X
UCR
TEDxUCR = a kaleidescope of multiple perspectives
Highlander University
Volume 63
of
13
C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
Serving the UCR community since 1954
Issue 25
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
ASUCR ELECTIONS
ECAB debates turn up the heat on student issues
Jewish organization alleges UCR class is ‘anti-Semitic’ SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer
AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer
The heat didn’t stop ASUCR party supporters from attending the recent executive cabinet (ECAB) debates, as cheers arose from the crowd of about 30 people. Candidates from [OUR] Voice, PAC: Pride, Action, Change and [YOU]CR vied for some of the highest positions in ASUCR, while issues of student pride, tuition hikes and transparency were popular discussion topics throughout. The first to speak in the debate were vice president of internal affairs candidates, who deal with issues specifically on campus. Highlander Editor-inChief Colin Markovich asked the candidates Valeria Allende from PAC and Executive Vice President Michael Ervin from [OUR]Voice their opinion of the R’Gear program in which ► SEE DEBATES, PAGE 4
A Jewish group is calling for the cancellation of a UCR course, citing that it is “antiSemitic” and holds an “antiIsrael bias.” The R’Course, entitled “Palestinian Voices,” is one of 11 student-led courses being taught this spring. AMCHA Initiative, which describes itself as dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism on college campuses, alleged that the class syllabus contains “egregiously one-sided, antiIsrael readings and films that falsely paint Israel as a settlercolonial and apartheid state,” according to an open letter written to Chancellor Kim Wilcox. The syllabus describes the one-unit course as focusing on Palestinian history through contemporary literature and ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER Tensions between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel groups have flared up at UCR, including over topics such as divestment.
R’MOVEMENT
CRIME WATCH
On-campus robbery sparks creation of safety committee COLIN MARKOVICH Senior Staff Writer
UCR’S DANCE COMMUNITY DISPLAYS ITS TALENTS IN A NIGHT DEDICATED TO THE DIVERSITY OF DANCE
12
A campus commitee on safety has been proposed after a student was injured in an attempted armed robbery near the Arts Building on Monday, April 13. At around 8:20 p.m., a student was walking toward University Avenue from Canyon Crest Drive when he was followed by two suspects in a vehicle. One of the suspects then exited the vehicle and followed the victim to the area of the Arts and INTS buildings, where he displayed a black semiautomatic handgun. After a brief struggle in which the victim was hit several times, the suspect fled to the vehicle without stealing anything. The first suspect has been described as a sixfoot tall black male adult, wearing a white hooded sweater and red shoes. UCPD has provided additional information about the suspect online and has warned people to not approach him if seen but to call UCPD at 951-827-5387. No description of the second suspect has been provided. Sometime prior to the incident, the victim was alerted of the possibility of being followed by a passerby. An investigation is currently ongoing. In the wake of the attempted robbery, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval has invited members of ASUCR to form a campus committee ■H focused on improving safety on campus.
NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • FEATURES 11 • A&E 17 • SPORTS 24
► SEE PALESTINE, PAGE 5
Student Recreation Center loses thousands of towels due to theft SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer
ROHAN MURGAI Contributing Writer
The UCR Student Recreation Center (SRC) is home to many things — an Olympic-sized pool, freshly painted tennis courts and most of all, towels, thousands of which have disappeared since the expansion of SRC South occurred back in Oct. 2014. In response, the SRC has launched #SaveTheTowels, an awareness campaign to curb the number of lost and stolen towels. As part of the campaign, the SRC has created lighthearted advertisements and videos, asking the public to drop off their towels in the bins located around the gym. “Save the towels, do it for the whales,” reads one ad. “Over 150 towels are stolen from the Student Recreation Center each week. It’s almost come to the point where complimentary towels may ► SEE TOWELS, PAGE 5
PLEASE RECYCLE
2
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
ASUCR Senate: CALPIRG referendum causes debate IXIA JOHNSON Contributing Writer
At the ASUCR meeting last week, a lengthy debate occurred over the addition of a referendum which sought to increase funding for the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG). The referendum intended to raise funds for CALPIRG through a $2.50 fee charged to students each quarter, in addition to the $10 it charges its members. After a prolonged discussion, the CALPIRG referendum failed to make it to the 2015 ASUCR general elections ballot because of fears that it would violate UC policy. CALPIRG organizes grassroots movements to push for public policy changes across the state. According to Dinah Muhammad, a CALPIRG member at UCR, the group “has about $100,000 which we (CALPIRG at UCR) use to pay our campus staff.” Prior to the presentation of this referendum, the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) rejected the request to allow it on this year’s ballot. The decision was based on a current UCOP policy that does not permit Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) to submit referendums that charged fees, such as the ones paid to ASUCR, to students. “Previously we had a referendum when we were first start-
ing in the ‘70s, and in the ‘90s we were kicked off of campus,” Muhammad stated. “The only way that we could get back, was to leverage it with a weaker system, which is the pledge system.” Under the pledge system, CALPIRG members ask students to donate $10 each quarter to assist them in their funding. Abraham Galvan, ASUCR vice president of external affairs, expressed his support for CALPIRG in the past and for the goals of the referendum, but he disagreed with placing it on the ballot, since it was not approved by UCOP. “I do not think that it is a good idea to do this unfortunately at this point. I was willing to be as supportive as possible in getting this resolution on the ballot, up to the point where we would be blatantly disregarding UCOP’s directives and policies in order to do so,” Galvan stated during the meeting. President Nafi Karim also spoke about the problems with allowing this referendum to appear on the ballot. He explained that if one student organization is allowed to run a referendum, all 400 student organizations on campus would be able to pass similar referendums. “We have an agreement as ASUCR to follow UCOP policy. The reason we exist is because UCOP allows us to exist,” remarked Karim. Not abiding by this agreement could lead to legal issues or the decision by
UCOP to dissolve ASUCR, he warned. Senator Summer Shafer expressed her support for the referendum and argued that it was unlikely for such drastic measures to be taken upon its passage. “This is not an act against UCOP policy, it is an interpretation that has been used of the policy through UCOP,” Shafer stated. After the discussion, the referendum failed to pass after a vote of 4-7-1; however, a nonbinding initiative was passed as an alternative proposal. The initiative will ask students whether or not they would support funding CALPIRG with student fees. Another resolution discussed was the Survivor’s Bill of Rights, a proposal composed by the Legislative Review Committee. Additions made include the right for victims to be free of fault and implementation of procedures which call for respectful treatment of these issues by the campus. These changes were inspired by the nationwide “It’s On Us” campaign to spread awareness about sexual assault and violence on college campuses. The resolution involves providing support, assistance and options to survivors, while also implementing programs and policies that are specific to the UCR campus. This bill was unanimously passed by a standing vote of ASUCR. ■H
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER Four UCR students and CHASS Senator Summer Shafer speak in favor of placing a CALPIRG student fee referendum on the ballot.
HIGHLIGHTS: - Student Employee Appreciation Week kicks off on April 20 to show support for student workers.
QUOTEBOOK “Here at UCR, some folks who claim that they are progressive need to be called out for not (protesting).” - Stephanie Attar, organizer of police brutality protest
MULTIMEDIA
f
UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH
LAURA NGUYEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Women and men participate in the Mexican cultural dance of Ballet Folklorico. Students dancing have the opportunity to learn more about Mexico’s rich and artistic culture.
KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPRING 2015, WEEK 4
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
4/21
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
4/26
4/27
Midterm Nap Sessions 2 - 3 p.m. HUB 260
Networking Your Way to a Job 11 a.m. - Noon HUB 268
Conversations with the Department of State 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. HUB 269
GO! Hike to the C 4 - 7 p.m. HUB 248
Second Annual Riverside Art Market 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Community Flower Show and Tour 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Elk’s Lodge
Jordan Lanni and Manuel Mendoza Seminar Noon - 1 p.m. Physics 2104
Sports Development in China: Opportunities and Challenges! 4 - 5 p.m. College Building S. 114
Calligraphy with M.E. 4 - 5 p.m. HUB 269
Nancy Jack, the Making of a Graphic Novel 2 - 4 p.m. INTN 3023
Karaoke Night 5 - 7 p.m. University Village Suite 204
Second Annual Spring into Health Fair 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bryant Park
Family Movie: “Wall-E” 2 - 4 p.m. La Sierra Library
Adult Swim Lessons: Beginner and Intermediate 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Student Recreation Center Pool
4
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS IN BRIEF
COMPILED BY AARON GRECH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
UC physicians strike again Over 120 UC student health service doctors joined the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) — which represents and advocates for physicians across the nation — to go on strike again, from April 9-15, to protest allegedly unfair labor practices by the UC system. These claims include the UC increasing physicians’ contributions to pension funds
without negotiating and a refusal to provide financial information to bargain with. The strike occurred at UCLA for doctors who work at UCSB, UCSD, UCI and UCR. Part of the bargain requests include increasing the student health services’ allocated budget and pay, according to UAPD President Stuart Bussey. “I don’t think what they’re asking for is ex-
orbitant,” Bussey stated. The UC has remained critical of the strike. “We disagree with the union’s claims that these strikes are about unfair labor practice charges,” UC Human Resources Vice President Dwaine Duckett said in an April 3 press release, “The union has refused to discuss these alleged practices at the bargaining table.”
TruEvolution to host first AIDS Advocacy Night
TruEvolution, a Riverside organization dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues and HIV-AIDS prevention and elimination, will host an event on April 23 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event, entitled AIDS Advocacy Night, will work to educate the public and dispel myths about LGBT people,
HIV and AIDS. AIDS Advocacy Night will be the first annual event to be held by the organization. There will be numerous artistic performances by theater group BlacMail Productions, dance group Reach L.A. and spoken word poet Kat Magill, with music provided by DJ Kidd.
According to Robbie Manjarrez, a publicist for TruEvolution, “AIDS Advocacy Night will work to destigmatize the views the general public has of people living with HIV/AIDS. There will be a strong emphasis on the narratives of people of color living with HIV/AIDS as well as how their experience differs.”
AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER
UC launches online information center to increase transparency The UC launched an online information center on April 15 which provides information regarding freshman admissions, alumni success rates and faculty statistics. According to a press release, this will be used to increase transparency throughout the UC system. “When people explore UC’s data, they will see what many of us already know: The university plays a major role in promoting social mobility among California families, and contributing to the economic development of the state and the nation,” Pamela Brown, UC’s vice president of institutional research and aca-
CHASS Senator Summer Shafer and current candidate for Vice President of External Affairs for the [YOU]CR party points out that tuition hikes are an attack on students. ► DEBATES FROM PAGE 1
students were given out free sweatshirts by ASUCR to boost school spirit. “R’Gear was a success, it was one of the biggest and most tangible things done to give campus pride to all students, and with eventually all students wearing UCR gear we won’t see other students wearing other campuses’ gear,” Ervin stated. Allende agreed that the program was a success, but argued for use of the funds other than sweaters. “I also think that there are other ways that pride can show on our campus, not spending it on sweaters,” Allende said. “Pride is important to our campus, but there are other options, such as a multicultural fest.” Next up were the vice president of external affairs candidates, Neftali Galarza from PAC, Parliamentarian
Mohammed Hussein from [OUR] Voice and Senator Summer Shafer from [YOU]CR. The candidates for this position, which entails student affairs around the UC system and outside the campus, explained how they would help prevent future tuition hikes. Hussein supported adding more student regents to combat the tuition hikes. “There is only one student regent on the whole Board of Regents. These are the people who decide where your money goes. Are you okay with these people letting your money go straight to their pockets?” Hussein questioned the crowd. Regents are not compensated for their work. Galarza, on the other hand, stated, “I’m not going to promise that I’m going to roll back tution because that is impossible, (UC President) Janet Napolitano and (Gov.) Jerry Brown are not on our
side.” Galarza, however, promised that he would personally lobby with assembly members like Jose Medina. “I will advocate in the streets, and I will put on a suit and advocate inside their offices,” Neftali concluded as a way of advocating for more state funding. Shafer suggested escalating current efforts, such as demonstrations, by getting more participation and a united student body to fight against the hikes. In addition, she credited the protests as the reason why the regents put off the hikes until fall. “We need all the students to get together. (The regents) cannot attack us in this way. They cannot force students who are of low-income to not be able to go get a higher education,” Shafer said. The executive vice president candidates, whose duties are to serve as a liaison between the executive
cabinet and the senate, were the final speakers. Armando Saldana from [OUR]Voice, Taylor Valmores from PAC and Nilan Gunewardena from [YOU]CR all spoke on the issue of transparency in regards to allowing closed-ballot votes, which the executive vice president has the power to authorize. Saldana, a former ASUCR executive vice president, spoke on the importance of a closed ballot, which may inhibit transparency. “There’s some things we can disclose and there’s some things we can’t disclose, but I assure you during my time (as executive vice president), I disclosed everything the student body needed to know,” Saldana stated. Valmores stated, “I think closedballot votes are problematic, because I am huge on transparency. People should know how their elected officials vote, but at the
demic planning, stated. According to the info center website, UC alumni double their earnings in 10 years regardless of major, while computer science and nursing major alumni are the top earners, making over $100,000 a year. Other information includes statistics which categorize the number of applicants based on the California high schools and community colleges students applied from. Similar statistics also display a growth among out-of-state and international students in the UC system which has increased from 15 to 30 percent in 10 years. ■H
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
same time, it is also necessary at some levels because of safety concerns.” While also acknowledging the issue of safety, Gunewardena stated, “We want our senators to be bottom-up, we want our students to be able to talk about our issues. How are you going to do that if it’s a closed vote?” According to a straw poll, a total of 140 people from the three political parties attended the debate at one point during the entire hour. [OUR]Voice had the most participants at 55 percent, with PAC following behind with 31.4 percent and [YOU]CR making up the rest at 13.6 percent. Presidential debates, which will conclude the ASUCR H debates, will occur on April 22. ■ Video coverage of the debates is available at www.youtube.com/ UCRChannelH.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
5
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
Protestors block traffic on University Avenue next to the Arts Building during their march to the Riverside Police Department downtown.
Police brutality protest sees lower-than-expected turnout
AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer
Brown in every town, today’s the day we shut it down!” the group made their way through Watkins Hall and urged students to walk out of their classes. The group then held a “diein” outside the HUB in which protesters laid motionless on the ground for four minutes in memory of the four hours Michael Brown’s body was left in the street. Ama Serwaa, a third-year political science major who participated in the protest, said that it’s important for students to stand up to racism. “I came out in support for a good cause, for justice against mass incarceration … because the whole damn system is guilty,” she said. The protest then moved to the intersection of Canyon Crest
Drive and University Avenue, where participants blocked traffic, also for four minutes. Morosin and Attar said that the group was later joined by “easily 50” community members when they marched to downtown Riverside and chanted at a city council meeting, the police station and the courthouse. Third-year computer science major Selik Samai said that he did not participate, not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t know the protest was happening. “I’ve been aware of what’s been going on. It definitely would have impacted me,” he said. “It would have definitely been something I would have been a part of, just to voice my opinion.”
Despite the low turnout from students, organizers believe the action had some effect. “I do feel like our action was successful in the sense that we saw people come out who really do care about social justice,” Attar said. Morosin held similar sentiments, saying that the participants helped support “surrounding communities who bear the brunt of police brutality.” As for the future of the movement, Morosin said that they will continue to join Los Angeles protests, but Attar is unsure of whether there will be any more events at UCR, citing what she views as student apathy. “I don’t know if I can continue to organize at UCR,” she said. ■H
► TOWELS FROM PAGE 1
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER A puppy encourages sudents to return used towels to the SRC.
not exist anymore,” reads an SRC post on Facebook. Prior to October, the recreation center operated on a payto-own towel service, selling students their own towels for a flat fee of $1 per towel to pay off its cost. After the expansion occurred, the SRC switched to a free towel service as a way of complementing the new facilities and programs. “We often get people coming to us asking about the shortage of towels and this campaign is helping us explain … why we have such (sic) few towels left,” said Marvin Ma, an SRC front counter employee, who believes the uptick in towel theft occurred at the beginning of winter quarter, causing more than 2,000 towels to vanish. Referring to a one-time incident, Ma said, “We ended (up) having to cut the bigger (pool) towels into small towels to make (up) for the loss,” adding that the new year can bring fresh faces into the gym who
may be unfamiliar with the new gym policies prohibiting the theft of towels. Ricky Haro, night manager of special events and facility operations, said towels must be returned after use to be washed and disinfected to ensure that users have available towels throughout the day. “Towel usage is a requisite for using any equipment at the SRC as it promotes proper hygiene and helps diminish the spread of infections,” he said. An option that the SRC is considering includes switching to a check-out system, should their campaign fail to curb the number of stolen towels. Many students have noticed a minor delay in the restocking of towels, which may adversely affect their experience at the gym. Brianna Spence, a UCR student who frequents the gym, described the towel service as a “great convenience” and is in full support of the campaign. “It’s irritating when there are not any out. People need to
be more appreciative of having access to free towels,” she said. Vivian Lee, a UCR graduate student, was surprised to hear about the number of towels drying up, but did notice having to wait about 10 minutes for more towels to be restocked during a typical gym day. Bringing her own towel to the gym, second-year Betteena Marco thought it was “ridiculous” for people to take advantage of a free service. “I feel like people feel entitled, since they’re paying so much for this gym,” Marco said, alluding to the $208 per quarter gym fee that has irked some students. Meanwhile, third-year Yesenia Talavera personally experienced the problems of towel abuse by other people. “There was a girl dying her hair different colors,” Talavera said about a girl using too many towels. “And I was like ‘you know, my tuition is paying for replacement towels right now, when it could be paying for something beneficial.’” ■H
Due to Matar’s affiliation with UCR Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student organization that advocates for Palestinian independence, the Jewish group contends that she will likely “engage in activism to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state and work towards its elimination.” Matar explained that though she was motivated to teach the class due to her ties with SJP, the organization’s goal is to bring to light the oppression of the Palestinian people. Matar also played a prominent role in the passing of a controversial resolution to divest from companies that conduct business in Israel last April. David Lloyd, the faculty sponsor
of “Palestinian Voices” and of SJP, added that the class was vetted in the same manner as all other R’Courses. In response to concerns over potential anti-Semitic teachings in the class, Lloyd said, “To suggest that criticism of Israel is identical with anti-Semitism is not only absurd, but in effect racist, since it pretends that all Jews must identify with that particular state.” UC policy prevents the university from being used to advance the interests of partisan actors or to encourage the political indoctrination of students within a classroom. AMCHA Initiative believes that the class violates this policy, alleging that the course teachings may encourage students
“to hate the Jewish state and take action against it.” Lloyd said the allegations are “groundless” and that the extreme tendencies of the group are exhibited by the fact that they are calling for the elimination of the study of “Palestinian issues from a Palestinian perspective.” “When Palestinian students seek to create spaces on campus where they may study their own issues in depth, they are accused of engaging in propaganda,” he said. Other demands being made by the group include an investigation into the Office of Undergraduate Education and the R’Course Governing Board, which are both responsible for reviewing student-
led courses on campus. “Regarding the approval of potentially controversial courses, the board balances UC and UCR policies with the need to support a free and robust exchange of ideas,” Jose Wudka furthered as chair of the Academic Senate, a faculty-led committee that participates on the board. A’isha Saluh, a third-year film major and student in the R’Course, said that the course has only focused on Palestine and its political history since it was still the third day of class. “I think of all the countries in the Middle East, Palestine has the most … politically fired-up history,” she said, having enrolled out of initial curiosity. “(The class) is offering me H with a lot more than I expected.” ■
Between 15 and 20 students showed up at the Bell Tower to protest police killings and mass incarceration of minority youths on April 14 as part of the Stop Mass Incarceration Network’s “ShutDownA14” event, which occurred nationwide. The action was meant to be a “shutdown,” where people walk out of their daily activities like school and work to “force more students to confront the full scope of police murder at this moment in the USA,” according to sociology PhD student Alessandro Morosin, who, along with political science PhD student Stephanie Attar, organized UCR’s pro-
► PALESTINE FROM PAGE 1
media prior to the creation of Israel to the present. Although the syllabus is entitled, “Palestine & Israel: Settler-Colonialism and Apartheid,” all UCR affiliates identify the course as “Palestinian Voices” as listed on the main R’Course website. Tina Matar, a senior majoring in business and student facilitator of “Palestinian Voices,” argued that the class is aimed at trumping mainstream biases prevalent in the media and in schools. “I am presenting facts and realities that go/ have gone on in Palestine and having (the public) choose for themselves what they want to think or believe,” Matar said.
test. Fourth-year undergraduate Sarah Doyle and second-year undergraduate Ariel Mendoza also helped organize the event. Attar said they were expecting a minimum of 50 students at Tuesday’s event, which had been in the works since February. “The turnout on campus was extremely disappointing,” Attar said, citing the “thousands of people” that were reached out to via class announcements, posters, a KUCR radio interview, emails to professors, making announcements at the HUB and more. “This says a lot about the climate on campus,” Morosin agreed. Marching through campus toting banners with the names of individuals killed by police and chanting, “There’s a Mike
6
NEWS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
UCR paleontologists unearth missing part of ancient fossils DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
The Dickinsonia fossil from Nilpena, South Australia.
