Volume 63 Issue 15

HEALTHY COOKING FOR THE COLLEGE SOUL

Highlander University

Volume 63

of

11

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

Serving the UCR community since 1954

Issue 15

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

UC achieves sexual assault policy goals AMY ZAHN SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writers

The UC Board of Regents discussed the implementation of a series of services and resources such as the establishment of an advocacy office for sexual assault victims on each UC campus during their most recent meeting from Jan. 21-22.

The advocacy office, entitled “CARE: Advocate Office for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Misconduct,” will include one full-time advocate position and provide services such as psychological counseling and emergency housing for survivors of sexual assault.

Other initiatives include the establishment of a systemwide website that each UC can individually tailor and the creation of a two-team response model that will review current cases of sexual misconduct and ► SEE SEXUAL ASSAULT, PAGE 5

CRIME WATCH:

Pizza suspects make off with dough

AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

Two male individuals are suspected of stealing $40 worth of pizza and products from a Domino’s delivery driver on Jan. 20. The robbery occurred in the south Bannockburn parking lot on Canyon Crest Drive, where the perpetrators are said to have fled the scene in a silver Honda Civic.

Riverside Police Department Sergeant Celeste Neiman stated that the Domino’s store manager heard about the robbery from the delivery driver and reported the crime at 7:20 p.m., 15 to 20 minutes after the incident occurred.

According to a UCPD crime alert, the suspects were not visibly armed and no one was injured during the incident. The delivery driver was not able to provide a description of the subjects, therefore their identities continue to remain a mystery.

Ava Hosseini, a third-year anthropology major, felt that the most recent crimes have been a little absurd. “So one dude gets assaulted by a basketball a couple of weeks ago and now this week someone steals pizza from a delivery driver, it’s like the weirdest crimes happen only here,” Hosseini stated.

■H

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

The new transfer commuter lounge will be located across from Sushi by Panda at the HUB.

Transfer Commuter Lounge to open at HUB this quarter EMILY MCKELLAR Contributing Writer

A new lounge designated for transfer and commuter students is finally set to open by the end of the quarter at the HUB after sitting vacant for more than a year. The lounge will be located in the former space of the Stacked Deli, according to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval.

An estimated $44,000 has been allocated to remodel the former deli and turn it into a lounge and workspace. While it will be open to all students, it will be dedicated to the university’s 3,000 transfer students and more than 14,000 commuters and will serve as a place for students to relax and network.

ASUCR Senator Akeem Brown, who began work on the lounge before he was elected into office last spring, has made it his mission to get transfer and commuter students more

involved on campus.

“I realized there was no space allocated for transfers,” he said. “If we had our own space, we could fully assimilate to campus.”

A transfer center used to be located in the student services building, but it was shut down last winter to house the TRiO Scholars Program, which designs educational outreach programs to assist low-income high school students seeking a college education.

Brown said he was disappointed when he heard about the closing of the transfer center. As founder and president of the California Transfer Student Alliance, also known as The Alliance @ UCR, he aims to assist transfer students like himself.

Some experience “transfer shock,” a state in which transfer students have difficulty adjusting to a four-year university after coming from a community college, thus increasing the likelihood that

NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • FEATURES 11 • A&E 13 • SPORTS 20

3,000 TRANSFERS 14,000 COMMUTERS 18,782 UNDERGRADUATES GRAPHIC BY ANDREW GOLDEN

they will drop out of school.

“There’s a recidivism problem for transfer students, so why would you take away their resources?” he asked.

Since last summer, Brown has worked closely with UCR administration, which he described as being “overly supportive” of his proposal.

“I know I don’t only speak

for myself, but for all the transfer students on this campus who feel marginalized, who do not have a space to call their own,” he said. “Time has come when transfer students be extended the same opportunities and resources that any other student ► SEE COMMUTER LOUNGE, PAGE 4

PLEASE RECYCLE

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEWS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

COMPILED BY COLIN MARKOVICH, senior staff writer

Former UCR student admits to soliciting assault More than a year after her arrest, former UCR student Barbara Wu has pled guilty on multiple charges, including soliciting others to assault two of her exboyfriends. The maximum sentence Wu can receive is six years and four months in prison.

Wu was originally arrested in May 2013 after boyfriend Dennis Lin reported that she asked him to kidnap and kill an ex-

boyfriend.

“She wanted me to tie him up, use a bat to break his legs, kill him, then discard the body,” Lin stated in a criminal report. “She wanted us to leave the country after we did all of this to him.”

Following her arrest, another individual came forward to allege that, in 2010, Wu had asked a previous boyfriend to torture and kill an ex-boyfriend from

high school.

Wu was a UCR student as recently as four months before her arrest.

Wu has also pled guilty to charges of dissuading a witness and stalking after previously pleading not guilty. She originally faced charges of solicitation for murder, which could have put her behind bars for up to 14 years.

GSOE Dean recognized for educational policy contributions The American Enterprise Institute has named Thomas Smith, the dean of UCR’s Graduate School of Education (GSOE), one of 200 influential educational scholars. Smith placed 168th out of universitybased researchers nationwide.

The rankings, based on eight separate metrics including web visibility and attention in both mainstream and educational press, are designed to determine which scholars had the most in-

fluence regarding public debates on education.

Stanford has the highest number of ranked scholars, clocking in at 22, with Harvard and Columbia universities following behind at 18 and 14 ranked scholars, respectively. Collectively, 18 University of California researchers are placed in the top 200. UCLA is the single largest contributor, with eight UCLA scholars featured on the list. Additional UC scholars hail

from UC Berkeley, with one scholar coming from each of UC San Diego, UC Merced and UC Davis.

Based out of Washington, D.C., the American Enterprise Institute is a nonprofit institution sometimes criticized for having a conservative political bias, but reaffirms that it is “dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare,” according to its website.

COURTESY OF UCR NEWSROOM

Essay award honors former CHASS Dean Budding writers may be eligible for a new award established in the name of former College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) dean and economics professor Stephen Cullenberg.

The Cullenberg Award will be awarded for the best essay in the areas of science fiction, technoculture, or science and technology studies, and is offered by the Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies (SFTS) program.

Cullenberg, who stepped down as dean of CHASS in November, was an instrumental player in the creation of the SFTS program in 2007.

The program currently features three core faculty, as well as

17 supporting faculty. Academic tracks include a designated emphasis program for Ph.D. candidates; in addition, the SFTS program has begun offering a minor for undergraduate students for the first time this academic year.

The university’s Eaton Collection is well-known for being the largest publicly available collection of science fiction literature in the world. The collection contains over 300,000 items.

The Cullenberg Award is available to all UCR Ph.D. students on an annual basis, and carries a prize of $200. More information will be made available for interested individuals at the SFTS ■H program’s website.

ONLINE IN NEWS 1/29: “Investigative journalist raises concerns over UC autonomy, More on the UC Regents meeting PHOTO OF THE WEEK

QUOTEBOOK “You can tell you’re in Riverside by the types of crimes that happen here.”

- Ava Hosseini, third-year anthropology major, in regards to pizza robbery

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UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH

TIM BACA

KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“Around Back”

UPCOMING EVENTS

WINTER 2015, WEEK 4

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

1/27

1/28

1/29

1/30

1/31

2/1

2/2

How Not to Get Fired: Professional Etiquette Noon - 1 p.m.

HUB 268

Basic Elements of Public Speaking 2:30 - 4 p.m.

Rivera Library 403

PB& J: Peanut Butter and Jogging!

10 - 11 a.m.

HUB 248

No Events

Digital Arts & Design Hybrid Academy 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Online

10-Minute Chair Massage FREE! 5 - 8 p.m.

Student Recreation Center 2nd Floor

Wellness Wednesday: Mindfulness, Relaxation, and Meditation 4 - 6 p.m.

HUB 269

Money Matters: Taking Control of Your Retirement 10 a.m. - Noon UCR Extension Center Finding an Internship 1 - 2 p.m.

HUB 268

Chancellor Research Fellows Application Workshop 3 - 4 p.m.

Surge Building 308 How to Work a Career Fair Room 3 - 4 p.m.

HUB 355

Networking Your Way to a Job Noon - 1 p.m.

HUB 268

WRITERS’ MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2

5:15 p.m. HUB 101

F R E E P I Z Z A

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NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

ASUCR appoints final justice, implements clock-in software AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

ASUCR has selected Simon Ho, a third-year political science major, to fill the final justice position for the judicial branch during their most recent meeting. In addition, the senate has approved a clock-in software that will allow students involved with ASUCR to verify hours spent at the office.

Ho, a transfer student, has previous experience as an associate student justice and as the head of an advertising committee at Pasadena City College. These professional experiences and his responses to the application encouraged the senate to approve Ho. The application process for the position included a form and an interview with Personnel Director Ashley Harano. Interviews were granted to those President Nafi Karim described as “top candidates” for the position based on their prior experiences and skillsets displayed on their application.

An important role of the judicial branch is to review legislation passed by the senate to ensure it abides by the ASUCR constitution and bylaws. Due to the importance of this branch, there are a variety of qualities, such as integrity, that affect the evaluation of a justice nomination, according to Karim.

Karim described integrity as “not being influenced by the identity, race, gender, political status, wealth or relationship of the party.” Certain external factors such as biases may affect senate decisions that affect the student body negatively, therefore Karim says

it is important for judges to not have any biases that will affect their decision making.

To prove that he met the criteria, Ho emphasized that a person’s background and identities would not cloud his judgement when performing the duties of a justice.

His nomination was accepted by a closed ballot vote of 11-2-0.

