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UC Davis pepper-spray incident prompts outrage

Carrie Meng STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 18, hundreds of California State University faculty members and supporters joined together at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State East Bay in protest over salary disputes and administrative decisions.

The one-day strike was authorized by the California Faculty Association, which represents 23,000 CSU professors, lecturers, librarians and others. It was the first strike since the union formed in 1983 and they stated that if Chancellor Charles B. Reed refuses their compromise proposals, such actions could spread to other CSU campuses.

Pay raises negotiated for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years are being withheld due to the current state funding cuts. For this school year alone, the California State University system has lost $650 million in funding and is anticipated to lose another $100 million because of declining revenue.

“Our current budget crisis leaves me with no confidence in our state’s economy and education system. Also, the UC regents and CSU trustees show no signs of commitment to students,” said third-year UC Riverside student Henry Lopez. Lopez also praised faculty for taking action and protesting against the university, saying, “Professors and faculty members who actually take the time to join the protest give us hope.”

According to reports, many faculty attending the strike wore red T-shirts with the words, “I don’t want to strike but I will,” printed on the front. Passing cars honked in support and CSU CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

P h o t o C o u rt e s y

E r i c G a m b oa SENIOR STAFF WRITER

UC Davis administrators and top officials from the University of California have launched rigorous damage control initiatives and investigative reports in response to the use of pepper spray on peaceful protesters.

The incident has thus far resulted in the suspension of three police officials, a public apology by UC Davis

Chancellor Linda Katehi, a town hall meeting held at the UC Davis campus and the creation of an investigative task force. Last Monday, UC President Mark Yudof held a teleconference with the 10 UC chancellors during which the administrators resolved to re-examine police protocol and take steps to provide for the safety of students. “Free speech is part of the DNA of this university, and non-

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violent protest has long been central to our history. It is a value we must protect with vigilance. I implore students who wish to demonstrate to do so in a peaceful and lawful fashion.

I expect campus authorities to honor that right,” stated Yudof in a press release. UC Board of Regents Chairwoman Sherry Lansing also spoke out by releasing a video in which she DAVIS CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Administrators respond to UC Berkeley protests Andie

lam

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

P h o t o C o u rt e s y

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Youtube

In the wake of the clash between police and Occupy Wall Street protesters at UC Berkeley, university chancellors and administrators have condemned the ongoing trend in police brutality against protesters. The incident occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the UC Berkeley campus after police officers repeatedly struck numerous protesters with batons while the protester’s arms were linked in an effort to prevent officers from disbanding camps at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza. UC Berkeley Chancel-

lor Robert Birgeneau, under the Student Code of Conduct, has granted amnesty to all UC Berkeley students who were cited and detained for impeding law enforcement during the protests.

Chancellor Birgeneau was baffled upon seeing videos of police using aggression to enforce policies. A widely known video currently being circulated contains footage of UC Berkeley English Professor Caleste Langan being dragged by the hair and arrested by police. “Most certainly, we cannot condone any excessive use of force against any members

of our community,” Birgeneau stated in a public message. “The events of last Wednesday are unworthy of us as a university community. Sadly, they point to the dilemma that we face in trying to prevent encampments and thereby mitigate long-term risks to the health and safety of our entire community.” The removal of protester encampments was the same cause behind the infamous pepperspray incident that occurred at UC Davis recently.

University of California President Mark G. Yudof issued a statement on Nov. 20, BERKELEY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Volume 60

Issue 11

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

HIGHLANDER

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CSU FROM PAGE 1

at the East Bay campus in Hayward, protesters even conducted a flash mob to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

California Faculty Association President Lillian Taiz, a Cal State Los Angeles history professor, addressed a noon rally in Carson. “Students, faculty BERKELEY FROM PAGE 1

C o u rt e s y

E r i c G a m b oa SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The ASUCR senate meeting held last Tuesday revolved around UC Riverside’s response to the UC Davis and UC Berkeley protest incidents, advocacy week and many other items. UCI 11 supporters were expected to introduce an ASUCR resolution to stand in solidarity with the UCI 11 students, but the action was postponed by organizers until the next meeting.

The first item on the agenda was an ASUCR resolution to condemn police brutality at the UC Davis and UC Berkeley campuses. ASUCR senators unanimously approved the resolution as ASUCR President Stephen Lee proceeded to explain a

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project entitled “chancellor’s pledge.” According to Lee, the project would require each UC chancellor to sign a pledge “to promote a safe environment that fosters the free exchange of ideas.” Lee indicated that UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy White was in the process of reviewing the pledge. Discussion regarding the protests ended with Lee emphasizing the need to take further action aside from the resolution that the senators had passed.

The next highlight of the meeting was a review of plans regarding advocacy week. Advocacy week, which will take place during week three of winter quarter, seeks to promote voter registration and awareness of crit-

DAVIS FROM PAGE 1

expressed her sympathy and support for students. “We regents share your passion and your conviction for the University of California. We want all of you to know that we fully and unequivocally support your right to protest peacefully,” stated Lansing.

On Friday, Nov. 18, UC Davis police officers pepper-sprayed a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters who had refused orders to clear a path. The conditions surrounding the incident, most notably the fact that the students were sitting down and were not actively engaged in belligerent conduct, have been a source for massive backlash. Police officials have defended their actions by stating that the protesters had encircled the many police officers. UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza and two officers who had reportedly used pepper spray on the crowd were subsequently placed on paid administrative leave. The incident occurred in the midst of protests that had lasted for an entire week. The nature of university and police response towards the protesters, however, had shifted once students began to set up tents and stay overnight.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, prompted by this violation of campus policy, authorized police intervention to remove the encampments. Reports indicate that most of the tents were taken

ASUCR CONT’D ON PAGE 3

announcing that a group of specialists were going to assess and review the incidents at the UC Berkeley and UC Davis campuses. “I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses...

[Free speech] is a value we must protect with vigilance. I implore students who wish to demonstrate to do so in a peaceful and lawful fashion. I expect campus authorities to honor that right,” stated Yudof. Yudof also indicated that he intends to commence an examination of all 10 UC campus’ regulations in order ascertain the appropriate police protocols in regards to protests.

UC faculty members from every campus have been very vocal in their condemnation of violence against protesters. “From the president down, the UC administration must make it clear that it won’t tolerate police violence against protesters,” stated UC Riverside Associate Professor of Political Science John Medearis. “The administration and faculty should also be clear that we warmly embrace students’ right to protest—even boisterously and provocatively—and that we are committed to creating safe campus spaces for such protest.”

UC administrators have also expressed their deep concern regarding the recent series of incidents involving alleged police brutality. “I, like most of you, saw the YouTube videos of demonstrations on the Berkeley and Davis campuses.

Both President Yudof and I were simply shocked and appalled by these images,” stated UC Board of Regents Chairwoman Sherry Lansing, who then proceeded to highlight the current investi-

down by the protesters themselves but that some students—including those who were pepper-sprayed—had refused to disperse. Video footage of the pepper-spray incident has become an online spectacle which has garnered millions of views.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi’s authorization of police intervention has been the subject of much criticism, with some individuals even calling for Katehi’s resignation. In direct response to allegations that she authorized the use of violent force on an otherwise peaceful protest, Katehi has insisted that the police defied orders by resorting to pepper spray. “We told them very specifically to [remove the encampments] peacefully, and if there were too many of them, not to do it, if the students were aggressive, not to do it. And then we told them we also do not want to have another Berkeley,” stated Katehi in an interview with the Sacramento Bee. Katehi reiterated this point during a town hall meeting last Tuesday when she explained to students, “My instructions were for no arrests and no police force.”

Among the most prominent groups advocating the resignation of the chancellor are members of the Davis Faculty Association (DFA). “The Chancellor’s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out

and staff are not the chancellor’s ATM machine,” Taiz stated in a Los Angeles Times article.

Taiz was joined by other lawmakers, labor leaders and clergy members. In support of the strike, most faculty members told students they were canceling classes. Some professors planned to hold individual H sessions to make up for the lost class time.■ gations underway and a convening of the 10 UC chancellors. UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy White discussed the content of the meeting, stating “The chancellors on these campuses and President Yudof have called for independent investigations of these incidents, and that is exactly what now needs to be done. I want to [affirm] the right of our students, faculty, staff and community to gather peacefully and exercise free speech.” During a meeting with UC Riverside Newsroom Director of Media Relations Kris Lovekin, White expressed his concern that the violence piece of the Occupy protests has taken the focus away from the underlying issue: the state’s disinvestment in higher education.

In an interview with the Highlander, UC Riverside Assistant Professor of Political Science Yuhki Tajima stated, “UC administrators can do more to regain [student and faculty] trust by joining them...to pressure the state legislators to restore funding to higher education. UC administrators would be loudly cheered if they forcefully asked lawmakers in Sacramento what it says about our priorities as a state when we spend upwards of $47,000 to lock up each inmate for a year, while spending only $6,000 for each college student.”

UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Robert Birgeneau concluded his open letter by reaffirming the beneficial potential of peaceful protests. Birgeneau then highlighted the recent passage of AB 130 and 131 (California’s Dream Act) as a product of peaceful protests and activism. “We share the aspirations of the Occupy movement for a better America. I am confident that as a campus community we will find a peaceful and productive H way forward,” concluded Birgeneau. ■

on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership,” stated an open letter on the DFA’s website.

Meanwhile, an online petition began by “David Buscho, one of the UC Davis students pepper sprayed by police” has gained over 90,000 electronic signatures within the week following the event. On Nov. 20, an open letter by UC Academic Council Chairman Robert Anderson acknowledged the crucial role of chancellors, noting, “It is essential that there be a clear chain of command, with the Chancellor accepting ultimate responsibility for actions of the police, who must be trained appropriately to protests.”

