Volume 63 Issue 16

DANCE MARATHON 14

raises $54,848 to help emancipated foster youth

Highlander University

Volume 63

of

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

Serving the UCR community since 1954

Issue 16

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

University Village cooks up new dining, shopping options AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer

ASUCR:

LUNAR FESTIVAL 2015

AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

The University Village (UV), a dining and shopping center near UC Riverside, will be adding a wider array of stores and restaurants over the next few months, according to Valerie Soule, marketing director for NewMark Merrill, the company that manages the UV. The UV began its transformation about a year ago and has since opened new businesses such as Zizi Korean Barbecue House, Uncle Chuang’s Bakery, the Spot Sports Bar and Grill, University Pride Bookstore and more. In addition, Piad’Amore, the UV’s first and only Italian restaurant, is expected to open on Valentine’s Day, and NewMark Merrill is expecting a Sprint PCS within the next six months and a Mexican restaurant in the next year.

Behind this rapid expansion, according to Soule, is a desire to offer new dining

With student government elections only months away, ASUCR unanimously passed revisions to the Elections Code, such as adding genderinclusive language. In addition, a proposal to extend library hours before finals week was delayed due to bylaw restrictions preventing an allocation of funds required for the extension.

After allowing senators to propose changes during last week’s senate meeting, Elections Director Stephanie Rose offered an update to the Elections Code to the chamber.

Senator Summer Shafer requested changes in the Election Code to make the ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 4

Additional funding seeks to fill mental health staffing gap

► SEE UV, PAGE 6

UC doctors’ strike has little impact at UCR

12 13

GUY HOCKER Contributing Writer

Nearly 125 doctors and dentists participated in a daylong, systemwide Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) strike on Jan. 27 over alleged illegal behavior by the UC. Although 10 of UCR’s health services’ staff are union members, only one chose to participate in the strike.

UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego (UCSD) and UC Davis were the four campuses where UAPD held picket lines.

UCR doctors were asked by

Senators approve changes in Elections Code

ING D L I BU T U R E CUL

► SEE STRIKE, PAGE 4

NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • FEATURES 10 • A&E 15 • SPORTS 24

Introducing “Building Culture,” which presents a unique snapshot of the cultural integrity of historically important buildings around UCR and Riverside. Our first installment: The Barn.

16 - 17

SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

A systemwide committee on mental health is expected to receive additional funding over the next five years under President Janet Napolitano’s tuition plan, but committee members say that it is not enough to maintain current staffing levels.

Releasing a mental health report during last month’s UC Board of Regents meeting, the committee found that UCs fall behind Ivy League colleges and international standards of psychologists per student. In the report, UCR maintained one psychologist per 22,000 students as opposed to the ► SEE HEALTH, PAGE 6

PLEASE RECYCLE

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

NEWS IN BRIEF

Riverside naming new Vietnamese sister city causes outrage

COMPILED BY AARON GRECH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

UC announces new California tour “supercourse”

Around 200 protesters from Westminster and Garden Grove, Calif. met at Riverside City Hall to join against naming Can Tho, Vietnam, a sister city of Riverside. The partnership is considered controversial due to past and current human rights issues that have occurred in the country.

Naming “sister cities” are usually symbolic signs of friendship between two different cities in different countries. This often has economic and social value in terms of increased trade and goodwill between cities. In regards to this event, Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey stated, “It’s time for us to take that step with Vietnam … and extend our hand in friendship and peace.”

Representatives from UCR’s Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) believe differently. “The city council sees this partnership as a sign of friendship, however, to those who served in Vietnam and Vietnamese refugees, this partnership is a slap in the face to the ideals that many fought and even died for,” said Vice President of VSA Kyle Le. City officials in Westminster — which has a Viet-

COURTESY OF UCLA NEWSROOM

The UC Office of the President (UCOP) announced a new systemwide, natural reserve super course on California ecology and conservation. This course will take place in Fall 2015 and will be open to only 27 students across the UC system with applications due Feb. 2.

The course will take students across natural reserves in California from the Angelo Coast Range reserve by UC Berkeley to the Box Spring Mountain reserve at UCR. The course involves seven weeks of fieldwork with an additional two weeks dedicated to an extra project.

Certain skills that will be trained involve field research methods, ex-

perimental design, data analysis, scientific writing and public speaking. The goal is to help students develop their own independent research.

“It was the most valuable class I took at UCSC (UC Santa Cruz),” says former UCSC student Hilary Walecka, a veteran of the spring 2010 supercourse which this program is based off of. “You really can’t get a better education than being hands-on and side-by-side with your professors to do research.”

Students from all fields can be accepted as long as they display a strong passion for ecology in their application and finish an introduc-

tory biology or ecology course. The program will choose three qualified students from each of the nine undergraduate UCs. The course is estimated to cost students around $3,500 and will cover food, lodging, administrative fees and course materials. Those who receive financial aid will have these expenses included as part of their package.

The applications will be reviewed by course instructors Don Croll, a professor at UCSC and Gage Dayton, a UCSC Administrative Director, along with many from the natural reserve staff throughout the UC.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

namese population of 40 percent — sent a letter urging Riverside to dissolve this friendship. “It’s a concern not only for me but for the community of Westminster … The Vietnamese around the world are still fighting for human rights and freedom in Vietnam,” Westminster Mayor Tri Ta said to the Press Enterprise.

President of VSA Lilian Le shares similar views regarding this issue. “Vietnam is one of the top violators of basic human rights.

Just because this agreement is signed doesn’t mean the people of Vietnam will benefit from it because its government is corrupt,” Le stated.

According to Human Rights Watch — a watchdog organization that analyzes and publicizes human rights violations — the Vietnamese government participates in an array of human rights violations, stating that, “the government suppresses virtually all forms of political dissent using a broad array of repressive measures. Freedom of expression, association and public assembly are tightly controlled. Religious activists are harassed, intimH idated and imprisoned.” ■

QUOTEBOOK “Being a part of the UCR orchestra has been an enlightening experience.”

- Joshua Misa, UCR orchestra player

MULTIMEDIA

f

UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH

CAMERON YONG ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

An amateur fire-breather displays his skill to the Flask Mob, a San Francisco-based community of photographers who gather monthly.

KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS

WINTER 2015, WEEK 5

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

2/3

2/4

2/5

2/6

2/7

2/8

2/9

Social Media in Your Job Search 2 - 3 p.m.

HUB 268

Black History Month Nooner 11a.m. - 1 p.m.

Bell Tower

Former Interns Tell All 3 - 4 p.m.

HUB 268

PB& J: Peanut Butter and Jogging!

10 - 11 a.m.

HUB 248

Wellness Wednesday: Keep Calm & Party Smart 4 - 6 p.m.

HUB 269

UCR Dance Night 7 - 9 p.m.

Culver Center of the Arts

Citrus Trees in the Garden 6 - 9 p.m.

UCR Extension Center

UCR Orchestra: Heroes and Anti-Heroes 3 - 4:30 p.m.

University Theatre Humanities 400

Peer Connections Online Chats 7 - 9 p.m.

Online

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

Student Recreation Center 2nd Floor

Saterday Morning on Location: Hsi Lai Temple 9 -11:30 a.m.

UCR Extension Center Center UCR Orchestra: Heroes and Anti-Heroes 8 - 9:30 p.m.

University Theatre Humanities 400

Avioding Plagiarism 10 - 11 a.m.

Orbach Science Libary 122

4

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

► ASUCR FROM PAGE 1

language more gender-inclusive. This involved changing phrases under the application process that previously stated “he/she” to “the candidate” to be more respectful to those of diverse gender backgrounds.

President Pro Tempore Devin Plazo, continuing with the changes, added a clause in the bylaws stating that candidates must read both the entire constitution and bylaws and should be able to summarize the duties of their position.

Senator Herman Sangha asked Rose whether there would be an enforcement mechanism. Rose said she would create a form that would be signed by candidates to verify that they have read the bylaws.

Senator Akeem Brown said that this clause could only serve as “a nudge,” encouraging candidates to conduct a thorough reading of the bylaws. Plazo further clarified that the additional clause, in conjunction with Rose’s form, will serve as a contract, preventing candidates from using ignorance as an excuse if they were to violate any bylaws during their candidacy.

Senators also approved a bylaw updating their current policy on campaigning in on-campus housing.

University housing policy strictly prohibits campaigning — such as flyer distribution and going door-to-door — on campus housing. The changes state that if the Residence Hall Association permits campaigning, then it must abide by both housing policies and the Elections Code.

All Elections Code changes were passed unanimously.

Vice President of Internal Affairs Fernando Echeverria is attempting to approve a contract with the UCR libraries to extend library hours to 24 hours, beginning the Wednesday during week 10 to the Wednesday during finals week. Echeverria needs $3,000

to approve the contract by Feb. 4, the deadline set for its finalization.

To obtain these funds, the finance committee would have to approve the proposal before the next senate meeting. If approved, this would increase ASUCR’s library allocation from $5,000 to $8,000 a quarter for the remainder of the academic year.

The finance committee, however, could not pass the proposal during their Monday meeting as it wasn’t presented; therefore the committee would have to wait until the following Monday to pass the resolution. If the committee approves the allocation, bylaws mandate that the senate wait until Wednesday to approve the funds.

This was problematic as the contract needed to be signed and approved by the following Wednesday by library representatives and ASUCR Executive Director Laurie Sinclair. The senate looked for ways to approve the allocations ahead of time if the proposal was accepted by the finance committee to speed up the process.

Executive Vice President Michael Ervin suggested temporarily suspending the finance bylaws; however, according to Chapter 21, Section 1 of the ASUCR bylaws, suspensions are only allowed if there is a clause in that particular bylaw that explicitly states it can be suspended. As the finance committee bylaws did not include that clause, a suspension was not granted.

Echeverria motioned for a standing vote, asking the senate to display their willingness to accept his proposal in the future. With this vote, he hopes to secure a contract extension by convincing Sinclair and the UCR libraries that he will be able to attain the funding for the contract. The motion was passed unanimously.

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

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER ASUCR President Nafi Karim gives his opinions on how to update the ASUCR candidacy guidelines.

HIGHLIGHTS: - Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan announced he intends to vote “yes” on the University of California Student Association (UCSA) Israeli Divestment resolution, calling for divestment from corporations that do business with the Israeli government, at the next UCSA meeting at UCLA on Feb. 7.

- Senator Akeem Brown proposed either flyers or a mass email to address classroom etiquette to students, such as not packing up before a professor finishes speaking.

