Volume 63 Issue 03

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Highlander University

Volume 63

of

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

Issue 03

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Make way for Moo Moo: New ice cream truck churns interest

A Closer Look: Why the Culinary Chameleon never changed its color

JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER UCR rolls out a new food truck this November: the Moo Moo Udderly Twisted ice cream truck.

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Although it promised an evolving menu, the Culinary Chameleon has been offering the same food since it opened.

ESTEFANIA ZAVALA Senior Staff Writer

Move over Culinary Chameleon and Bear Tracks, there’s a new food truck in town. Starting this fall, UCR is rolling out the Moo Moo Udderly Twisted truck, which will feature ice cream and other dessert options. The truck made its debut during freshmen welcome week and Block Party, but aims to hold its official launch on Nov. 1.

UCR Executive Director of Dining Services Cheryl Garner said in an email interview that the truck was purchased at an online auction for $8,300, but due to design and equipment costs, the overall cost of the truck rose to $170,000.

Campus officials expect that the truck will soon pay for itself when it opens around campus.

The new dessert truck is joining the other UCR trucks available year-round: the Culinary Chameleon and the Bear

OPINIONS

Tracks coffee truck, and is a part of UCR’s long-term goal to incorporate more food trucks into its dining options.

“Food trucks allow us to lower our overall investment and maximize our versatility and location by going where the customer is, when they are there,” Garner said in a press release.

“We thought the campus really lacked a dessert option,” said Moses Preciado, the food services manager of all of UCR’s food trucks. “We thought that an ice cream truck would be a nice way to fill the void, especially considering the warm weather that Riverside is known for.”

Students will notice its vibrant design, which is styled to look like a cow.

Preciado says the design comes from a combination of staff and student input but adds that, “The initial concept came from thinking, just: ice cream. Milk. Cow. And it just evolved into Moo Moo.” ► SEE MOO MOO, PAGE 6

FEATURES

United Community of Riverside, a new column, gives you every reason you need to vote in November and more.

PAGE 10

ANTHONY VICTORIA Staff Writer SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

Back in February 2012, the 32-foot Culinary Chameleon food truck was unveiled, receiving mostly positive feedback from the student population. For many students, the truck provided another alternative to grab a quick bite to eat as they rushed to class.

“Using a delicious mixture of your input and the expertise of our dining staff, we bring the food you crave to campus,” states the dining administration’s website.

However, in the two years that the food truck has been in operation, the Mexican-styled cuisine has remained the same. Menu options were supposed to change based on customer feedback and popular options trending in the food truck industry.

The truck’s menu options were

RADAR

Juan Felipe Herrera’s joyous spirit leads community in the Unity Poem Fiesta.

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intended to have a wide variety of items to choose from to draw more customers.

Food items such as burritos, salad bowls, quesadillas and tacos (with grilled chicken, shredded beef, pork carnitas, kogi pork and a vegetarian option as the core ingredients) remained on the menu, year after year.

Current and former students have gone as far as criticizing the Culinary Chameleon on the business search engine Yelp. Comments that go back as far as 2012 express discontent at the quality of the food. “Sucky tacos, expensive and not filling at all,” complained one Yelp reviewer.

Fourth-year computer science students Brady Leong and John Candelaria said the tacos and burritos served by the Chameleon made a good impression on them.

“The food is pretty good,” said Leong. ► SEE CHAMELEON, PAGE 7

SPORTS

BadBadNotGood sets the Barn on fire, amazing everyone in attendance.

PAGE 16

With a victory over UC Irvine on Thursday night, women’s soccer remains undefeated at home.

PAGE 23

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

HIGHLANDER

Chancellor Wilcox talks campus growth, new SRC fees AMY ZAHN Contributing Writer

Chancellor Kim Wilcox held the first town hall meeting of the new school year on Wednesday, Oct. 8 to discuss future goals to expand UCR and to air out current student issues such as outcry over the increase in Student Recreation Center (SRC) fees.

In the meeting, Wilcox reinforced his interest in the UCR 2020 strategic plan, a university blueprint to increase the student body to 25,000 students by the year 2020. Wilcox’s take on the plan also includes a goal of adding 300 faculty to UCR’s current 600 faculty within five years and increasing federal grants to students. This plan also seeks to make UCR’s research and citation funding on par with other top public universities either through federal funding or through private gifts and hedge funds.

Wilcox emphasized data that indicates an overall increase in the student population, going from 8,805 students in 1992 to over 20,000 in 2013. The surges of enrollment that occurred in this timeframe set UCR on a trajectory to complete the population portion of the 2020 plan, according to Wilcox. His

goals to meet the plan will focus on increasing enrollment for graduate students and nonresident undergraduate students, who have both been historically under-recruited groups.

Wilcox is optimistic about increasing graduation rates, which have stagnated over the last two decades. The percentage of students who finish in four years has consistently hovered at just above 40 percent since 1992, while the percentage of students who graduate at all is only about 67 percent, one of the lowest rates in the UC system. “We should be able to safely predict some increase here as well,” he says.

Despite this, Wilcox was quick to point out that since 1972, there has been a steady increase in the number of minority students who enroll. From 1972 to 1992, the Latino population remained under 10 percent, but now makes up 32.1 percent of the student body. Wilcox points out that all students, regardless of demographic, graduate at the same rates cited above. “Few other universities in the country can say that,” he says, “and none with the kind of diversity that we have.”

Wilcox also addressed concerns from the audience such as the increase in SRC fees.

LAURA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER Chancellor Wilcox answered questions about student fees and future campus growth during his first town hall of the academic year.

Physics graduate student and head steward of UCR’s student workers union (UAW Local 2865), Jack Pitts, requested that all students the union represents as well as all graduate students be allowed to opt out of the SRC fee. The fee increased from $177 to $624 per year, effectively cutting teaching assistants’ 5 percent raise in half. “It’s more than a month’s rent for me,” Pitts said, referring to the fee increase.

Second-year student Arturo Gonzales also voiced his

Photo of the Week

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Cameron Yong ASST. PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

UCR prepares to defend against a penalty kick from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The kick was blocked successfully and UCR took possession shortly after.

Quotebook “The (Culinary) Chameleon does the same volume of business as many of our regular restaurants and at a few, it has done more.”

Upcoming Events

Tuesday

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concerns about the SRC fee raises. “I feel that it’s unfair to the students,” he says. He asked Wilcox if he would “push for a cut in administrative pay across the board to keep our tuitions frozen.” Wilcox referred to tuition freezes as “too shortsighted” and stated that he would not support administrative pay cuts.

Undergraduate Rosa Gonzales alleged that there was a lack of student support for the SRC expansion project in its inception

in 2010. “(Students) didn’t feel the need to expand the center at the time,” she claimed, and is unhappy that students “are paying $208 per quarter for something that’s nonacademic and that we don’t use.”

About the SRC fee increases, Wilcox pointed out that students cannot opt out of the fee just as people cannot opt out of specific taxes. “I haven’t found (a solution),” he said frankly. “I’m worried about whether or not I can.”

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OCTOBER LGBT Resource Center Hiring for Part-Time On -Campus Open House Jobs: Employer Panel 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

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

Costco Hall 245 HUB Astronomy Seminar: Jorge Moreno 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.

Physics Builing Reading Room

Seniors: Land a Job for When you Graduate Now (OCI) 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Parking Lot 19

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Chicano/Latino Bienvenida 4 p.m. – 7 p.m Bell Tower

Prezi Online Presentation Tool: Say goodbye to Powerpoint!

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Rivera Library

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Women’s Soccer: UC Santa Barbara 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

UC Riverside Soccer Stadium

High Energy Physics Seminar: Yue Zhao 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Physics Building Reading Room

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2014 Chancellor’s Dinner 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Highlander Union Building 302

Volleyball: Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. – 9:30 pm Student Recreation Center Arena

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Women’s Soccer: Cal Poly 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

UCR Soccer Stadium

No Events

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Weekly Carillon Concerts 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Bell Tower

Where Are the Jobs: The Hidden Job Market 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

HUB 268

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

- Executive Director of Dining Services Cheryl Garner on the success of the Culinary Chameleon.

Scan this QR code and visit us

at highlandernews.org

4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

Middle Class Scholarship supports CSU, UC students “Tiger parenting” detrimental to children, new UCR study shows AARON GRECH Staff Writer

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Gov. Jerry Brown recently passed a scholarship program aimed at UC and CSU students coming from middle-class families.

MELA MAGAT Contributing Writer

Last year, the California legislature approved the Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) program, which provides stipends to undergraduates in UCs and CSUs with family incomes that are less than $150,000.

Now in its first year of implementation, the program will impact thousands of students during the 2014-15 academic year; financial aid will vary based on family income.

As a long-time advocate for MCS, former California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez said the law will help uplift Californians, “squeezed out of a higher education by the skyrocketing tuition rates,” in the state’s public universities.

The scholarship program will be gradually phased in over the next four years until the maximum amount

is offered starting in 2017.

The average UC tuition is currently around $12,000 and CSUs have an average tuition of around $5,500. A family earning less than $100,000 per year may be eligible to have up to 40 percent of their systemwide tuition and fees covered under the new program.

UCR Financial Aid Manager Jose Aguilar estimated that the scholarship will be awarded to about 2,100 undergraduate students at UC Riverside for a total amount of about $2.6 million for the current academic year.

The UC admissions office reported that the maximum stipend awarded under the new program during the 2014-15 academic year was $1,707; CSU students received $768.

However, Aguilar emphasized that, “the scholarship will be offered to students who do not receive a Pell Grant, Cal Grant or

an institutional grant,” as a way to support those who receive little to no financial assistance. More than half of all UCR students receive federal Pell Grants which are only offered to low-income students, and receive a form of financial aid through the UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity plan, which assists those with annual family incomes of less than $80,000. This new scholarship would be aimed toward those who do not receive this aid.

