FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
Highlander University
Volume 61
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C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
Issue 23
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ASUCR
divided Emotional marathon meeting sees Senate passionately debate election rules and rescind controversial divestment resolution. S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Dean Mayorga
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The ASUCR senate carried out a nearly six-hour-long meeting on Wednesday, April 3. Among other issues, senators voted to rescind the controversial resolution that called to divest in companies that allegedly support apartheid in the Middle East. Three opponents of the resolution were Daniel
Benjamin Leserman and Jacqueline Zelener, presidents of Highlanders for Israel and a UCR graduate student of physics, Daniel Wegman. Additionally, the public forum included a total of 11 individuals, consisting of five in support, five against and one neutral side of the divestment resolution. The senate chambers were once again packed to capacity, so much so that after the public comment portion, it was decided
that the meeting would relocate to a larger room, the Tartan and Tweed room in the Student Services Building. It was there that the resolution was debated. In addition, by a simple majority vote, the Legislative Branch voted to allow candidates with missing student identification numbers (SIDs) in their applications to participate in the spring elections. The senate’s decision overruled the advisory suggestions offered
by the Judicial Branch and Elections Director Harmony Chai on the basis of misleading documentation. A few senators questioned whether there is a conflict of interest in passing legislation that involved incumbent Senator Niela Darmani, who is running for reelection, as well as the fact that several of the senators voting are members of the disqualified candidates’ party. Members of the audience
expressed concerns over the senate’s ability to make foreign policy decisions on behalf of the student body. The senate voted to rescind the Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid resolution, which was passed March 6 during the last meeting of the winter quarter. Opponents argue that the resolution is divisive, which was ASUCR CONT’D ON PAGE 4
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Over 100 students gathered outside of the ASUCR senate chambers last Wednesday evening. The crowd consisted of spectators and speakers on the rescinding of the controversial divestment resolution.
Task Force seeks increased police presence near campus Dean Mayorga SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley and members of both the UC Police Department (UCPD) and Riverside Police Department (RPD) addressed a crowd of concerned students and residents April 4 during the Chancellor’s Town Hall meeting on campus safety. The town hall included possible suggestions to combat recent spikes in crime through increased police patrols, 24-hour bike patrols on campus, new public awareness efforts and other methods. Panelists included the newly-formed UCR Task Force on Campus Safety, Lieutenant Andy Flores of the RPD, UCR Police Chief Mike Lane and Associate Vice Chancellor Charles Rowley. The task force was formed in response to the 13 robberies that have occurred since January. Coincidentally, another robbery was reported just hours after the town hall meeting when a woman’s phone
was stripped out of her hands at the Starbuck’s coffee shop located off University Avenue in the University Village shopping center. Following an outline for methods of crime prevention, the panelists proceeded to a public forum which allowed the audience to ask questions, state concerns and offer suggestions. Feedback from the community included encouragement of increased visibility of the UCPD headquarters. Louis Vandenberg of KUCR stated that, “It’s kind of incredible that here is our campus police station right there where all this crime is occurring. I think it’s because the criminals don’t realize that it’s a police station.” Public suggestions included increasing the number of blue call boxes and self-defense training classes for men and women. TOWN HALL CONT’D ON PAGE 2
INSIDE: Despite their best efforts, the Republican Party continues to let down low-income voters. OPINIONS
PAGE 7
Dragalicious Drag Ball: 10th annual performance dazzles students with songs, dances and fashion. PAGE 12
FEATURES
Sister Spit’s six-piece lineup lights up the HUB. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 15
Baseball follows up a strong start with one win in four games against SDSU and CSUN. PAGE 20
SPORTS
D a m i n g Y e /HIGHLANDER Phillip Carroll-Johnson shares his experience as an African American student who was targeted and harassed by UCPD during spring break.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PAGE 2
STAFF
PAGE 5
PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING
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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
TOWN HALL FROM PAGE 1
However, there was a large concern for racial profiling and harassment expressed by several students who had experienced unsettling encounters with the Riverside police. Graduate student in the school of education Aaron Jones, graduate student of political science Jerry Robertson, graduate student of African studies Philip CarrollJohnson, and fourth-year sociology major James Garrett all spoke about how they had been frequently stopped by the police without proper cause. Jones reminded the panel, “Let’s not forget about the large population of African-American students on campus and not to adversely affect their experience on campus.” Carroll-Johnson recalled being stopped three times over the course of spring break. He also vented his frustration at the crime reports that are emailed to students and how they focus on race. In an interview after the town hall meeting, Carroll-Johnson elaborated on his thoughts. “We have to ask ourselves, at what cost are we paying for the safety of our student body? We cannot racially target students, or any individual for that matter, in our initiatives to make our community safer. This includes the UCPD Crime reports... UCPD’s racialized descriptions of the men do nothing
D a m i n g Y e /HIGHLANDER UCPD Chief Mike Lane answers questions on how campus police and the Campus Safety Escort Service are improving campus safety with regard to the recent crimes.
more than to reinforce notions of the black male body as criminal and instill a culture of fear, ignorance, and intolerance in nonblack students.” In response to these men’s stories, Mike Davis stated that he would open up dialogue with these students and further action could be taken from there. “I think it’s extremely important for me to reach out personally... I’ll get in touch with African Student
Programs and we’ll develop a dialogue,” stated Davis. Chancellor Conoley also gave her reaction, stating, “I think a couple brand new ideas came through—very importantly, the perspective of our African-American students with their concerns about profiling. That really hit us close to our hearts. Vice Chancellor [Jim] Sandoval is already making plans to request one of these students or others from the Afri-
Photo of the Week
can [Student] Programs might take part in the task force try to raise our sensitivity on how to avoid that. This is a kind of terrible collateral damage issue when we’re trying to put police out there in the name of safety and in fact it creating fear on the part of our students is absolutely unacceptable.” She shared other ideas that stood out to her such as the call box issue and using people in student affairs to provide in leadership for
safety and awareness. “Each of these efforts come with some cost,” said Chancellor Conoley. “As a chancellor I was thinking about how much they cost in dollars... but I can see there is a psychological, emotional and personal safety cost associated with it too... The easy part is to get a good idea and ‘yeah, we’ll do our best to run with that.’ The hard part is how to run with things and not cause unintended consequences.” ■H
April
9
City Year 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. HUB 379
Tuesday Talks - Fluidity 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Costo Hall 245
10
Pedals Bike Shop 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Lot 19
The Art and Science of Mindfulness Noon – 1:00 p.m. HUB 269
11
2013 Eaton Science Fiction Conference 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Riverside Marriott Hotel Downtown Riverside
Spring Job Fair: Career Night 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. HUB 302
Vincent Ta STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Justin Timetolick gets ready to put on his fake sideburns and goatee at the Dragalicious Drag Ball. Timetolick doesn’t care that he is the only Drag King and loves the sport of it all, stating that it’s a fun change from his boring corporate day job.
Quotebook “Unmanned drones have become a symbol of a violation of human rights violations.”
Upcoming Events
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
12
Women’s Tennis vs. UC Irvine 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Andulka Park
Friday
13
Saturday
Softball vs. San Diego State Noon – 2:00 p.m. Amy S. Harrison Field
Baseball vs. Pacific 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Riverside Sports Complex
14
Women’s Tennis vs. Cal Poly Noon – 4:00 p.m. Andulka Park
15
Maximizing Generational Diversity 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. HR Employee Development Center
Sunday
Monday
- BEN RODEN,
FORMER R’VOICE CANDIDATE
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NEWS
HIGHLANDER
NEWS IN BRIEF COMPILED BY LAUREN GREEN contributing writer
EATON SCIENCE FICTION CONFERENCE From April 11-14, the Marriott hotel in downtown Riverside will be hosting the 34th annual Eaton Science Fiction Conference. The conference is sponsored by UCR’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), the UCR libraries and the Science Fiction Research Association, a leading society in the field. The conference will honor author Ursula K. Le Guin, special effects creator Ray Harryhausen and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee. Panelists include writer and producer of Star Trek: Enterprise Andre Bormanis, Hollywood science advisor for Battlestar Galactica Kevin Grazier and American science fiction writer James Gunn. UCR RESEARCHERS CREATE IMMIGRATION WEBSITE A team of UCR public policy researchers have created and launched the website for UCR’s Immigration Research Group (IRG). The project, more than three years in the making, has been endowed with more than $1 million in grants. The website seeks to educate the public about immigration policies through interactive data, maps, research papers, charts and social media. More information may be found at immigration.ucr.edu. RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The 11th annual Riverside International Film Festival (RIFF) will be held from April 17-21 at Riverside Regal Cinemas in Riverside Plaza. The festival presents films from around the world, as well as some from a student film contest. UCR is an annual sponsor of the event and thus, the films can be viewed free for students and faculty with a UCR ID card. A gala will be hosted Friday, April 19 at the Culver Center in downtown Riverside to celebrate the event. Tickets are $75 at the door. STEVEN E. CLARK NAMED DIRECTOR OF ROBERT PRESLEY CENTER OF CRIME AND JUSTICE STUDIES
On April 1, Dr. Steven E. Clark was named the new director of the UCR Robert Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies. The center, which is the only publicly-funded research center in California, researches the causes of crime and crime prevention in Southern California. The center will be housed within the UCR School of Public Policy. Clark will lead the research team in the goal to understand crime prevention, and to help create effective policy and procedure. Clark, a UCR professor of psychology, is worldrenowned for his breakthrough research in eyewitness identification and memory.
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
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R’Voice party disbanded, candidates plan appeal S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER
R’Voice will no longer run as an official party for the 2013 ASUCR spring elections, due to the disqualification of a party member over missing documentation. Former R’Voice candidate Luis Morales did not submit his biography, which is a requirement for all running candidates and resulted in his ineligibility as an applicant. Following the news of Morales’s ineligibility, another member of R’Voice Johny Nguyen decided to withdraw his candidacy late-Saturday night. Members of R’Voice were informed of this news on Friday, April 5—less than a week before candidate debates on the following Tuesday. Lacking the seven candidates required to form a political party, the remaining five members of R’Voice will appeal to keep their official party during the next ASUCR senate meeting April 10.
