FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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UCR astronomers find most distant galaxy U
Devin Deshane CONTRIBUTING WRITER
C Riverside professors Dr. Naveen Reddy and Dr. Bahram Mobasher, in collaboration with astronomers from three other institutions, have found what is not only the most distant galaxy in the universe but also the oldest known to date. Part of the success of finding the galaxy, z8-GND-5296, came from utilizing the new multi-object infrared instrument MOSFIRE at the KECK Observatory in Hawaii. Due to the efficiency and sensitivity of the Hubble Space Telescope, they found the galaxy early on in the search, at a distance of 13.1 billion light-years away from Earth. It formed only 750 million years after the Big Bang, which is believed to have marked the start of the universe. While today, the galaxy grows and continues to move further away from Earth due to the nature of our expanding universe, pictures from the telescope show the discovered galaxy as it
was in its infantile formation; the expansion rate determines the age of the universe in light-years. According to Mobasher, light takes an extremely long time to travel, at an approximate rate of 186,000 miles per second. “The idea is to do these observations over the next three years, and through this to investigate physical properties of galaxies,” Naveen Reddy said about UCR’s goals in pursuing the project. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the researchers — including Brian Siana, assistant professor of the physics and astronomy department — a three-year grant of $975,000 and a 44-day stay at the observatory to study high redshift galaxies using the method of spectroscopy. The interaction of matter and radiated energy allows people to study light properties, particularly wavelength and frequency. If an object is moving away at a given velocity, the wavelength increases and
produces the titular redshift in the visible light spectrum. The recording of the redshift for this galaxy was unusually high at 7.5, which confirmed that, by being a large number, the galaxy is the furthest to date. By studying such galaxies and comparing them with others, researchers can begin to construct a chronological evolution of galaxy formation. Finding extremely old galaxies like this one provides information about the formation of the universe. Many scientists believe they know what happened right after the Big Bang and understand the general mechanisms the universe had gone through, but only recently have the details of this period, called the Era of Re-Ionization, have been made clearer. “Big Bang started with neutral hydrogen,” said Reddy, “The temperature made it impossible for a proton to form with a neutron
Senators support undocumented students resolution S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Winnie Jeng
ASUCR CONT’D ON PAGE 6
INSIDE: Lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit will save lives and money. OPINIONS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Marking the fourth meeting of the fall quarter, the ASUCR senate approved the passage of two resolutions: one to create a “sanctuary” for undocumented UC students and another to revise UCR policies on the assembly of 25 or more individuals on campus. Senators support greater freedom of expression on campus Young Americans for Liberty President Ben Roden authored a resolution entitled, “Resolution to Revise Policies Limiting Student Speech and Assembly,” which called for the UCR administration to revise its current policies for holding large events on campus. The resolution first cites an instance on Sept. 17 at Modesto Junior College (MJC), where students were barred from passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day. MJC campus officials stated that the students needed prior permission from the university before passing out literature and were required to stay within a designated “free speech zone.”
GALAXY CONT’D ON PAGE 4
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Check out the University Village’s hottest new addition with the review of Oven 450. FEATURES
PAGE 10
At the Barn, Elephant Revival brought the crowd to their feet for a night of high energy and solid folk. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Men’s soccer keeps hopes alive in hunt for the Big West postseason. PAGE 19
SPORTS
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER CHASS Senator Ranjit Nair listens as President Pro Tempore Aaron Johnson reads a resolution pertaining to free speech on campus.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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STAFF
PAGE 7 PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Napolitano promises to allocate $5 million to undocumented students Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In her first major speech since being appointed President of the University of California (UC), Janet Napolitano promised to allocate a total of $15 million to initiatives that would support three groups in the UC campus: undocumented students, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. The funds would be distributed equally — $5 million apiece — to each of the three groups and would come from discretionary one-time reserves and not from the state or tuition. Speaking before the Commonwealth Club at San Francisco’s Mark Hopkins Hotel, Napolitano stated that some of the funds would go to resources such as trained advisers, student service centers and financial aid. From the onset of her selection, Napolitano has faced a wave of criticism from students arguing that her previous experience as the secretary of homeland security does not make her qualified to run a university of over 200,000 students. In addition, some students have expressed concerns with Napolitano’s actions as secretary and as governor of Arizona, citing the record number of deportations of undocumented immigrants during her term. In her speech, however, she argued that she has
C o u rt e s y o f F l i c k r In the face of stark opposition from students on her policies toward undocumented immigrants, President Napolitano has promised to allocate $5 million specifically for undocumented students. Whether this changes students’ views on her appointment have yet to be determined as Napolitano continues to visit individual UC campuses.
long supported undocumented students’ path to education, and reminded the audience of her testimony before Congress in support of the DREAM Act. “These Dreamers, as they are often called, are students who would have benefited from a federal DREAM Act,” Napolitano said. “They are students who deserve the opportunity to succeed and to thrive at UC.”
During the speech, Napolitano also acknowledged the need to fund research at the 10-campus university system. “I’ve heard enough to know that if we are to remain a premier research university, we must increase our support for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students,” she said. The UC president also spoke about the need to bring more minority students to the UC system.
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She stated, “The history of UC shows how great public research universities can be vehicles for social advancement. Thousands upon thousands of UC alumni were first-generation immigrants and the first in their families to attend college … Four of our campuses each have more low-income students than all eight Ivy League universities combined.”
NOVEMBER
5
Law School Information Day 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Rivera Library Mall
Burn Away the Stress: Stress Relief Campfire 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. HUB Lawn
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Smoking Cessation Fair and Clearing the Air Expo 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. HUB 302
Men’s Soccer: UC Irvine 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
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Where are the Jobs? The Hidden Job Market 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. HUB 268
Lunchtime Learning: The Academic and Life Wedge 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. HUB 260
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The Buddy Holly Story 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fox Performing Arts Center
Lunch Engagement: Support our Veterans 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Habitat for Humanity
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BIKE with the Mayor 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park
Men’s Soccer: Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
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36th Annual Mission Inn Run 2013 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. Riverside Pedestrian Mall
Art in the Gardens 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Botanic Gardens
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Veterans’ Day
Riverside National Cemetary 35th Anniversary 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Riverside National Cemetary
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Steven Thornton (No. 24) drives past a flurry of flailing Pomona-Pitzer hands trying to keep him away from the basket.
Quotebook “You’re not here to learn to limit yourself, you’re here to learn to express your potential.”
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She concluded her speech by reminding audience members about the importance of teaching, stating that the UC system has the power to make the state more prosperous and enlightened. Napolitano is scheduled to meet with the UC Board of Regents from Nov. 12-14 to discuss the the future of the university ■H system.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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- UCR Alumnus Edith Morris-Vasquez on free speech
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
GALAXY CONT’D FROM PAGE 1
C o u rt e s y o f UCR T o d ay UCR Professors Dr. Naveen Reddy (top) and Dr. Bahram Mobasher (bottom), along with astronomers from three other institutions, have discovered the furthest and oldest galaxy known to date.