- The new ASUCR website now includes the most recent press releases from senators and contact information to all executive cabinet and senate officials in ASUCR.

COURTESY OF UCR TODAY Doctors stand at the first School of Medicine white coat ceremony that launched the school in 2013.

► STRIKE FROM PAGE 1

the UAPD to join the protest at UCLA, but only one part-time worker participated, according to Cindy Wong, director of Student Health Services. The strike involved only student health centers and not UC medical centers, which serve the public.

“I did not participate in the strike, not for any political reasons, but because there are very sick students who need urgent care. My promise and commitment is to take care of our students,” UCR Chief Physician Kenneth Han said about the nearly 225 students who are served

by UCR’s health services daily.

According to Katherine Tam, UC Office of the President Communications Coordinator, the UAPD has several complaints, including denied union access to a meeting room at UCSD, a union request for financial information that the UC has denied during bargaining and employee contributions to the UC pension plan.

The union also wants a pay increase of 27 percent for physicians over four years.

“We’ve asked UC for information about their finances, but they’ve failed to provide it, even though we have a right to that information and need it to negotiate,” said Suzanne Wilson of UAPD’s media relations. “Among other things,

we want to know how much discretionary funding does each chancellor control and how is that money used, because we suspect that money would be better used to improve health services for students.”

“We believe these allegations do not warrant a 24-hours work stoppage by disrupting student health care,” said Tam. “We also believe this strike is really an effort by the union to hold the student health centers hostage until UC accepts the union’s demands.”

UCOP also said that they have withheld information because they are unsure of how it pertains to bargaining, and defended their current dealings with UAPD. “UC has offered strong economic proposals; yet the union continues to make demands, such as a 27% pay raise over four years, that would stress the budgets and operations of the student health centers.” The UC’s current proposal would give UAPD members a 3.5 percent wage increase upon ratification, followed by 3 percent annually until 2019.

“The strike was a rousing success,” said Wilson. “An overwhelming number of doctors participated.” However, she believes that “it’s still unclear as to whether UC got our message that they need to bargain with doctors fairly, which H was the ultimate goal of the strike.” ■

’ 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.

6

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

RICHARD LIN / HIGHLANDER

Flatbread restaurant Piad’Amore, currently still under construction, is soon to be the newest addition to the University Village. ► UV FROM PAGE 1

options — such as different kinds of Asian cuisine — and provide additional services to students.

“If (all of the businesses) are the same, none of them are going to do well,” she said. “So we want to make sure that there’s a little bit of something for everyone.”

There have been several different kinds of Asian restaurants that have opened in the past year, including Calibasil, a Vietnamese eatery that opened about a year ago, and Yummy Asian, a Japanese restaurant that opened last week. “The area attracts different variations … in Asian (food), so not all Chinese. (We have) Japa-

nese and Korean, so that kind of mixes it up,” said Soule.

Many of the recent businesses agree they are bringing something new to the area. “We’re kind of completely different,” said Mena Salama, owner of the Spot, about the Getaway Cafe, the other nearby sports bar. “Our food is a little different; our environment’s a little different. I think it’s preference more than anything,” he said.

Frank Shi, one of the owners of Zizi Barbecue House, a Korean restaurant that opened last week, shares similar sentiments about his business. “We look around here and we know there are a lot of Asian restaurants, but no one

has barbecue … all kinds of people like that kind of thing.”

The completion of the building that includes Lollicup and 7-Eleven toward the end of 2013 has helped prompt the growth, as several of the new restaurants occupy that space, including Calibasil, Piad’Amore and Uncle Chuang’s Bakery. Fatburger leaving the UV in November has also provided opportunities for new business, since its absence leaves an opening for another restaurant.

Despite the new options, fourth-year Chelsea Blakeley isn’t happy with all of the changes that the UV is making. “I think the stores at the UV only reach out to an Asian demographic,”

she said. “The majority of the new businesses are geared toward Asian food … It would be cool if they added another coffee shop so that students can study.”

Although the UV is currently home to a handful of non-food businesses such as Eye-C-You Optometry, T-Mobile and Gamestop, the plaza is hoping to add more in the future, according to Assistant Property Manager Penelope Brown.

“It’s pretty much a huge food court,” she said. “Little services like dentists and things like that” will most likely be coming as well, said Soule, to make the UV more service-oriented and convenient for students.

In addition, the UV conducts annual surveys to determine what kinds of businesses students are most interested in. They are currently on the lookout for a men’s hat store, since that, among other things, has been a common request.

NewMark Merrill, however, is unsure of when these new services will be added. “It needs to be good for both the tenant and the property management, and for (the students), because price point is really important when you’re a student,” Soule said.

■H Contributions made by Aaron Grech

COURTESY OF UCD DATELINE Members on the UC mental health committee do not believe the increased funding from Napolitano, as part of her five-year plan, will be enough to aid the already-lagging psychologist-to-student ratios across the UC.

► HEALTH FROM PAGE 1

international recommendation of one student per 1,000 to 1,500 students.

According to Gina Fleming, UC medical director of student health and counseling, it is “putting our students and institutions at risk” by continuing to neglect the widening gap between current mental health staffing levels and rising student enrollment.

“More college students are reporting stress, anxiety and depression each year and their needs have really overwhelmed our ability … to provide mental health services on campus,” said Fleming.

UC Media Spokesperson Shelly Meron said the tuition plan aims to raise the current student services fee of $974 by 5 percent over the next five years, with half of the increase being earmarked for mental health staff per year. These funds will gradually increase and result in a committee budget surplus by 201819. However, until then, the committee is currently running on a deficit in terms of funding for mental health staffing and are being asked to borrow from the future surplus to hire additional mental health staff over the next few years.

A student observer from UC Santa

Barbara, Alexander Hill, said during the regents meeting that the additional funding was a step in the right direction, but is “grossly inadequate” in terms of supporting the student body. Hill pointed to the statistic that one in four people between 18-24 show signs of a diagnosable, mental health issue, and said limited staffing levels make it difficult for students to get sufficient help. “Our students are suffering in silence,” he said.

Interim Director of the UCR Counseling Center Elizabeth Mondragon says overall appointments have increased by 17 percent, walk-in consultations by 30 percent and a threefold increase in the number of mental health-related hospitalizations have been facilitated by the center over the past five years.

The center has funded two licensed psychologists within the last two years through the mental health law, Proposition 63, which provided temporary funding for their jobs. However, Mondragon said even though the funding has run its course, the center is still working to preserve their jobs as there is currently no permanent funding to pay their salaries.

“More funding will allow us to keep two unfunded positions that are critical to maintain our high level of service,” Mondragon said.

■H

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

7

Opinions HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDEREDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF

OBAMA COLLEGE RATING SYSTEM WILL WORK WITH SOME CHANGES

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W

ith the Super Bowl over and the people who legally agreed upon deals with friends whereby some would be given money in the event of the Patriots winning (not gambling, because that’s wrong), it is easy to see why people would love the idea of a metric to hang your hat on. Metrics guide us through our lives, informing people on the best places to live, to work, how best to stay active and even which restaurants are most satisfying for our weary stomachs.

Holding as much sway as they can, it comes as no surprise that President Barack Obama wants to implement a nationwide ratings system for higher education with the goal of using it to allocate government aid. In short, the system would use the percentage of students awarded Pell Grants, graduation rates and affordability to assess colleges and their viability, and then use those ratings to guide the allocation of federal aid to students.

Time Magazine recently attempted to emulate the proposed system, making a ranked list of schools based on the metrics of Obama’s plan, viewing all three criteria at an equal 33 percent. Needless to say, UC Riverside came out on top (go us!), but when put into practice and paying into the system by funding students’ futures, could this rating system actually work?

Ultimately, the biggest flaw of this plan comes not in its means, but in the end that the government attempts to justify. If the government chooses to allocate student aid based on these rating systems, then those schools who rate higher (once again, go us!) will definitely benefit from the increased number of applicants, and students who attend will be sitting pretty with their decreased tuition.

However, this same system also means that there could be a stagnation in the abil-

COURTESY OF UCR TODAY

ities of lesser-rated colleges to improve their performances. With lower ratings, a school would be left with lower amounts of applicants, as well as lesser funding for those students who do get in. This would in turn leave schools who don’t rate as well without the means necessary to improve that score, creating a treacherous cycle that could be difficult if not impossible to break, similar to the No Child Left Behind Act. If Obama’s system was divorced from the allocation of funds, however, this system could easily revolutionize how students are able to choose schools, provided the basis in which the metric is formed is also tweaked.

As it stands now, the three criteria on which the ratings are based are valid, but broad. They fail to take individual programs into account, like the CHASS F1RST series of classes that are offered to incoming freshmen at UCR. These programs represent a level of support that schools offer to students that would be otherwise unaccounted for in a system that focuses so heavily on general categories.

Additionally, the federal college rankings fail to represent individual strengths within college departments. Though UCR is rated so highly, the dry-run that Time Magazine ran of the system doesn’t mention what a good quality entomology department UCR has, or that we are the only UC that offers a major in creative writing.

Both of these factor greatly into the types of applicants that would be likely to apply to the school, ensuring that those who want to continue their educations in these fields get the bang they expect from their buck.

Breaking down the metrics upon which the ratings system is based would provide prospective students with a less general understanding of the strengths

that the schools they are looking at possess. In providing a breakdown of schools by addressing each department individually and awarding those colleges that have programs to aid the transition for new students, then the ratings may actually come to be the final word in how higher education is assessed.

So, can the rating system work? Yes, but not without some tweaks.

If the government can find the funds and support for it, a program that thoroughly researches schools and appraises them on a microscale with the inclusion of departmental strengths and weaknesses, extracurricular programs, the availability of majors and other aspects that are only ordinarily seen with the actual attendance at that school, then the system may become the best indicator for which schools would develop productive graduates.

Without the application of money, the government would also manage to avoid the stagnation of the ratings they create, allowing for money to flow through those schools that may not have initially held the best of metrics, and letting them use those funds to improve.

There is a Greek proverb that states, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” If this college rating system is to work, then there must be a serious amount of time and money put into making it a thorough investigation of colleges nationwide. Though we might never be able to benefit from the knowledge that comes from such a system, it may still lead to the United States being the world’s best educated country.

■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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8

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Opinion Poll If you could put your brain into a cyborg body, would you?

C ompiled

by

T im B aca

Tim Quoe Psychology Third-year

Shev Gogna Political Science Third-year

Li Ly Biology Third-year

John Duke O’Neill Music Third-year

James Jordan Creative Writing Fourth-year

Mohammed Oubeid Political Science Graduated Fall

“Yes, you could experience life through a new medium, a metallic body.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t feel pain.”

