FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
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 08
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NAPOLITANO VISITS UCR:
STUDENTS VOICE SUPPORT, PROTEST
UC President Janet Napolitano’s visit to UC Riverside sparked protest among students who were dissatisfied with her appointment as the head of the UC system.
Michael Rios SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Colin Markovich SENIOR STAFF WRITER
U
Winnie Jeng SENIOR STAFF WRITER
C President Janet Napolitano continued her month-long tour of each of the 10 UC campuses this past Monday, Nov. 4 with a trip to UC Riverside. It proved to be an eventful visit full of meetings and discussions with administrators, faculty members and student leaders, in addition to protests by some of her fiercest critics. Meetings with campus leaders The sky was cloudy and the air still chilly as Napolitano arrived at the Alumni and Visitor Center at 7 a.m., starting her long day of visits by convening with a diverse group of student leaders. During the talks, a series of questions “ranging from fiscal discussion to social justice causes,” were brought up, according to ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref, who attended the meeting. “She seemed to be listening and engaging with the students and I am hopeful to see more actions being taken like her allocation of $15
OPINIONS
million to students,” said Aref, referring to the $5 million in non-state, non-tuition funds that will each go toward funding undocumented students, postdoctoral fellows and graduate researchers. Napolitano’s campus tour was kept lowprofile, as she was accompanied by only a handful of aides and her itinerary was not released to the public until the visit. “She was there to listen, and that’s what she did,” David Chavez, a second-year Ph.D. student said. “Unfortunately, she came 15 minutes late to the meeting and left 15 minutes early, so unfortunately we didn’t get to have a full chance with her today.” In the time the UC president was there, topics discussed ranged from genderneutral bathrooms to supporting student veterans. After convening with students, Napolitano met with the UCR administration, including Chancellor Kim Wilcox, and embarked on a tour of the campus proper. “We talked about the traditions of the past, the values of inclusion that are here (and) the value of academic excellence that we’re built on,” Wilcox said. “She’s here to learn and it’s a great opportunity for us to help her understand what we’re all about here at UCR.” Following up on a suggestion by a student, Napolitano made a brief, unscheduled stop at Chicano Student Programs (CSP). CSP
FEATURES
Editorial: Students should be cautiously optimistic about Janet Napolitano’s tenure as UC president. PAGE 8
Winter is Coming, but a Game of Thrones-inspired beer is here now! Check it out at the 21 and Over Club. PAGE 13
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER
Director Estella Acuna was in the middle of a meeting when a student stepped in to report that Napolitano had arrived. “I’m glad she came to visit our space,” Acuna remarked, noting that Napolitano asked questions about the uniqueness and benefits CSP provided students. Napolitano then opened the floor for student questions, but only one student was able to receive a response before Napolitano moved on. After visiting a variety of additional locations on campus, Napolitano stopped by the School of Medicine Education building, where she spoke with the inaugural class of the school of medicine and had lunch with the 10 deans of UCR. She also met with creative writing professor and California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera and eight graduate and undergraduate students. She exhibited great interest in the students’ academic pursuits, asking them questions such as, “When do you know the poem is really working?” and “What poets are you studying?” “We invented poetry on the spot, sang it in ‘opera’ voices, and invited President Napolitano to do the same — and she did. This was inspiring — she even rhymed!” Herrera recalled. “The NAPOLITANO CONT’D ON PAGE 5
RADAR
SPORTS
For Wu-Tang fans and hiphop aficionados alike, GZA’s presentation at the HUB was nothing short of incredible. PAGE 16
Men’s soccer advances to the Big West tournament in a decisive do-or-die game against Cal State Fullerton. PAGE 23
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGHLANDER
UC Riverside clears the air about smoke-free policy devin deshane CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Beginning Jan. 2, 2014, UCR will implement the campus-wide policy of maintaining a nicotinefree environment, which will apply to all students, faculty members, staff, contractors and visitors. The new policy bans the use of cigarettes, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, unregulated nicotine and other smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco on campus. Partial exemptions to the policy will be granted for research, educational or clinical purposes and traditional ceremonies of cultural and religious groups. It will be regulated upon all university-controlled property, including land, buildings, parking lots and private residential space owned by the UC. “Through the authority provided in California Gov. Code 7597.1, the governing bodies of the University of California have the authority, in establishing policy for smoking and tobacco use, to set enforcement standards at local campuses,” reads the policy. While there is not yet a monolithic set of punishments for those breaking the policy, UCR offers assistance to smokers who may need help in making the transition. Those wishing to cease smoking may go to Student Health Services, which is located in the Veitch Student Center and
adjacent to Lot 15, between the residence halls and the main part of campus. Free, on-campus services will include an in-person, phone or email consultation to judge an individual’s readiness to quit or a seven-week group session support scheduled at one’s own convenience. UCR also held campus programs such as “Cleaning the Air Expo,” which gave students the opportunity to hear about the latest smoking research by UCR faculty. On Nov. 21, the Health Center will host the “Great American Smokeout Mock Funeral” at the Bell Tower from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which a casket will travel from Coffee Bean to the Bell Tower for a silent funeral procession. A giant cigarette will then be thrown into the casket, symbolizing both the school’s commitment to being tobacco-free and reminding people of the possible life-threatening effects of smoking cigarettes. “If just one person gives up smoking as a result of our efforts, then this will be considered a success,” said Dr. Ken Stewart of the UCR Student Health Center. Those seeking more information on the UC smoke-free policy can visit the UCR Tobacco Free website. Information on the campus health center can be found at wellness.ucr.edu.
G r a p h i c b y B r a n d y C o at s Scotty Highlander, along with nine other UC campus mascots, are stamping out tobacco smoking on campus starting Jan. 2, 2014.
november
Laura Nguyen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tom my Su l i man of St ick Figure pl ays of f of t he go o d v ib e s f rom t he B ar n c rowd.
Quotebook “The only way for you to get inexpensive housing is to make it higher density.”
Upcoming Events
Photo of the Week
Tuesday
12
Virtual Connections: Spotlighting East Coast Employers Noon - 1:30 p.m. HUB 355
Surviving the Jump: A Suicide Survivor’s Story 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. HUB 302 South
13
Wednesday@Noon: Quartertone Incandescence 12:10 p.m. - 1 p.m. ARTS 157
Wellness Wednesday: Native American Beading 4 p.m - 6 p.m. HUB 269
14
Identifying and Responding to Depression and Suicide 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. HUB 355
Volleyball: UC Irvine 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
15
Home Decorating for the Holidays 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. UCR Extension Center
Volleyball: Long Beach State 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
16
Workshop on Southern California Indian Basketry 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. UCR Extension Center
Men’s Basketball: Montana State (Homecoming) 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
17
No Event
Sunday
18
Trans Day Remembrance Display 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. HUB Concrete Display Wall
Dining Etiquette Skills 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. HUB 268
Monday
- Riverside Councilman Mike Gardner on concentrated housing in the region.
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4
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
Reemergence of Riverside streetcar may become a reality S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Standing at 80 feet tall, a bright red streetcar made a pit stop between Main and Orange Streets on Thursday, Nov. 7. Back in early October, the Riverside City Council acquired a $237,000 state grant to pay for a one-year feasibility study by Riverside Reconnects, which would determine whether the electric or light rail vehicle can connect downtown Riverside to UC Riverside, while increasing property values and investments in the region. With the help of its manufacturer, Siemens and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, the streetcar is touring through Riverside to San Diego. According to city officials, nearly 200,000 individuals work, study and reside within the proposed streetcar route in the city of Riverside. Pacific Electric, also referred to as the Red Car system, once consisted of electrically powered streetcars, light rail and buses in Southern California — making it the largest electric railway system during the 1920s. The mass transit system formerly fell out of favor two decades later, due the emergence of the San Bernardino freeway in 1941 and the Southern H California Metrolink in the 1970s. ■
C o u rt e s y o f C i t y o f R i v e r s i d e Riverside recently acquired a hefty grant to test the feasibility of a modern streetcar for one year.
Agenda preview of the November 2013 UC Board of Regents meeting
J a s p e ry G o h /HIGHLANDER Janet Napolitano will be attending the UC Regents meeting for the first time as its president.
S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The UC Board of Regents meeting is convening from Nov. 12-14 at the UC San Francisco Mission Bay. Here are a few highlights to look forward to this week: • UC Student Association President Kareem Aref plans to speak on behalf of system-wide campaigns such as Fossil-free UC, Jobs! and IGNITE. • UCOP will address ways to provide competitive financial support for doctoral students, both internationally and domestically, as seen through two UC reports. UCR currently offers nonresident supplemental tuition for all incoming U.S. residents outside California for the first three quarters and all incoming international students for the first four quarters. • The UC Committee on Grounds and Buildings will ask the regents to extend the pilot phase of Capital Improvement projects by two years — from March 31, 2014 to March 31, 2016. Current UC Riverside projects that would be included in the extension are environmental health and safety expansion, health sciences teaching center, east campus infrastructure improvements phase two and the Student Recreation Center expansion. • The release of a 2012-13 annual report revealed nearly 300,000 private donors gave nearly $1.64 billion to the UC. The contributions are dedicated to research, endowed faculty chairs, H departmental support, capital projects and student support. ■
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
5
NAPOLITANO CONT’D FROM PAGE 1
students felt (that) she was a real person, with a love for poetry, creativity and also filled with inspiration like them … I am very appreciative of our Chancellor’s invitation and of President Napolitano’s willingness to have a moment with our marvelous poets of the future.” Student protests The president’s visit to campus was not unanimously welcomed, however. As the day warmed, protests ignited, with some members of the UCR community voicing their opposition to Napolitano’s selection as UC president. According to campus officials who were present during her visit to the school of medicine, the protests outside “didn’t faze (the meetings),” and that the environment inside was “very calm.” But outside the building, an entirely different story unraveled. The demonstration, composed of 30-40 students and campus workers, was in full swing as the sun beat down on protesters voicing their concerns over the appointment of Napolitano. The students gathered at the Bell Tower before marching to the school of medicine, where the group surrounded the three exits of the building, shouting chants such as, “Napolitan — no! Student workers — yes!” and “Whose university? Our university!” A familiar topic addressed throughout the demonstration was the record number of deportations that Napolitano spearheaded as the secretary of Homeland Security. “Napolitano is the new UC president, but previously her position was the chair of Homeland Security,” stated Norman Barrios, a fourth-year ethnic studies and history double-major. “So she’s responsible for 1.5 million deportations (and) a lot of families being broken up. And, so as constituents of undocumented students, we are concerned with her appointmentship.” Other issues raised by students were that Napolitano would “militarize” and “privatize” the public university system. “Thousands of students in the community from UCR and the UC system came out and demonstrated against the draconian budget cuts that the UC was putting on
and placing in the backs of workers and of students,” UCR student and former ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Lazaro Cardenas declared through a bullhorn. “Meanwhile, UCPD across the state ... was being considered to get armored vehicles; was getting bullet-proof vests; was pepper-spraying students in Davis; batoning students in UC Berkeley and also shooting pellets at UC students on Jan. 19,” he went on. All the while, staff members from the school of medicine could be seen curiously peeking through the windows from the top floors of the building, watching as the protesters continued with rallies, chants and speeches. For over two hours, the protests raged on without an appearance by the UC president. One by one, the demonstrators started to disperse. By 3 p.m., with the trees and buildings casting ever-longer shadows, the plaza surrounding the school of medicine steadily
silenced as the protesters grew weary of waiting for Napolitano to emerge. Leaving UCR Napolitano concluded her tour of the campus by meeting with members of the community including Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey. As the sun set, Napolitano headed back to Oakland, the headquarters of the University of California. “Janet Napolitano had a good visit on Monday,” stated UCR Director of Media Relations Kris Lovekin following the meeting. Before departing, Napolitano spoke with the Highlander, summing up her vision for the UC. “We want to make sure we’re as affordable as we can be and that our doors are wide open,” Napolitano said. “And I think we also want to support the research aspect. It’s really what makes this university world■H famous.”
