Volume 62 Issue 11

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

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Volume 62

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Issue 11

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Senators support divestment from fossil fuel companies

V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Senator Shadi Matar listens to campus voices during the public comment portion of the ASUCR meeting.

S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Senators ushered through legislation to condemn university investments in the top 200 fossil fuel production companies, but offered few details about how to divest from fossil fuel use at a campus level. Other notable resolutions included the senate’s decision to rejoin the United States Student Association (USSA) — a national student-run organization that fights to increase accessibility for higher education — and support for a statewide tax credit that aims to improve student wages and working conditions.

As part of a systemwide initiative spearheaded by USSA, the fossil fuel resolution urges the UC to pull investments from the fossil fuel industry to address climate change. The resolution

reads, “Whereas; The extraction of burning unconventional fossil fuels poses greater risk to climate, ecosystems and human communities than conventional sources. These risks disproportionately affect lower income and marginalized communities.”

The resolution also explains that industrial extraction of coal is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. It reads, “Of the University of California’s nine undergraduate campuses, seven have taken the stance to support divestment from the fossil fuel industry.”

Senator Sean Famian also delivered his own powerpoint presentation to discuss his contentions with the fossil fuel resolution.

DIVESTMENT CONT’D ON PAGE 4

ABYSSINIAN STUDENT UNION UP IN ARMS: UCR Students protest against the treatment of Ethiopian immigrants in Saudi Arabia.

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V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Students from the Abyssinian Student Union joined the protests at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.

Sustainable UCR members rally at Redlands plant Anthony Victoria CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Members of Sustainable UC Riverside and other local organizations protested against the possible construction of new carbon-emitting power plants on Sunday, Nov. 24 at Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Mountain View Power Plant in Redlands. Other participating organizations included: San Bernardino Valley College, organizers from the Sierra Club’s My Generation campaign, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), and Warehouse Workers United (WWU).

Back in early June, SCE decided to permanently close two reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which powered more than 1.4 million homes in Southern California. But the electricity utility company has vowed to supplement the loss of electricity by building natural gas plants, which protesters argue will still have an adverse impact on the

INSIDE: The Common Application is selecting students with peculiar responses to peculiar questions.

OPINIONS

PAGE 8

Know anybody who participated in No Shave November? You might see them in A Mosaic for Movember.

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FEATURES

“Frozen” thaws Disney’s streak of sub-par films, presenting something truly magical.

C o u rt e s y o f W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s Many community groups are concerned over the construction of new carbon-emitting power plants in California.

environment.

According to a recent report released by the nonprofit Environment California Research and Policy Center, the Mountain View plant is said to be the dirtiest in California, emitting up to 1.85 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. At the same time, the 1,054-megawatt power plant uses natural gas to generate electricity, which powers about 685,000 homes.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), alongside the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Water Board and California Energy Commission (CEC) are currently holding hearings in San Francisco to decide whether or not to build new power plants to supplant the power of the former San Onofre power plants.

During the protest, Sierra Club Organizer Allen Hernandez demanded cleaner and carbonfree power plants, such as in the form of air or water. “We will not tolerate the construction of polluting plants in our neighborhoods,” Hernandez said in a media release. “It is always sunny in the Inland Empire and POWER PLANTS CONT’D ON PAGE 5

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Women’s volleyball celebrates senior night in last match of tumultuous season.

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SPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

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STAFF

PAGE 6 PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING

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NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

HIGHLANDER

Outbreak of criminal activity before winter break Colin Markovich SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Suspects arrested for possession of firearm on campus Last Tuesday, parts of UCR Family Housing were lit up by searchlights from an overhead police helicopter, as the University of California Police Department (UCPD) searched the area well into the night for suspects who fled the scene following a short police chase.

Earlier that night, officers were following a vehicle that ran a red light around 10:20 p.m.

According to the UCPD, the vehicle did not stop immediately and continued onto Linden Street and Canyon Crest Drive near Family Housing. When the vehicle finally stopped, three suspects inside the car fled the scene.

Multiple police officers, community service officers, a search dog and a police helicopter were brought in to set up a perimeter around Family Housing and search the area for the suspects. UCPD was able to arrest two of the three but was unable to locate the third suspect.

Officers suspended the search around midnight.

The two arrested suspects were Brandon Durousseau and James

Marks. Durousseau was arrested on a previous outstanding warrant while Marks was booked on possession of a loaded firearm on school property.

According to Lieutenant Jason Day, the suspects were not students and did not have a connection to the university.

Officers are continuing to search for the remaining individual.

Individual shot, killed near First Street A Riverside man was shot and killed by a Riverside police officer late Friday, Nov. 22 after the man allegedly opened fire on the officer.

The slain individual was identified as 37-year-old Riverside resident Adolfo Ramirez.

According to a police report, the unidentified officer was checking on a parked vehicle around 11:30 p.m. when a person armed with a handgun emerged from the car. The officer took shelter behind his vehicle and radioed for assistance. The two exchanged fire, during which Ramirez fired three shots and was killed by the officer.

The Riverside Police Department is pursuing an ongoing investigation into the incident.

Attempted burglary at Stonehaven Student Housing

C a m e r o n Y o n g /HIGHLANDER UCPD pursued three suspects who ran a red light and fled from the officers on foot at Family Housing.

A Stonehaven resident was the victim of an attempted burglary last Saturday, Nov. 23.

At about 5:55 p.m., the resident witnessed an unidentified male entering her apartment through a window and yelled. The intruder then fled through the apartment complex. UCPD was called to respond, and is investigating the incident.

According to the UCPD, crimes increase as the holiday

Photo of the Week

Angry protestors stormed west LA’s Sawtelle Boulevard to voice their discontent with recent Saudi Arabian expulsion policies.

Quotebook “And the fact that I did my research on this is what UC students should be doing.”

Upcoming Events

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

department, some websites such as Facebook or Skype have been used as a platform to search for female students. An online statement from UCPD reported that students have been asked to share photos and videos and pay a fee for modeling services.

“If an electronic invitation is received, please do not fall for this scam,” read an online statement by the police department.

■H

DECEMBER

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Tuesday Talk - Let’s Talk About Sex 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Costo Hall 245

Women’s basketball 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Arena

4

End-of-the-Quarter Dance Showings 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

ATHD 102

Latino American Music in Concert 12:10 p.m. - 1 p.m.

ARTS 166

5

BlaqOUT 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Costo Hall

Men’s basketball: La Verne 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Arena

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Walk the Campus Loop with a Therapy Fluffy 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Highlander Union Building 248

Women’s basketball: Pepperdine 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Arena

7

Holiday Carillon Recital 3 p.m. - 4 p.m Bell Tower

Theatre auditions for: “In the Heights” 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

ARTS 113

Tuesday

Vincent Ta

season approaches.

The department encourages students to secure or remove their belongings from their residence before leaving for winter break.

UCPD to students: Be vigilant of online modeling scams UCPD is urging female students to be wary of online modeling agencies that “scam” students into posing nude and providing personal information.

According to the police

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

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UCR Chamber Singers: Holiday Choral Concert 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Calvary Presbyterian Church 4495 Magnolia Avenue

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Peer Connections Online Chats 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Log on from your computer

Sunday

Monday

- ASUCR Senator Sean Famian, on the fossil fuel resolution

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NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

HIGHLANDER

ASUCR SENATE UPDATE

“Why is the university … investing in something that’s killing the future?”

-Jasmine Kavezade top 200 companies with the largest reserve of oil, coal and natural gas” to elaborate on the term, “fossil fuel industry.”

The amendments made to the resolution passed with a majority of 14 to one.