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
What did the first multicellular animals of early Earth resemble? A recent discovery that specimens of the fossil Dickinsonia were fragmented due to being lifted off the seafloor by ancient currents propelled a team of UC Riverside researchers one step closer to answering questions of early evolution and life on the planet. Led by second-year earth science graduate student Scott Evans and other UCR paleontologists, the research showed that sand had accumulated underneath Dickinsonia after being lifted, which strongly suggests the organism was mobile, free-living and unattached to the seafloor. Resembling a ribbed oval, Dickinsonia, a fossil of the Ediacaran biota, inhabited the ancient seafloor some 550 million years ago and now can be found in abundance in South Australia, which is where Evans and Professor of Paleobiology Mary Droser first took notice of the fossils. “When we started to look at these guys we found an unusually large number of them had parts where it looked like the body was missing. The question became, ‘why are we missing a part of these excep-
tionally well-preserved fossils?’” Evans explained. Evans showed that the lift markings on Dickinsonia are all oriented in the same direction, which is reputable evidence that it was a current lifting them up and eliminated hypotheses of the fossil being fungus or lichen. Predation was also eliminated as a possible answer for the lift markings because predation at that time was nonexistent. “We know that currents affected these organisms. We looked up the margin of the missing piece to look to see if it was jagged, but it was always smooth, which is evidence that it’s not getting ripped apart,” he expressed. “This is evidence that they are not some organism that lives attached to the sea floor, but something that is a distinct entity and can be lifted off.” Dickinsonia remains on the radar of paleontologists because these enigmatic animals are the first substantial and complex multicellular organisms, ranging from the size of a human pinky toe to a table. Yet, according to Droser, there is much unknown about these animals, who were present in a time of great diversity and evolutionary experimentation. “We have no idea what this thing was. It was common. We think it’s an animal, but these
are all very much just starting places of trying to figure out,” Droser explained. “We’re working on really documenting its ability to move, so you can start to imagine something that might have been on the seafloor and eating through its underside and when a current comes, it lifts it up because it’s not firmly attached.” For Evans, this fossil not only provides a special lens with which to view the past, but also a progressive step for the study of evolution. “When we look at a fossil, you can see where it lived, you can learn more about the Ediacaran, not just the biology of the organism that lived, but what was the seafloor like (and) how was it affected by the waves,” he noted. “This biota is a huge step in evolution.” “When we look to find life on other planets, we run the experiment of advent life on this planet and the evolution of life on this planet. So you go back in time to say how did life evolve? And so this is at the very beginning, these are the very first multicellular animals on the planet,” Droser said. “It’s the very beginning stage of multicellular life evolving. It’s a phenomenal time in life’s history and we still don’t know much about it.” ■H
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
Opinions
7
HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF
AN INFORMED UCR IS A TRANSPARENT ASUCR
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Colin Markovich
Jake Rich
News Editor
Asst. News Editors
Sandy Van
Aaron Grech, Amy Zahn
managingeditor @highlandernews.org
editorinchief @highlandernews.org
news@highlandernews.org
Opinions Editor
Jameson Adame
opinions@highlandernews.org
A&E Editor
Asst. A&E Editor
Nathan Swift
radar@highlandernews.org
Christal Mims
Features Editor
Tiffany Liaw
features@highlandernews.org
Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Darren Bueno
Cody Nguyen
Photography Editor
Asst. Photo Editor
Vincent Ta
Cameron Yong
sports@highlandernews.org
photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers
Aaron Lai, Laura Nguyen, Jaspery Goh, Tim Baca, Matt Hong, Janine Ybanez Production Manager
Andrew Golden
productionmanager @highlandernews.org Production Assistants
Olivia Bocanegra, Amy Chen, Mei Huang, Rain Nambayan, Vicky Nguyen
A
nybody who has had the chance to walk around the HUB lately will have undoubtedly noticed the campaign signs for ASUCR elections. The many signs tout the candidates for ASUCR, representing their respective parties with equally clever names like [OUR]Voice and PAC: Pride, Action, Change. They now compete against [YOU]CR for the first time in a few years after the party had been banned. Students who have been at UCR long enough will know that [YOU]CR was the dominant party from the 2011 to 2013 school years. This raises the question as to why the previously incumbent party had been banned in the first place. The ban was born out of the confusion the name had the potential to conjure, as it was read and phonetically pronounced the same way that UCR would be, opening the door to implications that the school endorsed the particular party. We must understand what it means to the UCR student populace now that it is allowed to run in the elections once more. [YOU]CR is allowed to exist once more on the caveat that it be pronounced as Y-O-U-C-R, instead of as the phonetic reading of the written name. However, this mandate is unenforceable at best and completely pointless in reality. The name of the party itself has not changed, nor has the written style, both of which will more than likely still result in anyone reading the campaign posters as “U-C-R,” unless they are already aware of the mandate and can change the way they were taught to read phonemes. The name is an undeniably clever bit of wordplay, but this precedent shows that the student elections are allowed to be run on unrealistic technicalities, only throwing a shadow of doubt over the trustworthiness of those we elect as our representatives. Rescinding this ban is not a problem in and of itself however, but representative of a greater number
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
of problems within the body of the student government, pointing back to even older questionable practices for which ASUCR has come under scrutiny. With the recent reinstatement of the party, ASUCR and the elections committee have shown blase concerning past and current affairs of student government that the students of UCR should not stand for. Election campaigns of the past have been retread time and again, but always bear repeating as a refresher to the student who may be unaware. The very reason that [YOU]CR exists again is that the previous [YOUR]SIDE party was broken up due to alleged discriminatory practices. Previous years have also exhibited questionable acts. One [YOU]CR member participated in a vote to determine whether fellow party members could participate in the elections to allow participation in the elections, laptopping (or the act of pressuring students to vote on the spot by presenting them with a laptop) became a problem for students at the University Village and ASUCR judicial appointments were made without the notification of the organization’s executive cabinet. It is with the lattermost point especially that the issue of “transparency” within ASUCR can be viewed as problematic. While much of the campaign cycle revolves around the issue, as everybody claims that keeping students in the loop will be the new priority of UCR’s student government, the old guard takes to their keyboards to explain why such open conversation between the student body and ASUCR is impossible. One need look no further than President Nafi Karim’s statement that he does “not believe that transparency is the Holy Grail answer to all situations.” It is this about-face mentality change from the election cycle to the execution of office that students need to make themselves aware of. Accountability for student government must not fall entirely upon the entity itself though, but must come
from the studied and discerning eye of the people responsible for electing it. Any student who is participating in this year’s election should understand the function of ASUCR, then also knowing the power and money for which it is relied upon to wield. The power of ASUCR comes from our own student fees, which give them an annual $12.50 per person which they are allowed to allocate. While this money has been misused in the past with senators leaving a conference early which the student body had paid for them to attend, there is also substantial potential for good in these funds. The HUB is one of the primary beneficiaries of ASUCR expenditure of funds, as they are the entity responsible for the solar benches that students can often be seen using to charge their laptops while getting out of the midday sun. Likewise, many students at UCR recently benefitted from President Karim’s R’Gear initiative, giving a good proportion of the campus a gratis ability to show school spirit. However, R’Gear also acts as a perfect example of the lack of transparency within ASUCR, as the $51,601.86 pricetag for the project went undisclosed for prolonged period of time. ASUCR is not an institution that is inherently flawed; however, many of the practices and policies adopted in recent years have given way to a perception that the organization is secretive and only serves a vague purpose on campus. If students become better informed as to the purpose of the fees they pay and what they become, and ASUCR makes a better effort to fulfill the constant promise of transparency, then much of the questionability that arises around the time of elections will surely be allayed. ■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.
Business Manager
advertising rep.
Erin Mahoney
highlanderads@ucr.edu
Kevin Cantero, Tsui Li, Toby Park, Blue Phongpharnich
Distribution Manager
Tech Director
Oscar Ho
Johnson Nguyen
Video Editor
Asst. Video Editor
James Fierro
Cameron Yong
video.highlander@gmail.com
CONTACT US Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details. Editorial Office:
Business Office:
(951) 827-3617
(951) 827-3457
Classifieds & Billing:
(951) 827-5039
Fax:
(951) 827-7049
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Jameson Adame at opinions@ highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letter can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.
LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on nondiscrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.
8
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
Opinion Poll Should police have to wear body cameras?
C ompiled
by
J aspery G oh
Chris Connors Chemical Engineering Fourth-year
Jaclyn Hirbawi Bioengineering Second-year
Mazin Abram Chemical Engineering First-year
Cody Fults Geology Second-year
Alexander Wilson Jr. History Second-year
Daniel Mariscal Chemical Engineering Fourth-year
“I think it’ll make them more conscious of the fact of being watched ... it’ll be easier when writing their reports and for court defenses ... so I guess they should, it would helpful for them and it would make everything easier.”
“Oftentimes police officers take it upon their own jurisdiction, morality and ethics to behave a certain way ... a body camera would incentivize police officers to act properly.”
“They should wear body cameras, but they shouldn’t be able to turn them off, there should be a weird system where they don’t have the control of mointoring of what they’re doing.”
“I think they should have them, it’s a good thing, but it’s costly ... It’s a good solution, but it has so many pros and cons.”
“Yes. I say that with 100 percent certainty because I feel that is the most genuine way that they can be accountable for their actions.”
“Yeah, I think they should ... but they might use these videos for more exploitation.”
► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH
The final thaw in the Cold War QUINN MINTEN Staff Writer
Relations between the United States and Latin America seem to have taken a positive new direction after a recent summit in Panama. The United States, normally a somewhat unpopular participant in this summit, was received relatively well by the representatives of the several dozen nations present there. Perhaps the most important aspect of this summit was that it was the first since 1994 (when the first summit was held) where Cuba was allowed to attend. In years past, the U.S. has blacklisted Cuba from attending, so by allowing them in this year, the U.S. has shown significant good will toward the Cuban government. Outside of the conference, President Barack Obama has met with Raul Castro, the current leader of Cuba, in an effort to improve relations between the two nations. The U.S. and Cuba have been unfriendly since the ’60s, when Fidel Castro overthrew the existing government and established a communist dictatorship. Even the end of the Cold War, which brought a new level of cooperation between the U.S. and nations such as Russia, failed to end the hostilities between these two nations. Hence, Cuba remains under an embargo as it has been for 50 years. In a time where the United States is not viewed in a favorable light by much of the international community, President Obama has a chance to win some diplomatic credit by showing Cuba a little international friendship. Namely, the U.S. can end the embargo on trade and travel with Cuba as soon as possible. Such an act would have several benefits in our international rela-
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS President Obama engaged in good-will communications with Cuban leader Raul Castro at a recent summit in Panama after half a century of staggered
tions. Obviously, Cuba would also benefit; being a Caribbean island, it would be an instant winner as far as tourism goes, with all the revenue that would generate. The U.S., though, could gain even more than Cuba, giving all the more reason to go about putting this new policy in place. Just as Cuba would make money off this potential arrangement, the U.S. would have the opportunity to invest in Cuban business and to expand American business into a new market. Since Cuba has previously been outside America’s economic system, there is practically a clean slate to work with if the embargo is ended. Furthermore, by show-
ing it is willing to work with a country with which it has been so unfriendly, the United States is demonstrating to the entire international community its good will toward its neighbors. Undoubtedly, some countries would not be swayed by any show of good faith by the U.S., but the odds are that many nations would warm to the idea of what they view as a powerhouse “bully” of a country not only releasing the little “bullied” country from an economic headlock, but also inviting him to come play the game that is politics. The problem, it might be pointed out, with simply letting Cuba off the hook is that it involves forgetting just why exactly the U.S. embar-
goed the country in the first place. After all, the Castros set up their authoritarian government by force, working with the Soviets to keep themselves afloat. Since the ‘60s, the Soviet Union has collapsed, China has opened itself to trade and still Cuba sits there, uselessly defending a system that has died out everywhere else two decades ago. This, perhaps, is the reason Cuba remains barred from the rest of the world, instead of just the dictatorship; dictators seem to be a dime a dozen in this world, but lasting communist governments are quite rare nowadays. To get Cuba to move on and become a friend simply requires opening up to the
country and letting things go their natural course. President Richard Nixon opened China, a major communist power in the ‘70s, to trade with America, and now we buy (almost) everything from them. If even the Chinese government embraced capitalism, there is no reason to suspect that the same thing cannot happen in Cuba. Thus, once normal trade can happen, it is only a matter of time before a level of democracy sweeps through. Hopefully the same sort of popular movement can arise in Cuba. In the face of such a pressure, Cuban dictatorship cannot last long; all America has to do is open the door, and the slowburning fuse from the Cold War will blow itself out. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
9
BY COLIN MARKOVICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Living Below the Line
A student studies during midterms season at the Rivera Library.