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Protestors stormed the surroundings of the School of Medicine Education Building with posters and megaphones in hand in reaction to UC President Janet Napolitano’s visit to UCR.
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGHLANDER
City officials temporarily prohibit housing expansion Colin Markovich SENIOR STAFF WRITER
S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Riverside City Council has unanimously approved a moratorium on Nov. 5, that will prevent homeowners from adding more rooms in single-family housing for 45 days. During a public meeting, council members argued that the restriction is geared at investors, who may illegally rent out “cut-ups” — rooms that are divided or expanded to make additional bedrooms — within the neighborhood, driving down long-term housing demand from potential buyers. Councilman Mike Gardner said the city is unable to provide “lowball” student housing due to legal restrictions and limited funds from the state. “We (want) to create a super level of affordable housing, but under state law, student housing doesn’t count,” said Gardner. “We need high-density, affordable housing.”
City Attorney Greg Priamos previously told the council in June that homeowners should be permitted to voluntarily expand their homes. “We cannot refuse to approve those plans as long as they meet the required codes,” said Priamos. However, the Press-Enterprise notes that the city council has changed its position, reporting, “Now however, it turns out ... they probably can.” A collective of about 10 UCR students attended the meeting to oppose the moratorium on the grounds that students were not sufficiently involved in the city council’s decision-making process. “I am not here to tell you that I am against (the moratorium). What I’m here to tell you is that the students aren’t part of the discussion right now,” ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs Kareem Aref said. “You are responsible for making sure that these students are taken care of.” “I don’t think that you realize how much the ordinances that
NEWS IN BRIEF
you are passing are disrupting our education,” ASUCR Senator Abraham Galvan said, giving voice to concerns that the moratorium discriminated against students. Other students criticized the fact that the moratorium was passed in emergency session,
the prerequisites for which were described at the meeting as an “immediate threat to the public health, safety and welfare.” The feedback from the nonstudent audience was mostly positive. Kevin Dawson, a UCR alumnus who lives in the university neighborhood,
characterized the moratorium as a “time-out” until the city council can determine a better solution. “To me, this is not a commentary on students who rent homes in our neighborhood,” Dawson emphasized. “This is dealing H with out-of-town investors.” ■
COMPILED BY JOSEPH AVILA, contributing writer
TAPS ALLOCATES ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES AT UCR Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) has recently acquired approximately 80 parking spaces from the Grace United Methodist Church, located off Rustin Avenue, to offset the lack of available parking spots to UCR students. The lot is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It lies adjacent to Lot 26 and is accessible through the north entrance to the Methodist church. Students must still obtain a valid UCR parking permit to be allowed to occupy a space. TAPS asks that student drivers “please pay attention to signs and only park in the area designated for UCR use.” Due to the proximity to other student parking lots and housing, the RustinBlaine area experiences a naturally higher crime rate. From January to September
C o u rt e s y o f W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s Riverside is targeting homeowners who illegaly rent out split rooms by imposing a moratorium for 45 days starting Nov. 5.
of this year, crime statistics estimate 200 property crime reports with theft composing a bulk of that figure. Police Officer Marlon Lynch of the UCPD Crime Prevention Unit says that the lot will undergo the same type of patrolling and scrutiny that the other parking lots receive to further diminish the crime rate. In reaction to the additional parking spaces, third-year political science major Delaram Ahmadyveasi said, “I appreciate the additional parking spaces but I hope that UCR can find a longer-lasting solution to the impacted parking space problem.” She acknowledged the university’s efforts at alleviating the traffic congestion around campus, but she also held a reserved optimism about finding places to park in the future.
‘CRAIGSLIST’ SITE CAN MAKE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EASIER TO FIND A new undergraduate research site will help connect graduate students conducting research to undergraduates who are looking to participate. Spearheading the project, ASUCR Senators Kelly Tran and Tin Dinh hope to create a website that makes research more easily accessible to undergraduate students than the current UCR research website does. The project’s launch date is currently scheduled for the end of 2013. “The site that is available
is very difficult to navigate. Typing in ‘Undergraduate Research UCR’ in Google will direct the student to a site that will have multiple links that produce no end results,” says Senator Dinh. The new “Craiglist” site will correct this by creating a medium where researchers and participants can establish a direct correspondence via email. Graduate research projects will be posted as links and listed on one page.
Undergraduate students will be able to browse the projects and email the author of the posting they would like to assist in. Although the site’s main focus is to connect graduate students to the undergraduate students, it also intends to include professors and their project descriptions as well. The senators plan to drive traffic to the site by promoting it through learning communities at UCR. They also aim for it to be placed as a main link on the existing research website.
ASUCR PRESIDENT SEEKS TO DEVELOP UCR MOBILE APP ASUCR President Sai Patadia has proposed a project to condense information about campus resources and activities through a free UCR mobile application. With a beta version scheduled for release in early December, the app will include information from various departments including the athletics department, Orbach and Rivera Libraries, Transportation and Parking Services, and Dining Services. The app is designed to stream informa-
tion about recent developments within major campus departments. “Progress is slow,” says Patadia. “As of right now I am still meeting with various administration within computing and communications, and also the Interim Vice Chancellor of Finance and Business Operations, Chuck Rowley. We have been discussing the layout of the application and what its primary functionality will be.” The app may also greatly benefit commuters or non-
dorming students, according to Patadia, who may not be “in the loop” of campus happenings. “I think commuters feel this sense of disconnect from (UCR) that students who live on campus don’t,” third-year commuter Erika Lerma noted about the need for greater campus connectivity for students living off-campus. The app currently includes the aforementioned departments, but senators hope to expand the program to include about 20 departments by spring quarter.
LAX GUNMAN NAMES UC PRESIDENT NAPOLITANO IN MANIFESTO UC President Janet Napolitano was named in a one-page manifesto written by the Los International Airport (LAX) gunman, who shot two unarmed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and fatally wounded one of them on Nov. 1. The gunman, identified as Paul Ciancia, 23 of Pennsville, New Jersey, was said to have held a grudge against Napolitano. Carrying a manifesto
titled, “FU Napolitano,” he allegedly made a homophobic reference to her and revealed his motives behind the deadly shootings. According to federal authorities, Ciancia believed in anti-government sentiments and in a ‘New World Order’ conspiracy, which theorized the U.S. government was planning to take away guns and personal freedoms of Americans. Prior to the shooting, Ciancia was dropped off at LAX
and afterward made his way toward the area where TSA agents Gerardo Hernandez and Tony Grigsby worked at a checkpoint. The gunman opened fire and shot both Grisby and Hernandez, critically wounding them, returning minutes later to deliver Hernandez’s fatal shot at point-blank range. Ciancia was taken down by police gunfire and remains in critical condition at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medi■H cal Center.
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
7
ASUCR SENATE UPDATE
Legislation typos delay passage of senate resolutions
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Senator Abraham Galvan peers over the shoulders of fellow senators to read the IGNITE resolution while it is being read to the galley by President Pro Tempore Aaron Johnson.
Winnie Jeng SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The passage of two resolutions brought forth by the Legislative Review Committee (LRC) highlighted last Monday’s ASUCR senate meeting. After some complications with the editing of the resolutions, 14 senators present at the meeting unanimously passed a resolution to expand access to higher education for underrepresented students, as well as another resolution to recognize UC unions’ collective bargaining effort for bettering their constituents’ working conditions. The senate resolution titled, “A Resolution in Support of the UCSA IGNITE (Invest in Graduations, Not Incarceration, Transform Education) Campaign and UC Higher Education Diversity Pipeline,” supports a systemwide campaign led by UC Student Regent Cinthia Flores. The campaign urges the UC Office of the President (UCOP) to attain $10 million in funds to establish retention centers and support student recruitment across the 10 UC campuses. According to the resolution, these centers will tear down the barriers that exist for previously incarcerated students and facilitate their entry or re-entry to higher education. The campaign also calls for the state to divest from prison funding, as California is known for its high prison spending, and ranks 49th in the nation in education expenditures adjusted per pupil. The state spends four times as much on prisons rather than on education, investing $47,102 per inmate, compared to $8,482 per student. “We recognize that there definitely is a misallocation of resources and misunderstand-
ing of California’s top priorities when we place a much higher value on prison funding,” said Senator Michael Ervin. “Our state has such a high prisoner rate, and I think that it is something really unsustainable, especially if we want to continue the great prestigious legacy of UC legislation.” Vice Chancellor of External Affairs and President of the University of California Student Association (UCSA) Kareem Aref explained ASUCR’s effort
“Our state has such a high prisoner rate, and I think that it is something really unsustainable ...” -Senator Michael Ervin behind pushing this resolution across the senate floor is to gain a unified system-wide consensus of the support. “Because UCSA adopted IGNITE as one of its campaigns this year, part of the idea was to engage the constituency on the grassroots level. So there are resolutions like this one that are going through all the UCs right now,” said Aref. “We want to make sure that our (own) constituencies are engaged, and that our student government, outside of just being a sign that UCSA, is also in favor of it.” Aref announced his intent to speak in support of the IGNITE campaign during the next UCSA board meeting from Nov. 12 to 13.
During the reading of the resolution by President Pro Tempore Aaron Johnson, two typos were found in the writing. In addition, Aref motioned to strike one paragraph out of the resolution, since the bill mentioned in that paragraph had already died and was therefore irrelevant to discussion. Edits to the resolution required senators to re-vote on each adjustment made. As a result, few senators expressed frustration at having to vote again on the same piece of resolution and thereby delaying the meeting process. Senator Niela Darmani commented, “As LRC, it is our job to catch these errors, and I believe that they were caught when (this resolution) was reviewed by the committee. So when we do send back to whoever authors (the resolution), please have the adjustment already made so we don’t have to do it in the senate meeting.” The next resolution scheduled for voting, titled “Fossil Fuel Divestment Support in Divesting ASUCR and University Investments from the Fossil Fuel Industry,” was sent back to the LRC committee due to a fault found in the resolution’s composition. Since every reference to facts listed in the resolution requires footnote-style citation, senators voted to table the legislation until the missing footnotes were added. The next resolution on the voting docket was titled “ASUCR Resolution in Support of AFSCME 3299 and Campus Workers,” and called for the UC to compensate fair wages and ameliorate working conditions for the university staff workers, especially the American Federation of State, County and Mu-
nicipal Employees (AFSCME). In the beginning of the fall quarter, UC administrators notified AFSCME 3299 and other unions that they would be imposing cuts in pay and health benefits on its service workers. Many unions, especially AFSCME, were unwilling to comply with the university’s decision and appealed through strikes. Through the resolution, the senators sought to work in solidarity with AFSCME 3299 and its allies to create better working conditions and compensation. “UCOP should recognize AFSCME and the union workers’
“Workers are vital to the UC campuses ...”
-Senator Kelly Tran collective bargaining effort,” said Senator Kelly Tran. “Workers are vital to the UC campuses and it is unfair to see the UC executive compensation being increased so much, while the AFSCME 3299 workers are barely making ends meet.” The entire ASUCR body supported the resolution. However, one senator caught punctuation inconsistency in the resolution writing. The proceeding editing process further bogged down the course of the senate meeting as senators had to vote on adjusting the resolution before its final endorsement. Senator Nayeli Figueroa recommended LRC not pass anything with edits any longer to avoid prolonging the senate meeting with trivial grammar mistakes.