As the only senator who voted against the motion, Senator Abraham Galvan felt the change to the resolution was an “unnecessary” move.

“I just felt as though nobody in the Senate or in the galley was conflating the idea of the ‘fossil fuel industry’ with the plastic industry, nylon industry, or any other industries except the petroleum, coal and natural gas industries,” he said. “Moreover, I didn’t feel as though we should actually be limiting the scope of our resolution.”

Senators also approved the creation of two separate clauses

for the resolution, in order to distinguish the senate’s and the university’s divestment from the fossil fuel industry.

Motioned by Senator Shadi Matar and seconded by Senator Galvan, the overall resolution was approved unanimously.

As a set agenda item from the previous week, senators also unanimously passed a resolution to pursue formal membership into USSA, which is intended to increase UCR’s visibility on a national level.

USSA launches campaigns around student-related issues, such as increasing financial aid, recruiting and retaining underrepresented students and improving campus safety.

The resolution calls for Aref to bring forth a referendum, which will create a consistent line of funding for the membership; Aref plans to place a 50-cent referendum on the upcoming election ballot.

According to the elections bylaw, the passage of a referendum requires approval from 15 percent of the voting undergraduate student body, which must represent at least 20 percent — about 4,400 students — of the entire undergraduate population. A referendum may pass if a total of about 660 voting students choose to support it during the ASUCR elections.

With unanimous approval by the senate, the resolution reads, “Whereas; The values of affordability, accessibility and quality, which are the mission statement of the University of California Student Association, our local statewide student association, mirror the values of the United States Student Association.”

Another notable legislation included the UC Student Association’s (UCSA) Internship Tax Credit Resolution. The resolution urges Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislature to pass a

V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Executive Vice President Armando Saldana keeps order at the ASUCR meeting.

HIGHLIGHTS: The senate confirmed the selection of third-year anthropology major, Suzanne Joseph, as the final justice needed on the judicial branch.

Executive Vice President Armando Saldana discussed the possibility of creating a separate finance budget for each college sometime in the future.

The student technology committee seeks to give students the ability to use their free printing of 200 pages at Watkins Hall and apply it to the Rivera Library.

Outreach Director Mina Kato approved Mohammad Hussein, a former judicial branch candidate, as an outreach committee member.

President Sai Patadia and Vice President of Campus Internal Affairs Johnny Ta will fulfill their Promise for Education by shaving their heads on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Bell Tower. state bill that would grant a tax credit to employers, who pay interns enrolled in higher education or with outstanding student loan debt, at the state minimum wage.

The resolution states that the average California student in higher education accumulates an average of $19,000 in student loan debt, with increasing

pressures to obtain internship experience.

According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 57 percent of employers prefer applicants with prior experience from an internship or co-op.

The resolution was unanimously approved by the ■H senate.

MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101

He aimed to revise the resolution to make it more specific and felt the phrase “fossil fuel industry” was “all-encompassing.”

Famian believed the resolution only targeted the coal and petroleum industries as the main, underlying causes that adversely affect global climate, rather than human consumption.

His presentation stated that the “issue is not in the fossil fuel industry,” but the “issue is in the automobile industry and the nature of things.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 47 percent of all oil is used for passenger travel, which contributes to greenhouse gases.

“I wasn’t against the resolution, I just felt it needed more focus so not only could the ASUCR take a stance, but we could maybe even take action,” said Famian. “The fossil fuel industry provides all of us with most of the things we take for granted. I feel that that phrase focuses more on where the greenhouse emissions and pollution are coming from.”

Meanwhile, speakers such as Sustainable UCR President Jasmine Kavezade asked for continuing support for the resolution. “Why is the university … investing in something that’s killing the future?” Kavezade asked.

Another Sustainable UCR member, Francisco Iiabaca, said the UC system has invested $7.1 billion into the fossil fuel industries. “I won’t say that this is the wrong decision, but it’s a troubling decision because looking at a market, you can’t just take out $7.1 billion out of a market without bringing the whole thing down,” Iiabaca said about how fossil fuel divestment should come more gradually, due to the university’s close ties to the energy industries.

As Vice Chair of the Legislative Review Committee (LRC), Senator Niela Darmani explained that LRC initially voted to exclude the fossil fuel definition from the resolution.

Darmani reasoned that the issue wasn’t about the definition of the term “fossil fuel,” but rather, “(the resolution) was to define the industry that (UC’s) divesting in and what divestment that would be.”

When placed for a vote, the fossil fuel resolution was amended to include the phrasing “specifically for the

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DIVESTMENT CONT’D FROM PAGE 1

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

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UCR graduate student wins $100,000 grant Marshall Danese CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Grand Challenges Exploration Initiative (GCI), sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, recently awarded a UCR computer science graduate student a $100,000 grant to continue her research on insectclassifying sensors.

Yanping Chen, who is working toward a Ph.D. under UCR Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Dr. Eamonn Keogh, won a grant to fine-tune and test the devices she created for classifying and quantifying insect populations.

The initiative funds creative projects that address the world’s most prevalent health-related issues. By soliciting underfunded health research, the organization hopes to find novel and modern solutions to health problems in developing countries worldwide.

Chen built working sensors that can classify species of insects through the sounds given off by the beating of their wings. In turn, she hopes to produce real-time data that can be used to create intervention and suppression plans to fight deadly diseases caused by particular insects.

While at first the study of insects seemed a long way from her undergraduate study of computer science, Chen saw the project as a natural fit, explaining, “Given the importance of insects in human affairs, it is somewhat surprising that computer science has not had a larger impact in entomology.” She added that she spent a considerable amount of time studying the bugs that her lab samples ― a group of 12 insect species.

She did not go into the project alone, however. To build this system of sensors and software, she had some help from Aden Why, an entomology Ph.D. student, and Moses Oben Tataw, who worked under Keogh for his Ph.D. The team created an insectary inside their lab, which housed a POWER PLANTS CONT’D FROM PAGE 1

when winds come, they come strong. There are alternatives that could protect people’s health.”

Clean energy supporters at Sunday’s rally are calling for the development of local renewable energy, energy efficiency programs and grid-level enhancements. This includes energy storage technologies like microgrids, which can capture renewable energy as it is generated. It also demands response programs, which seek to mitigate electricity use during peak hours or

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Ph.D. student Yanping Chen, left, has been awarded $100,000 to further her research in tracking and quantifying insect populations.

population of insects, the majority of which were mosquitoes.

Chen plans to make sensors that are robust and sensitive.

Even the simplest alterations to the sensors could have profound effects on the relevancy of the information collected, such as noting the time of day at which the sound is recorded. According to Dr. Keogh, another purpose of the research was “to produce ultra-cheap sensors (less than $3 each) that could be produced in bulk and left unattended anywhere.”

Chen’s system founded real-time information on insect diseases, an addition that she believes is invaluable. There is a “lag time” between when the insect is caught, such as on a sticky trap, and when the insect is counted. Through Chen’s research, this time gap could be greatly diminished and thus,

emergencies.

Yassamin Kavezade, president of Sustainable UCR and organizer for the My Generation Campaign, is calling for the CPUC to halt natural gas projects, while encouraging them to implement more renewable energy programs. “The (CPUC) cannot legitimize any more natural gas projects. I’m calling for them to not expand this pollution we have created,” she said.

“Let’s create green jobs, not dirty natural gas jobs. It’s not clean natural gas, it’s simply not true.”

According to a press release prepared by

improve disease intervention efforts.

But the applications of her system could extend farther.

