highlandernews.org
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
FEATURES
MIDNIGHT MADNESS ON PAGE 14
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Governor Brown signs higher education legislation Cristina Granados STAFF WRITER
Carrie Meng STAFF WRITER
This month, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that will affect California’s college and university students and faculty on multiple levels. The bills passed during the 2011-2012 state legislative session involve: future fee increases, expansions to scholarship packages and faculty tenure. AB 970, authored by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), seeks to ensure transparency and accountability for the state’s working families in the UC and CSU systems. The bill requires that administrators consult with student organizations six months prior to any fee increases, while enforcing a 60-day open public forum. Functions of the bill create greater transparency at the administrative level and a wider threshold of time for communication. The regents and trustees will be required to post a public notice indicating how the student fee revenue will be used. Impacts on accessibility, persistence and the graduation
C o u rt e s e y
of historically underrepresented students and low-tomiddle income students will be included in the notice. Sponsored by the California State Student Association and the UC Student Association (UCSA), the bill was previously opposed by the CSU and UC, but they have now
developed a neutral stance on its passage. UC spokesperson Dianne Klein said the amendments “made the bill workable and created significant ‘outs’ in the event certain actions—such as state budget reductions or midyear budget cuts—occur,” in a statement to the Daily
S a n dy V a n With the introduction of opening statements, the U.S. Supreme Court case in Fisher v. University of Texas (UT) conducted its first trial on Oct. 10. The inclusion of race as an admissions factor is being contested by the plaintiff, Abigail Fisher, who was denied enrollment to the University of Texas at Austin back in 2008. Known as a more conservative circuit, the U.S. Justices displayed equally divided viewpoints over the structure of the university’s race-neutral admissions and whether it directly improves college diversity, in accordance to constitutional law. Based on the university acceptance policies in compliance with state law, the top 10 percent of all high school graduates receive
The Sacramento Bee
Californian. Klein notes that the many components of the bill may confuse students who are not familiar with them. “It’s imperative that students are correctly informed about their tuition increases,” said third-year UCR undergraduate Cesar Toledo. He noted that many students live
Supreme Court hears affirmative action case SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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Governor Jerry Brown (above), recently signed a series of state laws that will affect higher education.
automatic admission into the UT of Austin. Applicants, such as Fisher, who fell below this grading bracket are considered under holistic review, which includes leadership skills, musical talent, community service, socioeconomic background and race--the factor being disputed. As a result, Fisher argues that her liberties from the Equal Rights Clause of the 14th Amendment were violated. In the previous affirmative action case of Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the US Supreme court ruled in favor of legitimate raceconscious policies in the admissions process. As a result, the court argued that the university should have a greater degree of autonomy in determining whether race should be considered. “Grutter invokes a broad ‘tradi-
tion of giving a degree of deference to a university’s academic decisions and recognizes that courts should respect the ‘educational autonomy’ of universities given their unique role in our society,” states an opposing brief against Fisher. Among the areas of debate, the justices touched upon the legitimacy to which the selection of race on an application accurately portrays campus diversity. Fisher’s defense team has yet to prove that race was the deciding factor which denied her acceptance into UT of Austin. The distinction between state enrollment and admissions policies has unearthed the argument over whether heightened levels of diversity has been fulfilled through affirmative action policies. SUPREME COURT CONT’D ON PAGE 4
on low funds, so it would be wrong for the UC and CSU to raise tuition without prior notice. “Students paying for tuition need more time to plan for future expenses,” he said. SB 1052 and SB 1053 are two measures that will create an open source textbook library for the state’s 50 most popular undergraduate courses to use at the UC, CSU and community colleges, aiming to provide financial relief to students. Second-year UCR student Tony Huo believes that this bill is beneficial to students, however it may be detrimental to textbook authors and publishers. “A good part of their income comes from the royalties authors earn from the textbooks they publish,” Huo said. “Their work deserves recognition as well as payment.” SB 1052 specifically establishes the “California Open Education Resources Council,” a group of faculty members who will determine which books and resources should be made available. The latter bill creates the California Open Source Digital Library which BROWN CONT’D ON PAGE 8
City of Riverside wins national green fleet award
B rya n T u t t l e /HIGHLANDER This RTA bus is powered by clean fuel technology.
Colin Markovich CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Among the criteria for selection were “standards in fleet composition, fuel and emissions, policy planning, fleet utilization, education, executive and employee involvement, and supporting programs,” according GREEN FLEET CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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Volume 61
Issue 04
2
CALENDAR
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
HIGHLANDER
October/November
UPCOMING EVENTS Sunday
Monday
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Tuesday
16 Tuesday Talks Coming Out Stories 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. HUB 355 Meet the Candidates 7 p.m. HUB 302
Wednesday
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Friday
Saturday
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Think Pink Display Medieval Mellon Event Professor Wall Yury Zaretskiy 6 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. HUB Display Wall HMNSS 1303 Career Expo
Women’s Soccer vs. Cal Poly 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UC Riverside Soccer Stadium
Men’s Soccer vs. Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UC Riverside Soccer Stadium
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. HUB 302
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Women’s Soccer vs. UC Santa Barbara 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UC Riverside Soccer Stadium
Midterm Stress Break Nap Session 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. HUB 265
Interview Skills featuring Target 11 a.m. - noon HUB 268
STEM Career Fair 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. HUB 302
ASUCR Meeting 5 p.m. Senate Chambers
Food Day 2012 noon - 1 p.m. HUB 269
Kaki King 7:30 p.m. The Barn
Ghost Walk 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Downtown Riverside
SAA Medical Career Conference 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. HUB 302
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What I Should Know Before Choosing a Graduate School 2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. HUB 355 ASUCR Meeting 6:30 p.m. Senate Chambers
5 Days of Basic Nutrition: Sugar High 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. HUB 265
Fall Bike Registration 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. University Avenue Curve
Graduate & Male Eyes in a Female Body Professional School 3:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Info Day INTN 3043 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rivera Library Volleyball vs. CSU Bakersfield 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. SRC Arena
Women’s Basketball vs. Cal Baptist (Exhibition) 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. SRC Arena
Scan this QR code and visit us at www.highlandernews.org
HIGHLIGHTS
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Meet the Candidates 7 p.m. HUB 302
Men’s Soccer vs. Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
SAA Medical Career Conference 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. HUB 302
The “Before the Ballot Political Speaker Series” offers students the opportunity to meet the candidates on the upcoming November ballot. State Assembly Candidate Jose Medina, State Assembly Candidate Bill Batey, State Senate Candidate Richard Roth, Riverside County Supervisor Candidate Kevin Jeffries, County Supervisor Candidate Bob Buster, Congressional Candidate Mark Takano, and Mayor Candidates Rusty Bailey and Ed Adkison will all be on hand. Seating is limited.
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team (8-50) looks to get back on the winning train as they face their Big West Conference opponent Cal State Fullerton (4-10-1) at the UCR Soccer Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Student Alumni Association’s 14th annual, nationally-recognized Medical Career Conference will take place next Saturday at the HUB. The conference will feature alumni from different medical fields and there will be Q&A panels for surgery, family practice, academics, and more. The event is free for SAA members and $20 for non-members.
Highlander
2012 Elections Poll
Make your voice heard. Participate in the Highlander’s Elections Poll and learn where UCR students stand on the important issues. Visit www.highlandernews.org from October 2-27, 2012 to vote.
Bearack Obama
Mitt Romnavel
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NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
HIGHLANDER
ASUCR pushes for greater voter registration; one senator resigns S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Mike Rios STAFF WRITER
Voter registration was a major area of focus in the Oct. 11 ASUCR Senate meeting as an overwhelming number of senators discussed their plans and efforts to register students in the upcoming weeks. Other points of discussion include the revisions of two bylaws, which established a due process procedure for internal stipend increases and greater financial autonomy within individual student organizations. Midway through the meeting, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) Senator Martin Maduakor abruptly announced his resignation from ASUCR. “On behalf of the entire administration, I look forward to working with ASUCR and GSA as we proceed in this academic year,” stated Vice Chancellor Jim Sandoval at the onset of the public forum. Also introduced was approval for the ASUCR Chief of Staff, who is mainly tasked with managing the president’s schedule, monitoring the flow of communication among senators and carrying out any other presidential requests. CHASS Senator Christa Morelos spoke about her involvement in voter registration organizations, including the Student Organized Voter Access Committee (SOVAC), where she is responsible for building a volunteer base as the organization’s community director. Over the summer, Senator Morelos collaborated with non-partisan and non-profit organization “Mi Familia Vota,” where 3,000 Riverside citizens were registered to vote.
“We’ve been having a lot of the senators go ahead and volunteer their time,” stated Morelos. “And we’re also working directly with CALPIRG just to register as many people as possible as we can. Our goal is 5,000. Right now, so far I believe we’ve registered at least 1,400. We are nowhere near our goal so we really encourage our senators to come out and register students,” stated Senator Morelos, along with the ongoing efforts of all senators. A campus-wide bounty program is also taking place, where student organizations compete to obtain the highest number of registered voters. The philanthropic competition will award cash prizes to the top three winning organizations. Applications are currently available at the ASUCR Senate office. Senator reports continued with the Legislative Review Committee (LRC), which included the revision of a crucial bylaw. “There were departments or sub-branches of ASUCR that wanted to have their stipend increased so we decided that just rather [using] student fees with their own ability, we’d rather have them go through a due process,” stated Senator Ian Cavasos. Petitions for stipend increases must obtain the sponsorship of two senators, where it is sent to the LRC for constitutionality and grammatical purposes. The process concludes with a brief review by the finance committee to determine viable options and final approval is made by the Senate. “One of my goals when I came into this position was to make it easier for clubs to get funding and make them actually want to get funded with ASUCR,” stated Vice
U.S. Timeline of Affirmative Action in Higher Education 1954 In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court overturns Plessy v. Ferguson and ends racial segregation in all public schools.
L i n C h a i /HIGHLANDER Senators discuss constitutional bylaw revisions and ongoing projects to increase student voter registration turnout.
President of Finance Crystal Kim, who included an additional alteration to a finance bylaw. Student organizations will now have more leeway in terms of budget autonomy, where annual spreadsheets will record how funds are utilized. “I don’t think it’s fair to give them this money and give them these long lists of rules…I think they should be able to use their fundraised money according to how their club wants to use it, within the rules,” stated Senator Kim. Later in the meeting, CNAS Senator Maduakor delivered a report announcing his departure from ASUCR. “This is also my fourth and final year and what comes with that is I have to plan out the rest of my life; going to job fairs, careers fairs because I cannot afford to wake up at graduation unemployed. I just can’t do that,” stated Senator Maduakor, who depicted the demand-
1987 In United States v. Paradise, the Supreme Court pinpoints five factors in evaluating whether an affirmativeaction plan is narrowly tailored.
1978 In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court overturns medical school admissions program that allocates set seats for minority students. Allows race to be considered as a “plus” factor in admissions
1997 California voters ban affirmative action in the state by passing Proposition 209.
ing nature of his position as a resident advisor and the need for future job security. “I thought it might be selfish of me to sit here as senator when I know that I cannot, in my heart, put forth the adequate time commitment toward representing my constituents. So that being said, it’s finished. I’m done as senator.” Amidst additional revelations, Senator Maduakor requested the reinstatement of his position just the following day. Due to the nature of the resolution that was made during the meeting, the executive cabinet was forced to deny his request. No specific guidelines exist for the voluntary resignation of a student senator, yet the Senate Accountability Act in the ASUCR Constitution hints at the formality of recorded resolutions made by individual senators during official Senate meetings. Vested in the powers of the Legislative Branch, ASUCR may
2000 In Gratz v. Bollinger, a federal judge ruled that the use of race in admissions at the University of Michigan was constitutional, due to the educational benefits behind a diverse student body.
1992 In United States v. Fordice, the Supreme Court approves judicially mandated raceconscious measures to remedy state-sponsored segregation in higher education.
In early September, the UC Board of Regents, along with 70 other California institutions, filed briefs that advocated the inclusion of affirmative action in advancing a diverse learning environment. Notably, UCR Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) WIlliam Kidder co-authored a brief filed by the American Education Research Association, which compiled signatures from over 400 U.S. social scientists. Since California voters effectively banned affirmative action in 1996 through Proposition 206, studies have shown diminishing enrollment rates for African Americans and Latinos, especially at more selective universities. As the current foundation for
affirmative action in Texas, the Grutter case invoked the application of university admissions in accordance to state law. While in the Fisher case, Kidder argues that “The 10 percent plan covers about 75 or 80 percent of their admissions decisions and it’s actually the other 20 or so that’s really subjected to this [race-neutral admissions] law,” studies have shown that the inclusion of affirmative action as an admissions factor has attributed to a more diverse campus climate. According to the 2010-2011 Impact Report at the UT of Austin, the 20 year study from 1990 to 2010 reveals an 63 percent enrollment increase of Hispanic students, a 26 percent increase in African-American students and a 150 percent increase in Asian-
Americans. Emerging studies through the field of social science have proven that the culmination of diverse classes tends to create a more accepting campus climate, while increasing self-awareness and acceptance among underrepresented minority groups. They claim increased diversity in an academic environment leads to greater interaction with an array of ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds. In an interview with the Highlander, Vice Provost Kidder spoke of his involvement in co-authoring multiple briefs, which has also been used as points of references in the Fisher case. “UCR has what’s called a higher ‘critical mass,’ which means we have a much more sizable population from
2002 The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals support the University of Michigan’s Law school admission policy, which reaffirmed Bakke in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger.
