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Highlander
Volume 64
University
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 04
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
ASUCR: LEGISLATION PASSED TO IMPROVE STUDENT REPRESENTATION AMONG UC REGENTS
What you should expect to see on the 2016 ballot IXIA JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer
The Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) approved appointments to several offices at last Wednesday’s senate meeting. After the appointments, legislation on a key resolution pertaining to student representation on the Board of UC Regents was also
passed, along with bylaw modifications and a presentation regarding an update on the Highlander Empowerment Referendum at Costo Hall. Mark Brown, a third-year engineering student, was appointed chief of staff of the office under president of ASUCR, Ashley Harano. Brown has experience working under the office of the executive vice president as
adjacent neighborhood known as the Back of the Yards or Las Yardas. This area of Chicago was made famous through Upton Sinclair’s seminal 1906 novel, “The Jungle,” which exposed the unsanitary practices of the meatpacking industry. The fruition of this new identity politic was also defined by the forced repatriations to Mexico during the Great Depression and the responding political activism and formation of various organizations that roared back in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Amezcua’s work focused on one such organization called the Mexican Civic Committee (MCC). The ► SEE HISTORY, PAGE 7
► SEE BALLOT, PAGE 7
CHRISTOPHER HOOKS / HIGHLANDER
ASUCR suggested a new position on the UC board of regents, a student advisor.
SOM CHATURVEDI Contributing Writer
November 2016 marks the next major election and is set to feature new measures and potentially many more to be voted on in the California ballot alone. Some of these possible items include the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes, the overturning of mandatory vaccinations, raising the minimum wage and reduced transgender rights. Current Ballot Items Three referendums already qualifying to be placed on the California 2016 ballot will attempt to overturn the statewide plastic bag ban, incorporate multilingual education programs in public elementary schools and change the way that Medi-Cal is funded. The American Progressive Bag Alliance has led the campaign rivaling the current statewide plastic bag policy. Present legislation restricts large grocery stores and pharmacies from providing single-use plastic bags to customers in order to reduce plastic bag litter and pollution, and instead requires them to charge 10 cents for a recyclable, compostable and reusable bag. Another initiative will focus on allowing access to multilingual education. If passed, most of the “English in Public Schools” initiative of 1998 will be repealed, allowing languages other than English to be used in public educational instruction when teaching “limited proficient students.” Lastly, the third bill to be voted on is the California MediCal Hospital Reimbursement Initiative. Medi-Cal is a program that helps low-income individuals pay for health insurance within California and is another name for the federal Medicaid program. Hospitals are required to pay fees in order to receive Medicaid funding, leading to an estimated $2 billion in additional funding for MediCal. This initiative is aimed at adding language to the California Constitution that would require hospital fee changes to go through voters in order to assure hospital fees that are diverted to Medi-Cal patients.
a first-year fellow and will be aiming toward developing the first-year fellowship program. Additionally, Nick Saldivar was appointed historian under the office of the president. Saldivar is a second-year who has had experience working in the recreation center, and will be assisting Harano in public relations. Pejae Chai was unanimously
elected as the vice chair of finance under Shafi Karim, the vice president of finance. Chai has been involved with the finance committee, GCAP, as well as other financial endeavors. Kevin Tseng was also appointed as Karim’s finance secretary. ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 5
Professor gives lecture on Chicago’s Mexican-American history JOSEPH AVILA Senior Staff Writer
watch OUR CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS CLUB FEATURE ONLINE!
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On October 8, 2015, Mike Amezcua, associate professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, met with students and faculty in the history department library to discuss his research in a lecture titled “Demolition and Deportation: The Unmaking of a Latina/o Neighborhood in Postwar Chicago.” “I came to this project to try to understand how Latino migration and settlement transformed the racial and spatial landscape of Chicago.” Amezcua said in his opening statements. His lecture drew from his current dissertation tentatively titled “Borderlands
Bungalows: Race, Urbanism and the making of Chicago’s Brown Metropolis.” It focused on the largely neglected and forgotten spatial history and historiography of Mexican settlements in the broader interracial landscape of post-World War II era Chicago leading up to the 1980’s when Latinos secured access to the coveted bungalow belt of Chicago’s suburbs. Amezcua argued that the genesis of Chicago’s Mexican-American identity and political culture was wrought out of the decrepit living and working conditions that Latinos, namely U.S. and foreignborn Mexicans, had to face while working in Chicago’s meatpacking district and living in the
NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 8 • FEATURES 15 • A&E 19 • SPORTS 28
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NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
UC Riverside library to highlight Latino American history
JANINE YBANEZ / HIGHLANDER
The $10,000 grant UCR’s library received will go toward free events to educate the public on the importance Latino Americans have in the shaping of America.
GUY HOCKER Contributing Writer
The UC Riverside library received the Latino Americans: 500 Years of History (LA 500) grant that will be used to host a series of cultural events on and around campus. The grant was awarded through a competitive process to UCR against two hundred other organizations in the U.S. The proceeds of the grant, totaling $10,000, will be used to fund free events emphasizing the important role Latino Americans have played in the history of this nation. The funding comes from a partnership between the
American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Each grantee will screen the recently produced documentary “Latino Americans,” which was produced by the award-winning television studio the Washington Educational Television Association (WETA). The station has been in operation since 1962, and has been responsible for producing award-winning films like “Baseball and The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” UCR will host its first screening on Oct. 23 in HUB 355 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first portion, entitled “Foreigners in Their Own Land,” will be ac-
companied with a discussion led by UCR Professor Emeritus of History and author Carlos Cortés. Professors Tiffany Ana Lopez and Jennifer Najera, from the theater and ethnic studies departments respectively, will also present during the month. Lopez will give a reading of Tomas Rivera’s “And the Earth Did not Devour Him,” and Najera will discuss part of the Latino Americans documentary. Subsequent events will occur on a nearly monthly basis until next June. The full schedule of events highlights important topics related to Latino issues, including prejudice faced in lands
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
that were historically Latino, and deportation. The event will eventually culminate with the Tomas Rivera conference on Feb. 20. University Librarian Steve Mandeville-Gamble told UCR Today, “The UCR library is honored to have received the LA 500 grant. The grant and its associated programming will help the UCR community highlight the significant contributions of Latino Americans to the national story from the local, Southern California perspective. The library is dedicated to forging partnerships across the region to ensure the preservation and celebration of our region’s diverse
cultures and history. Receiving this grant is an important part of making that goal a reality.” Erica Leser, neuroscience major, said, “I’m concerned about how many people are actually going to be interested in this program, but if people are interested it’ll be a good way for like-minded people to get together.” UC Riverside’s library is organizing this series of events with UC Riverside’s Chicano Student’s Program, The Riverside Community College District’s Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties, The Riverside Public Library and The Spanish Town Heritage Foundation. ■H
QUOTEBOOK Cold War logic conditioned by policies of anticommunism, conservatism and containment linked urban renewal with deportations effectively pulling the rug from underneath groups like the Mexican Civic Committee. - Professor Mike Amezcua regarding mass deportation of Mexican-American citizens in post-war Chicago
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“Tyler Cunningham (no. 2) attempts to intercept a pass.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
FALL 2015, WEEK 3
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
10/13
10/14
10/15
10/16
10/17
10/18
10/19
Financial Wellness Workshop 11a.m. - 12 p.m. HUB 260
Grad Coffee Social 3 - 4 p.m. HUB 3rd Floor Grad Lounge
Conversations with PlayStation® 1 - 2 p.m. HUB 268
PB&J: Peanut Butter and Jogging 10 - 11 a.m. HUB 248
Revising the Past, Remaking the Future 9 a.m. - 1p.m. Culver Center of the Arts
Hiking and Caving, Big Bear 12a.m. - 8 p.m. Big Bear Lakew
15th Annual Worldfest Study Abroad Fair 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Rivera Library Walkway
Tuesday Talk - Coming Out Stories 5 - 6 p.m. Costo Hall 245
Simon Armitage: Reading & Book Signing 5 - 6:30 p.m. INTS 1113
How to Work a Career Fair Room 6 - 7 p.m. HUB 355
Edible Landscapes 6 - 9 p.m. UCR Extension Center
Peer Connections - LGBT Online Chat for UCR 7 - 9 p.m. Online
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
► FROM ASUCR , PAGE 1
COMPILED BY AARON GRECH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Protests erupt in UCLA over blackface allegations
COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
Hundreds of protesters came out to UCLA on Thursday, Oct. 8 to protest the campus’ Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority for throwing a “Kanye Western” themed party on Oct. 6. According to various students testimonies, the
attendants at the party wore black face, baggy clothing, plump lips and padded bottoms to imitate the Kardashian and West family at the event. After various pictures were posted of the party on Twitter, the hashtag #BlackBruinsMatter, began to resurface, as many students felt that the party was mocking black culture. Kelsee Thomas, a UCLA student stated, “It’s extremely disrespectful for any organization at all to think that this is possibly a good idea ... I understand the play on words, but there are so many other ways (to dress) to fit that.” In response, the Greek life organizations have been temporarily suspended due to the activities. According to Sigma Phi Epsilon’s
spokesperson Beaux Carriere, “Building diverse and inclusive communities is core to our identity as an organization, and we have zero tolerance for racist behavior. Sigma Phi Epsilon will continue to work with the university and UCLA community to investigate these claims and hold students accountable for any inappropriate behavior.” Johnson Pham, a third-year linguistics major at UCR, stated on Facebook, “you know, i get folx telling me sometimes that i just search for problems & that the social conditions i write about don’t really exist, but then a frat goes ahead and does blackface … again ... and proves my point w/o me trying.”
UC Riverside students receive international award Two UCR undergraduate students, Spencer Salazar and Brandon Tran, have been named finalists for the international 2015 Undergraduate Awards, the largest academic awards program in the world. Salazar and Tran are students in the psychology department, and are from the classes of 2015 and 2016, respectively. The undergraduate awards are offered to undergraduate juniors and seniors across all disciplines. This achievement is used to highlight undergraduate coursework and research projects which have received an A or higher, and between 1750-5000 words with the exception of certain sciences
which can go up to 12,000 words that the students took part of in the previous school year. Both Salazar and Tran stated that they hope these nominations will create a positive impact on the UCR community. “I sincerely hope that this nomination will bring more attention to UCR and the other great research that is being conducted here at this university. I want others to realize that the University of California, Riverside is one of the top universities with some of the greatest and most caring faculty,” Salazar stated. Tran agreed with the sentiment stating, “I hope my nomi-
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
nation will inspire other students within UCR and the community alike that it is possible to achieve prestige and success, regardless of where you attend. Specifically, there has been a lot of animosity toward UCR in terms of how it stacks against other schools. Terms like ‘UC Rejects’ are discouraging, and I’ve honestly felt the sting of feeling inferior to friends from high school who went to other schools.” “However, I’ve come to learn and hope to inspire others to realize that it is not where you attend that follows you, but rather the achievements you make given your situation,” Tran concluded. ■H
Karim’s finance secretary. Johannah Eichinger, a secondyear biology major, was appointed as the director of communications under Michael Ervin, the vice president of campus internal affairs. Eichinger was also part of the GCAP committee and has had experience working in several ASUCR events in the past. Resolution UC Board of Regents Student Advisory Proposal was unanimously passed in Wednesday’s senate meeting. Spearheade by the current student regent, Abraham Oved, this proposal was sent to every associated student president with the goal of having it approved before the Regents meeting this November. President Pro Tempore Corey Willis explained how out of the 26 members of the UC Board of Regents, 18 members are selected by the governor of California, and seven are ex officio members or members associated with the office of the governor. This essentially leaves only one position available for students across UC campuses to have their voices heard — namely through the student regent. This disproportionate representation is voiced in the proposal, which states that “the student regent is currently tasked with representing the interests of all 246,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students of UC.” Therefore, the intent of the Student Advisory Proposal would entail an overhaul and restructuring of the UC Board of Regents which “ought to increase student representation.” Increased representation would be achieved through the implementation of a student advisor, who would, in effect, have
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the same rights as the student regent with the exception of voting authority and a one-year term. ASUCR’s Vice President of External Affairs Mohamed Hussein expressed his support of the resolution along with his frustration of the current system in place with the Board of UC Regents, saying that there is only one student regent with the rest of the members being “over 45 (and) rich white guys,” along with a few women and a person of color. Additionally, specific bylaw changes and alterations that were discussed and promised in previous ASUCR meetings were unanimously approved. Chapter 39 of the bylaws, or the Food Security Committee (formally known as the Food Pantry and Implementation Committee), was adjusted to meet the current demands that our campus requires. Changes in the language were decided upon such as number of members of the committee, requirements, appointments and favoring a more longterm focus on the committee rather than implementation. Chapter 38 of the bylaws was unanimously struck down due to redundancies, and was decided to be subsumed by the Committee of the Non-traditional/Transfer Students. Highlights: - Nancy Tubbs (Director of the LGBT Resource Center) and Joe Virata (Assistant Dean of Students) gave update to the senators on allocation of the Highlander Empowerment Referendum. - Student Advisory Proposal to increase UC Student representation at Board of Regents was unanimously passed. - Senator Dalshawn Boson II expressed his desire for more initiative from his fellow senators to increase student involvement in ASUCR meetings. ■H
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NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
UCR professors use 3-D printing to protect avocado trees ADRIAN TRAN Contributing Writer
UCR Professor of Entomology Richard Stouthamer and faculty members Akif Eskalen, and R. Duncan Selby have created a plastic trap using a 3-D printer to combat the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB), an invasive ambrosia beetle of the weevil subfamily that is infecting avocado trees across California. The beetle’s first recorded California infestation occurred in 2003. Although it originated in Southeast Asia, the PSHB has spread to Los Angeles County and since then has been proliferating rapidly throughout adjacent counties, particularly in the Riverside and San Diego regions. Within those counties, the PSHB has been discovered in 110 unique tree species, with an emphasis on avocado and citrus species. Stouthamer elaborated that “These beetles (the PSHB) spend most of [their] time inside the tree, where they drill and infest the tree with a fungus.” This fungus, known as fusarium euwallacea, shares a symbiotic relationship with the beetle. If successfully implanted by the PSHB, the fusarium sabotages the host’s vascular tissue system, preventing the distribution of water and other nutrients from the roots to the rest of the tree. Without these vital
resources, a condition called dieback, which causes the tree or shrub to die from the tip of its leaves, will occur. Although dieback is a fairly severe ramification, especially in the context of individual trees, impaired vascular systems ultimately hold broader implications. Stouthamer explains, “We would normally use systemic insecticides or pesticides, but that relies on the water transporting (vascular) system, and the beetle (sabotaged) the whole system, so they’re sitting pretty.” Studies to combat the beetle have proven uneventful for several reasons. Examining a host requires felling an infected tree and cutting it open, which would likely encroach upon private property. Secondly, even the trees that are analyzed fail to yield any meaningful information, as researchers can only trace recent activity within a host’s trunk, which is almost useless. Consequently, significant data concerning the PSHB has been scarce even in recent years. Despite prior obstacles Eskalen, Stouthamer and Selby, used 3-D printing to create the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer trap. “The 3-D printers allow us to build more intricate and more cost-effective designs than we’ve ever been able to build using traditional shop methods,” Selby, a postdoctoral researcher, clarified. Eskalen agreed, “As the trap
COURTESY OF UCR Dr. Akif Eskalen believes that his 3-D printed trap will help keep an invasive beetle species from infecting more avocado trees.
