SOLDIERS IN DISGUISE FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
UCR honors our heroes that serve our country and walk amongst us everyday. - Features, Page 13
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UC proposes potential 5 percent tuition hike COLIN MARKOVICH Senior Staff Writer
UC President Janet Napolitano has announced that the UC regents will vote on a long-term financial stability plan, which includes the possibility of tuition increases of up to 5 percent, at the next regents meeting. Despite support from the administrations of all 10 UCs, the decision was met with opposition from UC students and politicians in the state capital. Napolitano explained that the move was intended to “avoid the massive spikes of the past” by giving Californians and potential UC applicants certainty about the potential cost of tuition. “It will pencil in the 5 percent increase. It will be the ceiling,” Napolitano said. If approved by the regents, the plan will be in place for five years, during which the UC could choose to raise tuition by up to 5 percent per year. The plan also allows for no change in tuition if the state maintains its current funding commitment of a 4 percent increase every year. Under the proposal, annual tuition for an in-state student could remain at $13,300 per year for the next five years. Conversely, the worstcase scenario could result in an increase of more than $2,000 over the span of five years, which would result in an over $16,000 per year tuition rate in the 20192020 academic year. The plan comes after three years of consecutive tuition freezes. However, Napolitano explained that due to an increasing campus population and intended future development, freezes were no longer feasible for the UC. “You can’t have a tuition freeze indefinitely at this level of funding from the state,” she said. Ac-
ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER The five-year UC tuition plan puts a 5 percent annual cap on tuition raises and has students upset from all across UC campuses.
cording to Napolitano, the funds would be distributed to individual UCs to be used as needed, with overall goals including increasing enrollment by 5,000 over five years and expanding the UC’s financial aid programs. However, UC Student Association President Jefferson KuochSeng denies that the proposal would produce financial stability for students. “UCSA views the plan proposed by UCOP as one that does not prioritize students, but rather holds them hostage for the future of their education. Instead of using students as political pawns, the UC and Regents should consider partnering with students on a meaningful level to advocate to the state for more funding,” Kuoch-Seng said in a statement. UCSA has started a petition against the proposal, arguing that the UC should roll back tuition increases, which Napolitano has dismissed.
OPINIONS
The proposal is at odds with an agreement struck two years ago between Gov. Jerry Brown and the UC. Brown’s 2013-2014 budget includes 4 percent increases in funding for the UC through the 2014-2015 fiscal year, and 5 percent increases until the 20162017 fiscal year. Last year, that amounted to an additional $125.1 million. The budget states that, “This funding should obviate the need for UC to increase student tuition and fees.” However, UC Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom denied that any agreement had taken place. The plan already faces stiff opposition from many in Sacramento. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, both of whom are also ex officio members of the UC Board of Regents, have expressed skepticism of the plan. Atkins released a statement in which she announced she would
FEATURES
Bill Maher sparks a heated debate about free speech and commencement speakers. PAGE 8
oppose the proposal, saying, “It is disturbing to see students used as leverage in budget negotiations.” The proposal has also attracted criticism for coming only a month and a half after the UC raised the salaries of four of its chancellors. AFSCME Local 3299 President Kathryn Lydbarger, whose union represents many UC employees and student workers, stated in a press release that “If UC wants to regain the trust of California lawmakers, the starting point should be to stop squandering millions of public dollars on oversized executive compensation and outsourcing contracts.” The UC insists that it has been cutting bureaucracy. Brostrom says that the UC has decreased its personnel, including a 28 percent decrease in faculty and a 24 percent decrease in general staff from 2008-2013. “You can’t cut your way to excellence,” Napoli-
RADAR
Kid Fury and Crissle West come out to UCR. PAGE 14
