Volume 61 Issue 15

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

Highlander University

Volume 61

of

C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e

highlandernews.org

Robbery of local food bank leaves thousands hungry

UCR Highlander Newspaper

@UCRHighlander

Bike with the Mayor

Riverside’s mayor paves a new tradition

UCRChannelH

Uncertain future for UC Online Education

Features, Page 10

Mike Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Second Harvest Food Bank was temporarily unable to feed the thousands of people during a routine weekly drop-off after a recent robbery nearly crippled the charity’s finances. An estimated $10,000 worth of damages was reported by the Riverside food bank after thieves managed to steal 19 tires from the local charity’s semi trucks.

According to an employee from Elite Tires—the company hired to replace the tires—vandals slashed the valve lines, deflated the tires and stripped the wheels from its rims. With the use of soap and water, the task was estimated to take five to ten minutes per tire.

Because of the robbery, the organization was unable to launch its fleet of trucks, which was commonly known for serving 400 nonprofit agencies, including the Salvation Army, abused-women’s shelters and soup kitchens.

FOOD BANK CONT’D ON PAGE 4

Issue 15

Serving the UCR community since 1954

A r o o b a C h a u d h ry CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER

It may be possible to obtain about one-tenth of a UC degree through online courses across the university system over the next five years, according a press release by UCOP. The UC anticipates the expansion of its webbased platform, the UC Online Education (UCOE) initiative, with the possible development of a systemwide online catalog.

Continuing discussions about online education will occur in spring 2013 during a UC-wide summit, at the behest of UC President Mark Yudof.

Contributing to trending public interest in online education, Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2013-2014 state budget dedicates $10 million to new technologies and online education across the UC and Cal State system.

Current challenges include streamlining cross-campus enrollment and individual courses that are unique to a campus.

UCOE retains an overarching C o u rt e s y

of

F ran k L i u

Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey (right) and his daughter Julia (left) at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park on Jan. 26.

Chancellor Conoley plans roadmap for her term Sandy Van

SE N IOR STA F F W R I T E R

Just three weeks into her tenure as UCR’s interim chancellor, Jane Conoley sat down for an interview with the Highlander Jan. 22 and detailed her first impression of UCR, the impact of state funding on the campus and its comparable attributes to UCSB. Her aspirations as chancellor gravitate toward realizing the goals of the UCR 2020 strategic plan, including the C-Center expansion and UCR’s admission into the Association of American Universities.

Temporarily leaving her UCSB position as dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Chancellor Conoley described what she called a smooth transition to the campus. “What surprised me was the natural beauty of the campus.

Having spent seven years in Santa Barbara, I thought, ‘Well, I’ve seen a beautiful campus.’ But I’m looking out the window now and it’s fabulous with the layers of hills and snow on the mountains,” said Conoley.

UCR and UCSB both have similar

sizes in student enrollment, yet UCR has nearly 200 fewer faculty members and a more fluctuating history of campus leadership, compared to its sister campus.

Henry T. Yang has served as UCSB’s chancellor since 1994.

The UCR 2020 strategic plan states, “Although rapid growth has occurred in recent years, in many ways the campus has retained a small campus feel, with a strong sense of community.” Earlier versions of the plan depicted ballooning student enrollment disproportionate to faculty departments, which grew sluggishly over the last two decades.

Despite the dissimilar trajectories in each university’s history, Chancellor Conoley was certain of UCR’s prospective rise in prominence, especially based on efforts made by former Chancellor Timothy White in establishing the UCR 2020 strategic action plan.

“I think Chancellor White put our campus on that kind of path. Now we have a plan—now we know where we’re

INSIDE: Highlander Showdown: two perspectives on the merits of bringing food trucks to UCR.

OPINIONS

PAGE 8

Boleros, Fandangos and More! presents the classical Spanish music of the 1700s.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 14

Press Start: Video game industry professionals share their wisdom with UCR students.

FEATURES

PAGE 11

Athlete of the Month: Men’s basketball forward Chris Patton shined in January.

PAGE 28

SPORTS

W e s l e y N g /HIGHLANDER

CONOLEY CONT’D ON PAGE 3

ONLINE COURSES CONT’D ON PAGE 3

Chancellor Conoley plans to make faculty size and athletics among her priorities during her time at UCR.

UPCOMING EVENTS

PAGE 2

STAFF

PAGE 6

PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING

2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

Student regents make recruiting visit to campus Matthew Ward CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Recruiting prospective candidates for the 2013 -2014 student regent position, the current UC student regents visited UCR as part of a systemwide tour on Jan. 25. Audience members were informed about the role of student regents, major topics concerning the UC and the deadline for applications.

“Each student regent brings to the position an agenda that he/ she wants to push for but you realize very very quickly that you get bounced off your agenda almost immediately,” stated UC Student Regent Jonathan Stein, a law and graduate student at UC Berkeley, who reflected on both the accomplishments and challenges to his position. UC Student Regent-Designate and UC Irvine law student Cinthia Flores will succeed Stein as the student regent on July 1, 2013.

The student regent position is made up of one student regent and one student regent-designate.

Serving as a voting member on the Board of Regents, Stein is shadowed by Flores, who does not hold a vote on the board. The regent-designate position can be thought of as a preparation for the

W e s l e y N g /HIGHLANDER U C s t u d e n t re g e n t J o n a t h a n S t e i n e n d s t h e p re s e n t a t i o n b y e n c o u r a g i n g a t t e n d e e s t o re a c h o u t t o t h e m v i a phone, email and Facebook.

full student regent position. Each term lasts one year and is open to any enrolled UC student with at least two remaining years at a UC campus.

Stein and Flores pinpointed the main duties of a student regent such as advocacy, building student power, holding administration accountable and addressing current UC issues. “You have to be responsive to the issue of the day or the emergency of the month [and] you have to fight for students wherever that fight is necessary,” stated Stein.

Representing 230,000 students on the UC governing board, the student regents are the main advocates for access, affordability and diversity for undergraduate and graduate students systemwide.

Major issues that engulfed the last year included Proposition 30, police brutality, online education, funding, sustainability and financial aid. “The Office of the President is looking aggressively to include private donations and philanthropy. So right now, we’re seeing if we can offer a much more competitive financial aid package

January/February

Photo of the Week

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Mid-Term Nap Session 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

HUB 260

Where are the Jobs?

The Hidden Job Market 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

HUB 268

30

“Take 5” Stress Relief 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Bellw Tower

Professional Etiquette: Workplace Do’s and Dont’s 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

HUB 269

Wesley Ng A Tupua fire dancer holds a fire staff dangerously between his legs. He put on a sensational performance that generated plenty of excitement and suspense in the crowd.

Quotebook “My ideal is open, frequent interaction and a little bit of trust that needs to be built.”

- CHANCELLOR JANE CONOLEY,

Upcoming Events

Tuesday

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

for students who are between those stages [in the Blue and Gold program],” stated Flores.

Stein expressed that as the student regent he wished to, “bring system-wide issues to light that [students] might not otherwise be aware of.” He emphasized the need to find a balance between personal and professional lifestyle, which becomes tolling on one’s mental and physical health. “Student regent is the kind of job that will expand to fill every minute of your life, if you let it,” he said.

Flores described the position as

one that requires much stamina and high interest. “If you’re looking for a line on your resume this isn’t the position for you.” Despite their class schedules, both Flores and Stein are often on the road visiting campuses and attending meetings..

Other student concerns for the current year include the expansion of web-based courses and increase in out-of-state students. In referencing the Wall Street Journal, Stein held the concept of online education as “an innovation without a business model,” but appeared promising in terms of making higher education more attainable. “There are really admirable access goals...but the business side of all of this is one giant question mark,” stated Stein.

“Our last regents meeting was very indicative of the conversation that the UC is able to have now that the UC does not need to solely focus on fee increases or the budget,” said Flores. Both Stein and Flores believe that greater focus can be placed on improving the quality of life at a UC, now that proposed state budget offers positive funding to California’s education system.

The student regents encourage applications from anyone who is interested. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28 and the application can be found at http://regents. universityofcalifornia.edu/app14. pdf.

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Wednesday

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Thursday

Morning Zumba Fitness Class 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

SRC

UCR vs. University of Hawaii Tailgate 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Getaway Cafe

1

Teaching Islam in the Post-9/11 University 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

SRC

Perfect Imperfection 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Bell Tower

2

Earthquakes and California: Geology’s Dynamic Duo 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Extension Center

Men’s Basketball vs.

Cal State Northridge 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

SRC Arena

Friday

Saturday

3

Sunday

4

Monday

Super Bowl XLVII: 49ers vs Ravens 3:30 p.m.

Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA Writers Week 2013: DAY 1 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.

INTS screening room, INTS 1128, University Theater

How to Work a Career Fair 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

HUB 355

ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CHANCELLOR AND STUDENTS

Scan this QR code and visit us

at highlandernews.org

NEWS

HIGHLANDER CONOLEY FROM PAGE 1

going. The train’s left the station, so it’s time to jump on to reach certain levels of excellence,” said Conoley.

During her first week in office, Chancellor Conoley had already begun making big changes by splitting the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business Operations (FBO) office into two positions: administration and planning & budget. The Office of Resource Planning and Budget will be removed from the department and fall under the office of the provost.

Playing a decisive role in other areas, Chancellor Conoley will push for the development of the CONLINE COURSES FROM PAGE 1

cloud of uncertainty in its future, due to scattered discussions over a loose business model and fluctuating applicant base.

“The finances simply no longer exist to support instruction the way we’ve done it. The challenge is to be strong and thrive with the new fiscal and pedagogical realities,” Yudof stated during the January regents meeting.

The regents expect to expand “bottleneck” enrollment for students in lower division and general education courses, but may target core curriculum classes as future endeavors. The UC proposes the development of 158 online classes by 2018.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

3

Center, which will be constructed to replace Bannockburn Village over the course of the next two decades.

“I see [the C-Center as] an important driver for student enjoyment of campus [while] promoting the success of our athletics program and very importantly bringing the community to UCR because when people come here they’re going to love it,” said Conoley, who holds strong commitments to athletics, much like her predecessor White had.

Chancellor Conoley also supports an expanded faculty, which will help UCR gain admission into the AAU—an association of nearly 60 leading universities in

North America, including the UC campuses of Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara. As AAU members, universities receive a preferred status in obtaining federal grants and contracts, increase senior faculty recruitment and raise the prestige of a campus.

With a shift in discussion from faculty to campus support, Chancellor Conoley referred to Governor Brown’s preliminary budget as more of a “broad stroke.” She was unsure of its direct impact on UCR due to the UCOP rebenching policy—which levies an assessment fee of 1.6 percent on all campus expenditures and controversially

included student funded programs and services.

“The change has been we get to keep more of what we generate ourselves...but we pay a tax back to our system level, so that part’s in flux [and] it’s still unclear,” she said.

With $10 million set aside for new technologies and online education, the earmarked funds in the proposed state budget have sparked discussion of expanding the UC’s web-based catalog. Chancellor Conoley expressed her desire to provide an online option for every “bottleneck” course that often reaches maximum capacity, develop transferable systemwide courses and encourage a more “transparent”

system throughout.

During her term as chancellor, Conoley plans to ensure the successful continuation of all campus operations while adequately addressing the issues of most concern to the student body. “I’ve spent my career as a psychologist, professor and administrator, but I got into this because I loved the idea of figuring out how students could learn best. I’d like to hear and believe that we’re in this together,” stated Conoley.

Stay tuned for complete video of the interview with Chancellor Conoley, coming soon to the Highlander’s new video network Channel H. ■H

During the first year of UCOE in 2012, nearly 1,700 UC students enrolled in online courses, with only one non-UC participated. There are a total of 27 UCOE courses are offered at select UC campuses. The web-based concept is still taking root at UCR, yet the campus expects the addition of three online courses by spring or summer 2013.

UC student regent Jonathan Stein questioned the foggy future of UCOE, based on its lack of a strategic marketing plan, yet noted innovativeness in the concept itself. “We don’t know how online classes for UC students will save us money and we have no idea how potential classes for non-UC students will make us money,” Stein said.

UC online courses are free to enrolled university students, as it is already included in tuition fees.

General applicants must pay on a per-unit basis, in which UCOE handles all non-UC registration.

UCR online courses are based on the availability of faculty for a designated quarter, yet none were offered in the winter quarter. Since the 1990s, the campus has experienced exponential and unpredictable increase in student enrollment, outpacing the expansion of faculty departments.

During fall 2012, “Dance: Cultures and Contexts” (Dance 7V) was the only online class available at UCR. Receiving approval from the UC Academic Senate in 2012, UCR was able to register

three computer science courses, CS 121, CS 12 and CS 10V. Both CS 121 and CS 12 are not yet offered on campus, but CS 10V will be available for student enrollment in spring 2013.

The registration for UCR’s online courses is made through GROWL using the same procedures to enroll in on-campus ones.

The schedule of classes places a virtual indicator “V” after every online course title.

Live chat sessions, document sharing and interactive whiteboards are a few of the many innovative applications that UC Online will be using. As an extra components to UC education, the stray from a traditional learning environment offers the chance to explore virtual

academia.

Dr. Frank Vahid, UCR professor of computer science and engineering, played a critical role in developing and defining online interactive content for his department. He also helped garner approval from the academic senate for most of UCR’s upcoming online curriculum in the spring quarter.

Vahid was asked his thoughts about online education and the possible impact of a faculty-student academic environment. “I and many of my colleagues feel very strongly that there’s no substitute for the inperson interactions that occur between a professor and students. But I [do] feel that these online courses can provide a great option for students in some cases,” he said.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

HIGHLANDER

ASUCR SENATE UPDATE

Senators pursue trolley and campus storage project Sandy Van

HIGHLIGHTS:

SE N IOR STA F F W R I T E R

Rounding off the third week of winter quarter, ASUCR senators reported the progress of various projects such as the reinstatement of the trolley system, which has been out of commission since 2011.

Aiming to create a more visible presence on campus, senators are in the final stages of creating new backlit ads for the HUB mall displays, which will highlight ASUCR-related activities. Senators plan to hold a Cubbies for Commuters presentation at the next HUB Board of Governors committee, in order to highlight the demand for on-campus student storage.

Senator Aaron Johnson reported on ASUCR graphic advertisements, which will be placed in the existing towers near the HUB. The informational displays will detail the location of ASUCR’s office, senator of the month and upcoming events. “These posters will ensure that students actively remember that ASUCR is here to serve and always available on campus,” according to Senator Johnson, in a press release.