2012 In the ongoing case of Fisher v. University of Texas, Abigail Fisher claims that she was racially-discriminated against when she was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin in 2008.
I n f o r m at i o n C o u rt e s y
SUPREME COURT FROM PAGE 1
fill any vacancies by allowing the highest ranking alternative from any college to succeed the position, as long as there is a minimum of two senators who already represent each respective college. A two-thirds consensus among the Senate must be achieved to approve the replacement in a special election, according to chapter VI of the ASUCR Elections Code, Item 13. Other projects in the works include expanding supplementary instruction for core curriculum courses, reinstating the Host program for UCR visitors, the organization of a campus-wide Fear Factor competition and the possibility of building a protective fence around Glen Mor fields. ASUCR is also planning an event for Oct. 18 entitled “Meet the Senate” at the HUB Plaza, where pizza and ASUCR memorabilia will be provided. ■H
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A d a m s S tat e U n i v e r s i t y / G r a p h ic
different racial and ethnic groups.” In comparison to other UC schools, his studies demonstrated that more underrepresented demographics among African Americans and Latino felt respected at UCR. Kidder also perceived the case in terms of expanding opportunity and fair accessibility to students, yet expressed that more needs to be done to ensure campus diversity. “Student body diversity is not just about helping certain students get it, it is about leveraging admissions decisions for the benefit of everyone in the learning environment,” states Kidder, who examined the social science studies of the levels of diversity needed to justify some degree of consideration. Alternative policy options
by
Sireena Sy
include an income-based integration, rather than giving “weight” to certain races of socioeconomic background, to determine the overall competitive and need-basis. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said affirmative action would not matter after 25 years, yet this topic has been brought up again a decade later. Since Justice Elena Kagan recused herself from the case, a split decision makes for a possible outcome. With Chief Justice Anthony Kennedy appearing to be the “swing vote,” the case has a high chance of ending in a split 4-4 or tilting 5-3 and in favor of UT Austin. Either of these results will uphold the rulings made by the lower courts, which supports the current admissions policies at the University of Texas. ■H
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
NEWS IN BRIEF
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
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COMPILED BY SHADI VALENZUELA, contributing writer
$4.5 MILLION NSF GRANT FOR FIVE-YEAR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM
ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE IN CALIFORNIA
With the help of engineering professors and graduate students, the UCR department of computer science has developed the online application, MyPageKeeper, which detects and combats cyber-crime. Researchers analyzed more than 40 million posts from 12,000 people who installed the app and managed to successfully flag 97 percent of spam and malware posts on Facebook. Researchers introduced the new term “socware” to describe “social malware,” which traps all parasitic behavior in online social networks. Other results concluded that 49 percent of users were exposed to at least one socware post during the last four months. The application detects socware in online posts and immediately sends an alert tothe user. Researchers determined that words such as “free,” “hurry,” “deal” and “shocked” indicate possible spam in the posts. The application operates by continuously scanning the walls and news feed of subscribed users. Possible changes include further customization of the application, which will automatically remove malicious posts from a user’s online social network.
On Oct. 3, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded UC Santa Cruz a $4.5 million grant to help fund the university’s five-year research and education program on renewable energy. This program addresses the technical, social, and economic aspects of “community-scale renewable-energy micro grids.” One of their goals is to learn how to integrate renewable energy sources such as bio-energy, solar energy and tidal energy with existing electrical grid. The interdisciplinary research team includes faculty with a broad range of expertise, such as: electrical engineering, computer engineering, politics, sociology, environmental studies, energy technology, chemical and materials engineering, and technology management professionals. UC Santa Cruz is collaborating with UC Davis, Aalborg University and Technical University of Denmark on this project in order to further research in renewable energy. UC Santa Cruz’s Green Wharf Coastal Energy Research consists of exploring renewable energy micro grid systems in a marine environment while simultaneously looking for ways to reduce green house gas. UC Davis is working on a mixed-use neighborhood project in the West Village Community designed for renewable energy to reach “zero net energy.” Other facilities in California and Denmark will be used as test beds for studying the social aspects of small-scale micro-grid systems.
On Sept. 24, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the Senate Bill 397, which permits Californians to register to vote through an online registration system. As a result, this system will expedite the number of voting applicants and is specifically aimed at college students, who tend to live more transient lifestyles compared to an older demographic of Californians. In 2009, the California Secretary of the State announced a printable voter registration form that could be linked to various websites. This initial shift to an online presence was met with instant success, especially among the younger demographic. Based on a study by the Public Policy Institute of California, results reveal that those ages 55 and up made up 44 percent of likely voters, while those between the age bracket of 18 to 34 only represent 18 percent of likely voters. Eric McGhee, a policy fellow at the institute states that the system may appeal to younger Californians who are more in tune with modern technology.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
ACTA study identifies needed reform in UC and CSU system Lauren Green CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The California Master Plan for Higher Education promised all Californian college students access to a highquality and affordable education. 50 years later, that promise is crippled and conditional for students who have limited access to core classes, rising student loan debt and diminished campus resources. A recent study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) reveals that higher education in California is suffering in four areas: providing students with a comprehensive general education, promoting intellectual diversity, managing cost and effectiveness, and maintaining fair governance. After compiling data from the UC and CSU systems, UC Riverside fell right in the middle. The council reported that the California education system is failing to give students a well-rounded education in the areas of composition, literature, intermediate-level foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics and natural or physical science. The core curriculum was fulfilled by a majority of the Cal State system, yet UC students came up short; UCR met just two of the seven requirements in the areas of composition and science. ACTA argues that the lack of a comprehensive education threatens the prospects of work for graduates as well, as these qualities are what employers seek in today’s
competitive job market. Additionally, the study argues that it is not a lack, but misdirection of funds from taxpayers, the government and tuition, that is responsible for the gaps in students’ education. “Over the five-year period from 2006-07 to 2011-12, tuition has risen on average 73.1 percent at UC campuses, and 83.8 percent at Cal State campuses.” UCR tuition, in particular, climbed to a staggering 75.8 percent change for an average of $12,924 for the 2011-2012 academic year. In addition to tuition hikes, the UC received “over $270 million more in general fund support than did the Cal state system.” However, students have seen the trend turn toward closing class sections and enlarging current class sizes. Misdirection of the funds may be due in part to the lack of efficient use of most facilities. The data shows, “only one school—UC-Santa Cruz— met California’s minimum standards for average weekly classroom contact of 35 hours per station per week.” UC Riverside falls somewhere in the middle, “from a low of 20.8 hours at UC Merced to 35.9 hours per week at UC Santa Cruz.” The results of the study confirm that many campus facilities are not fully maximised to ensure an open academic environment. Limited accessibility to classes will impede graduation rates, which is a growing problem among California schools. Of all undergraduates at UCR, only 46 percent graduate in four years and only 68 percent
C o u rt e s y o f o n wa r d s tat e . c o m Anne Neal is the president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), an independent non-profit organization.
in six years. The council argues that both students and regents have the power to make the UC an affordable and cost-effective higher education system. Yet, while “The regents have ‘full powers of organization and government’ over the University, [they]...play virtually no role in setting academic priorities or overseeing academic quality.” In addition, the study shows that every campus in the UC has speech codes that either “endanger” or “substantially restrict” free speech. The UC’s speech code boasts, “... the importance of an ‘open forum policy’ on the campuses, of a free exchange of ideas, and of pursuit of the
truth wherever it may lead— popular or unpopular though that may be. . . .” UC Riverside once again fares right in the middle. In a red, yellow and green light scale that measures freedom of speech on campus, UCR was ranked with a yellow light, which the authors have defined as “clearly endangered.” The study states that “both the UC and Cal State systems have published broad policy statements outlining rights to free expression,” in reference to the Response to Protest on UC Campuses report. The protest guidelines were released as a result of the UC Berkeley and UC Davis incidents that occurred in 2011, which
the council attests were violations of free speech in the California education system The study warns that, “In 2013, a Cal State enrollment freeze, along with a shortage of places at UC, could turn away 25,000 students or more.” The Master Plan is the statewide standard for higher education, yet the report by ACTA identifies areas of improvement that is deemed necessary for California colleges. The council encourages stronger ties for students and governance at every level, in order to create an envisioned master plan that is permanent and sustainable. For more information, visit highlandernews.org. ■H
UCSA elects Morales as new president following resignation of Salceda Mike Rios STAFF WRITER
Board members of the University of California Student Association (UCSA) recently announced that President Angelica Salceda has resigned from her position. Citing personal and private obligations, the third-year law student at UC Berkeley decided to resign on Oct 2. just two months after taking office. UCSA is a student-run organization made up of UC student government representatives that aim to increase affordability and accessibility of the UC system through advocacy and direct-action organizing. Since assuming office in August, Salceda’s agenda included issues that affected students across the UC system. As president, Salceda was heavily involved in filling three vacant seats on the UC Board of Regents. She was also a major advocate of student voting, educating new and young voters on the effects of Proposition 30—which is slated for the November ballot. Darius L. Kemp, the organizing and communications director of the UCSA, shed some light on Salceda’s recent decision to leave office. “She believed that she could not
dutifully fulfill her term as president with the amount of personal obligations she had,” stated Kemp in a press release. In 2007, Salceda graduated with honors from UCLA with degrees in political science and history. After graduation, Salceda briefly worked for an elected official in Sacramento, where she went on to attend UC Berkeley to study law. ASUC External Affairs Vice President Shahryar Abbasi also commented on Salceda’s departure. “UCSA board members are some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met,” said Abbasi in a press release. “She did a good job during the time she was president, and I hope to continue to work closely with her,” he continued. Despite her resignation as president, Salceda will remain a member of the UCSA Board of Directors. Salceda will continue her role as External Affairs Vice President of the UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly. UC Irvine representative Katerina Masesan temporarily assumed the responsibilities of the president following Salceda’s departure. A few days after Salceda resigned, the UCSA held a special
election in their meeting at UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 7, to select a new president. Raquel Morales of UC San Diego was voted to become the new president of the UCSA. Morales, a senior at UCSD pursuing a degree in international studies, formerly served on the board as a legislative liaison from UC San Diego. In an interview with the Highlander, Morales detailed her new responsibilities as the president of UCSA. “As a president, I’m to carry out the projects that were being worked on by the previous presidents,” said Morales. “As of now we’re focusing on voter registration. I also carry out anything that the board wants me to do in terms of campaigns, meetings and whatever visions the board comes up with.” Morales went on talk about Salcedo and the similarities in their duties and visions for UCSA. “We both have the same goals for the board,” she said. “We both have similar visions for where we want to see the board going for this upcoming year. I’m pretty much carrying out the same vision.” This is Morales’ third year as a member of UCSA, her second year as a part of the board. ■H
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T h e D a i ly B r u i n
UCSD student Raquel Morales (above) was elected UCSA president.
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Highlander
NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
HIGHLANDER GREEN FLEET FROM PAGE 1
C o u rt e s y o f T h e R e gi s t e r AB 970 recommends prior notification of up to six months before future tuition increases.
