuver by Napolitano, Galvan said, “The UC should not be using students as pawns in a toe-to-toe battle with the governor,” he said. “Work with us, not use us.” Napolitano said the tuition increase was necessary to maintain robust financial aid, create a more predictable tuition model and offset the “massive state divestment” experienced by the UC in the last few years.
As a result of the plan, UC tuition will increase by up to 5 percent per year, potentially driving tuition from its current levels of $12,192 to as high as $15,563 in the next five years, unless the state provides additional funding. This is the first time UC tuition is expected to increase after three years. “UC has long stood as a beacon of hope for young Californians,” said Napolitano. “The plan ensures the UC will stay that way.” Napolitano reaffirmed that the tuition increase is “integral to the vitality of the UC” and will help the university system enroll 5,000 more in-state students and 2,000 more out-of-state students. Creating differential campus levels of tuition, caps on in-state enrollment and reductions to financial aid were a few alternative proposals that she rejected. According to a presentation given by the UC’s Vice Executive President of Business Operations Nathan Brostrom, the UC currently operates on core funds of $6.6 billion with tuition and fees making up 45 percent, state funding making up 42 percent, and nonresident enrollment and other sources comprising the last 13 percent. The UC receives $460 million less from the state than it did in the 2008 to 2009 fiscal year, despite an increase of nearly 7,000 students, according to a press release. Even with the tuition increase, UCR officials report that financial aid will also increase to accommodate the adjustments in tuition. The UC currently provides nearly 55 percent of all UC undergraduates with incomebased financial aid that fully covers tuition. Brown chimed in during the meeting and called for the creation of a joint committee with members selected by Napolitano, himself and the state Department of Finance to help the UC establish fundamental cost-cutting measures such as: offering more online classes, creating policies to facilitate the California community college-UC transfer pipeline and implement consistent lower-division major requirements throughout the UC system. ■H
Visit us online to read about UCR’s march and candlelight vigil in solidarity with the families of Mexico’s 43 missing students.
► READ MORE AT HIGHLANDERNEWS.ORG
NEWS
highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
5
Wilcox takes heat from students in public forum
COLIN MARKOVICH Senior Staff Writer
A crowd of about 100 students expressed frustration with UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox over his support of a controversial tuition plan and a failure to include students in decision-making processes during a public forum Friday in HUB 302. The forum was moderated by Graduate Student Association (GSA) President Preston Williams, and included comments by ASUCR President Nafi Karim, ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan, Williams and Wilcox, in addition to a public comment period. Wilcox agreed to participate after massive student protests against the tuition plan earlier in the week. Williams, Karim and Galvan all made it clear that they opposed the tuition proposal, which could raise tuition by up to 5 percent per year for five years. However, they emphasized that the lack of student involvement in the creation of the proposal and the little advance notice given to students prior to its announcement were just as problematic. Wilcox responded by saying that he received as much advance notice as students, although he later specified that it and other proposals were
discussed between chancellors in informal monthly meetings. Wilcox was measured in his support for the tuition plan, explaining that it was necessary to avoid cutting financial aid and expand course offerings, enrollment and graduation rates. He noted that any oneyear increase in tuition would still be less than the average 8 percent increase over the past 20 years, and emphasized the lack of funding from the state as the reason the plan is necessary. “This is your legislature and your governor deciding that higher education isn’t very important,” Wilcox said. During the public comment period, students questioned why Wilcox accepted a raise last September. Wilcox responded by saying that he was surprised by the focus on his salary, before disclosing that his pay declined since his tenure as provost at Michigan State University. “Since I’ve come here, I’ve donated over one and a half times my salary (to the university),” he added. To assuage concerns over lack of student involvement, Wilcox suggested inviting members of ASUCR to participate on budgetary committees before decisions regarding tuition are made. However, his proposal was rebuffed by Galvan, who
JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER At an earlier protest, Chancellor Wilcox addresses student concerns on the tuition hike as angry protesters gather around Hinderaker Hall.
said that for such a solution to be viable, students would have to be granted decision-making capacity on the committee, which Wilcox did not commit to. Wilcox also hedged on whether to support a state-funded audit of the UC system when asked by an audience member. Saying that he “supports the notion” of an audit, Wilcox cautioned that “a lot of what you’re suggesting has been done in various ways” and said that it could potentially waste more money. The UC has so far resisted complying with AB 94, which would require the
university to delineate certain areas of spending on students. Tensions also flared over the treatment of, and resources provided to, undocumented students on campus. Mafalda Gueta, a third-year biology major, expressed worry over whether resources for undocumented students would be continued when a one-time funding source of $512,000 runs out. Wilcox assured her that he intended to continue the programs, but Galvan questioned the chancellor’s commitment, asserting that Wilcox had told
students that UCR was not “a hotel” in response to a question regarding whether the UC had responsibility over students’ well-being. Wilcox initially denied being able to recall the statement, but after Gueta revealed that the statement was addressed to herself during an earlier meeting and heckling from the audience, Wilcox apologized to Gueta. “I’m going to hold him accountable to it,” Gueta said after the encounter. “I expect him to go out and find money for undocumented students.” ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
. OPINIONS .
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HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL
TWO SIDES TO THE BLACK FRIDAY COIN
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ith Thanksgiving Break just around the corner, students are eagerly packing their bags and preparing for the last days of classes before freedom is, at least temporarily, achieved. Whether they head home to enjoy the break with family or stay in Riverside to celebrate with their friends, after the last lecture or exam plenty of students look forward to the time they will spend outside of class and ready to spend time with the people they care about. The last paragraph could easily be talking about the holiday of Thanksgiving itself. But surprisingly, it is increasingly true of Black Friday as well. We all know of Black Friday as it has been told to us: the most consumerist of consumer days, the time where we forsake friends and family for the allure of discounted prices and savings galore. On the whole, that is not necessarily inaccurate — Black Friday is, at its core, a day of shopping. It started out as the first day retailers would begin advertising deals for the holidays, and over time cemented its position as the first Friday after Thanksgiving. In 2002, Black Friday really took off, becoming the busiest shopping day of the year almost every year for a decade straight. After all, one of the most common myths surrounding Black Friday is that it is named for when companies begin making profits for the year (or in financial terms, go into the black). The persistence of that myth is as telling as anything else about the way we perceive Black Friday: As a strictly commercial day. However, the fact that it is nonetheless a myth — in other words, a falsehood — tells us just as much about the nature of the day. For some people, Black Friday is
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more than a day to buy stuff. We go to concerts to revel in some excitement before we head back to campus. We reunite with old friends from our hometown and journey through our old stomping grounds. We take advantage of the deals to find that one special gift for our significant other. We are energized by the thrill of being a part of a crowd and our success in finding a good deal. In short, Black Friday means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and it’s not all gold coins and dollar signs for many. Black Friday has evolved over time, transcending its capitalist origins and becoming something that everybody sees in a different light. The deals are what drive some people, but others simply seek to have a good time being with friends and enjoying the happenings of the day. In this, it is actually not too dissimilar with other, more familiar holidays, such as Halloween or Christmas. Halloween started off as a day to celebrate the dead. For many, it still is, but for others it is simply a time to revel in the supernatural and scary. Christmas too has changed its meaning over time. Most recently, many have simply interpreted it as a time of giving, even as others still go to church. While Black Friday is not on par with these more traditional holidays, it is not unreasonable for people to start seeing it in a different light as time goes on. We must also remember, however, that as we go about our day on Black Friday, perusing the deals and laughing with friends, that there are many people who are not as fortunate to have the day off. As Black Friday becomes an everlarger portion of company revenue, an increasing number of workers decide, or are forced by employers, to spend their time away from their friends and families to provide the products that so
many of us enjoy searching for. What’s more, as Black Friday inches closer and closer to Thanksgiving (in fact, for many stores it may as well be one and the same), many employees work through their Thanksgivings to ensure that you have a decent shopping experience. These people are those who need the money to make rent or pay for electricity, and would rather spend the day next to the warm coziness of a crackling fireplace and embracing the ones they love. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have fun with your friends and cancel your Black Friday shopping trip. It just means that you should be mindful of other people’s situations as you go searching for those good deals. If you are at a retail store, be aware that the customer service representatives you’re talking to have probably been working long hours and are away from their loved ones. Treat employees courteously as you go about looking for deals. Give a nice tip when you eat out. These individual actions may seem small, but they go a long way in brightening someone’s day. Black Friday is not inherently evil. Nor will it be going away anytime soon — it will only change further as people and society change around it. It’s best to adapt and take advantage of the fun opportunities you have while realizing that others aren’t able to have that same chance. Whether that’s enjoying the time that you have with friends or the adrenaline rush from finding a good deal, be thankful for the opportunity you have and give back to people who ■H don’t. 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.
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OPINIONS
highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
7
Why Taylor Swift is right to get off Spotify EDWARD DAVE Contributing Writer
Taylor Swift is making headlines again — but not for her Billboard No. 1 smash album “1989” that has managed to sell 1.3 million copies in the span of a week. Swift has pulled her entire music catalog off of popular music streaming website Spotify. Since that move, Swift has been getting tons of flak and criticism from fans and even contemporary music artists who have showed public disdain. While this move may seem cold-hearted from a consumer perspective, Swift maintains a strong stance in advocating equity for labels and artists. Working months on an album that you have produced yourself and written all the lyrics for doesn’t seem to justify putting her discography on a free streaming website. All the diligence spent on that project is withered away when someone can simply click a link and get the material for no price at all. In many ways Swift is correct. Musicians, no matter how glorified they are, are just like everyone else in the essence that they work a daily schedule and spend time developing their craft. Musicians spend countless weeks recording and doing other supplemental activities to ensure their project is satisfactory. For the average consumer to just stream the album with virtually no payment is tantamount to a slap in the face.