After the meeting, Ho recalled

“If this is the case (here), I look forward to these challenges and hope to complete these tasks to the best of my ability,” - Simon Ho, ASUCR Justice some challenges that he faced in his former justice position. “In my previous college, each council of the justice branch always left behind a myriad of unfinished assignments for the succeeding council to finish — from addressing loopholes to drafting policies,” Ho stated.

“If this is the case (here), I look forward to these challenges and hope to complete these tasks to the best of my ability,” Ho concluded.

After the appointment, funds were approved for a new clock-in

software for ASUCR student employees who are paid by the hour to verify their timesheet at the office. According to Vice President of Finance Iris Jiang, students will be able to log on using their student ID, as opposed to having ASUCR Payroll and Budget Accountant Amy Carrizosa log in the students’ hours on the old software.

Due to technical issues associated with the old software, Jiang stated that the new system would allow students to clock in more effectively. Problems with the old software included requiring multiple login attempts.

This discussion prompted Senator Jackie Jacoby to ask if it was possible to use the software for ASUCR senators. Currently, the bylaws require members of ASUCR to log four work hours per week onto an online database.

Members of the senate are paid a biweekly stipend, so the new system would not affect their salaries.

“I think it would be a great idea for senators to use this system instead of the (online) drive, because it shows when people are coming into the office to do their work,” Jacoby proposed. Her proposition was to make use of this software voluntary, however.

Senator Jason Ramirez stated that, while he wasn’t against the idea, the software may still be unreliable because students clocking in at the office may still not be working.

“I know that some people go into the office not to do work and just to hang out sometimes.

I don’t think that this will be an accurate representation of work,” Ramirez explained.

■H

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Simon Ho has been selected as the final ASUCR justice.

HIGHLIGHTS: - Akeem Brown proposes opening up the entrance to the Bytes lounge to the entire campus on days where it is only accessible by BCOE students such as on weekends.

- Members of ASUCR will host a meet-and-greet event on the anniversary of the grand opening of the Bear’s Den on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Full video coverage of ASUCR senate meetings is available online at youtube.com/UCRChannelH.

Senator Akeem Brown helped make the commuter lounge a reality. ► COMMUTER LOUNGE, PAGE 1

has.”

Many transfer and commuter students agree with Brown, and admit they often feel disconnected from campus life because of their age difference or the fact that they live off-campus.

Third-year sociology major Betsey Gudino said the Transfer Commuter Lounge would be her go-to place on campus, since she often struggles to find places to hang out and study.

“If this lounge was open, it would be easier to go to there to study, especially when it’s really cold or hot outside,” she said.

Danielle Garcia, a second-year biology student who commutes from Moreno Valley, said the lounge would provide her with more opportunities to meet and connect with students like her.

“It would be like joining a club, without having to commit to one,” said Garcia, who is unable to attend club meetings because she lives off-campus.

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

Sandoval explained that they will connect the space to the lounge next door and change the furniture as well. Additional seating, a counter with a sink, multiple microwaves and vending machines for after-hours snacks will also be added.

Though a timeframe of the construction was not given, Sandoval believes it will be done fairly quickly. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the quarter.

“We do not anticipate any need to shut down the existing lounge,” said Sandoval. “We may need some time when we are opening the wall but don’t anticipate that will cause much, if any, of a closure.”

Brown plans on graduating in spring, and would like to see the lounge open before he leaves. Although the administration has given a green light to the lounge, he still remains skeptical because of how long it sat in transition before.

“In one moment, another project could take priority,” he said. “I will be convinced when I hear the sound of hammers and drills coming from the HUB.” ■H

NEWS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org ► SEXUAL ASSAULT, PAGE 1

implement intervention and prevention policies within the community.

Led by UC President Janet Napolitano’s sexual assault task force, these initiatives were successfully implemented within the last four months, according to a press release. The task force aimed to establish consistent services that focused on the prevention and response of sexual assault throughout the UC system.

Task force members consist of Sheryl Vacca of the Office of the President, Regents Karen Clancy and Bonnie Reiss, as well as Student Regent Sadia Saifuddin, UC staff members and over 50 students.

“This is truly important to ensure that survivors have a safe place to go to voice their concerns in a safe, privileged, environment,” said UC Berkeley undergraduate and task force member Rishi Ahuja about the advocacy office. He furthered that the office “will not serve to push survivors” into reporting their assaults, but rather “elucidate the options available.”

The task force’s accomplishments were received favorably by both students and regents, but some suggestions were made for its improvement.

While the task force has ensured that each campus now has one full-time advocate position in each “Care” office, Ahuja voiced his desire for more, since one advocate for a population of over 30,000 undergraduates “simply won’t cut it,” he said, referring to his own UC Berkeley campus. He

added that since the presence of advocates increases the number of reports made, there may be demand for more.

The task force is also responsible for addressing the issue of respondents, or those who are accused of sexual assault, as part of their goals for July 2015. “It is only fair that all services are offered objectively and fairly and equally, to not only the complainant, but also to the person who has been accused,” said Vacca.

An “If you have been accused” section for the systemwide website will be recommended as a July milestone for the president to consider.

Speaker Emeritus of the California Assembly and Regent John A. Perez addressed the issue of punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence. He is not satisfied with saying that “discipline can include up to expulsion, as opposed to being able to directly … show that it isn’t a theoretical consequence, but an actual consequence,” he said.

Other initiatives will include the development of a comprehensive education and training program available on each campus.

Saifuddin lauded the plan’s integration of student responses.

“What makes this task force different is that there has been student feedback solicited at every single piece of the equation,” she said. Perez also expressed his satisfaction with the task force’s progress thus far. “We’re finally creating a place where survivors can come forward and hopefully that creates an environment where we have fewer and fewer H incidences over time,” he said. ■

meetings on mondays, 5:15 p.m. @ hub 101

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Correction: In the Jan. 13 article entitled, “Cyber attack on ASUCR website decreases transparency,” the Highlander misstated the number of days the ASUCR website was offline. The website was down from prior to Sept. 17 through Sept. 19, 2014 and from Oct. 22 through Oct. 24, 2014. The previous ASUCR site was also protected by UCR firewalls. The Highlander regrets the errors.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

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NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Orchid research blossoms due to federal grant GUY HOCKER Contributing Writer

MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER

A research group that includes UCR Botany and Plant Sciences postdoctoral research fellow Katia Silvera has received $469,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct research on an unusual form of photosynthesis found in plants that inhabit dry places.

Plants that live in dry climates utilize Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), a type of photosynthesis that increases the efficiency with which these plants use water.

Through CAM, carbon dioxide is changed by multiple chemical reactions into an acid. This is done at night when the stomata — pores on the surface of leaves that regulate gas exchange — are open because it is cooler than the daytime.

During the day, these stomata close, preventing water from evaporating. At this time, the plant changes the acid back to carbon dioxide, which is then used in combination with sunlight for photosynthesis. Silvera intends to examine what induces this phenomenon in orchids.

“I started getting interested in orchids because my parents have an orchid farm in Panama; I’m originally from Panama. Since I was a kid I’ve been surrounded by orchids and learning about different species,” Silvera said.

According to the Rainforest Alliance, there are 25,000 to 30,000 separate orchid species in the world;

Panama has approximately 100 species. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute operates there and Silvera began volunteering at the institute as an undergraduate.

The project began in January 2015 and will last four years. Silvera is collaborating with researchers from the University of Georgia, University of Buffalo and University of Texas.

She is currently in the first phase of the project which will seek to determine the genetic origins of CAM by comparing various species of Asparagales, the order that orchids are a part of.

Of the known species of orchids, only a fraction of them are known to use this form of photosynthesis, but Silvera suspects many more have the capability of performing CAM. Through measurements of carbon isotopes in the leaves, she will be able to identify orchids which use CAM as a photosynthetic process.

Then she will compare those plants with other orchids that do not use CAM and identify the genes involved in the CAM cycle.

Some species of orchids may be able to utilize various types of photosynthesis depending on their environmental conditions. By subjecting these species to droughtlike conditions, CAM expression can occur and their genetic expression can be monitored. Silvera will compare many species here at UCR to determine what kinds of plants CAM can be induced in.

“We do something called transcriptomics, in which we look at

all the genes and how they’re expressed. And we can do that here because the University of California, Riverside has a fantastic genomics institute,” said Silvera.

The team applied for the NSF grant in January 2014 and received approval three months later. Team member Jim Leebens-Mack from the University of Georgia was the first to learn of the funding, after which he called Silvera. She said she was surprised to receive the funding from the NSF even though she had previously received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. “It’s my first NSF grant … so I’m learning as I go,” she said.

Besides contributing to our understanding of plant evolution, this project could jumpstart a new breed of engineered crop with built-in drought resistance. Concerns about global warming and increased population size make this project pertinent.

Leebens-Mack said, “If we can understand how these plants adapt to water stress at the molecular level, we can learn how to increase water efficiency in economically important plants like biofuel and food crops.”

Of the total number of applications that it receives every year, the NSF funds nearly 25 percent or 11,000 taxpayer-supported projects. Katia Silvera is also the namesake of the orchid Lophiaris Silverarum, a newly discovered Panamanian orchid.

■H

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

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Opinions HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDEREDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF

OBAMA’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLAN NICE, BUT TOO BIG, TOO LATE

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I

ssues concerning the rising tuition of higher education and how they might be mended have yet to stop floating in the air around every politician’s head, many of whom are forced to at least look for solutions with their respective constituencies in mind. It is with this in mind that one of the more aggressive solutions to the ever-stressful issue of tuition has arisen. At a visit to Pellissippi State Community College, President Obama recently revealed his idea to make the first two years of community college free to students, comparing it to the free compulsory education that students receive in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In his plan, President Obama suggests that for students in good standing with a 2.5 GPA, who are on track to graduate on time, and who attend at least as half-time students, the first two years of community college will be paid for. The only questions that remain when considering the plan Obama has mentioned in both his visit to Pellissippi State and during his State of the Union Address is: Will this plan work, and can he get it passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate?