While insects carry pathogens to human populations, they also wreak havoc on agricultural products. The current system of blanket-spraying crops is expensive, and comes with a host of environmental concerns. Chen explained, “If we can identify insect populations, we can choose to use only the chemicals designed to kill the insects at the locations, and only spray the chemicals in the locations where the insects are present.”

She hopes the information could one day be made available on an open-source, global database where researchers in all fields can utilize the information for their ■H own projects.

the Sierra Club, building more natural gas plants will worsen current air quality issues.

In San Bernardino County alone, more than 245,000 children and adults have asthma.

Hernandez said that it is sickening to breathe the emissions of carbon dioxide.

“They knew this when they built this plant,” said Hernandez. “We want the Public Utilities Commission and Gov. Brown to know that the decision should be 100 percent renewable energy. We cannot afford any more natural gas plants.”

SCE spokesperson Paul Klein reported that the Mountain View power plant is one of the

most efficient natural gas stations in Southern California. “Because of its efficiency, it runs a lot. It also produces the most power relative to other gas plants. It’s very efficient,” Klein said in a media release.

Ericka Flores, a volunteer with CCAEJ, expressed her concerns regarding natural gas tanks that OmniTrans utilizes for their buses.

“It is known that natural gas includes methane, which is highly explosive,” Flores said. “They know about it but they don’t want to get it out of our community. That’s why it’s important to support events such as these because it’s ■H about time they do what’s right.”

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

.. OPINIONS ..

OPINIONS

7 HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

A QUARTER TO REMEMBER AND A YEAR TO LOOK FORWARD TO

HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

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Michael Rios

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A

s the year of 2013 comes to a close, we recall the familiar tradition of reflection on the past year’s events. As students, we have accomplished the 10 strenuous weeks of the quarter with attending 8 a.m. classes (or at least trying), studying and keeping track of the fast-paced quarter. It seems difficult to accomplish homework, midterms and finals on top of everything else within the span of 10 weeks, but despite the short amount of time, it’s easy to forget how much much can occur.

In this spirit, we look upon the changes that UC Riverside has made during the limited number of weeks of fall quarter which have been very historic for the university.

It’s surprising to know how much can be done and how much has been done at UC Riverside. UC Riverside reached a new record of admissions for the academic school year — a 19 percent increase from the previous year. With more students entering UC Riverside, the transformation of the student community is just at its start and the changes that the university will need to make are also just beginning with the need for expansion of resources, housing and off-campus getaways.

The increase of students allowed for another great turnout at this year’s Block Party. First-years were able to see the college environment come to life during the night with an eclectic selection of artists. But UC Riverside did not want to end the excitement there; the university decided to move Homecoming much earlier this year with Scot Fest to amp up the R’side spirit and create an even more communal university. And it seemed to work. Students seemed to appreciate the efforts to make Homecoming so close to the beginning of the school year. This was great route for UCR to engage the student community in more activities on campus.

This year, students also collaborated in efforts to create the Middle Eastern Student Center, making it the only

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center of its kind in the UC system.

The students who joined in on this project represented the importance that UCR holds about diversity. The students established a center that not only provides a resource to students and organizations that identify as Middle Eastern but a resource for students who also want to know more about different Middle Eastern cultures. The students’ initiative represented the change that students alone can make on campus to better our scholarly community.

As UC Riverside opens its doors for positive change, the university has also taken on a different leader with Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, and watched him begin in his new position with a warm welcome. From the transition of Chancellor Timothy White to interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley and finally to our new Chancellor Wilcox, UC Riverside awaits for more progress in rankings as Chancellor Wilcox begins his first full year at UC Riverside.

Chancellor Wilcox already had a successful Promise for Education fundraiser, with a goal of raising $10,000 resulting in a total of $10,770 from 66 donors. To share the glory of the successful fundraiser, Chancellor Wilcox cooked pancakes for the the student community.

The transitions of UC leaders didn’t end with Wilcox. Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was appointed the new UC president.

The appointment itself created some interesting tension as students protested her visit during her stay at UCR. Students voiced their concerns over the potential decisions she could make; hoping that her choices are aligned with the needs of the students and not with her past role as secretary of Homeland Security. But the new year will provide more insight on what she has in store for the UC system.

These protests were then followed by additional protests with the AFSCME strike. UC employees marched around campus for a second time this year calling for more benefits and higher

of

UCR T o d ay

wages.

Looking back, it’s surprising that all this happened in the span of nine weeks, and yet there is still more to look forward to in the next quarters at UC Riverside.

The end of the year was very historic for UC Riverside — but what will make this quarter historic for you?

If anything, this last quarter just goes to show how fast time passes us by.

Many of us entered UCR for the first time with the view that December was a long way off — and now it’s already here. Time is short, and our time here on campus is even shorter.

But the fall quarter also shows us that we can achieve plenty in the short amount of time we have. With Scot Fest, the opening of the Middle Eastern Student Center, a visit by Janet Napolitano and a smorgasbord of other events gracing our campus, plenty has been happening, and UCR students have been at the forefront.

As the temperature steadily lowers and frost begins to form on the buildings around campus, don’t forget that there’s only one chance to enjoy college life.

You’ll never be able to experience your college years again, so make them count.

When you go on break (and come back) — do something fun. Do something impactful. Maybe even do something you regret. But do something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

There are still a couple more weeks to enjoy (or suffer) as finals come right around the corner. Keep pushing for change, keep striving for new transitions and keep advocating for historic progress at UCR. So stay strong and look forward to the winter break that awaits you this December. UC Riverside will be around next year with even more to celebrate.

Happy Holidays, H The Editorial Board■

Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board.

They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

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OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

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The Christmas creep may be coming soon to the month of April

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Around the world, Christmas is being adopted as a holiday of commodity, showcasing colorful lights and bountiful presents rather than the spirit the holiday originally symbolized.

Naman Patel CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If current trends continue, “It’s the Easter Beagle”, an old Charlie Brown Easter special, may soon become a reality. In the 1974 episode, the Peanuts gang heads out to the mall in mid-April and sees Christmas displays out, some with signs that read, “Only 246 days left until XMAS.” But given recent history, this will become a reality sooner rather than later.

The holidays are meant to be a time of thankfulness.

It’s a time to be merry — or more appropriately described as, “... the most wonderful time of the year.” However, it appears that retailers are keen on abusing this holiday optimism and merriment by pushing Christmas displays and music early to pad their bottom line. Stores are wrapping up their underlying desire to push their products and increase profits with a bow tie of “merriment and cheer.”

In the past, stores and retail locations put up their Christmas displays and

started playing holiday music after Thanksgiving weekend, but that is rarely the case now. Every year, the holidays are creeping up sooner and sooner. Stores all over the country have been a part of a merchandising phenomenon known as “Christmas creep.”

The idea is to simply push forward the start of the holiday season closer to the middle or beginning of November rather than the conventional post-Thanksgiving dates.

According to the National Retail Federation, as of 2012, holiday shopping accounted for 19.3 percent of total retail industry sales, a 3.3 percent increase over the past 10 years. This sales increase allows stores the leverage to continue pushing Christmas displays out sooner to garner increased profits. Ultimately due to competition, this leads to stores competing with each other to see who can put out their Christmas displays up the earliest.

Some may not have noticed the changes that stores are making, but to put it into context, this year, Kmart aired

its first holiday commercial 109 days before Christmas on Sept 9, which was even before the summer season had ended on Sept. 21. Stephen Hoch, a marketing professor at the Wharton Business School for the University of Pennsylvania, equates it to an

But what retailers fail to realize is that the Christmas creep is abusing the holiday spirit for the benefit of increased profit. arms race among stores. Hoch said, “It’s like a mini-arms race. The competition among retailers means nobody wants to be second. That moves the shopping season up a little bit more each and every year.”

