Volume 63 Issue 24

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:

CANCER SURVIVOR CASSIE NGUYEN GIVES STRENGTH TO KIDS BATTLING CANCER THROUGH HER SPOTLIGHT ON HOPE FILM CAMP.

11

WOMEN’S RUGBY CLUB IS UCR’S TOUGHEST SPORTS TEAM YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF.

Highlander University

Volume 63

of

24

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

Serving the UCR community since 1954

Issue 24

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

[YOUR]Side ban leads to formation of three parties

ASUCR ELECTIONS

Director debates seek to improve marketing, outreach to students MELA MAGAT Contributing Writer

The three parties that emerged during this year’s ASUCR elections are PAC, [YOU]CR and [OUR]Voice.

AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

[YOUR]Side, a political party that dominated ASUCR elections last year, was banned after a recent judicial decision ruled that the party carried out discriminatory practices. The case, which extended the application deadline for candidates, led to the formation of three new ASUCR political parties, including the re-emergence of

[YOU]CR. The case was brought forward by a student, according to ASUCR Chief Justice Melina Reyes. “During the formation of the party, there was concern that a member was removed from the docket unfairly,” Reyes elaborated, citing the instance as discriminatory. Due to the nature of the case, the student could not be identified by the judicial branch.

Along with the ban, all

V

members previously running for executive cabinet (ECAB) positions with [YOUR]Side received a strike from the judicial branch. Under the three strikes law in the ASUCR bylaws, candidates will be removed if they receive a total of three violations given by the judicial branch or Elections Director Stephanie Rose. In addition, Rose has granted the judicial branch additional powers during elections, giving them the au-

thority to ban or allow parties to return, according to Reyes.

ECAB candidates who previously ran with [YOUR] Side have joined or formed the current three parties.

Other candidates, most notably Vice President of Internal Affairs Fernando Echeverria — who ran unopposed for president before the deadline extension — have dropped out of the campaign com-

Despite the windy weather conditions, unwavering support groups for the political parties [OUR]Voice, [YOU]CR and PAC: Pride, Action, Change were in attendance as director debates occurred last Wednesday.

Candidates running for the positions of personnel director, marketing and promotions director and outreach director discussed changes they would make within their respective positions, the relationship between ASUCR and the student body and the overall Riverside community if elected.

The debates started between [YOU] CR’s Chris Castorena and [OUR]Voice’s Emily Yang for the position of personnel director; PAC did not select a candidate for the position. When moderator and Highlander Editor-in-Chief Colin Markovich asked how the candidates intended to bridge the gap between ASUCR and the student body, Castorena emphasized that transparency is key. “The personnel director is really a position a lot of people don’t know,” said Castorena. “I want to make sure that everyone knows what my position is and what I do.”

In regards to changes within the ASUCR committees, Castorena stated, “I look to have one first-year (student) in each committee in order to develop the leaders of tomorrow.”

Yang further emphasized promoting student involvement, specifically advocating for students to join one of 89 committees available within ASUCR. Yang also promoted having elected representa-

► SEE [YOUR]SIDE, PAGE 5

► SEE DEBATES, PAGE 4

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

THE

AGINA

MONOLOGUES

CARMEN CARRERA

ALL HAIL THE VAGINA! “THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES” INDUCES LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION IN ATTENDEES. 16

CARMEN CARRERA INSPIRES UCR STUDENTS TO BE THEMSELVES AS SHE SHARES HER STORY OF BEING A TRANSGENDER MODEL IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY. 12

NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • FEATURES 11 • A&E 15 • SPORTS 24

Victims held at knifepoint near Extension Center, University Towers AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer

On Sunday, April 5, two male suspects approached a male as he was walking through the University Extension Center. A second robbery that occurred approximately three hours after the first in the University ► SEE CRIME WATCH, PAGE 5

PLEASE RECYCLE

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF

COMPILED BY AARON GRECH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

BCOE to expand online degree programs The Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) will partner with Pearson, a global education program, to create a new online masters engineering program by fall 2015. The two-year program will have nine course requirements for a total of 36 units.

Of the required courses, four will focus on engineering management, four on specializations and one on project design. Specializations will include: bioengineering, electrical engineering (power systems), environmental en-

gineering systems (water), materials at the nanoscale and mechanical engineering.

To qualify for the program, prospective applicants must have a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering along with Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores upon applying. Applications will be accepted based on the applicant’s work experience, college coursework, GPA and GRE scores.

Pearson will provide marketing, student support and retention services, enrollment management and help-

desk services. The total cost of the two-year program will be $30,000, or $3,333 for each individual course.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Pearson to offer this online program enabling employed engineers and scientists to advance their technical training as well as sharpen their engineering management skills,” BCOE Dean Reza Abbaschian stated in a press release.

“We believe the degree program will benefit them, their employers and our industrial community.”

Department of Physics and Astronomy to hold open house UCR’s Department of Physics and Astronomy will hold an open house exhibition, free to the public, on Highlander Day, April 18.

The exhibition will occur from 1-3:30 p.m. in the Physics Building.

The event will contain hands-on physics demonstrations, tours of the research laboratories and presentations on current campus research done by the department. In the past, dem-

onstrations have displayed effects such as the principle of conservation of angular momentum, which explains the velocity of rotation proportional to its mass and angle. Last year, a rotating bicycle wheel was tilted to show spectators changes in velocity.

Presentations will occur at 2 p.m. to showcase research from current scientists in the fields of astronomy, condensed matter physics and

high-energy physics. In addition, free UCR physics and astronomy department Tshirts and electric motor kits will be given out while supplies last to those who attend the event.

According to Professor of Physics and Astronomy Owen Long in a press release, “The open house has been tremendously popular with families in past years; we are expecting a good turnout this year as well.”

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

Entomology department to host the first Annual Insect Fair The Department of Entomology will host its first-ever Annual Insect Fair on April 18. The fair will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 5 p.m. on Mission Inn Avenue, between Orange Street and Lemon Street in Downtown Riverside.

The event will be organized

by UCR’s Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) with help from the Botany and Entomology Undergraduate Association. The event will include over 60 booths hosted by vendors, educators from EGSA and UCR’s entomology department and event sponsors who include the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, ISCA

Technologies and BioQuip.

“Our hope is that this event will not only showcase some of the excellent work that UC Riverside has become famous for, but also that it will help to foster more interest in STEM fields here in the Inland Empire and further cement Riverside’s place as a city of arts and innovation,” stated James D. Ricci, entomology graduate student and principal fair organizer.

The booths will contain books, equipment, tools and an array of supplies related to entomology.

The fair will be free and open to the public.

CALPIRG to push for open textbooks Multiple Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG), including California’s CALPIRG, have published a report entitled the Billion Dollar Program, which displays the possibility for open textbooks to save $1.5 billion in textbook costs for students nationwide.

Open textbooks are faculty-written peer-reviewed textbooks that are published with an open license. This allows the textbooks to be available for free online, via download or published in print for as little as $10 to $40, depending on the size of the book. This allows individual students to save $128 on average per course, according to the report.

“One thing is clear, the current

textbook market does not deliver the educational opportunity it can and should,” author Ethan Senack stated.

The report argues that since the top five textbook publishers Pearson, Cengage, McGraw Hill, Holtzbrinck and Wiley hold 90 percent of the textbook market share, textbook costs can increase without repercussions.

Senack urges faculty members and institutions to consider adopting open textbooks for their classes.

“Institutions should convene campus stakeholders and launch their own open textbook programs based on the pilots described in this report — taking the initiative in reducing textbook prices while increasing access,” Senack concluded.

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ONLINE IN NEWS 4/15:“UC seeks input on sexual harassment and violence policy.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK QUOTEBOOK

“Sometimes, we save lives.”

- Nancy Tubbs, director of the LGBT Resource Center

MULTIMEDIA

f

UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH

TIM BACA

KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

West Lothian

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPRING 2015, WEEK 3

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

4/14

4/15

4/16

4/17

4/18

4/19

4/20

Sophomores: Your Career Game Plan 10 - 11 a.m.

HUB 268

Walk and Talk with UCR Leadership 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.

Scotty Bench

Dealing with Academic Rejection 3 - 4 p.m.

HUB 379

Citation of the Unusual 4:10 - 5 p.m.

Rivera Library 140

UCR Physics and Astronomy Open House 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Physics Building

“The Nerd” by Larry Shue 3 - 5 p.m.

Riverside Women’s Club

Midterm Nap Sessions 3 - 4 p.m.

HUB 260

The 2017 Census of Agriculture 3:45 - 4:45 p.m.

Olmsted Hall 420

R’Movement 2015 Outdoor Excursions 7 - 10 p.m.

Grand Opening Event University Theatre 3 - 6 p.m.

Student Recreation Center

A Categorification of a Clifford Algebra via Contact Topology 11:10 a.m. - 12p.m.

Surge 268

Riverside Insect Festival 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Riverside Metropolitan Museum

Family Movie: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 2 - 4 p.m.

La Sierra Library

Mama mia... Cook like an Italian!

4 - 8 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Classroom Kitchen

write. shoot. design.

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

4

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER [YOU]CR candidate Sunyana Shoor introduces herself at ASUCR’s director debate.

► DEBATES FROM PAGE 1

tives table on Wednesdays as a way of giving students a chance to voice their opinions.

Both Castorena and Yang emphasized sexual assault prevention and campus and community safety as committees that needed more support.

The candidates for marketing and promotions director were next to debate. All parties were represented with Hector Huerta for PAC, Katherine Cheng with [OUR]Voice and Amy Chen with [YOU]CR running for the position.

The candidates were asked how they would effectively communicate and promote the activities of ASUCR to students. Cheng referred to her involvement in ASPB, which she says has given her insight about how to market campus entertainment and events, citing Block Party and Spring Splash as examples. “I want to implement that strategy we use in ASPB into ASUCR,” Cheng continued.

As a member of the marketing committee, Chen emphasized the continuing progress that the committee has already made through social media as part of her platform. “We should outreach to other clubs and organizations and give them the marketing resources they might not have … because their events are just as important as the events that (ASUCR) promotes,” advocated Chen.

Huerta felt using online analytics could further improve the marketing director position. He suggested using data to determine which social media sites were most popular with students as a way of finding the best spots to advertise on-campus and online.

Through this strategy, Huerta hopes to increase overall student awareness of events which, in turn, would increase student attendance.

Last up were the candidates running for the outreach director position: [OUR]Voice’s Kevin Chau, Beatriz Bermudez for PAC and [YOU]CR’s Sunyana Shoor.

Markovich proceeded to ask candidates which campus groups they felt ASUCR needed to outreach more to.

Being a commuter herself, Bermudez emphasized the importance of making nontraditional students aware of all the resources, organizations and opportunities available to them at UCR. “If we want students to come to UCR and have UCR as their first option, we need to show them that we want them here,” she said.

Chau spoke on increasing overall pride at UCR with the first step being improving the campus experience of commuters. Speaking regarding the commuter and transfer lounge being built near the HUB, Chau said that a place for commuters to rest in between classes was not enough. “We have clubs and organizations where we meet up every single week … and I want that for commuters because that gives them a place (to be actively involved), a home away from home.

That’s what organizations and clubs try to do within UCR.” Shoor agreed that outreaching to nontraditional students was important as well, recommending that ASUCR hold more events for commuters and transfers. “The events will emphasize what resources and organizations are available to them and get them more involved, which will further the overall student involvement at UCR,” she said.

Debates will continue on Wednesday, April 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the HUB plaza with candidates running for H positions in the executive cabinet. ■ Amy Chen also works as a production assistant for the Highlander.

