Volume 62 Issue 25

Highlander Tuesday April 22, 2014

2014 Elections edition • Elections Guide Pull-out • Editorial 12-13 • Write-off 14 OPINIONS

FEATURES

Even though we know Disney is a corporate titan, why do we still have fun making pilgrimages to the House of Mickey?

Page 11

Unique treats and lunch classics roll through campus with the second annual Food Truck Festival.

Page 16

RADAR

SPORTS

“The Vagina Monologues” takes a dynamic look at female empowerment and women’s issues.

Page 24

After successful weekend, baseball sits in third place in Big West Conference standings.

Page 27

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NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

HIGHLANDER

Two female students report possible attempted abductions ANTHONY VICTORIA Staff Writer

Two female students were victims of possible attempted abductions that occurred on the evening of Saturday, April 12, near Big Springs Road.

UCPD detectives, receiving descriptions from the victims, released sketches of the alleged assailants, in hopes of receiving more information from the public.

On the night of the incident, police responded to a call from a female student reportedly being chased by a man near the Lothian Residence Hall. The student said that she was walking near the residence hall at about 7:30 p.m., when she saw a silver four-door sedan blocking the sidewalk path. She continued to walk east toward the residence hall and then saw the driver’s side door open. A male stepped out of the car, ran toward her and got close enough to touch her as she fled the scene. The male then proceeded to run back to his car and drive away.

In the sketch, he was described as a white adult male in his mid 20s, with a height of about 5-foot-8-inches to 5-foot10 inches tall, a thin “fit” build and short, straight, dirty blond hair. He was last seen wearing

dark black sunglasses, a white T-shirt with a logo in front and gray-colored jeans.

Another female student reported that earlier in the evening at about 6:30 p.m., she was walking up the pathway near Big Springs Road that led to Lothian Residence Hall when she noticed a silver vehicle parked next to the pathway.

As she walked up the pathway, the driver stepped out of the car to get something from the trunk. When she looked back, the driver was right behind her, holding a folded blue bandana with patterns on it. Fearing that the man was getting ready to place the bandana over her head, the female student threw a drink at the suspect and proceeded to run. The suspect then stepped into his car and drove away.

The sketch describes him as an Asian adult male, 20 to 30 years old of age, with a possible height of 5-foot-6-inches, black hair and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and eyeglasses.

UCPD has asked students to be alert of their surroundings throughout their search, while UCR administrators have contacted the female students involved in the incident with offers of counseling and other academic accommodations.

“Generally speaking,

administration always wants students to be safe,” said Kris Lovekin, UCR Director of Media Relations. “The Office of Student Affairs reaches out to students involved in such incidents to try to help them with what they need, whether it’s counseling or working with professors for accommodations.”

Malhar Shah, a fourth-year economics student who is a coordinator for the Campus Safety Task Escort Service (CSES) — a 50-year program — said that there are plenty of other resources for campus safety. Shah said that when CSES coordinators leave for the evening, calls they receive

Photo of the Week

CHASS senate candidate Alex Dale riles up the crowd during Monday’s debate at the HUB.

Quotebook

“It’s really fantastic.”

Management Services Officer of student health services, Rick Von Kolen, on UCR’s revised insurance plan with Aetna

Upcoming Events

Cameron Yong Assistant Photo Editor

from students on campus get redirected to UCPD, who then provide an escort for students.

“I think it’s something students need to realize,” said Shah. “I think it was a great injustice what happened, but students need to take more precaution, especially at night.”

Additionally, Romanie Arterberry, the staff advisor of CSES, said that escort usage rises when a crime occurs near campus. She believes that students should be using safety services all the time as a precaution when walking around campus at night.

“Students tend to be reactive when crime incidents occur

near campus. In terms of safety, we need to be there,” she said.

“But they need to utilize these services all the time, not just when something happens.”

To third-year history law and society major Cyndi Lopez, electronics varying from cell phones to headphones may distract a person, leaving them vulnerable to assault. “I’ve had classes where I come out at around 9:30 p.m. and I see girls with their phones out,” she said.

“I don’t do that. Why do we have to have our iPhone out? There’s no use for it.”

Lopez says students can take proper precautions by concealing their electronics in public.

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APRIL

22

Keys to the Life Sciences Literature 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Orbach Science Library 122

Mid-Term Nap Session 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Highlander Union Building 260

23

Online Resources for the Chemical Sceinces 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Orbach Science Library 122

Graduate Student Social 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Highlander Union Building 3rd-Floor Graduate Lounge

24

The Investiture of Kim A. Wilcox 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Student Recreation Center

Adobe Connect Part 1 & 2 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

SURGE 170

25

AGSM/SoBA Dean’s Speaker Series: Mike Vanderpool 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Highlander Union Building 355

IPM for the Home Gardener 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

UC Riverside Extension Center

26

Saturday

California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

UC Riverside Extension Center

The Pleasure of Sometimes: MFA Dance Concert by Julie Freeman 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Arts Building 166

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Riverside Art Make: City Roots Mural 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Farmers’ Market Galleria at Tyler

National History Day 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Riverside Convention Center

28

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

Bell Tower

“Neuroecology: The dynamics of scent and search behavior” 4:10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Genomics Building 1102A

Tuesday

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COURTESY OF UCPD

Sketches of the two possible abduction suspects have been posted on the UCPD website.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

Torn political posters puncture ASUCR senatorial debates Sandy Van Senior Staff Writer

With nearly 50 senatorial candidates running in the upcoming elections, independents and a handful of members from each political party — [YOUR]SIDE, ABC: A Better Choice and Vox Populi — spoke during last Monday’s debates. Torn posters from each ASUCR political party became a topic of contention, when ABC party member and senatorial candidate Ben Roden called out [YOUR]SIDE president Nafi Karim, demanding an apology for comments that he allegedly made on Facebook.

Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) candidates Ben Roden of ABC, Jason Ramirez of [YOUR] SIDE and Johny Nguyen of Vox Populi took to the stage. There are a total of five potential candidates, but only two available BCOE seats on the senate.

Roden said he was “fed up with party politics” and shifted the discussion to the incident where ASUCR political party posters were found torn down. In response to his demands, [YOUR]SIDE members from the crowd initiated the chant: “Whose side? [YOUR]SIDE.” Commenting on a picture of ripped party posters on Facebook, Karim described the incident as “not acceptable,” calling upon fellow candidates and party members to continue running a clean cam-

paign. “I am not pointing fingers nor looking for any explanations, but rather asking (presidential nominees Armando Saldana and Sean Fahmian) both to lead (their parties) and supporters to prevent further destructions,” Karim said, addressing his comments to presidential candidates Sean Fahmian and Armando Saldana. “Let’s all be vigilant and not allow this to happen again. Before we can lead the school, we must be responsible enough to lead our own.”

The Highlander’s Editor-inChief Michael Rios posed two questions about increasing the college’s poor retention rates and closing the rising gender gap in BCOE, but Roden continued to speak of the ripped posters. Turning to the right of his opponents, Roden asked, “Do you support my stance?” to which both answered, “No comment.” Rios later reminded the candidates not to pursue any form of negative campaigning.

When asked if Roden’s statements constituted as negative campaigning, Elections Director Chris Sanchez later told the Highlander that the judicial branch can determine whether or not actions filed by individuals constitute as a violation of the Elections Code. He continued to explain that the justices can only make that determination if someone files a case of negative campaigning against Roden. “(The justices) do not actively seek out to

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

Candidate Akeem Brown talks about his time before attending Riverside during the debate on Monday.

enforce the code,” furthered Sanchez.

Sanchez also warned that if the tearing down of posters continued, then the privilege of putting posters up at the HUB and around campus will be rescinded for all political parties.

Later in the debate, Ramirez, standing on the platform of [YOUR]SIDE, said that he seeks to expand the undergraduate research program by creating a “meet your professors” event, where students will spend time outside of the classroom, getting to know their professors.

Three CNAS nominees — Pri-

cilla Perey of [YOUR]SIDE, Sylvia Abdulnour of ABC and Ken Wang, one of only two CNAS candidates running as an independent — debated over issues of increasing supplementary instruction sessions, limited academic advisers and the role of a CNAS senator. There are a total of 14 CNAS candidates, but only four available spots on the senate.

CHASS candidates Akeem Brown of ABC, Alex Dale of Vox Populi and Alexander Mastache of [YOUR]SIDE later voiced their concerns about campus demographics that they felt were most underrepresented. There are a to-

tal of 29 candidates running for a CHASS senatorial position, but only 10 seats are available in the senate.

Brown, holding firm to his seven-year experience as a corporate paralegal, desired to represent transfers, commuters and student parents. Dale wanted to serve as a voice for his college and emphasized the need to create unity between the Greek fraternities on campus.

UCR students may only vote for senators in each of their respective colleges during the ASUCR elections, which will take place from ■H April 21-25.

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

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UCR students can get additional benefits in new health insurance plan Sandy van Senior Staff Writer

The cost of UCR’s student health insurance plan (SHIP) is expected to rise from $348 to $464 per quarter for undergraduates and from $898 to $987 per quarter for graduates come fall quarter of 201415. Under a revised contract with health insurance provider Aetna, SHIP will allow UCR students to be fully insured under dental, vision and health insurance, according to campus representatives.

The campus student health advisory committee (SHAC) — serving as a liaison between the student health center and student body — voted to abandon the UC student health insurance plan (UC SHIP) for undergraduates for the 2013-14 academic year after discovering a systemwide deficit that resulted from poor management. In the same year, UCR graduate students opted out of health insurance for UC SHIP, with the exception of dental and vision.

After contracting with Aetna in 2013-14, UCR undergraduates saw a slight increase in premium rates from $240.29 to $348 — the quarterly amount currently charged to the Growl account of a UCRinsured undergraduate. At the same time, vision and dental coverage experienced minimal change through the Veitch Student Health Center, which only offered four dentists within the campus health center; graduate students were covered under Delta Dental through local dentist offices within a 15-mile radius.

By leaving UC SHIP, UCR gained leverage by establishing an independent medical history for itself, which health care providers could look to as a reference, according to SHAC student representative Sandeep Dhall. This separation, Dhall says, has made it “much easier” for UCR to carve out a specialized and affordable health insurance plan with Aetna.

“So (Aetna has) seen our history of how well-managed we are and that’s how we were able to keep our prices low,” said Dhall. “It’s also a more healthy (and) different population of students that makes us unique.” In fall 2014, both undergraduates and graduates will be covered under a separate Aetna plan, allowing students to seek out nationwide physicians and hospitals that fall under the Aetna network.

Despite the upcoming premium increase, UCR still has the lowest premium rates out of the 10 UC campuses.

According to statistics provided

by UC media relations specialist Brooke Converse, UC campuses that stayed fully insured with UC SHIP — Merced, San Diego and Santa Cruz — reported an increase of $300 or more for their undergraduates from 2012-13 to 2013-14; with the exception of UCLA, which saw a reduced health insurance premium of about $70. Campuses such as UC Santa Barbara partially opted out of the systemwide health insurance plan and suffered high increases from $1,367.37 to $2,414 in the same period.

CODY NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER

UCR students insured under the campus health insurance plan are exempt from purchasing a separate health insurance package, including Obamacare.

Dhall says that campuses that decided to stay in UC SHIP for the 2013-14 academic year will be forced to pay a penalty if they decide to withdraw in the upcoming year. He added that UCR is the only campus to increase its insurance benefits that all other UCs have had to decrease. As more UCs decide to abandon UC SHIP, there will be a smaller pool of students to pay the overhead costs of maintaining it, which may cause existing members to shoulder a higher premium burden in the long run.

Sandeep also said that campuses that are no longer a part of UC SHIP can still provide input through a UC SHIP Forum, which allows campuses to know how each UC is performing in terms of health insurance plans.

Management Services Officer of UCR’s student health services, Rick Von Kolen said contracting with Aetna allows UCR to create a separate student health insurance plan, which prevents individuals insured under Aetna, but not affiliated with the university, from using the student health center.

Another point made by Insurance Coordinator of the student health center Marsha Tolson was that Aetna contracts may change on a year-to-year basis, depending on how often UCR health insurance is used.

The full switch to Aetna was also prompted by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, which enacted many of its provisions on Jan. 1, 2014. A key feature of the federal mandate includes the creation of a health insurance marketplace, where individuals can purchase government-regulated

“You’re literally not covered until that ... deductible goes away.