However, as long as retailers are able to create a profit

during the holiday season with the Christmas creep, they will continue to do so; at the end of the day it’s all just business.

American consumers are not pleased with what retailers are doing. According to a recent SOASTA survey, 78 percent of Americans believe that stores should not play Christmas music before Thanksgiving and 75 percent of Americans also believe that stores should wait to put up their Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.

American consumers have taken notice of how stores are taking advantage of the holiday season. Stores are using the holiday cheer to prey on consumers to persuade them into making purchases to better their profit margins.

The main issue with Christmas creep is that it approaches the holidays with a business mindset, but for retail chains that is the entire point. Some could argue that increased profits are a good thing, especially for shareholders

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Earlier than ever, holiday decorations and shoppers are crowding malls around the world in search of deep discounts offered by businesses that want to make profits from the holiday season.

and companies. During trying times, stores are attempting to attract shoppers sooner so that customers can buy more products over a greater span of time instead of blowing their entire paycheck at once.

The argument is that these profits could be put toward paying back dividends, increasing employee numbers or increasing share value thereby increasing market value. Long-term sustainability and expansion is the priority for any retail chain and using Christmas creep allows them to do that.

But what retailers fail to realize is that the Christmas creep is abusing the holiday spirit for the benefit of increased profit.

The retailers neglect the holiday spirit of giving and instead have created the spirit of greed as they try to drain as much money they can from consumers during loweconomic times. Retailers are pressuring consumers to purchase more than their paycheck can ultimately handle by encouraging shoppers to buy sooner with pathetic discounts that are merely a scam. During economic hardships, some people may think that they need to purchase earlier in the year to receive these “deals” that will help to not burn their wallet.

It does not have to be that way, however. If American consumers refuse to make any holiday purchases until after Thanksgiving, it will force retailers to reevaluate their marketing tactics. By pushing purchase dates a few weeks closer to December, retail chains will have to readjust their target window for the holidays. As long as consumers are willing to make this change, it might be able to curb Christmas creep, but if not, we may soon be seeing Christmas in April sooner rather than later.

■H

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

Are liars better than squares in the world of the Common Application?

B r a n dy C oa t s SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Once upon a time, being admitted to a university was as simple as taking a test. If you could prove general knowledge in common subjects and could write in Greek and Latin, you were in.

Today, California high school seniors face three options to fouryear universities: the numberbased CSU application, the more personal UC application and the bizarrely curious Common Application, known also as just the Common App — none of which guarantee admission.

The Common App is an online college application system that began in 1975, allowing a student to apply to multiple private universities with only one account. A student submits the same essay response to schools with a common prompt and answers additional questions exclusive to the respective college.

Though seemingly convenient, the Common App is infamous for hosting odd essay and short answer questions. According to the Common App’s website, it believes in “evaluating students using a holistic selection process.”

Unlike private schools of the late nineteenth century, there isn’t enough room to let every applicant attend, so admissions get picky and assess character. This means posing questions like, “What year would you travel to and why?” and “If you could choose to be raised by robots, dinosaurs or aliens, who would you pick?”

Universities strive to paint a picture of a prospective student greater than what SAT scores, GPA or autobiography can tell them, but these questions are pretentious.

Private schools fail to realize that genuine character is impossible to assess in any application and instead make the judgement that only interesting people deserve an education.

The first problem that emerges is the assumption that students will sincerely answer the question.

This scenario is too much like the Hawthorne effect: People act differently when they know they are being observed. Knowing that a college is trying to assess one’s creativity, wouldn’t one strive

C o u rt e s y o f W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s The Common App, used for admission into some private universities, is one of the applications high school students will have to fill out for college season.

to sound as creative as possible?

Especially when it comes to getting into a college, one would probably spend a large amount of time crafting the perfect representation of oneself. And that’s the problem: It isn’t real if you’re crafting it just to be admitted into college.

The admissions counsel can’t correctly interpret personalities, no matter how carefully it looks at the profile of applicants. Go ahead, ask for their background, favorite movie and most embarassing moment. Fly them out and meet them in person. Every university, no matter how intrusive their application, has its handful of bad decisions. From cheaters and dropouts to federal criminals, there’s no guarantee that what a student says about oneself to get accepted will follow through in the long run.

Harvard University, who embraces the Common App, is just one example of this. There’s even an article titled “9 Criminals Who Went to Harvard.” Just because admissions thinks they can accurately understand who an applicant really is with the questions they pose, there’s always the chance of broken promises.

Attempting to select based on the

quality of character is pointless when he or she knows to be on his or her best behavior. Private colleges, or all colleges who wish to do so, might as well disregard character altogether.

Private schools fail to realize that genuine character is impossible to assess in any application and instead make the judgement that only interesting people deserve an education.

On that note, we must consider the possibility that the most uninspiring applications could yield the most successful alumni.

By questioning the uniqueness or individuality of a person by the creativity of his or her responses, private colleges judge their educational worthiness. Applicants

Wellesley College is one of the many private universities that use the Common App in their admission process.

hope to be “well-rounded” in having good grades, test scores and community service hours as well as a shining personality. Private colleges believe creative essay responses demonstrate both this attribute and the ability to write.

California public universities test writing through custom exams, prompts and SAT scores, yet private universities overestimate their ability to decipher an entire person through oddball questions.

When it comes down to two applications with equal merit, the essay that stands out the most typically gets selected. Perhaps the essay full of wit and “out-ofthe-box” thinking gets selected over a more typical response discussing the hardships of high school academics. Does this mean that a student labelled as “boring” is less deserving of higher education at that university? Or do we assume an applicant that is not considered boring to be of such “high consideration” that he or she will end up getting into another respected school?

Whether private schools admit it or not, the most successful students could simply come from high test numbers. We must

not overlook what a high GPA and high test scores say about a student: He or she is reliable, consistent and knows his or her material.

The Common App has been successful in weeding out the squares for over 30 years. The system has proven its fascination with understanding the “whole picture” of college applicants.

Clearly the most academically successful high school seniors get their first pick at any college, public or private. But those who struggle with representing an intriguing yet sincere self through bizarre questions about dinosaurs and aliens are least successful in the battle of admissions.

We know there isn’t enough room to admit everyone into university. But until then, private schools’ selectivity only ask for the best show a student can put on. They limit access to higher education for those students who don’t tickle their fancy. To resolve the issue: Either build enough colleges for everyone or cut the ridiculous questions. It’s no wonder the CSU application is so desirable. Keep it simple, ■H Common App.

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Wikimedia Commons

The opinions expressed in the Opinions section belong solely to their authors and do not represent the Highlander Editorial Board or the University of California, Riverside.

. FEATURES .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

9

THE FRESHMAN FIFTEEN 15 BITS OF INTEREST FOR NEWCOMERS TO UCR

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO DURING WINTER BREAK Give your parents a hug

See some old friends

You probably wouldn’t survive college without them. Also, you wouldn’t exist.

Some high school friendships aren’t meant to last, but you won’t know which until you spend one more awkward day with them. Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Check out your new classes on iLearn Some professors upload their syllabi and required reading early. Hope you get Amazon cards this holiday season.

Sleep

Netflix

Work out

Remember that? You’ll have time to get some again.

Ever wanted to know what all the Breaking Bad and Mad Men fuss was about?

Now’s your chance to find out.

Break is the perfect time to settle into healthy habits and a gym routine in order to work off — wait for it — the Freshman 15.