The answer to both is no, probably not.

Though wonderful in concept and hard to disagree with while it is still a vague ethereal suggestion, the president has hardly been specific when detailing the steps that his plan — currently being referred to as America’s College Promise — would entail. Though at this point Obama has suggested a $60 billion sum on the part of the federal government to cover 75 percent of the

COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

initial costs (with the states providing the remaining 25 percent), the plan fails to address what concessions would have to be made on the part of taxpayers and lawmakers for such a heavy amount to be raised.

Additionally, the plan fails to consider where the money would go if schools cannot manage to retain students, not having the luxury of the compulsory nature inherent in the kindergarten through 12th grade system it is being modeled after. Without some form of an accountability failsafe built in, it is possible that this plan could become a large money-sink that only serves to fund temporary students, all the while ignoring retention issues that exist in the current form of community colleges.

Issues with funding vagaries aside, the ground-floor level for entry in the proposed system begins at a 2.5 GPA (which means an average grade of about C-plus to B-minus). With such a low standard for entry, the number of students that would qualify for the program would be staggering, only requiring that a student achieve less than average grades to be able to gain access, shooting the projected price tag even higher. Furthermore, some estimates state that the proposed $60 billion is already overly optimistic, asserting that such a program would cost more than twice that amount.

While the idea is solid in concept, the execution of America’s College Promise would require a much more specific definition of costs and regulations involved in order to be viable when presented to the legislative bodies in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, the

ability for President Obama to actually get his plan through both portions of the legislative branch has never been lower since he has taken on the presidency.

Though many Democrats approve the progressive aspects of the president’s plan, both houses of Congress are made up of a majority of fiscally conservative Republicans, and are more likely to approach this plan with a predetermined negative decision on the matter than to examine it for any feasibility. In the current economic climate, the chances that this proposal is passed are virtually nil, which causes one to wonder why President Obama even suggested it.

Ultimately, it doesn’t appear that this idea was ever intended to be taken seriously in the political arena, but as an initial Inception-style planting of the thought in the minds of Americans. Now that it has been proposed, the concept of two years of paid community college tuition is available for examination by economists, politicians, schools and anybody else, who can attempt to prod the plan until it yields a state of viability.

If made closer to the beginning of his presidency, America’s College Promise would be much more believable as a serious attempt to achieve the goal it states; however, as it stands, the plan is more like a clever marketing campaign, seeding the idea in the back of peoples’ heads so that they might consider the possibilities during the next election cycle.

■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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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Opinion Poll How do you prepare for midterms?

C ompiled

by

J aspery G oh

Justin Chen Biochemistry Second-Year

Karla Dulay Computer Science First-Year

Oscar Osorio Physics Third-Year

Allison Isaeff Microbiology Fourth-Year

Aaron Nunez Economics Second-Year

Fuechy Yang Environmental Science Third-Year

“Usually a week before the actual midterm, I do practice problems from the textbook. I stress eat, I eat a lot of chips. Sometimes I’ll get Starbucks doubleshots.”

“I make sure I go to class and do all my work and study ahead of time. I also try to eat healthier.”

“I review my notes and then I copy them, go over lecture notes, try to redo homework. Sometimes the teacher gives sample exams and I’ll try to do them.”

“I usually start preparing a week before. Read a chapter a day. Read the lecture slides and past midterms. Review sessions are one of the best things classes can offer.”

“For my geo class it’s just going over the study guide. For my econ class it’s just doing the homework. Pretty simple stuff.”

“I go through all my notes and that’s basically it.”

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

It’s not all Greek to me HONEIAH KARIMI Senior Staff Writer

Usually when cultural appropriation is discussed, Native American headdresses or wearing bindis as “accessories” by people outside of those cultural groups come to mind; however, there is a much more pervasive form of cultural appropriation that permeates college campuses that we accept on a daily basis: “Greek” life.

Cultural appropriation, in the simplest sense, refers to taking certain aspects of another culture for one’s own benefit. The term “panhellenic” has come to be associated with sororities and fraternities, though considering the actual implications of this term, this is extremely problematic.

“Panhellenic” comes from the Greek word “Panhellenes,” which means “all the Hellenes” or “pertaining to or involving all the Greeks.” Now, because lexicographers include newer meanings of words, “Panhellenic” has come to also mean “concerning, or representing all college fraternities and sororities.” It is not the lexicographers’ job to impose judgment on how appropropriate this actually is. They merely record these meanings based on common usage; nevertheless, this new meaning in the dictionary whereby non-Greek people refer to themselves as “Greek” or a part of “Greek life” is the matter of contention.

It’s important to first address why sororities and fraternities have these Greek associations.

Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary as a secret society after the founder was rejected from a Latin-named society.

After dropping the secrecy, they revealed what the Greek letters stood for: “Philosophia Bios Kubernethes,” which translates to “Philosophy is the guide to life,” following the

COURTESY OF REDDIT.COM

Although adorned with Greek columns, Greek organizations can be far removed from culturally Greek ties.

Western idealization of Greek as an intellectual language.

These organizations started as honor societies — in fact, Phi Beta Kappa is still one — and now we have our modern notions of sororities and fraternities, which include honor societies. So you ask, what is the big deal? Well, considering how authentically Greek people did not found sororities or fraternities or find any resemblance to such organizations while non-Greek people answer to this “Greek” identity is perplexing. Ultimately, this is nothing but the flagrant appropriation of a culture.

Cultural appropriation is more than white people wearing Native American warbonnets at Coachella. This is a form of cultural appropriation that people from all races of non-Greeks practice, especial-

ly considering how there are a myriad of ethnic sororities and fraternities.

Interestingly enough, despite all the “Greek” associations, the terms “sorority” and “fraternity” are Latin in origin.

This proves these organizations can alter the aspects in which they are dishonoring Greek people by avoiding any terminology that exploits the culture.

With this in mind, it’s hard to ignore the immense irony of these organizations’ involvement in philanthropy, which comes from the Greek “love of humanity,” and yet, this form of cultural appropriation still occurs on campuses across the country even though disrespecting a culture does not illustrate a “love of humanity” as the term suggests. It’s doubtful that the people in these organizations are trying to be actively

disrespectful to Greek culture, but these negative associations exist all the same. Using terms and phrases such as “panhellenic” or “go Greek” are pernicious and imprudent no matter the intentions behind them.

Some groups do not use Greek letters at all, which is a step in the right direction. Many people join these organizations to make friends, make connections or partake in philanthropy — these are all great, and can still be accomplished without the using of Greek letters.

The best philanthropy sororities and fraternities can employ is to refrain from appropriating Greek culture. There are countless sororities and fraternities who do not participate in culturally insensitive practices, but are lumped together with those who have nonetheless (such as “Compton Cookout”

at UC San Diego by members of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity or “Asia Prime” at Duke University by members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity). By virtue of these sororities and fraternities identifying as “Greek,” they are in a sense representing Greek people, so throwing racist parties is then deplorable on a whole other level and a disservice to such a rich culture.

When a race or ethnicity is disrespected, especially collectively in this case, there needs to be a dialogue because that is the only way we can effectively prevent cultural appropriation and racism. The change can start at UCR. Which better university than UCR, which boasts its diversity and acceptance?

It’s time to take the word “Greek” back, and if you’re not Greek, then stop calling yourself one.

■H

fiction

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

R’ PERSPECTIVE:

I

f people ask what I’m usually scribbling down in my notebooks, I feel I have to discredit my fan fiction by stating it’s “not real writing,” even though I believe it is. Common among blogging or writing communities on the Internet, fan fiction is produced and read in prolific amounts. Fan fiction receives its name from its writers, fans of numerous entertainment material — which span TV shows, movies, books, video games and even history (fan fiction on the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams is real). Other fans and I often engage with the materials’ canonically fictional universe or “canon” by writing pieces dependent on said universe, expecting our readers to have prior knowledge.

Based on its premise, fan fiction often receives criticism.

Other than critiques regarding fan fiction’s originality, many don’t perceive it as a genre, due to the number of subpar pieces in circulation. Since the Internet is ultimately a free-for-all space, fan fiction writers are able to easily post their works — no matter if it is good or bad writing — to an online public. This allows anyone with Internet access to post, including my ten-year old self.

I’ll admit: I have written and read fan fiction, with my angerinducing Dell computer, a fumbling grasp on proper grammar

fan

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

9

jessica baker, contributing writer

and a heart set on teenage romance. My Kingdom Hearts fan fiction (Kairi and Sora for life) will forever remain on the interwebs, and the time I spent reading through Final Fantasy fan fiction archives could have been study time, but I do not regret one minute of it. As an English-as-asecond-language learner with a double major in the humanities, my previous experiences with fan fiction writing and reading has been invaluable to my writing style.

I have realized how unfair it is to declare fan fiction as a genre or a waste of time, especially when compared to published books.

While published writers have trained editors, fan fiction writers often only have themselves and their fellow readers to rely on.

Fan fiction writers’ motives for writing is often purely intrinsic.

I did not write a “Supernatural” adventure with romance at every turn because it was a great way to practice the proper use of a comma, I did it because I loved the dynamic between the characters, the setting of small-town America as a hidden supernatural space, and, frankly, writing about wendigos and vampires is pretty fun. The same can be said of my reading skills. Though I may have increased the words I can read a minute via indulging in fan fiction, I did so because the writing was engaging.

