Volume 62 Issue 20

Volume 62

Issue 20

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

The embers of Heat

Music festival cancelled due to weather concerns

By Rebecca Paredes & Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writers Our phones chimed en route to campus on the I-15. It was the text that killed the plans of what would have been 12,000 attendees at Heat: “Heat Concert Cancelled,” from the campus alert system, received at 4:19 p.m. We stared at our phones for a long moment, considering the jokes we’d made earlier that day — what if the fields in the center of campus were thrashed into mud by the pounding feet of so many students? What if Ciara had her baby? What if Heat was cancelled?

And, as we know, it was.

The official report is that Heat was called off by Environmental Health and Safety, the Highlander Union Building (HUB) and UC Police Department due to impending weather conditions — including a flash flood warning — from the central California coast moving inland. The notice arrived too late to prevent the arrival of students and residents from surrounding cities, traveling from the Inland Empire and beyond, eager to experience the rush of Madeon, the grooves of the Neighbourhood and of course — Childish Gambino.

We arrived as the campus emptied. Penske moving trucks drove through the metal gates that had once been intended to direct students inward; throughout the heart of

campus, event staff packed away the fiery effigy and metal art installations that would have warmed the HUB plaza. Phones were out, taking photos of the blue-gray sky. For the next few hours, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook would update with close-ups of pink and green Heat tickets. The focal point of these photos: A single line of text toward the bottom of the ticket. It read, “Rain or shine.”

“The cancellation is unfortunate,” explained Rich Holtzman, general manager of Portugal. The Man, in an email. “Everyone was bummed out. Right now we do not know what the next step is. As it just happened, we have to regroup and decide.”

But for Portugal and the other headliners, returning to UCR this academic year is out of the question; this upcoming weekend is Discover Day, and the next precedes finals week. Madeon tweeted, “Super disappointed Heat Music Festival got cancelled because of the weather, sorry everyone!” Ciara, in an Instagram video to her fans, said, “I am so bummed the show got cancelled due to the storms, so the only right thing is to send you guys my love and tell everyone to get home safely. Love you guys. Peace.” ► SEE HEAT, PAGE 12

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER What struck students as almost impossible soon settled in as reality when UCR’s annual music festival, Heat, was officially cancelled at 4:19 p.m. due to severe weather conditions.

ASUCR kicks off presidential debates SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

Over 50 members of the UCR community hustled over to the Highlander Union Building (HUB) Plaza to watch the ASUCR presidential debates last Tuesday. Drawing a comparably larger crowd than last year, the event was moderated by the KUCR radio station and the Highlander’s Managing Editor Colin Markovich, who asked about issues of campus crime, four-year graduation rates and presidential goals. Three current members of ASUCR are vying for the 2014-15 presidency: Armando Saldana, Sean Fahmian and Nafi Karim.

Saldana, ASUCR’s executive vice president of two years, represents the Vox Populi party, or “Voice of the People,” under the platform of: “Empowered we are, united we stand,

together we can.”

As a programmer for the Highlander Union Administration office and resident advisor for UCR’s Housing, Dining and Residential Services, Saldana has also maintained the internal and external processes of the senate by establishing order during the ASUCR senate meetings. He seeks to maintain a presence and strengthen ties with both the campus administration and local community.

“We’re one of the few (associated students) campuses that have maintained their autonomy,” he said.

“It’s not just showing a presence, but showing that we have a voice and we’re not just here for an education, but we’re also here to improve UCR’s (promise for higher education).”

Additionally, Saldana alluded to an email he received from a community member over the summer, which called

UCR students visitors to the city of Riverside.

“That bothered (because) some of us actually live here. Whether we’re still a commuter school or not, we’re still part of the city (and) we still contribute to the overall well-being of the city,” he explained. “One of the things that we need to focus on is increasing the communication with the city.”

As a Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) senator of two years, Fahmian is the presidential nominee for the political party A Better Choice (ABC), which holds a platform of “value, voice and vision.” Drawing from his family and community ties to the university, Fahmian referred to his experiences of growing up in Riverside, where he would often swim in the pool near the physical education building.

► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 7

INSIDE: More informative soda labels will help the public make better health choices.

OPINIONS

PAGE 10

St. Vincent’s self-titled album is full of wonky synths, immense texture and eccentric beauty.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 16

It might not be the real deal, but Romano’s Chicago Pizzeria doles out satisfying deep dish.

PAGE 19

FEATURES

With Heat cancelled, men’s basketball puts on a show, wins double-overtime classic.

PAGE 24

SPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

PAGE 2

STAFF

PAGE 8 PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

UCR students protest housing ordinance, offer alternative legislation AARON GRECH Contributing Writer JOSEPH AVILA Staff Writer

UCR Highlanders held up signs that read “Reform the Ordinance,” “Listen,” and “Stop Treating Us Like Children,” during the 100 Student March event at Riverside City Hall on Feb. 25. Demonstrating opposition to the 201314 city housing ordinances, protesters say the rules discriminate against students living offcampus. The event was organized by members of ASUCR, who delivered an alternative piece of legislation to the city council members, asking for a fairer process when neighborhood complaints are filed.

Back in August of 2013, the Riverside city council voted to adopt an ordinance that required homeowners to obtain a permit when leasing to more than two residents in a single family household; this also launched additional city ordinances, such as one to limit the expansion of the aforementioned households, which were condemned by the ASUCR senate.

Standing outside the glass windows of Riverside City Hall, UCR student and ASUCR’s Local Affairs Liaison Breana Ross led a group of over 30 protesters who chanted: “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” as councilmembers met. Soon after, an unarmed police officer approached the crowd and directed them to quiet down. “I understood there was something possibly disturbing the meeting, so they called the department and we came and handled it,” officer Rusty Stump later commented on the police response.

Around 15 students also lined up in front of the city council and were given three minutes

Student protesters wait in the back of the Riverside City Hall for the public comment section of the meeting.

each to make their remarks during the public comment period of the city meeting. Ross opened the forum by stating, “Ultimately this is about rights; our rights as students, renters and most importantly as citizens.” Ross went on to say that the decision to implement the permit ordinance was made without student input and caused students to be harassed by their neighbors and ultimately lose their housing.

UCR graduate student and Riverside citizen Aaron Seitz also referred to the permit housing ordinance, which he says targeted both the student and low-income populations who attempt to seek more affordable housing.

However, city council members, such as Mike Gardner, have argued that the housing ordinance sought to prevent owners from cutting up their homes and create “mini-dorms.”

Seitz suggests overturning the permit ordinance, along with a decades-old city

Photo of the Week

law, which prohibits four or more unrelated residents from living together in a single-family household. “The efficiency of having multiple people renting a house makes sense,” he said, “and if there is a problem regarding noise, I think there are better solutions than saying people can’t live together.”

The alternative legislation — outlined by Ross and spearheaded by ASUCR Senator Fernando Echeverria — proposed regulations that would simplify the current process and “prevent discrimination” against students. If an issue of misconduct were to arise, such as a noise disturbance or a dispute of residential upkeep, the person filing the complaint would notify the city and the tenants in question. An investigation would then be conducted by patrolling officers who would confirm that problematic conduct had occurred. The tenant must correct the issue within 30 days and must

Student protesters of the Riverside housing ordinance wait with signs outside of the Riverside City Council meeting last Tuesday.

Quotebook “So now when people hear about it or see advertisements they are doing more of, ‘Oh Dance Marathon is coming up and we know who it benefits.’”

Upcoming Events

PRODUCTION MANAGER

have zero incidents “within the home of order” thereafter. The legislation would also eliminate the room renter maximum, currently capped at four, which the legislation’s authors described as “problematic.”

Councilman Andy Melendrez put forward a few suggestions for mending the problem of affordability, saying, “The balance we need to have is to try to find a way to make the homes more affordable for the students … with that, I think it’s important we move forward with staff members of the city, students and UCR staff to find a solution in an individual committee.”

Melendrez also suggested an independent study to confirm and verify the issue of a lack of affordable student housing.

Student protesters hope to bring the H legislation to a city council vote in the future. ■ Breana Ross also works for the Highlander as an advertising representative.

MARCH

4

Japanese Taiko Drumming Demo 12 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

ARTS Building Amphitheatre Steps

Tuesday Talk - Guy Talk 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Costo Hall 245

5

Career Station 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

HUB Mall

iLearn Walk-in Session 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Surge Building 170 (Hyperstruction studio)

6

UCR Jazz Ensemble 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

ARTS 157

Men’s Basketball: UC Davis 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Arena

7

Community College Day 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Costo Hall

Walk With Therapy Fluffies 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

HUB 248

8

UCR is Dancing 2014 5 p.m. -6:30 p.m.

University Theatre

Women’s Basketball: Long Beach State 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Arena

Tuesday

Jake Rich

JAKE RICH / HIGHLANDER

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

9

Sunday

10

Monday

UCR Concert Band: Music from the Turn of the Century and the Civil War 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

University Theatre Weekday Carillon Recitals 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Bell Tower

Walk with Ease Group Walk 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

HUB, Scotty the Bear Statue

-Alyssa Heckmann, Guardian Scholar and Recovery Community Coordinator for Dance Marathon 2014

Scan this QR code and visit us

at highlandernews.org

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

3

TAPS offers free parking to campus visitors SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

still receive a parking permit from the attendant at the event,” he said.

“The only difference is that they will not pay for the parking.”

Some students, such as third-year media and cultural studies major Natalie Arredondo, felt opposed to the new policy. “I believe that is an irresponsible move on UCR’s part.

Every commuter knows the hell of trying to find parking in Lot 30. If anyone deserves prices to be cut on parking, it’s the students who already pay thousands of dollars to attend there,” she said. “If UCR wants to focus on parking, they need to start thinking of building up; we need mall-type parking structures in lots closer to campus.”

Currently, there are an estimated 90 events per year that are eligible for the parking program, but TAPS hopes to increase this number to 200. Two annual reports will also be delivered to campus officials in December and June to measure the program’s impact on community ■H engagement.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UCR guests attending certain events can now recieve free or discounted parking rates.

WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

Academic Resource Center (ARC) KUCR RADIO 88.3

HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM

UC Riverside is now offering free or low-cost parking to visitors attending academic, outreach, student or cultural events on campus.

Free or low-cost parking is only available for student recruitment and outreach programs, colloquia, symposia, lectures, student club meetings, cultural and public service events. Campus departments will determine parking and other service requirements and may submit a request to include their own event in the program, which will be reviewed by Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS).

“I think that when we charge for parking for these types of events, we generally leave a bad taste in peoples’ mouths,” TAPS Director Greg Artman told UCR Today.

“I believe that this program will help change these perceptions and that people will see that campus leadership really wants them to

come and experience what we have to offer.”

Artman adds that the campus policy will not create additional administrative or financial burdens to UCR’s departments, colleges and administrative units. This parking policy is only available to guests and not the campus departments holding the event, which are still responsible for paying for extraneous event costs such as signs.