“We intend to campaign as an unofficial party of R’Voice,” said R’Voice co-director and party member Benjiman Roden, who held concerns about the future of his party. “We plan to appeal to the senate to allow the six of us to be an official party, but I am doubtful that it will work. The senate is controlled by the party we are running against,” said Roden. Five sitting senators, along with two directors and one member of the Executive Cabinet, are running in next week’s election. They are all members of the political party, [YOU]CR. In response to the disbanded political party, Elections Director Harmony Chai explained the next steps for the party members. “They should run as independent candidates,” said Chai. If the remaining five former R’Voice candidates choose to run independently, the total number of independent candidates will increase to seven. Changes to the
W e s l e y N g /HIGHLANDER R’Voice is planning an appeal to the ASUCR senate to allow the party to run with five members instead of the required minimum of seven, but their outlook is grim.
ASUCR Elections Code, made in fall 2012, require a minimum of seven members per political party; the website for the Elec-
tions Code has yet to be updated. “We plan to challenge [the decision] at the next Senate meeting,” said Roden. ■H
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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 ASUCR FROM PAGE 1
made clear by the separations established between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian speakers as the meeting winded down. Incomplete candidacy applications It would be some time before the dialogue regarding the divestment resolution would actually begin. While those in the audience were being added to the speaker’s list, the senate took the time to address other matters regarding the upcoming elections. Several students who were denied candidacy for the elections spoke about problems they had with the elections application. The senate was questioned for having a controversial conflict of interest in the final decision to allow the denied applicants, including one sitting senator, to run in the upcoming elections. One of the speakers who had issues with the elections application process was Andrew Hua, an exofficio member of the Residence Halls Association. He was previously denied candidacy because he failed to obtain the required student identification numbers from those who endorsed him. According to Hua, “On the application it was not required. It did not ask me to get the SID numbers. All it provided was, as you can see, the signature.” Copies of the elections packet from this year and last were then distributed and Senator Sai Patadia clarified to the senate and public that in the section of this year’s packet “where you have to have 50 students nominate you, there is one section that says ‘name’ and the second column states ‘signature’. However, on last year’s elections packet it is clearly stated name and student ID numbers.” Four out of 37 applicants had the same issue with the packet that Hua had. Several members of the ASUCR senate who also sit on the elections committee then began to give their reasoning on why Hua’s and others’ candidacies were rejected. Senator and Assistant Elections Director Kristina Morelos stated that “although they had ample amount of time no one after March 8—after the deadline came—no one came to speak with us until the candidate meeting,” which was week 10 of last quarter. The Judicial Review Board collected input from Elections Director Harmony Chai, in order to review the cases of the applicants who failed to obtain their required SID numbers. “I was asked to present my testimony to the Judicial [Review] Board on Monday, March 11,” stated Chai. “The [Judicial Review Board] made their decision and upheld the judgment call I had made.” In response to Chai’s comments, Senator and Chair of the Legislative Review Committee Sai Patadia stated the decisions made by the judicial branch are not “responsible for matters of elections...the senate is responsible for matters of elections because it is regarding the student body.” Following the discussion, Senator Niela Darmani revealed that she was unable to turn in her candidacy packet to run for reelection, due to the missing SIDs on her application. Vice President of External Affairs Lazaro Cardenas brought up the point that there was a conflict of interest due to the fact that the senate was making internal decisions affecting a senator running for reelection: Darmani. The current senate belongs to
the political party [YOU]CR, which includes the denied candidates Darmani, Hua and another speaker, Sandy Saly. By overruling election guidelines for the candidates, critics claim that senators gave their own party an unfair advantage and voted on matters that directly affect their candidacy. When asked about this controversy, Darmani countered, “I do not think it is a conflict of interest. Every piece of legislation/resolution we vote on could be considered a conflict of interest considering each bill needs two senators to co-sponsor it.” Chai was questioned as to whether she felt the candidacy application could have been further clarified. “The main argument I had was that I provided plenty of time for students to approach and ask me questions. Every single student was emailed the packet with the instructions along with my email [address],” said Chai. After various testimonies from those who sufficiently filled out the packet and others who failed to get the SID numbers, the senate determined that the judicial review was an an advisory action. The senate ruled in favor of granting candidacy to Hua, Saly, Darmani and another candidate who did not attend the meeting. By a 10-2-1 vote, the senate gained the necessary majority vote in order to override the decisions made by Chai and Patadia, thus permitting Darmani and three other applicants the option to run as candidates. Israeli divestment resolution rescinded The first to argue the case to rescind the resolution was Leserman. In a PowerPoint presentation that lasted around ten minutes, Leserman made claims that the senate was not given all the facts when it first considered the piece of legislation. “I know that the senators were lobbied and one of the things they were told, among many, was that to be neutral is to vote for divestment... If i was told the same thing with as much confidence and assurance as it was told to you, I would’ve done the same thing,” stated Leserman. His presentation centered on various counter-arguments, including claims that because Arabs hold office in the Israeli government, true apartheid doesn’t exist. Leserman borrowed his definition of apartheid from the United Nations, which he explained is, “Any government institution which can be compared to South African apartheid which maintains the domination of one racial group over another by systematically oppressing them.” He also claimed that divestment in pro-Israeli companies is rooted in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement, a campaign he cites has leaders who have made anti-Israeli comments. Leserman described the divestment resolution as “inherently polarizing” and “black and white,” due to the specificity of the legislation that refers to Palestine and Israel. However, he stated that choosing to defund corporations that support Israel was not the same thing as being neutral. “The way to peace is not through the delegitimization and eradication of the opposition,” he stated in regards to the efforts of the BDS. After his presentation was over, senators were given the time to ask Leserman about his points and his possible suggestions. Senator Spencer Castrellon asked, “What do you suggest we as a school do to help deflate this tension between Palestine and Israel?”
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Jeniene Aboughenr emotionally told the senate and galley about her personal experience in Israel. She emphasized her inability to move freely in her own country due to her ID card and how dehumanizing that felt.
Leserman responded, “I think that instead of picking sides and kicking one side over favoring the other, I think the senate should... promote and find actual solutions.” After Leserman, his fellow copresident of Highlanders for Israel Jacqueline Zelener began with her own presentation. Zelener, a self-described Zionist, gave opposing arguments to each paragraph of the divestment resolution in an eight-minute presentation. “In comparison to
“What is the role of student government?” -Ben Roden apartheid South Africa, Israel is opposite of the apartheid state. The resolution is not neutral. It fails to mention Palestinian terrorism, incitement, reception of multiple peace offers and refusal to negotiate. It calls for punishment of Israel alone,” said Zelener. Daniel Wegman, a fifth-year graduate student in the physics department, and last of the preapproved speakers, expressed his opinion that divesting from companies such as the Mexican stateowned petroleum company, Pemex, is “very offensive.” According to Wegman in his eight-minute speech, Pemex contributes to over one percent of Mexico’s economy. As a Mexican immigrant, Wegman gave an emotional recollection of the murder of his uncle, who was killed by a Palestinian bomber while living in Israel. He emphasized that despite this incident, he doesn’t hate the bomber but the “people who taught him that Israel is the enemy.” He says that to invest in Israel means that Palestine will be stronger too. “We should stop pointing at the other side. Both sides are responsible,” said Wegman. Following the aforementioned speakers, 11 others were each given two minutes to either express their support, opposition or neutrality in
respect to the resolution. Shaheen Nassar recollected on the loss of his cousins, who were killed in Operation Cast Lead and the loss of other civilians who were killed by Israeli militants through the use of white phosphorus. In contrast to Leserman, Wegman and Zelener, Nassar argued in favor of the resolution. “The reason I’m here today is that I’m trying to say to you that this resolution does not give justice to the Palestinian people,” Nassar stated. “What it does is it gives them the next best thing. It’s saying that we’re going to gently nudge...them with economic incentives to do justice.” Speaker Kevin Giser asked, “What is the purpose of a divestment against Israel versus divestment in China? China’s been doing human rights violations for billions of years...yet we have some sort of issue against Caterpillar, General Electric, which are American corporations.” “Senators acknowledged that they do not have enough information to talk about [these things] that happen in the UC system...yet there was enough information to make important foreign policy decisions...I wonder how that would be possible,” continued Giser. Ben Monag argued that American defense contractor and industrial corporation Raytheon offers employment opportunities for postgraduates, but divesting from them will threaten that opportunity for UCR students. Another speaker, Jeniene Abougherir, extended her condolences to Wegman, but argued against key points of his. “I am really sorry about your uncle. I don’t want to begin on how many people I lost. But I just want to touch upon a small point that you mentioned about us teaching our children to go kill Israelis,” said Abougherir. “I went to school there for 11 years and that was not true. I was never taught to go kill an Israeli ever.” Benjiman Roden asked, “What is the role of student government?” He suggested the divestment of any country that has a history of human rights violations, if the senate decided to tackle topics of foreign policy. The decision to extend the public forum was considered after the initial fifteen individuals presented, however at approximately 11:15 p.m. it was declined in consideration of rescinding the vote.
“I personally don’t feel a vote of anything should happen today because we don’t want to run into the same problem that we did...two weeks ago where we rushed into a decision and this is the reason why we’re here, because we rushed into a decision,” said Jo. Similar sentiments were carried out by ASUCR President Liam Dow, who suggested rescinding the resolution, while passing later legislation that involved the community and student body. In agreement with Dow’s suggestions, the senate conducted a closed-ballot vote to determine whether to rescind support for the divestment resolution. Executive Vice President Armando Saldana, Parliamentarian Chris Sanchez and Senate Secretary Janice Tang exited the room in order to count the votes—a review process that did not take place at the previous meeting. After taking a five minute recess, Saldana announced that the senate had voted to rescind the divestment resolution by 10-2-1, and adjourned H the meeting soon after at 11:32 p.m. ■
. OPINIONS .