Perhaps the better criterion to determine fan fiction’s value is whether its relationship to its community of writers and readers

is beneficial. Critics forget how beneficial producing fan fiction is to an aspiring writer’s overall writing style. Since I had a basic narrative template to work with, I could easily focus my efforts in experimenting with various techniques, such as combining prose and poetry together to emphasize a romantic pairing or experimenting with character and narrative

While published writers have trained editors, fan fiction writers often only have themselves and their fellow readers. development, such as rewriting the story from another character’s point of view. Fan fiction readers left constructive criticism to further help myself and other writers, and, my god, is it helpful.

Though my intended goal was not to practice my grammar, fan fiction writing and reading allowed me the ability to recog-

nize grammatical and syntactical errors in my own and others’ work. After hours of staring at a computer screen, I found myself noticing where missing commas were needed or understanding where sentences sounded awkward. It would take formal lessons to solidify my knowledge, but fan fiction was the unintentional grammar exercise that kept me on my toes. I could practice this awareness with my own college writing; however, fan fiction allows me to practice in a lowstakes environment. Plus, being graded on my romantic fan fiction would be terrifying.

Despite its terrible characters and narrative, E.L. James, the author of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” does skillfully write provocative sex scenes due to fans reading her “Twilight” fan fiction saga called “The Master of the Universe,” her bestseller’s actual basis. (Also, to continue beating the dead horse, sparkling skin that shines in the sun is why vampires stay out of the sun?)

Even more important than James’ odd writing skill is the attention she received from hundreds of online readers, who adored her work and offered her inspiration. Reading the comment sections of fan fiction sites, I often notice the support that encouraged writers to continue, even if they aren’t the next Faulkner or Hemingway. Support in any personal endeavor is vital for people to continue, especially when they do not meet their own expectations. When I declared

my English major, I was not a competent writer and thinker.

I often doubted my decision.

However, after posting a formal rant about the Harry Potter epilogue (because, come on — Albus Severus Potter?), I received support to continue analyzing the wizarding series, which encouraged me to continue my major.

Though it’s odd that analyzing Sirius Black’s relationship with Harry aided my understanding of Boo Radley’s relationship with the Finch children, the environment encouraged my learning.

That’s all that matters.

Fan fiction writing allows practice in all sorts of writing skills with readers encouraging them, because it is created from the pure enjoyment of an original work. While writing practice can be accomplished in academic assignments, fan fiction offers an alternative, stress-free environment where dialogues are constantly set up to engage with the fan fiction and help can easily be given to the writer — a task often hard to do in a large classroom setting. It might feel embarrassing at first, but fan fiction is worth anyone’s time. So, open up a browser and type in a favorite guilty pleasure with the word “fan fiction.” Like any corner of the Internet, it might seem ridiculous at first, but so is anyone when they are truly enjoying themselves. You can find me on Tumblr, engorsed in fan fictions explaining more uses of dragon blood beyond Dumbledore’s proposed 12.

■H

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Regarding the Jan. 13 article entitled, “Cyber attack on ASUCR website decreases transparency” F rom R avin R athod , ASUCR M arketing D irector I felt compelled to write this Letter to the Editor in response to The Highlander’s front page story entitled “Cyber attack on ASUCR website decreases transparency” published on January 13, 2015.

I am an avid reader of The Highlander and regularly enjoy reading through it each week to learn about relevant and noteworthy happenings on our campus. Thus, I was very surprised to see that this insignificant subject actually made the front page headlines. As the Marketing Director of ASUCR, I would like to subsequently correct the many inaccuracies and questionable framing that was present throughout this story.

Speaking as a UCR student, I hope to see front page articles in The Highlander being more noteworthy and applicable to the campus community at large.

It surprised me to see how a temporary site shutdown that occurred in Fall Quarter was the front page story at the start of the Winter Quarter, when articles in the same issue included stories such as “UC risks losing

$120 million in proposed state budget,” “UCR alum begins path to ‘American Idol’ stardom,” and “Moldy university daycare building to reopen Jan. 26.” I would argue that any of these stories are more relevant and more attention-worthy as a front page news story As Marketing Director and a fan of The Highlander, it was disheartening to see what was presented in the article in question. Starting with the headline, there was no deliberate cyber attack carried out upon the ASUCR website; both instances of the website going offline was due to unexpected and out-ofour-control technical problems. I firmly do not believe that having our website go offline for a combined 6 days (not 5 weeks) this school year made an impact on making ASUCR less transparent to the student body. I would have appreciated it if The Highlander could’ve mentioned the numerous updates we make with our robust social media presence which updates the student body to remain transparent. Moreover,

it was surprising to me that the article was commenting on reduced transparency within ASUCR and block quoting a student’s concerns on a separate issue, but fail to mention how The Highlander livestreams and uploads every ASUCR senate meeting for the very purpose of staying transparent.

In terms of managing the website, the Marketing Director’s position has not been removed from that responsibility. The management of actually logging on to upload and update items on the website has fallen under the purview of our professional staff member, Amy Carrizosa, who has been an invaluable resource; however, creating the content that will be uploaded on the website has been and continues to be the Marketing Director’s responsibility, so there is no need to “set procedure for shifting job responsibilities.” The other reason our professional staff handles the technical side of the website is because students and student employees are not allowed access to OmniUpdate— the University’s

website portal we’re currently using. Also, it is important to note that even when operating the website using the Wordpress portal, we were still under the University’s firewall protection, and there was absolutely never any sensitive data on our website that could be compromised. When our website was first created, UCR C&C still had Wordpress support; now that the campus has switched to providing support for OmniUpdate, we felt it was appropriate to also switch from Wordpress in order to minimize vulnerabilities that could impact the site.

I want to give an accurate context of what happened with the ASUCR website. On September 17, 2014, office members had discovered that our website was offline and inaccessible to the student body. Immediately, we began to notify the students about the offline website through our Facebook page (facebook.com/ ASUCRiverside) and followed up with a campus-wide email with information on how to access key resources while we

worked with UCR Computing and Communications to sort out why and how the website went offline.

Luckily, UCR C&C detected the problem as being a vulnerable plug-in being used on the website and patched the plug-in, thereby putting the website back online promptly on September 19, 2014.

ASUCR conducted its work as usual with the now restored website, but on October 22, 2014 the website once again went offline. UCR C&C notified us that there was some spyware that infected the website, causing it to crash. C&C also notified us that the website would not be able to function at optimum performance at this point, and recommended ASUCR temporarily switch to our older website format at this point.

On October 24, 2014, we officially switched to the recommended format in order to minimize the down time of the website, and began to update our new website with pertinent information.

Sincerely, Ravin Rathod ASUCR Marketing Director

10

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

COLUMN

BY COLIN MARKOVICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

He shall, from time to time …

I

have a confession to make: I love the State of the Union Address. I still own ancient VCR technology and have recorded every address for the past 10 years, and plan on continuing until video cassettes stop existing or I go to sleep in a pine box six feet underground — whichever comes last. I know way more trivia about the speech than any sane human should concern themselves with knowing.

(Quick, name this year’s designated successor!) I just have six words to say to the haters: Article II, section three for life.

Most people I talk to think the speech is boring and long, and I accept that many don’t see the SOTU the same way I do. That’s fine — more for me. What’s not to like? There’s the soaring rhetoric and the prestigiousness of the Capitol that uplifts spirits and presents new ideas to move our country forward. There’s the American story, shared before an audience of the most powerful people in the country. And of course, there’s the way 70-yearold congresscritters crowd the President for autographs like Beliebers at a concert featuring Justin in his Calvins.

Yes, I watch the State of the Union for the fancy speech and the policy proposals, but I also watch

for the incredibly human (and very entertaining) reactions to it.

Who can forget former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s Oscar-winning performance as some sort of rabbit-seal hybrid, clapping with such ferocity that her hands must have fallen off afterward? Veterans of any boring-as-hell lecture will recognize the facial expressions of current Speaker John Boehner, who looks like he’s being forced to sit through an infomercial for quick-dry paint. Vice President Joe Biden, meanwhile, might be flirting with somebody in the audience? Maybe? That’s the only explanation I can come up with for the actions of that silver fox.

Don’t forget about the audience. Some representatives embrace their inner child and prepare for the sleepover they never had by bringing their own blankets and smartphones and gossiping like Regina from “Mean Girls.” We always hear that politicians are so detached from everyday people, but are they really? Just like students, we both pretend like we missed that lecture when the professor says not to use our phones. Or we actually did miss that lecture.

Same difference.

What if the State of the Union’s

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Speaker of the House John Boehner glowers as President Obama gives his State of the Union speech. Yes, Mr. Speaker, Obama is still president.

finished, but your bowl of popcorn still needs emptying? That’s what the responses to the State of the Union are for. The best-of playlist includes Representative Michele Bachmann staring into the soul of whoever’s over your left shoulder. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal must be a big “30 Rock” fan, because his response gave him the perfect opportunity

Who can forget former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s Oscar-winning performance as some sort of rabbit-seal hybrid? to do his best Kenneth the Page impersonation. And poor Senator Ted Cruz! He only gets about 40 seconds into his speech before realizing that he forgot his notes at home, uttering a meme-tastic, “Meh, lemme start over.” Maybe he realized it was a bad idea to film an official response with all the sound and video quality of “The Blair Witch Project.”

So while I may enjoy the

actual address itself, I derive the most pleasure from the very human reactions, emotions and even mistakes that occur at the same time. I would be lying to say that there’s no schadenfreude involved — the imp inside of me cackles a little louder for every flub — but the State of the Union address does much more than that. Between the blankets, winks, claps, scowls, bored faces and pointer fingers, it reminds us that the humans we choose as our politicians and policymakers are precisely that: human.