Chancellor Katehi, however, has insisted that she will not resign. On Nov. 21, the chancellor appeared on Good Morning America and stated, “I really feel confident at this point the university needs me.” Katehi explained to students in an open letter than she will be forming a task force “made of faculty, students and staff” to create a timely report on the incident. An additional initiative authorized by the chancellor was an administrative review of the current campus policies related to student protests, including protocol regarding the removal of encampments. The aforementioned actions will be supplemented by an independent report made by for-

mer Los Angeles police chief William J. Bratton. The due dates for Katehi’s task force report and Bratton’s report are in 90 and 30 days, respectively. After each panel and organization completes their report, the task force will make recommendations to Chancellor Katehi. The final stage of the process would end with Katehi presenting a formal plan to Yudof.

Katehi publicly apologized to hundreds of protesters on the Monday during a rally that was organized in response to the incident. “I feel horrible for what happened on Friday…Our university has to be better than it is and we need all of the community to come together to do that. We need to work together,” stated Katehi, who later conceded that she would have to regain the trust of students. According to an article by the Los Angeles Times, some students chanted “Not enough! Not enough!” and continued to call for Katehi’s resignation once the speech had ended.

UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy White recently addressed the UC Davis and UC Berkeley protests in an email sent out to the entire UC Riverside student body. White lamented on the violence that had marred the protests and expressed gratitude for the peaceful manner in which the UC Riverside community has conducted itself during H its own protests. ■

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

New poll gauges public opinion toward public schools Cristina Granados CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Michael Turcios CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A new poll released Nov. 16 revealed that a majority of Californians are in favor of an increase in funding for California’s public schools, even if it meant an increase in taxes. The poll questions also sought to gauge public opinion toward the state of public education in California and beliefs regarding the publicizing of teacher evaluations. The bipartisan poll was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and American Viewpoint on behalf of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles Times.

“I think we’ve reached a tipping point on the willingness of voters to pay more taxes...Across party and ideology in tough times, to favor a tax increase on yourself is pretty impressive,” stated one of the poll authors in an article by the Los Angeles Times.

The results, especially those regarding

UCR professor to design Olympic museum

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UCR N e w s r o o m

Fatima Alliyani CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Haibo Yu, a professor of theatre at UC Riverside, will be designing the Olympic Museum of Athens in commemoration of the 2004 Olympics.

The Olympic Museum of Athens will contain nine rooms consisting of hologram images depicting opening ceremonies, a 131-foot-long LED screen demonstrating the route of the torch relay, a mini replica of the Olympic stadium and a statue commemorating the competitors of the ancient Olympic games. The theme of this exhibition is to reflect both the city of Athens and the Olympic spirit, which accounts for the building’s neoclassical Zappeion design.

Yu’s work gained recognition after his role as designer for the 2008 Olympics Museum MUSEUM CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

higher taxes, hold important implications for the development of solutions to address the problems faced by California’s higher education institutions.

In terms of how funds should be spent, an overwhelming 85 percent of Californians would like to see more public school funding go to the classroom instead of being spent on administration and some believe that this is one of the system’s main flaws. Meanwhile, 53 percent of those polled believed that public school teachers in California are generally underpaid.

Another important segment of the poll dealt with perceptions regarding public schools. A plurality of 41 percent of Californians gave public schools a “C” grade, indicating that such schools had much room for improvement. This viewpoint is related to beliefs in favor of publicizing teacher evaluations because voters believe that schools could be improved if teachers had larger ncentive to perform at a higher level.

According to another USC/Los Angeles Times poll, a majority of California PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011 ASUCR FROM PAGE 1

ical issues among students. President Lee called upon his fellow senators to work together in planning for the weeklong event. “Advocacy week is very important...We’re letting the students know that they matter and that their actions [and voice] matter,” stated Lee. Lee also led a discussion on potential ideas for a senior gift, including the creation of a veteran center. Although the concept is not solidified, Lee emphasized that it was an honorable cause that senators should consider during upcoming meetings. “We need to think of [a senior gift]...that’s going to really make a mark on students in the future. Something that we can leave behind, not just as a statue or landmark but something more significant which can really reach out to students and really provide a ser-

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vice to them,” stated Lee. An update on UC Riverside’s first annual dance marathon was another topic addressed by the senators. ASUCR Senator Derek Roberts announced that plans for February’s event were “coming together quickly” and that dance teams should be able to sign up in the near future. Funds generated from the dance marathon will be used to support UC Riverside’s Guardian Scholars Program, which provides assistance to students whose age will soon make them ineligible for continued foster care. The meeting concluded with senator reports and inquiries regarding ongoing senator projects. A notable mention was the development of the menu items that will be available at a new restaurant in the Highlander Union Building (HUB), set H to replace “El Sol.” ■

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011 MUSEUM FROM PAGE 3

in Beijing. Although Yu was not a designer for the opening ceremony in Beijing, he became the chief designer of the highly successful museum. Of the Athens project, Yu stated, “I feel very privileged to have been asked to design this museum,” in an article by the UC Riverside Newsroom.

Eric Barr, professor and chair of the department of theatre at UC Riverside, expressed that he was inspired and deeply moved by Haibo Yu’s accomplishments and invitation to design the Olympic museum. “The fact that his work on that project resulted in him being invited to design the Olympics Museum in Athens, the home of the Olympics, is wonderful.

It indicates the excellence and creativity of his work and puts him into a special class of international designers whose work and collaborative skills can meet the most difficult challenges,” said Barr in the UC Riverside Newsroom article. As a prominent theatre set designer, Haibo Yu is internationally known for his work in television, theatre and movie set design.

The construction of the museum is expected to begin by the end of this year, concluding with an inaugural H ceremony in May 2012. ■

PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM PAGE 3

voters want public school teachers’ evaluations to be available to the public. The issue has been characterized by controversy especially in terms of the role that such evaluations should play in establishing a teacher’s salary. Other concerns are aimed at the detrimental effect of the ratings on disadvantaged teachers and the accuracy of the ratings.

58 percent of the individuals surveyed expressed that the quality of California public schools would be improved if teacher evaluations were released to the public, while 23 percent believe that regardless of the scores, this would not improve the education system.

Magie Gerges, a second-year student at UC Riverside who works with elementary school children, believes that “Evaluations should be made public so parents can know what kind of teacher their kids are involved with.” Gerges’ statement embodies the opinions of many of those parents who are in favor of the publicizing of teacher evaluations. “Another component for teachers to be evaluated on should be how much world experience they teach their kids, not only academically but soft skills as

well as people’s skills,” added Gerges.

The majority even believe that their students’ achievement and progress on a range of measures including standardized tests, classroom observation and parent feedback should be the determining factors for an instructor’s salary.

Some teacher unions are fervently fighting to avoid the results of teacher evaluations to be disclosed to the public. Those against the initiative believe that the California standardized test is inherently flawed and fail to accurately measure a teacher’s productivity. The poll authors noted, however, that Californians believe that teacher unions “have too much influence over public education policy and stand in the way of improving schools.” Seven in 10 voters support the idea that test scores measure the productivity of teachers in the classroom, while two-thirds concede that mandatory testing is tedious and provides limits to the classroom curriculum—a central concern behind the argument that the California standardized tests are flawed.

According to poll authors, “Charter schools have won over about half of California voters,

WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

HIGHLANDER but these independent, non-traditional public schools are not widely viewed as the solution to the state’s education problems.” These views are not surprising, especially among those parents whose children’s schools are characterized by bigger class sizes, fewer arts programs and more costs for school supplies. Despite these issues, 77 percent of Californians show confidence in public school teachers.

“Voters, and especially parents, are very supportive of measures to improve schools and improve teachers’ performance, like reducing class sizes and providing teachers with the opportunity to do an apprenticeship under a more experienced teacher,” stated another report finding, elaborating on specific educational aims sought by voters.

A total of 1,500 random registered voters were called to complete the study between Oct. 30 and Nov. 9 of this year. Of these numbers, 74 percent of the parents who had children in school approved of the theoretical tax increase.

The poll authors also noted that the consensus was evident among many groups, including those separated by racial, educational and inH come levels. ■

. OPINIONS .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

On June 6th, the Supreme Court refused to strike down a California law that offers state residents reduced tuition rates at California colleges. The law’s opponents argue that the bill, which does not distinguish between lawful residents and illegal immigrants, violates a federal law that prohibits states from giving college benefits to illegal aliens on the basis of residence within a state. Unfortunately for the law’s detractors, the Supreme Court wouldn’t even hear their challenge.

Lawyers for a conservative immigration-law group that backed the appeal claim that the law is patently unfair to the thousands of full-bred American high school graduates who apply to California colleges from other states each year. These students will have to pay as much as $20,00 more for college tuition than the illegal immigrants (and many other California residents) that the bill aids. Others have argued that the bill gives preferential treatment to illegal immigrants - it is just one more derivative of affirmative action, bent on taking positions away from the hard working, middle-class Caucasians who really deserve

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

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SUPER COMMITTEE’S FAILURE COULD SPELL DISASTER FOR STUDENTS Congress’ Super Committee, the special deficit reduction panel set up to draft a bipartisan solution to the nation’s budget crisis, announced last week that it would not be able to meet its deadline—essentially that it had failed. The committee’s members, who were charged with finding a way to save the country $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, were selected because it was believed that they, unlike the rest of Congress, would be able to look past the political divides that have marred congressional discourse for the last few months and come to a reasonable decision. Apparently, we expected too much of the would-be diplomats.

Like every other endeavor to balance the budget this year, the Super Committee’s talks dissolved into petty infighting. The board’s Democrats blame the committee’s failure on Republicans’ unwillingness to budge on tax reform, while Republicans hold Democrats who refused to make cuts to entitlement programs accountable.

