SPRING SPLASH Students wade in an ocean of fun at Spring Concert.
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Highlander University
Volume 63
of
C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
Serving the UCR community since 1954
Issue 27
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
ELECTIONS CONTROVERSIES FLARE UP IN ASUCR
UCR joins hands with Nepal MELA MAGAT Contributing Writer
video evidence of [OUR]Voice candidates laptopping were brought to the judicial branch, yet the students participating did not receive strikes. A candidate may receive up to three strikes before being removed from the election. Ashley Harano, [OUR] Voice’s candidate for ASUCR president, declined to comment on the laptopping accusations on behalf of her party.
Over 150 members of the UCR community attended a candlelight vigil last Thursday to show support for the people of Nepal after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Asian country and other surrounding areas, resulting in more than 7,000 deaths and displacing over a million people who are still in need of food and shelter. The vigil, hosted by the South Asian Federation (SAF) and Asian Pacific Student Programs (APSP) at UCR, gave students, staff and faculty a chance to learn more about the devastating earthquake, pay their respects and provide donations to help those affected. SAF member Prianka Sharma said that because recovery periods are so long for most natural disasters such as the earthquake, coverage and additional aid tend to gradually fade. She felt that the vigil would help assist in combating that, especially in Nepal, saying that “a devastation like this stops (the country) from progressing into a developed one.” ASUCR Marketing Director and Co-President of SAF Ravin Rathod agreed with Sharma on emphasizing aid, but acknowledged a different reason for possible insufficient aid, saying,
► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 4
► SEE NEPAL, PAGE 6
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Senators barely met quorum during a special meeting held Friday morning to vote to overturn an executive order made by President Nafi Karim the night before.
AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer IXIA JOHNSON Contributing Writer
Tensions have spiked in ASUCR after two senate meetings, during which the removal of a laptopping bylaw and an attempt to overturn an executive order to reinstate two justices, displayed a divide between members of the senate and the executive cabinet (ECAB).
Complaints regarding laptopping by [OUR]Voice, and debates over whether alleged attempts to block punitive actions against the party violate ASUCR’s system of checks and balances, called the integrity of ASUCR elections into question. Laptopping is a banned campaigning practice that involves having a candidate or party volunteer approach students with an electronic device to solicit votes for their party. Due
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to its controversy as a potential form of coercion, the practice has been banned since 2012. Issues regarding the questionable practice were brought up by students during Wednesday’s public forum. Multiple representatives from PAC: Pride, Action, Change and [YOU]CR brought forward numerous incidents, claiming that the judicial branch failed to address them. According to multiple members of the galley, pictures and
ULTIMATE BRAWL UCR’S BEST DUKE IT OUT TO SEE WHICH CREW IS BEST
PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS CLOSE THE LAST BARN SERIES IN SPECTACULAR FASHION NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 9 • A&E 13 • FEATURES 21 • SPORTS 28
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Swipes for the Homeless launched at UCR SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer
A program dedicated to relieving hunger for the homeless delivered approximately 4,322 pounds of food, equivalent to the weight of an average mid-size car, last Thursday to Feeding America, a network of food banks across the United States. Swipes for the Homeless at UCR operates by asking students with UCR meal plans to donate their meal swipes between Week 9 and 10 of each quarter. Each participant can donate up to three meal swipes, which are then converted into their original food value to purchase food for donation. Meal swipes are accepted at the dining halls in the dorms, the Market at Glen Mor and the ► SEE SWIPES, PAGE 8
PLEASE RECYCLE
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
Protester stepping on flag stirs emotion, controversy among students AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer
Emotions are running high around campus after a student protested police killings of minority youth last Thursday by stepping on an American flag. One protester, a political science graduate student who helped organize the demonstration, was injured when another student ripped the flag from under her, causing her to fall to the ground. The incident has elicited responses from several groups, such as student veterans, many of whom believe that the protester’s actions were offensive and inappropriate, and others who support the actions as freedom of expression. Both the protester and the student who removed the flag declined to be named over concerns for personal safety. The protest, consisting of about five students, took place in front of the HUB at around 10:30 a.m., and the incident occurred approximately 30 minutes in. UCPD Chief of Police Mike Lane responded immediately, as he was already present to monitor the protest. The student who ripped the
flag from under the protester explained the reasoning behind his actions later in an interview with the Highlander. “As a combat veteran, I have presented that flag to widows, parents and friends as a symbol of their loved one’s ultimate sacrifice. It isn’t just fabric and I wanted it off the ground. That’s it,” he said. “I never intended for her to fall,” he continued. “I was only thinking about picking up the flag.” The protester said she was directed by the campus student health center to see a chiropractor due to injuries she sustained during the fall and is filing a misconduct report with student affairs, but has not decided if she will press charges. She later admitted that stepping on the flag as a method of protest was not her first choice. She explained that she had tried many tactics to encourage students to join protests against police brutality, but had been met with indifference. She helped organize a demonstration two weeks ago, but few students participated. “Months of the call to action being met by student apathy taught me that our tactic needed to change in order to more accurately convey the flagrant injustice being committed against US citizens,” she said. She and her fellow protesters initially planned to burn the flag, but decided against it due to fears of being brought up on charges for starting a fire on campus. The student who took the flag, however, along with third-year
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business administration major and student veteran Maria Maciel, believe that stepping on the flag was not only offensive, but obscured the message the protesters were trying to send. “When you offend more people than those who are there to support you, you should probably take a step back and rethink your strategy,” said Maciel. “I’m just curious about what this group is actually doing to change the system.” Kelly Peters, a third-year political science major, not only defends protesters’ right to step on the flag, but supports her decision to do so. “Freedom, equality … these things are what our armed forces fight to maintain,” she said. “But what’s going on right now around the country, where individuals are being killed by police just because their skin is black, that’s the opposite of what our flag stands for … the most American thing you can do is protest the injustices in this country.” Maciel emphasized that she and her fellow veterans are not opposed to the group’s cause. “We are not against this group’s right to protest or what they were protesting, we are against our flag being desecrated,” she said. A group of veterans, including Maciel and the student who took the flag from the protester, held a “silent counter protest” right after the initial demonstration, during which they covered the lawn in front of the HUB with small American flags. “Our presence had nothing to do with police brutality, it had ev-
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER A protestor stands on the American flag in the middle of the HUB plaza.
erything to do with the flag,” said the student. Since the demonstration, many threatening posts directed at the protester have appeared on social media, such as threats to “curb stomp” her, or “kick her ass.” “I would’ve done more than assault her,” read one Facebook comment. Although the protester did not expect to receive so many threats of violence, she hopes
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
that her controversial actions have started a dialogue about police brutality. “At the end of the day, focusing on the specifics of what I personally said or did during the protest pales in comparison to where one’s anger and attention really should be, which is how the system marginalizes and oppresses millions of our people on a daily basis,” she said. ■H
QUOTEBOOK “Why do you have such strong feelings against this right now? Because from my experience on this horseshoe I don’t think you’ve been so strongly against anything.” - ASUCR Senator Colette King regarding Executive Vice President Michael Ervin’s comments at the ASUCR meeting
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UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH
VINCENT TA PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Vice Chancellor Jim Sandoval gets dunked by students as an incentive to vote in the ASUCR elections during Wedensday’s Nooner.
KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPRING 2015, WEEK 6
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
5/5
5/6
5/7
5/8
5/9
5/10
5/11
LGBT Resource Center Tuesday Talk: Fluidity 5 - 6 p.m. 245 Costo Hall
Wellness Wednesday: Can Drive Competition Movies for Mental Health 1 p.m. 4 p.m. HUB Lawn HUB 269
UCR Market Day 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bell Tower
34th Annual Medicine Ways Conference 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. HUB
Mother’s Day
Filipino Hip-Hop and the Urban Scene 6 - 8 p.m. HUB 355
Indigenous Choreographers at Riverside: “How We Show Up” 3:30 - 8:30 p.m. Culver Center of the Arts
UCR Undie Run Women’s Resource Center Internship Series: 9 p.m. Bell Tower Body Gossip 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. HUB 260
How to Make Your Own Pride Prom Comicbook 7 - 10:30 p.m. 4:10 - 5 p.m. Barn Rivera Library 140
How to Work a Career Fair Room 3 - 4 p.m. HUB 355
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TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
NEWS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
Colette King discusses how the university’s lack of support of the“Undie Run” on the basis of risk of sexual assult based on clothing is unfair. ► ASUCR FROM PAGE 1
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER Senaters put in their ballots for the decision to remove Justice Daniel Ojo from office.
Elections Director Stephanie Rose stated that the main obstacle was a clause in the bylaws which stated, “to avoid unclear and/or false violations, complaints about laptopping campaigning must be registered only by students who are approached and asked to vote.” To eliminate this problem, Rose motioned to remove the bylaw to allow students who witnessed laptopping incidents to file complaints. Executive Vice President and [OUR]Voice candidate Michael Ervin, however, quickly opposed making the change in the middle of elections. “To be able to change one in an elections bylaw in the middle of when elections is going on, without any kind of notice to the senate … is not allowed in our bylaws and I don’t see any way around it, unfortunately,” Ervin explained, adding that the removal also needed the approval of the legislative review committee (LRC). Despite Ervin’s opposition, Rose maintained that since they were removing a part of the elections code bylaws, it did not need the approval of LRC. “I’m not allowed to change anything, I’m not allowed to add anything, but I am allowed to remove something,” Rose countered. Argument escalates between Galvan and Ervin
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Students during Friday’s ASUCR meeting snap in solidarity with the senators.
HIGHLIGHTS: - UCR’s Undie Run, a charity event in which students will strip off and donate their clothes while running, is scheduled for May 7. - Feminism Awareness Week, an event to dispel myths and rumors about feminism, will begin Monday, May 4.
Emotions quickly rose when Ervin attempted to consult Parliamentarian and fellow [OUR] Voice candidate Mohamed Hussein regarding the bylaws in reference to whether a removal of the clause was constitutional, which Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan quickly objected to. “This is not a matter of parliamentary procedure,” Galvan argued. “It is actually, because it directly contradicts what our bylaws state … unfortunately this is highly controversial to try to change the elections process … when voting is happening,” Ervin retorted. Ervin and Galvan continued exchanging jabs, with Ervin threatening to dissolve the meeting, and Galvan countering with a motion to remove Ervin as chair and hold an emergency meeting in response. After further discussion, Hussein did not find anything in the bylaws preventing the removal of this clause, which passed unanimously. The removal of this bylaw may affect any pending elections cases regarding laptopping incidents as brought to the elections com-
mittee. After the decision, Galvan called the senate to bring charges against Melina Reyes, chief justice of the judicial branch, for failure to perform her duties according to the ASUCR constitution and bylaws, and allegations of being unfairly appointed to that position. Justice Daniel Ojo was also brought up on charges for allegedly leaking information to a potentially disqualified candidate without giving Rose notice. After a closed session, the senate held a hearing to try Reyes and Ojo, in which the senate voted 12-2-0 to remove Reyes and 9-3-0 to remove Ojo. This resulted in the branch’s failure to meet quorum, which was to transfer pending elections cases to the elections committee, which Rose leads. As of press time, Rose asserts that she has not received the cases.
affairs. In addition, Galvan agreed that the executive orders issued were not valid. In response to Ojo’s email, Sandoval — as of press time — convened a meeting on Monday including himself, the ASUCR Executive Cabinet, the ASUCR justices, the ASUCR Elections Director, the ASUCR Executive Director and the UCR General Counsel to discuss the issues occurring within the institution. “Please rest assured that neither I nor our General Counsel are concerned with the outcome of the election (i.e. who is elected into office), rather, we are focused on the degree to which ASUCR has followed its Constitution and By-laws (sic), and Federal, State and University law, regulation, and policy in decisions that potentially have an impact on the outcome of the election,” Sandoval stated in an email.