It is all too easy to forget.

We learn in elementary school about the history of the United States, the capital-F Founding Fathers and the sacredness of our governmental institutions. To a certain extent, it’s all true and worthy of reverence. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were incredibly brave to stand up to the most powerful empire in the world at the time. The British controlled land from India to Canada, Africa to Australia. The United States was outpaced in soldiers, outnumbered in money, outclassed in industry. By most measures, the United States even existing doesn’t make a lick of sense. Yet here we are.

So we lionize the Founding

Fathers as wise and courageous.

We dedicate monuments in their honor, hew their faces from mountains and etch into our minds the important deeds they accomplished. We don’t just remember them — we venerate them. We cower in the shadows of these towering figures of history. We convince ourselves that it is not possible for us to succeed where they didn’t, or make change when they couldn’t.

This is wrong. They are not gods. They are not myths, legends, deities, demigods, mini-gods or half-gods. They are as close to divinity as Charlie Sheen is to sanity. They are entirely human, with all the triumphs, foibles and evils that being human entails.

And despite the hurdles and objections, the moral quandaries and inner struggles, they still accomplish great things that only humans can do. No heavenly being descended from the skies above to write our constitution.

Humans did that.

You, too, are human. You, too, have the ability to fight for equality, lead the charge for environmental sustainability, push for an end to income inequality, encourage small businesses to grow, support charitable giving and give a helping hand to those who need it. None of the work of our historical figures could have been accomplished alone.

They had the support of countless people — countless humans — behind them. Without that guidance, assistance and aid of humans, by humans, for humans, none of the grand deeds that we remember today would have happened.

“We don’t just want everyone to share in American success, we want everyone to contribute to our success,” President Obama declared in the State of the Union.

That is the fundamental story of humanity — working together, all of us overcoming the obstacles and contributing toward a better future.

So dust yourself off and grab your bottle of water. We have work to do.

■H

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Regarding the Jan. 20 article entitled, “Divestment fails to consider long-term opportunities”

F rom A rman A zedi and T ina M atar on behalf of S tudents for J ustice in P alestine Those of us in SJP would like to share some of our thoughts on the “Highland Write-Off” concerning the divestment movement on UC campuses, published in the January 20th, 2015 issue of The Highlander.

Though we appreciate and respect both authors civic engagement with the issue, we thought there were several misleading and false portrayals of divestment in the article “Divestment fails to consider long-term opportunities,” by staff writer Robert Lees.

The article makes many implausibly catastrophic predictions over what could happen if divestment were to actually occur, but gave no evidence to would suggest that these are actually likely scenarios.

For example, a few of the grave outcomes it predicts include: “if divestment were to be adopted we risk losing a fair amount of revenue that is necessary in protecting the economic future of valued faculty members at our campus,” and “an impromptu bout of selling and reinvesting may worry potential UC staff, and they may choose to work elsewhere considering the unseen economic future divestment could create.”

Let’s look at some facts. UC has nearly 800 different investment

holdings. The UC-wide divestment movement is requesting the withdrawal of funds from about seven of these companies. All those we request a withdrawal from, though amounting to several millions of dollars, are not significant in comparison to the average company the UC is invested in. In fact, the money invested in these companies is far less than even 1% of the UC’s total investments.

Whether one is for or against divestment, one must admit that it is nearly impossible for divestment from these few companies to create any kind of serious burden to the UC. Furthermore it would be wrong to characterize divestment as a “loss” of revenue, as the formerlyinvested money would not simply disappear, but could easily be reinvested in other companies which (who knows?) may turn out to be more successful than the previous ones.

Next, the article states that the Israeli economy has “fared far better in the global economic crisis than many other developed countries,” and therefore Israel is a smart place to invest. This argument is unfortunately a swing-and-miss, as the UC is not invested in Israeli

companies, but in American companies which do business with Israel. Even without ties to Israel, the targeted companies are multinational corporations with plenty of business elsewhere. But then again, as UC students, we have no obligation to defend the profits of corporations. As human beings though, we have an obligation to defend human rights.

Furthermore, if we’re talking about economic prosperity, let us not interpret this from an Americentric point of view. The occupation has been extremely debilitating not only to the daily life of Palestinians, but to their ability to have any kind of domestic or international economic relations, and is arguably the primary reason for the comparatively low standard of living, unemployment, and poverty rampant in Palestinian territories. Don’t Palestinians deserve the basic means by which to enjoy a functioning society and economy? Divestment would serve this cause.

The article says “for divestment to truly be fair, we would also have to refuse to do business with Palestinian companies.” Not only is the UC not invested in Palestinian companies, but UC policy does not even allow investment in any companies that

are not American. Our objective is to end the occupation, and monetarily pressuring the government responsible for the occupation is the strategy.

Though we believe most of the article was unsubstantiated speculation, some of the theories could be taken seriously if it wasn’t for the diametrically opposite experience the policy of civil divestment has had historically on countries like South Africa. Here we feel the need to stress the fact that divestment has worked before, and none of the dooms-day stories of economic collapse or increased violence because of it came true.

Rather, as was the case with South Africa, it served the exact purpose it was intended to: raise awareness of injustice and monetarily restrict those responsible. About a decade after the movement to divest from South Africa picked up steam, the apartheid system collapsed. Though there are of course differences between the present and past divestment movements and their targets, the similarities cannot be ignored either.

The article also reiterated a common argument against divestment: that it could make Jewish or Israeli students feel “unwelcome”

or “unsafe.” First of all, there are many Jewish organizations around the world and at UC campuses that support divestment. At UCLA, a student-run branch of the nationwide organization Jewish Voice for Peace was one of the primary backers of their own campus’ divestment resolution. The BDS movement does not target any ethnicity. It just intends to garner justice for an oppressed people, and is supported by all that believe in rights for Palestinians.

Arman Azedi and Tina Matar Students for Justice in Palestine

The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact opinions editor Jameson Adame at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit completed letter

by Saturday at noon. Letter can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.

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.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

11

Features

Chef Burke Reeves instructs the cooking demo class on how to cook his “Vegetarian Farro Saute.”

THE COLLEGE KITCHEN

ROBERT LEES, STAFF WRITER

I

stood outside the doorway of what appeared to be a nondescript classroom in the late afternoon sun of Wednesday, Jan. 22. Situated in a far-off corner of the new Student Recreation Center, I waited with a handful of other students for the doors to open at 4 p.m. and the cooking demo to begin. More motivated by the promise of food than by the promise of learning, I was finally allowed to enter the small classroom illuminated by the bright rays of the setting sun. I figured that based on the location, the cooking demonstration that was promised on the SRC events page would be more theoretical and less hands-on. However, the classroom had a fully furnished kitchen, and I was delighted to learn that the demonstration would be much more interactive than I had anticipated.

We were greeted by two students in UCR Well T-shirts who scanned our IDs and gave us each a pamphlet with the chef’s name and an outline of the recipes we would be learning. Behind the counter that separated the kitchen area from the tables and chair around the room, Chef Burke Reeves was busily arranging ingredients in small paper bowls next to the stove. He was an imposing man several inches taller than me, and had a black chef’s coat and a long ponytail. However, he was extremely bright and energetic in the few moments I had to speak with him

before he began his presentation. He explained that his goal was to teach healthy recipes to students who had begun subsisting entirely on packaged, pre-processed foods in their time away from home.

The discussion began with Reeves introducing himself as the executive chef for the retail aspect of UCR Dining Services, meaning that he oversees many of the HUB restaurants, such as Habanero’s and La Fiamma, as well as The Barn and Latitude 55.

Taking his place behind the counter, he introduced the first dish he would be making, the “Vegetarian Farro Saute,” which included farro, a type of high-protein grain and several vegetables. The presentation began at a breakneck pace, with Reeves listing the ingredients as he sauteed the veggies and fielded questions from the audience. While I don’t consider myself a poor cook, I learned a few valuable tips during his presentation. Reeves explained the need to mix olive oil with other oils, such as canola or vegetable oils, for cooking to improve quality. Also, grains can be improved by cooking them in vegetable broth instead of water for an enhanced flavor. His most important tip, however, was the need to taste at several points throughout the preparation to ensure that all the flavors were blending well.

The room was soon filled with the

PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CHANG

aroma of garlic, onion and freshly cooked vegetables as Reeves moved onto his next dish — a tofu and chicken stir-fry. More students began to trickle in as he began the next entree, many of them hungrily eyeing the tray of fresh farro that had just been completed. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was already half-past the hour and hoped that everything would be done before the class was over. Reeves didn’t seem worried however, and kept working at his cool pace, occasionally tossing the ingredients around the saute pan with a flourish, and stopping to add a few dashes of salt and spices after a quick taste. The list of ingredients was immense, and I had to consult the pamphlet every few minutes to follow along. With only 10 minutes left to spare, Reeves placed the stir-fry on a platter next to the tray of stillsteaming farro.

Sensing the impending end of the class, Reeves gestured for some of the student volunteers to begin plating the already prepared dishes while he moved onto the salad course. He worked like a machine, adding melons, avocado and white vinegar into the blender to create the vinaigrette while simultaneously suggesting that the best greens to use were spinach leaves and kale for the grape, pomegranate and asparagus salad he was preparing. When I was handed my

plate, I was taken in by the sights and smells of the stir-fry and farro saute.

While I normally have an aversion to mushrooms and tofu, I was really impressed by the stir fry and its wonderful taste and presentation. By now, the clock had come around to 5 p.m., and we were hustled out the door as the volunteers handed us our salads while the next group of students entered. I scarcely had a moment to thank Reeves and compliment him on being the only person in my life who had made tofu taste edible before I was back in the gym, eating my salad while cautiously walking among the weight benches.