KUCR RADIO 88.3
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BROWN FROM PAGE 1
HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM
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will house web-based material while providing students, faculty and staff cheaper or even free modes of accessibility. Written by Senator Ellen Corbett, SB 1289 helps student applicants differentiate private loans from federal loans, which are available to all students. The contents detail whether or not a rate is fixed or can change and determines rate fluctuation of private student loans on an annual basis. Effective January 2013, all public, private and independent postsecondary institutions, except the California Community Colleges, are to outline these statements on all loan applications. According to SB 1289, over 55 percent of students from public universities graduate with $22,000 in student loan debt while 66 percent of graduates from private nonprofit institutions leave with an average debt of $28,100. Critics such as the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools argue that existing federal law already enforces parts of the bill, such as new rate changes—information that is already made publicly accessible. Although the contents of
SB 1289 apply to most universities in the state, the UC system need only abide by these conditions if they are enforced by the UC Board of Regents. Presented by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate), AB 2132 was vetoed by Governor Brown. If passed, the CSU Board of Trustees and UC Regents would be forced to consider and reward faculty and staff based on community impacts, especially in cases of promotion, appointment or future tenure reviews. Due to its autonomy from the state government, the UC system would be “requested” to undergo such an administrative transition, while the CSU is legally obligated to participate. Governor Brown returned the bill without his signature due to his belief that “the extent to which service is considered in such decisions should be a local, campus-based decision,” continued Brown in his written statement. The passing of state legislation will influence the future students at the UC, should the regents decide to participate in this legislation. The CSU system is subjected to all state laws. ■H
to Government Fleet, a publication focusing on public-sector vehicle fleets. The organization gave out forty awards to qualifying organizations across the United States. The city of Riverside received the top prize, but other institutions throughout Southern California were recognized as well, including the cities of Santa Ana, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach, which placed eleventh, twelfth, and thirtieth, respectively. Also recognized were the state of California’s Department of General Services and the University of California, San Diego. In addition to the achievements made by the city, the county of Riverside was also recognized for its sustainable practices. The county’s Parking and Fleet Services earned its own spot in the Government Green Fleet category, and their director, Robert Howdyshell, was recognized as one of 40 Sustainability All-Stars. Lauren Fletcher, managing editor of Green Fleet Magazine, lauded Howdyshell and others in a press release, praising them for “[reducing] greenhouse emissions, [creating] green fleet and sustainable policies and [dedicating] their time and energy to ensuring the path to sustainability is clear.” The Green Fleet Conference is an annual meeting of professionals who work in the transportation sector, public or private. The conference is designed to showcase advances in clean vehicles and provide attendees with strategies to implement transportation systems that function in awareness of the environment. Hundreds of people from across the United States attended the two-day conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. Riverside’s first place ranking among the participants in the Government Green Fleets category reflects positively on the city’s pursuit of environmental sustainability. Under the mayoralty of Ron Loveridge, the city of Riverside increased its emphasis on sustainable development and livability. In 2001, the city first began to implement a number of new environmental policies, including the installation of light-emitting diodes in the city’s traffic lights to reduce electricity consumption. This was followed by the 2007 release of the city’s Green Action Plan, a report highlighting the most significant problems facing the city of Riverside and outlining strategies to combat them. One of the largest transportation-related goals included an expanded use of clean fleet vehicles. Transportation-related issues alone cover nearly a fourth of the goals established in Riverside’s Green Action Plan and are some of the most
significant issues affecting southern California. Smart Growth America, an organization that protects agricultural plots, renovates communities and lowers the cost of housing, states the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area as the region with the greatest level of urban sprawl out of 83 metropolitan areas surveyed throughout the United States. Data from a 2002 California Bureau of Transportation Statistics report shows an extremely high level of commuter traffic throughout the Riverside-San Bernardino area, which racks up 32,876 daily vehicle-miles of travel—roughly 3,000 more than the almost equally populated city of Sacramento. In daily vehicle-miles of travel per capita, Riverside ranks second out of 37 urbanized areas in California. The RiversideSan Bernardino area has more traffic per freeway lane mile than any other urban area in the state with the exception of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Given the unique flow of commuter traffic, transportation issues are still an important focus in Riverside’s updated Green Action Plan. To decrease emissions and reduce consumer reliance on gasoline, electric vehicle chargers will be installed at public venues, along with new fueling stations, which consists of compressed natural gas. But some transit goals remain on the Green Action Plan from the previous version and are apparently as of yet unrecognized. Among these are the synchronization of traffic signals to decrease traffic congestion and the implementation of a transportation program between the region’s educational institutions. In addition to Riverside’s recognition at the Green Fleet Conference, the city has also received a silver ranking from the California Green Communities Challenge for its sustainability programs. Riverside Public Utilities also earned a gold award from the International Economic Development Council for lowering citizens’ energy costs. Though Riverside has received accolades for its advances in sustainability, projects are poised to continue through a number of local partnerships. Green Riverside states that the city now generates five megawatts of electricity through solar power alone, as one of many ongoing projects. The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), which operates natural gas-fuelled buses throughout Riverside County, has also received a $2.4 million grant from the federal government as part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Clean Fuels Grant Program, according to a report by Metro Magazine. The funds will be used to eventually replace the entire fleet of ■H RTA buses.
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
On June 6th, the Supreme Court refused to strike down a California law that offers state residents reduced tuition rates at California colleges. The law’s opponents argue that the bill, which does not distinguish between lawful residents and illegal immigrants, violates a federal law that prohibits states from giving college benefits to illegal aliens on the basis of residence within a state. Unfortunately for the law’s detractors, the Supreme Court wouldn’t even hear their challenge. Lawyers for a conservative immigration-law group that backed the appeal claim that the law is patently unfair to the thousands of full-bred American high school graduates who apply to California colleges from other states each year. These students will have to pay as much as $20,00 more for college tuition than the illegal immigrants (and many other California residents) that the bill aids. Others have argued that the bill gives preferential treatment to illegal immigrants - it is just one more derivative of affirmative action, bent on taking positions away from the hard working, middle-class Caucasians who really deserve http://ulife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ rick-santorum-660x320.jpg
HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
C o u rt e s y
of
The Sacramento Bee
PROPOSITION 34: REPEAL THE DEATH PENALTY Our justice system isn’t infallible. Since 1973, 140 people have been found innocent and released from death rows in 26 states. Nationally, at least one person is exonerated for every 10 that are executed. We cannot trust the life of a human being in the hands of an imperfect death penalty system. Nor can we trust a system that, when applied, is largely dependent on how much money a convict has, their attorney’s skill, the victim’s race and where the crime took place. In addition, the death penalty costs Californians considerably more money than sentences of life without parole. By voting yes on Proposition 34 in November, Californians should repeal the death penalty, save the state money and avoid the risk of sentencing an innocent person. As a result, convicts would instead be given life imprisonment without parole. In a 1995 survey of police chiefs nationwide, New York Attorney Richard C. Dieter found that they rank the death penalty lowest among ways to reduce violent crime, placing it behind curbing drug abuse, more police officers on the streets, lowering the technical barriers to prosecution, longer sentences and a better economy with more jobs. And what if new evidence reveals a convict’s innocence? It’s easier to release an HIGHLANDER STAFF
inmate than revive one from the dead. It actually costs less to keep inmates in prison than it does to enforce the death penalty. According to data from the Death Penalty Information Center, the cost of the death penalty in California has totaled over $4 billion since 1978: $1.94 billion for pretrial and trial costs, $925 million for automatic appeals and state habeas corpus petitions, $775 million for federal habeas corpus appeals and $1 billion for incarceration costs. Compare these figures to the $47,000 cost per year to incarcerate an inmate in prison. However, it is unclear exactly how much will California save by eliminating the death penalty. Head of the California District Attorneys Association W. Scott Thorpe states that an accurate assessment of the fiscal impact is impossible, and that some costs will actually increase if the death penalty is abolished. But according to a study by U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Arthur L. Alarcon and Loyola Law School professor Paula M. Mitchell, the death penalty costs the state $184 million a year. Our state, currently mired in economic woes, would undoubtedly benefit by eliminating such a costly happening. Prop 34 states that a fund of $100 million will be distributed to
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law enforcement agencies in order to help solve more homicide and rape cases. But we may not know whether or not the money actually goes to what the bill proposes. Though $100 million is a large sum that can go to areas of the state that are in more need, it seems a better alternative to the death penalty, with its monumental costs, especially in recognizing the current amount required to execute an inmate. In theory, the death penalty might sound attractive to some, but that’s assuming we live in a perfect world with an infallible justice system— one that never makes mistakes. But we don’t, unfortunately. The death penalty costs the state more than it does life without parole and seeing that California is already in a financial crisis, it is more plausible to repeal capital punishment. Californians are better off saving a great deal of much-needed money and avoiding the risk of murdering an innocent person than trusting our government to decide who should and shouldn’t be killed. ■H
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: In response to the Oct. 9 article titled “Venture Capitalist versus Community Organizer” by Tim R. Aguilar. from
Will Eckstein
Dear Mr. Aguilar, According to Investopedia the definition of Venture Capital is: “Money provided by investors to startup firms and small businesses with perceived long-term growth potential. This is a very important source of funding for startups that do not have access to capital markets. It typically entails high risk for the investor, but it has the potential for above-average returns.” Now with that in mind can we call Mitt Romney a venture capitalist? No, we can’t. Your article was titled “Venture Capitalist versus Community Organizer.” This is an unfortunate and misleading title for what was otherwise a decent piece of journalism. In the first sentence you say “[Mitt Romney] a venture capitalist that made his living buying and dismantling American business and lining his pockets with the misery of unemployed American workers.” WRONG. The whole point of venture capital is to invest in a venture, not liquidate or turn round [sic] a firm. Anyone who knows anything about venture capital would not dare call Romney a VC. For the record Romney was in private equity, not early stage investment. Once again I remind you that VCs invest in startups, not firms that have been in business for 103 years as you suggest with your GST steel example. A private equity firm like Bain Capital will attempt to buy out a company all ready in existence with borrowed money from bank and some money from their own fund in an attempt to make it profitable. This isn’t always the case, sometimes the company is worth more if you sell its’ assets than trying to turn it around. Bain Capital which was started by Romney is often attacked for putting American’s out of work and bankrupting companies, the Obama campaign even suggested that is caused a woman to commit suicide. Some of the claims are obviously ludicrous; some of them may have some merit. Back to the point, Mitt Romney is not a venture capitalist, he even said “there’s a lot greater risk in a startup than there is in acquiring an existing company.” This is the essence of Bain Capital, a private equity firm that takes over existing companies through debt, not their own money, and attempts to make them more profitable, if not they sell the assets and charge a fee. Finally you suggest in your article that “venture capitalists exploit opportunity; they don’t create it.” This is wrong on so many levels. Not only have you got the definition of a VC completely backwards but you misrepresent the business that Romney was actually in which was private equity. Finally, without venture capitalists companies like Facebook, Groupon, Zynga, or Amazon, to name a few, would not exist or at least not in the form that they do today. I put it to you that these companies have created opportunities for many people other than the Venture Capitalists who funded them. It is unfortunate that what you wrote might cause readers to mistake a Venture Capitalist firm from a Private Equity firm, in this economy we need more people willing to invest in businesses and create quality jobs. Yes sometime private equity will close down a company and take what profits it can get, but we need to consider that if a company is failing there is a reason for it. The father of value investing and mentor to Warren Buffet, always advised that if a company was trading below its’ liquidation value then its’ assets were worth more than the company itself and it should be sold. My point is boom or bust; it’s all part of the business cycle. The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They should be 600-800 words in length and include the author’s name and contact information. Contact opinions editor Kevin Keckeisen at opinions@ highlandernews.org for more information.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
A possibility for ‘idiocracy’ to come to life: a result of dwindling funds J o s h ua W a g o n b l a s t CONTRIBUTING WRITER
There were two choices: attend a four-year college straight out of high school or spend my first two years at a local community college. I leaned towards the cheaper investment, but as pressure rose from my parents, I went with the university option. Because of this I probably saved myself time and frustration. For anyone who finds it difficult to be accommodated in their preferred classes here at the University of California, Riverside, just be glad that our classes are not as impacted as they are in the community college system. Over the last five years the state budget has slowly put tighter constraints on higher education. The poor condition of the economy has led the state to take cuts at every side, and the most substantial savings are coming out of the education system’s pockets, specifically from community colleges. My mother used to tell me of the days when classes at El Camino, a popular campus in North Torrance, were dirt cheap, and transferring from there was no issue. Now, there seem to be problems boiling at every edge of the sinking system. The state’s general fund has decreased by more than a third, which is problematic when realiz-
ing that the fund provides the bulk of the systems’ revenue—resulting in a jaw-dropping $1.3 billion cut last year. The slash makes it harder for students to enroll, which results in students taking longer to transfer or earn a vocational degree. Jack Scott, chancellor of California’s community college system, said that “state funding has dropped by 12 percent over the last three years.” If this trend continues, community colleges will become more selective, serving the opposite purpose that was originally intended— to provide education for lower income students. The Los Angeles Times commented on the reductions by verifying that the system is up against a state funding cut of up to 10 percent, and this will then result in 400,000 fewer students next fall— not to mention another decrease in available classes. With 2.6 million students enrolled in community college, California continues to encompass the largest higher educational system in the country. Could this then be detrimental to our state? The purpose of the restrictions is to provide some breathing room within the state and federal budgets. But without a place for students to receive an education, unemployment also faces an increase. More and more people will
settle for lower paying positions and end up contributing to a lower socioeconomic status, increasing poverty within the state. In a study released by the California Community Colleges Student Success Task Force this year, only 54 percent ever achieve a degree, a certificate or transfer preparation. Now, according to reports by the LA times, around 80 percent of firefighters and law enforcement officers and 70 percent of nurses jump start their careers in community college. By some estimates, California will need 2.3 million more community college degree and certificate holders by 2025 to meet the demands of employers. The California Master Plan for Higher Education does not seem to be doing its job, why? Course offerings have dropped by almost a quarter since 2008, and in a survey, 78 of the system’s 112 colleges reported more than 472,300 students on wait lists for classes this fall semester—an average of about 7,150 per campus. With all the frustration students are dropping out one by one because they cannot get the classes they need to graduate. A large portion of students end up transferring to colleges and universities that tend to make room for as many as they can, but with such long periods at the community college, the system
