2013-2014 Highlander Year in Review

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2013 2014 - YEAR IN REVIEW -

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YEar in review

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

HIGHLANDER

news This year in

Compiled by Sandy Van

Campus growth outpaces services, facilities With student enrollment hitting the 22,000 mark, the university has expanded programs offered by the UCR School of Medicine, but faces further obligations to grow campus space, services and resources.

Welcoming its first class of 50 during a white coat ceremony, the UCR School of Medicine established a three-year residency program centered in the Coachella Valley which will start in 2015. In addition, the medical school partnered with Riverside County to sponsor an accredited psychiatry program as a way of recruiting, training and keeping psychiatrists in the region.

Amid rising costs of books and maintenance, the university privatized the UCR Campus Store and handed over management to Barnes and Noble. However, there are more demands for further growth and services for UCR. As one of the biggest music festivals at UC Riverside, HEAT sold out within days and held a price tag of $600,000.

Thousands of UCR students were notified of its cancellation only 45 minutes before it was expected to start. Facing the issue of limited space, the Highlander Union Board will consider the possibility of relocating the music festival to a new venue in the future.

New faces at UCR and throughout the UC

LAURA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER

nalizing contract agreements with UC labor unions. With an additional $142.2 million allocation from the state, UCOP also executed a systemwide tuition freeze, which is going into its second year.

On a campuswide level, Wilcox vowed to increase the number of faculty members by 300. Announcing intentions to construct a new interdisciplinary research building dedicated to faculty research, Wilcox is also seeking to strengthen international ties with the UCR research community through the creation of a vice provost of international affairs position.

Rise in UCR student demonstrations

ASUCR

Capturing some of the major headlines in the Highlander this year, the 2013-14 ASUCR senate rightly deserved the recognition. As one of the most competitive elections, this year’s ASUCR elections witnessed a student voter turnout of 38 percent — the highest in UCR history.

Marketing played a crucial role in grabbing the attentions of Highlanders, most of whom became familiar with the ASUCR political parties: [YOUR]SIDE, ABC: A Better Choice and Vox Populi. More than $14,000 was spent on elections, including items such as T-shirts and Carl’s Jr. Amid the massive media attention, the senate struggled to address concerns over elections proceedings and bylaws, which led to the disqualification of seven candidates within days of the ASUCR elections.

As issues of unlimited campaign spending and party politics circulate in next year’s elections, the new student senate will face the challenges of enforcing punishments and penalties that appeared nearly nonexistent this year.

At the same time, the senate was also responsible for organizing campuswide calls for solidarity and mobilization, as seen through a candlelight vigil to mourn for the victims of the mass shooting near UCSB. Other pertinent projects launched by ASUCR included: greater outreach to athletes, fixing broken links to research sites and the addition of phone chargers and a printing kiosk at the HUB information desk.

UCR, along with the rest of the UC system, experienced transitions in leadership through the selection of UC President Janet Napolitano and UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox.

Napolitano, the more controversial figure of the two, faced systemwide protests due to immigration policies enacted under her watch as former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Arizona governor. Napolitano attempted to face some of her fiercest critics by allocating $5 million to undocumented students, reducing the budget of the UC Office of the President (UCOP) by 6.5 percent and fi-

AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER

Whether big or small, student demonstrations remain a hallmark of the UC system and this was further exemplified throughout the year by Highlanders. Student demonstrations were at their highest with students rallying around both local and systemwide issues.

Major protests led by members of ASUCR revolved around city housing ordinances — prohibiting homeowners from renting homes to four or more residents and the building of additional rooms within single-family households — that appeared discriminatory to stu-

dents living around Riverside.

As a result, students presented their own legislation to the city that they hope to one day implement.

Political activism was also visible through major UC labor unions such as AFSCME 3299, which continued to step into the spotlight by demanding greater protections and levels of staffing. Representing over 20,000 UC service and patient care workers, the union launched systemwide strikes and bargained for 18 months until reaching an agreement with UCOP.