The other F-Word HONEIAH KARIMI Contributing Writer
Feminist is the epitome of a word with many meanings. Time Magazine recently published a list of “Which Words Should Be Banned in 2015?” Katy Steinmetz, the author of this piece, claimed the term “feminist” should be banned due to the pervasiveness of celebrity feminism and believes it’s “thrown around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade.” Time’s list of banned words is infantile, and placing a highly politicized word like “feminist” alongside “bae” and “obvi” is nothing short of asinine. Though Time issued an apology a couple of days later, the fact that this happened in the first place exhibits a much larger issue at hand. It is predicated on the notion that being a feminist is something to be ashamed of. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” If more people consulted a dictionary, the trite phrase, “I believe in equal rights, but I’m not a feminist” would certainly die out. Steinmetz’s reasoning is not an uncommon one. Many have expressed qualms with the word — notably with its “fem” prefix,
COURTESY OF BIG MACHINE PRODUCTIONS Taylor Swift’’s business decision to take down her entire discography from Spotify begs the question: What effect do free music streaming services have on artists?
Album sales have majorly decreased since the new millennium and free streaming websites with digital downloading and payment have made purchasing albums less enticing. From 2000 to 2013 sales have declined up to 70 percent with the maximum sales peaking at $730 million in 2000 and a sizably lower $206.4 million in 2013. Album sales are not what they used to be. But why should that matter? It’s been proven financially over decades that artists don’t even get much profit from album sales. Profit is usually attributed
to tour sales, merchandise and endorsement deals. Swift’s “Red” tour grossed over $150 million over the course of the 86 shows, while also being the spokesperson for Cover Girl and Diet Pepsi. Swift has the star power that can maneuver the masses into buying whatever she’s selling. Her last three albums have all seen sales of over one million during the first week and she is now at 30 million albums worldwide — not including digital downloads of singles and such. Why would a prominent star like Swift, knowing she can pull these numbers, take a gamble on having her music
which people argue cannot be synonymous with equality if it favors women. Why not just refer to yourself as a humanist or an egalitarian? It’s important to note that humanism and feminism are not mutually exclusive, nor are egalitarianism and feminism — not to mention the exclusion of women in egalitarian and humanist movements historically. Egalitarianism and humanism are valid ideologies, but they do not address the disparate experiences of various peoples. Both humanism and egalitarianism view humans abstractly; however, what it means to be a woman in our society varies greatly from what it means to be a man. The experience of being black in our society is not the same as being white, gay as opposed to straight, transgender or cisgender and the list goes on and on. It’s certainly commendable to be “pro-human,” but to one day have a world where equality is possible, fighting inequality of the sexes and races takes precedence. In fact, humanism does not identify its members with a political or social movement whereas feminism does — rather, humanism is a branch of philosophy that emphasizes secular thinking and human agency. Egalitarianism, too, is a form of social philosophy. As a political and social movement, feminism provides a medium for fighting sexism. Another criticism of the “fem” prefix is the misconception that it
excludes men. The specificity of feminism does not emulate exclusion. The prefix “fem” acknowledges the inequalities women face in addition to the connotation of femininity with “weak,” “lesser” or “submissive,” hence why “throw like a girl” is utilized as an insult or why it’s commonplace for women to say “I’m not like other girls.” That is not to say feminism is only about women or gender, but it addresses the pernicious side effects of patriarchy — a system that literally means “father-rule.” Patriarchy is an androcentric system — meaning it values men and male interests above all. By fighting this system, feminism calls into question other forms of inequality that are correspondingly a result of patriarchy, such as racism, homophobia and transphobia. Feminists are also concerned with the rigid gender expectations that hurt men, whether that be the pressure to be the breadwinner, the socialization of men from a young age to be emotionally stoic (that later manifests in anger and violence as a result of bottled-up emotions) or the shaming of men who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse. Another complaint against the term “feminist” is its “-ist” suffix. This concern stems from the belief that “-ist” implies one does not inherently believe in gender equality. While it’s gratifying to believe equality is something everyone innately wants, the fact that
allocated throughout the web for free streaming? She’s not taking any chances and consumers blame her in the process. And what about the moral lesson of it all? It’s not just about the value of an album. Swift at the core is teaching consumers that your tenacity and effort should have a value. Everyone wants to be rewarded for the good work that they do, so why shouldn’t artists have that same outlook? Swift, despite being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, is still human and has standards. The music industry is definitely a tenuous business that is harsh
on veterans and even newcomers to the game. Her mindset isn’t different from many of the people in an outcry over the action. Many people, if they were in her position, would want to capitalize on their hard work and make sure they were being paid sufficiently for the work they expend. “It’s my opinion that music should not be free,” Swift wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, “and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.” ■H
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Emma Watson gave a popular speech at the United Nations on the topic of feminism.
the word “feminist” even exists shows gender equality is a matter that requires a movement behind it considering the myriad of misconceptions surrounding the feminist identity. Steinmetz’s annoyance with celebrity feminism is a valid one. Celebrities are often seen as role models, and frequently asked, “Are you a feminist?” The problem with this lies in the assumption that acting in movies or performing music somehow serve as credentials to inform impressionable minds about social justice issues. If they are an activist who regularly voices their con-
cerns with gender inequality (for instance, Emma Watson and her UN speech), that’s an entirely different story. As with any other group, feminism has its extremists. These extremists discourage many from proudly declaring themselves feminists. “Feminist” is a loaded word; perhaps this is why Time proposed banning it. It should come as no surprise that the more progress the movement makes, the more negative the connotations have become. Time may have listed “feminist” as a word to ban in 2015, but you can’t ban an idea. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
OPINIONS
highlandernews.org
Bad game development shouldn’t be payed for by consumers JAMESON ADAME Staff Writer
Video games are an expensive medium no matter how you look at it. Most gamers can afford to buy a few games a year, as the margin for entry requires the ownership of a console, PC or compatible device that will enable the operation of that game, as well as the cost of the actual game itself and any peripheral hardware or software that may be necessary. If one was to do the math, it is possible to see that the cost of getting the bare minimum products needed to play games in the current generation can easily add up. As it is, this same pricey nature of playing video games leads to the desire on the part of the consumer to get the most out of the games they play. The development side of the industry has likewise attempted to make the most out of their games by padding out the multibillion dollar business with extraneous transactions and paywalls that occur parallel to — or sometimes within — the games that have been purchased. Recent events like the release of “Assassin’s Creed: Unity” by Ubisoft in a mostly nonfunctioning state have raised questions about the existence of microtransactions in a game that had people paying full-price. Ubisoft released “Unity” to cries that it was a game marred by the presence of excessive bugs, which caused everything from the player character to fall through the geometry of the world to disappearing facial animations that left players talking to floating eyes and teeth. What put many others on edge, however, was the presence of in-game microtransactions, something regularly reserved for games with no initial purchase price that instead make
GRAPHIC BY CAMERON YONG
It has become common that developers release multiple patches on finished products that are otherwise essentially incomplete out-of-box.
up the entirety of their profits through in-app purchases and ad placement. While these microtransactions do not directly affect the playstyle or completability of the game, they enable players to get a boost in various aspects of the gameplay, such as enhancing melee strength during combat — essentially giving a cheat code for game owners willing to pay for it. This issue was exacerbated by Ubisoft’s choice to patch problems with monetary transactions before fixing the game-breaking bugs. Another game hampered by either the developer or publisher’s choice to emphasize monetary gain over consumer satisfaction was “Batman: Arkham Origins” earlier this year. Upon the game’s release, the numerous bugs left players to deal with glitches in the game engine that brought about audio drops and even hampered game progression. Though it was
apparent that these issues existed, Warner Brothers Montreal released the statement that, “The team is currently working hard on the upcoming story DLC and there currently are no plans for releasing another patch to address the issues that have been reported on the forums.” The development and production sides of “Origins” chose to milk their consumers for more money rather than fixing the issues they experienced with products they had already purchased. This trend points to the fact that in recent years, priorities in the game industry have shifted to emphasize a continuous release of content for a more steady cash flow, rather than depending on pleasing consumers with finished products. Beta testing — the level of development in which companies are tasked with playing the game systematically so that faults in the game code and design can
be found and fixed — has been made secondary in an effort to make money quicker. While the development end of gaming (as with any portion of the entertainment industry) has extremely high overhead costs — sometimes running above the $100 million mark — that cost should not be deferred to the consumer, and should certainly not come at the cost of a finished and working product. Price points for games are firmly set for now at $60, and attempts to increase that price by too much are likely to go over about as well as a concrete airplane. It is for this reason that game companies attempt to make up the increasingly costly creation of games with DLC and microtransactions. It is here that the error in AAA-game development is really made apparent, and while devs often place focus on constant money-fueled spectacle, the actual gameplay
suffers at the hands of deadlines and draining budgets. Coming from the angle of a college student, it is necessary that people vote with their dollars to show that these sorts of actions are not acceptable on the part of developers. If the trends of purchases are shown to reflect games that have little to no bugs instead of following a day-one fervor tied to well-known franchises, then publishers will respond by following the money. With such little money to freely spend after we pay tuition, rent and bills it should not also fall to us to pay for the development of AAA-game titles that are shipped in an unfinished condition. Independent games like “Super Meatboy” and “The Stanley Parable” are perfect examples of enjoyment at a price point that doesn’t exploit the consumer, and should be encouraged, even among companies as large H as Ubisoft and Warner Bros. ■
Why voters can hope for improvement in how they vote QUINN MINTEN Contributing Writer
California officials are considering making a transition to elections conducted exclusively by mail. In recent years, more than half the ballots cast in California’s elections have been submitted by mail. This year’s election in particular broke the record set in 2012, with just under 70 percent of the 4.5 million votes cast in California primaries this year being sent in by mail. With these numbers, many election officials are advocating that California disband use of traditional polling places in favor a mail-only voting system. Their arguments are primarily focused on running as efficient an election as possible. First, it costs around a third less overall to conduct election by mail than to operate facilities where people can vote in person. Second, there is no need to recruit or train workers to run the polling places. This allows government officials to focus resources on counting the votes
that arrive at post offices. Third, when votes are only coming in by mail, the election does not have to stall to accommodate the votes that straggle in late in the election; those votes will be expected and not disregarded due to time constraints. There are, however, several issues with using a mail-only election system. A voter who has had no experience with voting by mail may make errors, which will result in the ballot being disregarded when it should be counted. There is also the issue of young (18- to 30-year-old) voters, who, in addition to being less likely to vote anyway, are not necessarily likely to vote by mail (because, after all, I doubt many of the people in that age range still remember how to use the mail system). To solve some of the problems present in elections, it is necessary to use modern technology to make voting even more convenient and fast-paced. Namely, a system by which voters can submit their votes by using some electronic medium, such as a website for
voting, would be extremely useful for drawing in voters. It would take very little expense, possibly limited to the cost of developing a user-friendly vote-casting website and paying the people who would have to be paid to count the votes anyway. Not only would such an
Namely, a system by which voters can submit their votes by using some electronic medium, such as a website for voting, would be extremely useful for drawing in voters. idea draw in younger voters, but it would also be easier for voters across the spectrum to vote, taking the same amount of time as current methods, but from the convenience of one’s home, or anywhere else that can get a Wi-Fi signal. The website could be very
simple. Open the page and select a language, input certain information (name, age and whatever other personal identifiers are currently used in voting) and the system allows you to access it. The page shows everything (propositions and people) that are being voted on this year. If you haven’t read up on the election, you can click on someone or something, and the page gives you the information pertaining to them. You then merely have to check off each vote, log out and you are done. Such a system is a logical extension of what already happens online. If people conduct business and purchase things online, and register for who knows what online, voting cannot be any more harmful. Indeed, there is perhaps less risk, considering that one need not input a credit card to vote, whereas other online business often requires one. Hence, one’s finances are not imperiled by online voting. The information one would need to register and vote (such as a Social Security number) is already endangered by
standard voting methods, so the risk of fraud in online voting is the same as for mail-in votes. Anyone who can legally vote in California would be able to vote online easily. Only those who lack a computer would have difficulty, forcing them to vote at some public computer. An alternative for people with this situation would be to continue use of voting by mail; being able to vote from home, they would not have to vote at a public voting place, which, ultimately, is the goal of voting by mail. Thus there is no need to establish an exclusively mail-in voting system if the commitment to an online system of voting is made. If voting were conducted exclusively (or primarily) by an electronic mode, the investment in time, resources and people involved in running an election conducted by a physical means would be lessened, almost completely removed. Thus, we accomplish the need for efficiency and the need for increased involvement, the metaphorical two ■H birds with one stone.