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
5
HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
UC’S SMOKING BAN PROTECTS STUDENTS
HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief
Chris LoCascio
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T
he state of California is well known for working to ensure the public health of its citizens. Before the United States passed the Clean Air Act of 1970, California had already acted to curb the smog enveloping the state by creating the California Air Resources Board in 1967. California voters approved Proposition 65 in 1986, which requires businesses to inform people when they are exposed to toxic chemicals. To prevent lead poisoning in children, the California legislature created the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, part of California’s extensive regulatory system designed to improve and maintain the public health. All of these actions helped better the health and safety of the millions of Californians who would otherwise face the ill effects of dangerous chemicals on a daily basis. But though each is individually enough to cement California’s position as a pioneer in protecting the health of its citizens, one achievement was particularly groundbreaking: a 1995 ban on smoking in the workplace. At the time, the law was viciously attacked by people who believed it took away the right of people to smoke cigarettes whenever and wherever they pleased. It’s easy to see why. When the ban was enacted, smoking was still fairly commonplace. A study conducted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 47 million American adults, or nearly a quarter of the population, smoked a cigarette at least some days out of the week. But other states soon followed the path lit by California. Today, 37 states have at least one law on the books that safeguards the health of citizens by prohibiting smoking in a variety of enclosed areas, in large part due to California being the first to take action. The UC system is now carrying on the torch of California’s legacy by moving to protect the health of the campus population and ban all smoking on its campuses by 2014. This decision has engendered the same predictable accusations of creating a “nanny state” that the 1995 law once suffered through.
i ll u s t r at i o n b y
But like its predecessor, which has come to be seen as a foundational pillar in any health-oriented state policy, so too will the UC system’s farsighted move to shield its students from the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke. It has been well publicized that smoking is hazardous to one’s health. Men who smoked 15-24 grams of tobacco daily, or about a pack of cigarettes a day, were found to have double the rate of lung cancer as the population as a whole. Smoking has also been linked to coronary heart disease, stroke, and numerous other adverse health effects. If, knowing all this, the smoker still decides to start smoking, that is his or her own affair. But it is not the individual smoker’s decision that is problematic— it is the effect on other individuals in society. Unfortunately, smokers don’t live in a bubble that can seal off the harmful effects of cigarette smoke so that bystanders are not exposed to the toxic elements within. They live in the real world, side by side with nonsmokers who have to deal with the consequences of a decision they did not make. People don’t have to smoke in order to receive the brunt of the deleterious effects on health caused by smoking. All they have to do is stand near a smoker and breathe in the smoke wafting from the lit cigarette. In fact, this type of exposure, called second-hand smoke, is just as harmful, causing nearly 3,400 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers annually across the U.S. and worsening the asthma of children who already are asthmatic. Even students who decide not to smoke because of the adverse health effects it brings with it can still come down with those diseases if they are within breathing distance of a cigarette. If this is the case, then why not leave the situation as it is now? There are designated smoking locations on campus. Why can’t smokers be allowed their cigarette in one of them? Squeamish students, after all, could simply bypass that area in favor of a less smoke-filled route. The problem with this approach is that the effects of the smoke linger, even after the smoker leaves. When a
B r a n dy C o at s /HIGHLANDER
smoker lights a cigarette, the resulting smoke isn’t only inhaled by the smoker. It creeps into the fabric of the smoker’s clothes, winds its way into the nearby environment, and lingers in the air. And passerby would still be exposed to the smoke, even without the smoker who originally created it present. Studies on mice have shown that even this level of exposure can be sufficient to lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma. Knowing this, why would we allow such an activity in a public place that leaves such large numbers of students exposed to the dangers of tobacco smoke? If smoking impacted only the smoker, the UC’s decision would be out of line. But the key is that people beyond the smoker are faced with the majority of the health effects. And when this is the case, the UC has an overriding interest to protect the health of the students who learn there, the faculty who teach there and the staff who work there. All smokers who unwind at the end of the day by taking a drag of a cigarette, or who use a cigarette as a means to release nervous stress, will still be allowed to do so the way they always have. Students will still be able to enjoy their tobacco, just not on campus. It is only the act of smoking that the UC will prohibit, not the smoker. The UC has the right and the obligation to place the safety of its people first, and by banning the act of smoking on its campuses, the UC has decided that protecting the health of its students and staff is important. Just like California nearly two decades ago secured increased health quality for its citizens by banning smoke in the workplace, the UC has pledged to improve the health of its campuses by removing the culprit altogether. Thanks to the UC’s foresight, starting in 2014, students will no longer know a world of smoke on campus. And we’ll all be the healthier for it. ■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Opinion Poll
What did you do over spring break?
1st year biology major Keith Nguyen got in touch with mother nature this spring break. He vividly remembers his camping trip to Malibu with some old high school friends.
Beshoy Youssef, a first year pre-business major, spent his spring break working at a local pizzeria. He felt tired of all the socializing that took place during the school year and decided to spend his break making some cold hard cash.
Fourth year sociology grad student Stanton Gagel spent his spring break grading papers and attending a conference in Moreno Valley. Like for many grad students, Gagel’s spring break isn't much of a break.
Stephanie Perez, a second year creative writing major, went to the beach very often during her spring break. She also recalls going to DTLA's fashion district for some much needed shopping.
Compiled
Elizabeth Holmes, a first year plant pathology Ph.D. student, spent most of her spring break at a conference in Oregon. Graduate student life can be tough, even more so than just losing out on spring break.
by
Vincent Ta
Julie Jenkins, a first year bio-chem major spent her spring break catching up with old friends. She said it's hard to hang out with friends from high school while tackling academics and clubs at UCR, so spring break was just the break she needed.
Governor Brown’s water conservation plan needs to be flushed J o s h ua W a g o n b l a s t STAFF WRITER
One thing you learn by growing up in California, besides where to get the best Mexican food, is that living in the state with the largest population means that water is a scarce resource. Since California is the leading agricultural center of the United States, farmers are especially concerned about their water supply because there is simply just not enough of it. Be that as it may, Governor Jerry Brown has been vowing to direct water to the people of Southern California since the 1970s, an idea that should have been abandoned years ago. Brown’s plan will include two subterranean peripheral tunnels that will extend from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to a southbound aqueduct 35 miles away. Californians should not be pleased to know that our Golden State will be receiving a $14 billion bill, which is most likely a gross underestimate of what the cost will actually end up being—one of many reasons Brown’s proposal needs to be halted. Aside from the ridiculous cost, there are also environmental issues that have become an increasing cause for concern since the early 2000s. Despite Governor Brown’s insistence that the delta’s fish and waterfowl will be better-protected as a result of the peripheral canals, the declaration is little more than a conservation ploy. Adam Keats, urban wildlands program director for the Center of Biological Diversity; Bill Jennings, the executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA); and Carolee Krieger, the executive director of the California Water Impact Network, have all filed suit to return the Kern Water Bank (a body of water located in the southern San Joaquin Valley) to state control. This suit is important because of the three opponents to Governor Jerry Brown’s water plan and the Kern Water Bank itself. Keats has expressed his concerns since “early on in the early 2000s—mid 2000s—[they] noticed a huge decline of fish species in the delta. Six million split-tail were killed in one count [and around] 14,000 to 15,000
the Sacramento Bee observes, “the tunnels would route water to existing state and federal water diversion canals in the south Delta near Tracy,” right into the company’s territory. Brown’s Senate Bill 200, which sanctions the subterranean tunnels, should be opposed due to the environmental and financial impacts it will have, but most importantly because a bill that is used to simply line a politician’s pockets with extra dough is insulting to a state that is already suffering economically. Proponents may say that the delivery of this water will be beneficial to Southern California, but Mark Cowin, the state Department of Water Resources director, acknowledged the project does not guarantee any additional water deliveries. However, Brown continues to try and persuade the people of California that it is in our best interest. Should the state construct such a high-priced monstrosity that poses a threat to the environment and carries with it a stench of political dishonesty? Even the National Academy of SciC o u rt e s y o f P a r a m o u n t F a r m svividly ences has said “It is unclear to what exP a r a m o u n t F a r m s , w h o s e o w n e r h a s h e l p e d b a n k ro l l J e r r y B ro w n ’s g u b e r n a t o r i a l c a m tent or whether the BDCP (Draft Bay p a i g n , n o w s t a n d s t o b e n e f i t f ro m t h e g o v e r n o r ’ s i l l - a d v i s e d $ 1 4 b i l l i o n u n d e rg ro u n d Delta Conservation Plan) is exclusively a aqueduct plan. habitat conservation plan.” And farmers the San Joaquin Valley. I’m already re- such as Rudy Mussi have stated publicly salmon.” Split-tail and salmon are not the only playing scenes of Chinatown in my head that they “don’t mind sharing surplus species that will be endangered by Gov- as we speak. water, but don’t take my water. I depend The subterranean peripheral tunnels on it for my livelihood.” ernor Brown’s peripheral tunnel plan, and despite his insistence that the wild- are in no one’s interest except “the priI cannot help but wonder why the Govlife in the area will be protected it is hard mary beneficiaries,” also known as, “the ernor’s proposal has not been stopped in not to doubt his words when the Califor- corporate farmers of the western San its tracks. Yet, I do assume it is because nia Sportfishing Association writes that, Joaquin Valley.” And, sure, it sounds nice Brown and the proponents of this plan “recent estimates point out that five to 10 that some farmers will be receiving water are not seeing much negative publicity times more fish are lost than salvaged, for their agricultural pursuits, but the San since advocators for the proposal include the actual number of fish lost could be Joaquin Valley is majoritarily filled with companies like Paramount Farms, who “a handful of mega farms—including also contribute to Dianne Feinstein and 1.3 billion or higher.” It is necessary to reveal the toll on the those owned by billionaire Stewart Resn- President Barack Obama himself. environment not only because it is yet ick—[that] annually consume 3.5 million Behind all the conniving, the reality another basis for which to reject the proj- acre feet of Delta water.” Is it just me, or is that there are simply no environmenect, but also due to the fact that Brown’s do I smell corruption? tal, financial, or public benefits that will If you think it is just me, then one arise from this false conservation plan. advocacy for the supposed conservation effort is really a ruse to rally support for may be keen on knowing that Mr. Resn- Brown and the Resnicks are only lookhis plan and cover up his actual inten- ick’s wife, Lynda Rae Resnick, is also a ing to pad their wallets while they still tions. The real objective for construct- generous contributor to Brown, totaling hold a monopoly. Although some oppoing the peripheral tunnels is to pursue donations of over $60,000, which even sition has been voiced, there should be a purely political interest: to satisfy the surpass her husband’s contributions. a larger public effort to discontinue the needs of a wealthy campaign contributor, Paramount Farms, of course, maintains project. All it takes is an effort to inform Stewart Resnick—owner of Paramount a majority interest in the aforementioned the people of this Golden State before it Farms, one of the largest companies in Kern Water Bank, and lo and behold, is too late. ■H
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
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The discreet charm of the “stupid party” P h i l l i p C a r r o l l -J o h n s o n CONTRIBUTING WRITER
During this year’s CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) last March, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, billed as the savior of the Republican Party by Time Magazine, spoke candidly in response to liberals’ popular assessment that the Republican Party has no new ideas. He exclaimed, “We don’t need a new idea. The idea is called America, and it still works.” During the same conference, Republicans attended a seminar entitled “Trump the race card: Are you sick and tired of being called a racist when you know you’re not one? The unintentionally comedic and narcissistic tone of the title sparked controversy and created heated discourse from both the blogosphere and the news media apparatus. The seminar is a display of the type of insensitivity and lack of social insight that has increasingly damaged the image of the GOP within the public sphere. This sentiment was echoed in late January by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who stated, “We’ve got to stop being the stupid party.” He continued, “We had a number of Republicans damage the brand this year with offensive and bizarre comments.” The GOP’s innate inability to relate to minority groups and its alienation of the middle class and poor through its current budget proposal make it hard to believe that the party adheres to its “idea of America” as the solution to the country’s woes. It is the bizarre, empty and often irate rhetoric like that of Rubio that alarms detractors of the GOP. Which America is he alluding to? Is it the America with a historical context of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, class oppression, and mistreatment of undocumented immigrants? Is he correlating America with the emergence of Reaganomics and the production of the prison-industrial complex? There is a consciousness among conservatives within the party that America is morally bankrupt, that they have a responsibility—founded mostly upon Judeo-Christian ideologies and values—to return the country to its virtuous past. Seemingly unbeknownst to many within these conservative groups, this fixation on America’s past ostracizes minorities that identify this return to earlier historical moments as synonymous with the digression of their social and economic upward mobility. During a stagnant economic period
C o u rt e s y The Republican Party has alienated minority and poor communities with their harsh stand on both economic and social issues.