- Rick Von Kolen and standardized health care plans, eligible for tax subsidies. The full effects of the ACA require all U.S. citizens to be fully insured or face a penalty contingent on income and family.

UC policies require all students to have the campus health insurance plan, but if they have comparable insurance, then students may fill out a waiver to opt out of it. Aetna also meets the requirements for the ACA, provides a tax subsidy and exempts students under the plan from purchasing a separate health

insurance plan. Students enrolled in UCR’s SHIP are exempt from purchasing a plan on the Covered California website or another homestate exchange.

Kolen said federal ACA and non-Aetna insurance plans are not allowed at the UCR student health center. UCR still has no deductible (a specified amount of money that must be paid before an insurance company will pay a claim) for its insurance plan, which is marginally comparable to the “platinum” federal insurance package. Kolen held the concern that students who used to get a separate student health insurance plan will try to waive out for an Obamacare plan. He gave the example where if a person has a $2,000 deductible, then they must pay $2,000 before their insurance plan kicks in, which is “a lot more than a Dodger’s visit” or “one or two x-rays.”

“So if you get sick or if you get injured, these poor students are going to be stuck with these (federal) plans that are making them pay 2K, 3K, 5K off the top,” he said. “And being told, ‘Oh this is the good deal because it’s being subsidized by the government (and) you’ll be covered’ … and you’re not. You’re literally not covered until that ... deductible goes away.”

According to President Barack Obama, over eight million people

have signed up for a health insurance plan through state or federal exchanges under the ACA so far.

Kolen also says that the insurance plan seeks to go beyond the usual trifecta of health services that consist of dental, vision and medical, and show there are other services that students can take advantage of. Lab testing, x-rays and doctor visits are also a few, free services offered under SHIP. UCR’s student health insurance is also calculated into a student’s financial aid package. According to director of financial aid, Jose Aguilar, student health insurance fees are included in the cost of attendance (COA): tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and personal costs.

“We then take the COA and subtract the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to come up with the financial aid need.” Aguilar explained.

Financial aid need is covered by a combination of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study based on eligibility requirements for each program type. The EFC is calculated by the U.S. Department of Education using the data students submitted on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Aguilar says that even students who do not demonstrate financial need can still apply for federal student loans.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

Divestment will return to the ASUCR senate Anthony victoria Staff Writer Sanuja Das Contributing Writer

The ASUCR senate confirmed that SR 18, “A Resolution for Neutrality: Dissociation from U.S. Corporations Profiting from Occupation” will be voted upon on April 23. SR 18 was introduced to the senate by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) — the same student organization that attempted to bring forth a similar resolution about divestment that failed to pass back in February by a slim margin of 6-7-1. Senators also saw the unanimous passage of “UCR in Solidarity with API Communities,” a resolution to support Asian Pacific Student Programs systemwide.

Due to scheduling conflicts with mandatory elections events, it was rumoured that four senators would be missing the April 23 meeting — the same day that the divestment resolution is going to be presented.

The matter came to light when Elections Director Christopher Sanchez and Senator Andrew Hua spoke about the Elections Day Celebrations (EDC), an event from April 23-25 that must be

attended by ASUCR members who are on the elections committee. The event includes participatory student activities to bring awareness of the electoral process. After hearing of the scheduling conflict between the elections event and Wednesday meeting, many ASUCR members made it clear that the cancellation of the meeting was merely a rumor.

As a result, SJP president Amal Ali criticized the senators for prioritizing the elections over next week’s vote.

“Why senators can’t do their jobs because elections are going on or why they are campaigning and might be busy inquiring or who knows what is really embarrassing,” Ali said. “We have followed all the necessary procedures and protocols to have this resolution back on this floor and … our student senators should be held accountable.”

Sanchez clarified that members of ASUCR did not intend for the two events to overlap and it was simply oversight in their planning of the event.

“I think I failed to make one thing clear,” said Sanchez. “The reason why I can guarantee that the senators will be missing the meeting is not because they will be campaigning ... they are

JANINE YBANEZ / HIGHLANDER

Elections Director Christopher Sanchez gives his officer report during the third senate meeting of the quarter.

the four senators that are on the elections committee.”

Sanchez furthered that senators must be absent from the senate meeting because ASUCR is holding three different poll sites on the same night.

“Every night, we are at Aberdeen and Inverness and Lothian dining halls doing poll sites,” explained Sanchez.

“Then we will have one during EDC at the third floor of the HUB. It is mandated that we have two people from the committee at each polling site.”

He also explained past cases where individuals would steal laptops at the polling sites.

Johnson supported the meeting to take place, but held concerns that the senate would be voting on a similar

resolution again. The only main differences between the two resolutions, Johnson said, is that the language in SR 18 was “softened” and no longer considers Israel to be an apartheid state.

The next topic on the docket was a resolution sponsored

by Senators Shadi Matar and Nafi Karim, who is also an ASUCR presidential candidate, to condemn racially offensive incidents on college campuses.

In one cited case on Feb. 5, the UCLA and USC Asian American Studies departments received a letter containing racial slurs and racial epithets targeting students of color on campus.

Another incident referred to a 2011 viral video, “Asians in the Library,” by a UCLA

student, Alexandra Wallace, which the resolution says “illustrates the toxicity present at the UCLA campus.”

“These racial incidents create an unsafe university that reinforces stereotypes and microaggressions to Asian Pacific Islander Students (API),” read the resolution.

The resolution also encourages the next ASUCR president to address this issue to Chancellor Kim Wilcox at an upcoming meeting, in addition to a separate meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval to address hate speech targeting students of color. Lastly, the resolution stated that ASUCR formally supports the efforts of all cultural, ethnic and gender programs at UCR. ■H

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

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Student organizations voice concerns to ASUCR candidates JOSEPH AVILA Staff Writer

On April 15, members from the political parties ABC: A Better Choice and [YOUR]SIDE held a candidate endorsement hearing to drum up support from individual students and student organizations in the galley. ASUCR senator Tin Dinh served as master of ceremonies for the event and set the ground rules for how the information session and Q-and-A portion would be conducted. With a 40-minute late start, candidates were noticeably absent from both parties due to scheduling conflicts, and the third political party, Vox Populi, did not attend.

A support group for staff, faculty or students with children, R’Kids, asked the ASUCR candidates how they would make the campus safer for students and their families. [YOUR]SIDE presidential nominee Nafi Karim spoke about his work with the city to decrease crime rates by installing lights on Rustin Avenue and Linden Street. Seeking to further the project, Karim hopes to introduce a visible and lighted gate on the street to discourage criminal activity.

Another notable question came from members of the Interfraternity Council — an organization that oversees the general welfare of all member fraternities — which asked the candidates about the legacies that they would like to leave behind.

ABC presidential candidate Sean Fahmian alluded to the housing ordinances that affected students earlier this year and his envisioned solution to bring Greek housing or student organization housing onto Issue 24 Corrections

In the news article: “Three referendums placed on 2014 elections ballot,” the Highlander incorrectly stated that additional funds from the Highlander Empowerment Student Services Referendum would be overseen by the Student Services Fee Advisory Committee (SSFAC).

Rather, students serving on a new Referendum Student Advisory Committee (RSAC), made up of UCR undergraduates and appointed by staff of the seven ethnic and gender department, will provide oversight on how the referendum funds would be used.

In another news article article entitled, “UCR to offer free workshops on endangered Native American language,” the Highlander incorrectly stated that Cahuilla language workshops would begin on April 16, instead of April 15.

the campus. “I think that would be a great legacy for ASUCR to leave and an example of the students coming together and really achieving something for the students,” said Fahmian.

Other candidate attendees included Andrea Parra, Herman Sangha, Benjamin Roden, David Santillan and Akeem Brown of ABC; and Fernando Echeverria, Ravin Rathod, Devin Plazo, Priscilla Perey and Carlton Nguyen of [YOUR]SIDE. Voting takes place this week starting April 21-25. UCR students can vote at several different places on campus including central campus polling stations at the Bell Tower from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from Monday to Friday. Another polling station, located in front of Olmsted Hall, is open between 8 a.m to 10 a.m. every day except Friday of that week. Residents can also vote at both AberdeenInverness and Lothian Dining Halls from April 21-24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Candidates Devin Plazo and Akeem Brown answer questions regarding their platforms.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

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NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

NEWS IN BRIEF

HIGHLANDER

Compiled by MICHAEL RIOS, senior staff writer

Construction equipment stolen from UCR

UC admits record number of students

About $20,000 worth of equipment was stolen from a contractor at UCR last week.

The theft took place sometime between April 12-14 at the Agricultural Operations facilities on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

As of presstime, no details have been provided about what equipment was actually stolen. According to the UCPD, no arrests have been made as the investigation is ongoing.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Napolitano holds Google Hangout session CODY NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER UCR admitted 19,791 students this year, a 7 percent increase from last year.

Out of the record 183,272 students who applied to the University of California this past year, 86,865 students have been offered admission to the UC for fall 2014, according to UCOP. The record number of admitted students also includes more Californians, Latinos and international students than ever before.

“We are honored to extend admissions offers to this accomplished and diverse group of applicants to the University of California,” said Stephen Handel, associate vice president of undergraduate admissions

after the announcement was made.

Despite the overall increase in admissions, however, most UCs reported decreases in admitted students. Only UCR, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis reported increases.

Those numbers were high enough to increase the overall average in admissions, however, at 4.8 percent.

UC Santa Cruz, for instance, reported an increase of over 4,000 students while UCR admitted over 1,000 more this year than last year.

The total admission at UCR came to 19,797 students, an increase of 7 percent.

COURTESY OF THE UC OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

UC President Janet Napolitano held another Google Hangout session last week.

This time, the UC president conversed with UC staff members, answering questions from different UC representatives.

Napolitano first began the session by answering an inquiry regarding staff salaries. According to her, staff members are currently being paid different wages for doing the same type or amount of work

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throughout the 10 UC campuses. She went on to assure that the UC is working on appropriately adjusting wages across the system, however.

She also presented goals she has for staff members and the UC system, including: creating a universitywide system that will alert employees when new job opportunities arise within the UC, encouraging individual universities to run IT programs that affect their campuses directly and helping UC staff members develop more leadership and project management skills.

She went on to commend current staff members for all of the work they’ve done over the years. “I have been impressed … with their longevity in the university. It really demonstrates their commitment,” ■H she said.

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

UCR organizes plans for Earth Week Aaron Grech Contributing Writer

UCR’s Office of Sustainability will be hosting Earth Week, an annual weeklong celebration to raise awareness about the Earth, the environment and how to protect them. Earth Day itself is scheduled for Tuesday (April 22), but the weeklong event will be open to members of the campus community and the public from April 19-26.

Currently there are seven events planned throughout the week, with the exception of Thursday as there will be an investiture for UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox. As Jenny Low, sustainability specialist for the UCR Office of Sustainability, stated, “There is not enough hours in Earth Day itself to do all these activities that they are spread over more than a week.”

Events such as a photo contest will also be held, which encourages students to take pictures of nature or people interacting with nature.

All photos can be emailed to jenny.low@ucr.edu. Winners in each of the two categories: best nature photo and human-nature interaction photo, will receive $50; other winners and runner-ups will receive the chance to display their work in the Orbach Science

Library lobby from April 29 to May 9.

Other events such as bike tours of the campus will be held on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the lawn near Rivera Library; up to 15 people who make reservations for the tour can attend. The sustainability tours will begin at 10 a.m. from Tuesday to Wednesday and Friday which involves walking on foot (starting from the Bell Tower) around campus.

In addition to this, there will also be a planting start-up on Earth Day beginning at 10 a.m.

For this event, students will be given free seeds, soil and pots to begin planting outside of Rivera Library.

The events are varied and meant to appeal to many different kinds of campus faculty and students.

“The photo contest for the artsy, the tours for the curious and active and the planting start-up for current and future gardeners,” Low explained.

Other Earth Week events from previous years will continue this year, such as the Extreme Green Fest and the Dig N’ Dance. The Extreme Green Fest, which is being held by UCR Housing Services, will feature rock climbing and

going-green booths, among other eco-friendly events. The Dig N’ Dance on Saturday, April 26 will feature live music, free food, rock climbing and a demonstration of the solar generator built, operated and maintained by UCR students.