id you know that in Chinese, the character “four” makes the same sound as the character for “death”? This is somewhat appropriate, as many students are feeling the tickle of the scythe now that we have entered week four and are officially beginning midterm season. Much like audience members on “Oprah,” we all get midterms this time of quarter; midterms atop essays atop projects atop midterms, and why hello there — are you another midterm? Unlike finals week, where you can get them all done in one meticulously planned-out week (or in a rush driven by that unique student mixture of caffeine, adrenaline and procrastination — up to you), midterms seem to eternally linger on and become The Thing That Would Not Leave. There is a good reason why we stress out over them, since they usually account for a significant chunk of our final grades. Procrastinators and high-achievers alike trade their iPods for books, hole up in faraway corners of Orbach Library and stop worrying about the last time they took a shower. Free time is a thing of the past. And through it all, people binge
that means one out of every six people is currently living off of less than five quarters a day. In the United States these statistics are significantly better. Despite some studies showing the contrary, the extreme poverty rate in the U.S. is relatively close to zero. That doesn’t mean that the situation is any better for those living in the clutches of poverty, and 14.5 percent of the U.S. population still lives under the federally defined poverty line, which is $17 per day. The problem should hit close to home because students are more likely to be poor than the population at large. A stunning report found that a majority of public school students in the United States live in poverty — something that hasn’t happened since since the 1960s, when Volkswagen vans were cool. On college campuses, the poverty rate is hard to ascertain because there’s not a lot of data, but one Census Bureau working paper has found that a majority of students living off-campus and on their own live in poverty. This does not include college students living in dorms, who are automatically eliminated from poverty calculations. Nor does it include students who do live with their families but none-
D
on their favorite study snacks, whether it’s trail mix, chips, ice cream or grapes. For me, cookies are my stress relief, and I will gladly endure the maddening struggle of finding an unwrinkled dollar bill that the vending machine will not spit back at me like a four-yearold refusing to eat broccoli. If I have a handful, I am comforted in that knowledge. It is easier for me to read through those last boring pages deriving a formula for something that is probably pretty important. This year, however, I will not have those cookies by my side. In fact, I doubt I will have much food at all by my side. This is because I will be taking the Live Below the Line Challenge. The idea is simple: From April 27 to May 1, can you live off of $1.50 a day for five days? That means that out of all the food you eat and water you drink, it can’t cost more than a ten-dollar bill. If those conditions sound spartan, that’s because they are. And yet, 1.2 billion people around the world are living in extreme poverty, which the United Nations defines as earning less than $1.25 a day. Given that there are about 7.2 billion people living on the planet,
theless fall under the poverty line. Suffice to say, being a starving college student is not merely an ascended meme, but something that countless college students go through every day. However, because we live in a first-world country with a huge economy, a social safety net and HBO GO, the lives of those in poverty are often rendered invisible. We think that extreme poverty can only be something that happens halfway across the globe in a country we can’t pronounce, when many people living in poverty are right here. Either way, we go on with our lives and try to ignore the lives of those in poverty, even if they’re sitting right next to us in lecture. But like the rest of us, these students will be heading to the lecture halls in the coming weeks to fret about their midterms. But they will be worrying about other things as well. Is my paycheck enough to pay my rent? How many meals will I have to skip this week? Can I go without electricity for the next few days? Imagine taking a multivariable calculus midterm with those thoughts bouncing around in your head. And when you’re making just
JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER
a handful of dollars a day, every one matters. The money you spend on bus fare is something you can’t spend on eggs. Taking a sick day means having to put off your next grocery line. I do not want to live that life. Not with a blade constantly hanging over my head, poised to fall at any moment. Yet I do want to take the challenge. Part of it is to test myself, to take a challenge and say that I was able to overcome it. But the other part is to experience — not just comprehend at an intellectual level, but truly understand in the marrow of my bones — what it is like to live in extreme poverty. I am fortunate that I do not have to worry about food on a day-to-day basis. That does not mean that we can forget about everyone else, though. A different sword is hanging over my head. So as we are struggling to rid ourselves of the midterms penned by Bartleby the Scrivener, remember that Bartleby may not have a home he can pay for or food he can eat. Take some thought about where our meals are coming from, and be thankful that we can have them. And perhaps, if we feel emboldened enough and are up for a challenge, try living below the line. ■H
COMIC
INTRODUCING: THE HIGHLANDER AND HIS TRUSTY PAL SCOTTY He’s the one hero that UCR neither needs, nor deserves
JOIN HIM THIS WEEK AS HE BATTLES THE LINE AT THE HIGHLANDER ONE STOP SHOP...
NOOO OOOO!!
OH MY GOD, THE BEAR IS EATING SOMEONE!
JAMESON ADAME / HIGHLANDER
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, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
Features
11
Middle Eastern Week LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER
Students gather around at the HUB plaza to watch “The Agony of Love,” an Egyptian comedy.
Film Screening: “The Agony of Love” Robert Lees, Staff Writer
U
nder the windy skies of Tuesday night, the Middle Eastern Student Center (MESC) held a film screening for the second day of the weeklong festivities. The staff, which was made up of several members of MESC, welcomed the guests to the HUB Plaza as the sun set, handing out fresh popcorn and hot drinks to the gathering crowd. The crowd was mixed,
T
he third day of Middle Eastern Week featured an event designed to shed light on the experiences of male Middle Eastern students at our campus. The panel, which consisted of six students, gathered in front of a crowd that filled up the entirety of HUB 260, who enjoyed the lovely trays of cookies, hummus, sandwiches and other snacks thoughtfully provided by the MESC. Though they tackled heavy topics that
with couples huddled together on blankets, small groups crowded around the brick planters and a row of middleaged adults crowded in front of the projector. Since there are no English subtitles available for “365 Days of Happiness,” we instead watched the Egyptian comedy-drama “The Agony of Love.” Host Tina Matar explained that Egypt became the Hollywood of the Middle East beginning in the ‘60s — and though much of the humor was likely lost in translation, the film was ac-
tually quite good, with much of the audience laughing at the comedic moments. As the night drew on, more and more students arrived at the grass, drawn to the smell of food and the lights of the projector like moths to a lamp. The film ended a few minutes after nine, with many of the viewers pressed together against the chilly air. The only denizens of the HUB at the time were us and the ever-present dance groups that congregate at the oddest hours of the day.
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER UCR Students Daoud Hussein, Shaheen Nassar, Chris Elyas and Sanih Herzallah sit on the panel for the Middle Eastern Week’s “True Life” panel.
True Life: I’m a Middle Eastern Man ranged from their views on marriage to personal stories of being at the receiving end of bigotry, the panelists managed to keep things light while explicating several rumors about Middle Eastern men and culture. The first question, posed by moderator Natalie Haddad, asked the panelists how they had assimilated into American culture. Panelist Shaheen Nassar had a very thoughtful answer, explaining that assimilation “isn’t something we’re looking for,” as conforming
Robert Lees, Staff Writer
to an American ideal would mean a loss of identity. Daoud Hussein recounted that he had trouble fitting in, mentioning that a teacher had asked him, “Oh, your last name is Hussein?” during the early years of the American invasion of Iraq. Stories of racism were a common theme shared among the panelists, which included Peter Aziz including that a college counselor once asked him if he was “planning anything” when he used to sport a full beard. Anis Kadim recounted his experience in a humorous light,
noting how odd it is that he’s always selected for “random searches” when going through airport security. Topics also touched on Middle Eastern views of marriage and homosexuality. All of the panelists expressed support for gay rights with a “live and let live” attitude. In the discussion of marriage, Shaheen said that ideals of marriage “transcend cultural boundaries,” encapsulating how beautiful and loving any relationship can be, regardless of sex, religion or culture. Shaheen also asserted that the
Middle East had an egalitarian society for a long time, and that European colonialism and dominance led to an adoption of male-centric ideals. Besides getting a degree, the college experience is about the free exchange of ideas and new experiences, and the MESC’s true-life event on Wednesday truly captured the spirit of what college is supposed to be. They broke barriers, told jokes and undoubtedly helped many people in the audience shake some presuppositions about Middle Eastern men and culture.
“They made each other bleed and bruise.” It always came back to the topic of love for Darmal as he went over the estranged love for his parents (“to all my white people here, we’ve been beaten by coat hangers our entire lives!”) and the comical ups and downs of a recent relationship (“It’s so weird that here in the 21st century, we measure our love by how comfortable it is to fart in front of each other”). Ultimately, Darmal’s set pointed to the fact that love, no matter what the circumstances, always wins in the end. There were a few sets that were not entirely dedicated to Middle Eastern culture, but nonetheless provided entertainment for the Barn crowd. A few of those people included guitarist Rafid Solder, who performed a rendition of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” and UCR’s Improv Club, whose varied sketches always centered around ideas H shouted out by the audience. ■
TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER Mehron Kazimi plays the tabla, a traditional instrument played in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Free Minds: Open Mic Night Nathan Swift, Senior Staff Writer
T
he Barn had a busy night on Thursday, as the last event for Middle Eastern Week took place. It was an open mic event, with the stage taken 17 times and in a diverse array of mediums, ranging from singing and slam poetry to instrumental solos and even stand-up comedy. Most of the students onstage were of Middle Eastern descent, and through singing, instrument virtuosity or truth spoken through poetry displayed an intense pride in Middle Eastern customs and culture. The event opened up with Mossab Hammadi, who sang twice on stage, the first song being John Legend’s “All of Me” followed by a popular Arabic song that the crowd clapped along to during its intense beats. There were other moments that highlighted student pride in Middle Eastern culture, as Reem
Jaber and Beshoi Nashed recited lines of Arabic poetry, unbroken for several minutes, that attracted plenty of respectful cheers and finger snaps. Mehron Kazemi played a pair of Afghan drums with such skill that at several occasions the crowd attempted to clap along with his beat. The night became intensely personal when Sean Darmal took the stage to perform comedy. After thanking the MESC director for having the open mic, his material centered around love, be it from the lack of sympathy expressed in staring matches between him and drivers who almost hit him in the streets (“Come on motherfucker, I dare you to hit me!”) to reminiscing about his childhood memories of his older brothers constantly fighting each other. “They never fought like white guys, where it’d look like they’d be trying to hug and kiss each other,” he comically stated.
12
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
FEATURES
UCR R’Movement HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
grooves to the beat of
EDWARD DAVE,
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
S
tudent-run organizations came together last Thursday to put on an incredible display of cultural wealth through dance with a motley of performances. From rhythmic salsa dancing to American urban hip-hop flair, these dances were incredibly well-done. 909 Hip-Hop Dance Troupe was the first to entertain the crowd. Immediately noticeable were their meticulously crafted set design and costumes. The theme was hard to identify at first because of the vast variety in the color scheme, and added a lot of theatrics and unorthodox dance moves to captivate the audience. They danced with intensity at first, but later they successfully integrated other styles of dancing, ultimately giving the crowd something to marvel about. In a change of pace, Salsiente took center stage to wow the audience with Latin flavor. The ladies wore long pastel dresses while the men wore buttoned-up tops with slacks. Their appearance was the first selling point of the performance as they glided across the stage with an admirable grace. Every member of the group wore tap dance shoes, which were an integral part of the performance and added ambience to the already alluring Latin music in the background. Noticing the restlessness of the audience halfway through the show, Katipunan, a Filipino cultural group, brought the audience out of their trance with a showstopping performance. They performed a dance called Tinikling that incorporated bamboo shoots in which the dancers would athletically dance in pairs through and around the bamboo shoots that clapped to the beat. Every little aspect of the
PHOTOS BY LAURA NGUYEN
performance was done with vigor and they paid great homage to the Philippines. In a contrast with the nimble and light nature of Katipunan’s Tinikling piece, the Nigerian Student Association answered their performance with a very earthy piece. They stayed stationary in a two-line diamond formation and performed dances that incorporated a lot of body swaying and constant use of the arms. One cool thing to note about the performance was that they added modern dance moves like the whip dance that’s become popularized in America via Vine. At one point, the girls all did little freestyle dances in a singular fashion, which the crowd enjoyed. Ballet Folklorico and their intricate footwork made the performance memorable. The authenticity was their strong point and the audience was equally impressed as shown through their yells and cheers. One of the most impressive pieces of the night came from the Swing Club who gave a stunning performance of the art of swing. The female and male lead jived and shimmied across the stage in sync as they incorporated tap dancing into the routine. They were in perfect harmony, and the chemistry between the two was organic enough to make them look like experts. Having jazz in the background to set the tone and gave the performance an added awe. The Illerside B-boys were a welcome addition. This set was heavily reliant on each individual’s breakdancing abilities and the four of them all took turns as they cheered on their teammates in freestyle. Sustained handstands while methodically kicking out their feet, acrobatic flips and swirling on the floor made for an awesome sight to see, and the audience was impressed. Despite the performance being
entirely freestyled, there was still a subtle cadence to the dancing because of the continuity of each of their moves. They all moved in harmony, despite seeming to be in their own worlds. Collective Faction was the penultimate performance of the night and expectations were high. By taking songs from various eras of popular music, most notably “Pony” by Ginuwine, and “Lifestyle” by Rich Homie Quan, they brought the whole house down with amazing energy. They were completely in sync and their performance was very clean, devoid of any blatant errors or mistakes. They transitioned from a slower style of dancing and morphed into a fast-paced piece that relied on all parts of the body. They looked really into the performance, giving the audience jolts of excitement. In a featured performance, the renowned LA-based group Kinjaz took to the stage. All the previous performers immediately hurried into the audience to gain a good vantage point of them. Every move was cold and calculated but done with an enthusiasm that just made everyone’s mouth agape. They moved as one unit and incorporated flips and body rolls, which made some members of the audience swoon. Nobody’s eyes wandered throughout the set, and I’m pretty sure no one even wanted to blink. By the time it was over, we all sat in our seats in awe before the room burst into thunderous applause. This display of multicultural passion was a big part of why the event was consistently fun and charged with pep. I enjoyed learning about various cultures through dance and the art of physicality, and I took multiple lessons as I walked out of the theatre with a newfound perspective of the dance world. ■H
Counterclockwise from top left: 909 Hip-Hop Dance Troupe opens R’Movement by performing an “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired set; Ballet Folklorico de UCR performs in vibrant clothing; The Nigerian Student Association performs a dance full of traditional and modern dances; Katipunan performs a national dance of the Philippines called Tinikling; Kinjaz strikes a heroic pose; Collective Faction showcases their new choreography.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
FEATURES
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
UCR
AARON LAI & LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER From left to right: Chuan Qin, Simon Tam, CiCi and Leonardo Mendoza all present their experiences through unique perspectives at TEDxUCR.