To qualify for MCS, students must apply for financial aid by the March 2 deadline, hold an annual family income between $80,000 to $150,000, maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and be considered a California resident or have AB 540 status (which applies to undocumented students who are eligible to pay nonresident tuition).

Qualifying for the recent scholarship, ASUCR CHASS

senator Jackie Jacoby expressed excitement about the MCS and its potential impacts on current and future Highlanders.

“I support any source of financial aid that will allow students to continue their enrollment and success in our university,” said Jacoby.

“I know countless students whose families make slightly more than the cutoff for sufficient financial aid so they may now have the opportunity to benefit and receive this aid.”

Some students though are not as thrilled, due to the fact that they will not have a chance to benefit from the scholarship program. Lilly Huerta, a fourth-year political science major expressed, “I’m happy that other students will be receiving more aid for their education, but as a fourthyear, I will be graduating with an unnecessarily high amount of loan debt. It would’ve been nice if the act was passed four years ago.”

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Dr. Cixin Wang, a UCR professor at the Graduate School of Education, recently helped complete a study to determine the effects of punitive parenting, also known as “tiger parenting,” on Chinese youths.

The study showed that while strict parenting can help with the success of children, supportive parenting is very important in adolescent development.

The study, which began in 2006, surveyed a group of 589 Chinese adolescents in Hangzhou, China between the ages of 12 to 18. The survey asked questions about the methods their parents used as punishment and support for their child. The questions ranged from: “This parent avoids looking at me when I have disappointed him/her” to “This parent knows how I spend my money.”

The study found that punitive parenting styles caused depression, behavioral issues and problems with school adjustment among surveyed youths. Differences among gender were also displayed in the study; boys were shown to display more disruptive behavior, while girls were shown to have more depressive symptoms.

Wang stated that “Asian parents tend to score a little bit higher on the control measure compared to white parents … However, within the same cultur(al) group, there is large variations so (the results are) not unique or specific to the Chinese culture.”

The professor also added that not all methods of parental control — such as placing curfews and holding high expectations — can cause visibly negative outcomes, but rather, “psychological control in which you manipulate kids’ thoughts and fears, so that you might force them into things,” was found to have adverse effects on children.

A parent’s level of supportiveness may also be tied to particular cultural differences. “For Asian parents, they praise their kids less often because they tend to be more humble (so) there might be a culture difference of whether it’s okay to express emotions in public,” Wang stated. This, however, does not mean that the parents are not as supportive of their kids, just that they are less likely to praise them in public, Wang clarified further.

Some students have different views on how overly strict parenting may have affected them. “I believe strict parenting would’ve helped me,” stated Raul Aguilera, a senior English major.

“I had too much freedom and I had to pay some of the consequences.”

While the study was done abroad in China, Wang has expressed interest in continuing the study with Asian parents and children in the United States in the future.

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Be creative.

Whether you’re a designer or a drawer, a novice or a Picasso, the Highlander can give you the chance to let your artistic talents loose. Learn more about how you can see your artwork in the newspaper by coming to our weekly meetings, every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101.

Highlander

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

HIGHLANDER

UCR astronomers host total lunar eclipse viewing

The blood moon event, held on Wednesday morning at the UCR Bell Tower, attracted a sizeable crowd of interested students wanting to see the celestial wonder.

JAMISON POLLOCK Contributing Writer

Bundled up on a cool night, first-year biology student Amin Sadat Khansari looked up at the full moon gleaming above and said, “This is the kind of experience that makes college fun.” Khansari was one of more than 100 attendees who gathered at the UCR Bell Tower from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Oct. 8 for a public viewing of a total lunar eclipse — the last one of the year. The event was organized by Mario De Leo-Winkler, a physics and astronomy postdoctoral researcher at UCR, as part of an outreach program designed to get students interested in astronomy.

“We wanted everyone to know more about what a lunar eclipse is and how it helped ancient civilizations get ► MOO MOO FROM PAGE 1

The menu will feature soft serve ice cream, sundaes, dipped cones, ice cream floats and an original dessert called the Twisted Treat, which is a blend of ice cream and a selection of candy bars. The new Moo Moo Udderly Twisted truck will be staffed by two student workers during regular business times and up to four people during special events like the recent Block Party.

UCR students like fourth-year biology student Anthony Lujan have so far expressed enthusiasm for the new truck. “Sometimes you just need something other than a soda or a coffee,” said Lujan, referring to ice cream. “You need something that will wake

acquainted with the night sky and the natural phenomena,” Winker said as another purpose behind the event.

A total lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, occurs as the moon passes through the earth’s shadows. The glaring moon gradually grows darker as it recedes further into the shadows. Rather than becoming consumed by darkness, the moon begins to glow with a faint copper or red color; a result of sunlight being bent and filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere. The total lunar eclipse, which was observed early Wednesday morning, can only occur during a full moon.

As Winkler explained to curious onlookers in a brief Q-and-A, the color of the moon during the lunar eclipse is also a good measure of what’s happening in Earth’s atmosphere. If the moon is a

you up and cool you down.”

Students can also look forward to another food truck in the years to come.

“We are planning to add one more truck at this time, specifically to service campus athletic events and special programs,” said Garner. She added that the truck would probably have a UCR Highlander theme to support the athletic teams and serve the usual stadium food, such as hot dogs, nachos and sliders.

The Moo Moo Udderly Twisted truck will travel daily around campus, starting in front of Printing and Reprographics from 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., continuing to the Barn neighborhood from 3:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. before ending up in the campus housing locations from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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darker shade during the eclipse, it could mean that the atmosphere is polluted from volcanic activity or other events.

With clear skies, as was the case early Wednesday morning, the lunar eclipse remained visible throughout Southern California and could be seen with the unaided eye. Luckily for students and community members at the event, two high-quality telescopes were provided to enhance the viewing experience.

Although many attendees were not astronomy majors, there was a definitive interest in watching the eclipse. “I love the moon!” said Sarah Quintero, a firstyear pre-business major. When asked how long she was planning on waiting for it, Quintero quipped, “As long as it takes.”

A parade of 25 or so freshmen also

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

arrived from the dorms. Others showed up in smaller groups, such as Nicholas Chavez and Stephen Waddington, both third-year creative writing majors who recently transferred to UCR. Although both had limited experience in astronomy, they agreed that the possibility of a blood moon was too good to pass up. As a couple of night owls, they said this gave them a fun thing to do with their time.

De Leo-Winkler and the physics and astronomy department are hosting another event for a solar eclipse on Oct. 23 at the UCR Bell Tower. This will be the last such occurrence until 2017.

Winkler also added that there would be 50 protective sunglasses available to students. Students who are interested can find out more information at www. facebook.com/astroucr.

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JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER Moo Moo Udderly Twisted will feature various cold desserts including soft serve, sundaes, dipped cones and ice cream floats.

NEWS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

New multidisciplinary building in the works SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

Parking Lot 10 was abuzz with administrators, staff and faculty alike as a small celebration occurred for the project launch of a new multidisciplinary research building at UC Riverside.

Modeled after the new Health Sciences Biomedical Research Facility at UC San Diego, the research building will cost approximately $120 million and seeks to provide a collaborative working space for new and current ladder-rank faculty from different disciplines.

“So the idea is, we’re going to bring people from different fields to work in the same building … and create an even more creative working environment,” Chancellor Kim Wilcox said in an interview. “We have a lot of great facilities on campus, but we need more and this is a chance to do that.”

The additional research building is designed to mesh with Wilcox’s plans to hire 300 faculty members over the next five years.

Wilcox adds that there may be some movement between faculty members in different departments to aid complementary research.

Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget Maria Anguiano said the first step of the research building was to develop a detailed project, which includes addressing any building compatibility issues that may arise. “A desert climate (such as Riverside) requires very different types of materials perhaps

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Crime Watch: Riverside police catch UV Towers kidnapper SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER The new multidisciplinary research building will provide much-needed office and research space for many different departments on campus.

compared to a building built next to an ocean,” Anguiano explained.

The university will be financing the overall costs of the building, whose location has yet to be determined. “The hope is the additional research funds being brought in from the National Science Foundation will help us pay the loan we’re taking out on this,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Michael Pazzani.

Some anticipated building

projects include the addition of wet and dry labs, growth chambers used to grow plants and new classroom space. Other tentative plans will provide 150,000 square feet of space for 60 research groups, according to UCR Today.

As one of many event attendees, Chair of the Academic Senate Jose Wudka expressed curiosity over the new project launch, stating that, “it signifi(ed) that the campus is finally getting on a growth plan that is not haphazard, it’s a planned

growth.” He alluded to the long spells of financial uncertainty for the UC and its impact on the growth of UCR over the years.

Despite a strong focus on faculty collaboration, Wilcox concluded that the research will serve to greatly benefit UCR students in the future. “It’s called the research building, but most of the people doing research in the building are going to be students, not faculty. Because for every professor, there’s lots of students working in the same building,” expressed Wilcox.

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► CHAMELEON FROM PAGE 1

“The service is fine. I don’t really have any complaints.”

Leong, who recently ate at the Culinary Chameleon for the first time in six months, also said he noticed no significant change in the menu, as originally promised by Dining Services.

“We thought it’d be a great opportunity to actually rotate the menu,” explained Executive Director of Dining Services Cheryl Garner, “but what we discovered … was a lot of people got attached to the menu and didn’t want to see the menu go.”

After receiving input from individual customers and student representatives on campus, UCR Dining Services decided to keep the food truck cuisine unchanged, but hopes to continue spurring community interest by featuring new menu items.

“I think, at the end of the day, the rotating menu makes as many people unhappy as it makes happy,” Garner furthered about switching out classic menu items that were potentially favored by returning customers.

As of now, the truck also temporarily acts as a concession stand, serving products such as hot dogs and candy, at athletics events. UCR Dining Services does not show signs of changing the face of the Culinary Chameleon anytime in the near future.

The Culinary Chameleon runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Physics 2000 courtyard and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday H through Thursday at Parking Lot 22. ■

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER The Culinary Chameleon decided to keep its cuisine static, but will continue to consider introduction of new menu items.

