FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
Highlander University
Volume 62
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C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
Issue 14
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DIVESTMENT DEBATES BEGIN IN ASUCR SENATE
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Guest lecturer of Palestinian civil rights met with criticism MICHAEL RIOS Senior Staff Writer
JASON LIN / HIGHLANDER President of Highlanders for Israel Ben Morag brings to the senate chambers his points regarding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. WINNIE JENG Senior Staff Writer AARON GRECH Contributing Writer
During the special report portion of last Wednesday’s ASUCR senate meeting, a representative of Highlanders for Israel gave a 15-minute presentation, questioning a student-led divestment campaign that calls for the UC administration to cut off business partnerships with
any company that allegedly supports apartheid in Israel. The presentation provoked contentious viewpoints among senators as well as members of the public, including one faculty member and a student representative from Students for Justice in Palestine. Ben Morag, president of Highlanders for Israel (HIFI), expressed that he felt offended by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, criticizing the idea of divest-
ment as exclusionary and unsupportive of the UC spirit. On justifying the Israeli government’s motive in setting up a separation wall between Israel and West Bank, Morag claimed the seperation is not due to any discriminative racial reasons, but rather, for the safety of the Israelis. “Before Israel became a state, people in that area (were) being slaughtered just because they are Jewish,” said Morag. “Constantly, through our ex-
istence, there have been wars from all the neighboring countries around us. Between the period of 2000 and 2005, (there were) over 147 different suicide bombings, and 71 percent of the dead and wounded are civilians. When this happens to your people, you have to defend yourself and you have to have some separation.” In addition, Morag claimed that in the Gaza strip, ► SEE DEBATE, PAG=E 4
ASUCR senators aim to establish diversity council for UC Riverside COLIN MARKOVICH Senior Staff Writer
A group of ASUCR senators is working to bring representatives from various ethnic and gender programs together in a diversity council that supporters say would give the programs greater representation in ASUCR and enable them to work toward common goals more easily. “The diversity council is really about working on things in solidarity with one another,” CHASS Senator Abraham Galvan said. “So maybe necessarily we won’t get all the issues of all the ethnic and gender programs solved, but we
can focus on these bigger things … and all the ethnic and gender programs will work on it, or at least representatives from them, in an effort to really make a movement.” Galvan described understaffing and a general lack of funding, in addition to the recently formed Middle Eastern Student Center (MESC)’s lack of space, as examples of problems the diversity council could work to solve. Sarah Radi, a second-year biochemistry major, Muuath Aleraj, a third-year political science major and Mariam Saleh, a third-year English and Middle East and Islamic studies double major all expressed support for the
idea. “It’d be fantastic,” Saleh said, noting that it can be difficult for organizations to coordinate events together. The idea for a diversity council originated last year, but never fully got off the ground and virtually disappeared when ASUCR failed to pass the resolution that would have established it. The plan regained momentum last fall, when a group of senators floated an idea to change the name of Chicano Student Programs (CSP). Opposition surfaced shortly thereafter, and the proposal was ► SEE DIVERSITY, PAGE 6
Palestinian civil rights activist Omar Barghouti visited UC Riverside last Tuesday afternoon to give a 30-minute lecture about pressing issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The lecture was met with criticism from a few attendees, however, as some questioned both Barghouti’s talking points and the merit of CHASS F1RST for presenting the lecture and offering credit to students who attended and wrote a reflection on the lecture. During the presentation, Barghouti offered anecdotes that accused Israel of oppressive treatment of Palestinians. He told a story of a Palestinian woman who gave birth at an Israeli checkpoint only to see her child die due to alleged negligence from Israeli soldiers. Later in the speech, Barghouti also read an account that accused Israeli soldiers of hunting Palestinian children for sport. He called for an end to the alleged oppressive treatment of Palestinians, whom he believed were treated as “less than humans,” and advocated for the boycott of, divestment from and sanctioning of (BDS) institutions in Israel. “Calling for a boycott of Israel and its complicit institutions is still quite controversial in the United States,” he said, but added, “but it is no longer taboo.” After the presentation, a Q-and-A session followed, where Barghouti ► SEE LECTURER, PAGE 4
INSIDE: California implements a new law that will bring new freedoms for transgender gradeschool students.
OPINIONS
PAGE 9
Circle K International knows how to give back as well as put on a good show. PAGES 10-11
FEATURES
Kevin Hart steals the comedic spotlight in “Ride Along.” ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 16
Track and field begins season in record-breaking fashion. PAGE 18
SPORTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
PAGE 2
STAFF
PAGE 8 PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING
2
NEWS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
HIGHLANDER
UCR receives grants for expanding online research database DANIEL KELLEY Contributing Writer
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and expansion of academic knowledge in literature and art, recently awarded a grant of $405,000 to UC Riverside’s Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR). The grant will fund the development of new software that will be used to update and revise the English Short-Title Catalog (ESTC). As a database originally developed through joint partnership between CBSR and the British Library, ESTC documents all printed or bibliographically recorded English works between 1473 and 1800. The ESTC, in its over 30 years of development, has received nearly $10 million in grant funding, and now contains copies of over 90 percent of all works printed before 1800, translating to well over 500,000 documents. However, it is primarily a reference directory and most of the recorded materials are not directly available to the online viewers. “Right now, (the ESTC) is very much a scholarly research tool, not something necessarily that the general public would use that often,” stated Dr. Brian Geiger, current director of CBSR. “It is mainly professors, graduate students, even people interested in old books who would use our catalog.” The new software not only expands ESTC’s online presence, but also allows
scholars from all over the world to access and edit the catalog by updating their personal scholarly works or editing information that is incomplete, inaccurate or simply nonexistent. The Mellon-funded project aims to refocus the work done in the ESTC from professional catalogers to the actual users of the catalog. In addition to the Andrew W. Mellon grant, the CBSR has received grants in 2010 and 2011 from Google to incorporate Google Books into the ESTC to aid in its expansion into digital reference. Geiger sees the creation and maintenance of the ESTC as one of the most amazing accomplishments in bibliography in the 20th century, as a couple thousand new records are added to the ESTC every year. Although the catalog’s rapid rate of expansion would require frequent major funding from outside organizations, Geiger stated his good faith in the catalog’s continued success. “Ultimately, (the new version of the ESTC) will allow those who use the catalog to ask new questions about the materials,” stated Geiger concerning his vision for this project. “With the newly created benefits of the updated edition of the ESTC, our knowledge of English literature, documentation and records can only expand.” By Oct. 2015 — the software’s projected completion date — the ESTC will contain close to 600,000 recorded documents. ■H
Photo of the Week
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY A $405,000 grant has been awarded to UCR to update and revise the ETSC.
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Sophomores: Your Career Game Plan 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Highlander Union Building 268
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Senior Natasha Hadley (No. 31) makes the shot as the clock winds down.
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- Senator Abraham Galvan on the need to support UCR’s ethnic and gender programs
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4
NEWS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
► DEBATE FROM PAGE 1
Palestinians named soccer tournaments and schools after people who carried out terrorist attacks, which he claims are intolerable to the Jewish people. Pointing out that a large pool of diverse minority populations exist in the state of Israel, Morag claimed that Israel has policies “similar to the policy of affirmative action in the United States.” Morag called Israel “a model for democracy in the world” and refuted claims made against the separation of Israeli citizens and Palestinian citizens in Israel. “Muslims, South African descendents, Jews, European descendents — they all live together, they all coexist (in Israel),” stated Morag. “(Calling) Israel as an apartheid state is not only a slander, but also degrading and insulting to people who actually suffered under apartheid.” In his conclusion, Morag stated that the divestment campaign is not a peaceable solution in regard to removing the separation wall. Calling the presentation “pink- and brown-washing,” Senator Shadi Matar criticized the presentation’s inclusion of Israel as a pro-LGBT and pro-immigrant country as a diversion from Israel’s alleged abuse of human rights. Amal Ali, president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), stated, “Palestinians should speak for Palestinians. Other students cannot tell Palestinians what is best for them and for their movement, so keep that in mind when someone tells you what is justice, what is going to
bring peace, and what is going to bring self-determination.” English professor and American Studies Association (ASA) member Fred Moten was also critical of the presentation, calling the claims embedded in the presentation “slanderous and malicious.” “I want to offer a pledge as the new faculty member here, that I will do everything I can to foster intelligent and critical conversation,” said Moten. “If you believe that Jews have a right to return to what they called their ‘initial homeland,’ yet you deny the right of return to people removed from that homeland … how can there be racial (justice)?” However, Senator Sean Fahmian expressed doubts regarding the neutrality of the “educational conversation” that Moten pledged to foster, as he pointed out that Moten had already taken the side of opposing Israeli academic institutions when the USSA voted to boycott Israeli academic institutions. “A lot of times, as seen in this conflict especially, one person will give a side, and the other will refute it,” said Fahmian. “Where the true fact lies, in my opinion, is hard to find. Now, when there are two sides refuting the same thing, where does that leave us, (the senators)? That leaves us to choosing a side.” Senators Fahmian and Matar both cautioned other senators to take all the information that they absorbed with a grain of salt, and from taking sides too hastily, as “two weeks of research” is not enough to fully comprehend the full scale of this controversy.