“This program is intended to increase our already strong engagement with our community by making it easier for visitors to participate in special events,” Chancellor Kim Wilcox said to UCR Today.

Ross French, office of strategic communications representative, explained that the policy was formerly enacted as a pilot program in January and is now in full effect. “Little will change from the perspective of the visitor. They will still see signage directing them to a lot closest to the venue and they will

Thinking about graduate or professional school?

MCAT In addition to our Exam Prep Seminars:

Would you like to know more about applying to and succeeding in graduate school?

Attend a graduate school information workshop April 7th, 8th, and 9th from 5:00pm-6:00pm, location and topics TBA.

We invite UCR professors and graduate students to met with and speak to undergraduates aspiring to attend graduate school. Come �ind out what professors are looking for in successful candidates, and whether a master’s or doctoral degree is appropriate for your career goals.

GRE

GMAT

LSAT

Most programs require their applicants to submit scores from graduate and professional school exams. Because these are standardized tests, there are strategies that will improve your scores. One strategy is to practice taking the test as often as possible. This will identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can target areas (analytical thinking and reading, math, vocabulary, and writing) that need improvement.

The UCR Academic Resource Center (ARC) offers reduced‐cost seminars in Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Sessions (currently $150/quarter) to better prepare you for the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. Our experienced, college-level instructors will teach the strategies and foundational knowledge necessary to score higher.

Our Spring 2014 exam prep seminar classes begin the week of April 14th and end the week of June 2nd.

To register for a Grad Exam Prep Seminar, visit us online at

arc.ucr.edu/gre.html.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

ASPB criticized over ‘offensive’ fun house legs MICHAEL RIOS Senior Staff Writer

A pair of artificial legs at the Adult Swim inflatable fun house, set up at UCR last week, was removed after university officials received complaints that the displayed limbs were “offensive.”

Organized by ASPB, the fun house featured a maze that led to three exits, one of which allowed students to crawl through a narrow exit hole and emerge through a giant pair of inflatable women’s legs hovering over a hospital bed — coined the “public birth” by Adult Swim.

In a letter addressed to ASPB, Assistant Professor of Sociology Tanya Nieri said the set piece sends a “discriminatory message” about the value of female bodies to the UCR community. She went on to call for more inclusiveness and respect for members of the community.

Sharing similar concerns to Nieri, UCR postdoctoral scholar Julie Ann Ward stated, “… the use of two legs and a hole to stand in for the concept of ‘female’ reduces women to a most basic function and literally deletes anything that might happen above the waist, like learning, discovery, communication, or problemsolving, to name only a few.”

In an interview with the Highlander, ASPB Chairperson Edozie Onumonu explained

JUSTIN DUCUT / HIGHLANDER

An added installment to the Adult Swim Fun House drew concern among some students and faculty members over its “discriminatory message.”

that the inflatable legs came as a surprise to their organization as well. As Onumonu put it, Adult Swim and the creative team behind the fun house provided a blueprint of the maze which did not include the inflatable legs.

According to Onumonu, the legs were originally left intact after it was revealed that the blueprint design differed from the actual fun house setup. After concerns were raised, however, the legs were

taken down.

“We are aware that we serve this campus with folks with different ideas,” he said about the incident. “We do apologize if the safe space of the university was compromised … We definitely (had) no intention to offend any folks with the fun house.”

Onumonu went on to add: “We definitely hear the folks, their criticism and understand where it’s coming from. But it’s hard

WRITE FOR THE HIGHLANDER MEETINGS ON MONDAYS AT 5:15PM @ HUB 101

for me to say we regret the whole thing, being that a lot of students enjoyed the event. Thinking globally, we want to make sure we do a good job of fostering a positive relationship with the UCR communities.”

Some members of the UCR community also criticized ASPB for allowing the legs to be displayed and are calling for greater non-student oversight for the student-run programming

entity of over 25 years.

The complaints were also brought up to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jim Sandoval, who apologized to those offended.

The concerns also prompted Sandoval to schedule a meeting with concerned members of the community, ASPB leaders and Student Affairs on Friday, March 7 to further discuss the matter and find ways to avoid these kinds of ■H incidents in the future.

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

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Two UCR members pass away AFSCME 3299 reaches deal, cancels strike MICHAEL RIOS Senior Staff Writer

COURTESY OF THE ERWIN FAMILY UCR pathologist Dr. Donald Erwin and Academic Coordinator Laura Abbot passed away.

MICHAEL RIOS Senior Staff Writer

A pair of UCR faculty and staff members passed away in the span of one week earlier this month. On Feb. 16, it was reported that Laura Abbot, an academic coordinator in biology, had died in a car accident. Six days later, it was revealed that UCR professor emeritus of plant pathology and microbiology, Dr. Donald Erwin, also passed away.

On the morning of Feb. 16, Abbott was driving a white pickup truck towing a trailer on I-10 when she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn, killing her onsite. No details have been provided about how or why she lost control.

A passenger riding alongside Abbott was not injured. According to the California Highway Patrol, the two were heading to the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.

According to UC Media Relations Director Kris Lovekin, the

chair of the biology department informed his department about Abbott’s passing and are offering condolences to her family.

Just one week after Abbott’s death, it was also revealed that Dr. Erwin also passed away — his passing was unrelated to Abbott’s.

Dr. Erwin was hired at UCR shortly after the school’s inception.

Shortly after earning his Ph.D. at UC Davis in 1953, Erwin joined UCR as a junior plant pathologist at the department of plant pathology. He became professor in 1966 and served as the department’s chair before retiring in 1991.

Colleague Dr. Olaf K. Ribeiro called Erwin “a very caring individual who was always concerned about his students and their welfare.”

Dr. Erwin’s funeral service will be held on March 7. According to a statement by Chancellor Kim Wilcox, Erwin’s family asks that donations be made to St. Catherine of Alexandria Church or to the UCR H Botanic Garden in lieu of flowers. ■

After months of countless contract conversations and multiple strikes, UC union AFSCME 3299 has finally reached a tentative contract deal with the university system, avoiding another strike that would have taken place this week.

The four-year contract will cover 8,300 workers around the UC. According to a press release from the union, the contract would consist of a 13.5 percent across-the-board wage increase, health care benefits for current employees and retirees and “new safe staffing” protections for employees.

The UC claims it has been extremely flexible with the union, offering a freeze on health care costs, which has allowed an AFSCME worker to continue to pay $11.78 a month for Kaiser or $35.21 for an entire family.

Both sides had discussed potential deals for more than a year, but each fell apart. As a result, the union decided to strike on multiple occasions.

The first came in March 2013 and the second in November.

Earlier in February, AFSCME 3299 had voted to strike once more — this time for five days at UC campuses and hospitals.

After the tentative agreement was made, the union agreed to cancel its planned marathon strike.

According to the UC, the last two strikes cost the university system more than $30 million.

With the planned strike officially over, UC officials are applauding the tentative deal that has been reached. “It is good to have this bargaining wrapped up with a deal on its way to our valued service employees,” said Dwaine B. Duckett, UC’s vice president of human resources. “We worked hard to

bridge gaps on the issues. Ultimately both sides chose compromise over conflict.”

AFSCME members shared the same feeling of relief: “Having seen the unflinching resolve of our membership and the many thousands of Californians who support them, it is our hope that the spirit of compromise that UC finally brought to the table … to reach a settlement with UC Service workers will continue in upcoming bargaining sessions with the Patient Care Technical Unit,” said AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger in a press release. “If it does, we believe that an end to this unfortunate, protracted dispute may finally be within reach, and a new period of cooperation can begin.”

There is no official word on when AFSCME representatives will vote on the contract, but a statement from the UC believes it will happen “soon.”

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TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

ASUCR: Elections season begins in the senate Senate-in-brief: ASUCR senators SANUJA DAS Contributing Writer SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

BCOE Senator Sean Fahmian criticized CHASS Senator Nafi Karim for failing to deliver sufficient snacks to students during finals week of last quarter — as part of the snack wagon initiative — revealing early tensions between the two presidential candidates in the 2014-15 elections season.

During the public forum period, Leo Torres, a fourthyear bioengineering major and the president of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), asked why the snack wagon did not make a visit to the BCOE computer labs during the last winter quarter.

Torres showed interest in promoting the

senate’s quarterly initiative, which was started back in the 2012-13 academic year

by Fahmian and was handed over to the ASUCR office of internal affairs this year.

As the leader behind the initiative last quarter, Karim explained that his committee ran out of snacks to distribute within the second day of finals week. He attempted to eschew the discussion by stating, “(Our budget) was $500, but we got different snacks which were healthier and we attended the science library and Rivera library for longer hours.“ In response to Karim’s report, Fahmian delivered an anecdotal remark based on his prior experience spearheading the same project. “Last year, I used $400 (for the snack wagon initiative) over three days and whatever was leftovers from the libraries went to

the engineering labs; the third day was specifically for the engineering labs. We wanted to make sure that all students were represented,” he said. “I just wanted to say that you used $500, you went for two days, you bought different things, but not all students were represented.”

With the presidential debates occurring just prior to the meeting, members of ASUCR, such as Executive Vice President Armando Saldana, reminded the senate to be respectful of one another. “Please try to keep the elections arguments (and) bias away from the senate meeting,” he said. “It does not move us forward.”

He also remarked that the political elections process should not drive a wedge between current senate members, who still hold office for another academic quarter.

■H

approve over $40,000 for HUB renovation and solar equipment

JASON LIN / HIGHLANDER Elections Director Christopher Sanchez replies to a student’s concern .

SANUJA DAS Contributing Writer SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

Senators approved two internal allocations: $17,868.50 for HUB renovation, which seeks to create a separate and much larger lobby area for the ASUCR front desk and waiting area; and $22,950 in Green Campus Action Plan (GCAP) funding for the expansion of two solar benches, which is being pulled from the senate reserve funds.

Vice President of Finance Janice Tang explained that both ASUCR and its outreach to the student body is expanding, so the high traffic flow tends to create overcrowdedness by students who turn in paperwork and sign up for finance hearing slots. “With the way that the front desk space is currently structured, it’s difficult for the front desk receptionists to monitor who walks into the office,” forcing the responsibility to shift over to Amy Carrizosa, ASUCR’s payroll and budget accountant.

“Also, we currently share the front desk with GSA (the Graduate

Student Association) so our ASUCR receptionist processes GSA and ASUCR documents,” she said. “With the restructure, (both student governments) will have their own front desks.”

Tang says the renovation will begin in summer of 2014.

ASUCR Vice President of Internal Affairs Johnny Ta also gave his GCAP report and requested a motion to approve two solar benches, which would allow for wireless Internet and outlets.

“These benches are not cheap, but … the technology alone is very innovative, seeing how they’re all weather-proof,” Ta said. Motioned by Senator Jessica Moncayo and seconded by Senator Kelly Tran, the allocation was approved by 12-0-1.