COURTESY OF UCR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY Scotty the Highlander advocates for a more sustainable lifestyle by riding a bike around campus.

Five UC Riverside students awarded $1,500 sustainability fellowships IXIA JOHNSON Contributing Writer

Five UCR students were each selected to receive $1,500 grants under UC President Janet Napolitano’s new UC-wide Sustainability Fellowship and Internship Program. In less than three weeks, UCR received 38 student proposals vying for these fellowships, more than the number of proposals submitted at any of the other nine UCs. The program was created to complement the UC’s Carbon

Neutrality Initiative, which intends to bring the net carbon emission levels from UC vehicles and buildings to zero by 2025. Each UC was allotted $7,500 for Napolitano’s fellowship to encourage student involvement and participation.

The winners of the fellowships included Harrison Park, a second-year political science major; Julianne Rolf, a fourthyear chemical and environmental engineering major; Salvador Ulloa, a third-year environmental engineering major; Xuewei Qi, a doctoral student in chemi-

cal and electrical engineering; and Partho Roy, a doctoral student studying chemical and environmental engineering.

Park’s project involves the use of resin-dipped clothing to repair broken tables and chairs to create strong, usable and artistic furniture around campus to help spread climate change awareness. Rolf wants to use the fellowship to create solar-powered “closet dryers,” which will reduce the electricity ordinarily needed for drying clothes. Ulloa plans to install more energy-efficient light bulbs around campus. Qi strives to create color-coded maps that will help indicate traffic-related pollution emitted around UCR. Lastly, Roy hopes to identify every energy source on campus and establish energy-saving alternatives for each one.

John Cook, director of sustainability at UCR, along with Matthew Barth and Mary Droser, UCR professors and members of the Global Climate Leadership Council, assisted the council in selecting the winning proposals. This process involved careful examination of how each proposal addressed the issue of carbon neutrality as one of the main criteria.

“It had to be something unique and that would impact the campus. Was it a project that could help us reduce our carbon footprint and was it something feasible?” Cook later explained. The proposals also needed to be clear and easy for other students to learn about.

While the fellowships were initially awarded back in February, the winners will have until Dec. 31 of this year to complete their projects.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

5

ASUCR approves ethnic and gender referendum, welcomes new senators AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer

ASUCR voted unanimously last Wednesday to put the Highlander Empowerment Referendum on the 2015 ballot, which, if passed by the student body, will increase funding for UCR’s seven ethnic and gender programs starting in fall 2015. Two new CHASS senators and one new BCOE senator were also welcomed to the student government to take the places of senators who graduated last quarter.

The referendum has been in the works since last academic year, when it made it to the ballot but was 160 votes short of passing. If passed, it would increase fees by $14 per undergraduate student per quarter, 25 percent of which, or $3.50, would go toward financial aid, with the remaining $10.50 being split evenly among the seven programs.

The programs included in this referendum are African Student Programs, Asian Pacific Student Programs, Chicano Student Programs, the LGBT Resource Center, the Middle Eastern Student Center, Native American Student Programs and the Women’s Resource Center. Undocumented Student Programs was recently added to UCR’s compendium of ethnic and gender programs, but was not created in time to be included in the referendum.

Assistant Dean of Students Joe Virata estimated that UCR’s ethnic and gender programs serve between 6,000 and 8,000 students per year, but noted that this number is difficult to quantify.

Nancy Tubbs, director of the ► CRIME WATCH FROM PAGE 1

Towers parking structure on Iowa Avenue was reported to police several days later.

In the first incident, one suspect asked the victim for directions while the other pinned his arms against his body from behind. Brandishing a knife, one suspect asked for his wallet and backpack. After the victim gave them his backpack and iPod, the suspects ran toward the University Village.

One suspect was described as a tall, thin black male in his 20s wearing jeans and a black baseball cap with a black jacket. He was about 6 feet tall and had a goatee. The other suspect was also described as a thin, black male in his 20s, wear► [YOUR]SIDE FROM PAGE 1

pletely.

[YOU]CR, a party whose name was previously banned last year due to its phonetic similarity with the campus, was allowed to return as party bans are lifted after a year.

While the name appears identical in print, its current name must be pronounced as y-o-uc-r during campaigning to disassociate itself from the name of the campus. Any violation of this rule will result in a candidate receiving a strike, according to Rose.

Prior to spring 2014, [YOU]

LGBT Resource Center, explained that their current budget only supports two full-time staff members, and their lack of permanent funding makes it difficult to host events and programs for students to the best of their ability.

“This amount actually will only generate enough money to get us at a baseline operating budget,” she said. “We’d probably want to ask for double that amount, but we’re very conscious that this is a fee that students will have to pay.”

Josh Gonzales, director of Native American Student Programs, also conveyed his program’s need for additional funding. Gonzales is currently the program’s only full-time staff member, despite the program serving between 25 and 50 students daily. “We’re running kind of bare bones,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with the referendum, but one thing I know is the needs of students,” said Tubbs. “That $14 a student is going to make an amazing difference in what we can do on campus.”

Several students, including second-year anthropology major and CHASS senatorial candidate Grant Nakaoka, expressed their support for the referendum at the meeting.

“For many of us, UC Riverside will be the last community that we’re a part of that is this diverse,” he said. “I’ve probably doubled, even tripled my knowledge and openness to all the different cultural backgrounds (and) I feel like that’s a very important thing to continue.”

Also mentioned at the meet-

JEFFREY CHANG / HIGHLANDER Director of Chicano Student Programs, Estella Acuna, voices her opinion in support of the Highlander Empowerment Referendum.

ing were ASUCR’s three new senators, Katherina Zecca from BCOE, and John Dell and Trelynd Bowles from CHASS, who replaced senators who left at the end of last quarter. All three were elected as alternates in ASUCR’s 2014 elections.

Zecca, a second-year environmental engineering major, expressed eagerness about her new position. “I hope to build a close relation to BCOE staff, faculty and organizations to implement changes that will better students’ academic and social experiences,” she said.

Although Zecca was the second BCOE senatorial alternate behind third-year environmental

ing either a black jacket or hoodie.

There were no injuries, and no arrests have been made.

UCPD believes that, due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic in this area, the suspects may have had contact with students, staff or faculty prior to or just after the incident. Assistant Chief of Police John Freese urges anyone with information to contact UCPD at 951-8275222.

In the second robbery, the victim was approached by two suspects near the elevators. They were joined by two additional suspects shortly thereafter. The suspects, one of them brandishing a knife, demanded the victim’s property, who then dropped his backpack and ran. The victim sustained mi-

nor injuries.

The suspects were described as: a black female adult, about 18-20 years old with an average build, wearing jeans and a brown shirt; a thin black male adult, about 1820 years old with short black hair, black basketball shorts and a red and black jersey; a thin, muscular black male adult, about 18-20 years old with short black hair, a mustache and beard wearing a grey turtleneck and blue jeans; and a muscular black male adult wearing a black mask with holes for eyes wearing jeans and a grey sweatshirt.

The Riverside Police Department is overseeing the investigation of this robbery, as it occurred off campus.

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CR had dominated elections from 2011-2013. Reyes asserted that the decision to allow the party to run again was made entirely by Rose. [OUR] Voice and PAC: Pride, Action, Change, will join [YOU]CR in the upcoming election.

Senator Summer Shafer, who is running for the position of vice president of external affairs with [YOU]CR, spoke on the decision to use the name once again. “We are using the name [YOU]CR, so that we emphasize the importance that you, the student body, are to us and our positions. We are representatives

of our constituents and should be acting as such.”

President Pro-Tempore Devin Plazo, who is running as the presidential candidate for PAC, stated that while the name is similar, it is unlikely to affect voting. “Most of the students that would remember this party are at least thirdyears by now so I don’t think this will really appeal to very many voters. Though the platform is the same, their marketing/social media templates are different so for those who may have voted in previous years there isn’t much to associate the two,” Plazo stated.

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WRITE. SHOOT. DESIGN. FOR THE HIGHLANDER MEETINGS MONDAYS, 5:15 P.M. @ HUB 101

engineering major Ben Roden, Roden took a leave of absence for personal reasons. “My only wish is that (Zecca) brings people together and finds common ground with others,” he said. “I think she is just the kind of person to make that happen.”

Bowles was the third CHASS

senatorial alternate, with Dell and fourth-year political science major Constance Towers being the first two. Towers said she turned down the position to make time for her other obligations. “I didn’t feel I would be able to do the position and the students justice,” she said.

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HIGHLIGHTS: - R’garden, UCR’s community garden, will host a farmer’s market on April 22.

- Feminism Awareness Week, an awareness campaign to dispel myths and rumors about feminism, has been rescheduled for week six.

6

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

UCR physicists assist in upgrading CERN hadron collider

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The world’s largest particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider, was built by CERN and is located near their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

JOSEPH AVILA Staff Writer

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) — the world’s most powerful particle accelerator — in Geneva, Switzerland has restarted operations for the first time in two years at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) facilities. The LHC has been upgraded to operate at nearly double the energy capacity of previous operations, going from 7 tera-electron volts to 13 tera-electron volts; the level for which it was originally designed.

UCR researchers have been involved in the design, commission and operation of several components integral to the LHC including the endcap muon chambers, one of the principal detector components. This component helped detect the HiggsBoson, a particle that is essentially responsible for giving matter mass, which scientists have long theorized about.

The LHC is 17 miles in circumference and positioned nearly 600 feet underground. Development started in 1998 with the help of

10,000 scientists from around the globe. It commenced its first run in September 2008.

The particle accelerator works by sending proton beams at near light speed, or approximately 259 kilometers per hour, around its massive ring in opposite directions so that they may smash into each other, thereby creating a massive explosion that produces clouds of subatomic particles that decay within a fraction of a second. These particle clouds and their relative data are then studied by scientists for signs of new particles.

Within its first four years, the LHC’s discovery of the Higgs-Boson had thrown the Standard Model, a mathematical theory in particle physics that was developed in the 1970s to explain the electromagnetic forces of the universe and classify all subatomic particles, into a loop.

“We’ve got this fantastic theory right now called the Standard Model,” said Robert Clare, UCR professor of physics, whose research includes experimental high-energy physics and the nature of the HiggsBoson at the LHC. “It’s just amazing and breathtaking in its descriptions of

things and it describes the outcomes of experiments to twelve orders of magnitude (.0000000000001) which is just incredible.”

There are also limitations, as Clare describes. “There are so many things that it can’t do … One of the things that we’re trying to figure out is in what ways (the standard model) is wrong, so we’re looking for things that go beyond … what our current understanding is.”

Clare and his colleagues will use the unexplainable phenomena within the context of the Standard Model to move forward in their research.

The experiments that will take place in the CERN facility within the next several years are paramount to understanding the behavior of matter in the universe, such as dark matter, a substance that does not mesh well with the current Standard Model. However, with severe austerity measures put forth by the U.S. Congress in recent years and bitter partisan fights over funding for scientific research and education, progress has been halted.

Gail Hanson, distinguished professor of physics at UCR, who is

also conducting experiments at the LHC, spoke about the failed efforts to create a hadron collider in Texas that would have rivaled the one in Geneva, but was cancelled

by Congress in 1993. She believes that infighting over money and the whim of Congress is “no way to do science.”

Clare’s sentiments echoed Hanson’s by touting science as a tool for unification, saying, “The standard model doesn’t care what nationality you (are). Every single person calls it a quark. Through the language of the Standard Model we all know what we’re talking about and it’s something that really unifies us.”

Other UCR faculty who will be working at CERN include J. William Gary, John Ellison, Owen Long and Stephen Wimpenny.