OPINIONS
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U.S. streets: police war zones? CHRIS HOOKS Contributing Writer
“Homeland security” — two simple words that have justified the dramatic increase in funding to police forces. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Congress approved large sums, still flowing today, to make police forces more capable of handling increased levels of force they may face. With this increase in funding, according to Glenn Greenwald of “The Intercept,” police forces are acting more like an invading army, rather than an organization that is there to protect and serve the public’s well-being. Some of the first papers warning of police acting like militaries were published in 2007, defining police militarization as “the process whereby civilian police increasingly draw from, and pattern themselves around, the tenets of militarism and the military model.” Even with papers being published warning of possible outcomes of police militarization, the story remained relatively off the radar. In recent months, a report-
edly unarmed African American teen Michael Brown was shot and killed in the suburb of Ferguson, Mo. The shooting, although in a small town, swept the nation’s headlines and brought much controversy along with it. Out of this controversy, a new one ignited: the militarization of local police forces. During a vigil for Brown, the Ferguson crowd became unruly; the police then responded with 150 armed Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) members to control the crowd. The Ferguson police’s military-grade weapons and vehicles disturbed and outraged many citizens across the country, many of whom felt it was an unreasonable use of force. Surprisingly, however, it is not uncommon today for military-style gear to be in the police’s armory: “Local police departments across the country deploy not just military style equipment, but actual castoffs from the U.S. military,” according to Bloomberg Businessweek. This is the leading catalyst of discussion among people located around the country and lends itself to the question of whether or not towns or cities of any size should hold such powerful means of weaponry. “The images and scenes we continue to see in Ferguson resemble war more than traditional police ac-
tion,” Republican Sen. Rand Paul wrote. Even colleges and universities across the country are becoming more militarized. If you look at our sister campus UC Berkeley, their police department was granted funds to purchase an “Armored Response Counter Attack Truck.” This vehicle is typically used for a battlefield. A military vehicle is
A military vehicle is not necessary for a college campus ... not necessary for a college campus, let alone of this scale and magnitude. In my opinion, the rate of murder and mass murder on campuses could not possibly justify the extreme solution proposed. The only thing that is accomplished by the purchase of vehicles like this is scaring the people they have been charged with protecting and serving. Scaring the public is not a part of public service. A situation developing closer to UCR is that Riverside county government agencies have received approximately 234 assault rifles, two armored vehi-
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014 cles, a helicopter and an MRAP. This means the possibility of more aggressive reactions to crime or potential crime in the area as well as the UCR campus itself. Many senators have come out and said they do not agree with federal programs that outfit police departments with military gear. The Senate hearing on the topic of police having militarystyle capabilities stated, “They waste funds and sow mistrust between law enforcement and the communities they police.” Senators are beginning to make changes to U.S. law in an attempt to reduce the amount of military-style gear. One of the provisions that the Senate is looking at changing is the Defense Department’s distribution of 617 mine-resistant ambushprotected vehicles. With U.S. combat operations drawing down in the Middle East, military vehicles have been finding their way to smaller and smaller towns because the vehicles are no longer needed in the Middle East. The worst part about the police getting these vehicles is that they are almost never trained on how and when to properly use the vehicles they have acquired. But this is only a means of putting the brakes on such uses of force. Much more action from the Senate and House must
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be taken if we want to reduce and stop the militarization of police departments. A key area that the Senate and House need to look at is how the Defense Department deals with the leftover military equipment after a conflict has ended. Vehicles and weapons should be turned into scrap and sold off or used to maintain current military arms. In the era of social media, using the tools available to raise outside support will be how citizens protect themselves against these abuses. Sharing testimony will be the key to putting a halt to those overstepping their bounds. With the overwhelming collective voice that is now possible with the Internet, it is much more apparent to Congress than ever before what the pulse of the nation is, and it is now more obvious when they ignore what the American people want: a less aggressive and less military-like police force. It seems there are more stories circulating about the abuses of police power than actually aiding in conflicts that require such force. There seems to be more discussion of the fears of overstepping boundaries than the actual saving of lives or prevention of disaster. Hopefully with public action and vigilance, police militarization can be tackled and brought to a less aggressive level. ■H
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Chancellor Wilcox is wrong to support the new UC tuition plan A braham G alvan , ASUCR V ice P resident of E xternal A ffairs On Tuesday, November 18, many graduate and undergraduate students here at UCR participated in a UC-wide day of action on the eve of an important vote by the UC Board of Regents to approve a tuition plan proposal by UC President Janet Napolitano. This plan, approved as of Thursday, November 20, is set to increase tuition by approximately 27.7% within the next five years unless the state makes a significant reinvestment in the University. We walked-out of our classes to visibly display the potential results of this tuition plan, rallied at the Bell Tower, and eventually made our way to Hinderaker Hall to directly target the Chancellor for his unwavering support of the tuition plan. We were (and remain) collectively disappointed and angry with the Chancellor for his stance, especially in light of the fact that the Chancellor just recently received and accepted a 5.1% increase to his salary, bringing it up to a whopping $383,160. As we protested, we demanded a response from Chancellor Wilcox and pleaded him for a valid justification for his actions (though this arguably does not exist). Wilcox stepped out of his ivory tower to address students for a few minutes before fleeing from the crowd of protesters and returning to his cozy, luxurious office. In the brief encounter we protesters had with Wilcox, our
claim that Wilcox is wrong with regard to the tuition plan was only reaffirmed. While Wilcox tried to dissuade students from protesting, I can say that Wilcox’s bread and circuses did not work. Chancellor Wilcox is wrong, plain and simple. First, the Chancellor praised Napolitano for her ability to “frame” the issue. However, as one protester pointed out later, this argument neglects the concept that students should not be tools in any political battle for money from the state. Students are people, not “frames.” In this political gamble, Napolitano has indeed secured financial security for the UC. Whether the state reinvests or not, the UC will get the money it wants because tuition increases are now securely in place should the state fail to reinvest. Yet, while the state and the University play a game of hot potato with the funding of the University, students remain in the middle, with our financial security and education on the line. Second, the Chancellor reaffirmed a misrepresentation of our financial aid system that has been a central component to the propaganda distributed in its pitch of the new tuition plan. This claim, that 55% of students receive full-financial aid and, thus this plan will not affect the neediest students on our campus, is a gross misrepresentation of our financial aid system and conveniently
neglects some burdensome facts. Specifically, financial aid does often cover tuition and fees, but these are not the only costs associated with attending the University. While financial aid might certainly cover the increase in tuition, what is likely to happen is that this financial aid will come in the form of loans or will increase the likelihood of us having to take out loans to meet other costs. This is at a time when student loan debt has already surpassed the trillion-dollar mark. That is not even considering the other 45% of students that do not receive full financial aid packages. While some of these students may be well off and able to pay for costs out of their pockets, this 45% also includes many middle-income students. These are students that are barely able to cover costs as it is and for which an increase in tuition could very likely make the difference between them being able to attend out University or not. Third, the Chancellor refused to give us a direct response to our question of whether he finds it fair for him and other administrators to be receiving salary increase while students are being told that there is simply not enough money to make ends meet and whether he would reject his salary increase as a means of standing in solidarity with the students on his campus if the plan were to be approved. Instead,
the Chancellor avoided giving us a direct response and instead simply stated that he has no choice in the matter and that his salary is set according to the market. One student rightly yelled out “But you take that salary!” in direct response to the Chancellor’s attempt to brush off his responsibility and complicity. Not only does his response reflect the common trend of administrators using a business model to operate what is supposed to be a public institution. It is no wonder that the Regents and UC leadership do not find the privatization of our university as alarming as we students do. Fourth, and finally, the Chancellor was wrong to flee from students. While some individuals have complained that students should not have yelled at the Chancellor while he tried to speak, it is clear that these individuals are ignorant of the history of activism in the UC and of basic organizing fundamentals. Moreover, these individuals likely lack empathy for the protestors, which are students and other individuals only genuinely interested in protecting the affordability and accessibility of the University and certainly also directly affected by any tuition increases. The Chancellor ought to assume a more serious leadership role in this situation by withdrawing his support for the tuition plan, acknowledging the mutual responsibility for this situation by
the state and the university, and working with students to push for funding solutions that will actually fix the root of our funding problem—such as Proposition 13 reform and decreased spending on incarceration. Of course, this is a nonexhaustive list of reasons why Chancellor Wilcox is wrong to support the new UC tuition plan, especially in the way that he has done thus far. However, it is important that we think critically of the role that every individual has in perpetuating the shameful status quo in our university. We must not be afraid to challenge individuals in administrative leadership capacities. Rather, students must rise up collectively and be supportive of one another in our common fight for an affordable, accessible, and quality education at the University of California. The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact opinions editor Jake Rich at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letter can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.