As Chair of the LRC, Johnson took blame for the complication. “I will take the fault for that LRC has not been reviewing edits once (they) were given back to us for the second time. It will not happen again. I will make sure that it is thoroughly read before it is processed at the floor.” But when addressing the authors of the resolutions, Johnson urged, “Please review and revise legislation before it is sent to the LRC. While our committee is designed to edit and revise legislation, we do expect submitted resolutions to be on par with basic university level writing requirements.” President of Students for Justice in Palestine Amal Ali brought to the senators’ attention a resolution expected to be proposed in the near future. The resolution previously called for UC to divest in companies that allegedly support apartheid in the Middle East, which caused much contentions within the UCR community last year. President Sai Patadia addressed concerns that ongoing conflicts, particularly between the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian student groups, may be reignited. “Last year, reflecting back on the resolution, a large issue was that not both two of the parties were aware that the resolution was coming to the senate,” said Patadia. He suggested Ali to contact the pro-Israeli communities at UCR and resolve as much disagreements as possible before the resolution comes to the senate. Ali replied that the resolution has not been drafted yet. But when it is prepared, the proIsraeli community organizations will be contacted. ■H
8
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
.. OPINIONS .. OPINIONS
7 HIGHLANDER
HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
NAPOLITANO’S MIXED RECORD MERITS CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Michael Rios
Colin Markovich
News Editor
Asst. News Editor
Sandy Van
Winnie Jeng
managingeditor @highlandernews.org
editorinchief @highlandernews.org
news@highlandernews.org
Opinions Editor
Colette King
opinions@highlandernews.org
A&E Editor
Rebecca Paredes
radar@highlandernews.org
Features Editor
Alexander Suffolk
features@highlandernews.org
Sports Editor
Asst. Sports Editor
Darren Bueno
Cody Nguyen
Photography Editor
Asst. Photo Editor
Vincent Ta
Cameron Yong
sports@highlandernews.org
photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers
T
he mission of the Department of Homeland Security is laid out simply: “The vision of Homeland Security is to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards.” Of the five core missions that the department seeks to carry out, it is the second one that has recently come of great interest in the eyes of UCR students: “to secure and manage the borders of the United States.” With Janet Napolitano’s selection as the newest and first female UC President, this question has become more relevant than ever due to her previous job history: secretary of Homeland Security. During her stewardship, the Department of Homeland Security deported more undocumented immigrants than any other administration in the country’s history. More than 21,000 border agents now patrol the United States’ borders, the largest number for at least the past two decades. Napolitano is now seen as a supporter of the war on undocumented immigrants and an operator of the government machine that rips apart the families of undocumented residents. Naturally, there is concern for undocumented students who have managed to find some solace in the UC education system. The University of California has been able to provide undocumented students a chance to surpass the boundaries of not being a citizen to be successful in a country that relegates them to the shadows. So it’s no wonder that there is hostility between undocumented students and the newly-appointed UC President Janet Napolitano. Being the former secretary for the Department of Homeland Security doesn’t really create a sense of comfort for undocumented students and their allies who already resent the department responsible for dismembering their families in the first place. It’s difficult to ask students to simply brush her past aside and demonstrate her directive skills.
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER
These concerns are justified, and we as students must be vigilant. But we must also remember that although Napolitano isn’t the most favorable choice and was selected by a flawed system, she isn’t a two-dimensional figure. Indeed, during her tenure as secretary and as governor of Arizona, she has made strides by calling for a more comprehensive immigration reform bill. She has also supported undocumented individuals by testifying in support of the DREAM Act and argued for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals before the House Judiciary Committee. These facts must be considered just as equally as her record of deportations is. But another question is also posed: How does someone who once worked for Homeland Security have the skills needed to manage a sprawling education system for the students of the University of California? Even though Arizona’s had a mixed record on public education, Napolitano has nonetheless championed bills to increase financial aid and renovate the state’s public education institutions. As the secretary for Homeland Security, Napolitano invested 2.2 million in national labs and universities across the United States to protect infrastructure. She has also strengthened efforts in outreach through the Office of Academic Engagement which is meant for outreach to academic institutions and created the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council, which has involved over 20 colleges and universities. This is all the more impressive given that she has been subject to the whims of a petulant and capricious Congress. As UC President, there really hasn’t been anything to promote such negative discourse since the only matter that has taken place in her new position is the decision to provide $5 million toward the education of undocumented students. Napolitano has also made an effort to reach out to every UC campus to learn about
the goals, aspirations and direction that each campus has. Yes, reaching out to the university campuses can just be considered a publicity stunt until further action is actually made in result of these visits. But the fact that she is making the trips is better than if she stayed put in Oakland. During her position as Homeland Security, thousands of United States residents were deported; however, as a student body it is our responsibility to control what she does for the University of California. Protesting before anything has been implemented may not be the best way for students to achieve the results we desire. We must show that we are strong and active — and that as a student body, we have the power to control what is delivered to us. The new University of California president now holds the duty to deliver and improve the education provided to all of its students, taking the good ideas with her and relegating the failures as things of the past. Her role now requires her to provide a quality education to both citizens and noncitizens despite their background, and she should strive to meet that goal. There is no reason to give Napolitano our full trust, but rather than prejudging her work as the newlyappointed UC president, we must keep a watchful eye over our school and the goals that she has in store for the students. We need to actively engage in each policy that is made to ensure that all students are being benefited in this system of top-tier education. Although students have valid concerns toward the appointment of Napolitano, these precautions should not be transformed into a blind hatred toward her but rather a reason to involve and inform others about the future changes that H may take place in the UC institution.■ Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.
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OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
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Hopeful policies will change UC education for the better Hsiang Lo CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mark Yudof, President of the University of California from 2008 to 2013, led the UC system through fighting times when budget deficits were apparent, but responded with countervailing measures. Although he entered the position with a plunging economy, his successfully implemented Project You Can and The Blue and Gold Opportunity plan have made a meritorious rebound for students of the University of California despite facing state funding cuts and personal unpopularity among students and legislators. But strategy and planning are not the only ways to overcome financial and educational needs. Replacing former President Mark Yudof, the first female UC President, Janet Napolitano, has ambitious aims to put California’s higher education and economic equality back on the correct trajectory. Being an immigrant and coming from a foreign background, it was extremely hard to receive financial aid for private and out-of-state universities. The UC system provided financial aid for me as a legal citizen. I am extremely blessed for the aid I have received to continue onto higher education, and undocumented students should be given the same treatment. Napolitano has not only made great headway with her initial fiscal policies toward international students, but has shown some urgency for undocumented students along with a postdoctoral fellowship program and graduate students, putting $15 million ($5 million each) toward financial assistance. The subsidy can help undocumented students to have less financial weight and therefore able to focus on their education. In light of Napolitano’s aid for undocumented students,
UC President Janet Napolitano admires a display across from the HUB while on her way to a private meeting at the Genomics building.
she will be expanding a postdoctoral fellowship program and a more qualitative graduate student recruitment. Napolitano is heading in the right direction, but some issues do raise concerns.
Affordable education is Napolitano’s promise for the UC. Social and economic diversity is an important aspect in a thriving society; but is it enough to heighten UC’s potential for higher education? As an immigrant and a full-time student, I empathize with both the undocumented students as well as the students with legal status. I am a strong
advocate of the DREAM Act introduced in 2001, which allows undocumented minors who have entered the U.S. at the age of 15 or younger, lived five years prior to the bill’s passage, achieved a G.E.D. or high school diploma, and are under the age of 30, to obtain conditional permanent residency of six years to fulfill a 2-year degree or two years of military service. Adhering to the criteria of the DREAM Act, I unwaveringly support giving legal status to children who were brought to the United States by their parents. But why is Napolitano’s funding of $5 million for undocumented students her top priority in her first major speech as president of the University of California? In an interview with New America Media, Napolitano wants to “offset some of the financial burden caused by the fact that they can’t get federal
UC President Janet Napolitano poses for a quick picture with Scotty Highlander in the midst of her jam-packed visit to UCR.
aid or work study grants.” She stated that the mission is to educate Californians regardless of their legal status, and to support aspiring students while they pursue their passions.
Napolitano promises to bring “big ideas” to the table, and I surely hope that she will deliver with conviction. Understandingly, by bridging the gap of economic inequality by making education affordable, advancement in our economy, intellect and overall wellbeing will be underway. Affordable education is Napolitano’s promise for the UC. This vision is the
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER
hallmark to greater social and economic diversity because affordability means that students from all backgrounds can have an opportunity at higher education. Higher education at a low and affordable tuition, in addition to a quota system that would extend the limitations for enrolling students, is a must so that more students can take their degrees to help contribute to a prosperous workforce for generations to come. Napolitano promises to bring “big ideas” to the table, and I surely hope that she will deliver with conviction. In her effort to imbue the spirit of higher education throughout California, Napolitano has remarked that the “California dream is really the American dream on steroids.” This approach is a seamless paradigm of success for current and future students of H the University of California. ■
J a s p e ry G o h /HIGHLANDER
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Humanities and STEM majors make strange but necessary bedfellows K e v i n B a e z a -C e rva n t e s CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Oh, you’re an English major? That’s interesting.” An assuring nod, a brief pause. “So, what are you planning to do with that? I’m often inclined to wince whenever I hear this question posited before me, especially when I’m introducing myself to someone new, because I sense in the words of my fellow questioner a subtle disregard. We share an intimation that my particular major isn’t quite as practical as, say, a degree in business. I love writing because I am able to express my deepest feelings and reflections in a way I’m not able to with any other artistic medium. At the same time, I am uncomfortably aware of the fact that writing novels and poetry these days isn’t going to put bread on the table as easily as if I were practicing in a lucrative law firm. But the humanities are not the haven of idle philosophizing they are misperceived as; rather, they provide more practical life skills than we think. Understandably, there has been a notable shift in students’ self-interests concerning the value of their college education. A recent New York Times article claims the purpose of college has been gradually transforming from receiving an all-encompassing education into establishing a credentialtraining ground that will guarantee graduates a decent job. As a result, students are led to believe that degrees awarded within the humanities have decreased. According to a 2003 survey by the Humanities Resource Center Online of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, degrees went from 17.7 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in 1970 to 6.7 percent in 2003. The absolute number of degrees awarded in the humanities declined, from 99,280 to 65,423 — during a period when total undergraduate enrollments at American colleges, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, increased by over 80 percent. But despite many reports detailing the drop of humanities majors since the 1970s, the number of bachelor’s degrees in the humanities has grown steadily since its low point in the 1980s, with more than 185,000 degrees reported in each year from 2009 to 2011. In response, Pauline Yu, president of the American Council of Learned Societies, lamented this gradual departure from the former worth of a college education: “College is increasingly being defined narrowly as job preparation, not as something designed to educate the
C o u rt e s y o f W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s In hopes of securing a stable fiscal future, undergraduates are pouring into the STEM majors and pulling out of the less secure humanities majors.