x = independently organized TED event UCR = an array of visions colin markovich, senior staff writer
“W
e want to be the motivators for action,” explained Russell Cohen Hoffing. He is sitting on the stage in the University Theater, legs dangling from the precipice and swinging back and forth with a boyish energy. Russell is a graduate student in the psychology department. He is also a member of TEDxUCR, a student organization that seeks to bring enlightening and uplifting TED talks to UCR. Earlier that day, TEDxUCR had just finished the largest TEDx conference it had ever put on, “Kaleidoscope,” with hundreds in the audience and seven speakers uplifting and inspiring the audience. Although it got off to a rocky start, with one of the speakers arriving late and the video crew’s set-up taking more time than anticipated, first speaker Simon Tam took off with a bang with his presentation: “How to Talk with a White Supremacist.” He told the crowd of the time he and his band performed at a maximumsecurity prison in Oregon with a high proportion of white supremacists. After playing to the audience on a small stage surrounded by concrete walls and wearing garishly orange vests (provided to the band so the security guards knew who not to shoot in the event of a riot), Tam was approached by a swastikatattooed man so tall he blocked out the sun. He handed Tam a piece of paper. He asked for an autograph — for his daughter. “He wanted to show his daughter that he could change his heart and mind, even if he couldn’t change the ink stained into his skin,” Tam reflected, urging the audience to fight racism through conversations and sincerely listening to other people with differing perspectives. Two UCR alumni followed. Michael Uy, who spoke of the importance of fostering curiosity and problem-solving skills, emphasized that hacking isn’t the amoral act many people think it is. Hackers, he said, “solve problems we didn’t see with solutions we couldn’t imagine,” describing his efforts to build a hydroponics system and a coffee maker controlled via Wi-Fi.
Afterward, Leonardo Mendoza implored listeners to focus on what they have to be thankful for when they’re down, using his near-suicide as an example. “Joy is the feeling that you get when you appreciate and celebrate your life,” UCR professor and head of theatre, film and digital production Stu Krieger explained to a curious audience. When Krieger was in high school, he developed a condition called colitis, a perforation of the colon that caused him to throw up after eating and bleed when he went to the bathroom. The condition was caused by his profound unhappiness with his life, pressured by friends and
one responds. Another: “When I got my student visa to study at UCR.” Yet another: “My homegirl Sarah got her tumor removed.” As I am looking, a student turns to me and we strike up a conversation so swiftly that we lose track of time and have to be ushered back into the theater before the second act begins. Chuan Qin took to the stage, plucking the strings and sliding the bow across the Chinese erhu. A rhapsody of music filled the air as her head rocked back and forth, letting the flow of the notes carry her through the song. As she finished in a crescendo, trilling her fingers and plucking the strings, she explained
“Joy is the feeling that you get when you appreciate and celebrate your life.” -Stu Krieger... family to do something he didn’t want to do and unsure of his future. Sometimes, he felt like dying. “But I also knew I didn’t want to die,” Krieger intoned. “I knew I needed to make a choice. I chose life. I chose joy.” Krieger encouraged the audience to do what brings them joy, explaining how he moved from Hollywood to UCR when he lost the pleasure of screenwriting and discovered the joy of teaching. At this point, the audience had the opportunity to take a brief break, with some wandering over to the 3-D printers and others seeking comfort on the blankets spread across the nearby lawn. Everywhere, people are chatting, smiling and laughing. Outside the theater are a series of posters, each asking attendees something about themselves. “When was the last time you cried through happiness?” one asks. “Laughing at a silly joke,”
that she plays the instrument to reintroduce Chinese immigrants to their traditions. UCR professor Boris Maciejovsky, meanwhile, discussed some of his latest research, including how we are motivated by avoiding loss rather than potential gain, and suggested revamping the way we tackle problems to take advantage of this effect. The night was finished amid the audience’s uproar of whoops, claps and hollers for CiCi. “The best advice I ever received was in an elevator in Las Vegas, going down,” she began. As a transgender woman, she was nervous stepping into a public club filled with drunk patrons, but her friend whispered two words into her ear before the doors slid open: “Own it.” CiCi advised her audience to do the same, asking for understanding for others as they try to find themselves and speaking of her
own struggles identifying as transgender in today’s world. No matter the speaker or audience member, throughout the event flowed a feeling of inspiration and common cause. “I thought it was going to be about kaleidoscopes,” Jessica Tovar, a third-year economic-administrative studies major, laughed. But after the conference finished, she found herself realizing that everything had multiple perspectives. When it was announced that one of the speakers would be unable to attend due to his disease, the audience clapped in support — a moment captured on video by the emcee and sent to him as a get-well wish. TEDxUCR received over 50 presentation proposals from members of the UCR community, but the only factor that went into the selection process was passion. “It’s really just if you’re passionate. If your passion comes across, that’s all you need,” Russell said. Another member of TEDxUCR, secondyear psychology major Yo Yo Hong, agreed. “We only planned on six (speakers) but everybody’s was so good!” she said. Next year, TEDxUCR hopes to put on an even bigger conference with more speakers. Perhaps coincidentally, but perhaps not, the discussion seemed tailor-made for college students trying to find themselves in the world. Mendoza, who I managed to speak with during the lunch break, agreed. “I wanted to talk about something that I believe a lot of college students could relate to,” he said. In an entirely separate conversation, I speak with Paola Solis, a fourth-year anthropology major, who says, “It’s very helpful for people who don’t know what to do — who are lost.” It is fitting, then, that the theme for the night — kaleidoscope — represented the countless prisms of light that spread out before viewers that night. Russell said that the title was meant to evoke childhood memories and different views and perspectives. Between stories of overcoming hardship, groundbreaking studies and personal tales, everyone who was in attendance left with a new outlook and were perhaps reminded of a ■H much younger self.
13
14
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
DELTA QUEEN 2015:
U
∆ night of fun and philanthropy
Christal Mims, Senior Staff Writer / Photos by Janine Ybanez
Delta Queen showcases the talents of various sorority members across campus. With performances in dance and song, the title of Miss Delta Queen 2015 was heavily competed for among the women of Greek societies.
CR was home to the 2015 Delta Queen pageant Thursday night. Hosted by the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, the Delta Queen pageant allowed sorority members to go head-to-head in hopes of becoming Miss Delta Queen 2015. Participating sororities included Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Omega Zeta Chi and Sigma Kappa. Each of these sororities focused on philanthropy and the entire event was dedicated to raising money for the City of Hope foundation. The Student Recreation Center North filled up with friends and family of the contestants, along with their fellow sorority sisters. Before the start of the event, sorority members chatted with one another while preparing their signs used to cheer on their representative in the pageant. And boy, were they excited. When I tell you the screams were deafening, I’m not exaggerating. By the time the girls made their way onto the stage, my ears were ringing. Various sorority chants could be heard echoing around the entire stadium at full volume as the six contestants performed an opening dance number. They pranced around the small black stage in a cutesy routine that generated a thunderous applause from the audience. However, the reactions proved to be too much for some. Two young ladies made their way down to where I was sitting while complaining about the noise of some event-goers at the top of the stands. Eventually everyone settled down while pageant judge and City of Hope representative Michelle Vigue spoke about the important work and cancer research done at the treatment facility. She expressed her gratitude to the contestants who took the time to fundraise for their center and wished them luck before the start of the competition. Starting off the skit portion of the program was Brittney Murray. Representing Sigma Kappa, Murray acted out several scenes from the comedy “Mean Girls” with a few helpers. Before being given a microphone halfway through the performance, it was hard to hear most of the dialogue. Nevertheless, the crowd cheered her on — I mean, who doesn’t like “Mean Girls?” Each of the skits incorporated the values of the participating sororities, and the performances only continued to improve after Murray. Krystal Neag of Kappa Kappa Gamma performed a scene that focused on her sorority’s belief in the importance of reading, while Jordan Von Fleckles of Alpha Chi Omega performed a skit that centered around a rendition of “Dancing with the Stars” entitled “Dancing with the Greek” while speaking about her sorority’s focus on helping victims of domestic violence. After the skits concluded, our attention was drawn to a picture of a young man on the projector. The image was of Jeremy Harrison, a UCR student who passed away from cancer 10 years ago.
A dedicated Delta Tau Delta fraternity member and well-rounded student, Harrison made a positive impression on almost everyone he met. The Jeremy Robert Harrison Endowed Award Fund was started in his honor and a letter written by his father described the phenomenal person and friend Harrison was and always strived to be. Following the tribute, audience members clapped respectfully before it was time for the talent portion of the event. Miss Delta Gamma, also known as Jasmin Joya, sang Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” The song began and we heard her voice — but had no idea where she was. Confused, audience members looked around before noticing Joya making her way down the steps in the bleachers. After Joya was Meghan Anderson representing Omega Zeta Chi. Anderson performed a colorguard routine, and as she effortlessly tossed the twirling flag into the air, her sorority sisters exuberantly cheered her on. Backed up by a pianist and a cellist, Halle Luna of Pi Beta Phi performed Disclosure’s popular hit “Latch” by Sam Smith. With strong vocals, Luna’s performance was one of the best of the evening. Audience members got a chance to stretch with a 10-minute intermission before 23-year-old cancer survivor Nicole Shultz shared her story of pain and triumph. After being diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 14, Shultz began receiving treatment at the City of Hope. Despite having her world flipped upside down at such a young age, she grew to love the atmosphere and people at City of Hope. The sense of community at the treatment facility allowed Shultz to recover in good spirits. “Sometimes I feel more at home at City of Hope than I do at my own house,” she explained. Shultz received a round of applause as she headed back to her seat at the judges’ table. All six contestants were escorted by their coaches as they participated in a formal walk. Donned in beautiful, and for the most part sparkly, gowns the participants strutted down the stage and playfully posed for the audience. The president of Delta Tau Delta gave a brief speech before each of the young women were given certificates by the City of Hope for their hard work. Finally, we were getting close to finding out who would become Miss Delta Queen 2015. Murray, Neag and Joya all made it into the top three before being asked a final question about the importance of philanthropy. Each of their respective sororities screamed at the top of their lungs before it was announced that Delta Gamma’s Jasmin Joya would take home the crown. 2014’s Miss Delta Queen gave her the sash and crowned the beaming champion as she smiled and waved to those crowding near the stage to get a picture. Despite who won the pageant, each of these young women came together for an admirable cause and for that, they’re all winners. ■H
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
k c u r T d o Fo l a v i Fest
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
15
SERVES UP GOOD FOOD AND HIP CULTURE
JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER A fried chicken waffle from the Waff-n-Roll food truck is bought by a hungry student outside of Pierce Hall.