The opinions expressed in the Opinions section belong solely to their authors and do not represent the Highlander Editorial Board or the University of California, Riverside.
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. FEATURES .
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
the
BeYOND Screen W
e shivered under the chilly evening on Tuesday, Nov. 18 before entering HUB 302. Buzz and excitement were in the air for the event of the night: ASPB’s Beyond the Screen. Beyond the Screen welcomed some of the virtual world’s most popular stars, who shared stories on how they rose to fame and created viral content. Around us, people seemed excited as they chatted about the YouTube videos of Jimmy Tatro and the Vines of Brittany Furlan. As time ticked faster toward the event’s commencement, the rows behind us filled up, with a few people, ranging from fraternity members to aspiring actors, even left standing. The event began with some trivia questions that could only be answered by the truest of fans, such as, “What is the name of Brittany’s dog?” Lucky members won the chance to meet and take pictures after the event with the stars. At exactly 7 p.m., two ASPB members approached the stage and proceeded to introduce Tatro, Furlan and Andrew Bachelor. Comedian, writer, creator and star of YouTube’s “LifeAccordingToJimmy” channel, Tatro has earned over one million subscribers. He has also acted in popular movies such as “Grown Ups 2” and “22 Jump Street.” He was followed by Furlan, a comedian, actress, writer and Vine star. Bachelor, most commonly known as “KingBach” to the Vine fandom, concluded the introductions, and has also been featured in MTV2’s “Wild ‘n Out,” “Showtime’s House of Lies” and Adult
Swim’s “Black Jesus.” The audience was energetic and applauded freely. The first person to approach the stage was Furlan. Although I had never heard of her, judging by the cheers and applause, she had a lot of fans in the audience. She began the event with a slideshow that briefed the viewers on her move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and how she got started making Vine videos. Being one of the top Vine female personas, Furlan showed us different SNL-type sketches she had created, including one that featured 2 Chainz, and narrated the story of how he had thanked her in person for making his single, “Birthday Song,” so popular. She shared her inspiration behind her most popular characters, such as Natalie Nature and The Retired Beekeeper, and how she admired how quickly Vine videos could be created. She concluded her short introduction with her plans for the future and coyly shared her current process of writing a pilot for TBS. The crowd listened intently and others held up their phones to take Snapchat videos and pictures to share their excitement with their friends. As Furlan left the stage, she introduced another Viner and YouTube star, Bachelor. As he shared his story of how he always planned to be an actor, I was surprised to recognize him from one of my personal favorite shows, “The Mindy Project,” as a recurring character. Bachelor attained a lot of positive energy and came up with spontaneous jokes and remarks. He personally thanked
by Amrita Kular, Contributing Writer Photos by Tim Baca
by Tiffany Liaw and Nelson Luu, Contributing Writers
From running to and from classes, meeting up with friends, office hours and extracurricular activities, schedules can get pretty hectic. Midterm season usually adds an extra bonus of cramming hours to a busy schedule. Most planners usually turn out to be a best friend during these crazy weeks. There’s just something extremely gratifying about crossing out a task on a to-do list throughout the day. Planners are generally expensive and never have the right page formatting to fit some needs. My solution? Make your own! I hoard notebooks like a crazy cat lady and have found that making my own planners from Japanese notebooks you can find at Daiso (a Japanese version of the 99cent store) is one solution to my organizational needs. While many people today like to keep their calendar and to-do lists on their phone, some find that it helps to remember tasks more efficiently to write it down by hand. Whether you prefer digital or pento-paper, there is nothing more important to keeping your life organized than a trusty planner. There’s a certain feeling of satisfaction with flipping through a colorful and well-used planner at the end of a quarter. You can track progress and accomplishments, see all of the social events that you attend throughout the quarter and on the last page, jot down grades with a big, bold Sharpie to motivate you to work harder next quarter.
Jimmy Tatro (top) showed some of his videos and discussed getting acting roles. Brittany Furlan (left) showcased her earliest Vines, featuring her video “Jokes with a Bee Keeper.” As Andrew Bachelor (bottom) entered the stage he aimed his smart phone at the crowd — everybody wanted to be in the photo.
the person in charge of creating the PowerPoint slides and then proceeded to narrate how he was born and raised in Los Angeles, and decided to pursue his YouTube career because he thought it was manageable. He motivated the audience to find their passion, as he had done the same. The final person to approach the stage was Tatro, one of the main highlights of the event. Tatro’s videos on YouTube are hilarious sketches that depict different aspects of the typical college student, with videos such as “Tips for College Freshman” being some of the most popular ones. As Tatro approached the stage, he encountered loud applause while several iPhones went up, trying to capture the moment. He went on to joke about how he had dropped out of college and yet was delivering a presentation to college students. The audience found him relatable, with his video on fraternity life being the ignitor of his successful YouTube and acting career. He ended his speech with his plans of “leaving to shoot for Blue Mountain State,” which garnered loud cheering and clapping from the audience members. After the succinct introductions, the Internet stars opened the floor for a Q-and-A session. Students wondered how to stay motivated if they were interested in following the path of the stars themselves. “Follow your passion, because that will provide you with all the motivation you need each day,” said Tatro. One of the
campus cope ORGANIZATION
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STRESS RELIEF
Stress during school is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. There are many methods to relieve stress, and one that may be relevant depending on what you like to do is exercise. Exercising is a great way to burn off the calories while releasing hormones that can cause stress, as some studies have shown. For those who enjoy exercising, taking a quick run around the block can help clear your mind and give you some fresh air, and for those who don’t, you could walk around outside or take your dog out for a walk (or in my case, some quick window-shopping) for around 30 minutes. A change of atmosphere could make a big difference if you were originally studying in a stuffy or not too comfortable environment. It would also be a nice break to clear your head and not have to focus on something for so long that you start to get tired or even delusional. Aside from regular exercise, the Well also offers many activities during midterms and finals week to help overworked students release some of the stress. One of my favorite events that they put on is the therapy fluffies session at the Bell Tower. Even if you’re not particularly stressed out, life offers very few comparable pleasures as playing with an energetic puppy (except for maybe a group of energetic puppies). The Well also offers a series of workshops on how to relieve stress that range from breathing exercises, yoga and tips on how to get a good night’s rest.
questions came from a girl inquiring, “Can I take a selfie with you guys?” The stars were enthusiastic and happily agreed to take a picture with the lucky audience member. This was an obviously cunning strategy, but before others attempted to employ the same action plan, Bachelor joked, “No one else can use this trick!” When the Q-and-A session concluded, the meet-and-greet began and 25 lucky attendees lined up to take pictures and autographs with the stars. Afterward, first-year psychology major Ruby Fakhouri exclaimed, “I loved this event. It was fun seeing virtual celebrities in reality and the background stories that motivated them to pursue their passion.” ■H
NUTRITION
On busy mornings, while you may be tempted to just grab a donut, or even worse — skip breakfast — consider preparing the night before or buying some grab-and-go items. Trust me, I know what it’s like to be running-out-the-door-almost-late every morning at 8 a.m. and it’s super-helpful to have something ready in the fridge for breakfast or as a snack later on in the day. Yogurt cups (optional: add some fruit), protein shakes or bars, Go-Gurt, granola bars and chocolate milk (Ralph’s has a $4 for five deal on Horizon Choco Milk — it’s saved my mornings) are only a few of the many options available. However, if you prefer a cooked breakfast, on Sunday nights make some hard-boiled eggs for the week or prepare some oatmeal that you can heat up in a box and add brown sugar or fruit to in the morning. Smoothies are also a healthy and delicious option. Slice some fruit and pack them in separate Ziploc bags in the freezer (no need for extra ice when it’s frozen) so you can just dump a bag in the blender and add juice or milk. You can also make a toasted bagel with peanut butter or Nutella with bananas or put scrambled eggs on top. The key is to prepare things beforehand so your mornings won’t have to be stressful too. You can also eat these while you’re walking to class. Eating junk food will only leave you feeling groggier and intensify your snack cravings; wouldn’t you rather be setting up your day for success? Next time you’re considering eating your leftover pizza from that all-night cram sesh for breakfast, try opting for something healthier so you can take on the day knowing you’re doing your body a favor. (It’ll thank you later!) ■H
11
FEATURES
highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
11
“Amreeka” movie night evokes laughter and reflection Robert Lees, Contributing Writer
W
ith many students entering panic mode as midterms take their toll, it’s important to find a time to unwind and chill out away from the pressures of the academic word. The Middle Eastern Student Center (MESC) agreed, and hosted an open-air showing of the critically acclaimed “Amreeka” under overcast skies on Nov. 21. Huddled in coats or reposed on blankets, several students gathered on the grass of the HUB for a night of humor, reflection and relaxation. The HUB courtyard was practically deserted by 6 p.m. on Thursday except for the occasional student grabbing a late pick-me-up from the Coffee Bean or hurrying home from a late class. A modest crowd began to materialize around a tent staffed by four members of the MESC, where they handed out chips, warm tea and hot chocolate to the waiting attendees. I signed in and grabbed myself some tea, savoring its warmth as I huddled in my overcoat on the grass and watched two staffers set up the screen and speakers for the film. Several couples or small groups sat on quilts or along the brick planters, their excited whispers punctuated with the occasional laugh or playing with their phones and snacking on the provided refreshments. As the film began at 6:30 p.m., the general din died down and the crowd turned their attention to the screen. Even with the echoes of an event being held at the Bell
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Students gather in the HUB plaza to watch a screening of Amreeka, put on by the Middle Eastern Student Center.