whole person.” It is no surprise then that enrollment into a STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics) or business major seems more appealing among the college student populace than enrolling into the humanities. Due to the current high costs of attending college, the huge debt incurred through loans and the dominance of science and technology in the global marketplace,
The humanities are not just a realm of high-minded contemplation of philosophical questions with no practical value; they offer skills alongside technical facility essential to the workplace. most students are inclined to pursue their undergraduate studies within the realms of the STEM and business administration departments, where the likelihood of finding a stable job with a good salary and paying off college debts is much more auspicious, rather than in an obscure but interesting
major in the humanities. However, the value of the humanities cannot be disregarded. The humanities are not just a realm of high-minded contemplation of philosophical questions with no practical value; they offer skills alongside technical facility essential to the workplace. The most important skill the humanities teaches students is being prepared for an unpredictable variety of occupations. Having the industry-specific knowledge of a technical discipline is vital, but in the chance of being laid off because of economic setbacks, having the interdisciplinary skills to adapt quickly in another field of work is advantageous. A background in critical analysis helps individuals consider every possible interpretation of a problem and allows them to make prudent, well-informed decisions as to how to proceed. Writing essays and research papers gets dull at times, but it improves our ability to articulate and communicate our ideas concisely and effectively on paper as well as in speech. To reinforce this sentiment, the Association of American Colleges and Universities recently published an article providing a detailed analysis of employers’ priorities for the kinds of learning college students need to succeed in today’s economy. According to the results of the survey, “three out of four employers want new hires with precisely the sorts of skills that the humanities teach: critical thinking, complex problem-solving, as
well as written and oral communication.” In light of this information, we need to get out of the outmoded binary perception of the humanities and STEM as entities on opposing sides of the educational spectrum. You may be familiar with conversations in which STEM students disparage humanities students for having it “easier” with essays and readings, whereas humanities students tremble to consider the calculus equations and labs STEM students deal with daily. It has become the common misconception that the humanities and sciences are at odds with each other. Ultimately, we need to recognize that one cannot live without the other. While STEM and business are great for sustaining a livelihood after college, studying the humanities helps us make sense of our lives and our world. People study English, art, history, music, philosophy and the like (even the sciences, in many ways) because it appeals to our innate curiosity, our desire to constantly question the claims of all authorities, whether political, religious or scientific. Through the humanities, we think about what we are, where we came from, what we can be and should be. The STEM individuals of the world are responsible for the incredible advancements in science and technology that have made us a distinct generation of humans. But I cannot imagine a world where we never ask if those advancements are morally advantageous in the first place. ■H
Kisses and colds: Not for Stanford administration to regulate B r a n dy C oa t s SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Upon entering the sphere of college life, many incoming students are greeted with programs and activities aimed at making newcomers feel welcomed. Universities throughout the nation adopt their own form of freshman orientation based on school spirit, academic support and longterm traditions. According to a recently published article in the New York Times, the prestigious Stanford University is host to one unique annual welcoming tradition: a drunken gathering for kissing freshman. The tradition is believed to have started over 100 years ago with a more formal approach, packed with roses, champagne and a couple hundred students. Now, the event attracts thousands of lips and a seemingly infinite amount of bacteria. School officials consider the consequences of the festivity an “epidemic,” as students inevitably suffer from cold symptoms afterward. Although hazards emerge from the mass circulation of germs, it is not the
role of the university to regulate an activity they find unsanitary. At most, Stanford University can continue to encourage students to practice “safe kissing” upon their own discretion. Stanford University, or any school with a similar scenario, should not interfere with any mildly self-harming, yet voluntary activity. Looking at any sort of prohibition, we see that banning an activity does not decrease an individual’s desire to participate. In fact, research shows that this makes a person want to do it more. Common psychological theory proved true when Stanford administration tried to stop the event in 2009, during the infamous “swine flu” outbreak, but failed as students upheld the tradition anyway. Stanford’s current choice to remain passive about the tradition is logical in this case. However, if there were a safety issue caused by the amount of people gathered in KISSES AND COLDS CONT’D ON PAGE 11
C o u rt e s y Longstanding Stanford kissing tradition annually puts students’ health at risk.
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OPINIONS
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
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UCR student body should promote Secular Student Affiliate M a t t h e w G u e rr e r o STAFF WRITER
The last few years have been kind to both agnostics and atheists, as books like Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion” have allowed for secular groups to feel more comfortable talking about their beliefs. The proof simply lies in the growth of secular beliefs like atheists and agnostics among the American population, according to “The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism,” which lists a rise in the number of atheists from 1 to 5 percent. Though this still pales compared to the number of those who identify as religious, 60 percent, it’s a tangible increase that represents the growth of a group with which all types of people identify. So if UCR students are asking whether or not a secular club should be more accessible for students to join, the answer is an easy yes. A Secular Student Alliance has recently cropped up at the Riverside Community College campus, and recent events like the “Stone a Heathen Day” intended to raise awareness for ostracized secular groups in the past, have provided outlets for a normally withdrawn group of individuals to express their beliefs, much like religious groups at college campuses. “Stone a Heathen Day” offered pedestrians an opportunity to throw water balloons at the “nonbelievers,” and was educational for both religious and secular students, while remaining fun. The event was not intended to bash religious groups, but to unite students and make people aware of some of the awful discrimination of secular individuals in the past. If the number of Americans identifying as religious in recent
surveys is truly 60 percent compared to just 5 percent for atheists, then college campuses should serve as places of understanding for secular groups simply to express their views in a civilized way. According to the Secular Student Organization website, campuses across the world are indeed following this strand of logic, as 321 college or university clubs throughout the U.S. are affiliated with Secular Student Alliances. According to US News and World Report, among American national universities, UCR ranks 12th in ethnic diversity, taking into account the number of minority groups on campus. According to the same methodology, the Riverside campus is tied for third with University of California, Los Angeles for California. It’s obvious that UCR acts as a center for diversity, so shouldn’t its student body be as accepting of as many organized groups as possible? The growing population of secular students is large enough to justify creating an affiliate for secular students, and is a sign of acceptance for a university that quite often prides itself on being devoid of prejudice. This is a great opportunity. Upon examining UCR’s student portal for community organizations, the page lists over 350 clubs and affiliates for all groups of people to join. There are actually 27 listings for UCR spiritual organizations that unite and make students comfortable across campus, according to the community portal. There is a reason that these clubs exist, and that students still continue spreading awareness for their beliefs to student: because they promote awareness and
KISSES AND COLDS CONT’D FROM PAGE 10
a small area, some sort of security implementation would be understandable. Or if violence and DUIs arose from the large amount of intoxication, police interference would be in order — that is, assuming students felt like kissing thousands of strangers while sober. But as long as the greatest danger is a self-supplied case of “mono,” Stanford administrators can surely find greater campus hazards to hinder. Stanford probably couldn’t regulate the event anyway. Even if administration were to actually police the Stanford quad area during this time of year, which they did not when they attempted to cancel it, we know that it could easily take place elsewhere. This scenario happens all the time in college: authorities shut down a party and it simply gets moved to a different location. One might think, “Oh, there’s a ‘No Smoking’ sign in front of campus? Let me step across the street then.” Students could quickly relocate in the event of police presence, considering the county of Santa Clara does not currently implement any kissing laws. Since it is highly unlikely that the administration could successfully ban such an activity, there would be no point in trying. Finally, placing a ban on what witnesses describe as a promiscuous event would inevitably blur the line between health
C o u rt e s y Richard Dawkins’ book, “The God Delusion” has helped to normalize the once-taboo practices of atheism and agnosticism.
diversity. It seems that secular groups have been overlooked by the student body, and there just isn’t as much advertising around the campus as there is for religious groups, so the continued growth of the secular affiliate is necessary for making secular students more safe and open to joining the affiliate. UC Riverside was recently ranked in the top 25 of LGBTfriendly universities according to the popular Campus Pride organization in affiliation with the Huffington Post, as one of the few California college campuses on the list. There are also clear signs around campus of increasing awareness of the LGBT community on campus, with the buildings designed for the LGBT resource center and the events like the “Coming Out Monologues” planned in support of equality causes. UCR students have provided an opportunity for students of all
obligations and moral judgments. Staff currently provides students with “dental dams” and information on spreading germs, which demonstrates the university’s consideration of the well-being of their students. However, placing legal precedence on preventing kissing germs as opposed to other unsanitary elements of college life, such as cell phones, cash and desks, may suggest that the school also finds the activity immoral. This is similar to a government banning spontaneous sexual activity on the basis of increased risk of STDs. Whether excessive transmission of germs correlates with poor health or not, it is neither the responsibility nor right of a state or university to regulate those risks, so long as they are self-inflicted. Stanford University’s current degree of interference on kissing freshman is appropriate and logical. Although the tradition presents the predictable spread of colds and disease, it is not practical to assume that officially banning it would prevent any consequences in the first place. And so long as the university wishes to remain unprejudiced, it would not be wise to ban an activity with such wild connotations. Giving out mouthwash and pamphlets is a sensible and cautionary step. Until the welcoming tradition fades away on its own in the future, the Stanford administration is doing what it can. ■H
sexual orientations, just as they should continue to provide for secular students. LGBT and secular issues aren’t the same thing, but there is no doubt that the UCR community has made it clear that a group with which students identify because of their personal identity is welcome on campus, and that students should feel safe and allowed to speak their minds. Though sexual orientation and spirituality are different, UCR’s student body has a duty to make its secular students feel safe, just as it has for the LGBT community. UCR prides itself on ethnic diversity, and there are multiple buildings and events around campus like the Chicano Student Programs, African Student Programs and Asian Pacific Islander Programs that show off the student body’s tolerance and embrace of its role in Southern California.
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All ethnic groups are given the opportunity to feel safe at UCR while getting an education, and secular students should have the same opportunity to feel comfortable and together in a learning environment. As a public university, some might say the UCR student body shouldn’t associate the school with any religious or spiritual affiliates, but as shown by the 27 clubs on campus that are in the category, “spiritual or religious,” UCR survives as a religiously diverse campus. Providing students an opportunity to express their opinions through meeting and making relationships with other secular students is logical, both for the university and secular students, and UCR’s secular affiliate is raising awareness among the student body for tolerance of all paths of life. Take a page out of RCC’s ■H book, UCR.
C o u rt e s y o f W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s Stanford’s annual public kissing fest welcomes freshmen by giving them influenza.
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 .