designs become increasingly comprehensive, scientists may finally be able to determine whether the beetle and fungus can be controlled.” Clever nuances in the shape of the trap allow researchers to
elucidate previously unknown information, such as longterm beetle activity within a host, and how much offspring a typical PSHB produces. Furthermore, due to the extreme affordability (each
3-D printed trap costs $1.30) of the new traps, researchers may now conduct studies based upon a greater sample size that encompass a larger area, leading to more accurate results. ■H
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Rachel Wu’s study has refuted the claim that humans lose certain learned abilities if they aren’t used often.
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
Ape face study refutes popular "use it or lose it" misconception BETTEENA MARCO Contributing Writer
Assistant Professor of Psychology Rachel Wu’s research investigating perceptual narrowing at the neural level disproves the prevalent idea that we lose certain abilities from underuse. Perceptual narrowing is a behavioral and neurological theory that states that our brain’s sensitivity to distinguish between foreign stimuli declines as we become more acclimated to our current environment. This is because during our early developmental stage, we are trying to learn our local language and surroundings. This “narrows” our perspective and we are believed to lose the ability to distinguish between stimuli that we are not regularly exposed to. The theory of perceptual narrowing has been misconstrued and popularized as sayings like “use it, or lose it” and “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Pro-
fessor Wu explained the negative impact of such misconceptions: “(These) stereotypes seem to negatively affect adults’ confidence in their learning abilities, which may create a downward spiral in confidence in decreased future learning even by young adulthood.” Professor Wu’s experimental design compared human ability to distinguish from visual native and non-native stimuli and explored the theory of perceptual narrowing by innovatively utilizing two kinds of measurements: behavioral and neurological with an electroencephalogram (EEG). Since it is believed that neural processes directly lead to behavior, Professor Wu felt that it was important to study them in relation to one another — a novel approach that distinguishes her study from others on the same subject. Her study performed two experiments — one measured the ability to detect non-native or foreign stimuli, and the other measured accuracy to detect na-
tive stimuli. The first experiment required each participant to perform two tasks: detecting the presence of a specific ape face amongst other ape faces, and detecting the presence of ape faces amongst animal faces. The second experiment had the exact procedure but required a different group of participants who were presented with a combination of male and female faces with no hair, as it is a significant gender cue. Half of the participants were assigned to detect the presence of female faces, while the other had to detect the presence of male faces. This experiment served as the control, or “baseline” condition. Behavioral performance was determined by the participant’s accuracy and response time, while scalp electrodes simultaneously recorded brain activity. Expectedly, people in the first experiment exhibited poorer accuracy than the participants in the second experiment. Results of the first experiment indicated higher
accuracy when distinguishing ape faces from other animal faces as opposed to distinguishing one particular ape face from another. While both results aligned with the theory of perceptual narrowing, the most notable aspect of Professor Wu’s research was the results from the EEG. Though behavioral results varied between the two experiments, the EEG revealed no significant differences in brain activity between both groups. The results of Wu’s research displays the brain’s plasticity and resiliency through perceptual narrowing. Her study indicates that the brain does not lose the capacity to do certain tasks with age, and that anything can be overcome with practice. “I hope adult learners become more optimistic about their learning in the second half of life … If society can become more accepting of adult learners, I believe we can create a larger population of happy, healthy, H aging adults.” Wu expressed. ■
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news ► FROM BALLOT, PAGE 1
Potential ballot additions Thirty-seven ballot measures have received clearance for signature collections so far, with most of them requiring 365,880 signatures to be added onto the 2016 ballot. An initiative regarding transgender bathroom usage in the state of California has been approved to gather signatures. If added to the ballot and approved by voters, individuals will be required to “use facilities in accordance with their biological sex in government buildings.” In this context, biological sex refers to how each individual is categorized “as determined at birth, through medical examination, or court judgment recognizing a change of gender.” Quarrel over the current California mandatory vaccination laws have also sparked a new initiative that is attempting to overturn the existing policy. Currently, only physician recommendations against vaccinations are considered to be valid exemptions for school children to not receive required vaccinations. Supporters of this initiative would like to see personal belief and religious reasons reinstated as respected grounds of rejecting vaccinations. Brian Nguyen, a third-year biology major stands with the current vaccination legislation that makes it mandatory for all school children to be vaccinated. “I think vaccines should be mandatory. To put it simply, it’s like child abuse in a sense. If you were a parent and there was a harmful animal in front of you and then you placed
your child in front of it and saying ‘have your way’ that’s child abuse. In a sense that’s the same with vaccination, the parent is either willing or not willing to protect their child from harm. We already have laws in place against child abuse, so making vaccination mandatory just couples with laws we already have in place.” The legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes is also likely to appear on the 2016 ballot. Proponents of this initiative want to generate a new stream of revenue through a general retail sales tax. Oregon, Colorado, Alaska and Washington so far are the only states that have legalized marijuana to be used for this purpose. Minimum wage remains a topic of both state and federal debate. While the California minimum wage will increase to $10 in January, a proposed initiative will attempt to raise the California minimum wage gradually to $15 by 2021. “Increasing the minimum wage means that companies are now less willing to employ the same number, let alone employing more people, since it will be more expensive to hire. With the increase in minimum wage, companies will want to maintain or even increase their level of productivity which ultimately meant that employees will be overworked and given unattainable goals to achieve,” elucidated third-year business administration student Elissa Lim. In other news, Governor Jerry Brown has recently signed a bill that will sharply increase the initiative filing fee from $200 to $2,000 in order to prevent measures being filed H that are perceived as flippant.■
NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER In his presentation, Dr. Amezcua discusses how the Chicago Latino community fought to stay, before their eventual subsidence.
► FROM HISTORY , PAGE 1
lecture highlighted three important MCC co-founders: Anita Villarreal, a former volunteer at Jane Addam’s Hull House, Refugio Roman Martinez, a theologian and Mexican-born immigrant who fled persecution in Tampico, Tamaulipas and Rodolfo Lozoya, a WWII veteran who was also a Mexicanborn immigrant and a card-carrying member of the Communist party. The MCC helped to mobilize steel mill and stockyard workers, raise awareness of their living and working conditions and form interracial coalitions to work toward progressive goals such as the desegregation of lunch counters at a local department store. Cold war era policies and the legislation of urban renewal began the unmaking of all the strides that organized Latinos, like the MCC, had made for their community. Chicago was rapidly deteriorating and an influx of migrants exacerbated living conditions. As legislation passed to demolish buildings and create new housing, the city of Chicago planned Latinos out of the construction of new neighborhoods based on the notion that they were
a migratory community and not permanent residents of Chicago. In 1949, the city of Chicago began mass military-style deportations of Mexicans suspected of being “alien.” They were rounded up and transported by a fleet of C-46 military planes to Laredo Air Force Base where they were then deported back to Mexico. One such raid was perpetrated on the eve of Mexican Independence Day, 1954. Over 7,000 people were detained for processing and deportation by night’s end. The old Studebaker car plant that was located on the southwest side of Chicago where many Latinos had once worked was procured by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) to be used as a processing site. Amezcua posited, “the impact of the industrialization and discrimination intersected that night in the most material of ways for Mexicans and MexicanAmericans. The industrial carcass of the Studebaker plant became a cage for suspected aliens.” Policies like the Smith Act of 1940, which leveled criminal penalties towards “illegal aliens” who had proven Communist affiliations, were also aggressively put to use at this time. MCC
co-founder Martinez garnered international attention when he was found guilty by the Department of Justice in 1949 for his Communist affiliations. After four years of court battles, Martinez was put on the road towards deportation where he died of a heart attack aboard a train that was bound for his hometown of Tamaulipas. In 1957, Rodolfo Lozoya was also detained and charged under the Smith Act for his affiliations while crossing back into the U.S. after visiting his mother in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Anita Villarreal watched after the American-born daughters of Martinez after his death. She enrolled herself in real estate classes at the local YMCA and throughout the next three decades as a real estate agent she helped negotiate the unstable vacancies in Chicago’s neighborhoods which led to, among other things, the obtainment of Chicago’s bungalow belt by Latinos. Over time, Villarreal became a wellrespected elder and eventually ran for public office in 1986. The lecture is part of a colloquium hosted by the history department called “Visions of Chicana/o, Mexican American History.” The next lecture is on Oct. 29 at the history department library. ■H
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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I
n comparison to other on-campus jobs, a unique benefit that student workers of UCR Dining Services receive is a meal perk, which allows student workers to receive a meal at any campus restaurant. Prior to the school year, student workers were entitled to a free meal worth $10, yet a recent change to the meal perk program has reduced this amount to $5. Due to employing about 900 students a year —which is 3 to 4 percent of UCR’s student population — dining services has had to invest a large amount of funds in students to sustain the meal perk program. As Dining Executive Director Cheryl Garner explains, “for every 3-hour shift, it was costing us about $3.30 each time a student were to receive a meal. Multiply that by all of the shifts and students we employ and the costs quickly became astronomical.” Last year’s meal perk program amounted to at least “$25,000 each week.” However, with this new program, dining services can continue hiring more workers while cutting costs in the face of rising food prices. Additionally, Garner not-
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
ed that this meal perk change is not new to the food industry as local chain restaurants like McDonald’s or Carl’s Jr. often give their employees 20 to 50 percent discounts off of food. Though this is true, it must be kept in mind who this meal perk is personally affecting — the student workers. Let’s face it — life as a student, especially with a part-time job, is hard in this economy. Pursuing a college degree costs a pretty penny, but is necessary if one wants to find employment that pays well. To do so, students often have to pay for a number of expenses like rent, gas, textbooks, tuition (that dreaded, dreaded tuition) and school supplies to name a few. Yet as students, we endure a certain lifestyle that doesn’t exactly consist of expandable time to spend working. It’s understandable that the university put a cap of 19 hours worked on student-workers, since our main priority should be to get our degrees (why else would we be in college?). Even with a part-time job, many students are still budgeting out important necessities, such as food. On a 2012 UC-wide survey
on students’ lifestyle, when asked if they skipped meals to save money, about 10.9 percent said “somewhat often,” 9.2 percent said “often” and 6.0 percent said “very often.” While initiatives like the R’Pantry are a great step toward alleviating this situation, meal perk programs should not be dismissed, especially due to their appeal. One student worker who has worked at dining services for over two years and wishes to remain anonymous said, “That meal perk was something that I looked forward to ... food helped in a sense that during or after a shift I can easily just sit down and eat.” Due to this meal perk, many student workers apply to work for dining services in order to have not only a daily necessity, but an ease in their schedules as most students, as another anonymous student stated, “are swamped with classes and work and clubs and life.” This decrease in the meal perk wouldn’t even be an issue if the food that student workers had to buy wasn’t so expensive. While reverting back to the old program of $10 is not efficient and the current program of $5 is
not enough to buy campus meals, a middle ground of $7.50 could be a solution. Or, readjusting the meal perk program to offer meals based on how many hours a student works in one week, or allowing the meal perk to let unused money roll over which allows students to save for a better meal later. Though, beyond compromises, dining services should have considered gauging how student workers would perceive the change more directly, perhaps they should hold a forum or a meeting before pursuing the action. Just a chance for their student workers to voice their opinions. As the first anonymous student stated: “it was actually shocking to realize that they actually did that change.” The new meal perk program shouldn’t have been a “shock.” If anything, dining services should have realized how valued this H benefit was to students. ■ 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
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
9
Opinion Poll Who’s your favorite comic book superhero?