The Office of Sustainability is responsible for many of Earth Week’s activities, which has been assisted by campus partners such as UCR’s Transportation and Parking Services, which will be providing shuttle services and racks for people to place their bikes on. Regarding the photo contest, Low stated that the “UCR Libraries has been a great help in lending us space in Orbach Library to display the winning photos.”

Student anticipation of this event appears to be positive. Karol Beas, a fourth-year English major stated that it is important to raise awareness about environmental issues. “I love Earth Week! I think environmental concerns are very important and these types of events are exactly what we need,” said Beas.

Second-year political science major, Kris Moisa, also gave her thoughts about the upcoming week: “Together, we can make a grand, positive impact on our environment by recycling more H and becoming more sustainable.”■

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

Highlanders debate proposition about affirmative action Estefania Zavala Contributing Writer

On April 15, UCR students met in HUB 379 for “The Importance of Unity,” a debate on affirmative action in the UC system. Students discussed state constitutional amendment 5 (SCA 5), an amendment to California’s constitution which would allow public institutions of higher education to take race and ethnicity into consideration when accepting students. The debate was introduced by political science professor Dr. Karthick Ramakrishnan and organized by ASUCR senators such as Abraham Galvan.

California state Sen. Edward Hernandez proposed SCA 5 in 2012 with the aim of overturning Proposition 209 and legalizing affirmative action in public universities. Instituted in 1996, Proposition 209 bans public institutions from considering

race, sex or ethnicity as factors in admission or employment. This proposal has incited controversy which has continuously postponed its placement on the ballot.

Under the guidance of ASUCR senators, audience members tackled the misconceptions around SCA 5 in a debate. Hernandez says he is not establishing a quota system or preferential treatment.

“SCA 5 simply allows our public colleges to identify achievement gaps, such as a lack of women in the (science, technology, engineering and math) fields or even a lack of men, especially men of color, in teacher-credentialing programs,” Hernandez said in a press release. This has had a controversial effect on AsianAmerican communities, who feel that affirmative action may hurt students’ chances of entering these universities.

Members of Congress, such

A student replies to an attendee’s comment during the discussion on racial diversity within UC schools.

as Judy Chu, spoke out against the amendment after facing pressure from their AsianAmerican constituents. Petitions from these communities sprang up even before it reached the ballot.

“My mom has sent me many newsletters telling me to oppose

SCA 5 … she thinks it would lower the amount of AsianAmericans students admitted into UCs,” said Johnson Pham, a first-year linguistics major.

“I’m really disappointed that so many people in the AsianAmerican community have taken this stance because SCA 5 would

LAURA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER

help underserved members of the community like Laotians.”

The debate focused on the difference between affirmative action and implementing a racial quota system, wherein applicants can be turned down because the university has already met its “limit” for a certain race. Debate participants noted that quota systems were constitutionally outlawed in 1978 with the famous case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke.

“Public education is here to serve the state of California (and) not even here to serve the students of California. It’s here to serve the future workforce,” said Ramakrishnan as a rebuttal to the argument that affirmative action prevents the best students from getting into their desired schools.

The student audience members also addressed another alleged misconception: that people accepted under affirmative action would be unable to keep up with the rigorous college coursework.

“I applied to university in 1978 and came in through affirmative action,” said Emilio Virata, UCR’s interim assistant dean of student affairs. “When I look across at the folks who came up through the system with me, I don’t think that we were less capable. I think we just needed the opportunity to take advantage of the systems that we … wouldn’t have had access to.”

Affirmative action is a complex issue that should not be dismissed under misconceptions about racial quotas, concluded CHASS Senator Abraham Galvan, also an ASUCR vice president of external affairs candidate and one of the moderators for this event. He resolved to do more reading on the legislation and advised audience members to do the same.

The debate consisted of a wide selection of diverse racial groups. “I feel we’re really privileged to be here at UC Riverside. We have such a wide variety of ethnic groups,” said Pham.

Even without affirmative action, UC Riverside ranks 12th in the nation for diversity, according to U.S. News and World Report. Final deliberation for SCA 5 has been shunted into a committee, where committee members will decide the next ■H step forward.

. OPINIONS .

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

11

How Disney made me a hypocrite David Alexander MuñoZ Contributing Writer

We attend university to learn, to expand our knowledge of how the world runs and to some extent, however bitter it is on the tongue, we learn how the world runs us. Being a media and cultural studies major myself, I’ve taken a good handful of classes that attempt to put into perspective the major corporations that run our lives. In the 1980s, 50 companies owned 90 percent of global media. Today, only five companies control 90 percent of the media we consume; from television to the radio, these companies have consolidated power and reduced the diversity of viewpoints in the media. This relatively new oligarchy of the media is becoming a more pressing issue as corporations become more powerful and we, the people, have our freedom of choice slip through our fingertips.

These five companies are General Electric, Viacom, Time Warner, News Corporation and the Walt Disney Company. The so-called “Big Five” control the mainstream media and they abuse their influence to “filter” media to protect their individual interests. You won’t see news stories exposing the horrible conditions of sweatshop labor in South America or Asia on any mainstream network like, say, ABC News, which is owned by Disney, when Disney itself has sweatshops in China, India and Haiti. The mainstream news and popular entertainment that surrounds us is merely a masquerade; a ruse to keep us distracted from the true distresses of our generation.

Awareness is the first step.

We live in a world where the people who control our news, our entertainment and our social landscape would rather

have us confined in a bubble and spoon-fed ideas of how the world is rather than risk living in a world in which the free exchange of ideas is encouraged. To the corporations, everyday citizens are nothing more than consumers whose only purpose is to spend money and keep the gears of the capitalist system turning.

Ouch. A hard-won realization, but one that is necessary if we are to move away from exploitative passivity.

That is, if we are willing to move away from passivity.

Despite all of this — the corruption of the media we trust, the beast of capitalism, the exploitation of the nation’s people, after going to college and realizing these terrible facts about our current society — I still love Disney. I see Mickey Mouse and I swoon. I still want to take pictures with some sweaty guy in a Pluto costume while smiling like a 4-year-old. Even calling Disney the Walt Disney “Company” seems somewhat sacrilegious, as if it isn’t a company, but a dear, old friend. I can’t even claim ignorance because I know the capitalist intention of Disney and the corporations like it. Yet I seem content to look the other way, like Pinocchio, unable to fight the allure of Pleasure Island, I am defying my conscience in favor of the spectacle.

A part of me wants to rise up, start an intellectual revolution, and free minds of the shackles of corporate influence, but another part of me wants to kick back and bingewatch Disney cartoons. Why is Disney the most difficult corporation to accept as an agent of capitalism? It is as though my love for Disney is so strong and so connected with some sense of nostalgia that I am able to stomach their unsavory attributes. Or possibly, I am merely coerced,

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COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS People often forget that Disney is a business, and business means money.

like the rest of the world, into thinking that they are not that bad. Their films, both new and old, can be considered classics to people of all ages, but the love may not stem so much from the content of the film, but the legacy and boundless resources available to Disney to create the idea of grandeur in their films. Still, the whimsical nature of their films and the entire Disney universe cannot be denied.

Disney, while insanely popular as it is, is gaining even more momentum. Disneyland ticket sales are at an all-time high, and “Frozen” is Disney’s highest grossing animated movie (not including Pixar films) since “The Lion King,” which came out 20 years ago.

So the blind love for Disney does not seem to be letting up anytime soon. And while “Frozen” is a great film that challenged the stereotypes typical for Disney films and Marvel movies are usually pretty electrifying, by actively buying into these films, we add fuel

to the wildfire. Especially with the Walt Disney Company’s purchase of Marvel Studios and their acquisition of ABC, it is apparent that their power and influence within American homes is expanding.

As difficult as it is to accept, if we are to truly send a message, we need to change our spending habits and shift our way of thinking to take into account our role in the corporate-run world. We have the ability, as consumers, to support the things we so choose.

The corporations cannot endure without our support, but we can live without their influence. It is a dependent relationship, but we are the ones depended upon. Fight against what the corporations expect of you and keep in mind that individuality is not the only thing at stake, because while the rest of the world around us is crumbling, we cannot afford to look the other way while the corporations stuff their pockets. So, next time I see Mickey H Mouse, I’ll give him a snarl. ■

Opinion Poll Are you voting in the ASUCR elections?

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Contact opinions editor Colin Markovich at opinions@ highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letter can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.

LEGAL

Danielle Connolly Mechanical Engineering Second-year “I’m not going to vote because I see all these signs around campus ... and it just seems like a high school prom election.”

Evin Capel Sociology Third-year “Maybe.”

Robert Stewart English First-year “I don’t know. I haven’t been really paying attention to it.”

Nadine Milad Psychology First-year “Yes, I am.”

William Brown Business Administration Second-year “I think it’s very important that I should. You want to create transparancy.”

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.

12

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL Elections endorsements 2014

T

his week, UCR students will choose their future.

Elections to select those who will make up the 2014-2015 ASUCR senate are now underway. Over 60 candidates are running for eight positions. Three parties have jockeyed for votes, met with students and proclaimed platforms. It all comes down to five days of voting,

where 18,000 undergraduate students have the power to bring those qualified into office. With it, students can affect the events UCR holds, the people who come to UCR, and the vision UCR has for the future.

With that in mind, the Highlander has gone through every candidate and scoured every referendum to determine who and what will bring

elevate the campus community to a higher level.

Elections matter. New visions are put into place and old ones swept away.We as students have power over which ones are kept and which are thrown out the door. It’s a great power — and an enormous responsibility. So learn about the candidates and make an informed decision. The power is in our hands. Let’s choose wisely.

the most benefit to UCR. The following is our list of endorsements, for both candidates and referendums.

Each candidate we have endorsed has shown dedication, experience and uncanny abilities to cut through red tape to achieve the best results for UCR students. Referendums, too, have a large impact on the services available to the student body, so we have made endorsements for those that promise to

ReferendUMS YES ON Highlander Empowerment Student Services Referendum

YES ON the GCAP Referendum

YES on the Associated Students Fee Referendum

UCR is a diverse campus, home to people with an array of perspectives and experiences as diverse as the number of fish in the ocean. Chicano Student Programs has a 40-year history with the campus. When it first opened in 1993, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center became the first professionally staffed center to focus on LGBT students in the entire state of California. UCR has a storied history of diversity, and passing this referendum will allow UCR to continue this legacy. Already, these resource centers provide advice for first-time college students, events for the campus population and a home for students adrift since leaving for college. At first glance, $14.00 may seem like a lot. But $3.50 of that will go to student scholarships, leaving only $1.50 for each of the seven resource centers. UCR students will get their investment back with interest to boot, in the form of events for the UCR public and scholarship funds for the disadvantaged. Every penny goes back into the UCR community, which is why the Highlander enthusiastically supports the Highlander Empowerment Referendum.

The Highlander endorses the GCAP referendum wholeheartedly because GCAP has arguably been one of the most successful studentinitiated programs UCR students have ever enacted. A mobile solar-powered generator and solar benches are just two of the products GCAP funds have brought to campus, both of which benefit students by providing an easy-toaccess form of electricity. In addition, it creates numerous campus internships, providing students with organizing experience, as well as grants for clubs striving to improve the sustainability of the campus. All this is brought about for only $2.50 — less than a meal at Latitude. Approving this referendum does not impose an additional fee; it only continues the fee we already pay to make UCR the most sustainable campus possible. Voting for the GCAP referendum will result in only benefits for UCR: more jobs, more money for student organizations and more solar power.

Sometimes the amount of effort ASUCR puts in to achieve a better campus for the students goes unappreciated. But ASUCR has brought a wealth of benefits to UCR, beginning with conversations about making class registration easier for students (a one-unit cap increase was implemented last quarter) and alleviating the stress of finals week by providing finals survival kits. Even the immensely popular Food Truck Festival last week came into existence almost solely due to the sheer force of will of ASUCR senators. That said, there is much room for improvement. The Associated Students Fee Referendum allows ASUCR to keep the Bear’s Den open for clubs, enact 24-hour library hours during finals week and continue the new tradition of the annual Food Truck Festival. Each would benefit the campus and help UCR become the best university it can be. Some may argue that ASUCR has misused funds in the past, such as one instance when senators departed from a student-funded lobbying trip early. And misadventures like that are possible in any agency. However, as elected officials, they are responsible to us, the students. If ASUCR decides to mismanage its funds, we have the authority to call them out. So with a cautious eye, the Highlander endorses the Associated Students Fee Referendum.