Once operated by Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), the trolley system was discontinued in 2011 due to increasing employee salaries and pensions. TAPS is a private organization that is not funded by the state or campus, yet obtains revenue by issuing parking citations and selling parking permits. Executive Vice President Armando Saldana and Senator Brian Leung are scheduled to meet with Greg Artman, director of TAPS, in order to reinstate the service.

“The problem [with the old transit system] is, it only served the kind of immediate area around campus...but I mean the campus community is so big.

Riverside is a small suburb and I feel like all of the

Speaking during the public forum, USSA National Affairs Director Nicolas Oifoh advocated for Pell Grants, TRIO Program, and against predatory interest rates. As a student-run organization, USSA advocates creating accessible gateways to higher education through political mobilization.

Senator Emmanuel Alloh is seeking to develop the Association of African American Business Professionals. “The mission statement of this organization is to not only help students stay and succeed in college academically, but also to prepare for the professional route after school,” stated Alloh.

C arina G l a s s e r /HIGHLANDER S e n a t o r C h r i s S a l v a d o r d e l i v e r s h i s G C A P p ro p o s a l , w h i c h i n c l u d e s p a i n t i n g t h e “ C ” g re e n .

areas vital to student life, the transit system didn’t cover that,” stated Senator Leung. The senators may pursue a student referendum during the spring elections in order to provide funding for the trolley.

Senators Niela Darmani and Ben Penguson are presenting a Cubbies for Commuters powerpoint to the HUB Board of Governors. “[The powerpoint] will highlight the fact that this service will allow commuters stay on campus for longer periods of time,” according to ASUCR President Liam Dow. The HUB Board of Governors is responsible for the space allocation, proper maintenance, and overall operations of the HUB. Committee members will assess if the project is a viable option and what upcoming steps to take.

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In preparations for National Engineering Week from Feb. 19 to 23, Senator Megan Creal is supporting fundraising activities around the Bell Tower.

Hosted by ASPB, the 3rd Annual Sum of All Equals Change is a multicultural conference, which will take place on Feb. 9. at UCR. There, ASUCR plan to hold an informational workshop to familiarize students with the senate.

Senator Chris Salvador, a member of the GCAP committee, proposed the idea of painting the C green, as a “unique way for people to understand how important sustainability is.”

Through the Student of Voter Advocacy Committee, Senator Cristina Morelos seeks to pursue a Citizens United Resolution, which will strengthen a partnership with the voter-initiative organization CALPIRG.

FOOD BANK FROM PAGE 1

Second Harvest, a food bank with ties to the UC Riverside community, is amongst the most well-known in the Inland Empire.

It helps feed 400,000 people in the Riverside and San Bernardino counties on a monthly basis and is part of the Feeding American nation network of food banks, the largest anti-hunger network in the nation. According to Tracylyn Sharrit, the food bank’s director of marketing, the Second Harvest Food Bank can feed up to eight meals to hungry people for only a dollar.

“So basically, what has happened here is somebody has taken enough money out of our budget to feed 80,000 meals to the Inland Empire,” Sharrit said in a press release.

“I can’t imagine that anybody would come in here and be able to read what’s on these trucks— it’s a food bank—and take the tires that would pick up or deliver food to hungry people,” continued a devastated Sharrit.

The surrounding property of the food bank is boxed in by a chain-link fence, yet the trucks appear visible from the street. The Riverside Police Department has no current suspects so far.

Just recently, the food bank and an engineering fraternity at UC Riverside partnered in a record-

C o u rt e s y

of

S e c o nd H arv e s t F o o d B an k

The Second Harvest Food Bank will expereince delivery delays to over 400 agencies in Riverside and San Bernardino County, which feeds 400,000 people on a monthly-basis.

setting event. The fraternity, Theta Tau, prepared 1,686 sandwiches in one hour. According to a member of the fraternity, that was a Guinness World Record. The food they prepared was then donated to Second Harvest in order to feed the hungry.

Shrina Kurani, a member of the UCR fraternity commented on the partnership.

“Theta Tau at UCR is proud

and grateful to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank,” Kurani told the Highlander. “They worked to get us on the local radio station, helped with contacts for food sponsors, and ultimately brought a refrigerated truck onto campus to safely deliver the sandwiches to the hungry in the Inland Empire.”

Kurani went on to voice her thoughts to the recent robbery.

“When our fraternity heard

of the robbery, we were shocked and deeply saddened,” she said.

“Our immediate reaction was, ‘What can we do to help them?’

They helped us with everything... and we could not understand why anyone would purposely derail an organization whose mission is to help others.”

Ultimately, the Second Harvest Food Bank managed to obtain replacements, with the cost of $500

per tire. Supporters of the food bank, including Walmart, helped cover the costs. Donations can be made to Second Harvest by calling 951-359-4757.

Sharrit said that the charity reported the crime to the police. She also stated that she is unsure who the thieves are or how they managed to pull off the heist. She simply hopes the charity will get back on its feet soon enough.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

. OPINIONS .

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

THE PERILS OF ONLINE COURSES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Chris LoCascio

Kevin Keckeisen

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

editorinchief @highlandernews.org News Editor

Sandy Van

news@highlandernews.org

Opinions Editor

Colin Markovich

opinions@highlandernews.org Asst. A&E Editor

A&E Editor

Grace Kang

Rebecca Paredes

Features Editor

Asst. Features Editor

Toni Louie

Alexander Suffolk

Sports Editor

Asst. Sports Editor

Kendall Peterson

Michael Rios

Photography Editor

Asst. Photo Editor

Wesley Ng

Leena Butt

radar@highlandernews.org

features@highlandernews.org

sports@highlandernews.org

L in C hai /HIGHLANDER The UC must ensure that its implementation of online courses does not result in empty lecture halls and lack of interpersonal interaction.

A

s Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his new budget for the state of California, which miraculously contains an $851 million surplus, University of California students waited anxiously to see if it addresses our needs. Fortunately, our fears have largely been assuaged.

Governor Brown’s new budget sees some $125.1 million restored to the UC after previous guts to education funding.

Tuition hikes have been staved off—for this year.

But this time, we should be paying close attention to what is included in the budget instead of what is excluded from it. One of the most touted features of Governor Brown’s proposed financial plan is the $10 million earmarked for technological enhancement and development of a large-scale UC-wide system of online courses.

We should be clear—online courses themselves do not necessarily provide poor educational quality and they should not be discarded out of hand. They would offer increased opportunities for students to learn about a wide array of subjects.

If UC follows through with its current plan, students at any UC campus would be able to enroll in online courses at any other UC campus, allowing students to experience the best each campus has to offer. And it could potentially allow for the cash-strapped UC system to ensure the high caliber of a UC education continues to be available to a wide array of students.

However, for all their strengths, we are skeptical that online courses will automatically be the panacea for the UC system. There are numerous problems inherent in implementing a policy that is fundamentally reliant upon online courses. Probably the most pressing question is how students will be able to maintain a professional relationship with professors and other academic faculty, if at all.

This interpersonal connection is a vital aspect of the university experience.

Some people just don’t learn well in a large lecture hall. But by visiting a professor’s office hours, students can delve deeper and seek clarification on how to integrate a multivariable equation or the significance of the gunpowder empires. Discussing a subject with a

professor who actually knows your name leads to vibrant discourses that increase the student’s understanding of the world, and professors can also provide students with the opportunity to engage in lab work or community research and thereby generate information that benefits society. And should the student succeed in this position, an endorsement can be made via a letter of recommendation.

Online courses could throw this entire system of obtaining and using knowledge into jeopardy by further depersonalizing the educational experience. If the UC system is to institute any online courses, the professors who teach those courses must be willing to meet with their students—preferably in person, but a webcam or an instant messaging session would be acceptable. If holding office hours is too much for courses that are expected to have extremely high enrollment rates, students should have the option of setting an appointment instead. But in any scenario, the relationship between the student and the professor cannot be lost to the ceaseless march of technology.

Any online program needs to institute a cyber version of John Stuart Mill’s marketplace of ideas. For instance, a class could implement a forum that would require students to post a certain number of times per week. And just like teaching assistants monitor their discussion sections to ensure that comments are relevant and insightful, forum moderators should encourage thoughtful debate and enlightening conversation.

The grade needs to be based not just on quantity of participation, but quality of participation as well.

Online courses are a simple way to make high quality education available to many people, but what about students who lack a computer and Internet connection? Students living away from campus will not have access to the free wireless Internet provided to every UCR-goer. Some public libraries offer free Internet access, but the technology is frequently outdated. If the class uses the latest software updates, it may be impossible to access at all for people without the latest Internet browser or hardware. And what happens if the Internet provider fails in the middle of a final exam?

To avoid this problem, UC should never require any course to be taken online in order for a student to graduate.

Online courses can be an effective educational tool. But they should never supplant the traditional learning environment. Final exams should be offered at a physical location if possible so students don’t have to worry about Internet Explorer freezing in the middle of answering the second essay question.

But perhaps most importantly, the student body should be involved in the development of any online class program. If the eventual intention of the UC is to have students take 10 percent of all their courses online, students have a significant say in how these courses are developed. During the planning stages, students’ concerns and suggestions need to be listened to and acted upon. And after the courses are implemented, there needs to be a rigorous feedback system that allows students to inform developers of what worked well and what didn’t.

The online courses the UC currently offers already include some of these ideas, such as a chatroom-style discussion.

But as the UC ramps up its online offerings, these features that maintain the interpersonal dimension of a traditional course must not be allowed to fall to the wayside.

There are plenty of reasons online courses are at least worth a look. And the UC regents are right to look to them for answers to the dire budget problems assaulting this revered institution of higher education. But in so doing, the regents must not forget that the goal of the University of California system is not just to provide affordable education, but a high quality one. We cannot rush to embrace the former and leave the quality of our esteemed educational system to rot.

If the regents move forward on implementation of online classes, they must ensure that in so doing they do not void the UC’s promise of quality.

Otherwise, they risk ripping a core pillar from the heart of the University of California.

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

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

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LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

7

A ride on the train tracks: rail is a better option for commuters Colette King CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I cannot drive.

This is not for lack of physical ability—like many other students, I cannot drive because I don’t have a car or a license. Somehow we missed out on this great American coming-of-age ritual that all teenagers go through, and as a result we are some of the few who lack the convenient vehicle of transportation we all aspired to have when we were 16.

Consequently, I am one of those annoying people who get just a little too excited when they hear you have a car and slowly begin to hang around you more and more in hopes you will give them rides here and there. I’ve often found myself in a complicated predicament where I am becoming too old to be picked up by my parents, but have irritated my friends so much they’ve started pretending to have lost their car keys to ensure that I won’t ask for another ride.

The main concern when commuting to and from campus is reliability. Since California’s culture of driving has kept most people on the freeway, and not so much on any form of public transportation, it’s difficult to come by many people who use the Metrolink.

However, it interesting that the train is not utilized more by commuters, given its multitude of advantages. Not only can you take a nap for the whole duration of your trip, which is fantastic in itself, but you can save a ton of money at the same time. I asked one of my friends, a frequent user of the Metrolink, what her main motivation for using the service was. She responded by

C a m e r o n Y o n g /HIGHLANDER UCR students should consider the merits of public transportation.

saying, “If I did drive, the amount of time and money I would spend by going back and forth between Riverside and Santa Ana would be overwhelming.”

Many people seem to be turned off to the idea of taking the Metrolink. One nice convenience a car does have is the ability to take you directly to your final destination. But while the Metrolink does lack this, Riverside makes up for it by providing a network of buses via the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), a public busing system that coordinates with UCR to provide a completely costfree service to its students. Well, as with everything else offered “cost-free” by campus, RTA is in actuality paid for by fees charged to your GROWL account every quarter. But as long as you’re paying for it anyway it just makes

sense to use the service.

I found a way to prove taking the Metrolink drastically cuts down on commuting costs to and from school using the Public Transportation Fuel Savings Calculator. Taking into account the gas mileage of your car, the price of gas per gallon, the number of miles in a round trip, size of your car, daily parking cost, and the round trip cost of using the train, the page calculates the savings achieved by taking the train.

I used what ShareRanks considered to be the most popular car owned by college students—the Honda Civic Coupe. An average gas mileage of 22 miles per gallon for the slightly older 1999 model was used—not every student can afford to buy a brand-new car.

The average price of gasoline in California is approximately

$3.70 and, assuming everyone commutes from the middle of Los Angeles to Riverside—approximately a 144-mile round trip. A gold parking permit costs $99 per quarter, and with about 50 days in a quarter, that amounts to $2 a day. Pairing a gold permit with night parking results in total parking costs of over $130, coming in at $2.60 a day.

All these numbers combined were compared to the $22.50 cost of a daily trip on the Metrolink.

The numbers showed that it costs $7,997.40 a year to commute to Riverside from Los Angeles in a 1999 Honda Civic Coupe, while commuting on the train costs $5,400.00. This yields a significant savings of more than $2,500.

Students can use this to pay for rent, food, textbooks and of course, their tuition. This amount

of money could very well make a student financially independent for more than an entire quarter.

And the benefits are more than just financial. First of all, trains are simply safer than cars.

In 2005, there were 4,333 deaths from car accidents in California, compared to a running total of 964 deaths in the state for all train accidents combined. Then, take the simple case study of a long, agonizing ride down the trafficjammed 91 Freeway during rush hour. Factor in those spontaneous car accidents that cause the flow of traffic to come to an absolute halt and you are forced to come to a perplexing conclusion: if taking the train is safer and cheaper, why aren’t more UCR students utilizing this method of transportation?

I talked to others on this subject and came across one person who stated the reason she doesn’t commute using public transit is due to time conflicts. There are only certain times the RTA and Metrolink pick up and drop off students, and they just don’t fit into her schedule at school. This is indeed true: the Metrolink and RTA have a set schedule that sometimes is hard to work with. But even this is not an insurmountable problem. One of the reasons why there may not be more times on the travel schedule is the lack of demand in the first place. But though this is partly the fault of UCR students, UCR Transportation and Parking Services should do its part by raising awareness of alternative transportation options.

But maybe I’m only promoting train transportation because I’m secretly too lazy to ever want to drive myself around. In the meantime, I will continue to save time and money while I’m asleep on my way home on the Metrolink.