JASON LIN / HIGHLANDER ASUCR senator and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) member raises points on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For senators to better understand and represent the voices of students that they represent, Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref motioned to put a poll on the ASUCR website to get the students’ pulse concerning the conflict. “I think it’s especially important that when we talk about representing the students, we need to know what the students feel,” said Aref. Aref would discuss further details concerning setting up the poll on the ASUCR website with Marketing and Promotions ■H Director Ravin Rathod.
University of California system receives a record number of total applications
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY MICHAEL RIOS Senior Staff Writer
UC undergraduate admissions offices across the 10 campuses reported a total of 6.2 percent system increase in freshman applicants for the 2014 fall quarter — an increase of 8,692 students as compared to last year. UC Riverside saw a relatively small application increase this year compared to other UCs across the state. According to data released by the UC Office of the President (UCOP), UCR received 1,090 more freshman applicants for the 201415 school year than for the 2013-14 year, marking an increase of only 3.2 percent. Chicanos-Latinos once again remained the largest ethnic group among applicants with a percentage of 32.7. At UCR, Chicano-Latinos also accounted for the largest number of applicants at 12,810.
HIGHLANDER
Transfer student applications were down overall as 187 fewer students applied to the UC as compared to a year ago. UCR’s transfer applications grew slightly, however, with a total of 8,496, up 1.5 percent from last year. UCLA once again received the most total applications in the UC system, breaking the 100,000-applicant mark for the first time. UCR received the second fewest in the UC with 43,395 applications. UC Merced received the fewest total applications in the UC with 17,469 and also saw the smallest percent increase at 1.6 percent. The data also shows that well over half of the total UCR applicants come from lowincome families. Additionally, 59 percent of the the applications UCR received were from first-generation college applicants. UCR ranked second in both categories ■H among all other UCs.
HIGHLIGHTS: President Sai Patadia announced that ASUCR will be working with student groups such as Providing Opportunities, Dreams and Education in Riverside (PODER) to distribute the $512,000 UCR received for undocumented students. Elections Director Chris Sanchez stated that the elections committee plans to release its issues survey to the campus population next week. Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref delivered a report on UCSA’s budget, and senators voted to approve it. ASUCR announced that the Bears’ Den, a meeting place and resource center for clubs, will open on Thursday, Jan. 23.
► LECTURER FROM PAGE 1
answered inquiries and comments from audience members. And despite a handful of attendees who agreed with Barghouti’s presentation, a large fraction of the session was spent debating with community members and students who shared opposing viewpoints. “The BDS movement calls for peace … (but) when a divestment bill is presented to senate, it creates a hostile environment within the senate and within the students,” ASUCR Senator Sean Fahmian challenged Barghouti, referring to last year’s ASUCR resolution that called for UCR to divest in companies that allegedly violated Palestinians’ human rights in Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Barghouti spent the remainder of the event reiterating some of his points and refuting arguments presented by the opposing side. Following the presentation, some students criticized the fact that attendance to the event fulfilled part of the course requirements for students enrolled in the CHASS Connect, CHASS TRAC, and HASS 001 programs. Students in the program are required to attend one “CHASS Annual Theme” event each quarter and write a 250- to 500-word reflection on the event. This year, the annual theme is justice. “I think it’s a good thing to have people come speak,” expressed Highlanders for Israel (HIFI) President Ben Morag, “(but) I think it’s unfair that this is presented as an opportunity for credit in a course — in a CHASS class. I think it’s ridiculous that it’s under the — you know, they billed it as justice — under the theme of justice for
CHASS, yet it’s clearly one side of the argument.” In response to the criticism, Dr. Geoff Cohen, director of first-year programs in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), stated that while he highly recommended students from his HASS 001 class attend the lecture, he made it clear that attendance was only optional; it was not mandatory. “It’s important to recognize that a university is where controversy and fighting voices — conflicting voices have a place,” said Cohen. “It’s not about consensus or about equal weight — it’s about the conversation that occurs afterwards. Reflection is crucial.” In an interview with the Highlander, Barghouti also responded to the criticism, stating, “Some people came in with talking points of the Israeli lobby and we always get that, but there were some students and some faculty who asked decent questions … I welcome their point of views as long as their questions are asked in a respectful manner … I think debate is better than no debate. (It’s) better than silence.” Barghouti concluded his visit to Riverside with a panel in the Interdisciplinary Building as part of “Israeli Apartheid Week,” a four-day-long event presented by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UCR. Barghouti holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Columbia University and a master’s degree in philosophy from Tel Aviv University. He is a founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Palestinian Civil Society Boycott, Divestment and H Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. ■
6
NEWS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
NEWS IN BRIEF
HIGHLANDER
COMPILED BY MICHAEL RIOS, senior staff writer
UC TO REDUCE WATER USAGE AMID DROUGHT EMERGENCY
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
In light of Gov. Brown’s recent drought emergency proclamation, the UC Office of the President (UCOP) announced its goal to reduce water use per capita across the UC by 20 percent by the year 2020. According to the governor, the state is currently facing the “worst drought” it has ever faced since California started keeping records about 100 years ago. A statement released by the UC Office of the President acknowledged California’s dry weather record and promised to combat the problem by preserving the state’s water resources.
MARXIAN ECONOMIST GIVES LECTURE AT UCR
“The University of California has long been a leader in conservation efforts,” read a statement by UC President Napolitano. “UC is prepared to play a leadership role in response to California’s current water crisis by demonstrating water sustainability solutions to the rest of the state.” According to the press release, eight out of 10 UCs have already achieved the 2020 policy goal of reducing water consumption by 20 percent and the UC hopes that every university meets that goal. The issue will also be discussed during the UC Board of Regents meeting starting Jan. 22, 2014.
OBAMA MEETS WITH UC LEADERS AT EDUCATION SUMMIT
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS ► DIVERSITY FROM PAGE 1
withdrawn. After that, a group of senators met with CSP to discuss future collaborations. “Basically, what we found out in that meeting was that there was a lot of things that we didn’t understand,” Galvan said, adding that the idea for the diversity council sprang up as a result of the meetings.
Three UC chancellors and UC President Janet Napolitano met with President Barack Obama on Thursday, Jan. 16 to participate in an education summit designed to address education accessibility for low-income students. Over 100 college and university presidents joined UC Merced, San Diego and Berkeley chancellors at the summit. In his speech to the university leaders, President Obama stated that he would act on his own if Congress failed to take action on the matter of college accessibility. “I’ve got a pen to take executive action,” he told summit attendees. Higher education accessibility for low-income students has become a huge issue for public schools like
“The other ethnic and gender programs … found out that we were really having this connection with CSP and they expressed to the director of CSP … they really wanted to get this opportunity to speak to ASUCR and talk about their issues,” Galvan stated. In addition to Galvan, the group of senators working to establish the council includes CHASS Senators Fernando
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the UC. Currently, 40 percent of UC students come from low-income backgrounds — the most out of any university system in the nation. Of the 40 percent, 78 percent go on to receive college degrees. “The promise that anyone, no matter how humble their beginnings, can have a shot at a high-quality college education is at the heart of what makes this country strong — and it’s what the University of California is all about,” Napolitano said about the issue. During the summit, potential aid programs such as peer mentoring and college outreach programs were discussed as potential solutions to help increase higher education accessibility.
Echeverria, Michael Ervin and Nafi Karim. The council would ideally include representatives from each ethnic or gender program, in addition to representatives from ASUCR. Representatives from CSP, MESC, Native American Student Programs (NASP) and the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), among others, have all met with senators or expressed interest in establishing the diversity council. A bylaw to formally establish the council may be put forth by the end of winter quarter; in the interim, representatives from various diversity organizations are regularly meeting with ASUCR senators. There are currently no plans to seek a permanent physical space for the council, but Galvan said that that is a possible future goal. In the meantime, discussion has centered on more immediate goals, including the possibility of passing a referendum to increase funding for the diversity programs. “It’s just really about having solidarity between those offices and really being proactive,” Galvan said. “And I think for me, it’s about getting ASUCR really in tune with what the issues our ethnic and gender programs are having.” ■H
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Famed economist Richard Wolff gave a 90-minute talk about Marxism to UC Riverside students and community members this past Thursday. “Maybe the U.S. can do better than capitalism,” Wolff argued throughout his talk, calling the economic system one of gross inequality. Throughout the speech, Wolff consistently drove home the point that terms such as capitalism and socialism should be studied more closely by American institutions and should not be immediately shunned. UCR professor Mike Davis also spoke during the event and asked students to rethink their current economic system and to ask themselves whether or not it truly guarantees education, food and health security. Wolff spoke to the Highlander about what he hopes the UCR student body gets out of his presentation. “(I hope) to open up the conversation,” he said. “Economics, like the other departments, ought to have a broad range of perspectives, allowing students to hear the different points of view.” Wolff holds economics degrees from Harvard, Stanford and Yale and is currently touring different universities around the nation, lecturing on Marxian economics. He also hosts the radio program “Economic Update.” ■H
JASON LIN / HIGHLANDER Senator Abraham Galvan states his ambitions for a diversity council on campus.