TIFFANY LIAW, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A
mid the bustle of the Nooner and tabling happening this past Wednesday, over 20 food trucks made their way to UCR for our fourth Food Truck Festival. Sprawled around the Bell Tower and the HUB, trucks offering food from Asian fusion to waffles and crepes finally gave students more variety to their typical on-campus lunches. Besides the crippling overpriced characteristic of food trucks, such as one particular taco truck that offered a twotaco combo for $9, I love the idea of mobilized food and the creativity that some trucks had to offer. The last food truck festival did not disappoint, and I vividly recall the deliciousness of my bacon-wrapped Hawaiian teriyaki dog from Tokyo Doggy Style, until the experience was interrupted too soon by my hot dog being knocked out of my hand. Nonetheless, I decided to redeem myself by attending the festival determined to have a better experience this time. As I scanned the rows of food trucks lining the premises, I recognized the crowd favorites being Tokyo Doggy Style, Waff-n-Roll, Rice Balls of Fire and Yalla Truck,
which all had lines stretching from the top of the HUB Plaza to Pierce Hall and most likely required an hour wait. The strange yet alluring combination of smells from Crepes Bonaparte, Bacon Mania and California Grill Truck guided me toward that direction and before I knew it, I found myself staring at a 12-inch chili cheese dog from Angie’s Weiners. “Wow, I want that; it’s probably the thing that’s most worth $8.50 for the huge portion,” remarked my companion before placing an order for the exact same hot dog nicknamed “Leading Man.” I, on the other hand, decided to give Slanging Corea, a Korean fusion truck, a try after being slightly discouraged by the long lines for Rice Balls of Fire and hearing a rumor that Crepes Bonaparte had run out of ice cream and strawberries (which would have been half of what I planned to order). Roughly 40 minutes later, my friend had received his hot dog, and I had just ordered a bulgogi burrito for $9 (not my proudest burrito purchase due to the price). “Yeah, (the long wait is) like this every time, but the food was pretty good! The (pork belly)
rice ball had a decent proportion of pork belly and kimchee and the (po boy) sliders’ rolls complemented the crispiness of the soft-shelled crab really well,” said Patricia Dimaano. There wasn’t time for me to spare an hour and thirty minutes, but I figured I would just make a note to myself to try this truck at the next festival. In contrast to the amount of time it took for me to order, my burrito came out pretty quickly and I wasted no time indulging in the sweet and savory wrap. Despite the overcooked rice in my order and the not-sogenerous amount of bulgogi, it was still an enjoyable meal; the sweet and salty flavors of the slaw and meat meshed together nicely and although the portion wasn’t as big as a Chipotle burrito, it was still enough to fill me up. Whether it was a simple dessert fix consisting of Hawaiian shaved ice or an entire meal of grilled cheese varieties, the Food Truck Festival truly had something to fulfill every craving. As one of the most anticipated events of the quarter, we can only hope that they return soon to satisfy the foodies here at UCR. ■H
Be Remembered.
Don’t let your college years pass you by. Be a part of something bigger. Be remembered for the photos you take, the articles you write and the friends you make. Come to our meetings every Monday in HUB 101 at 5:15 p.m. to learn more.
Highlander
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
EVENTS THIS WEEK 4/21
The Vagina Monologues, 7 p.m. @ HUB 302
4/24
UCR Concert Band with high school guests, 8 p.m. @ University Theatre
4/25
2nd Annual Riverside Art Market, 10 a.m. @ Riverside Art Museum
4/25
Brain Regan, 8 p.m. @ Fox Performing Arts Center LAURA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
JAKE RICH / HIGHLANDER
Awayfrom
Sprawl:
the
18
by Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
MY KUCR STORY
F
rom the first point that I saw the giant antenna on top of the tiny building near the dorms blasting radio waves to the masses, I knew what I wanted
to do. As a student journalist in high school, I came to UCR knowing that I wanted join the newspaper, but the radio was something new to pique my interest. After finally getting hired in my sophomore year and having a weekly show for two years now, I can honestly say that being a college radio DJ has been one of the defining and best experiences of my college career. The station has provided a space beyond just musical opportunities for me. The idea of playing music on the radio that I thought was good, but never heard on the airwaves, appealed to me from the day I started to love music. Though I’ve never been the most talkative person, having a radio show seemed like a really positive way for me to help share music that I enjoyed. Even in the era of Spotify, Pandora and other streaming services, something about the nature of radio appealed to me. The format, no matter what it is presenting, allows for a more personal experience than just searching for a song you want to hear. At its best, listening to the radio is like having an intimate conversation with a friend who is sharing some of their favorite things with you. At worst, of course, it’s a mega-corporation playing the same 40 songs and blaring the most disingenuous (but apparently effective) “helpful” car dealership commercials on end, over and over. My first time on the air, I was rushed and shaky. I can still remember frantically trying to push all the right buttons and put the faders up on the control board while trying to introduce myself at the same time. After a bit, you eventually settle into a groove, but those first few moments on the air can be very nerve-wracking. Slowly but surely, I got to know people around the station. They var-
ied in taste, personality, length-of-stay (people have been there from anywhere from a couple months to almost 40 years) and more. Having such a variety of people around me allowed not only my music taste to expand by assimilation, but also my understanding of people from different walks of life. Because of the open environment, there was no pressure to behave or act a certain way — only of course, if it broke Federal Communications Commission guidelines. As a commuter who struggled at first to find a way to consistently connect with campus, the station allowed me to open up and come out of my shell. Aside from my music show, I have been able to participate in a weekly sports talk show, news talk show and UCR basketball broadcasts during the season. I have been able to develop my voice and find newfound confidence in speaking my opinions and sharing a different side of myself on the air. Working events and receiving calls on-air has also allowed be to me more in-touch with UCR students and Riverside community members. In the middle of one set where I was playing a handful of covers of Beach Boys and Beatles songs, I received a call from a woman who said that my set made her want to call her dad on the East Coast and thank him for showing her good music. It’s moments like these, when you’re sitting in the booth in the back of the little building in family housing, that you never expect but are extremely grateful for. I never want to force someone to listen to the music I’m playing if they don’t want to, but the fact that someone would listen and take their time to call in touches me in a way that makes me filled with gratitude for the opportunity. The friends I’ve made and the adventures I’ve had will never be forgotten as long as the waves that antenna emits keep bouncing around. When and if they ever stop, you can still find me there — probably with someone telling me I forgot to turn the fader up. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
MUSIC REVIEW
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
19
TYLER THE CREATOR: “CHERRY BOMB” // RATING: ★★★☆☆ FARAZ RIZVI Contributing Writer
Tyler the Creator, devilish mastermind behind the Odd Future label, is back with his fourth studio album, “Cherry Bomb”: a gnashing, at times jazzy revolt against fame, with an in-your-face feel that departs from its predecessor, “Wolf.” Although “Cherry Bomb” has excellent synth beats and guitar riffs, it ultimately gets bogged down by poor mixing, with Tyler the Creator’s rap barely audible against the production. The album opener, “Deathcamp,” opens with a heavily distorted guitar riff, with Tyler rapping, “Umm, excuse me sir can you turn down those lights / and um I don’t like all the cameras man,” before launching into a fast-paced flow. The uncertainty with which he delivers these line counterpoints the guitar riff, albeit in a tonguein-cheek way that only Tyler the Creator can pull off, as if he’s making fun of his own discomfort with fame. While his rhymes are clever and irreverent, there isn’t much that we wouldn’t expect from Tyler here. The major difference here is in the grittiness of his flow: It’s much faster and angrier, working well with the heavily distorted production. “Cherry Bomb” is much more production-heavy than “Wolf,” with heavy bass lines and guitar riffs throughout the album, resulting in Tyler the Creator’s voice being drowned out. Despite the added grittiness, his voice feels stifled under the synth beats. While this may be deliberate, if often comes across as a consequence of an error in mixing.