WRITE
DESIGN
to make molecular hydrogen.” Then, when stars formed, photons from the stars could hit molecular hydrogen and, due to this energy transfer, dissolve into neutral hydrogen again. In order to create molecular hydrogen once more, a reaction of neutral hydrogen and an electron would have to give off equal energy. Due to the change in electron states, Lymanalpha photon particles are commonly created. Scientists can measure the amount of Lyman-alpha photon particles from a galaxy, and can then make inferences about the amount of neutral hydrogen in the galaxy. This factors crucially into the study of galaxy evolution because the team believes stars ionize the hydrogen in the universe. If they are correct, scientists can better understand how hydrogen, and hence matter itself, was formed. Relative to the UC system at large, the astronomy
department here is few in number, with only a total of five professors. Reddy has many future aspirations for the university. “We want to build the department to get more faculty to do the type of science demonstrated here to take full advantage of upcoming facilities,” he said. With an increasing tuition, there is a growing demand for a more focused undergraduate and, in particular, graduate degree that can steer future astrophysicists away from physics courses not pertaining to the field. “It would be cool to have a degree just for astrophysics. I would definitely think about taking that,” said secondyear student Johnathan Alvarado. The other institutions involved in the galaxy’s discovery include the University of Texas, Texas A & M University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories. Those wishing to learn more can check out the results published in the H Oct. 24 issue of “Nature.” ■
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NEWS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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Students rally for AFSCME 3299 strike vote UC raises over $1.25 million in ‘Promise’ campaign
Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Anthony Victoria CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For the past five months, UC campus and hospital workers of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299 have been on strike in hopes of negotiating a “fair contract” with UC executives. According to AFSCME 3299, the UC system implemented “drastic cuts” on 8,000 of the universities’ lowest paid workers, and 12,000 patient care workers. With no signs of a negotiations being made anytime soon, UCR students of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) Local 19 and AFSCME members assembled at the Bell Tower to support the union with a march and rally as part of “Hallo-Week of Action.” “The event is part (of the) national week of action,” stated fourth-year ethnic studies and history double-major Norman Barrios, a member of USAS. “We’ve had a week of action where we’re addressing AFSCME 3299’s contract … We’re building a coalition where we bring students, we bring unions
and stuff like that.” According to AFSCME, the cuts to the workers have reached six figures in some cases. “The recent cuts amount to a 1.5 (percent) decrease in take home pay for workers making an average of $35,000 per year, and up to $124,000 in higher health costs for each worker in their lifetime,” stated a press release by the 22,000-member union. The rally began at 12:25 p.m. near the Bell Tower with a crowd of about two dozen students and workers. Members of the rally marched across the campus, cutting right through a graduate school fair near Rivera Library and packed lunch tables at the Highlander Union Building. During the march, demonstrators roared phrases such as, “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” Spectators paused to acknowledge the roaring crowd, snapping photos and receiving flyers that were being distributed by the rally members on campus. “It’s an issue to where I wouldn’t be able to live a decent life with some dignity,” Leo Tolliver, an equipment operator on campus, told the Highlander during the march. “The UC is basically saying they don’t care
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Johnny Ta and Sai Patadia managed to meet their $4,000 goal and will soon have to shave their heads as part of their ‘Promise for Education.’
Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Since its launch in mid-September, the crowdfunding campaign known as “Promise for Education” has raised over $1.25 million in donations that will be used to support undergraduate scholarships in the UC system. The campaign asked supporters of the UC system to make any promise they wished, raise funds online and follow through on their pledges if the donations were met. After over a month of collecting funds, the promises have raised $1,306,404 from donors all across the world. Notable promises came from celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Teri Hatcher and Wilmer Valderrama, and politicians such as Gov. Jerry Brown — all of whom raised over $5,000 each. A notable UCR promise that reached its goal came from Alex Cortez who pledged “to run the UCR campus loop (5km) in a tartan kilt each day for 5 consecutive days!” Cortez’s goal of $500 dollars was surpassed as he managed to raise a total of $750 for his selfdescribed “5-Kilt run.” ASUCR President Sai Patadia and Vice President of Internal Affairs Johnny Ta promised to shave their heads during a Wednesday Nooner at the Bell Tower if their goal of $4,000 was met. ASUCR managed to surpass its goal as it
raised $4,290 — one of the biggest totals raised for the UCR campus. “Initially, Johnny Ta and I were shocked to see that we were getting near our goal of $4,000, and we were both fearful when we realized the aftermath if we actually reached our goal,” stated President Patadia about the results of ASUCR’s promise. “However, we are so excited to see that we will be making a positive difference for students who struggle to obtain a higher education.” The projected date for the two to fulfill their promise is Nov. 27. UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox will also keep his promise to serve students a pancake breakfast as his goal of $10,000 was just reached with a total of $10,770. His promise was the eighth highest donation-earning pledge. UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake earned the most donations with $21,418. He promised to lead a cycling tour of Irvine and host a post-ride reception. The campaign began as a way to negate state budget cuts worth $900 million that have affected the UC system in the last five years. According to the UC, the state formerly covered 78 percent of a UC student’s education, but that number has dwindled to 39 percent. About 1,000 people made promises in this crowdfunding effort by the Oct. 31 deadline and more than H 3,000 donations were pledged. ■
WRITE SHOOT DESIGN
A n t h o n y V i c t o r i a /HIGHLANDER UC campus and hospital workers continue to strike for a fairer contract with the UC system.
about us as workers. They’re not going to give us a raise, but they’re going to raise our health care.” In addition, Tolliver explained how the struggles of UC staff members correlate with those of students on campus. “Our students hold a lot of power here. They pay tuition,” he said. “The chancellor was willing to meet with students and hear their concerns. Some of their parents work on campus, so they know what’s it like to not have money. We’re saying enough is enough.” Other UC employees also commented on AFSCME’s relationship with UC students. “We are here standing in solidarity with the students because we know our fight is your fight and it’s all important,” said UCR Mail Services employee Curtis Washington, a participant of the rally. “I have much respect for you guys, I love all of you. Just hang in there a little bit longer and don’t forget where you come from.” The crowd returned to the Bell Tower for a last rally after the march. The event concluded with students and workers giving speeches and adding final comments about the rally and the contract negotiations. “We’re a working-class campus!” shouted UCR student and former ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Lazaro Cardenas shortly before the rally’s end. The event came on the same day that the UC announced that university officials and the University Professional and Technical Employees (CWA-UPTE) union — which represents more than 12,000 health care professionals, researchers and technical employees at the UC’s campuses and medical centers — had agreed to meet again and “make reaching settlements their top prior■H ity.”
Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. at HUB 101
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013 ASUCR CONT’D FROM PAGE 1
Similar policies are also enacted at UCR, which mandate that students obtain permission prior to holding an event with more than 25 people and that the events should be confined within a certain area on campus. Violators may face university or legal sanctions, which the resolution claims can limit a student’s right to freedom of expression entitled to them in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “UCR is intended to be a prominent public venue for the open and free exchange of ideas, where the right of discussion and expression of all views is a basic principle,” proclaims the resolution. Cited in the resolution’s footnote, the 1984 Supreme Court case of Clark v. Community for Creative Non-Violence established that “time, place and manner” restrictions can be placed on the freedom of expression if they are “narrowly tailored” to “serve a substantial governmental interest” and allow open channels of dialogue. This laid the constitutional groundwork for the resolution to remove further free speech limitations instilled in UCR’s current campus policies. UCR’s own “Public Expression and Assembly: Time, Place and Manner” rules create a framework to conduct campus protests and protect individual rights, as part of the university’s rules and regulations. Under the general provisions, “Any activity that is pre-advertised, requires sound amplification, or can reasonably be expected to attract a crowd of 25 or more, must be scheduled in advance through the Highlander Event Scheduling office and is limited to the Bell Tower or Speaker’s Mound area.” Roden stated that the resolution serves as a “pre-emptive” measure to address the “overly broad” speech and assembly policies that may be left vulnerable to wide interpretations by administrators, as seen at MJC. “ASUCR supports the right for students to exercise free speech in the First Amendment and urges the UCR administrators to revise the Public Assembly and Expression policy so that it is fully consistent with the (U.S.) Constitution.” reads the resolution. Exceptions to the provision, as read in the resolution, do not protect students who make excessive noise that interrupts instruction, research and other university functions, block vehicle or pedestrian traffic; events requiring sound amplification must first be approved. The resolution was unanimously passed by the senate, which received overwhelming applause from members of the audience. When asked about UCR’s current free speech policies, UCR Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval expressed, “Twenty-five’s not a magical number, but one of the reasons is once you get a crowd of some folks, there’s a potential for disruption of other activities.” He used the Wednesday nooners at the Bell Tower as an example and explained that the reservation process was needed in order to minimize competition for space between different student organizations. But Sandoval also elaborated that most of the principles resurrected in the resolution aligned strongly with the university’s core interests. “I applaud the resolution. I think it’s a very responsible resolution and it’s entirely consistent with the values that we have here at UC Riverside and it’s something that we absolutely embrace and can work with ASUCR on,” he said. Senate resolution calls for Napolitano to support undocumented students Another resolution entitled, “Janet Napolitano: Appointment as University
NEWS of California President In Support of Undocumented Students,” was brought to the table. Main aspects of the resolution call for Napolitano to take a more concerted effort in offering greater protections and increased dialogues with undocumented UC students. Drafted by members of the Highlander Lobby Corps, the resolution raised concerns over Napolitano’s immigration policies during her time as the former secretary of homeland security and governor of Arizona, which “disastrously affected the welfare of undocumented persons and their families,” according to the resolution. The resolution reads that in order to create a “sanctuary” for undocumented students, UC policies “Cannot disclose information regarding an individual’s immigration status,” “prohibit the use of UC funds or resources to assist Immigration and Customs” and “will not collaborate enforcement with arrests and the gathering or dissemination of information regarding the immigration status of an individual in all UC campuses.” Intensive dialogues in support of the resolution sprung from student speakers, urging Napolitano to ensure campuses’ inclusiveness for undocumented students. Mariely Adame, a third-year liberal studies major spoke about how her status as an undocumented student created much adversity in her pursuit for a college education. “As much as our school is big on diversity, I didn’t feel welcome at all as an undocumented student. With no financial aid, being unable to afford books, and as a commuter, I feel alienated at school,” said Adame. “My point here today is just to show that passing this resolution is not just a political issue — it is very personal, affecting the lives of many students like myself. So please support us, support your peers, support your classmates (and) support UCR.” Several other students stood up to voice their opinion regarding the passage of the resolution, which calls for mandatory UCPD training on “the rights of undocumented communities to prevent harassment and criminalization. Joanna Kilambi, fourth-year media and cultural studies major, expressed her support. “I believe the passing of this resolution is a much needed step toward providing equality for all students regardless of background, culture or ethnicity,” she said. Many ASUCR members also joined in the conversation. Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref stated that it is especially important for senators as student representatives to understand the concerns and the real-life situations that these undocumented students have and face. Senator Abraham Galvan also urged for the resolution’s passage as a form of support and validation for the undocumented students’ struggles. “I, myself, was undocumented until March of last year so I am privileged to know what it feels like to live as an undocumented (student) here in the U.S. For me, this could have been a real issue,” said Galvan. “I think that we need to recognize the privilege that we have today as documented (students), because we don’t have to worry about the accessibility and affordability issues that we as regular students face. This resolution is a step forward into recognizing and validating those feelings of the undocumented students.” The senators decided to publicly declare their preference of the resolution through a standing vote in order to increase transparency throughout ASUCR; senators unanimously voted in favor of the passage of the resolution. Contributions to this article also made ■H by Christyna Pourhabib.
HIGHLANDER
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Senators rise for a standing vote in favor of passing a resolution that addresses undocumented students’ concerns regarding the recent appointment of Janet Napolitano as UC president.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vice President of Campus Internal Affairs Johnny Ta reported that the solar smoothie event would be held on Nov. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also on Nov. 23, the Community Garden will host a mini concert with local bands. CHASS Senator Michael Ervin is working with Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref to allocate budget contributing to an art contest. CHASS Senator Nayeli Figueroa is looking for student clubs and organizations to adopt the fossil fuel divestment campaign. A senate town hall meeting will be held on Friday Nov. 20 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at HUB 269. All senators are expected to attend. Members of ASUCR passed a revision of chapter two of the senate bylaws, which requires senators to carry out specific duties, such as attending all senate meetings, or face possible impeachment.
. OPINIONS . OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
UC DAVIS’ “PEPPER-SPRAY” COP STRIKES AGAIN — FOR $38,000
HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief
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Kevin Dinh, Richard Lin C o u rt e s y o f t h e P u b l i c L a b o r at o ry f o r O p e n T e c h n o l o g y Protestors flood UC Davis’ campus on Nov. 21 and gather on the east quad to protest the pepper-spraying incident that occurred three days prior.
I
t’s a long time ago, but let’s backtrack about two years to Nov. 18, 2011. The Arab Spring was still going full steam ahead, with civil unrest in Syria and protests in Algeria and Jordan. Dr. Conrad Murray had just been convicted in the death of pop legend Michael Jackson. And in an expression of frustration with politics and political institutions, Occupy Wall Street protests were springing up across the United States. It is during one of those protests at UC Davis when we can recall the incident of the “pepper-spraying cop.” Assembling in opposition to California’s divestment from higher education and soaring tuition costs, civic-minded students engaged in a peaceful Occupy UC Davis protest: sitting down, chanting and linking arms. Their goal was to be noticed — and they were, with some people complaining that they were blocking a public pathway and creating a safety hazard. The police were called in to coerce the student protesters to clear the way, and there were any number of nonviolent means to remove them. Police Lieutenant John Pike decided to pepper-spray them point-blank. Students were understandably outraged at the injustice of the act, and pressure from the student body forced Pike’s ouster and an apology from UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi. UC Davis conducted an internal review of the incident and changes were made. Students were placated, the UC breathed a sigh of relief and the incident was buried and forgotten. Life went on. But interestingly, the story has been resurrected from the grave yet again due to Pike’s claims of suffering from depression and anxiety because of the numerous death threats that he and his family have received after the incident. However, little pity has been given to the police officer who harassed students, violated their freedom of speech and gave them even more reason to despise security measures on campus. It is understandable that Pike received some
form of compensation; coming under siege from death threats is terrifying and unconscionable. What’s disturbing about Pike’s settlement is that it turned out to be higher than the compensation UC Davis provided to its students. Pike’s “comparable” compensation came out to the hefty sum of $38,000, while the students who were victimized by Pike received around $30,000 — $8,000 less than the perpetrator. It’s disconcerting in the eyes of students and individuals who believe in the freedom of speech to know that ex-police officer Pike was awarded compensation for a situation that he instigated. In the investigation report conducted by UC Davis, it stated that the pepper-spraying incident “should and could have been prevented,” finding the administration and police force responsible. The fault lies within the institution and police force, but because of workers’ compensation laws, Administrative Law Judge Joel Harter found it reasonable to grant ex-police officer Pike money in regards to his mental health. But this settlement really sends a bad message in that the university will take care of police officers who victimize the students they are supposed to be serving. Not only did the police force violate the students’ right to freedom of speech, Pike also caused physical harm when he assaulted students from only a couple feet away. However, because Pike received more compensation than the pepper-sprayed students, it paints the picture that Pike was the one who ultimately came out of the situation as the victim. By portraying himself as the injured party, he has been able to jab back and take money from the university despite his malicious actions toward students. The frustration is that students themselves also suffered from the traumatic experience. UC Davis alumni Fatima Sbeih stated that she had panic attacks and frequent nightmares for months after the incident. Two students were hospitalized for medical burns. But this is now overshadowed by the perpetrator,