Riverside police have arrested a man suspected of attempting to kidnap a UCR student near the University Village Towers (UVT) back in June 2014. The suspect, Donald Rosenbek, attended UCR from 2002 to 2006, but did not graduate.

“The Riverside Police Department Detectives and Forensic Unit were able to (recover) evidence from the scene of the incident that led them to the identity of Rosenbek,” UCPD Police Chief Mike Lane said. “The victim was shown a photographic lineup and identified Rosenbeck as the suspect.”

At the time of the incident, the female psychology student was grabbed from behind, had a sheet placed over her head and had her hands tied down in the UVT parking lot. After being forced into a vehicle for 30 minutes, the victim convinced her kidnapper to let her go.

UCR police are still investigating to see if Rosenbek, a resident of Cathedral City with a record of prior arrests, is connected to the two other attempted campus abductions that occurred this year.

“Safety is a primary concern on campus,” said UCR Director of Media Relations Kris Lovekin. “We advise students to stay alert, to travel in groups, to make use of the point to point shuttle, the student escorts. It is important not to have valuables out in the open, including cell phones and tablets.”

The arrest of Rosenbeck was made possible due to the collaboration of the Riverside and the UC Police Departments, which has also led to the creation of an openarea camera system near the campus border.

Available campus services: A point-to-point shuttle provides transportation for students from campus to several nearby apartments and homes. It is free for UCR students with a valid university ID card. Pickups occur every 30 minutes in front of the campus bookstore from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The UCR Campus Safety Escort Service provides students with a companion to walk with. Stationed at the information desk of the Highlander Union Building, the free service operates from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and can be reached at 951-827-3772.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

. OPINIONS .

HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

UC SHOULD SEEK STUDENT GUIDANCE TO DEVELOP ITS POLICIES

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or many people, the thought of using a restroom in public doesn’t cause much consternation. There may be a few germaphobes among us who cannot stand the idea of a public restroom, but when push comes to shove, the public restroom is the default option for the emergency scenario.

For many, this act that seems so simple isn’t quite so black-and-white. Restrooms in public are clearly delineated: One for men, and one for women. But countless people have a much more nuanced identity than this binary system provides for. There are those born into a male body, but identify as female. Others are undergoing the transition process, leaving the question of which restroom to use muddled. Quite quickly, the seemingly simple question of whether to use the restroom becomes a complicated dilemma.

It’s not just practical purposes, because a bathroom’s not just a bathroom. At least in public, it requires an individual to actively choose which path to take, all while thousands of prying eyes are watching and judging. The choice between male and female only reaffirms society’s belief in a male-female-only framing, and for many students who don’t fit neatly into society’s definitions of male and female, using the toilet in public becomes a tricky act.

So when UC President Janet Napolitano announced that the University of California would begin converting single-stall bathrooms into gender-neutral ones and would start including gender-neutral stalls in all new buildings and renovated buildings, it was a tremendous step forward for students all across California. Students no longer have to fear the casual judgment of society when they try to do something as simple as use the restroom.

Let’s first clarify what a gender-neutral single-stall restroom would look like: a one-person capacity restroom, designed to be utilized by any gender. This is not a new idea. Gender-neutral single-stall restrooms are all over the place, from Starbucks to grocery stores. It is this type

of restroom — one that already exists — that the UC has promised to implement.

Gender-neutral multi-stall restrooms bring with them an entirely different set of questions and complications that deserve to be answered, but that is completely distinct from what the UC is considering right now.

So in this sense, Napolitano’s announcement isn’t really groundbreaking or controversial. It is merely ensuring that all students have equal access to a restroom, without society judging them for wanting to use a restroom in public.

But even if it comes belatedly, it doesn’t make the development any less positive.

And fortunately, UCR has been ahead of this game from the start. In 1993, UCR became the first campus in California to have a fully professionally staffed LGBT resource center, and in 1995 became the first campus in California to offer an LGBT studies minor. The campus is rated in the top 50 colleges across the country for inclusivity and friendliness to people who identify as LGBT. In providing resources to a traditionally disadvantaged group of students, UCR can continue to set an example and lead the push in recognizing the varying needs of different student groups, when too often all students are lumped into a single category.

So what’s next? Napolitano has already indicated that there are plans to allow students to submit their preferred name on college applications, rather than their legal names. This too is another positive development, as it allows students to assume control of their identities rather than have them dictated by circumstances beyond their control.

Of course, this will mean that the way we create student ID cards will have to change, and paperwork for obtaining on-campus employment will likely need to incorporate new fields as well. But these potential problems, if given some thought and backed with good intentions, can certainly be overcome.

Campuses such as UCR and UC Berkeley have already got another good start on this idea, allowing for gender-

GRAPHIC BY VINCENT TA

neutral dorm housing — which means allowing members of the opposite sex to share a room, rather than just a floor, if that’s what they prefer. The UC could show tremendous leadership for universities everywhere by creating such a policy at each of its campuses.

The UC’s stature as a widely recognized and respected university could only help in making dormitories and other living spaces such as these a much more accepting, commonplace occurrence.

Sports are another issue to be addressed. California has already passed legislation that allows students from Kindergarten to 12th grade to play in sports teams with the gender they identify with. Nationally, it’s a different story, and the NCAA brings another set of rules with it — but rules are meant to be challenged, aren’t they? Once again, if an institution as big as the UC — which houses several NCAA powerhouses — can collectively stand up and say that we want athletes to not face discrimination, we could set a great example for the rest of the country to follow.

This is not to say that any of these steps will be easy, or that the answers are necessarily simple. Deciding which courses of action to take will take long hours of thought about how implementation would work and what potential ramifications would be. But most importantly, the UC must consider the students when making any decision.

While Napolitano and the rest of the UC implementing gender-neutral bathrooms is a step forward for the institution, we should not stop to rest on our laurels. Single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms, after all, are common not only on other college campuses but around public places in general. We can take even more steps forward — so long as those steps are supported by the students of the University of California.

■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

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highlanderads@ucr.edu Distribution Manager

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OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

9

Opinion Poll Why did you pick your major?

C ompiled

by

R ichard L in

Gabriel Vito Undeclared Second-year

Katherine Han Media and Cultural Studies Third-year

Carlos Baltazar Political Science First-year

Sophia Chen English Literature Third-year

Sarah Grace Biology Fourth-year

Miller Kui Media and Cultural Studies First-year

I’m interested in a lot of things and I find it hard to figure out what I want to pursue.

I want more experience in working with media equipment; more of the technical side. I think it would be really cool for me to work backstage.

I really want to go into law and then politics. In this country it’s one of the things you can do to change the way we see the law.

It was something that I discovered that I was really good at. I think the concept of having letters form into words and having those words convey feelings and sentiments is something really beautiful.

I was very heavily influenced by a lot of the classes I took in high school. I had a very great AP Biology teacher who really inspired me.

I’m very interested in making radio, televion shows, and advertisements.

And I’m looking forward to socializing with people interested in the same topic.

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

Joining the UIA a step forward to improve graduation rates JAMESON ADAME Staff Writer

Among students who have attended UCR, only 65 percent of first-generation collegiates have graduated within a sixyear span of taking classes.

This number is far from being acceptable, and — if it were the graded percentage on a test or essay — would leave most people wondering where they went wrong. It should come as no surprise then, that UCR is now endeavoring to remedy the subpar graduation rates of firstgeneration and low-income students.

Recently the school has joined the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), a group that — according to its website — is a “consortium of 11 large public research universities committed to making high-quality college degrees accessible to a diverse body of students.” The UIA has committed $11 million to assisting those students who come from low-income backgrounds, as those are the group that “(lag) the farthest behind.” Additionally, the group will assist those students who are the first generation in their family to attend university.

At first glance, this $11 million commitment to assisting students new to a college environment may seem unnecessary, as UCR already possesses multiple programs designed to help these students along. The Humanities and Social Sciences departments of UCR are greatly helped by the relatively new program of CHASS F1RST, which sets

LAURA NGUYEN / HIGHLANDER Chancellor Wilcox spoke on topics related to the goals of the University Innovation Alliance at his Chancellor’s Town Hall last Wednesday.

students belonging to these colleges up with learning communities and a course set that follows a specific theme.

This program encourages not only a sense of community among students who are likely to see each other again in later classes, but requires participation in school events, acclimating new students to a more diverse college life than they otherwise may have had.

Likewise, the College

of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) creates a sense of fellowship and support with the use of learning communities.

These communities, much like CHASS F1RST, are focused on ensuring that students are properly adjusted to the newly stressful college environment, as well as providing assistance in science courses which can prove daunting to new students.

These two programs (not to mention the various tutoring and

mentoring services available around campus) may seem as though they provide more than enough support for students who are the first in their families to attend college. However, when looking at the larger scheme of things, the graduation rates tell a different story. According to The Press Enterprise, “UCR’s overall graduation rate remains below that of several other UC schools and of alliance members such as the University of Texas

at Austin.”

When it comes to the advancement of education, every possible step should be taken to ensure that students are fully equipped to deal with the stress of college and of post-grad life. With help from the other members of the UIA, UCR may become the highest-rated UC in terms of graduation rates, as well as spreading the many of its own programs such as CHASS F1RST to new schools.

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

HIGHLANDER

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

B

P

MAR Y CO L I N

, KOVICH

R STAFF W R O I N SE

op quiz: What’s an event with national importance happening in November? If you’re like most people, you’re probably thinking of turkey and mashed potatoes. But if you’re a political science major, you probably said the November elections. It’s true that there’s nothing better than noshing on turkey and lapsing into an epic food coma. Still, even if you’re not a political science major, the elections this year are important — and there are no good reasons not to vote.

But I’m not registered!

Then register! The last day to register to vote is Oct. 20, which means you still have a week left. Registration itself is simple. Are you 18 years old and a citizen?