may become less valuable, leaving students who can barely afford an education in the dust. Proposition 30 intends to put money back into the higher education system. If the proposition fails this November, the funding will fall another 7 percent. Where did the money go in the first place? Naturally, these savings went back into the deficit. And, according to Governor Brown’s budget report, the majority of the funds were taken from student aid and anything that is categorized under “other higher education.” Governor Brown promises to fix the education system in California, to promote class availability, and help students focus solely on major classes or ones required to transfer to UC/CSU and keep state mandates to a minimum. Although, Governor Brown’s proposal is adding a rise to class fees, increasing the cost of a unit from $26 to $36, I do believe the fees should increase minutely, but his plan will still leave 350,000 students without funding from the state. We cannot expect the system to do more with less. Enrollment should be made more specific. Meaning, those students who are solely there for a degree and/or transferring should be given priority to classes. Adults and others who attend just to take classes for fun or broadening horizons should
not be allowed admittance, for the time being. There should also be more money diverted from California’s prison system to the educational system. Correctional facilities now obtain more funding than schools, receiving 3.5 percent more than higher education, according to former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Huffington Post. This should be redirected back into education. Maybe then we would not have so many criminals. Let the prisons do more with less, not the schools. Nick Ardecky, a transfer student now at UCSD, said that, “Miracosta (a community college in San Diego) is funded by some of the wealthiest counties in California… no hurt there. For everyone else, I think that there is a huge problem on our hands, especially since community college has become a new standard for college education.” With this in mind, any county with a surplus or wiggle room should donate funds to other, more impacted counties. Community college has become a new standard of education, seeing as students hope for a cheaper option that can get them on track to graduate. But with the way the budget is structured today, something needs to be done, even if this means relocating funds, increasing taxes and fees, or changing the admittance process. ■H
MY S PIN ON TH E V I C E P R E S I D E NT I AL DE BAT E T i m R. A g u i l a r STAFF WRITER
The debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan was considered a draw by CNN Political Analyst David Gergen. A CNN poll of undecided Virginia voters was split three ways: a third for Ryan, a third for Biden and a third still undecided. Political analysts from Fox News declared Congressman Ryan the clear winner and vice president material, while MSNBC felt Vice President Biden gave the young man from Jamesville, Wisconsin a lesson in facts and politics. A CBS poll reported that 50 percent of registered voters felt Biden won with 31 percent favoring Ryan. A click of the remote here and there and I found myself in the midst of political spin. Fact check was busy with statements from both candidates. Ryan claimed that 20 million people would lose their health care insurance under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but this was not true. Nor was his claim that Romney’s 20 percent tax cut across the board would not reduce tax deduction to the middle class, such as mortgage interest or education, according to the Tax Policy Center. And then there were misrepresented quotes when Biden said that Romney said, “Let the US auto industry go bankrupt,” but that was not exactly what he said. Romney said he would support a managed bankruptcy for the auto industry, but he did oppose the auto industry bail out. Quotes and facts are quite different when speaking of what a person said, as opposed to what a per-
son’s plans are for America, but we hear what we want to hear, as was the case for various news agencies. But I am not an employee of CNN, CBS, FOX or MSNBC. Nor am I a registered Democrat or Republican, because I do not buy into party politics; I believe each and every politician requires close examination. Such as in the case of Ryan’s response to the recent killings of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Libya. Ryan claimed that the president misinformed America of the terrorist attack on the embassy in Benghazi, suggesting it was a cover up and adding that President Obama should have provided embassy security. He said it was the unraveling of Obama’s foreign policy and that we should never apologize for our values. Biden shot back and reminded the young Congressman that he voted against a $300 million appropriation for embassy security and explained that Obama reported what US intelligence had reported to him and when they, after further investigation, changed their report Obama reported the change. If you followed the story there was much speculation initially, but no solid intelligence. However, Romney, before the news of Ambassador Stevens death could be confirmed, was televised condemning Obama for the outbreak in the Middle East. This was not disputed by Ryan—he simply turned the attack back onto Obama’s failed foreign policy. However, Ryan never supported his claim and when it came to apologizing for our values he provided no specifics. It was simply another political slogan. Secretary Hillary
Clinton’s statement to the Libyan people and Muslims throughout the Middle East disassociated the US government from the production of Sam Bacile’s nefarious YouTube video, “Innocence of Muslims,” and condemned its content. She did not apologize for American values. When Ryan was asked if he condemned the burning of the Koran he said, “Oh gosh yes.” Does this mean he opposes free speech, an American value? No, he is simply saying that we must be respectful, which is what Secretary Hillary Clinton said by condemning the video. I found this spin, by a vice presidential candidate, very disturbing. Ryan claimed that the US wasn’t doing enough in Iran or Syria, but when quizzed on what exactly he would do differently he failed to offer substantive solutions. When discussing Afghanistan he agreed on the withdraw date of 2014, but said that drawing down troops left the remaining US troops in peril. Biden responded by making it clear that the Afghans were filling these voids and were being sent into Taliban strongholds. When Ryan claimed the US should do more in Syria the only thing he offered was the engagement of the freedom fighters earlier. He chose not to respond to or acknowledge Biden’s comments regarding the international community’s involvement. He made it clear that the US was no longer alone in deciding the outcome of international conflicts because Obama had won back their support, and he added that the US will not put American troops in harm’s way when sanctions, as in Iran, are working. Biden
went on to say that war should always be the absolute last resort. When I glimpsed the spin on Fox News, Ryan was touted as a foreign affairs guru, while MSNBC felt there was no substance behind his foreign policy attacks, but were impressed that he managed to memorize names and places. CNN and MSNBC said Biden brought energy and fight to the debate and Fox claimed Biden was rude and constantly interrupting Ryan. The candidates were asked many interesting questions, but what caught my ear was the role their Catholic religion played on their personal views on abortion. Ryan said he believes that life began at conception because of religion, reason and science and is pro-life. He went on to say that he respects people that disagreed with him, but Romney’s administration policy opposes abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. Biden claimed that his Catholic faith defines who he is and he accepts the church’s position on abortion, which is life begins at conception, but he refuses to impose his religious beliefs on equally devout Christians, Muslims and Jews. He said, “I do not believe that―that we have a right to tell other people that women, they―they can’t control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor, in my view… I’m not going to interfere with that.” The Romney Ryan Administrative Policy on abortion fails to respect the religious beliefs of others. It contradicts Ryan’s accusations of Obama’s administration for attempting to force the Catholic Church into performing abortions
at their hospitals and clinics, which was disavowed, so that religion is free from government, but government (the people) is not free from religion. The freedom of religion is central to American democracy and is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. It guarantees religious liberty and strict separation of church and state. It states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” And while Ryan claims he respects people who disagree with him, he intends to impose his personal religious beliefs on others of different faiths with legislation. There is no respect in this proposition and it is contrary to the American values regarding the freedom of religion— American values Ryan uses so often in his speech. A thousand words will never cover 90 minutes of intense debate, but I clicked the TV off feeling that when a person does not give specifics and instead uses high level political rhetoric and slogans to argue a position that require specifics, it becomes difficult to support much of what they say, regardless how well they say it. When that is coupled with fact checking that claims what they did say was false, especially as it relates to health care, taxes and the deficit, how is it possible to find value in their position? The clear differences in this debate were the contradictions I encountered regarding respect, the freedom of religion and American values by the confident and well spoken Ryan, something I did not encounter in the words of Biden, however so abrupt they may have been; just another spin. ■H
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.
. FEATURES .
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
11
MASTERING
“The Art of Procrastination” Dr. John Perry ~ H W I~T
by Chelsea Santos, STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Dr. John Perry
Interminable nights of working against the clock, fueled by countless cups of coffee. Whether writing a paper or studying mountains of material for an exam, the scene is a familiar one to many, especially undergraduates. The culprit, the habit of procrastination, is often associated with sloth, carelessness and apathy. However, as discomforting as it is for students, procrastination may not actually be such an unproductive approach, says UC Riverside philosophy professor John Perry, author of the recently published book, “The Art of Procrastination, A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing.” A self-described procrastinator, Perry initially felt down about his habit. But at the same time, he has had a reputation for being productive. With the intent of feeling better about his procrastination, Perry wrote the highly-acclaimed essay “How to Procrastinate and Still Get Things Done” in 1995. In the piece, he elucidates the paradox of his work style, offering a comedic, light-hearted look at procrastination. “I noticed that I get a lot done as a way of not doing what I am supposed to be doing,” states Perry. His approach, “structured procrastination,” involves completing numerous, smaller tasks to postpone more cumbersome tasks. In the essay, he suggests that it offers procrastinators the benefit of long-term productivity by getting a lot done. He goes on to explain ways to utilize the habit effectively. However, Perry states, “The key idea is that procrastinating does not mean doing absolutely nothing.” Following the essay’s publication in the Chronicle of Higher Educa-
tion, it garnered positive responses from readers who have found his work inspiring and witty. In 2011, Perry received an Ig Nobel Prize in Literature, which is a parody of the Nobel Prize intended to be humorous and satirical, but also thought provoking. They lauded the piece for its eccentricity and power to stimulate thought. In the plethora of emails and letters he has received over the years, Perry reflects, “A lot of people identify with the trend I found: getting a lot done as a way of not doing other things, which you are really supposed to be doing. A lot of people were also relieved to have someone suggest that they ought to pat themselves on the back for what they get done, instead of feeling bad about procrastinating.” Beyond his expertise in structured procrastination, Perry is also renowned in the field of philosophy for his extensive and influential work across various philosophical issues. He has penned over 100 articles and books on the philosophy of language, the philosophy of the mind, personal identity, reflexivity and self-knowledge. In addition, he is a co-host on the radio program “Philosophy Talk” with fellow philosopher Kenneth Taylor, encouraging discourse on different philosophical issues among curious listeners. After 37 years as a professor at Stanford University, he retired in 2011, but remains a Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy at the institution and is also a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside. He has also received a number of awards and honors throughout his career, including a Jean Nicod Prize (France), a Humboldt Prize (Germany), a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a
Dinkelspiel Award for undergraduate teaching from Stanford. This past August, Perry published a self-help manual, which carries the same witty, tongue-in-cheek perspective of his early essay, and delves into structured procrastination even further, discussing techniques such as task triage and self-manipulation. The latter, for example, may be likened to defining one’s own path of least resistance when tackling a todo list. Perry elaborates, “Sometimes you find that you don’t have the will power to work on what you should work on, but you can take steps to create situations in which not so much will power is required.” Best of all, “When one realizes why and how one
procrastinates, there are things you can do to minimize the bad effects of this flaw, as well as minimizing how bad one feels about it.” Much like his early essay, Perry focuses on the positives associated with the habit of procrastination, diverting the matter away from its negative undertones. While he claims that procrastination is not a flaw, it is a common trait among many productive people. He argues, “If you went back through history and eliminated all the poems, novels, inventions and ideas that people came up with while they should have been doing something else, our culture would be greatly impoverished. So it’s not the worst flaw in the world.” ■H
Procrastinating Tips from
Dr. John Perry:
Consider when procrastination might be helpful for you. “Undergraduates tend to procrastinate. This works better for some classes than for others. In a humanities class, cramming at the last minute can produce a pretty good exam performance or term paper. In math and science, it’s better to keep up.” What you’re procrastinating on may be telling you something about yourself. “Procrastination can help you figure out what you really want to be doing with your life. If you are putting off your biology homework to tutor kids, or read novels, or try out for parts in plays, maybe you need to rethink being a pre-med.” Whenever you procrastinate, stop and ask yourself why. “What’s more puzzling is when we procrastinate doing something we actually enjoy doing. Lots of writers have this problem. They enjoy writing--once they get started. But they find it hard to get started. If one spots that pattern in oneself, you need to figure out what is going on. Are you afraid that by actually doing what you enjoy doing, you will prove that you aren’t as good as it as you want to be? Facing up to these issues can help deal with them.”
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
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INDIA SWE & SPICES NEW
TOP: Combo #1 with Daal (Lentil) Curry. BOTTOM: Trays full of freshly made desserts.
by Collette King, CONTRIBUTING WRITER Leena Butt, PHOTOGRAPHER The first thing I noticed about India Sweets and Spices was the aura of herbs and spices that embraced me as I walked in. The second, that it was not at all what I had expected. I assumed a setting of a typical restaurant, which generally consists of a room of tables, a hostess and a waiter. But the lack of a conventional restaurant setting created a laid back, nonchalant mood. New India Sweets and Spices is essentially split in two— half of it is a market, and the other half is reserved for the restaurant area. The restaurant area is composed of illuminated menus, a clear counter containing various desserts and appetizers, and long rectangular tables and chairs. New India Sweets and Spices appeared to be a restaurant that would be great for ordering items to go, because there is not that much seating space. Nevertheless, I quickly grew to love the atmosphere that surrounded me as I observed the shelves of food items on my way towards the counter. After scanning the menu
I decided to try a paneer paratha, a flat bread resembling that of pita with spices and cheese called paneer cooked within the bread, along with plain yogurt to dip in. For dessert, my friend and I ordered rasmalai, which I was very excited to taste. As an appetizer I opted for a samosa, something I ate often at the Lothian Dining Hall. For our drink we ordered a mango lassi, which quickly became my favorite item on the menu. My friend chose for herself a thali special which was a tray special that included a vegetarian rice and salad. My friend, who is a vegetarian, had many options to chose from, since New India Sweets and Spices offers a menu without meat. Most surprising of all, my items together only cost $9.36! As a poor college student this brought tears to my eyes and relief that there was a possibility that I would not starve to death in college. The order took about 15 minutes to prepare so I took a little tour around the market. Not only did it hold finger foods, spices, sauces,
rice, and cooking ware, but as my friend stated, “it has everything you need to make authentic Indian food at home.” What attracted me the most to this quaint eating arena was the friendliness of the people that worked there. When I walked in initially, it was the owners that greeted me with a warm smile and welcome. It is important to me to find good company when I come to eat food, and at New India Foods and Spices they provided that. Soon the food was prepared, and I began my meal by first eating the samosa. Not to belittle the dorm food, but I must say the samosas here were far more flavorful, and were only 99 cents. The samosa, if you have not been acquainted with it yet, is a fried triangular shaped appetizer that is filled with mashed potatoes, vegetables and spices. The paneer paratha was not as flavorful as the samosa, but my friend seemed to enjoy it much more than I did. What I did enjoy however was the price--the panner paratha came to only $3.99, which included the
plain yogurt for dipping. By far my favorite item was the mango lassi, which was reminiscent of a smoothie. Lastly, I sinfully indulged in the rasmalai, which was almost like a rice patty in sweet milk. The texture was very different in that when I bit into it, it created a squeaky sound. Ironically, it made the dessert more enjoyable and added to an exotic feel that I was encountering throughout my entire meal. My friend, who has been to India in the past, told me that my experience with the market that is New India Sweets and Spices is not a unique one. She said, “If you went to India, like I did, the markets have a similar feel but are extremely more crowded.” I enjoyed not only the fact that I was taken into an unfamiliar atmosphere and came out with a satisfying experience, but also because the service is kind, the the Indian food that is cooked there is authentic, delicious and does not H feel even slightly Americanized. ■
RATING: ★★★★★
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
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LEFT: Volunteer Jessica Carino, left, and education specialist Marissa Presley inside the children’s room at the Laura’s House offices in Ladera Ranch. Laura’s House mission is to prevent and reduce the incidence of domestic violence. RIGHT: Marissa Presley speaks about domestic violence.
