COMEDY APOCALYPSE Comedy Apocalypse XII is full of fun and laughter.
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The debate lights up with a write-off over medical marijuana on the Riverside ballot. 8
Highlander University
Volume 63
of
C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
Serving the UCR community since 1954
Issue 20
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
ASUCR
ASUCR proposes constitution overhaul
Physical planning study sees room to grow
AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer
ASUCR passed a series of constitutional amendments at last week’s senate meeting that they hope will be ratified by students during the 2015 elections. The amendments would make it easier to recall elected officials, and also seek to change the selection process for two key executive branch positions, effectively shifting power away from the executive branch. Currently, ASUCR officials can only be removed through a lengthy process which requires student signatures from at least 10 percent of the college the official represents, and 50 percent of the total senators from the same college. “There’s no reason why it should be a ton of work for somebody else to remove somebody who’s not doing their work,” said Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan, who introduced the package of amendments. The amendments require accused members of the legislative and executive branches to be brought up on charges by just one member of their respective branch, ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 3
LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER Group members actively listen while others voice their opinions and concerns at one of the two planning workshops.
COLIN MARKOVICH Senior Staff Writer
UCR held two planning workshops to seek the input of the campus community in determining the future of physical space on campus last Tuesday, Feb. 24. The first workshop, held in the HUB, was designed for students, staff and faculty while the second was
SEE WHO COMES OUT ON TOP AT
BATTLE OF THE BANDS 17
intended for community members and held in the University Extension Center. The workshops are part of a yearlong physical master plan study to identify the preferences of the campus community and explore the possibilities available for campus growth and expansion. Common themes expressed in both workshops included the
need for a larger landmark to identify the entrances to campus, renovating older buildings or constructing new ones near the Bell Tower and increasing access to parking. Meanwhile, many attendees expressed dissatisfaction with Lot 30, the University Village and the intersections near the
THE LAB
Grant studies fish exposed to oil spills AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer
UCR researchers will receive $835,000 of a $9 million grant over a span of three years to study the cardiovascular effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on two species of fish, the coastal redfish and pelagic mahi mahi. The rest of the grant will go to the University of Miami — who is leading the project — along with the University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Texas. The grant, entitled Relationship of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in Fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) is part of British Petroleum’s (BP) $500 million 10-year Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI). This initiative is a response to the 2010 BP oil spill, which occurred when a BP oil rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing an environmental crisis. GOMRI is sponsoring five different types of grants ranging from $1.5 million to $110 million to research how the oil spill has affected the gulf’s ecosystem and the health of oil rig workers. Daniel Schlenk, a UCR environmental science
► SEE PHYSICAL PLANNING, PAGE 4
► SEE OIL SPILL, PAGE 4
[ NATALIE SHEVCHENKO ] STUDENT SPOTLIGHT First-year student and professional ballroom dancer Natalie Shevchenko represents UCR nationwide.
9 NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 5 • FEATURES 9 • A&E 13 • SPORTS 20
PLEASE RECYCLE
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
NEWS IN BRIEF
COMPILED BY SANDY VAN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
UCR doctoral student attends national agricultural forum
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Riverside hires new city manager John Russo, former Alameda city manager and Oakland city council member, was hired as the Riverside city manager on Feb. 19, according to city officials. The 56-year-old will become the permanent replacement for the current interim city manager Scott Barber. “John Russo really stood out among the many exceptional candidates who sought to lead our city’s more than 2,400 employees,”
Mayor Rusty Bailey said in a press release. “His breadth of knowledge on the issues facing California, as well as his commitment to providing residents with a high degree of customer service, made him our top choice.” Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Russo holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Yale and a law degree from New York University. Working as an Oakland private attorney for
11 years, Russo was drawn to Riverside initiatives such as Seizing Our Destiny, which involves the city’s strategic blueprint for increasing economic innovation and sustainable green initiatives. Russo’s past initiatives include obtaining rights to redevelop the Alameda Naval Air Station into a hotspot for increased economic prosperity. He will begin on May 4 and earn a yearly salary of $295,000.
Holly Mayton, a first-year Ph.D. student in chemical and environmental engineering, was selected to attend the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum entitled, “Smart Agriculture in the 21st Century,” which exposes participants to scientific research and agricultural policies. She is one of 30 college students — 10 graduate students and 20 university juniors and seniors — who attended the Feb. 19 to 20 event in Arlington, Va. Undergraduate students were selected based on their responses to the essay prompt: “Agriculture as a Career” and graduate students had “The Greatest Challenge Facing Agriculture over the Next Five Years” as their topic. Mayton chose to focus on food safety and foodborne illnesses as they are a national and global issue, noting President Barack Obama’s Food Safety Working Group in
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
2011, which focused on prevention as opposed to response to bacterial contamination. Her graduate work will also cover the fate and transportation of bacteria such as E. coli near wet environments. According to Mayton, there is both an opportunity and need for engineering in agriculture. “Challenges in water scarcity, big data analytics, and antimicrobial resistance are just a few examples of the wide variety of ways in which engineers and scientists are needed in the future of agriculture,” she said. “I feel that I gained a lot from simply meeting peers who are so passionate and engaged in agricultural studies like Food Science, Agribusiness, and Veterinary Medicine. It was very cool to be able to discuss things like citrus greening with a Florida student and cattle ranching with a Texas student,” Mayton said about the event. ■H
QUOTEBOOK “Mahi-mahi are probably the most colorful fish found while trolling the open oceans.” - Don Malkowski, Get Reel Fish Company spokesperson on the fish inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico
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UPCOMING EVENTS
WINTER 2015, WEEK 9
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
3/3
3/4
3/5
3/6
3/7
3/8
3/9
Japanese Taiko Drumming Demo Noon - 12:30 p.m. ARTS Amphitheatre Steps
Vitamin D and Your Health Noon - 1 p.m. HUB 302 North
Basket Weaving Workshop Noon - 2 p.m. HUB 367
PB& J: Peanut Butter and Jogging! 9 a.m. HUB 248
Auditions for 2 Theatre Productions 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ARTS 113
Family Movie 2 - 4 p.m. La Sierra Library
Weekday Carillon Recitals Noon - 1 p.m. Bell Tower
Jump Start to Medical School Featuring: Kaplan 3 - 4:30 p.m. HUB 269
Wellness Wednesday - The Invisible Threat: The Science of Disease 4 - 6 p.m. HUB 269
UCR is Dancing 2015 8 - 9:30 p.m. University Theatre
38th Annual Rummage Sale 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Grove Community Church
Heat Music Festival 6 - 10 p.m. UCR Campus
Opera Showcase 3 - 5 p.m. La Sierra University
Roseman University Of Health Sciences Information Session Noon - 1 p.m. HUB 367
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org ► ASUCR FROM PAGE 1
and be presented to the judicial council, which would decide whether a hearing is warranted. A two-thirds senate vote would be required to approve the recall of the official, removing the direct involvement of the student body. Galvan also proposed changing the selection process for the vice president of finance, currently chosen by the president, and the elections director, currently student-elected, expressing concerns that these positions may be overly politicized. The amendments mandate that both positions be nominated by the judicial council and approved by the senate. In response to concerns that an elections director might be elected in the 2015 elections just before the new rules could take effect, a section was added to retroactively vacate the position, with another candidate subsequently selected based on the above amendment. Galvan also proposed that the executive vice president (EVP) rather than the president pro tempore act as the chairperson of the Legislative Review Committee. He hoped this could later lead to a pay raise for the EVP, who has lower pay than other officials, since, according to Galvan, the position entails fewer duties. In addition, he felt it was unfair for the president pro tempore to have both chairperson and senatorial duties, especially since the position is paid the same as senators. This amendment did not pass, with over two-thirds of the senate voting against it. “It’s the senators that end up voting on legislation. It should also be
the senators that chair and review it,” said Senator Herman Sangha. Other changes were made, including the correction of grammatical errors and clarifications of position descriptions so that, according to Galvan, “no one can rely on ambiguities or uncertainties to avoid their duties.” Senator Akeem Brown motioned to include an amendment mandating the creation of a transfer student senator position, citing what he sees as underrepresentation of transfer students and pointing to the successful implementation of this office at campuses such as UCLA. The motion failed with a vote of 2-9-1. Galvan felt that creating constituencies based on different standards could prove problematic, as in this case, where some senators would be selected based on the college they belong to, and others based on how they were admitted to the university. Parliamentarian Mohamed Hussein was unsure of how to handle the issue of giving other underrepresented groups senate representation, since it could be exclusionary to only grant representation to transfers. The amendments, although approved by ASUCR, must be ratified by a majority of voting students in the upcoming election to take effect, a change from the previous two-thirds requirement. “Our constitution should be spotless if we expect respect from the campus and our members,” Galvan said. ■H Full video coverage of ASUCR senate meetings is available online at youtube.com/ UCRChannelH.
NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
3
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan brought up a flurry of changes to the ASUCR Constitution during last week’s meeting. These changes were comprehensive and spanned across all three branches of the ASUCR government.
HIGHLIGHTS: - An amendment was passed to make directors an official part of the executive cabinet - ASUCR adopted a CALPIRG resolution to make some open-source textbooks available to students through tuition and fees
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY Mahi-mahi are one of two fish that will be studied to see if the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had longstanding effects on marine life.
► OIL SPILL FROM PAGE 1
professor and co-principal investigator of RECOVER, said those specific fish were chosen because “they are an economically important species of the Gulf of Mexico and have ongoing cultures which allow us to treat the embryos with oil components, and our collaborators evaluate heart function, energetics and swimming abilities.” Schlenk will be joined by UCR colleagues Elvis Xu, a postdoctoral researcher, and Graciel Diamante, an environmental toxicology Ph.D. student. Coastal redfish have been protected game since 2007, allowing heavily regulated fishing of the species during its hunting season
and contributing to a small part of the coastal economy. The pelagic mahi mahi are very common in the gulf and are a common commercial and recreational part of the fishing economy due to its popularity as a seafood dish. So far, researchers have determined that the petroleum negatively affects the swimming abilities of both types of fish due to its toxic effects on their cardiovascular health. In the experiment, researchers moved the contaminated fish into clean water. After 25 days, researchers determined that the fishes’ swimming capacity was still reduced. RECOVER will further analyze these effects on the embryos of both species by using video imaging to
observe their heart movements. The team will also add probes to older fish to monitor blood flow from their heart to their gills as they swim faster. Another part of the project will involve tagging their tails with fluorescent markers and using highspeed video cameras to monitor tail movement. The project will seek to determine whether both species of fish can recover from the effects of a crude oil spill and provide insight on the best ways to manage similar incidents in the future. Population ecologists will also be able to make better predictions in ecosystem changes by studying the fishes’ swimming abilities, which determine their survival ■H and population growth.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER Faculty and students listen attentively at the Campus Visioning Workshop.