Growing demands to represent campus diversity Diverse ways of thinking and demographics have taken the form of student-led initiatives, such as the creation of a Middle Eastern Student Center (the first of its kind in the U.S.), a student-initiated department that outreaches to campus organizations with ties to the Middle East, North Africa and South and Southwest Asia.

To represent the ethnic and gender student programs on campus, senators also established a 12-member diversity council and later rallied on be-

half of a funding referendum (which failed before the student body) to support these departments.

The passage of a gender studies requirement also picked up momentum from students after controversy arose when an ASPB event displayed a pair of feminine-looking legs attached to an inflatable fun house. If passed through the Academic Senate, the mandate will require students take a gender studies course before they graduate.

End of the year As the academic year comes to a close, the UCR student body can look forward to the grand opening of the Student Recreation Center and Glenmor 2 in fall 2014.

In addition, the university is also seeking to increase parking accessibility through the creation of Lot 32 and improve bicycling safety through implementing a

double bike lane. Further attempts to modernize the campus are seen through the solar panel installations and the Center for Environmental Research and Technology’s Sustainable Electric Grid project, an initiative to build the largest energy research center in California to

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

YEAR IN REVIEW

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

A&E

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This year in

Compiled by Nathan Swift

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lyric from the song “My Body” by Young the Giant reads, “I won’t quit / ‘Cause I want more.” That best sums up the attitude of every Highlander this school year, as UCR’s thriving arts and entertainment venues continued to produce awesome events that we just couldn’t get enough of. Even with a few moments of disappointment here and there, nobody could deny that the artistic culture of Riverside, is, and has been, on a roll that can’t be stopped. Between the fresh faces of the fall and the wearied gazes of the spring, the substance that held us all together was the idea that we simply couldn’t quit — because we wanted more.

Musical festivals: Bigger, better, but we still miss Gambino

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

Drama: Wide selection of plays broaden what it means to be human UCR has fantastic theater, and this year proved that again. All of the plays were directed, acted and produced by UCR students and faculty, managing to pull at the heartstrings of students, with each portraying different stories that allowed students to connect with raw human emotions. A few of the plays, such as “Sumi’s House” and “Blackballin’,” explored the different consequences of using a subjective story to illustrate larger issues of race and race relations in society; some of

the plays, like “The Rover” and “In the Heights,” looked at the social interactions between certain communities and how they are subject to change. Many undergrad playwrights also presented their own plays for UCR to view, which were performed in the last few weeks of the school year. All of these creative pieces allowed our sensibilities to be spurred and manipulated, and with that we are shown the delicate, glass-framed vision of what it means to be human.

The musical festivities opened up with Block Party in the fall, where students had a chance to listen to a diverse stage performance, with Cher Lloyd, Schoolboy Q and Young the Giant each putting on great shows that ignited the crowd through the entire night. Seeing how tough it would be to top an event successfully headlined by an indie rock band, UCR took the chance to beat that by inviting an even more diverse array of musical artists for winter quarter’s Heat concert, headlined by the one and only Childish Gambino. Unfortunately, Heat had to be cancelled at the last minute due to safety concerns over the weather, and many excited students and faculty were supremely disappointed, especially upon learning that the cancelled show cost $600,000. The school decided to introduce a less-diverse lineup during Spring Splash by inviting Ludacris, T-Pain, Juicy-J and Tokimonsta. With a performance that was largely a hit, Spring Splash was an energetic conclusion to a year that proved that UCR can bring quality music to its students.

At the Barn: Diversity at its finest Building off of the steam of last year’s shows, the Barn became center stage for dazzling performances from incredibly diverse musical acts.