and
Science
ex-Police Lieutenant Pike. The UC is taking action to prevent matters like this from happening again, with the university working with the American Civil Liberties Union to develop new policies on student protests, crowd management and “use of force to prevent anything like the November (sic) 18 pepper spray incident from ever happening again.” Thankfully, UC Davis has set up public forums this month to gather feedback from its students to construct a clear and mutually beneficial freedom of expression policy and a plan for an independent civilian oversight board for the police department. More of these meetings between the school administration and students need to occur, and not just at UC Davis. But whatever concrete steps are being taken, appearances still matter — and the compensation given to Pike does not give the UC a particularly good image. Nor does it help mend the fissures that have riven students from the institution of the UC. The situation isn’t all bad. Even though the news is generating animosity, ultimately it provides an opportunity to spur the UC to engage in a dialogue with its students and hopefully provide a route to better response from security and instructions from administration. The psychological and physical damage that Pike inflicted on the peacefully protesting students cannot be paid for; however, the part they played in the protest has called for change in the way the school handles large scale protests. And even though he is the lucky recipient of $38,000, Pike will still have to live with the guilt, shame and misery of knowing that he is responsible for sending innocents to the hospital. The students who were harmed, on the other hand, can hopefully find compensation in a reform of school policy ■H — as long as the UC is willing. 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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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
Lowering the blood alcohol content level can reduce drunk driving deaths Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER
It’s an ugly truth: Each year, about 10,000 lives are lost in the United States because of drunk driving. It’s a nationwide cause for concern: On average, one person dies every hour because of alcoholrelated traffic fatalities in the country. It’s an epidemic that hits close to home: In 2012, the University of California Police Department dealt with 32 DUI cases — seven of those involved students, according to the UCPD. In response to the damage caused by drivers who simply refuse to call a cab after a night of drinking and partying, a new proposal in the state of Utah is asking for the the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit to be lowered to 0.05 percent from 0.08 percent. At the same time, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging all 50 states to lower their limits as well. It’s an idea that has irked a few states refusing to adjust. But when considering the measurable benefits, it’s clear to see that lowering the BAC would result in so many lives being saved. The blood alcohol content limit is a regulation put in place to reduce the number of nationwide fatalities due to drunk driving. And it has done just that. Since it was enacted, annual deaths due to drunk driving have been cut in half over the span of three decades — down 53 percent since first measured in 1982. Additionally, drunk-driving fatalities declined 2.5 percent in 2011 to 9,878 compared to the previous year. These are encouraging statistics, but to be fair, one might argue that the current BAC limit is becoming more and more unnecessary given that DUI fatalities in the U.S. have decreased in recent years. However, consider this: If DUIrelated fatalities have gone down in recent years because of the law that we have in place
C o u rt e s y o f UCPD The National Transportation Safety Board is pushing to reduce the blood alcohol content level nationwide from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent to curb drunk driving accidents such as the recent one between drunk driver Paulo Jin Kim and a UCPD officer.
now, just think of how much lower they could get if the laws were made stricter. Think of all the lives that could be saved if we decide to lower the blood alcohol content limit. In fact, there are actual examples that clearly show that lives could definitely be saved. The NTSB noted that more than 100 countries already have limits of 0.05 percent. When a country like Australia dropped its blood alcohol content limit to 0.05 percent, there was a 5 to 18 percent drop in traffic fatalities, according to the NTSB. In New South Wales, the number of fatalities due to drunk driving decreased by 8 percent. When Sweden dropped its already-low 0.05 percent BAC level to 0.02 percent, the alcohol-related fatalities declined from 31 percent to 18 percent in an eight-year span.
As these countries have shown, when the BAC limit is lowered nationwide, the number of drunk driving deaths have fallen significantly. These instances clearly show that lives could definitely be saved if the laws in this country are altered. It shows that with this proposed regulation, people would have a greater incentive to think twice before deciding to drink and drive. It’s not just wishful thinking. It’s a proven fact. If other countries can do it and if it works for them, why shouldn’t we follow their example? It’s also a problem that affects residents near our campus. Just a few weeks ago, a UC Riverside student was driving down University Avenue after a night of drinking and eventually slammed his vehicle into the patrol car of a
University of California Police Department officer. The officer received injuries and the squad car was totaled. Just think of the results in this case: A police officer was injured, an underage student was arrested and a multipurpose vehicle was totaled. These are three needless costs that could have been prevented if the driver had a greater incentive not to drink and drive. This new proposed regulation would be that added incentive. Large amounts of people are affected by this epidemic and the number of deaths due to drunk drivers is still high. It’s a huge problem that’s been plaguing the United States for years, and this proposal would be a way to start combating the issue. Salt Lake City Public Policy
Director Derek Monson is an advocate for the law and strongly believes that the limit will work. “(Research suggests) that it is clear that 0.05 is a much safer standard than 0.08 in terms of your ability to drive safely, as well as the reality of people getting into accidents and causing other harm,” he stated about the new proposal. He’s right. This issue is about safety. It’s about the injuries that can be prevented, the arrests that can be avoided, the money that could go unspent and the lives that can be saved. The blood alcohol content limit must be lowered — not just in Utah, but in the entire country. It’s a regulation that will benefit so many people. This will be a life-saver, not a nuisance. ■H
C o u rt e s y
of
Wikimedia Commons
With a staggering 10,000 deaths per year, drunk driving-related accidents are of great concern, spurring some to support a reduction in the legal BAC limit from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent.
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.
. FEATURES .
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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THE FRESHMAN FIFTEEN 15 BITS OF INTEREST FOR NEWCOMERS TO UCR
UCR’s Best
The Bell Tower
Scotty’s Grill by Glen Mor
The symbol of our campus, and it plays enough music to make Quasimoto blush in embarrassment.
We mentioned they sell awesome burgers and sandwiches, right? You should go. Now.
Coffee Bean’s late hours Sometimes you need a latte late at night. And for all those times, Coffee Bean has you covered.
Nooners
The Rec Center Bigger than most gyms you gotta buy a subscription for, and it’s only getting better.
The Barn
Few things are as awesome as seeing all of our clubs out at once. And there’s food!
Indie music, spoken word, great food and more all in one place. And yes — it actually used to be a real barn.
The people You can find anyone and everyone here. It’s pretty cool.
Quarterly concerts Block Party, Heat and Spring Splash — no other colleges in the area throw concerts this big. Who says UCR isn’t a party school?
The San Andreas Fault proximity The Botanical Gardens
Our Geology program rocks.
KUCR
Having a place with shade and greenery lets you transport yourself away whenever Riverside gets too dusty or smoggy.
We’ll take this moment to shamelessly advertise our radio bit: Highlander Newsroom, Wednesdays at 9 a.m.
Our soccer teams Some of the players go on to play in the big leagues. Check ‘em out.
The Highlander newspaper Print has never looked finer.
Community service clubs We’re one of the top-serving universities in the nation. It’s good to give back.
The researchers We got research that studies immortality, finds the universe’s most distant galaxies, and creates “windows to the brain.” Beat that, H MIT. ■
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FEATURES
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Restaurant Review:
By Maxine Arellano, Contributing Writer
W
ith just a short walk down University Avenue, the University Village is the perfect getaway for students to lose themselves in a movie at the theater or already plan out winter break at Starbucks. And, as the clouds find their home over R’side for the season, the University Village offers another warm roof for everyone to settle under — about 450 degrees warm to be exact — with its newest addition: Oven 450 Pizzeria. I found Oven 450 snuggled in between Lollicup and 7-Eleven. The ladder outside and darkened “Open” sign made me question if it was open to the public yet. However, fresh paint fumes mixed with crisp flatbread taunted my nose, and drew me closer to real-
RATING: ★★★★☆
ize they were indeed open. I made my way past the two gentlemen enjoying their pizzas on the outside patio, into the periwinkle blue room the size of a classroom in Sproul Hall. The cherrywood bar along the wall encircled the two tables in the center: all of which were empty. I bobbed my head to the indie station on Pandora radio, which played overhead as I peered over the menu. Since the main attraction was the “Build Your Own Flatbread” for $6.75, I had no hesitation for my selection. The build-your-own feature allowed guests to choose three meats, cheese, three veggies, and a finish. I approached the white marble pizza station. One of the servers intricately placed disks of dough into the pasta machine, repeating the
The grand opening of Oven 450 catches the eyes of many curious customers. This new pizzeria offers customers full sovereignty over their Italian-inspired meal.