HIGHLANDER
UCR AROUND THE GLOBE
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND NAME: Marvin Gomez YEAR: Senior COUNTRY: Thailand PROGRAM: The Education Abroad Network; Southeast Asia: Chiang Mai, Thailand
I
t took me about four years to finally work up the courage to go on a study abroad program. I was always making excuses to myself about why I could not go. I would scare myself out of actually following through with my sudden bursts of wanting to study abroad by making myself believe that for some reason my trip would somehow not go as planned. But finally I followed through with all the paperwork and went to the meetings, saw my advisers and all that good stuff and before I knew it, I was landing on the runway on the other side of the world! I want people to know that I am kind of shy sometimes and I think that is why I would always back out on doing a study abroad program and never actually go — until this summer of course. So if you are reading this and are thinking about going on a study abroad program, go for it. I guarantee that no matter what happens on your trip you will be glad you went. Just bust it! My study abroad trip this summer was nothing short of amazing! I had never imagined that I would have had so much fun. I did a one-month program in Chiang Mai, Thailand at Chiang Mai University. Just to let you know, I did not speak any Thai before I went to Thailand but overall it was not hard to communicate with most people there because many of them actually spoke some English. So even if you don’t know the native language, don’t worry about it. You’ll find a way. I took a human rights course that focused on a group of people
who live in Myanmar (one of the countries bordering Thailand) known as the Karen, and how they have been struggling for many years to gain a place in their country. We learned about how they were constantly being chased out of the country simply because of their ethnicity and were being killed by guerrilla soldiers that would search for them deep in the jungle. Personally, I never knew that this was even happening. What made this course more personal was that our professor took us to the largest refugee camp of the Karen people near Mae Sot, Thailand — a small town by the Myanmar border. We were taken to meet with survivors who had escaped from guerrilla soldiers after being chased in the jungles. We also visited the small school house in the camp. I thought this was a very moving experience because we were able to meet with the children and they also sang songs for us. The visit to the refugee camp really made an impact on me and I am thankful that I was given the chance to see what it’s like for people who don’t have a lot but make the most out what they do have and fight through adversity. Every single day on my trip abroad was an adventure far better than anything I would have even imagined. I made friends with students from the university and they showed me all around the city. They would take me to different places to eat every day and they showed me certain areas where most tourists don’t go. For example, one of the Thai students I had befriended took
me to visit a beautiful temple called Wat Chedilunag. It was spectacular! Also, what made it even cooler was that he had been a monk at that temple when he was younger as part of his high school’s requirements, so he was able to share with me the meaning of all the symbols and pictures of Buddha throughout the temple. Before I knew it, my monthlong program was coming to an end and I had exactly two days left. But I did not want to leave — I was having so much fun! I remember before I left I was so scared that maybe four weeks was too long, but now I wanted to stay. So that is exactly what I did. I changed my flight and travelled all around Southeast Asia. I went to the southern beaches of Thailand to Krabi. I went to visit the famous temples of Siem Reap and I even went to Khao San Road in Bangkok. All in all, I ended up staying another month traveling around. I could have never thought about traveling for two months — especially traveling all alone. But man, am I glad I studied abroad in Thailand this summer. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life! The magic really happens outside of your little bubble that you live in every day of your life. Get out of that rhythm and you’ll see what I mean. ■H
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ans of both beer and Game of Thrones, rejoice, because Ommegang Brewery from Copperstown, N.Y. has started putting out Westeros-inspired drinks. The first Game of Thrones-themed beer, Take The Throne Blonde Ale, first emerged in March 2013; however, since it was only limited edition, it quickly disappeared off of shelves. But thankfully, a new brew has recently emerged: Take the Black Stout, and I was lucky enough to snag a bottle. What first attracted me to it was the bottle itself. Ommegang really knows how to make a beer look awesome. The bottle is a 26-ounce bomber, large enough to be shared by two or three people. Its wrapping is dark and gloomy, the label displaying a Weirwood tree with a disturbing, wooden face that watches as you consume this malty treat. On the other end of the gloomy glass giant, I found the contents of the brew: star anise, licorice root, chocolate malt and roasted barley. Take the Black has an APV of 7 percent which is normal for a typical stout. Truthfully, if I was Jon Snow, I
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
FOR THE BEER IS DARK AND FULL OF HOPS By Yasmin Kleinbart, Contributing Writer
would have broken the oath just to enjoy this beer. Even though stouts should really be drunk in snifter glasses, I used a wine glass to substitute for my lack of proper glassware. When I uncorked the bottle, I could already smell the licorice creeping out like one of Melisandre’s shadows. When I poured it into the glass, it was a pitch black color, with a dense, tan head about two to three fingers wide. The head was foamy and didn’t really settle, but it didn’t mess with the flavor at all. In fact, the malty scent was quite welcoming. The malt combined with chocolate and licorice made a smell that was just heavenly. When I finally took my first sip, it was very smooth going down. I honestly was just expecting a taste similar to Guinness because I figured that people were just going after the novelty of the bottle itself, but it turned out that the taste was like a trial of combat on its own — a constant onslaught of flavors that could lay siege to King’s Landing. It started with a very earthy taste, with a hint of some dark fruit like prunes or raisins. The follow-
through was more traditional of a stout: the dark chocolate flavor, coffee, and a distinct smokiness. However, I really wasn’t able to smell or taste the star anise at all, so I forgot that was even part of the brew. After all of these really different flavors, I was then hit in the face with bitterness, as if I needed further proof that this truly was a stout. It was honestly a little overwhelming, but didn’t take away from the enjoyable experience from the rest of the brew. I feel that if this beer was present at the TullyFrey wedding, that wedding would have been a little less red and little more black and tan. This beer was a very splendid stout to drink — even if the aftertaste had my face clenching up. If you happen to miss out on this limited edition brew, don’t worry, because Ommegang plans to pop out more beers than Robert Baratheon does children, hoping to have at least three to five new Game of Thrones themed beers out by next year. Is it wrong that I’m praying for a Red Wedding Red Ale? ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER
THE FRESHMAN FIFTEEN 15 BITS OF INTEREST FOR NEWCOMERS TO UCR
CLASS REGistration
Look up your registration time on Growl Seemingly obvious? Yes. But do a lot of people forget? Also yes.
Always be aware of the class times A 10-minute gap to go from Bourns to the UV is not as doable as you think it is.
Don’t be afraid to explore For example, a lot of general biology classes fill up, but entomology classes sometimes fulfill the same requirement. Who knows, maybe you’ll even come to love cockroaches.
But don’t just take classes for their times A professor you like at 8 a.m. is still preferable to one you don’t at 3 p.m.
Check the general catalog There are better descriptions of courses here than on classes.ucr.edu. And sometimes they even list which quarters classes
Email professors for consent if you don’t meet the prerequisites Sometimes you can get a jump on upper division classes if you just take some initiative.
Don’t over-rely on Rate My Professor Approach that website with caution. Not all the advice on it is sound. Especially the chili peppers.
Don’t overload yourself Twenty units is ambitious, but you’ll lose sleep and free time. This is college. Enjoy your years here as much as you can before you die.
Get your general education stuff done ASAP You’ll want your later years purely focused on your major.
Try to get lectures on the same days Again, it shouldn’t be your priority … but let’s be honest, having threeday weekends every week is pretty cool.
Come up with backup classes to take Sometimes the classes you’re looking for get full. If that’s the case, it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes Plan B ends up being great.
Email your advisor if you have issues They won’t do all of your work for you, but they kind of get paid to help you out. Don’t be shy.
Make sure you register for at least 12 units Unless you’re a parttime student, you must register for 12 units, or you’ll only receive $12 in financial aid.
Don’t rely on the calendar on classes.ucr. edu It’s been known to allow overlapping classes — making for a nasty surprise when you try to register on GROWL.
Register as early as you can There are hordes of students constantly clawing for classes. Slack off, and you may get trampled by the horde.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to doublecheck that your finals’ schedules don’t overlap with each other. You can’t be two places at once, so give yourself a break in between finals.■ H
HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM KUCR RADIO 88.3 fm WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM
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@highlanderradar
TUESDAY, NOVEMEMBER 12, 2013
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Events this week Tuesday | 11/12
R’Movement @ University Theatre, 7 p.m.
Wednesday | 11/13
Alfa @ UCR Bell Tower, 12 p.m.
Wednesday | 11/13
Chuck Inglish @ the Barn, 7:30 p.m.
Friday | 11/15
lead singer of
The Rover @ ARTS 113, 8 p.m.
Stick Figure sings a smooth chorus while playing the guitar
C a m e r o n Y o n g /HIGHLANDER
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
WE ARE ALL MADE OF STARDUST
gza at ucr
Christal Mims, Contributing Writer // Photos by Aaron Lai
P
rotect ya’ neck! Fans of the WuTang Clan piled into HUB 302 on Tuesday night to witness the greatness of GZA, the oldest member of the most revolutionary group in hip-hop. Event-goers were greeted with priceless merchandise giveaways, the opportunity to discover their “Wu-Tang Rap Name,” Wu-Tang trivia and even a rap battle by fellow UCR students. The mood was set for a nothing-but-hip-hop-filled night, right? Wrong. Students left the event with a valuable lesson learned, one that challenges the status quo and encourages others to boldly do the same. GZA arrived to UC Riverside with a much greater purpose in mind — a purpose he definitely fulfilled. Despite the program’s delayed start, GZA was met with a standing ovation, a countless array of “I love yous” and dedicated fans proclaiming “Wu-Tang forever!” The legendary music artist began with a lecture based around a subject many would not initially associate with hip-hop: science. Born Gary Grice, GZA fondly reminisced about his younger self exploring Brooklyn and being curious as to how the things around him worked and why. His growing curiosity and neverending questions led to his fascination with science and his current mission: encouraging today’s youth to develop a thirst for not only science, but education in general. Also known as the Genius, GZA proceeded to talk about the development of Wu-Tang Clan and how each member took pride in being able to produce intelligent and witty lyrics. They created a new and improved approach to hip-hop — one that has earned the group countless awards and the title of being one of, if not the most, influential rap group
of all time. This is why GZA’s interest in science is so significant. Embracing who he is and where his passions lie provides him limitless possibilities to influence kids through the lessons of his lifestyle, illustrating that being different can bring about many paths for success. GZA is part of a program called “Science Genius,” in which he makes surprise visits to schools and teaches children science through rap and hiphop. Columbia professor and creator of the program, Christopher Edmin, was well aware that kids may halfheartedly listen to their teachers during science lectures, but when a rap legend enters the room, he has their undivided attention. GZA had the crowd’s undivided attention as well –– not even a low murmur broke the audience’s attention in the HUB. Even as he began to speak of the many professors and scientists he has worked with and gone to for guidance concerning his scientific inquiries, the audience responded with encouraging applause and hollers. GZA brought the speech back around to hiphop as he excitingly announced that he will be releasing an album entitled “Dark Matter” next year. Met with an almost deafening response from the crowd, GZA explained that astronomy and the vastness of the universe has always mystified and inspired him — and consequently helped him name his new body of music, producing an overall theme for the album. “We are all made of stardust,” GZA explained, reminding us how amazing being human actually is. We are all connected, even when we feel the most alone. Feeling lost is no foreign emotion to a group of college students debating on what career path to take, questioning the unclear but alarmingly near future
and just trying to find their place in the universe. GZA brought a sense of unity to the HUB that night, and in doing so he was praised appreciatively by the crowd. He left us all with a feeling of hope –– not only for the future of hiphop, but for our future as a prosperous and peaceful community. As GZA’s lecture came to an end, a Q-and-A was opened up to the floor with eager fans rushing to the mic in order to ask their idol a question. One student asked for his opinion on today’s hip-hop and where he sees rap music in the midst of other genres today. GZA replied that he has no current favorite hip-hop artists and that “rap is on a stretcher.” The crowd knowingly applauded as GZA explained that rap music has become less lyrically complicated and associated only with violence, fame and fortune –– something he’s hoping to change with his new project. GZA ended the event with an unforgettable performance filled with
Wu-Tang clan hits and new material. He even performed an acapella piece accented by rhymes so smooth and lyrics so intricate, you knew it could have only been produced by a rap genius. Cell phones and cameras went up as GZA brought everyone in the room to their feet. The music produced a unified head bob throughout the crowd, and it goes without saying that GZA put on a spectacular show. But he succeeded in doing much more than that. More importantly, he taught us that it’s okay to be different. I mean, where else can you find an individual like GZA within hip-hop culture? He taught us there is more to everything than meets the eye, and to not let curiosity lay dormant. Get out, ask questions, be confused and then ask more questions. The world is ours for the taking, and as GZA answered in a Q-and-A question, “Being alive is great.” I’m certainly glad I’m alive, and to GZA, I’m glad you are, too. Hip-hop certainly needs you.
Hip-hop artist GZA and DJ Symphony of the famous hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan work together to create a great performance for UCR.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
17
John Brown’s Body
Brings the Barn to its feet
By Yasmin Kleinbart, Contributing Writer // Photos by Cameron Yong and Laura Nguyen Elliot Martin, the lead singer of John’s Brown Body, excites the crowd with the power of his voice.