Do you know your full name? Do you live or go to school in California? (You can use your college address as your voting address, by the way.) This isn’t a Monty Python sketch — so if you answered yes to all these questions, you’re pretty much ready for registration.

ASUCR and CALPIRG are partnering to conveniently provide registration forms in the HUB Mall, right between the Scotty’s store and the Bear’s Den. If you consider yourself antisocial and don’t want to talk to other people, you’re in luck — registration forms are easily

ITER

4 Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Reasons to Not Vote

available at the DMV, the post office and the Riverside Public Library.

Actually, you don’t even have to leave the bed in your dorm room to register, because California lets citizens register to vote online. You’ll need to have your driver’s license or another valid form of identification, but the process takes all of 15 minutes. You can eat Cheetos, stream Netflix and register to vote all at the same time. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. And by everyone, I mean you.

But my vote won’t make a difference!

Why vote if it won’t matter? And in all honesty, the governor’s race isn’t about who will win — it’s about how much Neel Kashkari will resemble Wile E. Coyote being flattened by a boulder (sorry, Republicans). However, Governor Brown is pretty much the only roadrunner in town. There are dozens of statewide and local elections going on at the same time, many of which are supremely competitive.

If you live in the Palm Springs area, Representative Raul Ruiz is running for re-election in a race decided two years ago by 1.7 percent of the district’s population.

Back in Riverside, Assemblyman Jose Medina narrowly defeated his primary challenger by less than a percentage point — if he loses, the Democrats’

supermajority goes splat. Running for the state’s Board of Equalization isn’t sexy, but the winners get to stroke their chins and decide what you pay in taxes. It just so happens that Riverside is home to a race that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the agency.

In fact, even if the governor’s race is the political equivalent of a cat toying with a mouse before eating it, your vote matters more in this election than when you voted for president in 2012. Why? Less people vote in midterm elections.

So you’re not one person in a sea of millions. Instead, in the most local races, you’re casting your vote alongside only a few thousand. UCR is home to 20,000 students. The math is pretty simple.

But I’m too busy!

You’re never too busy to vote! Out of all the United States, California does one of the better jobs providing polling places to its citizens. In fact, there’ll be a polling place right on campus, inside INTS 1109.

Okay, I admit maybe it could’ve been placed in an easier location to find. But it does mean you have easy access to the Coffee Bean to reward yourself with the awesome job you did voting.

If you don’t want to leave your blanket fort, then good news on that front too: California has vote-by-mail voting. So

instead of you going to the ballot to vote, the ballot goes to you. I would add an “In Soviet Russia,” but then people who wanted to vote in Soviet Russia were summarily executed. Just fill it out, drop it in the mailbox and get back to your pillow fort before pillow forts go mainstream.

But I don’t know enough!

This is the easiest problem to fix — just inform yourself. California mails out an informational guide to all voters in the state, and if you didn’t get one, you can find it online. You can also find out where your polling place is and what your sample ballot looks like by going to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters’ website and inputting your area code (UCR is 92521).

Once you have that, you can easily look up the candidates online. Ballotpedia is a particularly helpful resource. Let’s be honest, you weren’t going to spend that time studying anyway.

At the end of the day, voting is something that takes all of 10 minutes if you know what you’re doing when you go to your polling place. You get to express your opinion, engage in participatory democracy — you even get a sticker!

And once you’re done voting, I promise the political ads and robo-calls will stop pestering you and let you eat your turkey in peace.

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

. FEATURES .

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

11

Estonian writer Kristiina Ehin laughs at commentary made by one of her fans while talking about her collection of short stories titled “Walker on Water.” Ehin and husband Silver Sepp (left) surprise the audience with a duet performance.

Shedding Light on the Estonian Poetry

Kristiina Ehin of

Tiffany Liaw, Contributing Writer // Photos by Tiffany Liaw

T

he Estonian writer Kristiina Ehin is far from ordinary. The holder of the 2007 Coneliu Popescu Prize, Ehin is extremely well-known for her strong use of grotesque yet beautiful imagery. The writer, singer and accordion-player has earned awards and recognition for her renowned works such as “The Drums of Silence” and “1001 Winters: A Collection of Poems.”

She visited UCR Wednesday, Oct. 8 to discuss her collection of modern and surreal folktales, “Walker on Water.”

At 3 p.m., INTS 1109 bustled with quiet murmurs when she walked in, although it seemed as if she floated in with her long, floral dress. She stoked up a conversation with some staff members and proceeded to take a seat in the audience after discussing the program, attempting to clarify the order of events.

A few guests slowly trickled into the intimate atmosphere and took their seats.

Anxiously awaiting the Estonian author, the audience watched as she paced in and out of the room as if she was slightly unsure of when to begin.

After a formal introduction, Ehin warmly thanked the small crowd and apologized for her accent and absentmindedness, as she had not yet adjusted to the time change. With “Walker on Water” in hand, she began, “I can dedicate this story to everyone who has dedicated everything to their families and those who can carry on with their hobby and not compare to anyone else.”

As she continued to do the reading, her ghostly yet beautiful voice glided over the words with such ease that the audience felt relaxed and engaged. Even as she narrated horrific details, such as a woman biting off her husband’s arm thinking it was chocolate, she maintained her calm voice and was not distracted by the chuckles among the audience.

Ehin needed a break from the reading and her husband, Silver Sepp, stepped onstage. He introduced an instrument from his native land of Estonia called a kannel, which consisted of a log and

a couple of nails connected by string sticking out from it. Intrigued in a new way, the audience members took pictures and marveled at the foreign instrument. Ehin then joked, “You can’t imagine how dangerous it is to sit in his car,” while the guests all laughed along.

As the crowd hushed, Sepp took the bows of the two string instruments and moved them along the nails to create different tones that sounded like a person blowing air over a bottle and sang along to the eerie sounds. Soon enough, I felt as if I was sitting in the middle of an ancient war movie scene, minus the leaves and weapons flying around me. Sepp sang

“

As she continued to do the reading, her ghostly yet beautiful voice glided over the words with such ease that the audience felt relaxed and engaged.

about Ehin jokingly, and encouraged the crowd to sing along with him while he waved his hands to pump everyone up.

He received a round of applause after the end of his song and Ehin resumed the spotlight to read more of her passages.

This pattern continued for another round with Sepp’s instrumentals acting as a sort of intermission for Ehin’s readings.

Toward the end of the readings, Ehin proceeded to answer questions from the audience. When asked about her controversially macabre and shocking style of writing, she responded that the critic “did not like me using first-person … but I enjoy having different tones and stories!” Ehin was very proud to admit that despite the criticism she received for “Walker on Water,” she continued

to remain true to her fans and produce the best novels that “are very cruel, but honest and mythological, as there is usually no Hollywood ending.” One might say her style is creepy. On the other hand, it truly creates interesting plots that prove to be captivating, regardless of her inattentiveness to the general concepts of writing such as romance or death.

She also explained that even though at first she did not have any interest in pursuing writing, she realized that channeling all her energy into her hatred for writing was a waste of time. With the help of her mother, she decided to give writing another chance and, ever since then, is grateful for the extra push.

Ehin was also grateful for her husband’s support and love. She joked that he had stayed by her side even after reading the story of the wife biting off her husband’s arm. “It was a way to test him,” she explained. “Women must be clever and test before she marries!”

Some of Ehin’s impressive endeavors include presenting a poem to President Obama when he visited Estonia and her diary documenting the time she lived alone on an island at a research area.

The island was practically uninhabited aside from a few native inhabitants scattered around the area and to her, “It was like a paradise, and one of the most beautiful and difficult times of life.” The stay helped her truly connect with nature and tie those elements into her writing to preserve her native Estonian heritage.

To wrap up the event, Ehin and Sepp sang a surprise duet they named “Very Last Days Without Snow.” The spotlight alternated from Sepp on the clarinet to Ehin on her accordion. Finally, the audience members rose to their feet, while a small crowd gathered near the back of the room where the publishers were selling her works. Overall, everyone seemed satisfied, inspired and properly entertained for the evening. It was definitely a remarkably beautiful piece to end the day with.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER

Students from Bethune Elementary School (left) recited their own poems on unity. Juan Felipe Herrera (right) led the Unity Poem Project by asking for everyone to clap and sing together.

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

Our happiness is your happiness:

Unity for a community NATHAN SWIFT Senior Staff Writer

...so long as they lived in the moment with their own unifying joy, they cared not for the estranged glances from random onlookers.

H

appiness was a contagious condition at UC Riverside’s Unity Poem Fiesta. Taking place on Oct. 9, the event sprawled over the grounds outside the Arts Building. Basking in the warm sunlight — but not too warm — students and faculty came together to celebrate the theme of unity: the idea of a common humanity that encompasses everything from our saddest memories to our brightest moments.

When the clock struck noon, the main event took place. Children from nearby elementary schools walked together to the Arts Building steps, and proceeded to recite lines of poetry from “The Most Incredible and Biggest and Most Amazing Poem on Unity in the World.” This anthology of poems, over 200 pages, was a project that Herrera initiated two years ago, where all lines were contributions from anyone. Thus, the central theme of unity was carried out by inviting poems from backgrounds of all kinds, including those who sometimes find it difficult to express their own voice.

Bringing together different people to help become a megaphone for the voiceless, Herrera was able to express that with unity, there could be “less violence, more togetherness and harmony — and all the things we feel in our lives that we wish we had more of.”

The fiesta was led by Juan Felipe Herrera, the poet laureate of California

and professor at UC Riverside. Herrera possessed the qualities of a best friend, as one could see him shaking hands with every individual he met. Thriving with the energy and excitement of a child holding a puppy, he constantly put a smile on anyone’s face with his rapid-fire speech, fast-paced movements and down-to-earth demeanor.

He was lightning — blink, and you’d miss him.

Taco stands with plenty of tasty desserts, along with free water and lemonade for all accompanied the fiesta. It didn’t matter if you were a member of the project crowd or if you were a simple passerby. Everything there was open to the public.