Photos by Karen Jerezano
motion about three times until it was flattened into a pizza canvas. He slid it to the next server who awaited the first stroke of the masterpiece: sauce. From the choices of alfredo and marinara, I chose alfredo and believed asiago cheese would pair well. From that point, I decided to create my own take on a white pizza. With over five choices of meat (including shrimp and pork), I chose chicken, sausage and ham. The server stared at the cheese-coated dough, like solving a chemistry formula in his head. When I asked what he was doing, he explained they like to spread out the toppings perfectly to get all of them in each bite. And with that, he scattered all of the ingredients. He followed suit with my vegetable selections: mushrooms, tomatoes and red onions. As he swooped the loaded dough onto the pizza pan, I stopped to remind him to add the “finish” (to make sure I got the full effect, of course). He said the finish literally finishes the meal after it is done baking in the oven — which made sense since all finishes were frail greens (green onion, cilantro, kimchee) that could not easily withstand 450 degree flames clawing at it. Finally, the checkout lady rang me up as well as took my name and finish: basil. She encouraged me to take a seat, where she would deliver my finished masterpiece. I decided to climb the bar stools to enjoy my meal, and, before I could almost topple over, she presented me my food with a giggle. I looked down to see a foot-long beast of a pizza for one. Nobody could finish this by themselves. But with the corners browned with shreds of cheese and tomatoes adorned with ribbons of basil, I peeled away the first square. The first bite embodied every ingredient it intended, which hit every taste bud to make my mouth water. The server did not miss an inch, as each bite carried a refreshing character of basil and red onion while balancing the rich and nutty flavor of the asiago and alfredo. The
flat bread snapped and crackled between my teeth as if it was in the oven once more. I did find that chicken was a bit on the bland side, but concluded it was merely boiled chicken with no seasoning so as not to disservice the rest of the ingredients. The sausage was more like crumbles of peppered beef and the ham was honey-baked deli ham. Without a doubt, the best part was the grouping of basil, red onion, tomato, and asiago cheese. Basil offered a clean taste with the sweet red onion and tomatoes to cut through the rich nutty flavor of a creamy cheese and sauce. Needless to say, I conquered that beast. By the time I got to the third piece, chatter in the room started to rise louder than the flames in the oven as more and more guests filled the line and seating. I noticed most used the menu as their destination, ordering mostly the Mediterranean (alfredo, shrimp, asiago, tomatoes, garlic powder and basil) and Korean (BBQ sauce, pork, red onion, kimchee, sesame seeds and green onions) pizzas. While most items on the menu were covered with the sign “Coming Soon,” customers took advantage of the available pizzas all at the price of $6.75 — besides the vegetarian option of $6.50. As I chewed, I debated on what other offerings would work well together, and the wilder part of my imagination came up with a concoction using the toppings of eggs, cucumbers and peas. And for those who want more than pizza, a salad menu (also with a build-your-own feature) is in the works, as well as “finger foods” like hot wings and a dessert menu of sweet pizzas. While it seemed like just a small room waiting to be filled when I entered, the restaurant was entirely packed when I left. I’m predicting that in the cold months coming up, the pizzeria won’t just be a place devoted to toasting pizza dough, but a toasty haven for hungry students to hang out at as well. Oven 450 is now fully open, and greets every customer with a warm ■H flame and crisp crust.
HIGHLANDER
@highlanderradar
TUESDAY, NOVEMEMBER 5, 2013
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Events this week Tuesday | 11/5
A Conversation with GZA @ HUB 302, 6 p.m.
Wednesday | 11/6
line upon line @ Culver Center, 8 p.m.
Wednesday | 11/6
John Brown’s Body @ the Barn, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday | 11/7
Open Mic Night @ the Barn, 7 p.m.
Bonnie Paine provides main vocals for Elephant Revival at The Barn.
K e v i n D i n h /HIGHLANDER
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
MUSIC REVIEWS REFLEKTOR // ARCADE FIRE
RATING: ★★★★
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BY: JAKE RICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
h, when love is gone / Where does it go?” questions Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butler in the song “Afterlife,” off the band’s latest album, “Reflektor.” The album stands as the band’s most ambitious and sonically complex work to date, serving as a more-than-worthy follow-up to 2010’s Grammy Award for Album of the Year, “The Suburbs.” Themes of life and love dominate the album through the lens of the reflective age, in which we can only interact through everpervasive technology. Listeners travel through many twists and turns before settling on a very uncertain view of the future — and where love goes when it is gone. The title track, “Reflektor,” begins the album in a way that is clearly Arcade Fire, yet makes it clear this is not the same band. The hallmarks — French lyrics and crescendoing melodies — are there, but an undeniable dance groove is present, partially thanks to co-producer and former LCD Soundsystem frontman, James Murphy. Accented by horns and bongo drums, as well as a guest appearance from David Bowie, the track starts the album off on an upbeat note, while also introducing some of the record’s key themes with the lyrics, “We fell in love when I was 19 / And I was staring at a screen.” Love via Internet and other technologies is portrayed as a frightening concept, removing real interaction out of what is supposed to be intimacy. Another anxiety tackled in “Reflektor” is trying to live in
the moment while the thought of an afterlife looms in one’s mind. Songs across the album’s two discs tackle this in different ways; the slow, almost reggaegrooving track “Here Comes the Night Time” deals with missionaries in Haiti claiming to know the only way to heaven. The locals escape and express themselves through carnival, which is exhibited in the song’s multiple tempo changes. In “Afterlife,” frantic synthesizers chirp incessantly in the background as panic ensues over what truly lies in store for us in the afterlife. Butler repeats “Where do we go?” as wife Regine Chassange chants, “Ohh-oh-oh” softly in the background. One of the highlights of the album, the rocking “Normal Person,” helps show the range of sound contained within the two discs. An urgent guitar prevails, inciting anxiousness in the listener as Butler’s voice finds more and more resolve, singing, “Is anything as strange as a normal person? / Is anyone as cruel as a normal person?” Disc one closer “Joan of Arc” continues this sentiment with a punk sense of determination, resolving that somehow, we’ll figure out how to love in the reflective age. The lines “Joan it’s true / I only want to know you” imply the loneliness of loving someone you only know online, showing the cost of trying to maintain or start love only through technology. As the differences between these songs may infer, the album has different and distinct sounds throughout. The first disc is a little rougher around
the edges, while the second flows more smoothly through tracks like “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice),” “It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus),” and “Porno.” Partially because of the lack of immediate cohesion, the album may take multiple listens to fully appreciate. Like a fine wine, however, once the theme and musical callbacks are un-
Courtesy of Merge Records
derstood, anything else pales in comparison. “Reflektor” is easily one of the most creative and complex records of the year, and anything less than a repeat award as Album of the Year would be a disappointment for the band. The record is encompassed within the lyrics from the closer of disc two, “Supersymmetry,” as But-
ler and Chassange softly harmonize, “If telling the truth is not polite / Then I guess you’ll have to fight.” In a world that doesn’t feel like acknowledging that technology is a double-edged sword in life and relationships, it certainly feels like Arcade Fire is one of the only prominent figures willing to stand up and say so. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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Staff Picks: Our Netflix Queue
Now that midterms are behind us, it’s time for a celebratory session of Netflix marathons. Break out the PJs and buckets of popcorn –– here are our top picks in movies and TV.