“I don’t know, that’s a strange question.”

“Why not? You would last forever, and do more things.”

“Only if I had the very precise motor control to skate.”

“Yes, I’m into athletics, so I could break limits, however in reality I might end up regretting it.”

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

Why you have the right to remain silent and flip the bird QUINN MINTEN Contributing Writer

A recent federal appeals court decision has ruled that flipping off a police officer is a legitimate form of expression and not grounds for pulling a driver over. This decision came about after a driver in New York was pulled over when he flipped off an officer who had a radar gun and was then charged with disorderly conduct. The officer argued in court that he believed the gesture was disorderly conduct, but the court rejected this argument.

Because the appeals court ruled that the act of giving a police officer the finger is a valid form of what could be called “symbolic speech,” this amounts to the court protecting the act under the First Amendment. This seems quite paradoxical, given that the action

is definitely an insult — the equivalent of verbal profanity.

Profanity, however, is not always protected speech according to the First Amendment.

Specifically, profanity is considered illegal when it incites violence or any other breach of the peace (similar to the “clear and present danger” test, in which speech is not protected if it causes a clear and present danger to public safety). Because flipping off a police officer, or anyone for that matter, is inherently a belligerent act, the appellate court’s decision seems to go against established rulings on free speech.

Nevertheless, the court has made its decision, and if flipping the middle finger to a police officer is considered lawful under our First Amendment, then by all means it should be protected. However, this raises a new issue, namely: Under what circumstances should the

action be used? To allow anyone who dislikes police officers to spontaneously flip them off whenever they pass by is a tremendous disrespect to those whose job it is to maintain public welfare. As such, this court ruling necessitates a method of punishment for those who gratuitously use this new extension to our First Amendment freedoms. Of course, such an abuse, because it is technically protected speech, cannot bear any punishment for such an offender.

The question also arises of under what conditions profanity, whether physical or spoken, is permissible. On one hand, rulings on the First Amendment by federal courts have determined that profanity is allowed as a form of expression, except when, as mentioned before, it results in endangering someone. Otherwise, the Constitution permits profanity in private

and most public situations. On the other hand, there are social laws that dictate the acceptability of profanity beyond what the First Amendment does. For example, most people will censor themselves in front of children because they know it is often regarded as inappropriate to cuss in front of them. No law prohibits this act, which means that the self-censoring is a social construct.

To answer the previous question, one must consider when people tend to use profanity.

People start dropping f-bombs (and assorted verbal weapons of a lesser degree of potency) when they are either angry about someone or something, or when there is something frustrating them. In these cases, profanity is merely an indicator of that feeling, and as long as one is experiencing that feeling, the associated verbal expressions are not only appropriate, but

expected. In other words, we can pardon someone’s French if they abruptly stub their toe, spill their coffee or notice a policeman with his radar gun at a speed trap. Indeed, as long as those feelings and that reaction are associated, an attempt to restrict the latter is tantamount to restricting the former. If one expresses one’s sudden frustration with a bit of profanity, taking that manner of expression away eliminates their capacity to express the emotion.

The ability to express oneself freely is perhaps the most important guarantee made by the Constitution, and flipping someone off is one of the key ways many people express a sentiment of anger. Therefore, it is permissible, and should be, to utilize this gesture with police if something a police officer does prompts those negative feelings — particularly if they H are, say, setting a speed trap. ■

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

9

R’Perspective: Grad school on the mind HONEIAH KARIMI Senior Staff Writer

W

henever I pictured graduate school, I imagined myself driving to campus in a flying car, sporting a tweed overcoat, smoking a cigar Tony Soprano-style. I’m not quite sure where this image of a graduate student emerged, but it’s a look I’m confident I could rock.

Now that I’m a third-year who plans to attend graduate school the fall following my graduation date of spring 2016, I realized I should not be stressing over whether or not I am able to pull off a cigar (the answer is yes) — rather I should be focusing on where I want to live for the next five years of my life since I plan on pursuing a five-year Ph.D. program in linguistics.

It’s a commitment that should be handled with care. I’m a planner, I always have been (in fact, I’m the loser who used to carry a first-aid kit in middle school).

My mind immediately started to race with stress-inducing queries: How many grad schools should I apply to? Which cities do I want to live in? What should I name the black cat I always dreamed of getting? Are my spiffy spectacles sophisticated enough for a Ph.D. candidate?

I found it helpful to list all my prospective schools and make corresponding pro and con lists.

I had always imagined attending graduate school in the northeast to avoid the impending “Big One” earthquake by relocating to the land of blizzards — basically trading one natural disaster for another. For some peculiar reason I always pictured graduate students migrating to the northeast like how birds migrate north

for the spring.

After bemusing my misconceptions surrounding graduate school-related things, I started to think about the GRE, aka the Graduate Records Examination.

I looked up GRE prep courses, which are incredibly overpriced, and practice tests that made me wanna curl up in a ball. The math section was mocking me and I swear it actually said “You thought you were done with me, didn’t you?” Its voice sounded vaguely of John Belushi’s. I’d advise studying months in advance to avoid any unnecessary stress and mocking from various SNL actors.

The scariest part of all of this is that I only recently transferred to UCR this past fall. I just started to get used to everything only to be graduating next year. Attempting to acclimate to a new campus, studying in order to graduate summa cum laude while simultaneously planning my future is quite disconcerting as one might imagine. Maybe this is why growing up feels like an out-of-body experience for me.

When trying to compile my list of prospective graduate schools, the criteria made it quite the arduous task: (a) must offer a five-year Ph.D. program with full funding (b) in a city I would like to live in and (c) has a great reputation in regards to linguistics. After much research and speculation, I decided eight programs would be sufficient. I want options, especially since most of these programs accept less than ten people. Cue Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.”

To add to my anxiety, the other day a classmate jokingly asked, “What do you wanna be

when you grow up?” I felt seven again. This question stopped being phrased playfully once I got to high school, and started to be phrased more cynically: “Oh, okay, linguistics, huh? What do you plan to do with that?” My initial reaction when asked this was a half-assed chuckle on the outside, but on the inside I started to recall my previous answers to this question over the years, from doctor to storm chaser to film director. Nothing stuck until I found linguistics though I loved film more than life itself at one point.

So, what do I want to be when I grow up? The answer I would give now is “successful” in order to avoid having to actually tell people what I want to do, which requires much explanation since it’s a subfield of linguistics that even many linguistic majors do not know about since it’s not taught in an academic setting.

“Successful” it is then. We all define success differently. Perhaps this is what makes preparing for graduate school so tedious — the fact that I have to choose which path will lead me to success and deal with the fallout for the rest of my life if I choose incorrectly, but in all actuality thinking this way is exhausting and counterproductive. If you do your best, as corny as it may sound, you are successful.

Usually when people talk about life-altering decisions such as these, they like to think of it as a sort of fork in the road.

I don’t see it that way. I feel the way I did when I bungee-jumped for the first time. Nervous and excited, but ready to jump with the whole world at my feet. I can only hope that one of the prospective graduate schools on my ■H list will catch me.

COURTESY OF PASADENA CITY COLLEGE

Forget the foie gras unless it’s natural JESSICA BAKER Contributing Writer

F

oie gras is terrifying.

Do not get me wrong. The thought of a light brioche bun hugging a burger made of foie gras, embellished with soft brie, then dusted with a handmade honey mustard and a huckleberry smear sounds scrumptious. This burger seems like the love child of American and French cuisine. As a butter-eating American, I would approve. Though upon Googling foie gras, I am left viewing this burger as heedlessly decadent.

The reality of foie gras — goose or duck liver — may leave many with upset stomachs. The rich meat is the culmination of gavaging — overfeeding of the liver — which is often forced onto poultry. Funneled via a metal tube down the throat, the fowl consumes a tremendous amount of grain or cornmeal to enlarge the liver to 600 percent its natural size. By doing so, the fowl liver has been pedestaled as heavenly delicacy. As Dan Barber, a renowned chef of American and French cuisine insists: “It’s so freakin’ delicious … It is fatty, it is sweet, it is silky, it is unctuous.

It makes everything else you put it with incredible.”

Yet does this justify the treatment that the fowl endure?

In some countries, foie gras has been legislatively banned as a product that restaurants can sell. In California, a 2012 ban on its sale has also been in place until a district judge recently overturned it,

arguing that there is a conflict between state and federal law over the product’s regulation. As of now, foie gras can be enjoyed with a craft beer or a whimsical cocktail at restaurants — however you might find a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) staring daggers at you with a picket sign in hand.

Due to the lifted ban, PETA has been protesting Californian restaurants that serve foie gras with outrageous death threats. Usually, PETA cannot be taken seriously due to their spectacular style of protesting that contradicts their causes.

For example, throwing pig’s blood onto women wearing fur coats or rubbing said blood onto one’s face to horrify employees of food corporations is just not a constructive method to promote animal rights.

(Though kudos to them for accomplishing an accurate rendition of “Silence of Lambs” or “Carrie.”)

Yet PETA’s unnecessary violent actions do mirror the unnecessary violent gavaging.

As Robert Kenner’s “Food, Inc.” exposes, raising animals for consumption is not a pretty picture.

Foie gras fowl are often raised for 12 weeks in dirty enclosures and live the last two to three weeks of their lives strapped onto holding mechanisms as feeding tubes are forced upon them, three times a day.

While some humane enclosures do exist, such as the La Belle Farms, the number of abusive enclosures counteract those few safe havens.

However, truth be told, these fowl are not enduring a practice that

is completely new to them. When temperatures lower, geese and ducks willingly gorge on greens in preparation for their long migrations south for the winter. They are able to do so with no gag reflex stopping their consumption … to the point that they can swallow a live, smaller bird with no damage to their throats. (YouTube can verify the cannibalistic truth.) Naturally, these fowl have livers perfect for foie gras, which is how it was originally discovered — not from someone stuffing a goose with grain, but from noticing the natural, sweet fat that geese maintain over the winter.

If this lifted ban is to continue in California, then new restrictions should be imposed to allow the foie gras fowl that is sold to naturally grow and still deliver a high-quality product. And this can be done.

The award-winner of the Coups de Coeur, practically the equivalent of an Olympic gold medal for quality food, Eduardo Sousa, has proven foie gras can be organically produced in mass amounts, while still maintaining a happy environment for the geese — to the point that wild geese willingly end up living on his foie gras farm. There’s nothing wrong with raising animals for food, rather it is the methods that are cruel.