The choir of children stayed on the steps of the amphitheater for half an hour, spreading Herrera’s love of all people to everyone. Many of the lines referred to terrible tragedies that took place last year, including the Boston marathon bombing, the Sandy Hook massacre and the hurricane that decimated the Philippines. If humanity is the language of poetry, then the children personified that idea.

After the children took their bows and left, the second choir took their place up on stage, which is when things got more creative. The second choir consisted of students from local high schools and students and faculty of UC Riverside. Having led the children’s choir at an even and serious pace, Herrera — equipped as always with his humor and charm — went off-script for the fiesta’s second reading. The second choir believed that they would commit to

a simple call-and-response technique of public reading, where Herrera would read one stanza at a time, and the choir would mimic his words. He had done this with the children’s choir, but with the second choir he greatly improvised by repeating and skipping different lines, or sometimes even saying anything off the top of his head.

This was the heart of the fiesta. Herrera, trusting the older choir’s ability to respond and listen, acted in spontaneity and ad-libbed for the audience. This level of controlled chaos was the type of humanity that Herrera lived day in and day out — the type of humanity that loved dancing to your own beat without a second thought, thinking not of judgment but only of making others truly happy through your own acts of joy. When Herrera caught the attention of a conga band sitting next to the choir on stage, he got them to start an infectious beat before dancing up and down the steps. This was followed with a lively call-and-response jingle between him and the choir, where they mimicked his randomized English and Spanish lyrics.

They weren’t perfect, but they possessed the same mindset as Herrera; so long as they lived in the moment with their own unifying joy, they cared not for the estranged glances from random onlookers.

No matter what the emotion, the fiesta taught everyone that we are all a vital part of humanity through sharing our emotions with friends and loved ones. The attendees and Herrera displayed how they love everybody’s voice by uniting all in a poetry reading focused on unity itself.

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FEATURES

HIGHLANDER OSCAR HO Senior Staff Writer

W

hen in Riverside, you don’t always expect to see diverse foods outside of the campus area, so it’s always great when you discover the hidden places Riverside has to offer. Koreana Grill Barbecue Buffet is a great example. This is one of the few all-you-can-eat, do-it-yourself Korean barbecue places in Riverside and even just one of the few Korean places that Riverside has to offer.

For about $20, (not including the student discount) Koreana makes every bite worth your buck. Sure you could go to Koreatown in LA for much better meats, but nowhere can you match the value that Koreana has to offer. They have all the basics (including bulgogi, galbi and brisket) and go even further to include beef liver and various seafoods. Serving all kinds of unlimited side dishes, desserts, miso soup, cooked foods and even sushi, Koreana still keeps the meat and seafood fresh and tasty. This place is also unconventional, with its buffet style different from the traditional ordering system at a Korean barbecue, where you look at your menu, tell your server the meats you want and then they are brought to you.

In the meat department, in addition to the previously mentioned items, there was also pork belly, intestine and other meats marinated in teriyaki

WRITE FOR THE HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER

MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101

► SEE KOREANA, PAGE 14

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

13

koreana GRILL barbeCue BUFFET Rating: ★★★☆☆

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER ► KOREANA FROM PAGE 13

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

and spicy sauces, which definitely gave a feeling of good variety.

Everything I grilled was delicious and marinated very well. A surprising amount of seafood was included in the price, including squid, octopus, scallops, shrimp and fish — but I don’t recommend the fish only due to the fact that it stuck to the grill very easily.

A good amount of side dishes are available for customers to choose from: bean sprouts, sesame leaves, fresh seaweed, cucumbers and kimchee. In addition, various desserts are available such as jello, fruit slices and an amazing soft serve ice cream machine with caramel, chocolate and strawberry sauce — all of which made my ice cream dreams come true after a great Korean barbecue meal.

The dumplings, vegetable tempura, calamari, fried noodles, fried fish and fried rice completed my full dining experience at Koreana. The sushi, while not offering much of a selection, was still a nice addition to the already huge menu of food that Koreana offers. I only wish that they would restock some things faster on the buffet islands. But after asking them, they brought it out immediately and we were back to eating some delicious Korean barbecue.

The food itself was adequate — nothing less and nothing more than some good old Korean barbecue meat. Sure, there are much better places out in Koreatown or even closer in the San Gabriel Valley area, but there is something to be loved about this place and the variety at such a low price. The bulgogi at this place was good, but not as memorable as many of the marinated meats.

The beef liver is something that you either love or hate, but I love it and I am certainly glad it is on the menu here, as it is not really seen elsewhere. The seafood, while probably not the freshest, was also quite good and definitely very surprising to see included on the menu. As mentioned before, soft serve is one of the best parts of the meal. It is seemingly nothing special, but there is just something about its soft texture with the variety of drizzle sauces that makes it well worth the end of a good Korean barbecue meal.

The restaurant itself was very standard: Nothing too flashy, but definitely not a hole-in-thewall place either. The place seemed half-remodeled, with combinations of newer and older seats throughout, giving me a feeling that it is not yet done.

Classic ‘90s rock plays on the speakers and the overall vibe and decor do not really match up with the modern, K-pop-playing Korean barbecue restaurant.

Koreana feels somewhat like a typical American diner, which is refreshing — who wants to go to the same restaurant over and over again anyway?

While this restaurant doesn’t give the traditional or modern Korean vibe, that doesn’t mean that the food isn’t good or authentic. If you are in Riverside and craving Korean barbecue, Koreana is definitely the place to be.

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HIGHLANDER

@highlanderradar

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Events this week Tuesday | 10/14

Wednesday | 10/15

DANCE/CHANGE - Fred Moten “Amuse-Bouche” @ The Athletics and Dance Building, 4:10 p.m.

Daniel Bambaata Marley @ The Barn, 8:30 p.m.

Friday | 10/17

Cinema Culturas Film Fest Inland Empire @ The Fox Theater, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday | 10/18

Rob Becker’s Defending the Caveman @ The Fox Performing Arts Center, 2 p.m.

Mark Stanley brings the bass to Shoppy.

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

Barn Welcome Show:

BadBadNotGood reignites Barn, sets new standard Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Tim Baca

I

am not a fan of jazz. Well, I should clarify — while I don’t inherently dislike it, I have never come to fully appreciate the genre or any of its multitudes of subgenres. So when the jazz band BadBadNotGood was announced to headline the free opening night of the Barn series this year, I met it with a pretty ambivalent, “Huh. Okay.”

A fellow DJ at KUCR was over the moon about the announcement, but I wasn’t quite ready to believe the hype. Countless flying bodies and “Riverside, are you ready?!”s later, BadBadNotGood had put on one of the best Barn shows I’d ever been to, setting a high bar for excitement and engagement for future bands to take the small stage.

There had to be a calm before the storm, however, and, if I’m being honest, BadBadNotGood’s calm was modestly good. The first half to approximately threequarters of the show were a great display of musicianship and commitment to craft, as members

Matt Tavares, Chester Hansen and Alex Sowinski showed their chops on their instruments. It was to the point that while I was enjoying the show, I didn’t feel the need to be in the crowd, and retreated to the KUCR table in the back to hang out with friends from the station and watch the show close out.

It’s hard to say exactly when, how or why the next part happened, but nothing short of a massive explosion of energy, music and general unpredictability that comes with the best kind of shows, suddenly appeared.

As I was checking something on my phone near the back, I looked up suddenly to see a mass of people toward the front suddenly crowding in and jumping up and down a bit. I quickly set down my phone and rushed through holes in the crowd to see what the commotion was about. Before I knew it, I was part of a massive crowd of flames that set the Barn on fire.

What was two seconds earlier a mellow, if not eager, crowd was bursting at the seams. Constant jumping turned into moshing and back again, as security scrambled to stop stage-diving and anyone from getting hurt. Seriously though — moshing at a jazz show.

This kind of show is how you build a culture and reputation for your music venue.

And it didn’t stop there. The raucous crowd was constantly lifting people up to crowdsurf, with a handful of people spending quality time hanging from the Barn’s antiquated rafters (again to the chagrin of security).

Energetic drumming and groovy basslines lifted the crowd’s spirits as high as I’ve ever seen them at the venue. As some friends lifted

me up to join the festivities, I got a breathtaking view from above.

Controlled chaos, smiling faces and unbound passion for music were embers thriving on the coal that was the Barn floor. Even with their reputation for hyperactive live shows, there was nothing I could have predicted about their capabilities to work a crowd and bring energy to startling levels almost spontaneously.

And this is coming from someone who had never seen or extensively listened to the band before. Sure, I gave one of their albums a shot at listening and enjoyed it, but I couldn’t even tell you one song they played that night. But it didn’t matter. The band played off the crowd’s manic energy that they had helped create, playing with obvious enthusiasm as they jumped around and yelled phrases of encouragement to the crowd, while profusely thanking them for such a fantastic show.

Most importantly, it brought a sense of prolific life back to the

Barn. I have seen a few shows there with more attendance, but hardly any have come close to the energy and fervor lit underneath the crowd and the band. Throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Barn became known as a hub for the punk and indie scene, and meant a great deal to the community. Though its revival as a music venue since 2009 has attempted to bring some of the old culture back, it’s been, with a few notable exceptions, fairly adequate to slightly good at best.

This kind of show is what the Barn needs. This kind of show is how you build a culture and reputation for your music venue. This is the kind of show people look back on with fond memories, and the kind of show that makes more local talent interested in playing your venue, and the kind of show that makes talent interested in traveling just to come and play your venue. A fire has been lit here. So let’s not H let it turn to ashes once more. ■

Alex Sowinski (top) along with Chester Hansen (bottom left and right) of BadBadNotGood fused traditional jazz drumming with driving modern beats to wake up the Barn for their first concert of the year.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

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VIDEO GAME REVIEW ALIEN: ISOLATION RATING:

A

“

★★★☆☆

l i e n : Isolation” is a survival horror game

by British video game developer Creative Assembly. You play as Amanda Ripley, daughter of “Alien” franchise protagonist Ellen Ripley.