Rebecca Paredes, A&E Editor
Vincent Ta, Photography Editor
Jake Rich, Production Manager
Mike Rios, Editor-in-Chief
Raising Hope
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Firefly
House of Cards
WRITE FOR THE HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER
MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101
Colin Markovich, Managing Editor Michele Gartzke, Video Editor Nip/Tuck Hello Kitty Becomes a Princess
Darren Bueno, Sports Editor Alexander Suffolk, Features Editor Parks and Recreation
American Horror Story
Brandy Coats, Art Director Roman Holiday
Sandy Van, News Editor The Wave
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
Elephant Revival breathes life into the Barn
Bridget Law of Elephant Revival plays the fiddle at the Barn.
By Joshua Ramos, Contributing Writer // Photos by Kevin Dinh, Staff Photographer
A
crowd cheering, people dancing the night away, soft and beautiful songs filling the room –– these are a few of the things that I was surprised to take away from the Elephant Revival show at the Barn. As a huge music enthusiast, I have been to many concerts –– rock, rap, dance and various other genres — but never a folk show. However, after taking a liking to a couple of Elephant Revival’s songs following a grueling week of midterms, I figured the show would be a nice little break from reality. As I entered the Barn last Wednesday night, I immediately felt a spark of vivacious energy in the atmosphere. The audience was filled with many different faces –– older people who were fans of the band, and students who were just looking for a unique experience away from the troubles of midterms. And that night, a unique experience is definitely what everyone in the audience received. The room immediately went silent when opening act, Frank Fairfield, walked onto the stage. Equipped with his violin, guitar and banjo, the oneman-band showed everyone in the audience how a young soul could bring back an old style of folk. As he began playing, the small audience was immediately drawn in by the beautiful melodies of
Bonnie Paine plays the washboard for Elephant Revival at the Barn.
Fairfield’s violin. The experience was like a story being told around a campfire. Most of the audience sat down and huddled around the stage, listening as the soft-spoken musician described his songs and played organic medleys. Fairfield’s instrumentation was like nothing I had ever heard before. He switched back and forth from banjo to guitar to violin, powerfully stomping to the rhythm. While a great number of audience members talked amongst themselves, the rest of the crowd watched Fairfield, amazed. As opposed to big stadium concerts, the Barn’s small and intimate setting helped listeners build a connection with the music. The cozy amount of people in the audience made it feel like Fairfield was playing directly to you, and the raw emotion and energy flowing through his instrumentation and singing was palpable. The audience wasn’t just watching a concert; they were pulled into a heart-to-heart experience. I figured the rest of the night was going to be spent quietly bobbing along to relaxing music, judging from the YouTube videos I saw of Elephant Revival and the crowd’s reactions during the opening act. But while there were points where the audience just stopped and followed along to the music, these points were far and few between. As soon as Sage Cook and Dango Rose stepped out onto the stage and began to interact with everyone, it was as if the band had just breathed life into the crowd; the audience immediately stood up and crowded as close to the stage as possible. As Elephant Revival began to dive into their collection of songs, they were met with cries of joy and elation. The shoulder-bumping closeness of the Barn was perfect for a band of Elephant Revival’s nature. Once Cook began playing “Go On,” one of their biggest songs, the crowd’s excitement grew; being in the middle of a small crowd allowed for people in the audience to feel more connected with the performance, and it made it a much more closely-knit experience. The band and the audience members began to feed off of each other’s energy, and as the performance carried on, the energy in the room grew. Judging from the smiles on their faces between songs, Elephant Revival began to loosen up, too, and just have fun with the show. Songs like “The Pasture” were met with hollers of excitement. Even though most of the crowd didn’t seem familiar with the lyrics, it felt as though we had heard the song before; the band’s feel-good melodies lightened up the entire venue and made us want to move
Frank Fairfield opens at the Barn playing the violin.
along to the rhythm. As the band’s set carried on, the rhythm became more and more infectious. A few brave people began dancing across the Barn floor. Soon, more people joined in, and by the end of the set, a good quarter of the audience was dancing. The crowd’s energy level peaked as the band began playing “Old Rouge River,” encouraging audience members to stomp and clap along to the beat. By this point, there was not a person in the Barn who was not involved. The room was filled with the sound of people stomping, clapping and dancing the night away. I’ve been to my fair share of concerts over the past couple of years. One thing I grew used to is the craziness and overflowing energy accustomed to these shows. When I imagined a folk concert, I pictured a band playing a very relaxing set to an eclectic group of people gazing intently upon the band. The show was like this at some moments, but became so much more than what I imagined a folk show would be. We came to the Barn to enjoy the show and have fun, and to free ourselves from the stresses of the week. Elephant Revival helped ev■H eryone in attendance do just that.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT SOON:
ABOUT TIME
FREE BIRDS
THE BOOK THIEF
THOR: THE DARK WORLD
ENDER’S GAME
RATING: ★★★☆☆
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BY: YASMIN KLEINBART, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
nder’s Game” had a difficult journey getting to the big screen. The author of the original novel, Orson Scott Card, refused to give up the rights to the film for decades due to creative differences. But now that it was finally made, thousands of people vowed to boycott it due to Card’s homophobic views. Whatever his views might be, the boycotters are going to miss out on a visually stunning film — but that’s about all they’re missing. The movie is set in the future, 50 years after a battle with an alien race called the Formics, or “buggers.” In anticipation of another invasion, the military believes their only hope is taking children to Battle School in space and training them to battle these formidable creatures. The story opens with Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) getting beat up by bullies who think he’s the runt of the litter. He’s soon picked up by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and Lieutenant Anderson (Viola Davis) to attend the battle school, taking advantage of his detected strategic talent via a monitor in his head. However, Ender’s life as an outcast is quickly forgotten once he is on his way to
Battle School. In the novel, Ender was promoted to commander of his own army because he survived intense bullying from the other child commanders and soldiers. However, the children in the film seem a lot nicer. When Graff calls him out as being the brightest of the recruits, Ender complains that he made his peers hate him. However, the only person he really has problems with is his team captain, Bonzo Madrid (Moises Arias), who despises Ender for his intelligence. He quickly finds people to confide in, such as Bean (Aramis Knight) and Petra Arkanian (Hailee Steinfeld). Butterfield, as a whole, is a perfect choice to play Ender. He is able to fit the character’s awkward, nerdy attitude, and his seriousness feels genuine. However, it’s difficult for the audience to relate to Ender or know him at all; in the novel, inner dialogue is used frequently to get inside Ender’s head, and it’s what really made him likable as a character. In the film, he just seems like a super soldier who gets everything he wants too easily. For instance, he convinces his army to respect him, and the authority to give him pats on the back, without
any sweat at all. Overall, the effects seem stunning, although the audience doesn’t get to experience a lot of them. A beautiful world is created but the director moves too quickly through the film for it to really be appreciated, leading to scenes where the effect of stun guns are only revealed when Bean outright tells the audience that, while practicing for battle, the stun gun makes whoever it touches frozen. The same goes for the actual battle room. Instead of being able to experience Ender going into a simulated battle with these insect creatures, we just see
Courtesy of Summit Entertainment
him crazily wave his hands on his screen, making it look like he’s playing with Kinect on a giant TV screen. If Space Mountain ever gets a movie, it would borrow its extremely fast-paced light effects from this scene. The film ends with a final battle that feels rushed, even though the whole movie had been spent preparing for that battle. Since Ender already felt like Rambo from outer space, it didn’t take him long to outsmart the enemy. However, the battle ends with a twist that doesn’t necessarily compensate for the film’s lack of a climax, but still
feels like a reward in the end and could easily spawn a sequel or two. “Ender’s Game” is a visual treat, but left the audience wanting to see more of its futuristic world rather than a small bite of it. Despite it being nearly two hours long, the film needs work on pacing and character development; we shifted from Ender being an outcast to him being a full-fledged super soldier without any sort of obstacles in between. Despite that, it was a fun film to watch and is recommended for anyone not looking for anything too serious or ■H puzzling.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
HIGHLANDER
VIDEO GAME REVIEW THE STANLEY PARABLE
RATING: ★★★★
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BY: JOSE ALVAREZ-BALITAN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ver wondered if your decisions in life meant anything? If you actually had the freedom to make your own choices? If your life just restarted day after day as if nothing had ever happened? If that’s the case, meet Stanley, the protagonist of a little story called “The Stanley Parable.” Stanley’s job is composed of sitting at his desk in a generic office building, waiting for prompts on his computer monitor and simply doing exactly what those prompts tell him to do. Unlike most people, who would slam their heads against the wall for some entertainment, Stanley strangely adores his occupation as he eagerly waits for his next order. One day, however, Stanley waits for hours and gets nothing on the black monitor. To add to the unsettling situation, his fellow co-workers have apparently vanished without a trace, leaving him isolated. Stanley wanders through the building complex — and this is where the fun really starts. Originally a modification on Valve’s “Half-Life 2” game, this stand-alone indie
remake by Galactic Cafe explores the idea of making choices. The story takes numerous twists as the player is given the choice to go on completely different paths and discover entirely new endings within each unique storyline. What carries the title is the ever-prominent narrator, voiced by Kevan Brighting, who delivers witty remarks and constantly breaks the fourth wall with every action the player takes, all while directly telling him or her what to do. He cleverly mocks you when you ignore him, he becomes genuinely offended when you completely disregard his advice and he even (surprisingly) cheers you on in certain situations. For example, if the player stays in the employee lounge long enough, he remarks how creepy the player is and that the missing coworkers are the player’s fault. Just hearing the man talk is great enough to experience this game, and if you love the narrative attitude in Valve’s “Portal” series, you will get a kick out of Brighting.