Executive cabinet & Directors

ARMANDO SALDANA

Michael Ervin

Fernando Echeverria

BREANA ROSS

Bryan Burgoon

President

Executive Vice President

Vice President of Internal Affaris

Vice President of External Affaris

Personnel Director

Vox Populi

The ASUCR president is invested with a great degree of power. He or she delivers reports to the senate and generally sets ASUCR’s agenda. But the president is also the face of ASUCR, serving as the liaison between students and the UCR administration, as well as the rest of the University of California.

Students must choose the candidate who knows ASUCR in and out and who is best able to communicate the student perspective to administrators and legislators. The only candidate who can manage that balancing act is Armando Saldana. Saldana has proven himself as a knowledgeable candidate, serving for two consecutive years in the thankless task of executive vice president, maintaining order during meetings and meeting with all sides to negotiate an appropriate solution.

Working on behalf of students doesn’t mean burning every bridge in sight. Based on his track record, Saldana will keep student interests at heart while maintaining a working relationship with the administration.

[your]side

According to the ASUCR constitution, the executive vice president “shall be responsible for and coordinate the functions of the senate.” For that role, current CHASS Senator and [YOUR]SIDE candidate Michael Ervin seems prepared. With prior experience in ASUCR, he will have the skillset and knowledge to focus on his goals of efficiency and transparency during his tenure.

The ability to build bridges and find a path forward everybody can accept is a crucial skill for the position, and during the divestment debates, Ervin proved his willingness to achieve compromise and ensure that all student voices are heard by co-sponsoring both the pro- and anti-divestment resolutions.

Ervin will provide a steady hand at the helm of ASUCR and ensure that it moves effectively to achieve its goals.

[your]side

Although all candidates have enthusiasm for UCR, CHASS Senator Fernando Echeverria of [YOUR]SIDE stands above the rest. Echeverria has shown a clear understanding of the diversity and empowerment UCR stands for. Most importantly, he has provided a set of ideas he wants to enact while in office that will build a campus identity and increase its sustainability, including creating a commuter lounge and eliminating plastic bags. Echeverria has proven himself to be a hard-working and honest leader by expanding ties with the diversity organizations on campus through the creation of a diversity council and will continue that tradition in a new capacity as Vice President of Internal Affairs.

ABC: A Better Choice

Both candidates running for this position, Abraham Galvan and Breana Ross, are preeminently qualified and intensely passionate for the position of Vice President of External Affairs. But in the end, ABC’s Breana Ross is the one capable of bringing a unique vision to UCR. To counter a proposed housing moratorium that discriminates against students, Ross organized a 100-student protest that took place in the belly of the beast: downtown city hall.

She has further participated in other local events during her tenure as ASUCR’s local affairs liaison. Poised, energetic and communicative, Ross has the experience to know how to achieve the best results, whether that’s extending a hand in friendship or doing battle on behalf of UCR students.

Disclosure: Breana Ross works for the Highlander as an advertising representative.

[YOUR]SIDE

Jessica Urquidez

Outreach Director

The position of outreach director is about ensuring that all students feel involved and that high school students are exposed to the benefits a college degree can bring. Jessica Urquidez of [YOUR] SIDE has those priorities in order. In her interview, she showed a true knowledge of the importance of holding elective office: listening to the students. “It’s one thing to explain your platform and explain the changes you want to make. But it’s another thing to listen to the students and hear what changes they feel are important.” She is personable, heartfelt and approachable, and has shown engagement by attending ASUCR meetings on a regular basis — all qualities necessary for a great outreach director.

ABC: A Better Choice

The personnel director is charged with ensuring qualified candidates are selected for ASUCR positions, which takes a discerning and experienced mind. Bryan Burgoon has the experience required for the job, being heavily involved on campus, including leadership as residential adviser. Burgoon has also come to the position prepared, expressing a willingness to tackle problems proactively and pledging to establish new committees to address areas of concern for students.

Vox Populi

Dayo Adeleke

Marketing and Promotions Director

ASUCR does a lot of important things for campus, ranging from advocating for student needs to the UC to holding events that boost campus morale. So it’s disheartening that so few students know about ASUCR and what it does — some parts of ASUCR’s website haven’t been updated in over two years. It’s time for a change. Dayo Adeleke promises to take a holistic approach to marketing, including both social media and handson outreach, to spread the word about what ASUCR does. In addition, he has advocated for measuring event turnout, a key metric through which ASUCR can judge success. By electing Adeleke, the students and ASUCR will be in closer communication than ever before.

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

This year, students have more choice than ever before when electing their ASUCR senators, with nearly 50 candidates vying to be your voice in UCR’s government. Each candidate has different qualifications and different focuses, and that’s to be expected in such a diverse campus. But some candidates are more qualified than others, have more concrete plans for the future of UCR and have expressed more dedication to the job than others. The 16 candidates below — 10 CHASS, four CNAS and two BCOE — have proven themselves to tower above the rest in dedication, ideas, pragmatism and overall candidate quality. Each is a worthy addition to the ASUCR senate chambers and will do the best job channeling the needs and desires of their constituents into concrete action.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

13

BCOE SENATORS

Disclosure: Colette King has worked for the Highlander as the opinions editor.

Johny Nguyen

JASON RAMIREZ

VOX POPULI

[YOUR] SIDE

CNAS SENATORS

nevin perera

pricilla perey

herman sangha

ken wang

Independent

[Your]side

ABC: A Better Choice

Independent

CHASS SENATORS

Reem blaik

trelynd bowles

akeem brown

deirdre hackleman

jackie jacoby

[YOUR]SIDE

ABC: A Better Choice

ABC: A Better Choice

ABC: A Better Choice

ABC: A Better Choice

colette king

delaynie koenig

tina matar

summer shafer

devin plazo

[YOUR]SIDE

ABC: A Better Choice

Vox Populi

[YOUR]SIDE

[YOUR]SIDE

14

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER WRITE-OFF Does the party system improve ASUCR elections?

Parties campaigning the right way Oscar Brody Serna Contributing Writer

Parties don’t lead to better campaigning Maxine Arellano Senior Staff Writer CAMERON YONG Senior Staff Writer

With the UCR campus being covered in posters and flyers distributed by the hundreds these recent months, it is apparent that the ASUCR elections season is in full swing. In an effort to accomplish the daunting task of winning an elected position, three major student parties have been formed: ABC: A Better Choice, [YOUR]SIDE and Vox Populi. Each party has members with more than enough potential and qualifications to hold an ASUCR position, but the question comes down to whom the student body wants to vote for. Ultimately, the presence of parties campaigning has by far improved the overall elections process.

The party system that has been adopted into the ASUCR elections has shown positive results for the most part. One such positive result is how the different parties have extremely diverse groups of students comprising them, instead of just students involved in one aspect of UCR. The candidates are not just diverse ethnically but diverse in political views and leadership styles, as well as involved in varied areas of campus, such as Greek organizations, Housing, ASUCR and different clubs around campus, just to name a few. Since the party system allows multiple students to actively campaign together, parties are capable of properly representing the student body because they have opted to have diverse members instead of uniform perspectives. The ability of different types of people to work effectively toward a common goal showcases parties’ qualifications to represent the student body.

Everywhere a student walks, some sort of campaign strategy is being used to attract our attention. Whether party-specific, eye-catching posters on walls or the distribution of hundreds of flyers in lecture halls, party members are doing all they can to get students to vote for them. People can frequently see student candidates on campus actively advocating for their election by tabling frequently as well as starting conversations with random students sitting at tables.

By spreading the word of what is going on with elections, the parties are doing the elections process in general a great service by rallying more students to not be apathetic toward elections but actually partake in the democratic process on campus. Having parties leads to more interaction with students — as opposed to someone running with no party affiliation — because parties have sheer numbers to help them campaign more actively. This is significant because in recent years there has been a relatively mediocre level of voter turnout with ASUCR elections, such as how only 17.1 percent of the total student population voted in last year’s elections. This shows the need for more students to become active in the elections process.

To say that the entirety of the campaign timeframe has been fault-free would be incorrect. There have been several incidents where individuals have been accused of tearing down party posters. These acts of “dirty politics” have targeted several parties so far. But the opposing parties have always shown their moral integrity by keeping finger-pointing to a very low minimum and pushing for a largely friendly campaign by advocating for all to maintain a mutual respect for all involved. Looking past these few distasteful incidents the party system in a broad view has proven to be successful when organized correctly.

ABC: A Better Choice, [YOUR]SIDE and Vox Populi have done all they can to gain voters by expressing their platforms. Each party has excellent candidates who are more than qualified and capable of doing an effective job within ASUCR; the final decision is in the voting hands of the student body as to who will become elected. But overall the parties have shown their value and ■H contributed greatly to making elections better on campus.

It is Day 10. [YOUR]SIDE has taken back Chung Hall. Vox Populi has advanced with more chalk tags as we struggle for Rivera Library. Butcher paper and painter’s tape supplies are low.

The parties campaigning for ASUCR have started to look more like high school ASB rather than serious political parties trying to represent UCR. And after watching the party candidates campaign around campus, it is apparent to everybody that political parties are not making the elections any better.

The posters the parties have been endlessly posting around campus remind the student population just two things: Remember our party and don’t forget to vote for us. Mindlessly slapping posters on campus screams, “Just vote already!” And it only annoys the voters. To actually promote meaningful voting, candidates have to motivate voters to take time away from their lives in order to vote — which is surprisingly difficult. From the looks of it, students already understand the gravity of the university’s presence on a larger scale. By focusing on posters above all else, political parties have been distracting the voters from what really matters. Senators should be proposing new plans of action and meeting with student clubs. Right now, the atmosphere of so many elections events are like a claustrophobic gladiator pit in the midday sun.

During the debates, most candidates haven’t been urging students to vote out of good will, but just to “vote for our party.” One ASUCR candidate who participated in the debates prided himself for his sunburnt head from the endless tabling ASCUR has done throughout the year. But as he argued that ASUCR is there for the student body and will work for the issues important to them, he was stumped when asked a specific question regarding his plans for the college he’s trying to represent. Instead he continued to rant about the poor campaigning of the other candidates and deflected from the issues brought up by the debate.

This was followed by an event at the HUB where each candidate would be endorsed on a stage answering questions that have been asked the previous two weeks countless times. Half of many candidates’ time talking was to simply recite their party’s objectives; time that could be used to highlight candidate’s qualities and policy distinctions. Value, voice, vision. Pride, progress, empowerment.

Didn’t someone just say that 15 minutes ago? Didn’t your opponent also want the same thing? Why are you shouting?

Even though some of the ASUCR posters were torn down by opposing parties, it barely made a dent in the massive amount of campaign material used as wallpaper to cover most of campus. The campus resembled a high school hallway with Magic Marker posters telling students to vote for said candidate — but why? Nowhere does it explain what the candidates will do to benefit the student body other than polluting the school with paper. As always, there are a few good candidates among the clutter, but that’s no different from any election before the party system was implemented. What’s changed is that candidates have sported new graphic T-shirts and flagged around new banners just for their debates. Laminated fliers with professional pictures are being handed out by the hundreds. It seems as though they are putting their money where their mouth is, but not backing up what is coming out.

The ASUCR elections take everything wrong with political parties. Biking across campus, it is hard to not notice the repeating white squares taped across every wall on campus. Concrete slabs reading Vox Populi have shown up on the ground, faint but noticeable. From the looks of it, it has become less of an ■H election and more of a ridiculous turf war.

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

. FEATURES .

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

Middle Eastern Week

By Michael Rios, Senior Staff Writer & Colin Markovich, Senior Staff Writer // Photos by Vincent Ta & Cameron Yong

W

hits UCR

hen the newest student center, the Middle Eastern Student Center (MESC), first sprang up last fall, its founders knew the one thing they wanted to hold: a Middle Eastern week. The goal — to enlighten others about the Middle East and to express the diversity of people, ideas and cultures at the joining point of three different continents. “The center — we’re packing microcultures within microcultures,” remarked Mariam Saleh, a board member for the MESC. And through the weeklong series of workshops, fashion shows and dance recitals, each of those microcultures shone through, as bright as the full moon in the blackened night sky.