So, if you find yourself with the aforementioned craft beer or whimsical cocktail in hand and a plate of foie gras placed on the table, please keep this in mind: Geese do not indulge themselves for slaughter, they do so to survive. And we are not H surviving — we are indulging. ■

JAMESON ADAME / HIGHLANDER

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.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Features

Comedian Olivia Harewood (left) brings laughter to the crowd as she jokes about a few of her life experiences; UCR Improv Anonymous (top center) performs a humourous skit using random details chosen by the audience; Comedian Dana Eagle (top right) cracks up the crowd with a song about mental wellness during the Laugh More event at the Barn.

W

Ashley Chung, Contributing Writer e’ve all heard of the saying “laughter is the best medicine,” so what better way is there to trample our stress than to attend the Well’s very own clinic of merriment with a free night of comedy? Many students gruelingly dragged their bodies to the Barn Thursday evening for their dose of amusement to endure their remaining midterms. The few who arrived promptly at 6 p.m. tiredly trotted about before the booths of wellness advice, seeking an immediate stress suppressant. The relief didn’t kick in until Active Minds — a counseling organization run by the student wellness partners — kicked off the comedy show to praise the advantages of

laughter on stress.

With perhaps an overdose of caffeine, Highlanders milled around the health fair after signing in at the Barn’s entrance to collect their fill of free goodies — apparently a common solution to life’s dilemmas. The Active Minds station displayed brochures on counseling while they informed students of the assistance they offered, and the Health Center set up an oral preventative care station, providing floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes and even tongue scrubbers. Students also tested their knowledge on sex and alcohol prevention to earn Scantrons or blue books while others contributed to the “How I Will Laugh More” poster by pasting sticky notes of their goals for happiness.

UCR chills out AMRITA KULAR Contributing Writer

On Thursday, Jan. 29, ASPB hosted the Chill Out from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Bell Tower.

The evening began with a slight sprinkle, which fortunately did not develop into rain to ruin the entire event. Faith Valdez, a first-year psychology major and ASPB volunteer, said the purpose of The Chill Out “was a nice break from the quarter.” As I walked past the HUB and approached the Bell Tower, I could feel the event underway.

The Chill Out was ongoing and filled with music from a variety of DJs, such as Christian Berishaj, also known as JMSN, who is debuting his new album, and a couple of student DJs, food from lots of vendors as well as an ice skating rink. As a small band of friends, we searched through the food vendors for something to munch on as we gazed at the rest of the event.

Not willing to be left emptyhanded, we scanned the rest of

the vendors, quickly finding the classic Culinary Chameleon and Moo Moo trucks and Mom’s Mini Donuts, which sold an assortment of beverages and refreshments such as mini glazed donut holes and hot chocolate.

Walking toward the HUB, we could see a long line that reached all the way to Rivera Library.

After further inspection, we realized the queue was for the first 200 students who were guaranteed free In-N-Out burgers.

However, for those who were not lucky enough to be there in time, other booths served both food and drinks.

Some of the activities included a small ice skating rink accompanied by a snow machine.

The rink was really small, with fences around it, almost resembling a pig pen on ice, giving only inches for skaters. Most of the time, only a select few beginners were able to ice skate, struggling along while holding the flimsy fence. Furthermore, the ice skating rink was dark which not only made it difficult

LAUGH MORE!

Photos by Janine Ybanez & Samuel Cantrell

After obtaining a fair knowledge of stress reduction and capturing silly moments in the Polaroid booth, students scat-

...an overdose on laughter can’t cause any harm. tered throughout the room with a satisfying dinner bought from the Barn as they awaited the commencement of the comedy show.

“How many of you want to see the ice skaters, but also do the actual ice skating.

There was even a photo booth provided for those interested in capturing the moments of the event with their friends and peers. The background displayed the ASPB symbol (although I wished the background was more indicative of the overall winter theme), with a table of big hats, goofy glasses and anything to try to make the night memorable.

The headlining act was JMSN. Opening for JMSN were several upcoming DJs from UCR, including MasterKeyes, Sndhu and Bomb Digital, who kept the audience entertained as they explored the multiple booths and activities set up all around the Bell Tower. The music ranged from alternative rock to indie tunes to entertain the crowd.

The Chill Out was much anticipated due to the multiple posters located throughout campus and I was most excited to view the performance by JMSN, an artist I was not only familiar with, but also fond of. With hit songs such as “Girl (I Used To Know)” and “The One,” JMSN decided to commence his tour

healthier, happier lives?” representatives of the Well’s Active Minds eagerly began as they attempted to grasp students’ attentions. By the looks of it, whatever medicine they were prescribing was already succeeding as peers began to lose their dull pallor and regain a sense of life as they applauded the hosts. They educated us on the benefits of laughter, like decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells, while also eliminating anxiety and fear to provide one with an improved outlook on life. The audience quickly absorbed this knowledge before welcoming the opening act: UCR’s Improv Anonymous.

Improv Anonymous quickly encouraged the audience to get involved as they shouted out names and objects to the group at

the start of each act. In the “Dating Game,” three members of Improv Anonymous were instructed to act as Eleanor Roosevelt, a stapler-lamp and a Scantronturned-Megatron at the crowds’ request. One last improv member proceeded to the stage to choose which member he would take on a date. He asked where their ideal date might occur. The Scantron responded with the location of: “Staples, particularly to get pencils, which I like because they fill up my bubbles.”

During “Advice Panel,” students were given the chance to question experts in their respective fields — Hermione Granger from Hogwarts, a psychopath ► SEE LAUGH MORE, PAGE 14

JEFFREY CHANG / HIGHLANDER DJ Masterkeye plays his new tracks the the Bell Tower for the Chill Out event hosted by ASPB.

for his brand-new record, “The Blue Album,” right here at UCR. JMSN came onstage and began his show with a few jokes that garnered both cheering and laughs from the audience. Everyone seemed to admire the smooth music, and especially liked “My Way” and “Addicted”

to which the crowd excitedly swayed to.

Still, the event had low turnout, which could have been due to lurking midterms. As first-year biology major Fanta Sinayoko exclaimed, “It was a cool event but I wish more of the student body attended.”

■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

FEATURES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

11

RAINN WILSON BATTERS UP

SOULPANCAKE FOR UCR

JAKE RICH

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“Let’s just get people talking about big ideas just so people can use this as a tool to go on their spiritual journey, because that spiritual journey starts with asking life’s big questions.”

-Rainn Wilson

“D

o you guys have a mascot?”

“Scotty!”

“Like a terrier? — He’s a bear? That’s why you guys like Dwight so much!”

After hours of waiting in a long line outside HUB 302 last Tuesday evening, a packed crowd of students and Inland Empire residents were greeted by Rainn Wilson, former star of “The Office,” and creator of the media company SoulPancake. After finding out our mascot name and sarcastically jabbing at how a Bruin sounds much more intimidating than a bear named Scotty, Wilson struck some emphatic poses for those he saw holding up smartphones. Then, however, it was down to business, as Wilson gave an autobiographical and thought-provoking talk about how his upbringing and his life journey led him to found SoulPancake.

“I would say that the only thing we all have in common in this room is that someday we will all be dead,” Wilson said. “It’s interesting because you talk about death and people get very freaked out. In our culture, talking about death is not a kosher topic to bring up, you bring it up at a party and you’ll clear the room.”

Stemming from this, Wilson talked honestly about his fall from and return to his religion, and how it affected his spirituality (“I hate that word!” Wilson said) and way of living.

His change came, he explained, after he accomplished all he wanted by becoming a working actor and being married to a great wife — but he still felt like something was missing.

His time in New York had made him cynical and precipitated his departure from his faith. He looked back on a time when he and some of his roommates (who were also actors) discussed the artistic ethics of acting for a commercial. “Maybe I would do a commercial,” one of them said, “But only for soy milk!”

All his material desires weren’t fulfilling him, he said, and trying to find meaning in people and the way they interact and how we can help each other gave him a fuller sense of worth. SoulPancake’s mission is

herein found in this way of thinking: “Let’s just get people talking about big ideas just so people can use this as a tool to go on their spiritual journey, because that spiritual journey starts with asking life’s big questions,” Wilson said toward the end of the talk.

Wilson went on to speak about the various programs, such as Metaphysical Milkshake, Kid President and My Last Days that SoulPancake has produced. My Last Days showcases several people who have been given terminal diagnoses, and follows them and their journey toward death while showcasing the different emotions they go through and how they handle their last days (usually some kind of surprise is included for them as well). All these programs made people think about life in ways out of the cultural norm, and attempted to make thinking about life in different ways accessible for a much larger amount of people.

After the crowd of entranced students was charmed by Wilson’s humorous anecdotes and ways of talking about heavy subjects, a Q-and-A session was allowed for around 15 crowd members. Questions ranged from the meaning of life to what Wilson finds difficult to talk about (if not death). Students thankfully avoided most “Office” related questions, though one question connected “The Office” and his character’s love of “Battlestar Galactica” to how each of those shows, and to specifically one “Battlestar Galactica” species’ theories, influences his own spirituality.

Wilson also pointed out his gratefulness for people he has helped give comfort to through “The Office,” as their gratefulness in turn made him feel like what he was doing was worth it.

Wilson concluded the night by saying how this crowd had asked some of the best questions he had heard from a group and partially redeemed his earlier jabbings by exclaiming “Go Scotty the Bear!”

A buzz could be felt walking out of the event, as Wilson certainly invigorated a sense of deeper thinking and inspiration to the departing sea of minds.

■H

12

FEAT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

GONG XI FA CAI FROM TH 新 年 快 樂 RIVE

ROBERT LEES, STAFF WRITER

S

tanding on a brick planter on Main Street in Downtown Riverside, I watched as several hundred karate students, dancers in elaborate costumes and a few dozen dragons formed into rows in the square outside of City Hall. Blinking the sunlight from my eyes as I balanced my notebook in one hand and my coffee in the other, I watched as a man in a yellow Buddha costume placed himself at the head of the parade, while cymbals crashed and the beat of large taiko drums echoed in my chest. A moment paused, and the marchers started at a full run, with the procession leader performing frantic gymnastics as dragons and electric bicycles snaked between the crowds of astonished onlookers. Abandoning my perch atop the brickwork, I kept up a brisk pace along the parade route, following the red Chinese

lanterns that adorned the streets above Downtown Riverside and marked the site for the Asian Pacific Cultural Association’s 2015 Lunar Festival.