Executive order and calls for censure
Transparency: A persistent issue
President Nafi Karim made an attempt to repeal the bylaw change and reinstate the justices the following day via executive order. In response, the senate held an emergency meeting on Friday to overturn the executive order, with Galvan calling for the censure of both Karim and Ervin in advance of the May 6 meeting. Despite the senate’s vote, the judicial branch claimed that Friday’s meeting was unconstitutional and the nullification of the executive order was void. On Sunday, May 3, Ojo contacted Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs James Sandoval and Chancellor Kim Wilcox directly regarding this decision. Regarding Ojo’s email, Rose stated, “I’d first like to note that Daniel was very selective in who he sent that email to and I was not a part of it. However, I think it is a complete conflict of interest for him to be sending out any emails on behalf of Judicial at the moment.” “Additionally, the constant attempts from Judicial Council, the ASUCR President, and ASUCR EVP (executive vice president) to overturn Senate’s decision is both unconstitutional and shameful. It has been made public that the President and EVP have personal interests tied to these decisions made by Senate and I believe their actions are completely influenced by party politics,” Rose concluded. Galvan further elaborated that attempting to contact administrators in an attempt to intervene in senate decisions is problematic, as it is the duty of ASUCR to handle its own
“Throughout the year, the president and the executive vice president have been often questioned by senate as to the way they operate in the office,” Galvan said after Friday’s meeting. Ervin’s failure to release the summer meeting minutes to the public and the cancellation of ASUCR’s winter retreat were among the reasons for Galvan’s call for censure. In regards to Karim, Galvan cited the controversial appointment of the justices last November. Only Ervin, Karim and Vice President of Finance Iris Jiang selected the justices, calling the transparency of the appointments into question. “If we go back throughout this year, there have been a lot of questions regarding mainly the transparency and whether we can evaluate that the president has been … following their duties in the constitution and the bylaws,” Galvan explained. Karim and Ervin did not return requests for comment as of press time. To provide enough time for candidate appeals, election results will be postponed until May 6 at 1 p.m. “There’s some members of ASUCR that are trying so hard to grasp onto that institutional authority and their connections with other branches and other individuals to exercise that power in a way that relates to elections,” Galvan explained. ■H Contributions made by Amy Zahn and Colin Markovich. Video coverage of the senate meetings can be viewed at www. youtube.com/UCRChannelH
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
5
Speaker argues Native American mascots damaging to youth JOESPH AVILA Staff Writer
providing legal guidance on this matter as it relates to federal funding and pushing executive Associate Director for the offices and legislatures to assess Center for American Progress the impact of these representaErik Stegman spoke at UCR last tions in schools and making recFriday about the negative impact ommendations for the retirement Native American mascots have of the mascots. on American Indian and Alaska UCR English professor MiNative Youth, as well as policy chelle Raheja, who studies Nachanges that would help lessen tive American literature and has that impact. Seneca heritage, said, “I find The talk, part of the UCR’s (Native American mascots) reSchool of Public ally demeaning Policy’s seminar and really ugly series, focused and it seems like on a 2014 report The entire debate ... has (they serve as) a entitled “Misspath to act out a been non-Native people ing the Point,” talking to non-Native people certain kind of conducted by about what they think Native aggression toStegman and his people should or shouldn’t wards native peocolleague Victople that’s kind of think ria Phillips. The been sublimated report critiques into the culture -Eric Stegman the media’s emsince the very bephasis on the ginning.” sentimentality of the mascots’ Raheja emphasized the need history, thereby overlooking the for change in curriculum that negative effects on Native Amer- teaches Native American history, ican youths’ self-esteem and saying, “There was a former collearning environments. league here who called the way He cited research conducted that native people are taught in by the American Psychological school ‘intellectual child abuse’ Association (APA) that gauged and I feel like that … makes reactions of Native American mascots normal.” ■H youth to depictions, such as the mascot of the Cleveland Indians baseball team and Disney’s Pocahontas. The research found that exposure to these mascots resulted in “lower self-esteem, sense of community worth and views of students’ own potential.” In addition, American Indian and Alaska Native youth are strapped with the nation’s lowest graduation rates of any racial or ethnic group at 67 percent, compared to the national average of 81 percent. These communities also experience a widespread poverty rate of 29 percent, nearly double the average of the overall U.S. population poverty rate of 15.7 percent. The suicide rate is 2.5 times higher than the national average and is the secondleading cause of death for these people ages 15-34. These statistics exacerbate Native Americans’ feelings of hopelessness and loss of agency, according to Stegman. “The entire debate up to this point has been non-Native people talking to non-Native people about what they think Native people should or shouldn’t think,” he said. “We wanted to change this by really trying to show people the real voice of what Native people think about it, particularly youth.” Stegman invited Rory Taylor, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and freshman at Claremont College, to speak. Taylor was nominated as a 2015 Champion for Change by the Center for Native American Youth for his work, centered on providing educational access to young Native Americans. He spoke about his own experiences with the ways Native American mascots impact younger people, saying “most stereotypes don’t allow us to be native college graduates, native lawyers, native doctors, native professionals. They only allow us to be redskins.” Taylor also discussed the ways in which the diversity of the 566 federally recognized tribes of Native Americans in the United States is reduced to a few racist depictions in media. “If we’re ever going to go anywhere or do anything … we have to get rid of these stereotypes and stigmas.” Stegman and Phillips’ proposal for change in policy includes seeking input from tribal communities, youth and leaders about school environments,
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LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER
Erik Stegman, director of field outreach and advocacy at the Center for American Progress, reveals facts and statistics about the severe challenges that American Indian and Alaska Native youth need to overcome.
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TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
NEWS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
JANINE YBANEZ / HIGHLANDER Sikh Student Association President Herman Sangha thanks the crowd for their support of the Nepal earthquake victims during UCR’s candlelight vigil. Candles arranged in the formation of the words, “Pray for Nepal.”
► NEPAL FROM PAGE 1
Young members of the Riverside community hold up the national flag of Nepal during a candlelight vigil held for Nepal earthquake victims.
“(On a political level), a lot of their international aid gets taken through government corruption or criminal activity so the biggest thing is making sure they get enough aid during this time.” Those in attendance held candles as various people spoke about how this disaster has affected them. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval was in attendance and stated, “because of our university’s diversity, our institution is deeply touched any time something happens across the world.” In lieu of that, Nepal native and second-year UCR student Pranisha Gautum spoke about the good-natured spirit of the Nepalese people. “You all may have heard of the phrase ‘that he’d give you the shirt off his own back.’ Nepali people truly embody this phrase, but today we are the ones in need,” she said. Gautum, raised in Nepal un-
til the age of 13, shared how overwhelming it was seeing the effects of the earthquake on the news. “There were pictures of people being pulled out of the rubble, there were pictures of national monuments being totally destroyed, and that was really heartbreaking and devastating for me. Places I used to go to maybe on a school field trip or on a regular Saturday with my family are now ruined,” explained Gautum. Community member and UCR agricultural post-doctoral researcher Raju Pandey, spoke about the earthquake’s effects in rural, often more inaccessible, areas and its impact on Nepalese farmers. Weak infrastructure has caused food and clothing to be contaminated by dirt and tarnished by fallen homes, explained Pandey. “My own sister is using a tent she was able to salvage as her source of shelter,” said Pandey. Some community members are also taking the initiative themselves. Devi Charan Ghi-
mire emphasized how he is using his local restaurant in Riverside to gather donations to send to Nepal. Ghimire explained that he was speaking to his brother in Nepal when the earthquake happened. After the conversation cut off, Ghimire was not able to contact his brother or other family for two days. A donation box was provided at the vigil, allowing the UCR community to provide funds for relief efforts. Billy Caganap, director of Asian Pacific Student Programs and who played a crucial role in making the vigil possible, emphasized that “even a couple quarters or missing lunch one day to put toward relief efforts will go a long way.” Further relief is being provided by other community members. SAF will be selling Pray for Nepal wristbands tentatively next Wednesday during Nooners while daily donations can be made to the Red Cross, which will be tabling H every day at the Bell Tower. ■
write. shoot. design. FOR THE HIGHLANDER Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. at HUB 101
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
7
CRIME WATCH
Student who posted Yik Yak threat released on bail, charged with felony AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
A particular yak caused distress among the student body last Sunday night.
[WRITE] [SHOOT] [DESIGN] THE
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MONDAYS 5:15 PM HUB101
Anton Shirokov, 29, a UCR student who posted a threat of violence against the campus on the popular social media app Yik Yak last Sunday between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., has been released on bail and is being charged with felony criminal threat and possession of metal knuckles, a charge unrelated to the threat. Shirokov was taken into custody late Sunday night after admitting to police around 1:40 a.m. that he had posted the threat as a joke. According to a widely shared post, the threat read “UCR shooting spree coming! Mark my words, you cattle,” but Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications James Grant was unable to confirm that this was exactly what was posted. Police searched Shirokov’s apartment after several concerned students took screenshots of the post and reported it to police. They found brass knuckles, which are illegal to own in California, and carry a penalty of up to a year in prison. Shirokov is also being charged with felony criminal threat, which carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. However, criminal threat charges, which UCPD Assistant Chief of Police John Freese referred to as “wobblers,” can be filed as
either misdemeanors or felonies. “The police normally file the greater classification, a felony, which is what we did with Shirokov,” Freese explained. The district attorney will now make the final decision about what charges Shirokov is formally charged with, based on factors such as criminal history and the severity of the crime. According to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval, Shirokov is no longer attending classes at UCR, but could give no further information about his standing with the university. Many students were alarmed by the post in light of the shootings that have occurred in the past few years, including the Isla Vista shooting that took place near UC Santa Barbara in May of last year. “In the back of my mind, I was thinking maybe it was a joke, but it’s still kind of scary,” said first-year biology major Angela Burmayan, who learned of the threat via a text message from a friend. “I’m legit scared to go to school, I’m always scared that something like this will happen,” read one Yik Yak post. “It’s got a bunch of people, including me, afraid to go to my own school,” read another. Shirokov is currently awaiting his next court date of June 22, and could not be reached for comment. ■H
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NEWS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A homeless man sits on a plastic box with a shopping cart next to him. ► SWIPES FROM PAGE 1
Culinary Chameleon food truck in the evening. “It’s a great use for students that have meal plans. I hear that a lot of the time that their meal swipes go to waste despite them already being paid for,” explained Jillian Rausa, the program’s driver coordinator in charge of preparing food deliveries to the shelters. The first drive, occurring in March, drew over 600 donors, allowing the organization to raise $4,787.50 in three days. The student-led program works with Dining Services to purchase food for donation to Feeding America. The program also purchases seeds for the UCR Community Garden to grow crops, which are then donated to the Inland Harvest, an Inland Empire program that gives donated food to the needy. As part of an agreement with Dining Services, the organization must deliver the food themselves to their respective charities. “It was important for us that they made a human con-
nection … by engaging with their charitable program,” said Executive Director of Dining Services Cheryl Garner. “Honestly, that’s the true joy of the program (which) is actually seeing where your work goes.” Swipes for the Homeless at UCR is also expecting to plant an assortment of tomatoes and lettuces through the UCR Community Garden. “All students are able to participate in picking food in the garden, but it is the students who are on a meal plan who give generously that make our organization possible,” explained Swipes for the Homeless coPresident and third-year applied math major with a concentration in environmental sciences Rafid Sikder, who grew up in Los Angeles and worked in homeless shelters in the past. Noticing rising poverty and homelessness rates in the Riverside and San Bernardino region, Sikder wanted to continue “giving back to the community” by creating a service organization that could aid a larger audience. This became a reality when the
organization was officially approved back in winter 2015 and is currently being sponsored by Dining Services and the UC Global Food Initiative. “I find it very humbling to see that along with school, students are able to do their part in helping out the community by growing fresh produce to give to those less fortunate than them,” he said. Most students have been supportive of the program, yet some are displeased with the cap that limits the number of meal swipes one can donate. Gardner explained that the existing cap is meant to avoid straining the program such as by increasing labor costs and potentially lead to “buyer’s remorse” for participants who end up running out of meals. Gardner says that the program operates at the end of each quarter. “That way, we know that people have a pretty good handle of how many meals they have left,” she explained. Many participants in the program are first-year students, with many of them being sup-
portive of its overall mission. Undeclared CHASS major Kellie Hamrick felt that her swipes would have “gone to waste” and through this program, she was able to help out a hungry person. “There are people in the United States that can’t afford a meal, and by participating you get to help them eat,” she said. Political science major Hayden Jackson donated the maximum number of meal swipes. Having heard about the program through social media sites, Jackson said, “I think other people should participate because it costs them nothing other than a few meal swipes they aren’t going to use anyway, and with that small sacrifice, we can really make a big difference together.” Swipes for the Homeless at UCR is part of a national organization dedicated to raising awareness and helping to fight hunger. The original chapter started at UCLA in 2009 and has since expanded to many other California college campuses, including UCR. ■H
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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Opinions
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HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF
NEPAL AND CALIFORNIA: A WORLD TOGETHER AND APART
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T
he earthquakes that hit Nepal should be no mystery to anybody at this point. At April 25 11:56 a.m. local time, Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that is currently calculated to have claimed some 6,000 lives, with the death toll still being calculated as rescue efforts continue. This earthquake should matter to the students of UCR and every UC twofold, as it is time for us as a campus that regularly shows a remarkable level of apathy to step up and help those in need and also because we, as Californians, should be aware that the threat of a massive earthquake is very real when living so close to the San Andreas fault. UCR should move beyond billing ourselves as the most diverse campus in terms of populace, and embrace the concept of being the most diverse campus in terms of purpose as well. We attend college to make a difference, whether that be in our own futures or that of our family. However, it is at times like these that the altruistic spirit of change must really shine through. Acts of charity can already be seen throughout campus, as the candlelight vigil organized around the flagpole next to Hinderaker Hall occurred on April 30. While not only a nice sentiment to send our thoughts to those in Nepal, the event also had a donation box to help continue the rescue efforts. The efforts cannot end here though, as it falls upon the rest of us to do our own parts in helping the Nepalese people. Individual student orgs and clubs already have a leg up in this regard, as they already have an infrastructure with which to fundraise and collect donations. Use these groups to spread the word, making sure that as many people as possible are kept up to date about the ongoing need for assistance. Additionally, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into apathy if the news coverage of Nepal stops flowing into our newsfeeds. Recent studies have shown that the amount of domestic media coverage can be linked to the amount of aid supplied abroad. Just
JANINE YBANEZ / HIGHLANDER
because American media sources may choose to focus elsewhere in the world to keep their viewers interested, the efforts to recover in wake of the earthquake will continue. Another way to aid Nepal could even be tied into seeing how well-prepared we actually are for a high-magnitude earthquake in California. Along with the other classes offered at the Student Recreation Center (SRC), a new class dedicated to showing students how to handle themselves during, and in the aftermath of, a massive earthquake could only benefit us. Moreover, while this class should be free to promote more participation, encouraging students to donate to the Nepalese relief effort at the beginning of each class could make it so that charity comes to the aid of ourselves and others as well. To this point, we must ask ourselves how well-prepared we really are to contend with an earthquake of the same magnitude that affected Nepal. There is no doubt that California as a more developed region than Nepal is more structurally prepared, and it appears that this is responsible for many of the casualties that the country suffered. Californians already have an advantage in staying safe in the impending San Andreas earthquake, so all that remains is to ready the people who live here in the same way that the buildings are. UCR professor David Oglesby recently stated in an interview with CBS News 3 that, “While it’s true our building standards are such that we wouldn’t expect the same degree of devastation, an earthquake that size is something to be reckoned with no matter where you live or how advanced your building techniques are.” Considering Professor Oglesby’s statement, we need to begin wondering how prepared we are should an actual earthquake of the magnitude that hit Nepal hit California as well. For those of us who live in the dorms and the apartments around campus, how well do we know the procedures of evacuation without our RA’s right there walking us through them?