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
COMPILED BY COLIN MARKOVICH,
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
7
senior staff writer
Island habitat linked to tameness in lizards
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY UCR professor Theodore Garland observed that island lizards are tamer than their mainland counterparts.
UCR professor Theodore Garland and two other researchers have published a study that confirms that island-dwelling lizards take longer to flee from predators than their mainland counterparts, a trait in islanddwelling animals that has long been observed, but never proven. The study chiefly measured flight initiation distance, or the distance at which prey begins to flee from a predator it has observed, in 66 species of lizards. Controlling for body size and the speed of an approaching predator, the researchers found that flight initiation distance decreas-
es as distance from the mainland increases. Garland specializes in evolutionary physiology and has previously researched motivation in mice, finding that increases in voluntary activity resulted in natural selection for traits that increased the motivation and ability to perform those actions. “I like understanding how things work and that’s what physiology is all about: how things have come to be,” Garland explained. In evolutionary physiology, “you get to combine those two things.” The research took approxi-
mately one and a half years to complete, with much of it spent on compiling the data the researchers obtained. The principal author of the study, William E. Cooper Jr., worked alongside Garland and another author, R. Alexander Pyron. In terms of future research, Garland says, “We’re going to focus now more on the locomotor abilities of the animals. Obviously that’ll impinge on how close to a predator you can go. We’d like to take a more integrated view and understand how these abilities play into their tameness.”
Research on fly taste buds could lead to better insect traps Entomologists have long known that fruit flies have eight different sweet taste receptors. However, nobody knew what specifically those receptors were responding to. To answer this question, a team of UCR researchers recently published a study that proves that each of the eight receptors reacts to at least one sweet tastant, a substance that stimulates the sense of taste. The researchers were then able to classify the receptors into roughly two groups based on the tastants they responded to. “What’s exciting about our Issue 13 correction and clarification: The Highlander incorrectly included the following information in the news article entitled, “ASUCR: Parking permit prices to increase by 6.3 percent annually.” The article incorrectly stated that Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) is not managed by the university. The statement should have said that TAPS is a selfsupporting department, meaning it operates on the money it collects. Additionally, the article should have included that the proposal to increase parking permit prices has not yet been approved. Lastly, the article also misstated that TAPS will lower salaries and benefits for current employees. The Highlander regrets the errors.
findings is that this is the first instance in which anyone has been able to express a taste receptor in another neuron and obtain sensitivity to taste compounds,” entomology professor Anupama Dahanukar said. “What’s more, we also expressed a mosquito taste receptor in the fly neuron and found that it worked. That motivates us to test other receptors from mosquitoes or other insects.” Dahanukar worked with Erica Freeman, the first author of the paper and a bioengineering graduate student, to test what each taste receptor responds
to. Both were assisted by neuroscience graduate student Zev Wisotsky, who validated Freeman’s findings. The researchers were able to expand the research to include a single receptor from a mosquito, and Freeman says that future research will focus on mosquitoes. “We can now determine how insects detect sweet compounds which answer a fundamental question in insect taste behavior,” Freeman said. “Furthermore, insight from this research will lead to better trap designs H for pest and disease controls.” ■
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS By learning more about fly taste buds, UCR researchers will be able to design more effective insect traps.
8
. OPINIONS .
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
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D
oes the topic of sex make you uncomfortable? How about prostitution? Or how about when a professor takes it into her own hands to explain prostitution by using students as examples? Year after year, a deviance class taught by professor Patty Adler at CU-Boulder explores the topic of prostitution through an interactive lecture. It typically enrolls 500 students, ranking it as one of the most popular classes on campus. But a prostitution skit is what rubbed the university the wrong way. Students were asked to dress up as various prostitutes in order to provide demonstrations of different types of prostitutes. It was eventually suggested by Dean Steven Leigh that students may feel discomfort by the skits, although there was never a direct report from the students that this was actually the case. However, the skit still led the administration to ask Alder to leave her tenured position. It seems that the university was not able to handle the professor’s topic on prostitution that took students out of their comfort zone and into reality. It’s disappointing to know that a class that took students’ mindset out of the college realm and into imperative issues was being dismissed by the university. The class itself was an enlightening course, and though it pushes the boundaries of acceptability, isn’t that the whole point of college? Apparently not. According to CU-Boulder, the class was considered inappropriate due to the recent Jerry Sandusky scandal, but the reasoning seems to be slightly absurd. Evidently, it seems that there is still discomfort when it comes to sexual occupations which are normally swept under the rug. But it’s imperative for the topic of sex to be out in the open so that students can discuss a common form of affection. With the topic of sex, the idea to act oblivious to uncomfortable topics is an ignorant approach since it leaves a younger generation unaware of the potential harm they may be inflicting on someone or themselves. In fact, this is
made clear by the more than 19 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported amongst young adults and adolescents. Preventing the topic from being discussed allows more harm than good especially when millions of youth are contracting STIs and are unaware of the ways to prevent diseases from spreading. This, then, has the potential to make sexual violence the next topic of discussion to come out of the bag and well, everything else that deals with sex — like prostitution. UC Riverside has taken the right approach by being accommodating of diverse perspectives and showing that it is willing to tackle sensitive subjects. Human Reproduction and Sexual Behavior, or more popularly known as “Dirty 30,” portrays various stories, photos and in-class demonstration that tie together the banal sex-ed classes we took in grade school. Frankly put: This UCR course establishes an environment of open and mature discourse about sex. And although becoming comfortable with sexuality is important, it is also vital to inform students about instances of sexual violence, human trafficking and even prostitution. Dr. Eric Anthony Grollman, professor at the University of Wisconsin, confesses that when he was a graduate assistant, the professor he worked for stated that the reason he didn’t talk about sexual violence was because of the discomfort students revealed in class. The professor began to scale back the topic of sexual violence from lectures to just reading assignments to an optional reading assignment to nothing at all. Despite this, Dr. Grollman holds a class named the Sociology of Sexuality where he discusses the common topics of sex and also discloses the dangers that come with sex that are far beyond STIs. Although the concept is an uneasy thing to grasp, Grollman states, “While it is fun to discuss hooking up, how we define sex, the numerous sexual identities, it is also crucial to discuss
ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER
the way in which sex is infused with power — how systems of oppression shape and constrain our sexualities, how oppression itself can be sexualized, how oppression is reflected in sexuality itself.” So when it comes to the topic of prostitution, the same theory should also come into play. Prostitution happens and simply mentioning it has been conveyed as a taboo topic by CU-Boulder. The concept that CU-Boulder missed is the importance of students being taken out of their comfort zone and grasping issues that are actually occurring in the world. Being uncomfortable with the information taught should be a common feeling in lecture halls. However, that doesn’t mean students should feel pressured to take part in anything they do not feel comfortable with. But real world issues that are considered tense subject matters actually allow students to know what is happening currently in our era. College should be where students are immersed into an environment that intellectually stimulates and prepares them for the unpleasing appearance of life. Granted, dressing up as prostitutes is outlandish — but the idea is to engage students with the world that they are a part of. Encouraging students to take a step out of the box enables them to truly understand the importance of these kinds of social issues that occur on a daily basis. Universities should not shy away from explicit subject matter but instead create an environment where students can see it objectively and subjectively to comprehend matters that may be considered taboo in a lecture hall. It takes both students and professors into an uneasy arena but this should not prevent expanding students’ horizons ■H and their perspectives on society. 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.