■H

The cause of school violence and how we can end the cycle of bullying Courtney Parker CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When it happens, you don’t even realize it. Just a brief, surreal moment that could turn out to be a dream. You couldn’t see the horror coming. A booming sound comes from down the hallway that almost sounds as if a firework has been accidently set off. And then you see blood, yellow caution tape, paramedics with stretchers, cops with guns and handcuffs, and then, the horrifying discovery that your classmate has been shot by another classmate. You think to yourself, “What happened? What was this person thinking? True, he wasn’t the most popular kid in school...”

And then a light bulb turns on.

You realize the shooter was the victim of continuous bullying that sparked a dangerous and life-threatening but avoidable situation.

School violence is an unfortunately common issue that affects an average of five junior high schools, high schools and college campuses every year. The various reasons and causes of these tragic epidemics stem from many sources, particularly mental illness and bullying.

But despite its known correlation with violence in schools,

bullying is one problem that is not discussed as much as it needs to be. Bullying, harassment and intimidation are linked to 75 percent of school shootings.

This particular issue connected to school violence can often be ignored because of the victim’s fear or people’s own negligence.

“Bullying, harassment and intimidation are linked to 75 percent of school shootings.”

In a 2011 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 percent of students in grades nine through 12 reported being bullied within the grounds of their school, while 16 percent of the students reported being cyberbullied. There are millions of children and teenagers who are bullied every year, yet these percentages only reflect the reported cases of bullying.

C o u rt e s y After several new mass shootings, more attention needs to be provided to bullying in schools.

These statistics cover only reported cases, but it’s reasonable to suspect that the percentages are in fact much higher. The proportions may not seem incredibly large, but the problem still exists and will continue to exist unless serious actions are taken by the people who can create the most change, including school board representatives and higher-level

government figures.

According to an article on PolicyMic.com, there have been 31 school shootings since the infamous Columbine High School Massacre in April 1999. Included within these horrific acts of mass murder is the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007, which is the deadliest school shooting by a single gunman in United States

of

E p o ch T i m e s

history.

Virginia Tech was also an incident motivated by bullying.

The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, suffered a great deal of bullying from his high school classmates prior to attending Virginia Tech.

Cho was constantly mocked and laughed at in high school because CYCLE OF BULLYING CONT’D ON PAGE 9

OPINIONS

8

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

On June 6th, the Supreme Court refused to strike down a California law that offers state residents reduced tuition rates at California colleges.

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER SHOWDOWN: WRITE TO THE DEATH

Should more food trucks be brought to UC Riverside?

Pump up the palate: bring more food trucks to campus Sean Frede SENIOR STAFF WRITER

You have an hour in between lab and lecture, and you’re starving. Orange chicken from Panda Express again?

The same cheese pizza from La Fiamma? That authentic sushi roll from Honor Roll? You can always branch out and try the new Subway! No matter what, you have to choose from the same bland food that has been here quarter after quarter after quarter.

What if you had to decide between Korean BBQ tacos and mac and cheese mixed with BBQ pork and caramelized onions? How about fries topped with poblano chiles and shawarma-marinated steak and Jack cheese? Dessert, you say? How do red-velvet chocolate chip pancake bites sound? Maybe you’re more in the mood for organic handmade ice cream sandwiches. Either way, students at UCR have none of these options for food. But if you head over to Los Angeles, Orange or San Diego County you can choose from all of these thanks to their highly accessible food trucks. For instance, how about a sundried tomato and basil goat cheese grilled sandwich for only $5 at the Grilled Cheese Truck in LA. Currently Riverside County’s food truck regulations are some of the strictest in California. But luckily newly-elected Supervisor Kevin Jeffries is looking to change the county’s regulations so we can get food trucks year round, not just at festivals. If this goes through I have only one thing to say: bring the food trucks to the UCR campus. It’s time for students to get the chance of having truly diverse food options.

UCR prides itself on diversity. We are currently ranked eighth in the nation when it comes to diversity. If we pride ourselves on this, why doesn’t our food reflect that? We have pasta that tries to pass as Italian but where’s the gnocchi? Our Mexican food?

Please. Over at Habanero’s they’ve never heard of real carne asada tacos with cilantro, onion and lime juice.

And where’s the spicy carrots, Panda Express? Come on, if that’s Chinese food, then Pizza Hut invented the first pizza. UCR relies on chain-style fast food, not quality. Food trucks offer specialization in a specific style of food that is truly unique. If we are looking to be diverse, then why not provide our students with food that is actually eaten in other parts of the world?

People worry about food trucks, though. Many that oppose lessening regulation say it will bring about more food-borne illnesses. But the food trucks that travel around other counties aren’t the roach coach burrito joints of the ‘80s. These are places that pride themselves on quality. Gourmet food trucks are the latest craze such as the Grilled Cheese Truck based out of L.A. I called Ryan Allen, the director of operations at the Grilled Cheese Truck.

Allen said, “Grilled Cheese Truck has never had a case of food illness in the

three years since it opened.” He even discussed the differences between restaurants and food trucks. “Food trucks get more inspections than restaurants.

We get inspected once a month… We are even required to keep our trucks locked up overnight in lots along with other food trucks to ensure safety.”

Even if Riverside County loosens restrictions on food trucks, it sounds like there won’t be a problem with illnesses. Allen assured me that I don’t have a thing to worry about. “No place is safer than eating at a food truck. We’ve always had an ‘A’.”

The current food truck regulations are ridiculous. According to Riverside County’s Mobile Food Facility Guidelines, Riverside County food truck menus must be “non-prepackaged,

Food trucks are not the cornucopia they pretend to be Colin Markovich SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Every college student is always on the hunt for delicious, cheap food. But too often these qualities are mutually exclusive. If that slice of pizza didn’t cost you more than $4, then odds are it’s just your below-average, sub-par pizza that is big on tough crust and light on the cheese and tomato sauce. But who wants to spend more than $4 on a single slice of pizza? Between tuition, books and everyday necessities, stretching what little money we have is a lot of

C arina G l a s s e r /HIGHLANDER Are food trucks like the Culinary Chameleon beneficial or hurtful to the UCR community?

non-potentially hazardous food requiring no preparation other than heating, popping, blending, assembling, portioning, or dispensing.” This leaves them serving food like popcorn, pretzels, shaved ice or cotton candy. Nothing with actual substance.There is even a ban against cooking processes such as barbecuing, grilling or frying.

The current guidelines don’t even give trucks the chance to cook their own food.

People worry that the introduction of more food trucks on campus will drive out the restaurants already here.

Businesses should be able to thrive under competition. Since when is it a bad thing to make the restaurants cater to us rather than us having to resort to them because we have no other food options? If this is the biggest worry then it’s time for our restaurants on campus to pack up their knives. Bring the food war on. Being in the hot seat isn’t always a bad thing. Make yourself tastier than the competition and I’ll give you the PIN to my back account.

The days of students living off Top Ramen, eggs and avocados are over.

We are starting to realize that it is time to pay for quality not quantity, and food trucks are exactly the venue that offers this. Lift the restriction on food trucks in Riverside County and get them closer to our campus.

I’m hungry—how about you?

■H

work, and expensive food just doesn’t fit into the equation.

But wait! Here come the food trucks to save the day! Belching dark clouds of diesel exhaust, they speed in, park and begin slapping together hastilyprepared food products with ingredients sometimes stored inside the home—and outside the jurisdiction of health inspectors. As students trying to study or chat with their friends become increasingly irritated by the noise and pollution of electric generators, food truck operators serve up products that barely pass the taste test and are then marketed to starving students. Yes indeed, more food trucks are certainly the answer to expanding choice for college students.

Lest this be considered undue exaggeration, let us consider UCR’s very own Culinary Chameleon. The food is mediocre at best, and it’s certainly not a good deal for the price. Due to a conveniently placed electrical outlet, the students sitting near Physics 2000 to relax are spared loud, obnoxious noise— except when orders are blared out and when the Culinary Chameleon decides to pack up and head home for the day.

Food trucks elsewhere may not be so lucky as to be provided with a constant source of electricity.

To be fair, the Culinary Chameleon does not appear to illegally store its food elsewhere. But if it does, we shouldn’t be surprised: one health inspector in southern Nevada reports finding food stored illegally in a vendor’s house at least once a month, where there

is no guarantee of the food’s safety. And that’s only for permitted vendors; that is, vendors who are operating legally in the first place. The same health official told of even higher rates of unsafe food handling by vendors conducting business without a permit.

Health risks may not only be present in the food, but from the exhaust emitted by the food trucks themselves.

Who wants to chow down on a burger as the pungent odor of diesel fuel wafts through the air toward your meal? And the problem may be worse than just a foul smell and taste. Gasoline generators have been shown to emit carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that is hazardous to human health and can kill in large enough quantities.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that in a period of two months, there were 10 deaths and 78 other nonfatal incidences of carbon monoxide poisoning in only Alabama and Texas, “nearly all of which were caused by gasolinepowered generators.” In each of these instances, the generator was located outside the home, just as the generator is located outside the food truck.

If people inside a house can get carbon monoxide poisoning, what’s preventing the people operating the food truck from being poisoned too? And though carbon monoxide dissipates in the free air, what about the students standing near the generator as they wait to order in a long line? Even a generator positioned more than 15 feet away from a house may not be enough to ward off carbon monoxide penetration.

It is true that the Culinary Chameleon does not use a generator for its electricity. But should more food trucks descend on Riverside, there are not enough electrical outlets for them all.

And a large amount of food trucks may result in another irritation: more congestion on the already cramped streets of Riverside. Food trucks have nowhere to set up shop except for the parking lots that are already filled with the cars of UCR students. Do we really want to make traffic worse than it already is?

Most damningly, there is no guarantee that the health risks, additional congestion and increase in noise will result in better food—just look at the Culinary Chameleon. Ideally, increased competition would culminate in only the businesses that offer the highest quality food for the lowest prices succeeding.

But this should be the case regardless of if the competition is a food truck or a typical restaurant. Instead, we have seen that the presence of a food truck has not changed the unpleasant status quo. For the cheap and unsatisfying restaurants to finally close their doors, we need an eatery that offers unique, delicious and inexpensive food. And more likely than not, this will come from a brick-and-mortar cafe, not a food truck.

We students do not have enough good options to choose from—this is an undeniable fact. But replacing the poor quality restaurants with poor quality food trucks in this food desert is only offering more of the same. If food trucks really want to be considered as an alternative, they need to up their game by addressing their health concerns and coming up with food that is actually worth buying. Food trucks can do this, and if they do so, I will welcome them to UCR’s campus with open arms and eagerly partake in their unique food offerings. But until that point, food trucks will not better the disappointing food situation at UCR. They’ll only make it ■H worse.

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

9 21

Where has all the money gone? The reasons behind the gridlock in Washington J o s h ua W a g o n b l a s t STAFF WRITER

Right now, the public should be shouting at the politicians, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Apparently this is impossible for Democrats and Republicans to do.

The budget has once again raised enormous issues that have only resulted in ceaseless debates about how both parties are in the wrong.

Over the past few months Republicans have demanded large spending cuts and President Barack Obama has stood firm with his plan that he believes will cut $4 trillion from the deficit over the next 12 years. So what is the problem? The dilemma at hand is that both parties have opposing ideas about what actions to take, even though establishing a budget is essential for the well-being of the American economy.

But Congress does not believe this to be so simple, since they are afraid that making cuts will make too many people angry. For example, diminishing funding for education would result in fighting with teachers’ unions and losing the votes of the entire American student body. Congress should not slash education, but both the House of Representatives and the Senate need to make up their minds and approve a budget before the necessary long-term debt ceiling extension in May is approved by the Senate and President Obama.

The extension of the debt ceiling is not a solution to the budget crisis, but it is crucial for the time being. Without the lengthened time period for budget-making decisions, the government would not be able to pay their bills. Does this sound like déjà vu? It should, because back in 2011 both houses could not make a bipartisan negotiation and the United States lost its top-tier credit rating, which resulted in the dollar losing its value.

Such a crisis must be avoided this time around and both houses need to start working together to compile a budget on time.

By raising the debt ceiling, the government can pay back money already spent. This extension is a beneficial opportunity for Washington to deal with the budget and make appropriate and cost-effective reductions, since, as of now, CYCLE OF BULLYING FROM PAGE 7

of his quiet nature, shyness and difficulty speaking English. This example alone is just one scenario out of many that have resulted in a tragedy that could have been prevented.

Cho’s unfortunate history of being bullied was a contributing factor to the grisly deeds committed six years ago. He, along with many other shooters, was abused and intimidated by cruelty and oppression. Aside from the humiliation, many quiet and shy students like Cho did not receive, and still don’t receive, enough help or guidance from teachers and other administrative staff. Even though

the only positive aspect of failing to come to a consensus on a balanced budget is the entertainment of watching Congress temporarily lose their income as a result of the No Budget, No Pay Act. Businesses from coast to coast will be able to breathe a sigh of relief when the debt ceiling is extended, but what spending cuts will be made and what revenue will be brought in? The answer to this question is not so simple. The GOP wants to cut the budget for every dollar the debt ceiling is raised.

This is not a bad idea, but also not very realistic because this requires cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and education, which Democrats are ruthlessly defending. Republicans would make cuts to these “vital programs,” and they should because it brings down the deficit in the long run.

“Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid all need to be recontextualized according to today’s standards.”

C o u rt e s y o f www . v o s i z n e ia s . c o m Congress needs to fix this country’s budget problem through tax increases and huge spending cuts.

Both parties need to collaborate or force one another to devise a plan that can contribute something greater than or equal to to the president’s proposal of at least $2 trillion in cuts. On the same note, Republicans need to come to terms with the fact that the Senate will never allow so many spending reductions without implementing more taxes. This is also not a bad idea, and the wealthy who make $200,000 a year or more should pay more. Spending needs to be cut by a few trillion—or at least billion—dollars, and revenue needs to be raised through more taxes.

The fact of the matter is that our government is much too indecisive on what kind of diminutions to impose and how they can increase returns. The Senate and the House have yet to formulate a budget plan for the coming year. In the meantime, here are some sug-

gestions.

The government needs to start saving, and this means making serious cutbacks. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) is correct in saying that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid all need to be recontextualized according to today’s standards.

The programs for retirees have to incur some of the financial strain, and although the basically socialist program was a good idea during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s term, it needs to be refurbished because the increase in population and age means more money is needed to sustain those who are still retiring very early.

Plus, President Obama’s interactive budget dedicates 20.04 percent of the budget to Social Security, behind all of health care by only 3.12 percent, and frankly this is too much.