► PHYSICAL PLANNING FROM PAGE 1
Arts and Materials, Science and Engineering Buildings. Communications liaison for the project management team leading the study Barbara Lloyd emphasized that the purpose of the workshops so far is not to determine where growth should occur, but rather to determine how much growth is feasible. “Given what we’ve learned about what are the aspirations of the various stakeholders on campus and what the capacity of the existing campus is … what is the potential growth capacity, without deciding where it goes exactly, but what is that capacity?” Lloyd explained. According to information presented at the workshops, UCR antici-
pates a 19 percent increase in enrolled undergraduates from 21,000 today to 25,000 by 2020, which would further increase to 30,000 by 2025. In addition, the campus hopes to hire 300 new faculty, representing an increase of 50 percent, and receive an additional $200 million in federal contracts and grants in the same time frame. With such significant growth expected in the near future, UCR put out a request for proposal for independent contractors to lead the study. Between 15 to 18 firms applied, with planning firm Moore Ruble Yudell receiving the winning bid to conduct the study. The planning firm is expected to be paid nearly $1.1 million for its work on the study; the cost of the study overall is expected to be higher. Moore Ruble Yudell is also working with additional outside contractors for the project, which is expected to be completed in fall quarter 2015. Buzz Yudell, partner at Moore Ruble Yudell, was present at the first workshop and described the workshop process as the “understanding stage.” “We get a diversity of opinions and ideas … We get a window, a snapshot, an understanding,” Yudell said, explaining that the workshops are complemented by analysis and research by architectural and development experts that occur later in the process. The master plan study is an outgrowth of the campus’ strategic 2020 development goals, which were developed in 2010 by former chancellor Timothy White. The final product will eventually be integrated into a new long-term development plan, which will give more specifics on how the campus will change and grow over time. A steering committee, cochaired by Executive Vice Chancellor Paul D’Anieri and Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget Maria Anguiano, will be overseeing the development of the master plan study. Fortino Morales, a 2011 UCR alumnus who is now the R’Garden coordinator, came to the workshop because he was interested in seeing how sustainability was being integrated into the planning process. Morales thought the workshops were successful, but noted that he would have liked more students to be present, suggesting that another venue may increase student turnout in future workshops. “More is always better,” Lloyd said in response to a question about the student turnout. “We hope we will get that participation even higher… and we have been talking to student affairs about getting more student involvement,” highlighting visiting the dormitories and tabling by the Bell Tower as ways the committee has tried to reach out to students. According to Lloyd, the first workshop was planned to be held in Bourns Hall, but after a more-thanexpected 123 individuals RSVP’d, the workshop was moved to the HUB to accommodate the increased number of attendees. Of those, more than half were UCR staff, and UCR students made up just over a quarter; however, an unofficial Highlander tally numbered students as a much lower percentage of overall attendees. Over 40 people signed up for the second workshop. A subsequent workshop will be held on April 27 to further develop and hone the ideas presented at the initial workshops. “We’re going to try to distill some guiding principles that should be common themes for the H next phase of the work,” Lloyd said.■
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
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Opinions HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDEREDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF
COMMUNITY COLLEGES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO CALIFORNIA’S NEED FOR DEGREES
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ommunity colleges in California have recently received approval to start running pilot programs for four-year degrees. The program will allow for community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees that are not offered by nearby public universities in an effort to open up more opportunities for students within the state. With the program in effect, policymakers will monitor the initiative’s effects by measuring the money earned by those who have earned the new degrees, showing their value in terms of post-graduate salary. However, unaccounted for is the value of these degrees to the rest of the state. Are these degrees beneficial to California as a whole, outside of just increasing the dollar-per-household ratio? The first concern that should be addressed is the potential for this initiative to increase competition among CCs, leading to newly competitive prices and undermining the purpose that many feel community colleges possess: affordable education. The initiative accounts for this, however, only allowing the CC in question to offer programs for degrees in the event that they are not already offered by a nearby public institution, thus only coming into competition with private universities. While this may seem as though it would drive up the price of a college education against competing private universities, community colleges are likely to stay affordable by their very nature, attracting only those students who may not have the means to attend a public university, as those same students are likely unable to afford private higher education. It would also be foolish for community colleges to increase the cost of their education in an effort to become more competitive with normal four-year universities. The main draw
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to these campuses will likely remain the affordable certification courses and technical degrees that are paid for per-unit, instead of the pricey perquarter model that we experience at the UC. While these programs will be paid for on a $10,000 annual basis, their primary competition seems to stem from private universities, which often cost more that twice what UC students have to pay. Another possible concern is that these campuses are already impacted, and that this new program will only serve to further exacerbate the issues of overcrowding in CCs, leading to students not being able to register for the classes they need. The solution to this may seem simple because ultimately, it is. With the extra money coming in, it will become much easier for community colleges to expand, as they will now be able to afford more teachers, additional construction space and the ability to create more classes. Community colleges are situated in the perfect position to be able to expand, as their overhead costs clock in significantly lower than the UCs. As the UC is a research university where professors are expected to perform research as they teach, expansion necessarily comes with extensive peripheral costs. Especially in the sciences, growing the UC would necessitate the price tags that accompany research supplies, supplementary materials and the already-necessary funds to create additional workspace. Unlike the UC, CCs are not beholden to such prices for their professors’ research, and can expand more reliably and at a cheaper cost. While the expansion may not come into effect for some time given the period between increased enrollment and the ability to use those funds, this program is likely to provide CC campus-
es the ability to accommodate their already impacted classes. Not only would the congestion on community college campuses decrease, but this measure may even allow for the over-population in UC and CSU campuses to drop considerably. If the degrees offered are an alternative to the more expensive bachelor’s degrees that the UC and CSU offer, then this initiative may be an out for those students who want the same basic certificate, but don’t want the many dollars in loans that these schools ask of us. Enrollment at UCR itself has shown no sign of slowing and has consistently increased, though it would likely be ameliorated if community colleges like the nearby RCC offered degrees that were not regularly available on our campus. With this done, students could instead only go to the school that offered their preferred degrees, while simultaneously allowing a slight decrease in the amount of debt students have to pay back after graduation. On the whole, this plan can only benefit education in the state of California. Though the initial impact may prove tricky to cope with, considering the likely immediate rise in community college enrollment, this could also prove to increase the perceived values of CCs, offering them as creators of not only niche certifications and trainings, but of previously unavailable degrees as an affordable price. Isn’t that something we all wished we could have: More education without more debt? ■H 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
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
Opinion Poll What did you think of the Oscars?
C ompiled
by
J aspery G oh
Keishi Fujimoto Economics First-year
Mikey Gayton Theater Second-year
Lesley Rabago Biology Second-year
Jason Junio Biochemistry Second-year
Kevin Deleon Sociology First-year
Nathan Nguyen Biology First-year
“I just watched it for fun. I thought it was okay.”
“I was pissed ‘The Lego Movie’ got robbed, the best animated film was ‘Big Hero 6,’ but ‘The Lego Movie’ should have won hands down. When they performed the hit song ‘Everything is Awesome’ from ‘The Lego Movie,’ that was the best part of the Oscars.”
“I only watched Lady Gaga’s performance. It was really sophisticated, and I like how she evolves.”
“...I heard about the results and I’m really glad ‘Big Hero 6’ won the ‘Best Animated Film’ ... I’m also proud of it being the first Disney film to star an Asian American lead, which really hits home with me.”
“... my favorite movie ‘Nightcrawler’ didn’t get any recognition. It’s a disappointment that they didn’t receive more recognition.”
“I like ‘Big Hero 6’ and ‘Interstellar.’ Those were two movies that I thought deserved an Oscar so I’m happy about those.”
► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH
Not that kind of teacher’s pet KATE RUSMISELLE Contibuting Writer
Harvard has changed its policy about student-faculty relationships according to the Los Angeles Times. Now, its policy stipulates that all students and faculty members may not enter a romantic or sexual relationship with each other. Before, the policy prohibited relationships between faculty and current students, while only discouraging relationships between faculty and former students. Many other schools have similar policies that frown upon such relationships, but do not forbid them. Upon further reading of the UCR Faculty Code of Conduct, if the chancellor finds out about the student-faculty relationship three years after the fact, then disciplinary action may no longer be taken. So, guys, loophole — just be very careful not to get caught. Unfortunately, that means no pictures with the bae on Facebook or Instagram. There is a reason many offices ban romantic relationships between coworkers. According to Donna Rosato in a 2014 “Time” article, “consider what it would be like to work on a team project with someone who has spurned you. Not fun.” The article goes on to say that a CareerBuilder Survey reported that 7 percent of employees left their jobs due to relationships gone bad. It may be a different setting, but TA-student relationships are basically like office romances — except a TA has complete control over your grades. In this analogy, they are your boss. When there is a power difference, it adds a whole other aspect to the relationship. Suddenly, favoritism is assumed regardless of whether you really are doing A+ level work. Even if you aren’t in their class anymore, you are putting your significant other at risk of being fired. For many of us, school is our
GRAPHIC BY CAMERON YONG Harvard has changed its policy to officially ban, rather than just discourage, all student and faculty romantic or sexual relationships.
job. When we are distracted, we prevent ourselves from doing our best work. Only 56 percent of graduates last year earned their degrees within six years. A measly 19 percent earned their degrees within four years. The longer you stay in college, the more debt you rack up. It’s easy to see why our grades slip up when you consider all the other things college students have to balance — socialization, money management, extracurriculars — in addition to academics. It’s stressful. Trying to maintain a healthy relationship with
a boyfriend or girlfriend on top of everything else is stressful. Having to hide your romantic relationship is the sort of stress that will make you want to pull your hair out. Don’t pull your hair out. You look good with hair. It is said that college is preparation for the “real world.” In the real world, there are expectations of us and we know that there will be consequences if we don’t live up to these expectations. There is a little disconnect between school and the real world still — we’re late to class
or just don’t show up, we’re not going to be dropped from the class; but do this at a real job and you’re fired — but we’re old enough to realize that essentially the rules in place are the same. College should reflect the outside world, because that is where we are going to end up after we graduate. Just like college is a step up in our level of accountability from high school, college is a time to prove that we are responsible adults ready to contribute to society. If we’re not meant to date TAs
or professors we should accept that, because that is how the real world works. You don’t date superiors. Our professors may tell us now that they aren’t here “to hold our hand,” but after graduation we won’t be getting any sort of warnings. Just do your job. Good luck. I applaud Harvard and its say-no-to-love policy between students and teachers. We are responsible adults and it’s your responsibility to treat your learning seriously and professionally. Keep those teacherH student fantasies in your head. ■
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
OPINIONS
Grass is a major culprit for wasting water. Thousands of gallons of water are wasted to fulfill one goal: to look nice.