Tower, the sound system is sufficient to be heard all the way in the back stretches of the crowd. The film tells the story of a mother and her teenage son who migrate from the tribulations of the Gaza Strip to a small town in Indiana. They must face the harshness of Islamophobia in the post-9/11 world, as well as the difficulties in finding work, making friends and maintaining one’s cultural identity in a new environment. Despite its heavy subject matter, the film manages to keep itself light, with playful humor and a self-aware streak that manages to avoid the
oftentimes depressing reality of immigration in the United States. The jokes drew loud guffaws from the audience with a hush of reverent silence over the crowd during the film’s more tense moments. The screening was a success and many passersby were drawn into the crowd, grabbing some of the free food and settling themselves on the grass. The crowd was nebulous at times, as people shifted on the grass and occasionally left for a few minutes, but there was a certain stillness in the air, as if there were a bubble of tranquility around the filmgoers.
The film’s subject matter definitely hit close to home for many of the students in attendance. While we are all Highlanders, we all have diverse backgrounds and experiences that have brought us to where we are today. Many of us have immigrated from other states or countries, and countless students have had to deal with racism and prejudice in our lives. One student I spoke to, who asked to be identified as Tom, explained his difficulty with maintaining the culture of his native Korea while also trying to fit into American society. He expressed
satisfaction with the film and its “focus on the all-important issue of human rights.” The film had something for everyone, and while not all of us in attendance may have had experiences similar to the characters, it reminded us that despite our superficial differences, we’re all people working to find happiness and acceptance in the world. The film ended, many of the attendees hurried home, their temporary reprieve over and the responsibilities of work or studies calling. Several stayed however, and many stood around the refreshment table or remained on the grass. I spoke to event organizer Natalie Haddad, who explained that this was the first screening held by the MESC and that they hoped to have many more in the future. She was excited with the total turnout, and happily exclaimed, “Our goal was 50, but there were 65 people here!” The night represented one of the most important goals for our student organizations and for UCR as a whole. It was a night of reflection and laughter, but most of all it was a night of acceptance. We live in a diverse world and our school is a small microcosm of differing backgrounds and culture, united in our desire for higher education and a better life. The characters in the film were able to find the acceptance and contentment they were striving for, and with the aid of events such as this, we can all come together as a campus community toward our common goal. ■H
The Double Standards of Beauty: One Face or Too Faced Brandy Coats, Senior Staff Writer // Michelle Mitani, Contributing Writer
Telling someone that they have great, natural skin is a compliment, but commenting on their choice in makeup because “natural is better” is flat-out annoying. You should feel entitled to create the look that best suits you, whether your morning routine consists of splashing cold water on your face, throwing your hair up into a messy top bun and calling it a day, or if you have a whole procedure involving a counter full of scented soaps, creams, liquids and colorful
powders. Makeup, as a form of body modification, isn’t for everyone. Lately, there has been a lot of girlon-girl crime and even guy-on-girl crime revolving around the “too much makeup” dilemma. If you wear too much makeup, people call you “cake face,” and if you don’t wear enough makeup you may be judged for the scars or acne on your face. Makeup is no different from other forms of body modification like visible tattoos, piercings and brightly colored hair. Our society is currently cradling a stigma about individuals who decide to partake in body modification, whether that be a sweep of the eyeshadow brush or a visible tattoo. Society tells us that those who decide not to present themselves in the most “natural” way possible should be devalued and scrutinized. One major problem with judging body modification is that we decide to police some modifications while others are treated as cultural norms. People tend to roll their
eyes at overly blushed cheeks, fake eyelashes and eyebrow piercings, but those same people wouldn’t think twice about painting their nails, shaving their legs or plucking their eyebrows. Somehow, hair removal, especially as it applies to women, is a standard expectation, but the presence of tattoos on certain parts of a woman’s body results in slut-shaming. We all participate in some form of body modification, either consciously or subconsciously. The choices we make about our clothing, accessories, health and fitness routines, tattoos and piercings all display our personal tastes. A person’s decision to partake in body modifications should be treated like a choice of sweater. We may disagree with its appeal, but it doesn’t need an infinitely long lecture of why someone would be a better person without it. Some people think that excessive body modifications deter individuals from being their “genuine” self. But they shouldn’t be labeled any more ingenuine than
other style choices. Makeup is probably one of the easiest and safest forms of body modification other than investing in a new wardrobe. Both women and men wear makeup for all kinds of reasons. Some cosmetics are literally designed to cover up blemishes or uneven skin tones, and even tattoos can be strategically placed to cover scars or enhance areas that the individual is otherwise unconfident about. Yet why do we feel so inclined to take that away from a person? It shouldn’t offend us that some people need an extra boost to feel fabulous. In fact, we all probably require that same fix, one way or another, whether that be hearing our favorite song or a long run at the gym. If you would rather spend 15 minutes in front of the mirror than go on a 15-minute jog to find a new sense of confidence, then more power to you. Some think makeup brands and names such as Too Faced Cosmetics or Urban Decay’s Naked eyeshadow palette were ironic. However, Too Faced doesn’t mean
two-faced, and although they sound the same, Too Faced Cosmetics was founded by two men whose vision was to empower women. Cofounder and creative director of Too Faced Jerrod Blandino “recognized that makeup is so much more than a little color on a woman’s face — it is an instant mood booster, a best friend, a powerful ally and a personal set of lady balls.” The next time you overhear a snide comment about your bright lipstick, glide on another layer and just remember that you bought that shade of lipstick because it looks good on you. Beauty is and always will be subjective. There is no such thing as natural beauty because beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. In all seriousness, the word beauty is defined as the qualities or characteristics such as color, texture, shape and form that please the aesthetic senses. You shouldn’t wear anything to please anyone but yourself, and you shouldn’t be forbidden to do or wear what makes you happy to please someone else. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Events this week Tuesday | 11/25
Anything Goes @ Fox Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m.
Friday | 11/28
Inner Prisms/Quita Penas @ Back To The Grind, 7:30 p.m.
Friday | 11/28
Bo Huff 2014 Rockabilly Extravaganza @ Riverside Municipal Airport, 9 a.m.
Saturday | 11/29
blessthefall @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 7 p.m.