Now the president, like a beleaguered mother weary of her children’s constant bickering, has decided that he will not allow either party to back down from the agreement they signed prior to selecting the committee—should Congress fail to map out a plan to reduce the budget by $1.2 trillion by the end of 2012, the cuts will be forcefully taken from an equal share of military and domestic programs starting in 2013.

It should be noted that this is by no means the first time that this Congress has failed us. This year in politics

has been one of the most frustrating in recent American history, from legislators’ fruitless attempts to find an answer to the debt ceiling debacle to their continued inability to come to an agreement on a jobs bill.

This Congress has proven time and time again that its principle concern is not doing right by its constituents (or doing much of anything at all). In the face of even the direst consequences for the American people, they have done nothing but squabble over their various political interests. Make no mistake— they want to help Americans—just not at the cost of their respective bases’ support.

There is a time and a place for playing politics, and this is not it. If Congress can’t reach an agreement on how to cut that $1.2 trillion from the budget, the American people will, once again, have to pay the price.

Both Democrats and Republicans have conceded that the fail-safe cuts will have devastating effects on many governmental programs, including the military, education and many more.

But, even more importantly, we could be waiting another year for a long-term solution to the debt crisis.

This time Congress has gone too far.

Our national debt currently exceeds $15 trillion, and millions of Americans are still out of work. Our country and its people cannot afford another year of congressional apathy; the status quo with which we have all become far too comfortable must change.

UCR students, in particular, should

be extremely sensitive to the gravity of this issue. It is our future that Congress is toying with, and our potential careers and investments stand to lose the most from their ineptitude. So what should we do? It is not enough to say that both the Republicans and Democrats are to blame, to leave the whole matter at an unfortunate turn of events and hope for a better outcome in the future.

No, the responsibility for this catastrophe falls to us. We can no longer wait for the powers that be to resolve their differences and come to our rescue. Clearly, our voices are not being heard loudly enough, and it is high time that changed.

Last week, peaceful protesters at UC Davis were pepper sprayed for sitting on campus property and silently expressing their disapproval of the current economic state of our nation.

Though you may disagree with what they stood for, there is little denying that their demonstration was a success; and the message relayed came through loud and clear: the students of the UC are not prepared to stand idly by as their leaders run this country into the ground.

It is up to us to design the solutions that will bring this disastrous era in congressional history to a close; and the H sooner we start, the better. ■ 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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Remembering Rita: UCR celebrates Transgender Day of Remembrance T i m R. A g u i l a r STAFF WRITER

Rita Hester was a bright beautiful young lady, described as a “shining star” by those who knew her. Charito Suarez, activist and friend, said of Hester, “Whenever she arrived at Jacques her presence would be noticed by anyone. She was so elegant…and as beautiful as she was, she would not try to make anyone else look less.” On Nov. 28, 1998 police officers discovered Hester’s body in her apartment. She had been stabbed 20 times in the chest, and nothing of value was missing from her apartment. Witnesses reported seeing two men follow her home that evening, but her murder remains unsolved to this day, like many other Transgender hate crimes.

The Boston Globe reported that Hester was a prostitute, although no evidence supporting this information or linking it to her murder was made public. The report inferred that she was a criminal and committing a crime at the time of her murder.

Alarmed and outraged by the brutality of Rita’s murder and the insensitive media reaction that followed, the transgender community of Boston and their allies organized vigils to keep her memory alive and bring attention to transgender hate crimes. A year later, in 1999, activists in San Francisco created The Day of Remembrance in Hester’s memory. Now every year on Nov. 20 communities across this nation and around the world commemorate The Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This year UCR’s LGBT Resource Center sponsored The Transgender Day of Remembrance with a memorial outside the Highlander Union Building to raise awareness of hate crimes against the transgender community and in order to honor each of the 400 known victims of transgender-related violence. Transgender individuals are often misunderstood by the general public because their gender identities differ from the social expectations associated with their physical sex, the two of which society often conflates. The difference between biological sex and social gender refers to levels of expressed masculinity and femininity.

According to a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, more than 78 percent of Transgender individuals surveyed were severely harassed as children. Recently, 17 year-old Brandon McInerney entered a plea of guilty to the Feb. 2008 murder of Larry King and received 21 years in prison. McInerney removed a revolver from his backpack in his school’s computer lab and shot King twice at point-blank range because he chose to express his femininity by wearing women’s accessories. Yet, the focus of attention following the incident was placed on King and not McInerney.

What does it matter how a person dresses or how they identify with the world around them?

Transphobia is a form of bigotry, which seeks to deny individuals their basic human right of selfexpression by keeping them from living freely, openly and honestly, in harmony with their gender identities. Phobic hate crimes thrive on irrational fear, and those who perpetrate them pursue vioRITA CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

HIGHLANDER

LETTER TO THE EDITOR OCCUPY WALL STREET, OCCUPY RIVERSIDE, OCCUPY YOUR NEW DAWN NOW! from Mayia Shulga The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They should be 400-500 words in length and include the author’s name and contact information. Contact editor Townsend Scholz at opinions@highlandernews.org for more information Just several weeks ago, the word Occupy had not been a recognizable word in American public consciousness. Today, even the most politically unaware and disinterested person is probably familiar, albeit vaguely, with the concept of Occupy Wall Street (OWS). As the movement gains momentum by spreading across hundreds of cities in the nation and can no longer be ignored, many are curious to understand the nature of this grassroots phenomenon. Why have thousands of people begun occupying public parks and squares? What political values underpin this community action? What are its demands and accomplishments?

Residents of Riverside have an opportunity to gain a primary insight into the nature of the movement, since we have our very own Occupy Riverside (OR) in solidarity with OWS. We must begin by

considering the socio-economic dislocation in our city, which in many ways mirrors and even amplifies that in the nation.

Currently in Riverside there is an unemployment rate of 14.7 percent. Also, in the past three years Riverside County recorded [the] second-highest foreclosure rate in the state of California.

This crisis has partly been a result of sub-prime mortgage loans that big banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America pursued. Sub-prime loans have higher interest rates and exploitative terms. Many first time home buyers were tricked or pressured into accepting sub-prime loans so that banks could generate higher profits, and such a practice is called Predatory Lending. It is also a practice that perpetuates racism and classism because lower and working class non-white families are targeted by predatory lenders. It is an example of an economic practice driven by greed and irresponsibility without concern for the welfare of our community.

Foreclosures also generated a drastic decline in property values and contributed to a multi-billion budget shortfall in California. The Center for Responsible Lending estimated that foreclosures cost Californians a total of $67 billion in lost

property values, not to mention disrupted lives of those who lost their homes, jobs and livelihoods.

OR assembled itself swiftly and spontaneously, although its survival today depends on the tireless efforts of those Occupiers at University and Main as well as their supporters. OR brought together people from the most diverse walks of life: unemployed; veterans; teachers; students from local high schools, community colleges, and universities; homeless; small shop keepers; cancer survivors; retirees and immigrants.

So what has united such a diverse group of people and what values define OR? Occupiers are committed to restoring and rejuvenating American democracy. They stress the rights of ordinary people to shape policies and practices that affect their daily lives. Occupiers value freedom of speech and peaceful assembly as cornerstones of democratic society, and they have shown their commitment to defending these fundamental rights by peacefully resisting a nationally coordinated wave of police raids aimed to disband popular mobilization. “Show me what democracy looks like? This

is what democracy looks like! Occupy Riverside! Occupy Riverside!” – chant Riverside occupiers as they march across downtown. Occupiers understand the importance of protecting public space from being privatized, because it is in this public sphere that they can realize their rights to free speech, expression and democratic governance. Hence, they chant “Whose streets? Our streets! Whose city? Our city! Whose country? Our country!”

Occupiers denounce political corruption and [the] influence of big money in American politics, as well as [the] lack of quality of political representation, accountability and transparency from their government. They want to see that financial institutions that have so much power over ordinary people’s livelihoods get under public control – they want economic justice. That is why Occupiers chant as they march “They got bailed out, we got sold out!” and “Money for the people, not for banks! Money for the jobs, not for banks! Money for students, not for banks!”

Occupiers also embrace humanistic values of compassion, love and concern for the fate of the community as a whole, LETTER CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

A glorious end to an absurd NBA lockout James Njuguna STAFF WRITER

The NBA lockout is finally over. For five months, the owners and players were deadlocked in negotiations with no real hope of compromise in sight. But the NBA owners, in a surprise effort to salvage the season, met with representatives of the NBA Players Association, the players’ union, over Thanksgiving Day Weekend and came up with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that is satisfactory for all.

The league cancelled almost 20 games and lost over $100 million in revenue over the course of the debacle. Now that the players and owners have come up with an agreement, league games are projected to start on Christmas Day, the second most lucrative period in the NBA regular season after the All-Star Weekend. This year, teams will play a shortened regular season of 66 games, 16 games fewer than a normal regular season.

From an objective perspective, one can see why the owners and the players had such a hard time coming up with a new CBA. The owners claimed that the previous agreement was unfair to smallmarket franchises; it lead to clubs incurring heavy losses and, by extension, owners losing millions of dollars. Under the previous CBA, which was negotiated in 1999 and expired on July 1, 2011, the league’s income was divided 57-43 percent, in favor of the players. The league reported losses of $300 million last year, with 22 franchises failing to make a profit. The disparity between big and smallmarket franchises (those who could and could not survive under the conditions of the former CBA) had become so immense that overall competition in the league had been affected.

Instead of dividing income 57-43, the new CBA will ensure that revenue be split more fairly, with players getting anywhere from 49-51 percent. The new model ensures more franchises operate in the black, while also leaving enough funds to invest on quality players, thus

C o u rt e s y

improving the teams, making the league more competitive and bettering overall product for the fans. The National Football League (NFL) has the same model, and it is by far the most popular and lucrative league in America.