Amanda ventures with her team to Sevastopol, an android-manufacturing space station holding a flight recorder of the “Nostromo,” the ship her mother was stationed in before she went missing. She finds herself stranded after a mysterious explosion on board separates her from her team. Amanda must then evade various threats to regroup and uncover the secret behind the chaos that surrounds her. The game is great if players accept it for what it is — a homage to the “Alien” franchise. But other than that, the game lacks variety.

Sevastopol is a hostile environment, and everything that can kill you, will. There are multiple threats such as the Alien, an unkillable extraterrestrial crafted to be the perfect predator who runs amok on the ship.

Or Synthetics, b i o m e c h a n i c a l humanoids who operate the ship and become hostile if individuals are caught breaking the

BY: STASEAN WASHINGTON, STAFF WRITER

law. Even other stranded humans have several ways of disposing of Amanda. Players must use their brain and trusty motion-tracker to survive. Weapons can be crafted, but they only work to inconvenience enemies rather than eliminate them.

The game rewards players for making smart decisions. With a vast amount of controls at the player’s disposal, being quick on your toes is a necessity.

Players can hide under desks, crouch behind cover, turn on radios to create distractions, or evade threats via the ventilation system (not recommended by the way): How you choose to survive is your decision.

But recklessness is only rewarded with a swift death.

The game brings the suspense of the “Alien” franchise to life through these elements. Players will find themselves falling into classic horror movie moments as the game progresses.

Experiences like the terror of hiding in a closet while a monster is just inches away from finding you, or the anxiety of having to watch your back as you hack a machine to get to another part of the ship are common — and threats are always

around the corner. The game creates the genuine feeling of helplessness needed for a survival horror game.

However, the game lacks consistency in being frightening. Act one is effective because everything is unexpected.

But leading into act two, even on the hardest difficulty, the game becomes less scary because its mechanics are predictable. After dying a few times the players know everything they need to know to progress from one place to the next. The game does not continue to prove the player with new challenges and gameplay.

And once players receive the motion-tracker the suspense vanishes. The game becomes an intense version of “Metal Gear Solid” from this point on, and death is not scary but just plain frustrating.

This game is for fans of the “Alien” franchise with few true aspects of a survival horror game.

The combination of a popular franchise with a medium as interactive as a video game creates something unique for the fans, but not much for anybody else. “Alien: Isolation” is the sequel that never made it to the big screen, but this time fans not only get to watch it, they can live it.

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Courtesy of Sega

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

HIGHLANDER

MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT SOON:

FURY

THE BEST OF ME

BIRDMAN

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

THE BOOK OF LIFE

THE JUDGE

RATING: ★★★☆☆

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BY: JAMESON ADAME, STAFF WRITER

ilms about father-son relationships have always been an intriguing prospect for movie-makers as well as film-going audiences. These movies have the power to draw in large crowds and garner critical acclaim, such as “Big Fish,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Road to Perdition” and “The Godfather,” just to name a few. This being true, when I heard that there was going to be a film with heavyweight actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall portraying an estranged son and father respectively, I nearly had a stroke from excitement. Then, when I

saw that the film was getting a 48 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the same stroke was coming from anxiety.

“The Judge” is a film by David Dobkin, the previous director of movies like “Fred Claus” and “Wedding Crashers.” The movie’s plot centers around Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.), a successful lawyer, who must go home to Illinois when his mother dies. His plans change, however, when his father Joseph (Duvall), the town’s judge, is suspected of murder. This core plot of the film is as solid as any — likely due to the fact that it has already been used as

the foundation of many other courtroom dramas — engaging the audience not only in a family drama, but nurturing their desire to know the truth at the root of the mystery: Did Judge Palmer really kill somebody he had failed to sentence?

Strong as the initial plot is, the weakest points of the film also come out of the film’s interweaving storylines. Early on, it is established that Hank’s marriage is past the point of no return, and that his relationship with his young daughter (Emma Tremblay) is struggling. Additionally, there is a romantic subplot introduced around Hank’s former girlfriend Samantha Powell (Vera Farmiga), whom he left in Illinois when he went to school to become a lawyer. There’s also a subplot about Hank’s antagonistic relationship with the prosecuting lawyer in his father’s case (played by Billy Bob Thornton). On top of this, Hank has to deal with family guilt over an accident he caused in the past. Also, there is a subplot in the film where Hank fears that he may have engaged in incest. Can you tell that this movie is far too busy?

Setting aside many of the unnecessary side plots and the overlong two-and-ahalf-hour runtime, this movie has a solid foundation. Although the core plot is somewhat cliched, Downey Jr. and Duvall’s

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures performances are enough to raise this movie above itself. The shared scenes between the father and son characters swing between heartbreaking and beautiful, as Duvall is not only one of the strongest actors in Hollywood, but is acting alongside Downey Jr., who is arguably charismatic enough to read a phonebook and make it interesting.

The supporting cast is unbelievably strong as well, showing off the talents of Farmiga, Thornton, Vincent D’Onofrio and a few others. Every actor proves themselves capable of holding their own, even when starring alongside a living legend like Duvall, and there is hardly a weak performance to be found. However, the acting seems to serve as a smokescreen, every actor disguising a movie with a B-grade plot through thoroughly A-grade acting.

“The Judge,” though cliched in its storyline, is held above its subpar writing through tour de force acting, and an effort put into each performance that it likely did not deserve. While I can’t suggest a full-price ticket for this movie, the passion injected into each character deserves a matinee or a rental once it leaves theaters. By sheer force of acting, this movie is one of the few that can nonsensically be described as “being better than it is.”

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GONE GIRL

RATING: ★★★★★

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BY: EDWARD DAVE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ome things are better left unknown.

When you go digging for the truth you might uncover something far more daunting. “Gone Girl,” the psychological thriller directed by film veteran David Fincher, encompasses all the aesthetics that make films compelling and sticks to the basics. The film never tries to break new ground. Instead, it meticulously crafts itself into a masterpiece by sharpening the qualities that made its book adaption by Gillian Flynn so riveting.

Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Tyler Perry take viewers on a tumultuous road of a failing marriage that simply does not let up on its intensity.

The premise of the film may sound cliche at first glance with the turbulent marriage and murderous plot situation. But upon further inspection there are multiple facets to the film that keep the viewer engaged. The movie embeds psychological and sociological concepts, such as the value of self-worth and bias in the media, in an attempt to get into the audience’s psyche and take them on an emotional roller coaster.

The narrative is told from the married couple’s (Nick and Amy) varying viewpoints and the film juxtaposes their opposing sentiments throughout its entirety.

In Nick’s (Affleck) case, he is under a lot of pressure from the public scrutiny he is getting from the accusations, while Amy (Pike) is a disillusioned housewife who has had enough of her husband’s cheating and manipulative ways. What makes it riveting is the fact that both characters are unreliable, each sharing personal biases that prevent them from unraveling the truth to the audience and the characters within the movie. The fun in the story derives from analyzing each party’s account of the past trying to weed out any contradictions or lies.

And not only does the script solidify the movie’s poignancy, the actors take all the things bestowed upon them and completely throw themselves in their craft. Affleck has never been so mystifying playing the role of the husband. Every ounce of stress and turmoil dealt by society is visible on Affleck as he maneuvers through the plot with grace, keeping the smug demeanor that got his character into the mess. Juggling those dispositions and seamlessly transitioning between them was amazing to see.

The chemistry he shares with Pike is simply electrifying. It seemed as though these two had actually been friends forever and knew all of each other’s idiosyncrasies and mannerisms. Every little sexual or casual gesture they made was done with extreme aplomb and created a realistic portrayal that is hard to evoke in movies

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

of similar genres. The relationship formed on-screen is organic and the emotions emanating from the screen were life-like.

Pike’s interactions with the world around her, including a very interesting scene with some petty thieves, show how much she immersed herself in her role, being able to convey extreme confidence to sheer terror at the drop of a dime. Her dedication went as far as gaining and losing weight for the scenes that called for it.

Her alluring tone could easily be changed into an aggressive jeer with the slightest inflection. An honorable mention goes to Perry who played public defender Tanner Bolt, and also impressed with his satire and irony.

Music is another thing “Gone Girl” nails.

Each scene was perfectly accompanied with grandiose music that set the tone and

mood of the plot. Something as elegant as a morning talk in a coffee shop with a harp and acoustic score could easily transition to mild drums and eerie whistles. Having both sides of the spectrum made the film a joy to hear. Never once did I think about the music overstaying its welcome or it being obnoxious. Everything just fit.

You have two categories of movies: Some movies reach for the stars and end up falling short, while others are able to reach the brilliance they set out for. “Gone Girl” is definitely in the latter. Fincher put so much of his craft and dedication into this movie and the payoff is tremendous. The plot, actors and soundtrack, are combined into a masterful orchestra by this film master. It’s a film that sits calmly on top of its contemporary peers of the same genre.

The main point is, just go see it.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER

MUSIC REVIEWS PLOWING INTO THE FIELD OF LOVE // ICEAGE

RATING: ★★☆☆☆ BY: KELLY DUARTE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Courtesy of Matador Records

T

oo messy for mainstream rock and alternative and too tame for punk, Iceage’s new album “Plowing Into the Field of Love” is one that can’t be easily placed into any subgenre of rock or alternative music due to the variety of elements and instruments used in each track.

“Plowing Into the Field of Love” gets across that it is trying to reach out to a wider audience by having a more polished sound but misses the mark. It’s too experimental to be enjoyed by a larger audience and its sound has changed so drastically that many Iceage fans who enjoyed their rough edge can’t find that with their new release. It is definitely more refined, but it tries to be two different sounds at once, which causes it to be just clunky.

Iceage went from complete obscurity to at least being slightly well-known in 2011, being a fairly recent band from Denmark. One notable aspect marking their studio album is that it is a contrast from Iceage’s previous albums, which tried to focus on punk elements which are usually comprised of a raw and unmastered quality to their sound. “Plowing Into the Field of Love,” while still very guitarfocused, differs due to the added elements of horns, piano and on occasion acoustic guitars.