The biggest portion of the discretionary budget is allocated to the Department of Defense, which the president sees fit to provide $525.4 billion in funds. The department should definitely have its budget vastly cut, and here is why: no other department sees more than $100 billion in funds.

$176.2 billion alone goes to “support the operations, training, and maintenance needed for our troops to meet current and future threats.”

The runner-up to defense is “Overseas Contingency Operations” at $96.7 billion, and this is just a nice way of saying “let’s give more money to military pursuits.” All should see reductions, but what is Congress doing about all of this? As of now, the White House has the only budget proposal, and both the House and the Senate need to weigh in on this plan.

There should be no doubt that

the aforementioned departments should see some reductions. The

Department of Defense is only planned to see a 1 percent decrease, which is only $5.1 billion less than 2012. The Small Business Administration, designed to help America’s small businesses create jobs, is not even provided with a billion dollars, even with its three percent increase. There is simply too much funding for defense. Are we supposed to be the world’s bully?

The nation’s budget crisis will only see a solution if a bipartisan decision can be made. Both the House and the Senate have a duty to outline a budget proposal and to take ideas from each proposition.

If this occurs the country will see a good mix of spending cuts and increased taxes on the wealthy. The Senate and the House should cease their bickering and make sure that they enact a budget by May. America’s finances have been a problem for too long, and without some sort of mediation, our nation will face the consequences. The decisions should not be that hard to make.

Our country is looking up to these elected official in search of answers, but for now all I can see is a group of politicians that have to get their act together.

■H

Cho chose not to talk to a counselor, more of his past instructors should have recognized Cho’s unusually quiet behavior and lack of social aptitude in order to help him through the continuous bullying.

Being bullied and mocked by anybody creates a weakness within an individual—a loss of confidence so to speak. The longer the harassment lasts, the more of a toll it takes on one’s emotions and sense of self. The victim wants to regain some, if not all, of the control that was lost because of the horrendous treatment.

This is where violent and bloody vengeance comes into play.

When someone is bullied, they are being victimized and tortured.

Victims of bullying may experi-

ence physical harm and even death threats from their fellow peers.

Unable to face humiliation forever, those bullied think of revenge, and those who caused the distress and torment among their victims are usually the ones that are placed on the shooter’s “hit list”. In the mind of the would-be shooter, taking the life of a bully takes away the bully’s power.

But even if those convicted of mass murder have been bullied, they should not be given more lenient sentences. Anybody can sympathize with a victim of bullying, but the actions taken were completely intentional and premeditated. Victims of bullying should have other outlets and resources to ease their fear and sadness. Teach-

ers, guidance counselors and the people who witness bullying or are made aware of it must be the ones who direct the victims in the right direction. Control over one’s life due can be reclaimed through counseling and talking to a trusted individual. Even the victim talking directly to the bully can help regain control over the victim’s life.

Intending harm upon another is a permanent and detrimental solution to an avoidable and temporary problem. Revisiting the source of the shooter’s revenge—reclaiming control—can be resolved through healthier methods in order to cease bullying. The best resource is an adult. Unfortunately, people may not pick up on the warning signs of the victim’s pain until it is too late.

In order to control the horror of bullying, teachers, parents, counselors, and other students need to express concern and compassion toward the victims of bullying, because the power of just one helping hand can be the difference between peace and tragedy.

One in seven students in Kindergarten through 12th grade has either been a bully or have been bullied. Considering that statistic alone, this is what we need to remember: bullying can happen anywhere, anytime, in any school, to any student. We must recognize the attacks early on, and intervene whenever possible. Just these actions alone can decrease the number of school shootings committed ■H in the United States.

“...What is Congress doing about all of this?

As of now, the White House has the only budget proposal...”

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.

10

. FEATURES .

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

bike with the mayor

HIGHLANDER

New mayor puts in gear a fresh Riverside tradition By: Matthew Ward, Contributing Writer Geared up and ready to ride, Mayor Rusty Bailey and dozens of Riversiders did not allow last Saturday’s slick roads and gloomy weather to put the breaks on the long-anticipated and very first Bike with the Mayor event.

The route began at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park in Riverside, where Mayor Bailey addressed the crowd about growing the bike culture in Riverside. In creating the Bike with the Mayor tradition, Bailey said that he wants to “lead by example” with hopes to “go viral,” as it were. Bailey envisions Riversiders “riding their bikes to the store or riding with their kids to school.”

“I hope for Riverside to spend more time on bikes, not in cars,” expressed Bailey.

As someone who enjoys riding, Bailey not only recognizes the health benefits of biking but also its impact on economic development, building community and Riverside pride. Taking on a new route every other month, Bailey sees promise in “exposing neighborhoods and [their] assets to let people know what Riverside has to offer and better connect the community.”

Bailey’s Bike with the Mayor event also plans to integrate local business like Pedals Bike Shop and by stopping at local coffee shops along routes.

After these inspiring words from Mayor Bailey, the bikers took off. Saturday’s 10 mile route led by the Riverside Bicycle Advisory Committee made its way to Downtown Riverside, where bikers stopped to enjoy the Asian Pacific Lunar Festival, Paramount Theatre and nourishment at the Starbucks on 3rd & Market before they headed back to the park.

As the group passed time during a coffee break at Star-

bucks, I sat down with Mayor Bailey and talked about the promise of UCR, as well as his personal relationship to the City of Riverside and what he ultimately expects from his Bike with the Mayor event.

“I love UCR. As a kid, I went there for cotillion and to see the baseball tournaments.”

Bailey sees “a lot of promise” in the university and credits it to be a great “economic and intellectual engine” for the city.

Bailey’s family has been in Riverside since 1914 and, as a native to the city, Bailey’s pride for his hometown is greatly

evident in how he speaks and cares for it. After attending West Point, serving in the military and attending graduate school at UCLA, Mayor Bailey returned to Riverside, where he now raises a family of his own.

Ever since, he has dedicated his time to the public, both as a local high school teacher and as a city councilmember, before being elected mayor in November.

When asked what he sees as the end result of Bike with the Mayor, Bailey responded, “no end.” He followed up, “I hope it continues to build and the culture takes off and becomes

T o p : W e s l e y N g /HIGHLANDER; B o t t o m : C o u rt e s y

viral. Maybe neighborhoods will create bike clubs and eventually these neighborhoods will lead their own bike events.”

Mayor Bailey said that “each neighborhood has a story to tell” and events like Bike with the Mayor will help “connect the community” and promote a great sense of Riverside pride.

The next locations for Bike with the Mayor are still undetermined and Bailey expressed great interest in the UCR area.

Mayor Bailey and the growing bike community in Riverside encourage anyone to roll with them. Invest in a bike

of

F ran k L i u ; B ic y c l e

g ra p hic :

and save some cash on gas and parking passes. Ride to class, the UV, everywhere. Without my bike, I certainly couldn’t leave Oban at 9:30 and pull into INTN at 9:34:23 every Tuesday and Thursday for lecture. So, bike for the sake of time, bike for fun, bike for exercise, bike with friends, bike with the mayor…but definitely be sure to bike with pride.

For those who wish to participate in the next Bike with the Mayor event, the upcoming ride is March 23, 2012 at 9am.

The rides take place every other Saturday and are free to the public.

■H

C o u rt e s y

Bicyclists join Mayor Bailey for the first Bike with the Mayor event, held at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park on Jan. 26.

o f d e s i g nin t e ch e d . b l o g s p o t . c o m

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

11 21

Press Start: Some of the Video Game Industry’s Finest Come to UCR

By Alexander Suffolk, Senior Staff Writer I was met with the blaring sound of Sephiroth’s fight song from “Kingdom Hearts” and the sight of the event’s hosts all clad in Space Invaders-themed shirts as I walked into HUB 302 North on Jan. 23. It was ASPB’s Press Start event, and the room was teeming with excited students—all of them lovers of video games and eager for an opportunity to hear about how they are made from some of the minds that make it happen.

The first speaker was Edmund McMillen (designer of several hit indie games, the most known being “Super Meat Boy”) or, more specifically, the 15 foot face of McMillen, as he was unable to attend the event in-person and had to call in through Skype for his half hour Q&A. His first question involved the concept behind “The Binding of Issac” which is one of his more recent indie titles (to the unaware, indie games are those that are made without the financial support of a large company like EA or Ubisoft).

He went on to tell us how it came about from his love of the original “Legend of Zelda” as well as his religious upbringing as a child.

When asked about his pursuit of art for a career, McMillen admitted that he was at first hesitant, fearing that he’d grow to hate his art if were to become part of his job. However, seeing as he enjoyed it and was good at it, he eventually changed his mind.

The next question posed to him was if he thought indie games were picking up the slack from mainstream games as far as difficulty is concerned, to which he answered, “I’d say indie games are picking up the slack in every way,” and that indie games are “the only thing moving video games forward.”

McMillen backed up his claims by discussing how the producers of mainstream games are thinking strictly with business logic due to the recession, and thus they aren’t willing to take any of the creative risks that makers of indie games take. Lastly, he was asked to give some advice for any prospective game designers, to which he said that you shouldn’t get into game

Students line up to ask their questions to Christian Lichtner and Ryan Payton.

design to be successful, but because it is your passion. “Just have fun,” he said, “because that’s what it’s all about.”

After McMillan, gamers were treated to a presentation by UCR alumnus and current Art Director of “Diablo 3,” Christian Lichtner.

The first half of his presentation detailed his progression into the video game industry. He graduated from UCR with a degree in business and from there went into comic books as an artist. Like McMillen, Lichtner said that passion was the key, so when he got to the point where he wasn’t passionate about working with comics anymore, he went on to games. A lot of Lichter’s love for games came from his love of story and that video games “aren’t just games” anymore, but the evolution of experiencing storytelling.

Lichtner then went on to give some details on the process of making a game at Blizzard (the company famous for the “Diablo” series, “Star Craft” series, and “World of Warcraft”). He started by saying that “nothing happens

randomly” in a game—that every single little thing that you see on the screen, even something as little as a leaking faucet in the background, had someone create it and argue about how it should work and look.

Lichtner explained how making a game is composed of design of the gameworld and gameplay, art of the visuals, programming of code, and the production that holds them all together.

“Just have fun, because that’s what it’s all about.”

-Edmund McMillen, on game design He also said that Blizzard holds gameplay as the number one concern of games as opposed to trying to show off the latest tech. Then, when it comes to art, Lichtner and

C o u rt e s y Past iterations of Diablo for Diablo III.

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the rest of Blizzard believe that stylization always wins over realism. He talked about how constant iterations and reworking is needed in order to create a game that hits the ever-changing target of what is fun. Finally, he left with the idea that the future of gaming is centered on building communities and bringing people together.

The last speaker was “Halo 4” and “Metal Gear Solid 4” designer, Ryan Payton, who gave a presentation of his own that he humbly named “20 Life Lessons From a Talentless Hack Like Me.” With the first two, Payton talked about how he got a job with the video game company Konami purely by being proficient in Japanese and willing to take whatever job he could get on the game journalism site 1Up. com. The next two again touched on the importance of doing what individuals are passionate about. Payton showed great dedication with his work on “Metal Gear: Portable Ops” and even stuck with Konami when Xbox Japan offered him more money. These two displays of love for the Metal Gear series landed him his dream job as a lead designer for “Metal Gear Solid 4.”

From there his lessons turned into general advice on getting into the industry and advancing. Payton stressed that self-promotion can be

annoying and conceited, but it is also truly invaluable. He also made it a point to say that going to where you can make an impact is integral to getting work. He said that it is a good idea to keep in touch with professors and other like-minded individuals, that you should be spending time doing things that will help your career as opposed to waste time, and that you should probably watch 2010’s “The Social Network,” just to get an idea about how careful you need to be in dealing with lucrative projects.

Payton’s last pieces of advice were focused on looking towards the future. He talked about trying to find new things to do with game design and trying to base controls more on people’s natural tendencies when given a game to play. Payton also reminded us to take advantage of the many opportunities that now exist, like Kickstarter.com, which Payton’s game studio, Camouflaj, is using to fund their new stealth game for iOS devices, “Republique.” One of the last lessons he had to give was to never stop learning, or as he said, “Once you’ve learned everything there is to know about something, move on to learn something else.”

The event was then wrapped up

by Lichtner and Payton holding a Q&A of their own. They were asked if social networking should be as wide or as focused as possible, and they answered that it was far more beneficial to create small and deep connections with those who are likeminded. When asked about advice for a writer getting into the business, they made it a point to stress how much you should practice and practice until you can make your ideas work, because as Lichtner put it, “Ideas are a dime a dozen, but execution is everything.” Many of the audience began to leave during and after the Q&A, but many more enthusiastic fans stuck around for signatures and conversations, which Lichtner and Payton were gracious enough to give well past 10:30 p.m..

If there was one theme that ran throughout the entire event and one thing that anyone wanting to make a career in games should take away from “Press Start,” it would have to be passion. All three of the speakers professed their love for the medium of videogames and how they all got to where they are today largely thanks to the drive such love inspired. Stick to what you know, stick to what you are good at, stick to what you love, and you may just find yourself leveling up in the world of video games.

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C o u rt e s y The Binding of Issac by Edmund McMillen.

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Lunar Festival in Downtown Riverside ushers in the year of the snake

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Clockwise from top left: Dancers from Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy perform a traditional fan dance; UCR Senryu Taiko plays during the last performance of the day; Tupua fire dancers pose after a crowd-pleasing display; Drummers from TAIKOPROJECT put on an energetic show; Dancers from Tupua do traditional dances from the South Pacific; Sumo wrestlers demonstrate a throwing technique.

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By Lauren Green, Contributing Writer & Toni Louie, Senior Staff Writer

t was a cloudy day, but the string of r ed paper lanterns did not cease to guide visitors to Downtown’s Asian Pacific Lunar Festival on Saturday, Jan. 26. Hosted by the city of Riverside and Asian Pacific Cultural Association, the day-long event boasted multi-cultural performances and activities such as dancing, martial arts and educational demonstrations. The local Riverside community came out in throes; young and old, families and students, the diversity of the community was evident for all to see.

Booths selling novelty items as well as tables promoting local community organizations lined the two-block-long festival on Mission Inn Ave. Within 20 steps in any direction, individuals could purchase

a small Chinese tea set or buy a Musubi ball (a rice ball snack). The smell of teriyaki chicken pervaded the air. In the center of it all were the main events, like sumo wrestling and martial arts performances, which big crowds gathered around to see.

One section was dedicated to arts and crafts booths.

Young children clamored for the colorful supplies, eager to recreate their own images of the festival.