The new CBA installs a hard salarycap and also limits the number of maximum-contract players a franchise can have in its roster to one. In so doing, it puts to rest the headache of having a single player hold his franchise hostage.

Last season, for example, Carmelo Anthony, a former Denver Nugget, practically bullied his way out of Denver in order to play for the New York Knicks. In the previous year, LeBron James did the same to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Putting a stop to these types of situations will be a significant victory for both the league and the fans. Now, if a player wants to play for one of the more popular fran-

chises in the league, like the Lakers, the Heat or the Knicks, he will have to take a sizable pay cut in order to move on.

This part of the CBA also ensures that general managers and team scouts will have to put more of an effort into constructing a competitive team than simply signing the best available players, a la the Miami Heat. The CBA also raises minimum salary contracts and rookiescale salaries. There have been rumors that new player contract lengths will be limited to five years. This is an attempt to minimize the number of bad contracts owners give out to some players.

Under the new CBA, players’ average salaries will almost certainly decrease in the short term, but if they do, it is for the good of the fans. And if the decrease leads to many more franchises competing at a high level every season, in the long run it will benefit players as well.

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At some point, the players must have realized that losing an entire season would have been extremely detrimental to them, more so than it would have to the owners. That projected $4 billion income for the 2011-2012 season would have been lost, leaving everyone worse off.

The NBA lockout of 2011 will only linger in our memories for a few years.

All in all, the new agreement is good for everyone involved. More franchises will be competitive, and huge contracts will be awarded on the merits of not only having a singular stellar season, but a string of fantastic ones. It encourages players to play harder and, by extension, the league to become better. Within the next few years, the NBA will have more competitive games on schedule and fewer blowouts. This is good for the league, good for the players and definitely great H for the fans. ■

OPINIONS

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RITA FROM PAGE 6

C o u rt e s y

LETTER FROM PAGE 5

not just their own. They stress equality, inclusion and celebration of diversity in America all while being committed to a common future. Occupiers are patriots in the most meaningful sense of the word, because their vision is public, not only private, as they strive to improve the political and economic structure of our country. Occupiers stand for civic responsibility, sacrifice and action.

Their message is grand not only in numbers, but also in its ethos.

Occupiers are in the process of crafting and coming to a consensus on more specific policy demands. Among them are calls to put a moratorium on home foreclosures, fine banks which engaged in predatory lending, begin public financing of elections, enforce higher corporate tax rates, ending tax cuts and loopholes for companies that export jobs overseas, the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act to separate investment banking from commercial banking and ending the portion of Bush tax cuts that benefits big business and financial institutions. Occupiers do not simply want to see policy, but also systemic changes, that is why they are preparing a constitutional amendment to revoke corporate personhood.

Much more needs to be done to bring irresponsible and exploitative financial conglomerates under the power of the people. For example, occupiers want to see local governments finance free workshops and free real estate consultants for first time and low income home-buyers instead of using property and city services taxes to fund local developers.

Even though OWS is two months old, it has managed to accomplish several much needed (albeit only initial) changes in our society. In the past two months, 650,000 people nation-wide transferred their money from big banks to local credit unions as a vote of no confidence in our country’s mainstream financial system. OWS created publicity around issues of political corruption, corporatism, tremendous wealth inequality and declining living standards, and many media outlets in America have finally begun to integrate these urgent topics in their reports.

Specifically in Riverside, Occupiers disrupted several foreclosure auctions and helped a WWII veteran hold on to his home.

The People’s Kitchen is at the heart of the OR encampment – it feeds dozens, many of whom are homeless veterans and mentally ill, who have been physically and

morally alienated in our community. Maintaining and protecting a tent encampment in the middle of the pedestrian mall from Riverside Police raids has been another important accomplishment.

Tents are a powerful symbol of the wave of social dislocation that has swept our county in the wake of foreclosure crisis. It helps to keep the eyes of the community on this real and pressing problem, as well as to provide pseudo-homes for homeless people who would otherwise be arrested for erecting tents. Recently OR began to sponsor a series of free workshops for members of our community on topics ranging from foreclosures, corporations and American history to graduating from college loan free.

Every day OR holds a General Assembly followed by free speech, which provides a forum for residents of our city to voice their concerns, state action proposals, share their experiences, testimonies, music, poetry and art. Because General Assemblies are leaderless and democratic, they are based on including every person and every opinion in the deliberation process and moving forward by reaching a consensus.

OR is a very powerful tool that has been fostering a community spirit, encouraging a sense

A n d r e w E d wa r d s

of belonging, creating a sense of political efficacy and allowing members of our society to learn and experience the values of democratic governance. Moreover, by emphasizing non-violent resistance against unjust laws and practices, Occupy has a potential to educate its followers in moral responsibility and civic duty. Occupiers of Riverside have already experienced the power of local authorities as Riverside PD raided the camp and destroyed most of Occupiers’ tents, books, placards, blankets and sleeping bags, along with arresting 11 peaceful protesters. This was yet another educational moment that clearly shows that powers that be do not serve the interests of ordinary people and as such must be denounced.

American history moves forward because of those beautiful and courageous souls who decide to stand up against wrongs and injustices, for themselves as well as for others. Every society gets a chance to evolve into something better, more acceptable and agreeable. [The] Occupy movement offers that opportunity to us today. We can choose to sit on the sidewalks, or, as one of the selfmade Occupier signs reads, we can choose to occupy our new dawn now!

HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM KUCR RADIO 88.3 WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

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lence as a means of addressing those fears.

On Oct. 28, 2009 President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which is the first federal law to recognize the existence of and provide civil rights protection to transgender people. This law is a step in the right direction, but it is not nearly enough to curtail the reported 13 percent increase in hate crimes against the transgender community in 2010, as reported by The National Coalition of Anti Violence Programs (NCAVP). The NCAVP also reported that this increase does not account for the fact that 50 percent of transgender assault survivors did not file a police report. This apparent reportingapathy is directly related to the indifferent, abusive or deterrent police attitudes encountered by 61 percent of LGBT hate crime survivors filing reports with law enforcement, 48 percent of whom are transgender.

When we examine phobiarelated hate crimes, our attention must take aim at the perpetrators and not the victims, something many failed to do in the cases of Hester and King. The denial of any person’s right to express his or her gender identity has no place in a free society and under no circumstances should be tolerated. The fact that 50 percent of hate crimes go unreported reflects very negatively on our society and the institutions of law that remain stubbornly insensitive to the plights of the transgender community. Laws simply provide the frame work in which hate crimes can be addressed; they do not stem the tide.

Change must begin with law enforcement and education. The NCAVP 2010 report recommended that first responders and mainstream direct service providers receive training and knowledge on serving LGBT hate crime survivors. The NCAVP also recommended that universities and schools adopt anti-violence initiatives and develop curricula to reduce hate violence and harassment in our schools. If ignorance is at the crux of hate crimes, then knowledge and education are critical parts of any effort to curb the violence against the LGBT community; however, the greatest change must begin at home when our children are H most impressionable. ■

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. GUIDE TO A FESTIVE DECEMBER IN RIVERSIDE .

Staff Writer Chelsea Santos explores different things to look forward to this holiday season.

PHOTOS BY GORDON HUANG

When I think of Riverside during the holiday season, I picture the Mission Inn Hotel in its elegant glory, covered with lights and charming holiday decorations. One of the biggest things to enjoy this upcoming holiday season is the Festival of Lights, which has been a tradition in downtown Riverside for the past 19 years. The Festival of Lights is a must-see for UC Riverside students, especially first years longing to feel the holiday cheer that comes with the month of December. In 2010, over 250,000 guests took part in the Festival. This year, the Festival started on Nov. 25 and will run for five weeks up until Jan. 8 of the new year. On the opening day, Duane and Kelly Roberts, owners of The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, took part in the “Switch-On Ceremony,” celebrating the illumination of over three and a half million lights along Main Street. Over 400 animated figures including angels, elves and carolers also added to the holiday splendor.

The ice skating rink, located on Main Street Riverside between University and Mission Inn Avenues also began its operation that day. From Nov. 26 to Dec.19, festival participants can bond with loved ones and friends over ice skating. Locals can also munch on holiday-themed goodies and sweets, shop for Christmas gifts at the many unique boutiques in the area and savor the sounds of live holiday entertainment. But of course, a visit to the Festival must include a picture with Santa Claus. So if you plan to join the holiday merriment, make sure to stop and consider what your heart desires for Christmas!

Aside from the Festival of Lights, downtown Riverside is actually the hub of holiday events that cannot be found anywhere else. Participants can celebrate the holidays Victorian style at the free Victorian Christmas Open House on Dec. 11 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Stop by the Heritage House on Magnolia Avenue to see Father Christmas, sip on a cup of steaming mulled cider, and make holiday ornaments and Christmas keepsake boxes as holiday musical entertainment plays around you.

To celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, author of the ever-famous “A Christmas Carol,” Dicken’s great-great grandson will be returning to Riverside by popular demand to perform the classic. The Dickens Festival, which was voted the Best Festival last year by the Press-Enterprise Readers’ Choice Survey, will open on the evening of Dec. 19 with a captivating performance by Gerald Dickens at the Riverside Community Players Theater. You may also join Mr. Dickens over 5-course tea at the Riverside Marriott Hotel if you cannot make it to his evening performance. Tickets for each event cost $50. Nonetheless, Dickens enthusiasts can take part in Dickens Festival activities for free from Jan. 7-8 of the new year.

For those who wish to relive their childhood memories of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” make sure to catch one of the show times at either the Fox Performing Arts Center or The Landis Performing Arts Center.