However, the tracks “Blow My Load” and “Find your Wings” find Tyler the Creator on familiar territory, with downtempo, jazzy beats, which is exactly the sound that Odd Future became famous for. Although this is familiar territory for many fans, it just feels out of place on the album. While these are definitely great songs, and offer an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the album, it detracts from the sonic unity of the album. For example, “Cherry Bomb,” the song right after “Find Your Wings” is perhaps the most intense song Tyler has ever done. It’s a thrashing, heavily distorted song with enough bass to blow your ears off. The best song on the album is “Smuckers,” which features both Kanye West and Lil Wayne. Tyler the Creator’s lyrics are most audible on this song, and are arguably some of the best throughout. Kanye West’s verse on this song is brilliant, and maybe one of the best verses he’s laid in a while. He begins with a crooning, “why why why don’t they love meee,” and follows in his boastful and self-deprecating style, “richer than white people with black kids / more dangerous than black people with ideas.” All the while Lil Wayne is … well, Lil Wayne. Nothing interesting there. “Cherry Bomb” is a solid album that gets bogged down at times by the amateurish mastering, as well as its overall lack of unity. For fans of Tyler the Creator, however, it still delivers on all fronts: It’s clever, entertaining and as gung-ho as possible. The kind of boldness that has made him into such an inventive and entertaining artist is definitely present. ■H
WRITE SHOOT DESIGN FOR THE HIGHLANDER
MEETINGS MONDAYS @ 5:15 p.m. HUB 101
COURTESY OF ODD FUTURE RECORDS
20
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
TV REVIEW
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
DAREDEVIL // RATING: ★★★★☆ JAMESON ADAME Senior Staff Writer
Netflix has solidified itself as one of the best generators of original programming, rivalling the likes of modern powerhouses like AMC and HBO. No longer must cord-cutters leave their rooms to join their family around the hearth and watch shows together, but now we are allowed to be cooped up in our rooms and binge-watch whole shows, getting jaundiced with our lack of vitamin D. It is because of our hideous reflection of self-indulgence that we are then thankful for lawyer Matt Murdock’s blindness! Netflix’s new show, “Marvel’s Daredevil” has recently arrived on the scene, and looks to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe through a 13-episode run that follows the rise of the eponymous street-level superhero. The story follows the newly established lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who is a blind defense attorney by day and a blind superhero with heightened senses by night. Over the course of the series, he attempts to thwart the nefarious deeds of the criminal kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and his multifaceted criminal organization of yakuza, Russian mobsters and Chinese heroin manufacturers. Though on the surface, this seems like a less-than-innovative plot for a superhero story, what really makes “Daredevil” so impressive is its inclusion of
the greater Marvel Universe in subtle ways, and the exemplary interactions between its characters. “Daredevil” takes place in a fictionalized version of the Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, recovering from the Chitauri alien attack that took place in 2012’s “The Avengers.” In the aftermath of the largescale destruction and chaos, Murdock is positioned as a man trying to keep peace and order in a town that had so recently suffered from intergalactic battles between superheroes, gods and an alien menace. Additionally, the show’s setting opens it up to introduce various other entities from within the Marvel Universe that would ordinarily not matter to the calamity-stopping members of the Avengers, instead opening the way to showing heroes who are dedicated to the everyman. It is this scaled-down setting that also makes the characters so interesting in the show. Despite what the title of the show would have you believe, the main character is not Daredevil, but his alter-ego Murdock; and for what that is worth, this winds up making the show much more interesting. Marvel and Netflix have shown a dedication to human drama in this show that is a rival to milestone series like “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad,” making the show not only accessible to those who enjoy the nitty-gritty action of a street-level hero, but also those who like to
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
watch dramas unfold around incredibly well-written characters. It is also fortunate that the acting all-around is strong enough to support the discussions between characters in a universe that presupposes the believability of men in iron suits and angry green men, without making you question your sanity more than once or twice. Cox and D’Onofrio are on the ball in every scene they have, often making themselves conflictingly sympathetic to the viewer. By the end of the show, many viewers may even find themselves liking the villainous Fisk, despite the fact that he seems like the scary man from that one bus ride you took that one time. Even the supporting cast hardly has any weak points,
sporting the talents of Rosario Dawson, Deborah Ann Woll and even old-time pros like Scott Glenn. The lowest points of the series only arguably come when Murdock is shown as a child, and even then, Skyler Gaertner is remarkably less hateable than many other child-actors (lookin’ at you Jake Lloyd). While the production quality is excellent in every regard, what may act as a deterrent to some is the level of violence and grit in the show. Unlike the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Daredevil” is not bound by the Motion Picture Association of America, and thus can get away with showing a level of violence that people who enjoyed “Thor” may not find appealing. Instead, audiences are served a series of
villains that are so threatening, a man would rather impale his face on a spike than face them after snitching. Those potential audiences who are expecting “The Flash” or “Arrow” will not find themselves in their comfort zones, and would do well to temper their expectations. They should also expect a better show. Despite the few aspects that may act as a turn-off for some, “Daredevil” manages to take a character that was previously known for Ben Affleck in leather and a soundtrack that featured Evanescence, and remakes him into one of the best-written heroes of recent years. If you have Netflix, give the show a chance. If not, get a free trial and do the same. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIE REVIEWS
COMING OUT SOON: LITTLE BOY
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 THE AGE OF ADALINE THE WATER DIVINER
21
KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK
UNFRIENDED // RATING: ★★★☆☆ STASEAN WASHINGTON Staff Writer
“Unfriended” is a 2015 American found-footage horror movie directed by Levan Gabriadze. It tells the tale of six high school students who encounter the ghost of their classmate, Laura Barns, on the Internet. When the group starts a Skype call and a mysterious user, billie227, attaches itself to the conversation, things begin to go awry as the anonymous user begins to reveal all of their deepest, darkest secrets. What ensues is an emotional rollercoaster filled with fear, betrayal and deceit. “Unfriended” defies all expectations — instead of being the generic, gimmicky horror film we all expect it to be, audiences get a unique film filled with great acting and tension. We all expected for “Unfriended” to be your typical teen slasher, something that could be as great as “Scream” or as bad as “I Know What You Did Last Summer”: A film filled with hedonistic teens, who all get what they deserve, being killed one by one by someone who had been wronged or known the victim. In a world where teenagers have seen all that horror films have to offer, the biggest question is: How does one scare a generation that’s practically desensitized to everything? “Unfriended” tackles the incredibly difficult challenge of scaring teens of the 21st century. This film has been dubbed “a horror movie for the social media generation,” meaning that if you’re too old to use social me-
dia, this film is not for you. Most films that try to focus on technology, more specifically social media, tend to get hung up on what’s cool and end up oversaturating their movies with memes or pop culture references that make said films cringeworthy at best. “Unfriended” expects the audience to know the medium. This is a double-edged sword because if you’re young you get it, but if you’re a part of an older generation you won’t know what’s going on half the time. The film aims its focus at our obsession with technology. It is a combination of video media sites like YouTube and LiveLeak, social media like Facebook and Skype, scary online urban legends and our fear of hackers. This is incredibly effective because technology is something we have all come to know and love so well. Technology is our way of establishing control of the world around us, but when the things we create start to either take a mind of their own or not work the way we command them to we once again feel weak and powerless. All of this is amplified by incredible acting. The film only takes place on a computer screen. But you wouldn’t really get that from actually watching the film. The performances are captivating and keep you from being bored of staring at a computer screen for 90 minutes. And the film goes from being a simple revenge film to one about betrayal. The characters begin to turn on themselves and truly turn into monsters by the end of the film.
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
From an intense game of “Never Have I Ever,” in which the loser’s life is on the line, to leaked private sex videos and screenshots of teens performing dastardly deeds, the tension between characters is thick and intense and is the true driving force of the film.
This film is intended for those who spend too much of their time on social media. People who have never heard of, may have lives outside of or know too much about the Internet may find the film to be laughable, hard to follow and gimmicky because they
can see past its initial appeal. But, for those of us who can get the references made in the film and accept “Unfriended” for what it is, a horror film for the social media generation, it’s a fun and enjoyable emotional rollercoaster driven by capable actors. ■H
a job because their ovaries make them all crazy and nonsensical. This film would be less misogynistic if it was an advertisement advocating revoking women’s suffrage. Now, there are bad movies. Movies like “The Room” that are so ineptly nonsensical that they become works of art. There are also bad films like “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “The Phantom Menace” that serve as the nail in the coffin for beloved franchises. The thing is, films like that serve to only betray a core of diehard fans, while “Mall Cop 2” has somehow managed to betray the entire film-going public. I only feel worse when I realize I actually paid money for the
ticket. Had I known that “Mall Cop 2” would have been this bad, I would have pirated it and then burned my house down. Please, if you have any sense or dignity, do not see this film. Life is just too short and your time and money too valuable to waste. Call your parents. Have a drink with an old friend. Tell your crush how you feel. We’re only here on Earth for a limited amount of time. Don’t even finish reading this review, as this movie is not worth anyone’s time. Don’t even waste any more thoughts thinking about this film. It’s too late for me, but it may not be for you. Don’t cry for me, I’m already dead. Cause of death: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” ■H
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 // RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆ ROBERT LEES Staff Writer
ing his time in Las Vegas, he foils a plot to steal art by a group of generically evil villains who have I have a confession to make: the resources of a huge organiI like watching bad films. I take zation but with worse aim than a sort of impish glee from seeing stormtroopers. However, this Bthem, rolling my eyes and mak- grade Scooby-Doo plot serves ing snarky comments with my only as a backdrop to Blart’s infriends on the ride home. My ide- ternal struggle to overcome his al date is sitting at home, watch- crippling loneliness. After trying ing “Birdemic” or “Battlefield to bend everyone close to him to Earth.” I’ve seen “The Room” his unrealistic demands fails, he in theaters. My hobby has given accepts the fact that he is a terme a niche at the Highlander, and rible human being and bids fareit’s almost weekly that I sit at my well to everyone in his life. I’m computer and perform an autopsy looking forward to the sequel that on whatever terrible film I saw involves him losing his job due that week. I pick it apart, figuring to his inevitable alcoholism and out where and how badly things ends with a head-to-head colliwent wrong, and it gives me a ca- sion on a major thoroughfare. thartic release of Aside from mean-spirited enthe fact that it ergy that makes greenlit by I would rather watch was me a much more the Illuminati in pleasant person “Schindler’s List” with the hopes that it in real life. would remove “Paul Blart: an inappropriate laugh the general popuMall Cop 2” rulace’s will to live, ined my hobby. track thrown in than see the film has two It is ruined. I hate major faults. The this film. films now. All most glaring of of cinema, as a these is that the whole, is dead to me. I remem- film is a comedy that is not in the ber, seeing previews in theaters, slightest bit funny. Every line of laughing, picturing myself dis- humor is either F-grade slapstick secting Kevin James’ most recent that would make the Three Stoogcinematic bowel movement. If es roll over in their graves, or is only I knew, I would have run for at someone else’s expense. While cover and re-evaluated my life. I this is fine, the jokes are incredwas a fool, and now the tsunami ibly toothless and have the timing of awful cinema has washed over of a broken metronome. Comedy me. I have never been more envi- needs to be succinct and punctuous of Helen Keller. I don’t even al, and every joke that may have want to write this review, because had the slightest bit of humor is in doing so I’m forced to relive stretched into oblivion, and then a real-life nightmare. This review stretched some more in an effort isn’t my typical autopsy of a re- to ruin the idea of laughter for cently deceased film. “Paul Blart: anyone unfortunate enough to be Mall Cop 2” was born dead. within five miles of the theater. I The film concerns monster would rather watch “Schindler’s Paul Blart, played by the com- List” with an inappropriate laugh pletely oblivious Kevin James, track thrown in than see this film. going on vacation and being a The second major flaw is sexist, domineering jackass. Dur- characters — in that there doesn’t
seem to be any. I can’t relate to the protagonist, because he’s a clueless plebian with less selfawareness than an amoeba. The villains are only nefarious for plot convenience. The female characters, of which there are three, are all terrible archetypes circa the 1700s. Blart’s daughter is goofy and only cares about hanging out with hunky boys. The African-American security guard is a sassy black woman because God forbid we have a person of color who has character traits beyond saying “mm-hmm” or “I heard that!” The hotel manager is a lovesick mess who is so overtaken by Blart’s sexiness that she can barely do her job. Women, right? They’re unable to hold
COURETESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES
22
SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
MLB Preview: familiar faces in new places
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
COURTESY OF FLICKR
ALEXANDER MANZO Contributing Writer
The Major League Baseball season may have just started, but every team is already working toward the postseason and ultimately the World Series. This past offseason saw a lot of familiar faces switch around to give their new teams a better chance. Health permitting, they should be able to take their respective divisions. AL WEST: SEATTLE MARINERS
With merely a few add-ons this offseason, the Mariners are looking to take the division with the help of newly acquired Nelson Cruz and “King” Felix Hernandez. The previous division champs, the Angels, may have remained untouched this offseason, but Mike Trout may not be able to lead his team to another division title by himself. The Oakland Athletics have a newly built lineup, and after trading away their infield, the organization is trying to remain a contender. The Houston Astros gained some veterans to take the reins while the Texas Rangers are plagued with injuries once again. AL EAST: BOSTON RED SOX
The new powerhouse trio in the East, with Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval joining David Ortiz, now brings spirits back to Boston after a horrendous season. Though Baltimore is a tough contender for
second, after losing Cruz and Nick Markakis, they may have lost some serious hitting power. The Toronto Blue Jays gained third baseman Josh Donaldson from Oakland but he doesn’t seem to have his fire set thus far in the season. Tampa Bay still has some work to do and the Yankees only have an overthe-hill Alex Rodriguez to lead them after Derek Jeter’s retirement. AL CENTRAL: DETROIT TIGERS
Despite tasting the World Series after a 29-year postseason drought, it still doesn’t look like the Kansas City Royals have enough firepower to take the division from the Detroit Tigers. With a lineup of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler and newly acquired Yoenis Cespedes, the Tigers have more than enough power to take the division. The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox are both contenders for second with powerful rotations. Cleveland has American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber while Chicago has Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija along with Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu. NL WEST: SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres are a whole new team going into the division this year against previous division champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. The competition may be
neck-and-neck, but “Big Game” James Shields will help San Diego take the division with the new outfield of Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Will Myers. The Rockies are still fiddling with their lineup while the Diamondbacks are going to rely on rookie Yasmany Tomas for some major help. NL EAST: WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Nationals have got too much experience and hunger for the postseason not to be able to take it, especially with seasoned pitcher Max Scherzer as their ace. Miami could be a factor with so many players coming off of a good season with other teams to help Giancarlo Stanton gain some momentum for the division after placing third last year. The New York Mets have sustained some injuries already and Atlanta has essentially traded its team away. NL CENTRAL: PITTSBURGH PIRATES
After losing in the wild card game last year, the Pirates might have some fuel in the tank to knock St. Louis out of the top spot. The Chicago Cubs may have Jon Lester in their pocket, but it’s difficult to predict a World Series run with no experience. The Milwaukee Brewers have the power but they just need to stay healthy, while Cincinnati doesn’t quite have enough offense to drag them from the bottom of the division. ■H
BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER Taylor Misfeldt (No. 17) takes a long leap as she pitches the ball to the catcher.