Students, such as third-year business major Elena Thomas, believe that the solar benches are an economically good investment that will help the planet. “I think it will be very beneficial to students because the current wireless Internet connection is not the most reliable,” Thomas expressed.

“I also think sustainable energy sources is the way to go in this day, so yes, it is worth it.”

■H

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

NEWS IN BRIEF

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

COMPILED BY SANDY VAN, senior staff writer

UCSA SUPPORTS NEW MASTER PLAN FOR HIGHLANDER EDUCATION

UCR ENDOWS NEW CHANCELLOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP TO SUPPORT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

COURTESY OF UCSA The UC Student Association is calling for a new statewide higher education plan.

The University of California Student Association (UCSA) passed a resolution last week to support the creation of a new Master Plan for Higher Education in California for the next 15 years. The 1960s-era master plan serves as a blueprint for higher education in California, with the three major tenets of access, affordability and quality.

The authors of the resolution contest that students were not fully represented when the plan was first established and the demographics in the state have since shifted. They also state that the plan does not take into account how new technologies and online education will be implemented.

“The Master Plan for Higher Education was successful in defining the roles of each segment of higher education, it has not been adhered to fully by the State of California — namely its promise of tuition-free education for all those qualified,” reads the resolution.

2011 historically marked the first year that the total amount that students pay for their education surpasses funds from the state.

The resolution establishes the goal of creating an information survey committee that will assist in providing updated information for a new master plan and urges for the support of UC President Janet Napolitano. Lastly, UCSA resolves to write a letter to Regent Varner, Gov. Jerry Brown, Chair of the Assembly of Higher Education Committee Das Williams and the state legislature to launch a survey committee to renew the state master plan by Feb. 2014. ► ASUCR FROM PAGE 1

With the desire to create a greater sense of belonging on campus, Fahmian advocated profusely for additional Meet the Senate events, where students were allowed to jot down their concerns on a whiteboard and interact with members of ASUCR. Additionally, Fahmian formerly served as an orientation leader, worked at the Well for two years and attended two Common Grounds summer sessions.

“As orientation leader you’re literally trained to know this campus, to love this campus; it’s put upon you to make this campus your own and to have that translate into the incoming first-year students so they come onto this campus and they are also inspired,” he said. “You’re just one of the 18,000 students. Your voice is not heard.”

When asked what steps would be taken to improve the four-year graduation rate in the wake of a task force report, Fahmian said there needed to be additional advisors, citing the example that there is one political science advisor for over 2,000 students in the department.

“If this task force is aimed at making sure that students graduate in four years, maybe we should

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WILL HUYNH / HIGHLANDER In hopes of opening more opportunities to undergraduate students, Chancellor Kim Wilcox and his wife Diane Del Buono have created a $100,000 research fellowship.

Chancellor Kim Wilcox and his wife Diane Del Buono will endow a new Chancellor’s Research Fellowship of $100,000 to UC Riverside. Establishing the 13th fellowship of its kind at UCR, Wilcox and Buono requested that the funds go to support a first-generation college student. The winner of the fellowship will be considered a Chancellor’s research fellow and earn the opportunity to conduct research with faculty members during national presentations and publications.

“Diane and I have felt such a warm welcome from the UCR community, including from our fantastic students, and we noted that about 60 percent of undergraduates are first in their families to seek a degree,” Wilcox said in a press release. “Diane and I want to make sure that we leave a legacy here, and that all of our undergraduate students have access to research opportunities that can transform their personal and professional aspirations.”

UCR Today also reports that more than half of all undergraduates participate in basic and applied research or creative projects with a faculty member.

UCR’S DANCE MARATHON RECEIVES NEARLY $50,000 IN DONATIONS Organized by the Student Alumni Association and the Golden Key International Honour Society, UCR’s 2013-14 Dance Marathon surpassed its intended goal of $20,000 to receive matching funds from an anonymous donor for a grand total of $49,661 in donations as of press time. All proceeds will go to support emancipated former foster youths in UCR’s Guardian Scholars Program.

In reaction to the news, director of student relations at UCR’s Alumni Association Kristin Seiler said, “I was excited — but not shocked that we raised so much.

Because I’m the finance adviser, I had a good idea of the amount that would be raised because I saw all of the offline donations come in. We actually surpassed $20,000 on the Monday before the event took place —

reevaluate how motivated the students are within their college,” explained Fahmian.

Lastly, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) Senator Karim is aligned with [YOUR]SIDE, which pushes for greater “pride, progress and empowerment” within the student body. As the president of Kappa Sigma, Karim said, “I empowered over 70 men to do over 6,000 hours of service. As your leader I will continue to empower the students by bringing lasting change to our campus.”

During the debate, Karim advocated for the creation of a student community center through housing, the expansion of Wednesday nooner programs to include exhibition games with UCR athletes, and a weeklong diversity festival among the gender and ethnic programs. He also suggested the distribution of free UCR gear to incoming freshmen and upperclassmen who attend campus events.

“You can’t just sit in your ASUCR cubicle and wait for students to come to you during office hours,” he said.

“We need to go out and survey the students formally and informally. I know why I am serving and I stand up for my students.”

but we didn’t tell the student organizers, because we wanted it to be a surprise. Up until the moment they flipped over the numbers, they had no clue!”

Seiler added that the matching donation was beneficial, but even without it, the event raised nearly $30,000 — a 67 percent increase from last year. “The fact that DM is in its third year helps. We spend less time explaining what it is, or who it supports,” she said. “But having support from our campus partners, such as ASUCR, ASPB, the Alumni Association and especially Housing — which has supported this event in every way imaginable — is absolutely vital.” Dance Marathon organizers will be accepting donations until March 14 via crowdrise.com/ ucrdancemarathon2014.

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JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER Armando Saldana addresses a question asked by the students as the other two candidates sit patiently listening for their turns to respond.

In addressing campus crime, Karim alluded to his former position as the local affairs director of the ASUCR External Affairs Office, which pushed for the installation of additional surveillance of Linden and Rustin streets and the beautification of the area.

When asked about ways he has empowered students and improved campus climate, Karim said, “I cannot tell you what a queer woman of color feels, but I will work to provide her

with her own voice … I can’t speak for other people, but I can get them the tools to speak for themselves, so each of the community voices are heard concisely.”

UCR undergraduates will be able to vote from April 21-25 during the ASUCR Elections Week; at least 20 percent of the voting student body must vote to validate the results of the presidential elections, which will be based on a simple majority vote.

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8

. OPINIONS .

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Michael Rios

Colin Markovich

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MORE ACADEMIC ADVISORS MEANS MORE STUDENTS GRADUATE SOONER

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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 nondiscrimination. 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.

A

s the tail end of class registration nears and students await the arrival of second pass, too many students are being reminded that they won’t graduate on time. Sometimes, it’s due to a course conflict, with students forced to choose between two classes that take place at the same time. Others are stymied by the unit cap, a blockade that prevents students from registering for all the courses they need.

But whatever the reason, unless you’re one of the lucky students with priority registration or a senior ready to graduate, odds are you aren’t getting into a class that you need.

At that time, it’s nice to have someone to talk to. It’s even better if that person knows about your major, so you can figure out a way to rebound. It’s best of all if that person can alter your enrollment — and maybe find a way inside that class you never thought you could get into. But no student is fortunate enough to know that kind of person, right?

In actuality, there is such a person, and that’s your academic advisor. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the person whose job it is to inform students about their major, what it takes to graduate and where future jobs in the field lay is best situated to help students succeed. Several studies have confirmed the obvious: more, better academic advising increases student success and improves colleges’ four-year graduation rates. If colleges want to graduate more of their students in four years, and as Gov. Jerry Brown has strongly pushed for, there need to be more academic advisors helping students succeed, including UCR — especially UCR. The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) recommends that there be one academic advisor for every 300 students. That sounds reasonable, perhaps even a bit large. But UCR’s advisor-tostudent ratio is far smaller. In fact, there are half as many advisors as NACADA deems helpful, with 600 UCR students crowding the desks and emails of a single academic advisor. That’s far worse than the national average among four-year public universities, which NACADA pegs at a comparably small 260 students per academic advisor.

How are students supposed to receive quality advising from advisors being constantly pelted with a never-ending hailstorm of emails, requests for information and enrollment advice? It’s hard enough for a

BRANDY COATS / HIGHLANDER

lecturer to see a single student in University Lecture Hall, with its 500-student seating capacity. How should an academic advisor be expected to deal with an additional lecture hall’s worth of students, all clamoring for attention at the same time? Professors at least get teaching assistants.

Evidently, the administration has come to the same conclusion. Buried in the chancellor’s 2014 graduation rate task force report, which discusses ways to improve UCR’s four-year graduation rate, is the observation that the body of academic literature overwhelmingly indicates that having good academic advising relates positively to having good graduation rates.

And given UCR’s high first-generation college student population and low-income student population, adding advisors at UCR perhaps has even greater upside potential, with the authors of the report noting that “Academic advisors are particularly important resources for first-generation and low-income students.”

Adding more advisors to UCR’s campus can have nothing but benefits for the students here. Students will be better able to connect to the people who can control their class schedules and eventual graduation time.

Instead of being blindsided and set back a quarter or year by a missed class, students will be better able to plan and ensure that they have all the pieces to their graduation puzzle.

UCR needs to hire 18 additional advisors to be able to meet NACADA’s 300-to-1 goal. This of course entails spending a lot of money on a new advisor’s salary and health benefits, but it’s a goal that’s worth the dough.

UCR’s four-year graduation rate is currently the second-worst among all the UCs, sitting at a lowly 42 percent, and is one of only two UCs whose four-year graduation rates fall below 50 percent. The six-year graduation rate is slightly better, but still shameful: 66 percent. In contrast, the average graduation rate for the UC is 56 percent in four years and 79 percent in six years.

Another thing other UCs have in common besides higher four-year graduation rates is a shared consensus that increased academic advising is beneficial. A report from UC Davis worries about “high student to advisor ratios that make it difficult for students to access advising in a timely fashion and for the advising community to be proactive.”

Some departments in UC Berkeley feature advisor-to-student ratios of as low as one advisor for 156 students.

The UCR administration has identified raising the four-year graduation rate as a priority, and for good reason: A higher fouryear graduation rate means more student applications. That, in turn, can mean both more tuition funds and the potential to raise UCR’s profile by increasing the school’s exclusivity (something that could interest philanthropic individuals). Not only that, but Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated that he’d be willing to give financial incentives to UCs that succeed in increasing their four-year graduation rates.

So the initial investment in academic advisors may seem like a hefty sum at first, but it will pay off in the long run via increased tuition revenues, increased individual donations and increased state funding. In an era of uncertain state investment and complaints about rising tuition, adding academic advisors averts the false choice of selecting only one option, instead offering an all-of-the-above approach.

It may be true that adding academic advisors will not equally help everyone.

There are students who only talk to their academic advisor when it is absolutely necessary and do not make efforts to build relationships. But there are also those who genuinely seek out advisors for help in not just their college careers, but their future more broadly.