Xavier Ramos History Fourth-year “Batman.”
Karina Lunar Mathematics First-year “I don’t really know, I don’t really do comics.”
C ompiled
Yash Patel Business Administration Third-year
Aysh Hassan Business Administration Third-year
“Superman.”
“Superman.”
by
J aspery G oh
Camille Ybanez Bio Engineering First-year
Eddie Mostaghimi Neuroscience First-year “Superman. I would like to know another superhero who could fly around the earth so fast that he changes the rotation of the earth that he turns back time.”
“Superman.”
► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH
DANNY GARCIA / HIGHLANDER
Disney fans, is it fair to pay for a $1000 annual pass? JAKE GONG Contributing Writer
On October 4, Disneyland officially increased the prices of all tickets, passes and parking on their website. Most notably, the park removed their $779 premium annual passes, and a “Signature Plus Passport” was introduced for a price of $1,049. This is a price increase of $270, which is nearly a 35 percent increase from the $779 annual pass. Having recently announced its plans for a Star Wars land, Disney fans should not be too surprised that Disney raised their prices. When Disney opened Cars Land, they increased their prices in a similar fashion. In addition to the park expansion, Disneyland has been experiencing record attendance rates, and Suzi Brown, a Disneyland spokeswoman, states that
“[Disneyland’s] new selection of annual passes will help [Disneyland] manage strong demand.” While it is necessary for Disney to raise prices according to projected needs, it is not fair for the company to dramatically raise prices on their loyal fans. If prices were raised in response to inflation of the U.S. dollar, many people would understand, but Disney’s recent price hikes have not paced themselves with inflation of the dollar. According to Michael Hiltzik’s article in the Los Angeles Times, “[ the cost of Disneyland’s premium pass] more than tripled from $329 in 2004 to $1,049 now, a period in which inflation should have added only about 25% to the price.” If Disney adjusted its prices according to inflation, the cost of the best pass would be $411.25. While price
increases are pretty usual behavior, this increase is disproportionate with the history of Disney price increases. It cannot be denied that one of Disney’s jobs is to keep the park exciting for its patrons. Disney wants to expand and introduce new attractions, such as the aforementioned construction of Star Wars Land, which will be on a 14-acre plot. In order to build this park, Disney needs money, because expansion is not a cheap task. While it is unknown how much this project would cost, one can estimate the costs based on the most recent expansion: Cars Land. This attraction is a 12-acre plot that opened its doors in 2012, and it is said to have cost around five years of labor and 1.1 billion dollars. It is safe to say that Star Wars Land should be around the same ballpark range in terms
of price and construction time. In addition, the completed park will increase the cost of operation as well, but one must ask if it is justified for Disney to charge customers so much. Another of Disney’s statements is that it has too many visitors, but it cannot be helped that Disney is so popular among consumers. Many people grew up enjoying the creations of Disney. For many, the world of Disney means something special and Disneyland is a physical representation of their childhood. It does not matter too much which facet of Disney is one’s favorite, because they are all at Disneyland in some shape or form. The park has everything from the first Mickey Mouse to Star Wars. So, loyal fans faithfully invest a lot of money and energy in order to visit Disneyland.
However, most people do not have or are not able to spend such a large sum to accommodate Disney’s price hikes. It is unfair for many loyal fans, who may be discouraged from visiting, because Disney implies that the happiest place on earth is only for those who can afford it. Though Disneyland may be trying to do good for their fans by thinning the crowds and providing more attractions, the massive increase of prices is not the correct way, because the move alienates many Disney fans. What Disney is charging now is not a meager sum for most fans. Price increases may be inevitable, but Disney should only charge so much for experiencing a piece of one’s childhood. Expansions, inflation and record attendance do not justify Disney’s rapid price increase. ■H
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
COURTESY OF YOUTUBE
A demonstrator for AB 953 holds up a sign reading “end racial profiling.”
Why AB 953 is needed to fight against racial profiling ALEXANDER WILSON JR. Contributing Writer
The year is 2015 and racial profiling is still an extreme problem in America. Whether people want to admit it or not, certain people are being killed by the police more than others due to racial profiling. In my short 20 years of life, I have been the victim of racial profiling and I have seen countless examples in the media of people that bear the same skin I do. As a black man living in America, I truly believe that AB 953, the Racial and Identity Profiling Act, is a monumental step in ameliorating the relationship between the community and the police. AB 953 is extremely vital because it requires all police departments in California to collect statistics on the racial makeup of everyone the police stop,
as well as the time, date and reason for the stop. The belief is that with this new law, police departments and American citizens will finally be able to determine the validity of the claim that the police racially profile certain individuals over others. In theory, it sounds like everybody should support this law because the purpose of the police is to “protect and serve” the community, but there has been severe backlash from the law enforcement community. Their main concern is that this new law will prevent them from actually policing the community because they have to focus more on menial tasks. Lieutenant Steve James, president of the Long Beach Police Officers Association, claims that AB 953 is a “terrible piece of legislation” and also believes that “there is no racial profiling … there is just criminal profiling.” I truly can’t comprehend
uneducated statements such as these when there is overwhelming evidence about the racial disparities in who the police target or label as criminals. In counting the number of unarmed people killed by police from January 2015 to May 2015 from the U.S. Census, minorities constitute almost two-thirds of the people killed in comparison to whites. Statistics like these clearly depict the reality of America in 2015 and why racial profiling is such a pertinent issue. Furthermore, everybody knows at least one person in their life or through the media that has gone through this discrimination and this alone should be reason enough for people to want to end this epidemic. I truly believe we are one humanity, coexisting with people from all different backgrounds, skin colors, etc. But, if some don’t care about certain issues just because they
only occur to certain people, then how connected is everyone to their fellow man? America is built upon the fundamental value that all men are created equal; so why then are minorities being murdered by the police at alarming rates? The passing of AB 953 is also significant because a very similar bill was vetoed in 1999 by Governor Gray Davis. In only 16 years, society’s perspective on racial profiling has changed so dramatically that the bill was able to succeed. I really want to believe that racial profiling is a myth and that all cops don’t intend to use deadly force against minorities incredibly often, but that just isn’t the truth. Furthermore, Melina Abdullah, a Pan-African studies professor at Cal State LA had this to say, “If I were law enforcement I’d think of AB 953 as an opportunity to demonstrate that
we aren’t racially profiling … the resistance signals to me and many others that there is a lot of racial profiling happening.” I am in support of Professor Abdullah’s comments because the law enforcement agencies should have nothing to hide, and if they are covering up anything, AB 953 will finally bring it to light. Additionally, instead of these police murders of minorities being “isolated” events, they will now have substantial data and will be able to recognize patterns in bias policing. Racial profiling is something very alive and real that needs to be paid attention to. A problem left alone doesn’t improve, and thus I applaud Governor Brown, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber and everyone who was instrumental in the passing of AB 953 and making a strong step toward living in a more equal world. ■H
Is a regional police force worth it? GRACE GU Contributing Writer
UCPD officers escort a girl out of Block Party.
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
When anyone starts off in a new city, at a new college, they look at the area. Is it safe? Is it secure? We all asked these questions about the city surrounding UCR. While views on that differ, we have our own police department on the corner of campus, so the immediate area is always protected. But what about the rest of the city and county, when we aren’t going to and from classes? It turns out that 17 cities in Riverside county currently do not have their own regional police forces, but are under contracts that hire the Sheriff’s department in lieu of their own. While this may have been a great solution once upon a time, the prices have risen at least 7 percent — a trend that has been described as onerous by Lake Elsinore’s city manager, Grant Yates. These police protection services are already one of, if not the greatest part of city budgets, and forms of tax revenue from property and sales have not kept up. Well, what alternative is there? A regional police force would certainly be a great permanent solution, it seems. As always, starting out any venture requires a significant price, but can be a beneficial investment. As a small scale example, take study-
ing. Oftentimes, it will replace a more favorable activity, and can be tiring or unenjoyable. However, with diligence and hard work, all the hours spent translate into knowledge and experience, which results in an A on the next exam or even an employment opportunity. Though the returns are not always immediate, the end result is worth more than what those hours would have been otherwise spent on — whether that’s one more outing with friends or additional time watching television. Following this line of reasoning, the decision to have a regional police force would mean working toward a new solution rather than sticking with contracts and their cost hikes. For example, a “joint powers of authority” act was proposed to several mayors at a meeting in Temecula. This plan, if carried through, will include 13 cities looking to bring a better solution to the public. Currently, this entails ending the contracts and forming a new joint police agency, so that the participating cities would be able to work as a group to combat expenses and function independently of the Riverside County Sheriff Department. The process has been slow, and according to Moreno Valley City Manager Michelle Dawson, “It’s just an opportunity to explore one potential avenue of saving money. I don’t know if it’s feasible. None of us
do. That’s why we need an expert consultant on board to let us know if it’s even possible.” Needing an expert consultant is just one of the setbacks — many city officials have predicted another layer of bureaucracy, and smaller cities are likely to opt out of the joint powers authority plan on account of how much the effort could cost, but I believe the end result is worth it. What has been simply start-up talk has already resulted in an audit of city expenses in order to better understand the situation. The audit was authorized by county supervisors earlier this year after cities have made known their complaints about the increase in contract rates. Representing the cities, San Jacinto has requested and will be taking proposals from consultants until October 22. By November 17, evaluation of bidders will finish and the resulting contract will be brought to the city council in December to begin working out expected changes. The plan has not been without criticism and opposing voices have pointed out that the current contracts are cost effective, but there is no guarantee the system will stay that way. Making long-term improvements through smart decisions and logical evaluations such as these will lead to much better prospects and I believe a regional police force would enhance the county of Riverside for all of us. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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R’PERSPECTIVE: Letting them hit rock bottom AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer
Crackhead, junkie, burn out, bag bitch, dope fiend, druggie, all terms designated for what psychologists and medical doctors deem a drug addict. Appearing in dilapidated houses, street corners and prison cells across movie and television screens, the “junkie” is the utmost social pariah, someone who willingly destroys their life and ruins those of everyone around them. Living with one opened my eyes and shattered that perception. For a year, I lived in an apartment with a heroin addict, watched him slowly deteriorate in every human aspect and tried to hide this secret from my parents. I gave embarrassed looks to my guests each time they were greeted with the sight of him and his girlfriend nodding out on the couch. Standing by as a neutral observer, I was afraid to get involved out of fear that it would cause a confrontation. I eventually became apathetic to the situation as his addiction progressed. The problem with these stereotypes and images is that they are often incomplete. The slow mental and physical deterioration that occurs makes it almost impossible for an observer to intervene directly. There were many times when he claimed he wanted to “get clean” before leaving later that day to score another gram of heroin, a few grams of over the counter prescription drugs and then later some meth. I can say my high school health class and anti-drug pro-
paganda pushed at me by Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) and other programs failed miserably. Instead of accurately describing what drugs actually do, they were always more focused on portraying stereotypes of drug users and addicts. A college undergraduate struggling with depression and anxiety attacks is rarely depicted in anti-drug videos in favor of smug guys with poorly trimmed facial hair and a black beanie, or a high schooler smoking a joint. My rationale for ignoring it all was that it wasn’t directly hurting me initially. After all it was his well-being, his health, his mind. Then, money I had stored in a box was stolen. Later, he began asking for an advance on a utility bill every two weeks, which would almost always amounted to $80 — enough to purchase two grams of heroin — before leaving for a couple of hours and returning with a brown bag. Maybe I was enabling him the times I forwarded him the cash for utility bills. I really don’t know. There were many things I could’ve done to intervene; contact his mother, the police, anyone. I was more preoccupied with staying occupied. Whether it was taking up extra shifts at work, or taking extra news stories, any excuse to leave the apartment was welcome. On the rare occasions I was there, I tried to sleep through the shouting matches between the couple, accusing each other of stealing money or drugs around the house. I would walk home to find a few more of their
COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
drug addict “friends” passing the foil to get a hit. To this day, I still have a hard time smelling the scent of vinegar reminiscent of the smoke clouds that invaded my apartment. It eventually built up to the point where I needed to move out, as the shouting matches and their condition were creating a hostile atmosphere. Every time I left my room, tensions would increase between us as he either lounged around the apartment or became very anxious and paranoid to receive his next fix. I saw him one last time after I moved out, right before his mother intervened and sent him off to a rehab center in Florida.