Graduate and undergraduate work is also set to commence at CERN facilities in summer 2015. While applications for summer work internships have closed, applications will open in October for the summer 2016 CERN summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinions

7

HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL HIGHLANDER STAFF

WATER CONSERVATION IS EVERYONE’S PROBLEM

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Colin Markovich

Jake Rich

News Editor

Asst. News Editors

Sandy Van

Aaron Grech, Amy Zahn

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

editorinchief @highlandernews.org

news@highlandernews.org

Opinions Editor

Jameson Adame

opinions@highlandernews.org

A&E Editor

Asst. A&E Editor

Nathan Swift

radar@highlandernews.org

Christal Mims

Features Editor

Tiffany Liaw

features@highlandernews.org

Sports Editor

Asst. Sports Editor

Darren Bueno

Cody Nguyen

Photography Editor

Asst. Photo Editor

Vincent Ta

Cameron Yong

sports@highlandernews.org

photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers

Richard Lin, Aaron Lai, Laura Nguyen, Jaspery Goh, Tim Baca Production Manager

Andrew Golden

I

n a desert like Riverside, it’s hard not to notice that we’re in one of the worst droughts in California history. With the certainty of water restrictions throughout the state, the need to conserve water has become dire. Knowing this, how can anybody afford to turn a blind eye, not only to their own futures, but to their neighbors’ as well?

The LA Times recently reported that the drought has gone largely unnoticed by the more affluent cities and residents of the state, continuing to use water as though the drought does not exist. Californians must realize how privileged we are to live in a state that has a Global Domestic Product that puts some countries to shame, and as such, many of us have the luxury to act as though we are unaffected by our surroundings.

No community lives in an absolute vacuum, and it is time that all of us who live here band together to make sure the state doesn’t become a barren waste.

The first thing that we all need to promote any meaningful change, however, is a change in attitudes concerning the drought itself. Everybody needs to know that the problem is theirs, and nobody can afford to believe that somebody else will take responsibility. Apathy can only lead to a worsening of the current situation, and it falls on all of us to make sure that we and our neighbors understand the seriousness of the drought.

With Governor Brown’s recent announcement that the agricultural industry will be largely unaffected by the water restrictions in the state, many are claiming that the 20 percent of water consumption that is represented by residential consumption will do nothing in the face of the 80 percent used by the agricultural sector. While it may be true that this is a gulf in actual usage, onefifth is no small portion, and every bit of conservation will help in the long run.

Looking at UCR, it is already possible to see that the school is making an effort to limit water usage, letting some of the lawns return to whatever state they may, while only keeping the trees alive. This will hopefully contribute in no small measure to make the school more amicable to the state’s needs, and will set an example to other UCs as to

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

the ways we can go about limiting water use on campuses.

However, we must continue to ask whether there is anything else that the school can do to curb our water consumption: Questions as to whether all of the lawns on campus need to stay as such, or whether UCR should embrace the desert that it is, using a new aesthetic to encourage greater water conservation.

With the right plants in place, a desert aesthetic could easily liven up the campus while saving astronomical amounts of water. One needs to look no further than the Psychology Building to see this in action.

The school has made moves to limit residential use of water by replacing Oban’s toilets with more efficient models, saving gallons of water at a time, and while this should be applauded, it should fall on us as the students to encourage them to replace more of the toilets around campus so that they might eventually use water-conserving toilets in every building. Additionally, the use of waterless urinals in every men’s bathroom could limit the amount of water used in what is likely the bathroom’s most common reason for use.

Another way to limit the campus’ residential usage would be the instillation of low-pressure shower heads.

While these shower heads may mean that washing the shampoo out of our hair is a new hassle in our morning routines, it is a small price to pay in the face of the drought. The same can even be said about shower times in the residence halls and apartments. Even though students may not have to pay the water bill there, it should not be interpreted as an open invitation to contemplate the whole of existence during every shower that we take.

Even these relatively small measures could do a great deal in reducing the overhead consumption of the school, and will set the state on the right track.

We can make our voices heard around campus by rallying any student orgs that we belong to to prioritize water conservation in all areas, showing the school our support in their endeavors thus far, but encouraging them to do more still.

We could all do well to remember that the need for conservation doesn’t

stop after spring quarter either, and that we can encourage water-safe practices, even at home.

During the summer, the temptation to keep a water bottle in hand is everpresent, but all of us need to understand that water bottles don’t only cost money to produce, but require water usage during the manufacturing process. It takes bottling companies 1.39 liters to bottle a single liter. While this may seem insignificant, the numbers add up in the long run, and it would not only be a more sustainable practice to get reusable water bottles, but would cost less too.

Aside from our personal habits, we, as a student body and the future of our state, hold the power to influence organizations that would otherwise waste water on a regular basis.

For those students who live in the suburbs and belong to homeowners’ associations: Encourage your association to limit water usage, letting some grass die in the front of people’s lawns, regardless of the aesthetic appeal that may be lost in the process. In situations like the current drought, the standards of home-beauty must be reevaluated to account for feasibility.

Even practices that we may not have accounted for, like eating beef, contribute to the arid conditions we find ourselves in, as that particular meat comes at the cost of keeping the cows fed and watered.

As students of UCR, we should feel pride in the school’s drive for sustainability. However, we cannot let the school be the only participant in the effort to keep California watered. Educate yourselves, your friends and your neighbors, and together we can ensure that the future of the state is not bound by unsubsidized water prices, imported from a state away. Instead, we can return our state to normalcy, and adopt practices that might allow future generations to know a Riverside whose name no longer means solely irony.

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

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinion Poll How are you conserving water during the drought?

C ompiled

by

L ydia T sou

Eriel Datuin Biology Third-year

Sergio Ruiz Political Science Second-year

Elisa Lopez Undeclared First-year

George Garcia Anthropology Third-year

Besong Tataw Pre-Business Second-year

Yesenia Martinez Undeclared First-year

“If I have any water bottles and there’s just a little bit of water in them, I try to finish it and not waste them. I’m just taking little steps.”

“I don’t water my lawn anymore.”

“I used to brush my teeth while leaving the water running, but now I turn it off while brushing and turn it back on when I rinse.”

“I don’t wash my own car anymore and I use the dishwasher less now.”

“I take shorter showers and I also turn off leaky faucets in the dorms when I see them.”

“When I’m at home and I see that the tap is leaking, I immediately call the repair man to fix it.”

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

Will WonderCon lose its wonder by relocating?

JESSICA BAKER Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again.

Many will come out of their homes to witness the coming spring sun, perhaps take in the beauty of the natural world. Its fragrant flowers, its whimsical wind. Then many will immediately go back inside, remembering that there’s a show on Netflix they must feverishly catch up on, or a cosplay costume that needs some vital touch-ups before this season continues. Did you think I was talking about spring? Nope, it’s the most wonderful time of the year — convention season.

Starting off the season during Easter weekend and across from Anaheim’s happiest place on earth, WonderCon opened its doors to attendees, casually dressed or donned in armor. The four-day convention offered a vibrant and diverse atmosphere with numerous independent vendors of media goods on the exhibition floor, artists possibly doodling fanart at Artist Alley, and discussions held by small and big media celebrities. With no outrageous crowds or lines for attendees, WonderCon feels like an experience crafted for them to be connected with others and their fandoms.

Specifically, college students can especially enjoy the environment, since many are tuned in with pop and media culture. I know many of us have some sort of media outlet we go to when we just want to relax, whether it is on Netflix or a game console. UCR clubs like Cosplay Brigade, Gamespawn and Sci-fi and Fantasy Club demonstrate not only students’ media interests, but their passion to come together as a community to celebrate them. WonderCon covers an array of interests by offering not only space for such interests to be displayed, but also the space to easily come together to be immersed in their favorites of media culture. Yet this

individualized experience may change next year with WonderCon 2016 changing its location from Anaheim to Los Angeles, which could transform it into a carbon copy of its sister convention, Comic-Con. For years, Los Angeles has been trying to enter “a long-term partnership with Comic-Con International … and help them establish a home base in L.A.,” as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti stated upon announcing WonderCon 2016’s new stomping grounds. Ideally, Los Angeles wants to enjoy the same perks San Diego has enjoyed for years as the center of Comic-Con, yet the City of Angels will have to settle with WonderCon to “set the precedent for future successful Comic-Con events in L.A.” While is it reasonable to move WonderCon to Los Angeles with the city’s convention center more easily accessible from downtown’s train stations to the crowded traffic, the smaller con may shift to be too inclusive of large corporations like Comic-Con due to Los Angeles’ wish for an awe-inspiring convention and its close proximity to Hollywood.

As someone who has gone to Comic-Con since 2004, I have to say the con is becoming more and more overwhelming, with studios, companies and networks bidding for spots on the exhibition floor or panel halls.

However, it is not the presence of larger corporations that is overwhelming, but their marketing practices. Every year, corporations attempt to do what Steve Weintraub calls “win ComicCon,” or become the talk of the town. By giving out free items like posters or keychains, the convention has morphed into a free-for-all spree of free merch.

Not only are there lines for autograph signings, I remember there are, at times, even longer lines to receive the year’s iconic Warner Brothers big bag to stuff free merch in — the bag is literally as tall as a preteen.

The exhibition floor is the

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The floor of WonderCon 2010 is packed with attendees looking for their favorite comic books.

equivalent of southern Orange County traffic, which is just a phenomenal experience itself, but rather cumbersome when one is trying to rush off to another event. Any interaction that I could have with other attendees would rarely be on the exhibition floor, but sitting on the floor while waiting in line for a panel discussion that would consist of even more waiting in the panel room itself. Yet don’t get me wrong. Waiting is part of the experience of any con with the inevitable increasing popularity of media culture. I will always treasure the silly antics my friends and I have done in a four-hour line to see the season premiere of “The Legend of Korra” — months before it aired on television.

However, the lines that the increased presence of media corporations have created aren’t the true hinderance. Corporations are taking up more space in Comic-Con International conventions due to having more funds to purchase space, thus

pushing out private and smaller vendors. According to last year’s applications, to apply for a standard 10-by-10 foot booth at San Diego Comic-Con, the applicant must pay $2,600 in comparison to paying $1,500 at WonderCon. Not everyone can afford those space prices, especially smaller vendors. At times, companies even branch out to parts of San Diego’s downtown to increase their space, such as how Cartoon Network rented space for a pizzeria or Nintendo reserved a whole room in the Marriott Hotel for game demos in 2011.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s awesome that fans get an early chance to play “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” or to eat a sick slice with a gorgeous man dressed as Jack from “Adventure Time”; however I feel a growing distance from the reason why people originally started Comic-Con and these conventions — the fandoms. At WonderCon, many smaller vendors are closer to the many fan-

doms and can interact with them on a more intimate basis. Also, some vendors are artists from all sorts of backgrounds, from years of experience to merely trying out, so it’s not as intimidating to talk to other artists.

At Comic-Con, I felt treated as someone merely part of the crowd instead of a fan wanting to interact with others, because many people are rushing off to a specific event in the branchedoff areas of San Diego. Everything that Comic-Con was originally created for seems to be lost in the crowd of humanoid Pikachu cosplayers and plastic weaponry.

With Los Angeles’ eagerness to have its very own version of Comic-Con, WonderCon may be on its way to evolve into its big sister convention. Relocating will provide more room for WonderCon to expand, but hopefully not as a smorgasbord of free stuff. For now, WonderCon has maintained its individuality. Will it in the future?

We’ll see.

■H

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

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COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A gurney used in the process of capital punishment by means of lethal injection.