It is certainly not the case that academic advisors don’t care. There may be a few bad apples here and there, but that’s to be expected of any administration that employs over 5,000 people. On the whole, advisors are trained professionals whose job description is to support students in their academic endeavors. Sometimes it just seems like they just don’t have the time to provide as much support as they’d like.

So let’s take a burden off their shoulders and a burden off the students by adding more, better advisors to UCR. The students — and H the advising staff — will thank you for it. ■ 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.

HIGHLANDER

How important is morality nowadays?

JENY ORTEZ Contributing Writer

Woody Allen’s adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, recently published a column titled, “An Open Letter From Dylan Farrow.” The column has stirred up some controversy in the upcoming Oscar races, because in Farrow’s highly descriptive letter, she claims she was sexually assaulted regularly by Allen when she was only a little girl. The sexual abuse allegations against Allen have film professionals and Oscar awards voters debating whether to take the nominee’s personal issues into consideration when selecting the recipient of such an award.

Whether the accusations against Allen are true or not is besides the point.

What is at stake in this situation is the importance of morals and ethics. Should actors and producers be honored with awards regardless of their unethical behavior? Such prestigious awards, like the Oscars, should be given to a talented and well-rounded person. For someone talented to be honored with an Oscar, that person should be admirable as a human being as well. It is misleading to reward someone when they have failed to comply with basic moral standards.

Doing so would give society the impression that as long as you can perform a respected talent, it is socially acceptable to commit immoral crimes.

According a spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that holds the annual Oscar awards, “The Academy honors achievement in film, not the personal lives of filmmakers and artists.” Media puts talent at the top of its list of priorities, forgetting the amount of influence it has on the rest of society. Lindsay H. Hoffman of the University of Delaware writes that communication research has proven the varying effects that media has on a community’s behaviors and attitude. The study used newspaper content, a survey and advertising data on the 2004 presidential campaign. By monitoring context in the media, researchers found that there is a relationship between the media’s portrayal of a presidential candidate and the public’s opinions regarding him. Media helps individuals understand the social and political world they live in by providing materials for them to understand the opinions of the society around them. It can shape people’s ideologies and change their views on morality.

By rewarding actors or producers

OPINIONS who have engaged in immoral behavior, society can get the impression that issues such as sexual abuse are insignificant. Rewarding someone regardless of whether they have committed a crime or engaged in improper behaviors shows that if a person is talented or wealthy it can be forgotten or ignored. Overlooking these kinds of issues can create an acceptance for them. An acceptance of sexual or child abuse can lessen the severity of the consequences of these problems.

This problem does not only affect movie stars. Media also has an effect in the political atmosphere. Hoffman points out that in the political world, media is the primary source of information. Therefore media can have a crucial role in determining the public’s opinion of political figures.

Since media is a crucial part of a political figure’s reputation it is important for politicians to maintain a clean image through the actions they engage in. Refraining from unethical deeds is the easiest part of being a politician. It is irrational for politicians to ruin all the hard work that has gone into their career over avoidable misconduct. Still, political figures commit these mistakes and are forced to face the consequences. Most politicians, like Representative David Wu, resign from their position once media has gotten ahold of the improper actions they’ve engaged in. Claims that David Wu “engaged in aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior” led to the congressman’s decision to resign. Resigning before the claims had been investigated shows a level of guilt, which can prove that these allegations can have some truth to them. Media’s exposure of an influential individual’s inappropriate conduct can change the public’s attitude toward them. Perceptions of these individuals can go from honorable to untrustworthy. Dishonesty is not a characteristic that is admirable, especially not in someone who has a good reputation to uphold.

Presidents and other political figures are leaders who are expected to be proper human beings. Society expects them to be decent people and do what is morally correct under any circumstances.

Just like political figures, society sets similar expectations for celebrities. Furthermore, society tends to idolize them.

Celebrities become icons and people who others look up to because of their success. Because of their fame, they receive a considerable amount of respect from their fans. Since they are held to higher expectations, it becomes crucial for them to uphold a clean image. Because celebrities are idolized by society is it important to be role models in every aspect of life — not only in their profession.

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DANIEL GARCIA / HIGHLANDER With recent controversy over allegations of sexual abuse against Woody Allen, the debate over separation between the art and the artist is revisited this Oscar season.

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

9

E-cigarette skeptics unnecessarily alarmed by water vapor

DANIEL GARCIA / HIGHLANDER Although E-cigarettes do contain trace amounts of chemicals, the risk of negative health benefits is far less than that of regular cigarettes.

BRENNA DILGER Contributing Writer

As if resurrected from the 1970s, smoking advertisements have been springing up nationwide in the form of televised commercials. But these ads aren’t for the traditional tobacco cigarette; instead the e-cigarette is rising to fame.

Unlike the tobacco cigarette, which contains hundreds of chemical ingredients, the e-cigarette contains hardly any chemicals at all. The e-cig instead consists mostly of distilled water, nicotine and artificial flavoring. Opponents of the e-cigarette, however, claim that they have found traces of formaldehyde, benzene and tobaccospecific nitrosamines in the vapor emissions.

Even if these chemicals are there, they exist in minimal quantities.

So why is everyone freaking out about e-cigs when the chemicals allegedly found in them are so few you can count them on both hands? The dangers of the e-cigarette pale in comparison to dangers of a real cigarette, which contains over 600 ingredients (like arsenic, lead and tar) and emits 4,000 chemicals when burned.

One chemical that particularly alarms the public seems to be nicotine, which isn’t as notably harmful as other components of a tobacco cigarette; its most dangerous quality is its addictiveness, but it has minimal effects on health. Taking all this into consideration, it simply seems that people are overreacting when they demonize the e-cig,

especially when it is trying to replace its much deadlier cousin.

Though the e-cig is much healthier than regular cigarettes, there are arguments that because e-cigarettes are being advertised, they are making the act of smoking cigarettes look cool again. Well, first off, e-cig commercials are not in any way promotional of real cigarettes. In fact, in the most well-known e-cig commercials, celebrities tout the Blu e-cig as a healthier and better choice than tobacco cigarettes. Stephen Dorff declares the e-cig as a “smarter alternative” to real cigarettes after his 20 years of smoking tobacco, and celebrity Jenny McCarthy opens her e-cig promotion with “I love being single, but here’s what I don’t like — a kiss that tastes like an ashtray.” Both of these celebrities list personal disadvantages to smoking real cigarettes.

Yes, these celebrities do look edgy as they breathe clouds of water vapor, but the purpose of these ads is to make the e-cig look cool; they are marketing themselves as better than real cigarettes. These e-cig commercials are also appearing alongside the well-recognized Ugly Truth commercials, which show everyday citizens reacting to antitobacco statements (for instance, the cowboy singing the catchy “You don’t always die from tobacco” tune through a hole in his throat). These ads popping up on the same television channel are not making tobacco cigarettes look good.

So why is everyone freaking out about e-cigs when the chemicals allegedly found in them are so few you can count them on both hands?

► SEE E-CIGARETTES, PAGE 10

HIGHLANDER

@highlanderradar

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Events this week Tuesday | 3/4

Thursday | 3/6

Friday | 3/7

Saturday | 3/8

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

UCR Jazz Ensemble concert @ Arts 157, 7:30 p.m.

Family Life @ Blood-Orange Infoshop, 7 p.m.

UCR is Dancing 2014 @ University Theatre, 5 p.m.

Franny Choi, with the help of the crowd at More Than Spoken Word, delivers an original Mad Libs poem.

KELLY SANDBERG / HIGHLANDER

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

“The torn half of a green affiliate ticket sat crumpled on the grass, ripped in frustration.” ► HEAT FROM PAGE 1

No word from Gambino as of publication, but given students reported seeing him prowling around GameStop at the University Village Saturday afternoon, maybe he ventured out into Riverside and battled the cold, wet weather with a hot bowl of pho.

Freshman pre-business major Alexa Paredes said, “I was looking forward to seeing all of the performers, especially Childish Gambino. I'm not that upset though because I'm going to see him this Monday at SDSU. Hopefully it's not raining.”

Other students were less fortunate, including freshman creative writing major Jordan Mayo, who said, “We think it really freaking sucks that this is cancelled because it's probably the main reason why — I don't know, I thought it was the main thing I was going to enjoy this year at UCR.” Mayo’s sentiment was shared throughout the throngs of attendees migrating away from the black signs out front of the main Heat entrance, which said “Cancelled due to severe weather” under a thin layer of dampness. The torn half of a green affiliate ticket sat crumpled on the grass, ripped in frustration by any of the countless residents who had purchased scalped tickets as recently as a half-hour before the concert

had been cancelled. UCR’s Facebook confirmed that affiliate tickets would be reimbursed via the email used to purchase the ticket — useless news to fans who had paid upward of $150 to unofficial sellers to see the headliners.

That night, we tried to find Vicky Garza, Programs Manager at the HUB, as equipment was put away in anticipation of the forecasted storm. Event staff shook their heads, saying, “She’s probably really busy right now. We all are.” And we didn’t blame them. As the irate comments on the Heat and UCR Facebook pages illustrate, students wanted answers about refunds and the gall of the HUB to cancel something so integral to the campus community.

In response to a Highlander inquiry, lead student programmer and ASUCR executive vice president Armando Saldana said, “Refunds will be made to students who bought tickets. There are no plans for rescheduling.

The event is completely cancelled for this academic school year.”

And though we were just as disappointed as everyone else, the only entity who truly deserved blame was Mother Nature. Blue skies and a severe lack of rain were readily apparent at points throughout the night, but the possibility — and unpredictability — of thunder clouds and lightning left

event organizers with no other choice than to cancel the event. Despite prior measures being taken by the HUB to protect the event against light to moderate rain, holding the event during a forecasted storm, or flood, or thunder was a risk that just couldn’t be taken.

As we gathered ourselves and prepared to exit, we walked behind the Physical Education building to find clumps of people huddling around three large, gray crew busses. Students in thick jackets and muddy boots stared, standing a respectful distance away, unsure whether a few of the headliners were also hanging out in the buses in the middle of Lot 19. A man in a black Tshirt — likely a crew member — flashed a “peace” sign through a window, and the crowd rumbled like thunder. Not even the arrival of two police cars, seeking to push the crowd away, could stifle the lingering hopes of these hangers-on to get at least something from their night of what could have been Heat. A crew member stepped down from the bus and immediately the crowd surged, pulsing around him in a frantic grab for photos and signatures and some sort of memory.

When we found Garza, she was surrounded by a throng of student event staff at the road between the campus bookstore

and Surge. She spoke into a walkie-talkie and directed her staff, brusque and fastpaced, moving equipment away from the threat of the oncoming storm. In the middle of the rush and rumble and steadily graying skies, Garza looked as disappointed as we felt. We asked about whether Heat would be postponed or outright cancelled. Garza nodded to herself and looked toward an approaching truck. “Cancelled,” she said, with a heavy tone of finality, both to herself and us.