The groups that rocked the Barn’s small, packed stage ranged from jazz and swing with Gypsies and Judges, to hip-hop with the duo Step Brothers; from indie rock in the form of

White Arrows to indie pop with Naive Thieves. The Barn was also host of a thrillingly hair-raising spoken word poetry reading. Themes of racism and of how to love others were spoken to the crowd by poets Franny Choi, Rudy Francisco, Dante Basco and Gemineye. And Comedy Apocalypse ended the year on a high, gut-busting note.

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

Film: Students, professionals alike show off their inner Kubrick

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

This school year held the second annual Media and Cultural Studies Film Festival, where 18 student films were showcased at the University Village theater. No submissions looked the same, with genres ranging from documentaries and mockumentaries, to horror and even cartoon animation.

Among the films that stood out was the one that took home best documentary, Allison Moore’s “Aftershock,” a harrowing look at Islamophobia in a

post-9/11 America. In addition to that, Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation came to UCR, representing to students the creative outlet that has helped launch the careers of dozens of famous animators, with the most notable being South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Overall, students can be happy that film is represented at UCR as an innovative and original channel for expressing truths that words alone cannot grasp.

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YEAR IN

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

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Michael Rios editor-in-chief ‘13-’14

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YEAR IN REVIEW

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

HIGHLANDER

features This year in

Compiled by Maxine Arellano

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“Wait? UCR Has Events?”

ow does one review a year’s worth of glory? Lots of scrolling and reminiscing, that’s how. Highlander News itself went on a whirlwind through 20132014. From new additions to classic favorites, Features had a phenomenal year. As the last issue of the 2013-2014 comes upon us, we can look back and see what kind of trail we have left behind. The torch will still burn bright for next year, as UCR flames will never burn out.

After students got back on their feet and back to work from winter vacation, Adult Swim came to give us a little reward.

An inflatable castle covered the lawn in front of Rivera Library in the beginning of February. But this was not the princess bounce house we played in at birthday parties. No, Adult Swim delivered on the creepy and eerie as students side-eyed each element in the maze. Whether they slid down the slide as their exit or belted out karaoke before leaving the cage, students had a blast. “Students” is used lightly — some faculty and students did not consider this funhouse to be fun at all. As some participants found themselves lay-

ing on a gurney in between what appeared to be a pair of woman’s legs, students and faculty protested what they considered to be exploitation of a woman’s body.

The 11th annual Drag Ball, cohosted by Queer Alliance, KUCR, ASPB and the LGBT Resource Center, was a fundraiser for the LGBT Student Leadership Scholarship Fund. Chic music and fierce moves were performed on the catwalk as the performers “Exposed” the audience to the world of lipstick, lip sync and much more.

This went much further than just a walk and pose, though. Each performer gave the audience a taste of how they work it, snaps and attitude and all.

JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER

Campus Chronicles This year we welcomed three different columns within the section. First to be introduced was “Freshman 15.” Freshman 15 is an old saying referring to the possible 15 pounds a student may gain either from the taste of freedom away from parents or the all-you-can-drink iced blended drinks from Coffee Bean. But this is not the guide to avoid the weight around the midsection — but rather how to avoid the weight on a freshman’s shoulders. UCR veterans added their two cents on what could potentially help out the freshman from turning into fresh meat. The column featured 15 tips on topics ranging from what to avoid on campus, study tips and where to find food. This column helped not only freshmen, but also those wandering sophomores and juniors who still needed the extra help when it came to all-nighters and even stress-relievers. It’s the seniors, however, who had all of this down like champs. By the end of fall quarter of 2014, freshman

blended in well with the rest of the crowd, until class registration rolled around — then everyone knew exactly who the freshmen were.

The other two columns that squeezed into Features were the “21 and Over Club” and “Under the Kilt.” “21 and Over Club” is the place to get the “yeah yeah’s” and the “hell no’s” of drinking and partying. It is safe to say that, on a college campus, the adult juice is not only consumed by the 21 and over (don’t worry, we won’t tell your parents). We covered all the bases, from help with hangovers to an unofficial “beer tour” around Riverside for any and all students.