HIGHLANDER
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
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Outside the binary: AB 1266 gives students gender equity SARAH DOYLE Contributing Writer
The new year represents a sense a hope, excitement and whirling possibility of what could happen in the upcoming months, like an everelusive fortune cookie. As this new year rung in, Jan. 1, 2014 marked the beginning of California setting a precedent as the first state in the nation to implement AB 1266, a law that would allow K-12 public school students who identify as transgender to access public spaces that have been traditionally biologically segregated. The law, also known as the Success and Opportunity Act, allows for transgender students to participate in school sports, utilize locker rooms and bathrooms with the gender they identify with most rather than the gender they were biologically assigned by birth. AB 1266 breaks down socialized gender and sex norms that are implemented since birth and are seamlessly implemented in our everyday lives. As someone who identifies as the gender I was born, I’ve never experienced any form of this kind of discrimination. I have never been scrutinized for the bathrooms I entered in school, questioned for partaking in the sports teams I engaged in, or even dealt with the realities of being verbally or physically assaulted for who I innately was — something transgender and gender non conforming folks know all too well in their formative years. The immense bullying and social stigma lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students still receive is grossly problematic. A recent study released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which surveyed 100,000 LGBTQ-identified youth ages 1317, revealed that LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to be verbally harassed and called names at school than their heterosexual counterparts. Ninetytwo percent of LGBTQ youth say they hear negative messages about being LGBTQ and 42 percent say the community in which they live is not accepting of LGBTQ people. This adds up to immense stigmatization, harassment and mistreatment at home and at school. If those stats aren’t disconcerting enough, a study by the National Network of Liberties and Medicine concludes that a staggering 41 percent of transgender youth attempted suicide. These are just some of the startling statistics revealing that LGBTQ youth are still experiencing harassment at school, immense unacceptance for who they are, and uneasiness to be open about their identity in public. The Success and Opportunity Act allows students to obtain a sense of agency, allowing them to decide who they are and in what ways they want to use this accessibility of public space and organized sports. This law is an institutional declaration of existence to transgender and gender nonconforming youth. Creating a sense of agency in the marginalized populations of LGBTQ individuals is imperative to breaking down heteronormativity. In addition, this law addresses the tumultuous environments that marginalized
Graphic by BRANDY COATS The newly passed AB 1266 will allow transgender students to use the restroom corresponding the gender they associate with.
community faces and gives space for community dialogue to address the intersectionality of oppression that exists and morphs into different forms. The signing of the Success and Opportunity Act is just another in a string of initiatives that reflect and substantiate the need to address the various inequities that marginalized communities face. California’s attempt to bridge some gaps is seldom perfect, but they are honest attempts to find solutions to the various
In this day and age, most students don’t fit in the box of race, class, sex and gender identity all that neatly... pressing social problems that we face as a society. The title of the Success and Opportunity Act is a direct reflection of what this law is trying to achieve: an equal accessibility of opportunity for all students to have the same ability for success. I am convinced its intent is to ensure transgender students, their parents and their advocates that the barriers and stigma that are surrounded by gender nonconforming students be taken down. This is so they are afforded the same accessibility to be successful participants in their educational community as everyone else, with the basic rights to participate in school sports and go to the bathroom. This law has already been implemented by the Los Angeles and San Francisco school districts, and Gov. Brown giving institutional backing for such decisions to support transgender and gender nonconforming K-12 students is a powerful statement to substantiate the dire need to address the barriers transgender and gender nonconforming students face. Some of the scrutiny this law has received is that its framework is
overly broad. This law has no specific requirements nor guidelines on how it will be implemented in different school districts, allowing for the unique needs of each school to engage in how they respond to help best facilitate for the students who attend, making it a more flexible engagement in equity for transgender students, parents and facility needs and concerns. The intention of this law is to foster an environment of learning, success and opportunity for all students — not just the students who can neatly fit into the ever-confining box of intersectionality (race, sex, gender, class and so forth). In this day and age, most students don’t fit in the box of race, class, sex and gender identity all that neatly, imploring the question: Why do we still live in a world of hegemonic and ideological discourse of binary representation when the composition of student bodies is more of an array of representation? Among the opponents to the law, the religiously affiliated Privacy for all Students Coalition has been very loud about their opposition, determined to dismantle this law with all the ammo they have. It’s just their view of “abomination’’ and a policing of sexuality that is not expressed in heteronormative ways. Their opposition stems from their fear that transgender students being in the same bathroom and locker room with other students is “harmful.” It insinuates the pervasive view of transgenders’ “innate” perversion that will be expressed to their heteronormative kids if not suppressed. This has been entrenched in common narratives, based in a fear with no credible basis other than a subjective place of hatred. The only “harm” it’s doing is dismantling the binary gender expressions, and giving spectrums of what is “norm” to all kids — as well as the “harm” it has had on transgender students emotionally and physically by constantly being denied basic rights. Opponents have raised other
concerns; for example, if a biologically born boy who identifies as a girl plays on a girls sports team, would it be an unfair advantage? This assumption is refuted by the fact that it perpetuates standards of gender expression that boys are stronger, more aggressive and more competitive than girls. In fact, the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body on sports rules and regulations, already
This law potentially provides a new array of normalities and breaks down the hegemonic discourse that relies on gender conformity and binary as an acceptable space, when in actuality it is very confining. has regulations in effect that protect and support transgender participants in sports teams. The most erroneous concern is that the law would make other kids uncomfortable to be interacting with kids who don’t fit the gender binary. People need to see discomfort is nothing when it is on the basis of creating an unwelcoming and unsupportive environment for transgender students. All that students, parents and advocates want in any learning environment for children is the respect and dignity that should be afforded to everyone — period. This law potentially provides a new array of normalities and breaks down the hegemonic discourse that relies on gender conformity and binary as an acceptable space, when in actuality it is very confining. Allowing for kids to identify themselves, instead of various institutions identifying them, will bring immense progress to accepting ■H individuals’ intersectionality.
The opinions expressed in the Opinions section belong solely to their authors and do not represent the Highlander Editorial Board or the University of California, Riverside.
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. FEATURES .
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
: t H l a G n I L o i T t a O n P
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By Alexander Suffolk, Senior Staff Writer // Photos by Richard Lin and Will Huynh
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ast Friday night at HUB 302, everyone was dressed their best in formal shirts and ties or dresses and heels. Along the walls, there were stacks upon stacks of fresh pizza and churros ready for sale, a variety of items for auction, and a professional photo area. And at the heart of it all was a bona fide stage, which would go on to host 12 performances by the end of the night. It was the Sixth Annual Kids Rock Benefit Concert (K-Rock) held by UCR’s branch of Circle K International (CKI), and it wouldn’t have taken long for one to notice the grandeur in the room and know that they’re in for a hell of show. Of course, that grandeur really shouldn’t come as a surprise; Circle K International is the largest collegiate volunteer organization in the world (with branches as far out as China and Haiti) and UCR’s own branch has upward of 130 members. And while K-Rock is their largest-scale event, CKI remains committed to its mission of service year-round. “We do anything, and everything, really,” said CKI Vice President Katerina Yu, “Whatever speaks out to us.” Some of their ongoing services include tutoring at Longfellow Elementary School every Monday, working with a food bank on Jefferson Street every Wednesday and a different community service project every Saturday. “I feel like that kind of differentiates us from other service orgs in that we have so much service for people to do that they can pick and choose which ones to attend,” said CKI President Vincent Ng. “But the best part is you’re helping people, and sometimes you get to see them smile.” K-Rock started six years ago when a past CKI president was able to gather a few musicians together to play at the Barn to raise money for Pediatric Trauma Program, and has been a great success every year. Last year’s concert brought in $2,000 in just one night! But it’s not just because of the monetary success that CKI keeps putting on this show. “It’s more of an outreach thing. One of our goals was to get the campus involved and supporting each other and supporting other organizations. It creates this great community and network not only of service, but enjoying music together for a good cause,” said Yu. “And everyone likes music,” added Ng. This network of organizations was apparent in the slew
of performances from UCR groups and artists as well as other reputable performers like headliner and prominent YouTuber David Choi. With so many artists lined up, KRock started at 5 and ended at 10 p.m. for a whopping five hours of continuous performance. The first performance was from UCR’s Senryu Taiko, whose signature booming drum beats and stick rattling filled the air as the audience went from a collection of early birds to a modest crowd. Next up was the student a capella group, Not So Sharp, who started drawing the audience to the stage with their melodies and talented beat boxer, ending their set with a particularly great medley of “Billie Jean,” “September” and “Smooth Criminal.” After that was Hip-Hop Congress, who brought an incredible energy to the stage, bringing more of the audience away from their chit-chatting clusters in the back of the room and toward the front of the stage chanting “K-Rock! KRock!” Then there was Kat Padlaan, who presented an acoustic rendition of the great 90s childhood classic that is the Pokemon theme song before delving into some of her original work. And then there was HMWK (pronounced “homework”), a hip-hop duo that pumped the energy back up in the audience after the preceding, more relaxed tunes. Easily noticed near the end of HMWK’s set was the giant horde of yellow shirts, suspenders and beanies that began pouring into the room. It was the dance group Collective Faction, who performed a huge dance number with music and costumes to the theme of “Despicable Me,” complete with the absurd collar of Vector and a giant, stuffed “it’s so fluffy” unicorn. The sheer amount of people moving in perfect synchronization was almost hypnotic, and looking away for just a second would mean missing at least seven things at once. After that was violinist Albert Chang, also known as Sleightlymusical, who attempted to use music in a different way than the other performers. Specifically, by showing the audience how his special knowledge of music and tonology can be used to read people, turning his piece into more of a magic show than anything else. He took volunteers, had them draw on large sheets of paper what they felt from his violin-playing and was able match up each
drawing to its artist based on who their favorite musician was. For his last trick, he upped the ante by recreating the last volunteer’s drawing without ever taking a glance at it. The lights came on then for an intermission, answering the question in many minds that yes, all that entertainment was just half of the night. But with the lighting back, it was noticeable that the amount of people in the room had grown exponentially since the early performances. Also noticeable was no significant drop-off in attendance — a pleasant rarity among most HUB 302 affairs, especially so for those of this length. It seemed as though everyone was enthusiastic enough to stick around laughing with one another, dance, line up for photos with David Choi or grab another churro. The friendly sense of togetherness that permeated the room the entire night really resonated with the second tenet of CKI’s new slogan: “Come for the service, stay for the fellowship and aspire for the leadership.” The intermission ceased and a slew of student performers brought the students back into the music. Mark Mejia, Dianne Tulud and Joshua Quinto, and Natalie Yip all produced serious cheering and praise for their own renditions of classics and top 40 songs. Following them was the hip-hop artist and one-man-show DanakaDan, whose unceasing hype had everyone’s hands in the air nearly the entirety of his performance. Finally, David Choi and his band took the stage, and despite having stood, swayed, bobbed and danced for four hours prior, the audience warmly received their headliner. While he kept apologizing for being jet-lagged, it was impossible to tell if he actually was bringing anything less than his very best to the table. His smooth jams and warm vibes were a perfect way to end the night. “The golden moments for me (of being in CKI) are when I see our influence outreach to other people,” said Yu. “Hopefully that fosters a whole new generation of people who give back.” And after attending the Sixth Annual Kids Rock Benefit Concert, one can’t help but be inspired to become a next part of that new generation. Because whether it is for serving those in need, or for a marathon of music, Circle K International really knows ■H how to bring people together.