COURTESY OF LIONSGATE FILMS
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT SOON:
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
THE IMITATION GAME
BEFORE I DISAPPEAR
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY—PART 1
RATING: ★★★☆☆
S
BY: JOSH CONDE, STAFF WRITER
ay what you want, but I am awfully grateful that we live in an age where countless young adult book series are transformed into insanely popular blockbuster hits — and no, that is not a sarcastic statement. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many failed attempts at bringing these types of stories to life and there are always guaranteed plot holes and many other missed opportunities within these types of movies. However, some of the most exciting and culturally impacting film series, despite any technical flaws they may have, have come into fruition as a result. The Hunger Games is an example of one that is both riveting and engaging to a point where you might be compelled to volunteer as tribute to save the characters you have undoubtedly grown attached to. Although there is much debate as to whether or not final installments of these adapted book series should be split into two parts, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” does a satisfactory job at setting up for the grand finale, and I’m glad we are in for a fourth and final ride. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” leaves off exactly where we last found our heroine Katniss Everdeen. After competing in and ultimately sabotaging the third Quarter Quell, a
unique type of fight to the death between previous winners of the Hunger Games, Katniss is rescued and transported to District 13, where the heart of the rebellion has gathered. From there, the leaders of the rebellion are faced with the grim task of overthrowing an eccentric and egotistical maniac of a dictator. The primary method of doing this is through the use of propaganda to foster rebel pride, of which Katniss is the ultimate symbol. However, on the flip side, Katniss’ love interest and former partner in the Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark, is being brainwashed by President Coriolanus Snow and is spreading propaganda in favor of the oppressors and a ceasefire by rebel forces. This of course throws Katniss into a whirlwind of emotional distress, forcing her to deal with undeniable pain and conflicts. Instead of focusing too heavily on action, the movie zeroes in on storytelling, and revolves around building up emotional tension within the characters, which will ultimately unfold in the final installment. Although the lack of many intense action sequences may be disappointing to some, the slow and tense plot buildup does an excellent job at not only revealing the true thoughts and emotions of the characters, but also creating an even greater sentimental at-
Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
tachment viewers may have for the characters and their struggle. The film constantly bombards viewers with scene after scene of unspeakable atrocities committed by Snow, as well as many instances of rebels fighting back with everything they have, even if it is only their lives. The combination of these two contrasting images are sure to resonate with viewers and fire up the rebel within. Multiple times I even found myself feeling the same anger and frustration experienced by the characters in the story to a point where I wished I could
jump in and support them myself. The emotional and thematic elements of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” are the aspects that really stand out and are conveyed successfully through solid performances from the cast. Lead actress Jennifer Lawrence continues to do Katniss justice and is successful at revealing the tumultuous fluster of emotions going on between her head and heart. The rest of the cast, which includes actors and actresses such as the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore and Josh Hutcherson, to name a few,
all put up solid performances as well, which aid in the ultimate goal of building up tension and suspense for a final release. Ultimately this film focuses on slow and steady plot and character development. If you walk into this film seeking tons of action, expect to be extremely underwhelmed. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” is successful at creating intense buildup for the final installment. Although many viewers may be disappointed by this, this film is still an enjoyable and emotionally charged experience. ■H
BEYOND THE LIGHT
RATING: ★★★★☆
S
BY: EDWARD DAVE, CONTRIBUING WRITER
ocial commentary done right: That is what “Beyond the Lights” manages to achieve in its almost two-hour running time. With precise focus it tackles tantalizing issues such as media scrutiny, family pressure and concerns over personal image. “Beyond the Lights” strips these issues down to their core and analyzes them on a level so deep the average viewer might just walk out of the theater learning something about their own self. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood masterfully turns a melodramatic story into something tangible and authentic. With cult movie classics like “Love and Basketball” under her belt, Prince-Bythewood assumes the director’s chair with experience and another grand story to tell. The premise of the plot is normally something stripped right out of someone’s typical Saturday night cheap movie date. A rising star, Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), has become used to aiming for the stars, working hard to ensure her musical career shoots off with a bang. However, every aspect of her career and image is meticulously crafted by her manager Maci Jean (Minnie Driver) and her
record company. In the wake of her debut album the pressure is stacking up on Noni, and she’s being pulled in a multitude of directions — ultimately losing sight of the person she was before the glitz and glamor. After winning a Billboard award for being featured on a hit record with her industry boyfriend Kid Culprit (Machine Gun Kelly) she indulges in wine on the way to an afterparty but soon finds herself dangling from the edge of a balcony in despair. A police officer, Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker), manages to appeal to her actual persona by saying the keywords, “I see you.” From then on a budding relationship begins between the officer and the misunderstood star. The acting is a huge component in making the film as powerful as it is. Mbatha-Raw’s performance as a pop star is stellar. In one scene she appears as a fortified and confident young woman standing on top of the world while in another scene she becomes an unnerving shell of her former self. The internal battle her character is having translates well and transcends the screen. Parker’s performance is equally convincing. He becomes the one you are rooting for, as his convictions
and strong nature are mirrored in all of his actions. Social issues are usually tackled lightly in films. “Beyond the Lights” paints the media as vultures, as they constantly try to pry into Noni and Kaz’s life to get a front-page story. The couple’s feelings aren’t considered and you can see the toll it takes on them in the process. They eventually start to believe what the media is perpetuating. You see firsthand what the media can do to people. Another social issue the movie takes head-on is the peer pressure that stems from family and close friends. Throughout the film we see Noni’s mother actively controlling her career and not taking discretion for what would be best for her daughter. Noni falls into the trap of thinking her mother’s word is absolute because she is the only person in Noni’s life to ever give her direction. That dynamic also resonates beyond the screen and raises the emotional stakes of the film. The soundtrack deserves an honorable mention, combining a medley of modern and urban tracks such as “Drunk in Love” by Beyonce and songs by Machine Gun Kelly and Rita Ora. The tracks provide a much-
Courtesy of Relativity Media
needed break to the serious tone of the film and embed scenes with personality and flavor. The usage of newer music gives the film a necessary tone boost to accurately depict Los Angeles glamor. “Beyond the Lights” does what many films fail to do,
and that’s giving the audience an entertaining story while being packed with social context that actually makes sense and doesn’t only serve as a fingerwagging lesson. This film deserves to be seen by those who are itching for a drama with actual depth and credibility. ■H
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
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MUSIC REVIEWS SEEDS // TV ON THE RADIO
RATING: ★★★★☆
I
BY: ROBERT LEES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
n the spring of 2011, TV on the Radio’s future as a band was uncertain. The group had recently reunited after a yearlong hiatus, and they lost their bassist, Gerard Smith, to lung cancer after the release of their fourth album. With their newest album “Seeds,” the group has shown that the tribulations of their past will not stop them from continuing to make music they love. Dark and melancholic but punctuated with optimistic lyrics, “Seeds” sets a new standard for TV on the Radio in one of the finest albums I have listened to all year. “Quartz,” the opening track of “Seeds,” sets the initial tone, with singer Tunde Adebimpe musing that he “Should really give it up sometime.” The opening tracks have a deep club-style drum sound and heavily synthesized bass, paired with melodious backing vocals and Adebimpe’s crooning. On the surface, the songs almost have a pop feel, showing a movement toward more experimental and polished sounds in contrast to the rawness of their indie roots. However, astute listeners will find richness in the melodies and true emotion in Adebimpe’s lyrics hiding below the feel-good nature of the initial tracks. TV on the Radio has shown that their wounds have not fully healed, focusing on love, loss and self-doubt in their
initial tracks. However, they also incorporate elements from their past releases to show off their musical skills, blending funk, gospel, synth-pop and post-punk influences with their own distinct sound. Things change pace at the midway point of the album with the track “Ride.” It features a dramatic shift in tone with high energy, poppy vocals and melodious instrumentation. This
While this makes the album much more welcoming to newcomers, longtime fans may dislike the band’s shift away from their roots. track and the songs that follow serve as a celebration of their past and feature much of the irreverent, unpolished feel that many listeners liked in their earlier work. The album hits a high point with the electrifying “Lazerray,” as the band appears to shift its attention away from the tribulations of their past and toward their optimism for the future as the lyrics acknowledge that “nothing living lasts forever.” With the last few tracks, the band appears to metaphorically come to terms with their losses, admitting that they may not
always be together to make music. However, they seem determined to continue to create for as long as they can and I hope they deliver on their promise. Despite its serious subject matter, the album has a very light and carefree feel at times, featuring the high-energy characteristic of TV on the Radio. They also show how steeped they truly are in the indie scene, as hints of bands such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire are interwoven in their sound. Its high-energy feel makes it perfect for lightening up a tedious Southern California commute, while the depth and complexity of the sound make it perfect to listen through headphones during a relaxing night in. The track order makes the first listen uneven, and there are jarring shifts in tone between some of the songs. The opening two songs create a feeling of dread and insignificance against the veritable mass of sound on display, like standing on a beach in the middle of a hurricane, feeling the crash of the surf amid the howl of the wind and the low rumble of thunder. This is lost, however, with the third track’s lighthearted folk-pop feel. The juxtaposition of sounds is jarring, and while the third track is still good, it disrupts the flow set by the opening, and the album
Courtesy of Harvest Records
has a hard time getting on track until its second half. It also feels comparatively safe compared to the band’s earlier work. The polished mixing and po-faced subject matter show a stark contrast to the group’s esoteric, irreverent feel, and the album feels like the group is trying to break into the mainstream. While this makes the album much more welcoming to newcomers, longtime fans may dislike the band’s shift away from their roots. Despite the issues with the
inconsistent tone, these are merely specks of dirt in a handful of diamonds. The songs show an intricacy that is lacking in the crass marketing endemic of the modern music industry, and I was enraptured from start to finish. It features a depth of character that shows true care and reflection in the band’s past years, but is also a bright, colorful experience that surrounds you on all sides. It is light, airy and seemingly superficial, but if you let it draw you in you’ll be entertained for ■H hours.