Aside from student participation, it would also behoove the school to better prepare these structures in the event of a large natural disaster of any sort. Every fall, students have been made to run through the earthquake safety drills where the professor informs the class of seismic safety procedures. Some professors instead tell their classes that the content they are covering is more important than the drill, and continue on with the lecture. To combat this, UCR should implement a series of drills that occur throughout the year, employing the fire marshall to visit random classrooms throughout the drill’s duration. Doing this would not only increase students’ awareness of earthquake safety protocol, but also keep professors from overlooking the potentially life-saving exercise. Outside of the influence of the school, the Highlander urges students to be aware of the threat that living next to a fault line represents, and be aware of the steps you can take to prepare for in the event of an earthquake and in its wake. Keep an emergency kit in your home, know the safest places to stay during the quake itself and organize a domestic evacuation plan with your family and friends. We would also like to encourage students to continue aid for Nepal. As the news cycle may soon leave them behind in favor of the next big story, we hope your thoughts and assistance will not. To further help the people of Nepal, you may donate to UNICEF (http://www.unicef.org/) and Global Giving (http://www.globalgiving. org/), both of whom have proven that they are accountable and transparent with the use of their monies, and both of whom can give the largest margin of aid possible to the cause of Nepalese relief. ■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
HIGHLANDER WRITE-OFF:
Save the towels or stop the towels? Away with the free towels, bring your own
JESSICA BAKER Staff Writer
A severe unwilling exodus has been occurring out of the Student Recreation Center (SRC) these past couple of months. It is as severe as the dwindling population of whales that it necessitates a hashtag, appropriately named “#Savethetowels.” Join your potentially sweaty hands together, students of UCR — for a coming inconvenience will rule over us if the towel-snatching does not cease. It will require sacrifices of our own leisure and ease, but with it we will gain a new responsibility that will make all towels everywhere smile. What I call for is for the SRC to implement a new towel policy for the sake of the towels: to adopt a system that prevents students from stealing by bringing their own. And, from the sweat of our brows, we can accomplish this. The situation is dire, as the Highlander reported: “over 150 towels are (being) stolen … each week.” Currently, the SRC has adopted a campaign to warn students of the incoming extinction of the free towels. The SRC has even had to cut towels apart to provide more, separating towel families. While their efforts to continue providing a free service to students is admirable in these dark times, their efforts may go in vain if students do not take up the responsibility — to not take the towels from their natural habitat of the SRC. If more towels are taken, the SRC should stop giving away free towels and enforce a “bring your own towel” campaign, which may annoy some students, but would stop the need to purchase more towels. While being forced to bring one’s own towel may seem to be a burden, students should keep in mind the conditions of the free towels they receive. These free towels are used on a daily basis and need to be washed and dried every week, causing them to rapidly go down in quality from their pristine and puppy-soft selves. Everyone has seen the life cycle of a towel. My young neighbor learned this life lesson when her deeply loved periwinkle towel (named Commodore Periwinkle for giggles) went from being fluffy as a cloud to as frayed and discolored as the Grim Reaper’s cloak itself. These free towels are going to become far from any comparison to puppies, all due to overuse. If students bring their own towels, they can be guaranteed that their towels’ qualities are above par, since they are the only ones using it. Imagine this: you want to wipe off, so you head toward the towel bin, yet a sudden doubt strikes you. Since these towels are for the public, you can’t help but wonder if someone just grabbed one, wiped themselves off, then easily placed them back with the clean ones. Bringing one’s own towel can stop such doubt. The proposal to bring one’s own towel does have an issue. As students, we have ever-changing schedules week by week and may stay on campus many hours at a time. Toting a smelly towel of one’s own sweat is a cumbersome activity that many do not want to take up (unless one wanted to mark their scent on their possessions). For the SRC to still offer a service to students, the facility can offer to wash towels, which can be picked up at a later time. Currently, there are services to wash bathing suits, so the SRC could expand the usage of these machines. Students need to start returning towels if they wish to still have the same ease with their workout routine by not having to bring their own towels. The SRC may be taking a light tone on the constant thefts with their humorous campaign, but the facility may start cracking down on towel theft or provide none at all. Hopefully, there will not be an emergence of SRC Towel Police. ■H
SRC towel program needs refinement, not removal ROBERT LEES Staff Writer
Whenever anything is complimentary, there will always be some bad apples who abuse their privileges. I remember the signs posted around the Lothian dining halls almost four years ago, asking students to not take coffee cups home with them. Whenever I go to Costco, I and assuredly many other patrons abuse the unspoken “one free sample rule.” The newest UCR instance of a “tragedy of the commons” is the new Student Recreation Center (SRC), which has so far lost thousands of towels since it opened in October 2014. With losses reported at around 150 per week, the SRC staff has posted signs all around the gym, begging patrons to not take the towels. However, more must be done to keep the towel service sustainable at the SRC. The need for towels in any gym environment is obvious. Nothing kills my motivation to go to the gym like sitting on a weight bench in a puddle of sweat left by the last user. There is even a more nefarious downside to wet gym equipment, as bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments. Nasty bacteria, including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and E. coli can be transmitted through dirty gym equipment, as well as the fungi that cause athlete’s foot. Getting an infection is the last thing anyone needs in the pursuit of better fitness, and a total discontinuation of the towel program will likely lead to an increase in unwiped gym equipment. However, the current model is not sustainable, and I am sure many of us would be disappointed to see a loss of towel service at the new SRC. The ability to have clean, fresh towels likely incentivizes a visit to the gym for people who either don’t want to launder their own towels, and makes it much more sanitary than it would be if there was a “bring your own towel system.” Thus, I propose that the gym should keep its complimentary towel service with the inclusion of a checkout system. When you want a towel, you simply present your ID card to the gym staff. In exchange, they give you a towel. If you do not check out a towel or bring your own, then you cannot use the gym. Upon returning the towel, you get your ID back. A system similar to this is used for renting fitness equipment at the SRC already, as well as at Latitude 55 and in our libraries (for game equipment and markers, respectively). The operating costs would be minimal, as all you conceivably need are a few binders with alphabetical tabs and a staff that knows how to read and hand towels across a counter. In cases where a student loses a towel or irrevocably damages one, the student should then have to pay for the cost of a towel, at which point they would have their ID returned. If the student is unable to pay at the time, the charge should simply be levied onto their Growl account. For instances wherein other gym equipment is rented along with towels, towels should be handed out at the equipment rental desk. Now, this all seems like a lot of fuss over a dry issue, but the recent towel thefts at the gym have almost certainly showed that a certain demographic of the gym clientele cannot resist the allure of free towels, and all of us non-towel thieves have to suffer the consequences. That is why, as annoying as a checkout system may be, it is necessary if we still want to enjoy the full range of benefits the new SRC has to offer. If the towels are phased out entirely, that would serve to only limit the amount of people who actually go to the gym, undermining its purpose as a place to promote student health and fitness. Though these recent events have proved quite difficult for the SRC staff and student gym users, it is still too soon to throw in the towel. ■H
Correction: In the April 28 article entitled, “Editorial: Highlander Endorsements,” the Highlander incorrectly referred to CALPIRG as a whole as not student-run. CALPIRG is primarily governed by a student-run governing board. The Highlander regrets the error. CALPIRG also defines itself as a “public interest group.”
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
11
Opinion Poll What did you like most about Spring Splash?
Cayla Baluyot Pre-Business Second-year
Chris Juseekul Neuroscience Fourth-year
Rico Lomarda Biochemistry First-year
“How everyone gathers around and just has fun together.”
“The environement. Everyone is here for a fun time and to let loose.”
“They give out a lot of free stuff and the music is great. They always have big names coming in.”
C ompiled
Roilea Maxson Biology First-year “People-watching.”
by
J aspery G oh
Larry Tow Business Third-year
Shauna Sikand Computer Science First-year “Listening to music. It’s nice that it’s free; you can just come and hang out.”
“Short shorts.”
► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH
Keep it about human rights AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer
Any interview is nerve-wracking, especially when interviewing for a position in student government. It seemed to be going well for Rachel Beyda, a second-year economics major at UCLA, who was applying for a position in the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC), the main governing body of the campus. Then this question was asked by Fabienne Roth, a general representative of USAC: “Given that you’re a Jewish student and very active in the Jewish community, how do you see yourself being able to maintain an unbiased view?” USAC rejected her selection after she spoke about her involvement with certain Jewish organizations. Immediately afterward, however, the decision was unanimously overturned after further discussion decided that being part of Jewish organizations was not a conflict of interest in joining student government. This isn’t an isolated incident either, as Molly Horwitz, a Stanford student, was allegedly refused an endorsement from the Students of Color Coalition, after they asked her, “Given your Jewish identity, how would you vote on divestment?” The way these statements were phrased displays the problematic rhetoric used in discussion of
controversial political issues; specifically the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel. Instead of asking a question regarding her stance on divestment, the question debated Beyda’s ethnic heritage. This is a large problem, which stems from both the supporters and the detractors of the BDS Movement, where Jewish culture is not treated separately from Zionism or the actions of the Israeli government. To assume a member from an ethnic community will have certain cultural biases is ignorant; to deny them a position in an organization for that reason is discriminatory. If Roth asked Beyda if her role in Hillel at UCLA, who has openly opposed divestment, would have affected her bias, then the question would have been valid. Instead it directly questioned her cultural identity by singling her out as a “Jewish” student and her involvement in the “Jewish community,” which immediately implies that everyone in the community inherently opposes BDS and therefore supports alleged human rights abuses. Roth’s question does not even reference divestment at all, yet heavily implies it. The lead, which states, “Given that you’re a Jewish student,” immediately implies that Jewish people are incapable of maintaining unbiased opinions, and therefore unable to accurately represent a student body.