Circle K International gathered together 12 per formers for a total of five hours of music and dancing. UCR’s ow n Senr y u Taiko opened for the night’s per formers. Headliner Dav id Choi, along w ith other student solos and group per formers sang their hear ts out for the Pediatric Trauma Program. UCR’s dance group Collective Faction also showcased their skills and coordination for the audience.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER
UCR AROUND THE GLOBE
PARIS, FRANCE
NAME: Carina Glasser YEAR: Sophomore Major: Media and Cultural Studies COUNTRY: France Host Institution: UC Paris
I
came to France without knowing any of the language, the culture or the monuments (besides the Eiffel Tower and “bonjour”). I was worried that I would get lost and not be able to find my way home, or I would try to order a baguette and nobody would understand me. I have always wanted to study abroad. When I came to UCR, I knew I could not leave the university without doing it, so I applied during my first year. I chose the Paris Language and Culture program because I wanted to learn a new language as well as have the pleasure of living in another country for a couple of months. Luckily, I have a family friend who lives in Paris who I was able to live with and who introduced me to the French culture. I will never forget the moment I stepped out of the metro station with my luggage in my hands. I looked up at the tall European buildings with a huge smile across my face. That is when I knew I had made the right decision to study abroad in Paris. Over the course of my two months there, I took a total of three classes — two French language courses and one on French culture. In a further exploration of French culture, every day after class, my friends and I would ride the metro to a famous Parisian site. We visited l’Arc du Triomphe, le Louvre and Notre Dame multiple times throughout our stay.
It was really interesting being immersed into a new culture with a new language. I tried to help my friend set up her phone at a local store, but we didn’t know enough French and the employee didn’t know enough English to set it up. We ended up communicating by drawing on a piece of paper and using Google Translate! Being there over the summer, I had the opportunity to experience Parisian culture at its finest. I listened to music around the streets of Paris at Fete de la Musique, celebrated France’s independence during Bastille Day, danced at the Fireman’s Ball and even watched the gay pride parade. In addition to traveling around Paris, I also took side trips to Brussels, Amsterdam, Brittany and Barcelona. It was amazing to see how different each city’s culture is, even though they are only a short train ride away. Being abroad also encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. I tried escargot and stayed in a hostel with strangers for the first time. My most memorable experiences from studying abroad were the times my friend and I would walk around the streets of Paris and get lost. We had so much fun exploring areas we never would have seen otherwise and always managed to get ourselves back to the metro without a map. During our last days in Paris, my friend and I were craving crepes so we decided to go to our favorite creperie,
but it was closed. We ended up walking for an hour until we finally found an open creperie and by then, we had no idea where we were. It didn’t matter though, because at least we got our crepes! One of the coolest experiences I had was going to my professor’s apartment on the last day of class. A couple other students joined as we ate baguettes, tried different cheeses off of a cheese plate, and drank wine, while talking to our professor about her life and practicing our French. It was like a typical French scene from a movie. By the end of my program, I felt like a true Parisian. I was a regular at L’as du Falafel (the best falafel joint in Paris) and had mastered the metro system. I knew where to stop for a good sandwich or crepe and where the best nightlife was. I felt like I had a new home. I learned a lot from my experience in Paris. I became more independent and culturally aware. To live in another country gives you an experience you can’t find any other way. I loved it so much that I am applying to study abroad again in the fall. Now I’m ready for my next adventure: Madrid! ■H
HIGHLANDER
@highlanderradar
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Events this week Wednesday | 1/22
Thursday | 1/23
Friday | 1/24
Saturday | 1/25
Of Montreal @ The Barn, 7:30 p.m. Duo Materiales Concert @ Culver Center, 8 p.m. Riot Grrl Show @ Blood-Orange Infoshop, 6 p.m.
Riverside Lunar Festival @ Downtown Riverside, 10 a.m.
C o u rt e s y
of
Universal Pictures
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
HIGHLANDER
MUSIC REVIEWS MEDIEVAL CHAMBER // BLACK KNIGHTS
RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ BY: JUAN EDUARDO FLORES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ith Wu-Tang backing as part of the Killa Bees, mentoring from the one and only RZA and production duties handled by the great guitarist John Frusciante (yes, from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and yes, this is still a hip-hop album), great music is expected from the Black Knights. Sure, the inclusion of Frusciante may seem a bit odd, but it’s generally known that he’s more than musically capable, even in this context. Now, with that knowledge, how did “Medieval Chamber” come out sounding so sloppy, amateur and generally uninteresting? The sound attempted here is lo-fi, which is a purposeful move considering the amount of backing this project has. The vocals largely suffer because of it, though; they’re lost in a puddle of their own monotone noise. While the audio was probably intended to evoke the feel of a large, open castle, all the vocals sound like they were recorded in the closet of a crumbling shack. Besides the sound quality, the lyrical style bleeds Wu blood. Bars are nonreliant on punchlines, but rather on heavy wordplay. This isn’t Raekwon and GZA 2.0, but Rugged Monk and Crisis Tha Sharpshooter hold their own. This is most evident in “Sword In Stone,” despite the artists’ self-titled
status as hip-hop’s resurrection on the track. The hook is simple and effortless (“They lovin’ the style, they lovin’ the flow”), supported by the gospel-esque background singing — funkadelic, actually. Luckily enough, even the beat carries the track, which is saying a lot considering how the rest of the album sounds. “Medieval Chamber” actually starts off on a high note with “Drawbridge,” creating an audio interpretation of the album’s cover art with introductory strings and gunshots. Then the song turns into maligned audio, switching beats twice. Each beat could have held its own as a song; instead, they’re spliced together. The gunshot string piece would have been amazing with bars over it. The production overall on the album is lackluster at best. Some songs are too slow, with lazy synths and barely-there drums. Others incorporate default beats with an upbeat tempo, but with the same boring synth. Then there’s “The Joust” … so bad. It’s almost unbelievable Frusciante could make this and “By the Way” with the Chili Peppers, considering how the album’s faults fall on its lackluster production. There are interesting sounds on the album, sure, but they just aren’t utilized properly and tend to muddle together in their respective
Courtesy of Record Collection
The vocals largely suffer because of it, though; they’re lost in a puddle of their own monotone noise
songs. “Roundtable” manages to make it work and “Sword In Stone” is the kind of song that grows on you — not much else is beyond okay, though. The overall album sounds like a rookie messing with the audio system Fruity Loops for the first time and creating random, uninspired melodies. Such an inspiring framework: the
mentors, the young talent and the musical support. It’s overwhelming how underwhelming the album is. There was so much potential, but no progression toward a good hiphop album — or an album, period. “Medieval Chamber” could have been much better, but this collaboration is straight weak. ■H
UNTIL THE COLOURS RUN // LANTERNS ON THE LAKE
RATING: ★★★☆☆ BY: JAKE RICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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ver the past 10 years or so, baroque-pop-influenced music has made a steady comeback. The likes of Arcade Fire, the National, St. Vincent, Regina Spektor and more have helped popularize the format characterized by emotional guitar builds, “wo-oh” choruses and strong, melodic piano and string sections. Continuing in this vein, Lanterns on the Lake attempt to establish their own stake in the genre with their second album, “Until the Colours Run.” Though it has enough moments of surreal melancholy to survive as a listenable piece, the album ultimately could not achieve the status of its influences due to one thing: the lack of any large, breathtaking moments. There are moments that come fairly close, like in “The Buffalo Days,” as a drum roll slowly builds until a fairly dramatic jittering guitar pops in — but like the album itself, it ends before its potential is achieved. What could have been built into a strong emotional release is abandoned for a pleasant, if
unremarkable, ending with lead singer Hazel Wilde singing over a simple acoustic guitar.