ENDING THE SILENCE OF DOMESTIC ABUSE by Courtney Parker, CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOS COURTESY OF, safeatschools.org & The OC Register On Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Highlander Union Building (HUB) Room 269, domestic violence survivor and bilingual prevention education specialist Marissa Presley gave a presentation about domestic abuse. Approximately 30 students attended the event, which was put on behalf of Laura’s House, a domestic violence awareness organization based in Orange County, CA. Her talk enlightened students on several types of abuse that exist within families and relationships, and she claimed that domestic violence exists everywhere—in upper and lower class neighborhoods, among minorities, adults, college students, even teenagers and children. She said that there is no specific demographic where abuse occurs, because abuse does not discriminate. Presley spoke of the stigma surrounding those who have faced or are currently facing any type of domestic violence. She stated, “20 years ago, no one talked about domestic violence. It was taboo.” She continued to explain the common situations victims are in.
Oftentimes, those used to abusive relationships hear justifications such as: I only hit you because you provoked me, or I only hit you to teach you a lesson. Victims of abuse are at times judged by others, because oftentimes they begin to think that they deserve the physical or emotional torment in their lives. Presley recalled her own past with violence and the questions she would hear from others. People would ask her, “Why don’t you just leave?” or “You’re just asking for it because you’re not leaving.” However, according to Presley, “most homicides occur within 72 hours after the victim leaves his or her abuser.” The violence their perpetrator unleashes on the abused creates a fear in them that makes it difficult to walk away from the relationship. Presley shared her personal experiences of abuse, as well as the experiences of other known survivors. Not only did Presley witness her father abusing her mother during her childhood, but she was also raped by her father until she was 12 years old. Presley
emerged from a very dark and sinister world, but in response to her horrific experiences, she decided to reach out to individuals across the state who could be in the same predicament, and educate others in the process. One of the many lessons Presley shared included the warning signs of potential domestic abuse, as well as ways to escape the horror early and safely. Presley firmly encourages watching out for red flags including, but not limited to: intense jealousy, blaming others for one’s own mistakes and problems, history of abuse in household and history of abuse in past relationships, as these may increase the risk of abuse within current relationships. Though the dark shadows of domestic violence are cast upon hundreds of thousands of women, abuse often affects men as well. 95 percent of reported cases of violence are geared towards women; however men experience the torture just as often. “Just turn on any TV commercial. It’s always men getting beat,” says Presley, busting the
myths regarding the stereotype. 40 percent of reported cases of domestic violence affect men, disproving the idea that only women are abused. Studies show that 98 percent of men in California prisons were witnesses of domestic violence. Second-year global studies major Affaf Waseem spoke of the mystery surrounding abuse within college student relationships, an issue that is not often discussed. Waseem stated, “As university students, you have a lot of friends trying things out in the relationship arena. You don’t really know if they need help.” This month marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but before 1987 (when Domestic Violence Awareness Month was first observed), it was not a widely discussed issue. Second-year women studies major Megan Awwad stated, “It needs to stop. It needs to be talked about, especially with men and minority groups.” Though Presley presented her own combat against domestic violence, she also stated, “Every single human being has a story. It’s not just me”. ■H
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MIDNIGHT FEATURES
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by Rebecca Paredes, CONTRIBUTING WRITER photos by Richard Lin, Jillian Rausa UCR’s basketball season tipped off with last Friday’s rousingly successful Midnight Madness event. Coordinated by ASPB and UCR Athletics, Midnight Madness was a massive pep rally designed to hype up Highlanders in anticipation of the upcoming basketball season. The stands of the SRC’s gym were packed as Scotty, the men and women’s basketball teams, staff and Hylander Hype pumped up the crowd. ASPB Special Events Director Clara Murphy said, “Midnight Madness was a really long planning process but it was definitely worth it. We were really excited to collaborate with athletics to plan this event— they were really helpful and we all worked together well.” All of that planning paid off as the night began with performances by UCR Cheer and Highlander Girls. Decked in black shorts and spirit shirts provided by the campus bookstore, the teams garnered plenty of applause during their opening dance, but the crowd’s attention was soon stolen by the appearance of the women’s basketball team. They wore black tights and shirts, garish neon tutus and knee-high socks and took center stage as they danced along to a series of clips from popular hip-hop tracks. Following the women’s basketball team, UCR Cheer took the stage and performed a series of lift stunts to a remixed version of Cobra Starship’s “You Make Me Feel.” The men’s team, who wore white t-shirts and beige shorts, soon followed with their own dance routine. The audience went wild with cheers and applause as the men tore off their shirts and ran into the crowds to bring a few ladies onto the dance floor with them. Once the participants were seated, the men danced with surprising fluidity to Beyonce’s “Dance For You.” Soon after, the women’s basketball team and coaching staff were introduced to the crowd. After head coach John Margaritis shared a quick message calling for support from UCR students as the team entered the
TOP: Chelsea Jacoby after winning the speed challenge. MIDDLE: Students cheering. RIGHT: The women’s basketball team observes the festivities.
upcoming season, four members of the women’s team impressed the crowd with a timed layup shooting game. Freshman Chelsea Jacoby won the contest with the fastest time and was awarded for her impressive footwork with a tiara and plenty of cheers. When the men’s basketball team and coaching staff entered the stage, Head Coach Jim Wooldridge made a point to thank Hylander Hype, the pep band, and the spirit squads for their dedication to “give [opposing teams] hell.” He also thanked both basketball teams for their impressive choreography during the night’s performances. Despite the men’s basketball team’s postseason ban, any sense of negativity was notably absent from Coach Wooldridge’s speech. Instead, he inspired hearty applause when he told the audience about UCR’s notable successes on the court against UCSB, UCI and UC Davis, and ended his speech by saying, “Let’s beat ‘em again.” Four members of the men’s team participated in a dunk contest, which sophomore TJ Burke won following his impressive assisted and backwards toss dunks. After receiving his celebratory crown, Burke and the team left the stage and were followed by UCR Cheer, the Highlander Girls and Hylander Hype. Hype leaders Josh Zozaya and Alex Owens led the crowd through a series of cheers, all of which were conveniently displayed on the arena’s videoboard. The night closed with a rousing rendition of UCR’s fight song. Clara Murphy said, “Tonight’s turnout was amazing. We would like to thank everyone for coming out and showing school spirit and I look forward to the upcoming basketball season.” The season opens for both the men’s and women’s teams on Nov. 3 with an exhibition game at the SRC. Fight on, brave Scots! ■H
TOP: Davin Guinn attempts a dunk with 26 seconds left. LEFT: Students danced to music played by DJ Justin Credible and DJ Inferno. RIGHT: TJ Burke crowned the dunk contest champion.
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REFRESH RIVERSIDE: AN EDUC ATIONAL COMMUNIT Y FAIR A refreshing sight greeted me as I walked towards the Bell Tower this past Saturday, Oct. 13, to attend the second “Refresh Riverside! A community climate fair.” Instead of the usual scene of students rushing to class with their oversized backpacks, I was greeted with children laughing and running around the expansive lawns, climbing the giant UCR letters as though it were a jungle gym, eating bright blue cotton candy and popcorn. Nearby, mothers were pushing toddlers in their strollers and grandparents were strolling around, holding hands, their grandchildren walking nearby. I quickly realized that it was more than a fair offering mindless entertainment and carnival food, as the bell tower was crowded with white tents— all booths that offered unique experiences to their visitors, while educating them on sustainability or climate change. Sponsored by NASA, Riverside Unified School District and UCR, “Refresh Riverside!” was organized for middle school children in mind, but offered something for all ages. As they entered, participants were given a pamphlet that would guide them through their experience. It was filled with information, an event map, as well as a checklist of all the booths. After visiting a booth, participants had the option to get their checklist stamped. If the participant attended at least 9 of the booths and received their stamps, they were able to walk to the Rubio’s booth for a free lunch. Each booth offered something new to it’s participants. Some were informational, some were interactive, but all taught visitors something in a way that was fun and easy to grasp. The booths were run by volunteers of all ages, who were donned in light blue shirts and offered warm smiles to all visitors. I was surprised to arrive at a booth where Damien, a 10-year-old boy, eagerly taught people how to plant sprouts in a little cup for them to take home. Other booths were managed by elementary students volunteer-
ing through AVID or science clubs, UCR undergraduates and graduates, and environmental and science groups on campus. First-year PhD student in geology Ian Gilbert helped run the Global Temperature booth. He shared his thoughts on the fair, “I think it’s really interesting, it exposes a lot of people to sustainability and global temperature changes that maybe people aren’t getting exposed to because they aren’t watching the right kind of news, etc. We’re not giving any different sides, we are just presenting the facts.” Robyn Dahl, a first-year PhD student in the earth sciences department was one of the head organizers of the event. She helped put together the topical booths, something that she has been planning for the past five months. She said that the main goal of the fair was to teach middle school children and their families about the science of climate change and sustainability in a very comprehensive and fun way. She said, “I think it’s really fun to bring kids from the local school district to the campus to start learning about science, because they often don’t get to have fun science experiences.” Dahl stressed the importance about educating oneself on the issues, claiming that it is one of the biggest issues facing our society. She said, “It’s really important to break down complex science into concepts that the general public can understand, so they can be engaged with the issues.” Other booths included Climate Change Jeopardy, Sea Level Rise & Melting Ice, PlantA-Seed, Greenhouse Gases & Carbon Footprint and many others. The booths that offered a game to play seemed to be the most popular amongst the kids. The Green McDonald’s booth allowed participants to answer a multiple choice question regarding sustainability, questions that changed in difficulty depending on the age of the participant. If they got the question right, they could spin a wheel and potentially receive a free coupon to desserts,
drinks or meals at McDonald’s. Another booth taught children how to make crafts out of recycled papers, and it was teeming with children painting frames or origami roses from old newspapers. Helen Tarpai came to the fair with her grandchildren and loved it. She said, “I graduated from here about 37 years ago, and it is wonderful to come back and see the campus focusing on the environment. Back in the ‘70s we always brought our glass and cans up here to recycle, so it is nice to see how much it has changed.” Her young granddaughter, who kept thanking Tarpai for bringing her, shared, “It was a very good fair because I learned a lot about science at a young age.” Two brothers who were busy with cotton candy also had an opinion they wanted to add. While the older one explained seriously how he enjoyed learning about science, his much younger one added, “Want to know what I learned about? Cotton candy that’s all!” Clearly there was something to enjoy there for all ages. After visiting many of the different booths I approached the Rubio’s tent that was making food for all the participants. The staff there were all incredibly energetic and greeted the hungry and hopeful participants kindly. A sign was set up beside the tent that educated people on sustainability, and Rubio’s efforts to be sustainable. When I mentioned to one of the workers about how nice it was for Rubio’s to give free food to those who came to seek knowledge that day, he said, “It’s all for the community.” I was soon presented with my gourmet shrimp taco, complete with a slice of avocado and delicious sauce, alongside a generous helping of chips and salsa. I ate on the grass, surrounded by children and families with their plates of food as well, admiring the rush around the informative booths, the people learning, laughing, the beautiful weather, the atmosphere that really felt like a community. ■H
By Fatima Mirza, Senior Staff Writer
Photos by Richard Lin
Clockwise from top: Boy approaches the cotton candy machine; Par ticipants enjoy playing S ea Level Limbo; Children take sur veys on iPads.