At that point, I just remember the chaotic atmosphere as his soon to be ex-girlfriend reached into the wallet of one of their “guests” and stole $150 in front of us. That guest, who was a convicted car thief, ended up stealing my old roommates car — which my roommate let him borrow — before abandoning it near Artesia. The experience left me mentally exhausted. Every moment I had in that hellhole made me extremely anxious, yet the pathetic look on his face during his withdrawals made me pity him. The hell he had been living in was visibly worse. While I never understood what it was, something led him to cope with
his problems by using heroin as a quick fix. Watching someone’s descent to rock bottom was disturbing, yet I don’t hold guilt for letting it happen. My general ignorance of him led to some comfort regarding my understanding of his addiction. Maybe one day I’ll understand, but until then, I take comfort knowing it eventually led to him receiving the treatment he needed. While he didn’t finish his degree, life is looking up for him. He has a steady job now and a new girlfriend to compliment his sobriety. Maybe one day I can get to know him again, like I once did, before his addiction H hijacked my memory of him. ■
R’PERSPECTIVE:
Disney fan or oblivious idiot? KATE RUSMISELLE Contributing Writer
I love BuzzFeed. People like to bag on BuzzFeed for their Disney obsession, but it’s cool with me because I love Disney. I’m sure I saw my first “Disney Princesses reimagined as other races” post through BuzzFeed. The fan art was simply gorgeous. The Disney princesses look great as other races. So when I saw a similar post by Clipd, I just had to look. So I look at the reimaginings and am thoroughly impressed, but something was nagging at me. Something was purposely left out, and I’m wondering if I would ever see it in these fan art reimaginings. As it so happens, no one had commented on the post yet. I knew my comment would get replies, especially it being the first. I’ll admit it. I was hesitant to comment at all. Why open this can of worms? But others had made this sort of comment before, and it always ended up being an interesting conversation. I took the plunge. I didn’t expect that a week later I would end up with 389 likes and 70 replies. Here’s what I originally said: “So shouldn’t some nonwhite princesses (or characters to be accurate) be reimagined as white? Or would that be racist? I’m fine with “reimagining princess as non-white races” but you should label it that if you’re going to be exclusive.” The general consensus
was yes, it would be racist, I shouldn’t complain at all (although I still stipulate that I wasn’t complaining, just curious) and that of course the artist wouldn’t do that because the majority of Disney princesses are white, which I know. Hello? Major Disney fan over here! Of course I noticed. I was curious to see who liked my comment. It turned out to be mostly white people. Great. But, thankfully, some people of color liked my comment. My point wasn’t that white people were being treated unfairly by not having been part of this fan art, it is just a Disney post after all. But to ask why in 2015, would one example of a nonwhite princess reimagined as a white person, be so outrageous? A Social Justice Warrior, or SJW, is a derogative term you can find on Urban Dictionary. SJW is used for people who comment on the big social issues — for example, racism — to enhance their own personal reputation. I see this a lot on Buzzfeed, usually from white males: “If BuzzFeed made this post about women or black people it would be called sexist or racist.” BuzzFeed has this naughty habit of objectifying men and joking about white people, so many SJWs want BuzzFeed to even the score by objectifying women and having lists like “Things Black People Should Stop Doing.” No one likes double standards. But there are some things you don’t budge on. For as long as we
live, black people will be able to use the “race card” because our oppressive history will always be a part of us. Feminism will always be a noble cause, because women deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I can’t speak for my entire race, or for any other race for that matter, but I hope that people understand that black people are not just lurking around on social media waiting to shout “racist!” at everything that relates to us. I don’t know if racism will end. I don’t know if women will one day be paid the same amount of money as men. I do think it’s good that people speak up when people do some truly messed up things on social media, like when Gerod Roth’s unauthorized selfie with his co-worker’s 3-year-old black son went viral on Facebook after Roth and his friends made racist comments like, “’But Massuh, I dindu nuffin’.” People on the Internet like to generalize 2015 as the year people were offended by “everything.” In other words, we’re too “sensitive.” We should learn how to take a joke. Some things aren’t funny. Some things we should be offended by because they are offensive. People usually know the difference between right and wrong, some, unfortunately, haven’t figured it out yet. I care about social justice. I care when things aren’t fair. But, I’m also just a huge Disney fan who likes fan art. ■H
COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
R’PERSPECTIVE: To eat or not to meat KIMBERLY MILLER Contributing Writer
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Vegan and vegetarian options offer benefits that many are starting to hop on board with.
Our ears are constantly swarmed with information on living a healthy lifestyle and how to eat well. Influenced by the shapely celebrities we idolize on social media and the well-arranged images of fruit bowls on Pinterest, many of us are encouraged to at least consider what we put into our bodies. Alike many seemingly basic girls, I have tried to adopt a vegan diet and lifestyle. What was once a small inkling of interest promoted by pictures and persuasion, budded into a concern for animal rights and a fascination with the health benefits I could be gaining by eliminating the dairy and meat from my diet. My argument today isn’t to convince others to follow my lead, but to shed light on the difficulty of maintaining this lifestyle in a college setting. Unoriginally, I am another struggling college student whose debt is piling up like the number of papers I’ve written since my first year. Considering this, I’ve noticed the strain a vegan diet has taken on my wallet. Despite spending less on each visit to the grocery store, I have noticed that I frequent the shops to maintain an unspoiled collection of produce in my refrigerator. Granted, I could choose to eat more cost-efficiently with french fries, potato chips or other less perishable, but still vegan, foods. But, if I began this lifestyle change to put better things into my body, I wanted to ensure that I was focusing on nutrient-rich, plant-based foods. Sourcing out healthy plantbased foods during nearly every meal of the day comes at a cost. The only word better than “cheap” to a college student is, you guessed it: “free.” Clubs and organizations often
catch the interest of students with free food. On the day of the Fall Involvement Fair, for example, a large chalkboard sign promoted free ChickFil-A sandwiches. Distraught between the temptation of a free lunch that would have been a no-brainer months ago, and my current feelings on eating meat led me to walk away, knowing that I would have to pay for my next meal but wouldn’t be paying for the regrets of cheating my own diet. During Block Party, I walked around the food trucks and club tents, struggling to find any food options that I could purchase. Even at the Highlander newspaper meeting, free pizza. The generosity of these organizations is captivating and appreciated — not to mention logical considering the interests of most students — but simply demonstrate some of the struggles I’ve faced during my transition into my newfound diet. It seems obvious that I won’t be getting free bananas and salads handed out at these events, but even inside Scotty’s, the vegan options are significantly more expensive and the produce, scarce. Despite the controversy of veganism, from my personal research I see the benefits of living a life that is more plant-based and less dairy and meat-focused as our American lifestyles have undoubtedly become. Admittedly, most of the research I have found is controversial and everyone has an opinion. Nonetheless, I have come to the conclusion that this lifestyle is a better one than the one I used to live, and the kind that I want to attempt to live by. I want to concentrate on the end game, knowing that eating well has an impact on my life in the long run. I guess the bottom line is that it is hard to care about my life as a whole when I am tempted by all the things in ■H the present.
safe and most of all that they matter. Now I get to help students like me and take their fear of the unknown away from them. I help students gain confidence in the classroom and talk to them about how to get to college. Simply giving students the support they need to not feel afraid of facing challenges they are not used to and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones is well worth the hard work. City Year has also given me many opportunities to develop my professional skills. Over the past couple of months of my service I’ve seen growth and development in my time management and leadership skills. As a City Year AmeriCorps member, there are always lots of things going on at once, but the key
is to not overwhelm myself. I have gained confidence and the tools needed to lead a group and organize events. This has always been one of my biggest fears, but I learned that mistakes are okay because they are part of the process to success. Collaborating with teachers is helping me to better my skills every day and in turn puts me in a position to better help my students. Working with a very diverse team has really opened my eyes and shown me what is outside of my own world. The last two months have been amazing and I have seen such a big positive change in myself. I want to be the best I can be to students and hope to make the difference in the lives of others. This is why I chose City Year.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: UCR alumna gives back to her community F rom D alacely N oemi A lvarez , ‘15
I
strongly believe that no student should be excluded from attending a college or university — every student should be given the chance to reach their dreams and goals. I am a first generation college graduate in my family and I didn’t have anyone to show me how to get to college. Not because my family didn’t want to, but because they didn’t know how to. When I got there, I was afraid to ask questions, afraid of rejection and most of all afraid of failure. Getting through school has been my toughest journey so far because I felt like I was facing all of my challenges alone. I struggled to fit in, understand and be involved in my school. I made a lot of mistakes, and at the time didn’t realize that I was not the only one. There
were plenty of other students fighting my same battles. After four years of investing time, sweat and tears in my education, I received my BA in Chicano Studies this past June. Because I believe that every student should be given the same opportunity and support towards a better education, I joined City Year. City Year is an education organization fueled by national service. We partner with public schools in highpoverty urban communities to help students graduate from high school ready for college and career success. Teams of diverse AmeriCorps members serve full-time in schools, where they directly support academic achievement and student engagement — in and out of the classroom.
I chose to serve in Los Angeles to give back to my community and work against the educational inequality in the public school system there. A lack of resources has resulted in students not developing helpful study habits and having little to no interest in their education. Many students have fallen behind and are not performing at their correct grade level, which discourages them from applying to college. Some students need more help than others. Fortunately, City Year allows me to invest time and dedicate more attention to those students who need it most. My team and I encourage every student to try their best and remind them that they can do it. City Year’s presence in the middle school I serve makes students feel
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.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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COMICS You know what, Scotty? I thought I’d stop being such a newb after the first few weeks of school, but I was wrong.
I still have trouble catching my breath whenever I walk back to Pentland from class.
I’m still “that kid” walking around with a campus map.
Worst of all, I lost my ID card, got locked out of my building with no phone AND my roommates are gone for the weekend!! VICTORIA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER
SOURDOOGLE: PART 1
DANNI WEI / HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
Features
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EVERYTHING’S VALE
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ale? Vale. No, no. Not the lacy thing that women put on their heads at weddings. In Castilian Spanish, vale (pronounced ball-eh) can mean many things. In most cases, it’s a variation of okay, or sure. It’s slang, pure and simple. It’s something you get to know when you spend seven weeks in a country. Strange how a simple word can represent and remind you of an entire trip, but in the case of my seven weeks in Madrid this summer, it reminds me of the dream that was the flash of time I spent on the Iberian Peninsula. The circumstances that led me to Spain aren’t completely unique, but they are not exactly how I planned it. I had wanted to study abroad since my freshman year, but work obligations had not allowed me to go without giving up my job. I knew I wanted to go to Europe, but originally I was planning on somewhere in the UK — preferably England. With graduation approaching, however, and a lone breadth requirement remaining — foreign language— I knew I couldn’t be picky. More than anything, this trip represented a personal growth experience with unpredictable highs and lows. It’s cliche to talk about coming back from a study abroad trip and feeling changed, but it is difficult not to feel that way at least a little bit when you are not simply visiting a country on vacation, but living there for an extended time. My program included two classes. The first, Spanish Culture, was a breeze. Taught in English and meeting only twice a week, the class was an interesting, albeit brief look into the rich history and varied cultures of Spain. The other class was a Spanish language course in the highest offered level because I needed to fulfill my requirement taught entirely in — you guessed it — Spanish. Though that course was way more difficult than I ever bargained a study abroad class to be, I learned not only a lot about the language, but gained friendships and connections I cherish because of the small class size. There were times in the beginning of the program, that, at least partially because of that class, I just wanted to fly home. The class felt overwhelming, and being in a foreign country and continent thousands of miles (ahem—kilometers) from home with a bunch of people you’ve never met is somewhat of a jarring experience. Loneliness can be very real. But thanks to great new friendships, roommates and a barrage of new experiences, most of this faded away. Looking back at the sequence of events and places I went, there is no way to say it does not feel like a dream. Segovia, an ancient Roman town, had an 800 year old aqueduct and a castle (which partially inspired the Disneyland castle) that I climbed to the top of. A Garita De Herbeira,
MY SEVEN WEEKS IN ESPANA JAKE RICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
where I rollicked through clouds and cows and stared off one of the highest bluffs in Europe. Santiago de Compostela, supposed resting place of Saint James and home to some of the most beautiful architecture in Spain. A Coruna, a historic beach town in the northwestern region of Galicia with one of the most breathtaking sunsets you’ll ever see. Barcelona, the second most visited city in all of Europe, home to FC Barcelona, beaches, a Picasso museum and Sagrada Familia, the astounding modernist cathedral that is still under construction after over 100 years. And the one city I visited outside of Spain: Paris, where
These moments are things that cannot be planned. They just happen. every step looked like a postcard, sparkling water came out of water fountains, and the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were all just as magnificent in person. And that list doesn’t even get down to the feelings and things that happened at those places. Partying until almost 7 a.m., capped off with churros con chocolate. Drinking kalimotxo (a.k.a. red wine and Coke) in the park at night until early hours with friends from California. Bars that looked like caves. Tiny grocery stores that played Kendrick Lamar, EDM, country and pop music within the same visit. Jamon, and lots of it. Obnoxiously lovable Australians in Barcelona, and debates on the correct pronunciation of the word aluminum. Rooftop bars with roommates with a view of a palace. A random dirt soccer field with tons of stray cats. Seeing the end of the Tour de France in the rain, by myself in Paris on my birthday. These moments are things that cannot be planned. They just happen. The reason I list all these things is to try and highlight the absurdity of doing all of this over the course of seven weeks. It felt incredibly long yet instantaneous. It is impossible to distill this experience and all its events entirely into one article. So here’s to the apartment at Principe Pio. Here’s to the rest of the students in the program and the staff and professors that made this trip worthwhile. Here’s to the people of Spain that showed me a different way from my own, and made every Metro ride entertaining. If I ever get the chance to go back, my answer would be simple. Si. Vale. ■H
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FEATURES
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
CAMPUS COPE
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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
WHERE TO STUDY WHERE TO SLEEP KIMBERLY MILLER, CONTRIBUTING WRITER WHERE TO GO
uring the first year of college it is easy to fall into a rut of spending 80 percent of your time outside of class in the comfortable niche of your dorm room. During an hour gap between classes, you can still manage to walk back to your room and take a nap or watch a show before heading back out. If you live off campus, however, it seems less worthwhile to go back home, so I have tried to take advantage of the surprisingly large campus that UCR has. Hopefully my investigation will pique your interest in exploring UCR for the best study spots, napping nooks and even more bearable bathrooms to check out.