Origin of Religions HUB 269 was filled to the brim Tuesday afternoon, as roughly 100 UCR students, staff and community members were in attendance to watch and listen as professors of religious studies Dr. Muhammad Ali and Richard Cunningham gave a presentation on the origins of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

“Mutuality,” said Dr. Ali, was the term he wanted folks to remember most after they left the “Origins of Religions” workshop.

The event was set up in a Q-and-A format as Director of the MESC Marcela Ramirez posed four questions to both of the panelists in the course of 90 minutes. Cunningham, who spoke about Judaism and Christianity, and Dr. Ali, who informed people about Islam, both answered inquiries that ranged from the founders of each respective religion to the similarities they share with other religions.

Themes of unity and understanding were present throughout the entire workshop. Cunningham, for instance, mentioned that before Judaism and Christianity were considered separate

religions, they both actually originated from a single spiritual practice. Likewise, Dr. Ali offered a story about the prophet Muhammad, echoing Cunningham’s sentiments of unity. Muhammad, according to Dr. Ali, once welcomed Christian guests into a mosque and encouraged them to pray in there as they pleased.

As the event went on, more and more students continued to show up to the workshop. At one point, more chairs had to be brought in for the handful of students in the back of the room who stood on their feet because of the lack of seats in the room.

“I’m impressed with so many people giving up their afternoons … to devote themselves to being educated,” noted Cunningham. “Because as technology proliferates … global competency becomes so much more important than it has in the past … We need to understand each other.”

The civil discourse, as it was called by both presenters, ended with question from the audience members, and was followed by a meet-and-greet with both of the panelists.

‘Caramel’ screening

The screening of the award-winning film “Caramel” was not as populated as previous Middle Eastern Week events.

Only a little over a dozen people could make it that night. It’s a shame, really — people missed out on not only a good movie, but a chance to immerse themselves in the different cultures and customs of Lebanon that were presented in the film.

“Caramel” depicted the lives of five women in Beirut, each of whom faced her own dilemmas which ranged from marriage, feelings of insecurity and even infidelity.

Throughout the film, audience members got a chance to see some of the customs of Lebanon. The cars that people drive, the occupations that they have, the struggles that they face, the languag-

es they speak — everything was presented there. At some points, I thought to myself: “You know, Lebanon isn’t really that much different from America.”

For instance, the fashion statements and even the conversation topics that people engage in are all pretty darn similar to what we see in the U.S. Other times, however, I was really intrigued by how culturally diverse the country is. Personally, I was a little taken aback after realizing that in Lebanon the two commonly spoken languages are both Arabic and French.

Speaking as someone who has spent nearly his entire life in the U.S., I can honestly say this film did what the organizers from Middle Eastern Student Center had probably hoped it would do: It educated me about a different country.

ARAB SPRING ORIGINS AND AFTER EFFECTS In a room-filled presentation, ASUCR senator and MESC cofounder Shadi Matar led a discussion of the Arab Spring, discussing its successes and failures, its causes and consequences, and its similarities and differences. As the audience engaged in conversation about the efficacy of social media and the promise of democracy, the curtain was slowly pulled back on a region that is often myopically viewed as monolithic.

“When the Arab Spring first happened,” Matar began, “the Middle East was still this orientalized kind of place.” But as became clear in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, it shortly became clear to everyone in the audience that there were differences aplenty. Starting with a simple fruit vendor in Tunisia who protested the government’s policies toward the poor by setting himself on fire, the Arab Spring ignited the region like a spark to dry tinder on a windy Southern California day. Before long, it had spread to dozens of countries.

But the flickers from its flames shed a different light on each place

it reached. Syria, with its stockpile of chemical weapons and minority Shi’a population holding power over the Sunni majority, seemed worlds apart from close neighbor Egypt, where the world witnessed the toppling of two consecutive regimes at the hands of the people. Different people, different economies, different religions, different results. And yet, the overarching theme of governments being forced to respond to the people as they raised their voices was everpresent.

As the people in the room rustled around, preparing to leave for the weekend, one of the last videos glimmered forth on the screen, featuring Tunisians for the first time in decades participating in democracy. A 35-year-old man was visibly excited at the prospect of voting for the first time in his entire life. Another woman defiantly proclaimed her willingness to stand in hours’ worth of lines to cast her first ballot. “Anyone who isn’t voting just doesn’t get it.” And the room seemed to collectively stop and nod their heads in agreement.

WEEK’S END

Curious students spent their Thursday afternoon watching Caramel, an international film centered on five Lebanese women searching for love.

After the presentation, I followed Matar out of the room and watched as he worked with the MESC student director to begin taking down the posters on the wall across from the HUB. The posters featuring students, all from diverse backgrounds, discussing what the Middle East means to them.

The maps of the Middle East, with the

pushpins scattered like stars in the sky, showing where students are from: Armenia, Egypt, Palestine and more.

Middle Eastern Week is clearly over. But the future of the Middle Eastern Student Center, and the students who ensured it occurred, seems likely to stretch forward as far as the ■H sky itself.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

FOOD

TRUCK Festival

By Maxine Arellano, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Richard Lin

W

ith spring quarter in full swing, everything is on a roll — including lunch options. There wasn’t an open spot around the Bell Tower last Wednesday, April 16, as UCR hosted the second annual Food Truck Festival. Some of the veteran food trucks got comfortable at their regular spots outside the Rivera library. Students got reacquainted with the classics of Rice and Fire Balls, Baconmania, Meat the Greek, Waff-N-Roll and (one that never fails to please) Potato Tornado; all who have graced R’side with their presence in the past from last year’s festival or other various events. But they all made room for the newbies as Yalla Truck, Game On Gourmet, Farmer’s Belly and many more nestled between them. Students either watched the crowd mosey from truck to truck or cleared their sched-

ules to experience the body-to-body rhymes to the infectious beats that movement as they waited for anything had anyone who could keep a beat other than Panda Express. moving. Clubs and organizations Waiting in line tabled around the for food or an openperformance and ing attraction? got into the show Students either watched as some even broke Guests pondered the question as they the crowd mosey from truck out the rave whistle, skimmed (and evenwhich got everyto truck or cleared their one pumped. Danctually memorized) the menus that hung schedules to experience the ers and eaters were found in every coroutside the food trucks. Since the body-to-body movement ner.

Waff-N-Roll proFood Truck Festival as they waited for anything vided shade for the started as an accessory to the tradi- other than Panda Express. determined guests who waited for the tional Nooner, this “world’s best wafyear did the festival fle sandwiches.” justice. Twice as big Some didn’t know as last year, hungry guests were treated to twice as big of if waffle sandwiches even existed and a show by special guest and record- others were regulars to the unique ing artist, T. R@bb. T. R@bb spat his treat. Amanda Bigart and Spencer

Saks, first- and second-year political science majors, enjoyed the pulled pork and fried chicken sandwiches after the 40-minute wait for around $8.50 each. Even though they sound like questionable choices, both said the price and wait was totally worth it. Both students seemed like waffle sandwich vets, but this was their first time participating in the Food Truck Festival and would like to see it happen even more often.

Many agreed on wanting the festival to occur more often. The recurring thought filtered through the buzzing crowd outside every food truck. Many suggested having the event quarterly rather than annually. Even though a quarterly festival wouldn’t be the show-stopping event that calls for roaming police like this one did, it ► SEE FOOD TRUCK, PAGE 20

T h e s e c o n d a n n u a l F o o d Tr u c k F e s t i v a l w a s h e l d a ro u n d t h e B e l l To w e r l a s t We d n e s d a y.

Students waited in line to try the unique foods being sold by the various vendors. Alt h o u g h w a i t t i m e s w e re l o n g , o f t e n c l i m b i n g p a s t t h e 3 0 - m i n u t e m a r k , h o rd e s o f s t u d e n t s d i d n ’t m i n d a s t h e y f l o o d e d t h e B e l l To w e r i n b e t w e e n c l a s s e s t o g r a b a d e l i c i o u s b i t e .

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

17

21CLUB and over

packinghouse brewing co.

Naman Patel, Contributing Writer

t

he craft beer industry is alive and well in the Inland Empire!

Over the last couple of years new microbreweries have been popping up all over the place. One of the more recent breweries is Packinghouse Brewing Company, located off of Central Avenue next to the Riverside Municipal Airport.

Packinghouse originally started back in 2009 brewing their original beers: the Heritage Pale Ale and the Riley’s Irish Red. Since then they have significantly scaled up their production from small 30-gallon batches. The main area is very small, with just enough seating for 1618 people. In the center is a chalkboard calendar filled with local events, enticing customers to return for Hump Day specials ($1.00 off pints on Wednesdays) or local beer tastings in the area. The main reason for the lack of seating is to accommodate the massive tanks in the back storage area, which houses two 300-gallon and two 450-gallon tanks.

Due to the small size of the brewery, Packinghouse is not capable of producing a vast number of beers on a constant basis.

They instead focus on a small number of simple beers they can make year-round with the occasional experimental beer or beer series. The whiteboard behind the main counter lists all the available beers on tap along with the prices for tasters, pints and growler fills. (There was even one for water, coming in at 0.0 ABV.) I had gotten a flight of the five available beers, all lined up on a paddle ranging from the lightest in color to the darkest. This is usually the best and easiest arrangement to approach a beer flight, as you can clearly see which beer is which. The first beer was the Bell Tower Blonde; a very light-yellow brew that clocked in at 5.3 ABV. It had a very light feel to it and was very clean and

crisp, and overall quite refreshing. The Heritage Pale Ale was slightly stronger at 5.6 ABV, and had more of a golden hue.

There were clear hop notes in the aroma but nothing overwhelming; the beer had a light, slightly dry hoppy taste. Next was the Riley’s Irish Red, which had a deep amber color and also came in at a 5.3 ABV. The red ale gave off a sweet malty smell that followed through on the taste as well. However, the beer seemed a bit flat, lacking in carbonation. My favorite beer of the bunch was definitely the Black Beauty Cream Stout, at 5.1 ABV. Like all stouts, it was reminiscent of coffee both in color and in its aroma. It had a rich and full body but was not too heavy, leaving just a slight bitter taste in the mouth. Lastly, the Ol’ Smudge Pot, a barley wine, was unquestionably the strongest of the bunch, coming in at 8.1 ABV. It had a light amber color with a slightly sweet aroma to it.

However, it had a light feel for a stronger beer and had sweet fruity notes, similar to most barley wines. There is normally an IPA also available on tap, but at the time of my visit, it had not been kegged yet.

The selection of beers available on tap is varied enough to appeal to the average beer drinker, as well as to someone who considers themselves more of a connoisseur. The more original beers, such as the cream stout and barley wine, seem to be the better choices for microbreweries such as Packinghouse. In the future they will be releasing their IPA as well as new additions to their Greek series — an experimental IPA series, the most recent of which being the Pi IPA. Packinghouse Brewing Company is an excellent addition to the Riverside craft brewery scene and is brimming with potential. It will be interesting to see where Packinghouse goes and what will pop up next in ■H Riverside.

RICHARD LIN / HIGHLANDER

Packinghouse Brewery is a small local brewery in Riverside that focuses on delicious craft beers.

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

HIGHLANDER

Restaurant Review:

The Castle Restaurant Josh Conde, Staff Writer / Photos by RICHARD LIN

I

f you’re looking to escape the dry heat and atmosphere of Riverside (which is something we could all take a break from every once and a while) then you may find The Castle Restaurant to be a spectacular getaway that offers a surprising variety of both food and entertainment. This recently opened restaurant provides an exotic cuisine that brings a refreshing Mediterranean dining experience straight to the heart of Riverside.

Looks may be deceiving, which is something that must be taken into account before driving up to The Castle Restaurant on La Cadena Drive.

The initial appearance of the building may be unflattering at first; however, despite its outward appearance, The Castle Restaurant has much to offer. The second I stepped inside I immediately noticed two completely opposite settings that sat right next to each other. To the immediate left was a large sports bar while directly to the right was a large, exquisite dining

area. The contrast between the two areas was astonishing. The sports bar to the left was filled with everything you need to have a good night out watching the game. The room was filled with multiple couches and tables for seating as well as more than enough TV sets to watch whatever sports event might be going on at the time.