I
’ve never listened to reggae before, and I’ve never known about the underground scene. The closest I’ve come to listening to the genre has been “I Shot the Sheriff” or “Don’t Worry (Be Happy).” I didn’t know what to expect at a reggae show, but as Tommy Benedetti, drummer for John Brown’s Body, told me, “Reggae’s sounds are rich and the melodies are deep, which is why I love playing it so much.” And after listening to lead singer Elliott Martin’s melodic voice, I completely agreed with him. John Brown’s Body is only doing a small tour for their new album, “Kings and Queens,” their first release in four years. “We’re only doing a California tour for now,” he said. “We started in San Francisco and going down to San Diego before heading back to the East Coast.” They’re touring with their opener, Stick Figure, “an amazing group of guys to tour and play with.” The audience was an extremely different turnout than any other Barn show I’ve attended. First off, I felt like I was the only person who actually went to UCR and was 21 and under. Everyone else looked like they were in their mid 20s-30s and had just come back from their local dive bar. Men had hair as long as the women –– some with dreadlocks and some without –– and wore shirts and hats decked with an image of a marijuana leaf. Stick Figure opened up the show to cheers and applause from the audience. The lights changed from red to blue as smoke emerged, making it feel like a dance club. Stick Figure had a throbbing bassline and an extremely energetic
keyboardist, Kevin Bong. He rocked his body back and forth during the whole set, causing much commotion in front of the stage as a small mosh pit formed, which I did not expect at a reggae show. However, the crowd’s reactions seemed to change once John Brown’s Body came on stage. Like Stick
... his voice was filled with so much soul that the audience stopped what they were doing and just listened. Figure, loud applause and cheers greeted the band, but when Martin started singing, he closed his eyes and let the music flow through him; his voice was filled with so much soul that the audience stopped what they were doing and just listened. When I asked about how different it was performing for a college crowd, Benedetti said, “You never know what to expect with a college crowd. We play for anybody anywhere. We love what we do.” John Brown’s Body consists of a guitarist, a keyboardist, a bassist, a trumpeter, a saxophonist and a drummer. When I first heard how many different instruments there were, I was skeptical about how they were going to sound live. I
thought the different sounds would clash and just create noise, but they ended up being a great combination. “Step Inside,” Benedetti’s favorite song to perform live, was a great example of this. There were brass solos with a bass playing at the same time, and then a keyboard suddenly came in out of nowhere. The tempo was upbeat with a hint of an electronic tone from the keyboard. It sounds strange on paper, but the diverse range of instruments successfully worked together to create an eclectic sound. All of these great combinations are thanks to Martin. Benedetti gave him a lot of the credit, saying, “Elliot (Martin) does the large share of the writing, musically and lyrically. We put the spin on where it needs to be exactly.” He said their influences are all over the charts, ranging from Sly Robbie and King Tubby to Radiohead. The Radiohead vibe was clear in their last song, “The Gold”. In fact, it didn’t even sound like a reggae song. The brass instruments were only used, for the most part, in the introduction. For the rest of the song, electronic sounds and tones were emphasized by the trumpet in the background. The song was a great way to end the show because it felt different compared to the rest of the set, all of which evoked the vibe of a breezy, tropical island. I’ve been to a lot of different shows in my time, but I have never been as surprised and fascinated as I was at John Brown’s Body’s show. The plethora of instruments worked extremely well and created a great beat that was easy to dance to. As a drunken man yelled out to me during H that night, “How the heck are you not dancing to this?!” ■
From left to right: Elliot Martin, lead vocalist of John Brown’s Body, begins the night by greeting the crowd; Tommy Suliman of Stick Figure rocks out to the crowd; Sam Dechenne of John Brown’s Body plays an opening solo to warm up the crowd.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGHLANDER
MUSIC REVIEWS THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2 // EMINEM
RATING: ★★★★
A
BY: MICHAEL RIOS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
ttempting to pinpoint the single feature that made Eminem the best-selling artist of the past decade is a challenging and nearly futile task. After all, there are so many layers to the guy that make him such an engrossing enigma. The man’s been called a gifted artist as well as sell-out; a clever poet as well as chauvinist pig; a skilled lyricist as well as troubled lunatic. But of the many labels stamped on Eminem and his career, there is one that has evaded him all along: mature. In “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” (MMLP2), the rap artist from Detroit explores some of the deepest, most adult themes he’s ever dared to delve into in his 14year career. With a few callbacks to his younger and more erratic days, the album also manages to be a balancing act between his eccentric raps and his calmer approach to storytelling — and it works. Eminem has long been known to use rap as an outlet to settle feuds with his detractors. In some cases, he’s even settled scores
with members of his own family — including his mother. This album reverses those feelings of hate and replaces them with selfreflection, and in some instances, sorrow. “Headlights” is the song that best captures those themes. With the help of Nate Ruess, Eminem abandons the harsh feelings of resentment toward his mother and instead chooses to offer a sincere apology. In the song, he calmly rhymes, “I went in headfirst / Never thinking about who what I said hurt / In what verse / My mom probably got it the worst.” A similar theme of selfreflection is present in “The Monster,” a song which will no doubt be a popular radio hit thanks to the pop vocals of Rihanna. The song serves as a cry for help for the tormented artist as Eminem hints at regret for choosing a life that guarantees scrutiny, sleepless nights, doubts and loneliness — a life he personifies as “the monster.” Given that this is a sequel to the first “Marshall Mathers LP,” nostalgia is pretty much expected
in this 16-track set. From the get-go, listeners are treated to a follow-up of the infamous fictional story told in “Stan,” in which an obsessed Eminem fan named Stan loses it and kills his girlfriend and himself after feeling ignored by his idol. In “Bad Guy,” Mathers tells a similar story through the eyes of Matthew, Stan’s little brother, as he plots to seek revenge by kidnapping Eminem, locking him in the back of his trunk and ultimately ending his life. Creepy? Yes. Insanely original? Absolutely. And when you think about it, that’s what we’ve come to expect from Eminem. Even though Mathers is attempting to change part of his act, it’s always a twisted but fun treat when we listen to the crazy antics of his alter ego, Slim Shady. There are a few mishaps in the album, however. The lyrics of some of the songs are overly simplistic and lack subtlety. At times, we are told what to feel instead of being led to that emotion on our own. Some of his attempts of comedic rap
Courtesy of Interscope Records
also fall flat and end up being more awkward than funny. And unfortunately, there are instances where Eminem attempts to burst into song, shrieking in falsetto and in one case, starting to yodel. Stick to rapping, Em. It’s not the perfect album, nor is it his most groundbreaking, but
the “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” still proves to be one heck of an emotional and psychological ride. It’s that craziness, originality and willingness to publicly display his emotions that make him and this album so special. For long-time Eminem H fans, that’s all we can ask for. ■
SMALL SOUND // TENNIS
RATING: ★★★★
ennis — composed of husband and wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley — has warmed indie-loving hearts with their unique vocals and knack for writing whimsical lyrics, all without the typical love-smitten angst of the genre. Their latest album, “Small Sound,” changes Moore and Riley’s lyrical mood from sweet and soft to sorrowful and hopeless. While that may seem cliche, the five-song EP’s saving grace is Moore’s unique voice, which drips with sweet emotion like honey — a refreshing change from an often male-dominated indie scene. The album’s short set list presents a compact ride for listeners who pay attention to the story, beginning with “Mean Streets” and “Timothy.” The lyrics and keyboard combine to control descending moments of emotion, offering a unique look into the hopelessness of the mistress in the relationship. “Mean Streets” starts out somewhat inspirational — a
little happy, even — with lyrics like, “You got to give it what you got,” and choppy combinations of keyboard and guitar work that sound joyful. The mood changes quickly, though the same lyrics are repeated frequently, through the use of prolonged breaks between deeper keyboard solos. The song descends into lower pitches that evoke a sense of pity for the woman looking from the outside. This flows into “Timothy,” a literal and desperate cry for love, asking Timothy to “say something sweet to me.” Moore’s soft voice is a perfect fit for the melancholy nature of the lyrics. The song continues, definitively involving the listener in this ordeal by stating, “It’s wrong I know / But I can’t let it go.” This woman knows she’s doing something immoral, but she thinks her lover is too lovely to let go, engaging listeners by allowing them to understand the “other” woman’s feelings about the situation. Riley and Moore then move
WRITE DESIGN
T
BY: MATTHEW GUERRERO, STAFF WRITER into a brief interlude called “Cured of Youth,” which acts as a period of spiritual growth for the mistress. The line, “Don’t act so sure!” empowers listeners, letting them know that the woman has moved on. The drums are quick and strong, an inspirational switch from the first two songs. But abruptly, this dies out, as “Dimming Light” and “100 Lovers” both communicate an unending, sorrowful love with the forbidden fruit of a married man. Lyrics like, “Although you’re lying next to me / I know you’re not mine” from the penultimate chapter, and “100 loves will make you bold / 100 more will make you cold” from the final verse both harken back to “Timothy” — a definitive ending for the listener who understands that the relationship never really ends in the woman’s mind. There is no keyboard solo or final vocal note to communicate a positive ending for the woman. It’s circular, and perhaps more human.
SHOOT
for the Highlander
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Normally, such a departure from past work might ruin an underground indie band, but here, the near-whisper of Moore’s voice is just enough to keep it from being cliche, and Riley’s instrumental
work is critical in keying the listener into the emotions of the songs. Ultimately, Tennis has successfully transformed their lyrics from whimsical and happy to heavy with emotional gravity. ■H
Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
19
VIDEO GAME REVIEW BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS
RATING: ★★
B
BY: OSCAR HO, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
uggy and repetitive, “Batman: Arkham Origins” — the third main entry of the popular Arkham video game series — fell short of its predecessors in almost every aspect. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve, when Black Mask puts a bounty on Batman’s head for $50 million, causing Batman to sacrifice more than just his Christmas dinner in order to stop them from killing him. The trailers and online videos showed promises of a Batman origin story. However, these hopes were dashed when the game took on a cliche twist of events which, for the most part, threw the player into a plot similar to the first game in this series. Despite beginning with eight deadly assassins in pursuit of Batman, he never seems like he is ever in any danger. In descriptions and ads, Batman was supposed to encounter all eight of his foes, which raised the stakes against him pulling through the attack. However, the impending doom was lightened because not all of the assassins were featured in the main storyline, causing the game to lose the epic feel that was clearly exhibited in prior titles in this series. The story was simple, but the reveal of the plot twist happened too soon and lost its value — which made the hyped-up plot seem like nothing but an advertising scheme to sell the game. The gameplay took strides in the right direction, with new gadgets and an interesting detective mode which simulates a crime scene from the data collected at the site, but it was ultimately unimpressive. Most of the gadgets were not something the player could easily use in battles, especially since the difficulty standard is at a much higher level than the series’ previous two titles. I played on normal mode and I was struggling to defeat common thugs who were not part of the story; an interesting contrast is the uninspired boss battles, which were so simplistic and straightforward to the point that it was no longer fun and thoughtful.
The battles spoon-fed me the exact buttons to press at the right moment, and did not allow any freedom whatsoever in trying out new things. While this approach made watching the battles seem more cinematic, it ultimately did not work because it reduced the scenes to a robotic set of button-mashing. Much of my time was spent dying from the swarms of thugs who easily killed me, while the boss battles were over in one unsatisfying try. The gameplay also suffered many reported glitches and bugs upon release that I believe are being slowly patched, but even after the most current patch, I experienced a glitch which rendered the game unplayable. As I was finishing a glide kick, I ended up stuck in between a wall, unable to do anything. After a minute of attempting to move or use gadgets, the only option was to reset the game. The graphics are somewhat of an upgrade, but for the most part they are the same as its predecessors. That isn’t wholly bad because the Arkham series has always had great graphics. However, I am disappointed in the rendering of unimportant characters; when Batman speaks to them, you get close-ups of their faces, which plainly show that not much time or effort was put into making them look realistic because mouth movements looked awkward and undetailed. “Batman: Arkham Origins” proved to be a game that desired profit over fantastic content. The story did not deliver much of what was expected, and the plot twists were overdone. I felt like I already knew the outcome of the game after going through about 20 percent of the story –– and I turned out to be right. The title had much potential, but wasted it in an attempt to milk money out of the gamers and fans of this oncegreat video game series. I wouldn’t skip it if you are a fan of the Arkham series, but be cautious of the disappointing story. I would definitely ■H wait for a price drop.