Photo Courtesy of Galactic Cafe
With “The Stanley Parable,” there are countless situations to discover through the actions you may take, whether you’re doing the opposite of what the narrator wants or simply doing nothing long enough. Every potential action has already been taken into account by the game’s creators and that is why this title is so incredible. The isolated feeling of this game and the empty office setting just add to the charm of it. Many times, random surprises –– like a secret room that has nothing to do with the main plot, and an ending where Stanley literally dies because he ponders too much on his existence –– will leave you wondering what just happened and eager to find out more. Even after you beat one story, the game restarts and makes you play and think again. Adding to this replay value are the subtle changes that occur within the game, like the narrator’s ever-changing lines, and the secret input command on several of the office monitors in multiple playthroughs — all of which make you feel like there’s
something more to discover in this story. Unfortunately, if you don’t like a storydriven game, then “The Stanley Parable” isn’t for you. As an indie title (no publisher money here), the visual spectacle of bigbudget titles is absent; the controls are also rather plain, as you can only move around and perform simple interactions with doors and such. However, it doesn’t matter. The main fun about this game is making your own choices, finding new secrets and plot points, noticing small changes within the environment and simply being immersed in the game’s numerous plots. If you love this kind of element in a video game, I highly recommend you check out “The Stanley Parable” (or try the free demo, which is its own little ball of fun). I can hardly describe it without spoiling anything, since the meat of the experience is constantly discovering hidden goodies and plot twists for every replay. As the game puts it, “The end is never the end is never the end is never the end.” ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
Men’s, women’s cross country compete in Big West Championship C o dy N g u y e n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM
The UC Riverside men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Big West Championship meet at San Luis Obispo Saturday morning, placing seventh and sixth out of eight and nine teams, respectively. On the men’s side, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s 32 total points allowed them to earn a first-place finish on their home field. Mustangs Chris Frias and Mitchell Moriarty were the first two runners to cross the finish line with times of 25:19.5 and 25:22.8. With 177 points, the men’s cross country team earned a seventh-place finish. Michael Gauger led UCR’s runners, finishing in 19th place with a time of 26:34.8. Trailing Gauger was Miguel Vasquez and Benjamin Heck, earning 41st and 42nd place finishes with times of 27:42.1 and 27:43.2.
Other Highlanders competing in the event were Cesar Solis (45th), Aaron Nguyen (53rd) and Alex Castellon (57th). For the women’s side, Cal Poly also occupied the top spot with 37 points, led by Laura Hollander, who finished the run in first place with a time of 20:43.9. With 158 points, UCR earned a sixth-place finish. Leading the Highlanders was senior runner Jzsanette Lindstrom, who finished in 18th place with her time of 23:01.6. Brooke McCandless followed in 26th place with a time of 23:38.8. Other Highlanders competing in the event were Raquel Hefflin (33rd), Brianna Simmons (41st), MaryAnn Holliday (54th), Alisha Brown (59th) and Valerie Mares (63rd). The Highlanders will now turn their attention toward the NCAA West Regional Championships, set to take place ■H in Sacramento on Nov. 15.
C o u rt e s y Men’s cross country finished its San Luis Obispo meet seventh out of eighth place.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
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Highlanders continue searching for first win in the Big West Michael Rios
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
October 31, 2013 Aggies 3 - Highlanders 0
Still looking for its first conference victory of the season, the UCR volleyball team traveled upstate to take on a 4-4 UC Davis squad this past Thursday. Despite a team-high 10 kills by Ashley Cox for the Highlanders, UCR was still swept by the Aggies with a score of 3-0. UCR dug itself into a sizable hole early in the first set as the team gave up seven early points to Davis while earning only one. But thanks to a series of kills by UCR and a few errors by Davis, UCR would catch up to tie the set at 10 points apiece. This would prove to be as far as they would get in the first set, with UC Davis using a 15-5 run to win the beginning set, 25-15. The second set was much of the same. UCR was still within striking distance in the middle of the game, at 11-10, but eventually gave up another huge rally to the Aggies and lost the second by a score of 25-15. Davis would go on to take the final set rather easily with a score of 2519 to earn the victory and hand UCR its ninth straight loss in the Big West Conference. Three Aggies registered 12 kills
each, while Cox was the only UCR player to have double-digit kills (10). November 2, 2013 Matadors 3 - Highlanders 0
Ten games in and the UCR women’s volleyball team have yet to overcome an opponent in the Big West Conference. Saturday’s match proved to be one of most challenging for UCR as the team faced off against the 24th-ranked Cal State Northridge Matadors. Casey Hinger and Mihana Haina’s strong performances ultimately propelled the Matadors past the Highlanders with a 3-0 sweep. The Highlanders put up a strong fight in the first set as both teams were tied 15-15 at one point. But a series of kills by Northridge moved them past UCR as the Matadors took a 25-19 victory in the first. UCR was down 10-2 early in the second, but rallied to tie the score later in the set. Both teams once again were tied at 15 points apiece, but Northridge came up with the final rally for a 25-19 win. Northridge would end up winning the final set fairly easily with a score of 2517. UCR hit a .245 attack percentage in this game — their best in 10 conference games — but could not come up with the victory. Cal State Northridge’s Hinger recorded 16 kills while teammate Haina
A r c h i v e /HIGHLANDER Freshman Bri Holmes, who has been a solid bench contributor this season, goes in for the kill.
added 14. UCR’s Annishia McKoy led the team with 10 kills in the game. The Highlanders remain the only winless team in the conference and
haven’t been able to win a set in five matches. UCR will look to turn things around on Nov. 9 against Cal State ■H Fullerton.