While certainly informative and undeniably delicious, there are many aspects of the cooking class that I won’t be able to apply in my dayto-day life. Much of the produce and pre-packaged spices used in Reeves’ presentation are undeniably expensive, and my shoestring budget oftentimes prevents me from buying all the produce necessary to make a vegetarian stir-fry or salad. He recommended buying carrots, asparagus, potatoes and rice that can be bought in bulk and kept for much longer than leafy vegetables, and that uncooked grains and rice can be prepared and frozen for later use to extend their life. As a fan of cooking, however, I plan on making some of the dishes we learned when I have adequate funds.

■H

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

: e p o c s u p m a C M

any students would fight for the cure to senioritis; the problem, however, is we just don’t care. The cure may be graduation and that little piece of paper you paid thousands for. But until then, we have to sit in lecture for the millionth time, waste that millionth piece of binder paper and buy that millionth book that will just collect dust when it’s all over. “Read for homework” means no homework, “due tomorrow?” means do tomorrow and “get some sleep” means adding another nap between naps: Sound familiar?

Senioritis is usually introduced to students during their final stretch of high school, right before graduation. But they have something to look forward to, such as their last summer with hometown friends, college and new beginnings. When college seniors fall back into the familiar rut, what do we have to look forward to?

Loan payments, job hunting and real world responsibilities … Is that my anxiety or a mini-stroke? As a senior who is counting my last days, I am stuck between “finish strong” and “I don’t give two shits.” (I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t suffering from senioritis as I write this article.) It’s as though the marathon to graduation has just turned into a dramatic crawl with textbooks bound around our ankles. Come winter quarter, the flame that we started college with slowly starts to fizzle out. Here are a couple ways to keep it burning for the victorious torch lighting at the end.

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

senioritis

Maxine Arellano, Senior Staff Writer Photos courtesy of UCR Today

How to avoid First to avoid is all-nighters, because they do not work. Studies have shown that the longer you refuse yourself sleep, the less effective recalling all that information will be. After the all-nighter, you have even fewer hours to sleep and fewer chances of passing the test, resulting in low grades and energy levels. Some students may have jobs or commitments that get out late which prevent them from studying even more, so it’s all about time management.

Keeping up is always much easier than catching up. But really, who is going to pick studying when that series is waiting for you on Netflix? The best coping and conservation strategy is telling yourself all those shows and “me time” will be there after your last exam, but until then, you control the size

of your workload.

Past Campus Copes touched upon procrastination and how it haunts everyone. However, this edition is going to say it’s actually not that bad, as long as it’s done right. Procrastination is a natural method of prioritizing, a chance to sift through what needs to be done and what can wait. But do not get it confused with laziness; that’s just another symptom of senioritis. An hour to prioritize is different than sweating three weeks to write your senior thesis the night before.

The easiest way to overcome senioritis is just to wait until graduation … easier said than done.

Whether you yearn for graduation after this quarter or seek therapy through spring break, each are effective methods to help replenish the weary student.

Until students can tuck away their caps and gowns, they must buckle down and get work done.

Coping with the inevitable

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the real world that is coming in less than six weeks (and that ministroke is back).

So if you feel like you need to go to the doctor because you’re feeling run-down and restless, don’t bother (unless it’s serious) — you are suffering from senioritis. Once the caps are thrown into the air and you drive away from UCR for the last time, release that breath that you have been holding the entire time you have been in college … and sigh it out onto your revamped resume. If you thought you were tired before, you ■H have another thing coming.

for the highlander newspaper

Recovery Plan

deadlines by the skin of our teeth.

If we receive a grade that is less than expected, we shrug and think, “I’m still graduating.” But what is a bad grade to the real world?

Termination of employment? Senioritis came back to haunt students four years after high school graduation. Does that mean in another four years we are going to pull all-nighters, with an equal ratio of Cup of Noodles and Red Bulls in our cubicle? I am not one to judge, but for myself, it may be time to grow up. I am not going to be a student forever, nor do I want to be. But I do have to prepare for

meetings on mondays, 5:15 p.m. @ hub 101

All tips sound well and good.

But let’s be honest, how many of us actually give a damn? The midyear burnout is almost a given.

Hard-working seniors with jobs, outside obligations or just a life in general, have the motivation of a flat tire. We get to a point where we feel our chances of graduating will be fine if we coast through the rest of the school year. The thing is, though, at a certain part of the academic year, we just get so tired. But we need to ask ourselves, “What is life like after graduation?”

Right now, many of us make

write. shoot. design.

12

ONLINE: “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE” REVIEW

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

EVENTS THIS WEEK 1/27

The Inland Empire Chorus Open House @ First Baptist, 6:30 p.m.

1/28

The Barn Show @ UCR Barn, 7:30 p.m.

1/29

The Chill Out @ The Bell Tower, 5:00 p.m.

1/29

Movie Night @ Blood Orange Infoshop

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

MOVIE REVIEW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT COMING OUT SOON: THE LOFT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org PROJECT ALMANAC BLACK OR WHITE

JUPITER ASCENDING SEVENTH SON

MORTDECAI // RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆

ROBERT LEES Staff Writer

R

emember when Johnny Depp used to be cool?

I do, back in the magical time known as the late ‘90s that we all view with the rose-tinted lenses of nostalgia. I remember, living in my mom’s small apartment in downtown Portland, surreptitiously watching “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” on VHS and thinking, “man, this Depp guy is pretty cool.” Imagine the disappointment I felt watching the blatant cash grab movies such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the “Alice in Wonderland” reboot that totally ruined Depp’s esteem as an actor. This disappointment was further increased after watching “Mortdecai,” another dumb, hackneyed Depp film devoid of any artistic merit.

Depp stars at the titular character Mortdecai, a roguish art dealer with an ear-gratingly fake British accent who has been tasked with retrieving a stolen painting in an attempt to stave off financial ruin that threatens to destroy his jet-setting, lavish lifestyle.

His quest is hampered by various rival art dealers, angry Russians and a foreign terrorist leader so cartoonishly caricatured that he could have been played by Sasha Baron Cohen. The film tries to sell itself as some sort of complex spy-thriller, with various factions backstabbing each other in their attempts to recover the painting to fulfill their own agendas, but the whole plot becomes so convoluted that the entire narrative falls apart about half an hour in.

The film seems to confuse “complex” with “convoluted,” and the

fact that everything is resolved in the last five minutes of the film comes across as lazy and disingenuous. Most of the characters are introduced in a lazy voiceover, shown on-screen for a few minutes, and quickly forgotten, creating a rushed, poorly paced mess.

There’s no character even remotely relatable, and the lack of any sort of grounding or clear character motivations left me in the dark. Typically, a film features something called a “protagonist.” The protagonist is usually the main character, and over the course of the film he faces some sort of obstacle. This is typically called an “arc.” Mortdecai’s entire arc is that his wife wants him to shave his moustache, and at the end she decides to let him keep it. That’s it. The main character has no growth, no reflection and as a result the entire plot feels token and purely exists for the film to exist. The money troubles Mortdecai is facing that drive the whole plot are ignored in the closing denouement, and most of the villains that would likely want to punish Mortdecai for outwitting them all give up and go home, just because the script needs them too. When characters act in illogical ways and nothing of note happens, the film lacks any relatability for the audience — and I lost all engagement in the plot.

I feel like the issues I brought up are covered in screenwriting 101, and I have no explanation as to how veteran director David Koepp could misstep so horribly.

Even the main character, Mortdecai, is unlikeable, and him getting away with everything at the end really let me down. Imagine if, in “The Wolf of Wall Street,”

COURTESY OF LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT

Jordan Belfort had succeeded and continued living his lavish, excessive lifestyle instead of losing everything he had worked to create. It would have been a terrible, unsatisfying ending that ruined the film, which is what we’re left with in “Mortdecai.”

Bad screenwriting and terrible characters aside, the main issue in “Mortdecai” is simple: It’s a comedy movie that didn’t make me laugh. Not once. I’m sure we’ve all seen films that have glaring plot holes and illogical characters that are partially saved by having some humorous dialogue and actual comedy. “Mort-

decai” lacks any humor, and the screening I saw was so quiet and devoid of laughter that a casual observer of the audience’s reactions would have thought we were watching a documentary on the Rwandan Genocide. The humor was handled with all the depth and complexity of Pauly Shore performing stand-up at your grandmother’s funeral. Terrible screenwriting and hammy acting aside, a laughless comedy is the very definition of failure.

The only reason I decided to give “Mortdecai” any stars instead of zero is because I felt that the screenwriters and some of the

supporting actors, such as Ewan McGregor and Jeff Goldblum, were at least trying. Trying and failing, but trying nonetheless. A more focused narrative and a recasting of the lead role could have made this film mediocre instead of abysmally bad, and some of the lowbrow, “Family Guy” types of moviegoers may actually find the film humorous and engaging.

That being said, please don’t pay any money to actually go and see “Mortdecai.” The studio behind its production has said that they plan to make a sequel, and if they make any sort of profit, they may deliver on their threat.

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MUSIC REVIEWS ABOVE AND BEYOND: “WE ARE ALL WE NEED” // RATING: ★★☆☆☆ NELSON LUU Staff Writer

A

fter the success of “Group Therapy,” I was excited when I found out that Above & Beyond had come out with a new album called “We Are All We Need.” But instead of being greeted with the skipping trance beats I had come to love from “Group Therapy,” I was instead quietly ushered into the album with dreamy, seafoam melodies and quiet beats. Instead of getting those beats I crave, I was left disappointed. The whole time I was listening, I kept hoping that the next song would be that one defining song the album would be known for. While there were some glimmers of hope like “All Over The World” and “Excuses,” they sounded just like every other generic EDM song being pushed out like McDonald’s double cheeseburgers.