In fact, it is truly hard to say that there is a “bad” song or moment on the album — it’s just difficult to find any remarkable ones. A song in which this formula works at least a little bit better is in the title track, “Until the Colours Run.” Upbeat synths, melodic piano and a frenetic drum beat accompany Wilde’s fuzzed-out vocals as she soothingly sings the deceptively pessimistic lyrics, “The great crime of our times / was the silence and closing eyes / This could be ours for the making / but we’d sooner fold.” Here the band shows that they are in touch with feelings
Courtesy of Bella Union prominent in their generation of grand dreams counteracted by crippling self-doubt. In a song like this, Lanterns on the Lake show their potential; even if the song is not perfect, it shows what they are capable of lyrically and sonically. This is by no means a bad album — just one that could have been so much greater. Songs such as the beautiful lo-fi piano ballad “Green and Gold” showcase the emotional vulnerability that their influences explore so well. In fact, it is truly hard to say that there is a “bad” song or moment on the album — it’s just difficult to find any remarkable ones. The fact that I had to consciously try and stay awake during my first few listens to the record shows how this album is sorely lacking in any truly grandiose moments. As I said before, this is by no means a bad album. Lanterns on the Lake showcase their self-described “cinematic indie” style in decent fashion by churning out some beautiful dreamy tunes. I wouldn’t mind listening to this album in my
free time, but maybe that’s just because I’m a fan of the genre. It’s the band’s lack of any truly memorable moments that keeps them away from the level of The National or Arcade Fire, however. A lyric in “The Ghost that Sleeps in Me” says, “Are we
a dying breed? / The last of the real thing?” If this album is any indication, Lanterns on the Lake are certainly one of many — and if they want to stand out from the crowd with more than just a “good” album, they’ll have to ■H step up their game.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
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HIGH HOPES // BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
RATING: ★★☆☆☆
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BY: NATHAN SWIFT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ighlighting the ups and downs of working-class life has always been the shtick for Bruce Springsteen’s career. Unfortunately for The Boss, the Vietnam-era listeners that gave him mainstream success are rapidly aging, and he seems thoughtfully aware of this in his newest album “High Hopes,” where he tries to add some youthful edginess to his trademark storytelling. The result is a disjointed canvas that Springsteen awkwardly strokes his music upon, sometimes painting within the lines and sometimes missing them completely. Springsteen is known as The Boss because he has always appealed to the common American. To them, Springsteen knows how tough it is to exist while working a blue-collar, 9-to-5 job every day of the week to support a family; he understands that sometimes, the Establishment can just be unfair. This realistic portrayal tinged with optimism has been Springsteen’s calling card throughout his career. Until “High Hopes,” that is. Right off the bat, Springsteen abandons his trademark storytelling style in the title song. In it, Springsteen sings about an ambiguous, down-on-his-luck family man who sees “a breathless army breaking like a cloud / They’re gonna smother love, they’re gonna shoot your hopes.” The meaning of this is unclear — who or what exactly is the unnamed man afraid of? The storyless lyrics are backed up by a cheesy shuffle beat, an even-cheesier funk guitar track and a tight horn line that can easily be mistaken for a line from a 70s disco hit. The different components of the song just don’t mix, exemplifying the worst of this album’s awkwardness. “Frankie Fell in Love” is possibly Springsteen’s attempt at appealing to today’s youth who haven’t listened to much of his stuff. The Boss plays it safe here — it’s a love song with a simple pop beat that doesn’t reach beyond the three minute mark — and it works. The lyrics occasionally get sophisticated (at least for a pop song), with Springsteen crooning “Einstein and Shakespeare sitting, having a beer / Einstein trying to
figure out the number that adds up to bliss / Shakespeare says, ‘Man, it all starts with a kiss.’” Well-written lyrics complementing an upbeat song, espousing a happy message — this is classic Springsteen. What a shame that one of the best songs on “High Hopes” just so happens to be the shortest. And then there’s the album’s rendition of Springsteen’s classic “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” This song was recorded by Springsteen in 1995 as a slow, quiet folk song, but Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello plays alongside The Boss in this album’s heavier version, subduing the story with an overuse of guitar distortion and crashing drums that distract the listener from the song’s folksier message. Springsteen gambles on attracting the younger audience with the added edginess, but it’s precisely that new edge that makes it sound overblown. At age 64, Bruce Springsteen is well aware that he holds a winning formula for creating great music that has worked in the past. But with “High Hopes,” it’s a case of style over substance, and the nice hits are ■H easily matched by the painful misses.
Courtesy of Columbia Records and Wikimedia Commons
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
HIGHLANDER
MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT SOON:
I, FRANKENSTEIN
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT
THE LEGO MOVIE
THE MONUMENTS MEN
RIDE ALONG
RATING: ★★★☆☆
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BY: JOSHUA RAMOS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
he transition from successful comedian to movie star is a difficult feat. What used to be a shoo-in for superstardom is now something that makes or breaks your career, as many comedians have tried to make the giant step to film, but ultimately failed. Coming off the success of his groundbreaking stand-up shows “Let Me Explain” (2013) and “Laugh At My Pain” (2011), Kevin Hart is the next comedian to try to make the transition from comedian to actor. Hart has already had some positive success as an actor, with a movie-stealing supporting role in the successful film “Think Like A Man,” but has yet to cement his spot as a leading role. Hart’s latest film “Ride Along” — although empty of a main plot and altogether predictable — helps solidify the talented entertainer’s transition from successful comedian to all-around superstar. “Ride Along” centers around Ben Barber (Kevin Hart), a school security guard and police academy hopeful who doesn’t tend to take anything seriously besides his video games and fiance Angela Payton (Tika Sumpter). Before the couple can marry, Ben must earn Angela’s hand in marriage from her older brother, police officer James
Payton (Ice Cube). To earn James’ respect, Ben agrees to go on a ride-along with James, and from there they encounter a day filled with comical situations and danger-filled action sequences. The archetype for “Ride Along” is one that has been repeated by Hollywood many times: a buddy cop comedy with lots of laughs but no real substance as a movie. This film is no different. Loosely held together by a barely-there plot, the majority of the film involves Ben and James traveling around town. James places Ben into humorous situations in the hopes that Barber will give up on his quest to earn his respect. The story remains stagnant for most of the film and fails to pick up until the very end, when one of the calls James and Ben respond to connects to a case James had been working on. “Ride Along” isn’t a groundbreaking film or anything close to it, but rather an outlet for Hart’s comedic genius. On this notion, “Ride Along” fully delivers as a movie, as Hart’s comedic presence carries the film throughout its on-the-nose storyline. He embraces his character’s weak and overconfident personality and uses it to take his comedy to the next level. Hart is known for his talented stand-up, but in “Ride
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Along,” he pulls out every trick in his bag, utilizing his comedic genius, character’s personality and body language to maximize laughs in every situation. One scene that demonstrates Hart’s comedic genius is his impersonation of an arms dealer named Omar to save James. The diminutive Ben’s representation of the 6-foot Omar is so far-fetched that it leaves viewers in a state of constant laughter. With cop comedies like “Ride Along,” action scenes and explosions are already a given, but in-
stead of following conventions, “Ride Along” does a good job of saving its action and explosions for necessary scenes. Hart and Ice Cube succeed in keeping action sequences serious, but hilarious. This is apparent during the last call James and Ben respond to; while James realizes the call’s seriousness, Ben’s ineptitude leads him to believe the situation is all made up, which leads to some very hysterical back-and-forth banter between Ben and the suspects. Ice Cube and Hart execute their roles of
a street-hardened cop and an incompetent security guard perfectly, which makes for many more compelling and hilarious action scenes. “Ride Along” is not a brilliant film, nor is it different from any other cop comedy. Instead, it is a platform that will help cement Hart’s status as a leading man. As long as you don’t expect a compelling plot, “Ride Along” is a film that fans of Kevin Hart’s comedy and anyone who is looking for laugh will enjoy ■H thoroughly.