Brown’s death row plan quick fix to long-term problem ROBERT LEES Staff Writer

California’s death row, which is the largest in the nation, has run out of room. In a plea to the legislature, Governor Jerry Brown has asked for $3.8 million to provide 100 additional cells to contain the influx of death row inmates. However, Governor Brown has chosen to ignore the root of the issue in light of just throwing money at the problem.

Regardless of whether you support or oppose capital punishment, the fact remains that opening 100 cells will only temporarily relieve our death row woes, rather than eliminating them entirely. Faced with this problem, two options must be considered: either abolishing the death penalty and removing the need for a death row and specialized facilities, or a streamlining of our current system.

When faced with the decision of rather or not to keep the death penalty, many concerns arise on both sides. Opponents claim it constitutes an eye for an eye, and there are numerous cases of innocent

people being wrongly condemned.

Proponents argue that it serves as an effective deterrent against violent crime and may be more costeffective than a sentence of life without parole.

Possible moral dilemma aside, the fact remains that Proposition 34, which aimed to eliminate the death penalty in California, was defeated by voters in 2012. Regardless of morality, democracy is democracy, and the last thing we want is a failure to follow the desires of voters in the higher echelons of government, lest our leaders become tyrants. Since a majority of California voters do support capital punishment, our focus should be on fixing our mismanaged death row, rather than eliminating it in the face of a majority.

Ever since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978, the state has spent approximately $4 billion in death row upkeep. Condemned prisoners need special cells and special guards, and the lengthy appeals process that comes with a death sentence often keeps prisoners in limbo for years on end. To look at it another way, we have spent $308

million per prisoner executed, and only 13 people have been executed since 1978. Furthermore, a ruling that the current lethal injection protocol was unconstitutional has put a moratorium on all executions since 2006. In fact, 11 more prisoners on California death row have committed suicide than have been executed since 1978, highlighting the inefficient, arbitrary nature of California’s death row.

Unless the promised punishment is carried out, death row will fail to serve as a deterrent in our corrections system. While it is macabre to discuss, an integral part of having a death row is performing actual executions. Furthermore, the selection process for executions at time of writing is wholly arbitrary, keeping the condemned in a cruel limbo where they never know whether or not they will be chosen for the next execution, should it ever come. This waiting game is tantamount to torture, which violates the federal Constitution and serves no punitive purpose. Likewise, a failure to carry out capital punishment, which is desired by a majority of voters, is failing to heed

the desires of the voting public.

The other main hurdle facing lawmakers is how to carry out actual executions after the current three-drug lethal injection protocol was deemed cruel in 2006.

Since then, the state’s hands have been tied, as there currently is no set execution protocol in place.

Rather than getting into gory detail, I would like to point out that other methods of execution do exist, and these should be explored in the face of overcrowding in lieu of the nothingness the state has adopted since 2006. While a repugnant task, this is something that has to be carried out if our death row system is to stay in place, or else death row will have to expand ad infinitum.

In addition, the appeals process for the condemned needs to be streamlined. The Constitution guarantees a right to a speedy trial, and oftentimes the appeals process can be more cruel than waiting for a day of execution. In fact, the lengthy appeals process and the arbitrary nature of which condemned prisoners are selected was ruled unconstitutional in 2014. Instead of

putting money into expansion, why not instead use additional capital to open more courthouses? That way, there would be less prisoners existing in a flux on death row, waiting for their appeals to finish. Once they exhaust their appeals or waive their right to continue, the sentence should then be carried out.

With any “hot button” issue, there is undoubtedly passionate discourse from both sides of the argument, and capital punishment is certainly no exception. Regardless of rather you are for or against the death penalty, the fact remains that we live in a democracy, and the majority has ruled that the death penalty should exist in California.

Now is not the time for beating around the bush, now is the time for action, and to make death row viable in California a total overhaul is needed, not a delaying tactic of adding 100 additional cells. As of now, the addition of cells won’t even guarantee that any sentences will be carried out, as the Department of Corrections has no viable plan for eliminating death row overcrowding long-term, and a H failure to plan is a plan to fail. ■

Closing the floodgates: California’s new water restrictions

QUINN MINTEN Staff Writer

Governor Jerry Brown has instituted a new set of restrictions on water consumption at a statewide level in response to increasing concerns about the ongoing California drought.

The plan calls for a 25 percent cut in water consumption across the state. However, his plan exempts restriction on California agriculture, which is responsible for 80 percent of the state’s water use, with the remaining 20 percent accounted for by residential use, among other things.

Though it is undoubtedly necessary to take measures to reduce the severity of the drought, Governor Brown’s plan is inherently flawed by letting the agricultural sector run unhampered by the new policy.

The amount of water that will be saved by restricting residential water use will be far outweighed by the amount poured into agriculture, so realistically, any plan not limiting agricultural water use is completely futile.

Furthermore, the 25 percent that is to be cut from private water use is an unrealistically large expectation to make of Californians so suddenly, especially considering that the government itself is not taking any responsibility for aiding in reducing water use. There is not even an adequate system in place for enforcing the governor’s plan or to punish those who violate it; the government simply fines the water districts $10,000 for every day they do not reduce water consumption sufficiently. Thus, Governor Brown’s “plan” is quite hollow and unfair toward the residents of the state.

The plan’s futility is not Governor Brown’s fault; after all, what American (better yet, what Californian) would willingly give up any significant part of their water use? I imagine very few would. In a culture where sprinklers soak sidewalks and homeowners dream of having that fancy built-in pool, water itself is not viewed as a luxury, nor is it valued as a necessary daily commodity; it is simply consumed blindly and

taken for granted. We assume that when a faucet is turned on water will come out, but in a bad enough drought, with water treated so wastefully, perhaps the day will come when that faucet will run dry.

Of course, this is a worstcase scenario, but the threat of it should spur on Californians, both at local and statewide levels, to make real, significant changes. People with a little bit more environmental consciousness have had ideas on what the average citizen can do to save water, be it five-minute showers or watering the lawn only every other day. Perhaps the occasional person was convinced of the usefulness of such ideas and went about following them, but this simply is not enough. The only way to effect the needed conservation is to change the culture of California, from the parched ground up.

These sorts of alterations would not be convenient, nor would they be cheap, but when all is said and done, making these sorts of radical changes might be enough to avert a cri-

sis with California’s water situation. A few of these potential ideas are listed below.

First, people need to let their lawns die. Southern California is a desert, and grass does not grow in the desert; of course, it can, especially when it is practically drowned by lavish and careless watering, as I have seen in many a yard before.

Grass is not an efficient user of our limited water resources, so to do away with it on a massive scale would save an immense amount of water, certainly several percent toward Governor Brown’s goal. Anyone insisting on a yard besides dirt can work with the sorts of plants (not just cacti) that do grow naturally in the desert.

Second, the government has to do its part by putting investments into water-saving technologies, or better yet, technology that will add to our available pool of water resources. In Israel, for example, there are facilities that remove the salt from the waters of the adjacent Mediterranean Sea, making such water potable.

With access to an entire salty

ocean, large-scale construction of similar facilities in California, though in all likelihood grossly expensive (and here an opportunity presents itself for the government to do its part and subsidize such construction), could add a great boost to the amount of water that is readily available.

Last, backing up the new water restrictions with harsh penalties could prevent smallscale water waste. There are already fines in place for people who overwater their lawns, but these are so rarely charged that they are not an effective deterrent. Stepping up enforcement of such fines, perhaps with a separate “water police,” ought to make it clear to the public that such waste is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Though government force could greatly help California’s water situation, the discontent this would likely generate would only be a detriment to conservation efforts. It is therefore ultimately up to each and every individual in California to make real changes if we wish to have water down the line.

■H

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER

Students push blue carts with their belongings toward the dorms to start unpacking for the new year.

R’PERSPECTIVE: THE COMEBACK KID KATE RUSMISELLE Contributing Writer

I came back to UCR in January of 2014. Since it was winter quarter, I was the “new girl” in my dorm hall. I was pretty bummed, since I felt like everybody had already formed their little cliques, and didn’t have room for a newcomer.

I was wrong. I’m so grateful I got put in that hall because they are awesome people. It was important that when I went back to UCR, I’d live in the dorms again since my freshman year was cut short and I felt I hadn’t had the full “dorm experience.”

Like most freshman, I had been asked “Why UCR?” to which I would promptly answer, “UCR is the only UC with a creative writing major.” But now the question I had to ask myself was, “Why come back to UCR?” Well, of course for my major, but if I’m completely honest with myself, it was

because I’m a stubborn person.

My freshman year was taken away from me and I was going to get it back. Going to another school would have been like admitting defeat. The end of my time at UCR during my freshman year wasn’t pleasant, but going in I was happy. Part me just wanted to recapture the “magic” of my freshman year.

Part of me just wanted to go back to being the optimistic, doe-eyed person I was. Coming back, I realized how jaded I’d become. Prematurely losing the friendships I had my freshman year made me deeply distrustful of opening myself to new people.

I couldn’t go back to who I was before, but eventually I learned that I could be happy again.

That isn’t to say it wasn’t a rough start. Besides my own personal change, things at UCR were different. I wasn’t going to get Professor Goldberry Long for Intro to Creative Writing again, because she

wasn’t teaching that year. The one club I was involved in my freshman year, Kids in Need, no longer existed. Stacked Deli?

Gone. (But that didn’t matter much, as long as I could still get carne asada burritos from Habanero’s.) Even though it was best to move on, there were people I missed that I both dreaded and hoped to run into again.

When you have to start over, it’s nice to know that some things stay the same. My first year back was a constant battle of “It isn’t like how it was before,” when I should have been thinking, “Think of all that could be different this time.

Better, even.”

I remember freshman year saying that I wished UCR had a zero smoking policy, and viola!

The very quarter I return, one is put into place — goes to show you that not all change is bad.

Ask and you shall receive. Other cliches. A lot of people still

don’t know that UCR is smokefree now, so spread the word!

As a “Cleaning the Air” Student Ambassador, it is my job to respectfully inform smokers of the new policy. It took me awhile, but I finally decided to get involved on campus again this year. My transition back probably would have been a lot easier and enjoyable if I had taken on some extracurriculars earlier.

Looking back now, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come in a year. Even though I had some community college credits under my belt, I was re-entering UCR as a freshman, with a 0.00 GPA. I’m a junior now. Yes, seriously. It is absolutely fun saying that. I’ve opened up myself to new people and have made some amazing friends as a result. I’ve even run into some people from my freshman year and nothing bad has happened!

It’s easy to expect the worst

when you’ve been away from somewhere a long time. And yes, I’m happy and optimistic about the rest of my time here.

Not so much doe-eyed anymore, but that happens when life doesn’t go according to plan.

With the rising price of tuition, it is a strong possibility that I will be leaving UCR once again. I’m lucky for even being able to finish this year. I may come back, I may not, but at least I can now say that for two years, I was truly a Highlander.

My freshman year there was a dorm program where you got to decorate a whiteboard. I kept mine pretty simple. I did a wavy border with gold glitter, a giant heart in the corner in red glitter and a message across the top. It was pretty early in the quarter, but I guess I figured I’d be facing trying times at some point because I wrote, “You can do this Kate.”

Guess what guys?

I am.

■H

COMIC

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.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Features

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STUDENTS DISPLAY ABILITIES AT SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA TALENT SHOW Edward Dave, Contributing Writer // Photo By: Janine Ybanez

F

rom vocalists and guitarists to pianists and even more unorthodox talents, the Spring Extravaganza Talent Show in HUB 268 displayed a great range of potential among the passionate students who performed. Talent is something that has to be cultivated through hard work and cooperation and this is exactly what the members of the Student Disability Union presented on Friday night.