tano said. Gov. Brown has expressed opposition to further tuition increases, but it is unclear what, if any, action he will pursue; one possibility is that he pushes to draw down state funding for the UC. Gov. Brown has noted that the passage of Proposition 30, which increased the sales tax by a quarter-cent and raised taxes on incomes greater than $250,000, should preclude the need to raise tuition. He has previously vetoed increases in funding for the UC. However, UC officials say that the funds from Proposition 30 are not being used by the state in the way the UC envisioned. Brostrom called the increase in funding disproportionate, saying that while California’s general fund received an 8.8 percent increase in funding, the UC only saw a 4 percent increase in funding. “In all candor, we thought we should have had more money from Prop 30,” Brostrom stated. Brostrom emphasized that despite the potential tuition increase, the UC was still one of the most affordable public institutions in the country. “We are a third of the sticker price. On average we get $4,000 from every student,” Brostrom said, adding that only 30 percent of students pay full tuition. The proposal comes at a time of substantial change for the UC. From 2008 to 2013, the amount of state funds the UC received declined from $3.3 billion to just over $3 billion. In the same timespan, tuition increased by $5 billion, and enrollment has increased by 12,000 students in just four years, from over 226,000 in 2008 to more than 238,000 in 2012. The regents will vote on the plan when they meet at UC San Francisco from Nov. 19-20. ■H
SPORTS
Richard Linklater takes viewers on an emotional journey with “Boyhood.” PAGE 20
Men’s soccer secures division title with win over No. 18 UC Irvine PAGE 28
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NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
HIGHLANDER
Pro-choice supporters clash during pro-life demonstration ESTEFANIA ZAVALA Senior Staff Writer
Emotions were high as a coalition of pro-choice supporters appeared with fake blood-stained wire hangers to show dangerous methods of abortion — a subject of contention between two separate pro-choice groups during last Thursday’s pro-life event. “(The wire hangers) can be very triggering to someone who’s had an abortion. Some students are feeling that men shouldn’t be holding the hangers because it’s a woman’s choice,” said Romanie Arterberry, interim director of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), which was there to support students who may have been triggered by the display. The event, held by the national pro-life organization Students for Life of America (SFLA), featured a display of pale blue banners with text inviting a discussion of abortion in the case of rape. SFLA was invited by UCR’s Students for Life, which has historically sponsored prolife organizations, such as the Center for Bio-ethical Reform (CBR), to present on campus. Supporters of the WRC came out in protest of the pro-life
display, because they felt that it was a traumatic trigger for both sexual assault survivors and students who may have chosen to have an abortion. “(The display) triggers memories of a difficult decision for someone who might be a victim and so it makes them relive an experience they’re trying to move past,” said Julisa McCoy, a sociology graduate student, to one of the pro-life advocates. Alessandro Morosin, one of the pro-choice protesters and a sociology graduate student who wielded a coat hanger, took a different approach and said that this pro-life display was “slicker” because it did not contain graphic abortion imagery but that “the message was the same.” He also disagreed with the other protesters who suggested that the display was a trigger warning for sexual assault survivors. Instead, Morosin felt it was important for the public to see the coat hangers to show the extreme measures some women may go through to get an abortion. “The anti-abortion message is not welcome. I don’t feel safe when this group is on campus … it makes me furious. The bloody coat hanger is a symbol of what women have been
forced to go through in terms of … they have to self-abort when they seek to terminate a pregnancy … when abortion used to be illegal, many women died,” said Morosin. However, many other prochoice advocates disagreed with the presence of the wire hangers. UCR third-year English major Shawn Veasey, a supporter of the WRC and a co-organizer of the protest, said she did not approve of the use of coat hangers and furthered, “I was more than a little disappointed that the ‘man’ who was supposed to be an ally was so insistent about the wire coat hangers. When I declined (to hold a wire hanger), he had the audacity to attempt to lecture me.” Casey Tesauro, a national representative for the SFLA clarified that, “(Our organization) … just wants to encourage dialogue. Our generation is targeted by the abortion industry and our generation has the most abortions which is why we think it’s important to be here on college campuses.” “This is actually the first (protest) we’ve had,” continued Tesauro, who travels with the display to college campuses all around the nation
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and was disappointed to see the vehemence of the protesters. “We’ve had people (on other campuses) come up to us and thank us because even though they disagree, they say that we presented the information in a way that made them feel safe.” Emilio Virata, assistant dean of students, affirmed
that all the groups had a right to be on campus as students. “They are students who are appropriately vocalizing their positions,” he stated, adding that it was simply a part of campus culture. ■H Contributions made by Jake Rich
NOVEMBER
11
Astronomy Seminar Yicheng Guo 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Physics Building Reading Room
Photographing Joshua Tree National Park 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Twentynine Palms