We left campus in an air of dampness and dejection, right as the skies opened and the rain finally began to fall. Throughout Riverside, students and would-be attendees gathered at Getaway, at local spots downtown, at the Student Recreation Center (SRC) for what would become a double-overtime win for our men’s team. As the floors of the SRC rumbled under the weight of celebration, and pitchers were filled to the brim with frosty adult beverages, we settled into a booth at D-Dogs and observed what must have easily been one of the busiest nights we’ve ever witnessed at the restaurant. And in that way, at least, Riverside moves on — despite the disappointment, and despite the wetness of the roads throughout the city, we sat with our glasses and toasted the memory of Heat — ■H and the oncoming splash of spring.

VINCENT TA, CAMERON YONG & RICHARD LIN / HIGHLANDER Distraught students and guests crowded around a pair of charter busses behind the physical education building after hearing official announcements that Heat would definitely be cancelled.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

SPOKEN TRUTHS

at the Barn

By Yasmin Kleinbart, Staff Writer Photos by Kelly Sandberg

S

tudents gathered at the Barn last Wednesday, but instead of rocking out to an indie band or rap artist, they gathered for an emotional night of spoken word. For three hours, Franny Choi, Rudy Francisco, Dante Basco and Gemineye shared their poetry revolving around racism, love, fatherhood and culture. I thought it was going to be a quieter show due to the fact that there were chairs placed inside the Barn, instead of standing room as usual, but as soon as the show started, I was proven wrong. The crowd clapped and yelled, and I even saw people holding their heads in their hands as if they were listening to a religious sermon. By the end of the show, the poets had brought so much emotion to the stage that people were left lingering in their seats, taking in what they just heard.

The festivities began with Franny Choi, an adorable woman sporting glasses too big for her face. Her poems were some of the most hilarious of the night — the crowd’s reactions varied from laughter with “POP!goesKOREA!” to anger with “To The Man Who Shouted ‘I like Pork Fried Rice’ To Me In The Street.” Regardless of the emotional reaction she was trying to get from the audience, her poetry was extremely witty and sarcastic. Her themes varied from South Korean culture to tackling sexism, racism and catcalling.

Some prime examples were the lyrics, “I slick my hair in MSG every day / I’m bad for you” from “Pork Fried Rice,” and “Drunken doughnuts / Karaoke overdose on every block / And six sugarplum makeup stores all in a row / One of which is just called ‘The Face Shop’” from “POP!goesKOREA!” The most creative segment was when she played “Mad Libs” with the audience to make up her next poem. She took suggestions from the audience, asking for the name of a body of water, a verb for “struggle” and other fill-in-the-blanks. The audience actively participated by yelling out random answers, ranging from Lake Tahoe to toilet water. Choi came out with a poem that was not only humorous, but also strangely inspiring, even with random words taken from the audience.

While the crowd was left to take in that humorous creativity, Francisco came on stage, followed by much applause. Already a familiar face in the spoken word community, he encouraged his listeners to express their emotions anytime during his poetry, and the audience made sure they followed through. When Francisco touched on a deep issue or just had a spectacular line, everyone started clapping and yelling, unable to

Franny Choi, Rudy Francisco, Dante Basco and Gemineye performed their funny, heart-wrenching and often profound poems that redefined the term “poetry” in ways that many spectators didn’t know was coming.

restrain themselves until the end. His writing was humorous like Choi’s, but also hit on more inspiring issues. In his poem “To the Body,” he said to his legs, “Walking is easy / Just pick a destination.” In another poem he yelled to the audience, “There’s water in the cup, so drink that shit and stop complaining!” With these words left lingering in the audience’s minds, Francisco was the only poet to receive a standing ovation from current and newfound fans.

But while Francisco may have gotten the only standing ovation, Dante Basco created a rumble for all the members of the Avatar fandom in the audience. Besides being a poet, he is most known for his roles as Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and as Rufio from “Hook.” Not only did he speak about racial stereotypes and culture, but he also performed poetry inspired by “Avatar.” These 15-second poems derived from a romantic pairing of two characters in the show, Zuko and Katara. These poems were followed by fans cheering their support of the couple, and Basco’s set ended up with loud applause throughout the whole venue.

That level of applause continued through Gemineye’s set. Taking out his iPad right when he arrived on stage, he recited a poem that he had written in the airport on the way to Riverside. It revolved around fatherhood and racism, and how he didn’t want his son to hate himself — no matter how many people bullied him for his race. After seeing students nodding their heads in agreement, or holding their heads in their hands as if they were listening to a god speak, I could tell the poem did its job. He then moved on to more humorous issues by reading letters he “wrote” to criticize celebrities. His “Letter to Trey Songz” started off by saying, “Dear Trey Songz, you did not invent sex,” and his “Letter to Justin Bieber” started off by not-so-subtly saying, “You are a jackass.”

While he was a little more soft-spoken than Francisco or Choi, Gemineye still created a stir in the audience with his criticisms and discussions about being a good parent.

The night was definitely the opposite of quiet. The Barn roared at the words of Choi, Francisco, Basco and Gemineye. It was an emotional rollercoaster, ranging from joy to solemn reflection. But that’s what is so magnificent about good spoken word poetry. Its lyrics may seem like simple words on paper, but when those words are spoken aloud, the emotions the poet wants to convey become experiences for the audience to ■H feel.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

VIDEO GAME REVIEW DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE

RATING: ★★★★☆

W

BY: EDWIN GARCIA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

arning: This game is not for the faint of heart — it will drive you bananas.

“Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze” is the sequel to Retro’s beloved “Donkey Kong Country Returns,” which was infamous for its difficulty. I am glad to report that the difficulty level has not decreased.

You will have to jump from platform to platform, rolling and stomping your way through some of the most difficult levels seen in recent years. If you are looking for a challenge, this may be the perfect game for you.

This time around, Donkey Kong Island has been invaded by crazy magical ice vikings. These aren’t normal vikings, but rather a bunch of penguins lead by a walrus king. Donkey Kong must find a way to take his island back.

What does this crazy ape offer? The most important part of a platforming game is, well, the platforms. The level design challenges you from beginning to end. This game has that in spades.

You will be faced with impossible jumps and placement of enemies that will challenge even the most experienced players, forcing you to move at a frantic pace. Just like in the first game, you are accompanied by Diddy Kong, who tags along and rides on your back, allowing you to float for a period of time with his jetpack — a new way of traversing each level. Diddy also adds two hearts to the two that Donkey Kong already starts off with.

Of course, Retro had to step it up with the sequel, so now there are two new friends to choose from. These choices allow different types of play styles that can accommodate different people. First you have Dixie Kong, who you can join to float through the air like Diddy Kong, albeit for a much shorter timespan. What is so special about her is that she floats upward, allowing you a sort of double jump. Then there is Cranky Kong. This old Kong is not as nimble as the other apes, so he

must use his cane. You use the cane as a pogo stick, allowing you to traverse the floors which would previously have damaged you. To make it balanced, he does not offer any floating, making him pretty difficult to master. My only issue with the new characters is that, although each one adds a new way to play, the levels are not designed in a way that uses each character to their full potential.

Despite the game’s name, it is not all tropical or frozen. In reality, there are only a few worlds with these themes. There are six themed worlds in the game and each one has eight levels with a boss at the end. For instance, in one world you play in the Savannah, where giraffes are dancing along to the music, and a breezy cove where you get to ride a rhino. It is obvi-

Courtesy of Nintendo

ous that the developers had some fun with their choices. One of the craziest moments I had was jumping on a giant popsicle that was hanging upside down while it was sliding off the stick. It is this sort of creativity that makes the game such a joy.

The true highlight, however, has to be the incredibly large and dynamic boss fights. Each boss is a giant animal that matches the theme of the world. The bosses force you to think outside the box and use all of your platforming experience.

They are pretty wacky, too — ever seen a polar bear with a hammer? No? Well, you will once you play this.

There are even options for the lessexperienced that decrease the difficulty, so everyone has a chance to enjoy the game. You can purchase balloons

... ever seen a polar bear with a hammer?

No? Well, you will once you play this.

that save you if you are falling to your death or get an extra barrel that allows you to add your partner at any time, as well as a balloon that gives you extra air underwater.

Not all is good in the tropics, however. The level design is fabulous, but there are only six worlds to explore. As a full-priced game, the value factor just may not be there. Despite the length of the adventure, each level includes two different collectibles, puzzle pieces that unlock images to be looked at later and letters spelling K-O-N-G, which unlock a new world once all the letters in each level are collected — not to mention the hidden levels in each world. So, for those that are dedicated enough, it could be a much longer adventure.

“Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze” is undeniably fun, but it doesn’t add much from the original and its gameplay length is super short; whether that is enough is up to you. It does not add anything new to the genre, but it is more Kong, which to some may be good enough.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

15

MOVIE REVIEW NON-STOP

RATING: ★★★☆☆

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BY: NATHAN SWIFT, STAFF WRITER

just love it when a movie delivers on its premise. “Gravity” promised moviegoers the chance to watch Sandra Bullock float through a green-screened outer space, and that’s what they got. “Pacific Rim” promised giant robots fighting Godzilla-sized space aliens, and it did not disappoint.

With “Non-Stop,” the premise is one that has become a yearly routine for Hollywood, and a routine that I personally enjoy: the “Liam Neeson Shoots (name of bad guy) in the Face” movie.

That is exactly what was promised, and it’s exactly what I got.

Neeson is an enigma. He has gone from giving critically acclaimed performances in “Schindler’s List” and “Les Miserables” to creating action-packed, eye candy blockbusters like “Taken” and “The Grey.” As an actor, Neeson possesses the charm and gravitas that allow him to take the cliched, John Wayne-esque characters on paper and transform them into something watchable — believable, even. In “Non-Stop,” Neeson plays Federal Air Marshal Bill Marks, who has turned to alcoholism to numb the pain of losing his 8-year-old daughter to cancer (he even drinks on the job). The whole “mourning, antiheroic alcoholic” cliche is easily exploitative in nature, but Neeson’s acting chops gives this wooden characterization some much-needed life.

The movie follows Marks as he sits next to fellow passenger Jen Summers (played by Julianne Moore in a sadly underwritten role, since all the characterization goes to Neeson’s character) on a nonstop flight from New York to London. Marks suddenly receives a startling text from an unknown number: He must transfer $150 million into a specific bank account (which Marks later learns is his own bank account), or else one passenger on board will die every 20 minutes. These 20-minute intervals provide an unusually worthwhile push for the plot; as different passengers on board begin to die, and

the mystery texter keeps up with every trick that Marks tries to pull out of his sleeve, the audience is left with red herrings left and right. While this device is typical of the genre, the film’s constant misdirection keeps the audience visually engaged.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re not one for simple, good ol’ fashioned eye candy, then the numerous plot holes stick out as ridiculous problems hidden in plain sight, many of which include: How exactly did the texter manage to hack into the plane’s network and obtain Marks’ cell phone number? How did the antagonist gain access to Marks’ bank account without his knowledge?