The first act was Kushal Sonawala, president of SDU. He shared his history of being an avid trumpet player since fifth grade while studying Bollywood and contemporary American music. After entertaining the crowd with his playful antics, he began belting out a Bollywoodinspired tune from “3 Idiots.” His voice reverberated throughout the room and people chanted and clapped to cheer him on. Sonawala was determined to hit all the notes the song required. He then fast-forwarded the clock to the 2010s and sung the party anthem “Time of our

Lives” by Pitbull and Neyo to which the crowd joined in.

In a twist of events, SDU managed to bring in previous “American Idol” prospect “Rocky” Peter Ajoku, who was very gracious as he introduced his set. His words were almost therapeutic because of the emotion and vulnerability in his tone as he sang two original pieces: “Write and Erase” and “Wrong Places,” which addressed social injustices and domestic abuse. He strummed his guitar and captivated the crowd with his soulful voice as he sang his heart out. A quick scan of the room revealed just how enticing his lyrics were, and even I felt the emotional power of his songs.

Afterward, the show took a turn and entered a more comedic state.

The UCR club Improv Anonymous came onto the stage to unveil a few acting improvisation games such as “Freeze,” which had the members cycling through various skits, and “Dating Game,” which featured the group acting as famous celebrities

or other individuals while being interviewed by a bachelor to find love.

Characters such as Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and a girl diagnosed with chronic gibberish disease were all portrayed hilariously in an attempt to swoon the bachelor. The final game, “Foursquare,” was similar in concept to “Freeze.” The actors entered a square and audience members frantically called out situational events to act out such as “Marijuana” and “Aliens.”

“June 27, 2007!?” “Sunday.”

When Roshan Akula stated that he could figure out the exact day of any date, I was bewildered and I instantly dismissed the idea until someone gave him a date and he was able to match it to a Monday — which led to everyone attempting to prove his accuracy on their phones. Was he using a specific algorithm to calculate the exact date? I never figured it out and decided to just be amazed rather than hurt my brain by overthinking.

It was an absolute spectacle and his talent was surely the most unique of

the night.

Avantour was next to rise to the occasion. This duo, featuring a vocalist and violinist, tackled the Imagine Dragons’ anthem “It’s Time.”

The two talents complemented each other nicely and the piano solo toward the end left everyone starstruck.

The remainder of the show didn’t let up on excitement. An enthusiastic crowd member swooned to a serenade of one of Nick Carillo’s original songs “Bae,” and Brian To, one of the hosts of the show, talked about how he was affected by bullying at a young age because of Tourette’s syndrome. However, music and the support of his loved ones provided him with the strength he needed to carry on. He played a piano medley of “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars and “All of Me” by John Legend, which all seemed to have a sentimental meaning to him. These songs played an important part in his life and he displayed that through the vigor in his performance.

Rhythm and Brains was next as they performed “Come Together,” which easily hyped up the crowd.

R.K. Lomarda’s gut-wrenching singing of the “Pocahontas” staple “Colors of the Wind” was an absolute showstopper. His voice cascaded through the verses with fluidity and excellence and left everyone in awe.

The final performance of the night featured To and Lomarda singing “Pricetag” by Jessie J, which nobody could resist grooving along to.

It was a fitting end to such a lovely evening and despite the show running 20 minutes over, many of the audience members remained in their seats, attentive to the very last minute. It was amazing to see so much talent stationed here in Riverside and the momentum that filled the room was absolutely incredible. The talent show didn’t have to be widescale to win over the hearts and souls of the attendees and it just goes to show that all you need is pure unadulterated talent and a lot of heart.

■H

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: CASSIE NGUYEN

PROVIDES A LIGHT FOR KIDS

FIGHTING CANCER COLIN MARKOVICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

C

ancer never stopped Cassie Nguyen. It might have slowed her down for a bit, but there was one thing she made clear between her fastpaced hand gestures and impressively long resume: She would not be beaten by cancer.

Cassie is not just a cancer survivor. She is a fourth-year transfer student, working to obtain a degree in public policy. She is a member of the University Honors Program. And in between other commitments to volunteer organizations, she also started Spot-

COURTESY OF UCR TODAY

light on Hope, a free filmmaking camp for children diagnosed with cancer.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the fourth-year public policy major had been darting to and fro, putting the finishing touches on the first-ever screening to showcase the films created by children in the program. The room was filled with people, leaving standing room only. Many were people Cassie had met over the years — professors, doctors, supporters — and others were UCR students or staff members who had discov-

ered the event on their own.

The purpose of Spotlight on Hope is simple: to provide children and teenagers a break from the monotony of test after test, endless waiting time after endless waiting time, gray wall after gray wall, something Cassie knows well. It gives children smiles on their faces. It’s also completely free, something Cassie and the filmmaking duo of Ramon Hamilton and Jennifer Fischer, the people who teach the filmmaking basics to children, believe is important. “It’s really about foster-

ing creativity … and (having) a therapeutic outlet,” Fischer said.

Hamilton added that they’ve had groups come to every single camp they’ve held. Now, some of the people attending the camps are capable of teaching the classes themselves. Fischer related a time when she was prevented from instructing a class, and one of the longtime attendees stepped forward and started teaching.

“It’s really nice to see that kind of growth as well from some of the students,” she said.

When I spoke with Cassie

later, she was energetic and eager.

She described her high school self as involved in several clubs, five sports and all the AP classes she could handle. She was determined to go to Columbia University, graduate and become a journalist. “I loved the show ‘Gilmore Girls,’” Cassie laughed, “and I wanted to be exactly like Alexis Bledel,” referring to one of the main characters of the show who juggles her academics with running for student government and ► SEE SPOTLIGHT, PAGE 13

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FEATURES

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

RUN WAY

WITH CARMEN CARRERA ASHLEY CHUNG, CONTRIBUTING WRITER // PHOTOS BY MATT HONG

“D

o I see myself as an o l d e r m a n or older woman?” This was the defining question Carmen Carrera confronted at the age of 25. UC Riverside’s diverse students formed a lengthy line outside HUB 302 this past Wednesday evening to gain an understanding of Carrera’s journey as a transgender model and how she made the decision that entirely altered her life.

Presented by ASPB, “On the Runway with Carmen Carrera,” allowed students to recognize and understand more about the LGBT community, while inspiring and aiding many in learning about themselves.

Students sat in rows of chairs, which lined the large room, as they enthusiastically awaited the appearance of Carrera.

The audience’s attention was immediately captivated by Carrera’s beautiful, empowering presence as she began to dissect her life for us. “Right before I got in the shower, I wrapped m y

shirt around my head to pretend it was my hair; I would try on my mom’s eyeliner and her Avon lipstick samples,” she humorously reminisced upon her more adventurous moments as a child. Her personal sense of humor never faltered to entertain us — if modeling no longer interested her, she could seriously pursue a career in stand-up comedy — but she used that as an advantage to address more serious situations.

“It would sink in that I would have to live my life as a boy, while this dream of waking up the next day as a woman was not a reality, a possibility for me,” Carrera expressed.

Her negative mindset was established as a result of the close-mindedness of her peers while she was growing up in New Jersey. Many of the audience members sympathized with Carrera as she went on to relate how she “created an invisibility cloak, where the inner person was hiding.” She comforted students by revealing that she understands the feeling of being forced to stay in a shell to protect yourself from your

peers.

Although Carrera found it difficult to unveil herself from the false character she had been presenting when she was younger, she discussed how moving to New York City and joining the photography club in college had allowed her to finally accumulate the experience and knowledge she needed to eventually transition. Visiting numerous gay clubs in New York opened Carrera up to the lifestyle of drag queens, which led to her own participation in drag shows and eventually her participation in the third season of “Rupaul’s Drag Race,” a reality television competition.

She originally used drag as her “feminine outlet,” but felt that “it wasn’t real.”

“I’m interested in finding out if it’s a possibility; if I can still transition at 25 years old,” Carrera confessed to her husband, Adrian. After discovering that it is possible to transition at any age, Carrera embarked on an entirely new path as she managed the process of changing her body chemistry while “going through a whole other puberty and dealing with the chemical changes in (her) mind.” A difficult part of transitioning was not only understanding the hormonal changes in her body, but also refraining from seeking approval and validation for what she was so passionate about — womanhood. After two decades of shielding herself from the judgment of others, she “realized that after coming out and following (her) heart, everything was still there and standing, which gave

(her) t h e boost of courage to keep going.”

Since the completion of her transition, Carrera began to advocate for transgender people to be accepted in every field as she delved into her own career of modeling.

She sought the support of millions, who were immediately inspired by her fearlessness as she thanked them for giving her the confidence to pursue her own ambitions and promote LGBT equality. “We definitely deserve to be equal and to have a happy life on our own terms,” she addressed to the audience.

Carrera values her role as a source of support to many as she acknowledges that “someone out there is going to be

inspired and make a change in their life, and that’s going to be because of me.”

At the close of Carrera’s lecture, audience members eagerly raced to line up for a meet-and-greet with the stunning and inspirational figure.

After snapping a quick picture and chatting for a bit with her, students speedily huddled together again to fangirl over the moment they shared with her.

Carrera is surely someone uplifting as she continuously reminds us to “not try to please everyone around you.” It is no wonder that such a large crowd of supporters came out to cheer on her success and efforts towards H LGBT equality. ■

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

13

► SPOTLIGHT FROM PAGE 11

writing for the school newspaper.

Then the dizziness started.

Pounding migraines. Vomiting.

Trouble staying balanced. Double-vision. Cassie and her mom kept visiting doctors. At first, they thought it might have been a stomach ulcer. But blood tests and urine tests showed nothing. Finally, after examining her eyes, one doctor told her mom to get Cassie an MRI “right now.” Cassie thought it was just another test, one in a long string of results that had told them nothing, and that she would be going back to school the next day.

This test was different. There was a brain tumor. Malignant.

She was 16.

“I was a high school dropout overnight,” she said. For three months, she underwent a harsh treatment to combat the growth lodged in her brain. She lost her hair. Her right arm became paralyzed — she had to learn how to write with her left.

Her priorities changed, too. Columbia was no longer an option. Family and a built-in support group became more important than ever, so she returned to high school, worked with the American Cancer Society to lobby for legislation supporting cancer survivors, took classes at Riverside City College and interned at Think Ten Media Group, where the idea for Spotlight on Hope first took root.

When she transferred from RCC to UCR, it provided the perfect opportunity for the idea to flower.

Because the camp is entirely free, obtaining the funds needed to set up the camp, provide families with transportation and rent out space can be difficult. Cassie went ahead and applied for the prestigious Donald Strauss scholarship — and won. The Spotlight on Hope film camp now had $10,000, which it used to host eight separate camps for children going through treatment at UCLA. Now the group is looking for donations in hopes of expanding the program to UCR. “I want this to be a success,” Cassie said. “This is what I created … My hope for this is to be a big nonprofit.”

At the film screening, nearly two dozen films were showcased, all made by children fighting cancer with the help of their friends and families. They range from short and simple animations to detailed Lego constructions to whimsical longer stories that could only be told with the vibrant imagination of a child.

“At the Screening, Cassie mentioned that she had a great support system,” said Jane Kim, a counselor at University Honors, who is also Cassie’s advisor and helped organize the film screening. “Looking around the room, it was very apparent that she does. I think this shows how much heart, faith, and courage Cassie has; people don’t just rally behind anyone. They rally behind someone they believe in.”