where low-income rates and the number of unemployed Americans continues to increase at alarming rates, the Republican Party has created a public image of subjugating the proletariat and middle class while the wealthy “one percent” and multinational corporations receive the party’s unwavering support. This perception holds considerable weight when one looks at current Chairman of the House Budget Committee and Congressman Paul Ryan’s proposed budget. The budget repeals Dodd-Frank financial reform, effectively turns Medicare into a voucher program, and cuts taxes for the wealthy by trillions of dollars, all while counterbalancing those cuts by deconstructing the social and economic fabric of the lower class through major education and welfare cuts as well as cuts to other social programs. His budget asks for $500 billion in additional support for the post-9/11 defense apparatus. It is worth noting that our current defense budget is bigger than the next thir-
teen countries’ combined. The Republican-backed proposal presents a startlingly clear narrative to the public: rich people don’t have enough money and have little responsibility to society, poor people have too much access to social programs and expanding our military dominance globally trumps domestic social infrastructure. Ryan’s budget starts so far right he turns off the broader electorate, making positive and effective negotiation a near impossibility (the Republicans in the Senate attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as ObamaCare, for the 36th time last month). Finding a middle ground on crucial issues has proven to be a weak point for Republicans, and both parties agree on this point. Gallup, a political polling organization, found that 22 percent of Democrats, 17 percent of independents, and 26 percent of Republicans agree that the GOP is unwilling to compromise. Much of the inner turmoil that creates the party’s inflexibility is its divide on major social issues
o f b l o g . f l o w 14. c o m
like marriage equality, immigration, and financial reform. Far right conservatives and more progressive members of the GOP are split down the middle, essentially suffering from an identity crisis. There are some within the party that blame last year’s election failures on this ideological split. Arkansas’ former governor Mike Huckabee was vocal about the effect that it had last year’s elections, stating, “The last two presidential elections, we had more moderate candidates, so if anything, a lot of conservatives went to the polls reluctantly or just didn’t go at all,” he said. “If the evangelicals had showed up, it might have made a difference.” To compete with the Democratic Party, Republicans must step back from social issues. Religious zeitgeist cannot form their political ideologies. They can survive the economic conundrum, but to start winning elections again the Grand Old Party must adapt to a reconfigured social world. ■H
Riverside makes room for eco-friendly transportation Colette King STAFF WRITER
It’s not a secret that cities are trying to become more sustainable, not only to better the environment, but to avoid the continuing instability of gas prices. Improving on the infrastructure cities already have might be the best starting tactic, as opposed to converting all of the country’s machines into water-fueled vehicles and spending millions of dollars on implementing solar panels everywhere. The city of Riverside is doing just that by drawing up a plan to create safer streets for bicyclists. These safer roads will not only protect current bicyclists, but will encourage even more people to start biking. Riverside has proposed the Brockton Avenue Bike Lane Project, which would redraw the
lane lines of Brockton Avenue— a long road that goes halfway through Riverside, with destinations such as Downtown Riverside, the Plaza, Brockton Arcade and the River Trail. The new Brockton Avenue would include five miles of bike lanes by reducing the number of vehicular lanes from four to two. The project was spurred by 2000 and 2010 censuses that revealed Riverside’s higher-thanaverage bicyclist count, more than that of San Bernardino County, and Riverside has one of the highest number of bicyclists in the entire state. Because of this, these accommodations for bicyclists are necessary and will undoubtedly encourage more people to switch transportation methods to bicycling. The project mirrors the chang-
es made to Watkins Drive, a shining example of increasing bicycle accessibility. Watkins was once comprised of four lanes, and is now a two-lane street allowing ample room for bicyclists to avoid motorized vehicles. What will differentiate the Brockton Avenue Bike Lane Project from Watkins will be the two-foot dashed buffer that will separate cars from bikes. This is also part of Riverside’s strategy to encourage eco-friendly transportation through safe bike routes, increasing sustainability. According to Go Green Today, if one day is taken out of the week to ride a bicycle, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 20 percent. With the planned bike lane expansion, Riverside is definitely on the right track to reducing pollution in the city. President of UCR’s Cycling
Club Jeff Kocina mentioned that some of the bike members ride down Brockton two to three times a week. As a frequent user of the road, Kocina expressed his approval for the project, stating, “As a club we often ride through the downtown area, and Brockton is one of the many streets we pass upon. Creating bike lanes on Brockton would not only encourage more people to get out and ride bikes, but would also lead to a greener environment if more people start commuting to work/school. Bicycling is a great way to improve one’s overall fitness, and also a very good way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, which is especially important in an area such as Riverside where the air quality is rather poor.” Brandi Becker, the bicycle coordinator for Riverside, has led
the project and its implementation. According to Becker, Brockton Avenue was chosen for more than just an eco-friendly cause. There were many instances of speeding on the road, and the hope is that not only will bicyclists be safer, but other vehicles will be more inclined to stick to the speed limit. With Brockton Avenue also being more of a neighborhood road, the additional hope is that more novice riders will be encouraged to ride their bicycles on the road. Not only will more bicyclists help improve environmental quality, it will also create a safer living area for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists alike. Even though Riverside has RIVERSIDE CONT’D ON PAGE 8
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OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
Death through justice, or death to our pocketbooks? Courtney Parker CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It was July 20, 2012: the opening night of the world-renowned film “The Dark Knight Rises.” An event that should have been a fun-filled Friday night turned into a blood-soaked nightmare that will forever live in infamy. 12 innocent lives were taken, and 58 individuals suffered injuries at the hands of James Holmes on that grisly, horrifying night in Aurora, Colo. Now, nine months after the massacre, Holmes has been faced with the possibility of execution. Who knows how long it will take for the controversial decision to be carried out, but why are we asking this question in the first place? Based upon the excruciating damage inflicted upon the community of Aurora, some may argue that Holmes can be justifiably executed. However, Holmes should not be put to death, and the death penalty should not be enacted in any situation. The cost alone of capital punishment should be enough for all states to discontinue the practice. Specifically, the death penalty costs 17 percent more than imprisoning an inmate in the state of Colorado, due to the increased costs of a longer trial and additional security associated with seeking the death penalty. On average, the death penalty costs one million dollars more than life imprisonment without parole. The average cost of the defendant receiving the death penalty is eight times that of the cases in which the death penalty is not handed down by the court. Currently, taxpayers already pay more for incarceration than for education alone in the United States. Ed Barnes from Fox News has even compared the cost
of the death penalty to the possibility of closing down a school. If we continue to pay the prison system for more executions in cases similar to Holmes’, funds will be diverted from students, teachers, healthcare, and social services. It could even result in an increase in taxes. This overview of the costly nature of capital punishment broadly explains just how dangerous this decision is for the financial future of the United States. Now, as far as finances go, many people are probably not necessarily concerned with the amount they are paying to serve justice to those they believe deserve to die. In the case of Holmes, many individuals want him to truly pay the price for the crimes he committed. However, Holmes is not the first individual convicted of mass murder, and certainly will not be the last. If this process is inflicted on other criminals, this money cannot be used for other important services. Though Holmes has exhibited “hostile” behavior while incarcerated at the Arapahoe Detention Center in Centennial, Colo., he is currently being held in solitary confinement in order to deter his potentially dangerous behavior. Holmes’ conduct has proved to be rather disturbing as a result of his spitting at the guards, questioning his imprisonment and complaining about the food served. Despite his troubling actions, Holmes has neither been a serious threat to the prison guards nor to the other inmates. Therefore, there is no reason to put him to death because he does not pose a dangerous threat to Arapahoe, or even to the rest of the country. The death penalty is too expensive and lengthy to
be considered as a viable option. Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is a better choice. In addition to the high price for execution, capital punishment in general also involves the unfortunate issue of sentencing innocent individuals to death. There have been at least 39 cases of wrongful execution in the United States, in which there was highly reasonable doubt of the defendant’s guilt. An example is Johnny Garrett, who was wrongly convicted of murder and rape, and was unfairly executed in 1992. Garrett was later found to be innocent through DNA evidence in 2004. Illegitimate executions are morally wrong simply because it is the act of the taking the life of an innocent person. More than 39 lives were mistakenly taken. If there have been 39 false executions carried out in the United States, why do we continue to allow the death penalty to happen? There is always a possibility of the defendant’s innocence, but once we kill them, we cannot reverse the act if evidence has proven against their guilt. Relating back to the cost of capital punishment, these were 39 cases where the various states had to spend millions of extra dollars to carry out these sentences. Not only is this morally unethical, but a great financial loss for the United States. In relation to convicts like Holmes, death should not be the solution. It may initially seem like the best choice, but the process and costs are long, arduous, and expensive. All the funds spent on death row inmates could be saved for other necessities for the state of Colorado, and the rest of the country. It is not up to the public, but
C o u rt e s y
of in.com
There is too great of a cost and too much risk involved in the death penalty for it to be a means of punishment.