Why doesn’t anybody notice the first dead passenger sitting in a lavatory for

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

several hours? The plot never demands that you question how it works, but simply requests that you watch Liam Neeson kick some ass.

However, the pacing and suspense that the film builds up fall apart in the disappointing third act. Directors of thrillers often find themselves in a quagmire over how to keep the exciting, edge-of-your-seat feeling of the film once the movie’s bad guy reveals himself. “Non-Stop” falls into that same trap. Director Jaume Collet-Serra fully exploits our fears of in-flight terrorism in our post-9/11 society by giving his antagonists purely political reasons for their doings. Without revealing too many spoilers, I can say that their words are nothing but ranty and didac-

tic ramblings. If the director envisioned throwing in any useful political commentary in the third act, rather than stick with the winning formula that worked for most of his film, it didn’t even look like he tried.

Suspense-thrillers are the guilty pleasures of the movie industry, usually never coming off as serious pieces of cinema. Instead, they work as time-fillers full of action and violence, where people sit to watch the good guy walk from plot point A to plot point B and kill the bad guy. “Non-Stop” is an exemplary movie of 2014 for doing exactly that, and to the best of its ability. Besides the bland third act, watching Liam Neeson dish out punches 30,000 feet in the air couldn’t sound more exciting.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

MUSIC REVIEWS ST. VINCENT // ST. VINCENT

RATING: ★★★★☆

think I’ve always tried to live at the intersection between accessibility and lunatic-fringe,” says Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, on a recent interview on the Colbert Report. On her fourth album, “St. Vincent,” Clark — the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens touring band alum — finds herself doing just that. Clark dives headfirst into this intersection, expressing eccentricities in the feeling of everyday life through non-sequitur lyrics, freak-funk rhythms and a distortion pedal that certainly must be broken by now.

The album kicks off fully in this mode on the funky “Rattlesnake,” as a distorted bass slinks through the song while Clark sings about her experience seeing a rattlesnake while alone in a field.

Wonky synths accompany her escalating neurotic vocals before her intrepid guitar skills take the track to its frantic end.

The contrasting sounds, exhibited throughout the album, show how Clark is able to keep listeners on edge while moving their feet at the same time.

“Birth in Reverse,” the frenetic lead single, also taps into this energy as Clark takes the simplest of life’s days (“Oh, what an ordinary day / Take out the garbage, masturbate”) and unfurls into anxious pulses that dare the listener to let their normalcies and insecurities shine.

Very much in tune with her time, Clark recognizes the place where many of these modern insecurities and eccentricities are

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Loma Vista Records

let loose: the Internet. “Huey Newton,” while named after the slain Black Panther leader, perpetuates nights spent on random searches deep into the Internet as Clark sings, “I’m entombed in the shrine of zeroes and ones.” The song starts out as a slinky, sultry synth-pop piece before suddenly twisting into a 21st-century classic rock song, with riffs vaguely reminiscent of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love.”

Other highlights include the bombastic horn-laden social media critique, “Digital Witness,” and the sincere, yet still apprehensive “Psychopath.” Clark tries to persuade her lover to stick with her through her turbulent emotions as she sings, “Keep me in your soft sights / When all of the rest have moved on / And I’ll keep you in my soft sights / When all of the crowd has gone home.”

“St. Vincent” finds Clark functioning at full capacity and knowing exactly what she’s doing. Though the album could have been better had Clark not restrained some of her wild guitar antics, it hardly suffers. The immense texture of layers of intricate distortion, combined with contrasting moments of slickness, zero the album straight on the zeitgeist of thousands of anxious members of the digital age. Clark understands the simultaneous haven and obsessive approval machine that online life is as she declares in “Huey Newton,” “You got the pop and the hiss in the city of misfits / Safe safe and safest, faith for the faithless.”

■H

MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101

Wonky synths accompany her escalating neurotic vocals before her intrepid guitar skills take the track to its frantic end.

WRITE FOR THE HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER

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BY: JAKE RICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

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OXYMORON // SCHOOLBOY Q

RATING: ★★★★☆

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BY: JUAN EDUARDO FLORES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

xpected to be dropped in early to mid-2013, Schoolboy Q officially released “Oxymoron” on Feb. 25 to eager ears. Many expectations weighed on this project: a growing career, a high bar set by “Habits and Contradictions” and the competition from fellow labelmate Kendrick Lamar after “Good Kid.” The hype is answered with a loosely conceptual toneddown album as Q deals with his drug-fueled past — and fatherhood.

Q’s daughter, Joy, who graces the album’s cover, utters some of the first lines of the album: “Fuck rap, my daddy a gangsta.”

These lines push the “Oxymoron” theme: youthful belligerence, prescription drugs and Q’s achievements because of — and in spite of — those drugs.

“Gangsta,” the drive-by anthem that killed Lamar’s character Dave on “Good Kid,” is a straight introduction to it all. Unfortunately, it’s followed by a would-be gangster anthem, “Los Awesome.” The track screams production by Pharrell Williams, but Williams’ production style, blended with the rugged Schoolboy persona, doesn’t work. Q doesn’t get lucky here.

“Oxymoron” is much more commercially accessible than his previous work. The pop appeal is sprinkled throughout the album with songs like “Studio,” which features a Nate Dogg-esque hook by BJ the Chicago Kid. Then there’s “Man of the Year,” the true life of

the party. “Weed cards every corner sell herb, what’s a fly to a bird” is Q’s decree for California, and it really is a verse “straight from the morgue” — Q kills it.

Now, although these tracks are more commercially accessible, I’m not implying that they’re less credible or inferior to anything else on the album. If anything, it’s simply a wider appeal in comparison to “Habits,” where sonic cohesiveness is sacrificed in the name of a singular track escapade.

The drug usage, supreme violence and explicit sexuality alone would set this album on par with what could be a typical hip-hop album, but what’s critical to this album’s successes is Q’s reflection on how all this negativity molded him and continues to affect him into fatherhood. Whether that is weed, alcohol or the oxycontin inspiration for the album title, the subject of drugs dominates “Oxymoron” and Q acknowledges it in both a positive and negative light.

“Hoover Street” tells of the story of a younger Q dealing with his drug-addled uncle, as his mother locks away their belongings so he won’t steal them for drugs. It’s a productof-your-environment type track, where Q drops the line, “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy carry chrome.” A stronger point of reference is Joy’s features on the album. She poses a chilling backdrop in contrast to what Q is rapping about, which comes to a climax on “Prescription/Oxymoron.” Q dips in and out of consciousness on prescription

Courtesy of Interscope

... what’s critical to this album’s successes is Q’s reflection on how all this negativity molded him and continues to affect him into fatherhood.

drugs as soft electric keys come in and out in the background, accompanied by disconsolate strings while Joy attempts to wake her father from his drug coma. It’s distressing to hear as she begs, “What’s wrong, you tired, you mad?

Okay, I love you daddy.” This is followed by a changed beat on the same track as Q ends his drug dealing, but not the usage.

“Oxymoron” is a strong major label debut

by Q, creating a pleasantly cohesive album.

At points it’s marred by the lack of topical range, even though it’s an endless discussion for Q that ties in with his personal truth. It can serve a party or hangout atmosphere, but it has enough introspection to deserve a straight listen in a quieter setting. It’s what Schoolboy wanted to present, and what’ll satisfy his excited fans.

■H

HELIOS // THE FRAY

RATING: ★★★★☆

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BY: JOSH CONDE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rom desperately attempting to save the soul of a person struggling with drug addiction to doubting the benevolence of a supposedly kind and nurturing God, the Fray have taken us through some of life’s deepest emotions and most challenging experiences with many of their widely recognizable songs.

The band has already established itself as a groundbreaking pop-rock phenomenon, but with the Fray’s newest album has once again been challenged to improve and evolve.

This task is easier said than done, and it is difficult to fathom how a band that has already achieved such high commercial acclaim can improve. Despite the odds, the Fray have once again managed to build upon their success instead of falter.

It is rare to find a band that has the ability to produce lyrics that truly illustrate the hardships of life, all while backing them up with raw talent and power. “Helios” is an album that maintains this power and lyrical artistry throughout each and every track. Lead singer Isaac Slade, more commonly known by his last name Slade, is an artist who frequently draws upon personal experiences and incorporates them into his songwriting. This insight into the singer’s life is most clearly demonstrated in “Wherever This Goes” when he sings, “I’ve been here for-

ever / Afraid to be my father / And afraid to leave him too.” The result of words like these is a compilation of tracks that speak of genuine experiences that are truly relatable, and easy to vicariously live out through his honest and emotional lyrics.

In “Helios,” Slade outright addresses sensitive subjects that most people dance around. Instead of hinting at his feelings, he sings on the track “Break Your Plans” that, “I wish I had cheated / At least that’s a reason / I’d understand why you’re leaving now.” These lyrics take the audience by surprise, allowing listeners to feel the singer’s emotional distress. “Helios” has multiple powerhouse songs that are worthy of being overplayed on the radio — with their powerful hooks, energy and relatability, the tracks on “Helios” have the potential to compete with any popular song on the radio at the moment. The standout track of the album is “Love Don’t Die,” which will please fans of the pop-rock genre with its upbeat vibe, catchy chorus and love-inspired lyrics. Other tracks on the album that also prove to be radio-worthy are “Hold my Hand” and “Break Your Plans,” which have the Fray’s heartfelt lyrics and powerful choruses.

Not only has the band proven itself to be consistent with producing incredible lyrics, but the Fray have experimented with new musi-

Courtesy of Epic Records

“Helios” is an album that maintains this power and lyrical artistry throughout each and every track.

cal elements that prevent the album from being repetitive. “Helios” offers a refreshing change of pace with its incorporation of electronic instrumentation that might remind listeners of Muse or U2. The low electronic synth vibrations in the album are reminiscent of Muse’s “Madness,” while the clear and resonating guitar tones give listeners a

similar sound to U2’s guitarist, the Edge. Tracks like “Hurricane” demonstrate these qualities, along with other tracks like “Give It Away,” which heavily incorporates funk music that beckons listeners to tap their feet to the rhythm. The incorporation of these different styles in “Helios” has thrown the Fray into new musical territory that has not

been explored in any of their previous albums.

Before listening to this album, I thought the Fray’s golden age was long over. Thankfully, I was proven dead wrong. Despite being faced with the odds of meeting their past levels of success, “Helios” not only lives up to the excellence of previH ous albums, but surpasses them. ■

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

Staff Picks: Things to do instead of Heat The cancellation of this year’s Heat Music Festival ranks among the top disappointments of our lives, probably. In memoriam, here are some selections to make our lack of Heat a little less chilling.

Rebecca Paredes, A&E Editor

Darren Bueno, Sports Editor

Colin Markovich, Managing Editor

Drink the pain away.

Have the time of my life. And I owe it all to you.

Hop on a bus to San Diego in starry-eyed pursuit of Childish Gambino.