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MUSIC REVIEWS GLOW // KAKI KING RATING: ★★★☆☆
BY: JILLIAN RAUSA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For those skimming the pages wondering who Kaki King is— remember the movie “August Rush?” Kaki King is the living, breathing inspiration of the peculiar guitar-playing technique that captivated the musician in everyone. Kaki King, also known as Katherine Elizabeth King, released her sixth album, “Glow,” on Tuesday, Oct. 9. These new, strictly instrumental compositions incorporating a wide variety of instruments—up to 12 different guitars and a bagpipe—kept me more intrigued than her indie pop sound from her previous album, “Junior.” Kaki King’s albums progressively create her own niche in music as a composer and innovative guitarist.
Courtesy of Velour Recordings
Though many find it hard to connect to music without a chorus of lyrics to sing along to, “Glow” proves capable of emoting in the intricate chord progressions of each song. Because it is entirely instrumental, King jokes that it “doesn’t matter what the songs are called.” The irony is that each song holds its own dimension within the 12 track album. The Asian and Celtic inspirations that pop out through the album, which gives it a different taste than what is expected in classical music, especially with the background string quartet in “Great Round Burn,” kicks off the groundbreaking album. I am thrilled to say the track list did not bore me for a split second; every song brought about a
DESIGN
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new experience and introduction to music as I now know it. I cannot even fathom all the talent needed to compose such soothing and complex melodies in the album and to think it was all done by one woman is mind blowing. Without a doubt, this album proves worthy of a listen because of its unique sound. Despite popular culture classifying Kaki King’s sound as alternative, “Glow” gives unworldly vibes in “Bowen Island” and “King Pizel” which keeps me eager for what she will come up with next. If you’re not willing to purchase the album through iTunes or Amazon, drop by the Barn on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. to see the progression of music for yourself. ■H
SHOOT
for the Highlander
Meetings on Mondays at 5:15 pm at HUB 101
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
HIGHLANDER
MOVIE REVIEWS ALSO THIS WEEK:
ALEX CROSS
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4
BROOKLYN CASTLE
THE FIRST TIME
HERE COMES THE BOOM RATING: ★★★☆☆
BY: NICOLAS AUSTIN Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
It’s not common that you see a movie that combines comedy with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). You usually get a sports comedy film that focuses on basketball, football or baseball, but never mixed martial arts. Frank Coraci (director of “The Wedding Singer” and “The Waterboy”) comes together with Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, in order to create this heartwarming comedic film. “Here Comes the Boom” delivers some punch lines, but not enough to light a real fuse of explosive laughter. The film stars Sandler’s costars from the 2010 blockbuster hit “Grown-Ups,” Kevin James and Salma Hayek. Kevin James plays Scott Voss, a 42-year-old former collegiate wrestler, who is now a biology high school teacher trying to save the music program with the music teacher, Marty. Marty, played by the iconic Henry Winkler, is down on his luck and needs the funds not only to support the children in the music program, but also his expecting young wife. Voss pities Marty and comes up with an idea that he can raise the money through competing in MMA. Voss and Marty’s colleague, Bella (Selma Hayek), believes Voss is out of his mind and is going to get hurt fighting within the mixed martial arts arenas. She eventually comes around to his idea after realizing his dedication to raise money for Marty and the kids. Voss has until the end of the school year to raise $48,000 and is forced to quit his second job, which consists of night school teaching to foreigners who are trying to become American citizens. While Voss is in the process of quitting and focusing on training for MMA, he meets Niko (played by former UFC champion Bas Rutten), one of his night school students who is desperately trying to become an American citizen. Niko, who used to be a former MMA fighter, comes to an agreement with Voss that he will help him train for MMA in return for teaching the requirements needed to become an American
citizen. Voss goes through some tough training and gruesome ass whooping in order to become an MMA fighter. He solely relies on his former wrestling collegiate experience to help him, but is unaware that it can get him so far within mixed martial arts. Voss goes from severe beatings to throwing up on a fighter, to cuts and gashes all the way from being kicked in the balls to having his shoulder dislocated. Many fans of James, such as myself, will enjoy “Here Comes the Boom.” Fans of MMA or just plain fans of comedy will enjoy watching this film too. Even though it doesn’t offer as much laughter as “The Hangover” or “Bridesmaids,” it still offers a plate of jokes with a moral that aims at explaining that you should fight for something that’s more than just yourself. The movie is a combination of ■H “Nacho Libre” and “School of Rock.”
SINISTER
RATING: ★★★★☆
BY: DIANA S. HUANG, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Blumhouse Productions is making quite a name for itself for delivering horror hits such as “Paranormal Activity” and the wellreceived “Insidious.” The studio’s latest endeavor, “Sinister,” is a welcomed relief this Halloween season—a departure away from the usual gory slasher-flick that dominates the American horror genre. One of the greatest pleasures (or terrors) of watching “Sinister” is the overwhelming sense of eeriness and creepiness that makes the whole ordeal incredibly uncomfortable. The mood and tone of the film is well-conceived and well-executed, gluing thrill seekers and horror movie veterans to their seats in anticipation of what’s coming next. True-crime novelist Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves his family into a house that also happens to be the crime scene for the current book he’s working on. The move was also made so he can better investigate the case of the missing girl who belonged to the family that was murdered in the house in the 1970s. When moving in, Ellison discovers a black box containing home movies shot in Super 8 film. Upon watching the first video, Ellison stumbles on footage of the family being shot to death. Each subsequent video is of different families from different places being murdered in their own homes while someone watches. This investigation leads Elli-
son down a supernatural path and puts him at ends with his own family and, ultimately, their safety. “Sinister” started off strong, with an intense opening scene that set the tone for the rest of the film. Director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill were clever in the way in which they alluded to gore and brutality without ever having to show the gruesome scenes, and in many ways that makes “Sinister” much more chilling and creepy to watch. At the center of the film is Ethan Hawke, who
Courtesy of Summit Entertainment
manages to pull off an admirable and extremely convincing portrayal of an obsessed writer who has finally met his match in a case he can never hope to solve. Ellison’s descent into fear, desperation and helplessness is a highlight of the film as we see the him emotionally and mentally tortured. “Sinister” is a solid movie up until the very end when it blindsided audiences with a rather abrupt and very anticlimactic ending. The film has so much potential, yet it falls flat in its final moments. Many were expecting an
unusual ending like that of “Insidious,” but it seems as though “Sinister” chose a more simplistic path and stuck to that instead of spinning the web of terror any further. There were also moments in the film that didn’t seem to belong there other than for the “jump” factor, but Derrickson was able to work those into the film without exhausting the method. Despite its flaws, “Sinister” is still a great scare, and a much-appreciated departure from overworked franchises like “Saw” and “Paranormal Activity.” ■H
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ARGO
RATING: ★★★★☆
BY: JAKE RICH, CONTRIBUTING WRITER Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Through most of film history, audiences have been attracted to films based on true stories. They want to see something that really happened and feel like they were there. Though these films often exaggerate or change certain parts of events for drama, the point is usually to dramatize the plot while sticking loosely to details for better cinematic effect. “Argo” pays close attention to detail and exaggerates at the same time. Combined with a stellar script, excellent cinematography and superb acting, this film is one of the year’s best. Directed by Ben Affleck and written by Chris Terrio, “Argo” is the story of six American service workers who escape to the Canadian Embassy in Iran after the U.S. Embassy is attacked and taken over by revolutionaries in 1979. The film begins on Nov. 4, 1979, with a hostile crowd outside the U.S. embassy in Iran. Tension slowly rises as long shots of the crowd are shown and closely followed by quick, shaky close-ups of the protesters. Panic slowly rises as shots switch between the angry crowd and the foreign service workers inside. The protesters eventually jump over and break the gates open to overtake the embassy and hold 55 workers hostage. Six escape out the back to the Canadian Embassy. CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a plan to rescue the six escaped Americans by teaming up with Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman). They plan to rescue the six Americans under the guise of a film crew. After running the idea down with several U.S. officials, including CIA head Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), it’s deemed
that the operation is the best option they have and it is a go. After setting up an elaborate, realistic background for the fake film, Mendez goes to Iran, trains the Americans on their fake names, convinces them that the operation will work and attempts to escape with the hostages via a Swiss airline. Along the way, orders to cancel the operation and suspicions from Iranian officials continually build suspense. The cinematography is particularly strong as camera movement builds suspense with many dramatic close-ups of characters and hand-held style shots increase the tension, particularly as the Americans sift their way through an Iranian market and as O’Donnell rushes his way through an office to make sure the flight is set for the Americans to escape. In addition, a dramatic and tension-filled script pinpoints how delicate the situation is as O’Donnell instills the importance of
completely memorizing fake identities into the Americans. Those in Washington constantly doubt the mission while Mendez and O’Donnell argue over executive decisions needed to help the Americans escape. The moments of dark humor add relief as Chambers and Siegel must play up their Hollywood personalities to make the project seem believable to the public and Iranian government. Though most of the characters aren’t particularly deep, the audience still feels sympathetic because of historical context and some family background. Affleck manages to pull off a very believable, highly stressed yet cool and collected CIA agent while not going over the top. Cranston also shines with his character’s conflicts and shows strong physicality in some of his most tense scenes. Goodman and Arkin pull off comedic and dramatic characters with a good sense of morality and a sense of urgency to help their country. The
rest of the cast, including those portraying the Americans in the embassy, also display a considerable truth through fear and frustration throughout the situation. It is difficult to pinpoint the rating for “Argo.” Voiceovers at the beginning and end of the film display the extreme detail of parts of the film while other parts are extremely biased towards the U.S. Unfortunately, Canada’s side isn’t shown quite as well. The morality of the situation is also difficult to gage as the innocent U.S. workers are punished for the despicable actions of their superiors. What seems to be important in “Argo,” though, is a story of a man overcoming gigantic obstacles to free some of his countrymen from undeserved oppression. Morality of previous leader’s actions aside, the story brings out the best of men who had nothing to do with their country’s bad decisions, but did their best to rescue others from it. ■H
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS RATING: ★★★☆☆
BY: GRACE KANG, STAFF WRITER
After watching this movie, it’s a fair assumption that either director/screenwriter Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) or his marketing has some issues with basic arithmetic and vocabulary. The trailer released for “Seven Psychopaths” promised us exactly that—seven psychopaths. To specify: No.1 the seemingly normal one (Colin Farrell), No.2 his best friend (Sam Rockwell), No.3 the one with issues (Woody Harrelson), No.4 the hot girlfriend (Olga Kurylenko), No.5 the non-violent one (Christopher Walken), No.6 the passiveaggressive girlfriend (Abbie Cornish), and No.7 the one with the bunny (Tom Waits). The next three words are constructive to what you may expect of this movie, so read carefully: The trailer lied. “Seven Psychopaths” kicks off in Hollywood and narrows in on the plight of Irish screenwriter Marty Faranan (Farrell)—we see what you did there, McDonagh—who struggles through a drunken haze to finish his screenplay, titled “Seven Psychopaths.” The problem is that he hasn’t even started. Martys’ greatest supporter and aspiring co-writer in this endeavor is Billy Bickle (Rockwell), a deadbeat actor whose main source of income is reward money from grateful owners of lost-and-then-miraculously-found dogs that he kidnapped. Marty crashes with Billy after getting kicked out by his girlfriend Kaya (Cornish), and attempts to continue working on his story. Billy peppers him with motivational pep talks about his alcoholism, and places an ad in the LA Weekly, under Marty’s name, calling all psychopaths to be interviewed for writing material. Despite these well-intentioned if slightly misguided efforts, Billy inadvertently provides his best bud with the biggest source of inspiration when he
Courtesy of CBS Films makes the mistake of stealing a Shih Tzu named Bonny from a dog-sitter (Gabourey Sidibe) who works for Charlie Costello (Harrelson), a violently deranged gangster who suffers no misgivings about leaving a trail of bloody, squishy bits in his dogged (pun intended) quest to recover his canine companion. At this point in the movie, the audience has been introduced to four of the seven psychopaths promised in the trailer, and Charlie’s is the only familiar face. Dragged into the brouhaha of LA’s criminal underworld are (as expected) the morosely inebriated Marty, as well as Billy’s partner-in-crime, Hans (Walken), who is only in the dog-napping business to pay for his hospitalized wife’s medical bills. Anyone familiar with the shoot-emup genre knows how these crime capers are supposed to end, in a gloriously gratuitous hail of bullets and Tarantino-style carnage, and our frantic trio of screwballs is well aware of their intended fate. Marty, however, is firm in the belief that the lead characters “should just walk away.” And so, our heroes are whisked away into the Californian desert of Joshua Tree National Park on a mission to write a story that is more than “men with guns in their hands,” a story of peace and love. But don’t worry, although the big, bad trailer aimed to lead audiences astray, the MPAA made good on their rating for “strong violence [and] bloody images.” Let’s backtrack to the “seven psychopaths” problem. Zachariah (Waits), a.k.a. the one with the bunny, answers the newspaper ad, and recounts to Marty the grisly tale of how he met the love of his life (Amanda Warren), and then how they became self-proclaimed serial killers. The couple fills the slots for psychopaths No.5
and No. 6 on Marty’s trusty yellow notepad, leaving the seventh spot open for a surprise. But here’s a little hint: neither of our starring—if we can still say that after their meager scraps of screen time—actresses claim the seventh spot. Shortly after each woman’s first appearance in the movie, they are hastily swept under a rug of misogynistic jokes and trodden over by the male leads. The blame for this can only be attributed to McDonagh, who likes to poke fun at the racist/sexist humor in his own script, in order to nudge audiences into seeing “Seven Psychopaths” as satirical metafiction rather than another movie in the vein of post-Tarantino crime flicks. But despite his best efforts, the comedic ploy falls just short of convincing. “Seven Psychopaths” is a great example of a movie that succeeds in spite of itself. McDonagh has proven to be fond of incessantly reminding the audience just how clever he is. The constant references to the metafictional aspect of “Seven Psychopaths” within “Seven Psychopaths” and all
the real and imagined psychopaths get stale fast, and the purposely redundant dialogue only jumps the hurdle to solid deadpan on account of strong delivery by the movie’s ensemble cast. If anything, the actors carry the film by making otherwise unlikable archetypes into characters with a smidgen of depth, and it’s by the merit of their topnotch performances that characters like Hans and Billy can get away with the not okay things they say. Critics lament the unrealized potential of movies that miss the mark usually by folding under the weight of their own ambitions, but no matter which way this movie wrings itself out, there’s always going to be an inch off the top of the glass that can’t be filled. It’s a classic case of “it is what it is.” “Seven Psychopaths” fails to break its chains and revolutionize the genre, but it’s an enjoyable ride with plenty of laughs if you can get over the bumpy pacing and all the gaps in the road. If nothing else, watch it for the world’s most unflappably regal Shih Tzu. ■H
22
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
VIDEO GAME REVIEWS DISHONORED RATING: ★★★★☆
BY: ALEX SUFFOLK, STAFF WRITER
Do you like “Bioshock” and the “Assassin’s Creed” series? If you answered no, you probably don’t play a lot of video games or you aren’t a very sensible person. But if you answered yes, then I’m sure you’ll love “Dishonored.” “Dishonored” is a first-person stealth action-adventure game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in which you play as bodyguard-turned-assassin, Corvo Attano. Corvo starts the game as the royal protector of the Empress of Dunwall, a Victorian Londoninspired metropolis currently afflicted by a plague of disease-carrying rats. But when the empress is
Courtesy of Bethesda Softworks
killed by a group of assassins, Corvo is framed for the crime (thus dishonored) and imprisoned. He is broken out and given a variety of weapons by the Loyalists, a conspiracy group that is set on putting the empress’s daughter Emily on the throne. Corvo is then visited by a mystical being known only as “The Outsider,” who brands him with his mark, allowing him to use a set of powerful spells. Given a badass skull mask and an incredibly large amount of ways to incapacitate opponents, Corvo is sent on missions to take out key targets and bring down the corrupt regime of Dunwall that has taken hold.