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20
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
MOVIE REVIEW COMING OUT SOON:
THE BOOK THIEF
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
DELIVERY MAN
FROZEN
THOR: THE DARK WORLD
RATING: ★★★☆☆
L
BY: JOSHUA RAMOS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
et’s face it: We all love comic book movies. Whether it’s the heroism, big-budget fight scenes or the humorous antics, movies based off comic books offer something for the kid inside all of us. At a time when the popularity for superhero flicks is at an all-time high, Marvel continues to strengthen its superhero dynasty with its latest offering, “Thor: The Dark World.” While the plot is bleak at times, the film as a whole is a high-action adventure filled with many humorous moments. The movie begins by recalling the tale of a time before the beginning of the universe, in which an ancient race known as the Dark Elves flourished. After the universe began, the Dark Elves turned to a powerful galactic weapon known as the Aether to return the universe back to the way it was, only to be defeated by the forces of Asgard. Fast-forward to the present: Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor’s love interest, discovers the ancient weapon, awakening the Dark Elves and leading Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a battle-ridden path to defeat them and protect Jane at any cost. In accordance with its title, this sequel is darker and more serious
in terms of content and character, hovering around themes of death and revenge. Our main protagonist has matured since the events in “The Avengers” and 2011’s selftitled feature; once an arrogant and battle-hungry prince, Thor has transformed into a humble warrior. This transformation is noticeable throughout the film, which isn’t always a good thing; Thor’s refinement leads to some slow scenes toward the beginning, in which the dialogue is bland between him and the recurring characters. However, “The Dark World” makes up for its lack of compelling dialogue through comedy. From beginning to end, the whole film is filled to the brim with humor. For instance, imagine Thor literally taking a train to travel to battle. It’s the type of humor that has become synonymous with contemporary superhero movies. But while these moments of comic relief help relieve the amount of action in the film, the humor in “The Dark World” occasionally takes away from the action; during some serious fight scenes, there are a few too many humorous reprieves, which overshadow the importance of the battle. What really gets the film up and
on its feet is Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s brother-turned-Asgardiancriminal. Though his time in the beginning is short, once he gains more importance to the story, the film becomes a lot more engaging. Loki’s playful and sarcastic nature brings humor and lightness to the film’s serious dialogue and subject matter, making the film a more enjoyable experience. Some of the most entertaining parts of the film are the back-and-forth dialogues between Thor and Loki. Thor’s serious nature and Loki’s playfulness clash, making way for some very memorable arguments between the two. Without Loki’s presence, the film’s dialogue would
Courtesy of Summit Entertainment
just feel incomplete. Once the action begins, the audience is completely immersed in the universe of “Thor.” The fight scenes are beautifully shot and keep you on the edge of your seat. The cinematography does a wonderful job of capturing each of the different realms featured in “The Dark World,” such as Asgard, London and the Dark Elf home planet. Once the movie reaches the final battle, viewers are treated to an intense and thrilling fight sequence. Superhero movies have a tendency to try to outdo their predecessors in terms of bigger fight scenes, and compared to the previous Thor feature, “The Dark World” does just that. The
film touts amazing fight sequences between armies and giant beasts, and features a far more dangerous villain than its predecessor — which is a good thing because, let’s face it, Loki as the main villain isn’t all that intimidating. All in all, “Thor: The Dark World” is the kind of film that is designed to make you gaze in amazement at the beautifully sequenced fight scenes, as well as laugh with the characters. Even though the film does nothing to differentiate itself from its predecessors, “The Dark World” accomplishes all of the things that fans expect from the film, as it is an epic, engaging and humorous film for all to enjoy. ■H
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SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
21
Riverside men’s basketball starts season on wrong foot Steven Cahill CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nov. 8, 2013 Aztecs 77 - Highlanders 41
Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101
SEEKING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Highlander
The men’s basketball team opened their season on the road Friday night against the San Diego State Aztecs, but poor shooting and an excess of turnovers resulted in an opening day beatdown, 77-41. Despite a strong performance from Taylor Johns, Riverside remains winless against the Aztecs, falling to 0-10 all-time. The game started sloppily as both teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first 10 minutes. The Highlanders played well enough on defense to be within 10 points for the opening series of possessions. However, San Diego State had a number of runs, including a 12-2 span over the last 4:14 of the half. Capped off by a J.J. O’Brien jumper at the buzzer, the Aztecs pushed their lead to 25 by halftime, 38-13. In the first half, the main difference was turnovers and free throws. UCR had nine of their 14 first-half turnovers in the first 11 minutes, which prevented them from capitalizing on their solid defensive play. San Diego State played full court press and tight overall defense, not allowing UCR to get into any shooting rhythm. The Aztecs also went to the free throw line 20 times in the first half, converting on 14. UC Riverside, meanwhile, went only seven times, making none. Add in San Diego shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc, and you’ve got quite the deficit. San Diego State seemed especially focused on stopping Riverside big man Chris Patton, and was quite successful, forcing him to go scoreless in the first half and tallying only two points in the entire game. Taylor Johns had solid numbers at intermission, however, scoring six of the team’s 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds as well. Nick Gruninger and Steven Jones had three fouls, resulting in less aggression from the guards on both ends of the court. UCR played much better offensively in the second half, scoring more than triple what they scored in the first half. Playing more aggressively, the Highlanders went to the charity stripe nine more times than
they had in the first (16-7). Poor shooting continued, though, as UCR made only eight of their 16 second-half free throw attempts. A bright spot for the Highlanders was freshman guard Sam Finley. He scored six of his eight points in the second half, but couldn’t derail the Aztecs’ train as the home team secured their first victory, 77-41. Johns was the high man for Riverside, scoring 14 points on five-for-11 shooting while hauling in nine rebounds and blocking four shots. San Diego State’s Xavier Thames led all players with 15 points. Friday night’s contest was also the first regular season game for Interim Head Coach Dennis Cutts, who took the place of Jim Wooldridge. The Aztecs proved why they have made it to the NCAA tournament each of the last four seasons while UCR showed that there is still immense work to do for them to compete against elite teams. The Highlanders hope to bounce back Wednesday, Nov. H 13 at home against Pepperdine. ■
C o u rt e s y Chris Patton (No. 54) attempts to score a layup over an opponent.
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UCR A t hl e t i c s
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SPORTS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGHLANDER
HALFTIME: AN NFL MIDSEASON REVIEW
CODY NGUYEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
W
ith the conclusion of Week 10, we are officially past the halfway point of a 2013 NFL season that has been filled with its share of surprises and memorable moments. The New York Jets, who were thought to be a team in limbo with all their locker room issues in 2012, are in serious contention for a wild card spot in the AFC. The Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans, two teams some thought would be going head-to-head for the Lombardi Trophy in February, are among the bottom of the barrel and look to have top-10 draft picks in May. Who would have thought that the Kansas City Chiefs would go from having the worst record in football last season to being the sole undefeated team left in the NFL? Yeah, me neither. However, those of you who say that a head coach makes little to no impact on a team can shut up now, as Andy Reid has turned what is essentially the same team from last season into a legitimate Super Bowl contender just as Jim Harbaugh did with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. There are a couple teams in the NFL just begging for this treatment. Yeah, I’m pointing my finger at you, Tampa. In fact, at the NFL Honors next year, coach Reid should be able to add, “two-time NFL Coach of the Year” to his resume. Short of the team having an absolute meltdown, any other coach receiving the award would be an absolute travesty. Do the Jaguars being among the worst teams in the NFL at 1-8 surprise us? No, not really. Moving on. With Aaron Rodgers being sidelined four to six weeks with a fractured collarbone, it’s easy to stick the fork in the Green Bay Packers, but let’s not be so rash. That argument may have held some substance last year with a nonexistent running game and a defense that gave away points by the truckload, but this year is different. With the emergence of Eddie Lacy in the backfield as a Rookie of the Year candidate and a revamped defense, this team doesn’t look to be a total train wreck with Seneca Wallace at the helm. With the Detroit Lions (finally) and Chicago Bears emerging as contenders, an NFC North title may not be a realistic expectation for the Cheeseheads, but a wild card berth is still feasible. I don’t see it happening, however, in a highly competitive NFC that includes the likes of Carolina, San Francisco and Chicago competing for two playoff spots alongside the Packers. Despite Tom Brady’s ineptitude throughout the first few games of the season in which he posted a sub-80.0 passer rating and some of the worst statistical totals of his career, that didn’t stop him from eviscerating a horrendous Pittsburgh Steelers
2014 NFL Playoff Predictions
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defense last week to the tune of 432 passing yards and four touchdowns. Being a team in salary cap hell to go along with bad drafts in recent years that couldn’t replace aging veterans, the Steelers have slipped into a rare period of irrelevance that the franchise hopes to snap out of before the window closes on franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Oh, and what ever happened to those New York Giants, two years removed from a Lombardi Trophy? See above. After a spending spree in the offseason that saw them claim some of the most coveted free agents, the Miami Dolphins hoped to challenge the incumbent New England Patriots for the AFC East crown. Instead, the Dolphins’ locker room is now a mess thanks to the allegations of bullying in the locker room by none other than Richie Incognito, who has been caught up in more than a few confrontations with players and coaches in his past. In fact, the Dolphins’ offensive line coach just recently quit his job. To say that this team is a disaster (just like every other football team in Florida) would be an understatement. As MVP candidate Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos continued their bulldozing of opponents with a record-setting pace on offense, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts finally put an end to the madness, handing the Broncos their first loss of the season, led by excellent play on a defense anchored by superstar pass rusher Robert Mathis. You know who else has a great defense led by a star on the front-seven? None other than the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston, who play the Broncos twice in the next four weeks. Those games might be worth watching. Speaking of games, can any game this season beat the instant classic that took place between the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys in the fourth week? Everything that transpired in those 60 minutes featured everything an NFL fan could ask for: a high scoring shootout between two star quarterbacks and their high-octane offenses, multiple lead changes and a trademarked game-ending Tony Romo interception™. As the contenders and pretenders begin to separate themselves, the months of November and December serve as a measuring stick for who has what it takes to make a run in the fickle world of an NFL that epitomizes parity in modern-day sports. There are no big threes and no uncapped spending that only allows big-market teams to contend for a title, which is why we haven’t seen a repeat Super Bowl winner in eight years. Only time will tell who makes it to the big dance at MetLife Stadium in February, but for now, check out our predictions on who makes the postseason this January. ■H
Women’s basketball opens season with two losses Melisa Bivian CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nov. 8, 2013 Hawkeyes 70 - Highlanders 56
Looking to start off the 2013-2014 season strong, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team competed in their first game of the Hawkeye Challenge against Iowa. Despite their convincing win against Cal Baptist in the preseason, the Highlanders were defeated 70-56 by the Hawkeyes on Friday evening. The first 10 minutes of the game consisted of four tied scores with both teams jostling for a lead. At the 2:35 mark, Brittany Crain scored a three-
pointer that would bring the Highlanders within one point, 27-26. Iowa, however, did not take long to respond as the home team went on to score the next eight points to close the half, 35-26. Hawkeye guard Samantha Logic scored five points during the span. The Highlanders continued to push forward in the second half, but could not muscle their deficit to single digits. Backed by Logic’s hot hand, the Hawkeyes continued to lead for the rest of the evening as the home team ended the contest, 70-56. Crain led UCR with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Simone DeCoud added 15 points and eight rebounds in
her collegiate debut. Logic led all scorers with 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting for Iowa. Riverside was successful in out-rebounding the Hawkeyes, 45-42, but the team was outscored 36-16 in the paint. Iowa also got out in transition early and often as they tallied 14 fast break points while UCR recorded zero. Nov. 9, 2013 Flyers 89 - Highlanders 54
After losing their first game of the season, UC Riverside’s women’s basketball team faced Dayton on Saturday afternoon. With lackluster three-point and free-throw shooting, the High-
landers lost 89-54. The Flyers took an early lead as they rushed to a 19-10 advantage behind the three-point play of Dayton’s Casie Sant at the 12:00 mark. The Highlanders responded by scoring six of the next eight points, which reduced the Flyers’ lead to 21-16. Dayton continued to pile on the points as they used a 9-1 run as well as efficient free throw shooting to end the half, 49-29. Entering the second half, Dayton increased the lead to 24 points. Though the Highlanders tried to catch up, they failed to do so. As the game continued, the Flyers’ lead never dipped below 22 points as they finished UCR off, 89-
54. Highlander Natasha Hadley scored 13 points while Kiara Harewood had 12 points and nine rebounds. Guard Brittany Crain added 10 points with three assists. Dayton’s Ally Malott led all scorers with 20 points and three assists. The Flyers shot 51.4 percent on the night while the Highlanders shot only 34.4 percent. For the second consecutive game, UCR was outscored in the key (50-20) and did not tally one fast break point (12-0). The Highlanders will need to go back to the drawing board before they face San Jose State and Santa Clara on Nov. 15 and 17. ■H
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
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Win or go home: Men’s soccer defeats Fullerton, qualifies for postseason BY CODY NGUYEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
J a s p e ry G o h /HIGHLANDER Senior Richie Osborne fights over the ball with one of Cal State Fullerton’s players.