Michele Gartzke, Video Editor

Jake Rich, Production Manager

Alexander Suffolk

Wonder what it would have been like to set up all that equipment, only to take it right back down.

Stuff my face at D-Dogs downtown.

Sleep.

Cameron Yong, Asst. Photo Editor

Brandy Coats, Art Director

Sandy Van, News Editor

Cry myself to sleep with Ciara’s apology Instagram.

Eat a gourmet meal with 11 different utensils.

Explore the nightlife in Sandy Eggo.

Cody Nguyen, Asst. Sports Editor

Michael Rios, Editor-in-Chief

Vincent Ta, Photo Editor

Things that can’t be printed in a newspaper.

Start my essay.

Tumblr.

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Restaurant Review:

R omano ’ s C hicago P izzeria RATING: ★★★☆☆

By Alexander Suffolk, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Richard Lin

R

omano’s is an easy-to-miss building in the middle of the Canyon Crest Towne Center with the least eye-catching wooden signs I’ve ever seen. When I looked at said signs, I was a little confused because there seemed to be two entirely different restaurants in one building, yet both were called Romano’s. There was Romano’s Chicago Pizzeria as well as Romano’s Italian Restaurant. And sure enough, upon walking in, the waitresses at the front room give you an ultimatum right off the bat: Do you take the door on the right that leads to a land of candlelit cloth tables and free bread, or the hall on the left that leads to pizza and beer?

While the official “Italian Restaurant” looked a bit more schwanky, I was set on trying Romano’s Chicago-style stuffed pizza — a deep-dish delicacy where the dough is jampacked with cheese and toppings and sauce covers the dough on top. I can only hope the official “restaurant” wasn’t superior in every way.

The first thing that struck me about the Chicago Pizzeria was the pleasant atmosphere. Vintage sports photos hung from the entirety of the aforementioned hall, and there were even three classic arcade machines. The beaten, yet sturdy plastic and old-school knob controls proved them to be still-functioning relics from the 80s. Definitely a nice touch if you’re into that sort of thing.

The dining area itself is split between two areas: around the bar and around the stage. Around the bar were black raised tables, as well as the opposing wall featuring the type of huge black cushions you might find at a night club’s VIP lounge. The bar itself boasted a significant collection of liquors and beers on tap as well as a huge cabinet for the extensive library of wine. While the stage was blocked off by a giant red velvet curtain when I went, the lighting of the entire dining area was dim, as if they were hosting one of their frequent live performances.

Though I already knew what I was

going to get, I gave the menu a good look-over to see just what else the Pizzeria offered. There’s also thinner crust (or as the menu hilariously labelled it, “Sissy”) pizza as well as other Italian offerings like calzones and various pastas. In addition, there’s also a selection of sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs.

Most of it was in the range of $5 to $8, with the pastas being the exceptions as $10 to $12.

But my eyes went straight to the stuffed pizza selection, and I chose the “My Favorite” pizza — which was stuffed with sausage, mushrooms and bell peppers — to see if Romano’s really did know my personal tastes. To my dismay, right above the list of pizzas was a little warning that due to the thick crust, it would take 30 to 40 minutes to bake and following the warning was the cheeky little parenthetical “It’s worth the wait!”

Already with an empty stomach, the thought of waiting up to 40 minutes plunged me into the appetizer selection, which included standard entries like French fries and onion rings but also more unique and Italian options like insalata caprese. I picked something I’ve never had before, the bolo bread, and thankfully, it came out in a flash. It was a plate covered with six huge hunks of bread fresh out of the oven, each piece hollowed out and filled with meat sauce and then covered with mozzarella.

I dug in like a ravenous beast, and found the flavor to be simple, yet satisfying. The bread itself was arguably the best part, as it was warm, flaky and buttery, with an outer crunch and inner fluff that proved that it was hand-made and pulled straight out of the oven right after I ordered it. The cheese, by contrast, was the most disappointing element as it was just a thin and chewy layer of mediocrity, nigh undetectable in terms of flavor. And somewhere in between was

Biting into a really cheesy bit was to indulge in ecstasy by the way of gluttonous globs of gooey goodness.

► SEE ROMANO’S, PAGE 20

Romano’s lengthy bake time hinders the restaurant’s appeal despite its delectable deep dish pizza.

Although it is slightly pricey, the food is hearty and you’re sure to go home with plenty of leftovers.

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

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UCR AROUND THE GLOBE

MADRID, SPAIN

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NAME: Kimberly Rolan YEAR: Junior MAJOR: Sociology COUNTRY: Spain HOST INSTITUTION: UC Center Madrid

hat do I remember about my summer in Spain? I remember admiring the colossal and luminous Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela during warm evenings.

I remember the sights, sounds and smells of Pamplona during the Running of the Bulls Festival. I also remember dancing in the streets as the street musicians sang and played their instruments. I remember the delicious foods, the sounds of the Spanish language, along with various other memories that could fill an entire book.

But alas, I do not have space for every single recollection, so the following words will have to suffice. The first few days after I arrived at the airport in Madrid are a blur.

After settling into our rooms and unpacking, the other students in my program and I met up. We then spent most of the night aimlessly walking around Madrid, marveling at the beautiful architecture and doing our best to find our way around the foreign city. We met back at the school the following morning for our first field trip: Segovia in the province of Castile y Leon. We boarded the charter bus, drove about an hour westward and arrived at one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.

The directors had arranged for tour guides to lead us through the city. We explored the Alcazar de Segovia, a castle that sits on a hilltop overlooking the city, while learning about the history of the city’s architecture that was built by the Roman Empire. University of California Education Abroad Program Madrid offered two more trips: The first was a day trip to the medieval city of Toledo followed by a four-day excursion to the luscious, northwest province of Galicia.

But, of course, we also had to attend our classes during the week. The UCEAP program was a language and culture immersion program, so everyone took a language class and a culture class. Since I had taken three quarters of Spanish during my freshman year, I was placed into Spanish 4. Because of the intimate setting of each class, I was able to improve my Spanish conversation skills while learning new grammar rules and new

vocabulary.

My culture class met twice a week. The first class of every week was held in a classroom as we learned about the history and the culture of Spanish life. The second class of every week was spent on field trips, including the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia, el Mercado de San Miguel (a large farmers’ market) and a tour of Sol, the main plaza of Madrid.

These field trips allowed us to further explore Madrid while learning more about the history of each location.

After school, I took some time to explore the city by myself and was able to tour the royal palace, watch a flamenco show and the see the “futbol” stadium. One evening a few students and I even attended a salsa class that was being held at a local restaurant.

During the weekends, we were given the freedom to explore on our own. Some of the places I traveled to included Burgos, Pamplona for the Festival de San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) and the Alhambra in Granada.

One weekend, a small group of us took a bus to the outskirts of Madrid and spent the entire day hiking through the breath-taking wilderness, observing the wild horses, cows and goats that freely roamed the countryside.

There were also a series of lectures incorporated into our program, including one about the history of bull-fighting. After this lecture, we were invited to see a live bullfight and I understood afterward why bull-fighting is so controversial.

Spain is a beautiful country rich with ancient rituals, unique customs, a wide variety of yummy food and different provinces that each have their own unique, memorable essence. The yearning to travel is as common as apple pie, but the difference between studying abroad and traveling is that studying abroad allows a student to become immersed in a culture for months at a time while learning about their country of choice. Whether you decide on studying abroad for two months, four months or even eight months, I encourage every student to study abroad because you will be given opportunities to expand your comfort zone, learn another language and be H given memories that will last a lifetime. ■

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

UCR baseball battles rain and opponents in weather-delayed weekend ALEXANDER MANZO Contributing Writer FEB. 25, 2014

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Aztecs 8 - Highlanders 7

The UC Riverside baseball team came out strong against San Diego State and had an explosive 7-1 lead by the end of the fifth inning.

Yet they could not keep up the momentum and with three runs scored by the Aztecs in the seventh inning, it was the beginning of the end for the Highlanders, who ultimately fell short 8-7.

With the Highlanders piling on five runs in the second inning, the Aztecs switched out starter Brett Seeburger for relief pitcher TJ Kendorza. As UCR’s offense continued to flow, San Diego used a whirlwind of pitchers with Orlando Meza, Marcus Reyes, Cody Thompson and Michael Cederoth all taking to the mound. But UC Riverside still tacked on two runs in the fifth to lead 7-1.

The seventh inning had finally come around and Highlander pitcher Zach Varela was sent back to the bullpen after loading the bases and allowing an Aztec score, making the score 7-2. His reliever, Dylan Stuart, allowed a double RBI and a sacrifice fly before closing the inning, 7-4.

San Diego State was out for blood in the opening of the eighth with their first two batters getting on base. UCR decided to switch out Stuart with Kevin Sprague, who got the first out of the inning but a CJ Saylor single cut the lead to two, 7-5. The Aztecs’ momentum didn’t stop there as a single from Greg Allen closed the gap down to one, 7-6.

With the Highlanders closing in on victory they switched out Sprague for Jordan Kron to close out the inning and cling to the advantage.

In the ninth inning, San Diego State pinch runner Andrew Brown made it to first and then easily stole second to put the Highlanders on their toes. A line out with the next

batter brought the first out to the inning, but Aztec Tyler Adkisons’ ground out allowed Brown to get to third. Ty France would hit a double which allowed Brown to reach home and tie up the game, 7-7.

The next batter, Tanner Reibenspies, got a single past Austin Roberts to allow France to score, giving the Aztecs their first lead of the game, 8-7.

It was the bottom of the ninth and the Highlanders knew what was on the line. Opening batter David Andriese smacked a single, and with a sacrifice bunt from Cody Hough he reached second and snuck his way to third off of a passed ball. However, the next two hitters, Nick Vilter and Robby Wit, were struck out, allowing the Aztecs to secure an impressive come-from-behind victory.

MAR. 1, 2014

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Highlanders 9 - Roadrunners 6

The Highlanders, looking to get back in the winning column, clung to a nine-run lead throughout the game, staving off a Bakersfield surge to win, 9-6.

Riverside came out swinging and was able to get on base in the first two innings, but was not able to score until the third. Joe Chavez, on first, snuck his way to third off of a single by Francisco Tellez. A Devyn Bolasky sacrifice allowed Riverside to jump on the board and score first.

Nick Vilter hit a homer, and with Cody Hough on first after a walk, he increased the lead to 4-0.

The Highlander’s lead remained at 4-0 through the fourth inning, but once Vilter got to bat again in the fifth he scored his second home run of the game and the fifth this season.

The fifth inning would see the Highlanders load the bases and bring Thomas Walker home after Tellez was allowed a walk, 6-0.

The seventh inning would bring good luck for the Highlanders as they scored once off of a sacrifice fly

by Chavez. The eighth inning would increase the Highlander lead to 9-0

AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER

The Highlanders ended the week with a 3-1 record for their games against the Aztecs and Roadrunners.

as Vilter scored his fifth and sixth RBIs of the game with his single to left field.