It was there I met Jane Jimenez, a first time festival participant who was accompanying her daughter and granddaughter. In relation to her family, she said, “They love cultural events. It’s the year of the snake and we’re having a great time. I ju st wish I got here earlier. I liked seeing the martial arts display and

all the colors.”

The dance performances held at the main stage near the end of the block were delightfully interactive.

Dancers allowed some children in the audience to participate in the performance

“That’s right: UCR’s performers literally stole the show and closed the night.” with them. The vibrantly colorful and traditional garb matched the upbeat and joyful music. Together they performed the “bamboo stick” dance with moves which resembled a

game of double dutch.

However, one UCR stu dent questioned the validity of the Lunar Festival and whether or not it was truly a “Chinese” New Year celebration. He was “disappointed” by the festival and told me, “It’s an Asian festival, but it’s not a Chinese festival. There is a lot of [Chinese] symbolism that’s just missing.”

It was not until the fi nale of the festival during UCR’s Taiko Drumming and Lion Dance performances that people could hear cooing and staggered “Oooh’s” from the crowd.

That’s right. UCR’s performers confidently stole the show and closed the night. People could hear the booming of the drums before they were seen.

The UCR Taiko drum band performed with military

precision. It was fun to watch, namely because Taiko drumming involves so much movement, to which the audience was captivated. Towards the end of the set, the UCR Lion Dance troupe performed. A perfect closer, they spun, leapt and shook the celebration into the night. As the lion shimmied away, the fireworks show started. It was halting at first, but it ultimately grew into a great finale.

While it’s true that the festival did have many different cultural influences and did not focus on celebrating a single culture, this event also showcased Riverside’s uniqueness and diversity. The city’s community is a smorgasbord of characters and the Lunar Festival it sponsors is no exception.

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R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Events this week Tuesday | 1/29

Open Mic @ Back to the Grind, 7 p.m.

Wednesday | 1/30

Niki and the Dove @ UCR Barn, 8:30 p.m.

Friday | 2/1

Saturday | 2/2

L u i s a M o ra l e s

p l ay s t h e har p s ich o rd .

@ hi g h l and e rradar

Brief Encounters film screening @ Culver Center, 7 p.m.

Riverside Steampunk Art Show @ Division 9 Art Gallery, 6 pm

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BOOK REVIEWS PRIVATE: #1 SUSPECT // JAMES PATTERSON & MAXINE PAETRO RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ Author James Patterson’s name evokes a sense of nostalgia for me. As a middle school bookworm I’d stay up late at night, voraciously flipping through the first few releases of his “Maximum” series under the glow of my dollar-store book light. This is the only reason why I gave his novel “Private: #1 Suspect,” the fourth installment in a crime series, so many second chances.

But by the book’s anticlimactic end, I had learned two very important things: one, that I had wasted $8, and two, that the mind-numbing experience of reading “#1 Suspect” was not worth my pity.

Co-written with Maxine Paetro (“Women’s Murder Club”), the basic premise of the story’s muddled plot is this: Jack Morgan, a CIA agent/billionaire/ex-Marine, arrives home to find his exlover’s bloodied body on his bedspread. As a victim of circumstance, he is framed for her murder and must prove his innocence with the help of his investigation firm, which is imaginatively named Private.

Meanwhile, two teams of Private agents attempt to solve a string of hotel murders and 30 million dollars of stolen Oxytocin. The only goals of these unrelated plotlines are to divert the reader’s attention and add to the novel’s 432 pages of forgettable bunk.

Morgan tries his very best to be a sleuth with a dark past. “If I never saw Carmine Noccia again, it would be way too soon,” he says. So edgy.

When Morgan’s cheap noir tone grew stale after page 16, I cut Patterson and Paetro some

BY: REBECCA PAREDES, SENIOR STAFF WRITER slack. Maybe the novel is set in the ‘50s, I reasoned—but no, every Private agent drives modern Benzes, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, which sets the story firmly in the present.

At one point, two undercover agents try to look inconspicuous driving through a seedy part of Los Angeles in a high-class Mercedes Benz, which is mindboggling logic. In any case, Morgan’s tone does not match the time period, which makes his narrative sound forced, fake and annoying. But I kept reading.

“Morgan makes a complete fool of himself.”

When a barrage of names were introduced within the first half of the book, like character descriptions in a screenplay, I hoped that the style had relevance. It didn’t. Cruz, one of Morgan’s agents “was a goodlooking guy of twenty seven…

Former middleweight boxer.

Former cop and investigator for the DA. Currently a senior investigator on the fast track at Private.” Some may argue that the style of these character introductions fits the moody noir vibe Patterson and Paetro try to impart, but those people are wrong. None of these characters resonated, because their entire background and implicit emotional significance was thrown away in a few short lines of backstory. I know everything about Cruz by page 65, which means that I no longer care about him.

As the novel plodded onward into oblivion, I grew increasingly frustrated with Patterson and Paetro’s decision to use chapter breaks as moments to add drama to a scene. Oftentimes, the action continues through the chapter break, rendering the scene’s dramatic pause as a clear sign of forced tension and weak writing. From its blatant explanation and sloppy perspective shifting, I initially thought “#1 Suspect” was a young adult novel. But nay—it is classified as adult mystery fiction, even though its narrative reads like a moody teen who thinks he’s on the set of “The Big Sleep.”

But the final straw came about a quarter through the book when the narrator’s brother, Tommy Jr., is literally identified as “my evil twin.”

At that point, I put my Nook down and hoped that this novel was a work of satire. After all, what author can hope to pull off a plot device as cliché as “the evil twin” and maintain any sense of plausibility? I figured that the authors in question were either absolutely brilliant or terribly disillusioned.

Unfortunately, this book is 100 percent serious. This is plainly obvious when the narrator is pushed to finally confront his evil twin brother, and without giving away the lackluster ending, I’ll just say that Tommy and Morgan act completely out of character, random chapter breaks continue to happen in the middle of scenes and Morgan makes a complete fool of himself.

And as a final kick in the groin to the reader, the

Courtesy of Hatchette Book Group

novel’s final pages feel like the resolution to an entirely different story. Patterson and Paetro’s editors must have looked at the title, skimmed a few pages and decided, “Meh, it looks good. Send that baby to print.”

As much as I disliked the story, its central plot finds some shaky footing and maintains an iota of intrigue about halfway through the book—but by that point, even the most diehard

Patterson fans will have moved on to something with more literary merit, like the ingredients list on the back of a shampoo bottle. At the end of the day, “#1 Suspect” isn’t worth your time. If you’re really interested in the frustrating adventures of Jack Morgan and company, look for “#1 Suspect” in its future destination: at the bottom of a dollar store bookshelf, next to ■H the book lights.

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MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:

BULLET TO THE HEAD

STAND UP GUYS

WARM BODIES

GIRLS AGAINST BOYS

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS RATING: ★☆☆☆☆

At a glance, “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” seems like a fairytale mash-up of “Van Helsing” (2004), “The Brothers Grimm” (2005) and the “Underworld” film series. It comes from the same mythic potpourri of campy flourishes, stylized violence and a wistfully over-earnest stab at being dark and edgy, but it lacks one important ingredient that proved to be the saving grace for its predecessors: likeability. As a fan of the indie horror-comedy “Dead Snow,” I expected more creativity from Norwegian director/ screenwriter Tommy Wirkola, especially with producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay backing the film. I suppose that’ll learn me for having expectations of a movie I’m paying to see.

Our fairytale begins with young Hansel (Cedric Eich) and Gretel (Alea Sophia Boudodimos), who are whisked away into the forest one night and abandoned on the order of their own mother Adrianna (Kathrin Kühnel). The children stumble upon a rather unappetizingly built cottage bedecked in rainbow-hued candy, its rooftop dripping with a gooey, white substance that looks a lot like not-icing. After being imprisoned by the homeowner, a witch who channels the best of Lemongrab as she prepares for a gourmet dinner of Hansel à la diabetes, they manage to best their captor by burning her alive in the oven.

A fiery opening title sequence features medieval illustrations of the occult, as well as anachronistic newspaper headlines detailing the siblings’ grisly progress over the years. Next, the writers want us to know that many years later Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have grown up to become sexy, cutthroat witch hunters with a far-flung reputation. They accomplish this by having background characters drop expository lines at every opportunity. Thank you, kind writers, but unlike the peasants of the Middle Ages, we can read.

I’d initially hoped that “Hansel and Gretel” would be one of those movies I end up loving despite itself, but I quickly realized that this was a futile endeavor, mainly due to the fact that the two central protagonists are incapable of love, hate or any human emotion for that matter. Nevertheless it was still a concept I could get on board with; after all, sociopaths are a part of our world and, although they may not be the nicest of individuals (read: they are jerks), they are also real people with stories of their own.

Hansel and Gretel enjoy the hunt and the carnage that ensues, that much is clear. In one scene with Ben (Thomas Mann), a local fanboy, Gretel claims, “This isn’t the life we chose.” I call poppycock and balderdash. If this was a simple mission of vanquishing evil, they possess the skills and

BY: GRACE KANG, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

firepower to do so with a brisk execution. But once a witch has been rendered nearly helpless they choose to brutalize the creature with smug cruelty. Remember the scene in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” where Ariel sits on a rock and looks on as Prince Eric steers the broken mast of his ship into Ursula’s gut? Now reimagine the same scene with gleeful grins on the lovebirds’ faces. That is the movie in a nutshell.

The parallels between “Hansel and Gretel” and the animated classic are striking. Both Muriel (Famke Janssen) and Ursula the sea witch are harnessed to antagonistic goals for the sake of presenting a simple, straightforward evil for the heroes to defeat. Both women are the most self-assured, confident female characters in

“Looks like it’s Gratuitous Violence Against Women Week at the box office, and that’s just not my cup of tea.” their respective films, but instead of acknowledging their strength as a positive quality, the writers use the trait as yet another example of their immorality. In contrast, the “strong female characters” are often incapacitated or restrained

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

during crucial moments in the plot, just in time for a “real hero” to step in and lend a helping hand; in some instances, this hero is a troll named—you’ll never guess— Edward (Derek Mears, Robin Atkin Downes).

Wirkola’s halfhearted attempts at character development are nearly eclipsed by his idea of witty dialogue (e.g. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me”). Sometimes it even appears as though he’s gotten his monster genres mixed up; at one point, a particularly rabid witch screeches, “I want your brains,” at a frightened child.

But most of the time I was just uncomfortable with the palpable sexual tension between brother and sister. It was like watching the 2009 Folgers holiday commercial (you know the one), except with

leather outfits and bloodied faces.

Even the introduction of a love interest for Hansel (their first meeting involves him groping her face for signs of witchcraft) and a decidedly less appealing admirer for Gretel (he gets to go horseback riding with her brother instead), does little to tone down the siblings’ meaningful stares and affectionate roughhousing.

“Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” puts all its cards on the table in the first act, which makes its plot twist not only a misguided skewing of the socio-familial themes that lent the original fairytale its horror, but also a very predictable move on Wirkola’s part. On the other hand, we learn that you can tell witches from humans by the rotting of their teeth and flesh, and that they congregate for the Blood Moon. So I guess you could say that underneath the Tarantino-inspired fairytale lies an enchanting tale of the brave, all-female members of a Nicotine Anonymous group and their synched-up menstruation cycle.

I’m sure that’s what Wirkola wants us to glean from this story, because the alternative is a love story about a quasi-incestuous, sadomasochistic Bonnie and Clyde with a fondness for Tasers.

So what am I forgetting?

The highly-choreographed action? The copious buckets of snazzy gore? Oh yes, there was plenty of both and it was fun to watch right up until I noticed the bleak dialogue, which then drew my attention to the empty characterization and chauvinistic undertones that pop up early on in the story. Looks like it’s Gratuitous Violence Against Women Week at the box office, and that’s just not my cup of tea.

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MOVIE 43 RATING: SPARE YOURSELF There isn’t much to say when it comes to the humorless, scatologically driven train wreck that is “Movie 43,” and that’s because there is absolutely nothing worth seeing. But for you, noble Highlanders and other folk, I will try my darnedest. This quasi-metafictional nightmare is hands down the best example of a squandered all-star ensemble, and the least entertaining movie I have seen in theaters. I would gladly sit through a marathon of every movie I have ever assigned a low rating (that’s right, even “Breaking Dawn Pt. 2”), if it meant I could unsee this 90 minute waste of $6 million.

Unfortunately, that’s impossible.

But what I can do is accept that there is a greater purpose behind every tragedy, which in this case is my newfound mission to warn you not to see this movie.

It’s clear that director and producer Peter Farrelly (“Dumb & Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary”) wanted desperately for “Movie 43” to be “The Kentucky Fried Movie” of this millennium. Well, it’s not.

“The Pitch” is the overarching storyline that cements a string of shorts together with all the adhesiveness of olive oil. Dennis Quaid plays Charlie Wessler, a stone broke screenwriter who threatens film executive Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear) at gunpoint when his script is rejected on the basis of being plain awful. He then continues pitching the movie to his captive audience much to Schraeder’s (and my) consternation. There’s a reason “Movie 43” wasn’t press screened for critics; they would have clawed at the theater doors to get out.

You will never believe how many top actors signed on for this movie, and—should you choose to watch it (but really, don’t do it)—once it’s over, you still won’t be able to believe it. Oscar winners Kate Winslet and Halle Berry, in addition to Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman and Naomi Watts, as well as the talented Seth MacFarlane, Chris Pratt, Kate Bosworth and Richard Gere are just a handful of the victims who were roped into this ill-conceived vision of bodily wastes and racial slurs. Such a mammoth imbalance between the spectacular cast and a screenplay that deserves all the Razzies can only mean that the actors had to have been drugged, blackmailed or bewitched (my money’s on witchcraft) into starring in this big, fat black mark on their filmographies.

The moment I (and a horrified Kate Winslet) laid eyes on Hugh Jackman’s throat testicles (you read correctly), I found myself wondering if this could be the movie that finally jumps the shark on the Australian Adonis’s sterling career. But in light of the fact that this embarrassment was shot 4 years ago (before he even began filming for “Real Steel” MOVIE 43 CONT’D ON PAGE 18

BY: GRACE KANG, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Relativity Media

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PARKER

RATING: ★★☆☆☆

BY: REBECCA PAREDES, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As the star of director Taylor Hackford’s crime thriller “Parker,” Jason Statham (“The Expendables,” “The Transporter”) is part Robin Hood, part righteous villain and all brawn.