Finding myself at the end of the parade route near a stage that had been set up on Mission Inn Avenue, I watched as the procession raced toward the stage.

The group was led by several people in Buddha costumes who zigzagged across the road and waved fans at onlookers’ faces, followed by multicolored dragons and drummers. Some dragons were carried by two people, who interacted with the vendors and children who waited along the parade route, terrifying some of the younger kids. Others were carried on long poles by over a dozen men, stretching well over 50 feet in length.

Whenever the procession passed an intersection or turned a corner, a cache of firecrackers was

ignited, sending loud bangs reverberating through the streets and columns of sulfurous smoke into the air. The associated organizations and clubs that would be performing throughout the day followed at a march, dressed in karate uniforms, grass skirts, elaborate headdresses or various other beautiful costumes.

When the parade reached the stage, the marchers broke ranks and filed along the sides of the road as the members of the city council took to the stage. Councilman Paul Davis opened the ceremony, and invited UCR’s own Senryu Taiko organization to kick things off with a drumming demonstration. We’ve all heard the rhythmic booming that indicates their practices, and their work obviously paid off, as their demonstration drew rapturous applause and cheers from the crowd. When their performance concluded, several

members of the Asian Pacific Cultural Association came to the stage, announcing some of the activities and exhibits that would be present for the festival. To finish the opening ceremony, several white doves were released over the crowd, signifying the peace that the festival hopes to cultivate at home and abroad. As the ivory birds took flight, it was clear that the Lunar Festival had truly begun.

The crowd, which swelled to over 4,000 attendees, dispersed and headed to the various booths that lined the downtown streets. Vendors sold trinkets and toys, from Chinese lanterns to bows and arrows. Tables were adorned with handcrafted jewelry, carved sculptures and innumerable waving lucky cat figurines, also known as maneki-neko. One popular vendor featured a giant inflatable Buddha that was the site of hundreds

At the Riverside Lunar Festival, citizens came to celebrate in traditional Chinese garb and costumes; The day began with a parade that included a traditional dragon dance often performed at Lunar New Year celebrations; Visitors milled through the many booths and vendors; Chinese lanterns, emblazoned with the Chinese character “Fu” for luck, were out bright on display; Tapua Productions put on a Samoan Fire Dance. The crowd was thick around the intersection of Lemon Street and Mission Inn Avenue.

TURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

13

HE 恭 喜 發 財 ERSIDE LUNAR FESTIVAL Wishing Riverside wealth and prosperity for the New Year

PHOTOS BY AARON LAI AND TIM BACA of selfies.

The food court lined Lemon Street, and the sugary smell of funnel cakes and teriyaki sauce hung in the air. There was the usual street fair variety of foods such as corn dogs, kettle corn and soda, as well as a large variety of Asian cuisine. Egg rolls and chicken kebabs were sold by the thousands, while other tents served up freshly fried squid and cups of Thai tea. The most popular tent by far sold a “Potato Tornado”: a spiral-cut potato that’s battered, deep-fried and served on a skewer. The queue for the “Potato Tornado” tent stretched down the length of the street, and the owners managed to sell their entire stock before the end of the festival. I opted to try a piece of one a friend had purchased, and it had the same artery-clogging deliciousness as standard street fair food.

Throughout the day, the

groups that had marched in the opening parade performed on several stages that had been set up around Downtown. The acts, featuring traditional dances, martial arts exhibitions and tea ceremonies, as well as the sheer volume of events ensured there was something for everyone. One particularly popular event was the Lunarfest Anime Fashion Show, which displayed several of the talented cosplayers that had come to the festival. Dozens of Sailor Moons convened in the Chinese pavilion on the library grounds, and I stood behind Iron Man as he snapped photos of the stage. In the background, the sound of a Michael Jackson impersonator that performed on the main stage carried through the air.

As night fell, the moon rose high above the crowd, casting its pale light onto the streets.

The red lanterns that were

strung above the streets were illuminated as well, giving them a beautiful red glow. As the stages and vendor tables were dismantled by event staff, the bulk of the crowd converged on the main intersection of Lemon Street and Mission Inn Avenue, as the closing ceremony commenced.

The first performer was Tepua Productions, which featured traditional dances from the Polynesian Islands. While the backup band played a rousing beat on their drums, men and women in bright skirts and elaborate headdresses performed a traditional Tahitian dance. Volunteers were called up, and the crowd cheered as children and adults took to the stage to try to find their own “island rhythm.”

The highlight of their performance was a demonstration by a Samoan fire dancer who swung the flaming baton over his head

and around his body. One of his most impressive feats was holding the burning torch on the soles of his feet, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd. Senryu Taiko then took to the stage for their third and final performance of the day, followed by the Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Association.

After the officials finished their closing remarks, the crowd gathered on the library, where the fireworks were set to begin at 6:50 p.m. Not a moment too late, the fireworks lit up the sky, the shells bursting at the same height as the moon. The show lasted 10 minutes, with a finale that sounded like a battlefield, illuminating the sky and sending a cloud of white smoke drifting over the heads of the cheering onlookers. With the fireworks over, the crowd dispersed, the glowing lanterns over their ■H heads.

14

FEATURES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

DANCE MARATHON RAISES AWARENESS AND HEART RATES

TIFFANY LIAW, SENIOR STAFF WRITER // PHOTOS BY SAMUEL CANTRELL

A

UCR students dance to help raise funds for the Guardian Scholars Program.

► LAUGH MORE FROM PAGE 10

recently released from an insane asylum and Nikolai, a Russian transfer. Of course, standard university questions included how to cure a hangover and make quick money.

We were thus wisely enlightened by the psychopath of how “death is the answer to all of your problems.” If any of these experts had accomplished anything, it was surely Hermione, who must have stirred up a new potion to cure midterm stress and induce laughter, just as she declared that she also “made a potion to prevent cat diarrhea.”

s I approached the Aberdeen-Inverness Dining Hall, the loud bass from the Senryu Taiko Ensemble drums surrounded the dark sidelines of the building and guided me toward the location of the event. The chanting and drumming grew louder as I entered the A-I Residential Hall and a group of volunteers welcomed me into the club-like room that the dining hall had transformed into for the night.

Every year, UCR hosts the Dance Marathon, an event that strives to bring awareness and raise funds for the now-adult foster youth of our generation in order for them to have the opportunity to pursue an education. The Guardian Scholars Program has impressively raised around $20,000 per year through the event, and they’re not about to let their increased goal of $25,000 this year intimidate them.

“You have to rise to the challenge and be ready to take a stand so even the most disadvantaged students have the opportunity to live up to the UCR promise. We now have 25 scholars thanks to the community,” remarked Tuppett Yates, the founder and director of the Guardian Scholars Program, regarding the $25,000 goal.

Subtle crowds gathered around the prize and raffle booth and the Senryu Taiko Ensemble as the first of many performances ended and DJ Nomad Navi resumed his set.

I explored the area from the Just Dance station to the photo booth and finally to the different gaming booths that had taken over the wings of the dining hall. A plethora of uncommon yet fun games such as Office Tennis (you and a friend

And to think that was only the warm-up before Dana Eagle, who has appeared on Comedy Central and Comics Unleashed, captivated the entire audience with her small figure, yet huge presence on stage.

“I’m a gay, bipolar Jew with a lazy eye!”

Eagle announced, immediately setting herself as a unique figure. She used her influential voice to draw out the low points that we inevitably face in life and made them more bearable. Eagle fearlessly revived her life’s negative topics, such as bipolar disorder and depression, only to tackle them down and demonstrate our resilience with our ability to laugh at everything. “80 percent of us suffer from depression and

bounce a wad of paper using clipboards into a trash can), Bad Painters (painting with boxing gloves) and Diaper That Baby (exactly what the name suggests, but with one hand) were boasting tickets that could be redeemed for UCRrelated prizes such as bumper stickers and license plate frames.

The evening consisted of more than just dance performances from Room to Dance, a studio in Downtown Riverside created by one of the scholars of the program; Glow with the Flow, a dance done by swinging glow sticks in different patterns; even UCR’s very own competitive dance teams 909 Hip

... EVEN THE MOST DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE UP TO THE UCR PROMISE. Hop Dance Troupe and Collective Faction. Spoken word, raffling and a donut-eating contest also helped characterize the entertaining fundraiser of a night.

More people began to trickle into the room and the excitement seemed to pick up among the shy dancers chilling on the edge of the makeshift dance floor. Thankfully, pizza, Clif bars, chips, ice cream sandwiches and water bottles were served throughout the night to curb my hunger (and refuel the dancers) as the announcers continued to auction off gift cards that would eventually lead to bigger prizes such as a GoPro and Lakers tick-

the other 20 percent of you cause it!” she exclaimed. She ended by throwing “pills” to the crowd as she belted out one of her original songs, leaving us with the cure for a pleasant, stress-free future.

Comedian Olivia Harewood hailed to the stage in a princess-like manner to greet her latest crowd. She exclaimed her excitement to perform for a wellness fair, though she clarified that she won’t be making people feel well by selling weed — anymore.

She brought up controversial topics such as religion and race, but allowed everyone to have a great laugh about it. Harewood shared the first time she told this racial joke: “I can’t volunteer, I can’t work for

ets.

“Down, down, do your dance, do your dance,” sounded through the room and with zero hesitation, everyone rushed to the floor to do the well-known shuffle. By now, the audience was hyped up and soon enough a freestyle circle ensued as we all huddled toward the dancers from 3K (a team from Room to Dance); although my tiptoeing didn’t help against the wall of extremely tall men that had gathered from the previous performance by the Salsa Club in front of me, I could tell by the crowd appeal that 3K was doing an amazing job dancing to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” (Who could resist dancing to such a catchy song?)

Fannie Martinez, a fourth-year ethnic studies major as well as the executive director of Dance Marathon this year, exclaimed, “My goal is to make Dance Marathon just as big of an event as Heat is; all of the stories I hear make it such a personal experience and it’s nice to know all the effort we put in makes a difference for the students.” She went on to tell the story of a previous scholar who managed to enroll in law school through hard work, dedication and a helping hand from the Guardian Scholars Program.

Martinez and Yates are among the numerous members whose collective efforts raise awareness as well as funds to help the emancipated foster youth population at UCR thrive and pursue their dreams without limitations. The turnout was great for the event and by the end of the night, they had surpassed their goal and raised $54,848.

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free … because I’m black, and they banned slavery. It’s in the Constitution,” which caused a woman to declare her as the nword before the whole audience when she told the joke for the first time.