Women’s soccer earns first Big West playoff berth in eight years C o dy N g u y e n
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
November 1, 2013 Grizzlies 4 - Highlanders 0
Still in the thick of the Big West playoff chase, the UCR women’s soccer team took the field for their final home game against the Montana Grizzlies. For Kaitlin Anzalone, Lindsey Ahmed, Jessica Olafsen and Andrea Morales, Friday’s match would be their final home game donning a Highlander jersey. Embodying the traits of their mascot, the Grizzlies struck swiftly and with prowess in the eighth minute as India Watne’s shot found its way to the back of the net. Both teams traded blows for the rest of the half until Montana was able to serve up a punch to the gut of the Highlanders in the final minute of the first period. With a minute and seven seconds to go in the
half, Chloe Torres found Aspen Peifer to give Montana a 2-0 lead going into the second half. The Grizzlies kept the ball rolling after the break, with Chloe Torres this time picking up a goal of her own to put her team up 3-0. UCR was simply outclassed by Montana throughout the entire second half, being outshot 9-4 and bullied on the defensive side. A Highlander penalty in the 62nd minute gave Taylor Rhodes an opportunity to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 lead. Needless to say, Rhodes converted on the penalty kick, which put the game out of question. Both teams were held scoreless through the final half-hour of play, as the Grizzlies were able to complete the shutout against UCR and hand them their 12th loss of the season. Luckily for the Highlanders, Friday’s nonconference match against Montana bears no weight on their Big
West record. With a 3-4 conference record going into the weekend, the Highlanders sit tied with UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State for the fourth and final spot in the Big West Conference Tournament. November 3, 2013 Highlanders 2 - 49ers 1
A road win over the Long Beach State 49ers on Sunday helped the UCR women’s soccer team clinch a third seed in the Big West conference tournament. Ten minutes into the first half, Amber Marani’s free kick into the box found Tyler Cunningham for the first score of the game. Both teams held each other scoreless for the rest of the half, with the Highlanders dominating the 49ers on the offensive side of the ball, outshooting them 10-3 with four shots on goal. It was a quiet day for UCR goalkeeper Elizabeth Silas, who
didn’t need to make a single save in the first half. Cunningham continued her big day for UCR early in the second half, scoring her second goal of the game and fourth of the season to put her team up 2-0. The 49ers had an answer for Cunningham’s goal, though, when Taylor Nelson put her team on the board in the 55th minute. Nelson’s goal would be the last of the game, as the Highlanders were able to close out the final 35 minutes and secure a victory in what has been their biggest game of the season to date. With their first appearance in the Big West tournament in eight years, the Highlanders now turn their attention toward the second-seed UC Irvine Anteaters, whom they are set to face on Thursday, Nov. 7. The Highlanders look to avenge the result of their last meeting against the Anteaters on Oct. 10, which ended in a 0-2 loss. ■H
Men’s soccer gains momentum, wins against No. 12 CSU Northridge C o dy N g u y e n
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
November 2, 2013
Highlanders 1 - Matadors 0
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team earned a much-needed road win against nationally ranked Cal State Northridge Saturday night, shutting the Matadors out 1-0 in an upset victory. Richie Osborne found Juan Mendoza early in the first half for the only score of the game that came in the 12th minute of play. Though the Matadors outshot the Highlanders 16-12 in the match, UCR’s defense proved once again that it remains the strongest aspect of the squad, shutting out Cal State Northridge for their sixth clean sheet of the season, a new team record. UCR’s win over the Matadors
gave the team their first win streak in over a month, dating back to the beginning of the season where they held a spotless 6-0-0 record before undergoing a major slump at the start of conference play in October. During that month, the Highlanders won two of seven matches. Tied at third place with the Cal State Fullerton Titans, the Highlanders are currently in the driver’s seat for the third and final spot in the Big West tournament. With both of their remaining matches at home, the Highlanders have a golden opportunity to clinch a berth in the tournament. Next up for the Highlanders is a match against first-place UC Irvine on Nov. 2, followed by a do-or-die against the Fullerton Titans in their ■H season finale on Nov. 6.
K e v i n D i n h /HIGHLANDER Forward Tyler Miguel (No. 24) dodges UC Davis’ players as he goes for the goal.
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. SPORTS .
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Basketball is back! UCR rookies have instant impact in victorious weekend By Darren Bueno, Senior Staff Writer // Photos by Vincent TA
Men’s Basketball November 1, 2013
Highlanders 83 - Sagehens 73
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Men’s and women’s basketball completed a successful weekend with two victories. The Highlanders wowed the crowd with silky smooth jumpers, putback dunks and impressive finger rolls.
New kids on the block — no, not the boy band — Steven Thornton, Nick Gruninger and Sam Finley, the newest additions to UCR’s basketball squad, each scored in double figures as the Highlanders defeated PomonaPitzer 83-73 on Friday night in their final exhibition game of the season. Playing their first game in front of the UC Riverside crowd, the trio of Highlander rookies along with center Chris Patton wowed the audience with crisp passing, timely jumpers and difficult finger rolls against an inferior but pesky Division III school. “I was really pleased. I thought those three guys had a really good game tonight,” Interim Head Coach Dennis Cutts said. “We got a group of guys right now when they take the floor, they feel like they’re going to win. And that’s a hard thing to get into team, so I’m excited about that.” UCR opened the 2013 season with an undefeated three-game trip to Vancouver and carried that Canadian confidence to the Student Recreation Center Arena on Friday. The evening began with Thornton scoring the first of his four three-pointers of the night. Powered by the inside presence of Patton and the savvy court awareness of Gruninger, UCR built a nine-point lead at the half that they extended to double digits in the second period. The Sagehens offered resistance late in the second half as they cut UCR’s lead to as few as two points before the Highlanders regained their composure to close the game, 83-73. UCR shot 53.7 percent from the field while connecting on 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. Patton scored 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds during
the night. Thornton made five of six shots for 19 points, knocking down all four three-point attempts while freshman guard Finley tallied 11. Junior transfer Gruninger finished with 14 points, five assists and four rebounds while running the Highlanders’ offense. Coach Cutts was particularly mindful of the point guard’s impact on the game.
Playing smart and sound basketball, UC Riverside continued to dominate in every facet of the game. “He’s a true point guard and very skilled. I want the ball in his hands at all times,” he stated. “I said that in July when I got the job and I’m going to say it every day because I trust him. His IQ is very, very high. He makes players better.” While UC Riverside won all their preseason games, there is still an urgency to continue improving coming off of an underachieving campaign last year. Coach Cutts focused on defensive rebounding, free-throw percentage and turnovers as key areas of concentration, and noted how important the feeling of winning is to his team. “One of the things when I got this job, we were coming off a six-win season. It was very evident that we needed to feel better about ourselves and win some games. In the three games in Canada, though it’s not the competition we’ll face all year, and this game, we needed to learn how to win. And I felt like they did that through this stretch.” The Highlanders tip off the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8
WOMen’s Basketball November 2, 2013 Highlanders 91 - Lancers 56
A handful of times in a season, teams enjoy total beatdowns of their opponents. On Saturday afternoon, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team, with only about a quarter of the men’s basketball crowd, pummeled California Baptist University, 91-56. The Highlanders outshot, outrebounded and outworked their Division II foe while six players scored in double figures for the day. The afternoon started with seven unanswered points for UCR. It got no better for the Lancers as the Highlanders went on a 19-0 run midway through the first half to go up 34-11 and eventually 48-23 at intermission. Playing smart and sound basketball, UC Riverside continued to dominate in every facet of the game as they pushed their lead to as many as 38 points. CBU cut the advantage to 24 on two occasions, but never got any closer as the home team closed out the game, 91-56. Brittany Crain scored 16 points on seven-for-11 shooting while Natasha Hadley chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Simone DeCoud had a stellar game in her first UC Riverside outing, tallying 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. CBU’s Kamille Diaz led all scorers with 19 points. With solid defense, successful give-and-gos and team rebounding, Riverside proved that their city rivals were simply overmatched. UCR shot 48.5 percent from the field, connecting on four of seven three-pointers, while holding Cal Baptist to 27.6 percent shooting for the contest. The Highlanders start their regular season on the road as they compete against the Hawkeyes on Nov. 8 in Iowa City, ■H Iowa.