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
Grass is the problem, grassroots is the solution
DANIEL KELLEY Contributing Writer
Amid the persisting “megadrought” that is ravaging California, human usage of water, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, has not changed. Californians are far too comfortable with their water-use habits, but it is not urban water use that is the main problem. To assuage the devastating impact of the drought and influence Californians’ water habits, our response must not only focus mainly on agriculture, but include our private sector. What UC Santa Barbara professor Gary Libecap proposes is the strengthening of property rights and the introduction of a more robust water market. Simply, there is more incentive to conserve water when prices are high. The fluctuations of the free market, and the consequent financial hardships they produce are what will meaningfully influence Californians to alter their water habits.
California’s public institutions have a role to play as well. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown called upon Californians to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent by the year 2020. In accordance, UC President Janet Napolitano directed all UCs to reduce their water usage by 20 percent as well. A change to institutional water policy, like UC campus water policy, not only eliminates large portions of California’s total water usage, but more importantly, sets precedence for a culture of conservation within California’s most populated areas. UC Riverside has to step up. Irrigating farmland in the Central Valley represents roughly 80 percent of all human water use in the state. According to the Office of Sustainability, of the entire UC system, the Riverside campus currently uses 1.5 to 1.9 million gallons of water per day, the most out of any UC. There are two reasons for this gross overconsumption. Over half the water used at UC Riverside goes toward irrigation of our
landscape: to the agricultural crops, and the grass. Second, our campus has received a large water grant with the land grant for the University, and UCR has acquired rights to more water from gifts over the years, making our water incredibly inexpensive. Consequently, UC Riverside’s administration has little incentive to affect water policy change any sooner than the 2020 deadline. Yet with all the science pointing to continued and increasingly devastating problems, we can’t wait five years to become part of the solution. Our current policies are unsustainable. UC Riverside is leading the charge into the future in every other field from medicine to technology, but we can’t allow our water policies to remain the problem. Expediting change to our university’s policies will require mobilization at the grassroots level. It has to start with students. Luckily, these movements already exist. The California Public Interest Research Group, CALPIRG, is one
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group currently working to expedite the water conservation effort across the UC system through this kind of grassroots mobilization. CALPIRG is campaigning to alter UCR’s water impact by changing, primarily, how we use water on our grass. But the water conservation campaign across the UC system is about more than changing policy; it’s about eliminating apathy. It is not just our policies, but our culture, our habits and how we view water that must change to reflect just how precious and limited our water is. Unfortunately, the only factor that will draw sufficient attention to the scarcity of water is the scarcity of money. With 17,000 jobs and over $800 million lost due to the drought in 2014 alone, and no indication that these damages will cease, there is no doubt that our consumption of water must change, and fast. We can’t wait generations for California culture to catch up with the times. Our water usage needs to change now. ■H
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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
HIGHLANDER WRITE-OFF:
Dispensaries on the ballot for Riverside Medical marijuana dispensaries offer jobs, aid to Riverside ROBERT LEES Staff Writer
Since Proposition 215 passed in 1996, which legalized medical marijuana use in California, there have been debates and friction regarding its implementation at the city, state and federal level. Despite being passed by a majority of voters, many officials have circumvented the democratic process and banned the opening of medical cannabis dispensaries in several cities and counties, including Riverside. However, on June 2 a ballot measure called the Riverside Medical Marijuana Restriction and Limitation Act will be voted on, which aims to “permit, tax, and regulate a small number of dispensaries” within Riverside. Isn’t it time that we stop limiting patients’ rights and earn money for our city’s floundering economy? I’m not trying to argue that marijuana is a magic panacea that will cure all major diseases and usher in a hazy utopia, despite the fact that more than half of medical professionals condone its use. However, it offers an alternative to patients who hope to avoid narcotics, and has been approved for treatment of AIDS, cancer, anorexia, insomnia, arthritis and numerous other ills. While there are medicines that offer treatment for these ailments, the side effects for some of the treatment options are often too much to bear. Consider the oft-prescribed treatment for insomnia: Ambien. While effective, it boasts an extensive list of side effects, including: chest pain, confusion, shakiness, anxiety, fainting, irregular heartbeat, paranoia, irritability, sores and ulcers. Furthermore, marijuana has been shown to help cope with side effects of drugs prescribed for major ailments, such as AIDS. It doesn’t take a master economist to see that industry in Downtown Riverside is dotted with dilapidated storefronts, and the unemployment rate is a whopping 7.4 percent in Riverside County. Drugs sell, and having an avenue where people can purchase marijuana, one of the most profitable drugs in the world, dispensaries will have no choice but to hire workers to deal with the influx of patients. Furthermore, taxation of these transactions will aid our state’s economy, and the influx of revenue may prevent Sacramento from having to make more budget cuts. Detractors of medical marijuana argue that people who aren’t suffering from serious ailments abuse the dispensary system. Is it so bad that a few people abuse a loophole in the system? The initial ban on dispensaries didn’t end all marijuana consumption in Riverside, and allowing a legal option for stoners to buy marijuana may prevent some of your friends and family from suffering injury or death at the hands of a shady drug dealer in some dark alley somewhere. In addition, closing dispensaries because of a few bad eggs only punishes people who use medical marijuana for honest reasons. That would be like banning pool cues because some people use them in bar fights. For those worried about the impact dispensaries could have on the children of Riverside, the law has a stipulation that states that dispensaries can’t open near “parks, schools or homes.” In addition, children may actually be safer if these dispensaries are allowed to operate, as Colorado has seen a decrease in their violent crime rates since legalization. Some of the state profits made from marijuana sales in Colorado have been used for anti-drug programs in schools, which could be the difference between kids choosing to say “yes” or “no” at a young age. Since decriminalization for medical purposes is often a first step before legalization, the passing of the “Riverside Medical Marijuana Restriction and Limitation Act” seems poised to only offer further benefits for our state and city. For those who fear cannabis and oppose decriminalization purely because “it’s illegal,” look into a brief history of marijuana prohibition. There weren’t any grand scientific trials that proved marijuana posed a health hazard — it was instead criminalized because it was associated with African-American jazz musicians and Mexican migrant workers, and predominantly white lawmakers feared that the influence of non-Caucasians would ruin our country. Marijuana has merely been on the wrong side of history, and we now have a chance to help limit an outdated, pointless law. When you consider the benefits and the lack of detriments, more dispensaries is the right choice for Riverside. ■H
The disgusting story of the pot ballot in Riverside
QUINN MINTEN Staff Writer
This June, people in Riverside will be able to vote on the Riverside Medical Marijuana Restriction and Limitation Act. This initiative made its way onto the ballot because of the efforts of medical marijuana advocates, who gathered enough signatures via petitions to allow the city to vote on it. The initiative, if passed, would allow for the operation of several medical marijuana dispensaries in Riverside, subject to regulation and taxation by the city. These dispensaries would only be allowed in certain areas, away from residential districts and schools. Legally speaking, the measure is at a rather precarious position. At the state level, the success of the petitions distributed in Riverside means that the measure must be allowed on the ballot. That, after all, is the democratic process at work. To reinforce this, a local judge threw out a lawsuit intended to keep the initiative off the ballot. It is for this reason that the measure still sees the light of day. On the other hand though, and far more significantly, the measure is contrary to established federal law. Specifically, because of standing laws passed long ago by the U.S. government, the sale and distribution of marijuana — medical or otherwise — is illegal. A little knowledge of the American Constitution will tell that when a conflict arises between federal and state law, judges must follow the laws and precedents set at the federal level instead of those at the state level. Hence, throwing out the lawsuit verges on being highly unconstitutional and therefore wrong. Even though federal statutes are being disregarded by proponents of the measure, at a slightly lower level, the California Supreme Court has already upheld the right of cities to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. This means that the pro-marijuana measure is against federal law, and though the city is within its rights to ban new dispensaries, in such a state of illegitimacy, it should not be presented to voters, regardless of the efforts of its supporters. Aside from the issues stemming from the legal side of things, the manner of execution for the measure points to the illegitimacy of the dispensaries themselves. The wording of the measure makes it clear that the facilities would not be operated anywhere near schools, parks, and other places that might be called “family friendly.” This raises an important question: Why should the dispensaries be kept, one might say, out of reach of children? The answer is quite simple — the very existence of any place that distributes medical marijuana is a danger to any safe family environment. After all, something that has to be kept clear of children for safety purposes probably poses just as much threat to adults. Granted, in an ideal world adults are supposed to be more responsible with the use of drugs than children, which is why they are permitted to have access to them, but there will always be someone who will abuse that right while ignoring the dangers. One might ask, what dangers does marijuana present to its user? While it cannot be denied that marijuana does have some positive effects as a drug, specifically as a painkiller, it also has its immediate drawbacks when used. These side effects include memory impairment, diminished motor skills, altered perception and decreased cognitive abilities. Furthermore, a major debate (at least, for those in medical fields) is whether or not marijuana use has significant long-term effects for users. As long as this extremely important aspect of the drug is unknown, there should be no way for people to legally have access to this controlled substance. Perhaps someday medical science will show that marijuana can be used safely, and maybe it will be made into a form that is not repulsive to the senses (I doubt I am alone in this sentiment). Until then, any ballot measure that legalizes medical marijuana is going to stink like someone who has just finished lighting up prematurely to celebrate their “victory.” ■H
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.
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
Features
9
[ NATALIE SHEVCHENKO ] STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
ASHLEY CHUNG, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“I
was really scared at first,” Natalie Shevchenko, a firstyear undeclared student reflected on the first time she entered a dance studio at the age of six; a remarkable 11 years ago. Now at age 17, Shevchenko represents University of California, Riverside in ballroom dancing across the nation with a mere twoperson team consisting of herself and her dance partner, San Diego resident Mitchell Itkin. While many of us Highlanders were pining away at our finals last quarter, Shevchenko did much more as she tackled finals and dance. Dancing her way to the top at the National Collegiate Dancesport Championship (NCDC), she earned a spot at the annual ballroom competition organized by USA Dance. Ballroom dancing pairs with Shevchenko as much as milkshakes do with whipped cream. Before she had her taste of dance, however, she participated in other sports, such as swimming and soccer, searching for a source to release her energy. Nothing ignited the spark within Shevchenko until she stepped foot into her local dance studio. Filled with nervousness and excitement, she easily found her own beat when two girls from the class reached out to welcome her onto the dance floor. Barely a year later at age seven, Shevchenko found herself entering the kinetic atmosphere of competitive ballroom dancing and has continued on this path since, winning her first national competition at nine years old under her
PHOTO BY LAURA NGUYEN
stage name, Natasha. All of the achievements Shevchenko earned have made her no less of a humble dancer. She reminisces upon her favorite moments within her dance career as the times she represented the United States in England at four different times at the Blackpool Dance Festival. “England is the capital of ballroom dancing,” she explained, and also how the Blackpool Dance Festival is “the m o s t prestigious dance competition in the world.” T e n teams repres e n t their respective countries with each country choosing two couples for the international standard and international Latin style. Shevchenko participated in the latter style, which consists of the cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble and jive. She also represented the United States in the world championship for her first time in Paris last year. Having such grand experiences has given her a chance to feel “patriotic and proud” and has taught her to be thankful for the opportunities she has received. Competitive dancing has opened the door to not only travel across
the United States, but also widen her eyes to the cultures of Japan, France, Italy and England. “I’m honestly still in shock of those,” she stated of the opportunities she has been presented with. She thanks her experiences in national and world championship competitions for her appearances in “Dancing With the Stars,” “America’s Ballroom Challenge” and a segment of “Live Life and Win.”