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
STUDY SPOTS First off, level up … literally. When it comes to outdoor study spots, places like the HUB have a nice open space where people are always gathered eating, studying and socializing. But if you move your eyes up slightly, there are more tables on the second floor where the view is a little grander and the amount of people and noise … less grand. While you’re already near the HUB, check out the inside study lounges as well. On the second floor, there are booths and tables with better Internet access. For less noise and less of the Panda Express fragrance, you can walk a bit further down the hall of the second floor to find more seating where there’s fewer people. I have recently discovered a couple of gardens with memorial benches, which are perfect for those of you that want to feel a little more in-tune with nature while you study. Some memorial gardens are located around the Rivera library and by the Arts building. In addition, the upper balcony of Bourns Hall is nicely adorned with foliage for a study space that’s easy on the eyes. If you are looking for a cooler place, temperature-wise, the ground floor of the Materials Science and Engineering Building is the perfect place to retreat to.
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER
NAPPING AREAS We’ve all experienced staying up for many hours browsing our Facebook feeds, catching up on Netflix or sometimes actually studying, not thinking ahead to our early morning class the next day. For those days when you just need to close your eyes before
your next class, the HUB area might just take the crown for the best indoor napping area. On the second level of the cylindrical building is the lounge. Walking in, you are surrounded with couches to sink into that face the windows, and it’s less social compared to its rowdier counterpart upstairs. There are plenty of outlets and it’s definitely worth checking out for the commuters out there. On the third floor hallway, there are
long padded seats that, if you are lucky enough to snag all for yourself, could be a quiet place to catch some shut-eye. Feeling adventurous and outdoorsy? With the weather cooling down slightly, it might be time to start taking a look at the grassy options that UCR offers. The upper balconies of the Arts building or the grass courtyard of the Business building are rather spacious making it a relaxing place to sprawl out and take a break.
BATHROOMS
JEFFREY CHANG / HIGHLANDER
Going to the bathroom is inevitable if you’re on campus for the entire day. Whether you’re washing your hands or doing whatever it is you need to do, no one actually enjoys entering the overcrowded, line-ridden bathrooms that reek. Except maybe for those occasional laughs you get from reading the back of a bathroom stall door. Regardless, for some, it matters which bathroom you choose. If you’re having a bad day and you choose the wrong (and grosser) bathroom that ran out of toilet paper or only has half of the stalls functioning, it can really put a damper on your day. To be frank, some of the bath-
rooms on campus are pretty disgusting and even creepy with the double doors enclosing a tiny, mysterious room with strange sounds and seemingly permanently broken stalls. Granted, most of you won’t be making a trek across campus just to get to the “best of the best” of the bathrooms; but if you’re nearby, here are some of the cleaner and less crowded locations. Check out the ground level of the Materials Science and Engineering Building or the third floor of the HUB to avoid the slow moving parade of students during lunch hour. If you are in the further part of campus, opt for the Psychology building where paper towels and toilet paper are always freshly
stocked for your convenience. In the end it is up to you and how you feel that day. Despite these great study and lounge spots, I sometimes find myself hiding away in one of the couches in the Humanities building where I typically wait for my counselor, or on a bench in Sproul Hall’s interior courtyard. But I guess that’s the perk of having such a large campus: it has lots nooks and crannies where you can comfortably read, study or take a breather. I encourage you all to stroll a little bit further and look a little higher the next time you are on campus and find somewhere new to get on your study grind.
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FEATURES
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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Restaurant Review:
Tiffany Liaw, senior staff writer Vincent Ta, photography editor
A
s I drove through the University Village frantically looking for parking to get lunch, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention: a logo that vaguely resembled a bitten ice cream cookie sandwich. Being the extreme ice cream fanatic that I am, I braked suddenly (I’m a safe driver, I swear) to take a closer look at the spot where Polar Bear Shaved Ice used to be. To my delight, the subtitle confirmed my suspicions as it read: “ice cream sandwich.” From then on, I vowed to return in hopes of writing a restaurant review and to fully experience this new gem in the UV. I returned on a 86 degree, sunny day to enjoy a dessert at Slickables with some friends. What was once a black and white colored interior was converted into a bright orange, black and white theme, instantly giving off a happier vibe in comparison to the hip and modern atmosphere that Polar Bear boasted. Despite the fact that the main dining area had entirely empty walls (probably because this place just opened merely two weeks ago), the hallway area was decorated with a giant framed chalkboard menu that displayed the flavors of all the cookies and ice creams, along with a three-step instruction list. The first thing I noticed was that the ice cream sandwiches were only two dollars. Yes, you read that correctly; two dollars! I also couldn’t resist their “day young” cookie packets for a dollar strategically placed by the register, which I personally thought was a steal for four cookies. The cheap college student inside me lit up with complete joy — I can finally have a satisfying dessert for $2.16 (with tax)! The instructions were simple: 1. pick any two cookies, you can mix and match, 2. pick any one ice cream flavor and 3. they will assemble your creations. For those of you who don’t necessarily feel like having an ice cream sandwich, they also sell individual ice cream scoops for roughly a dollar each, cookies for 50 cents each, brownies for a dollar each, sundaes for two
dollars and homestyle milkshakes for $3.50 and up, which are mixed with ice cream, milk and any toppings you wish to add such as a brownie, cookie or sauces. I must admit that at first glance, I was a little overwhelmed by their extensive cookie flavors that included flavors like chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, funfetti sprinkled cookies and mint chip, as well as a wide array of ice cream flavors such as cookie dough, cookies and cream, butter pecan and green tea. This was exciting but a little concerning, as I didn’t want to go crazy and mix and match a disgusting sandwich. After some contemplation, however, I decided to get a snickerdoodle
and funfetti cookie, with cookies and cream ice cream. I bit into my beautifully crafted ice cream cookie sandwich, confirming my friend Christal’s observation of the cookie giving off a doughy texture. It was soft but definitely not to the point of gooeyness (yes I enjoy my cookies a tiny bit undercooked) and the ice cream was the perfect filling. Although the worker gave me vanilla ice cream instead of cookies and cream, my sandwich was just as delicious and satisfying as I had imagined, and I secretly thank her for making the mistake since cookies and cream might have made it too sweet for me. “I only wish that the cookie was warm...,” said my other
The cheap college student inside me lit up with complete joy.
RATING ★★★★☆ LOCATION 1223 University Ave. Suite 100, Riverside CA, 92507 PRICE $ HOURS Sun. - Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight CATEGORY Ice cream, cookies, dessert CREDIT YES WEBSITE http://www.slickables.com/
friend Cody, as he went in for another bite of his cookies and cream ice cream sandwiched in between a snickerdoodle and a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Even though a warm cookie might have made the experience even more droolworthy, it was heavenly nonetheless. My only critique is that the entire combination was still a little too sweet for me so I couldn’t finish my dessert without downing a cup of water.
Also, toward the end it was difficult to maintain the sandwich shape so I had to resort to using a spoon. Either way, Slickables’ made for a very pleasing and budgetfriendly cheat-day dessert. With its wide selection of flavors and combinations, it’s definitely worth the $2.16 if you’re looking for a location close to campus to satisfy your sweet tooth when just ice cream isn’t enough. ■H
Be remembered.
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Interested in writing? Shooting? Designing? Join the Highlander every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101 to learn more about the exciting opportunities available for you to pursue your creative interests and enrich your college experience.
Highlander
xxx
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
EVENTS THIS WEEK 10/14
Simon Armitage: reading and book signing @ CHASS Interdisciplinary South 1113, 5-6:30 p.m. Pierce Street Jazz @ La Sierra University , 7-10 p.m.
10/15
Science-fiction studies symposium @ Culver Center, 2-5 p.m.
ANT PHAN / HIGHLANDER
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
MOVIE REVIEW
COMING OUT SOON: CRIMSON PEAK
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
GOOSEBUMPS STEVE JOBS
BURNT SPECTRE
PAN // RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ KYLE OMORI Contributing Writer
If you have a shred of sentiment or love toward the original Disney animated film “Peter Pan” or the film “Hook,” then I highly suggest that you do not see this movie. However, if you like completely unremarkable dialogue, “surprises” that can be seen coming from a mile away or the most counterintuitive costume design ever, then by all means. The “Pan,” screenplay by Jason Fuchs and directed by Joe Wright, tells the backstory of Peter Pan, played by Levi Miller. The movie opens on baby Peter being dropped off at an orphanage by his mother who bestows a pan flute necklace upon him; this movie is about as subtle as a gun going off. The film jumps ahead 12 years during World War II where we see Peter being treated horribly in the orphanage by the nuns. It turns out that the nuns are actually selling the children at night to pirates who wear clothes that look like they were rejects from the Cirque du Soleil collection. Peter finds himself in Neverland where all of the children who have ever been taken by Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) are working in mines to find fairy dust. Blackbeard’s entrance is greeted by everyone singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (because apparently Nirvana had
that big of an influence 50 years before their origin) before he declares the laws of Neverland: to work hard in his mines. This is where we find a twohanded James Hook, played by Garrett Hedlund, who resembles and sounds more like a cowboy than a pirate. Blackbeard sees Pan fly for his first time and takes him to his quarters where he reveals a prophecy that a boy who can fly would lead the Natives, who hide in the forests of the island, in a rebellion against him. He goes on to say that this is a dream where you never wake up, but it was more like a nightmare and it only lasted two hours. Hook manages to help Pan escape into the jungles and away from the pirates, only for them to be kidnapped by Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) and the Neverland natives. Now it’s bad enough that they casted a Caucasian for the role of a Native American princess, but the movie also took the liberty to create a romantic relationship between the Native princess and Hook, making the sentimental Disney child within cringe. Tiger Lily shows Pan a magical memory tree and tells of the atrocities that Blackbeard has committed against the people and fairies of the world. He ravaged Neverland for fairy dust in order to retain his youth by smoking and inhaling it (I told you it was subtle). She tells him that he must lead the fight to bring back
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. STUDIO
peace, but he regrets to inform her that he does not know how to fly again. Blackbeard manages to track down Pan and company and kills a large amount of the Natives, who turn into puffs of colored powder when they die instead of simply falling to the ground. There is a small nod to Robin Williams and his role in “Hook,” but not even that considerate easter egg could save this sinking ship. Blackbeard nearly kills Pan in the skirmish and tells him to “think a happy thought” (the pirates repeat this annoying phrase several times) but does not manage to finish the deed. Once again, Pan
manages to escape along with Hook and Tiger Lily who take him to a magical lake where one is able to recall the past (there are a lot of these kind of memory recalling objects in Neverland, apparently). The three then leave to find the land of the fairies in order to discover Peter’s destiny, but once again, Blackbeard attacks. In the land of the fairies, there is an unlimited supply of Blackbeard’s personally preferred drug of choice and he begins to kill off the inhabitants with reckless abandon. Pan eludes the pirate thanks to a fairy named Tinker Bell and begins the battle to end Blackbeard. The anticlimactic
Smasher. The season two premiere definitely brought with it some strong points as well as some weak points. The cast is as great as ever, with Gustin portraying a different side of Allen. He showcased his ability to portray a more down-in-the-dumps Allen, whom we’ve always seen so bright and cheerful. The whole cast feels more comfortable with each other now which makes the chemistry between them very natural. In the special effects department, we’re used to seeing Flash run at high speeds, and for a TV show that’s doesn’t have as big of a budget as some blockbuster superhero movies, it’s respectable. Although, when
it comes to Atom Smasher, some things go down a notch. The effects of Atom Smasher changing in size are sometimes wonky and kind of off putting. The character also didn’t leave too much impact as we didn’t really get to see his character be fleshed out much, other than a required antagonist role for the episode. The ending upped the ante on what’s to come for the rest of the season. After Atom Smasher is defeated, he reveals that he went after The Flash because a new menace known as Zoom promised he’d get him home after he defeated him. Afterward, when everyone gathers at S.T.A.R. Labs, an unknown intruder comes with a message. The world is in
and all too predictable conflict comes to a conclusion when Pan finally is able to fly and summons forth a stream of fairies to swarm Blackbeard, looking very much like a character from an equally horrible film, “The Last Airbender.” After Neverland rejoices in the fall of Blackbeard, Pan returns to the orphanage one last time to liberate the remaining boys from the tyrannical grip of the nuns and takes them aboard the ship now captained by Hook. As they all sail through the sky to the second star to the right, Pan and Hook make a pact to remain comrades for the rest of their days (and cue the eye roll). ■H
TELEVISION REVIEW THE FLASH // RATING: ★★★★☆ ADRIAN GARCIA Contributing Writer