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Wellness Wednesday: Native American Beading 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. HUB 355
Men’s Soccer: UC Davis or Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
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Weekly Science Studies Coffee Hour 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m College Building South 116
Military PT Challenge 11 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
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PB & J: Peanut Butter and Jogging 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. HUB 248
Women’s Basketball: Santa Clara 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Student Recreation Center Arena
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Scot Fest at Homecoming 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Bell Tower
Men’s Soccer: Tentative: UC Irvine or Sacramento State 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. UCR Soccer Stadium
Tuesday
ASST. PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
JANINE YBANEZ / HIGHLANDER Students Summer Shafer and Julisa McCoy raise posters in support of prochoice abortion rights.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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No Events
Sunday
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Monday
Trans Day Of Rememberance Display 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. HUB Concrete Display Wall
Work-Study Orientation 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. HUB 355
-UC President Janet Napolitano on the possibility of decreasing tuition
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
UCR psychologist receives $2.7 million in federal funding
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Professor Sara Mednick was first interested in sleep research as an undergraduate student at Harvard University when she was intrigued by the benefits of napping.
ESTEFANIA ZAVALA Senior Staff Writer
UCR psychologist Sara Mednick and her team of researchers have received about $2.7 million in federal funding for her research on sleep and its importance on memory. Mednick’s research focuses on the effects of Ambien on college-age people’s ability to learn and the effects of Ritalin and Adderall on the cognition
of people serving in the military. The funding is being provided by the National Institute on Aging, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Defense — Office of Naval Research (ONR) for different applications of her sleep research. Mednick’s research is part of her decade-long look into how naps affect memory and was first sparked in an undergraduate class taught by Harvard professor
of psychiatry Robert Stickgold. “He showed that you need to have 6-8 hours of sleep to show memory benefits from sleep. In light of his findings, I wanted to know why short naps could make people feel so good. What was so special about napping?” she said in an interview. In one project which began in 2013 with a $1.25 million research grant from the National Institute on Aging, Mednick and her team of researchers studied
the effect of Ambien and Xyrem on a sample of people from the ages of 18 to 49. They found that Ambien use increased verbal memory retention, which is the ability to remember spoken information. She is now interested in exploring the impacts the research may have on college students who take the drug to improve their studying. “If we discover that the pills are not making students think better and the pills are
also ruining their sleep, that information can be used by students, doctors and school administration to make decisions about how these drugs are used. If we discover that the pills are making students perform better, that will also be important information for the campus as a whole to consider as an ethical and medical issue,” she said. Mednick will also share a $450,000 grant from the NSF with UC Berkeley neuroscientist Michael Silver to study the importance of neurotransmitters in the formation of memories. The ONR has also awarded Mednick $995,381 to look at the effects of psychostimulants like Ritalin and Adderall on cognition and sleep. The military’s interest in this research may be due to the “go” pills administered to servicemen and women to keep them alert during long periods of time and “no go” pills to encourage sleep. “I don’t know exactly how ONR will use our findings,” said Mednick frankly. “However, it’s clear that not enough research has gone into investigating the effect of “go pills” and “no-go pills” on sleep and cognition. That is what we aim to discover.” UCR students like fifth-year psychology major Evan Reyna are excited about this research and said, “I think it’s really really interesting. There’s a lot that we don’t understand about (the sleep and memory) processes. This research will hopefully give us a H tool to understand them better.” ■
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
5
Crime Watch: Masked Halloween robbers strike off campus AMY ZAHN Contributing Writer
MEETINGS ON MONDAYS 5:15PM @ HUB 101
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AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER A local church at the intersection of Linden Street and Rustin Avenue puts out a warning for UCR students after a recent robbery occurred around the area.