As the film’s eponymous antihero, he throws impressive punches, drops cliché one-liners and inexplicably survives fatal stab wounds and gunshots. Basically, Statham plays the same character he usually brings to the screen. “Parker’s” combination of a wasted supporting cast and minimal filmmaking effort turns the film into a formulaic action movie, and it’s so conventional that I think the writers simply wanted an excuse to film in Florida and work on their tans.

The movie follows Parker, a righteous antihero who sticks to his own brand of ethics and seeks revenge against those who have wronged him. It starts off on a promising note; Parker, disguised as a priest with totally rad glasses, coordinates a heist at the Ohio State Fair with four other men.

The cronies are mostly forgettable, except for their ringleader Melander (Michael Chicklis), whose fierce gaze heightens the tension of the situation despite the fact that he is decked out in clown makeup. At this point, my biggest recommendation is to leave the theater, because once the heist is up, the film becomes completely forgettable. Armed with the spoils of the job, Parker refuses to help the team on another mission to steal 50 million dollars in jewelry. He is shot and left for dead (which is something

he absolutely should be, considering he was shot in the chest and head, but of course he survives because he’s Jason Statham). Parker, ever the grudge holder, makes it his personal mission to go after the men, find their location in Florida and teach them a thing or two about shooting a man in the head.

Fans of author Donald E. Westlake’s “Parker” series, on which the movie is based, are already familiar with the sparse backstory of Statham’s

character. But for the rest of the audience, Parker seems like a criminal hero without motivation beyond revenge; no information is given about his character outside of brief flashbacks. We know that Parker works closely with his partner in crime, Hurley (Nick Nolte), who helps him on his quest to find the crooks that nearly killed him. Their meetings are constantly punctuated by the name “Danzinger,” which seems less like a

Courtesy of FilmDistrict

character and more like a fruity drink; his significance isn’t realized until the last minute of the movie.

About 40 minutes into the movie, Jennifer Lopez happens. She plays Leslie, a down-and-out real estate agent in Palm Beach, Florida, who forces herself onto Parker as his unwanted sidekick. Her character’s significance PARKER CONT’D ON PAGE 18

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and “Les Misérables”), I wouldn’t say it’s all downhill for the man. If it’s of any consolation, Hugh, I’m sure your scrotal Adam’s apple and Marion Cotillard’s Forehead Tittaes would make quite the pair. No, you’re right; it’s too soon for jokes. I’m terribly sorry, as I’m certain you are, too.

I give no quarter, however, to Farrelly or the crew of directors and writers he assembled for the making of “Movie 43.” Together they venture into all-time lows in the underbelly of gross-out humor. The truly revolting part of this movie isn’t even the explosive flatulence (among other things) or pubic hair in

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soup. It’s the part where they jump down the gutter into taboo territory for no reason other than the contemptible hope that people will laugh at it. The worst part is that their hopes will be rewarded, because a regrettably sizable demographic will delight in gags involving incestuous acts as well as animal and child abuse.

The writers also relish putting down women in ways that range from not-so-subtle to in-your-face. I was surprised to discover that Elizabeth Banks (“Pitch Perfect,” “The Hunger Games”) directed “Middleschool Date,” a short, starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, which revolves around poking fun at a girl getting her period for the first time. Because

periods are gross and funny, right? Ha! Ha! I was far less surprised by the time I got to “Beezel,” a short that plays in between the closing credits, in which Banks stars alongside Josh Duhamel and an animated cat.

The crowning glory in offensive scenes comes from a couple of sketches that feature the “iBabe,” a music player that looks just like a naked woman.

When the team responsible for creating the first iBabe wheels in a naked African-American woman during a meeting, the Boss (Richard Gere) is elated that colored iBabes will soon be on the market. Yeah. That happened.

But you know what? Maybe the writers did have a more profound reason behind the offensive material. Maybe if

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“You will never believe how many top actors signed on for this movie, and— should you choose to watch it (but really, don’t do it)—once it’s over, you still won’t be able to believe it. you dig really deep you’ll find that “Movie 43” is a gross-out version of Rick Alverson’s “The Comedy,” an utterly tedious and mind-numbing experience with a message it its core. Maybe, just maybe, each short is meant to depict the vile, exploitative nature of today’s film industry. Oh wait, this is Peter Farrelly we’re talking about. Even if this was the case, and “43” was made with satirical ambition, the audience won’t get the point.

They will laugh at the girl experiencing the horrors of puberty and the suburban teen who is seduced by his own mother, because Hollywood has conditioned them into believing that this is quality humor.

I’ll close with this: when I finally gave in and decided to set aside good taste and morals, and shut off the unit of my brain that stores memories of good comedy and cinema…I still didn’t laugh.

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PARKER FROM PAGE 17

lies solely in her skintight pencil skirts.

Lopez and Statham lack any chemistry, which makes their relationship feel forced and frustrating. At one point, Leslie mashes her face against Parker’s in one of the most awkward kisses ever captured on digital film, and I couldn’t help but snicker alongside the elderly couple that joined me for Friday’s matinee screening. What’s worse (or better, if you’re part of the movie’s target demographic of 18 – 34-year-old men) is the fact that one of the sole functions of Lopez’s character is a solid 2 minutes of one of the most gratuitous strip searches in cinematic history. “Take off your clothes,” Parker growls. “I have to know you’re not wearing a wire.”

Lopez strips, twirls and goes as far as to smile softly to herself as though they had just shared a lovely first date.

When she attempts to seduce him soon after, my resulting groan was loud enough to reverberate throughout the theater, which was empty at that point in the film.

I was sorry to see the rest of the talented cast shuffled into the film’s background.

Bobby Cannavale (“Boardwalk Empire”) plays a cop who is only seen swooning over Lopez’s curves, and he is completely forgotten by the film’s end. Meanwhile, Leslie’s mom (Patti LuPone) provides necessary comic relief. When Statham shows up on her and Leslie’s patio, bloodied and weak after a nasty

fight, he asks if she can cook for him.

“Cómo no?” she replies with an offhand shrug.

Director Taylor Hackford described “Parker” as “unapologetically a crime action genre piece,” and that’s all it tries to be. There are a few memorable

moments in the film, including an epic balcony battle between an assassin and Parker, who is stabbed through the hand and continues to fight with a knife sticking out of his palm. Also memorable was Statham’s attempt at a Texan drawl, which was a fantastic

linguistic train wreck. But unless you are a diehard fan of the books, generic action films or Jennifer Lopez’s body, don’t waste your time with “Parker.” Catch it in a few months when it shows up as a latenight cable showing.

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HIGHLANDER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

19

TELEVISION REVIEWS AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM // MADNESS ENDS RATING: ★★★★☆

Over 2 million viewers tuned in last Wednesday night for the season finale of “Asylum.”

Aptly titled “Madness Ends,” the episode neatly ties up loose ends for audiences, though not without some disappointments.

Creator Ryan Murphy disclosed before the finale that only one of the leads would emerge from the shadows of Briarcliff alive, and that this is really anyone’s game by this point. Will it be a tortured Kit, left alone to raise his two children, Jude, whose mind has slowly been deteriorating in the asylum or Lana, stalked by familiar killer?

“...it lent an authentic quality as horrors pulsed through Briarcliff.”

“Madness Ends” is narrated by present day Lana, who has gained renown as an investigative reporter/writer, as well as iconic status akin to Barbara Walters. As she holds an interview in her own home for a prestigious Kennedy Center event, we catch a glimpse of Lana’s longtime love Marian, an opera singer. Meanwhile, Johnny Morgan has managed to sneak his way into the interview crew in order to get closer to his intended target. It is revealed that Lana’s big career boost came after she snuck back into Briarcliff with a film crew and led an exposé on the neglect and maltreatment of the patients.

BY: DIANA S. HUANG, STAFF WRITER

(SPOILER ALERT) Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Television

Lana’s honed sleuthing skills uncover that it was Kit who checked Judy Martin out of the asylum. I found the way the writers intertwined the last segments of Kit and Judy’s stories to be incredibly touching; one of the most beautiful scenes of the entire season is the one in which Kit’s children hold hands with Judy as they walk out into the woods together. That moment of peace and serenity really added a touch of warmth and humanity to a season that was full of bleakness and bloody betrayals.

I—and undoubtedly many other viewers like me—had harbored high hopes that Kit’s children would turn out to have magical alien powers. However, they end up leading successful but ultimately ordinary lives.

My expectations for finding out what exactly was the deal with the extraterrestrials is denied and destroyed. While their inexplicable appearance causes mild irritation, it was strangely fitting for them to be the ones who take Kit away.

Heralded by Murphy as the true hero of the show, Kit really steps up at the end, holding his family together after the deaths of his two lovers, their mothers. He also rescues Judy from her insanity, simply because it is the right thing to do. There is an almost dark fairytale vibe when the aliens finally come to retrieve Kit. Seeing as his whole life has been ruined and rebuilt by the aliens, it only seems proper that they would decide his final fate.

Lana, despite her age, is tougher than ever as she confronts her own son with the same ferocity she opposed his father with, decades ago.

Their confrontation is well-performed—every word and action laced with genuine madness and the conviction that neither will back down; Lana refuses to truly apologize for abandoning him as an infant, while Johnny is thoroughly convinced that his mother is the real monster. Their showdown is wrought with tension as Johnny aims a gun at his mother’s head; flashbacks depict him walking through Briarcliff for the first time while experiencing hallucinations of Thredson telling him how much love he had to give as a father.

At just the right moment, Lana turns on the mommy charm, as she gently tells him, “You can

never be like him;” for a split second there seems to be hope for Johnny when he breaks down and whimpers, “I’ve hurt people, Mom.” Yet all too soon we are reminded of why Lana Winters is the sole survivor of Briarcliff when she blows her son’s brains out, effectively ending the Thredson lineage with violent, poetic justice.

Fame walks hand-in-hand with scandal and notoriety when we learn that Lana had publicly accused Cardinal Howard of his participation in the horrors at Briarcliff and his willing involvement with a Nazi doctor, incurring the wrath of New York for doing so. Her exposure

of his misdeeds eventually led Howard to commit suicide, a far too easy way out for a man as deluded and cruel as Howard.

The final shot of “Madness Ends” is a bittersweet flashback to Briarcliff in 1964, and we are brought back to the exchange between Sister Jude and preasylum Lana with the familiar “Dominique” (Jeanine Deckers) playing into the end credits. This scene is significant in highlighting the two women as the heart of the show, and emphasizes the passing of the torch from Sister Jude—who ruled the first half of the season—to Lana, who ends the arc with a bang.

“Asylum” was cleverly crafted amidst the social issues (e.g. racism, homophobia, etc.) of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The season provided a literal commentary on mental care institutions that existed during the days of lobotomy and exorcism; it lent an authentic quality as horrors pulsed through Briarcliff. Aliens or no aliens, the combination of the gloomy, claustrophobic asylum, angels, demons and Nazi doctors was enough to keep the chills going in spite of certain shortcomings in character development (Timothy Howard, I’m looking at you) and pacing; the first half of “Asylum” dragged on, whereas the last few episodes sped through the timeline. Though it lacked the originality of the first season, Murphy and his team still manage to deliver a captivating story with a talented cast that’s sure to hook in audiences for season three, which has already recast Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and season one favorite Taissa Farmiga.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

C I M CO

R O D N CA Photo credits from left to right: Dynamite Entertainment, Asylum Press, Dynamite Entertainment, Boundless Comics, IDW Publishing, Zenescope Entertainment, Top Cow, Dynamite Entertainment.

#1

HIGHLANDER

Worst of January: Comic Book Covers

by Grace Kang, Senior Staff Writer

Hi there. Take a deep breath, clear your mind. Let’s play a little word association game. What’s the first name that comes to mind when I say: bad comic book artist? Well, if you possess even a cursory knowledge of comics, then there’s a good chance you’ve got Rob Liefeld on your mind. Visualize the horrors that flow freely from his tasteless imagination. No amount of bleach could ever wipe the mangled depiction of Wonder Girl’s spine twisting like a bendy straw for an aerial shot of her teenaged breasts, or every laughably disproportionate Cable wielding guns that would never fire in reality.

And let’s not forget Liefeld’s complete inability to draw human feet. Or if you were actually thinking of that old character design you doodled in the sixth grade because you thought you were going to

be the next big thing in comics, well then I’m sorry for dredging up those memories. It could have been worse. You could have grown up to be Rob Liefeld.

It came as a blessing when Liefeld and DC parted ways, and even more so when we stopped seeing his art in comics since around mid-2012. But he wasn’t the only one, guys. How can any of us forget the infamous “Catwoman #0” cover art by Guillem March, featuring Selina Kyle in a zipped-down catsuit and a back-breaking boobs + butt pose. The revised cover wasn’t much of an improvement either.

There are more Liefelds and Marchs out there, and they are plaguing our comic books under the war cry, “Anatomy?

LOL.” Here is a delightful selection from the worst cover art of January’s comic book releases.

Queen Sonja #33 Lucio Parrillo

Tentacles? Really? Now you’re just making my job way too easy. By the by, how does that chainmail bra stay on without a front bridge at the very least? I don’t know what sort of fighting stance you’re going for, Sonja, but that’s not how you kill a tentacle monster.

#3

This is too horrifying for words. I mean, just look at that visible armpit hair.

War Goddess #12 Jason Eden Jennifer Blood #21 Mike Mayhew

If you don’t immediately spot the problem with this picture, you must have grown up in a family of contortionists, or on the set of “The Exorcist.” In this exciting issue, Jennifer Blood will snap her spine in two, while elegantly dodging bullets, all for the sake of boobs + butt fan service. Word of advice: if anyone you know starts posing like this, you should probably call a priest or an ambulance—preferably both.

#5 #7

#4

Oh my, where to begin? The only logical explanation for this getup is that Pandora’s war goddess breasts are so powerful they made nipple dents in the armor, if it can even be called that. Apparently “war goddess” doesn’t necessarily mean “war expert.” Her chest plate is doing a bad job at covering what it’s supposed to be shielding, and her back, arms, throat and abdomen are completely exposed here. Not to mention her face headpiece does nothing to protect the top and back of her head. Defense aside, her malformed right arm appears to be directing the dagger away from the imminent danger in the foreground. And just a thought, but maybe if your objective is to slash the giant, black claws you shouldn’t be looking up at the viewer. Eyes down there, Pandora.