FOUR // ONE DIRECTION
RATING: ★★★★★
O
BY: MAXINE ARELLANO, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
nce a band of five strangers put together by Simon Cowell on the X Factor in 2010, One Direction has made their name within the music industry indestructible — four years and four albums later. With the world at their feet and their careers in their pockets, the 20- to 22-year-olds have seized the opportunity to make a concerted effort to dig out their own sound and develop their musicality and songwriting skills for their newest album “Four.” “Four” dropped Nov. 17, and within hours of hitting shelves and iTunes, it hit No. 1 in 146 countries. Albeit a sudden rocket to the top, the album was No. 1 in 67 countries before it was even released. How? With the one-track teaser of “Fireproof,” which set the tone for the album: a blend of indie ballads, folk undertones, arena rock and finger-snapping beats. The album seems like it can either float over a candlelit room or fill an entire arena, none which really scream “Biggest pop band in the world.” “Steal My Girl,” an upbeat track with a catchy melody that can appease any guilty pleasure, fits for their first single. Surprising? Not at all. It introduces a
subtle change without a radical response, with the contrived notion that the band still relies on the traditional boy-band sound. Their second single, “Night Changes,” (out Nov. 21) has a completely different sound of a starry-night keyboard intro and lyrics illustrating growth and change — establishing just what “Four” was set out to do. “Four” has not only shattered the boy-band archetype that many have associated with each
... with a new sound established, it is sure to catch the attention of those who avoid boy bands like the plague. member of the “What Makes You Beautiful” band, but also showcases their work beyond bubblegum pop. Tracks such as “No Control” and “Stockholm Syndrome” can easily be said to be the rebels, depicting a ravenous sex drive and — how Harry Styles himself described “Stockholm Syndrome” as — “about a nympho.” It makes one question how
a band who once sang, “We’re like na na na / Then we’re like yeah yeah yeah” could sing “This time I’m ready to run / Escape from the city and follow the sun / Cause I wanna be yours / Don’t you want to be mine? / I want to get lost in the dark of the night” (“Ready to Run”). Their first album had writers such as Iain James, Savan Kotecha, James Murray and many more, whereas “Four” had Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Styles. The five members took complete creative control. Tomlinson barely advanced beyond backup vocals in their first two albums, but has really leveled up here. Writing nine out of 16 tracks on the album, Tomlinson has collaborated with the likes of Wayne Hector and Ed Sheeran. His reedy tenor is prominent in “No Control,” punching out the chorus equivalent of a pelvic thrust. Horan was also seen as a minor character but flexes an appealing growl on that first verse of the arena rock song, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and conveys a voice that sounds like honey dripping off a spoon in the soft ballad of “Fool’s Gold.” Styles offsets those soothing voices with a rocky tone belted out in almost
Courtesy of Columbia Records
every verse, especially after the ‘80s electric guitar opening of “Clouds.” Payne and Malik possess ranges from angelic falsetto to deep bass, which are conveyed in various tracks such as the fun, woman-worshiping track “Girl Almighty.” The last track on the deluxe edition “Act My Age” pays homeage to Horan’s Irish roots. Putting listeners in a pub in the middle of Ireland and slamming
a horde of beers in the air while chanting the lyrics about never growing up, One Direction makes you know they are still those boys from the UK. Exceeding expectations of fans and onlookers, “Four” has raised the bar for One Direction. It has been dubbed as their best work yet, and with a new sound established, it is sure to catch the attention of those who avoid boy bands like the plague. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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POM POM // ARIEL PINK
RATING: ★★★☆☆
A
BY: MATTHEW DELGADO, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
riel Pink has delivered the album Foxygen’s “… And Star Power” should have been. Freed of his backing band Haunted Graffiti (partially responsible for his previous outings, the generally acclaimed “Mature Themes” and “Before Today”), Pink provides a double-sided LP stuffed to the brim with inventive psych-pop and idiosyncratic incursions. “Pom Pom,” his newest solo album, is all unvarnished Pink; this is gonzo-pop, the kind of songs that would get massive play in some alternate universe where Archduke Ferdinand survives the assassination and goes on to win the Depression against Hunter S. Thompson and The Bee Gees. Pink makes music for the man who likes his food tossed straight into the crock-pot; every music trend from the last 40 years is stirred into this album, baked in with Pink’s signature glossy AM pop coating and affectatious vocal mannerisms. At 17 songs and more than an hour long, how much the listener gets out of this album depends on whether they like their oddball humor by the bucketfull or the kiloton. Results may vary. Album-opener “Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade” bounces along equal parts singalong and cloying pretension, like a cartoon theme song on a sugar rush. The track is interspliced with cassette tape hissing, adding to the surreal scene. “For Shadows,” meanwhile, feels like vintage mall goth; you can
almost hear the eyeliner run down Pink’s face. “Lipstick” begins with a slowed down, atmospheric beginning that brings back memories of Macintosh+’s “Floral Shoppe” LP, while “Nude Beach a GoGo” (Yes. And that’s the song title. No, it’s not even the worst offender — hello, “Dinosaur Carebears”) is Pink’s take on Dick Dale-era surf-pop. “One Summer Night” twinkles with blissed-out reverb, ostensibly ripped straight from the summer of 2010, while “Not Enough Violence” is built extensively around new wave synths. That’s Pink’s appeal: His persistent crate-digging and dedication to the lost sounds of yesterday combine with his eccentric humor to produce albums that are both firmly rooted in rock history and at the same time oddly futuristic. Pink has always made it a point to wear his influences on his sleeve and here, with his sound cleaned up to maximum pop efficiency, he’s never sounded more indebted to them (“Exile on Frog Street” near-rips the climactic string section from The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” to much less effect). This album has drawn comparisons to Frank Zappa’s material, and it’s easy to see how. With the extended prostitute pirate bit in “Black Ballerina” (yup) and the often esoteric humor that’s laced throughout the album, this is an insular product, homage as much as it is parody. That insularity is a doubleedged sword; with himself as sole arbiter of what goes on
Courtesy of 4AD
and off the record, a few of the tracks can come across as indulgent or B-side ready. And while the album more or less hangs well together, many of the skits that the tracks are built around, like the train sex bit from “Sexual Athletics” (double-yup) or the phone call from “Put your Number on my Phone” are hit or miss. It’s just as easy for them (and by extension Pink) to come off
as either endearing or grating. And while much of the album has a definite spark and an instant catchiness, nothing comes close to matching the overriding ear candy of some of his bigger hits, like “Before Today” highlight “Round and Round.” These criticisms, however, do not ultimately overpower the record. “Pom Pom” straddles the line between
reverential tribute and graverobbing gimmickry. But Pink’s extensive attention to detail and genuine love of many a forgotten ‘70s soft rock peddler results in a fascinating listen. With “Pom Pom,” Pink continues his string of solid albums, while pulling open the big tent just enough to let some new listeners see what all the fuss is about. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
17
COURTESY OF HARVEST RECORDS
Awayfrom the
Sprawl: by Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer
COURTESY OF UNITED ARTISTS
I
COURTESY OF WISEAU FILMS
Or: How I stopped being a cynic and learned oversaturation isn’t wrong
t’s something that inevitably happens to someone who listens to a ton of music, watches a ton of movies, or consumes a large amount of any type of art. Suddenly, you’re watching a band or movie that’s really hyped, or the latest single from an artist you like a lot and there’s just … nothing. No, we know there is literally something playing your speakers. We know there’s something projected onto the screen you’re watching. But you don’t feel anything. You can even recognize the spot that’s supposed to move you, but it just doesn’t hit you in the same way. You’ve become what you never thought was possible: a cynic. It’s easy to become cynical of modern art and media — but it’s not something that you have to give in to so easily. There’s still hope for you! Though it may seem hopeless when you hit that wall, there are many avenues to take when your passion isn’t calling back to you. My first suggestion: Go outside of your preferred genre. You may simply have heard too much of the same sound — whether it’s too many intricate Kanye
beats or too much contemplative baritone from Matt Berninger of the National, even the best music can simply wear its welcome out when heard too often. A good way to branch out is to look for elements of your favorite genre or artist in places you wouldn’t expect to find them in.
Jackson Jihad or Frank Turner — two artists with punk attitudes, but instead armed with acoustic guitars (most of the time). Try researching new bands online. Sites or apps like Spotify, Wikipedia or last.fm make it very easy to find related or similar artists to what
A good way to branch out is to look for elements of your favorite genre or artist in places you wouldn’t expect to find them in. For example, if you like punk, there are many streets to go down to broaden your horizons. What do you like about it? The attitude? Try Death Grips, the recently disbanded eccentric hip-hop duo, whose visceral beats and wild lyrics induce berserk mosh pits at every show. The angry introspective lyrics? Try Andrew
you’re interested in, then fall deep into a well of neverending links to find a fantastic new artist you may have never found otherwise. The same goes for movies. If you have a favorite director, find out who their cinematographer is, their set designer is, or other frequent collaborators are. Love the stark
black-and-white shots of Woody Allen’s classic, “Manhattan?” His cinematographer for that film, as well as for “Annie Hall,” was Gordon Willis — best known for his work on the “Godfather” trilogy, films starkly in contrast to the tone of most of Allen’s films, to say the least. The Wikipedia route, as well as the Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB route, are also good ways here. So don’t give up when you’re feeling like you can’t find anything to inspire you. With the amount of media and art that has been produced in the past and is still being produced now and into the future, it is likely that there is something that you will never read, see or hear that you would absolutely love. That’s a grimmer look at the situation, but it makes it all the more reason why you should never cease in your pursuit of knowledge and art — if you’ve got no one to beat, you’ve got nothing to lose. Or you could, you know, just watch “The Room” for the 50th time. That’s not always a bad idea either. ■H You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
SPORTS
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CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER With seconds to spare on the shot clock, Brittany Crain (No. 23) pushes toward the hoop to make the layup against San Francisco. Crain went to become the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000 point club that game.
Highlanders remain undefeated,
knock off SJSU with 100-point performance JASON AHN Contributing Writer NOV. 20, 2014
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Highlanders 100 - Spartans 80
The undefeated women’s basketball team is showing signs of consistency, beating the San Jose State Spartans, 100-80, behind 34 points from Brittany Crain. With the student section sparsely filled, one may not have known it was a school day. Students and loyal parents came to support their team. Some came with spouses, others brought their children, who would rather trade their mothers’ kisses for gummy worms than watch the game. UCR took a decisive lead early on with an eight-point run from
Highlanders Crain, Annelise Ito and Jaelyn Wilson. The trio seemed to be playing fluidly on the cold November afternoon, making sharp cuts, smooth shots and the occasional tough shot. The Highlanders’ defense would not allow the Spartans more than two points for 13 minutes. The tables were turned after San Jose’s Rebecca Woodberry nailed a three-pointer at 12:20. She then hit another three-pointer shortly after, followed by a layup from San Jose’s Aniya Baker, who scored on a three-point opportunity, making it 19-13. Statistically, San Jose shot the ball more than Riverside. The Spartans shot 31 three-pointers and 85 shots but were only 34.1 percent in field goals and 25.8 percent beyond
the arc. The Highlanders on the other hand shot 14 three-pointers and 71 field goals, finishing with a 47.9 average in shots and a perfectly split 50 percent from the threepoint line. “Last game, they shot 53 free throws, and forced the other team to have 41 turnovers,” Head Coach John Margaritis said. “At times it looked like we weren’t playing defense, but I did not want to reach in. They’re fast and get a lot of threepoint plays.” The Highlanders came out of the second half with their heads held high, leading 47-37, one of them smiling even. San Jose on the other hand came out of the locker room stoic, ready to add more points to the board. It was 47-40 at the start of the
half in which the Spartans came out playing press defense. This caused several rushed and difficult shots for the Highlanders, but the team kept the lead for the remainder of the game. The Highlanders played enough defense to keep them at bay, outscoring the team by 20 at the last buzzer, 100-80. Crain led the team with a whopping 34 points and 15 rebounds, followed by Simone DeCoud who had 18 points and four assists and Ito who racked up 10 points before being sidelined after a collision in the second half. For their next game, Margaritas plans to prepare with his assistant coaches on how to keep the streak going. “(We’ll) go back to practice tomorrow and go tonight and watch
film,” he said. “The assistant coaches try to do the next opponent.” NOV. 26, 2013
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Highlanders 66 - Dons 53
On Saturday night, the women’s basketball team maintained their undefeated start by beating the San Francisco Dons, 66-53. Crain became the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point club. USF scored first from a layup from Taj Winston at 18:15. From there until midway of the first half, USF led 17-9. The Highlanders were three-for-15 from the field during the first nine minutes of the game, but Crain sunk a special three-pointer which made her the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 points in school history. A shift in scoring occurred before the first half’s end, as UCR scored seven in a row to tie the game at 21. DeCoud knocked down two three-pointers to take the lead. USF’s Aundrea Gordon made two free throws to end the first half, 26-23. In the second half, USF once again jumped to an early lead, 3328, which was quickly answered by a jump shot from Ito and two jump shots from Crain, 33-33. The Highlanders then enjoyed a 12-0 run to lead 45-34, which eventually led to the university’s third win in a row, 66-53. DeCoud led the Highlanders, knocking down five three-pointers for 21 points followed by Crain’s 16, Michelle Curry’s 14, and Ito’s six points. The 3-0 start to the 2014-2015 season is the best in school history since joining Division I in 2000. While most UCR students will be with their families on Thanksgiving, the women’s basketball team will buckle down for a Thanksgiving tournament in New Mexico. They face Stephen F. Austin University on Friday, Nov. 28. ■H
SPORTS
highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
HIGHLANDERS
Around The Big West Alexander Manzo, Contributing Writer
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PHOTO COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
Cross-Country
The UC Riverside’s men’s basketball team began the season with a convincing win during Homecoming weekend but with back-to-back losses, they now have a 1-2 record. The second home game of the season on Monday, Nov. 17 was against Sacramento State as the Highlanders lost in the final moments with a score of 70-69. The third game was in Utah, and with the Highlanders in enemy territory, they were beaten 88-42. Sacramento came out firing shots to lead 7-0 before Taylor Johns put UCR on the board, 7-2. UCR was unable to take the lead until 1:21 left in the first half, and it was quickly taken away with an end first-half score of 31-29. Despite shooting perfectly from the charity stripe (10-10) in the second half and even having a seven-point lead, the Highlanders were unable to close out the game, losing 70-69. The game on the road was a completely different story. The Highlanders’ defense was nowhere to be found as they trailed 30-19 at the half, even with Utah native Nick Gruninger scoring all his free throws and leading the team with his seven points. The Highlanders were just unable to figure out an effective strategy as No. 25 Utah didn’t let up any pressure en route to the 88-42 win.