Admittedly, the plot isn’t exactly all that well thought out. Even after finishing the game, I’m still not sure why the Empress was assassinated in the first place or how “The Outsider” works in the fictional world. It seems like the drawing board for this was just “magic ninja running around a steampunk city” and the writers just conceived some way to make it hold together. But this is a video game; such things can be forgiven if it is fun to play, and let me tell you, being a magic ninja running around a steampunk city is pretty damn awesome. Through DISHONORED CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
HIGHLANDER
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
23
DISHONORED FROM PAGE 22
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acrobatics and spells, you can explore Dunwall to discover records on the city’s rich history and its colorful inhabitants. Through stealth, you can get past areas teeming with bad guys without ever having to lift a finger, even in neutralizing your primary targets. And if you mess up that stealth, or if you just have an itchy trigger finger, you can fight off almost anything with style if you know what you are doing. “Dishonored” really shines in its simple, yet elegant and flexible mechanics. In Corvo’s right hand is essentially a switchblade katana with which you can slash, block and parry or stab, slit or choke with if you are sneaking around. In his left you hold whatever side arm or spell you like, the first of which being a flintlock pistol, for those of you who admire a Jack Sparrow, swashbuckling fighting style. You also have a crossbow for silent and longrange attacks, grenades for explosions and razor wire booby traps. And then there are the spells, which include seeing through walls, teleportation, time stopping, summoning rats and even possessing animals or other people. You power up these spells with runes of “The Outsider” and you upgrade your weapons with money and trinkets, all of which are found throughout the game world. But there is only so much you can find, and so you will have to choose which categories you want to invest in. I put a heavy emphasis on my teleportation and crossbow as well as an ability that turns killed enemies into ash. This allowed me to poof up to rooftops and end the existence of baddies from afar like a magnifying glass to ants without anyone noticing. You can also have a slew of hilarious and satisfying moments the more creative and experimental you get. One of my favorite things to do was to stop time, walk behind a group of enemies, fire the crossbow at the back of their heads, walk back in front of them and then resume time to admire both their surprise at my sudden appearance and the exit wounds. It is the capability to have so many of these great moments that makes “Dishonored” a game you can play over and over again, and that is a clear sign of this game’s quality. It is also worth mentioning the great names behind this game. Harvey Smith, a developer for the classic PC masterpiece “Deus Ex,” is one of the game’s creative directors. Ricardo Bare, also of “Deus Ex,” serves as lead designer and Viktor Antonov, known for his extensive work on the equally applauded “HalfLife 2,” serves as the visual design director. The voice-acting cast has quite a few gems, including Chloe Moretz from “Kick Ass,” John Slattery of “Mad Men,” and Lena Headey of “Game of Thrones.” Just some delightful frosting on the already delicious time-stopping assassin cake. The one thing that I found interesting, but very bothersome was the game’s preference for pacifism. For a game that seems to pride itself on multiple solutions, the non-violent one clearly has more benefits. See, with a higher kill count, there are more dangerous rat hordes and disease-ridden people scattered throughout the city. The final level goes up in difficulty, and the ending of the game is darker. This just seems a little cruel considering that they made the combat so much fun. It would be like if you took a starved orphan, mega glued a fork to his hand, dropped him off at a buffet, and then told him that the more he eats, the worse his adoptive parents will be. It’s supposed to be another incentive for multiple playthroughs, but it almost comes off as a punishment for those who can’t resist using the cool sword that never leaves Corvo’s hand and it definitely soured my otherwise outstanding experience. Aside from its slightly weak plot and annoying insistence on nonviolence, “Dishonored” is a great game. It is one of the best I’ve played this year and one I can see myself going back to frequently. It’s original, it’s inventive, it’s a hell of a lot of fun and you should just go play it right now. ■H
24
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
. SPORTS .
HIGHLANDER
Highlanders lose in overtime to Cal State Northridge C o dy N g u y e n
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team walked into Matador Soccer Field at CSU Northridge Saturday, Oct. 13 hoping to right the ship on their unimpressive 1-3-0 record in Big West Conference play, and to end a two game losing streak in which the Highlanders dropped 1-0 decisions to UC Davis and Sacramento State. The Highlanders also entered Saturday’s contest without leading scorers Aaron Long (4 goals, 1 assist) and Ruben Valencia (4 goals), as both were ineligible to play due to being red carded in last week’s match. CSU Northridge entered Saturday night’s game 4-1 at home and 3-1 in conference play, emerging victorious in seven of their last eight games, including an impressive road win against #8 ranked UC Santa Barbara last week. The Matadors came out firing in the opening seconds of the game, playing at a high tempo on their way to racking up three shots in the first eight minutes of play. 30 minutes into the first half, a bloody head to head collision occurred between UCR forward Ulises Mosqueda and Northridge midfielder Trevor Morley, which resulted in a yellow card for Mosqueda and sent Morley to the hospital for stitches. Both players did not return to action. A relatively uneventful first half saw the Highlanders outshot by the Matadors 9-4 and both teams had one shot on goal. There was a one on one opportunity for UCR forward Jimmy Martinez that
was saved by Northridge goalkeeper Michael Abalos at the 13 minute mark. The Matadors enjoyed a strong performance from sophomore forward Edwin Rivas, who led both teams with six shots and was all over the field throughout the match. The second half of the contest netted the first score of the game when the Matadors took a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute. The score occurred when Yuval Barack drifted a touch pass on a penalty kick to Chris Smith, whose shot curled over the wall of the net and under Khosravi for his first goal of the season. The Highlanders answered Smith’s goal 19 minutes later on a penalty kick goal by Julio Reyes that came on a yellow card given to Northridge defenseman Mynor Giron. Both teams were held scoreless to the end of the 90 minutes of regulation time, as well as the first 10-minutes of the overtime period, even though the Highlanders had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds of the first overtime on a header by Leslie Hayden that just hit the goalpost. The second overtime period seemed to have ended as quickly as it begun. Three minutes and thirteen seconds in, a corner kick by Yuval Barack found Carlos Benavides who passed to a waiting Rene Anguiano at the top of the box, who then lasered the ball right into the net, and through the hearts of the eleven Highlanders who fought for 103 minutes and 13 seconds only to just fall short. The Highlanders will lick their wounds and hope that a three game home stand delivers better fortune as they prepare to face UC Irvine this Wednesday October 17. ■H
R ic h a r d L i n /HIGHLANDER Jimmy Martinez helped the Highlanders win against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Sept. 3o.
WOMEN’S SOCCER STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team Sacramento State Cal State Northridge UC Davis UC Santa Barbara Cal Poly UC Riverside UC Irvine Cal State Fullerton
ALL GAMES
W
L
T
PCT.
W
L
T
PCT.
4 4 4 2 2 1 1 0
0 1 1 2 2 4 4 4
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
1.000 .800 .800 .500 .500 .250 .250 .000
7 10 6 8 7 8 4 4
4 4 4 2 5 5 9 10
2 0 4 3 1 2 1 1
.615 .714 .571 .731 .577 .615 .321 .300
Riverside women’s soccer falls short to Fullerton 0-1 K e n da l l P e t e r s o n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The UC Riverside women’s soccer team (5-9-2, 0-5) traveled up to Cal State Fullerton Sunday Oct. 14 and looked to break a four game losing streak in the Big West Conference. Cal State Fullerton played aggressive on defense as they limited the offense of the Highlanders in route to a 0-1 victory. In the first period, UCR had four shots and two were on target, but amounted to zero goals. Fullerton had 10 shots and six of them were on target, which led to the only goal in the first half at 16:31. Fullerton Jennifer Smith looped a ball to teammate Stacey Fox who chipped it over Goalkeeper Jessica White for her fifth goal of the season. Riverside players Jessica Cortez and Andrea Morales were only ones on the team that had shots fired for the Highlanders offense. Goalkeeper Jessica White kept Riverside in the match with four saves of the five shots on goal. The second period the Riverside goalkeeper White was better when she only had to save three shots. Fullerton’s offense was aggressive from the start and compiled 11 corner kicks. Fullerton had seven corner kicks 15 minutes into the
game and the first few cam came at 2:24, 2:46 and at 4:08. However, Riverside’s defense picked it up in the second and allowed zero corner kicks. Riverside in the first period committed six fouls to Fullerton’s two and committed five more in the second period. Riverside was able to get two corner kicks in the second period but were unable to score. In the five game losing streak the Highlanders have allowed a total of 14 goals compared to their three goals. Highlander Crystal Lopez leads the team in points and goals with nine and four respectively. Celina Valencia is second in points and goals with eight points and three goals, however, leads the team in assists with two and shots with 27. Kaitlin Anzalone, Valencia, Jessica Cortez, Andrea Morales and Crystal Lopez all have game winning goals for Riverside. Riverside looks to better their shot percentage (.107) and their shots on goal (.450), because their opponents on average have a .125 shooting percentage and a .481 shot on goal percentage. UC Riverside has switched up their goalkeepers this year with Nicole Ragano starting in place of Jessica White. Ragano has a .704 save percentage compared to White’s .744 when Riverside’s opponents save percentage is .763. ■H
C o u rt e s y Midfielder Jessica Cortez launches a free kick earlier this season.
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UCR A t h l e t ic s M e di a R e l at i o n s
WOMEN’S SOCCER STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team Cal Poly UC Irvine Long Beach Cal State Fullerton Cal State Northridge UC Davis UC Santa Barbara Hawaii Pacific UC Riverside
ALL GAMES
W
L
T
PCT.
W
L
T
PCT.