DEVIL’S DUE
RATING: ★☆☆☆☆
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BY: YASMIN KLEINBART, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
anuary has always been the month for the entertainment industry to dump movies that they have very little faith in. Their hope is to make a profit through bored teenagers who are not interested in the Oscar buzz. In “Devil’s Due,” directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett tried to remake Roman Polanski’s horror classic, “Rosemary’s Baby.” However, even with two directors, there is no creativity present. It feels less like a remake and more like a constant wringing of the same Antichrist gimmick that has been exhausted since the last five “Paranormal Activity” films. Zach Gilford and Allison Miller are cast as newlyweds Zach and Samantha McCall. When they go on their honeymoon to the Dominican Republic, they discover they have lost their memories of the night they agreed to go an underground party with their cab driver. When Samantha discovers that she is pregnant, they both become thrilled over their future family, until Zach starts to see a change in Samantha’s behavior and appearance and realizes that there is something else at work. While the use of the home video camera point of view is annoying and unoriginal, it can still be done smoothly. In “Devil’s Due,” it is the exact opposite of smooth. While watching a horror film, I want to cover my eyes from jump scares, not to prevent myself from getting nauseous. To keep the suspense intact, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett constantly switch the angles to keep
the next scare unexpected. However, those scares never come. The audience switches from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom and through the rest of the house, expecting some sort of event but just ending up bored by the time anything happens. Instead of trying to create something new, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet try too hard to make the same tactics scary to no avail. But what’s even more annoying about the use of found footage is the red herring surrounding it. For instance, the movie opens with Zach being interrogated in a police station about the situation he’s in, and then switches to the start of the footage that preludes the demonic possession. However, halfway through the film, it’s noted that all of that footage was mysteriously stolen from his office. So, how exactly did someone come up with this “documentary?” What’s even more irksome than red herrings is the constant build-up that takes two-thirds of the movie. First, there is Samantha’s unknown bruising, the nosebleeds, the breaking of all the windows in a car after almost being hit, and the occasional craving for raw beef in the grocery store and venison in the park. Are these pregnancy hormones or a demonic possession? No one seems to know until about the last 15 minutes. Even then, the suspense is non-existent. Even people who hate horror movies can predict Samantha throwing people with demonic strength and her destruction of a household with just a death stare. After 10 minutes of constant screaming
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
and finding random Satanists like a game of “Where’s Waldo,” it ends with an easy cop-out for a sequel and a horribly placed upbeat song in the credits. What happened to this “horror” film that I was supposed to be watching? The creative advertising was more entertaining than the movie itself. The film’s marketing department created a video of them building a fake baby with a demonic face, and leaving him unattended on New York sidewalks so unsuspecting civilians could observe the stroller. When they got close to the stroller, the baby popped out, showing
its hideous face and creating a hilarious montage of people’s horrified faces. So, if there is a craving to see some sort of a video about the infant antichrist, watch the marketing video on YouTube. It at least evokes some sort of emotion other than pure boredom. Overall, this found-footage genre needs to be put away for a while. With the plots getting more unoriginal and the scares getting more predictable, it just becomes a bore and annoying to sit through. However, with a film like this, even the devil himself deserves more respect. ■H
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
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JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT
RATING: ★★★☆☆ BY: JADE WILLIAMS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
C
IA analysis agent Jack Ryan is no new character to the world of film. In fact, “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” is the fifth in the action-packed series to be produced. Based on a series of novels by Tom Clancy, the newest rendition takes an inventive form as the first film that is not based on one of Clancy’s stories but instead acts as a prequel to the novels. Director Kenneth Branagh, who also plays the villain in his own film, uses a creative storyline to bring the fictional character of Jack Ryan to life. In previous films, actors such as Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck took on Jack’s role. The torch has now been passed down to actor Chris Pine, who has the responsibility of upholding the name and character that Clancy envisioned. With this burden to carry, the question is whether or not Pine — as well as the rest of the cast and crew — is able to uphold the good reputation this franchise comes with. And while Pine succeeds in filling Jack’s shoes, the overall film feels too unoriginal to make the performance memorable. Pine transforms into Jack, a CIA financial analyst who must take on the challenge of transitioning from a desk job to a CIA operative. Previously, Jack suffered from a back injury after serving in Afghanistan, which resulted in him being sent to a rehabilitation center. There he meets his girlfriend, Cathy (Keira Knightley), the medical assistant who helps Jack learn to walk again. While in the rehabilitation center, Jack also meets his future employer Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner), who offers him a desk job that gives him the opportunity to use his perceptive skills for the CIA. With this job, Jack is in charge of observing unusual patterns on Wall Street to prevent potential terrorist attacks on the U.S. Having to keep his CIA job a secret, Jack leads a double life between work and home that gets torn when he uncovers suspicious activity with the CIA’s Russian partners. Jack and Thomas must work together against the devious villain Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh) to handle a situation that could potentially destroy the U.S. economy. This reboot of the Clancy franchise is not only an action movie, but also contains elements of drama and romance
DESIGN
WRITE
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
that would make it enjoyable for movie viewers with different genre tastes. A plethora of scenes depicted the collision of these genres, such as Jack killing someone for the first time and having a very emotional and very real reaction. Although labeled an action thriller, it contained minimal extreme action scenes as the bulk focused on the plot. The film is not based on a novel, therefore there are fewer opportunities to misinterpret the source material — right? Wrong. Although the storyline was adequate, I couldn’t help but feel as if this movie was fairly predictable, consisting of the typical cliche action scenes, such as escaping a near-death explosion just like every contemporary spy film out there. Although it contained a good plot and action worth seeing, it brought nothing new to the table and was hardly groundbreaking. This new rendition was definitely entertaining to view, but very typical in the eyes of movie viewers who have grown accustomed to action movies such as these. Having to make an international spy film that walks in the shadows of previous films is a difficult task to take on. There is an ongoing dispute about
whether or not some movies should have sequels and prequels in order to preserve the greatness of the original films, or in this case, novels. However, the director preserved the heroic qualities of the character that made him so popular in the first place. No matter how many “Jack Ryan” films are made, the true
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significance of the films is the presence of a hero. Jack is someone who, no matter the circumstances, no matter the dilemma, will always be there in the end to save the day. Based on the new film, Clancy would be proud that the filmmakers did Jack Ryan some justice ■H despite the unoriginal plot.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
Track and field sets multiple records in Arizona opener JASON AHN Contributing Writer
The Highlanders started the 2014 indoor track and field season by breaking multiple school records last Friday at the Northern Arizona Lumberjack Team challenge. Caleb Stuart broke indoor records in weight throw, along with Ted Hooper and Danielle Littleton in men’s and women’s long jump. Stuart, a senior from Riverside Poly High school, broke his own record of 19.00 meters that he set in 2012 with a throw of 19.82 meters. Hooper, a junior from Arcadia High School, also topped his own previous record from last February, improving his jump from 7.19 meters to 7.56 meters. The third record was broken by Littleton, from Oceanside, Calif., who broke Lauren Reid’s fiveyear-old UCR record with a 5.66 meter jump. She also showed her athletic ability in the 60-meter hurdles with a fourth-place finish of 8.69. On the women’s team, Tiffini Stone placed first in the triple jump with an 11.42 meter jump. The 4x400 relay team, which included Noelle Abboud, Taylor Fleming, Keisha May and
Amber Wright placed sixth by clocking in at 3:53.69. Abboud led five Highlanders in the 60-meter with a time of 7.65. Wright competed admirably in the 200-meter, completing the 11th best time (25.30) followed closely behind by Camile Deadwiler with a time of 25.32. Rachel Tice also came in ninth place in the shot put with a distance of 13.08 meters. On the men’s side, there were several notable finishes in the field events. Michael Lewis Jr. placed second in the triple jump with 14.23 meters, followed by Jameson Madzingira who got third with a 13.85 meters jump. In the weight throw, Carl Nahigan placed fourth with a 16.94 meters, while teammate Uchenna Oniah was right behind him with a fifth-place throw of 16.86 meters. The men also had a pair of top five finishes on the track. The first came from Michael Kroger, the redshirt freshman from Gardena, Calif., who placed third with a 48.79 finish in the 400-meter. The second was earned from a combined team effort from Dylan Gates, Marcus Cummings, Kenny Grimble and BJ Smith in the 4x400 relay who placed fifth with a ■H time of 3:19.85.
Ted Hooper broke UCR’s record for the men’s long jump at 7.56 meters.
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HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
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Women’s basketball remains winless in the Big West CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer
to pick up a 77-67 road win over the Highlanders, improving their conference record to 2-1 while the Highlanders continue to search for a Big West victory.
JANUARY 16, 2014 .............................................................................
JANUARY 18, 2014 .............................................................................