up to the courts to determine the fate of all convicted individuals. However, in the case of the death sentence, the courts should realize the best alternative is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Because of the lengthy process of determining the possible innocence of the convict, capital punishment costs much more than simply leaving the felon in prison for the rest of his or her life. The decision to argue in favor of Holmes’ execution was decided just on Apr. 1, nearly one year after the shooting. However, the trial for this sentence will not
begin until February 2014, and the decision could take at least five months after that. Holmes’ lengthy trial is not the first, but this case alone could deeply affect the Colorado state budget. Given all the costs presented, should Colorado spend so much time and taxpayer money on this one case? More situations like these could happen in the future which could cost just as much, or even more than Holmes’ trial. The state of Colorado should not resort to the long and difficult process of the death penalty, but rather choose life imprisonment without parole. ■H
RIVERSIDE FROM PAGE 7
just recently been designing new roads to encourage bicyclists to ride, according to Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), a bike-share program had once been implemented at UC Riverside over 10 years ago. What caused the program to end were individuals who took the “share” aspect out of the bike-share program. TAPS also noted that in order to have a bike-share program there first needs to be a bike policy and safety guide. But with these new roads making cycling more accessible, a new bike-share program can now be created again and will have a much better chance of success due to a much better infrastructure being put into place right from the start. Riverside is already putting grant money into this project, and some of those funds could be allocated to restarting the bikeshare program. The money would definitely not go to waste as both these programs would support each other and work in tandem to
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of
T h e P r e s s -E n t e rpr i s e
Riverside’s plan to expand the bike lanes in Brockton Avenue will create a safer, more sustainable city. As for the city of Riverside, cities such as Riverside will be increase the number of bicyclists cient for college students. For instance, the cost of tuition would Becker stated that the the desire able to slowly transform into a on the road, especially locals and probably increase to support a for Riverside is to focus more more eco-friendly neighborhood college students trying to get program that benefits students. on what they already have rather instead of wasting money on from their apartments to campus. Also, because UCR is a big comthan implementing something over-ambitious projects with no Although many citywide costs muter school, the need for bicybrand-new. By making small promise of success or sustainwill arise in the process, it is ideal cles on campus may be frivolous. moves like redesigning roads, ability. ■H for the environment and cost-effi-
The opinions expressed in the Opinions section belong solely to their authors and do not represent the Highlander Editorial Board or the University of California, Riverside.
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. FEATURES .
HIGHLANDER
A Night Out with Queens
…and a King By Sean Frede, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Vincent Ta Left to right: Aloha Tolentino, one of the most experienced drag queens, wowed the audience with her performance; Daphne Grimes struts back to the stage as she throws fake money to the audience. She is appropriately dressed for the song “National Anthem” by Lana Del Rey.
T
he 10th annual Dragalicious Drag Ball’s theme was evolution. This title fits, whether it refers to the evolutionary changes UCR has made to be more than welcoming towards the LGBT community or to the event itself, which started out in the Barn with only a handful of audience members 10 years ago. This year it was held in HUB 302 on Friday, April 5 and included a complete runway with hundreds of attendees. Most of all, the theme refers to the extraordinary changes all the participants went through before becoming their personas and hitting the runway. I sat down with Tim Grove and Edwin Flores, co-administrators for the ball. “For this year’s Drag Ball we wanted it to be a reunion of sorts. That’s why we brought in queens from previous years and we really wanted to highlight how much drag has grown in the community,” stated Grove, chair of ASPB. The lackluster turnout for last year’s event was underwhelming for both Grove and Flores. This time, they pulled out all the stops by getting many queens to come perform, some of which are trying out for Rupaul’s Drag Race soon. I’ve seen a few episodes of Rupaul’s show and I figured it wasn’t that hard to dress up like a woman. Just slap on some eyeliner, a wig, push up bra and you’re ready to go. That was before I spent two hours with the queens and a king that ranged from their first performance ever to being in the drag world for 10 years. It was hard to breathe in the room filled with spray tan and hairspray. I wondered if I should have been wearing a gas mask. Ke$ha, Lana Del Ray and Paula Abdul played from a laptop as foundation on top of foundation was plastered onto their faces. “It takes a lot of duct tape and a lot glue, honey,” stated Witch Privilege, a red-haired queen who had a powerful performance which included flipping over a dinner table and stomping her heels across shards of wine cups.
Many men complain about having to wait for their girlfriends getting ready for a night out but I don’t think any of them would have the patience for a queen. The queens have to reshape their faces with foundation in order to appear more feminine. All of them carried makeup cases that resemble a professional bass fisherman’s tackle box more than any ordinary girl’s make up bag. Makeup isn’t only used to look pretty for a night out, it is designed for the stage and lighting. “It’s painting, really. You have to know color theory in order for this all to work,” stated Carmen Di Va, who strutted her stuff in a sequin jumpsuit and will be trying out for Rupaul’s Drag Race. “They’re sisters, not twins,” Di Va advised to a younger queen pertaining to painting on her eyebrows. The queens and kings are very serious about what they are doing and aren’t afraid of suffering in order to be on stage. Duct tape corsets are quite common, sucking in their chest and having someone wrap them up like a mummy in order to create curves. But the most painful thing they endure has to be the tuck. “There’s a home for your balls and you shove it in. Then you tape your dick down with tons of duct tape. It’s better to have hair so that the tape really sticks,” stated Daphne Grimes, who was an Emcee of a previous UCR Drag Ball. The only king of the event has a different approach when it comes to getting ready. He uses a bulletproof vest-like binder in order to squash any femininity down on his chest and then uses his own hair and glues it to his face to create sideburns and a goatee. “It’s all about layers when it comes to the costume in order to conceal curves,” stated Justin Timetolick. Timetolick is a corporate office worker during the day and then performs on stage at night wielding a glowing lightsaber positioned at the groin. This Drag Ball was a chance for them to be who they really want to be. “I used to dress up and re-enact Ms. Universe but it was never okay growing up. I
got to college and was really able to express myself without being shameful,” stated Aloha Tolentino, a 10-year veteran to the drag scene who had a moving performance involving mirrors, getting the audience to wonder what it really means when you stare at yourself. “I first saw Aloha perform at a LGBT leadership retreat when I was a freshman. I had never seen a man dress up in drag before. It just seemed so accessible and Aloha helped me with my first performance in ’08. This is my home, it’s where Sucha Delite was born,” Delite said before performing to Cinderella sound bites all while standing on five foot stilts, towering over the audience. While they are all very serious about their performance, for some it isn’t completely about being fierce and taking control of the runway. For some it is sending a message about gender. “It’s really great to just challenge gender roles,” said Timetolick. “I do it because I want to create a beautiful character. Gender is just a performance, anyone can do it,” stated Little Delicious, who ran the stage to Prohibition-era music in a blue flapper dress along with a leash that was attached around the neck of a man. The show was a huge success, raising over $1,600 for the LGBT Student Leadership Scholarship Fund. It’s amazing to think that just ten years ago this event couldn’t boast more than 20 audience members. Now, we have an entire week of events dedicated to everything drag. Queens can strut around campus on a busy Thursday handing out handbills for the Drag Ball and not have to be worried about being harassed. The final performance of the night was by Grimes. She finished the show donning an American flag t-shirt which had the flag hung from her sleeves, flowing as she danced. She ended her performance with a monologue from Lana Del Rey’s “Ride” music video claiming, “I am fucking crazy. But I am free.” At that moment, gay, straight, lesbian, bi-sexual, transsexual, H queen, king, no matter who you were, you felt free. ■
Left to right: Felina eclipsed the show with her body movements and revealing outfit; Karina Milan gazes proudly towards the crowd as she is given her prize crown; Justin Timetolick played around with many props that poked fun at a man’s fixation over his penis.
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
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Staff Picks: Summer Movies and TV Shows Summer is quickly approaching. That means summer blockbusters and new seasons of TV shows are coming. Here are some of the films and shows the Highlander Editorial Board is looking forward to seeing.
Michael Rios, Features Editor
Wesley Ng, Photo Editor
Jake Rich, Production Manager
Leena Butt, Asst. Photo Editor
Movie: Man of Steel TV: The Newsroom
Movie: The Great Gatsby TV: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Movie: The Great Gatsby TV: Breaking Bad
Movie: Despicable Me 2 TV: Breaking Bad
Chris LoCascio, Editor-in-Chief
Rebecca Paredes, A&E Editor
Kendall Peterson, Sports Editor
Movie: Only God Forgives TV: Arrested Development
Movie: Star Trek Into Darkness TV: Teen Wolf
Movie: Fast and Furious 6 TV: Futurama
Sandy Van, News Editor Movie: Monsters University TV: Burn Notice
TAKE PICTURES? Be a Photographer for the Highlander! Meetings on Mondays at 5:15pm at HUB 101
Darren Bueno, Asst. Sports Editor Travis Hong, Asst. Production Manager Dean Mayorga, Asst. News Editor Movie: Monsters University TV: Whose Line is it Anyway?
Movie: 300 Rise of an Empire TV: Suits
Movie: The Internship TV: Girl Meets World
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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER
UCR student’s bone marrow donation saves life of Iowa man By Michael Rios, Senior Staff Writer
Courtesy of ucr today
Fishburn and Vietor met for the first time on March 27, 2013.