Nov. 6, 2013 Anteaters 2 - Highlanders 1
Entering the final week of the regular season, the UCR men’s soccer team took the field against UC Irvine, knowing that a victory would give them a chance at finishing first in the Big West South division. The first half featured both teams locked in a stalemate. Though the Highlanders controlled much of the offensive pace and outshot the Anteaters 8-6 in the first period, they had nothing to show for it. Ten minutes into the second half, Highlander Jonathan Tovar found Andy Contreras, who executed a masterful drive to the net to pick up his first goal of the season, as well as the first goal of the game. Mistakes proved to be the downfall of the Highlander squad, however, as a 79th minute penalty in the box allowed UCI’s leading scorer Enrique Cardenas to capitalize on a penalty kick and tie the game at 1-1. Unfathomably for the Highlanders, another goal was surrendered just two minutes later when Marco Franco found Christopher Santana to give the Anteaters a 2-1 lead. The crossbar was the only thing that prevented the Anteaters from scoring yet
another goal in the 82nd minute, as Santana barely missed on an attempt for his second goal of the match. UCR would have one last gasp to tie the game when Aaron Long fired a header that came up empty, allowing the Anteaters to capture the victory. UC Irvine’s victory secures first place in the Big West South division for the Anteaters, officially eliminating the Highlanders from contention for the division title. Despite the loss, Head Coach Tim Cupello remains confident in his team’s ability to claim the final spot in the Big West tournament. “The urgency has been there with our team for quite some time now, (and) we are currently playing in good form and are well aware that it will take a solid performance to get the result we need to advance to the Big West tournament.” Nov. 9, 2013 Highlanders 3 - Titans 2
Unlike seasons past, the stakes were high in this regular season finale. Not only was it Senior Night for the Highlanders in their final game of the regular season, but also a win-or-go-home match that would determine who would be headed to the Big West tournament, and who would be look-
ing forward to 2014. The Titans asserted control over the game early, with Alex Cannas scoring the first goal of the match thanks to a defensive miscue that resulted in a loose ball in the Highlander box. UCR was able to shut out the Titans for the rest of the period, though their side of the field remained under attack for much of the first half. The Highlanders consistently found themselves with little opportunity to do anything on offense and were unable to capitalize on either of their two goal-scoring opportunities in the first half. Coming out of the break, the Titans sucked the energy right out of the UCR crowd by taking a commanding 2-0 lead when Cannes and Steven Ortiz found a wide-open Garrett Losee in the Highlander box. Coming into tonight’s game, the Highlanders were 1-7 when allowing two or more goals. Ten minutes after Losee’s goal, Highlander Eric Gonzalez found Ivan Garcia in the left corner, who scored a goal to cut the lead in half, 2-1, regaining momentum and the crowd’s affection. The game-tying goal came eight minutes later, when Aaron Long and Romario Lomeli found Gonzalez who scored easily
from the right side of the box. With five minutes to go, the game appeared to be headed for overtime, a result that many Highlander fans would be content with given the debacle that took place in the first 48 minutes. However, a Gonzalez corner kick that was knocked into the hands of Titan goalkeeper Bryan Escalante rebounded into the waiting foot of Philipp Dominique. Dominique’s goal completed the epic comeback for UC Riverside in what is easily their most impressive win of the season. Head Coach Tim Cupello spoke highly of his team following the win. “The fact that we were down 2-0 and fought to come back 3-2 — it shows a lot of character in our guys, and hopefully gives them the belief that even if we do give up a goal it’s not over until the final whistle.” Cupello also called the win a “total team effort, everybody held in and stuck with the game plan the whole time.” The UC Riverside men’s soccer team now joins its female counterpart by competing in the Big West tournament. The team hopes to carry over the momentum from Saturday’s big win when they take on the UC Davis Aggies in the first round of the postseason on Nov. 15. ■H
Free fall: Women’s volleyball plummets to 1-22 on the season D a rr e n B u e n o SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Nov. 9, 2013 Titans 3 - Highlanders 0
This season has been more than forgettable for the UC Riverside women’s volleyball team. They’ve lost 22 of 23 matches — only winning a set in five of those contests — and are currently the worst team in the Big West Conference (0-10). Despite facing a team that has lost six consecutive matches, Saturday night’s showdown against Cal State Ful-
lerton was no jaw-dropping surprise as the Highlanders etched another loss into the calendar in a straight-set defeat (2516, 25-11, 25-20). The Titans, who have won 18 straight matches against UCR, opened the first set with consecutive kills and pushed their lead to 17-10. The Highlanders responded by reeling off five straight points to close the margin to within two, 17-15. Cristina Maietta and Annishia McKoy assisted by Nae Bender converted on several flares to instill a glimmer of hope for UC Riverside, but Cal State Fullerton
quickly silenced any comeback, winning eight of the next nine points to seal the set, 25-16. UC Riverside had a positive kill-to-error ratio (11-10), but recorded eight more errors than their opponent (14-2). The second set was a more straightforward affair for the Titans as they steamrolled the Highlanders en route to a 2511 game. In the third and final set, the two teams came out swinging as there were 15 lead changes in the game. A combination of kills from Ashley Cox and Bri Holmes
as well as a pair of service aces saw the Highlanders battle for the lead at 18-17, but the Titans refused to release their stranglehold on the set. The home team, backed by roars from the crowd, used an 8-2 surge to close out the match, 25-20. Cox led UC Riverside with a gamehigh 13 kills while Bender recorded 10 digs and 26 assists. Alyse Hensley led Fullerton with 11 kills. The Highlanders return home to the friendly confines of the Student Recreation Center Arena on Nov. 14 to square ■H off against UC Irvine.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
. SPORTS .
HIGHLANDER
FAIRYTALE RUN ENDS
WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS SHORT OF CHAMPIONSHIP
C o u rt e s y
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hree months ago when the first cleats pierced the field and checkered soccer balls took flight, no one could have predicted the year the women’s soccer team would produce. They endured painful defeats before partaking in a televised conference championship game for an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. Underdogs in most eyes and picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll, the Highlanders are certainly the Big West Conference’s Cinderella story. Their fairytale run ended on Sunday at the hands of the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The Highlanders battled to a 1-1 tie before the Titans won their fourth Big West championship on penalty kicks, 2-1. Before they played in the title game, the young core of Riverside players experienced a long season that tested their maturity, commitment and belief in themselves. With nearly every player an underclassmen, the ball club saw its fair share of growing pains. They opened conference play with a 3-7-1 record before winning their first two Big West matches and briefly topping the conference. After upending the Titans on Oct. 13, the squad with a 3-1 record hit a rough patch, losing four consecutive Big West games. “It was about that point when we played in Santa Barbara and lost that game in double overtime,” Head Coach Nat Gonzalez stated. “Cal Poly was the
of
UCR A t hl e t i c s
DARREN BUENO, SENIOR STAFF WRITER next team, we got rolled over by them. Then Davis — we were in the lead at halftime and blew that game. So when it all came about, starting off so strong allowed us to learn from our mistakes.” UCR played Long Beach State on Nov. 11 in a must-win game to secure a berth for the postseason. The inexperienced team was prepared, however, as they defeated LBSU 2-1 behind a pair of goals from Tyler Cunningham. “We had been in every scenario possible: We’ve been the favorite, we’ve been in the lead, we got blown away. It was funny how those three losses really ended up helping us against Long Beach,” Gonzalez explained. “Credit to the girls. They stuck with it and I think the two conference wins early on gave them the confidence and belief to know that what we’ve been doing is working.” In the semifinals against UC Irvine, the Highlanders squeezed out a tight double-overtime game behind a late score by freshman Kelly Velasquez and solid saves from goalkeeper Elizabeth Silas. UC Riverside was outshot by their opponents but continued to plug away at the lead. With the win, UCR returned to the Big West title game for the first time in eight years. On championship Sunday, the early nerves of the Highlanders showed as they were outshot 5-0 in the first half. It seemed as though Fullerton would secure the title when, with just three minutes left, UCR’s Cunningham
converted on a penalty kick to tie the score, 1-1. The squads combined for just three shots during the two overtime periods before the game was sent into penalty kicks. In the shootout, Titan goalkeeper Katie Pulliam stopped seemingly every Riverside attack as the Titans built a 2-0 lead in three rounds en route to the victory, 2-1. Cal State Fullerton won their fourth conference title and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. “The team was fantastic. We made the tournament for the first time in eight years. None of the girls on this team have experienced that. They’re young, so they didn’t understand the level of commitment that is required to play at the level we played at today,” Gonzalez stated. “Early on (in the season) there was a lot of questions and an unwillingness to being comfortable. After we started getting some results in conference, all of that went away. The difference between today and Thursday was Thursday we kept it at zero and today Fullerton got their goal.” Earlier in the season, the 2013 Big West Conference coaches poll was released with the media predicting that UCR would finish at the bottom of the barrel. The team used the poll as a motivational springboard for their season. “We read the polls. We made sure the girls knew how the perception was. That definitely was a driving factor,” Gonzalez stated. “And to be
fair, last season and seasons prior, there really wasn’t much to show for. It is what it is. We are an extremely young team, which is why the coaches assumed (that). You try not to take it personal.” Despite coming up short in the championship game, the Highlanders possess tremendous upside. They turned around their luck midseason with a belief in not only themselves, but also coach Gonzalez’s system. “The one word I can pin on (the team) is belief,” the 2013 Big West Conference Coach of the Year explained. “Everybody doubted us and we ended up beating Long Beach, which allowed us to get into the tournament. To win the semifinal game against Irvine, they had a big belief and they showed it every time they played.” So what is next for the women’s soccer program? An offseason to improve and mature as a unit. A chance for the coaching staff to study tape and prepare for next year’s season. And hopefully a chance to pat themselves on the back for a job well done. “My expectation for this group is to get back to exactly where we are right now. Hopefully this game and this tournament experience … will carry us forward to get past this hump and get to the NCAA tournament. That’s my expectation. And that’s now the group’s expectation because now they felt it, they did it. For them to (get to H the title game), the future is bright.” ■