Through it all, Cassie keeps going, always looking forward to the next step and never pitying herself.

Through our entire interview, her face was either vibrant, as she talked about the achievements of the film camp students, or collected, when she remembered her own experiences facing cancer. Only when she started talking about the film camp attendees’ own bouts with cancer did her voice start to quiver. She haltingly relayed, seemingly on the verge of tears, “A lot of them are bullied — because they have cancer.”

So Spotlight on Hope continues, hoping to hold more film camps and provide a break for those fighting cancer, even if it’s just for a little while. With support from the UCR community, she hopes to do just that.

“Yes you can. You can do it.

Don’t stop believing in yourself.

Don’t think less of yourself,” Cassie advised students dealing with cancer. “That’s all I want. I want to give back and do things for people with cancer and never stop fighting for ■H them. And just give back.”

Cassie Nguyen explains the purpose of Spotlight on Hope Film camps, and tells the audience about her experience surviving cancer.

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

14

FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

21 AND OVER CLUB

BAR TALK: THIRD TIME’S A CHARM ROBERT LEES, STAFF WRITER

W

ith most of us finally settled into spring quarter, it’s only a matter of time until many graduating seniors and underclassmen leave UCR for good or for summer.

With that in mind, I decided to head downtown this past week for another installment of Bar Talk. For this edition, I have chosen two of my favorite cocktail bars: The Salted Pig and W. Wolfskill, both located off Main Street in downtown Riverside.

Both bars offer low lights, cold

drinks, warm food and a relaxed atmosphere perfect for foodies or beer and cocktail aficionados. I had a chance to talk to Necia from The Salted Pig and Paul from W. Wolfskill about their perceptions from the other side of the counter.

Monday night saw my friend and I at The Salted Pig, a building that has quite a reputation with many of the students and faculty around our school. I’m no stranger to The Salted Pig, and I tend to go there near the end of each quarter as a good-luck ritual pre-finals. (I’ve had mixed

results, grade-wise.) We found a spot at the bar, admiring the custom glass bulbs that cast long shadows around the restaurant, our noses enticed from the aroma coming from the kitchen. After about half an hour of drinking, dining and talking with different members of the staff, I was able to talk to Kecia long enough for an interview.

Kecia, no stranger to bartending with over 10 years of experience, started off the conversation by explaining that she tries to create a relaxed atmosphere where people

“are willing to try new things,” as many people can get thrown off by the extensive beer and cocktail list at The Salted Pig. For the best drinks to order on a budget, she advised shots and beer, but clarified that when it comes to ordering alcohol out, there really is no way to go wrong. As for hangover cures, she suggested “bitters and soda,” either the morning after or the night of drinking. Cheekily, she added that “hair of the dog” works when you’re off work.

Kecia explained that she has

been working in food service and bartending her entire life, starting at the age of 14. Everyone she has met has a story, and said that oftentimes bartenders can act as psychologists, guidance counselors and family counselors to the customers they meet. She advises that anybody interested in bartending avoid bartending school, as it tends to focus more on speed rather than the specialized needs of a bar or restaurant. The only pet peeve she has when it comes to customers is people who “are so set in their ways” that they aren’t willing to try anything new. Her tip for quick service during busy hours is simple: Know what you want to order and have your money ready.

We decided to head back downtown Tuesday, hoping that the strong cocktails and warm food at W. Wolfskill would serve as a suitable counter to the rainy weather. Inside, Paul, whose cheery demeanor and wild hair seemed opposed to the bar’s warm, minimalist interior, greeted us. The interior was lit by a smattering of tea candles set up along the bar, along with small lights that hung over our heads and perched in sconces along the walls.

Paul showed off his bartending chops immediately, mixing a house Whiskey Old-Fashioned dubbed the “False Idol” and a Tom Collins with a cognac twist as I began the interview.

Paul began by giving me his take on W. Wolfskill’s atmosphere, explaining that the staff try to make it intimate and create an experience where a person can forget where they are. He also described his favorite thing he sees at the bar: “Tinder dates,” implying that he has a knack for telling when people met on the app.

Paul had a self-described live-and let-live attitude during our discussion on the best and worst value drinks, stating that people should order what they like, and that no one “should turn their nose up” at anyone’s taste.

Despite his work serving craft beer and cocktails, Paul showed that he heeded his own advice, admitting that he prefers Pabst Blue Ribbon as his go-to beer when he goes out drinking. His hangover avoidance tip was simple: “hydrate or die,” laughing as he continued to tend the bar. Likewise, his advice for getting quick, effective service at a bar was simple, noting that bartenders remember a substantial tip more than a name or a face.

Even with the tape recorder off and the interview over, Paul and I continued our conversation, talking about our favorite beer and cocktails as he continued his work. Before he left he motioned with his head toward a couple sitting in a dimly lit booth. “Tinder date,” he whispered, smiling.

If you’ve spent your time here eating and drinking inside the bubble that consists of campus and the University Village, I encourage you to try some of the unique bars and eateries downtown. Many of the bars, including The Salted Pig and W. Wolfskill, offer a classy, New York-esque experience right in our own backyard. You just have to ■H know where to look.

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

EVENTS THIS WEEK 4/14

The Sing-Off, 7:30 p.m. @ Fox Performing Arts Center

4/16

Art Make: Tequio Print Community, 6:30 p.m. @ Ysmael Villegas Community Center

4/17

“The Nerd” by Larry Shue, 7:30 p.m. @ Riverside Women’s Club

4/18

Art d’Vine with Greg Adamson, 2 p.m. @ Riverside Art Museum JANINE YBANEZ/ HIGHLANDER

16

V TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

AGI NA MONOLOGUES Robert Lees, Staff Writer

Photos by Janine Ybanez

T

he word “vagina” makes a lot of people unduly uncomfortable.

Despite the fact that it is merely a word designed to describe part of the female reproductive system, it tends to carry a negative connotation in the common lexicon. So when master of ceremonies Sarah Doyle had the gathered crowd repeat the word “vagina” three times at full volume in HUB 302 Wednesday night, I knew the Vagina Monologues would be a performance unlike any I had seen before. The performance, starring UCR students and organized by the Women’s Resource Center, was a night of laughter, reflection and celebration.

The first performance, “We Were Worried,” started the night on a humorous note, as the three performers listed several colorful euphemisms for vagina, ranging from coochie to snizz, and everything in between.

Much of the crowd laughed at full force, while others tittered nervously as they adjusted to the emphatic force of the performers’ words. “We Were Worried” established that the performances would not pull any punches: It would be frank, unapologetic and would not hide behind childish euphemisms.

If the performers were worried before the performance began, they certainly weren’t once they

got started.

The humor continued with the performance of “The Flood,” which recounts an interview with a 72-year-old woman about her vagina, referring to it as a “cellar.” Alison Moore and her convincing Brooklyn accent channeled the woman’s words, as she nervously recounted her trepidation concerning her own sexuality. The woman recounts a time when, after becoming aroused, she stained the seats of her date’s Chevrolet Bel Air with her “flood,” causing her to recoil from her own sexuality. While undoubtedly funny, the performance painted a much darker picture below the surface, as women throughout Western history have been taught to shy away from their own sexuality.

“The Flood” set the stage for the monologues “The Vagina Workshop” and “Because He Liked to Look at It,” in which female sexuality is explored in a healthy and positive light.

The central characters of both monologues have a sort of sexual, self-empowered awakening, and by celebrating their vaginas they create a more positive outlook for female liberation.

This is further explored in “Beat the Girl,” which examines the struggles transgender women go through in past and modern society. “They tried to beat the girl out of me,” stated the three per-

formers in unison, as they took turns describing the humiliation and ostracization transgender women suffer every day. However, the performance did not end on a somber tone, as the subjects of the monologue are able to fully become themselves after completing their transition.

After the positivity and hope that dominated much of the first act, the second act instantly took a much darker tone, with the centerpiece performance of “My Vagina Was My Village,” performed by Marcy Gonzalez and Sandra Nunez. Standing nearly back-to-back, the two juxtaposed words, with one performer describing happy memories and speaking about her vagina in a positive way, while the other recounts a savage rape endured at the hands of soldiers during the Balkan Wars. The sense of innocent wonder recounted by one performer was intercut by the graphic, realistic portrayal of what countless women in Kosovo and Bosnia endured, the two speakers creating a dichromatic chorus. The room was breathless, silent and still, as everyone in the audience shared in the burden the performers described. The words were so raw and real that after the monologue was concluded the audience seemed almost unable to clap, digesting the horrors the two had conjured.

Things did brighten up, however, with the two most wellreceived performances of the evening: “Reclaiming Cunt” and “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy.” During “Reclaiming Cunt,” Alana Anguren examined the pejorative, excitedly proclaiming “cunt” at full volume before lapsing into a frenetic examination of every individual sound that makes up the word. She arrayed the “C-uh” sound of the first letter with a cataclysm of other, positive c-words, continuing her performance and pattern with every other individual sound.

Astounded by the sheer volume and energy of her performance, the audience couldn’t help but burst into raucous applause.

“The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy” recounted the tales of a female sex worker and her fascination with feminine moans. The performance soon broke from a humorous anecdote to a mixture of performance art and vocal exercise, as Priscilla Melo acted out a series of ridiculous cries, ranging from the repentant “Catholic Moan” to the musical “Beyonce Moan,” capping off her performance by repeating all of them in rapid-fire succession, ending her performance with an emphatic “ohhh shit!” We were all in stitches.

The Vagina Monologues

ended with “I Was There in the Room,” which provides a firstperson account of witnessing childbirth. Performed by firsttimer Daisy Jimenez, the monologue recounted the miracle of life in simple, frank words. “The heart is capable of sacrifice, so is the vagina,” she stated, adding that it “bleeds us all into this world.” “I Was There in the Room” served as a perfect closer to a night of impeccable performances, as it reminded us all that vaginas are not something to be hated or feared, as they are the doorways we enter the world from. There couldn’t have been a more fitting ending.

After the requisite bows and words of gratitude to the performers and audience that conclude every performance, replete with thunderous applause from the audience, I saw Romanie Arterberry, director of the Women’s Resource Center and organizer of the performance, sitting at the back of the room with a look of well-deserved satisfaction on her face. I took the time to congratulate her on the performance, and she described her passion for putting on the performance every year.

I noticed, as we talked, that she personally congratulated each and every performer that walked by her on their way out of the room. It’s no secret why the performance went so well.

■H

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

SCREENING SOON AT THE CULVER CENTER

“In Bloom” - April 17 and 18 “Whiplash” - April 24 and 25

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

“Life Itself ”

“Life Itself ” poignantly reflects Ebert at the center of the “empathy machine” JAKE RICH Senior Staff Writer

“I

’ll see you at the movies.”

This was the last line of the last blog post written

by Roger Ebert the day before he died. By the time I was old enough to be conscious of what was on TV, the program was already called “Ebert & Roeper.” The glory days of famed film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s movie review program, “Siskel & Ebert,” were gone by then, as Gene Siskel died of complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor in 1999.

Roger Ebert was the only critic I knew the name of before I became obsessed with movies. And as someone whose primary work for this newspaper has come in the form of reviews, he is still someone I look to for inspiration and validation in my own opinions.

Last weekend, the Culver Center of the Arts at the UCR Artsblock showed the film “Life Itself” as part of its film series.

The film, directed by Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), takes its name from Roger Ebert’s 2011 memoir.

James and Ebert began the project as an attempt to adapt the memoir, before complications in Ebert’s health led to his eventual death in April 2013. The film then turned into something of a memoriam and introspective look by Ebert and James at his life’s work, and a look into his struggle against his ailing body.