Much like a burnt-out college student, the album has a sleepy, lazy vibe to it with a few bursts of half-hearted beats thrown in. While the uniquely soaring vocals of Zoe Johnson make a prominent return in the album, it just doesn’t feel quite the same compared to their older material.

She makes appearances in a multitude of tracks including “Fly to New York,” “Save Me,” “Treasure” and the title track “We Are All We Need.” While I enjoyed hearing her voice in the past, I

feel like they’ve used her vocals so much that it’s gotten kind of old, tired and uninspired. Out of all her appearances, I really enjoyed hearing “Fly to New York”; however, her vocals in the other tracks feel superfluous.

The more I listened to the album, the more the songs started to blend together. Rather than create a unifying harmony that flows from one track to the next, they all sounded the same. At least for the first half of the album, there wasn’t much variation between the songs. Many of the tracks were reminiscent of the kind of downtempo trance I listened to back in 2004 and 2005. It was a nice throwback to familiar sounds, but a whole first section dedicated to outdated beats kills the mood and makes me question whether or not the album had much creative thought put into it.

I really wish I could say that I liked this album. Above & Beyond has been one of my favorite groups to listen to ever since I got into the genre in middle school. However, this album just doesn’t cut it. After a three-year hiatus, I would have hoped they came up with new sounds and built upon the success of “Group Therapy,” but the music in “We Are All We Need” has been tried exhaustively in the past. This would have made a great throwback album, but after being gone for so long, it flounders as a comeback.

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COURTESY OF AJUNABEATS

Be expressive.

Showcase your talent to the campus and the world. Express yourself in photos or drawing, writing or design. However you like it, the Highlander can help you express you. Come to HUB 101 every Monday at 5:15 p.m. to learn more.

Highlander

16

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

THE DECEMBERISTS: “WHAT A TERRIBLE WORLD, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD” // RATING: ★★★☆☆ JAKE RICH Senior Staff Writer

televised confessional / To the benefits of Axe shampoo / And we did it for you / We did it t’s cliche by now that when all for you.” Though the song listening to the Decemberists, laughs at itself with lines like you may need to keep a dic- this, there is a genuine feeling tionary or reference book of appreciation apparent as the (or, you know, Google) by your song blooms into a large chorus side. The lexicon and historical section chanting about belongand mythological knowledge of ing to the fans. the band, and in particular that of Lead single “Make You Betlead singer and songwriter Colin ter” follows another relatively Meloy has been well-tread. As is basic folk-rock template, but the case for their previous album, once again does it well. Lyrics “The King Is Dead,” the Decem- lamenting a fading relationberists employ no giant concept ship and asking oneself, “Did on this album, it make you but stretch for better,” cast a songs that ring a spotlight of selfIt is a fully enjoyable little more perawareness not sonable, although and fun album, and a usually seen in the verbosity of worthy entry into the break-up songs. the lyrics always band’s catalog — but A haunting synth serves as someaccompanies what of a safety not album-of-the-year solemn but upmaterial. net for vulnerbeat guitar and ability. This is the piano throughrare record that is out the track. unspectacular, but worth repeated Other highlights include the listens — if only to understand deceptively dirty “Philomena,” all of Meloy’s diction and refer- the ironically cheery “Antiences. It is by no means a bad Summersong” and the moving album — in fact it’s pretty good. tribute to the Newtown shootAlthough not very ambitious, ing victims, “12/17/12.” At 14 the group’s seventh LP, “What songs, the album comes close a Beautiful World, What a Ter- to overstaying its welcome, as rible World,” will solidify your its fairly basic template accomquota of B to B-plus (and may- panied by Meloy’s great, but be a couple of A’s) Decemberist sometimes exhausting, lyrics songs, even if there’s no “The can require some brainwork.

Infanta” or “Sons and DaughThis album presents a perters” here. plexing question — is an alThe album begins with the bum great when all its songs are simple, mostly acoustic “The above average to occasionally Singer Addresses His Audi- great? The logical answer would ence.” Tongue planted firmly in be no, but this album pushes cheek, Meloy sings, “So when that question to its edges, as your bridal processional / Is a very solid craft is presented on

I

CORUTESY OF CAPITOL RECORDS

almost every song. I suppose what may be missing is that unspoken intangible that the best albums manage to reveal to you.

While occasionally impressive, “What A Beautiful World, What A Terrible World,” never fully ascends to the level of its potential. It is a fully enjoyable

and fun album, and a worthy entry into the band’s catalog — but not album-of-the-year material.

Top 10 or 20? Sure. Two albums into shying away from concepts and large-scale folklore, I won’t say the Decemberists should revert back completely to their old ideas — but they shouldn’t be

afraid of taking risks on a larger scale with their new, more personal focus. As Meloy sings in “The Singer Addresses His Audience,” “We know, we know, we belong to ya / We know you built your life around us / Would we change, we had to change some.”

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FALL OUT BOY : “AMERICAN BEAUTY/ AMERICAN PSYCHO” // RATING: ★★★★☆ JESSICA BAKER Contributing Writer

the song and a French techno DJ, SebastiAn’s influence on the intense layering and odd throwall Out Boy’s “From Un- backs is mildly reminiscent of der the Cork Tree” will his early album, “Total” — a always be my first idea of refreshing collaboration for Fall high school. (And I am Out Boy. definitely disillusioned. Where Though the previous silliis the hierarchical high school ness runs and hides away from and relationship system that Fall the eerie voice of Suzanne Vega Out Boy romanticized for me?) singing “Tom’s Diner,” the moHowever, disentangling them- mentum of “Century” is the draselves from their breakout punk matic homage to Queen’s easy rock roots, (emo rock for those sway of a stadium. The dynamic teens of 2003) Fall Out Boy’s of the lone piano, the chorus of “American Beauty/American voices and the tempo kept by the Psycho” sets the stage and mosh drums and many claps all tightly pit for an all-out experimental, intertwine into a bold statement layered madness that many can from Fall Out Boy as they debe energetically clare, “Some caught up in. legends are told Hardly dipping / Some turn to their toes in, the dust or to gold The dynamic of the lone band suddenly / but you will piano, the chorus of remember me.” plunges into genre traditions voices and the tempo And remember of soul and arena kept by the drums and they shall. The rock, sample old various metacliches as new many claps all tightly phors toward reand sweep lis- intertwine into a bold membrance and teners up as mad Stump skillfully statement from musical scienbelting out like Fall Out Boy . . . tists. the everlasting Definitely not Freddie Mercury starting softly, will not leave the the opening band forgotten. song is indeed true to its name Slowing down, “The Kids — “Irresistible.” Trumpeting, Aren’t Alright” still matches the ceremonial horns accompanied previous three songs’ tendencies by steady, booming footsteps toward complex layering with of drums forces the way for a ghostly yet whimsical whisPatrick Stump to declare, loud tling, introducing a bit of a sad and proud: “Coming here unan- childhood. But all the previous nounced.” A fighting anthem for songs’ complexities combined their new style, “Irresistible” could not battle the fast-paced hypes up the listener for the montage of “Uma Thurman.” titular song’s ridiculous layers Practically sprinting along the of instruments, with the hilari- fast piano-pressing and sampled ous crescendo of “Ooohs” going theme song of “The Munsters,” toward a momentary American Stump’s lyrics strike an image surf-turned-rock song, and ends of a Tarantino-esque montage, with a resounding “Dah!” from with all the strong women, vioStump. A contributing writer to lence, chaos and eccentricities.

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COURTESY OF ISLAND RECORDS

The shifts from a soulful “I can work a miracle, work a miracle,” the death horn from “The Munsters” and the rock guitar emphasized with “the blood, the blood, the blood of the lamb” all switch up to a sudden violent scene, and a hint toward Uma Thurman’s dance scene from “Pulp Fiction” all make it hard to keep up with the song. That’s because the song is meant to lead the listeners and lead the charge, like how Tarantino has

the power to surprise audiences with blood and gore.

Disregarding “Immortals,” a contracted song for Disney’s “Big Hero Six,” the darker songs, like “Fourth of July” and “Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC),” end the album in a darker tone than the album’s beginning. From the synthesizer dream of “Fourth of July” boasting booming sounds to Pete Wentz and Stump’s simmered voices and the crooning “ooohs” haunting “Twin Skel-

etons (Hotel in NYC),” Fall Out Boy’s earlier bold statement in the anthem-ish songs interestingly ends in a twist — the listener will remember, but it may not be pleasant for all.

Fall Out Boy’s “American Beauty/American Psycho” is an experimental accomplishment mirroring its titles. It has beautiful moments and psycho moments, but all should be listened to. Except for “Immortals.”

Save yourself the cliches.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

17

STAFF PICKS:

What makes you feel old?

Finally realizing that my Speed Racer onesie just might not be appropriate class attire.

Nathan Swift, A&E Editor

Friends getting married and having kids while I just dribbled juice out of my Harry Styles cup.

Maxine Arellano, Features Editor

Inappropriate gray hairs in places that make me cry.

Realizing that I don’t need an ID that reads “McLovin’.”

Napoleon Dynamite is 11 years old.

Gosh!

Jameson Adame, Opinions Editor

Aaron Grech, Asst. News Editor

Jake Rich, Managing Editor

Kids that are in high school today were born in the year 2000.

Seeing middle-schoolers with iPhones.

Hilary Duff aka Lizzie Mcguire has a kid.

Rob Lowe is 50 and still looks better than me.

Using InDesign CS5 to make this.