Audiences got their first look at a modern, live adaptation of DC Comics’ own scarlet speedster last year with CW’s “The Flash.” With superheroes dominating movie screens in recent years from both Marvel and DC Comics, “The Flash” broke out of the vast array of superheroes to bring us one of the best liveaction adaptations of a comic book hero on television. Season one of “The Flash” was the best season one of any show I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched a lot. It grew considerably better with every episode and brought fun, excitement, drama, twists, turns and one of a kind characters. So now, season two is finally here with its first episode, “The Man Who Saved Central City.” This is of course referencing what Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) as The Flash had to do in the season one finale. It was such a galactic event it’s hard not to talk about it and the consequences it had for our cast. After seeing no hope in defeating the ominous Eobard Thawne (Rick Cosnett) from the future, also known as The Reverse Flash, Eddie Thawne, our suave Central City detective and accomplice to The Flash, shot himself. This is to prevent Eobard from existing in the future, since they’re distant relatives. This causes Eobard Thawne to be erased from existence, but because time was altered, a gigantic wormhole opens up over Central City. Is that all making sense? Stick with me, because that’s how season one ended with its huge cliffhanger. Now after waiting for so long, we’re here at the first episode of season two taking place six months after the wormhole invaded Central City. Now the
city, believing Allen saved them from ultimate destruction, creates a new holiday known as The Flash Day. But Allen is depressed because of the wormhole’s lasting consequences. We’re shown through flashbacks that Allen, in order to stop the wormhole’s devastation, put himself in danger to run at fast speeds within the wormhole. With the help of Firestorm, a superpowered flame shifter and ally of The Flash, they managed to contain and close the wormhole, but at an expense. When their bodies fuse together, physicist Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Barry’s friend Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell) come together as Firestorm. While inside the wormhole, Firestorm had to sacrifice himself in order to stop it. Stein made it out alive, while his other half, Raymond, seemingly perished. Flash forward to present day and the members of Team Flash are separated. Allen is alone and depressed, thinking it was his fault Raymond died. Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) is still with the Central City Police Department with the help of tech whiz Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) who now aids the department’s efforts in new technology. Also, Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), a former S.T.A.R. Labs assistant, works at Mercury Labs. While at first hesitant to appear at The Flash Day event, Allen shows up at the last minute to receive the key to the city. Things go awry when a big brute attacker disturbs the peace at the event. Known as Atom Smasher due to his ability to grow in size and strength, the character is played by Adam Copeland and renders Allen powerless. With Team Flash apart, they slowly come together again and agree to help a restrained Allen stop Atom
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. TELEVISION
grave danger and he needs the help of Team Flash. The stranger (Jay Barrick, an older incarnation of The Flash) has time traveled to the present to warn Allen and the team. This raises the stakes considerably in what appears to be an exciting season on the horizon. Overall, the premiere episode was a solid start for the second season. While the cast is as great as ever, the obligatory antagonist in this episode brought nothing but a message, wonky special effects and not much more. If “The Flash” looks to head in the direction season one went, with episodes getting considerably better, it looks like it might have another great run this year. ■H
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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the cytherial factor monochromatic fall lookbook Nelson Luu, Staff Writer | Photos by Jaspery Goh
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Suit: Express Shirt: Forever 21 Shoes: Aldo Belt and Backpack: Coach Accessories Sunglasses: ZeroUV Bracelets and Watch: Aldo Band: Antique Elephant Ring: Buffalo Exchange
Shirt: H&M Pants: Express Hat & HUF top: Crossroads Trading Co. Shoes: Adidas
Tops: Buffalo Exchange Bottoms: Express Shoes: Adidas
here is something so sleek and chic about the color black. It slims down the body and makes you look badass without much effort. After the past couple of months of seeing so much color around me, I always relish when the weather gets cooler and my closet becomes more and more desaturated. While all black or almost all black ensembles can give off an Addams family vibe (unless that’s your aesthetic), there are ways to play around with monochromes and make it look incredibly chic and effortless. In this lookbook, I created three very different looks that play on the monochrome style that you can rock this fall. My first look is perfect for the chillier mornings that are bound to come in a few weeks. This jacket is a new favorite of mine that I picked up from Buffalo Exchange. Dark florals are one of my favorite patterns to work with. I’ve always felt that florals were way too showy for my tastes but the muted, cameolike patterns on this dark, military inspired jacket is just minimal enough for me. The problem I tend to have with long-hemmed jackets is that my body tends to get lost in all of the fabric. Luckily, this jacket comes with a drawstring around the waist that I can work with and rolling up the sleeves helps break up the black in the outfit. A playful skeletal shirt from Buffalo Exchange, Express pants and my Adidas rounds out this look.
My next outfit centers heavily around this black button up from H&M. I recently went shopping at their store in Tyler mall and was surprised to find a full streetwear collection to work with. A lot of their pieces would work really well with a monochrome theme and play with long silhouettes. When tied around the waist, I can create an elongated look that is really light and airy. I see a lot of dancers tying shirts around the waist and I think that it’s a great casual look to sport; and because the hem is a lot longer than most typical button ups, it adds a lot of interest to the outfit.
For the top, I went with my trusty HUF jersey that I bought at Crossroads Trading Co. and Adidas and finished off the look with a studded hat from Crossroads. Finally, my last look is the perfect outfit for a night out on the town. I got this as an investment piece from Express. Since I’m graduating in a few weeks, I need a reliable suit that not only works for conservative job interviews, but is also versatile enough to work in almost any situation that requires me to dress up. Now, I should put a disclaimer that this outfit is a bit on the pricy side which is why I call it an
investment piece. Even though I bought it on sale at an outlet location, the total cost of the suit, shoes and tailoring put me back a few hundred dollars. However, compared to bargain suits that I’ve bought in the past, this suit is far superior in terms of fit, comfort and durability. My past suits have all fallen apart after a year of use and I continuously had to buy and tailor new suits which became much more expensive than it was worth. I’ve bought a couple of other pieces from Express in the past and committed to saving up for a new suit through them once I realized how long they lasted and how n well they maintained over the years. To finish off the look and add some fun to the outfit, I wore a quirky black and gold animal print shirt from Forever 21. It’s a bold print that blends nicely into the sleek look of the suit and since it’s a short sleeve, I stay relatively cool underneath the jacket. In terms of accessories, I kept it simple with my trusty Aldo watch and bracelets. A pack of about five or six bracelets cost me about $15, which I thought was a steal. My shades were from a collaboration that I did with ZeroUV recently and the necklaces were from Forever 21 and Crossroads Trading Co. While the days get continually darker and the weather chillier and chillier, these monochromatic looks will hopefully bring some edge to match the (hopefully) cooling weather. ■H
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
AN EVENING OF
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f you’ve never stumbled into Back to the Grind, you’re certainly missing out. A charming, cozy coffee shop located in downtown Riverside, Back to the Grind is the perfect place to relax and study. It is also regularly home to many art shows, concerts and open mic nights, making it the ideal location for Mosaic Art and Literary Journal along with Audeamus Honors Journal, to host a joint open mic night. Mosaic is undergraduaterun and publishes an edition every year that includes poetry, prose, 10 minute plays and visual art. Audeamus is an annual journal that contains everything from research papers to musical scores and is only open to honors students within the UC system. The event was also supported by The Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at UCR. Located in the basement of the shop, the open mic night put on by the two UCR undergraduate journals was open to the public and allowed everyone the opportunity to read poetry or prose. Upon arrival, guests were encouraged to sign up in order to participate and take a look through previous editions of Mosaic that were placed on several tables around the room. Attendees continued to arrive as editor of Mosaic and host of the evening, Katherine Miller, walked onto the small stage in the center of the room. She welcomed the small crowd before the editor-inchief of Mosaic, Alexandra Villamor, said a few words about the literary journal that allows students and more to get their work published. Villamor then turned things over to Megan Krum, the editor-in-chief of Audeamus who shared that they were in their 10th year and now accepting submissions. Soon after, we were ready to get on with the poetry of the night. “Maybe I should just call on everyone who hasn’t signed up,” Miller joked, before proceeding to allow the editors of Mosaic to start the evening off with their poetry. Ben Smith garnered a few chuckles from the crowd with his two pieces, which included one about an “unobvious mustache,” while Princess Fernandez kept things interesting with a poem entitled “Then the Concrete Grew All Around,” a play off of the childhood song “And the Green Grass Grew All Around.” Mosaic’s own continued to read their poetry and undeniably got the night off to a
POETRY d n a PROSE
good start. With the first round of poetry readings down, a short break ensued and visitors were encouraged to purchase items from upstairs. The aroma of various beverages filled the air as attendees made their way back and forth, purchasing everything from hot coffee to pizza. As the minutes passed, more and more people made their way into Back to the Grind’s basement. All of the tables and couches were soon full with poetry fans eager to hear more of what the night had to offer. Miller made her way back to the stage and spoke a few words about Mosaic and the individuals who make the magic happen. “This is Mosaic’s 55th year as a literary journal,” she stated, inducing a cheer from the crowd. People continued to settle in as Miller began calling individuals to the stage. A participant named Michael shared his inspiring poem, “Cloud Dwellers” which garnered several claps and snaps from onlookers, while another poet named Jason relayed to the audience how much the Back to the Grind open mic nights meant to him. “After I got out of prison, I started performing on this stage. I even won a free pizza once!” he exclaimed. He proceeded to perform spoken word on civil rights and the ongoing police brutality geared toward minorities, ending the second half of the program. After a short break, the poetry continued with Mosaic editor Janeane Calderon reading a poem by the Pulitzer prize-winning poet Anne Sexton. Audience members enjoyed their food and drinks as one by one individuals picked up the mic to share their work. Closing out the night was Villamor, who decided to read a piece from the 1993 edition of Mosaic. “Who is here at an open mic night for the very first time?” she inquired of the crowd. Several people raised their hands, to which she then instructed everyone in the room to snap in sync. Villamor assured everyone that from that moment on, they’d be able to attend an abundance of open mic nights and subsequently ended the night on a warm and friendly note. With good food, great poetry and even better people, Mosaic and Audeamus’ joint open mic night at Back to the Grind was an overwhelming success and one can only hope that there’ll be more in the future. ■H
CHRISTAL MIMS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER ANT PHAN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Attendees of the Open Mic Night at Back to the Grind listen to speakers share their prose onstage.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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A REVOLTING VOICE SPEAKING TO REVOLTING AUTHORITY
THE YES MEN VISIT UCR
NATHAN SWIFT, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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aughing at the apocalypse is hard work. Fortunately, we have people who make that work a little easier. The Yes Men are a pair of professional pranksters (“professional” in the sense that they pull pranks all the time, and they’re quick to stress at being non-experts in what they do). The type of pranks they pull aren’t typical, and wouldn’t be associated with a local high schooler egging a car or TPing a house. Co-founder Andy Bichlbaum likens their work to “plagiarism” and it can often land them in legal trouble, though not exactly for that reason. Imagine someone trolling a hollow ceremony or institution in order to point out its ridiculousness, like Trey Parker and Matt Stone dropping acid and wearing dresses at the 2000 Academy Award ceremony. Now imagine something similar, but instead of the Academy Awards it’s multi-billion dollar corporations and federal departments. B i c h l baum and cofounder Mike Bonanno had the idea of The Yes Men around 15 years ago, in the late ‘90s. At that time, they created a fake website parading as the World Trade Organization and detailed the organization’s demise. They initially didn’t take their creation too seriously and thought it was something most people would immediately be in on and laugh alongside them. But to their complete surprise, this “factual” event was picked up and reported on by the mainstream media. Realizing that there was some legitimate cultural power to be harnessed within this level
of tricksterism, the duo took that base idea — trolling the media with tongue-in-cheek hoaxes — and created The Yes Men. But instead of merely joking around just for their own sake, they started using The Yes Men as an outlet for political activism and social awareness. Bichlbaum and Bonanno visited UCR on October 6 to present their screening of their latest documentary “The Yes Men Are Revolting” in ARTS 335. It was organized by Matthew Snyder and John C. Cook, sponsored by the 28ers and Sustainability UCR and was funded by GCAP. The documentary brings to life the pair’s biggest challenge to date: bringing awareness to climate change. Reflecting back on the movie and the screening’s Q-and-A session, I’m fascinated by The Yes Men’s popularity and influence in the anti-globalization movement. Bichlbaum and Bonnano’s life stories are very rich, and their upbringing — which was brought up in the movie and is a huge part of its heart — helped establish their anti-authoritarian beliefs. For starters, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno aren’t their real names (they’re J a c q u e s Servin and Igor Vamos). Right off of first impressions, this establishes their light-hearted “take my ideas more seriously than my words” personas. They’re both of Jewish descent and the offspring of immigrants; Bichlbaum’s father hid in Belgium from Nazi occupiers, while Bonanno’s mother hid her father in Holland for fear of conscription and his father survived the Holocaust by fleeing Hungary at age seven. They’re
IF AN ONION ARTICLE EVER EXISTED AS A PERSON, IT’D BE THE YES MEN.