Cook

Look for internships

Travel

Odds are you’re going to live in an apartment next year, which means you’ll need to actually, you know, feed yourself. Take some classes or watch some stuff on YouTube to prepare … before you inevitably slip into microwaving ramen.

If you want to feel productive during your downtime, start scouting out those resumebuilders. Yay, impending adulthood!

Take a weekend road trip. Visit somewhere neat in your hometown.

Take advantage of your time off by broadening your horizons, and other inspirational phrases.

Read a book

Catch a few movies

Party!

What? Reading a book … for pleasure? Which reading list is it on? None of them. Or all of them, depending on the book you pick. Whatever the case, it’s good for your brain!

Because nothing says “Christmas” like “The Desolation of Smaug.”

Bring in the new year the right way: with a cup of kindness yet for days of auld lang syne.

Go skiing or snowboarding

Absolutely nothing

Prepare for next quarter

You just spent 10 weeks absorbing information and stressing out. Just let your brain go to mush for a day or two.

Ten weeks done, many more to go. The fun has just begun.■

You gotta enjoy the rare occasions when it actually snows in Southern California.

H

10

FEATURES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

HIGHLANDER

STUDENT ORG Spotlight:

Abyssinian Student Union rallies for Ethiopian immigrants

By Sandy Van, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Vincent Ta “Students of UC Riverside are against the violence in Saudi Arabia” read the large black letters scrawled onto a plain, white canvas by UC Riverside’s Abyssinian Student Union (ASU) President Menbere Dejenie and fellow ASU member Leah Takele. The yellows, greens and reds of Ethiopia’s national colors took the form of headbands, flags and long, plastic horns used by energized protesters, who stood for hours on end on the sidewalks of Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles. Handmade cardboard signs exhibited photos of Ethiopian violence with an individual’s bloodied head, exposing a smashed-in cranium with bloody brain nerve endings, held up for display.

The Saudi government began a crackdown on undocumented immigrants after they were given a seven-month amnesty period to formalize their status by Nov. 4.

The deportations have triggered violence between Saudi police forces and Ethiopians leaving the country. And in response to such violence, about 13 ASU members participated in a demonstration, which took place in front of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. The ASU members sported black clothing and gave off rumbling cheers with their fellow demonstrators as a sign of solidarity with the Ethiopian community during the protest — a protest so prominent, the embassy needed to be closed down for

the day.

“Abyssinian” is a collective term that is used to describe individuals originating from Ethiopia or Eritrea, explained Dejenie. Founded in 2005, the student organization brings together the cultures and heritages from each country, while promoting community service, academic advancement and social engagement. “ASU is different from other universities’ (organizations) because we choose to unify two countries that other schools do not (due to) the history of political tension between the two countries,” Dejenie said, referring to the conflict-laden secession of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993.

Takele held the concern that Ethiopians working in Saudi Arabia faced mistreatment due to Saudi Arabia’s recent anti-immigration policies.

“A lot of Ethiopian women do not work in our countries because there aren’t a lot of jobs given for them,” Takele explained, saying that undocumented Ethiopians are being sent to detention camps prior to being deported. The Ethiopian government is spending $2.6 million in relief programs to assist in the return and rehabilitation of its citizens in Saudi Arabia; 50,000 Ethiopians have since been returned to their homeland with an additional 30,000 planned for repatriation, according to Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti.

According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of

Labour and Social Affairs, about 200,000 Ethiopian women searched for employment abroad in 2012. The International Labour Organization reports that 27 percent of women and 13 percent of men are unemployed, with a majority of Ethiopians making less than two U.S. dollars a day. The Ethiopian government reported three of its civilians were killed in a confrontation with Saudi security forces.

ASU was also joined by student groups from UCLA, UC Irvine and Anaheim’s Cypress College. The exuberant crowds exchanged chants with one another, who screamed, “What do we need? Justice.

We are Ethiopians. We are hard working.”

Additional chants condemned the Saudi government and said, “Shame on you.

Shame on Saudi terrorists.”

Organized by the Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia, the demonstration drew hundreds of protesters and spectators for nearly five hours. Given prior notice of the protest, members of the West Los Angeles Police Department and local spectators enjoying their afternoon brunch watched with curious eyes at the march that soon unraveled in the sidewalks and in the streets.

Swarmed by a small group of local reporters, protest co-organizer Dan Teshome passed out press releases which condemned the alleged actions taken by the Saudi Arabian government, leading to the killings, gang rape and severe beatings of Ethiopian

immigrants. He called for the government to halt systemic violations of human and civil rights to the Ethiopian community.

Taking brief steps away from the cacophonous background, Teshome explained how the protest was started. “We go through our churches, womens’ groups … and organizations all over the world. So that’s how you network,” said Teshome.

“To show what the Saudi government did to women in general, not just Ethiopians. It’s hell for women.”

ASU posted a continuing change.org petition, which calls for the United Nations and the United States to place international pressure on the Saudi Arabian government to respect laws governing safe security practices across the world.

When asked her reasoning behind attending the protest, Dejenie said, “ASU decided collectively to attend a protest … in order to spread awareness about the atrocious violence acts that are occurring to our people in Saudi Arabia. As students who belong to a club that identified with the Ethiopian and Eritrean ethnicity, we saw it as our duty to help people realize the violence, rapes and murders that are occurring overseas to H Ethiopians without legitimate reason.” ■ Spotlights highlight the recent, noteworthy actions by members of the UCR community and do not imply endorsement of the opinions expressed by the spotlighted party.

Ethiopian protestors stormed Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles to show their discontent with the Saudi Arabian government’s recent actions. Protestors crowded in front of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia with posters, signs and flags. The Abyssinian Student Union of UCR participated in the protest, as well as other local university student groups.

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Mark Catren, Anthropology

Ben Doucette, Masters of Finance

Saad Siddiqui, Psychology

Chris Curtis, Computer Science

Arturo Perez, English

Dr. Nicholas Welcome, Anthropology

Matthieu Pugens, Finance

Kyle Schieman, Psychology

11

A Mosaic for Movember

Harrison Boyd, Economics

Sean Matharoo, Comparative Literature

Alan Sattler, Computer Engineering

Taylor Seyfest, Creative Writing

Elias Sanchez, Applied Mathematics

Josh Barbatoe, English

Giovanni Gonzalez, Spanish

Ben Smith, Creative Writing

12

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

UCR AROUND THE GLOBE

PARIS, FRANCE

“

I

NAME: Alix Conde YEAR: Junior Major: Theater COUNTRY: France Host Institution: UC Paris

can look down on Paris and know why it is called the City of Light. It sparkles with lights and flowers. In the twelfth century Paris was not called that, and yet even then it was a city of light — the light of knowledge … It was a city of ideas, the place where everyone came to study,” reads “A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver” by E.L. Konigsburg.

It was these words, read when I was about nine, that pressed me to seek out the city of Paris one day, and they have never seemed to completely leave me in eleven years. They are what compelled me to walk out of an airplane into the Charles de Gaulle airport knowing only one complete phrase in poorly pronounced French: “Ou est le taxi, s’il vous plait?” Yes, I could have (and probably should have) applied myself a bit more and learned a few more useful phrases besides “Where is the taxi, please?” before embarking on a journey into a foreign country. But I had decided that I wanted an adventure in a mysterious city I had only seen movies and read about and I got one.

I was enrolled in the UCEAP French language and culture program, which placed me in Paris proper for six to seven weeks, studying and living in the 11th arrondissement, very close to the Bastille. It was a short walk to the Seine and to the picturesque open air market called “Le Marche D’Aligre.”