Iceage fails to set themselves apart and create their own unique sound, with each song feeling like it is copying other bands. The lead singer and guitarist Elias Bender Ronnenfelt has the same deep, almost monotone voice that was once unique in the rock and alternative scene but has never been successfully replicated since the Strokes. Every time brass elements are brought into the mix, it’s as if the song has turned into a Neutral Milk Hotel song. And it can’t be helped to notice the overwhelming

similarities between Iceage and Cloud Nothings, an alternative indie band that has a distinct, rough edge to it, especially when it comes to their lead singer’s voice. There’s just nothing that makes this album significant or the least bit set apart from other artists with the same caliber.

Another issue with this album is that it’s also very repetitive within itself. Most of the songs follow the same beat and have the same style of singing and the album soon turns into an amorphous blob where each song is indistinguishable from the other. Toward the end of the album, all of the songs have been slowed down immensely, as if the album itself is tired of playing, with each track consisting of a sedated tempo, slow-strumming guitars and Ronnenfelt almost crying each lyric over the heavy instrument usage they have.

To say this album is just mindless noise is not true. In “Against the Moon,” Ronnenfelt sings “Oh my pistol, shining bright / Justify me, make me right,” highlighting the issue of self-destruction, while “Glassy Eyed, Dormant and Veiled” outright sings “I am an absent father / glassy-eyed, drunken and unveiled,” weaving a story of a troubles and complexities between a father and son. But unfortunately, although many of the lyrics are beautiful and actually thought-provoking, the same can’t be said for the execution. The lyrics may be good, but if it’s mumbled and indistinguishable, it doesn’t matter.

“Plowing Into the Field of Love” fails to give a new musical experience to the listener, as many bands in the rock and alternative scene have the exact same sound. The irony is that the album is supposed to be about identity, yet the album itself fails to have one.

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HIGHLANDER

YOU’RE DEAD! // FLYING LOTUS

RATING: ★★★★☆

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BY: JOSHUA RAMOS, STAFF WRITER

he music industry has faced its fair share of death over the years.

Whether it’s the loss of musical pioneers like hip-hop producer J-Dilla, the death of musical platforms such as the album, or the death of a genre, death is a subject that constantly recurs in music. It is the mystery we all wonder about, but can be too afraid to touch upon. That is, of course, until Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, released his fifth studio album entitled “You’re Dead!” The LA-based experimental producer bravely explores the topic of death with a profound curiosity, taking listeners on a sonic journey through the different fears and feelings that come with death.

Although “You’re Dead!” is an album based around death, it is a resurrection of many elements of music many have considered dead. An album in its truest form, the 19-track project is not just a collection of songs but rather a single entity or experience. It is an album you must listen to from start to finish to comprehend its vision. This becomes apparent the minute the album’s first track,

“Theme,” begins to play. The album opener stands as a prelude for what’s to come, beginning with eerie synth pads and jittery strings that could be used for a horror movie score. The layered instrumentation crescendos into a fury of overwhelming synths and frantic drumming, coming at the listener all at once like one’s life flashing in front of their eyes.

Each song carries a different message and feeling through its various rhythms and melodies, yet flow and transition fluidly like a never-ending song. The brashness of “Theme” carries directly into “Tesla,” a smooth and mysterious ode to late great jazz pioneers such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Flying Lotus’ great-uncle. Filled with sped-up jazz guitar solos and freeform drumming, the song gives off a ‘50s noir vibe, representing the mystery of death. The album then speeds up into “Cold Dead,” a furious track that matches fiery rock guitar over bashing jazz drumming.

Although unstructured, the grittiness of the guitar riffs on top of the headpounding drumming and soulful horns create a magnificent

Courtesy of Warp Records soundscape. “Cold Dead” is short and to the point, demonstrating just how quickly life passes and death happens.

If there is one song that best captures the entire message of “You’re Dead!,” it is “Never Catch Me.” The Kendrick Lamar-assisted single sees both the Compton emcee and Flying Lotus at their musical best. FlyLo combines elements from jazz and hip-hop into his production, matching smooth piano loops over rhythmic drum patterns and funk bass rhythms. “Analyze my demise, I say I’m super anxious / Recognize I deprive this fear and then embrace it,” Lamar declares with a confident tone. Lamar’s verse is an acceptance that death is inevitable, and a statement that he is in control of his fears of death. Kendrick’s verse grows with intensity as Flying Lotus’s production does, breaking down into a mesmerizing guitar solo and later met with pulsating synths.

FlyLo combines electronic elements from his earlier works into his upbeat jazz-infused album production, creating a melting pot of different sounds, textures and emotions.

Just as there are many different sides to death, there are many different sides to “You’re Dead!” One full listen-through is just not enough to comprehend the album’s beauty and genius.

Flying Lotus has crafted a vivid and beautiful journey through the subject of death all through rhythm and melody. His mastery

of production and sound creates a powerful 19-track album filled with elements from hip-hop and jazz, breathing new life into a platform and genre that was once considered dead. The project stands as one of FlyLo’s most cohesive and ambitious albums to date, and is definitely worth multiple listens.

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EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT IN THE END // WEEZER

RATING: ★★★☆☆

L

BY: JAKE RICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

et’s start off with this: I never thought Weezer got as gut-wrenchingly terrible as many critics and fans did. Extremely inconsistent? Yes. Most of their albums in the past 10 years have had a couple of good tracks surrounded by filler and mediocrity, as if frontman Rivers Cuomo was writing on autopilot. When I first heard about Weezer’s new album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End,” I was slightly apprehensive. The band hasn’t put a memorable full album out in a while, and their promise to return

to their sound of old wasn’t the first time they had said that. And while not reaching the heights of a “Pinkerton” or the self-titled blue album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End,” finally feels like Weezer is at least having some fun and being somewhat sincere with their songs again.

Album-opener “Ain’t Got Nobody,” begins with some muffled radio tuning sounds, suddenly followed by a sound clip of a mother telling a scared child, “Don’t worry honey, everything will be alright in the end.” It’s a theme that’s repeated throughout

Courtesy of Republic Records the album, which often self-references Weezer’s past. A thundering bassline and chugging guitar (reminiscent of “Hash Pipe”) start things out in classic Weezer fashion, before Cuomo comes in with his ever-teenage lyrics, “Ain’t got nobody / Ain’t got nobody / Ain’t got no one to really love me.”

While lead single “Back to the Shack,” hams it up with cheesyyet-earnest lyrics (“Rockin’ out like it’s ‘94,” anyone?) and “Eulogy for a Rock Band” and “I’ve Had It Up To Here” are solid tracks, things kick more into gear with “The British Are Coming.”

While solid and fun, if not innovative musically, the song is a wonderful retelling of the American Revolution, and offers the opportunity for one of the best lyrics of the year in, “Punk-ass redcoats trying to run the show / Telling me what to do and where to go.”

It’s Weezer at their unashamed goofiest, reminding us why the “nerd rock” label was originally applied to them in the best kind of way.

However modestly good the album is for the first nine songs, the last four more than anything prove that Weezer still have something in the tank. “Foolish Father” truly serves as the album’s thematic core — with a grungy hook, Cuomo’s lyrics are apparently directed to his daughter to forgive him, and that he’s trying the best he can. But the apologetic nature of the lyrics can also be seen as reconciliation with the father he once despised in “Say It Ain’t So” (a lyric from “Back To The Shack” also mentions “I made up with my dad”).

As the song dips down in speed,

a voice that sounds like Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast (who also contributed vocals to the song “Go Away”) starts singing in repetition, “Everything will be alright / in the end,” before being joined by Cuomo and his bandmates. The song is as much of a reassurance to the audience as to themselves, as the band needs to remind themselves of their capabilities despite their inconsistencies.

While this could serve as the end of the album, a three-track suite which includes the songs, “I. The Waste Land,” “II. Anonymous” and “III. Return To Ithaka,” serves a fitting grand finale.

The suite feels tacked on, but in the best kind of way — as if Weezer were feeling confident and jammed for a couple of tracks and happened to get it on record. The

songs, mostly instrumental, show the band’s tightness and musical talent in quickly switching styles throughout the course of the three short tunes.

While some critics may peg “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” as just a slightly aboveaverage attempt at Weezer trying to recapture their old glory, the album and band deserve more credit than that. It’s by no means a perfect or innovative album, but it invigorates some life back into a band that so desperately needed some. If anything, the final four songs especially give me hope and — dare I say it — good expectations for the next Weezer album. Though it took them awhile, Weezer is at least to an extent back — it only took a selffulfilling album title to show not just us, but themselves that.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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STN MTN / KAUAI // CHILDISH GAMBINO

RATING: ★★★★☆

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BY: CHRISTAL MIMS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

f you’re still reeling from the fact that you were unable to witness the greatness that is Childish Gambino at UCR’s 2014 HEAT music festival that never happened, I have a nice surprise for you. After hinting at the possible release of new music earlier this year, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, shocked fans with the sudden release of his newest project “STN MTN / Kauai,” a mixtape followed by an EP, consisting of 18 new songs in total. The Gangsta Grillz-hosted mixtape, “STN MTN,” pays homage to Gambino’s hometown Stone Mountain, located near Atlanta, Ga., while the EP portion, “Kauai,” is titled based on his love for the Hawaiian island of the same name. This new body of music is refreshingly different from Gambino’s latest studio album “Because the Internet,” a thought-provoking, concept album that contemplates the pros and cons of the “Internet age.” “STN MTN / Kauai” showcases his ability to let loose, have fun and create raw, feel-good music that anyone can enjoy.

Gambino’s “STN MTN” can easily be described as “turn-up” music, filled with raunchy hip-hop beats, catchy choruses and talks of partying, money and women. With song titles like “Fucks Given,” “Money Baby” and “AssShots remix ft. R O Y A L T Y,” it’s easy to assume what you’re going to hear.

Original subject matter? Not really.