no strangers to adversity. With this background in mind, it’s exciting to think about their authenticity. While typical protester iconography includes privileged middle class hipsters listening to a guest speaker who’s always some politician (who are always either too much of a nobody to make a difference or too corrupted by the system, or both), Bichlbaum and Bonanno, simply by being born who they are, are automatically outsiders politically, socially and culturally speaking. Whenever they attend a protest, they’re not just attempting to speak for a movement. They’re also speaking for themselves. Or to put it in the words of the stereotypical valley girl tweeting how angry she is about her pumpkin spice latte not being sweet enough: the struggle truly is real for them. “The Yes Men Are Revolting” brings together several different highlights of their career in pulling media hoaxes. For example, one of their best hoaxes planned invited the entire Seattle business community to a faux corporate meeting where a hired actor (impersonating a corporate speaker) introduced the “widow” of Shell’s oil rig designer. Played by Dorli Rainey, the 84-year-old activist who was pepper-sprayed in a 2011 Occupy Seattle protest, she had the ceremonial first drink out of a model oil rig, but the model (according to plan) spilled all of its contents onto her (simulating an oil spill). The Yes Men’s typical tongue-in-cheek com-
mentary was present, with the speaker saying “climate change is scary. The end of civilization, that’s bad. But as in life and business, pragmatism trumps all. Drilling in the Arctic: we’re pumped,” while pointing to burly men sporting shirts with the Shell logo and “we’re pumped” written on them. However, their best media hoax involved Bichlbaum impersonating Ernest Moniz (the U.S. Secretary of Energy) in a fake PR meeting with other higher-ups in the U.S. government as well as members of the mainstream media. At this event, they got everybody in the room to form a dance train and shout and dance about combating climate change. I think at that point, most people there
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
had to assume that this was a fake event, but Bichlbaum and Bonanno considered the entire thing a success (most likely due to the fact that they weren’t arrested for impersonating a member of Obama’s cabinet). A Q-and-A was held after the documentary was over, with several students asking about how they could get more involved in the anti-globalization fight. One of the pressing concerns brought up was how to keep up the hope and energy about protesting the powers that be. Bichlbaum’s response revealed yet again just how legitimate The Yes Men are in that movement. “Just remember: we don’t consider ourselves to be experts on what we do,” Bichlbaum stated, keeping up the populist ideals of their pranks. “And a lot of the times you don’t win. Failure will happen a lot. You just have to remember to keep on getting back up because you’re not the only person thinking or fighting for our future. We bring awareness to something everybody should be in on.” A small lecture (dubbed an “Action Lab”) was held the next day for students to attend, where The Yes Men gave students valuable tips and insight into protesting against climate change. While most social and political activists often take themselves too seriously, it was highly refreshing to experience this talented pair lightly touch upon serious issues with comedy. If an Onion article ever existed as a H person, it’d be The Yes Men. ■
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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
the third annua l
l o n g night of a r ts & innova t ion
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by rober t lees, senior staff writer // photos by vincent ta
he streets of downtown Riverside were thronged with people Wednesday night as families, students and educators gathered for the third annual Long Night of Arts and Innovation. All along Main Street from Fifth to City Hall, people gathered to witness displays of art, science and blends of both. Even though the event began at 5 p.m., the downtown streets really began to fill up once the sun had set and the street lamps and string of lights began to turn on. Aside from the thousands of people jammed across the few blocks included in the street fair, the immediately impressive aspect of the event was the sound. Every half-block or so, there were different groups performing different styles of music, from gospel singers filling the air with their dulcet tones at the north end of the promenade to a group of young women performing a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” in a minimalist folk style. The air wasn’t only filled with the sound of music, however, as both CBU’s and UCR’s engineering departments were out in full force. CBU’s students had displays that included cracking tesla coils while UCR allowed children to rev up the go-karts that normally decorate the rooms of Bourns Hall. Many of the art displays were concentrated north of Mission Inn Avenue, featuring art exhibits made by local artisans and booths where paintings were sold and participants were allowed to make their own artwork. There were also street performers wandering up and down the street between the booths, I saw magicians performing magic tricks for delighted children and an elderly couple dressed in full Victorian attire chatting with the attendees. One of the most viewed performers was dressed and groomed to look remarkably like Edgar Allen Poe, and he gave a moving recitation to a group of seated onlookers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t mic’d, so I was only able to catch brief smatterings of what he was saying. My favorite
art piece of the night was a large metal robot statue, laid on a black sheet on the outside of a hair salon. It had no name tag or identification, and I was intrigued by the mystery. The attractions that drew the largest crowds were in the courtyard outside of the large building that encompasses Senator Roth’s office. Illuminated by the streetlamps and framed against the fewlit buildings in the high-rise, the dancers and musicians from “Surprise of Dance vs. Music” and the dancers from Room to Dance and World to Dance dazzled the immense crowd. “Surprise of Dance vs. Music” included free-form choreography set to the rhythm of a drum line, and the deep boom of their drums could be heard up and down the street, drawing more and more people to the throng
. . . C BU ’s s t udent s had di s pl ays t hat included cracki ng t es la coils w hile UC R all ow ed children t o rev up the go- kar t s t hat norma lly decor at e t he rooms of B our ns H all. to examine the commotion. World of Dance and Room to Dance, which performed immediately afterward, showcased multiple genres of dance, featuring tight choreography and amazing grace and fluidity in their movement. Albeit not as bombastic as the previous performance, many people in the crowd cheered as the dancers moved in seemingly impossible ways. Toward the south end of Main Street, the exhibits became more focused on science and technology. CBU and UCR were both out in full force, featuring interactive displays that entertained and informed the attendees. CBU had a display that featured slow-motion video of a slinky falling onto a table, shot at 4,000 frames per second. Another booth showcased a tesla coil that fired bolts of
static electricity in a frightening halo. Their most popular display, however, was a mechanical hand, capable of playing rock-paper-scissors with children and sensitive enough to hold a foam cup without crushing it. UCR’s displays were located slightly further south from CBU’s, featuring displays from our own physics department as well as a multi-tent display on climate change and seismology presented by the physical sciences department. As a special treat, physics researcher Mario De Leo set up a row of reflecting telescopes, inviting a line of onlookers to observe the Messier 29 star cluster, aided by other members of the physics faculty and two students from the Astronomy Club. He took time to answer many of the observers’ questions personally, at one point stopping and pointing out a low-orbit satellite that soared lazily overhead. Even people that don’t attend UCR got a taste of the college lecture experience, as Dr. Cheryl Hayashi and Dr. G Richards Olds of the Biology and Medical departments, respectively, gave lectures on spider silks and Ebola. Both of them drew an impressive crowd, as Dr. Hayashi is a natural and engaging lecturer and Dr. Olds’ talk was extremely relevant given the recent Ebola scare. However, their performances were somewhat overshadowed by the galaxy tour offered inside the Culver Center, where anyone could don a pair of 3-D glasses to view an immersive ride through the cosmos. Overall, the night was an enriching and informative experience for all those in attendance, highlighting the very best of what Riverside has to offer. I was only able to scratch the surface of the available exhibits in the hours I was there, and I am only able to write about an even smaller portion here, which undoubtedly means I had to leave out quite a few that deserve recognition for their hard work. Though the long night is past, many of the exhibits are ongoing, and only a short trip away from campus. ■H
Children of all ages were able to experiment with dry ice, electromagnetism and bracelet-making among many other activities at the Long Night of Arts and Innovation.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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THE GREEN INFERNO // RATING: ★★☆☆☆ DENISSE CERVANTES Contributing Writer
If you walked into “The Green Inferno” hoping to see Juni Cortez from “Spy Kids” get eaten by a bunch of cannibals who are high as a kite then you’re in for a treat. If you walked into “The Green Inferno” expecting a decent horror movie with decent acting and decent characters, then my God, are you going to be disappointed. The film slowly opens up with the film’s main, bratty protagonist Justine, played by Eli Roth’s very own wife, Lorenza Izzo. Justine, a stereotypical privileged white suburban girl wants to prove to her father that she, like, totally, cares about the rainforest because it says so in her Twitter bio, so she joins an activist organization, complete with the token vegan and the token lesbian couple. Their demented and sketchy leader, Alejandro, who is played by Ariel Levy, takes them to the deepest parts of the Amazonian forest to disrupt a construction proj-
ect. Which ends up being counterproductive as Levy’s character was hired by a competing construction company to foil a rival company’s plans. Then, finally after 45 painful minutes of “character development” and obvious foreshadowing, the group crash lands and winds up in head hunter territory. Director Eli Roth has shown his preference for torture porn and shock value with his past films, “Hostel” and “Cabin Fever,” so “The Green Inferno” is, unsurprisingly, the exact same thing. The only thing is that it takes 45 minutes of characterization that made me question if Roth was taking himself seriously when he was writing this, and dialogue that was written so poorly I was wondering how this movie was financed before, the insufferable and poorly developed teenagers start being eaten late in “The Green Inferno” while the murdering in Roth’s earlier films started around 15 to 25 minutes in. This is where the only good part of the movie begins. If Roth knows how to do anything, it is how to
make something disgusting and shocking. I overheard several patrons after the movie state that they were nauseous and uncomfortable during the cannibalistic scenes due to how graphic and realistic they were. Going back to the pathetic excuse that was the story, the rest of the film is spent showing the creative ways the crash landed teenagers are eaten. My personal favorite being one of them committing suicide after realizing that they ate their friend and the surviving members stuff weed down her throat in an attempt to pacify the villagers. Roth also felt the need to show Justine form a half-assed developed friendship with one of the village kids. It seriously makes no sense, the kid just likes her and doesn’t want her to get eaten because she has a necklace that’s a whistle. Believe it or not the kid actually serves a purpose and in the end helps her escape from the village. Roth has time and time again proven that he knows how to use special effects to gross you out without making it look too cheesy or
fake. Roth has also time and time again shown that he can’t write or direct to save his own life. The painfully annoying and unrealistic dialogue made it impossible to relate to the characters who don’t even register on any dimension. The obvious foreshadowing had me rolling my eyes so far into my head I could see a nice place to put a bullet hole in. Roth, however, was able to use his signature humor to his advantage. While it’s definitely not everyone’s
COURTESY OF BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
cup of teenage entrails, it’ll entertain those who wanted to see the movie in the first place. “The Green Inferno” is really only made for those who already follow Eli Roth devotedly, and for those who are 12 and want to sneak into an R-rated movie for the first time. Considering all the other mindless and unoriginal horror movies there are out there, and unless you’re a fan of extreme gore, “The Green H Inferno” is one you should skip. ■
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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
Women’s golf shows first-place finish was no fluke MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY UCR women’s golf is setting the bar high with an early first place finish.
Here’s a newsflash for those unaware: the UC Riverside women’s golf team looks quite impressive thus far. The team opened the season in September with a hard-fought first place win at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic — a tournament in which two of their athletes (Hannah Facchini and Jakeishya Le) managed to land within the top three overall — and this past Wednesday the Highlanders managed to finish fifth among a field of 14 at the Aggie Invitational in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The top five finish itself is solid, yet a top three finish seemed highly probable at the start of the final round where the Highlanders sat alone in fourth place and were a mere two shots behind third-placed team Idaho. Nevertheless, UCR and Idaho shot dead even with a nine-
over on the day and the Highlanders found themselves surpassed by Iowa, who finished fourth overall with the best team round of the day (even par). Despite a minor letdown, the Highlanders continue to prove themselves competitive early on in the season and one doesn’t have to look too far back to note that their current level of success has been sustained before. Last season, the team got off to a similarly encouraging start, with one first-place finish and two fourthplace finishes among their first three tournaments. That momentum eventually yielded a season consisting of three total first-place victories on the year and five top-five finishes total, with no finishes ever landing outside of the top 10. This year has the potential to be just as rewarding. What will be key going forward is their ability to stay consistent and composed throughout the course of it. Yes, golf is the
ultimate individual sport, but when competing in a team-oriented format, it is important to have athletes you can rely on to keep the team steady. And with last year’s senior leader Savannah Villaubi now moved on, it will be left up to talented sophomore Hannah Facchini — as well as head coach Mary Ritchie — to continue to take hold of this team from a leadership perspective. So far, though, the team appears to be headed in a positive direction as Facchini looks as if she’s in midseason form thus far and freshman Jakeishya Le — who led the Highlanders with a 10th place finish on Wednesday — offers plenty of promise as a potential leader for the team going forward. As always, time will tell, but last month’s first place finish, coupled with this past week’s competitive showing does provide a glimpse of what could be a memorable season H for women’s golf this time around. ■
UCR volleyball struggles during conference play
JASON AHN Staff Writer
OCT. 6, 2015
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49ers 3 - Highlanders 0
The UC Riverside women’s volleyball team lost to Long Beach State on Tuesday, October 6 in an exciting Big West matchup. Over the years, facing Long Beach State has proven to be no easy feat, as the last time the Highlanders defeated the 49ers was on October 1, 2011, 3-2. And entering Tuesday’s match, the story — at least on paper — didn’t seem to be much different. Currently, Long Beach State is ranked 65th in the NCAA RPI Rankings while UCR stands at 220. The individual standout for the Highlanders was 5’7” junior, Fabiana Rosas, who led both teams with 13 kills. Barbra Nele of Long Beach State also recorded 13 kills. Although the Highlanders lost, the match was much closer than the score would indicate. In each of the first two sets, the Highlanders found themselves down one point, 2019. However, Long Beach State’s Mykah Wilson and Peyton Grahovac helped the 49ers score five of six points in both sets to give the 49ers the win. The third set was a different story as Long Beach State took ahold of the momentum early on, which resulted in a 9-3 lead. UCR would get as close as five points but would lose that set as well. Maddie Hubbell led the match with 15 digs and Chelsea Doyle led UCR with 23 assists. OCT. 10, 2015
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Anteaters 3 - Highlanders 0
The UC Riverside women’s volleyball team got back on the road last Saturday, October 10, to face UC Irvine for their sec-
ond road game in a row. Irvine started the first set with a 1-4 lead. However, the Highlanders scored three in a row thanks to a service error from Harlee Kekauoha, a shared block from Meg Graham and Cristina Maietta, and an attack error on UCI’s Kekauoha. At one point, the score was 13-19, but UCR managed to come within two points on the heels of a strong offensive effort by Graham, Cristina Maietta and Fabiana Rosas. However, that would be as close as they could get as UCI took the first set, 20-25. The Highlanders started the second set off strong with an early 5-1 lead . Graham recorded two kills, while Fabiana Rosas, Alexis Rosas and Cristina Maietta recorded one a piece. UCR would reach a 10-5 lead. However, UCI took the lead after scoring four in a row. From there, the Anteaters kept the lead throughout the set, with the Highlanders coming as close as two points. UCI won the set 22-25. The third set was arguably the most exciting with both the crowd and the players anticipating the end of the match. What resulted were exciting rallies and a close set. With the score at 12 points apiece, UCI increased the pace of the game, pulling away from UCR with a few kills and points gained on errors. The largest lead was UCI leading 10-16 but the Highlanders proved to be tough competitors by not letting the game go late in the set. With the match at 18-20, UCR’s Doyle added a kill as well as Rosas. That on top of a service error from UCI would be the last of the Highlanders’ points, ending the set 21-25. ■H
Leslie Pease (no. 11) jumps up to tip the ball over the net.