From the banks of the Seine, it also appears to be a rather brief walk to Notre Dame at the city’s heart.

Let me tell you from experience that it really isn’t. It’s also not a journey you should undertake on foot the day after you arrive when you are still suffering from a bad case of jetlag and have all of your shiny new textbooks in your backpack. You will suddenly find that you want to walk into Shakespeare and Co. because they have a couple fans running inside, not because it was a haunt of the Lost Generation.

That being said, Paris is a city that you want to walk around to truly explore and discover (just not while you are fatigued and carrying a heavy bag). Each arrondissement has its own character — and how else are you going to stumble across Moliere’s resting place, the hotel Oscar Wilde died in, the Moulin Rouge, the Lapin Agile which Picasso used to frequent and a museum where they have only one of Marie Antoinette’s shoes on display? Yes, a guidebook or Google Maps can direct you to all of these sites, but it takes away the sense of personal discovery when you have found this little spot all on your own, like you are some archeologist and it suddenly doesn’t matter anymore whether or not legions of other people have found what you have now unearthed. A guidebook takes away the sense of amazement when you carelessly glance out of a bus window in the rain and catch your breath when you realize that you are riding past the site of the guillotine during the French Revolution, or simply that a random street bears the namesake of an absurdist playwright you studied in high school.

It can be disconcerting and sometimes dangerous to travel alone, especially as a woman, especially as an American woman.

I personally had a few escapades where I literally had to hit and run because someone would not leave me alone (although I was later assured by my French teacher that this was the appropriate response and many Parisian women would have done the same). But the city is beautiful. It does not smell nearly as bad as it used to, I am told. The Musee d’Orsay was everything it was promised to be. Evensong in Notre Dame was breathtaking.

I was never more proud of myself than when the employee at the checked baggage line at the airport asked in French where I was going and I said “Aux EtatsUnis” with such perfect use of la liaison that she then spoke to me in French for the rest of the encounter and I responded in kind, slightly stumbling now. And that rather perfectly describes my adventure abroad: slightly stumbling, my French at the level of a third-grader, but my feet finally accustomed to the uneven cobblestones and able to walk into a store and not be immediately picked out as an American. I had my adventure abroad and it was my privilege to ■H stumble through it.

HIGHLANDER

@highlanderradar

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Events this week Wednesday | 12/04 Friction Quartet @ Culver Center, 8 p.m.

Thursday | 12/05 UCR Chamber Singers Holiday Choral Concert @ ARTS 166, 8 p.m.

Friday | 12/06

UCR Voice Studio Class Performances @ ARTS 166, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday | 12/07

Holiday Carillon Recital @ Bell Tower, 3 p.m.

Reverand Thomas Kurai showcases his taiko class on campus.

V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

MUSIC REVIEWS FOREVERLY // BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG & NORAH JONES

RATING: ★★★☆☆ BY: JOSHUA RAMOS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What Armstrong and Jones do great on “Foreverly” is perfectly embody The Everly Brothers. As the two croon, “Please Mr. Conductor / Don’t put me off of this train” on “Lightning Express,” Armstrong’s smooth vocals and Jones’ sweet and beautiful sounds mesh together beautifully over catchy guitar riffs and heartwarming violin. Armstrong exits his comfort zone as the Green Day frontman leaves his punk vocals behind in order to capture The Everly Brothers’ melodious approach. If you didn’t know that Armstrong was on the album, you would not have been able to tell that it is in fact him, as he embraces the style of The Everly Brothers so perfectly. This change is apparent on “Oh So Many Years” as the two harmonize so flawlessly that even The Everly Brothers would be proud.

Things get interesting once Armstrong and Jones decide to tackle songs on their own. During most of “Barbara Allen,” Armstrong sings alone in a gritty tone, making it a bit awkward to listen to at times — imagine Green Day performing a country song. Jones’ presence makes the song sonically better and complete, which makes listeners think how different the album would be without her. On one of the standout tracks on the album, “I’m Here To Get My Baby Out of Jail,” Jones completely steals the show from Armstrong as she sings, “I’m not in your town to stay / and I’ll soon be on my way / I’m just here to get my baby out of jail.” Jones’ subtle but controlling vocals, accompanied by soft banjo melodies,

bring listeners in closer to the song’s story.

“Foreverly” is not a new take on The Everly Brothers’ 1958 classic. Instead, it is Billie Joe Armstrong’s and Norah Jones’ ode to The Everly Brothers’ take on classic country songs — nothing more, and nothing less. Armstrong and

WRITE SHOOT DESIGN

C

over albums are always a tricky thing. It’s difficult for musicians to encapsulate the original artist while incorporating their own twists and originality. This is where things get complicated on “Foreverly,” as Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones leave their respective genres of music to cover The Everly Brothers’ 1958 album, “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us” — which is also a cover album of classic country songs.

Even though they’re a rather odd duo, if any two people could potentially breathe new life into classics such as “Roving Gambler” and “Kentucky,” it’s Armstrong and Jones. Coming from different musical backgrounds, the punkrock legend (Armstrong) and the pop songstress (Jones) had the opportunity to put a fresh new spin on The Everly Brothers’ ode to traditional country songs.

But instead, the duo present nothing new from the 1958 classic.

Although the songs are presented in a different order, the way Armstrong and Jones approach “Foreverly” almost mirrors The Everly Brothers’ approach. On songs like “Roving Gambler” and “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet,” Armstrong and Jones sound like exact copies of The Everly Brothers’ version.

If you played the tracks simultaneously, you’d find the main difference between the two albums is that “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us” utilizes only an acoustic guitar, while “Foreverly” adds in violin, piano, bass, banjo and drums.

Courtesy of Reprise Records

for the Highlander

Jones step out of their respective genres to embody The Everly Brothers, and they succeed. For those who have never heard of The Everly Brothers or their album “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us,” “Foreverly” is worth a listen or two. For those who have already heard the album, ■H you’re not missing much.

Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. at HUB 101

HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM

KUCR RADIO 88.3

WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

15

The Pounding Drums

Japanese taiko

of

UCR’s Taiko Ensemble’s outdoor demonstration was marked by spirited drums and bone-shaking beats. Here’s what we saw.

Photos by Vincent Ta

WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

KUCR RADIO 88.3

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H.R.R.B.#: HS-12-109

16

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Awayfrom

HIGHLANDER

To listen to these songs, check out the Highlander’s “Away From the Sprawl Winter Break” Spotify playlist at highlandernews.org!

the

Sprawl

by Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer

Winter Break Playlist As we slog through the inevitable drag of week 10, a beautiful endgame lays not far from here: winter break. Though Riverside severely lacks anything resembling winter weather, our time of servitude to the university has earned us a short break that we should nonetheless be thankful for. Opportunities abound — if only for a few weeks. Time for fresh starts, reflections, parties and bonding are all within reach. But

“Father Christmas” The Kinks An extremely underrated Christmas song that makes fun of consumerism while also reminding you to be thankful for what you have. And it rocks pretty hard.

Favorite lyric: “Father Christmas, give us some money / Don’t mess around with those silly toys / We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over”

“Good ‘Ol Boredom” Built to Spill

whether you pack in as many adventures as you can or sit on your couch watching Netflix the entire time, you should have a soundtrack to back you up. Here is a playlist full of some of the spirited, nostalgic and feel-good moods of winter — hopefully they accompany you well for our short time away from the looming Bell Tower’s shadow.

“Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” Frank Zappa This song’s title is relatively self-explanatory. And I would say it’s pretty good advice.