Students gathered at the end of the comedy show to relish the jokes told and share the irreplaceable relief for an improved mental health — laughter. I spoke with a student after and noticed a considerable difference in her now-brightly lit eyes as she explained to me that the energy brought by the comedians enlightened her on the advantages of merriment on stress and mental illness. After all, an overdose on laughter can’t cause any harm.

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R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

EVENTS THIS WEEK 2/4

Mamma Mia! @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 8 p.m.

2/5

Chisholm ‘72: Unbought @The Center for Social Justice, 6 p.m.

2/6

Badfish - A Tribute to Sublime- “40 oz. to Freedom” Tour @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

2/7

UCR Orchestra: “Heroes and Anti-Heroes” @ University Theatre, 8 p.m.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER The Barn is an on-campus venue for music and comedy performers. It also doubles as a restaurant for students and faculty to eat together.

COURTESY OF DAVID SAKOVER

UCR students and non-students alike crowd into the Barn to catch a performance of their favorite local and big-time artists.

COURTESY OF RIVERA LIBRARY ARCHIVE

G N I D L BUI E R U T CUL

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The Barn: COURTESY OF DAVID SAKOVER A punk rock band performing at the Barn.

Nathan Swift, Senior Staff Writer

T VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Former UCR Barn Manager Andy Plumley sits down to talk to the Highlander about the Barn’s past.

here’s a constant rainfall over UC Riverside: “Riverside is boring.” “We don’t have anything important here.” “Everything ‘famous’ in our city is useless.”

The raindrops prick the skin of students like sewing needles, like words that actually can break your bones. Those raindrops are in fact words, and the imagery they invoke isn’t prettier than a sewage pile of trash, leftovers and roadkill dangling halfway in a gutter’s mouth. And like smoke rising from a ruined dinner or an exhaust pipe exhuming smog into somebody’s evening jog, these words do more than sting — they leave a mental residue that never evaporates in one’s memory.

Unfortunately, the Barn is often the location of interest for students to unload their verbal ammunition at.

The Barn is one of the oldest structures on UC Riverside’s campus. The Barn was constructed in 1916, about 10 years after the California state legislature approved the construction of the Citrus Experimentation Station in 1905, which was the basis for what would eventually become the UCR

old

campus. With California’s huge export of citrus and fruit goods, the Station conducted experiments in fertilization, irrigation and crops. Since owning a vehicle at this time was still an extreme rarity, with the Ford Model T only coming into mass production by 1908, travel by horse was still a common and normal way of traveling.

The Barn can be seen as being highly needed for the historically “first” UCR scientists at the Station. Along with providing a roof over the heads of the horses for these pionering scientists, the cluster of structures that made up the original Barn also served as the operational center for the Station’s agricultural activities.

In its first years, the Barn existed not just as one building, but as a cluster of different structures that operated together, including a horse stable, a carpenter shop, a hay barn (for storage) and two wagon sheds. The high-pitched grunts of horses, the clacking of their hooves upon the soft, winding dirt roads and the earthly fragrance of fresh hay and oranges were a normal part of the life of early Station staff and local residents alike.

The horse stable was converted into a cafeteria in 1954 upon the school’s inaugu-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

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VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

The barn hosts a variety of acts, including Chuck Inglish and The Cool Kids during the 2013-14 school year.

ble stable of the

ral year. The horse stalls in the interior were converted into dining booths, the floors were paved and the walls were sandblasted.

Sadly, a fire struck the cafeteria in December of 1970, and had to be completely rebuilt the following year. This fire, along with the numerous physical changes to all of the original Barn structures as a whole, prevent it from being registered in the National Register of Historic Places.

Fast-forward to the late 1980s. Punk rock, emerging from the depths of private clubs in New York and London, and any small-town garage band impersonating the Ramones or the Clash, took over the entire world. Former UCR Barn Manager Andy Plumley (‘86-’88) stood at the entrance to the area, at the head of the ticket line. The band’s name is forgotten, but Plumley remembered that whoever was playing embodied “real, solid, hardcore punk.” This showed in the sold-out vicinity, where 300 to 400 people mushed together in a roiling, raging mosh pit of noise, body odor, swearing as a second language and unrelenting human energy in the most basic, Einsteinian sense of the word. Plumley remembered the crowd as “20 percent UCR students, the rest from the community.”

A man approached Plumley at the head of the ticket line. Plumley told him what he’d been telling everybody else in line: that The Barn was sold out. According to Plumley, he was “the biggest guy I had ever seen.” With a safety pin through his face, porcupine-style spiky hair and a thick leather jacket, the guy wasn’t just a punk fan — he was punk itself.

“What do you mean you’re sold out?” the punk incarnate asked.

Knowing that he wasn’t a fighter, and that a fight would be bad business for the Barn, Plumley stared at him with his chest out and back straight in an effort to make him back off — and it worked. Punk incarnate backed off.

The Barn wasn’t just known for hosting punk, though. The venue has seen some of the greatest musical acts on this side of the century. Imagine moshing around with your fellow headbangers while Korn or No Doubt rocks the stage just a few feet away, or getting lost in the righteous anger of a crowd entranced by Rage Against the Machine.

Many nostalgically think back to the confusing days of growing up in college, and remember the times that Blink-182, Aquabats, Sublime and Alien Ant Farm brought their

music with them to say, in reassurance, that the world is indeed a confusing place, but that everything was gonna be alright.

The Barn has been witness to over a century’s worth of history in Riverside. It’s seen as many memories as much as it’s a living memory in and of itself. It might seem odd to say that the Barn is alive, but to say that it’s not alive is to suggest that it’s not the soul of the campus. Anything can serve its own physical purpose, and that includes the Barn.

The Barn served as the operational center for the first scientific unit on campus; it was witness to an influx of young, eager veterans returning from World War II waiting to attend school on the G.I. Bill; it’s gone through reconstructions, demolitions and a fire in 1970. It gave the stage to several multimillion-dollar punk acts and local alternative acts in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s as if the Barn, amidst all of its physical transformations and numerous occupants, is saying to students, “you can change me all you like, but I’m still here, and I always will be.” As long as UCR remains, so does its soul.

A storm may blow harsh winds, but a mountain still stands.

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COURTESY OF DAVID SAKOVER

UCRChannelH Andy Plumley talks more about the history of the Barn and his experience online at UCRChannelH.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

A SUCCESSFUL BARN EXPERIMENT By: Robert Lees, Senior Writer tanding in a line that easily topped 50 people outside the Barn on Wednesday, I did a quick YouTube search of We Are Scientists on my phone. Though they had the alternative, post-punk sound that is endemic of most indie bands today, I liked what I heard. I recognized some of their songs from college radio, and I was sure they had been suggested on my Pandora once before. Satisfied, I came back into reality and continued to wait, looking up at the dense clouds, wondering if I would have to make my walk home back in the rain.

Even though the show didn’t start for another 45 minutes, the nebulous cloud of people who pressed against the stage was already dense, with the jovial attendees excitedly watching as the roadie set up the equipment, craning their necks to see if they saw a semifamous face around the curtains on the left side of the stage. The time passed quickly, and I was soon surrounded on all sides as the clock neared 8:30 p.m.

With hearty w h o o p s from the crowd, the five-man opening band took the stage.

Ghosts in Pocket opened the show with a bang. They played with energetic fervor, and the drummer was already sweating profusely midway through their first song. They had a classic rock sound with a punk edge, and their energy worked up the crowd and drew more people into the fray in front of the stage. As an opening band, they were stellar, as they were able to engage and excite the crowd while not overpowering everyone before the main act. After every song the members would give one another a confident look during the smattering of applause.

Their music became more focused and experimental as they played on, incorporating acoustic guitar, keyboards and a trumpet into their altrock sound. The crowd was undoubtedly impressed, and someone jokingly yelled, “Hey! You guys are alright!” as they neared the end of their 45-minute set. Before they finished, they thanked the attendees and promised the eminent arrival of We Are Scientists. You could tell from the sheer volume of cheers from the crowd that we were ready.

As We Are Scientists took the stage, the crowd inside swelled considerably, with

most of the people eating and waiting outside streaming in. They opened their set and engaged in playful banter with each other and the crowd when they had finished their first song. It was hard to understand what they were saying at times because the audience was in a full roar between each song, matching the band’s volume. For their second song, they launched into their first single “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” from their album “With Love and Squalor.” The crowd and band went wild, with guitarist Keith Murray running around the stage like a madman. Most of the songs they played were from their older albums, but the crowd reacted the most favorably to the songs off “With Love and Squalor.”

Things changed pace around 10 p.m. when the band started playing a bluesy, psychedelic rendition of “Textbook.”

While the bassist and drummer carried the beat, Murray set his guitar down and began walking around the stage, standing on top of the bass drum, hanging off the support beams and walking into the crowd, much to the enjoyment of the people at the front of the stage. The crowd surged forward, thronging him on all sides as the sounds of the guitar feedback and the squeals of some very excited girls in the crowd created a pressing, surrounding din.

When the song was over, Murray rejoined his bandmates and they played two more songs, leaving the stage rather abruptly. It was all for dramatic effect, as they returned to the stage after only a few moments of the crowd chanting “Encore!” at a full yawp. Murray’s banter became much more personal, and he hinted that the band would probably return to the Inland Empire to play another show in the near future. They launched into a rendition of “Great Escape,” another song from “With Love and Squalor,” and exited the stage for good as the lights came back on in the Barn.

It sometimes feels as if most of the bands we host at the Barn are either undiscovered local groups or has-beens who are well past their prime.

While I have gotten that vibe several times at shows during my years at UCR, We Are Scientists were on point throughout their whole set. Everyone in the audience seemed to have an amazing time, and the merch table was thronged as I made my walk home, ears still ringing.

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We Are Scientists were on point throughout their whole set.

CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIE REVIEWS

COMING OUT SOON: SEVENTH SON

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

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JUPITER ASCENDING LOVESICK

THE LOFT // RATING: ★★★☆☆ STASEAN WASHINGTON Staff Writer

der mystery that does the genre justice. Elements within the film allow for the film to set up an enhodunit” films vironment that’s seemingly like have a unique that of a murder mystery dinner air about party. The film takes place both in them. These the past and present. Flashbacks types of films are both fun and add bits and pieces of information challenging. They allow the audi- that allow for the audience to put ence to become a character within together their own connections the story. Viewers participate as between characters. they try and solve the mystery for The film has a litany of red themselves. From the beginning herrings that don’t seem obvious of the movie until its end, the or unnecessary. Like any good goal for the audience is to find the murder mystery, everyone is a perpetrator. The initial runtime suspect until proven innocent. becomes a countdown, and as the There are loads of characters movie progresswho are possibly es, bigger and suspects, from bigger hints are revenge-seekThe film contains ing prostitutes dropped until the big reveal. And blackmailed various twists and to it’s a shame we businessmen, don’t see more of even suspectturns for the sake and them. ing wives. It’s of appealing to the safe to say that “The Loft” is an Americanevery character masses.