5 4 4 4 3 2 1 1 0 0
0 1 1 1 1 2 4 4 4 5
1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0
1.000 .800 .800 .800 .750 .500 .200 .250 .000 .000
8 8 11 7 6 8 4 6 3 5
5 8 5 7 4 6 10 8 10 9
2 1 0 0 5 2 2 2 1 2
.600 .500 .688 .500 .567 .563 .312 .438 .250 .000
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
25
Women’s golf finishes fourth in Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate K e n da l l P e t e r s o n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The UC Riverside women’s golf team Saturday October 13 and Sunday October 14 traveled to Palm Desert, California and participated in the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate. The women’s golf team finished the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate in fourth place out of 19 teams with a 916 total score. The first round of the tournament the Highlanders were tied for 11th place after a first round score of 316. Amelia Ek led the squad with a score of 73 and Savannah followed suit with 76. The second round of play on Saturday the women’s golf produced a great score of 300 and moved up into sixth place. UC Riverside was led by teammate Ek once more as she fired another 73, Vilaubi and Hannah Lee both fired 74. Brittani Ferraro and Christy Fogerty fired 79 and 86 respectively. The third round for the Highlanders found themselves with a score of 300 with Amelia’s Ek’s consistent play of 73-7373 (216). Vilaubi and Fogerty both shot 75 for Riverside and Ferraro shot 77. Lee and Tiffany Koyano was the only Highlander player who did not score in the 70’s, with a score of 80 and 82 respectively. The top player for the High-
landers was Ek as she finished fourth place overall out of 104 individuals. Ek trailed the leader, College of Charleston’s Kathy Boehm 73-68-75 (216), by three shots. Vilaubi was the only other Highlander who shot all three rounds in the 70’s and finished in 12th place with 225 (76-74-75). Freshman Lee shot 237 and tied for 45th (83-74-80) Brittani Ferraro tied for 55th with 84-79-77 (240) and Christy Fogerty was best in the third round as she carded a 245 (84-86-75) to tie for 79th. Tiffany Koyano played as an individual and tied for 49th with a 239(79-78-82). Fresno State had a day-one lead and led the entire tournament as they were rock solid and finished in first place in the event with an 885 score (291-289305). The second place team was College of Charleston with an 898 (299-296-303) and Cal State Fullerton followed in third place with 899 (295-307-297). The Highlanders were next with 916 (316-300-300) but they were the only Big West school that finished higher than the top five. The next Big West team was Hawai’i and they finished ninth place with 932; Cal Poly finished 11th with 942 and Cal State Northridge finished 15th with 953. UC Riverside has one week off before traveling to the Santa Clara Colby Invitational on OcH tober 22-23 in San Jose, CA. ■
C o u rt e s y
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UCR A t h l e t ic s M e di a R e l at i o n s
Sophmore Savannah Vilaubi finished 12th in Wyoming with a consistent score of 225 (76-74-75).
26
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
Highlanders have solid outing in Firestone Grill Invitational K e n da l l P e t e r s o n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The UC Riverside men’s golf team continued its strong start to the 2012 fall season as the team traveled to Nipomo, CA this past week to take part in the Firestone Grill Invitational. Led by BJ Doucett, the Highlanders had a superb performance all across the board as the golf team finished in third place out of 10 teams in the event. UC Riverside started off well as the Highlanders shot a two-round total score of 287 to place third at the end of the first day. It was Jason Semthiti who paced UC Riverside that day as he fired a 68 after the first round of play. BJ Doucett was right behind him, as he finished with respectable scores of 71 and 68 after the first 36 holes of the first day. Riding that momentum, UC Riverside continued to perform admirably on the second day. The Highlanders shot a respectable 286 in the third and final round of competition. That score was good enough to give Riverside a
strong third-place finish overall at the end of the invitational. The Highlanders finished just 11 strokes behind the second-place Cal State Fullerton Titans and ended with a total score of 862. The winner of the event was Cal Poly with a total score of 847. UC Riverside was just 15 strokes behind Cal Poly’s final score. UC Riverside’s BJ Doucett remained consistent in the final round as he fired a 73 on the final day of competition. The score was good enough to move him up a few places in the final individual standings. He proved to be the Highlanders’ top performer in the event as he shot a 212 to tie for fifth place overall. Jason Semthiti, who started the tournament in sixth place after his great first-round start, fired higher scores thereafter. He shot scores of 78 and 74, respectively, in the following two rounds to fall the way down to 27th place after such a terrific beginning. David Gazzolo shot consistent scores of 73-72-71 to finish tied for 11th with a 216,
Ryan Smith ended the day tied for 20th after shooting a 219, and rounding up UCR’s top five was Matt Fitzgerald who shot a 223, placing 31st overall. Jonathan Garrick from UCLA was the invitational’s best player as he fired a 201 to earn the top individual spot. For the Highlanders, this proved to be the second straight time the team finished in third place this year. This has been one of the Highlanders’ best starts to a season in recent memory. A year ago, the team finished no higher than eighth place in their first two events. Their best performance of the 2011 to 2012 season was a third-place finish at the Cal Poly Firestone Grill Invite last October. Riverside will look to continue its solid play as they travel to Simi Valley, CA on Oct. 22 to participate in the Bill Cullum Invitational. Last season, the Highlanders finished in 10th place at that very event. With this recent hot streak, UC Riverside will look for a different result this time around. ■H
C o u rt e s y o f UCR A t h l e t ic s M e di a R e l at i o n s Senior Robbie Mamo lines up a putt.
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
27
Women’s volleyball falls short over weekend against Long Beach and Irvine K e n da l l P e t e r s o n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Jayvee Valencia CONTRIBUTING WRITER
October 11, 2012 49ers 3 – Highlanders 1
T h e U C R i v e r s i d e w o m e n ’s volleyball lost a tight 4th set 22-25 and the match against Long Beach State 3 sets to 1. Freshman outside hitter Ashley Cox led the team with 25 kills. The first set was tight with the score 5-5, when Long Beach State pulled away with a 6-4 run with help in the middle b y T i a r a Wa l l a c e , t o w i n t h e 1 s t s e t 2 5 - 1 5 . Wa l l a c e ’s h e i g h t helped the 49ers defensive side by deflecting kills from the Lady Highlanders. In the 1st set the Lady Highlanders could not execute their set pieces to create better dig and kill opp o r t u n i t i e s t o n e u t r a l i z e Ti a r a Wa l l a c e . The 2nd set was a differe n t s t o r y. H i g h l a n d e r A s h l e y Cox led the team with kills but M e g a n R e z a ’s s e r v i n g a n d e n ergy gave Riverside life in the second set. Megan had 7 kills and 3 digs the entire game but h e r v o c a l l e a d e r s h i p , e n e r g y, and effort sparked the team. UC Riverside executed their offense in the second set to create kill opportunities and countered defensively on Long B e a c h S t a t e ’s s c o r i n g c h a n c e s by deflections. UCR won the second set 2523. The 49ers dominated the 3rd set with great digs and kills. The Lady Highlanders played lethargic leading to self inflicted errors by serving the ball into the net and serving the ball out of bounds. The 4th set
was highly competitive and intense. Points were being scored back and forth. UCR had a five point lead when they were up 1 9 - 1 4 , h o w e v e r, t h e y l o s t t h e lead when they got complacent. The 49ers defended great which created high percentage kills and won the set 2522 winning the match 3 sets to 1 . U C R i s 0 - 6 i n B i g We s t p l a y and 5-14 overall. October 13, 2012 Anteaters 3 – Highlanders 0
The UC Riverside volleyball team (5-15, 0-7), dropped ano t h e r B i g We s t m a t c h a g a i n s t UC Irvine 25-22, 25-14, and 25-20 at the SRC Arena Saturday October 13 and extended their losing streak to seven g a m e s a n d 0 - 7 i n t h e B i g We s t Conference. Ashley Cox led the team with 11 k i l l s b u t t h e H i g h l a n d e r s as a team only hit a .082 comp a r e d t o U C I ’s . 2 2 0 . T h e H i g h landers in the first set led early but they allowed the Anteaters were able to pull off a 25-22 first set win. The second set Riverside lost a 2-1 advantage when UCI went on a 6-0 run. Riverside came close when they were down 16-1 but would lose the set 1425. The third set the two teams traded points and the Highlande r s u s e d a R e z a a n d Ty l e r D o r s ey block to tie the set at 19. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h e H i g h l a n d e r s allowed five straight points by the Anteaters to lose the set 20-25 and the match. UC Riverside now hits the road traveling to Cal Poly on F r i d a y, O c t o b e r 1 9 f o r a 7 p m H PT in San Luis Obispo, CA. ■
VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS BIG WEST GAMES Team Hawaii Long Beach Pacific UC Santa Barbara Cal State Fullerton UC Davis Cal State Northridge UC Irvine UC Riverside Cal Poly
W
L
PCT.
8 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 0 0
0 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 7 7
1.000 .625 .571 .571 .571 .571 .500 .500 .000 .000
VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS ALL GAMES Team Hawaii Long Beach Pacific UC Santa Barbara Cal State Fullerton UC Davis Cal State Northridge UC Irvine UC Riverside Cal Poly
W
L
PCT.
15 10 16 11 10 10 13 9 5 1
2 9 4 11 10 10 7 12 16 18
.882 .526 .800 .500 .500 .500 .650 .429 .250 .053
C a m e r o n Y o u n g /HIGHLANDER Annishia Mckoy attempts a kill against Cal State Long Beach.
28
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2012
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
Women’s cross country claims first place at Highlander Invitational
KENDALL PETERSON
KENDALL’S FASTBALL
October baseball underway
Damajerma DuBose led the Highlander women to victory with her first place finish in the women’s 4k.
P r a n av B h a k ta STAFF WRITER
Led by Damajerma DuBose, the UC Riverside women’s cross country team claimed first place at the Highlander Invitational this past weekend at UCR’s Ag/ Ops course. The lady Highlanders dominated the competition in this 4k race, having four runners finish in the top ten places, giving a total score of 27 points. They defeated second place USC by 22 points, who had a total score of 49 points. Wyoming claimed the third spot with
54 points, and fourth place went to Big West rival UC Irvine, who finished with 93 points. Dubose claimed first place with a time of 13:32.7, she finished five seconds ahead of second place finisher Holly Page of Wyoming. Dubose’s performance was also a new course record. Raquel Hefflin was the second Highlander to finish, as she placed third with a time of 13:48.5. Alisha Brown placed fifth with a time of 13:53.0 and Katy Daly placed seventh with a
time of 13:58.4. Jzsanette Lindstrom finished in 11th place with a time of 14:08.2. Right behind Lindstrom, Brianna Simmons finished in 12th place with a time of 14:11.0. The last Highlander to score was Jaasmin Pina who place 20th with a time of 14:35.0. “The women’s team has been performing very well. It’s a surprise from the standpoint of we didn’t know what type of shape everyone would come back in. It’s not a surprise because this group is so talented. Right now we’re
B rya n T u t t l e /HIGHLANDER
ranked 4th in the conference based on the regional ranking but our girls know they’re better than that” said Coach Nate Browne before the race. The Highlander Invitational was the last race before the Big West Conference Championships, where the lady Highlanders will look to improve from last year ’s fifth place finish. The Highlanders will have home court advantage just like at the Highlander Invitational. The Big West Championships will be held at the Ag/Ops course H on Saturday, October 27. ■
Seth Totten finishes first at Highlander Invitational P r a n av B h a k ta STAFF WRITER
The UC Riverside men’s cross country team finished in third place at the Highlander Invitational, hosted on the UCR’s Ag/Ops course this past weekend. Seth Totten again led the way for the Highlanders as he finished first in the 6k race with an excellent time of 17:41.0. The first place team was claimed by UC Irvine who scored 30 points, edging out second place Wyoming by 11 points. The Highlanders scored 63 points, as they place three out of three teams. Totten set a new personal best and a new course record with his time of 17:41.0. Totten held off UC Irvine’s Steven Melena by four seconds, as Melena finished with a time of 17:45.8. Michael Gauger was the second Highlander to finish with a time of 18:25.5, as he placed 14th overall. Cesar Solis placed 21st for the Highlanders with a time 18:46.9. Nic Beechan finished 23rd with a time of 18:55.2, followed by Sebastian Puraci,
who placed 25th with a time of 19:07.1. Rounding out the squad was Benjamin Heck whose time of 19:17.3 was good for 28th place. “We are young – training well and competing to the best of their ability. Seth Totten is having a stellar season and will be a contender at the Big West Championships for the individual title. Losing Chad [Hall] and Talal [Khan] to graduation was a blow but whenever a void is left – it leaves an open spot for someone to step into” said Coach Nate Browne on the progress of the men’s team this season. The Highlanders will next compete at the Big West Conference Championship on Saturday October 27, where they finished fourth last year. The men’s team will look to match that result as they will compete on the Ag/Ops course and try to use the home course to their advantage. “There’s always the advantage of familiarity. We train there, so everyone can feel comfortable on race H day” said Coach Browne. ■
B rya n T u t t l e /HIGHLANDER Seth Totten finished first in the men’s 6k, setting a new course record.
October baseball has been underway for couple of weeks now and it has been a show for the audiences. A lot has changed in the Major League Baseball from the change in the power teams, who are automatically pre-selected into the World Series, to the retirement of Chipper Jones for the Atlanta Braves, the phenomenon of Mike Trout for the Anaheim Angels and the newly addition of the two Wild Card teams that go head to head for the final spot in the playoffs. This year we had the Baltimore Orioles. They have been the surprise team all year. They may not have the best cast of people like outfielders Nate McLouth, Adam Jones, or even infielders Mark Reynolds or J.J Hardy but they were able to pull off wins with confidence. The Washington Nationals who is the other team who is a surprise team in MLB. They came out of the Central conference of the National League, beating out the Atlanta Braves and their first year manager Fredi Gonzalez. The National’s for past few years have not been that great but showed everybody this year that this is a team up in coming. We big confusion occurred during the Wild Card game when the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals faced each other. The Braves were battling down in the eight inning and shortstop Andrelton Simmons smacked a pop up in left field and the outfield umpire called an infield fly that resulted in two outs with runners on second and third instead of one out with bases loaded. The fans went crazy at Turner Field and they started to throw glass bottles, cans and whatever they had in their hands which resulted in about a half hour delay. With the playoffs winding down it looks like its going to be a crazy October. ■H