To see the local California Riverside Ballet perform their own rendition of the classic musical performance,

stop by the Fox Performing Arts Center ahead of time to purchase a ticket for one of the four performances.

The show runs from Friday, Dec. 9 to Sunday, Dec. 11.

Ticket prices range from $19 to $49.

However, college students may find it more feasible to catch The Nutcracker Ballet show at The Landis Performing Arts Center on Dec.18 at 1:00 pm, since tickets are a bit cheaper at $15. Special guest stars Sarah Van Patten and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba, principal dancers for the San Francisco Ballet, will be performing that afternoon, so no matter which show you choose, you’re in for a treat.

And if all you want is a nice, warm, festive drink, a good place to start is in your local Starbucks or The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on campus. If you’re a cocoa aficionado, make sure to try Coffee Bean’s Red Velvet alternative or Starbucks’ classic Peppermint blend. Latte drinkers should try the Gingerbread Latte or Caramel Brulee Latte with a Red Velvet Whoopie Cake at Starbucks or the Peppermint Mocha or Winter Dream Tea Latte with a Candy Cane Cupcake at Coffee Bean. With so many options to choose from, it is indeed difficult to know where to start. But you can at least rest assured that you won’t be racking your brain about what to do in H downtown Riverside this coming December. ■

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

SUSAN ELIZABETH GEORGE novelist

T

BY SOH-YEON LEE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETHGEORGEONLINE.COM

hose interested in the suspenseful plots and thrilling twists that come with crime novels have probably heard of internationally bestselling crime novelist, Susan Elizabeth George. George, who graduated from UCR in the ‘70s, has established herself as a renowned crime novelist.

George’s novels unravel in the setting of Britain, where she has traveled to frequently since 1966. Her novels have gained much appreciation in Britain, and some of them have been adapted into a British television series by BBC, titled “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.”

Despite her presence overseas, George considers herself an American novelist.

Her talent has put her in the spotlight on numerous occasions, and she has most recently been recognized by the UCR Alumni Association, when she received a distinguished alumni award.

Upon graduating from UCR with a degree in English, George worked as a high school teacher. It was there that she realized she had an interest in the mystery genre, because she had to teach a course called “The Mystery Story.” George says, “To teach anything, of course, you have to deconstruct it first. Upon doing that, I came to see that there were many ways to approach this type of novel. If I chose to do so, I could use the form as a springboard into what I’d always wanted to do, which was to write.”

Eager to explore the possibilities that emerge when writing in the realm of mystery genre, George began to write.

She challenged herself to produce crime novels, and spent many hours a day writing.

It was no easy task, and George had to set a routine for herself . She describes her average day, “I am up by 4:45 doing aerobic exercise, then I spend time writing, studying Italian, writing, followed by another session of Italian. I then do some weight training, have lunch, garden or practice spoken Italian.”

Indeed, her diligent routine has paid off, for she has published over a dozen novels. George states that one reason she was drawn to writing was the feeling it provides of being complete.

She says, “Writing is what I always intended to do, so I guess that writing allows me to do what I was intended by God to do. During the times when I’m writing, I’m the most who I am and I’m completely at peace,” says George.

Every author has a different approach to their work. George describes her process of writing when she says, “I create a plot kernel consisting of a killer, victim, and a motive. From there, I create

characters, and allow the story to emerge through the creation of the characters.”

Another reason George appreciates writing is the platform it gives her to have her own voice heard. George uses her characters as means to incorporating her own thoughts and feelings.

George states, “Characters often have opportunities to think, speculate, reflect and remember during the course of a novel. Depending on the situation, these can also be opportunities to express my own thoughts and opinions, providing that the character shares them.”

Though her pursuit of writing was initially sparked by the mystery genre, George considers herself strictly a crime novelist. Through her crime novels, George attempts to challenge the logic of her audience. The distinction between crime novels and mystery novels can be hazy for those who are not familiar with the style. George clarifies, “I write crime novels [not mystery novels], which are actually different. A mystery novel involves clues and red herrings, which the detective sees and generally doesn’t interpret for the reader. The reader is in possession of only some of the information available, while the detective knows all and reveals it in the final scenes of the novel.”

Unlike the multi-layered narrative structure of mystery novels, crime stories unveil the elements of the plot, allowing readers to be actively engaged through out the progression of the novel.

George describes a crime novel by saying, “A crime novel lays in front of the reader all the information, including a great deal more than the detective even knows. The key to the book is in the interpretation of the information. Interpreted correctly, the reader will know who the killer is.”

George credits the success of her works solely on her ability to write. She states, “Actually, I’m an excellent novelist.”

George recalls her time at UCR, saying, “...I enjoyed my time there, although I have always found hot weather a problem.”

George is appreciative of the award presented to her by the UCR Alumni Association. She expresses, “I was happy to come down to receive it, and especially to see the enormous changes in the campus since I was there as a student in 1970.”

George concludes with words of advice to the students,“I would tell [the students] to suit up and show up for their lives and to understand that no one owes H them anything.” ■

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THE DIGITAL WORLD WITH RYAN SIMON GAMING GIFT IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON 2011 WRITTEN BY RYAN SIMON, STAFF WRITER

Whether it is for yourself or for your loved ones, finding quality gifts can sometimes be an agonizing experience. Luckily for you, I have made a list of some of the best rated and most highly recommended video games of 2011.

There is something for everyone here, so check it out for yourself and lift some of that anxiety off your shoulders.

WII – THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD This new Zelda game is considered the earliest in the series’ legendary timeline.

Like the other 3D Zelda’s, Skyward Sword is a third-person adventure game. An absolute masterpiece by many accounts, Skyward Sword takes all of the greatest ideas Nintendo has ever had for their motion controls and combines them into one amazing pack-

age. If you want to experience just how immersive a game can get with motion controls, Skyward Sword is a musthave.

PS3 – UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE’S DECEPTION The third installment in this PlayStation-exclusive series is considered the most polished experience yet. It received several perfect review scores for its stunning visual fidelity, spectacular voice acting, and masterful cinematography. That’s just for the single player portion—the game also includes a deep multiplayer experience that will keep people playing for some time. Uncharted has always blurred the line between cinema and gaming, and Drake’s Deception may well be the epitome of this combination of mediums.

SIMON CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Photos Courtesy of Nintendo, Bethesda, Sony Entertainment

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SIMON FROM PAGE 11

XBOX 360 – THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM It may not be exclusive to Xbox (also available on PS3 and PC), but it is one of the most impressive games offered for the system this year. Those familiar with its predecessor, Oblivion, will find Skyrim to be a large expansion and reworking of many of the popular elements found in Oblivion.

Beautiful graphics, a fantastic soundtrack and a seemingly infinite number of quests ensure players that Skyrim will keep them engaged long after 2011.

PC – STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC One of my favorites for 2011, The Old Republic (TOR) is a massively multiplayer online game that takes place 3,000 years before the first Star Wars films. The story is a familiar one: the Empire and the Republic are fighting for control of the galaxy, and only you and your friends can tip the balance of the war. TOR’s most intriguing features are its engrossing story, impressive team dungeons called Flashpoints and a welcoming art style that captures the heart of Star Wars. Be aware that the game requires a small monthly fee to play.

3DS – SUPER MARIO 3D LAND No matter what year, Mario is always a sure bet for an

Photos Courtesy of Gamershell, Nintendo excellent game purchase. This latest entry in the series for Nintendo’s 3D handheld is proof. 3D Land takes the best elements of popular Mario titles like Super Mario Galaxy and the classic Super Mario Bros. 3, and combines them into one cohesive game experience only possible on a 3Dcapable console like the 3DS. The 3D screen effects allow players to better perceive the game world, and the impressive graphics engine helps to bring the colorful Mushroom H Kingdom to life. ■

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Radar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wesley Ng/HIGHLANDER

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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HIGHLANDER

MOVIE REVIEWS ALSO THIS WEEK:

ANSWERS TO NOTHING

CORIOLANUS

OUTRAGE

SHAME

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN RATING: ★★★☆☆

BY: EMILY WELLS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Michelle Williams takes on the role of a lifetime as Marilyn Monroe in “My Week with Marilyn,” a film based on the diary accounts of Colin Clark, a young assistant on the set of a Monroe film. Long after Monroe’s death, Clark’s recollections as a naive 23-year-old on the set of a Monroe film were published. The books, titled “The Prince, the Showgirl and Me” and “My Week with Marilyn,” include details of Clark’s chaste romantic affair with Monroe and provide general insight into the timeless star’s troubled psyche.

The film is set in the summer of 1956, during which Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) dreams of working on motion pictures and lands a job as the “third assistant director” on the set of Marilyn Monroe’s new British film, “The Prince and the Showgirl.” Monroe’s visit to Britain is doubling as a honeymoon with her new husband, Playwright Arthur Miller. There is instantaneous animosity between the filmmakers and a difficult Marilyn, who insists upon having her overbearing method acting coach around at all times, is consistently late to shoot and is generally unreliable.

Monroe’s professional flaws are contrasted with her immensely troubled personal life, which serves as the main source of tension within the film. Marilyn befriends and enchants the lowly Colin Clark, who spoils his chances with wardrobe mistress Lucy (Emma Watson) to pursue her. The two become entangled in a short-term, unlikely, whimsical romance that remains more naive and innocent than one might expect from Monroe.

One phenomenal aspect of the film is the costume design. Jill Taylor worked on the movie’s costumes for six weeks and dressed the entire cast, using mainly vintage clothing to replicate the sartorial trends of the era perfectly. Of her work, Taylor says “I trawled through loads and loads of antiques fairs and vintage shops to see if we could find original vintage pieces that would suffice for the film. We were pretty successful but we also had to reproduce a lot from original photographs—for

example, we had to do the scene where she lands in this country, which is well-documented on newsreel.”