WEDNESDAYS @ 9AM
Upon meeting each other at Ontario International Airport, the two shook hands, shared an intimate hug and exchanged a few words in private. The embrace was welcomed by a round of applause from spectators and family members surrounding the two. “He looks lively and fine, a little bit better than I imagined,” Fishburn said about Vietor. Vietor and his family first contacted Fishburn via email and then through the phone to thank him. They planned a trip to California to meet the young man and in late March, the Vietor family finally met with the man responsible for saving Grant Vietor’s life. Both families reportedly planned a trip all across Southern California--a trip that included an Angels’ game, the mountains and the beach. According to Be the Match, a bone marrow donation organization, the odds that a donor’s bone marrow will match a patient’s and go on to donate is one in 540. Fishburn and Vietor managed to beat those odds. ■H
KUCR RADIO 88.3
was successful and Vietor’s cancer now appears to be gone for good. “I thought I was going to die. But thanks to [Alex], I have a life now. And I’m doing great,” said Vietor in a press release. “I wanted to make sure that I really thank him and his family for what he has done for me and my family. That’s very important to me.” According to Fishburn, the operation was not as painful as some people would think. “You get injections for five days before. The injections force your stem cells out of the bone marrow, and they just harvest the cells. It takes about two-and-half hours. And they give your blood back to you and then you go home,” said Fishburn in a press release. Fishburn and Vietor had never even heard about one another prior to the bone marrow transplant. That all changed on March 27, 2013 when Vietor and his family flew over 1,500 miles to meet Fishburn and his family for the first time.
HIGHLANDER NEWSROOM
Alex Fishburn is a 22-year-old history major at UC Riverside. Grant Vietor is a 46-year-old basketball coach from Iowa. You would be hardpressed to find two individuals more distinct than these two, but thanks to a recent bone marrow transplant, Fishburn and Vietor now share a lifelong bond. In 2008, Fishburn signed up to be a potential bone marrow donor while giving blood to a LifeStream Blood Donor Center in Ontario, Calif. Two years later, he got a call saying that he was a match and was needed to save the life of a man in Iowa. Vietor was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. He received treatment and was in remission for about a year and a half, but the disease returned in December 2011. According to doctors, his only hope for survival was a bone marrow transplant. As it turned out, Fishburn was a perfect “ten-forten match.” Vietor received the transplant on Valentine’s Day 2012. The operation
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT @ h i ghl a n d e rr a d a r
Events this week Tuesday | 4/9
Wednesday | 4/10
Thursday | 4/11
Friday | 4/12
D av E n d
p e r f o r m s at
Sister Spit
Open Mic @ Back to the Grind, 7 p.m.
The Vagina Monologues @ HUB 302, 7 p.m.
Alexandro Segade’s Holo Library Performance @ Culver Center, 7:30 p.m.
Poetry Reading @ Cellar Door Books, 7 p.m.
C a m e r o n Y o n g /HIGHLANDER
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
HIGHLANDER
MUSIC REVIEWS RIDE YOUR HEART // BLEACHED RATING:
I
★★★★☆ BY: LUIS SANCHEZ, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
have been waiting for “Ride Your Heart” for a few eons now, and after being teased with two seveninch records, Bleached has finally released their first full length album–– and it didn’t disappoint. The Clavin sisters, Jennifer and Jessie, have taken off their skuzzy punk coat on this release and replaced it with pleasant pop hooks and beachy instrumentation. The album as a whole sounds like the Vivian Girls had a baby with Best Coast. The album’s simple instrumentation and infectious melodies fall into the genre of lollipop punk. The second track, “Next Stop,” includes guitars which are distorted with a spiraling and wobbling effect that gives listeners the feeling that they are wandering the desert. This is the lushest track on the album, which explodes with a piano during the last third of the song before the Clavins croon, “Get outta my mind boy / You know I think about you all the time.” This lyric is pivotal in grasping the overall emotional theme in the album: love, which runs wildly throughout the tracks and shifts from being unrequited to sweet. “Dead in Your Head” opens up with an experimental haze of clicking and repetitive vocals that may even remind the listener of some of the odder moments of Can’s “Tago Mago.” However, this album does not concern itself with experimentation. Bleached bathes the album in sweet pop melodies and they do so unashamedly. This song is filled with
Courtesy of Dead Oceans
hooks that are radio ready, and like most of the album, the melodies are infectious and stick inside your head. “Searching Through The Past” sounds much better than the previous digital release. Midway through the song, a guitar interlude frolics with the drum and plays
Bleached bathes the album in sweet pop melodies and they do so unashamedly. only a few notes before being met by another guitar, which adds a few frills, creating a more complex intermission. The Clavins’ voices then emerge, chanting “Baby won’t you please come on back to me,” before going into a self meditating repetition of “Come on back / Come on back,” which fades into the end of the track. This repetition feels almost desperate, which reminds the listener that this work has a sense of romantic melancholy in its themes. “Guy Like You,” the second to last
track, includes an acoustic guitar which is the first clear appearance of the instrument within the album. A guitar wobbles its way into the middle of the song, which gives it a surfy appeal. The addition of some clinking shell-like percussion and conga style hand drums lend an even more oceanic aura to the track.
Awayfrom H the
Sprawl: by Jake Rich, Senior Staff Writer
Courtesy of planetlyrics.co
Skinny Lister Raises a Glass to Folk
This release brings simplicity and contagious hooks along with a coastal atmosphere to the table. “Ride Your Heart” is by all means an accessible work, and it does not stray too far away from the pop path. For those who wish to find a refreshing new look at beach H punk, I suggest looking into this one. ■
ave you ever felt the urge to go drinking in a British pub, but couldn’t afford to go to England? Skinny Lister, the folk five-piece that hails from all across England, is your solution. Though I like Mumford and Sons as much as the next guy, this group puts an undeniably different spin on British folk—one that is rooted in traditional working- and pub-type songs. To hear the difference between this band’s raw earnestness compared to more popular, albeit still talented, folk artists of today is quite a refreshing change. “Rollin’ Over,” the lead single from their debut album, “Forge and Flagon,” spearheads the roaring, rough harmony and boot-stomping charge that most of the album maintains. Lead singer Dan Heptinstall sings sincerely, “Promise lead me / to be with you Godspeed me / as I roll, roll back to your side,” as his bandmates join him in almost chant-like fashion for the second part of the verse. Skinny Lister shows their versatility on “Peregrine Fly,” which follows a much slower acoustic guitar, accented nicely by an understated bass, heartwarming violin and longing accordion. The group’s lone female, Lorna Thomas, leads a duet between herself and Heptinstall as they sing, “In the evening sun where the shadows grow long / The wind will sing us the strangest song / The strangest song / With only the sky above / I’ll be lost in the arms of the one I love.” The song
truly emits the presence of a deeply caring love between two people as they watch the world go by. Continuing on the theme of versatility, the group’s cover of the traditional folk song, “John Kanaka,” is also excellent. They form a unique sort of acappella that has beautiful harmonizing, but also the rough, blue-collar edge that a working song should, with certain members singing even louder at a howl. The band is also known for their raucous and frequent live performances, in which Thomas and bassist Michael Camino are said to crowd surf—with Camino playing his standup bass while floating gently over the crowd. Honestly, I first heard this band last week, but they have managed to capture my attention faster than any band in recent memory. The earnestness—rather, the genuine feeling I got when listening to their music felt very different than simply overproduced dance synths (not a knock on dance music, just the exploitation of it for cash rather than any sort of art) often heard on pop radio today. Plus, it’s difficult not be happy just giving these guys a listen—I challenge you not to tap your foot or bob your head up and down. If there is one line to describe this band’s fun yet loyal attitude, it comes from their song “If The Gaff Don’t Let Us Down” when they say, “We’ll sail away tomorrow and we’ll sleep away tonight / Let’s raise a glass to EngH land, she will be a pretty sight.” ■
HIGHLANDER
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
15
Sister Spit Electric lineup sparks truth and laughs at UCR
Rebecca Paredes, Senior Staff Writer Photos by Cameron Yong
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I first entered HUB 302 last Wednesday night. As I waited for Sister Spit to begin, I bumped into plenty of fellow writers from the creative writing department, and our shared sentiment was that we were attending Sister Spit because it had been the hot topic on everyone’s lips for the past few weeks due to the fascinating description on the event’s Facebook page. “2 vans chock-full with cutting-edge dyke female writers and performers,” it said. Sounds like my kind of evening. As I soon discovered, Sister Spit was an exciting, funny and thoroughly thought-provoking presentation from a dynamic lineup of queer-influenced artists. The evening began with an introduction and reading by Michelle Tea, co-founder of Sister Spit in the 1990s. She provided background on the traveling troupe of writers and performers, who tour the country with an everchanging lineup and seek to nurture queer artists and audiences. Danny LéVesque’s reading from his new novel, “Hairdresser on Fire,” was an excellent, darkly comedic story of an adolescent struggling to support his passion for the art of clowning. Delivered in a steady deadpan, LéVesque was hilarious (“Everything I believe about Christianity is from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’” he explained) and set the tone for the evening as an exploration of themes of identity in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Creative writing professor Susan Straight followed up this theme with an excerpt from her latest novel, “Between Heaven and Here.” She opened with a personal account of the time her mother said, “You’re really ugly and you’re probably never going to be married,” which sounds depressing but was delivered with enough of an upbeat attitude to inspire laughs from the packed audience. Straight began her reading by explaining, “You can write about things without having experienced them,” but her prose––which featured an intimate look into cracked-out life in Rio Seco, a fictionalized representation of Riverside––was so immersive that I felt like I had experienced addicted family members and life-or-death struggles. Cristy C. Road read from “Spit and Passion,” a novel about being in the closet and struggling with the potential of losing her culture. “I kept my identity to myself as soon as I found it,” she said. The backdrop of her presentation was a slideshow of her art, which included images from her childhood, culture and life, and helped reinforce the idea that a distinct rift formed during her early years between her family and her burgeoning identity.