“Under the Kilt” discussed more than what “Dirty 30” could do in one lecture. But this isn’t R’Side’s rendition of “Sex and the City.”

Coming straight from students, we did not beat around the bush — pun fully intended — when it came down to relationships and anything that could hide under the kilt.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER

Campus visitors captivate UCR Right before the new year came, UCR saw a few celebrity guests walk past the Bell Tower. In November, HUB 302 housed the voices of some our greatest childhood memories. If your initial reaction to “Is this the Krusty Krab?” is not, “No, this is Patrick!” then you might have missed the biggest joke of them all during “Stay Tooned,” an ASPB event that invited the voices from Spongebob Squarepants and other cartoon classics to UCR for a discussion.

Tom Kenny, Fred Seibert, Johnny Yong Bosch and Niki Yang made 2013 go out with a bang.

More recently, we were lucky enough to have one of the biggest names to give a talk to UCR. Students, faculty and everyone who attended gave a proper UCR welcome to Laverne Cox from the Netflix hit “Orange is the New Black.” Without a doubt, Cox had one of the biggest responses just

with her presence. She came to UCR to discuss her past and present as a transgender woman of color. Her presence alone spoke volumes as she touched the hearts and minds of everyone in the room. She left the audience with words of wisdom: to always keep your head up and keep fighting.

Whether the audience members related to her or had their own battles they had to fight, everyone left with something to keep them strong.

UCR finished the year off strong as the one and only Spike Lee graced campus with his presence. The force to be reckoned with, Spike Lee gave a lecture, called “A Spike Lee Joint,” conveying the challenges he faced throughout his work and career.

The event was open to UCR and the public, which created a turnout that made the Student Recreation Center a full house.

YEAR IN REVIEW

HIGHLANDER

sports

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

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This year in

Compiled by Darren Bueno

Sixth man Sam Finley leaves men’s basketball team Guard Sam Finley was a building block for Riverside’s basketball team’s success this past season, but his UCR career has come to an abrupt end. Searching for a system more uptempo and suited to his playing style, freshman Finley has decided to pursue his basketball career elsewhere.

Although Finley will be leaving the Highlanders, UCR gave Finley the opportunity to shine. He was named the Big West’s Sixth Man of the Year by College Hoops and led Riverside

to victory on several occasions.

With basketball season coming to an end, Finley finished second on the team in scoring, second in made three-pointers, and third in free-throw percentage.

Not to mention his quick ability to steal the ball off the bench, Finley was a reliable penetrator who got to the foul line during crucial moments of the game.

“I was disappointed because I do think he could have had a bright future here. As I’ve said, I thought we did a lot of good things for him, (he) showed

some growth on and off the court,” stated Head Coach Dennis Cutts. “He was going to have a big piece of the future here, but he decided he needed something different. As I’ve said, we move forward.”

Looking to move forward, Cutts sees a bright future for the men’s basketball team.

Riverside has already made some decisions in the offseason, signing two international players and another community college player for the 2014-2015 season.

Jim Wooldridge announced as next athletics director There’s a new man in charge — well, sort of. On Jan. 15, Chancellor Kim Wilcox named Jim Wooldridge as UC Riverside’s director of intercollegiate athletics. Wooldridge served as the men’s basketball head coach for six years before stepping down to accept the position of interim athletic director in July.

He dropped the interim tag in January, filling the athletic department’s most important position.

It had been a long road for Wooldridge, whose coaching

career has spanned over four decades, but the Oklahoma native was more than ready for the challenge.

“I am very excited, humbled to have this opportunity,” Wooldridge stated in an interview with the Highlander. “(I’m) so energetic about what I want to accomplish for the department and what we can do to move our programs in a real positive direction.”

“I’m pleased to name Jim Wooldridge as our new athletics director,” said Wilcox in an

official statement. “Jim has dedicated his professional life to the attainment of successful outcomes for student-athletes.