against Cornell University in the Amateur Latin Category and placed first, naming the University of California, Riverside the USA Dance National Amateur Latin Champions. Like in any sport, Shevchenko still has to manage her time and does so by planning for competitions six months in advance. “Education is equally as important as ballroom dancing for me,” she expressed. So when it became too difficult for her to stay on track with her h i g h school work in her junior and senior year, she started online schooling. Since college, she does her best to manage her time wisely between her dance practices and school by recording every hour into her agenda a week in advance. Any time Shevchenko has not set aside for classes and studying is automatically directed toward dance. That is often made more difficult by the fact that her dance partner, Itkin, resides in San Diego. With such a busy schedule, she sums up her social life in one word: “nonexistent.” Fortunately though, she and Itkin also make sure to reserve time for movie-watching after dance prac-
“Honestly, everything is possible if you really believe in it and work for it. Always follow your heart, you never know just where it might take you.” -Natalie Shevchenko After competing in a myriad of different championships, Shevchenko is still ready to try new things. After all, entering college is about testing out new waters, and that is exactly what Shevchenko accomplished within her first quarter at Riverside. In her first year at UCR, she excitedly explained how she decided to try collegiate competitions, which are developed by the USA Dance organization for students across the nation to represent their school. Shevchenko thus attempted new heights by representing UCR at the NCDC in Columbus, Ohio this past November. She competed
tices. It is also “vital to keep strength and discipline,” she remarked. Although she has to maintain a healthy diet with plentiful proteins and nutrients, she remembers to reward herself with In-N-Out. Shevchenko makes sure to continue to treat herself as she keeps up with her four-hours-a-day, five-days-aweek dance practices for the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) nationals quickly approaching in a short three weeks in Provo, Utah. Despite these tough obstacles, Shevchenko plans on continuing her competitive ballroom dancing throughout college and perhaps the rest of her life. Her attitude and confidence remains positive in her path as a dancer as she continues to develop and learn from further experiences. In the future, she hopes to possibly open her own dance studio to promote dance as she strongly believes that “dancing is a healthy pastime, yet it’s fun and can help many people get moving and get exercising.” Since the age of six, Shevchenko’s passion toward dance has not faltered, and has only grown into a rapidly spreading wildfire as she serves as an inspiration for many with neglected aspirations. She instills hope into many while encouraging them to “never give up. Honestly, everything is possible if you really believe in it and work for it. Always follow your heart, you never know just where it might take you.” ■H
restaurant review:
POKILICIOUS Tiffany Liaw,Senior Staff writer Photos by Jaspery Goh
RATING ★★★★☆ LOCATION 1400 UNIVERSITY AVE., SUITE 106 RIVERSIDE, CA 92507 PRICE $ $ HOURS 11:30 A.M. - 10 P.M., MON. - SAT. 11:30 A.M. - 9 P.M., SUN. CATEGORY HAWAIIAN, SEAFOOD, SUSHI CREDIT YES WEBSITE http://www.poki-licious.com/
I
f you have never heard of poke, chances are you’ll assume it refers to either Pokemon or the physical act of poking someone; I assure you it’s neither and in fact, it’s quite delicious. A poke bowl takes all the ingredients of elaborately made sushi, mixes it in sauce and places it onto rice (or in this restaurant’s case, nacho chips is an option) to create a mixture of different textures and flavors that make up a particularly satisfying meal. As I entered through the front
of the store (don’t try to enter through the back; there’s a sign stopping you) between the windows decorated with poke bowl pictures, I noticed that the space was quite small, yet it still felt clean and open and gave off a very subtle tropical vibe. The staff members greeted us warmly as sunlight poured through the glass and complemented the interior nicely. Small blocks of wood layered and placed in square formations decorated the side of the counters facing the guests, and wooden
benches decked with bright green pillows lined the back wall. To further enhance the tropical theme, their tables contained jasmine rice underneath the glass surface, which resembled a shadow box, and were accompanied with clean white plastic chairs. The place is still fairly new, which explained the lack of wall decoration, although the tables fascinated us enough to take some focus away from the drab dark grey wall be► SEE POKILICIOUS, PAGE 11
10
FEATURES
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
campus cope: From Hellos to Goodbyes W
hether it is your second quarter here at UCR or second to last, some students are just beginning to create new memories while others are leaving with the ones they made. UCR welcomes incoming freshmen to break the ice with the reality of living on their own, with home as an every-otherweekend option. Outgoing seniors prep to leave the home and relationships they have built for the last four years as their futures pull them in new directions. However, once your time here is up, it’s like you and reality are ready to make it official.
Edward Dave, Contributing Writer & Michelle Mitani, Contributing Writer
LAST-Year Perspective
First-Year Perspective After a summer filled with cruising around the streets with your closest friends and discovering new horizons while learning more about yourself, a thought registers in your mind. The time to pack up your belongings and hightail it to the dreaded institution that many cite as the key to financial security has finally come. Four years of high school might not be enough training for any impending challenges ahead. Living accommodations in college are tricky to maneuver around, but can be rewarding depending on the road you take. The privacy to waltz around naked after a long shower and listening to favorite music tightly snuggled under a cozy blanket are some luxuries that many students have to give up, but with many other luxuries to gain. Aberdeen-Inverness (A-I) and Lothian all have communal bathrooms, although they leave more options for socializing due to the open hall structure. Pentland may be a top choice of housing, having individual bathrooms and showers, along with other amenities that are reminiscent of home. Despite Pentland being pegged as the “antisocial dorm” it simply depends on which building you’re put in. While some people may value their privacy, building relationships with others creates a vital support system
AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER
early on that is essential to becoming comfortable with the environment and can help with networking opportunities. Job searching as a freshman is actually a lot harder than it sounds. Some students may qualify for work study. Via Scotlink or ScotJobs, they can look and apply for a variety of jobs on-campus and off-campus. Do not approach the job search with naive intentions, however. Building a resume, getting your social security card, printing out a plethora of job descriptions and placement forms are required. Luckily, the student career center on campus is dedicated to working hands-on with weary students’ career questions and concerns. Your resume may look dry unless you’ve had prior working experience, which makes you the underdog in many cases. You will have to persistently apply to multiple jobs at a time to increase the likelihood of getting a callback. When it comes to getting a career it helps if you’re tenacious and proactive by checking your application status. Looking for jobs also consumes a lot of leisure time so make sure that during your pursuit of the almighty dollar you keep up with your grades — at the end of the day your credits and GPA will be the tokens to success.
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With winter quarter coming to an end some of you may be experiencing mixed emotions about saying your final goodbyes to UCR. Whether it has been two years or five years, you are probably wondering where all the time went. With final exams just around the corner, and graduation fast on its heels, you stop and question if you are ready. Saying goodbye to early classes, final examinations and 10-page papers is one thing, but what about saying goodbye to the friends you have made, the faculty and staff you have learned to appreciate and the student organizations that you have helped build? It may seem hard to say goodbye to the people who helped make UCR feel like a home away from home. If you and your friends seem to be moving in different directions — in terms of a career path or literally halfway around the world — keeping in touch is easier than it seems; you have the help of various social media platforms on your side. As far as saying goodbye to faculty and staff, it is important that you maintain professional contact. Make sure you ask for their email addresses, or be proactive and ask if they would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation for any future job opportunities. However, saying your goodbyes might be the easiest part about graduation and your transition out of college and into the real world. Time may feel as though it is repeating itself, as the similarities between applying to college as a high school graduate and applying to jobs, graduate, medical or law school show. Some of the fears and apprehensions you had when applying to colleges may reappear as you make this next transition in your life, but you are that much more prepared. With your degree in your back pocket and your resume in hand you are ready to face whatever opportunities come your way. ■H
EMPLOYMENT NOW HIRING Apply to be a part of the timehonored Highlander staff! Come to our meetings every Monday at 5:15 in HUB 101 to become involved in UCR’s student newspaper ------------------------------------Part Time Driver Needed Driving, load and unload
helium tanks. Must have CA DL & Clean driving record. If interested call 951-742-8183
MISC. Campus 12-step meetings Tuesday – Step Study Wednesday – Meditation Thursday – Discussion St. Andrew Newman Center 105 W Big Springs Rd, 92507 Noon-1 p.m.
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
► POKILICIOUS FROM PAGE 9
hind the benches. A simple menu spread across the wall behind the counters adorned with raw fish and vegetables illustrates the five-step process: First, a rice or nacho chip base must be chosen; second, add-ons such as onions and cucumbers are selected, followed by the third step, which involves choosing the type of seafood, which included common options like salmon and tuna and a few uncommon ones like scallop and octopus. Finally, choosing a sauce like the house special, Hawaiian lava or ponzu, and more toppings like onions, avocado and spicy tuna, are added to finish off the bowl. “All toppings are unlimited, except for the fish which depends on the size of your bowl,” exclaimed the waitress as our eyes lit up to the sound of food without boundaries –– for once, avocado didn’t cost extra. A small bowl ($8.75) consisted of two fish selections and a large ($10.50) consisted of four, and we both opted for individual small bowls. As I watched the workers scoop up chunks of fresh salmon and tuna into my well-anticipated poke bowl, my eyes wandered over to the wide array of toppings that I might as well order to make my bowl worth the price of around $9 (with tax). I selected the house special sauce for the sake of trying their most popular one, and within minutes of mixing, I had a deliciously and presentably beautiful bowl of salmon, tuna, avocado, cucumber, masago (fish egg), imitation crab, spicy tuna, sesame and seaweed placed before me on a tray. Nearly too well-presented to devour, we paused for a couple of photos and dug into our meals eagerly after. Flavor after flavor was introduced to my taste buds and I was impressed. The house special sauce did not disappoint, as it was yummy and resembled a mix of what seemed to be sweet teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and a tiny hint of wasabi for that extra kick at the end. I could be slightly off with the flavors, but honestly it didn’t matter because it was one hell of a sauce that complemented the sashimi cubes perfectly. The fish gave the impression of freshness without any strange tastes, although I noticed there were a few pieces that contained a little bit of skin that I couldn’t quite chew through. My brown rice was cooked nicely for the most part though some pieces were harder than brown rice usually is (like rice from the sides of the cooker), and all the other toppings were definitely on point. The spicy tuna was flavorful and the entire bowl made for a well-balanced mixture between savory, tangy and spicy notes. As I silently thanked myself for choosing this as my lunch, I must admit that Pokilicious can’t necessarily be compared to the more well-known poke places in Orange County, although it is a great substitute and definitely adds to the (not so existent) food variety near campus. We sipped on our Dr. Peppers from the soda machine to temporarily pause from stuffing our faces with poke, and I noticed that they also offered desserts ranging from American traditional Tiramisu ($3.50) and cupcakes ($1.50) to Japanese-style cheesecake ($3.50). A cute little
see-through fridge was decked with Coke and Diet Coke bottles and a larger drink cooler contained coconut water, Yoohoo and Red Bull to compensate for the lack of fountain drinks. Satisfied and with some leftovers, we thanked the friendly manager Joe Luong on our way out as we grabbed a lid to conveniently put over the biodegradable bowls. If you’ve been hesitant to give Pokilicious a try, I definitely urge you to if you’re in the mood for sushi — minus all the hassle (and expenses of AYCE) that typically come with a meal involving sashimi. Despite the slightly more expensive tab, the unlimited toppings made it worthwhile and yes, I will be back to satisfy my poke cravings (and with that sauce) in the near future. ■H
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
11
(Topmost) A regular poke bowl with brown rice, salmon, tuna, spicy tuna, crabmeat and various other toppings. (Above) A vanilla cupcake with vanilla bean buttercream.