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
SPORTS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015
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VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
Michael Salazar (no. 11) engages in a heated battle for the ball against an opposing forward.
Men’s soccer hangs tough but fails to pull a win in conference matches
ALEC HAROLD Contributing Writer
OCT. 8, 2015
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Gauchos 2 - Highlanders 0
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team hit the road this Thursday to face conference opponent UC Santa Barbara where their effort was derailed by two goals scored late by UCSB resulting in a 2-0 loss for the Highlanders.
Through the first half, UCR kept pace with UCSB heading into half tied at 0-0, and led the Gauchos with shots on goal, 3-2. All this changed when conference-leading goal scorer, Nick DePuy, put one in the back of the net in the 70th minute of play to break the tie. The Gauchos put away another goal just seven minutes later. This time the goal was scored by Geoffrey Acheampong, who beat two Highlander defenders downfield
for the score. This loss was the Highlanders’ second of inter-conference play and slotted their record at 5-6-1 overall. OCT. 11, 2015
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Mustangs 2 - Highlanders 1
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team headed to San Luis Obispo this Saturday looking to avenge their loss to conference rival UCSB, but in the end the task proved too tall as they fell
to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 2-1. The scoring got started when Cal Poly’s Chase Minter’s cross in the 30th minute found midfielder Matt LaGrassa for the opening score. The Highlanders kept it close until 10:11 left in regulation, when Cal Poly struck again. This time it was the Mustang’s Jared Pressley with his first score of the season, putting them up 2-0. In the 84th minute UCR finally broke through with a score
from Michael Salazar — his sixth goal of the season. Although the Highlanders were heavy on the attack in the closing minutes, they were unable to score and the game ended, 2-1. The Highlanders now sit at 5-7-1 overall and are 1-3 in conference play thus far. The team gets their next chance to improve upon this record on Saturday, October 17 as they travel down the 91 to face old foe UC Irvine at 7 p.m. ■H
Women’s soccer has room to improve despite win versus Hawai’i FARAZ RIZVI Contributing Writer OCT. 9, 2015
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Highlanders 2 - Rainbow Warriors 1
On Friday, October 9, the UC Riverside women’s soccer team faced off against the University of Hawai’i in their second inter-conference match of the year. In looking to respond to a loss against UC Irvine in their first conference match, the Highlanders dominated most of the game, pushing the pace against Hawai’i and maintaining strong defense throughout to yield a 2-1 win. In the first three minutes of the game, Riverside midfielder Lockett Tatum made a goal via free kick, putting the Highlanders up 1-0. Riverside’s next goal came from forward Tyler Cunningham who received an elegant pass from Lopez to knock it into the far right post. Hawai’i scored a goal soon after, with defender Lidia Battaglia getting the better of a free kick. The game itself was pretty frantic, with Riverside pushing the pace and keeping the pressure on Hawaii’s side. however they were still was able to earn six corner kicks on the evening. Overall, the Highlanders’ forwards showed plenty of speed and athleticism and were able to capitalize on a lack of power coming from Hawaii’s back. The ball control was never particularly consistent, and there were tense moments throughout the match that showed Hawai’i was still applying pressure. For example, toward the last five minutes
a free kick was awarded to Hawai’i that could have tied the match, but it was just high off the bar. As of now, the women’s team is on the right side of .500 with a 7-6 record. Head coach Nat Gonzalez was very happy with the result, but felt that the Highlanders’ could have played more aggressively and earned a more decisive victory. The game was quite physical, with one UCR player getting a yellow card, but overall the Highlanders played a tough game, and were able to clinch the win. “We played the first thirty minutes very strong,” said Gonzalez, “and then I felt like we kind of dropped off and stayed to their level.” The win was expected to be much less hardfought than it was for the blue and gold, given that Hawai’i currently sits at the bottom of the Big West conference rankings while UCR is ranked 6th among conference teams. As for what the team can specifically improve upon, “We just need to get the ball on the floor and keep attacking,” said Gonzalez, “this game, for me, was a little too frantic across the whole field.” The Highlanders continued to build momentum in conference play on Sunday, October 11 as they topped UC Davis, 3-1 led by two goals from forward Tyler Cunningham. The wins this week put UCR’s conference record at 2-1 thus far with an 8-6 record overall — already matching their win total from last season. They’ll look to earn their ninth on Friday, October 16 as they go on the road to face the Big West’s secondH ranked team in Long Beach State. ■
Brittany Mata (no. 10) looks for an opportunity to steal the ball.
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
Sports MLB Postseason Preview and Predictions BY CHRISTIAN MAY-SUZUKI, STAFF WRITER
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all is ushered in every year by three things: school, orange leaves and the MLB postseason. This year is no different, as eight teams once again battle for baseball’s greatest prize. Many faces shift, with the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays each making the postseason for the first time in several years. Here are my predictions for this year’s matchups:
(3) New York Mets vs (2) Los Angeles Dodgers (NLDS): The New York Mets had the home field advantage for this series with a little over a week to play in the regular season. Despite watching this lead slip away, the Mets match up toe-to-toe despite the Los Angeles Dodgers’ $200 million payroll. With the emergence of a dominant Mets rotation, the return of longtime captain David Wright after a season plagued by injury, and the rise of NL MVP candidate Yoenis Cespedes — who posted a .287/.337/.604 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs in just 57 games — the Mets should have more than enough firepower to take care of some of the unproven, low-average hitters the Dodgers have brought into the postseason.
Championship rounds (3) New York Mets vs (1) St. Louis Cardinals (NLCS): A rematch of the classic 2006 NLCS that the Cardinals won in seven is sure to be just as close. No one can overstate the sheer dominance of Jacob DeGrom and Matt Harvey this season and Bartolo Colon’s resurgence cannot be overlooked despite a poor finish to the year. The Cardinals remain very deep, but they do not possess the overwhelming talent that the Mets do after the injuries. What St. Louis does have in their favor is an uncanny knack to string hits into runs, and carry far and away the best bullpen in baseball. If pitcher Michael Wacha can return to form — which I believe he will — it’s hard to go against the Cards.
vs (3) Texas Rangers vs (2) Toronto Blue Jays (ALDS): You won’t see a stronger offense than the Blue Jays this postseason. The trio of Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion alone combined for 120 home runs, which was more than an entire team (the Atlanta Braves) and tied with another (Miami Marlins) in home run totals this year. This translated into the Jays scoring 5.5 runs per game, beating the next best mark by almost a full run (4.72, New York Yankees). David Price has led the pitching charge for the Blue Jays with his usual stellar play since the
Prediction: Mets in 4
Most likely to prove me wrong
T
Prediction: Astros in 6
Prediction: Cards in 7
vs
he Chicago Cubs. Dare I say, the Cubs actually have a legitimate dark horse shot to win the World Series. If they can take advantage of the Cardinals’ pitching and lackluster slugging, the Cubs can enter the NLCS
(4) Houston Astros vs (2) Toronto Blue Jays (ALCS): A matchup between baseball’s two top home run clubs should prove to be a fun one. While the Blue Jays get the nod in overall offensive production, averaging one more run per game than the Astros, the Astros also rank just outside the top-five in ERA, with Toronto sitting closer to the middle of the pack. If R.A Dickey or another Toronto pitcher can step up a game and shut down the Astros, it might be a longer series, but I have to give advantage to the balance of Houston.
as one of the favorites to win. Yes, Jake Arrieta is that scary right now. With solid pitching, solid hitting and a young core that has played together for most of their careers, this year might be the last we make fun of the Cubbies.
vs
vs
Jays acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the non-waiver trade deadline (9-1, 2.30 ERA in 11 games). The Rangers are at a bit of a crossroads, combining young talents Rougned Odor (21) and Delino Deshields (22) with players toward the end of their careers like Adrian Beltre (36), Josh Hamilton (34) and Prince Fielder (31). Despite this, they were third in runs per game this year at 4.64, so don’t expect any modest scoring games with this series.
Prediction: Blue Jays in 5
(4) Houston Astros vs (1) Kansas City Royals (NLDS): The Royals don’t possess nearly as much power as teams like the Blue Jays, but power isn’t always necessary to be an incredibly dangerous offensive team. Despite being well below the league average in home runs, Kansas City makes up for it by striking out only 973 times, leading the league in that category by a sizable margin — Atlanta was second at 1107 — in addition to placing second in both hits and batting average, and ranking among the top in the MLB in triples and stolen bases. Only one player in the Royals starting lineup bats under .250, led by an excellent year of production from CF Lorenzo Cain (.307/.361/.477). Meanwhile, the daunted Astros farm system that so many had been talking about for years is finally beginning to yield results. Led by homegrown prospects Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer on the offensive side, the Astros only trailed the powerhouse Blue Jays in home runs, and have eight or nine players in their lineup that come with the threat to hit one out of the park. The difference for me lies within the pitching, and the one-two punch of Dallas Kuechel and Colin McHugh, along with an above-average bullpen makes the Astros tough to pick against.
Prediction: Astros in 4 (4) Chicago Cubs vs (1) St. Louis Cardinals (NLDS): Ah yes, the return of the Chicago Cubs to the postseason. Each of their returns is filled with a glimmer of hope that the longest championship drought in professional sports can finally be lifted — the curse of the Billy Goat and of Steve Bartman expunged from the ivy at Wrigley Field. The Cubs bring a very strong core of young hitters lead by 1B Anthony Rizzo and rookie 3B Kris Bryant, and possess the scariest pitcher in baseball in the form of Jake Arrieta, who set the MLB record with a microscopic 0.75 ERA. The Cardinals come in as baseball’s only 100-win team and the only team in baseball with a sub 3.00 ERA, but have been hit with a flood of injuries. 1B Matt
Adams has been left off of the postseason roster, and ace Carlos Martinez was ruled out for the rest of the postseason. Adam Wainwright, the Cards long-time ace who suffered an Achilles tear on April 25, was put on the postseason roster in the bullpen, a role in which he won the ’06 World Series with the Cardinals as a rookie closer. Despite all of these injuries, the Cardinals still have depth, with the solid play of youngsters Tommy Pham, Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk helping St. Louis stay the best in baseball. In the end, in a series with two great teams, the Cardinals’ homefield advantage and experience will trump the Cubs.
Prediction: Cardinals in 5
WORLD SERIES (4 AL) Houston Astros vs (1 NL) St. Louis Cardinals: A matchup reminiscent of the mid- 2000’s clashes that hosted the likes of Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Chris Carpenter. This premier matchup has always been confined to the NLCS until Houston’s move to the American League in 2013. This year’s rendition would display different types of stars, with Cardinals C Yadier Molina being the only player left from their last postseason matchup in 2005. While Houston has a balanced lineup that has the ability to put runs on the board with one swing, the Cardinals are just as good at keeping opponents in the park, ranking second in the majors with only 123 home runs allowed. The return of Cardinals all-star OF Matt Holliday to a more consistent role in a year plagued by injuries will provide St. Louis’
offense some decent support in combatting the slugger-heavy lineup of the Astros — he totaled 20 or more home runs in the five seasons prior to this one. While the Cardinals possess an underrated opposition to the powerful Houston offense, the Astros provide the same to the daunted Cardinals pitching. On top of a Kuechel-led rotation, the bullpen for the Astros has also held strong, with relievers Will Harris and Tony Sipp both having sub 2.00 ERAs. It would be a hard fought series, but if the Astros cannot find answers to the home dominance of LHP Jaime Garcia (who hasn’t lost at home since July) it will be hard for a team so young to overcome such an experienced team with a dominant pitching staff. ■H
Prediction: Cardinals in 5