In his more than six years at UC Riverside, first as a coach, and then as interim AD, he has taken a leadership role in the advancement of intercollegiate athletics, while promoting integrity, collective achievement and academic support across all sports. His close relationships on campus and in our region will be an asset as our athletics department moves forward.”

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

A packed SRC Arena fuels men’s basketball to Big West playoff berth When it was time for tip-off Thursday night on March 6, there was not an empty seat to be found on the student side of the Student Recreation Center arena.

Everyone knew the stakes of the game for the UC Riverside men’s basketball team: win, and you’re in the playoffs. ESPN certainly knew it, as they had their desk, broadcasters, cameras and lights prepared to capture the action.

But most importantly, the players knew it, and they never let up, leading from the opening tip to the final buzzer in a win over UC Davis, 78-65, which secured UCR’s spot in the Big West Conference tournament.

Going into the game, both teams had a record of 4-10 in the Big West Conference, but UCR certainly didn’t play to its record.

Starting from a Chris Patton post shot in the first 20 seconds of the game, the Highlanders never looked back, leading from start to finish. Back-to-back threes by Steven Jones and Steven Thornton pushed the lead to eight in the first four minutes, and it became clear that it would be a “perfect night for Riverside basketball,” as Coach Dennis Cutts put it af-

ter the game. That summary describes a majority of the important categories on the night, as UCR was ahead of UC Davis in field goal percentage, free-throw percentage, rebounding, bench points and points in the paint.

“We’re growing. We’re learning,” Cutts acknowledged after the game. “It’s taken us a long time. But I’m happy where we’re at. We talked about being a good team in March, and now we’re 2-0 in March.”

The game’s leading scorer and rebounder (20 and nine) Patton felt the same way, admitting, “Coach Cutts sometimes has to get us going. He talks about how we need more juice. But not once the entire day did he have to say that. And before the game I just didn’t see any way that we couldn’t win.”

After securing the playoff berth, the Highlanders were matched up against the number one seeded UC Irvine Anteaters during the first round of the Big West Tournament. Playing without sixth man Finley, who did not play due to injury, UCR fell 63-43 to UC Irvine, ending their 2014 season with a 10-21 record.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

UCR alum Joe Kelly pitches prime time for St. Louis Cardinals Rarely has UC Riverside been known for athletic dominance.

This does not mean that the university has not produced quality players, however — with an especially bigger surge in Major League Baseball in recent years. In the 2013 MLB season, former Highlanders Anthony Claggett, Marc Rzepczynski, Dan Runzler, Rob Brantly and Joe Kelly all appeared in major league games. Among them, Kelly has had the most success last season, and pitched his way to the 2013 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

During the regular season, Kelly had a 10-5 record while starting and relieving for the NL central division champions.

He compiled a 2.65 ERA in 124 innings pitched. At UCR he had a 4.65 overall ERA, going 8-11 over 42 total games. He also set a Highlander record for career saves with a total of 24, and was named Big West Pitcher of the Year as a freshman in 2007.

Two years later he attained AllAmerican status.

“It’s been great fun,” said UC Riverside baseball coach Doug Smith about seeing Kelly pitch for the Cardinals. Smith has been coaching the Highlanders since 2005. “We’ve been fortunate, seeing guys like Troy Percival succeed and Rob Brantly. Marc Rzepczynski, who I think is with the Indians this year, got to pitch with the Cardinals a couple years

ago in the World Series as well.”

On a larger scale, Kelly is one of a few UCR athletes in recent years, including track star Brenda Martinez, who have gone on to succeed at higher levels.

Smith acknowledged the positive impact it had on university stature and also recruiting purposes. “Having five players in the major leagues last season, and when this kind of thing occurs with Joe on the national stage, it makes (recruiting a bit easier), with there being more to show.”

Kelly and the Cardinals went on to lose the World Series to the Boston Red Sox in six games, but the animated pitcher made his Riverside alma mater proud.