Additionally the way that both questions were phrased brings a larger problem into the discussion of BDS, as it incorrectly identifies it as a Jewish issue. By bringing culture into the discussion, it hurts the movement by moving away from the promotion of human rights, into an implication that Jewish culture is inherently sympathetic to the human rights abuses that have occurred during the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Horwitz’s account is currently undergoing an investigation. The Stanford Daily published an oped entitled “Abusing the term anti-Semitism,” alleging that the question is perfectly valid. While the piece makes salient points about the incident, the author still navigates around the fact that the question implies that Horwitz’s Jewish identity is inherently opposed to divestment. Had the coalition rejected Horwitz for her stance on divestment, it may have been valid; however, they should have left culture completely out of the issue. A person’s cultural background should not affect any student government’s decision in deciding their membership, nor should it influence their line of questioning. BDS is a very controversial and contentious movement across academia, especially as it deals with human rights issues. When dealing with controversial topics, it is important to not single out an
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Assuming that being Jewish is equivalent to bias hurts the BDS Movement.
entire community based on their cultural identity, especially since it presupposes that their identity influences how they value human life. Many detractors of BDS immediately identify the movement as anti-Semitic, and if the rhetoric used directly accuses Jewish culture as responsible for the human rights abuses, then it hurts the cause’s integrity. This line of thought that BDS is inherently opposed to Jewish ideals and values is incorrect, as Jewish scholars such as Noam Chomsky have been critical of Israel. David Lloyd, a UCR English
professor, intelligently stated, “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.” This thinking should permeate all lines of academia and discussions regarding the movement, as it identifies not against Jewish culture, but targeted toward corporations and the Israeli government. To imply that a government is entirely representative of an entire group of people across the world is not only ignorant but dangerous. ■H
We must respect our right to freedom of speech RICKY ST. CLAIRE Contributing Writer
Anton Shirokov posted an anonymous threat on the social app Yik Yak in the late night hours of April 26; concerned students reported it to the police, and he turned himself in a few hours later. Shirokov claims the post was a joke; an investigation of his apartment turned up nothing but brass knuckles, which are illegal in California, and he was booked and later released on a $20,000 bail. Many students were scared, and some didn’t go to school at all on the 27th, but otherwise nobody was harmed. This is not the first time Yik Yak has been involved in universi-
ty threats. Back in November, the Huffington Post reported that at least 11 students across the country had been arrested for posting threats on the social app during the Fall 2014 term. Nor was this the first time social media in general has provided a platform for statements in bad taste: The Supreme Court is currently deciding, in Elonis v. United States, whether a man’s violent posts on Facebook were threats toward his ex-wife or merely rap lyrics (thus protected by the First Amendment). In this age of the Internet, where anybody can post anything they want at any time under the supposed cloak of anonymity, the liberties of the First Amendment are being tested like never before.
At the same time, the Department of Justice and other federal law enforcement agencies are expending a great amount of resources to stop violent crimes before they happen, and so the restrictions that have been placed upon the First Amendment are also being tested. What will happen to rap music if the Supreme Court decides that Elonis’ lyrics are threatening enough to be denied First Amendment protections? The music itself may not be affected, but what about the fans quoting lyrics on Twitter, and their friends don’t realize the words are from a rap song? In the world we live in today, we must exercise our freedom of speech responsibly. It would seem that should go with-
out saying, but sometimes it still needs to be said. The things you say and write have an effect on those who hear or read it, and on anyone who comes later saying similar things. For almost a year we have watched protests against police brutality, institutional racism and the deaths of civilians by cops; the First Amendment protects those nonviolent protests. On April 29, 140 protesters were arrested during a demonstration in New York City, because, according to Police Commissioner William Bratton, they “stepped over the line we had.” Who decides that line? When an activist, in a moment of passion, makes a threat against others, is that illegal? According
to the Supreme Court in Virginia v. Black, a case about crossburning, the answer is yes: “The speaker need not actually intend to carry out the threat.” Legally, a broad definition like that can apply to pretty much any violent speech. This is why we need to be responsible with the words we say. Joking about shooting up a school is irresponsible. Writing rap lyrics on Facebook about killing everyone around you is irresponsible. It’s wrong not just because it may be in bad taste, or it needlessly scares everyone, but also because it can set legal precedents that restrict our freedom of speech and freedom of ■H protest.
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
COLUMN
BY COLIN MARKOVICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On living below the line Previously, I wrote about why I would be living below the line. I explained my rationale behind doing so, and why I thought it was important. For five days, I actually tried to live below $1.50 a day. How was it? From beginning to end, it was a humbling experience. Here’s what happened. Monday: Day 1 Today was shopping day. The challenge allows you to spend all $7.50 at once, so long as you don’t eat more than $1.50 of it in any given day. So I went to Stater Bros. in an effort to find out how far my money would go. Turns out, not far. At first, I was struck by simply how many options there were. So many things were below $7.50, and I could buy any of them. But then they started vanishing before my eyes. You want to buy a carton of eggs? Then say goodbye to your carton of milk. How about an apple? You’ll have to trade chicken for something cheaper. There are many individual options. But once you start trying to combine them, your multiplicity of options dwindles from nearly everything in the store to just a handful. And once you start thinking about needing to eat a fairly balanced diet and which foods give you the most calories per dollar, it becomes more compli-
cated than a James Bond villain’s next dastardly plot. I always considered myself frugal, looking for items on sale and eating cheaply. But when cereal and milk became too expensive, I decided I had to go even more basic. So I went as basic as I could go. I bought all the fixings to make myself a sandwich: wheat bread for $1.88, and a package of bologna on sale for $0.99. In an effort to make it somewhat more edible, I splurged and purchased a head of lettuce for $1.69. I balanced that with a sixpack of cup of noodles for $1.69 (for emergencies if I didn’t have time to cook). And with my remaining funds, I was able to treat myself to two bananas at $0.69 per pound. The end result of all that was $6.78, $0.72 under my budget. Over the course of a few weeks, I’d be able to save up enough to buy myself something nice — chicken instead of bologna, or a box of cookies if I was lucky. Tuesday: Day 2 I woke up hungry. The previous day, I was afraid I’d eat too much of my food too soon, and restrained myself to only one package of cup of noodles around 4 p.m. As I walked to campus, I kept telling myself that I’d
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
Bologna sandwiches for five days straight. Fun.
wait until the same time today before eating something, anything. I lost. As I walked to campus, I noticed my pace starting to ebb, and my legs began to feel numb. When I finally sat down, I decided I needed to eat now. So there went the first bologna sandwich. I would need to pace myself much better from now on — starving yourself saves money in the short run, but not if you keel over in the 90-degree weather and get slammed in the hospital. All things considered, I’m actually very lucky that I didn’t actually collapse. The other thing I realized was that my path isn’t exactly applicable to everyone. I have a small frame and write for a living. I would probably be crushed underneath a medium-size box. But for someone else who lifts crates or digs trenches every day, they’re expending more energy and need more calories to make up for it, and would probably need to eat more frequently than I have been to make up for it. For them, that $1.50 a day is going to be a lot harder. Wednesday: Day 3 It’s much harder to focus in class when you haven’t eaten. I tried to pay attention to the chemical reactions of nitrogen oxides with ozone, I really did. But I don’t think I quite
got it over the gurgling my stomach made as it waited for its next meal. I had another bologna sandwich earlier in the day. I was getting tired of bologna sandwiches, but I didn’t really have a choice. Anything else would have been too expensive. There’s a certain level of honor that people have, or a certain line they won’t cross. For many, one of them includes asking for food. I crossed that line today. I asked someone for food they had brought to the office, and it was just a pastry, but I wolfed it down as if it was mana from the garden of the gods. I felt dirty afterward. Don’t get me wrong — I’m fortunate for the opportunity. But the experience was humiliating. It’s disheartening to know that you don’t have the power to be able to feed yourself. That instead, you have to rely on the kindness and generosity of others just to keep your husk of a body moving. Thursday: Day 4 Today I discovered the joys of free food. I ate a cup of noodles for breakfast at around 9 a.m., but skipped meals the rest of the day. So when I went to an event and found out there was free food there, my heart skipped a beat. I ate as if it was Thanksgiving. All the tortilla chips were mine to
behold. I felt full for the first time that week. And then I felt guilt. There were probably people there who needed the food more than me, with my self-imposed challenge that I could break from at any time I wanted. Others weren’t so lucky. I shrunk away to the corner of the room and tossed my plate away. Friday: Day 5 Today was the last day of the challenge, which I opened up by eating another bologna sandwich. I gained a new appreciation for those who live their lives below the minimum wage and in extreme poverty. It’s difficult to go from day to day worrying about whether you have enough food for the rest of the week, not to mention being healthy enough in the first place. I still have a few slices of bologna and a couple of cups of noodles. I thought about buying lunch at Latitude later to celebrate my victory. But I decided I’d be able to manage with what I had for the next few days. If you have the willingness to experience what it’s like to live below the line, I’d encourage you to do the same. The light at the end of the tunnel was near. For so many people and students, though, that’s not the case — there’s no end in sight for many of those living in extreme poverty. ■H
COMIC
WHY DON’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? DANNI WEI / 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.
ONLINE: “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE” REVIEW, “ACTIONS” REVIEW
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
EVENTS THIS WEEK 5/5
Indigenous Choreographers at Riverside Project, 3:30 p.m. @ Culver Center of the Arts
5/7
Arts Walk, 6 p.m. @ Riverside Metropolitan Museum
5/7
“Mrs. Packard,” a play by Emily Mann, 8 p.m. @ ARTS 113
5/8
“Seussical the Musical,” 7 p.m. @ Ramona High School Theater TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER
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TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
RIDING THE WAVE AT SPRING SPLASH NATHAN SWIFT, CHRISTAL MIMS, JAKE RICH AND CODY NGUYEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITERS PHOTOS BY CAMERON YONG & TIM BACA
DJ MUSTARD The king of “Turn Up” music graces UCR with his presence
I think it’s safe to say that Dijon McFarlane, better known as DJ Mustard, is the king of “turn up” music. If you’ve gone to a party recently there’s no way you haven’t heard “Mustard on the beat, ho!” at the beginning of almost every song played. DJ Mustard treated Spring Splash attendees with high energy and a slew of party hits. Stationed above a large projector, DJ Mustard greeted the crowd and immediately began playing several of the popular songs he’s produced, such as Kid Ink’s “Show Me” and “Rack City” by Tyga. There wasn’t a single person in the crowd who wasn’t dancing to the music and several people held their phones in the air to snag pictures of DJ Mustard in action. Concert-goers threw inflatable balls into the air as he continued his set with songs like “Who Do You Love” by YG and Jeremih’s “Don’t Tell Em.” When he played “We Dem Boyz” by Wiz Khalifa, I noticed some people in the crowd groan with disappointment as it once again dawned on them that Khalifa skipped out on Spring Splash for a “Saturday Night Live” gig. Nevertheless, spirits were high as the sun beamed on those working up a sweat during the Los Angeles native’s performance. A few even took it upon themselves to cool everyone off by grabbing bottles and splashing water into the crowd. DJ Mustard asked everyone to throw their hands in the air as he continued to play hip-hop favorites like “R.I.P.” by Young Jeezy and “I’m Different” by 2 Chainz. The projector he was elevated above displayed alternating images of everything from stacks of money on fire to music videos of the tracks he played. Despite the unbearable heat, the crowd never lost its energy, dancing and screaming until DJ Mustard left the stage.
Students look to Spring Splash as the action hero to save them from the monster right around the corner (that being midterms). So it’s only fitting for UCR to receive its annual hidden stashes of weed, free heart-attack inducing Rockstar drinks, fried potato wedges on a stick and petting zoo for students to enjoy. Even with Flosstradamus H replacing Wiz Khalifa at the very last second, this year’s monster lineup delivered. ■
FLOSSTRADAMUS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
PUSHA T keeps the party pushin’ with an exciting set Donned in a white T-shirt and jeans, Pusha T induced an ecstatic frenzy among Spring Splash concertgoers as he took the stage. Before he even began performing, the crowd was jumping up and down and screaming the rapper’s name. Everyone shouted “I got diamonds on my blocka” during Pusha T’s popular track, “Blocka” while he rapped and walked around the stage. He told everyone to put their hands up as he performed his Rick Ross-assisted hit “Millions,” and seeing as he’s signed to Kanye West’s record label GOOD Music, he made sure to perform tracks he’d collaborated with Yeezus on, including “Mercy” and “Don’t Like.” The crowd only grew as Pusha T continued his set and several people decided to remain on the outskirts of the stage rather than risk being trampled. “If you appreciate real hip-hop make some noise,” Pusha T said before performing “Pain” as well as a track that originally featured Tyler the Creator, entitled, “Trouble on My Mind.” Pusha T’s style and demeanor, along with his music, was a great mixture of both old and new school hip-hop. He managed to blend traditional hip-hop beats with this generation’s fondness of both rapped and sung vocals. The crowd’s enthusiasm during his performance only further proved that this was a winning combination. Pusha T interrupted the music to ask the audience if anyone was going to tune in to the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. He announced his support for Mayweather before hopping back into the music and journeying close to the people near the front of the stage. The undeniable scent of marijuana wafted through the air as Pusha T finished up his set with “Grindin,’” the 2002 hit that put his hip-hop duo Clipse on the map. Pusha T thanked the crowd for coming out and while he made his way off the stage, a few people chanted his name to see if he’d reappear but to our dismay he was done for the day.
transforms Watkins lawn into scene of debauchery After the originally planned headliner Wiz Khalifa eschewed the Highlander crowd for a “Saturday Night Live” appearance, Chicagobased trap duo Flosstradamus was set to perform the closing act in Khalifa’s stead. Moments after the gargantuan DJ platform that consisted of a giant screen and elevated DJ table was wheeled onto center stage, Flosstradamus quickly made their appearance known with an ominous, eerie and somewhat orchestral piece that quickly transitioned into a baritone male vocal sample that simply uttered one word in a staccato, syllable-by-syllable delivery: “Flosstradamus.” The duo truly began their set with an a capella of their new hit single “Prison Riot” which led into the high-energy trap and big
room hybrid drop of “MFU”: Middle Fingers Up. Just one song later, Flosstradamus unleashed a weapon with another hit single, “Mosh Pit.” “Then hit the club and turn the crowd to a mosh pit” were uttered in an aggressive, commanding tone by rapper Casino on the track and Josh Young on the stage, as various portions of the crowd began to open up at an ever-so-slight pace until there was an array of giant open circles on the floor in eager anticipation of the drop. One more utterance of the phrase led into the completely unexpected drop of GTA’s “Hard House,” which sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy. The open circles in the crowd quickly turned into full-on mosh pits that housed the fervor and energy of an early-2000s Slipknot concert.