The film takes a fairly basic approach to the documentary format, but when its subject had such a rich backstory, it doesn’t really matter.

Interviews with colleagues and friends chronicle Ebert’s childhood to his time as the editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini, to his famous career as a Pulitzer prizewinning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and as co-host of “Siskel & Ebert.”

The film truly packs an emotional wallop, as interviews reveal how dedicated he is to his friends and family underneath his highly sarcastic exterior.

The camera also doesn’t flinch from showing the tough parts of his life as a

recovering alcoholic. Squeamish viewers may find it difficult to watch some hospital scenes in which Ebert, who had much of his jaw removed due to thyroid cancer, has suction tubes put down his throat to clear up congestion.

When it is revealed that his cancer has come back, Ebert says matter-of-factly in his computerized voice that he doesn’t want to hide anything, and wouldn’t want to be associated with a film that does not show the truest side of him. For anything the computerized voice takes away from Ebert, his facial expressions and body language make up for — when he admits in front of his wife Chaz and the camera that he may not be alive when the film is finished, he simply looks at the camera blankly and shrugs.

It is difficult to criticize a film trying to cast a clear portrait of a dying legend, especially one as deeply entrenched in the making of the film as Ebert was.

If there is something to be criticized, however, it is that the film could explore more of the history of Roger’s criticism and his actual thoughts on film. Sure, you could say we’ve heard it a million times by reading and watching him, but in a film such as this, about as important a figure as this, it matters.

That being said, seeing the trademark stubbornness and resiliency of Ebert translate across all areas of his life, up until his death, is fascinating to watch. His embrace of new technologies and commitment to understanding film through criticism is inspiring to anyone struggling to give their all to their passion — and particularly poignant to myself as a critic as well.

The best part of his reviews — as the film points out — is that they are simultaneously intellectual and populist.

One interviewee in the film says that Ebert believed everyone should be able to “get” movies. The film student, the politician, the parent and the child could go to his reviews and understand the balance between technical achievement and unexplainable intangibles in films.

One of Ebert’s great quotes says that movies are an empathy machine — and for this writer, Steve James and millions H more, “Life Itself,” shows this is true. ■

...seeing the trademark stubbornness and resiliency of Ebert translate across all areas of his life, up until his death, is fascinating to watch.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

MUSIC REVIEW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

19

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: “BEAT THE CHAMP” // RATING: ★★★★☆ JAKE RICH Senior Staff Writer

I know almost nothing about professional wrestling.

When I was on my junior high’s annual eighth-grade graduation trip to Washington, D.C., I had to beg to watch the Ducks win the Stanley Cup on TV in between my roommates wanting to watch WWE. To be honest it could have been another wrestling league. I didn’t know and didn’t care. My heroes were the ones who actually played a real sport — in those days, even though I wasn’t a huge hockey fan, I preferred the Teemu Selannes of the world to whoever was doing ridiculous stunts in the ring. Better yet, give me Angel players: Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Napoli or Scot Shields — Darin Erstad was my favorite as he crashed into walls and gave his all. Why would I want something fake when I had the real thing?

Though I didn’t understand it then, the men and women of the ring were just as real to my roommates and others and the other sports stars were to me. Whether they knew that every twist and slam of their heroes’ bodies was mostly choreographed did not matter: This was entertainment and storytelling, and a bombastic and fantastical form of it at that. And though their moves may have been scripted, the damage done to the bodies of these people were real — you can’t fake getting your head pummelled into the ground.

John Darnielle, whose songwriting vehicle, the Mountain Goats, is an institution at this point, knows full well the realness behind

the masks of professional wrestling. His abusive stepfather, who has been well-documented in interviews and the Mountain Goats’ songs, used to take him to wrestling events at arenas as a kid, and had some bonding with the young Darnielle. The slamming bodies and triumph of justice were important to him, and allowed him to vicariously excise childhood frustrations and joys, just as the Angel teams of the mid- to late 2000s did for me.

It is in this spirit that the Mountain Goats’ 15th album, “Beat the Champ,” resides. Darnielle relives his childhood and pays homage to his heroes — those who put their bodies on the line for the sake of the crowd — through the 13 songs on this record. Most importantly, however, Darnielle takes them, their lives and their livelihood seriously when nobody else did, and finds all the triumph, joy and sadness of the human experience you might come to expect in a “normal” life.

Album opener “Southwestern Territory” begins the story with nostalgic tones, as Darnielle inhabits a wrestler reminiscing on his career. Over elegiac piano and fluttery winds, he remembers his highs and his lows: The mundane task of driving home (“no one drives on the 60 this late”; the Mountain Goats started in Claremont), the adrenaline of making the cheap seats go wild and trying to remember to write in the diary his son gave him. He cannot remember life before wrestling — it has been his life’s work and passion — for better or for worse.

Lead single “The Legend of

Chavo Guerrero” dives headfirst into obsession with a childhood hero, and beneath its poppy guitars and upbeat feel, there is an underlying nostalgia and bittersweet feeling present. Though Darnielle is singing from the vantage point of his childhood, his adult perceptions about reality seep through.

This was a time in your life when watching your heroes sacrifice their bodies in the name of justice or winning could solve some of your problems, if only temporarily.

Darnielle paints a picture of himself late at night lying on the floor in front of a tiny black-and-white TV, before singing with all the sincerity in the world, “the telecast’s in Spanish, I can understand some / And I need justice in my life, here it comes.”

“Choked Out,” and “Heel Turn 2,” serve as two sides of the same coin. The first is a manic folk-punk number with Darnielle’s character exclaiming, “Everybody’s got their limits / nobody’s found mine,” while the second, which directly follows it on the album, is an introspective, slower examination of why a wrestler would become villainous. “You found my breaking point / Congratulations,” Darnielle sings with a quiver of near-defeat in his voice. Like the rest of the album, the song takes its cues from wrestling while really examining what a person would do to provide for themselves and keep some exhilaration in their life at the same time, all while trying to not to break down under heavy stress.

A beautiful, reflective piano outro allows everyone a little space to figure themselves and everything around them out.

More self-reflexiveness is found in “Unmasked!” and “Hair Match,” as Darnielle examines what it means to be a lesser-known wrestler, just trying to get by — and hoping that you’re inspiring someone, if only yourself. “Luna,” “Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan” and “The Ballad of Bull Ramos,” are poignant tales of real life wrestlers from Darnielle’s youth battling their demons. I would be remiss also to not mention the rest of the Mountain Goats on this album: Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster, along with Darnielle, help set the backdrop to his lyrics in a variety of styles, from jazz to punk.

“Before a mirror late at night / I will reveal you / I will reveal you,” goes the last line of “Unmasked!”

COURTESY OF MERGE RECORDS

No matter the over-the-top stunts and grandiose story lines, the wrestlers of the largest and smallest arenas are people just like you and me. They put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertainment, but have a life beyond the ring. So do the people in the stands. For a couple of hours, the ring is all that matters, but when everyone goes home, life hits them in variety of ways. Through the heroes and villains, Darnielle finds beauty in life via wrestling. “I loved you before I even knew what love was like,” he sings in a particularly transcendent moment in “Hair Match.” It’s the story of a child learning life lessons through his heroes — whether that be Darin Erstad or Chavo Guerrero — and what that means to him. ■ H

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

MOVIE REVIEW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT COMING OUT SOON: BEYOND THE REACH

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts CHILD 44 ALEX OF VENICE

CLOSER TO THE MOON UNFRIENDED

HOME // RATING: ★★★☆☆ TOBY PARK Contributing Writer

Although aliens and monsters are nothing new to animated kids’ movies, “Home” manages to stay original in its take on alien invasions. It avoids a simple good-versus-evil scenario, as the aliens are portrayed as refugees who come to Earth only out of necessity. Despite a rather generic soundtrack and a few unrelatable characters, “Home” is a well-made and thoughtful movie.

The film is about a loner named Oh (Jim Parsons), a member of the Boov: a small and squishy, cephalopod-like alien race that invades Earth and relocates every human to a crowded suburb in Australia. Oh finds himself as a fugitive when he accidentally broadcasts a party invitation to the universe, revealing Earth’s location to the Gorgs, an aggressive and seemingly unstoppable alien race that wants to destroy the Boov. Teaming up with a human girl, Tip (Rihanna), who’s searching for her abducted mother and driving a slushie-powered hovercar, he races against time to get to the Boov HQ in Paris to delete the invitation before it reaches the Gorgs.

Dreamworks Animation, which produced “Shrek” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” once again went all-out to create the visually stunning animated universe of “Home.” From an artistic perspective, the animation creatively incorporates circular and triangular shapes to

make each scene pop out of the screen. For instance, all Boov technology utilizes big, round bubbles, while all Gorg technology is triangular and sharp. This contrast illuminates the struggle between a cowardly species that runs away versus an aggressive species that blows up planets.

As you can expect from an animated kids’ film, “Home” will leave you with a wholesome message. The film teaches us that sometimes, it’s only the weirdos that can bring real, meaningful change to the world. A few defining characteristics of the Boov is they run from danger, and never attempt any challenge without at least a 50 percent success rate. Oh, being the oddball that he is, plunges himself into real danger and goes against all odds to save the planet. Oh’s inquisitive nature, which is rare among the Boov, also leads him to team up with Tip, whom he couldn’t have succeeded without. The film teaches us that we should never be afraid to be different, because it means we can do things nobody else has the ability to do.

Although this was a very good film, one big annoyance was Tip’s character. Voiced by Rihanna herself, she looks to be about eight, but you find out she’s old enough to drive. The choice of voice casting wasn’t the best, and the character isn’t all that relatable. Although there are two main characters, Tip’s narrative is clearly overshadowed by that of Oh as far as viewer sympathy is concerned. There is something incredibly unmoving about Tip

looking for her mother, possibly because Tip is not a very likable character in the first place. This probably also has to do with the fact that she is never in any real danger of not finding her mother, considering this is a kids’ movie.

While the film’s score may be enjoyable for Rihanna fans, I doubt anyone else will be in a hurry to buy the soundtrack. And I’m pretty certain there would be zero songs from Rihanna in

the film if she didn’t lend her voice, which doesn’t even fit the character all that well. The soundtrack could have been generic and negligible, but instead it’s dotted with Rihanna songs that sound very out of place.

What you get are uncomfortable scenes with alien dance parties with Rihanna’s music blasting in the background. This leaves the audience cringing at a scene that is supposed to be peppy and

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

upbeat, but just ends up being embarrassing for everyone involved.

Although I was thrown off at what was a bit of an abrupt ending, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story play out, especially Oh’s narrative and the message he teaches. Even as someone who isn’t cultured in animated films, and hasn’t seen “Frozen,” I recommend seeing “Home,” H even if it’s just to watch Oh. ■

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SPORTS

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

Rebecca Faulkner (No. 27) quickly catches the ball and prepares to throw it to her teammate.

Softball loses two, wins one versus Cal State Fullerton CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer APR. 11, 2015

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Titans 12 - Highlanders 0

APR. 11, 2015

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Titans 3 - Highlanders 2

In the midst of one of their best seasons in recent memory, the UC Riverside softball team has entered into a slump as of late, having lost three games in a row and four of the last six.

Coming off a 4-1 loss to Long Beach State last week, the Highlanders returned home on Saturday afternoon only to be shellacked by the Cal State Ful-

lerton Titans in the first game of the day’s doubleheader.

The first Titan scores came in the top of the first inning, when a Samantha Galarza single scored Sarah Moore and Courtney Rodriguez. After a scoreless second inning, the Titans scored one more in the third, two in the fourth and two in the sixth while the Highlanders had yet to get on the scoreboard.