Ali Liebegott stole the show and my heart. She had planned to read from her novel, “Cha-Ching!” but spent a good chunk of time detailing her experience of being gifted an excessive amount of ultimately unsatisfying dipping sauce from Ranch One at the University Village, which was awkward and wonderful and a joy to hear. Liebegott’s excerpt followed her anecdotal humor with one of the best frog jokes I have ever heard (and which I subsequently memorized for future laughs). Each presenter brought a sense of lightheartedness to their performance as they explored hard-hitting themes, which I think is because humor is one of the best ways for an audience to share and understand important topics like gender and identity. Something about laughing about Road’s explanation of Ren and Stimpy’s gay romance, or Liebegott’s passion for Oprah and room service, gave the audience common ground with the speakers and created an environment of support and open minds. The evening continued with TextaQueen, “Australia’s felt-tip super-hero,” according to the event’s Facebook page. Texta showcased self portraits from their series, “Unknown Artist.” The portraits, which were created entirely with felt-tipped markers, explore different aspects of Texta’s identities and are absolutely phenomenal, particularly those that critique whiteness and coloniality. One image portrays Texta as a white, zombie Gandhi, which sounds offensive but completely works on paper. Texta argued against idolizing people of history and turning them into figures of worship, particularly since these people are faulted humans, not deities. Guest speaker and creative writing professor Nalo Hopkinson read from her novel, “Sister Mind,” which draws from Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market” and is about the relationship between a pair of half human/half deity twins. It was a beautiful reading, but was overshadowed by songwriter DavEnd’s totally dynamic accordion presentation. DavEnd presented improvised songs from her musical, “Fabulous Artistic Guys Get Overtly Traumatized Sometimes,” which explored the effects of street harassment on the development of queer identity. I loved it. I want to be DavEnd’s best friend. As her song soared into an operatic soprano, she described the effects of being called a “faggot” on her way home, and followed it up by quipping, “Even if transgender rights don’t happen in my lifetime, I’d like to think someone would help an opera star.” Very true, DavEnd. Overall, it was a fun and dynamic performance that closed the night on a bang. Sister Spit was wonderful, its lineup was beautiful, and you can follow all of their adventures at radarproductions.org. ■H
Clockwise from top: Author Michelle Tea opens the event; UCR’s Creative Writing professor Susan Straight shares an excerpt from her book; Cristy Road reads from a novel accompanied with her art shown on screen; DavEnd closes the event with a musical piece.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
HIGHLANDER
MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT THIS WEEK:
42
SCARY MOVIE 5
OBLIVION
THE BIG WEDDING
PAIN AND GAIN
EVIL DEAD
RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆
I
BY: JOSHUA WAGONBLAST, STAFF WRITER
n 1981, Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead” upped the gore to a ridiculous level for its Reagan-era audience. The film has since become a cult classic due to the stamp that Raimi’s creative filmmaking left on the movie world. Unfortunately, like many remakes, the newest version is another let down for avid fans of the originally unpopular series and moviegoers everywhere. “Evil Dead” (no “The”) loosely follows the same moronic plot as the original, but naturally amps up the carnage for modern day desensitized viewers. The film has been tagged with the line, “The scariest film you will ever see,” and although I cannot decide if the phrase is a marketing ploy or some kind of subtle tease, I can tell readers right now that there will be more reasons to cringe than to check under the bed when they return home that night. Younger Bruce Campbell lookalike Shiloh Fernandez plays David, a teen who kind of wants to help his drug addict of a sister through recovery. I say “kind of” because the acting and writing are nowhere near good enough to make it seem like David is desperate to fight for his sister’s sobriety. Of course, this is hardly the point of the film; it is merely a reason shoveled to audiences to explain why five idiotic friends traverse into the wilderness, much like many teens have done throughout the years (remember “The Cabin in the Woods?”), to the most secluded and run-down little shack they can find. At least “The Evil Dead” gave fans a better reason: “Why are we getting [this cabin] so cheap?” asks Linda, an eager vacationing teen.
The movie does not hesitate to push through the bad acting of its cast––including Eric, a wannabe Kurt Cobain played by Lou Taylor Pucci––in order to jump right into the blood, which literally floods the screen. At least the demonic possessions are a direct result of Eric’s decision to read aloud from a barbed wirebounded book, which he found in a basement full of hanging cat carcassess. You would figure that would be the time to leave. Since Eric does not know how to read to himself, the possessions begin immediately and are jump-started by a cruel plant-based rape scene. Junky Mia, played by the aggressive
Jane Levy, is the first to enter a demonic transformation and initiate attacks against her once beloved friends. Nothing stops this demon from hell…except for a bolt lock on a cellar door. When the teens do finally decide to leave, there is a convenient Old Testament-style rain storm blocking the exit road. By that time, it is much too late for the inevitably doomed group of teens. One by one, the possessions bounce from one character to the next and this gives director Fede Alvarez a chance to showcase some very impressive special effects and makeup. However, that is really the only credit I can give to this picture
TriStar Pictures
because everything else does not work, much like it did not work in the original. In contrast, Raimi gave his film a faint scent of humor through character quips and his intention for the overuse of violence and blood to be a comment on a “Bible Belt” America. Without any of the stylistic benefits the first film received from Raimi or any real scares, “Evil Dead” suffers on screen and will ultimately be thrown into a box with all the other discarded horror remakes. Perhaps some viewers want to pay for the endless amount of gore or watching my main men David and Eric get pummeled with a
crowbar 17 times in the face, but I feel like I should have asked for my money back. After witnessing the bloodinfested film that is “Evil Dead,” I can only hope that Alvarez stays clear of the remake route and decides to pursue something original, and something that is not a horror flick. There have been many cabins and many woods through which a multitude of sex- and drug-crazed teenagers have hiked through, and even though one of those kids survives bloodied, battered and traumatized, each of these films never has anything to say besides, “Look how much this blood makes you squirm.” ■H
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
17
A Column
Fashion Instinct Style Informed:
Beyonce for H&M
by Thelma Annan, Staff Writer
Who run the world? Beyoncé. Wife, mother, entertainer and designer, Beyoncé is lending her bootylicious curves to H&M’s summer 2013 collection. And trust me, we are counting down the days. This isn’t the first time the fashion forward brand has collaborated with powerful superstars for its collections. Just last season, Lana Del Rey’s flawless face covered posters around every store. And who could forget David Beckham in those ohso-snug undies? Lord knows I can’t, nor do I want to. H&M has made some big moves within the last year. The brand recently released its Conscious Collection, where old clothes are recycled to make new, fashionable pieces at an affordable price. Conscious Collection has gotten so much buzz lately that Helen Hunt wore a navy blue gown from the line to the Oscars! Beyoncé has also had a remarkable year, from her acclaimed HBO documentary to her sold-out world tour and of course, her lights-out performance at the Super Bowl. This is the first time the singer has collaborated with another fashion line other than her own, “House of Deréon.” Using her designer skills, Beyonce had a personal say in designing some of the clothing pieces, influenced by her own personal style. The singer admitted she has always been a fan of the brand’s “fun, affordable fashion.” Delivering on the theme of
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paradise, the campaign was shot in the Bahamas (jealous!) by world famous photographers Inez & Vinoodh, directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Officially titled: “Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter for H&M,” her campaign will extend from print ads and online videos to TV commercials. The collection will feature pieces from H&M’s WaterAid beachwear collection, in which 25 percent of profits go towards the charity’s effort to deliver clean water to developing countries. A feature of the singer’s latest song, “Standing on the Sun,” will also be revealed as part of the campaign. The collection draws inspiration from the four elements of Mother Nature: earth, fire, water and wind. It is set to hit stores in May. All hail King Bey. ■H
Clockwise
from top left:
C o u rt e s y
o f t r e e h u gg e r . c o m , c o u rt e s y o f h m . c o m , c o u rt e s y o f h m . c o m .
Clockwise from top left: Piece from Conscious Collection; Helen Hunt in H&M; Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter for H&M.
18
SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Softball team loses weekend series against Hawai’i Jayvee Valencia STAFF WRITER
April 5, 2013
KENDALL PETERSON
KENDALL’S FASTBALL Unjustifiable actions Many of us may have heard or have seen a video of the crises that took place with the Rutgers basketball team. On the morning of April 3, Rutgers University was all over ESPN for the most horrific sports news that I have seen this year. Assistant coach Jimmy Martelli and Head Coach Mike Rice were exposed for abusing their players. Rice, who is now the former head coach of the Rutgers basketball team, was fired after the footage of his unprofessional style of coaching was leaked. The video is very appalling and it displayed the most inexcusable behavior a coach can display toward their players. The clip showed Rice yelling at his players during practice. While yelling, he shoved multiple players and threw basketballs at their heads and feet. Rice also cursed at them and called the players homophobic slurs. It is one thing to have an aggressive coaching approach toward players, but this clearly showed a man that was unable to control his temper and how he had no boundaries. The odd thing is there were players that accepted his way of coaching and took it as a way of motivating. However, one of the players, Gilvydas Biruta, was unable to deal with it anymore and transferred to Rhode Island because of Rice’s misconduct. Biruta stated on ESPN that Rice criticized him as a person and not as a player. Rutgers assistant coach Jimmy Martelli was known as “Baby Rice” because he acted in much the same way as the head coach. Ironically, a day after the firing of Rice, Martelli resigned. Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti suspended Rice back in December for three games and fined him $50,000. But I don’t know what Pernetti was thinking, because Rice should have been fired right then. In the aftermath, Pernetti resigned from his post as athletic director on April 5. Rice and Martelli are not the only coaches in college basketball history to be overly aggressive. One of the greats, Bob Knight, is known for throwing chairs and one instance he choked out a player during practice in 1997. NCAA has to find a way to crack down harder and find a way to better prevent this from happening again. ■H
Rainbow Wahine 16 Highlanders 0
The softball team lost 16-0 in the first of a three-game series against the University of Hawai’i. The Highlanders faced a challenge on the road as they crashed against the number 16 ranked team in the nation. Hawai’i had the hot bats early and set the tone as they scored eight runs in the first inning on seven hits. Highlander pitcher Ashley Ercolano fouled out her first batter of the game then struggled produce outs afterward. Hawai’i’s Kayla Wartner got Hawai’i’s hitting going as she sent a home run over the wall. In the second inning UCR got two singles, one from Ercolano to right field and the other from Brittanie Akey to center field, but both were left stranded. Hawai’i found their swing in the bottom of the third as they scored 5 runs to increase their lead 13-0. Hawai’i added 3 more runs in the fourth to make it a 16-0 game. The Highlanders had runners in scoring position in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings but were unable to cash in. UCR finished the game with five hits and two errors. April 6, 2013 Rainbow Wahine 12 Highlanders 2
In game one of the doubleheader with Hawai’i, the UC Riverside softball team lost 12-2, allowing all 12 runs in the first inning. The Highlanders fell victim to Wahine’s offense power as Hawai’i hit four home runs in the first inning and produced eight hits. UCR went through three pitchers in just the first inning. Sophie Slagle gave up 4 runs and Alyssa Razo allowed 8. Taylor Alvarez came in to finish the inning, giving up three total hits as she held Hawai’i scoreless for the rest of the game. The Highlanders scored 2 runs in the third inning but that was all they could get across the board. Highlander Ariel Shore hit a single to drive Nicolette Lujan home. Then Kayla White swung for a single to drive home Dionne Anderson. The Highlanders would be shut out the rest of the game. The Highlanders finished the game with four hits and one error for the game. Game two of a doubleheader as the third and final game of the series at Hawaii ended with an 8-1 loss. Another quick start propelled the 16 ranked Hawaii with 3 runs to start the first inning.