The energy was still high through the middle of Flosstradamus’ set, as they continued to play popular selections of their own making, such as “Pillz,” the Valentino Khan remix of “TTU (Too Turnt Up),” “Soundclash,” “Drop Top” and “CROWD CTRL” — the latter of which was mashed up with rapper Lil Jon’s “Put Yo Hood Up.” A sea of hands held up the letter W, representative of the west side. One also can’t forget the moment Flosstradamus played their remix of “Original Don,” the track that thrust the duo into prominence. With the crowd energy tapering off a bit toward the end of their set, presumably because of fatigue resulting from 45 minutes of nonstop high-energy tunes, Floss quickly woke the crowd back up with another a capella of “Mosh
Pit.” Mayhem ensued when it led into the drop of “Prison Riot,” a tune that could have anyone feeling like they could run through a brick wall. The mosh pits flared up with what seemed to be a much higher magnitude of intensity than the first. In fact, one of my shoes got lost in the conundrum and I had to fight through what seemed like hundreds of rabid moshers to attain my lost piece of footwear. After dropping “Prison Riot” one more time, Flosstradamus exited stage left, as did the crowd of battered and bruised students. Reminiscing on their set, it was quite clear that the UCR crowd was in resounding agreement with Flosstradamus’ call to action according to that trademark, baritone male vocal sample: “Turn the fuck up.”
MS MR douses Highlanders with enthusiasm, fun As the brutal UV rays shone down across campus, students and guests alike nonetheless descended on the scorching hot campus of UC Riverside for the annual springtime festival Spring Splash. After the opening performance of DJ Mustard, MS MR — the duo of Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow, along with their live band — took the stage and filled the spot of indie band that was noticeably absent at last year’s festival. Though the crowd was not entirely suited for their type of music, MS MR gave Highlanders enough of a show to satisfy the absence of diversity in artists from last year. After much of DJ Mustard’s large crowd dissipated after his performance, those remaining patiently waited under the blazing skies. Though I
understand concerts involve lots of people getting sweaty and being too close together — it’s something I love about them when it’s done right — the UCR crowd in particular seemed to not have a great sense of spatial awareness, and unfortunately didn’t seem to care about the show going on too much. It’s certainly not to say everyone, or even the majority, was like this, but there were enough people for it to be noticeable. As MS MR took the stage, Plapinger, with her bright orange hair and blue jumpsuit, stood backward as the rest of the band began an instrumental buildup. While eventually turning around and dancing around to the opening track, things really got started with the second song, “Fantasy.” Over pul-
sating bass-synths, Plapinger eagerly jumped and danced around the stage to the dance-friendly track. Other highlights included the clap-along “Salty Sweet” and the menacing but energetic “Think of You,” before which Hershenow told everyone to think of an ex-lover, and to unleash all your bad thoughts as you sang along. New material from their upcoming album “Painted,” particularly the lead single and title track, threw a bit of life into the crowd as they sometimes hesitantly danced along to the occasionally darkly-tinged synth pop from the band. Though the music sometimes could fall into a small rut of being a little slow, the energy of the band, particularly Plapinger and Hershenow, kept
everything afloat at the water-titled event lacking any water-related activities. Plapinger’s offhanded comments about the crowd being “turnt,” general candidness (she doused herself with a water bottle halfway through the performance) and overall vibe was that of radiant positivity. She was certainly one of the most smiley performers I’d ever seen as well, and if nothing else was doing it, her infectious smile told you to be happy. As the band began their last song, the wellknown “Hurricane,” it was apparent that the band was fully genuine in their enthusiasm, as Plapinger came out and encouraged the crowd to sing along. In a spring without a splash, MS MR brought a hurricane of fun.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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People Under the Stairs bid the Barn farewell Robert Lees, Staff Writer + Photos by Tim Baca
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he Barn, which has hosted countless performers in its years at UCR, is being closed for renovations. Aside from the next Comedy Apocalypse on May 13, the Barn will not be hosting any more events for an indeterminate amount of time, and only time will tell how much will have changed when the doors reopen. The Barn is iconic, as many students and faculty have spent hours there, eating or seeing whatever musical act or performance the week has to offer. It’s recognizable to non-UCR students as well, as anyone who has seen the music video for Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” will undoubtedly recognize its wooden hypostyle columns and snaky lettering behind the stage. One of my first memories of the Barn is from my first year at UCR, when I stood in line waiting to buy tickets to see People Under the Stairs. The tickets were sold out, I was still unadjusted to my new life in a new city, and some 20-something was loudly complaining about the Barn’s lack of alcohol, hoping someone would sell him a ticket. On Wednesday, People Under the Stairs returned to the Barn to give it a show that would serve as a proper sendoff. I had a ticket this time, and I’m glad I was able to witness what may very well be the last Barn show I’ll ever see as a UCR student. The night kicked off with little pomp and circumstance, as there was only a modest crowd of about 20 when the opening act, Open Mike Eagle, came to the stage. As a sort of pre-show ritual, he held out a plastic gold and rhinestone crown for the crowd to touch, which was then placed somewhere out of sight. Open Mike Eagle favored a very minimalist approach to hip-hop, wearing a modest outfit and carrying out all the DJing and rapping activities himself. His lyrics were dark and brooding at times, as he rapped about ISIS, Boko Haram and violence. Shying away from typical lyrics that glorify excess and materialism that is almost endemic to mainstream rap, Open Mike Eagle had a modest, thoughtful persona, and jokingly interacted with the audience about his life and equipment malfunctions between songs. One highlight of his performance was his socalled “The Advice Show,” where he asked the audience if anyone had any problems they needed help with. “I’m really good at giving advice, who has a problem?” “I smoke way too much weed!” someone from the back of the audience quipped. “My advice is to not smoke too much weed,” was Open Mike Eagle’s sage wisdom. As he performed, the few stragglers who remained on the patio began to file in; drawn to the stage it seemed, by the sheer force of Open Mike Eagle’s lyrical will. The crowd continued to grow as
Open Mike Eagle completed his set and started working the merchandise table, as Double K and Thes One of People Under the Stairs began finishing their equipment set-up. At the point that People Under the Stairs began their set, the event switched from a typical Barn show to what will henceforth be known as “Aldo’s Party.” Now, People Under the Stairs is known for being irreverent and eccentric, with lyrics that mostly cover having fun, video games, drinking and smoking. The only social critique was when Double K off handedly remarked “Fuck Baltimore” before their first song. The crowd at this size was about the size of a modest house party, with about 50 or so people pressed up against the stage. One student, Aldo, was at the front and center of the crowd, filming with his cell phone. After a brief bit of frank dialogue between Thes One and Aldo, during which it was ascertained that this was Aldo’s first hip-hop show, Thes One promised to make it a good one. Before almost every song, they would ask how Aldo was doing, ask what he thought about the music and during their two freestyle pieces, managed to mention both him, UCR and the Barn several times. “This isn’t a Barn show, this is Aldo’s party! All of you are fucking lucky to even be here!” Thes remarked midway through their set. At one point, Thes threw Aldo his jacket. The Barn crowd was of modest proportions, with Double K and Thes One keeping the energy at a huge level and almost everyone in the audience waving their hands and jumping with amazing energy. Double K and Thes One took turns talking with other members of the crowd, occasionally grabbing their cell phones for the length of a
song or taking selfies. “I took your phone and didn’t even call your momma,” Double K told one student. “You’re not supposed to be here, you’re supposed to be at home doin’ the dishes.” “Are you going to upload this to YouTube?” Thes One asked another audience member. Aside from performing several of their hit songs, the two also had witty banter between them, and took a few moments to perform a spot-on rendition of ACDC’s “Back in Black,” complete with an Angus Young impression from Thes One. For the last performance, which was of the duo’s popular track “San Francisco Knights,” the lights in the Barn were shut off, the stage illuminated by several cell phones and a smattering of lighters. Everyone sang along, and the band brought the room’s energy to a fervent climax, the voices of the room at the same level of the two performers. Though the
lights did come back on to show the patrons to the door at the end of the set, it served as a perfect ending to the show and this chapter of the Barn’s history. Though it may be some time until the lights in the Barn come on again, it will undoubtedly burn bright in the thoughts of those lucky enough to have attended this show, or any Barn show, for the years to come. ■H
Top to bottom: Thes One pulls down his cap between verses. He said that he had his “P hat” and that the night was all about having a good time; The front row of the crowd claps and waves their hands to the rhythm of the music; Double K (left) and Thes One (right) make up the hip-hop duo People Under the Stairs. They do their own writing, DJing, sampling and producing; Double K spits a verse while Thes One waves his arms, points his fingers and cheers him along.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
MUSIC REVIEW BLUR: “THE MAGIC WHIP” // RATING: ★★★★☆ KELLY DUARTE Contributing Writer
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amon Albarn has become the type of musician to tackle many projects in his career. From the mix of hip-hop, electronic and alternative group Gorillaz to his solo album “Everyday Robots,” each project he works on is an experiment, a workspace to try new sounds and ideas. “The Magic Whip,” the first album to be released by Blur in over a decade, has a mix of Albarn’s experimental sounds as well as some of the elements that have made Blur iconic: British pop-rock with Albarn’s slightly nasally vocals on top. The majority of this album is said to be created over the course of five days in Hong Kong and has large inspiration drawn from the city itself. All of these elements added together create a mishmash of songs that are very good on their own, but are so drastically different from each other that it becomes a hodgepodge of sound when placed on the same album. If you’re looking for that “original” Blur sound, there are a couple of tracks that can fill that need. The first track is “Lonesome Street,” which kicks off the album with an upbeat, rock song that is pure fun. “Go Out” is also a blast to listen to, even though it’s considerably slower. But these fun, electric guitar-driven, fast-tem-
po pieces are rare in this album. The rest of the tracks do not carry this same instrumentation and tempo, the majority of them being slow. These Radioheadesque songs can be downright beautiful, like “Thought I Was A Spaceman,” which starts off with only Albarn’s voice and an acoustic guitar and ends with an array of instruments, ranging from electronic to string. It’s obvious that much of this album is inspired by Albarn’s solo work and even some from the work he has done with Gorillaz, but at the same time the album has its own identity. The issue with this album is that it’s constantly trying to remind the listener that this is Blur, the same band that wrote hits such as “Song 2” and “She’s So High” that millions fell in love with, but at the same time is trying to experiment with new sounds. “The Magic Whip” has a unique sound, but it needs to decide between the “old” Blur sound and this new experimental one. But choosing isn’t necessary — it can be both without sounding like a mess. For the most part the mix works, but with some tracks, it feels too cluttered, too unnecessary. One of the tracks is “I Broadcast,” where there is offkey electronic beeping, which distracts from the main track. Other times, Blur’s tracks become downright odd. At one point there is a track “Ice Cream Man,” which is jarring
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because it tries to meld an upbeat, bubbly beat with a melancholic Albarn and slow guitar. Even in an experimental album such as this, it doesn’t belong anywhere. It’s as if Blur tried to experiment with as many forms as possible, but sometimes it
just doesn’t pan out. Despite the fact that many of these songs carry gloomy messages and have slow tempos, the album never fails to lose its fun. If Radiohead’s “OK Computer,” Gorillaz and Albarn’s solo work is something you en-
joy, this album is highly recommended. The album has electronic, funk, alternative, rock and mixes all these well. For an album created in five days, “The Magic Whip” exceeds expectations and is a beautiful product. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
“Mrs. Packard” A singular story and its transformative heroine Stasean Washington, Staff Writer Photos by Vincent Ta
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n Thursday night students lined up outside the Arts Building to hear the tale of “Mrs. Packard.” Unfortunately, the opening performance had been scheduled at the same time as the MFA Dance Concert. But for those who weren’t steered away by the misplaced “sold out” sign on the ticketing booth that managed to cause a world of confusion, the night was an intense emotional rollercoaster. The story of Mrs. Packard is not wellknown, so those attending the show had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Whispers of the play being about an insane asylum filled the air as patrons awaited for doors to be opened. “Mrs. Packard” tells the tale of Mrs. Elizabeth Packard (Chelsea DeLeon), a woman cast into an insane asylum in Illinois by her Calvinist minister husband. Once in the asylum, Elizabeth witnesses the horrors that lie within its corridors and struggles to prove her sanity to Dr. Andrew Mcfarland (Ephraim Eshete), the head of the hospital. The story thus becomes a battle to protect one’s belief in the truth. The play spoke heavily about the position of women in the 1800s and their lack of rights. As the doors opened and the audience began to pile in, we were all greeted by a very minimalist set design. Jailbar doors hung in the air, a judge’s stand sat in the middle of the stage and several chairs for jurors sat on