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Highlander
ONLINE: “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE” REVIEW
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
EVENTS THIS WEEK 3/5
UCR Choral Society: PET FETE @ ARTS 166, 12:10 p.m.
3/5
UCR is Dancing @ University Theatre, 8 p.m.
3/5
Opera Showcase @ La Sierra University, 7 p.m.
3/7
HEAT Music Festival @ UCR Campus, 6 p.m.
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
14
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
Clockwise from top left: Matt Braunger jokes about his age difference with the college audience. He has been featured at festivals in Montreal, Las Vegas, Austin and Aspen; Baron Vaughn has appeared on Jimmy Fallon and Conan, as well as acted in various television shows; Ramin Nazer plays his theme song for the audience while bobbing along.
COMEDY APOCALYPSE XII:
Last laugh before finals
T
By: Robert Lees, Staff Writer // Photos By: Tim Baca
he Barn was filled with rows of plastic chairs and the sounds of funk music on Wednesday night as the crowds filled in for “Comedy Apocalypse 12.” Hosted by KUCR and emceed by UCR’s own Juan “Action” Flores, the night promised laughter for the Barn’s last event this quarter. The usual mishmash of amps and instruments seen on stage during Barn events was replaced by three microphones and a leather stool, transforming our restaurant and concert venue into a New York comedy club. As the seats filled up and the crowd fiddled with their cell phones, we waited for the comedy to begin. At 8:43 p.m., the music faded, the lights dimmed and a bombastic voice from the back of the room announced the arrival of our emcee, Flores. The crowd craned their necks as a stagehand dragged him, facedown on a furniture dolly, onto the stage, positioning his prone from in front of the center microphone. He lackadaisically welcomed the crowd to the event, and told an intentionally cringe-worthy joke about a rooster, a patriot and a prostitute to the audience. From the back of the room a large figure stood up in the audience, decked in a backward baseball cap and UCR sweater. The two began a brief vignette and began
exchanging insults back and forth, the apathetic Flores sullenly defending himself against his attacker, who acted and dressed as a caricature of the stereotypical meathead frat boy. After warning Flores to watch himself after the show, the frat boy disappeared as the audience chortled with laughter. Flores sleepily announced the first performer, Ramin Nazer, before he was dragged from the stage. Ramin began his act with a rambling monologue in pseudo-French and Spanish, his face alight with mad energy. From what I understood, he promised comedy, laughter and espoused his enjoyment of pornography. His comedy was a mixture of deadpan and risque humor, with a small amount of props thrown in. Occasionally, he would break off in the middle of a joke, mimicking an accent or moving around the stage before resuming. While some of his weirder, more avant-garde bits didn’t hit with the audience, some of the people laughed at the raw absurdity of his performance. Ending his act, he jokingly announced that his show “The Three Bears” would air on Fox, before dancing around the stage as an ironically bad theme song played from his cell phone. The next vignette featuring Flores saw him returning to the stage, this
time on his feet, where he performed a surprisingly good dance performance to the song “Macarena.” The frat boy made his second appearance, and the two began a dance-off to the song. The two traded off and moved in sync as the song played faster and faster over the PA. Eventually the two stopped, out of breath, and agreed to settle their differences. The joke could have been fleshed out a little better, as the two seemed to resolve their differences oddly quickly, and the dance-off ended with more of a whimper than a bang. However, their performance added a bit of physical comedy to a night mostly devoted to stand-up. The next comedian, Baron Vaughn, came to the stage with a flourish. He was dressed in a jogging suit and flat cap, resembling a grown-up, nerdier version of Steve Urkel. He poked fun at his own appearance, saying that he looked like the principal of “Break Dance High School.” His comedy was much more focused than Nazer’s, and his bits about sex, race and adulthood drew peals of laughter from the audience. As his set drew to a close, Vaughn also showcased his beatboxing skills, pointing out that it’s his key to the art of seduction. The penultimate performance featured Flores lamenting his circumcision, where he was joined on stage by his two
“parents.” They promised a reunion with his long-lost foreskin, which turned out to be a bagged lemon wedge. Some of the audience groaned, some snickered and others facepalmed. Flores, beaming, welcomed Matt Braunger to the stage. Braunger, who has been featured on Marc Maron’s podcast and numerous times on Comedy Central, showed off his stand-up skill. He had the audience in stitches from his first line, and never missed a beat for the entirety of his set, which was a mix of observational comedy, dark humor and the right amount of pandering, as he told the crowd to stay in college for “as long as you can.” His centerpiece bit was about “angels” — not literal angels, but angels that bring laughter to people at the worst of times, from a fat tuba player to a Filipino grandmother wearing an offensive T-shirt. His jokes hit amazingly well, and the person seated in front of me was laughing so hard he continually scooted backward in his chair until he was practically in my lap. One last time, Flores returned, thanking the performers and announcing the end of “Comedy Apocalypse” as the lights turned back on. Those who didn’t see it this time around should definitely go next quarter. The joke’s on you if you ■H miss it.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
MOVIE REVIEWS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT COMING OUT SOON: CHAPPIE
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 UNFINISHED BUSINESS MERCHANTS OF DOUBT
15
CINDERELLA IT FOLLOWS
THE LAZARUS EFFECT // RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆ STASEAN WASHINGTON Staff Writer
of a gazelle but with impaired motor functions. The runtime of the film is 83 minutes and inArriving straight from the stead of watching a clear and cogates of hell, “The Lazarus Ef- hesive piece of cinema, the audifect” wreaks havoc on God- ence receives a plot riddled with fearing fans of well-crafted more questions than answers. horror films. In Blumhouse The entire first act and threeProductions’ new film, a team quarters of the second act are of ambitious medical profes- filled with a story that doesn’t sionals find a way to bring the have much to do with its later dead back to life via a serum parts. code-named Lazarus. When lead The plot jumps from a group researcher Zoe (Olivia Wilde) of scientists trying to save their dies in a lab acwork from being cident, the team stolen by a big uses Lazarus to corporation to bring her back. The film is the antichrist fending off one However, when of their own. The of horror films, and Zoe returns with major antagohorror fans should unusual abilities nist of this film and a malevo- pray to God they aren’t doesn’t reveal lent nature, the herself until halfpunished by being team begins to way through the reap what they forced to sit through movie and even sow from their then her motives this movie. attempts at playare questionable. ing God. Zoe’s character The film goes on a murseems to have been brought back derous rampage proclaiming: from the dead itself given its “You have no idea what you’ve sketchy production background. done, but you will know,” but we With no clear indication of when never find out. Zoe’s reason for this movie was filmed it seems killing her colleagues is never to have come from a time some- explained. The goal of an antagwhere between Donald Glov- onist is just as important as that er’s transition into his Childish of our protagonist and it would Gambino persona, Olivia Wil- be helpful to know exactly what de’s time on “House” and when each character is fighting for. the black guy dying first in every The film finds itself trapped horror film was the norm. “The in what I dub the “30-minLazarus Effect” rocks an awe- ute crunch.” The “30-minute some cast, but is suppressed by crunch” is when a horror film a plot filled with randomness, a finds that it has too many charsevere lack of characterization acters alive when the movie is and scares one can see coming close to ending, so it has to kill from a mile away. most of them off really fast to The plot moves at the speed leave our sole survivor as the
COURTESY OF RELATIVITY MEDIA
only one left. This causes the deaths to seem rushed and it begs the question of how important a character really is if they could be dispatched so swiftly. Most of the time, it’s as if the characters didn’t need to be in the movie at all. Good horror movies know how to pace their character count on the screen and make each death important to the overall plot. But, as much as this is an issue, the bigger issue lies with its characters (or lack thereof). The film treats its characters as “kill fodder,” which are characters who are there just for the
sake of dying. The film tries to add some meaningful backstory with Niko (Donald Glover) having a crush on Zoe, and Zoe and Frank’s (Mark Duplass) relationship falling apart because of the project. But this all falls by the wayside, never to be seen past the first act. We don’t care about them so they can die and there is no emotional impact on the audience members. What the film lacked in character and plot, it could have made up for in its scare factor, but didn’t. The film uses the question of what happens after death and the fear of hell as its
Jess is around and dating one of the drivers for plot convenience, and Nicky begins aggressively stalking her, in a sorta-cutesy way, giving what seemed to be a crime-drama film the air of romantic comedy. Nothing happens for 40 minutes, Nicky and Jess have sex some more, and after a text message Nicky winds up bleeding to death on the floor of an automotive garage from a gunshot wound. However, a character that was originally thought to be evil winds up actually being Nicky’s long-lost father, and he reveals a bunch of plot twists and then tearfully monologues to the camera about the dangerous nature of con artistry as his son bleeds to death a few feet away from him. Then he drops him off at the hospital. The end. Nothing that happened earlier in the film — the training in New York, the scamming in New Orleans, or the gambling at the Super Bowl — had anything to do with the end of the movie.