Softball drops series versus undefeated Northridge DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer APR. 18, 2015
.............................................................................
Matadors 1 - Highlanders 0
APR. 18, 2015
.............................................................................
Matadors 10 - Highlanders 6
UC Riverside was unable to take a game off of the Cal State Northridge Matadors in a two-game doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Matadors remained undefeated in conference play while the Highlanders fell to 3214 overall and 4-7 in the Big West. With neither team scratching in the first four innings, Matador Tara Kliebenstein smacked a homer to centerfield, for the game’s only hit and score, 1-0. UCR was unable to get their offense going in the contest, falling to Cal State Northridge in seven innings. Pitcher Chelsea Ponce gave up five hits to the Matadors, the lowest number of hits by the team since March 28. The bats of both squads were finding their marks in game two of the doubleheader, but it was Cal State Northridge that again got the better of the Highlanders, winning 10-6, including six runs in the opening inning. The Highlanders were the
first team to strike, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Natalie Sanchez hit her fifth home run of the season, which also brought in Jenna Curtan. Ponce again started on the mound for the Highlanders, but the pitcher gave up six runs off of three hits and two errors in the bottom of the inning. She was replaced by freshman Tayler Misfeldt for the rest of the game. Down 6-2, the Highlanders generated four runs in the fourth inning to knot the contest 6-6, but the Matadors scored in the fourth and fifth innings to run away with the game, 10-6. APR. 19, 2015
.............................................................................
Matadors 7 - Highlanders 6
The Highlanders lost their third straight game to the Matadors on Sunday afternoon, falling 7-6 in nine innings. Rebecca Faulkner hit a pair of home runs for UCR, but it wasn’t enough as the Highlanders gave up a single run in the ninth to lose. UC Riverside was outhit 14-8; pitcher Chelsea Ponce struck out four batters while giving up six hits. UCR next hosts UC Davis on April 25 at the Amy S. Harrison field. ■H
WRITE SHOOT DESIGN FOR THE HIGHLANDER MEETINGS MONDAYS @ 5:15, HUB 101
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
23
Tennis nears end of season with Big West losses MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Contributing Writer
Coming off of a loss Saturday against UC Santa Barbara, the UC Riverside women’s tennis team (4-15, 0-6) was once again on the wrong side of a 7-0 sweep Wednesday, this time at the hands of No. 54 UC Irvine (14-8, 6-2). While the Anteaters continued their dominance on the road, putting their away record at a solid 5-1, the Highlanders continued to build upon a streak of their own, suffering their eighth-straight loss and sixth overall in conference play. The day began poorly for the Highlanders when a dominant performance in doubles by the UCI women, in which they gave up a total of just four games, allowed them to take an early 1-0 lead. That momentum was then carried into singles play without much resistance from the Highlanders, who only managed to win 15 of the 87 singles games, making it 7-0 Irvine. Off the heels of a 7-0 loss to No. 54 UC Irvine, the team suffered another sweep against a stiffer opponent in Long Beach State (14-5, 8-0) Thursday afternoon. The Highlanders’ record has now fallen to 4-16 and they remain winless in conference play. The team once again failed to put up much of a fight against a dominant opponent, only managing to win eight games combined through doubles and singles play. As the Highlanders’ losing streak continued, the Big West No. 1 Long Beach State continued its phenomenal play on the season, pushing its winning streak versus conference opponents to eight. The Highlander women have now suffered nine losses in a row in what has been a very rough season for the team. The blue and gold didn’t earn a point against Cal Poly in a 4-0 loss in the team’s last regular season match on Sunday. The Highlanders’ record has now fallen to 4-17 and they remain winless in conference play. No man or woman has been left unscathed when representing UC Riverside on the tennis court this week, with the Highlander men suffering a 7-0 sweep at the hands of UC Davis Saturday afternoon. While the victory helped UC Davis on its road to clinching its first-ever Big West title, for UCR it meant another loss to pile upon their conferenceworst .176 win percentage on the season. Riverside was actually able to pull out one win in doubles play, 6-3, but surrendered the first and last matches to Davis, putting the Aggies up 1-0. Singles was a straight sweep for Davis, but Riverside senior Sean Robles was able to push his match to three sets by taking the first set 6-4 before losing the final two — the highlight of the afternoon. The team won its final game of the regular season, 4-2, on Sunday versus Hawaii, who was also looking to pull out its first win against a Big West opponent. It was the first conference win for the Highlanders since 2007 and moved the program to 4-15 on the season. Both tennis programs will compete in the Big West Championships, which will be held in Indian Wells, Calif., from April 23-26. ■H
Chloe Pham hits the ball to her opponent.
Julian Ruffin connects with the ball.
JANELLE SOTO / HIGHLANDER
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
24
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
Sports Baseball secures first conference win over Long Beach State JASON AHN Staff Writer APR. 17, 2015
.............................................................................
Highlanders 3 - Dirtbags 2
The UCR men’s baseball team snapped an 11-game losing streak on Friday night with a 3-2 win over Long Beach State. The Highlanders had a slow start with pitcher Joie Dunyon, who gave up two runs in the first, but finished strong with six strikeouts. On offense, Vince Fernandez singled in the top of the seventh inning, followed by a double by Robby Witt, which gave UCR two runs. By the end of the inning, UCR had a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with a one-run lead, Dunyon found himself in trouble as Dirtbag Zack Rivera hit a leadoff single. Closer Keaton Leach then jogged out to the mound, but walked his first batter, which may have caused head coach Troy Percival to call Ryan Lillie to the mound. After a force-out at third and two strikeouts later, the Highlanders earned their first Big West victory of the season. APR. 18, 2015
.............................................................................
Dirtbags 4 - Highlanders 3
An error-prone Highlander team lost their second game against Long Beach State in extra innings, 4-3. In the bottom of the second inning, CSULB scored first with a homer from designated hitter Luke Rasmussen. Eric Hutting then singled up the middle and advanced
to second, while Joey Sanchez scored off of a UCR error, 2-0. UCR answered in the top of the third with AJ Sawyer’s sac fly, which allowed Joe Chavez to run home, 2-1. However, CSULB would score again from another UCR error, 3-1. The fourth inning started off with a bang from Alex Rubanowitz, who doubled down the rightfield line on a 2-2 pitch. Tony Gudino singled up the middle, which allowed Rubanowitz to score, bringing the game to 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, Long Beach had a runner in scoring position with two outs, Zack Domingues had a full count and hit the ball to third base to end the inning. Both teams did well defensively in the fifth, with UCR and CSULB having a three-and-out. Highlander Tony Gudino had a leadoff double down the left field line to start the seventh inning. Joe Chavez singled to left field before Austin Colvin hit a sacrifice fly which allowed Gudino to tie the game up, 3-3. Then Ryan Lillie for the Highlanders gave Long Beach a chance in the bottom of the 10th inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third. Tristan Mecadel grounded out to second, then David Banuelos was thrown out while stealing second. The final play of the game was a routine grounder to shortstop, but Joe Chavez mishandled the ball, allowing CSULB to score and win the contest, 4-3. UCR next hosts UNLV on Tuesday, April 21. ■H
Danielle Littleton competes in the long jump at Mt. SAC.
Senior Joie Dunyon (No. 31) winds up for a fast pitch.
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
UCR track and field competes at Mt. SAC
CHRISTIAN MAY-SUZUKI Staff Writer
The UCR track and field teams competed in a trio of events this week: the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, the Mt. SAC relays at Mount San Antonio College and the Beach Invitational at Cerritos College. In the women’s hammer throw Thursday at the Bryan Clay, Vesta Bell took sixth place with a top mark of 53.68m (176’ 1”), while Rachel Tice came in 23rd at 44.09m (144’ 8”). Uchenna Oniah placed 11th in the men’s hammer throw with a top mark of 54.36m (178’ 4”), followed by Manuel Cisneros in 32nd (33.63m, 110’ 4”). On Friday at the Mt. SAC relays, Camille Deadwiler placed sixth in her section of the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.91. In the women’s 400, Amber Wright placed fourth in her section, finishing in 54.90 seconds. In another section of the 400, Noelle Abboud finished fifth, running in at 55.86. In the women’s 4x100 relay, the team of Abboud, Deadwiler,
Wright and Asha Giles finished eighth in their section at 46.03 seconds. In the women’s 4x400 relay, Jazmine Harper replaced Deadwiler, as the team finished fourth in their section as they clocked in at 3:41.60. Justin Parker placed fourth in his section in the men’s 400 at 48.42. Zachary Lewis won his section of the men’s 400 hurdles with a time of 52.61. Chadwick Duncan, Michael Kojin, Charles Wheeler and Matthew Vasel represented UCR in the 4x100 relay and placed eighth in their section with a time of 41.70. In the men’s 4x400 relay, Parker, Zachary Lewis, Michael Pare and Michael Koger finished seventh in their section, finishing in 3:13.30. In the women’s long jump, Danielle Littleton finished in third place with a school record of 6.22m. The women’s shot put saw Breana Jemison taking fourth place with a distance of 14.99m. UCR took place in a variety of events on Saturday. In the women’s 100, Regina Bowman placed 80th and Sirai Thompson placed 83rd. In the women’s 800, Kei-
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
sha May finished in 79th place. In the women’s 400 hurdles, Jahnice Fraise came in 25th and Jasmine Thomas came in 55th. In the women’s 200, Giles finished seventh, Deadwiler finished 40th, Wright finished 48th and Bowman finished 83rd. In the women’s hammer throw, Deja Watkins placed seventh and Rachel Tice finished 24th. In the men’s 110 hurdles, Peter Manu finished in 36th and Gabriel Aceves in 38th. In the 400, Parker placed tenth, while Devin Penick and Matthew Sam placed 84th and 92nd respectively. Cisneros finished in 34th in the men’s hammer throw. Three Highlanders were also named Big West Track/Field athletes of the week for Apr. 6-12. Koger, a junior, broke his own record in the 400 meter hurdle, earning him the honor of Male Track Athlete of the Week. On the female side, Raquel Hefflin had a number of good results, including a pair of top three finishes at the Sun Angel Classic. The Female Field Athlete of the Week was Breana Jemison for her performances in shot put and hammer throw. ■H
Pachara Sakulyong drives hard down the green.
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
Men’s golf runner-up at Santa Barbara tournament
JASON AHN Staff Writer
UCR’s men’s golf team finished second out of eight teams, including three Big West members, at the OGIO Santa Barbara Intercollegiate, on April 13th to 14th. It was their second-best performance of the season since the squad won the Mission Cup in January. The schools in the field included UCSB, CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, Boise State, Bakersfield, Northern Colorado and Utah. The team shot 294 (first round) and 292 (second round) on day one, and finished the third round with a 290, giving them a total score of 876. The Highlanders were two strokes short of UCSB, who won the tournament. Senior David Gazzolo, sophomore Sam Gillis and freshman Anthony Bonales skewed the results
with their stellar scores of 68 (four under par), 71 (under par) and 75. Gazzolo was only one stroke away from the tournament winner, UCSB’s Hunter Robinson. Gillis actually led the Highlanders after day one, with a score of an even 144, holding the second-place overall position. It was Bonales and Gazzolo who tied for third and seventh respectively, with scores of 145 (+1) and 146 (+2). The rest of the team fared well, as Matt Lutz finished tied for 22nd with 227 total, while Andre Vu placed 49th with an overall score of 239. In the individuals, sophomore Brandon Tsujimoto shot 81 and 74 in the first and second rounds, but did not play in the third round, finishing with a score of 155. The Highlanders’ next match is at the Big West Championships from April 26-28 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. ■H