both sides of the stage. Performers from previous productions huddled in support of their fellow thespians. Even Miles Anderson, director of UCR’s theatre production “Measure for Measure” stopped by to show his support. Chatter amongst the audience ceased when the actors took to the stage. Much like “Measure for Measure,” “Mrs. Packard” began with an intense song and dance routine to capture the audience’s attention. The night started with actors lining up in the vein of a church choir performing Christian hymns such as “Rock of Ages,” “Glory Hallelujah,” “Wounded for Me” and “Amazing Grace.” The repeating of each song started to confuse people as to whether they came to see a play or choir performance before the lights abruptly shut off. An apt intercom voice took to the speakers, warning audience members to turn off their electronics to avoid disturbing the “patients.” The night was full of on-andoff performances. Witnessing actors switch characters by simply tossing on a wardrobe piece and having late audience members walk through the play almost ruined the experience. However, the consistency of the main actors DeLeon and Eshete kept the play alive. DeLeon did a wonderful job of playing an upbeat, quirky and passionate individual who during this time period was considered too smart for her own good. Eshete had a history of de-
livering powerful performances with distinguished male characters who have an eerie perverseness about them. When either of the two were on stage, I was immediately brought back into the story. One of the cool things about the play is its genre. You can’t classify a play as horror, but the weird lullaby sound effects and creepy laughter played at the transitions of scenes gave the play a horror vibe. The play can’t physically change its location, so it is dependent upon the set design and side actors to create the atmosphere. With the help of both the prop managers and side characters, the set design went from being simple and minimalistic in the first half to looking as if it were the Southside of Chicago in the second. Actors Eli Reich, Dana Pierce and Mark Guillermo did a wonderful job of creating that hostile environment through their performances. The play included several intriguing concepts, one of which that caught my attention was the fact that characters not actively performing didn’t leave the stage. Most plays have actors walk in and out of scene through the backstage. Although this was off-putting at first, I quickly grew to accept the fact that this is how it was. Eventually, after contemplating why such a stylistic choice would be made, it began to make sense, as if the characters themselves were the jury being walked through the case of Packard v. Packard. The play did a brilliant job of using lighting and stage direction to indicate flashbacks, and transitions of setting within the story. After a while I came to love the fact that it was as if the lighting would activate characters. The story of Mrs. Elizabeth Packard is one that has rarely been told. But slight mishaps that were somewhat out of the cast and crew’s control weren’t enough to stop incredible performances from telling her story. Through great performances we truly understand both the horrors of insane asylums and the struggles of many women during the 1800s. ■H
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MOVIE REVIEW
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
COMING OUT SOON: HOT PURSUIT
PITCH PERFECT 2 TOMORROWLAND
SPY INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON // RATING: ★★★☆☆ NATHAN SWIFT Senior Staff Writer
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think there were very few people who had low expectations for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” As a comic book geek, I was pretty excited for this movie. There are a bunch of awesome superheroes, the expected great performances, top-notch special effects that only Disney can afford, Joss Whedon’s ear for irreverent humor and the general family-friendly tone that’s carried over from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Some of those qualities are both the film’s biggest strengths and weaknesses, and the end result is that yes, without a doubt this movie is fun — but the signs of franchise fatigue are definitely beginning to show. The nerdy, comic-bookloving side of me is in love with the geekier aspects of the plot. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” takes place a little while after “The Avengers” and the subsequent phase-two films in the MCU. It is learned that Hydra agents still possess Loki’s scepter, and the Avengers raid their headquarters to retrieve it. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo) science the shit out of the magical weapon and discover its potential for creating artificial intelligence, which Stark implements into his peacekeeping computer program, dubbed “Ultron.” When Ultron (James Spader) comes to be, he takes over several of Stark’s spare “Ultron” robots and begins plotting for humanity’s extinction, and it’s up to the Avengers to stop him. I find it so difficult to judge this movie based off its tone, because the title suggests the franchise takes a darker turn than the movie actually does. This movie is called “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” but it feels more like “Avengers: The Week of Ultron.” Why call it “Age of Ultron” if the era of Ultron never comes about? A great contrast to this is “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” (No, I’m not defending that movie.)
Even though the human characters kill the bad terminator, the machines still win in the end: Skynet achieves selfawareness, Earth is nuked and the stage is set for John Connor’s war against the machines. With that example, it’s kind of misleading for “Age of Ultron” to be named that if Ultron only lasts for a few days and only kills a handful of people (in comparison with Loki, who killed 70 people in two days in “The Avengers”). One can even look at the first poster for this movie: It looks like they’re literally drowning in an unending sea of Ultron bots. That poster speaks of an ‘age’ for Ultron, but in the actual movie, that imagery isn’t even close to replicated, and the direpoint of the huge showdown between the Avengers and Ultron’s entire army lasts about a minute or two. As usual, the writing is strong. From the comic book nerd perspective, I love the idea of Marvel’s shared movie universe. Director Joss Whedon’s trademark humor is here. Characters will say their witty and irreverent one-liners that’ll zip past your ears faster than a Nascar driver making a left turn in a race. But Disney needs to be careful — there’s also a lot of inside jokes and knowledge from both previous MCU films and comic book lore (two words: infinity gems), and if this isn’t handled well, it’ll definitely be a future problem. This might largely be based off of the fact that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed all future MCU films for the next three to five years. The problem with this business plan is that it turns each new movie into a stepping stone for the next, which results in some sloppy writing. For example, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fears bringing down Asgard, and temporarily leaves the team to investigate it, followed by a vacation back to Asgard to set up “Thor: Ragnarok.” Why does Thor need to be distracted from saving humanity from robot Hitler? Also, at the end of the film, the Hulk is stranded in a remote
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corner of the world, and Nick Fury’s response is literally the professional version of “meh, it’s no big deal”; this was only done because the Hulk won’t be appearing in “Captain America: Civil War.” By placing greater emphasis and importance on future MCU films, this movie loses too much tension and gravity that would otherwise be self-contained. On the brighter side of things, this is easily an exciting movie. There are superheroes fighting an army of evil
robots with perfect CGI — what more could one ask for? The soundtrack motifs from the first film is heard here, which is awesome. I’m also really happy that Hawkeye is really explored as a character here: The running joke with Hawkeye is that he’s the Aquaman of the Avengers, which means he’s useless, but not only does he accomplish a lot in this movie, we also dive into his background, which helps round out the film’s emotional center. I also just love the Vision as a character. Some of
the best lines are from him, and hands-down, the best scene in the entire movie involved the Vision. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is far from perfect. There are too many gaps in its tone and writing, and the old Marvel formula of movie-making is starting to show its grey hairs. But if you want to overlook my all-tooserious analysis and just take in the juicy, comic book goodness of an awesome and energetic MCU film, then “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is right for you. ■H
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ACA (left), a team from UCLA, won first place. A dancer from The G.O.O.D. Project (center) shows off her moves on center stage. UCR’s own 909 Hip Hop Dance Troupe (right) hosted the event and performed an exhibition piece to end the night.
Gotta Catch ‘Em Brawl By: Tiffany Liaw & Cody Nguyen, Senior Staff WriterS Photos By: Vincent Ta
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aturday, May 2 is most notably acknowledged as the day of Spring Splash and the too-anticipated “fight of the century” between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. However, at Riverside’s Fox Theatre, another battle of distinction was unraveling: The body-jolting bass that echoed and pounded through the sizable venue could only be that of the 15th annual Ultimate Brawl dance competition, hosted by 909 Hip Hop Dance Troupe, a UCR staple in the dance community since 1997. For this one night, the Fox Theatre took up a Pokemon theme to house over two dozen dance teams that gathered from
all over Southern California to share their passion for dance and get the chance to take home the over-five-foot-tall trophy. “Charm the judges!” read a poster with a Charmander drawing; “My body is regi,” read another. Pokemon pun posters decorated the entire backstage, as 909 never fails to keep the tradition of themed competitions going. For those in 909 and the dance community, Ultimate Brawl is a 15-year tradition that had its humble beginnings in the Student Recreation Center (SRC) at UCR. According to 909’s manager Victoria Nguyen, “Ultimate Brawl started as a multi-recreational competition that consisted of not just dancing, but sports competitions like basketball and
football because the dance community wasn’t big at the time.” In 2005, Ultimate Brawl evolved into a full-fledged, themed dance competition. To this day, Ultimate Brawl remains the cornerstone dance competition in the Inland Empire, serving as host to approximately 25 combined competitive and exhibitionist teams annually. As we hung out backstage and marveled at PAC Modern’s intricate Coachella-themed props and festival-esque costumes, Dominic Balino, public relations chair and third-year 909 team member, provided words of encouragement for teams moments away from taking the stage. “One, two, three … PAC Modern!” they chanted one last time
in unison before heading to the wings. In addition to the dance competition that Ultimate Brawl highlights, there were also a couple of vendors present such as Beniga and Crownthreads, which sold clothing and other merchandise. Teams were involved in a scavenger hunt in which they had to search for multiple Pokemon across the premises and audience members were invited to purchase raffle tickets for $2 for a chance to win one ticket to Disneyland. As we entered the auditorium through grand double doors, we were immediately greeted by the upbeat and theatrical performance of exhibition team The G.O.O.D. Project’s open mic
night-themed performance. The dancers moved in tandem along with the spoken word piece and nearly gave the illusion of a moving stage with their synchronized body rolls as the eager crowd cheered them on. Despite the massive number of teammates that characterized multiple teams, the teams managed to flawlessly execute each move, which the crowd enjoyed thoroughly. You can only imagine the hard hours of work they had put into the execution of the sets by each team, and according to them and their past experiences, oftentimes practices would go up to 4 a.m. or longer. “I’m running on like four ► SEE BRAWL, PAGE 25
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FEATURES
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Restaurant
La Michoacana
La Michoacana offers paletas and helados in all sorts of flavors, from mango to pistachio to even bubblegum.
Amrita Kular, Contributing Writer Photos by: Aaron Lai
W
ith the sun shining bright outside and temperatures rising constantly, ice cream sounds like the perfect getaway to make you nostalgic about your childhood. Luckily, UCR students are blessed with La Michoacana, which is both near the campus and well worth the visit. The small store lies on Chicago Avenue near Rite Aid. As I entered the store, the pink chairs and pictures of ice cream bars instantly caught my eye. The store was actually larger than I expected for a dessert shop. At first, I was apprehensive of the long line; however, the workers were efficient and able to deliver my choice of ice cream within a reasonable amount of time, although the wait was much longer during the day. The menu has a wide variety of both food and dessert ranging from Mexican-style corn to Hot Cheetos with nacho cheese, as well as sorbets and mangoneadas, a traditional Mexican mango and orange slush with chamoy and chile lime salt. In fact, they even offer options with or without dairy for those allergic or lactose-intolerant. Glancing at all the options, I was almost overwhelmed and decided
RATING LOCATION PRICE HOURS CATEGORY CREDIT WEBSITE
★★★★☆
3961 Chicago Ave., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92507 $ 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sun. - Thurs. 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Fri. - Sat. Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Extra $0.50 charge http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-michoacana-ice-creamriverside
to choose something basic. Still, the store provides its customers with the option to sample some of its flavors, which comes in handy when deciding from the extensive menu. Customers are encouraged to sample flavors like almond, guava and their most popular, watermelon. The store also offers some deals, such as if you buy 12 paletas, you can get one free, so you can stock them in your freezer when it becomes too hot to travel. I decided to order the coconut cream bar and waited to pay. The price was cheap for the value and amount of ice cream. Additionally, my friend chose to buy the fruity paletas (Latin American ice pops usually made from fresh fruit, with the fruit often visible in the ice cream bar) which looked appealing and recognizable from several Snapchats and Instagram photos. Since I paid with debit card, I was charged $0.50 extra, so I recommend bringing cash along with you. As I unwrapped the ice cream, I was awed at the deliciousness of the ice cream bar. Not only did it taste like coconut, but there were actual coconut flakes embedded within the ice cream, providing it with a more natural flavor. The ice cream cooled us down amid the heat and the taste was well worth the wait. In fact, the
line can be helpful in that it gives the customers some time to choose from the extensive menu. Most customers didn’t choose to stay in the store, instead treating it as more of a to-go place. In addition, the furniture was sticky and didn’t really seem clean, so we decided to eat in our car instead of eating in the store. Overall, La Michoacana is a must, especially living in the Riverside heat. With its college-friendly budget and delicious desserts, the store is a H reminder of the sweetness in life. ■
A water-based strawberry-kiwi paleta.