But Gambino always puts his

signature charm and cleverness on every song he touches. In fact, the opening track “Dream / Southern Hospitality / Partna Dem” begins with a monologue by the actorturned-rapper, recalling a dream he had in which he “ran” Atlanta, solidifying the dream aspect of “STN MTN” that then bleeds into him waking up in “Kauai.”

His decision to represent Atlanta and Southern hip-hop makes it easy to differentiate the mixtape from other rap music being released. However, Gambino slows it down slightly toward the end of the mixtape with “U Don’t Have to Call,” in which he sings the intro and tackles tougher subjects such as the ongoing struggle of black people in America. With lyrics like, “We are very rare / 10 percent of a foster home trying to Cinderella this shit / This melanin pit they placed us in and said get out / No blueprint, hell’s cruise ship,” Gambino makes it very clear that there are other things on his mind besides living the “good life.”

At the end of the last track “Go DJ,” Gambino thanks the individuals involved with “STN MTN” before going into “Kauai,” the EP in which his vocals are far more prominent than in the first half of the project. He sings throughout the entire opening track “Sober,” a song that sounds similar to an oldschool R-and-B track. “Pop Thieves (Make it Feel Good)” features the calming sounds of ocean waves and an appearance from Jaden Smith, who occasionally narrates

Courtesy of Glassnote Records

Gambino makes it very clear that there are other things on his mind besides living the “good life.”

throughout the EP and plays the role of “the boy” in “Kauai,” a fictional character thought to be based on Gambino’s own middleclass upbringing and whose story is also told in “Because the Internet.”

Gambino’s flow and wordplay in “Retro [ROUGH]” make it one of the best tracks on the EP, along with “Poke (feat. Steve G. Lover),”

a song about sweet memories and summer days. Gambino continues the alternative R-and-B vibe with “The Palisades (feat.

Christian Rich),” a track featuring soulful background harmonies similar to that of Boys II Men. Gambino closes out “Kauai” with a mellower, “beach picnic” version of his hit song, “3005.”

“STN MTN / Kauai” is a far cry from anything Gambino has ever done and this makes it hard to determine how his fanbase will react. However, no matter what style of music he chooses to embrace, his witty personality shines through every song, making it a body of work worth checking ■H out.

Be part of the news as it happens.

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

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SPORTS

HIGHLANDER

Men’s soccer loses to Cal Poly, ties with UCSB

CALEB LIN / HIGHLANDER

Facing strong resistance from Cal Poly’s soccer team, UCR’s Otis Earle (No. 3) stops Cal Poly’s advancement midfield.

CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer OCT. 9, 2014

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Mustangs 1 - Highlanders 0

In their first game at home against a Big West opponent, the UC Riverside men’s soccer team looked to right the ship on the heels of a 2-7-1 start to their season.

After both teams were held

scoreless in the first half, Cal Poly broke the tie in the 82nd minute with a goal by Chase Minter. Minter’s goal would prove to be enough to put the game away for the Mustangs, who improved their record to 7-2-3 with the win.

The Highlanders had no trouble producing on the offensive side for most of the match, registering an outrageous 24 shots, 10 of them being on

goal. However, UCR was unable to translate that production to the scoreboard.

Equally as impressive as the UCR offense was the Cal Poly defense. Mustang goalkeeper Wade Hamilton had his work cut out for him Thursday night and registered a clean sheet with ten saves and zero goals allowed.

OCT. 11, 2014

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Highlanders 1 - Gauchos 1

In the second match of their two-game homestand, the UC Riverside men’s soccer team looked to erase the memories of Thursday’s disappointment and escape with a win against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.

With a match start slated for 7 p.m., transportation issues for the visiting team caused a 50-minute delay to the match kicking off.

Eager to put their goalscoring woes from Thursday’s match behind them, the Highlanders came onto the field with guns blazing in the first half. The game’s first score came at the 17-minute mark when Ricardo Ruiz found Ulises Mosqueda for a header from the right side of the box. By the end

of the first half, the Highlanders had registered an impressive nine shots to UCSB’s three.

In the second half, the Gauchos netted a score when Ismaila Jome found Kevin Garcia-Lopez on a crosser, tying the match at one goal apiece.

Game delays and all, the night continued to get longer as both squads remained tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes, sending the match into overtime in which neither team was able to top the other, resulting in a draw.

With the draw, the Highlanders’ record stands at 2-8-2 on the season, with the team set to hit the road against the CSU Northridge Matadors ■H on Oct. 18.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER Jonathan Tovar (No. 19) charges through midfield.

SPORTS

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Women’s soccer remains undefeated at home DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer OCT. 9, 2014

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Highlanders 1 - Anteaters 0

UCR’s Tyler Cunningham (No. 2) charges down the field with possession of the ball against UCI’s opposing defender.

H write. shoot. design.

Join the Highlander 2014-2015 staff.

Monday meetings @ HUB 101, 5:15 p.m.

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

There’s something about the friendly confines of UCR’s soccer field that gives the women’s soccer team a little extra motivation.

For the fourth time this season, the Highlanders left the green grass snuggled between the softball field and Materials Science and Engineering Building without a loss.

Brittany Mata slammed home the only score of the evening in the 35th minute as the Highlanders recorded their second consecutive victory over conference foe UC Irvine, who the university beat in the semifinals of the Big West Conference tournament last season.

UC Irvine had opportunities early as its first two shots were directed on target, but halted by the defense of goalie Elizabeth Silas, who tallied four saves on the night. UCR outshot the Anteaters, 7-5, in the first half, including Mata’s

score.

The Anteaters raised their level of play in the second half, getting decent shots at the goal and outshooting the home team, 5-2. None of their attempts connected, however, and UCR held on for its first conference win.

UCR’s Tyler Cunningham and Blanca Barrio registered their sixth assists of the season, tying a program record held by Vanessa Chanez and Amber Plumlee.

Irvine was held scoreless for the first time in eight matches while the Highlanders moved to 6-4-3. The win came on the heels of a dip in play for the Highlanders. The team lost two of its last three games after starting off their 2014 campaign 4-1-1. The squad opened the season with two consecutive wins and a tie before being crushed by nationally ranked USC, 1-8. The Highlanders rebounded with two solid victories against Bakersfield and Northern Iowa.

UCR next plays at home on Friday, Oct. 17 against UC Santa Barbara.

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Returning home:

HIGHLANDER

Troy Percival

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer

They say home is where the heart is. For 14-year major leaguer Troy Percival, home was never too far away.

On July 29, Percival was announced as the fifth baseball head coach in UC Riverside school history, but it wasn’t a traditional homecoming, simply because the 2002 World Series champion never really left.

Even though he has performed on baseball’s biggest stage, earned millions of dollars in his illustrious career and had multiple opportunities to leave the scorching desert of Riverside for greener pastures, Percival always remained true to his Inland Empire roots.

He played at Moreno Valley High School before suiting up for the Highlanders for three years as a catcher. After being drafted by the Angels in 1990, the four-time All-Star even commuted from Riverside to Anaheim before every game.

“I’m very excited to come back. I guess I have a sense of duty when it comes to that stuff,” Percival stated. “It’s very important for me. I’ve had opportunities to coach jobs in the beach areas, but I grew up out here. I have a lot of pride in the area. Not only Moreno Valley and UC Riverside, but just in general.”

“Troy is Riverside,” Director of Athletics Jim Wooldridge said in an official statement.

“He has life-long ties to the university, to the community, and to the region.”

So when UC Riverside began its national search for a head coach following Doug Smith’s retirement, Percival was an obvious choice for the job.

Name recognition was atop the list. The university now has a proven winner at the helm of

its marquee and arguably most successful sport.

His playing career in Major League Baseball spanned 14 years with four different organizations, most notably the Angels, with whom he pitched for a decade. He is the Angels’ all-time saves leader and was the closer on the 2002 World Series championship team.

He remained active with the school baseball program since being drafted in 1990, practicing with the team in preparation for MLB spring training, attending alumni games and headlining golf tournaments to raise funds for the program.

The university now has a proven winner at the helm of its marquee and arguably most successful sport.

In 2007, Percival and his former father-in-law also helped fund and build a new clubhouse for the players. The pair turned an old shed into locker rooms equipped with new decor, including several flat-screen televisions. The alumnus wanted the guys to have a baseball environment indicative of a real major league clubhouse.

And now Percival faces a new challenge, coaching at the collegiate level. He coached two years at his other alma mater, Moreno Valley High School, before joining UCR. About the only thing the pitcher didn’t boast is experience in dealing with NCAA rules and regulation as well as administrative paperwork.

“Anytime you have experience above the level

you are coaching, I plan to bring a lot of that stuff into here,” the former pitcher explained. “College baseball has a tendency to overdo some things — too many bump plays, too many pick plays, not letting the kids be athletic enough to make their own decisions. So we are going to get the kids to where they can call their own pitches, where they know when it’s time to get a bunt down.

And basically not micromanage them and teach them how to play at the next level.”

There is also a learning curve for Percival and his staff in assessing the new and returning players, 12 of whom are freshmen. He has spent the last few months trying to implement a winning culture in the ball club.

“It’s a little slower process than I anticipated, changing a lot of things philosophy-wise around here, especially how we pitch,” Percival explained. “We have to get guys that have been ingrained for two to three years under one program to change their mentality about their pitching. But that’s my job, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Percival said he will making recruiting a top priority for the university. He thinks the talent pool in the Inland Empire is enough to help the Highlanders compete in one of the top baseball conferences in the country, and eventually the College World Series.

And for a World Series MLB champion, anything less than that would be a disappointment.

“Beyond this year, we are looking for a championship in the next two to three years,” the head coach gleamed. “We have to take baby steps. We have to get to the playoffs then worry about getting through regionals and on to Omaha. And that’s a goal I think is attainable, but it’s H going to take a lot of work.” ■

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

Former MLB All-Star Troy Percival returns to the Inland Empire as the fifth head coach of UCR’s men’s baseball team.