Favorite lyric: “Watch out where the huskies go / And don’t you eat that yellow snow”

“Winter Song” The Head and the Heart

There always comes that inevitable moment during long breaks that you find yourself devoid of anything to do, but this laid-back tune and dreamy guitar encourages you to savor those moments.

Accompanied by soaring harmonies from the band, this acoustic tune looks back on something lost during the year, but still feels hopeful that things will turn around in the future.

Favorite lyric: “It’s nice that it’s not that exciting / After all we’ve been through”

Favorite lyric: “Summer gone, now winter’s on its way / I will miss the days we had”

“Neighborhood 3 (Power Out)” Arcade Fire This frantic tune by the Canadian band was inspired by the North American Ice Storm of 1998, which knocked out power where some band members were living. Though its lyrics suggest anxiousness, it’s a great tune to dance to when you’re stuck with nothing else to do.

Favorite lyric: “And the power’s out in the heart of man / Take it from your heart / Put it in your hand”

“Don’t Lie” Vampire Weekend This mid-tempo song works for end-of-the year reflection, as lush instrumentation accompanies lead singer Ezra Koenig’s lyrics about facing mortality.

Favorite lyric: “It’s the last time running through snow / ‘Cause the fire can’t last and the winter’s cold”

“The New Year” Death Cab for Cutie This slow jam by the Washington band notes that nothing really changes in the new year except for the date, but we should still try and enjoy ourselves for what it’s worth.

Favorite lyric: “So everybody put your best suit or dress on / Let’s make believe that we are wealthy for just this once / Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn / As thirty dialogs bleed into one”

“January Hymn” The Decemberists Colin Meloy’s lyrics about looking back on life and relationships uses January as a metaphor for a reassuring calm that the past is behind us, and we can always start anew.

Favorite lyric: “Maybe I should just ‘let it be’ / and maybe it will all come back to me / Sing oh January oh!”

“Ice Ice Baby” Vanilla Ice Okay. Maybe this song isn’t about literal ice. And maybe its lyrics don’t make sense, and maybe the artist now flips houses for a living. But if you feel a sense of nostalgia hit you at some point this break, bust out this track to shake off any winter chills.

Favorite lyric: “Yo, man, let’s get out of here! / Word to your mother!”

“Snowball” Devo This deep-cut from the 80s new-wavers features frantic, catchy guitar and synths, and deceptively sad lyrics relating a snowball rolling down the hill to lost love. But as sad as it is, you can dance to it.

Favorite lyric: “My baby took our love / And then she rolled it up / Rolled it up a hill / Like a ball of snow” ■H

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

17

MOVIE REVIEW COMING OUT SOON:

OUT OF THE FURNACE

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

THE LAST DAYS ON MARS

CRAVE

FROZEN

RATING: ★★★★☆

F

BY: NATHAN SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

or a while now, Disney’s been aching to recapture that string of commercial success and universal acclaim that characterized the Disney Renaissance of the 90s. The entertainment powerhouse tried here and there, be it through live action flops of “John Carter” and “The Lone Ranger,” or through the commercially successful but critically panned “Planes.”

Thankfully for us, “Frozen” quells that flame of disbelief in Disney by delivering an artful project that successfully recaptures some of the movie magic from the Disney Renaissance.

Loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” the plot revolves around the royal sisters Elsa and Anna of Arendelle. Elsa, the older of the two, is born with the ability to conjure snow and ice from her fingertips. A childhood accident forces Elsa to physically and emotionally distance herself from the world. Her powers are later exposed to the townsfolk at her coronation, and as she flees Arendelle, she inadvertently casts the kingdom into a perpetual winter. It comes down to Anna to rescue both Arendelle and her sister.

The film’s writing is what really anchors this film, because let’s face it: We’re too familiar with the

archetypal Disney story. On the surface, “Frozen” seems to possess all the worn-out qualities. There’s sorcery and musical numbers, a damsel in distress, a dashing young prince and comical sidekicks.

With this in mind, Disney gambles on a revitalization of that triedand-true formula — and the payoff is massive. The dialogue always brims with emotion, be it humorous or touching. This quality breathes a lot of needed nuance into characters playing archetypal roles. The pacing does drag a bit toward the middle as the audience settles almost too comfortably into the journey that Anna takes up. Luckily, the quirky

interactions between Anna and her companions make up for that small fault.

Elsa’s characterization is evidence of what happens when a stereotypical role in a fairy tale is written through a fresh angle. Like many of Disney’s classic villains, Elsa is enchanted with sorcery (it’s never exactly explained how or why she gets her powers, but that’s not important). However, we’re given a complete look at her side of the story and her motivations for abandoning her kingdom.

She’s like Frankenstein’s monster; she’s not necessarily bad, but is feared and misunderstood. The relationship between her and Anna

is the strong undercurrent that keeps this story afloat. “Frozen” does away with Disney’s standard good-versus-evil blueprint by making Elsa and Anna’s relationship not black and white, but complex. We don’t cheer for Anna to take down Elsa in a grand finale; we cheer for the sisters to reconnect and understand each other.

Of course, “Frozen” couldn’t be a Disney film without its soundtrack. The soundtrack to “Frozen,” besides its well-written story, could be the sole reason for watching it. Like the dialogue, the lyrics express both the film’s modern touch as well as emotional

range, flowing between sentimental and humorous. For example, the second song in the film, “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” rings with Anna’s inner pain as she grows up without Elsa’s presence; meanwhile, the cute, goofy anthropomorphic snowman Olaf sings a tune revealing his dream of experiencing summer, completely innocent of the fact that the season would be his end.

The husband-wife team of Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez composed the music, showing off their award-winning Broadway technique to great effect. After all, what would Disney be without its music?

Keeping up with the story and music, the animation is absolutely gorgeous and is some of the best out of any Disney film. The cinematography captures the allure of Scandinavian myth. According to Disney, the film’s animators traveled to the famous Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada (the only ice hotel in North America) to study how light interacts with snow and ice in order to realistically recreate those effects in the movie. The results are painstakingly beautiful, especially in a scene where Elsa, in her retreat, creates a castle made out of ice. The different shots of the ice in this scene are so realistic that we might as well be watching a TV documentary on the nature of ice.

Overall, Disney creates a moviegoing experience in “Frozen” that’s arguably on par with any Disney movie from the 90s renaissance. Aside from slight pacing issues toward the middle, “Frozen” delivers on a nearperfect pitch that hopefully lights the spark of modern ingenuity that H Disney needs for future success. ■

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

HIGHLANDER

Staff Picks: Favorite Holiday Movies We know, we know. With finals on the horizon, how can you even hope to spend time watching movies and not frantically studying? Consider this list your light at the end of a hazy, sleep-deprived tunnel. These picks are guaranteed to make you want to lounge on a half-made bed in a cable knit sweater with a peppermint Starbucks drink in your hands, or whatever else Tumblr suggests winter is about. Good luck out there, and happy viewing!

Rebecca Paredes, A&E Editor

Brandy Coats, Art Director

Darren Bueno, Sports Editor

Alex Suffolk, Features Editor

Jake Rich, Prod. Manager

Elf

A Christmas Story

Christmas with the Kranks

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Home Alone

Colin Markovich, Managing Editor Cameron Yong, Asst. Photo Editor Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Michele Gartzke, Video Editor

Michael Rios, Editor-in-Chief

The Family Stone

Die Hard

Santa’s Slay

Sandy Van, News Editor

Vincent Ta, Photo Editor

Colette King, Opinions Editor

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Fast Five

Home Alone 2

WRITE. SHOOT. DESIGN. FIRST MEETING OF WINTER QUARTER: JANUARY 6, 2014 5:15 P.M. IN HUB 101

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

19

Women’s volleyball wraps up forgettable season with loss to No. 12 Hawaii Jason Ahn CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nov 29, 2013 Rainbow Wahine 3 - Highlanders 0

While shoppers fought for the last televisions on sale, the UCR women’s volleyball team spent their Black Friday at the Student Recreation Center Arena. The Highlanders faced the Big West Conference-leading and 12thranked Hawaii. On senior night, the home team kept the first and third sets close but the Rainbow Wahine took the match, 25-20, 25-15 and 25-18.