The men’s cross-country season came to end with a 15th-place performance out of 29 teams in the Big West at the NCAA West Regional Championships. Seth Totten was the first Highlander to finish, placing 50th with a time of 30:27.9 while Cody Jordan finished in 69th behind him. With a combined score of 426 with the other five Highlanders, they were able to have the school’s best combined finish since 2009. Raquel Hefflin from the UCR women’s cross-country team finished one of the best running seasons in UCR history as the senior placed 48th out of 253 runners at the NCAA Championship, earning the best finish for any UCR athlete at the event. She was one of only four individuals from a nonqualifying team to run at the NCAA Championships. She placed eighth out of 230 total runners in the Big West Regional Championships to advance while the team as a whole placed 23rd out of 34 teams in their last meet. “I am really proud of Raquel and all that she accomplished this year,” Director of Cross-Country and Track and Field Irv Ray stated. “She moved up well at the end of the race and had the best-ever finish for a UCR runner.” Hefflin also earned the Big West Women’s Athlete of the Year honor before the championships.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
Women’s Golf
UCR’s own Brittani Ferraro was named the Big West Women’s Golfer of the Month for her strong performances over the fall season. On Oct. 21 after a rough first day at the Santa Clara Colby Classic, she came back strong on the second day, shooting a 72 to lead the team to a first-place victory. With the help of Ferraro, UCR is now ranked 60th in the country, which is the sport’s best-ever ranking. Ferraro is the first UCR player to the win the award since Amelia Ek in 2011. Jakeishya Le from Santa Ana, Calif. also recently signed a national letter of intent for the upcoming 2015-2016 season. Le scored 66 back-to-back to win the Trinity League championships. She also shot a 72 in the CIF Regionals and 72 in her individual. The women’s golf team will kick off their winter season on Feb. 9, 2015 at the Long Beach Gold Rush tournament in Long Beach, Calif.
Women’s Volleyball
It was senior night for the Highlanders on Saturday evening as the women’s volleyball team honored the graduating class of 2015: Kecia Amber, Tyler Dorsey and Megan Reza. Each player walked out hand-in-hand with parents and family members gleaming with joy while the crowd applauded in the background. On the court, the Highlanders fell to 18th-ranked Long Beach State in three sets. The 49ers captured the first set, 25-11, recording 13 kills to one error in 24 total attempts. The second set saw nine tied scores while the Highlanders battled to remain competitive in the period. The team recovered from a 1712 deficit to tie the score at 17-17 behind a pair of kills by Reza and Helena Peric. Long Beach State, however, reeled off seven points to win, 25-18. The third set was no kinder to the home team as Long Beach State tallied another positive kills-to-error ratio (14-1) to win the set, 25-12. Peric recorded a career-high 15 kills on the night. UCR will now play its final game of the season at Hawaii on Friday, Nov. 28. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
highlandernews.org
catching up with
JANET LUCAS
darren bueno, senior staff writer
I
nterim Director of Athletics Janet Lucas sat down with the Highlander to talk about her status as UCR’s first female A.D., the current state of the department and how she handles the stress of being athletics’ first-in-command.
Highlander: How did you react when first learning about your new position and Jim Wooldridge’s departure? Janet Lucas: Relative to my position, I told the Chancellor I was very honored by the opportunity they presented and also the trust they placed in me to lead this program moving forward during such a transitional period of time. So quite an honor. We were very sad as a department to hear about the transition with Jim both as a basketball coach and our director of athletics. He always had the best of intentions and tried very hard to develop this program and keep it growing and getting better. So it was a big change for us, and we wish him the best of luck and certainly have the utmost respect for him. H: You’re the first female athletics director in UCR’s history, the university’s second senior women’s administrator and were the first female athletics director for Cal State Northridge. Do you think this provides you with a unique perspective on college athletics? JL: I’m in my 35th year of working in Division I athletics, and I think that’s what gives me the broadest and most in-depth perspective relative to how the department operates. What our needs are after eight years, I’m very aware of that. I understand our staff and how it works, as we fill our vacant positions. I thoroughly understand what’s a good fit as far as personnel goes. So as the first female in this position at this institution, does it bring a slightly different perspective? I think at times it does, but I think years of experience, administratively speaking, is really where I can put that to use for us.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve held a variety of interim positions as we have had some growth with adding new positions, but also some turnover that naturally occurs in athletics. I’ve been the interim ticket manager, event manager, compliance director and business manager. So there isn’t an area in this department that I haven’t worked with directly over my eight years. And that gives us an advantage, particularly in a time that can be unsettling. The folks that have worked with me the longest are very comfortable as we move forward because they understand what my philosophies and expectations are. Right now our biggest emphasis is pulling together as a team for our department so we move together in a unified manner even as change occurs. H: How would you describe the landscape of the athletics department? JL: We are looking for continuity and stability more than anything else because that is the foundation and springboard for the growth. In my eight years here, I’ve had three athletics directors and five chancellors, two of which were interim. So it seems that at every point where we are really starting to gain ground, there is some sort of a transition that creates a different challenge. So the stability and continuity is important for us, but that doesn’t mean everything stays the same, it means the vision and direction stays the same. So as you make changes, they will stay in place and you can keep building on them. That will be very important to us. H: What are some of the biggest needs for the department as a whole? JL: In the short-term, we have a number of vacant administrative positions and filling those is paramount. We do not have a large administrative staff. I’m very happy to say we have continuity in our coaching staff and all those positions are full-steam ahead. When the initial transi-
tion occurred, we had eight open administrative positions, which is a large portion of our staff … We’re moving very, very quickly considering. We have a couple more (positions) we need to address. Getting the staff in place is part of that stability. We’ve got some folks that are so excited to be joining our department and helping us move forward. H: Long-term, what are some of the goals that you would like to see the athletics department work toward? JL: Financial stability is an important aspect of our program. We have a lot of funding sources through the institution but also through revenue production. We want to build that revenue, which is extremely important, and have stability with our other funding sources so that you use those financial resources wisely, which allows you to keep building in that sense. We want to be strategic with the decisions that we make. In other words, you can’t do everything. You have to prioritize and be very strategic in the choices that you do make. And connecting all of this to the community and our supporters, building that fanbase and the fan experience is obviously very important both in short- and long-term. H: For the athletics department, what are some of the priorities, and how are those funds divided up? Are there any areas of focus? JL: Facility enhancements have been a focus over the last year, and they are going to continue to be. We are finishing up some projects right now, and we have plans for other ones, so that we can keep developing those facilities because they connect to the recruiting process. From another perspective, our priority as a department is the student athlete experience. When we provide positive student athlete experience that allows our student athletes to excel both as individuals and
photo by vincent ta a team, we know we will have a successful program. We’re doing so many wonderful things now. It’s not all producing as far as wins and losses, but that is the focus, through the process of a positive experience, we will build that winning tradition.
H: What restrictions, if any, does UCR face compared to other universities in the Big West Conference? JL: I mentioned early that we do have a small staff. We also have a budget that isn’t consistent with the average in the Big West. We do not have football as some of the other programs do, but we want to build on those resources in order to add to the experience that our student athletes have at UCR. But we’ve been able to add, over the last few years, a variety of different aspects. We added an academic counselor a few years ago, which is a part of our core mission. We want student athletes to do well, both athletically and academically. We want to see them grow and move on to the next phase of their lives, prepared to do that. So we want to keep that type of growth. H: We’re approaching the end of the quarter, and a lot of students are stressed. How do you handle stress? JL: When I’m surrounded by the kind of people that we have in our department that are helping through this transition, it allows me to stay focused on what I need to do in order to move us forward as much as possible during a transition, both internally and externally. So I really do depend on those folks, and I appreciate everything about what they are doing for this department, our student athletes and for the university. That helps automatically any stress level you might have. You stay busy. It’s a positive kind of busy though. It really is energizing in and of ■H itself.