Belgian thriller on screen has a film directed by reasonable moErik Van Looy, tive to want to telling the tale kill someone or of five married men who share frame our main characters. It’s ownership of an upmarket loft. because of this that the film is so For these five men, the loft rep- enjoyable to watch. It’s fun. It’s resents a safe haven for their se- interactive. And most of all, it recret affairs and sexual exploits places the guns and explosions as with their respective mistresses. a means for entertainment with an But when the body of a murdered intriguing mystery for audiences woman is discovered, the group to solve, which is something difbegins to suspect one another, as ferent in this day and age. they are the only ones with keys The mystery is augmented by to the loft. The film becomes an complex characters that work intense “whodunit” exploring the well on screen. The main charactheme of betrayal by loved ones. ters have their own unique jourAlthough the film has an unorigi- ney and background that make it nal plot, its focus on the mystery even harder to pinpoint the killer. makes it incredibly interactive From Chris’ (James Marsden) oband a fun watch. session with his new mistress to At its core, the film is a mur- Luke’s (Wentworth Miller) sex-

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COURTESY OF OPEN ROAD FILMS

ual frustration and borderline sociopathic nature with his wife to Phillip’s (Matthias Schoenaerts) cocaine-filled rages, each seems to be voted most likely to murder someone in the future. The film not only creates suspects, but it also goes beyond the point of just creating archetypes you would probably see in every other crime thriller.

In terms of being an actual film, “The Loft” is hindered by its story. Most movies with “se-

cret clubhouses” don’t end well, especially when it involves five wealthy grown men with dark secrets. The premise of the film isn’t something we haven’t seen before. But this is fine because you’re not supposed to focus on the plot but the mystery surrounding the plot. The film contains various twists and turns for the sake of appealing to the masses.

Character emotions flip on a dime, and motives become twisted and tangled to the point where

the big reveal that the audience was hoping for the entire movie is both unsatisfying and seems to come out of left field.

But if you can enjoy the film for what it is, rather than what it tries to be, then you’re in for a good time. No matter how much it tries to appeal to the masses by adding elements of Hollywood films, it is still a unique viewing.

“The Loft” is a fun and interactive movie that’ll challenge the inner detective in all of us.

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Abel maintains the idealism of his business, Anna keeps it physically running.

“A Most Violent Year” is not meant to focus on one character, as many famous mafia-crime movies do. The film is meant to focus on the dynamic between two close characters enduring both the lies of the American dream and the corrupted core of capitalism. While the film ends on a note that can be either inter-

preted as typical or odd, the character development between Anna and Abel left a satisfying impression on me. There are times, such as when Anna interacted with the persistent investigator, Lawrence (David Oyelowo), when their interactions with other characters are bland, since it is clear these other characters were just support to further the narrative, but the Morales kept me interested.

I have no constructive criti-

cism to give regarding whether “A Most Violent Year” is a true successor for the films of Brian De Palma or Francis Ford Coppola, since I have never watched their movies, though Chandor’s new movie has left me with the inspiration to watch “Scarface” or “The Godfather.” If anything, “A Most Violent Year” may be a soft introduction into the mafiacrime movie genre for anyone who is curious and willing.

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A MOST VIOLENT YEAR // RATING: ★★★☆☆ JESSICA BAKER Contributing Writer

nomical efforts become corrupt, Abel makes the conscious effort to not have his employees comhat seems to be a mit violence, such as when he remodern interpreta- fuses to let them carry firearms. tion of mafia-crime While Abel tries to maintain an movies, “A Most ideal pursuit of his American Violent Year” enters the scene dream, his wife, Anna (Jessica away from its proposed goal Chastain), understands all too of depicting the year 1981 as a well such an ideal cannot be crime-filled drama, but stumbles maintained. into an interesting take on what In a rather Lady MacBeth it means to achieve the typical fashion, Anna deals with the American dream. Directed and more violent side of business. written by J.C. Chandor, the Daughter of a mafia kingpin, movie opens to New York City in Anna utilizes her resources to the dead of winter. Colors stand keep her husband’s business and in mute tones, from the overcast family from falling apart. With skyline looming her short, sharp in the distance to blond hair never the main charac- If anything, “A Most frazzled and her ters’ pale wardvoice consisrobe consisting Violent Year” may be a tently calm with of neat suits and hell-hath-no fury sleek dresses — soft introduction into authority, Chasall constructing the mafia-crime movie tain plays Anna a neat image that as a strong charseems eerie with genre for anyone who acter who does destructive ten- is curious and willing. not come off as dencies. And this too “strong.” A implied destrucfrequent problem tion delivers. in representing strong women in The viewer witnesses a mar- media is often that the characried couple’s joint attempt to ters are either independent lone raise an economical empire with- wolves (possibly stating, “I don’t in a corrupt capitalist system. need no man!”) incapable of But they differ in their methods. faults, or trying to be strong, but Oscar Isaac evokes the audience end up failing at every turn. Anna to sympathize with his character, comes off as a female character Abel, as he smartly acts as an ef- capable of holding her own, yet ficient businessman who works is also inherently inspired by her his way up the corporate ladder husband’s goals — she just has via hard work and natural intelli- another way of accomplishing gence. Though he involves him- them. When her husband’s workself with shadier practices, like ers are repeatedly physically cooking the books, his character beaten by rival companies, it is progresses into said actions as he Anna who decides to call in faattempts to find his balance be- vors with mafia members — not tween what is correct or corrupt Abel — which saves their busiin capitalism. Though his eco- ness empire momentarily. While

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

PROJECT ALMANAC // RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ ROBERT LEES Staff Writer

Now, no movie is without flaws, and despite its strengths “Project Almanac” worked pretty hard for its negative review.

COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES

divide that plagues modern society. Somewhere inside the rotten apple that was the final product there was a halfway-decent film, but it’s so buried in lousy camera work, crass marketing and terrible characterization that I wasn’t able to fully embrace the film. I would suggest watching “Doctor Who,” instead; it has Steadicam H and strong female characters. ■

for the highlander newspaper

the film that they really love one another and are meant to be and blah blah blah, but having a main character use deceit to get a girl to sleep with him tainted the rest of the film.

While some may say that I’m overreacting regarding the portrayal of female characters in the film, movies like this subconsciously lead to the gender

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

quered, and not actual people.

I hate to sound alarmist, but the rape culture and misogynistic society we live in persists because of films like this. Even the main character we’re supposed to identify with uses his time machine to manipulate the lead actress into having sex with him, which technically makes him a rapist. Sure, it’s established in

write. shoot. design.

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f I had a time machine, I would go back in time and destroy the script for “Inception” — not because I dislike the film, as I think Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors of modern cinema, and “Inception” was great. However, the film started the terrible trend of filmmakers using the “bwah” sound effect in almost every tense scene in modern sci-fi and fantasy movies. Continuing this awful trend is “Project Almanac,” produced by Michael Bay, a man not known for artistic restraint. So, despite some of the strengths of “Project Almanac,” my eardrums will never forgive me for seeing this film.

“Project Almanac” tells the story of a group of 17-year-olds who build a time travel device, which they use to improve their lives and engage in various shenanigans. The film features typical teenmovie style fantasy, with the main characters buying fast cars, attending huge parties and sticking it to the man. One could almost confuse it for something like “Project X” or “Animal House” if the whole time travel aspect wasn’t included in the film. After misusing their device, things go predictably wrong and the main characters must struggle to try to repair the damaged timeline.

With any movie that features time travel, there’s bound to be glaring inconsistencies and plot holes large enough to sail ocean liners through, so I was able to ignore the convoluted, paradoxical events of the film. While many films that feature time travel tend to use it as a crutch to support half-assed writing, “Project Almanac” centers the entire plot around time travel, which keeps the film focused and engaging once it gets past the mandatory hour of exposition. The film is laboriously paced, with the major conflict only kicking in around the last 20 minutes and the previous one and a half hours devoted to the main characters killing time and enacting their various time

travel fantasies. Regardless, the film did feature some generally engaging and funny moments, even during the times when the plot wasn’t going anywhere. If you can turn off your brain long enough to endure the vacuous story and the various bits of science mumbo-jumbo the characters make a token effort to throw around to justify the film’s mechanics, it’s generally worth seeing.

Now, no movie is without flaws, and despite its strengths “Project Almanac” worked pretty hard for its negative review. The most apparent issue is cinematography, as the film is presented “found footage” style, and the constant shaking of the camera is extremely nauseating.

Other Michael Bay-isms are included as well, such as endless product placement and a fetishistic relationship with explosions. Car batteries explode, cars explode, wires explode, walls explode and airplanes explode.

I have a feeling that most of this is included for the teenage crowd, so the dazzling effect of CGI sparks and shrapnel is lost on me.

The other disturbing fault in the film is characters — namely in the portrayal of female ones. The male characters are all depicted as characteristic “nerds,” socially awkward but scientifically gifted. The girls exist on the other end of the stereotype spectrum, and are portrayed as shallow and brainless. Their only purpose in the film is for the male cast to ogle at, and to say things like, “Can you guys speak English, OMG” when the male characters throw around science jargon. Furthermore, the female characters are all extremely and shamelessly sexualized in the film. There’s shots of them in revealing outfits and oddly long pans of the camera over their bodies.

What makes this especially problematic is that the film establishes that all the characters are under 18 several times.

While this uncomfortableness may not be as overt a problem for the teenage demographic, it still sends the unhealthy message that girls are sexual objects meant to be pursued and con-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

“ HEROES

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

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ANTI-HEROES ” Co n c e r t P r e v ie w

Christal Mims, Senior Staff Writer

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for the highlander newspaper

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

write. shoot. design.

CR’s music department will be putting on an orchestra concert this upcoming Saturday entitled “Heroes and Anti-Heroes.” Conducted by Ruth Charloff, the UCR orchestra will play a variety of different music that tells the stories of heroes and antiheroes with backgrounds ranging from films to operas. “I was thinking about various ways to make a program out of a piece that had to do with Lincoln,” said Charloff. After deciding on “Lincoln Portrait,” Charloff came up with the idea of basing the concert around heroes, but not your typical heroes. “I came upon a lot of music that was about ambivalent heroes and colorful characters that you couldn’t quite call heroic but I thought it would be fun to include these figures,” Charloff explained.