It was those runs that would end up being insurance for the Highlanders, who received a slight scare from the Roadrunners — they got on the board with six runs in the ninth inning before UCR pitcher Gabe Genter was finally able to close out the game, 9-6.

MAR. 2, 2014

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Highlanders 4 - Roadrunners 3

With Friday’s game postponed

due to inclement weather, the Highlanders played a double-header versus Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday.

In the first game, Nick Vilter didn’t let the rain blues affect his game as the junior continued his dynamic weekend with his sixth homer of the season en route to a 4-3 UCR victory.

Vilter drove in all four Highlander runs after coming into the year with only two career home runs. UC Riverside scored three runs in the opening inning and despite a third Roadrunner score at the bottom of

the eighth, held on for the victory, 4-3.

MAR. 2, 2014

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Highlanders 7 - Roadrunners 6

In the second game of the doubleheader, UC Riverside made it two-for-two as the team dispatched CSU Bakersfield 7-6 in nine innings.

Vilter drove in UCR’s third run of the game while the team as a whole outhit the Roadrunners by one, 9-8.

UCR returns home on Friday, March 7 to face off against Sacra■H mento State.

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

23

Savannah Vilaubi shines for women’s golf despite last-place finish JASON AHN Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Freshman Isabelle Shee tied for 57th place during last week’s UC Irvine Invitational.

Over the weekend, the Highlanders travelled to Arizona to participate in the Red Rocks Invitational. UC Riverside finished ninth place out of 18 teams, a drastic improvement from its last-place finish at the UC Irvine tournament earlier in the week.

Yuri Ahn led UCR for the tournament with a total score of 149 (75-74), tied for ninth place

overall. Vilaubi, who had a stellar performance at the Kia Invitational, was close behind finishing with a 154 (79-75).

Xavier won the team title with a 588 followed by Sacramento State and Northern Arizona, who finished tied for second.

The Highlanders now travel to Hawaii to compete in the Anuenue ■H Hawaii Classic on March 24.

WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM

Shee, tying for 59th place with an average of 8.6 strokes over for the tournament. Ferraro also had four birdies, three of them in the first round.

Haley Wian tied for 63 with an average of nine strokes over par. Tina Nagai finished up the tournament in 66th place. However, she was second to Vilaubi with five birdies.

KUCR RADIO 88.3

scoring. Vilaubi finished with an outstanding 10 birdies, one more than Stackhouse of Stanford, who was the overall winner of the tournament.

Highlander Isabelle Shee tied for 57th place with an average of 8.3 over par. The Diamond Bar High School product finished the tournament with three birdies.

Ferraro was close behind

HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM

Savannah Vilaubi held the UCR’s women’s golf team together even though they finished in last place at the UC Irvine Invitational last Monday and Tuesday. The grand prize of the tournament was a sponsorship exemption to play with the professionals at the 2014 Kia Classic March 27-30 at Aviara Golf Club.

Stanford’s nationally ranked Mariah Stackhouse led by two strokes at the end of the second round with a score of 139. Vilaubi played confidently in the first round after hitting five birdies along with nine shots at par. She kept her rhythm in the second round as she hit par 13 times, three birdies and only two bogies.

By the end of the first day, Vilaubi put up impressive scores as she stroked one under par in the first two rounds for a total score of 142, only three strokes behind Stackhouse.

As a whole, the Highlanders were only two strokes away from 12th place Idaho. Vilaubi beat Idaho’s Kristin Strankman by six strokes in the first two rounds.

The Highlanders’ score in the second round hurt them the most. Vilaubi and Brittani Ferraro either tied their first-round score or shot under it, while the rest of the girls shot over their original scores. Those extra swings hurt the Highlanders, giving some of the other teams a chance to finish with better scores.

When the tournament concluded, UC Riverside finished the contest one stroke away from 11th place Nevada. Despite the loss, the team still put up numbers recreational golfers dream of

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. SPORTS .

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014

HIGHLANDER

Women’s basketball falls short on buzzer-beater versus CSU Northridge

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CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer MAR. 1, 2014

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Matadors 77 - Highlanders 75

The UCR women’s basketball team has definitely seen brighter days than these.

With high expectations coming into the 2013-14 season, the Highlanders have disappointed in every regard. Whether it was starting off Big West play on a 10-game losing streak (the worst in the program’s 43 years of recorded history), winning backto-back against UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara — only to fall right back on their faces against Cal Poly and CSU Northridge, this team just can’t seem to catch a break.

Such was the case this Saturday, where — for the Highlanders — the raindrops fell just a little heavier and the bus ride home felt just a little longer, after they had the taste of victory looming on the tip of their tongues, ready to quench a fervid thirst for victory, only to fall short to the Big Westleading CSU Northridge Matadors 77-75.

The Highlanders had five players put up double-digit scoring numbers, with Brittany Crain pacing the bunch at 20 points.

Matador Janae Sharp led all scorers with 24 points off 2-2 shooting and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line.

The Matadors jumped out to a lead early in the first half that reached as high as 10 points at the 8:50 mark. However, the Highlanders were not ready to concede the game so early, gradually chipping away at the Northridge lead throughout the remainder of the period. With 1:41 remaining, a Brittany Crain three-pointer gave the Highlanders their first lead of the night 35-34. On the next possession, the Matadors answered back with a Camille Mahlknecht layup. The Highlanders were unable to score on their next possession, but capitalized on an ensuing Mahlknecht turnover with a buzzerbeating three-pointer by freshman phenom Simone DeCoud, retaking the lead at the half, 38-36.

Coming out of the locker room, the Highlanders continued to build upon the momentum they had in their favor throughout the latter stages of the first half. A 6-0 run by the Highlanders increased their lead to 4536 at the 17-minute mark, which grew to a commanding 56-42 lead by 14 minutes.

After building up their 14-point lead, things went downhill in the blink of an eye for the Highlanders. A 7-0 Matador run cut the Highlander lead to 49-56 at the 11:37 mark, followed by three three-pointers on three possessions by Northridge, slashing the Highlander lead to 65-60 with 7:11 to go.

The deluge continued, as an 8-0 run gave the Matadors the lead with 3:29 to go. The teams continued trading buckets for the remainder of the match, which ended with the Highlanders having a chance to win or tie the game with the last possession. With three seconds remaining, Brittany Crain pulled up for a three-pointer to win the game but fell short, allowing the Matadors to escape victorious.

Closing out games has been a recurring difficulty for the Highlanders this season, who more often than not, tend to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Nevertheless, it’s back to the drawing board for the women’s basketball team as they look to find a way to bring down the UC Davis Aggies on part two of their road trip this Thursday, March 6.

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Talyor Johns (No. 5) flies past defenders and dunks the ball.

MEN’S BASKETBALL PROVIDES MARCH MADNESS IN

Double-OT Thriller STEVEN CAHILL Staff Writer

MAR. 1, 2014

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Highlanders 106 - Matadors 105

Prior to 7 p.m., this past Saturday had been a disappointment.

Gloomy skies, rain and wind dominated the forecast as they had for the past week, resulting in the cancellation of one of the biggest events at UCR this year: the Heat Music Festival.

However, those fans who decided to support the university’s 3-10 men’s basketball team in their matchup against the 6-8 Cal State Northridge Matadors witnessed a spectacle that would not soon be forgotten. The entire team gave a herculean effort in what turned out to be a marathon, back and forth, heart-stopping classic of a game, which resulted in a 106-105 double-overtime victory for the Highlanders.

With 24 ties and 29 lead changes, neither team had a solid handle on the game. In fact, neither team had a double-digit lead at any point in the contest. The closest the Highlanders got to an advantage was a seven-point lead off of an Austin Quick fast break layup with 7:22 to go in the first half, 2619. The layup was two of Riverside’s 14 fast break points, compared to none for the Matadors. Northridge would cut the lead, however, drawing the game even at the half, 37-37, a trend that would continue for a majority of the game.

The second half started a little rocky for the Highlanders, with a few missed shots and a couple of fouls resulting in Northridge’s largest lead of the night, 51-59 with 11:37 left in regulation. However, some timely steals from Quick and Nick Gruninger lead to more easy fast break buckets, bringing the lead down to one, 61-60, with 9:53 remaining.

From the eight-minute mark on, neither team had a lead larger than three, and substitutions were common, as both teams tried to find fresh legs. UCR had a much better contribution from the bench, with Sam Finley and Quick leading the bench mob with 20 and 17 points, respectively, helping the Highlanders’ reserves outscore Cal State Northridge’s by 30.

Nothing could match the night of Chris Patton though, as the Aussie poured in a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Few of his points were bigger than his layup with 58 seconds on the clock to put Riverside up by one, 81-80.

After a made shot that put the Matadors back in the lead, 82-81, all eyes were on Finley, who was fouled and put on the line. With thoughts of UCR’s free-throw struggles in the back

of all 660 people in attendance, Finley calmly sank both shots, giving Riverside the lead once again with 26 seconds left.

A desperation three-point attempt on the other side was no good, but a foul was called on Patton on a putback attempt by Northridge’s Stephen Maxwell. Boos fell onto the court from all over due to the questionable call, but the ball doesn’t lie, and the Highlanders lived to see overtime thanks to a missed free throw by Maxwell, 83-83.

Gruninger played lights out in the first overtime, giving UCR the spark it needed to stay in the game. His layup in the first 30 seconds of the extra period tied the game up again, 8585, and his three-pointer a minute later gave Riverside a threepoint lead. With just under two minutes to go, he nailed two free throws to push the lead back up to three, 92-89 and with 45 seconds left stole the ball from Northridge guard Landon Drew. The ensuing possession resulted in a pair of clutch free throws by Finley to give the Highlanders a comfortable threepoint lead, 97-94, with just 16 seconds left. However, the free throws were matched by an equally clutch three-pointer by CSUN’s Stephan Hicks, who sent the contest into double overtime, 97-97.

The final five minutes of the game exemplified what the game boiled down to: free throw-shooting, dominate performances and a little bit of luck. Patton continued to be a force, scoring five of the team’s nine points in the period, and grabbing two huge rebounds. Finley continued the trend of timely free-throw shooting for the night, knocking two more with 36 seconds to go, 104-103, making him a perfect 10-10 from the stripe.

After a Northridge miss, Quick was fouled immediately, and calmly knocked down both free throws, putting Riverside up by three with 18 seconds remaining, 106-103. These final moments played out eerily similar to the final moments of second half, with a last second three-point attempt by Northridge missing, but a foul was called on the putback.

Matador Aaron Parks made the shot as he was being fouled, cutting the lead to one with a second on the clock, meaning the continuation free-throw attempt could tie the contest and send the game into a third overtime. However, the free throw hit iron, and the Highlanders came out with a much-deserved victory, 106-105.

Following the instant classic, the men’s basketball team hosts the 4-10 UC Davis Aggies on Thursday, March 6, in a H battle for eighth place in the Big West Conference standings. ■