Before the start of the game, the Highlanders celebrated senior night, honoring the two graduating seniors of 2014, Jessica Moncayo and Annishia McKoy. The Highlanders opened up the first set with an early 5-1 lead and a flurry of kills and blocks.

After a timeout, the Rainbow Wahine tallied three kills in a row combined with an attack error from Ashley Cox, which knotted the score at 5-5. The two teams tied four times up to the 13th point, but Hawaii shook their jet lag off and scored six consecutive points. Cox answered back with a kill and UCR scored on three more occasions, but would go on to lose the set, 25-20.

UCR showed some competitive spirit at the start of the second set. The score was

Cameron Yong/HIGHLANDER Freshman Cristina Maietta (No. 10) makes a kill against two UCI blockers.

tied until the fifth point with kills from Tyler Dorsey and Cox. From there, the Rainbow Wahine scored four in a row until Fabiana Rosas answered with a kill. Rosas then recorded another kill, while Hawaii gave up two attack errors to pull UC Riverside within three, 12-9. After a Hawaii timeout, the

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road team cruised to five straight points. UCR benefited from five Hawaii errors, but Hawaii finished the set with a block and multiple kills to take the set, 2515.

The third and final set is where both teams elevated their play and showed consistency. UCR

for the Highlander

jumped out to an early 10-7 lead behind two kills by McKoy and one kill apiece by Dorsey, Rosas and Lindsay Hornsby. The Big West Conference’s top dog, however, reeled off three straight to knot the game at 10 apiece.

On the 11th and final tie, 14-14, the Rainbow Wahine again went

on a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead.

Though UCR cut the deficit to one at 17-16, they couldn’t stop Hawaii from sealing their 23rd win of the season, 25-18.

The UCR women’s volleyball team finished the season 2-26 overall and 1-15 in conference ■H play.

20

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

. SPORTS .

HIGHLANDER

Women’s basketball finishes third in Great Alaska Shootout C o dy N g u y e n

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Nov. 26, 2013 Seawolves 83 - Highlanders 75

The UCR women’s basketball team took a Thanksgiving-week trip to the chilly north for the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage.

Facing their first opponent in the tournament, the hometown Anchorage Seawolves, the Highlanders got off to an early 23-16 lead in the first half. With the undefeated Seawolves keeping it close for much of the half and not allowing a deficit of more than seven points through the first 14 minutes, the Highlanders were able to gain the upper hand and pull away en route to a 37-23 lead at the half. Simone DeCoud paced UCR on the scoreboard with 11 points and five assists in the first period.

After shooting a dismal 21.1 percent from the field in the first, Anchorage was able to rebound from their shaky start and claw their way back into the match. A 13-4 Seawolves run cut the UCR lead to 45-49 with 11:19 to go, and another 11-2 run in the final five minutes allowed Anchorage to tie the game with two late free throws. Highlander Akilah Martin attempted a game-winning threepointer on the final possession of regulation, but it was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.

The first overtime period was closely contested, with neither team gaining more than a fourpoint edge. With the score tied 71-71, neither team was able to

V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Kiara Harewood (No. 1) drives forward past a flurry of defenders to make a shot for Riverside.

capitalize on their final possessions, which sent the game into double overtime. The Seawolves started off the period with a 7-2 run that the Highlanders were never able to recover from due to their inability to generate any offense in the second overtime.

Five successful — four of them consecutive — free throws by the Seawolves allowed them to put the finishing touches on the game and send the Highlanders into the losers bracket.

Nov. 27, 2013 Highlanders 74 - Colonels 64

After a demoralizing doubleovertime loss to Alaska-Anchorage, the Highlanders refused to let their sorrows get the best of them and finished the Great Alaska Shootout on a high note against Nicholls.

UCR asserted their dominance from the get-go, dominating the first half on their way to a 32-15 lead with 7:06 to go. However, a

12-0 run by Nicholls cut the UCR lead to 35-27 at the half. Freshman guard Simone DeCoud once again made the most of her opportunities, leading the Highlanders in the first half box score with 16 points.

Coming out of the break, the Highlanders hit on all of their first seven shots. Nicholls also proved their efficiency, keeping pace with UCR and hitting five of eight. The Highlanders were able to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the half with their efficiency

on offense, never allowing the Colonels to come closer than six points of overtaking them. After attempting to foul their way back into the match in the closing minutes, DeCoud and Annelise Ito were able to hit on their pairs of free throws and close out the match for UCR. Next up for the Highlanders is a two-game home stand against CSU Bakersfield and Pepperdine, with the former set to take place on ■H Dec. 3.

Seattle steals a 69-68 win versus UCR men’s basketball Melisa Bivian CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nov. 25, 2013 Redhawks 69 - Highlanders 68

Monday night was intense for the men’s basketball team as they faced Seattle University.

Down by one point and with one last opportunity to secure another road victory, Chris Patton’s jumper fell short as the shot clock expired, allowing Seattle to take the win, 69-68.

The Highlanders were unable to put up any points during the first three minutes. With a pair of three-pointers and free throws, the Seattle Redhawks led by 10 points. Although Riverside was able to pick up their game by scoring the next 15 points at the 9:41 mark, they couldn’t obtain a lead higher than seven.

With four minutes left to go, the Highlanders missed an array of jumpers and free throws which allowed Seattle to take the lead once again. UCR simply wasn’t able to connect at the free-throw line as they only converted on 50 percent of their attempts compared to 88.9 percent from the Redhawks. There was an even larger disparity in attempts as Seattle went to the line 18 times compared to UC Riverside’s 12.

As the shot clock ticked down, the half came to a close with Se-

attle on top, 40-36.

The second half began as an all-out battle between both teams. Seattle led throughout the first nine minutes with Riverside short behind. At the 11:24 mark, Steven Thornton scored a layup, which gave the

UCR simply wasn’t able to connect at the free-throw line as they only converted on 50 percent of their attempts compared to 88.9 percent from the Redhawks.

Highlanders the lead, 54-53.

This didn’t last long as Seattle quickly responded. Trading baskets, both teams struggled to maintain the edge on their side as the game was tied up three times throughout the half. With 4:50 remaining, Redhawk Clarence Trent shot a jumper which

Cameron Sophomore Steven Jones (No. 10) pushes toward the hoop past defenders from Pepperdine.

would put an end to the last tie of the game, 63-61. The final minutes were definitely nailbiters as Riverside was tailing short behind Seattle. In the end, missing jumpers and turning the ball over three times cost them the victory although they had a final attempt to redeem themselves with Patton’s last-second

attempt.

Seattle had the advantage when it came to free throws as they converted on 17-20, while Riverside only chipped in 9-16. Easy points that could’ve helped the Highlanders fell out of reach.

Riverside had three players score in double digits. Thorn-

y o n g /HIGHLANDER

ton tallied 18 points as he led Riverside. Patton was right behind with 15 points and eight rebounds. Sam Finley added a career-high of 14 points. Redhawk Trent led all scorers with 19 points and four rebounds.

The Highlanders (2-3) now prepare to face Loyola Mary■H mount on Monday, Dec. 2.