Danger Girl/G.I. Joe #5 J. Scott Campbell

Look out, everyone. The cheesecake king has arrived and he’s brought us a real treat, but internal organs don’t seem to be included. Note that both Abbey and Sydney sport waists that are narrower than the diameter of their heads. Maybe their organs slid down those swayed backs and into their buttocks, which appear to be doing a lot of sliding themselves. Abbey’s right cheek is in perfect side profile, while the rest of her stands at a 3/4 view. Also, will someone please get the message to Campbell that this is not how clothing works? The T-shirt Abbey is “wearing” on the cover isn’t skintight, it’s painted on.

#2

The Cletus and Floyd Show #1 Frank Forte, Gene McGuckin

FLY: The Fall #4 Ivan Nunes

#6

I have no clue as to why Mary decided to strap two ostrich eggs to her chest, but I’m pretty certain they’re going to fall off without proper support.

And look, hypodermic needles because why not?

Maybe she’s planning on injecting those ostrich embryos with growth hormones.

#8

Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #21 Fabiano Neves Witchblade #163 John Tyler Christopher

“WTF” is right, Sara. I’m sure those matching stank faces are intended for the artist, who clearly hurled perspective right out the window when he decided to draw all the attention to the title carved that’s been into the brass knuckles. Swag, you’re doing it wrong.

Presenting her royal Martianness Dejah Thoris, a princess who has been trained in sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat, yet manages to get herself abducted or in need of rescue in just about every story arc. Hey Dejah, you might consider swapping in all that bling and the semitransparent strips of curtain for actual body armor. But you know what, I’m sure your vital organs will be fine as long as your nipples are capped in gold. Still, maybe you should think about not wearing heels on rocky alien terrain. Just a thought.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

21 21

and

Boleros, Fandangos and More!

Spanish Music Dance 1700s Although it isn’t very evident in modern American pop culture, Spanish classics from the 1700s are very much a part of the history of music. Despite its growing unfamiliarity today, this centuries old genre of music and dance still elicits a sense of awe. The Department of Music here at UCR, in cooperation with the Center for Iberian and LatinAmerican Music, has asked Luisa Morales and Cristobal Salvador—a pair of internationally respected musicianscholars—to perform various pieces from classical Spanish composers.

Luisa Morales has made a name for herself internationally as a keyboardist. Amidst her intercontinental concerts (i.e. Europe, Canada, Morocco, Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, etc.) she has managed to return to UCR for a second appearance (her first being in 2005). She began the evening’s performance with various sonatas, composed by Antonio Soler, on the harpsichord (a smaller piano with a much higher timbre). The harpsichord itself was a gorgeous work of art with a beautifully painted scene of what looked to be a baroque castle surrounded by hills and a flowing river elegantly showcased on the exterior of the instrument.

As Morales played it quickly became clear that works of the 18th century might be dated, but they were far from simple; her control over dynamics and timing shone un-

of the

mistakably.

Garbed in traditional Spanish clothing in hues of maroon, purple, green and gold, Cristobal Salvador joined her onstage with a humble smile. He accompanied her recital before and after the intermission with a performance of classical choreography and percussion. When “Sonata in D Major” (Mateo Albeniz) started up, the audience’s attention shifted from Morales to Salvador ’s brilliant mastery over the castanets. Whether the focus was on his intense precision or the cunning use of accents, it became evident that few if any in the audience had heard castanets like this before.

The first half of the evening concluded with various sonatas composed by Domenico Scarlatti. Morales and Cristobal often collaborate in presentations of historic dances to the sonatas of Scarlatti, Soler and many other composers whose works clearly evoke the essence of Spanish dances such as the fandango, bolero and seguidilla. After the intermission, Morales dazzled the audience with a solo performance of assorted compositions by Antonio de Cabecon. Again, her musicianship was apparent through her dramatic interpretation of the music and the subtle yet vivid exaggeration in technique.

Salvador later joined Morales once again as they performed more traditional

by Jake Shum, Contributing Writer

pieces. Salvador ’s understanding of classical Spanish dance, in conjunction with Morales’ skillful presentation, created a breathtaking atmosphere for the audience. To conclude the evening, the musician-scholars performed two more sonatas composed by Scarlatti.

Going into the concert, I had my reservations about classical music and had originally not expected to be entertained. However, after the impressive display from Morales and Salvador I must admit that they were not only musicians and performers, but they were first and

foremost educators. Even enveloped in the melody and dance, I couldn’t shake the feeling of the deeper significance in the music and its history. I couldn’t have asked for a better rendition of Spanish classics than that which I attended at “Boleros, Fandangos and More!”

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R ichard L in /H i g h l and e r Top: Luisa Morales plays classical compositions on the harpsichord, while Cristobal Salvador accompanies, last Friday at ARTS 166. Bottom left and right: Cristobal Salvador performs dance and the castanets.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

MUSIC REVIEWS IN FOCUS? // SHUGO TOKUMARU RATING: ★★★★☆

which for a non-speaker like myself, transforms his breathy vocals and lyrics into the effect of a new instrument.

“Decorate” features a giddy collection of sounds reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens’ lo-fi folk compositions.

Tokumaru hooks the listener into his musical world with a beautifully sweeping, harmony-laden chorus.

In contrast to the brighter melodies of exploration in the first two-thirds of the album, Tokumaru takes on a more subdued and settled tone in “Tightrope.” By transitioning into mellower pieces, he signifies one’s maturity and growth from their previous experiences in curiosity.

Initially “In Focus?” seems to be a sweet, perfectly constructed indiepop confection, but once you turn up the volume and pay attention, Shugo Tokumaru’s true emotions emerge in an intricate sphere of instrumentals and detail.

From the toy flutes to the manifold gadgets—such as wood blocks—that he uses in each of his tracks, you can hear the kaleidoscope of voices twist and shift into new positions, creating different tones and themes. Although the album ceaselessly turns and tweaks its sounds, the overall record is cohesive and coherent, each piece with its own clear-cut niche in the pile of comprehensively explored ■H musicality and ideas.

Courtesy of Polyvinyl Record Co.

Away from the Sprawl

by Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer

Courtesy of coachella.com

Shugo Tokumaru is one freakishly gifted multiinstrumental/bedroom-pop composer who is able to magically pile his copious instrumentals on top of each other in an arrangement that looks outrageous on paper, but ultimately works in implementation.

His calm, sweet-sounding music evokes a dazzlingly eccentric and meticulously-crafted environment in his latest album, “In Focus?”

Tokumaru’s childlike glee is first introduced and conveyed through the album’s title and cover art.

“In Focus?” asks listeners whether they think the album evokes a specific theme throughout its 15 tracks. A hand holding a magnifying lens is depicted on the cover, representing one’s journey to figuring out the world through curiosity. Tokumaru is able to express this through short instrumental interludes that are implanted between every couple of songs; these serve as shifts in tone for upcoming tracks. By moving onto an assortment of keynotes through each intermission, he is able to show us the continuously changing search for what is new.

The first standout piece is the second song, “Katachi,” which starts off with an adorable toy flute melody, soon met with a catchy clapstep beat that beckons its listeners. Tokumaru sings the album entirely in Japanese,

BY: NEILL CHUA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COACHELLA LINEUP UNDERWHELMS “Sometimes I wonder if the world’s so small / Can we ever get away from the sprawl?” So sings Régine Chassagne, multi-instrumentalist and occasional vocalist of Arcade Fire. The “sprawl” referred to in the lyrics can be defined as “the norm;” it’s suburbia as we know it. With that in mind, my goal is to expose readers to relatively unheard of and underrated artists that I believe are worth a listen, as well as offer my take on happenings in the music world. This week’s topic: Coachella.

When the Coachella lineup dropped, I have to say that I was simultaneously startled and underwhelmed. The major disappointment that must be occupying everyone’s mind is the absence of the Rolling Stones, who—after “accidentally” posting an Indio, CA date on their tour app—failed to sign on as a participant in this year’s festivities.

But we are not without excitement, thanks to recently reunited bands such as Blur and Stone Roses, who are set to headline on day one. Day two’s headliner, Phoenix, is a solid but unspectacular choice.

It came as a bit of a surprise when the Red Hot Chili Peppers were announced as the headliner for day three, but it was a nice addition; anyone who has been to a more recent concert of theirs can testify that they can still bring the funk even after 30 years.

One of the main revelations that have concert-goers talking is the day two reunion of acclaimed cult-indie group, The Postal Service. Its members are composed of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello. Fans have been waiting to see the two collaborate again since they released their debut and currently solitary album, “Give Up” (2003), nearly a decade ago. Other highlights include the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Japandroids, Grizzly Bear, The Lumineers and the Airborne Toxic Event, who performed at UCR Heat Festival in 2012.

If I had to sum up this year’s lineup in one comment, I would say that it’s balanced: if there aren’t as many top tiers as in past years, there is at the very least an overall consistent quality.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

Fashion Instinct Style informed: Adam Levine Fragrance Line

By Thelma Annan, Contributing Writer Don’t exactly have the moves like Jagger? How would you like to smell like him instead? Better yet, how would you like to smell like Adam Levine? The pop-rock god is now advancing his influence to the world of fragrance—currently overrun by the female persuasion—with the introduction of his new scent, which is rumored to be called 222. As if being a triple threat wasn’t enough, between dominat-

ing the music charts, coaching on the “The Voice” and reading lines for “American Horror Story: Asylum,” Levine has taken the time to create not only one but two fragrances for both men and women.

Finally, the answer to my prayers!

Now I know what you’re thinking: another celeb with their own fragrance line? Shocker. But with a sultry singing voice like that, how can you deny anything of this

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

Not really a fan of Levine, but still want to smell exceptional?

I can respect that. When searching for your signature scent, here are some things to consider:

Duration: How long does the scent stay on? In other words, how long until your natural body odor breaches an innocent pair of nostrils? Select a cologne/perfume with lasting results.

Pricing and Quantity: Be prepared to spend a pretty penny, but make sure it’s worth it. The bottle may look nice, but don’t be fooled. Unless it comes from the teardrops of a unicorn, or God Himself, there is no need to spend above and beyond for a tiny bottle.

Rating: According to the standards of your friends, significant other or professionals, how does the fragrance measure up? How about when it comes to other fragrances?

man? Set to be released in May of this year, details on the exact nature of the scents are pretty mum.

Whichever way you choose to go about it, choose what works best for your personality and lifestyle. The best thing about

21 23

Scent: How much do you really like the scent? After all, you are the one who’s going to wear it, not that insanely airbrushed model on the box.

fragrances is that they never go out of style. Your preference will always be “in”—as long as it’s sweet-smelling, of course. How nice (or awful) you smell can leave a lasting impression, so make sure it’s a good one.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

HIGHLANDER

Men’s basketball falls short against UC Davis Aggies and Pacific Tigers Jan. 24, 2013

as the Highlanders shot 52.4 percent from the field, while Pacific shot 42.9 percent.

Tigers 63 - Highlanders 58

Jan. 26, 2013

Matthew Guerrero CONTRIBUTING WRITER

K e v in D inh /HIGHLANDER

Junior forward Chris Harriel fights a Fresno defender for control of the ball.

MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team

W

L

PCT.

Long Beach State Pacific Cal Poly Hawai’i Cal State Fullerton UC Irvine UC Davis UC Santa Barbara UC Riverside Cal State Northridge

7 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1

1 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 8

..875 .750 .625 .556 .500 .500 .400 .375 .250 .111

ALL GAMES

W

L

PCT.

11 12 9 11 11 10 8 7 5 10

8 8 9 9 9 11 11 12 15 11

.579 .600 .500 .550 .550 .476 .421 .368 .250 .476

Aggies 79 - Highlanders 72

Riverside nearly erased a 15 point deficit against the Pacific Tigers on Thursday night, but the Tigers managed to hold on in the waning moments of the game to knock off the struggling Highlanders 63-58.

Chris Patton and Taylor Johns provided an offensive spark during the game. Patton scored 17 points, while Johns chipped in 12. The Tigers used balanced scoring, but Lorenzo McCloud was the only player that reached double figures with 17 points.

The Highlanders opened the first half with turnovers which resulted in Pacific’s McCloud scoring four points on a layup and a jumper. After an 8-3 run by the Pacific, Tiger Sama Taku nailed a three to bring their lead to eight, eventually pushing the lead to nine at 15-6.

Chris Patton provided an offensive boost to cut the lead to five with nine minutes left to go in the half, and eventually cutting the deficit to 19-17. A 12-7 run

by Pacific at the end of the half gave the Tigers a seven point lead, 31-24.

The second half opened with baskets being traded by both teams, but a quick 7-1 run by Pacific left the Highlanders dazed. The lead then ballooned to 14, 45-31 after a Sama Taku three pointer. Riverside wouldn’t stay down for long as they went on a 16-7 run with seven minutes left to go.

The Highlanders eventually cut the lead to one after a Taylor Johns layup with 3 minutes left, but a Tigers three point bucket by Travis Fulton and clutch free throw shooting sealed the deal as UCR fell short.

McCloud and Patton led all scorers with 17 apiece,

Josh Fox scored a career high 22 points, including an electric 20 point second half, but UC Riverside’s men’s basketball team (515, 2-6) fell short losing 72-79 against UC Davis.

Riverside allowed UC Davis to go on a 7-2 run to start the first half. The Highlanders would then go on a 10-4 run, fueled by good defense by Chris Harriel and Taylor Johns, resulting in easy layups and free throws for Riverside.

UC Riverside and Davis traded baskets for a while and with eight minutes left the game was tied up at 17.

The closing minutes of the first half the Aggies wouldn’t miss a shot and an emphatic J.T. Adenrele slam dunk ended the half.

The Highlander offense was not terrible, but the collapse at the end of the half resulted in a 41-30 deficit for Riverside going into halftime.

Riverside lacked production on fast breaks in the first half as they were outscored in transition by four.

They allowed dunks in the paint and was outscored 14-10 in the paint during the first half.

Josh Fox began his second half with two made jumpers and Riverside cut the lead to 10 with about 19 minutes left. When the lead was cut to eight Davis countered with a 7-0 run to take a 15 point lead.

The lead eventually ballooned to 60-42 but UCR went on one last push when they went on a 23-15 run to cut the lead back to 10.

However, UC Davis iced the game with four free throws.

The Highlanders travel back home Jan. 27 to play Hawaii and Cal State Northridge Feb. 2.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team

W

L

PCT.