The music accompanying the film was also top-notch. The original score was composed by American Conrad Pope and French Film Composer Alexandre Desplat. The film soundtrack also features star Michelle Williams singing “I Found a Dream,” “That Old Black Magic,” “When Love Goes Wrong” and “Heat Wave.” Williams’ simple yet captivating voice brings a wave of nostalgia that is perfect accompaniment to the film and is truly reminiscent of Marilyn.

One of the more intricate aspects of the film lies with its star’s performance. Michelle Williams captures the more vulnerable side of Monroe fairly well. She is neurotic, unstable, unsure of herself and all the other qualities associated with Monroe’s private life. She also looks the part, capturing the style of the era and Marilyn’s timeless beauty brilliantly. Her mannerisms and voice have been mastered.

However, something remains missing. Williams nails the look, the voice, the flickers of self consciousness, yet she never seems to be truly effortless on screen.

The tension between Monroe’s captivating public persona and the troubled woman behind it are not quite believable. When attempting to capture the torturous nature of Monroe’s private existence, the audience is left feeling not quite as deeply disturbed as they should be. Her flippant switching between flirting with Colin (and many other men, for that matter) and experiencing a resurgence of devotion to her new husband comes off as nonsensical and shallow. Attempts to victimize her are unsuccessful, and the audience feels little sympathy for her character’s lack of professionalism and stability when faced with the depiction of her as a hopeless actress. The film’s attempt to represent her as more than a sex symbol is not in vain, however certainly not as successful as it could have been. The film’s apparent goal was to show Monroe as a woman of substance, but the audience

is left unconvinced.

Michelle Williams may achieve what Monroe herself never managed to—an Oscar. The role itself is truly show-stopping, and a decent amount of critical acclaim has surrounded Williams’ performance. While an attempt to capture a figure as complicated as Monroe will always leave some unsatisfied, Williams’ portrayal of the cinematic icon arguably outshines her roles in “Brokeback Mountain” and last year’s magnificent “Blue Valentine.” The supporting cast also made the film immensely

more enjoyable. Eddie Redmayne gives an outstanding breakout performance as Colin, capturing the simple and straightforward admirer perfectly. An outstanding performance was also given by Judi Dench, who plays an endearing and encouraging actress on “The Prince and the Showgirl” film.

An overall quality cast and fascinating topic make “My Week with Marilyn” worth seeing. For those cinephiles who are eagerly awaiting Oscar nominations, the H film should not be missed. ■

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THE MUPPETS RATING: ★★★★☆

BY: RICHARD LOERA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER “The Muppets” gloriously and hilariously returned to the big screen after a hiatus of over a decade. Director James Bobin (“Flight of the Conchords,” “Da Ali G Show”) does a fantastic job at expanding the audience to not only children and teenagers, but adults who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s when The Muppet Show was huge.

Jason Segel (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Knocked Up”) penned the script about brothers Gary (played by Segel) and new Muppet Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) who travel to Los Angeles with Gary’s girlfriend Mary (“The Fighter’s” Amy Adams) and try to raise ten million dollars with the Muppets to purchase their studio back from greedy oil tycoon Tex Richman (“American Beauty’s” Chris Cooper).

This is undeniably one of the only reboots in Hollywood that will capture the hearts of everyone who watches it. Every spectacle in this film, including the catchy musical numbers whose choreography reminisce those of “Singin’ in the Rain,” is done brilliantly in a tasteful fashion that does not damper the legendary Muppets’ name.

Raunchy comedy actor Segel excels in his role as Walter’s brother; it is actually very impressive how well he translates to a children’s actor as well.

Chris Cooper plays the treacherous, yet hilarious villain that finishes his evil speeches by saying “maniacal laugh” instead of actually doing so. The only problem in this movie is that some of the beloved Muppets characters did not get to

have as much of a role as they have in the past movies, such as Rizzo the Rat. In a comedy film, timing and deliverance are keys to success, and “The Muppets” definitely conquered. One thing that makes this film especially hilarious is that Segel and Bobin make the film very aware of itself by pointing out cinematic clichés, making it funny and refreshing to watch. For example (no spoilers, so no need to worry), Amy Adams has a musical number in the rain where she sings in melancholy about her relationship with Gary. After the number, the camera pans out and it is revealed that it is simply a gardener using his hose to water the bushes. Moments like those are abundant in this movie, and the results show that the audience loved it. In addition to the countless comical escapades that take place, there are some very emotional sequences in the film where Kermit acknowledges that it has indeed been a long time since The Muppets were all together. Do not fool yourself into thinking this a depressing, Marley-and-Me-esque movie; this film proves that the Muppets definitely have many more golden years to offer.

This is definitely a film that the whole family should go see for the holidays. It is a delightful 90 minutes in the theater that leaves audiences wanting more.

This film earns four-and-a-half stars for giving the audience a fantastic time in the theater, in addition to proving to the world that the Muppets are indeed still the most lovable puppets

Walt Disney Pictures

ever. This film is arguably the best Muppets film to date and comes with a surefire guarantee to warm the hearts of any humH bug during the holiday season.■

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

MUSIC REVIEWS TALK THAT TALK // Rihanna

RATING: ★★☆☆☆

It’s been less than a week since Rihanna was awarded Favorite Soul/R&B Album for “Loud” at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20. The R&B and Dance Pop diva, well known for her catchy singles, “Umbrella,” “Disturbia,” and recently “S&M,” released her latest album, “Talk That Talk” on Nov. 21. Unfortunately for Rihanna and her fans, this album falls

BY: JACQUELINE BALDERRAMA, STAFF WRITER far from the studded hits of her previous album. By flip-flopping between explicit techno beats and cliché heartsick narratives, “Talk That Talk” hardly gets the right balance between lyrics and music.

Much of the album sinks into generic words and beats with highly suggestive messages. Titles like “Cockiness,” and “Rock Me Out,” are just indicators. Though these subjects are often employed for dance music, the rhythm fails to pull its own weight. It seems the drums and electronic synthesizer could be set to any lyrics, making the beats awkward and unmemorable. The lyrics too, are without much originality in narrating sexual encounters and being highly repetitive with, “I’m a do it do it do it.” As a result, the songs feel exceedingly long. It

seems that in its focus to modify Rihanna’s image into more explicit pieces, the album neglected to perfect the core of music, lyrics and beat.

On the the other hand, there is a smattering of tender, heartbreak narratives. This rotation with the suggestive material of the other songs makes the organization and selection of the album sloppy. At least with slower, more romantic songs, one might expect a deeper meaning beyond the skin-deep exploits of Rihanna’s risqué lyrics. Regrettably, these tracks are full of clichés including phrases such as, “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” and “you the one that I think about all day.” Other times, the lyrics just state the obvious with a chorus, “we all want something.” There is even one song that

feels completely out of the blue— one of the three additional songs in the deluxe edition. “Fool in Love,” depicts Rihanna, clouded by a vocal synthesizer, addressing “Mama and Papa… I found a man who loves me… he’s got a hold of my soul, so I guess I’m a fool in love.” This track actually ends the deluxe version whereas the regular album closes with a track titled, “Farewell.” No doubt, that was more appropriate choice.

However, “Talk That Talk” is not completely without merit.

One of the tracks, “We Found Love,” (featuring Calvin Harris) reached third place on the iTunes top charts and has been repeatedly played on the radio. The single is catchy, rhythmic, and somewhat lyrical with Rihanna singing, “yellow diamonds in the light,

and we’re standing side by side.”

Another track, “Farewell,” was also a good vehicle in displaying Rihanna’s strong and beautiful voice without her whiny tendencies. The message is also heartfelt in saying, “Farewell, somebody’s going to miss you.” Still, a couple successes is not enough to overturn an entire album.

Overall, the inconsistent arrangement of the songs and reoccurring, awkward beats broke up the album. It did make an effort to explore struggle of lovers caught in a “hopeless place,” as Rihanna sang in “We Found Love,” but it would have been more effective to maintain a clear and consistent theme. Rihanna manages to talk the talk in select tracks, but the album as a whole falls short of last H year’s success. ■

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL STAFF PICKS:

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FATIMA MIRZA: The Lion King The Dark Knight The Prestige Tangled The Little Mermaid TYLER JOE: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt1&2 The Dark Knight Princess Mononoke Spirited Away 2 Days in Paris Johnny Tsunami EMILY WELLS: The Godfather Breakfast at Tiffany’s La Dolce Vita The Red Shoes Wizard Of Oz

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17

18

. SPORTS .

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

HIGHLANDER

Students react to UC Riverside’s new athletics logo Michael Rios

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

UC Riverside Athletics introduced a new look this past week.

Abandoning its previous design, the UC Riverside athletics department unveiled a new, slicker logo that features the letters U and C interlocking above the word Riverside. Highlander fans got to vote for the new look on UCR’s athletics website. The fans were given 13 options to choose from. After weeks of online voting, the fans ultimately chose the logo with the interlocking U and C as the primary look for UC Riverside.

Brian Wickstrom, UC Riverside’s newly hired athletics director, implemented the change as he called for a new “brand identity” for the university’s athletics program.

“We need to create a brand identity that people recognize,” declared Wickstrom in a recent interview. “For us to get people excited, we need to come up with a brand and a logo that people identify with. When our basketball team plays on ESPN, they’ll recognize the logo on the bottom of the screen.”

UC Riverside’s former logo featured a bear with a blue tartan sash, standing above the word Riverside. The logo was

in honor of Scottish legend William Wallace. Since the last logo was implemented, UC Riverside has failed to sell a single piece of Highlander apparel in stores other than the UCR bookstore.