To the right side of the entrance was a completely different world.

The dining area to the right was a spacious, clean, well-lit room that gave off the atmosphere of an authentic Mediterranean paradise. Every piece of furniture from the tables to the

dining couches were brand-new and spotless. The black leather seats and red tablecloths will make you feel like you are truly dining in luxurious Mediterranean royalty. Not only are there beautiful paintings of lush countrysides on the walls, there is also soothing music playing simultaneously with the sound of an indoor waterfall.

Soon after stepping in I was immediately directed to the dining area where I sat down and took a look at the menu. The first thing that struck my mind was that I had absolutely no clue what any of the food items on the menu were.

Not only was the menu completely

This new restaurant is definitely deserving of much more attention and has the potential to become a new hub for UCR students as well as a new available location for all sorts of student events.

From the delicious food to the decor, The Castle Restaurant offers an authentic Mediterranean experience.

RATING: ★★★★☆

unfamiliar to me, it was also filled with a vast amount of options. After much thought and deliberation I decided to order the dish named Meza for Two. This is a $40 dish that serves two people and includes hummus, mutabal, labneh, feta cheese, grape leaves, tabbouleh, kibbeh nayyeh, two kibbeh maklieh, two falafels, fatayer cheese and a basket full of pita bread.

If you’re completely overwhelmed with all these new terms, you are definitely not alone. Once the dish arrived, I was once again perplexed with what to start with first and how to mix all the foods and dips that were available.

I started out by dipping the pita bread into the three dipping sauces, which were the hummus, mutabal and labneh. Each one was delicious and had its own unique, light flavor. The hummus had a smooth and creamy taste that had flavors of garlic, salt ► SEE castle restaurant, PAGE 19

HIGHLANDER ► castle From PAGE 18

and chickpeas, none of which were overwhelming. Each taste was light and mixed together in a perfect way.

The second dip was mutabal, which was comparable to the hummus; however, it was thicker and had a bit stronger and saltier flavor. The last of the dips was called labneh, which is an unsweetened, light yogurt dip that adds an overall interesting flavor to the entire meal.

Up next on the menu was the kibbeh nayyeh which is a plate of ground-up raw meat mixed in with wheat, which sounds unappealing at first.

However, this dish turned out to be my favorite part of the meal. The kibbeh nayyeh has a great flavor that can best be compared to slices of salami. The next two main dishes included the falafels and the kibbeh maklieh.

The falafels were footballshaped with ground meat inside and a deep-fried crust on the outside. The kibbeh maklieh was similar except with a bready, vegetarian center. Both had satisfying, hearty flavors that were once again delicious but not overwhelming. These were the main courses provided at the table yet there were even more options available to be mixed and combined to one’s desire.

FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

To finish off the meal I was presented with two desserts on the house, baklava and halawat jibn.

The first was a crunchy, flaky square of sweetened pistachio nuts mixed with rosewater while the second was a soft and chewy treat made of mozzarella dough topped with whipped cream.

Both desserts were absolutely amazing and a great change of pace from the typical ice cream and brownies you will find anywhere else.

The incredible meal offered at The Castle Restaurant only scratches the surface of what the place has to offer. Despite all the great features already mentioned, I casually refrained from mentioning the fact that The Castle Restaurant is also a hookah bar, where guests are welcomed to order a hookah and smoke in the beautiful patio area where there is tons of fresh air — not to mention the fact that there is also an arcade for kids and a large hall that can be used for all sorts of parties and events.

The Castle Restaurant is truly a place with something for everyone of every age. This new restaurant is definitely deserving of much more attention and has the potential to become a new hub for UCR students as well as a new available location for all sorts The Castle Restaurant offers many dishes, including the Meza for Two, which is a great way to try many of student events.

■H different Mediterranean dishes in one sitting.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

► FOOD TRUCK FROM PAGE 16

would definitely provide the extra chance to try something new.

Fourth-year psychology major Lauren Torres had the thought while waiting for her lobster burrito from the Japanese fusion truck “Let’s Roll It.” The self-described “not so sushi” truck served up unique and tempting orders such as its Bulgogi Quesadilla (a type of Korean BBQ) and Sweet Lobster Pocket with prices from $6.00 to $7.00. “We’re so used to, like, Panda … it’s nice to try something different and multiple things that are different,” Lauren explained. Something that offers more food options and accessibility may be something everyone is in favor of; many grew impatient as orders went in but many hesitated to come out of line. This affected third-year history student Deanne Elliot, as her stomach mimicked the sound of a dying whale while waiting in the blazing sun for her turkey sandwich from Game On Gourmet. She counted down to her next class with the 20-minute expected wait time just for the sandwich. Thirty minutes later, no Deanne and no sandwich.

When she eventually got it after her lecture, she explained it was pretty good “despite being cold. The jicama and onions are pickled so that’s different and interesting.”

As the crowd grew restless, picking a truck was then determined by the length of the line. However, lines were a bit deceiving. The Game On Gourmet, for example, got through

its line like a turnstile, showing off the special of the day: Corned Beef Brisket Grilled Cheese. With the news that they stopped serving the special shortly after they opened up shop, the next-most popular item was the pulled pork sandwich. John Garcia, psychology fourth-year, ordered the sandwich and said the coleslaw “is the part that impressed me.

Pulled pork is pulled pork … but I normally don’t like coleslaw so enjoying that was interesting.”

And with that, I joined armed students in the quest for something new. I ordered the pulled pork the other student talked about to see if the fuji apple slaw was worth it.

After 40 minutes of sore feet and sizzling cheeks, my name was called to receive something closer to a sloppy joe than a $13.00 sandwich. With a glance, I noticed it seemed to have missed one key aspect: the freaking slaw. I asked, for good measure, if it was indeed missing. The cook flicked the top bun off and toyed with the makeshift patty to make sure I wasn’t ripping off any apples.

“Oh my bad,” she giggled, “it’s just running around crazy back here.” She plopped the slaw on top and replaced the bun and left me meandering through the rest of the crowd. If it wasn’t for the refreshing crisp of the apples, it would be just a sloppy joe. The line may be something to consider when making a decision. Don’t be shocked with the prices and outcome.

Some trucks could not face UCR’s heat as some trucks closed a little bit sooner than

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

hoped. Cupcake Bar moved the line along rather quickly as it popped out its $3.00 treats like bubble wrap. But the fiveoption selection ran out a little too fast and had its doors close only an hour and a half into it.

One truck that could have taken all of those guests shuffling away from the closed trucks was Rolling Sushi Van. From beginning to end, the truck, which looked more like the Red Cross van parked outside Olmsted, only saw students pass it right by, taunting it while they enjoyed the grilled cheese from its neighbor — Grilled Cheese.

Food truck connoisseur and third-year biochemistry student Karen Huynh waited in line for Rice Balls of Fire, as the hot wings and boba were her favorite out of all the food trucks she had tried at the festival (which was almost all 20 trucks parked). She explained how the elevated prices for the food are “worth it because they are always on the go. You can’t really experience it all the time.” Karen hinted that prices tend to drop at various trucks near closing time, so if guests manned their stations and struck when the stove is hot (or cooling down in this case) they may have gotten lucky with cheap entrees.

“I like food, so it’s worth it to me,” is something we can all relate to as we contemplate if the wait and prices are worth it. However, it is almost unanimous that next year’s Food Truck Festival is definitely something to look forward to. Bigger and better than last year, we can only hope we can ■H see more as time goes on.

Issue 24 Correction The Highlander incorrectly included the following information in the features article entitled “The Coming Out Monologues: LGBT Students Make Noise on the Day of Silence.”

The article incorrectly attributed the possessive pronoun “her” to one of the event’s participants.

The article should have referred to the participant with the correct pronoun “his.” The Highlander sincerely regrets the error and apologizes to anybody who experienced emotional distress as a result of the mistake.

H u n g r y s t u d e n t s w a i t i n l i n e t o t r y a v a r i e t y o f u n i q u e f o o d s f ro m d i f f e re n t v e n d o r s p a r k e d a c ro s s c a m p u s . T h e f o o d s r a n g e d f ro m G re e k t o K o re a n a n d e v e r y t h i n g i n b e t w e e n .

HIGHLANDER

@highlanderradar

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Events this week Tuesday | 4/22

“The Vagina Monologues” @ HUB 302, 7 p.m.

Wednesday | 4/23

Barn Fest @ The Barn, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday | 4/23

Thou / Cloud Rat / Moxiebeat @ Blood-Orange Infoshop, 12 p.m.

Thursday | 4/24

Nas performs his set in 2003.

Girl Code Guy Code @ HUB 302, 7 p.m.

Photo courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

VIDEO GAME REVIEW GOAT SIMULATOR

Rating: ★★★☆☆

S

“

By: Jameson Adame, contributing writer

imulation” is a scary word to a good portion of the video game community.

Hearing or reading it, some people instantly conjure images of the annually rehashed “Farming Simulator” series or any number of games about trucking across the country or settling in Oregon. Onto this scene come the irreverent games of simulation like “Kerbal Space Program,” “Surgeon Simulator” and “Viscera Cleanup Detail” — all of which are determined to replace old ideas of what it means to simulate reality by simulating absurd fantasies. The latest of these surreal games is “Goat Simulator,” the most recent game from Swedish developers Coffee Stain Studios.

Right at boot-up, it’s easy to tell whether you’re going to end up enjoying “Goat Simulator” or not. The controls match the rest of the game in that they feel broken, and at times entirely unresponsive.

While this is normally a dealbreaker for other games, it feels entirely intentional for “Goat Simulator,” reflecting the developers’ bullet points on the key features section of the Steam page, which says, “MILLIONS OF BUGS! We’re only eliminating the crash-bugs, everything else is hilarious and we’re keeping it.” If you don’t like the idea of playing a game where enjoyment is derived from bad physics and constant in-game glitches, then you won’t like this.

The plot to “Goat Simulator”

is simple: You are a goat in a small sandbox world — now go crazy and have fun. Fortunately, this plot falls apart quicker than the fence penning you in at the beginning of the game and you’re left to your own

You are a goat in a small sandbox world — now go crazy and have fun. devices to make of the situation what you will. As a goat, you do normal goat things like move around, headbutt, lick things, ragdoll and slow down

time, all of which are necessary to destroy the environment and get scores for a variety of creative combos.

Coffee Stain Studios definitely had a sense of humor when making the game, as many of the hidden or hard-toreach sections of the game are genuinely hilarious, prompting your goat to take actions such as sacrificing people to the goat devil, or assuming the goat throne to summon peasants from the sky. As fun as these little jokes are, however, it’s also easy to discover everything the game has to offer within a few hours due to the small size of the map. While this could deter many from the game, there is also connectivity to Steam Workshop through “Goat Simulator,” enabling a huge

variety of mods and maps to be made by people who own the game — and allowing anyone who buys it to expect at least a few more hours of play than what they had originally payed for.

At $10.00 on Steam, this game is slightly expensive for what it is: a joke using physics and glitches. However, given the game’s inevitable expansion through the Steam Workshop, there are limitless possibilities as to what “Goat Simulator” might become in the future. If you’ve got the cash to spare and a few hours to kill, this is a great way to entertain yourself and even some friends. If you don’t find the premise funny or interesting though, give this one a pass in favor of something with better mechanics.

■H

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Refer to the ad on page 3 for more information, and come to our meetings every Monday at 5:15 in HUB 101 to become involved in UCR’s student newspaper.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

23

MUSIC REVIEWS Illmatic XX // NAS

Rating: ★★★★★ By: Juan Eduardo Flores, STAFF writer

W

ithin a rough timespan of a year, beginning mid-1993 and ending mid-1994, hip-hop presented some of the greatest and most influential albums within the genre. Wu-Tang Clan had “Enter the WuTang: 36 Chambers,” A Tribe Called Quest had “Midnight Marauders” and the legendary Notorious B.I.G. debuted with “Ready to Die.” Amongst these and other landmark releases, a dream influx of music for hiphop heads, shined an album from a young Queens native, Nasir Jones, or Nas, titled “Illmatic.”