Amy Zahn, Asst. News Editor

Andrew Golden, Art Director

Christal Mims, Asst. A&E Editor

Colin Markovich, Editor-in-Chief

Brandy Coats, Prod. Manager

’ R

HIGHLANDER

guide

WHAT ARE UCR’S FAVORITE THINGS?

Go to highlandernews.org and tell us from January 12 - February 7.

You could win an iPad mini or one of five $25 gift cards to local businesses.

Consumer Disclosure: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Winners will be determined February 8, 2015. Odds of winning iPad mini or 1 (one) of 5 (five) gift cards depend on the number of entries received. Winners and gift cards are randomly selected. Only currently enrolled UCR students are eligible to win. One raffle entry per person. Name on raffle entry must match name on UCR student ID card. A copy of official rules is available at 101 Highlander Union Building, University of California, Riverside, CA 92507.

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

19

RICHARD LIN / HIGHLANDER During one of the team’s timeouts, players and assistants listen intently to coach John Margaritis.

► UC POLICY, PAGE 20 BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER As the Highlanders gain possession of the ball, Dynese Adams (No. 13) sprints past her defender to take a shot.

► WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, PAGE 20

half served as a stomping ground for the Highlanders, who continued to build upon their lead and gained as much as a 23-point advantage. However, UCSB gave the Highlanders a slight scare late in the second when a Gaucho score, followed by a Brittany Crain turnover subsequently resulted in yet another two points for Santa Barbara, which cut the UCR lead to 7, 75-68.

The Highlanders were able to close the match, though, and left Thursday’s contest with a convincing, confidence-boosting win over the lowly UCSB Gauchos.

Thursday’s contest was another standout performance for the Highlanders’ star guard Brittany Crain, who registered 29 total points off 11-18 shooting to lead all scorers, while also playing the entirety of the game’s 40 minutes.

JAN. 24, 2015 .............................................................................

Highlanders 82 - Mustangs 78

Looking to build off the momentum of Thursday’s win, the Highlanders were set to take on the Cal Poly Mustangs in the last of their two-game homestand.

Just like in Thursday’s match against the Gauchos, the Highlanders got off to a slow start, allowing seven straight points by Cal Poly to begin the contest. The Highlanders gradually chiseled away at the Mustang lead, led by Dynese Adams’ six straight points, eventually gaining an 18-11 lead midway through the first half. The Highlanders outscored the Mustangs 26-23 the rest of the period, going into the locker room up 44-34.

An 11-2 run to open up the second half made it seem as though the Highlanders had the game in the bag, but a 16-2 run by the Mustangs cut the UCR lead to 58-52 with

9:01 left to play. A pair of straight threes by Mustangs Ariana Elegado and Beth Balbierz cut the UCR lead to four with 1:12 to go. Cal Poly fouled Brittany Crain on the next possession, who capitalized on both her free throw attempts to bring the Highlander lead back to six.

Cal Poly missed a three-pointer on the next possession, forcing them to foul Adams, who botched both free throw attempts to set up another Mustang basket that cut the lead back to four. The cycle continued for the next 33 seconds, with the Highlanders eventually coming out on top with a final score of 8278.

With Saturday’s victory, the Highlanders’ record improves to 12-8 overall and 3-3 within the conference, placing the team at seventh place in the Big West.

Next up for the Highlanders is a trip to Northridge to take on the second-place Matadors on Thursday, Jan. 29.

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write. shoot. design.

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

bonuses.

The new policy is set to affect both athletic directors as well as coaches. Of all the schools in the UC system, the UC Riverside men’s basketball team is the only group to fall below the minimum.

The NCAA currently uses the Academic Progress Rate as one of the determining factors for student-athletes to maintain eligibility in their respective sport, how much scholarship money is offered to schools and whether a campus can play in the postseason.

The purpose behind this policy is to motivate coaches to do more to focus student-athletes in school, and to better prime student-athletes for success after college. If effective, the policy would benefit student-athletes greatly due to the small amount of collegiate athletes who become professionals. As of September 2013, out of 17,984 NCAA basketball players, 46 were drafted into the NBA. Dan Guerrero, athletic director of UCLA, mentioned that this policy could have downsides as

well, including athletes shying away from difficult majors, as well as being turned down by coaches who believe that their bonuses are in jeopardy.

Aside from withholding bonuses from coaches and athletic directors whose students do not meet the minimum standards set forth by the benchmark, the gatekeeper clause also allows for added bonuses for these individuals based on the graduation rates of their student athletes.

The Highlanders’ head women’s basketball coach, John Margaritis, voiced concerns with the new policy, citing the large amount of resources that other UC campuses possess in fostering student success. According to Margaritis, “Larger UC schools have more academic counselors, more tutors and more resources to monitor student-athletes and their progress.”

As of Thursday’s meeting of the UC Regents, the proposal has been tabled, with a revised proposal set to be considered at a later meeting. No timeline for reconsid■H eration has been set.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Sports

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER Annelise Ito (No. 3) dribbles the ball and quickly looks for an open teammate to pass the ball to.

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Giuliana Mendiola watches her team play against the Gauchos.

Women’s basketball wins two straight vs. UCSB, Cal Poly

UC “gatekeeper clause” set to put focus on academic success for student-athletes

CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer

JASON AHN Contributing Writer

JAN. 22, 2015 .............................................................................

Highlanders 89 - Gauchos 74

After a disappointing previous week of two straight road losses, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team hoped that a two-game homestand in the friendly confines of the Student Recreation Center Arena would be a harbinger of better fortunes, with the first of those matches coming against the 0-16 UCSB Gauchos.

The Gauchos were able to put up an early lead on the Highlanders in the open-

ing stages of the match, outscoring UCR 7-1 in the first three minutes of regulation.

However, the Highlanders were able to snatch the lead right back in the next five minutes, embarking on a 12-5 run to take a 13-11 lead with 11:59 to go.

For the next four minutes and seven seconds, the Gauchos were held without a single point, and were forced to just watch as the Highlanders piled on 15 straight points to gain a commanding 28-13 lead in the first period.

With the Gauchos seemingly resigned to their fate, the beginning of the second ► SEE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, PAGE 19

Coaches and athletic directors within the UC system may now be under pressure to have their student-athletes meet minimum grade requirements before receiving bonuses.

The UC Board of Regents met last week to discuss having student-athletes meet a specific grade requirement for coaches to receive bonuses. More specifically, student-athletes will be evaluated on the Academic Progress Rate system set forth by the NCAA. The policy, known as the “gatekeeper clause,” was proposed last month by UC President Janet Napoli-

tano.

The Academic Progress Rate is a system designed for athletes by the NCAA that assigns points to players based on the number of consecutive academic terms that they maintain eligibility to play for their respective schools. A combination of courseload and GPA serves as the metric for the point system. The maximum number of points a team can receive in four years is 1,000. According to the policy mandated by the UC system, teams must have a four-year average Academic Progress Rate of 930 for coaches to qualify for ► SEE UC POLICY, PAGE 19

Men’s basketball falls in road contests to UCSB, Cal Poly ALEXANDER MANZO Contributing Writer JAN. 22, 2015 .............................................................................

Gauchos 85 - Highlanders 75

The UC Riverside’s men’s basketball team hit the road to UC Santa Barbara hoping to keep the momentum from last week’s win against Hawaii, but with history on their side, the Gauchos pulled off an 83-75 win. Riverside has yet to beat UCSB on the road since 1956.

UCR had the Gauchos on the ropes by trading the lead a good five times, and even ending the first half with a tied score of 4040. Steven Thornton and Austin Quick were three-for-three in shooting behind the arc, helping the Highlanders to an impressive 61.5 percent shooting behind the arc in the first half.

Santa Barbara came out in the second half ready to make

some moves en route to a 7-0 run at the start of the period. The Highlanders would eventually stop the run when Jaylen Bland capitalized on two free throws to make the score 47-42. However, the Highlanders were never given a chance to do any serious damage in the second half, as the Gauchos continued to pile on the points. With 7:31 left in the game, UCSB would take its biggest lead of the game with 15 points for a 70-55 score, a margin that the Highlanders could never overcome, as they fell to the Gauchos on the road 85-75.

Leading the Highlanders in scoring was Bland, who finished the game with 21 points. Trailing Bland on the scoreboard was Steven Thornton with 19 points, Taylor Johns with 14, and Quick with 13.

JAN. 24, 2015

.............................................................................

Mustangs 68 - Highlanders 49

It was the Highlanders versus

the Mustangs in enemy territory, and Riverside would not be going home with a victory in their pocket, but instead another road loss.

UCR had a tough game ahead of them when they would gain their first lead of the game, with a three-pointer from Bland bringing the score to 16-14 midway through the first period. The Highlanders would attempt to extend their lead, but the Mustangs’ defense buckled down and held the Highlanders to only six points in the last eight minutes of the half, while tying the score at 24-24.

A good portion of the second half was a display of both teams simply trading buckets, with two lead changes and two ties in the first 12 and a half minutes of the second period. A fast break dunk

by Taylor Johns with 7:29 to go tied the score at 37-37, yet it would be the last tie of the game.

Cal Poly would go on to score 11 points before Riverside could even respond, giving them a dou-

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER After a sudden turnover, Taylor Johns (No. 5) races down the court with ball in hand.

ble-digit lead for the rest of the game that allowed the Mustangs to close out a victory against the Highlanders.

UCR went from 33.3 percent for three-pointers in the first half to only 14.3 percent. Cal Poly on the other hand went from 20

percent to 50 percent for threepointers.

The top scorers for UCR were Johns with 19 and Thornton with 11. The Highlanders head back home to take on CSU Northridge on Jan. 31 at the Student Recreation Center Arena.

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