“There’s no brand identity,” confirmed Wickstrom. “In the last five years, there hasn’t been a single piece of UC Riverside athletics apparel sold anywhere in the city.

Not a single piece has been sold.”

The new logo’s slick look was designed to bring awareness to UC Riverside’s athletics program.

While some fans have acknowledged the need for a change, many students have also criticized the logo’s over-simplistic and unoriginal look.

“It’s generic,” said a UCR student athlete who wished to remain anonymous. “I prefer the old design. It’s like every other school. It doesn’t set us apart from anyone.

It doesn’t stand out. It’s kind of pale-looking. No one’s really going to notice there was a change.”

“It’s too plain,” said UC Riverside student Nazareth Aguilera. “I like the old one better. The old one has more pride.”

“I never liked beveled letters,” said fourth year art major Irin Son. “It just screams Intro to Photoshop to me.”

Others, on the other hand, have praised the logo’s design, admitting that a change was necessary and overdue.

“It’s pretty good,” commented UCR student Richard Zapp. “It’s connecting to the University of California tradition of the U and C. It’s a little bit different because the C is hanging from the U. You’re getting a lot more definition. You’re trying to pull away from all the UCs in general, especially UCLA and Berkley. The change was necessary, as long as we have a primary identity.”

“I really like it,” said Highlander fan and UC Riverside student Miriam Nunley about the new design. “It’s clean.”

UC Riverside also introduced an alternate logo that features a bear wearing a Tartan Tam o’ Shanter cap. Similar to its previous look, this alternate design also features a bear with half its face painted blue. The alternate look has also received mixed feedback, with most students condemning the bear’s cap.

“It’s alright,” said UC Riverside student Patrick Schorovsky.

“I definitely have to get used to it.

I liked the old one better. I think the hat is throwing people off.”

“I think I like the new one bet-

C o u rt e s y

ter,” said Miriam Nunley. “It’s growing on me, but I don’t like the hat though.”

“I think it’s really good,” said Richard Zapp. “The bear is really giving off the new change.

They’re really making a name for themselves with a primary logo for athletics. I’m okay with the hat. It shows the Highlander spirit.

As long as the bear’s the bear, the

of

M e d i a R e l at i o n s

hat is more symbolic of the Scottish spirit.”

The new logo was supposed to be unveiled on Nov. 30 during Riverside’s match against USC. Instead, the new look was unveiled prior to UC Riverside’s participation in the nationally-televised 76 Classic. The Highlanders went on to win one of their three games in H the tournament. ■

Highlanders sign three new basketball play ers

C o u rt e s y

Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER

UC Riverside recently announced the signing of three new players to the men’s basketball team. Dayton Boddie of Oceanside, CA, point guard Tajai Johnson of Vallejo, CA and forward Tre’von Owens of Spain have all signed National Letters of Intent to play for UC Riverside in 2012.

With six seniors in its current roster, the men’s basketball team will have huge shoes to fill in the upcoming season. Among the players leaving is star forward Phil Martin who currently leads the team in points scored. Top defender BJ Shearry, starting big man Kevin Bradshaw and forward Elliott Berry will likely be departing at the end of the season as well.

According to head coach Jim Wooldridge, the signing of the three players is the first time UC Riverside

has been able to sign high school players this early in the season.

Tajai Johnson, who was ranked 51st in the point guard position by ESPN, will be a solid addition to UC Riverside’s back court. Last season, the athletic 6-foot-2 guard led the Vallejo Apaches in scoring with 25.8 points per game and added 9.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists. According to numerous scouting reports, Johnson is a great passer with solid ball-handling skills and has a great inside and outside scoring ability. Johnson also earned the Solano County Athletic Conference MVP last season.

“Tajai Johnson is known as a flatout scorer and play-maker, and has demonstrated that throughout his high school career,” said Coach Wooldridge in a press release. “His ability to score and make plays is very exciting to our growth as a program.”

“There were three really big factors

for me—education, college atmosphere and style of play,” stated Johnson in a press release about his decision to join UC Riverside. Johnson later went on to talk about the rapport he has already built with the team and with Coach Wooldridge. “There was definitely a comfort factor. They really wanted to get to know me on a personal level and not just as a basketball player.”

Dayton Boddie of Oceanside will also make a solid addition to the Highlanders’ guard position. Boddie was ranked 118th in that position by ESPN. The guard averaged 18.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a junior for El Camino High School and led his team to a 25-7 overall record. Boddie also earned SecondTeam All-CIF and Third-Team AllNorth County mentions in his time at El Camino.

“I love the coaches and players and

of

E t h a n M i l l e r /G e t t y I m a g e s

UCR,” said Boddie about the UC Riverside men’s basketball team in a press release. “I had fun with the recruiting process. They want me to play the two or three position—drive and kick and shoot the jumper when I’m open. It’s a good fit.”

The Highlanders’ final addition was forward Tre’von Owens from Rota, Spain. With three top forwards leaving the roster next season, Owens will likely make up for the team’s rebounding losses and inside presence.

“Tre’von Owens is a player we identified that really fit a need,” continued Coach Wooldridge in a press release.

“His length and ability to shoot the ball will blend in well with or style of play.

He has competed at a high level and demonstrated the level of character we are after as well.”

The three players will officially join H the team in July of 2012. ■

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

19

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Chad Hall

CROSS COUNTRY

B rya n T u t t l e /HIGHLANDER

Following an impressive first-place finish at the Big West Conference Championship race and earning UC Riverside’s first-ever individual conference championsip title, Highlander star Chad Hall competed in his final two collegiate cross country events this November. At the NCAA West Regional Championship race, the Big Bear native finished the 10k course in 8th place out of 172 competitors with a career-best time of 29:28.

Chad Hall led the UC Riverside Highlanders to a 16th-place finish out of 25 teams in the event.

Hall later earned All-West Region honors following the race. It was his third consecutive AllRegion honor. With his impressive performance, Hall earned his second consecutive bid to the NCAA Championships, qualifying as UC Riverside’s only runner.

At the NCAA Championship race, Chad Hall would not disappoint. With a final time of 30:17.8, Hall finished the 10k race in 44th place out of 252 of the nation’s top runners, ending his UC Riverside cross country career. Hall edged out Big West rivals Daniel Gonia of Cal Poly and Jonathan Peterson of UC Davis. His top 50 finish was a major improvement from his 142nd-place finish at the NCAA Championship race a year ago.

For his outstanding achievements in the month of November, Chad Hall has earned the HighH lander’s first-ever Athlete of the Month honor. ■

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Athlete

Event

Date

Time

Rank

Chad Hall

NCAA West Regional Championship

Nov. 12

29:28.0

8

Chad Hall

NCAA National Championship

Nov. 21

30:17.8

44

Hall places 44th at NCAA Championship P r a n av B h a k ta SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With his 44th-place finish at the NCAA National Championship, Chad Hall concluded his collegiate cross country career at UC Riverside, improving drastically from last year’s 142ndplace finish at the National Championship. Hall ran the 10k race in a time of 30:17.8. The race was filled with highly competitive talent as it featured all the best collegiate athletes from around the nation. This made it difficult for Hall to qualify as an All-American as this year’s pack of 252 individuals was the deepest class in a while. Hall ran as an individual as his 8th-place finish at the NCAA Regionals qualified him as an at-large competitor. The winner of the team title at the National Championship was Wisconsin, with Arizona’s Lawi Lalang taking home the individual crown title with a time of 28:44.

“Chad’s race went well in retrospect. He had to run two 10,000 meter races in a span of nine days. He stayed in pretty much the same spot the entire race—although he wasn’t able to make his customary move forward like he has in other races.

This year was perhaps the deepest NCAA field in some time so it was a very tough year to make All-American. Chad did beat all of his other conference competi-

tors by 30 places and moved up 98 spots from one year ago when he ran at NCAAs,” said Assistant Coach Nate Browne.

Other Big West athletes competing at the National Championship with Hall were Daniel Gonia from the Cal Poly team and UC Davis’ Jonathan Peterson. Peterson finished in 71st place with a time of 30:34. Gonia finished in 100th place with a time of 30:48, leading his team to a 28th-place finish. Hall has had a very competitive season with Gonia and Peterson as they all have had many close races with each other throughout the season.

“I think that Daniel is a great guy and a great runner,” said Chad Hall before the meet. “It’s always nice to race against people that deserve respect and also offer you the same respect in return. I think that he and I both would like to put the Big West conference on the map on a national scale. John Peterson did a great job at Nationals last year so hopefully we can have an even bigger presence at the front this year. I also have to hand it to the Cal Poly team who has performed remarkably well this year. They’ve shown that it’s going to take a regionally and national level team to win conference. My hope is that future UCR teams will rise up to the same level.”

A r c h i v e /HIGHLANDER

Chad Hall will now prepare for the upcoming track and field season where he will officially close out his career at UC Riverside. Running in the distance department of track, Hall will look to run well enough to compete at Nationals and beyond.

“Of course Chad will be part

of the track season,” said Coach Browne. “He’ll race the mile and 3000m indoors and outdoors will run both the 1500m and 5000m race distances. He also has his sights set on returning to [the] NCAA Outdoor Nationals and this summer at the USA H Olympic Trials.” ■

PRANAV BHAKTA

P-BHAK’S CORNER Santa Does Exist!

Last week I wrote that it would take a holiday miracle for the NBA season to be saved. Well, guess what? The miracle might actually happen. In fact, Santa Claus himself sat down at the table with the owners and players and mediated an agreement with the help of his elf lawyers. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating the truth a little bit too much, but it is good to see the players and owners hammer out some sort of an agreement.

NBA fans are sure to be happy to see that the owners and players decided to grow up and get a deal done. I am also sure that the thought of losing this season’s profits helped further motive both sides to save the season. While the tentative agreement still needs to be voted on, some the details are slowly being released.