“Focus” is only an hour and 44 minutes long, and an hour and 14 minutes of it is dedicated to absolutely nothing, the plot only taking place in the last 30 minutes. Rather than giving the audience a story that is engaging and fleshed out all the way through, the filmmakers dedicated more than half of the film to pointless filler. I caught myself nitpicking about 20 minutes in. I noticed how characters would have their seatbelts on and off in one scene. Wine glasses would change levels between shots while two characters dined and talked. A man eats an orange without peeling it. I thought to myself, “This isn’t how you review a film,” when it hit me: I was trying to stave off boredom. “Focus” isn’t without some merit, and for convenience I can list everything positive about this movie in one paragraph. The soundtrack is awesome, blending classic rock and modern hip-hop, and is one of the
subject matter. Unfortunately, the movie only relies on red herrings and jump scares to scare the audience. Once the score goes off and the camera gets close, you can tell something’s about to happen. The only positive feature this film does have is that it doesn’t torture the audience for too long. “The Lazarus Effect” manages to make an interesting concept and an all-star cast irrelevant due to poor writing. The film is the antichrist of horror films, and horror fans should pray to God they aren’t punished by being forced to sit through this movie. ■H
FOCUS // RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ ROBERT LEES Staff Writer
treated to pointlessly drawn-out scenes of the cast stealing jewelry, counting cash and engaging I’m sure that all of you read- in a series of PG-13 sex scenes ing this have come across the intercut with R-rated dialogue. infamous “dress” picture that The stealing montages feature has been plastered all across various bit actors hiding their social media since last Thurs- ill-gotten wealth in ambulances, day. While I’m sure that it will purses, pockets and hats of all have been forgotten by the time things. I haven’t seen such inmy words ooze off the page and appropriate use of fedoras since into your eyes, with my cyni- I read a series of disparaging cism filling your brain and re- YouTube comments on a video placing fond memories of your posted by Anita Sarkeesian. childhood, it All of a sudserves as a perden, the scene fect analog to changes, the Rather than giving the movie. The characters count oversaturated, the audience a story the money, and ambiguous picthe cast that is engaging and half ture is almost leaves. The film exactly like fleshed out all the way begins unsubthe film: hard tly hinting that through, the filmmakers to discern and Nicky has a gamwith little to no dedicated more than bling problem, meaning. and he winds up half of the film to “Focus” betting all of the concerns main money at the Supointless filler. character Nicky per Bowl. The (Will Smith), a film instantly suave con man who takes wan- takes on a darker tone, and it is nabe con Jess (Margot Robbie) implied, “Wolf of Wall Street”under his wing after she unsuc- style, that Nicky has a fatal cessfully tries to con him at an flaw that will cost him everyupscale hotel. The film starts off thing he has worked for — not at a good pace, forgoing forced a flaw like crippling depression, exposition in favor of intro- anger management issues, or a ducing our two roguish heroes drug addiction, but something through a brief montage of them cool and non-stigmatized like practicing their pickpocketing alcoholism or sex addiction. skills and exchanging witty dia- However, everything works out, logue. Throughout the montage, somehow, and the two double the film seemed to be build- their money. Nicky then abaning itself into a reimagining of dons Jess on the side of the road “Oceans 11,” as the main cast and the film jumps ahead three discuss a heist that will allow years. them all to retire as they pickThe new setting is Buenos pocket and swindle the massive Aires, and the plot is about crowds in New Orleans. Howev- Nicky selling fake racecar iner, the plot is dropped and we’re formation or something. Also,
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few films I’ve seen that has a diegetic soundtrack. Most of the dialogue is funny when the film isn’t being dour and depressing, with the comic relief character played by Adrian Martinez providing much of the humor. There’s also two long tracking shots that show off impressive cinematography. That’s about it. What makes this film’s awfulness particularly bitter is the fact that it had all the ingredients of a good film, but flopped in its execution. Margot Robbie and Will Smith are stellar performers, and there are many story elements present that could have worked if the film had a coherent narrative. I feel as if the filmmakers were a group of schoolchildren setting out to play with a big box of fun cinematic toys. Unfortunately they tripped, ruining all their toys and poking their eyes out in the process. I’m actually kind of jealous: If someone had poked my eyes out I wouldn’t have had to see “Focus.” ■H
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
MUSIC REVIEWS GHOSTFACE KILLAH & BADBADNOTGOOD: “SOUR SOUL” // RATING: ★★★★☆ FARAZ RIZVI Contributing Writer
the speed and force of his delivery, as well as the violence of his lyrics. He jumps into the hostface Killah and fray in the second bar, exclaimToronto jazz band ing, “Simple minds get blown / B a d B a d N o t G o o d ’s shattered into pieces / my thesis (BBNG) collabora- is thick / like the book of Eli.” tive album, “Sour Soul,” is In a sense, this tension bea tour de force of gritty hip- tween the instrumentals and hop and smooth jazz. This LP the rapping provides a thematic is Ghostface’s dimension to the third album rapalbum. Traditionping over live ally, jazz rap and instruments, fol- “Sour Soul” might gangsta rap have lowing “36 Seabeen perceived as sons,” and “12 be one of the more two major strands Reasons to Die.” accomplished solo completely opUnfortunately, posed to each albums by the the album gets other. Jazz rap is bogged down at venerable hip-hop often more rhythtimes by Ghostmic than Gangsta face Killah’s lyr- legend, as well as rap and is given its ics, which come the breakout album fullest expression off as dated and by groups like A irrelevant. How- for the talented jazz Tribe Called Quest ever, despite trio BadBadNotGood. and De La Soul, its lyrical limiwhereas gangsta tations, “Sour rap is embodied by Soul” provides N.W.A, Wu Tang an interesting development in Clan and Tupac. This LP flies the New York emcees’ use of in the face of this distinction, instrumentals to create tension. coherently putting together the The album balances the grit- best elements of both strands tiness of Ghostface’s flow and of hip-hop to craft a vibrant alheavy lyrics with the rhythmic bum. jazz that BBNG is renowned Moreover, the jazz element for. The main single, “Gun- of “Sour Soul” is no mere backshowers,” embodies this tension drop. In fact, BBNG’s jazz is perfectly — beginning with a truly distinct, appearing quite smooth guitar riff that holds a well on its own in three instrusteady rhythm at a slower tem- mental tracks throughout the po, with the drums accenting album. The tracks, “Mono” the lead guitar. Ghostface cuts and “Experience,” which reagainst this steady rhythm with spectively begin and end the
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album, begin identically. Both start with the same, climbing bass notes interpolated with the sound of a hi-hat in the beginning of each bar. However, each of these songs move in different directions as the songs progress, in the improvisatory spirit of jazz. In many ways, BBNG’s instrumentals are the strongest part of the album. While Ghostface retains
the force of his signature delivery style, his lyrics don’t always pull through. For example, on the title song “Sour Soul,” Ghostface says, “My clan is Braveheart, y’all move like Paul Blarts.” The line, to be sure, falls flat, and is unfortunately not the only instance where this is so. Despite this, the cameos by artists such as underground legend MF Doom
and rapper Danny Brown do much to salvage the floundering lyrics. Even with its faults, the album works just because of the sheer originality of the concept. “Sour Soul” might be one of the more accomplished solo albums by the venerable hip-hop legend, as well as the breakout album for the talented jazz trio BadBadNotGood. ■H
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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
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MUSICIANS GO HEAD TO HEAD IN
BATTLE OF THE BANDS Christal Mims, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Matt Hong & Hari Yim
T
he Barn hosted ASPB’s Battle of the Bands event Tuesday night in hopes of crowning one lucky band the winner of a $250 cash prize and a performance during a spring quarter nooner. As I entered the Barn, I saw a mixture of students and, judging from the little boys actively exploring the venue, family and friends. Several people ordered food and scanned the rows of chairs before settling in to watch some of UCR’s talented student bands. First up was the Norms, an indierock band hailing from here in Riverside. Led by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gabriel Benitez Jr., the group of four immediately exuded confidence and charisma. Their onstage chemistry allowed them to play with an ease that’s hard to come by. Also making up the band was bassist Curtis Hatter, lead guitarist Austin McCraken and drummer Eric Drake, who effectively kept the band in tempo throughout the entire set. The audience of about 60 or more attendees clapped generously after each song and bobbed their heads to the breezy melodies and catchy choruses of the song “Tomorrow,” and their ending track, “Sleepy.” Benitez’s strong vocals were impressive and left me with the feeling that the Norms would be a tough act to follow. The downtime between setups was extensive and concertgoers decided to use this time to converse with friends and continue ordering food. A few more people filled up empty seats just in
time for the Morose Project, a minimal wave trio from Los Angeles. Clad in a sweater and scarf, lead singer Samuel Barba was determined to create the perfect atmosphere for their performance, continually motioning to the person in charge of sound near the back of the room to increase the volume or add reverb. As the undeniable lights of cell phones emerged from different places throughout the Barn, it was becoming clear that he was taking up a little too much time. Even when their set officially began, Barba continued making gestures to the back of the room. If you were able to look past these distractions, you’d notice the music was actually pretty good. Barba was undeniably feeling the music as he sang and danced around the stage while both the bass and guitar players stayed cool, calm and collected throughout the set. Suddenly, smoke began to rise near the front of the stage and I panicked. However, before I could make a break for the door I realized it was simply a fog machine, another tactic the Morose Project was using to enhance their performance. I regained my composure and listened to the band finish off their set. They created the kind of house music that could easily be a crowd favorite at any party or club and if the audience had been a bit more alive, I’m almost certain that some dancing would’ve ensued. Last but not least was alternative hiphop band FourteenK. Originally from the greater LA area, Bryan Ramos, Ben-
jamin Aragbaye and Barin Butler took the stage with an enormous amount of energy and even got the crowd cheering during their soundcheck. Although technically the band is only comprised of three people, a total of seven participated in their set and proceeded to prove that not only can mixing two genres be interesting, but that it can work. Rap intertwined with soul, and the rock elements proved to be a hit and got what had been a generally lackluster crowd waving their arms in the air. The group possessed versatility in both their sound and their stage presence. Aragbaye rapped with a quickness that was just as energetic as he was and Ramos did much of the same, but with the addition of a guitar. Butler added a soulful vibe as he slowed it down and interjected smooth vocals throughout each of their songs. FourteenK continued with their songs “P.W.D” and “Lorraine” and even got the audience to clap along during “Take Off,” which produced a mini-dance party among those I’m assuming were friends of the band. Before the song ended, the dancers even managed to persuade a few people to join in on the fun and dance near the front of the stage. “Encore!” could be heard throughout the Barn as the band exited the stage and concluded the night’s performances. Three guest judges, including a KUCR DJ, were left to deliberate and produce a winner. Members from each of the bands chatted with guests in the audience and each other as they waited in anticipation. Within a few minutes, two ASPB members walked onto the stage to crown the winner. “And the winner is … FourteenK!” they announced, as an eruptive cheer emerged from the band and others from the crowd. The group took to the stage to announce that they would be holding a concert the same day as HEAT at the Getaway Cafe and to thank everyone for attending. A few people stayed to talk to the band and check out the merchandise they had for sale before exiting the venue. As I walked out of the Barn, the cool air hit me like a ton of bricks. However, I seemed to be the only one who noticed how cold it was. Everyone was laughing and talking after what I think is safe to say was a good night of music. Battle of the Bands did an excellent job of displaying the array of talent at UCR and certainly earned the showcased bands some new fans. ■H
(Clockwise from top left) SoCal hip-hop/rock group FourteenK performs a song titled “Lorainne” at UCR’s Battle of the Bands; Lead Vocalist Gabriel Benitez Jr. of the Norms plays on stage at the Barn; Samuel Barba (also bottom left) of the Morose Project, sings his heart out to his electronic-styled rock music.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
ALL THAT REMAINS: “THE ORDER OF THINGS” // RATING: ★★★★☆ JAMES FIERRO Senior Staff Writer
T
he new album “The Order of Things” is the radical seventh studio album by All That Remains. It was revealed by the band that it would be largely melodic and harmonious. This is a major progressive step in a different direction coming from their previous album “A War You Cannot Win.” “The Order of Things” is reminiscent of “A War You Cannot Win,” but remains as one of the biggest transitions from a previous album since their first album to “This Darkened Heart.” “The Order of Things” takes the melodies and vocal styles from the previous two albums “For We are Many” and “A War You Cannot Win” and pushes the eloquence to new extremes. The intricate development of this style has coalesced with the metal edge that is All That Remains in a remarkable new way. I favor the brutal and relentless compositions from their 2006 album “The Fall of Ideals,” so the question is, do they pull it off? This depends on how one would qualify the previous two albums and how the old edge meets the new eloquence. Vocalist Philip Labonte accomplishes something that I wouldn’t believe he would do: the far more harmonious vocals. The opening track “This Probably Won’t End Well,” is a powerful testament to the rest of the album. The classic and edgy
All That Remains returns with the blast beats and edgy bass, and lead guitarist Oli Herbert tears it up with a new meticulous and lengthy melodic riff, but with the new harmonious rhythms coming from Phil’s voice. “This Probably Won’t End Well” holds an arousing balance between the heavy speed metal and the clean vocals. The new extreme “Fiat Empire” is the 10th track that demonstrates the limits of Phil’s voice to higher pitches in an elegant solo toward the end of the track. I was genuinely intoxicated by the harmony and the sequence leading to this duration of the song. The musical progression was a slow and satisfying deep vocal performance that transitions into the faster rhythms and another long Oli riff that leaps into the elegant solo. By this point, my $75 pre-order was paid for if it wasn’t already because the performance was articulate and extraordinary coming from this track alone. So what about fans of the “The Fall of Ideals” album style? Fortunately, there are some tracks in that style: “No Knock,” “Pernicious” and “Tru-KvltMetal.” “No Knock” is brutal, heavy and slow in all its aspects with plenty of the classic bass drops. “Pernicious” and “TruKvlt-Metal” are the faster, edgy tracks with harsh vocals meant to impress. “No Knock” has seriously deviated from the album’s personal and empowering theme to an extremely dark and ruthless tone, with Phil singing, “It’s fuckin’ easy,
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see, we blow the front door on one, two, three / Kill everyone inside.” The closing song “Criticism and Self Realization,” is the longest piece on the album, and has the most diverse song style, ranging from heavy breakdowns to more tranquil sequences, that All That Remains has to offer in defining the excellence of this final track.