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FEATURES
campus cope: As you’re rushing out the door in a frenzy with a banana drooping down your mouth, clutching a Starbucks in one hand and clasping your backpack in another, you come to the revelation that you forgot to do that essay prompt for English 1B — that A never seemed more distant. Failing to multitask and prioritize is an epidemic that sweeps through college students and often plagues them from handling everything they need to in a timely and effective manner. When people think about multitasking, they can only conjure up abstract and vague ways of staying organized, considering the plethora of methods you can turn to. It’s important that you cultivate your skills in multitasking in college because the world outside of college is a dog-eat-dog world, and responsibility will be key. To learn how to multitask, it’s important to break down the concept and analyze its meaning. Multitasking is the process of doing more than one activity at once, keeping an equal amount of focus and concentration on each thing. People may overestimate their multitasking abilities, failing to see that their performance actually drops while trying to focus on two things simultaneously. It’s not something you can do without disciplining and conditioning your brain to separate tasks and distinguish them as different entities. All useful tasks and habits take time to develop and form, and this is no exception.
Planning in advance We multitask to improve productivity, but are we really being more efficient? A sure method to work harder and smarter is to define your tasks in advance in a handy notebook. This to-do list may just become the best friend to that expert multitasker within you. Try breaking up your responsibilities into many smaller tasks when listing them. This way, you feel more motivated to complete the duties and much more satisfied seeing a long column of items crossed off. “I honestly thought I was a novice at multitasking, until I actually researched what it actually was and was shocked. When trying to (multitask) I make sure I limit it to two small activities so I’m not overwhelmed,” Selena Arquette, third-year anthropology major proclaims. Establish a plan and set goals so you don’t get carried away with attempting to do more than you can handle. When listing assignments on your to-do list, recognize when deadlines for each responsibility are. Students may complete an essay due the next week, a reading due a couple days later and notes for a cancelled class, but forget to complete a lab due that night at 11:59 p.m. Keep in mind that not all tasks have the same deadlines — in other words, prioritize your tasks!
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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THE DO’s And DOn’ts of Multitaksing
Edward Dave, Contributing Writer & Ashley Chung, Contributing Writer
Keeping life balanced
Conclusion
“Balancing schoolwork and a job is just too easy!” said no one ever. If only there was one straightforward strategy to tackling this common struggle among college students. Still, we can adhere to first-year political science major Elias Velasco’s advice: “School always comes first and it’s fine to ask for less hours from work, your boss will understand.” The goal is to not overestimate yourself as you may find that you can’t actually manage a large workload. If you are aware that you must leave to work in three hours, set a goal to complete certain school assignments before then. Prepare for any responsibilities you may have for both school and work by prioritizing what is most important to you.
The key to multitasking is doing it in moderation. People who constantly do it in strides are those who suffer from poor grades because they don’t know how to do it correctly. If you want to get better, you must be willing to work your way up to that level incrementally by first handling smaller tasks, and then gradually moving up to more difficult ones. If you’re someone who’s commonly pressed for time, you’ll more than likely become keen on multitasking compared to those who have more free time. You don’t have to let time overwhelm you and drag you through the mud as you violently fight to resist its forces. Make sure you never underestimate time, because no matter how harmless it may seem, it’s the number-one reason why people end up multitasking and struggle to maintain order. Learning how to gauge time is one of the most important skills you’ll be able to take away from college. Prioritizing should become second nature so you’ll have control over your life and those monotonous, but often burdening, smaller tasks. ■H
Coordinate your relaxation The last component to multitasking is making sure that the things you are doing coordinate with each other. If not, it’s going to make it extremely complicated to allocate your time to just one action. Make sure the two have some type of connection so it’ll actually become a supplement, and not inhibit your work. For example, if you’re doing something writing-related, play some soothing music that’ll take the mundane aspect out of doing work. Or when doing reading assignments, try to coordinate it with a writing assignment since both involve vocabulary and reading comprehension. As college students, we oftentimes find ourselves swamped with unexpected stashes of work piled upon more work. We all get caught off-guard with our responsibilities every once in a while — or almost all of the time if you are anything like us — but we can better develop our multitasking abilities if we learn to work at a pace that is appropriate for ourselves. Most importantly, don’t forget to have some time to yourself as well. Multitasking is made much more difficult when you haven’t had time to relax and rest. If possible, try to develop a schedule, so you don’t clump everything into the same time frame. Only multitask when you find it absolutely necessary. To limit the urge to multitask, try to follow a comprehensive schedule that breaks down into smaller tasks so you’ll always be informed.
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FEATURES
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
Sexual assault survivors take back the night Colin Markovich, Senior Staff Writer | Photos by Matt Hong
S
exual assault is one of those things that people don’t talk about in polite conversation. After all, the topic is heavy. It’s something that many people understand happens, but only in the abstract sense — a statistic here, a crime report there. For many, though, the reality of sexual assault is too real. It is for that reason that supporters of sexual assault survivors came to the Take Back the Night event last Thursday. I knew the event was being held in HUB 302, but when I arrived outside, I assumed there must have been a mistake: Behind the closed double doors, the only light I could see was a dark, dim gloom. After watching a few shadows waver through the windows, though, I pushed through the doors and waited for my eyes to adjust to the twilight inside. What I saw had the quietness and intimacy of a funeral reception. Small electric tea lights were placed at the edges of the tables and at the end of each row of chairs, each of them emitting a comforting glow that burned through the dusk. Small groups of people milled together, quietly speaking to one another, accompanied by calming waves of hushed music. A few others sat behind two sets of tables in a show of community (such as the LGBT Resource Center and Power of the Peers) stacked with informational pamphlets and messages of support, a set of four on either side of the room. Still others gathered near the table of food in the back of the room, while some attendees started sitting down alongside their friends
From left to right: Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity Yolanda Moses, speaks about how many major institutions of society perpetuate sexual assault; SAVE Peer Mentor Sonia Talukder and fourth-year media and cultural studies Sarah Doyle rally up the audience by leading chants in opposition to sexual violence; Graduate student Irene Morrison speaks about her experience of sexual assult and how it affects her today.
in the rows of chairs provided. Take Back the Night is a safe forum for sexual assault survivors to share their stories with supporters and other survivors. It is a place for people to learn about the resources available to them. It is for dispelling common myths about rape. But above all, it is about making sure the voices of survivors and supporters are heard. “The name itself is so powerful. I like the idea of reclaiming the night, but it’s about empowerment,”
Tables of different arts, crafts and information to raise awareness of sexual violence at UCR’s Take Back the Night event.
said Lisa Yu, program coordinator for the Women’s Resource Center and one of the people who helped plan the event. “I think survivors … so many are silenced into not talking about what happened.” Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Everybody seemed to be getting along so well with each other, and I was invading their personal space. I felt as if I were an estranged twice-removed distant relative dropping in unannounced at a funeral. I didn’t know whether to continue. A woman called out to me. She was sitting behind a table with a sign-in sheet, and began palming bunches of things — a program, a resource guide — into my hands. She reached into a box of T-shirts and asked me what size I was. I stuttered my response as I juggled all the things into one arm to pick up the pen and sign in. She smiled — not one of those department store fake smiles, but a genuine smile of happiness — and thanked me for coming. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so awkward after all. People weren’t just eating and speaking with one another. Spread out on three tables were activities for survivors and allies to pledge their support to end sexual assault.
At one table attendees crafted bouquets of roses. I sat down at the table where attendees were scrapbooking collages of images and words together. They were here to show support for an issue that is too frequently swept under the rug. “It’s a really big elephant in the room,” said Kasey Myers, a second-year history major. Gina Equihua, a fourth-year art major, agreed. “I just figured it was important for people to know about situations like this,” she said. “It’s taboo in society.” Fourth-year media and cultural studies major Sarah Doyle picked up the microphone as attendees flocked to the rows of chairs. “We are gathered here to reclaim this space,” she announced, before breaking into a history of sexual assault and rattling off a nauseating set of statistics. 60 percent of people with disabilities are sexually assaulted. In two-thirds of all sexual assaults, the victim knows the assailant. One out of four college women are sexually assaulted. One out of 10 heterosexual men are sexually assaulted. 90 percent of assailants never go to jail. “Take Back the Night is a way for us to integrate the things we want to do,” Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity Yolanda Moses announced. She emphasized that
sexual assault is not just an individual problem, calling workshops and training not enough, but a structural and institutional one. Not only do individuals need to take it upon themselves to stop rape from happening, but they also need to commit to changing the way people think about rape. “What we want to think about is how we value every single person’s experience on campus,” Moses said. After both finished speaking, Doyle announced that survivors and supporters would have the opportunity to share their stories of sexual assault. At first, simply silence. Then, one by one, attendees started gliding up to the set of chairs at the front of the room. The stories began pouring out like water from a well. Parts of their stories: He took my silence as consent. It feels like you’re out of your body, you’re shell-shocked. It was my own brother who told me it was my fault. You don’t want to feel like it’s real. I’ve never told anybody these details. You’re not by yourself. All the while, every face in the room turned toward the speaker. When one person’s voice began to waver and crack as she spoke, an ally from the front row stood behind her, grasped her shoulder and patted her back. Her voice stabilized and she carried on. Another finished her story without a tear in her eye. But as she walked back, she broke down. A flock of supporters quickly wrapped her in a cloak of encouragement as they walked together down the middle aisle. “They’re really strong and bold and courageous to speak out,” said Jai’Na Jones, a first-year undeclared student. “My mom, she goes through it. This is a symbol for her to get through it,” she said, motioning to a yellow shirt with the words “Love should not hurt” penned on it. Angelica Hic, a fourth-year sociology and women’s studies double-major, explained that the collage she was making was “just a reminder” of the things she had experienced. “I picked ‘tough,’” she announced, focusing her eyes on the piece of paper. “It’s a reminder that I am tough.” The muted room was soon brought alive by chants of support. “Yes means yes, no means no! However we dress, wherever we go!” the entire group, together, announced in a single, rousing voice. It became clear that those who had survived sexual assault weren’t just victims — they and their supporters were empowered to make change, and can take back the night. ■H
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FEATURES
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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Dancers from NSU Modern (left) and CADC stayed in sync throughough their sets. CADC won second place, beating out Chaotic 3 for the spot. ► BRAWL FROM PAGE 21
hours of sleep right now, man,” 909’s artistic director Ryan Morris meekly stated, with his eyes halfshut as he lay facedown on a sofa, echoing the sentiment of 909 as a whole. NSU Modern had taken the stage in a black, white and red Las Vegas burlesque theme with white masks and gloves. Each piece reflected a show that had been displayed in Vegas such as Jersey Boys, or Criss Angel’s show, and even the prominent Cirque Du Soleil as the crowd went wild for the illusions and great execution. A couple of other teams pleased the crowd such as Team Millenia, who performed an extremely cute set centered around a couple on a
date and featured a live band in the corner; Ill-ite, who illustrated a theme of a girl dreaming; Cast Members Only, who ironically narrated the story of Disney cast members auditioning; and Kings & Queens, who took on a showy theme to the appropriate song “All That Jazz,” featuring two girls in flapper attire. However, none of the teams could compare to the massive crowd appeal that ACA from UCLA received within the brief duration of their stage presence. As soon as they stepped out in their ACA black shirts, black visors and metallic blue lipstick, the entire auditorium roared with screams and applause, clearly highlighting the most anticipated team of the night. Through their flawless illu-
sions and near-perfect execution of synchronized movement, they never failed to leave the crowd in jaw-dropping awe and with the finish of their set, an uproar ensued, and they most definitely captured our attention for the full six minutes of their routine. The judges also found themselves in concurrence with the audience, awarding ACA first-place honors. CADC, The Escntrcs and Common Ground were next before 909 Hip Hop Dance Troupe closed off the dance portion of the show. With a video game-themed soundtrack that accompanied them, the dancers pushed through to the end, not letting the weariness and exhaustion take over. Aside from being a dance competition, 909 serves as a bastion
for growth and keeping the spirit of the dance community alive. According to Nguyen, “hosting UB is different from just attending a dance competition, it allows us the ability to connect with other dancers on a personal level. I get the opportunity to see how much dance means to other people and I hope this competition allows us to foster that passion within them.” According to Balino, “even though (Ultimate Brawl) was on a day with a fight that was described as “the fight of the century,” people still show their love for dance and they missed the fight … it shows how much dancers really enjoy what they do and how much they love this competition. As the audience emptied out and the theater lights glowed
back to life, revealing the intricate woodworks and grandiose design of the historic Fox Theater, the members of 909 were finally able to take a step back and realize the scope of organizing an event so massive and impactful for the dance community. Past the drapery of the numerous late nights, early mornings, blood, sweat and tears in the lead-up to Ultimate Brawl is also a sense of pride, reflection and the maintenance of a decade and a half of tradition that transcends dance itself. ■H Disclosure: Tiffany Liaw is a former member of 909 Hip-Hop Dance Troupe. Cody Nguyen is in a relationship with a current member of 909 Hip-Hop Dance Troupe.