April 6, 2013 Rainbow Wahine 8 Highlanders 1
Game two of the doubleheader and the final game of the series at Hawai’i ended with an 8-1 loss for the Highlanders. Another quick start propelled the 16 ranked Hawai’i with 3 runs to start the first inning. In the third inning, UCR gave up 4 runs to give Hawai’i a 7-0 edge. Highlander Kayla White hit a solo home run to left center in the fourth inning for UCR’s lone run of the game. Hawai’i answered back in the fifth with their own solo shot to make it an 8-1 game. Both squads did not manage to drive in runs in the final two innings. The Highlanders, after being swept by Hawai’i, now have a 15-24 overall record and an 0-9 record in Big West play. Hawai’i dominated the entire game with 14 hits to produce their 8 runs. UCR’s Ashley Ercolano pitched six innings and gave up 12 hits and 6 runs. UCR returns Saturday April 13 against San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference for a non-conference game at Amy S. Harrison field. The Highlanders have a 10 game home stand for the rest of April. The 10 straight games at home could be crucial for the Highlanders to turn their season around and H qualify for postseason play. ■
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER Senior pitcher Alexis Pickett (#6) bats against Weber State.
FEATURES
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
19
Senior Jimmy Roberts saved the day for UCR men’s tennis as the team squared off against BYU-Hawai’i. Down 4-1 in the third, Roberts reeled off six of the next seven points to secure the final singles match of the day and lift the Highlanders to their first win since February.
Competing in their fifth conference match of the season, the UCR women’s tennis was thumped 6-1 by Pacific University. Natalie McKay was the lone bright spot for the Highlanders as she eked out a tight three setter to give UC Riverside its only point of the day.
The losses continue for the ladies of blue and gold as they dropped another 6-1 contest to UC Davis. The Highlanders now fall to 0-6 in Big West play and 1-12 for the season.
Coming off their first victory in months, the Highlanders were competitive in all matches but fell 6-1 to UC Santa Barbara. Doubles partners Calvin Ngo and Julian Ruffin competed admirably with Ngo picking up a win in singles.
Men’s tennis didn’t win a match during their contest against nationally ranked Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Doubles was competitive, but the Highlanders were overmatched in singles.
C a m e r o n Y o n g /HIGHLANDER
Freshman Julian Ruffin retuns the ball against RCC.
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20
. SPORTS .
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
HIGHLANDER
Baseball drops first conference game of the season C o dy N g u y e n STAFF WRITER
April 1, 2013 Aztecs 10 - Highlanders 2
After four straight victories, the UC Riverside baseball team dropped its first match in blowout fashion against the San Diego State Aztecs, losing 10-2. The Aztecs used two threerun innings in the first and fourth and then a two-run inning in the eighth to secure their victory over the hapless Highlanders. San Diego State first baseman Ryan Muno lifted his team with a standout performance that included three RBIs and two hits. UCR’s only runs came in the third inning, which cut the margin to 4-1 and then in the ninth when the game was already far out of reach. April 2, 2013 Highlanders 6 - Aztecs 3
After a 10-2 thumping at the hands of the San Diego Aztecs, the Highlanders rallied and exacted sweet vengeance on San Diego State with a 6-3 victory. UCR jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Aztecs scored three straight in the fourth, fifth and eighth to swing the match in their favor. However, the Highlanders answered the bell
DARREN BUENO
BUENO’S BUZZ Sister Act
V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER
UCR’s Clayton Prestridge (#7) swings hard against a fastball in a game against Saint Mary’s College.
in a huge way. With the score tied, Kyle Boudreau hit a triple to center field giving the Highlanders a commanding 6-3 lead heading into the ninth. UCR would keep the lead and pick up the win. April 5, 2013 Matadors 5 - Highlanders 3
The baseball team looked to improve upon their flawless 3-0 conference record going into Friday’s game against the Cal State Northridge Matadors. However, they fell short in a 5-3 defeat. The Highlanders were unable to capitalize on loaded bases at the top of the third inning to put runs on the board.
The following inning the Matadors took a 5-0 lead when UCR gave up 3 runs. The Highlanders finally notched a run in the seventh inning when Nick Vitler drove in a run with a sac fly to center, cutting the lead to 5-1. Matador closing pitcher Jose Goosen-Brown allowed two runs by David Andriese and Cody Hough in the ninth to give the Highlanders a sliver of hope, but the Matadors were able to finish strong and steal a victory at home. April 6, 2013 Matadors 3 - Highlanders 1
After an undefeated start in conference play, the UCR baseball team has now dropped
two straight in the Big West, both losses coming against Cal State Northridge as they dropped a 3-1 decision. Points were at a premium during Saturday’s match, with the Matadors striking first in the bottom of the third off Chester Pak’s RBI. The Highlanders were able to answer at the top of the fourth, when Joe Chavez hit a single with loaded bases to tie the match at 1-1. Four innings later, the Matadors would muster up the tiebreaking score off Josh Gossen-Brown’s run. Northridge would score once more in the bottom of the eighth, while preventing the Highlanders from ever scoring again to secure the victory. ■H
Travis Smith sets new shot put record at 2013 Sun Angel Classic Matthew Guerrero CONTRIBUTING WRITER
UC Riverside’s track and field team headed to Arizona on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 for the 2013 Sun Angel Classic at Tempe, performing well in both the shot put and hammer throw events. Before the event, the Highlander caught up with Associate Head Coach Nate Browne to ask him about the competition. “It’s going to be a high level competitive meet and one of our kids can elevate themselves to great performances,” said Browne. The Highlanders went up against universities like BYU, Iowa State and Northern Arizona. UCR competed at a high level in the men’s hammer throw event, finishing with three top-ten performers. Uchenna Oniah led the team, finishing third in the event with a score of 55.13m, a full eight feet longer than his previous high throw. Chima Ikeme and Carl Nahigian also finished in the top ten, landing ninth and tenth respectively. Ikeme broke his career high with 44.63m, while Nahigian finished at 43.18m. Junior Seth Totten also performed well on Friday, running to a fifth place finish in the men’s 5000m race. He finished with a time of 14:41.95. Jzsanette Lindstrom posted a 12th
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of
T h e P r e s s -E n t e rpr i s e
Senior Travis Smith shot putting during the 2012 Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
place finish on the women’s side of the 5000m race, posting a time of 17:48.29. Freshman Carl Nahigian was asked about how he thought his team would perform on the weekend. “Throughout the year, so far, we have had many athletes rise to the occasion in big moments and I know we’ll have some more this weekend,” said Nahigian. While Oniah capitalized on Nahigian’s prediction on Friday, day two would belong to Travis Smith and the shot put group. Smith broke his own shot put record at UCR, solidifying
his star season at the Classic. Smith collected a first place throw of 18.80 meters in the premiere section and also finished sixth in the discus premiere section, giving arguably the top performance for the Highlanders. Nahigian himself performed well at the meet, as he finished first in his individual section with 16.62 meters in shot put. For women’s events, familiar Highlanders Demajeria Dubose, Raquel Hefflin and Alisha Brown all posted season-best times in the 800m race. In the premiere section Dubose finished fourth with
a time of 2:06.22 and Hefflin finished ninth with a time of 2:08.03. In the regular section Brown finished second with a time 2:07.86. Amber Wright also ran a second place time of 55.34 during the 400m race. “My favorite part of competing in big events like this is competing against the best in the country. I know for me and my teammates competing against good competition really brings out the best in us,” said Nahigan. The track and field team will compete at the Pomona Pitzer Invitational in Claremont on April 13 and 14. ■H
Two decades ago when Richard Williams announced that he had raised two future No. 1 tennis players, not many acknowledged let alone listened to his claim. Fast forward to today and the Williams sisters are among the most popular and influential tennis players in the history of the sport. On April 6, they clashed for the 24th time in their storied professional careers at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. Though Serena dismissed her big sister in straight sets, the occasion showcased why the Williams sisters are the greatest siblings in all of sport. We all play sports, granted some better than others, but only a minute fraction of people will actually reach the professional rank. An even fewer amount will go on to dominate their sport. Now imagine the odds of two siblings raised in the same household both having a Hall of Fame worthy career. There have been a few pairs of siblings to attain that billing. Riverside natives Reggie and Cheryl Miller battled each other on the practice courts before becoming two of the greatest basketball players of the era. Cheryl became the first woman to score over 100 points in a single game and led USC to back-toback national college titles in 1983 and 1984. Reggie’s silky smooth jumper positioned him as one of the best shooting guards in NBA history. The Manning brothers (Eli and Peyton) are both Super Bowl winning quarterbacks that have led their teams to enormous amounts of success. Under the watchful eye of father Archie, the siblings have become charismatic and popular figures in the NFL and have earned millions of dollars in endorsements alone. While many siblings have made indents in sport, none have been more impactful than the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena burst onto to the tennis scene in the early nineties and as African American sisters transcended a sport traditionally dominated by white players. Their supreme confidence and superior athletic ability catapulted them to the top of women’s tennis and at the turn of the century, they were staring each other down in the finals of Grand Slams. Today the sisters have a combined 22 Grand Slam singles titles, 26 Grand Slam doubles titles, eight Olympic Gold Medals and have earned over 70 million dollars in prize money. When Venus and Serena faced each other for the first time since 2009 on Saturday, it was a refreshing reminder of how the sisters from Compton have become the greatest sibling story of all time. ■H