The final verdict is yes, the band pulled it off miraculously. The new coalescence of melodic harmonies and the classic All That Remains bass drops, blast beats, many Oli riffs and even a drum solo defines the integrity of the album and the direction the band is taking as a whole. Rather than solely keeping their
complex and arousing musical tradition, the entirety of the album is sufficiently consistent with their new style, and has moments that will satisfy all fans. In the end, the energy resonating from the album will thrust you further into satisfaction. “The Order of Things” will stand as one of the top albums produced in the history of the band. ■H
VIDEO GAME REVIEW DISORDER // RATING: ★★★★☆ NATHAN SWIFT Senior Staff Writer
“D
isorder” is a game about depression. As strange as that may seem, and given that games usually aren’t realistic about depicting real-world issues (which is why we’ll never see “God of War: Kratos visits his therapist for anger management”), “Disorder” does a fantastic job at doing just that. While the game is almost too short to purchase at full price, it’s nearly perfect in combining traditional platforming with a yarn about adolescent troubles. “Disorder” starts in the dark and dirty home of the nameless protagonist. Our story’s hero is a boy in his late teens or early twenties who has long dark hair and a perpetual frown upon his face; if his hair was blonde, it’s possible I’d mistake him for Kurt Cobain. Right off the bat, the game brings the discussion about mental illness in the spotlight. The protagonist walks down a long hallway barely lit with flickering lights. On your slow walk to the stage selection area, the main controls — “w,” “a” and “d” to move and jump, and “p” to pause — appear as highlighted letters among black, ominous graffiti that reads “when I knew he was dead” and “I need to pause.” It’s a pretty unique way to both introduce the primary mechanics and set the tone for the game as a whole, as well as provide some understanding of what the nameless protagonist is going through. As a 2D platformer, “Disorder” does a great job incorporating its story into the gameplay experience. Throughout the different levels, you pass by little snippets of writing, which are
indicators that the character is writing in his journal. Through these disconnected passages, you learn about the rough upbringing and broken home the protagonist grew up with. The writing in his journal almost never falls into unimaginative territory, and is surprisingly elegant for a young man. Rather than just place the blame for his mental illness onto a single target, our hero creates a detailed narrative that balances out the different forces that can be realistic causes for depression. This turns out to be both a powerful narrative tool and an informative tool for those who know little about depression. The protagonist informs us about his troubled childhood — his absent parents, school bullying, anger that is internalized from too much alone time, juvenile delinquency with a younger brother. While you learn about his brother’s death, and the negative impact it has on his already-fragile mind, the moral of “Disorder” is to not fall into the trap the protagonist trips into: that a black-and-white viewing lens on mental illness is ultimately tragic. The gameplay is simple, but pretty great. The platforming takes place between a light and dark world that symbolizes the protagonist’s fractured mind. Different parts of a level will disappear and reappear depending on when you change worlds, and the neat part is that players have to navigate through both parts of the world to get through the levels. It even gets to the point where players have to switch between worlds multiple times in a matter of seconds to traverse walls and platforms that come and go. This style of gameplay mirrors the struggle that living with depression or bipolar disorder can be.
COURTESY OF SCREWATTACK GAMES
Also, the different little snippets of journal entries you come across change depending on which world you’re in. If in the light world, an entry can be cheerful and optimistic; if in the dark world, the writing will be rather introspective, frightening and self-loathing. While the whole switching-between-twodifferent-worlds in a platformer isn’t the most original idea, it’s
neat that “Disorder” disregards that and invigorates its traditional platforming with an incredible and touching story. The only major critique I’d have to bring up is that I wish the game was longer. While “Disorder” was fun to play, unfortunately, it’s only about an hour or so in terms of main content. And it’s a shame, because I purchased “Disorder” on Steam at full price (about $12),
which for most gamers is a high cost for a game that doesn’t even stretch up to two hours. “Disorder” is a fun indie game that does a lot of things at the same time. It’s a neat, stylized platformer that knows what it is. But even then, it isn’t afraid to use what would otherwise be OK gameplay to tell an emotional and informative story about growing up and living with mental illness. ■H
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015
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Softball wins four of five at Wildcat Invitational CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer
team’s longest winning streak up to this point in the season. FEB. 28, 2015
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FEB. 27, 2015
Wildcats 10 - Highlanders 2
Highlanders 7 - Rams 1
As the old adage says, all good things must come to an end. Such was the case for the Highlanders’ winning streak early Saturday morning against the host team of the Wildcat Invitational, the University of Arizona. A Stephanie Tickemeyer run in the top of the third inning gave the Highlanders an early lead, but the Wildcats subsequently scored two runs to steal the lead back in the bottom of the same inning. Arizona scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, along with scoring another six in the bottom of the sixth to secure a rout of the Highlanders, 10-2.
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A Friday tilt against the Colorado State Rams was first on the docket for the UCR softball team in the Wildcat Invitational. Looking to extend their seven-game winning streak, the Highlanders set the tone early by scoring the first four runs of the game. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Rams finally put a run on the scoreboard when a Tayl Hutton fly to center field allowed Savan Clark to score the Rams’ first of the game. Clark’s run proved to be the only score the Rams would ever register, as they watched the Highlanders pile on three more insurance runs to close out their first match of the tournament. FEB. 27, 2015
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Highlanders 7 - Bulldogs 2
Set to take on the Bryant University Bulldogs in the second match of the day’s doubleheader, the Highlanders’ offense continued its trend of doing damage on the scoreboard early and often. After scoring the first two runs of the first inning, UC Riverside scored another two in the second inning before Bryant was able to get on the scoreboard. Subsequently, the Highlanders scored another three runs in the fourth inning and were easily able to close out the match, 7-2. The Highlanders’ win against the Bulldogs Friday marked their eighth victory in a row, the
FEB. 28, 2015
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Highlanders 2 - Mavericks 1
In the second game of their second doubleheader in a row, the Highlanders eked out a close win in a nailbiter over UT-Arlington. The match remained scoreless for the first three innings, but the Highlanders were the first to break the tie when a Taylor Wright single allowed a runner on third to advance to home plate. Just a half-inning later, the Mavericks responded with a run of their own. Finally, the Highlanders scored the gamewinning run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Natalie Sanchez’s single allowed Samantha Hernandez to reach home.
Rebecca Faulkner (No. 27) prepares to catch the ball before St. John’s touches second base.
MAR. 1, 2015
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Highlanders 2 - Lady Miners 1
In their final match of the Wildcat Invitational at the University of Arizona, the Highlanders squared off against the University of Texas, El Paso Lady Miners. Just as they had in every preceding game during the tournament, UCR struck first on the
scoreboard when they capitalized on a fielding error by UTEP that allowed Taylor Wright to score in the bottom of the third. The Lady Miners struck back in the top of the fourth, but Wright would score another run to take the lead back in the bottom of the fifth. Wright’s second run of the day proved to be good enough for the Highlanders to secure
DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
lead in the top of the fifth inning behind a two-RBI double down the left field line. UC Riverside got two runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the team wasn’t able to conjure up a comeback as another LMU run in the ninth sealed the victory, 5-2. FEB. 26, 2015
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FEB. 24, 2015 .............................................................................