The album is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with the re-release “Illmatic XX,” featuring original material with some remixes and extras, and a tour

by Nas wherein he’ll perform the album in its entirety — but back in 1994, Nas’ album wasn’t as applauded as it is now. The anticipated debut of this young MC, although critically acclaimed, had a puzzling reception as it didn’t have the sales to match its content, failing to reach Gold status in sales until two years after its release — yet it earned the coveted five mics from “The Source” (and controversially, at that).

Since then, the popularity and praise received by “Illmatic” has grown to proportions that at times overshadow its creator. But with its powerful vocabulary and graphic sound, “Illmatic” holds weight as a testament to young Nas’ New York hip-hop.

In the working stages of its birth, “Illmatic” had a last supper ensemble of hip-

hop legends behind it that encapsulated the sound of New York City. MC Serch executive produced, while Large Professor, Q-Tip, Pete Rock and DJ Premier handled most of the production that put 1994 New York City — in Nas’ specific case, Queensbridge — in a time capsule. After the album’s intro, the first song, Premier-produced “N.Y. State of Mind,” presents us a braggadocious New York City slum filled with ambition, riches and violence like none other. This is all realized through a light continuous horn and simple low-key piano notes, interjected by themes of violence and riches.

Then there’s the Large Professorproduced “It Ain’t Hard to Tell,” with anytime-of-day horns, sultry enough for a warm porchchillin’ type of day and cold enough for a nighttime cop encounter. The bassline growls throughout, while the impassioned instrumental chorus breaks are highlighted by the spirited male and female vocals that now define a hip-hop standard.

At a time where the relaxed West Coast style dominated the hip-hop sound, the production on “Illmatic” defined the New York City sound by paying homage to Nas’ home and bringing the best of a rough sampling sound on wax. In an ever-evolving musical landscape, “Illmatic” has a timeless sound because it’s rooted in its honest 1994 New York reality that can always be revisited without difficulty.

Lyrically, a 19-year-old Nas painted a verbal picture of New York life through his young

But with its powerful vocabulary and graphic sound, “Illmatic” holds weight as a testament to young Nas’ New York hip-hop.

eyes and wise mind. As easy as it could have been to create content centered solely on the pleasure and glorification of a street lifestyle, Nas observes the situation through a gray area, identifying the negatives within a lifestyle that he’s purposely participating in.

On “Life’s a Bitch” (which features AZ dropping one of the best verses, ever), Nas and AZ face their mortality and lifestyle pleasures. “I switched my motto; instead of saying ‘fuck tomorrow’ / That buck that bought a bottle could’ve struck the lotto.” In another instance, Nas says, “Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin / End like Leviathan,” echoing the consequences of his lifestyle while asserting MC prowess.

DESIGN

WRITE SHOOT

Courtesy of Columbia Records

Even though he does deter the criminal lifestyle while also genuinely partaking in it, Nas doesn’t position himself as morally superior, but rather openly displays the lifestyle for what it is. Nas will just as easily say, “I drink a little vodka, spark a L and hold a Glock” unabashedly, and what more could be asked of an MC than overall authenticity?

There’s no better example than my personal favorite, “The World is Yours,” where Nas is uplifting, critical of religion, his past wrongdoings and future improvements. “While all the old folks pray to Jesus, soakin’ their sins in trays / Of holy water, odds against Nas are slaughter / Thinking a word best describing my life to name my daughter /

for the Highlander

My strength, my son, the star, will be my resurrection / Born in correction, all the wrong shit I did, he’ll lead a right direction.”

Twenty years in, “Illmatic” seems to be lauded more and more with time’s passage.

The album now consistently appears atop “best of” lists by golden-age purists and general fans. Many would even argue that it’s a perfect album, and that it’s the measuring stick that every hip-hop album should measure itself against — but its unique soul and grit simply cannot be duplicated. That’s not because it’s unfathomable for something to be as good, but because Nas illustrates a city, a style and a mind perfectly faithful to itself: Nasir Jones H living in Queens, N.Y. in 1994. ■

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

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

The Vaginas are Victorious

By Edwin Garcia, Staff Writer // Photos by Jason Lin

Mitzi Salgado (left), together with Marisa Alverson and Gabby Bobadilla, portrays the worries that go through their minds during sex. Sarah Doyle (right) talks about a woman’s story regarding anxiety in revealing that she actually enjoys sex.

A

s a male, I did not really know what I was walking into when I entered “The Vagina Monologues,” or whether I would even be able to relate to what was going on. And as the title suggests, the vagina was the focus of pretty much every story — at least, on the surface.

Violence against women is a reality that everyone wants to ignore, though the danger is real. Whether it is through spousal abuse or the reality that is rape, violence against women is not as uncommon as we might like to believe, and in a world where the male always seems to sit at the top of the food chain, it is important to open our minds to the horrors that occur daily. Our diverse campus asks us to think critically every day, so it is only fitting that “The Vagina Monologues” made its way to our campus. This episodic play

by Eve Ensler gives different stories from different women all relating back to the vagina. The point of the play is to bring awareness to the issue of violence and oppression against women.

While a lot of the stories dealt with serious issues, it did not take itself too seriously. Plenty of the stories left the audience in stitches — for instance, one of the stories, “The Flood,” was about an older lady speaking about not visit-

ing her “downstairs” in forever because, when she was younger, “the flood” would unleash when she got too excited. Once, she accidentally “flooded” on a boy’s car seat, so she did her best to not allow that to happen again. It was a funny tale, but the important thing to take away as an audience member is that no one ever told her it was very natural, and she should not see her body’s reaction in such a neg-

starring Connie Cheng, told the story of a woman who knew nothing of her own vagina until she went to a workshop. There is also the story of “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could,” which told the tale of a girl who was made to believe that her vagina was something to be ashamed of, but eventually learned to love it with the help of an older, more experienced woman. Through episodes such as these, the

The two women, Judith Osorio and Meredith Osias, gave a powerful performance that silenced the room and brought some to tears. ative way.

One of the stories that stuck with me was the one about witnessing a birth. The story focused on the sacrifice the vagina makes; after birth, it is wrecked, bruised and bloodied, a perspective which gave me a new way of looking at the beauty of birth. The other stories were about accepting the vagina, pointing out how women have nowhere to go to ask questions about it. For example, “The Vagina Workshop,”

play pointed out that women should not be so scared to reach out to someone to help them understand their bodies — and also showed that they are not alone.

Not every story was humorous, however. One of the more moving narratives, entitled “My Vagina Was My Village,” had a much darker tone as it spoke about the rape and female genital mutilation that still occurs all over the world. The two women, Judith Osorio and Meredith

Osias, gave a powerful performance that silenced the room and brought some to tears. And even though I pretend to be knowledgeable of global goings-on, I was completely shocked at some of the gruesome things that go unchecked in parts of the world — such as the slicing of the clitoris and complete mutilation of other parts of the vagina.

According to the statistics given out during the play, one billion women on the planet have been violated. What have we done recently to prevent that? That is the importance of having “The Vagina Monologues” on our campus. You can’t help prevent something if you aren’t informed about it, so that is always the first step: awareness. And on that note, it was great that all of the funds raised from ticket sales went toward the V-Day organization, helping to end violence against women.

Walking out of HUB 302, I felt more aware and comfortable with the idea of talking about the vagina. The play opened my eyes to the prevalence of violence against women, and made me feel more sensitive to the subject. Hopefully more people get to experience this wonderful play so that, slowly but surely, its message is talked about — and so fewer ■H women have to suffer.

Paulina Tinana (left) uses an excerpt to explain that women, too, have a natural aggresiveness just like men. Connie Cheng (center) discusses how she discovered her identity to the assembled audience. Cali Fleming (right) presents a monologue portraying a women’s adventures in love and finding affection toward her own vagina.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

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MUSIC REVIEWS Overdrive // Shonen Knife

Rating: ★★★☆☆

S

By: Hana Kong, contributing writer

MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101

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till going strong in their now 33-year-long career, Shonen Knife released “Overdrive” earlier this month. Formed in Osaka, this three-part group has a sound that has consistently been associated with pop-punk and alternative rock. Although current members Naoko Yamano, Ritsuko Taneda and Emi Morimoto are all natives of Japan, “Overdrive” is one of many albums that are produced in English. For those with even the slightest interest in Japanese rock, Shonen Knife is definitely one of the names that should be familiar.

With a fan base consisting of Nirvana, Red Kross and Sonic Youth, you might get a better idea about what kind of audience they attract.

Shonen Knife has a very straightforward sound that incorporates the most honest and pure essence of rock. What makes this album so accessible is the raw and unpolished way the music is performed.

You can almost imagine the band casually playing in your garage, trying to work out those slight imperfections in vocal timing and layering. All of the tracks are produced with the basic essentials: an electric guitar, drums and a bass guitar.

Lyrically, Shonen Knife is so distinct because of their cute, often humorous subject matter. “The Bad Luck Song” is an especially great anthem during this slow transition

into spring. Along with a very rhythmic and distinctly poprock sound, it incorporates uplifting lyrics that encourage you to turn your bad luck into good luck, such as “This is the best way of thinking.”

“Dance to the Rock” is another really easy listen; its basic chord progression is accompanied by lighter lyrics, minus the electronic sound of synthesizers. These would definitely fit well into a casual mix CD for a friend, with a “for late-night drives” recommendation scribbled on the cover.

Strangely enough, songs like “Shopping” and “Green Tea” might guide you into some greatly unanticipated segues of self-reflective thought.

In the former track, Yamano recalls a few incredibly wise words from a man: “There’s nothing that you can’t buy with money.” Shopping her way into happiness clearly seems to be working for Yamano, as she sings about it throughout the entirety of the track. Perhaps the incessant reiteration of her love for shopping hints at our obsessively consumerist culture. Strictly taken from a stylistic perspective, however, it definitely takes a bit of teeth-clenching patience to get through a track where the majority of the verses and chorus are made up of a single word repeated in near monotone.

Even still, “Black Crow”

serves as an early reminder that they are absolutely capable of creating a slower, more solemn sound while Yamano beckons a crow not to wake her from her dreams.

“Fortune Cookie” also offers a different feel in this album with a smoother melody and

Courtesy of Good Charamel

more coherent vocals. While it still has a sense of innocence, its simple harmonies give the song more of a typical, nostalgic feel. Although these on-point harmonies are not displayed in every track, it is one of the many reasons why I find myself coming back to

this album again and again.

Considering that the band has successfully produced 19 albums to date, there is no doubt that the ladies of Shonen Knife understand just what it takes to maintain a steadfast following of ■H devotees.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

MOVIE REVIEWS Coming out soon:

Bicycling with Moliere

From The Rough

Locke

The German Doctor

A Haunted House 2

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

By: Stasean Washington, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I have a headache from being hit over the head with blatant punchlines.

“A Haunted House 2” is the sequel to Marlon Wayans’ and Rick Alvarez’s 2013 “comedy” “A Haunted House.” The film picks up after Malcolm (Wayans) leaves his girlfriend for dead and starts a new life with his new girlfriend Megan (Jaime Pressly). As they move into their dream home, Malcolm is once again plagued by bizarre paranormal events. The film mocks the found-footage genre and recent horror films such as “The Conjuring,” “Insidious: Chapter 2” and “The Last Exorcism Part II.” It is your standard parody, meaning that you should be in for slapstick comedy and nothing truly serious — but the only joke, really, is the film itself.

Right off the bat, “A Haunted House 2” lacks subtlety. The film hopes to create comedy by slugging the audience repeatedly with each punchline.

Even after the joke has been delivered, it continues on in an almost cringe-worthy fashion.

For example, one of the many aspects of horror that the movie tries to make fun of is the tie between horror films and animals. When moving into the new house, the family has a pet, which refuses to enter the house because it’s haunted. Well, the film tries to make it fun by having a random safe drop on Malcolm’s beloved dog. This is followed by almost 10 minutes of Wayans’ character doing crazy things, like trying to inflate the dog with air, and chasing after it once it flies off. The film assumes the audience needs to be thrown the literal meaning behind the joke, but a joke is funny when the audience gets the message behind what you’re trying to say. For most of the “comedy” in this film, the jokes are shoved in the audience’s face as if to say, “This is where you should laugh.”

Part of what makes parodies really good is if the films understand the underlying meaning of the content it is parodying. This is not the case with “A Haunted House 2.” The film tries to make up

for its lack of knowledge by implementing what the writers think the audience thinks is funny. This causes the film to be plagued by racial stereotypes, sex and drugs. And these jokes are not creative in the slightest.