One person excited about the theme is second-year music and culture major Juliet Sangalang, who plays the violin and is currently the concertmaster of the UCR orchestra. “The theme allows us to dive into gallant pieces of music to paint dynamic aural images of each Hero (or “Anti-Hero”) for our audience,” Sangalang said. Also satisfied with the subject is first-year mathematics major and trombone player Shannon Sweitzer. “I think it’ll be really fun for the audience because it incorporates music that some of them will definitely be familiar with,” she explained.

One story being told through song is that of the fiery Carmen, originating from an opera of the same name. “She was a female opera lead who was unprecedented because she was very sexually forthright and didn’t accept social limits on her free expression,” Charloff explained. Drawing from the antihero aspect of the theme is a piece about Billy the Kid, a 19th century gunman who

fought in the Lincoln County War and who also became an outlaw. “Billy the Kid is totally an antihero. He’s somebody that’s not really an admirable character but someone who is still a protagonist that you root for,” Charloff explained.

Another piece comes from an AfricanAmerican folktale surrounding the legacy of John Henry, an African-American who played a part in helping to construct a railroad. Henry was an actual person, but legend has it that against all odds he outperformed a machine that was threatening to replace him amongst others in the workplace, only to die of exhaustion shortly after proving his capabilities. The piece uses many unique aspects to bring the story to life. “Throughout the song there are these fantastic depictions of train sounds and dissonant harmonies that sound like a locomotive being stopped.

The piece is very colorful,” said Charloff.

Perhaps the most anticipated song of the evening will be “Lincoln Portrait.”

The 15-minute piece contains an orchestra score as well as narration that quotes from Abraham Lincoln’s own inspirational writings and speeches. It was composed during World War II and has been narrated by public figures such as Coretta Scott King and actors like James Earl Jones. For Saturday’s performance, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox will provide the narration. Choosing a narrator can be a difficult task, as the narrator must coordinate the narration with the music. “I knew he had knowledge of music and supported the ensembles and the department,” Charloff explained. “And I also knew that he was interested in Lincoln so I thought he might enjoy this.”

As a student, Sweitzer also expressed her joy over the Chancellor’s involvement. “When I heard about the chancellor

Graphics by Victoria Nguyen doing the narration it was really exciting,” Sweitzer relayed. UCR student and clarinet player Joshua Misa believes it’s an honor and a privilege to not only perform with the chancellor but to perform the piece overall.

“I have never played such a masterful piece that was so successful at portraying such a significant figure as Lincoln,” he said.

Sangalang believes that the piece and words spoken by Lincoln hold relevance today. “Everyday, I see some type of media post as modern version of Lincoln’s cry for racial equality and social justice. Who knew we would still be fighting the same social battles, seventy years later (after “Lincoln Portrait” was written)? The passages from Lincoln’s impactful speeches are very relevant to today’s society, in which we, the human race, must unite as one to progress towards a healthy future for our country,” she explained. Charloff expressed a similar sentiment, explaining that Lincoln’s dignifying and meaningful words are just as inspiring when applying them to the economic, environmental, social and war issues that we face today.

The orchestra will perform six pieces in total and there are about 50 musicians who will be playing during the concert, 32 of which are UCR students. The rest of the participants are made up of alumni, campus faculty and local musicians who have supported the UCR orchestra over the years.

Despite the extensive nature of the piece, Sweitzer was confident they would be able to pull it off. “We took it one part at a time and then started to compile it once we were more confident about it,” she said.

The “Heroes and Anti-Heroes” concert will take place this Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the University Theatre.

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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

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

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Johns’ 27 points powers UCR past CSUN DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer

Taylor Johns (No. 5) weaves through the paint as his defender trails him and tries to block his shot.

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

It was a perfect night from Taylor Johns and UC Riverside — from the free throw line. UCR’s men’s basketball star did not miss from the charity stripe, making all 13 of his attempts, and his team escaped a horrid first-half shooting performance to escape the Student Recreation Center Arena with a 66-62 win over the visiting Cal State Northridge Matadors. Free throws were the telltale statistic for the entire game as UCR attempted 34 to CSUN’s 12.

Johns, who casually scored 27 points on the night to lead both teams, broke the UC Riverside program record for most free throw attempts made without a miss, surpassing the previous mark of 11 set by Jason Labagh in the 19992000 season and Javon Borum in 2010-2011. The power forward was only shooting 65.2 percent from the line on the season.

Cal State Northridge raced to an early lead, scoring four unanswered to begin the contest before extending the advantage to seven points, 9-2. The Matadors led by as many as 11, which was aided by a 29 percent shooting performance

by UCR in the half. Opening with CSUN’s starting point guard Landon Drew, the Matador perimeter players slashed and dashed to the basket uncontested as the team’s shooting percentage skied above 70 for the first 10 minutes of the game.

UCR began to commit to de-

fense midway through the first half, drawing several offensive charges to work themselves back into the game. An 8-0 run by the Highlanders pulled UCR to within three points, 20-17. The two teams were separated by only two points heading into intermission, 31-29 in favor of the Matadors.

The home team only made two three-pointers out of 16 total attempts for the half, but forced CSUN into 11 turnovers, which they turned into 16 points. Johns led UCR with 13 points and seven free throws.

UC Riverside flipped the script in the second half as the Highlanders began to weather the storm of a poor shooting night. Jaylen Bland, who made two field goals on the night, knocked down a threepointer, catapulting the Highlanders on a 7-0 run, which placed UCR ahead for only the second time of the contest. Outside of the Matadors’ only lead at 45-44, UC Riverside remained in control of the game, holding off the pesky team with 16 free throw attempts to win 66-62.

UC Riverside moved their conference record to 3-4 on the season. Bland joined Johns, scoring 10 points on the night for the Highlanders, who only shot 36.5 percent from the field. The Matadors’ leading scorers Stephan Hicks and Stephen Maxwell both fouled out of the game and only scored a combined 25 points.

UCR next hits the road to play against Long Beach State University on Thursday, Feb. 5.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Sports

Highlanders Around the Big West Women’s Basketball

Hitting the road on Thursday evening, the women’s basketball team defeated Cal State Northridge, 68-56. In the first half, the Matadors had a nine-point lead with 6:30 remaining, but the Highlanders fought back with a 12-0 run and took the lead with a score of 32-29. Soon after, CSUN scored two free throws but ended three points short from UCR with a score of 35-32. For the remaining 20 minutes, the Matadors were not able to follow up as the Highlanders dominated on offense. The Highlanders came out victorious with a score of 68-56.

It was yet another productive night for Brittany Crain as she led the team with 29 points. With the performance she now has a total of 1,439 points, which makes her fourth on the all-time scoring list at UCR, surpassing assistant coach Seyram Bell who maintained a total of 1,426 points during her tenure at UCR from 2005 to 2009. After defeating UCSB, Cal Poly and CSUN, the team improved their Big West record above .500 to 4-3. The Highlanders will be back in the Student Recreation Center Arena on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face Cal State Fullerton.

Men’s Golf

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Competing from Jan. 27-28, the men’s golf team hosted the Mission Cup in which they competed against the University of La Verne, California Baptist University and the University of Redlands. The Highlanders finished at the top of the four-team competition with a score of 380 and ended ahead of second-place Redlands by two strokes, and had a 17-stroke difference above fourth-place University of La Verne. The top UCR finisher was Sam Gillis, who ended in third place with a score of 73. Louis Kim finished in ninth place with a score of 76. Andre Vu and Anthony Bonales both tied with scores of 77.

The Highlanders continue to practice as they prepare for their trip to Lakeside, Calif., at the San Diego State University Barona Collegiate Cup scheduled for Feb. 9-10. UCR’s David Gazzolo will be participating in the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase on Feb. 16, teaming up with UCR alumnus Brendan Steele. They are to compete on Monday, Feb. 16 at the Riviera Country Club in Palisades, Calif.

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Men’s Tennis

During the construction of the new Student Recreation Center, the men’s tennis team had been relocated to Andulka Park, but for the first time in two years they were able to play on campus at the new-and-improved SRC. On Friday, Jan. 30, the team hosted its home opener against Sacramento State. Though the Highlanders were close they fell three points short to Sacramento, losing 5-2. Michael Carella and Marcus Vizcarra each played against Marek Marksoo and Kasparas Zemaitellis and defeated their respective opponents in the three sets, earning UCR’s two points. UCR dropped both doubles matches while losing four of six singles matches. The Highlanders now prepare for an upcoming four-match series.

They will hit the road to Las Vegas where they will face New Mexico State on Friday, Feb. 16.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Men’s basketball improves to 9-2 at home behind Taylor Johns’ record-breaking performance.

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COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Track and Field

The men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled this past weekend to Northern Arizona to kick off their first indoor meet of the 2015 season. Danielle Littleton broke UCR’s school record in the 60-meter hurdles Friday morning on the first day of competition. Briana Kennedy-Feldhaus broke the previous record on Feb. 10, 2013 with a time of 8.63. Littleton was a tenth of a second faster than her with a time of 8.53. Breana Jemison also made school history in the shot put with a toss of 14.78 meters, beating the previous record of 14.65 by Evangela Dixon. Following her was Deja Watkins who finished in fourth place with 13.69. In the women’s long jump, Jazmine Harper finished in ninth place, clearing 4.82. Later in the day during the women’s 200-meter run, Regina Bowman clocked in at 26.70 seconds, good enough for a 25th-place finish. Of their male counterparts, Matthew Vasel took home seventh place with a sprint of 22.19 in the 200-meter run. Following him was 12thplace finisher Zachary Lewis with a time of 22.48 and Justin Parker in 17th place, clocking in at 22.73.

Both teams now prepare for the upcoming Indoor Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 13.

Women’s Tennis

Jan. 31 marked the first win of the season for the women’s tennis team. The Highlanders destroyed Whittier University, ending the day with a score of 7-0. Each singles player won their match in straight sets, with the No. 1 singles spot occupied by Chloe Pham, who won her sets 7-5, 6-2. The No. 1 doubles spot featured Pham and Courtney Pattugalan, who won with a match score of 6-1. The team has now moved up to 1-3 in the season. Pattugalan, Karla Dulay, Natalie Penner, Tamilla Vaksman and Kassie Truong were the remaining winners in singles. They now prepare to face Hawaii Pacific University on a two-match road trip in Hawaii beginning Friday, Feb. 6.

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