Cougars 11 - Highlanders 3
Lions 5 - Highlanders 2
Travelling to Pullman, Wash. to face off against the Washington State Cougars, the Highlanders lost their fourth straight game, 11-3. The Cougars had no trouble reading UC Riverside pitches as the Cougars smacked 14 hits on the day compared to the Highlanders’ five. UCR was the first team to scratch in the first contest of a four-game series as Dante Chupek led off the game with a double to left field, eventually crossing home plate when teammate Robby Witt got caught attempting
The UCR baseball team dropped its third home game of the season in a 5-2 loss to the Loyola Marymount Lions. The Lions outhit the Highlanders 10-5 while tallying five RBIs to UCR’s two. Loyola Marymount was the first team to draw blood as Austin Miller opened play with a single to right field, stole second and scored behind a David Fletcher single. Adding another run in the fourth, the Lions produced a 4-0
to steal second base. Highlander starting pitcher Keaton Leach got into trouble in the second inning as Washington State not only tied the score but moved ahead in the contest, generating three runs to lead 3-1. Despite the Highlanders tying up the contest 3-3 in the third, the Cougars’ bats continued to find their marks. The team scored in the fourth (three runs), fifth (two runs), seventh (two runs) and eighth innings (one run) to cement an 11-3 victory. FEB. 27, 2015
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Cougars 3 - Highlanders 0
Despite the UCR pitchers only allowing five hits, the Cougars again got the better of the team en route to a 3-0 victory. Neither team got on the board until the sixth inning when the Cougars’ Cameron Frost smacked a double to left field to score a runner and put Washington State up 1-0.
their 16th victory of the season, and they look to keep the ball rolling as they head back home for the Highlander Classic, set to take place on the weekend of March 6. Saturday’s win puts the Highlanders’ record at 16-5 overall, their best record at this point of the season in nearly a decade, when they started at 16-4 in 2006. ■H
AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER
Jared Morton (No. 46) winds up a fastball. The Highlanders dropped four of five games in the week.
Baseball struggles versus Washington State
BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER
UC Riverside threatened to score in the eighth inning, but it was the Cougars who tacked on two runs in the same inning to escape a pitchers’ duel the victor, 3-0. FEB. 28, 2015 .............................................................................
Highlanders 4 - Cougars 1
The Highlanders ended a fivegame losing skid with a 4-1 victory over Washington State on Saturday afternoon. UCR struck early and often, building a 3-0 lead in four innings. After tallying a run in the opening inning, the Highlanders put two runs on the board in the third off of Cougar relief pitcher Ryan Walker. Joe Chavez scored the Highlanders’ final run of the afternoon, advancing to home plate behind a Vince Fernandez double to left field. UC Riverside remained in the driver’s seat the rest of the way, allowing only one Washington
State run in the eighth inning. MARCH 1, 2015
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Cougars 6 - Highlanders 5
Facing a 5-0 deficit after the opening inning, the Highlanders reeled off five runs in the sixth and seventh but couldn’t muster a much-needed win, falling 6-5 to the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars crossed home plate five times in the first inning thanks to three UCR errors. UCR finally broke through in the sixth inning as a Vince Fernandez triple to left field brought home teammate Joe Chavez to put the Highlanders on the board, 5-1. Head Coach Troy Percival’s club continued to chip away, scoring four more runs to tie the game, 5-5, at the top of the seventh. The following inning, however, Washington State scored yet another run to seal the victory, 6-5. UC Riverside next plays at hosting San Diego University on Tuesday, March 3. ■H
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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
Sports
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
After grabbing the rebound, Jaylen Bland (No. 1) dribbles the ball down the court and looks for an open teammate.
JASON AHN Staff Writer
Men’s basketball drops nail-biter versus Cal State Northridge
The Highlander men’s basketball team fell short of tying their Division I conference record by losing to the Cal State Northridge Matadors, 83-76, on Saturday, Feb. 28. UCR is now 7-7 in conference, 14-14 overall, and are the fifth seed in the conference. Saturday’s matchup was a test for the Highlanders as they were on the road, away from the supportive UCR students at the Student Recreation Center Arena. However, in the corner of the gym, 25 traveling UCR fans were spotted sitting behind CSUN’s cheerleaders, screaming in unison for their team. UCR came into the game previously beating Northridge in January. The first possession, however, went to the Matadors as Stephen Maxwell attempted to layup the ball. UCR was prepared, as Taylor Johns recorded his first block of the game, which Jaylen Bland recovered. CSUN’s Maxwell then
chased Bland and stole the ball back, but his teammate Stephan Hicks missed a three-pointer. Bland scored the first Highlander points with a jump shot, but the Matadors responded with a three from Devonte Elliott. Johns then took the ball and tried to score on layup, only to be blocked by CSUN’s Elliott. A little over a minute later, the Matadors’ Tre Hale-Edmerson took the lead back by scoring a threepointer. The Highlanders would then tie and grab the lead after a jumper from Charles Standifer and a layup from Alex Larsson. They would maintain that lead for nearly 10 minutes, until Hicks threw in a slam with 4:48 remaining, bringing the score to 24-24. A second later, Larsson took advantage of a foul from CSUN and scored two free throws. The Matadors then lost the ball, which Bland took and attempted to layup, but missed. That allowed CSUN’s Maxwell to score on two free throws, bringing the game to 29-28.
Charles Standifer of UCR then missed his jumper, which the Matadors took advantage of and scored two points, grabbing the lead with 1:55 remaining in the first half. UCR then took a timeout to recuperate. With a quick plan, Standifer took a shot but missed, which CSUN recovered. The Matadors then scored from a layup from Maxwell. With 1:24 remaining, the Highlanders made their substitutions, which led to a three-pointer from Bland, off of an assist from Austin Quick. Nick Gruninger then stole the ball with 21 seconds remaining, sending it to Johns for an impressive dunk. CSUN answered with a three-pointer from Ajon Efferson; however, UCR responded with a slam from Johns. Both teams entered the locker room tied at 36-36. Coming into the game, the Matadors were known for their interior post play, yet made an impressive four of eight from beyond the arc, compared to UCR’s three of
11. However, UCR outscored the Matadors 14 of 30 (46.7 percent) in field goals, compared to CSUN’s 12 of 27 (44.4 percent) in the first half. In the second half, CSUN scored six unanswered points in the first four minutes, bringing the score to 42-36. UCR seemed off their mark in their first three and half minutes, missing four shots in a row. The Highlanders finally put points on the board with a free throw, bringing it to 42-37. Once again, the Matadors scored a three immediately after to bring the score to 4537. Bland then drove in hard but was fouled, giving him a chance to add points to the board, and scored one, 45-38. Riverside quickly stole the ball, then scored two off a layup from Bland. After CSUN’s two-point response, Larsson of UCR responded with a bucket, which brought the score to 47-42 CSUN. Larson missed, but UCR grabbed the ball
back, leading to Johns making a layup but missing a free throw. Gruninger brought the game back to six with a finger roll, and ended up at the line after being fouled on his next possession. He cut the deficit to 54-50, after his two free throws. With 6:16 remaining, Johns made an and-one and converted on his free throw, bringing the game to within one possession. Bland made two threes in a row with less than five minutes remaining to pull the contest to within two points, 68-66. Immediately after, Johns scored on his layup, which gave him his 1,000th career point and tied the game, 68-68. The Matadors then scored four points off of free throws, which would give them a lead for the remainder of the game. The Highlanders will play their final two regular season games as they prepare to travel to UC Davis on Thursday, March 5 and host Long Beach State on Saturday, March 7. ■H
Women’s golf wins second tourney of season
home the first-place victory at the Santa Clara Colby Classic. The Highlanders now prepare to hopefully acquire more victories and will hit the road March 8 for the Bay Area Intercollegiate in Fairfax, Calif. The men’s golf team also competed in a three-day tournament at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. The Highlanders finished in 15th place out of 24 teams, tied with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Francisco. On the first day the Highlanders shot a total of 294 and were ranked 12th. The second day UCR was able to maintain the 12th lowest score with a total of 300. Going into the third day, however, the Highlanders dropped down three spots, ending with a total of 907. Still, UCR finished ahead of two Big West members UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge. Contributing to the team’s success was Sam Gillis, who shot a 78 on the last day ending with a total of 220. From all the Highlanders, Gillis held the lowest score and finished in a seven-way tie for 23rd place out of 127 individual players. Highlander David Gazzolo held the second-lowest score for UCR with a total of 223. The Highlanders now prepare for another road trip. Beginning March 9, UC Riverside will be back in action down in San Diego, Calif. for the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic. ■H
MELISSA FUENTES Contributing Writer
Simone DeCoud (No. 5) drives past a CSU Northridge defender to attempt a shot.
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
Women’s basketball loses Big West shootout DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
In a half that can only be described as an old-fashioned shootout, the women’s basketball team went shot for shot against the Cal State Northridge Matadors in a first half that saw both squads post 36 points apiece. But it was the Highlanders who couldn’t keep up the pace in the second as the Matadors’ dribble penetration dismantled UCR’s defense in an 88-70 thumping. Cal State Northridge, who moved into second place in the Big West after the victory, started out the contest with unmatchable pace. They enacted full-court pressure defense from the opening whistle. A defensive board turned into a layup attempt within a matter of seconds. UCR responded, however, with the fifthleading scorer in the nation, Brittany
Crain, knocking down three consecutive three-pointers to aid her team sustain a whirlwind of offensive and defensive play from the Matadors. As the halftime buzzer rang out in the hollow Student Recreation Center, both squads scored 36 points, but it was Cal State Northridge that left the floor disappointed. Northridge led in field goal percentage by the slimmest of margins (48.3 percent to 46.7 percent), but it was the missed opportunities from beyond the arc that plagued the team. The Matadors missed eight of 12 three-point attempts despite having several open and uncontested looks. The pace of the game slowed considerably in the second half, due to unsustainable offensive pace from both teams and more fouls called by the game referees. A total of 10 fouls were called in the opening period, but the second half saw 28 whistles.
Despite the foul disparity, Cal State Northridge’s Ashlee Guay began to take over. The league’s fourthleading scorer sliced and diced UCR’s defense continuously as her layup with 13 minutes remaining gave the Matadors a 51-46 lead that they would not relinquish. Northridge pounded the Highlanders in the paint, outscoring the team, 46-14. The Matadors also outscored the team in points off of turnovers, 26-8. Guay, who finished the game with 33, scored 22 points in the second half alone, including nine of 10 successful layups. Every Highlander starter played at least 35 minutes of the contest, led by Crain, who posted 22 points, five rebounds and a block in 40 minutes of play. UC Riverside (16-12, 7-7) remains at home to face the UC Davis Aggies on March 5. ■H
Head coach Mary Ritchie’s squad earned a first-place finish at the Grand Canyon Invitational, beating out a field that included 21 teams. Competing in the three-day, 54-hole tournament, the Highlanders, who are ranked No. 61 in the nation, took the lead finishing with a total of 295 on the first day of play. The second day was a bit more challenging as the other teams had fairly similar scores; however, UC Riverside still managed to maintain the lead with a score of 306. The final round came and the Highlanders gave it their all, ending as first-place champions with a total score of 895. The runnerup, hosting Grand Canyon, finished eight strokes behind. Savannah Vilaubi led UCR, firing a 74 all three days and finishing in a tie for third place with a total of 222. Three other Highlanders who finished in the top 20 were Brittany Ferraro who tied for seventh, Hannah Facchini who tied for 12th and Haley Wian who tied for 19th. The women’s golf team has been having a solid 2014-15 season so far. In the fall, UCR took