The owners got their concession of a near 50-50 split in revenue, with players getting 49-51 percent.

In return, the owners gave in to some of the players’ demands. For instance, there will be no reductions in rookie and minimum salaries. On some issues like the midlevel exception, the owners and players met each other half way.

While the deal is likely to be approved by the majority of the owners, the approval of the players is still a big question mark. For the deal to get approved, a majority of players need to reform the union and then agree to the proposal. The issue is that many players do not like the deal and feel that they gave up way too much to the owners and want to continue with their anti-trust lawsuits.

Barring a bizarre twist, the NBA will likely return on Christmas Day with three games on the schedule, including the Lakers versus the Bulls. However, nothing is set in stone until the players ratify the new collective bargaining agreement because this Christmas miracle could easily be spoiled by the H Grinch. ■

20

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2011

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

UCR tops Washington State, falls to Villanova and Boston College A d o l f o B ej a r STAFF WRITER

Highlanders 64 – Cougars 63 UCR proved itself resilient in its last game of the 76 classic.

After two hard defeats, the Highlanders went into the game trying to amend its participation in the tournament.

The Highlanders were not as sharp as they hoped to be in the first half, giving away an 11-point lead to the Cougars. UCR was unable to keep up with the offensive input of Washington State. The Highlanders reacted deep into the second half with the score sheet at 54-40. UCR’s defense tightened and only allowed nine points in the last eight minutes of the game.

UCR complemented the astonishing defensive display by offensively thrashing the Cougars with 14 consecutive and unanswered points.

Coach Jim Wooldridge reacted to his team’s performance. “The ball went where it should go, we didn’t turn the ball over, and a lot of dots were connected,” he asserted in a press release. “The bottom line is that we put two ends of the floor together during that stretch. We got some stops and we shot 50 percent in the second half.”

The game was tied at 60-60 after the 14-point run from UCR. The Cougars missed a couple of

free throws and gave the Highlanders a chance to go on top for the first time in the game after a jumper from Harrison Gaines.

Washington State regained the lead after an old-fashioned threepoint play with just 35 seconds left, but in the Highlanders’ final possession, Martin scored a cheeky layup for the winner.

Coach Wooldridge commented on the victory. “This is another close, tight game that we found ourselves in. I told our team afterwards that I felt much better about how we played after the ballgame.” He added, “I think it’s a program-builder for us. I think it helps put us on the map. It helps the team, itself, and its confidence level and the exposure we got this weekend.”

Eagles 66 – Highlanders 62 The game was even from beginning to end as both teams traded points all along. It was only until halfway into the second period that the Highlanders took a seven-point lead following an explosive offensive performance that saw a sequence of 11 unanswered points for UCR. The Eagles got back into the game right away by scoring nine out of 11 points in a four-minute span to tie the game at 43-43.

UCR regained the lead after a jumper by Harrison Gaines, but it was the Eagles who took com-

MICHAEL RIOS

RIO-SIDE K e v i n D i n h /HIGHLANDER

mand of the game by scoring the next nine points to lead by six with 55 seconds to go.

UCR dramatically emerged from the shadows with back-toback three-pointers from Gaines and Nitoto to send the game to overtime. Boston College rapidly grabbed the lead in overtime, scoring the first four points. The Highlanders were offensively unable to respond, but that was not what made UCR drop the game.

Once again, the Highlanders kept on giving away cheap fouls that incremented Boston College’s advantage. At the end, consistency was rewarded and the Eagles claimed the victory. The game ended with a final result of 66-62.

Wildcats 71 – Highlanders 46 UCR started out the game dominating Villanova, connecting on three of its six initial shots

to take a lead of 9-3. The Wildcats immediately reacted to the Highlanders’ run and got back into the game with a strong defensive performance and smooth offensive sequences. Villanova took the lead after 16 unanswered points, putting the score sheet at 32-16 at the end of the first half.

The Highlanders opened the score sheet in the second half with a couple of free throws, but it was the Wildcats again who led the rhythm of the game. Villanova scored six out of eight shots, increasing its advantage to 46-22 with 15 minutes left in the game. UCR tried to get back on track, connecting on eight out of 15 shots and reducing Villanova’s lead to 16 points. The Wildcats never stopped attacking the basket and with 10 minutes remaining, they thrashed UCR. The final reH sult was a 71-46 Villanova win. ■

Women’s basketball loses three straight K e n da l l P e t e r s o n STAFF WRITER

Broncos 68 - Highlanders 58 UCR (1-6) faced Boise State (42) this past Sunday, trying to break its two-game losing streak. However, a second half run by the Broncos was crucial as the Highlanders went down, 68-58.

Natasha Hadley scored a teamhigh 18 points in the first half, shooting 9-12, but was limited to only 2-5 shooting for four points in the second half. She went on to finish with a career-high 22 points.

In the second half, the Broncos used a run to set the stage for a victory. The Highlanders tried to stop the Broncos’ momentum, but Boise State outscored UCR to take a 6549 lead with five minutes left.

Riverside was able to cut the lead to 65-58 with tremendous play, but a three by Boise State finished it off for a 68-58 final score. UCR outshot the Broncos, 48 percent to 45.8 percent and had three more points off turnovers. Ten three-pointers from Boise compared to UCR’s three triples and UCR’s 16 points in the paint were not enough to overcome Boise State’s 28 inside points.

Aggies 71 - Highladers 68 In the first game of its long road trip, UCR faced Utah State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. It was a hard-fought battle between the two teams, but the Highlanders came up short, losing with a score of 71-68.

The Highlanders started slowly, hitting three of 12 from the field.

The team made consecutive buckets

afterword, but the slow start was too much of a hole to dig out of as the Highlanders were down 23-31 after one half.

Down 51-37 with 12:41 remaining, Riverside battled back to take a 68-66 lead with 22 seconds left.

A pair of free throws by Utah tied the game. With 12 seconds, Nottingham received an offensive foul which gave Utah the ball. Utah broke the press and Devyn Christensen drained a three-pointer. Nottingham heaved a last-second shot, but it fell short. UCR lost by a score of 71-68.

The Highlanders had five players in double figures with Jazzmin Lewis leading the squad with her career-high 15 points on 6-10 shooting. Natasha Hadley added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tre’Shonti Nottingham had 12 points and Leah Washington added 10.

Ragin’ Cajuns 59 -Highlanders 56 On Nov. 23, the UCR women’s basketball team faced LouisianaLafayette for their first meeting in program history. The first half went well for the Highlanders, but they were incapable of withstanding Louisiana’s impressive full court press, losing 56-59.

The game started with missed shots by both teams. A bucket wouldn’t be scored until 18:09 by Highlander Natasha Hadley. Afterward, the two teams exchanged bucket after bucket, combining for four tie scores and four lead changes. A 7-0 run gave UCR a 17-8 lead, but it all came to a halt when Loui-

K i r s t e n V o s s /HIGHLANDER

siana went on a tear, taking a lead of 20-19 with six minutes left.

Tre’Shonti Nottingham drained a three as time expired to end the first half in fashion, putting UCR up, 30-28. Both teams finished with identical 41.9 shooting percentages while Riverside’s Hadley led with 12 points on 46 percent shooting with four rebounds.

The the full court press by the Ragin’ Cajuns still prevailed in the second half as the strategy slowed down Riverside. Hadley turned the ball over as Louisiana took the lead three minutes later with a three by Nicole Morris. Louisiana lost the lead at one point, but the Highlanders gave it up with costly turnovers.

UCR’s Jessica Ogunnorin pro-

vided a double-double, going for 12 strong points and 11 rebounds.

Teammate Hadley wasn’t as effective the second half, but finished with 16 points. UCR’s Tre’shonti Nottingham was Louisiana’s main concentration the entire game. She was held only to nine points and three rebounds with eight turnovers.

After the game, Coach John Margaritis commented on the team’s performance. “We never really attacked their press and I thought we played as hard as we could play at this time of year,” he said. “We got a ways to go.”

The Highlanders are in the midst of a five-game road trip and hope it does not put a damper on their reH cord. ■

Not what we’re used to seeing Uh-oh. Don’t look now, but our UCR basketball teams have recently stumbled into a rare losing streak as both teams have lost 10 of their first 13 games.

This is an unbelievable streak, to say the least. I don’t mean that in a good way. UC Riverside’s basketball teams have usually been rock solid.

They’ve provided fans with enjoyable winning records and exciting games. Thus far, we’ve seen nothing close to that.

The women’s team has a record of 1-6. Granted, this team is filled with freshmen, but with veterans like Tre’Shonti Nottingham and Natasha Hadley, the team should have more wins than it does now. This is definitely not the same team that reached the NCAA Tournament a few years back.

On the men’s side, the Highlanders have a record of 2-4. While the team had the exact same record a year ago at this point, I still don’t believe it’s good enough. I mean, this is an experienced team that made it all the way to the conference semifinals last year.

Of course, it’s not the end of the word just yet. Coach Margaritis of the women’s basketball team assured me that the team still has room to improve. On the men’s side, coach Wooldridge has also hinted signs of optimism as he has continuously praised the team’s hard work.

Both teams have had chances to win games. Last Wednesday, our women’s team was involved in a close one against Louisiana-Lafayette but fell in the closing minutes of the game. At the 76 classic, Harrison Gaines of the men’s team was able to send a game into overtime and made it an exciting game before the Highlanders fell to Boston College by just four points.

There is still potential in both teams. It’s not time to press the panic button just yet. Both teams still have a few months to figure it out. On the women’s side, a three-game road trip will be sure to test the team and give them valuable experience. On the men’s side, Wednesday night’s game against USC will undoubtedly be the game where UCR will have to prove H just how good it really is. ■