Aggies 77 - Highlanders 67
Rainbow Wahine 74 - Highlanders 61
The UCR women’s basketball team entered Thursday’s home match against the UC Davis Aggies looking to right the ship after a 0-2 start to Big West conference play. UC Davis jumped out to an early 17-8 lead in the first half thanks to an 11-2 run, aided by five straight points scored by Aggie Alyson Doherty. As the half progressed, the Aggies were able to extend their lead to as many as 10 points. The Highlanders, however, were able to start a 10-2 run of their own late in the first half and cut the Aggie lead to 39-38 with 1:14 to go. Subsequently, a three-pointer by Kelsey Harris extended the Davis lead to 42-38. However, a made free throw by Brittany Crain and a buzzer-beating trey by Simone DeCoud knotted up the score at 42 going into the locker room. It seemed as though the Highlanders were the recipient of a momentum swing coming into the second half as they found themselves in the lead for the first eight minutes of the period. A Harris threepointer at the 11:24 mark allowed UC Davis to retake a two-point lead over the Highlanders, however. Harris’ three came in the midst of a 13-0 run by the Aggies that would increase their lead to 62-53 at the 8:34 mark. The Highlanders were never able to recover from the Aggies’ run, entering a scoring drought at the worst possible time. After shooting nearly 50 percent from the field in the first half, the Highlanders were only able to convert on 37 percent of their shots in the second, which resulted in UCR being outscored 30-16 in the final 13 minutes of the game. Thanks to their late rally, the Aggies were able
The shooting woes continued for the Highlanders Saturday night as they dropped their second straight home game to Hawaii, falling to 0-4 in the Big West Conference. Hawaii took control of the game early on, jumping out to a 20-7 lead that grew to 37-22 by the end of the half. There was no solace to be found for the Highlanders in the second period, as the Rainbow Wahine used the extra 20 minutes to extend their lead to as many as 21 points. A 7-3 run by the Highlanders allowed them to cut the lead to 68-57 at the 2:15 mark, but it was too little too late as the Rainbow Wahine closed out the game and emerged victorious by a score of 74-61. “We didn’t score when we had some opportunities. We didn’t score with a high enough efficiency,” Head Coach John Margaritis stated. “It was a game of two halves in terms of intensity level. And in terms of rebounding, we didn’t do a good job … Bottom line: Hawaii is a good team. They outplayed us. And they won.” “It hurts to lose all the time,” Brittany Crain said. “But we’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep working hard. We gotta just work hard for our coach because he’s working hard for us.” Despite the loss, three Highlanders finished the game with double-digit scoring. Crain led the squad with 21 points, while Simone DeCoud and Natasha Hadley followed with 11 points each. A two-game homestand looms on the horizon for the reeling Highlanders, who are set to face UC Santa ■H Barbara and Cal Poly on Jan. 23 and 25.
VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER Kiara Harewood (No. 1) brushes past an opposing University of Hawaii defender.
UCR men’s and women’s tennis opens season with losses STEVEN CAHILL Contributing Writer
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Both the men’s and the women’s tennis teams played their season openers this week. Squaring off against nationally ranked teams, the Highlanders suffered three losses, but managed to score multiple times in some hard-fought matches. The men’s team started their season last Thursday against Nevada, and displayed something that second-year coach Tim Downey hoped would be a key to the club this season: depth. Though Riverside was only able to win one match of the day, it is worth noting that it was one of the new
faces of the team who did it. Junior player Sean Yun transferred to Riverside this year from Wright University in Ohio and started the season in style, winning an exhausting three-set match. Other new players in the singles lineup include Jack Felich, Cooper Bridge, Sean Robles and Michael Carella. Every Highlander but Yun lost their singles matchups in two sets. Doubles did not fare any better as the Highlanders lost their two finished matches. On Sunday, the men’s tennis team started a 10-game road trip as they faced San Diego State, whose men’s tennis team is ranked 49th in the country and includes
a player who is ranked 69th overall. However, the Highlanders stepped up to the challenge and played extremely well despite losing, 5-2. Both Cooper Bridge and Calvin Ngo won their singles matches in grueling three sets, accounting for the two points Riverside scored on the day. “Honestly, our men played fantastic, and have improved immensely over the week,” Downey said after the matches. “I am so proud of their play, and how well they competed. Our future is so bright.” Improvement was shown across the board as the number of games won in the set each pair played either stayed the same or improved, though doubles has yet to secure
a victory. Sunday was also the season opener for the women’s tennis team, who played a nationally ranked San Diego State squad. Tiffany Jue fought for a three-set victory, which was Riverside’s only score of the day as they were defeated, 6-1. Both the men’s and the women’s teams have around a month until their first conference play, giving them plenty of time to sharpen up and improve on their winless conference records from last season. The men march on in a road trip, facing both Northern Arizona and Arizona this weekend, while the women play their home ■H opener this Friday against Air Force.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
. SPORTS .
HIGHLANDER
Jim Wooldridge named UCR’s newest athletic director DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
There’s a new man in charge — well, sort of. On Wednesday, Chancellor Kim Wilcox named Jim Wooldridge as UC Riverside’s director of intercollegiate athletics. Wooldridge served as the men’s basketball head coach for six years before stepping down to accept the position of interim athletic director in July. He now can drop the interim tag as he fills the athletic department’s most important position. It’s been a long road for Wooldridge, whose coaching career has spanned over four decades, but the Oklahoma native is more than ready for the challenge. “I am very excited, humbled to have this opportunity,” Wooldridge stated in an interview with the Highlander. “So energetic about what I want to accomplish for the department and what we can do to move our programs in a real positive direction.” “I’m pleased to name Jim Wooldridge as our new athletics director,” said Chancellor Wilcox in an official statement. “Jim has dedicated his professional life to the attainment of successful outcomes for studentathletes. In his more than six years at UC Riverside, first as a coach, and then as interim AD, he has taken a leadership role in the advancement of intercollegiate athletics, while promoting integrity, collective achievement and academic support across all sports. His close relationships
ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER Newly appointed Athletic Director Jim Wooldridge hopes to strengthen ties with the Riverside community and all 17 UCR sports.
on campus and in our region will be an asset as our athletics department moves forward.” The university has struggled in recent years to string together consistency in its 17 sports. Wooldridge plans to focus his time on trying to build closer ties with the community and student body as well as raising money for the athletics
department. “We’ve got to continue to work on improving the student athlete’s experience here on our campus. That’s the number one. We want to provide them with the necessary support so they can be successful,” he stated. “We can improve in all areas: baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, you name it. In
Division I athletics, it’s a day-to-day challenge … to help provide student athletes, coaches, programs with the best facilities.” Wooldridge knows the path certainly won’t be easy, but with southern charm and intuitive sports knowledge, he hopes to elevate UCR to the upper H echelon of the Big West conference. ■
Taylor Johns’ massive dunk rockets UCR to historic victory MELISA BIVIAN Contributing Writer JANUARY 16, 2014 ............................................................................. Highlanders 81 - Aggies 69
Keeping their heads held high, the men’s basketball team came back from a 19-point deficit to beat UC Davis Thursday night at the UC Davis Pavillion, 81-69. Shocking the Davis crowd, Riverside tied its program’s Division I-era record for the largest comeback in a game. Both teams started out strong as several buckets were exchanged. Davis, however, would slowly take the lead midway through the half with a 19-7 run, 34-19. Riverside attempted to recover, but was unsuccessful as they failed to connect in the last minute of the half, 41-27. The Aggies went nine-for-17 from the three-point range, including three treys from Corey Hawkins. Six minutes into the second half, Riverside stole all momentum from the Aggies. Making matters worse for Davis, the Aggies found their leading scorer Corey Hawkins on the bench due to an eye injury. Without Hawkins, the Aggies’ offense plummeted, which gave Riverside the advantage. Sam Finley connected on six of seven key free throws, paired with Taylor John’s phenomenal reverse dunk, which was assisted by Nick Gruninger. With two minutes remaining, the Highlanders would secure the victory as the Aggies failed to connect on their three point attempts, 81-69. UC Riverside shot over 70 percent from the field in the second half, connecting on six of seven three pointers during the period.
Johns once again led the Highlanders (6-11, 1-2) with 22 points, to go along with six rebounds. Off the bench, Finley sparked the team with 19 key points. Chris Patton added 14 points, while Steven Thornton tallied a total of 13 points. Hawkins led the Aggies with 18 points despite sitting out most of the second half. JANUARY 18, 2014 ............................................................................. Rainbow Warriors 100 - Highlanders 69
Coming back from a record 19-point deficit, the men’s basketball team hoped to even its conference record by defeating Hawaii (12-5) Saturday night. Hawaii, however, would send Riverside packing with yet another loss as they took the victory, 100-69. Four minutes into the first half, the Rainbow Warriors led by double digits, 12-1. The Highlanders struggled to connect as they missed jumpers and turned over the ball. Throughout the half, Riverside could not keep up with the pace established by Hawaii, who pulled forward by 25 points with only two minutes remaining, 49-24. Highlander Sam Finley gave it his all as he led the half with 10 points. Hawaii ended the half with three players in double digits: Garrett Nevels, Christian Standhardinger and Brandon Spearman. Hawaii connected on 20 of 22 free throws compared to Riverside’s 11 of 18. Riverside continued to push forward in hopes of cutting the lead, but would fall short. Hawaii dominated in every aspect of the game as they led by as many as 40 points throughout the night. Riverside cut the 40-point deficit to 31 points on two occasions but didn’t get closer than that as the game would
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
Sophomore Taylor Johns (No. 5) excites the crowd after performing a dunk.
come to a close with Hawaii on top, 100-69. Freshman guard Finley had a great week as he once again led Riverside with 19 points. Austin Quick scored 15 points, while Chris Patton would tally
a total of 11. Hawaii’s Standhardinger led all scorers with 27 points. The Highlanders will now return home to face UC Santa Barbara (11-5, 2-1) on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Student ■H Recreation Center Arena.