After scoring five more insurance runs at the top of the seventh, the Titans dispatched the Highlanders, shutting them out 12-0 in the first action of the day.

JANELLE SOTO / HIGHLANDER Chloe Pham changes her grip to make contact with the ball.

Tennis drops matches versus Big West foes

DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer

The UCR women’s tennis team fell to 4-14 on the season following three losses this week including a pair of conference games versus Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.

On Thursday, playing on the blue courts of the Student Recreation Center, the Highlanders mustered up three points against their first opponent, Arizona Christian, but fell 4-3 to the ninth-ranked team in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Freshman Karla Dulay was the star player for UC Riverside, winning in both singles and doubles. Caroline Hall and Tamilla Vaksman also earned points for the Highlanders in the fourth and fifth singles spots.

Travelling to Cal State Fullerton on Friday afternoon, the blue and gold dropped their sixth consecutive match, 6-1, against the hosting Titans.

Vaksman was the only Highlander to earn a point, eking out a close match 10-6 in a third-set

tiebreaker. Facing their second Big West foe of the week, UCR again came out on the losing end, falling to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 7-0.

The men’s tennis team has also struggled, only posting three wins on the season. On Sunday, April 5, the Highlanders squared off against hosting UCSB. Despite extending some games to third-set tiebreakers, UCR couldn’t muster an upset, falling 6-1 with a lone singles win by Michael Carella.

With fans peppered throughout the stands on Thursday afternoon, Cooper Bridge and Calvin Ngo served past their opponents at the number three and six singles, but Binghamton got the better of UCR, 5-2.

Binghamton dominated in doubles, winning all three contests without dropping more than three games. In singles, Bridge dropped the first set 6-4, before winning the next two 6-3 while Ngo won in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6.

The women’s team next hosts UC Irvine on April 15 while the men host UC Davis on April 18.

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Though the margin of the second game was much slimmer, the Highlanders still ended up chalking one up in the loss column in Saturday’s second game.

An Eliza Crawford double in the top of the first inning gave the Titans an early 2-0 lead.

After six scoreless innings, the Highlanders were down to their final chance in the bottom of the seventh to score or face defeat.

A Jenna Curtan single allowed a Highlander run, cutting the Fullerton lead by half. One at bat later, Karina Romero’s single resulted in another UCR score, which knotted the game at 2-2.

Five extra innings were played as a result of the tie, which ultimately ended with Missy Taukeiaho blasting a home run to right field, enough for Cal State Fullerton to secure victory over the Highlanders once again.

APR. 12, 2015

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Highlanders 8 - Titans 1

The UCR softball team exacted retribution on the Titans Sunday morning, handily dispatching the visiting team.

UCR first got on the board by way of a Karina Romero homer in the bottom of the first inning. The Titans responded in

the top of the third, tying the score at 1-1.

Two more runs for the Highlanders in the fourth, followed by another four in the sixth were enough for UCR to secure a commanding victory over the Titans on Sunday afternoon, beating them by a margin of 8-1.

With the win, Highlander pitcher Chelsea Ponce recorded her 24th credited win of the season, while the team improves to 32-12 overall.

Next up for the Highlanders is a trip to Northridge, where the team will face the Matadors in the weekend’s action.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015

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CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

Freshman AJ Sawyer catches a pop fly in the outfield.

Baseball loses 11th straight versus San Diego

ALEXANDER MANZO Contributing Writer APR. 7, 2015

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Lions 5 - Highlanders 4

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

for the highlander newspaper

write. shoot. design.

The Highlanders were three runs ahead of Loyola Marymount University for the first four innings of a Tuesday away game before the fifth came and they gave up four runs, ultimately losing the game 5-4.

The bottom of the fourth inning saw UC Riverside pitcher Joie Dunyon give up a homer to Lion

Jimmy Jack to put LMU on board, 3-1. However, the Highlanders came back in the top of the fifth as they scored a run off a Lion error to recapture the three-run lead, 4-1.

The fifth inning is when things started to unravel for UCR, when Dunyon was replaced with Max Compton after the first batter was walked. Though he got the following batter out, he then loaded the bases with another walk and a hitby-pitch.

The Lions were able to take advantage of this opportunity with their next batter being walked and

then a long fly ball to right field to score two batters to make the game 4-4. David Edwards came up next to give LMU the lead with his single to center, 5-4.

The last five innings of the game, the Highlander bullpen was able to keep them from scoring, but the Lions held UCR to only two hits.

APR. 8, 2015

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Toreros 15 - Highlanders 2

Although Vince Fernandez was able to hit a two-run homer in the

first to take the lead, the Highlanders would ultimately fall 15-2 in their game against San Diego, marking their eleventh straight loss.

UCR’s Cody Rogina was unable to control his pitches in the first inning as he walked the first two batters and loaded the bases two batters later with a hit-bypitch. The Toreros got their first run with another walk, and then a quick sac-fly to tie the game, 2-2, all before Aiden Stinnett hit a three-run homer to take a lead of 5-2.

The fourth inning was when Rogina got caught in another

sticky situation with runners on the corners. San Diego managed to send two players home with backto-back singles to put them up by five and give them a 7-2 lead over UCR. The Highlanders were able to hold them off with three relievers through the next three innings.

Yet it was Ryan Lillie in the eighth inning who gave up the last eight runs, 15-2.

UCR next travels to Long Beach State for a three-game series versus the Dirtbags, beginning on April 17. â– H

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Sports

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EXCLUSIVE Track and field succeeds in Arizona

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

Women’s Rugby: UCR’s hidden gem

Coach Roger Light gives a post-practice speech two days before the team is to play their first Nationals game against Texas State.

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Contributing Writer

It was a relatively cold Tuesday night in Riverside and the team was already on its second hour of practice. It certainly did not look it though, as the team was sprinting and tackling with emphasis, unfazed by the choppy grass and muddy soil of the practice field.

After about another hour, practice closed with a huddle at midfield and words of motivation bellowed from within. The huddle broke and the girls departed, each with a look of triumph on the day and a sense of optimism for what lies ahead.

This unique group of young women is the UCR Women’s Rugby Club, and thanks to a collective ambition and unrivaled work ethic, they are experiencing a season of success like none other. “Teamwork, loyalty, character, tenacity.”

These are the qualities that Coach Roger Light looks to instill within every one of his players and it has certainly paid off as the team is on the heels of a phenomenal regular season. After a best-ever second-

place finish in the SCRFU (Southern California Rugby Football Union) Collegiate Women Division II on a season in which they dominated their opponents to a 5-1 record, the team is now carrying their momentum into its first-ever Division II National Spring Championships.

“Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.” This quote by Olympic sprinter Wilma Rudolph is embedded on the front page of the team website and serves as a reminder that it hasn’t quite always been this easy. When the club was founded in 2011, they had no money, no coaches and not even enough players for a standard 15-woman game. And yet, even after suffering a 120-0 loss in their first game as a team, they were not deterred. As fourth-year player Desirre Milan put it, “We really just wanted to know what it felt like to win.” And so they fought, continuing to improve after each season and they are now finally seeing their diligence pay dividends. It is a season that most team members described simply as “surreal.” From

the outside looking in, their journey certainly is hard to believe, but don’t be fooled: This team has always held the utmost confidence in themselves and the “surreal” feeling lies more in the fact that their once lofty ambitions are now tangible.

This team’s accomplishments grow even more inspiring when considering the stigma they have and will continue to fight against.

Being women playing in a predominantly male sport is a hurdle that seems nearly impossible to clear, at least in the states, where the sport itself is commonly associated with men and violence. The team takes this in stride, however, with the consensus response being “Hell yeah!” when asked whether or not they enjoy defying this stereotype.

“We could play the boys and we would win,” said energetic fourthyear player Tess Wainwright, and she is not alone in her stance, as this sentiment was echoed by the rest of the team.

Behind this swaggering bravado, however, is a level of compassion and humility when they’re out on the field. “When an opposing player

is down on the field, we (motivate them) to get up,” says Wainwright.

“Competition (does not) get in the way of our heart.” Just as a family, though, their compassion most lies with one another. The team’s ability to pull out a win against top-tier CSU Long Beach squad just hours after finding out that their teammate lost an aunt is just one of many examples of the devotion that they share.

As individuals they each carry heavy hearts but this team also carries with it a heavier burden, which is to bring greater awareness of the club to campus as a whole.

Word has yet to spread but they hope that their continued success will bring good fortune in this regard. While the team is not yet on the radar around UCR, the sport itself is certainly gaining traction throughout the nation. As the girls will be the first to tell you, rugby is currently the fastest growing sport in the country, and the NCAA (National College Athletic Association) agreed after classifying it as an “emerging sport” in 2014, and is now currently working to include

both men’s and women’s rugby as an official sport under the association. “Club sports don’t get any recognition … next year we want this campus to really start recognizing us,” said fourth-year team captain Alysia Jones.

Perhaps it is time we all start to take notice. It is not just their oozing confidence or surprising success that makes this team so fascinating, it is their heart. This team is a sisterhood, connected not only by the love of a sport but by the love of each other. As Coach Light would attest, camaraderie is what has kept this team on this path and it will be what leads them to success in the future. Reaching all their goals up to this point, this team continues to fight with a drive that is unequaled just to make sure those who still have not heard know one thing: They are a true force to be reckoned with.

The UC Riverside Women’s Rugby Team won its first match in Nationals against Texas State on Saturday, 44-27. The team will now travel to Pittsburgh to face a yet-tobe determined opponent.

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UCR cruises to win Battle at the Rock CHRISTIAN MAY-SUZUKI Staff Writer

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS Sophomore Haley Wian takes a swing at the Battle At The Rock competition.

The UCR women’s golf team proved victorious at the Battle At The Rock competition on Tuesday, April 7, keeping a very sizable margin throughout the event.

UCR scored 293 in rounds one and two, proving to be the best round performances by any of the schools. Even though their thirdround score was slightly higher at 301 strokes, that total was still several strokes better than any other team’s total round score. UCR finished in first at 23 over par, leaving in the dust Cal Poly, the second-place team, which ended up totaling 68 over par. CSU San Marcos finished third at 74 over par, followed by Texas Southern at 91, the UC Riverside B team at 94, Bakersfield at 119 over, UT Pan America at 128 over and North

Dakota in last, which registered almost 1,000 shots combined as a team over the three rounds.

Playing at the Oak Quarry Country Club in Riverside, the Highlanders took advantage of the familiarity of the course and dominated the tournament, with seven Highlanders finishing in the top 20 of a competition that was 42 people deep, including the top two, and three of the top five. Among those seven were two players on the B team; Paris Griffith, who tied for fifth place at 12 over par, and Krista Twet, who finished tied for 12th place, shooting 18 above par. Highlanders Hannah Facchini and Brittany Ferraro each held the best score at four shots above par, so a hole-replay playoff took place on the 16th hole that eventually led to Facchini being crowned the individual winner of the tournament.

The win marked the freshman’s first tournament victory as a Highlander. Her stellar shooting performance of 73-72-75 brought her average round-by-round score to 75.27, barely over three shots above par. This was Facchini and the women’s golf team’s fifth tournament of the season, and the team victory for the Highlanders marked the first win of the calendar year, and the first win since the Santa Clara Colby Invitational in late October of last year. The cumulative score of 887 was also the team’s second-best overall score on the year, only trailing their performance in the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, a tournament where they had an overall score of 875 (+11), but finished in fourth place. The Highlanders return to the links on Sunday, April 19 for the start of the Big West Tournament in El Macero, Calif.

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