Whenever Malcolm and Miguel (Gabriel Iglesias) get on screen, all you will hear are race jokes that you have probably overheard a thousand times already.

The only redeeming factor of the film happens to be Wayans’

Courtesy of Open Road Films

unrelenting effort to go above and beyond to get the audience to laugh at terrible jokes. The film’s energy is mainly carried out through Wayans, and no one else in the film. Unlike the first film, “A Haunted House 2” does not have the secondary energy of co-star Essence Atkins. And while Pressly’s character is stiff and does not get as down and dirty to add life to such terrible comedy, Wayans puts on his best jester hat and really works with what he has at his disposal,

and in some cases, it helps.

Long gone are the days of smart parody movies like “Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood,” “Scary Movie” and “Scary Movie 2.”

Without the guidance of older brothers Keenan and Shawn, Marlon misses his mark terribly, almost as if he is a yin without a yang. Marlon can deliver a great comedic performance, but as for writing his own content, that’s another story.

■H

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

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UCR baseball earns sweep over Davis, now sits in third place Alexander Manzo Contributing Writer April 17, 2014

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Highlanders 12 - Aggies 9

The Highlanders came out on fire in the opening game of the series against UC Davis to defeat the Aggies 12-9. UC Riverside piled on 10 runs in the first three innings before the visiting squad made a late charge in the ball game.

UCR’s second baseman Joe Chavez started the first inning with a single to center field and stole second when the starting pitcher Harry Stanwyck wasn’t paying attention. UCR’s Devyn Bolasky reached first on a bunt to have runners on first and third. First baseman Francisco Tellez came up to bat, hitting a sacrifice fly for Chavez to get the Highlanders’ first score of the night, 1-0.

Chavez wasn’t the only one able to steal bases as teammate Bolasky reached third off of two stolen bases, putting him in perfect scoring position. Highlander Nick Vilter was walked, putting runners on both first and third again before Stanwyck was called for a balk to put the Highlanders up by two.

David Andriese was able to hit to center and let Vilter head home taking the lead to three.

UC Davis tried to come back with an RBI from Spencer Brann’s double to make the score 3-1. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Stanwyck issued a walk to make the score 4-1, Highlanders.

Stanwyck would be replaced after that with relief pitcher Raul Jacobson. With the bases still loaded, it was difficult to get out of that situation without added runs. When UC Riverside’s Thomas Walker got to the plate, he hit a grand slam to take a massive lead, 8-1. Tellez gave the Highlanders two more runs in the third with his single to reach double digits, 10-1.

The sixth inning would truly be the number of the beast and that beast would be an Aggie. UCR starter Jacob Smigelski was replaced after throwing 100 pitches by Angelo Lingos, who was his reliever. Lingos couldn’t stop the next five batters. Joie Dunyon then jumped in to try and save the inning but his arm wouldn’t be fast enough for the next three batters, changing the score to 10-7. Highlander Dylan Stuart was the right pitcher to finish the inning by retiring his three batters. Yet with an RBI ground, the gap was down to two.

Aaron lai / HIGHLANDER

Zach Varela rears up for a pitch in the game against UC Davis.

Stuart was clutch in the seventh but let an unearned run slip right past him to let the Aggies score again before closing out the inning. Andriese hit an RBI single when the Highlanders came up in the bottom of the eighth for the final run of the game, 12-9. The ninth would be Stuart’s pinnacle moment by not letting the Aggies continue to close the game and get his second save of the season.

April 18, 2014

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Highlanders 7 - Aggies 6

The Highlanders squeaked out a 7-6 victory over UC Davis, holding onto an early lead after the Aggies almost came back in the eighth inning with two runs scored.

UC Davis scored in the first inning when left fielder Seth Batty reached scoring position off of a double by Kevin Barker.

Once Adam Young got his single, the bases were loaded and the Aggies were ready.

Nick Lynch hit a single and Batty reached home. The Highlanders closed the inning by catching a popup by Tino Lipson.

The fourth inning would be the catalyst for UC Riverside, as the team scored twice

to take the lead of the game. David Andriese hit an RBI, sending Francisco Tellez home followed by Nick Vilter reaching home off of a sacrifice fly by Thomas Walker.

Cody Hough would lead the fifth inning with the only home run of the night to make it 3-1. However, it wouldn’t be the end for the Highlanders once Walker stepped up to bat with the bases loaded and produced a triple RBI, making the score 6-1. To close the inning, Matt Ellis hit an RBI for Walker to reach home before getting caught up at second base.

UCR starting pitcher Zach Varela was replaced in the sixth with Jordan Kron after loading the bases with a single by error and two walks. Kron would do his best to close the inning but the Aggies scored three times to make the score 7-4.

The crowd gasped in the eighth inning when Aggie Austin March pinch-hit for Brian Ruhm and hit a triple for Tanner Bily to reach home. The Highlanders were still holding onto the lead, 7-5, before Evan Heptig finished the inning with a grounder to let March reach home, 7-6.

Closer Kevin Sprague came in the for the

Highlanders to close out the inning with two strikeouts against Batty and Kevin Barker.

Young did his best to keep the Aggies alive but hit a grounder to shortstop, resulting in UCR’s second straight win.

April 19, 2014

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Highlanders 4 - Aggies 2

The UC Riverside baseball team made it a clean sweep over the Aggies with a 4-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Plex.

With the win, UCR (17-18, 6-3) now sits with the third-best record in the Big West standings.

The game began as an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel as Highlander starter Ben Doucette and Aggie Evan Wolf only gave up a handful of hits and single walks in both pitchers’ innings of work.

UC Davis scratched first in the game as Doucette gave up two runs in the top of the third inning. UC Riverside responded, however, scoring three unearned runs in the sixth inning followed by another run powered by an Austin March double, 4-2.

The Highlanders next face San Diego on ■H Tuesday, April 22 in San Diego, Calif.

Softball goes winless against Cal State Northridge in three-game series cody nguyen Senior Staff Writer April 18, 2014

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Matadors 8 - Highlanders 0

A three-game series against the Cal State Northridge Matadors got off to a rough start for the UCR softball team Friday, as they were shut out by the visiting Matadors, 8-0.

The match remained scoreless in the first two innings, but Northridge was able to get on the board at the top of the third inning when Taylor Nate’s single to center field allowed a runner on third to reach home.

Subsequently, Nate stole second base, leaving runners on second and third. A double by Katie Hooper put both runners at home, increasing the margin to 3-0.

The Matadors kept piling on in the fourth, scoring two runs off a Taylor Glover double.

In the fifth and sixth innings, the Highlanders managed to keep

Northridge off the board, but still could not score a run of their own.

With the coming of the seventh and final inning, the Matadors drilled the final nails into the Highlanders’ coffin when they scored three runs to open up a commanding 8-0 lead over the helpless home team, enough to secure victory and pitch a shutout on the road.

April 18, 2014

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Matadors 3 - Highlanders 2

In the second match of their back-to-back on Friday, the Highlanders fared a bit more competitively, but were still unable to top the visiting Matadors.

After a scoreless first four innings, the Highlanders got on the board first after a Haley Harris sacrifice bunt allowed Kris DeAnda to reach home for the first run of the match. Natalie Sanchez, the next batter up, subsequently hit a double that

sent another Highlander to home plate, giving the Highlanders an early 2-0 lead.

Just a half inning later at the top of the sixth, the Matadors replied with their first run of the game when Taylor Glover reached home after a sacrifice fly

by Taylor Nate.

With the lead cut in half at the top of the seventh, the Matadors found themselves in prime position to steal one away from the Highlanders. A throwing error

by UCR third baseman Taylor Wright allowed a Matador runner to score and tie the game. Not too long after, a Madalyne Handy bunt sent Kaitlin Toerner home to give the Matadors a 3-2 lead.

At the bottom of the seventh, it appeared as though the Highlanders were ready to come from behind with runners on second and third, but three straight outs vanquished any hope of a comeback and allowed the Northridge Matadors to secure

victory.

April 19, 2014

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Matadors 9 - Highlanders 3

After losing two straight to the Matadors on Friday, the Highlanders hoped that Saturday’s final match of the series would bring better fortune.

However, the Matadors once again topped the home team, completing a three-game series sweep.

The match got off to a quick start Saturday, with the Matadors scoring the first two runs at the top of the first inning. In the next half-inning, the Highlanders scored when a Natalie Sanchez single allowed Dionne Anderson to reach home from third base.

At the bottom of the second, Stephanie Tickemyer reached home with help from a Sommer Wilson single, tying the game at two runs apiece.

After scoreless third and fourth innings, the Matadors’

offense caught fire, scoring two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. The Highlanders tried to keep pace but only came out of the carnage with a single run.

Three runs by the Matadors at the top of the seventh extended their lead to 9-2, forcing the Highlanders to have to score eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the match. To no one’s surprise, the Highlanders were not up to the task, with the match ending in favor of the Matadors.

During the game, Anderson broke the Big West record for stolen bases in a single season.

She now has 41 steals on the season.

Friday’s and Saturday’s losses drop the Highlanders to a paltry 2-10 in conference play (good enough for worst in the conference), and 21-24 overall.

Next week, April 26, the team heads to Davis to take on the ■H seventh-place Aggies.

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. SPORTS .

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDERS Around The Big West

By Jason Ahn, Contributing Writer

Men’s golf swings its way into fifth place at the UC Santa Barbara Intercollegiate

Women’s golf places sixth at the Big West Conference Championship

The UCR men’s golf team finished in fifth place last week at the OGIO UC Santa Barbara Intercollegiate, sinking their shots in 882 strokes over the two-day tournament. UCR ended the first day with a fifth-place finish, only five strokes from leading UC Santa Barbara. On day two, UCR was able to hold onto the fifth-best score, finishing only six strokes short of fourth-place Air Force. Brandon Tsujimoto shot 74-72-71 (217) and led the Highlanders, followed closely behind by David Gazzolo, who shot 73-69-77 (219). Sam Gillis was next with 70-73-77 (220) and Pachara Sakulyong shot 74-79-73 (226). Ryan Smith rounded out the squad with a score of 241 (78-83-80).

The women’s golf squad improved its score in each round of the Big West Conference Championship, finishing sixth out of eight teams. UC Davis took the title for the fifth-straight year, which took place in San Luis Obispo, Calif. However, UCR’s Savannah Vilaubi waltzed her way into fifth place with the help of a third-round score of 70, finishing with a stroke count of 221. Brittani Ferraro finished 22nd with a score of 237, while Yuri Ahn fell one swing short at 238, good for 24th place. Isabelle Shee had 240 on her score card, while Haley Wian had 241.

Photos courtesy of UCR Athletics

Men’s tennis sets sights on conference tournament after losing to Hawaii and Irvine The UCR men’s tennis team lost to the Hawaii Warriors, 6-1, last Monday and lost their season finale Wednesday to UC Irvine, 7-0. UCR doubles team Luis Gastao and Sean Robles as well as Cooper Bridge stole two wins against the Warriors 8-5 and 1-6, 7-5 and 106, respectively. Against UC Irvine, the men’s doubles team came close in the number two match, but fell 8-7.

“It was a tough loss today,” Head Coach Tim Downey stated. “We’ll do our best to rebound and be ready for the conference tourney next week.”

Women’s tennis falls to ranked UCI and CSULB The UC Riverside women’s tennis team lost to No. 65 UC Irvine and No. 52 Long Beach State 7-0 on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Both teams swept the Highlanders 7-0. UCI reigned in the doubles points and also won straight sets in all six singles matches. The 49ers also recorded 8-0 victories in all three doubles matches as well as straight-set wins in each six contests. The Highlanders now prepare for the Big West Conference Championship set to start on Thursday, April 24 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif.

Track and field take on the Mt. Sac Relays and Beach Invitational The men and women’s track and field team visited the Beach Invitational and the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays over the weekend. Shaneen Casada finished in hammer throw in 15th place with a 49.07-meter throw.

Noelle Abboud led the women in the 400-meter dash with a 10th-place finish of 56.23. At Mt. Sac., Ted Hooper long-jumped to eighth place with a 7.53m mark.

The team of Hooper, Michael Kojin, Justin Harris and Bryan Adams competed in the men’s 4x100 meter relay, H finishing with a time of 41.24, good for 12th place. ■