Cal Poly UC Irvine UC Davis Cal State Northridge Long Beach State UC Santa Barbara Pacific UC Riverside Cal State Fullerton Hawai’i

6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 0

1 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 7

.857 .625 .625 .571 .571 .571 .429 .429 .286 .000

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

25

Women’s tennis walloped by Long Beach State 7-0 C o dy N g u y e n STAFF WRITER

Jan. 26, 2013 49ers 7 - Highlanders 0

Th e UC Riverside w o men ’s tennis team h it th e r o ad after their fir s t s la te d m at chup against Mis s o u r iK an sas City was c a n c e lle d d u e t o furious rain f a ll.

Fi r st up in the s in g le s m at chups was Jamie Ra n e y ag ai n st Klaudia M a le n o v sk a. A hard fought s e t w o u ld ev en t ually fall i n f a v o r o f Malenovska, w h o d ef eat ed Raney 6-4 a n d 6 - 2 .

Fr o m then on, the r e ma ini n g f ive Highlande r s ( Ta yl o r R aney, Natalie M c K a y, C o u t ney P attugala n , K a te B erg eson, T hanh D o a n ) w o u l d fall to the 49 e r s lik e a h er d of cattle bein g le d to sl au g hter, securing a c le a n sw eep in singles ac tio n f o r Lo n g Beach S tate, 6 - 0 .

Taylor Raney l o s t 2 - 6 , 0 - 6 , McKay fell 1 - 6 , 4 - 6 , B erg eson 1-6, 2-6 , P a ttug al an 4-6, 2-6 an d D o a n f el l 0 -6, 0-6.

D o ubles action d id n o t p r o v i de any solace f o r th e H i g h l anders. Both d o u b le s p ai r s of P attugalan/ M c K a y an d Bergeson/Doa n w e r e b l o wn out 8-1 by th e Lo n g B each pairings of K la u d ia Mal enovska/S arah Ca n tla y an d E bba Unden/K a r o lin a R o zenberg, respe c tiv e ly.

A s su ch, the third d o u b le s set was not even fin is h e d , as t h e 49ers were a w a r d e d en o u gh points to e n d th e m at ch.

N ext up for th e H ig hl an d ers is a road ma tc h ag ai n st L oyola-Ma r y mo u n t U n i v e rsity on F eb. 7 .

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KENDALL PETERSON

KENDALL’S FASTBALL Go Braves!

A rchi v e /HIGHLANDER

Kate Bergeson prepares for a return (Ayana Simmons in the background).

WOMEN’S TENNIS STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team

W

L

PCT.

Long Beach State Hawai’i Cal State Northridge UC Irvine UC Davis Cal State Fullerton UC Santa Barbara Pacific Cal Poly UC Riverside

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

ALL GAMES

W

L

PCT.

1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0

0 5 0 2 2 3 0 1 2 2

.1000 .167 1.000 .500 .333 .250 .000 .000 .333 .000

Spring Training for Major League Baseball is a little under a month away. I have been waiting for it since the 2012 World Series when the San Francisco Giants battled the Detroit Tigers.

The Giants whomped on the Tigers during what I thought was going to be a competitive series. But I was wrong. Yet, when the series ended I wanted more and wanted to see the next two teams that will be battling for the Commissioner’s Trophy.

This season I feel my Atlanta Braves will be the surprise team and a threat in the MLB. They will battle the Washington Nationals for the number one seed in the NL East and I feel they have the right players to make a push for the World Series.

About eight weeks ago they signed B.J. Upton from the Tampa Bay Rays for five years. Then a few days ago Atlanta went after his brother, Justin Upton from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a seven player trade. His contract is up in the 2015 season, which means the two brothers are with the Braves for at least three years, including this season.

Justin and B.J. are both under the age of 28 and will make up two-thirds of the Braves talented outfield. The last spot is the very young right fielder Jason Heyward (23), who recently won a Gold Glove in 2012. Their outfield is composed of speed and power.

They have a roster that has a chance to compete for the World Series. They have the slugger Dan Uggla. If he is constant all season long, without a slow start in the beginning, he can help propel the Braves young talented defense of Freddie Freeman (23) and Andrelton Simmons (23).

With a good pitching staff, the Braves will be in every game as long as their offense can score runs. Atlanta has the potential to be a 100-plus winning team with the help from Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen. Then you have the superb closer in Craig Kimbrel who can come in and shut down the others teams offense.

This Braves team can make the 2013 playoffs and if things go their way, possibly win it all.

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SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

27

Women’s basketball loses two in a row versus Tigers and Aggies Richard Lee CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jan. 24, 2013 Tigers 85 - Highlanders 56

After two consecutive wins against Long Beach State and UC Irvine, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team’s (98, 2-4) streak was snapped by an 85-56 loss against Pacific making it the worst loss of the season.

Going into this game, the Highlanders knew they were in for a tough challenge against the red-hot Tigers who had won eight of their last nine games while also being tied with Cal Poly for the top spot in the Big West standings.

Despite the Tigers starting off hot from beyond the arc, the Highlanders kept the game competitive as they tied the game at 21 with 5:48 remaining in the first half. However, in response to the Highlanders’ poor shooting and transition defense the Tigers went on a 15-2 run and entered halftime leading 36-23.

The second half would not get any better for UCR as the Tigers opened with a scorching 20-6 run, taking the Highlanders to the point of no return.

UCR’s lack of perimeter defense resulted in Pacific having their way with the Highlanders from beyond the arc.

The Tigers shot 45 percent from downtown in the second half. Erica McKenzie hit three three-pointers in nine minutes, while Claire Conricode nailed two three-pointers in five minutes.

Kendall Rodriguez and Erica McKenzie led the Tigers with 14 points each. UC Riverside relied on the third-year center, Natasha Hadley with 14 and first year Chelsea Jacoby who posted nine points in a deficient night in which the Highlanders shot 31.5 percent

from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Jan. 26, 2013 Aggies 61 - Highlanders 49

It has been a rough week for the UC Riverside women’s basketball team. After winning two in a row against Long Beach and Irvine, the Highlanders have found themselves in a two-game slump following a 61-49 loss to UC Davis.

UCR’s inability to adjust against Davis’ zone defense made the Highlanders play catch-up the entire game. The Aggies started the game on a 6-0 run by playing hard-nosed defense and forcing the Highlanders to miss their first five shots. Riverside kept their poise and relied on Natasha Hadley to get within four, 2420, with 3:17 remaining.

Davis fired back scoring seven of nine to open up a double-digit lead, 31-21, with 1:40 remaining. UCR continued to fight back and scored two more baskets to enter the second half down by just 31-25.

The Aggies led wire to wire in the second half, as the Highlanders cut Davis’ lead to three, 37-34, after a jumper by Hadley with 13:52 left. Davis would then go on a 14-2 run that left the Highlanders trailing 51-36 and was too much of a deficit for the Highlanders to overcome.

UC Riverside made 35.8 percent of their shots from the field and just 9.1 percent from downtown, as UC Davis shot 44.2 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from the three.

Natasha Hadley was the leading scorer for the Highlanders with 15 points while Brittany Cain dropped 12.

Sydnee Fipps led UC Davis in scoring with 23 points.

UCR will go on the road to face UC Santa Barbara on H Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.. ■

MICHAEL RIOS

RIO-SIDE My Super Bowl Prediction

T s u n g S u /HIGHLANDER

J in y o u n g K o /HIGHLANDER Top: Junior Natasha Hadley shoots over Pacific defender Shanice Butler.

Bottom: Freshman Tahvia Morrison guarded by Aggie Molly Greubel.

Given the fact that this will be the final season Ray Lewis will play in the NFL, it’s easy to understand why so many are rooting for the Baltimore Ravens to pull off an upset in this year’s Super Bowl.

As engrossing as that storyline would be, I’m here to tell you that’s not likely to happen.

The 2013 Super Bowl will be won decisively by the San Francisco 49ers.

A great factor in this year’s match will be the hunger to win it all. Both teams know a little something about playing with added motivation as both are playing to redeem themselves.

Last year the 49ers lost in a heartbreaking play that resulted in a fumble for San Francisco.

The Ravens had a similar experience when they lost to the Patriots after missing a touchdown and a field goal.

Both teams are just a game away from truly redeeming themselves as they have both earned the two final spots in the Super Bowl. But the 49ers seem to want it more. After all, when you look how impressive the last two seasons were, you’ll realize that a victory is the only option. This was the team that was supposed to win it last year and is supposed to win it this year. Coming up short after two straight seasons on 11 or more wins is not an option for the 49ers.

Also, statistically speaking, it’s the 49ers all the way.

In terms of offense, the Niners’ Kaepernick has a strong passer rating of 98.3 while the team is ranked fourth in rushing yards.

They can score. In terms of defense, they allowed an average of just 94 rushing yards per game and 213.7 passing yards per game. Both statistics are ranked fourth and sixth, respectively.

As for the Ravens, they can defend without question. The problem is that they lack stable offensive execution. Baltimore is ranked 16th in total yards and also ranked 15th in passing yards. They can’t really score.

They have too big of an Achilles heel to realistically win.

The 2012-13 season will be remembered as the season the 49ers became relevant again, it will be remembered as the season an inexperienced quarterback led a team to the promised land and it will be remembered as the year San Francisco won its sixth Lombardi Trophy.

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. SPORTS .

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

HIGHLANDER

Track and field sets new records in season opener at UW Invitational Darren Bueno STAFF WRITER

The UC Riverside track and field team kicked off its season in record-breaking fashion as they competed in one of the biggest stops in the NCAA indoor track season, the UW Invitational.

Travis Smith led the charge for the Highlanders as the former All-American shattered his own previous record in the indoor shot put.

The Clovis, Calif. product threw an impressive distance of 62’ 4.5”, which bettered his previous school record of 54’ 8.75” set in January of last year. Smith earned the Highlanders’ only first-place finish in the meet, beating out national powerhouses such as Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Stanford.

UCR athletic history continued to be rewritten as Ryan Swafford broke the school mark in the men’s triple jump; Swafford, who qualified for the NCAA Championships last season, finished second in the event with a distance of 50’ 9.5”. He joined fellow jumper, Ted Hooper, in the men’s long jump with both finishing inches apart. Hooper earned the fifth best score with a leap of 22’

11.75” while Swafford came in seventh place clearing 22’ 1.50”. Trailing the veteran jumpers was Michael Harris, who finished in 19th place with a jump of 19’ 7.50”. Hooper’s distance of 22’ 11.75” was only four inches shy of yet another indoor school record in the men’s long jump.

In the running events, Michael Koger sprinted to a third-place finish in the men’s 400m with a time of 40.94.

Teammates Dylan Gates (49.84), Marcus Cummings (50.20), and Michael Pare (50.98) finished in 17th, 23rd and 27th place, respectively. In the preliminary rounds of the men’s 60m, Michael Hern ran a lifetime best of 6.93, which earned him a spot in the final round of the event. In the finals, Hern shaved off two-tenths of a second (6.91) to tie for seventh place while also setting a new personal best. Rounding out the races, Nic Beachan (8:45.64) and Michael Gauger (8:50.96) nabbed the eighth and 11th best times in the men’s 3,000m.

The ladies of blue and gold also performed admirably in the two-day event at the Dempsey Indoor Facility.

Recent transfer Amber Wright led the Highlanders as she raced to sixth place in 400m dash. She

K e v in D inh /H i g h l and e r UCR’s Michael Koger runs on the track during practice for Friday’s UW Invitational.

was followed by teammates Noelle Abboud (57.51) in 10th, Asha Blades (59.49) in 24th and Jazmine Harper (1:00.01), who rounded out the quartet in 31st place. In the women’s 60m sprint, Wright sprinted a time of 7.89 finishing 28th.

Alisha Brown paced four other Highlanders in the women’s 3,000m topping out with a respectable time of 10:04.79.

Briana Kennedy-Feldhaus and Jazmine Lewis galloped to top15 finishes in the women’s 60m hurdles with times of 9.00 and 9.45, respectively.

In the women’s field events, shot putters Deja Watkins and Breana Jemison earned top20 honors throwing distances of 44’ 1.50” and 41’ 0.50”.

Watkins’s weight throw of 53’ 11.75” also placed her in the

top-10 scores of the women’s weight throw event. Jumpers Jacquelyn DuBois (triple jump) and Phoenisha Schuhmeier (long jump) finished in 12th and 29th place, in each respective event.

The Highlanders look to continue their strong start in the desert at the Mount T’s Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz.

H The indoor event starts Feb. 1. ■

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Chris Patton Jayvee Valencia CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Athlete of the Month for January is men’s basketball forward Chris Patton. This year the production from Chris Patton has been stellar for Riverside as he has developed into the Highlanders’ go-to guy. The 6 foot 10 junior from Melbourne, Australia is in his first year as a UCR studentathlete.

Against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 12, Patton shot a season high field goal percentage of .889 (8-9). A couple days later, UCR hosted UC Irvine and Patton would go on to tie his career high again with 21 points with four rebounds.

In the same game, Patton made his season high in free throws with seven, going 7-7. During the month of January, Patton has logged an average of 28 minutes a game, which has resulted in a few more season highs along the way.

This season he leads the team in points per game with 12.4 and second in the team for rebounds per

MEN’S BASKETBALL

game at 5.6. His best game of the season came at home Jan. 17 against Long Beach State when he posted his career high in scoring with 21 points while grabbing seven rebounds.

As a key post presence, he

“Th e p h ys i c al , bruisi ng, back-to- t he bask et c e nt e r h as be e n a consis t e nt con tribut or for the Highlan de rs ” has been essential in keeping the Highlanders competitive in many games with his scoring, rebounding and his defensive presence. But while his offensive numbers are impressive, he is still a force

on defense—he is a big body and can alter shots when opponents penetrate the lane.

Last year he played at Neosho Community College in Kansas where he was a first team all conference and a second team all region selection. He was rated #106 out of the top 150 Junior College recruits in JucoJunction. He played at the College of Southern Idaho with Baylor ’s superstar point guard Pierre Jackson in 2010.

His hard work, activity and toughness has shown every game. The physically imposing center has been a consistent contributor for the Highlanders on both sides of the court and he will only get better as the season rolls along. For his hard work on the court, Chris Patton has earned the Highlander ’s Athlete of the Month for January 2013.

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C o u rt e s y

o f g o hi g h l and e r s . c o m and b l o g . p e . c o m

Top: Chris Patton at the free throw line. Bottom: Robert Smith and Chris Patton.

JANUARY STATISTICS

#54 Patton, Chris Games played

7

Points/game

12.1

FT Pct.

74

Rebounds

Asists

22

6

FG Pct.

68