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SPORTS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
JANELLE SOTO / HIGHLANDER
Joie Dunyon (No. 31) winds up to throw a strike.
Baseball drops series versus Cal State Fullerton DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer APRIL 28, 2015
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Rebels 5 - Highlanders 4
The UC Riverside baseball team continued an underwhelming first season under Head Coach Troy Percival with a 5-4 loss to the UNLV Rebels on Tuesday afternoon. Highlander pitcher Jesus Gonzales dominated the mound, not allowing a runner in scoring position in his six innings of work. With Gonzales holding down the pitching fort, UCR piled on two runs in the second and fifth innings to lead entering the seventh inning. In that frame, Gonzalez was replaced by Jared Morton, but the pitching momentum shift began to take place. Morton gave up a single to Dylan Ellis before Morgan Stotts’ single darted through to center field, scoring Van Meetren, 1-2. UNLV’s A.J. Meetren blasted a 2-1 count into right field for a three-run score, 2-4. The UCR offense tied up the game in the eighth inning and pushed the contest to extra innings, but UNLV completed its late-game comeback, scoring a final run in the ninth, 5-4.
MAY 1, 2015
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Titans 9 - Highlanders 0
The NCAA tournament-bound Cal State Fullerton Titans shut out the UCR baseball club, pounding out 15 hits in a 9-0 thrashing at the UCR baseball complex. Five Titan players recorded multi-hit games while pitcher Thomas Eshelman dominated the mound for seven scoreless innings. Heading into the contest, CSUF boasted the 35th-best Rating Percentage Index (RPI) in the nation due in large part to the starting pitching. Eshelman scattered four hits and seven strikeouts in his seven innings while recording no hits. With over 400 fans in the stadium, the Titans scored early and often as the Highlander offense struggled to get a hit off of Eshelman. UCR tallied just four hits for the contest as CSUF was never threatened en route to a 9-0 win. MAY 2, 2015
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Titans 19 - Highlanders 0
The Highlanders continued to be outmatched by the Cal State Fullerton Titans, losing the second game of the series in a 19-0 shutout. The Titans tallied a season-high 25 hits for the contest compared to UCR’s five. Titan pitcher Justin Garza allowed the Highlanders a mere
three hits in six innings of work. Fullerton’s 19 runs are the most UCR has allowed in a game this season. MAY 3, 2015
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Titans 7 - Highlanders 4
The Highlanders made a lateinning surge in their final game against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday afternoon but still fell short of a win, losing 7-4. For the first time in the weekend series, the Highlanders were finally able to connect against Titan pitchers. The team tallied 12 hits for the contest, which was more than the two previous games combined. The Titans, however, were the first team to get on the board, tallying three runs in the opening inning followed by an additional pair in the top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, UC Riverside had an opportunity to score with a runner on third base, but Austin Colvin grounded out the following play. The Titans added insurance runs in the fourth inning, and despite UCR scoring three runs late in the game, Cal State Fullerton came away with the win, 7-4. UCR (13-32) next hosts Hawaii H beginning on Thursday, May 7. ■
Senior Seth Totten runs in a distance race.
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
Track and field concludes regular season, prepares for championship DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
The UCR track and field team bid adieu to the regular season as student athletes participated in three meets over the weekend, including the CSUN Challenge, the Adidas/Steve Scott Invitational and the Payton Jordan Invitational. Justin Parker won the men’s 400-meter run at the CSUN Challenge with a time of 46.87, which was the second-best mark for a UCR athlete. In the triple jump, Craig Mauldin hopped his way to first place with a 15.13m performance while teammate Michael Harris won the long jump (6.88m). Former Big West Conference Player of the Week Michael Koger’s time of 52.11 secured a win in the 400 hurdles. On the women’s side, Breana Jemison (shot put), Amber Wright (400) and Camille Deadwiler (100) all earned first-place finishes for
UCR. Weslie Totten’s time of 4:49.31 in the 1500 was good for second place. Asha Giles and Wright recorded personal bests in the 200, finishing in second (24.20) and fourth (24.53) place. 5000 runners Christina Shamirian (18:30.24), Aaron Nguyen (14:59.60) and Nicholas Beechan (15:23.86) were the lone Highlander representatives at the Adidas/Steve Scott Invitational, finishing in 21st, 20th and 30th place, respectively. Raquel Hefflin led the way for UCR at the Payton Jordan Invitational, finishing in eighth place (4:21.23) in the third section of the 1500 followed by Faith Makau (4:25.07) in 12th. Cody Jordan (3:48.12) and Seth Totten (3:51.09) competed on the men’s side, finishing in ninth and 10th place in their sections, respectively. UC Riverside will now prepare to host the Big West Championships, which are set to begin May 8. ■H
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SPORTS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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Softball wins one of three versus UCSB CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer MAY 2, 2015 .............................................................................
Highlanders 6 - Gauchos 2 Gauchos 4 - Highlanders 2
BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER Rebecca Faulkner (No. 27) gets in position as she watches the batter bat the ball in her direction.
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Fresh off a sweep against the UC Davis Aggies, the UCR softball team split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon against the UCSB Gauchos. In the day’s first action, the Highlanders quickly jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The first score of the day came off a Rebecca Faulkner fly out to right field that led to Jenna Curtan reaching home from third base. An error by UCSB’s second baseman led to two more scores for the Highlanders. In the top of the fifth, UCR scored another three runs off a Kris DeAnda double to rightcenter and a Taylor Wright double to center field. The Gauchos were able to muster up two runs in the bottom of the fifth and seventh, respectively, but the six Highlander runs turned out to be too much to overcome.
Just as they did in the first game, the Highlanders jumped out to an early lead in the second, with Rebecca Faulkner scoring the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. After three scoreless innings, the Highlanders scored again in the top of the sixth, increasing their lead to 2-0 with an inning and a half to go. Given the pace of the game and the extremely low amount of scoring that took place, it would not be too farfetched to believe that UCR was headed for their fifth straight victotry. However, in the blink of an eye, two home runs by MeShalon Moore and Shelby Wisdom gave the Gauchos four straight runs and overtook the Highlanders for a 4-2 lead. The Highlanders were unable to score at all in the top of the seventh, which marked the end of the game as well as the end of their four-game winning streak. MAY 3, 2015
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Gauchos 3 - Highlanders 2
The Gauchos earned a walk-
off victory against the Highlanders Sunday afternoon as they squared off against the UCR squad for the final outing of the weekend’s three-game series. Karina Romero’s single to right field in the top of the first subsequently led to a fielding error by UCSB’s right fielder, scoring both Madeline Richard and Jenna Curtan, giving the Highlanders an early 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the Gauchos scored two runs of their own in similar fashion — an Arianna Palmores single led to a fielding error by UCR’s left fielder, scoring both Jacqueline Hinojosa and Kristen Clark. In the bottom of the seventh, Palmores’ single up the middle led to another RBI when Clark scored the walk-off run that allowed the Gauchos to score victory. With Sunday’s loss, the Highlanders fall to 8-10 in conference and 36-17 overall. Next up for the Highlanders is their final series of the regular season at home against the Cal Poly Mustangs, H set to begin on Friday, May 8. ■
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TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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Sports
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
CHELSEA PONCE: A LEADER ON AND OFF THE MOUND
MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Staff Writer
Perhaps it was their underdog mentality or the overall chemistry of the team, but in a recordbreaking season in which they have amassed a school-record 35 wins and maintained the highest batting average in Division I history, there is no question that this has been a season to remember for the UC Riverside softball team. A team that was ranked dead last in the Big West coaches’ preseason poll is now on pace to finish first in the Big West. And while I first must emphasize the age-old cliche that that there is no “I” in “team” — truly this season, unlike any other, has been a testament to the collective willpower of the aforementioned team — there certainly is one player at the forefront of their unprecedented success: pitcher Chelsea Ponce. Chelsea’s softball story began in San Bernardino, at Cajon High School, a higher-profile school that consistently produces D-I athletes. On the softball field, Chelsea was a star, willing her
team to victories just as she is now. Yet due to unforeseen circumstances Chelsea was forced to attend Riverside Community College post-high school. At RCC, she continued to excel as an athlete, posting a remarkable average ERA of 1.70 over two years in the midst of a total record of 45-7. Her phenomenal play led her to be recruited by UC Riverside softball coach Linda Garza, and after redshirting in 2014, Ponce had a dominant Division I debut for UCR, throwing a two-hitter in a performance Garza deemed “untouchable.” “I believe I belong with the best,” Chelsea gleamed when asked how she felt about playing Division I ball for the first time. And as Ponce continues to develop a list of accolades on the season that are unrivaled — four Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week awards, conference leader in wins on the season (26, good for sixth in the nation) and ERA (1.35), along
with throwing the program’s first Division I no-hitter — she has made many more believers of this assertion. Chelsea deemed the entire process as “rewarding,” yet emphasized the reward is not just for herself but for the progress t
ful softball teams in the history of UC Riverside sports. Yet like most success stories, Ponce has met her fair share of struggles. As is often said, success is not given, it is earned. And Chelsea is one who has had to earn it in every aspect of her life. She earns her success as an athlete, as a student and as a wife. Most of all, though, she earns it as a mother. Chelsea, an RCC transfer who is now the best pitcher in the Big West and unquestioned leader of one of the country’s hottest teams, carries the additional responsibility of caring for a child born during her two-year stint at Riverside City College. It is her commitment to her daughter and family that keeps her grounded. Knowing that she has to come home every day and be a mother is a responsibility more trying and worthwhile than anything she has accomplished on the softball field. As Ponce
“I believe I belong with the best.” -Chelsea Ponce the team has made throughout the season. Now she looks to push this program forward as a whole, saying, “I want to set a foundation for UCR … set a precedent for the future.” If this was her primary goal heading into the season, certainly it can be deemed a success, as she has been the unquestioned leader of one of the most success-
deemed it, having her child in the middle of her college career has been a “blessing in disguise” and it has continued to keep her driven throughout a successful yet emotionally tiring season. As many of you may be wondering, what’s next? As it seems, there are not too many opportunities to play beyond the college level in the sport of softball. However, Chelsea has her eyes set beyond the field, with aspirations of someday becoming a social worker. More specifically, she wants to help children who have been in troubled homes and hopes to be a mentor who helps guide them through their troubled times. This is just more of the same from Chelsea whose innate love and care always shines through her outward confidence. UC Riverside softball in itself is a program that Garza defined as “blue collar,” and Ponce is the ideal face of the team, as someone who excels in softball and in life with the principles of hard work and commitment. Chelsea Ponce is many things: a mother, ■H
MEN’S GOLF CONCLUDES SEASON WITH THIRD-PLACE CONFERENCE FINISH JASON AHN Staff Writer
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
For the second consecutive year, the UCR’s men’s golf team finished third at the Big West Championship. The Highlanders were only 11 shots back of first-place UC Irvine and 10 strokes behind second-place UC Davis in the Big West Championships at the San Luis Obispo Country Club on April 26 to 28. UCSB and Long Beach State were four strokes behind UCR. Leading the Highlanders was Sam Gillis, who tied for sixth with a 216 (74-71-71). He was three strokes shy of second place and four strokes behind individual champion Cal Poly’s Justin De Los Santos, who shot a 212. Only one stroke behind him was teammate David Gazzolo, who finished ninth with a 217, and behind him was Matt Lutz, who shot a 218 to tie for 10th place. Andrew Vu tied for 24th
with a 224. To round out the Highlanders’ scores was Anthony Bonales, who finished a single stroke behind Vu with a 225, good enough for 27th place. On day one of the Big West Golf Championship, UCR’s team was two strokes ahead of second-place UC Davis and led the field. Gazzolo was first out of 45 collegiate athletes, with a threeunder-par score of 67, one stroke ahead of Mike Brockington of UC Davis. Lutz was tied for fifth with 72, and Bonales scored 73 to tie for 11th place. The remaining Highlander in the top 20 was Gillis with 74, good for 18th place. Andre Vu for UCR placed 31st with a 77. UCR ended the following day in second place with a score of 575 on day two of the Big West Men’s Championship. They accumulated a 289, three over their 286 day-one score, allowing UC Davis to ease into first with a 285. UCI tied UCR with
a 286 second-day score, which brought both teams two strokes shy of UC Davis. Gazzolo led the Highlanders after two rounds, tied for first with a 141 along with UCI’s Pete Fernandez, who leaped 10 spots after hitting a 68. He was two strokes ahead of three players tied for third. Gillis and Lutz were tied for seventh, shooting 145 in the two-day span, while Vu shot a 148 for a 17th place tie. Bonales scored 149, placing him 24th out of 45 golfers. On day three, UCR shot a pedestrian 296 for a combined score of 871, which was 11 off the pace of the winner, UC Irvine (860) and 10 behind second-place UC Davis (861). UC Irvine advances to the NCAA Division I men’s regional while the Highlanders concluded the spring portion of its season. The tournament was the final competition for senior Gazzolo. ■H