On Monday, Nov. 3, a robbery occurred off campus near Rustin Drive and Linden Street at around 2 a.m. The male victim was walking when he was approached by two suspects who demanded his property while holding a knife. The suspects took the victim’s wallet and phone and then fled the scene. UCPD and the Riverside Police Department (RPD) searched the area after receiving the report at 2:21 a.m., but did not find the suspects. The suspects were both wearing black-andwhite Halloween-styled masks and were described as black males in their 20s. One suspect was described as being 6 feet tall and wearing muscular black clothing, and the other as 6 feet, 2 inches tall, skinny and wearing unknown clothing. UCPD currently staffs extra officers on overtime to Linden Street, Rustin Drive, and Blaine Street seven days a week due to the increase in criminal activity these areas have seen since January 2013. In addition, UCPD partnered with RPD in 2013 to install cameras in the areas of University Avenue, Canyon Crest Drive, Linden Street, Rustin Drive and Blaine Street. UCPD Assistant Chief of Police John Freese attributed the frequent crime in this area to the high volume of pedestrian traffic and the distracting nature of electronic devices that students carry. He urges students to walk in groups and to walk “with a purpose, with their head up and alert to what is going on.” ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
NEWS
HIGHLANDER
ASUCR: Students for Life display prompts passage of trigger warning AMY ZAHN Contributing Writer
Last Wednesday, members of ASUCR passed a resolution calling for the UCR administration to warn students via email before triggering or offensive demonstrations occur on campus and condemned the proposed tuition plan that the UC Board of Regents will vote on during their next meeting on Nov. 19. Various organizations have continually expressed disapproval of the demonstrations organized by pro-life organizations such as Students for Life, which has invited pro-life groups on campus in the past. Because of the potentially offensive and triggering nature of such displays, Senator Summer Shafer introduced a resolution which calls for emails to be sent to the entire student body “warning them that Students for Life, or any other organization that fosters a similar environment, such as
the Center for Bioethical Reform, will be present.” The resolution described the Students for Life display occurring on Nov. 6 as “emotionally triggering” and “not conducive to a positive academic environment.” President Pro Tempore Devin Plazo expressed her approval of the resolution, stating that, “We’re not asking these groups to not come on campus … we’re just asking that a warning be sent out.” The resolution calls for the UCR administration to send out the trigger warning emails, but Vice President of Internal Affairs Fernando Echeverria will take on the task until then. Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Sandoval was apprehensive about the unintended message the resolution might send. He stated that, “The university is always very careful to refrain from communications related to any expressions of speech on campus.” He noted his desire
that the language of the email “be as neutral as possible … and not (make) a commentary on the content (of the demonstrations),” citing the University’s devotion to the first amendment. However, in response to the resolution passing, he promised that administration would “do (their) best to get a letter out to the student body.” The campuswide email that was sent on Nov. 6 by ASUCR in accordance with the resolution warned of “pictures and language pertaining to sexual violence and abortion that could be triggering,” and listed resources for students who are negatively affected by the displays. The resolution was passed unanimously with a standing vote, in which each senator stood up and publicly casted their ballot. Also discussed at the meeting was the UC regents’ five-year plan to stabilize tuition and fees. Three years of consecutive tuition freezes — which began in 2011-12 — may come to an
end on Nov. 19, if the UC regents continue plans to increase tuition by no more than 5 percent. This depends on the state and its ability to continue offering an expected 4 percent increase to the UC and support for the Cal Grant program. The plan emphasizes that “tuition and fee increases could be lower — or eliminated — if the state provides additional funds above UC’s base budget adjustment.” However, if these conditions are not met, the plan calls for a tuition increase of no more than 5 percent, raising tuition from $12,192 for in-state students to $12,804, and the student services fee by $48 from UCR’s current $324 quarterly fee for 2015-16 through the 20192020 school year. The 5 percent will be redetermined every year and may decrease if additional state funding is allocated to the UC over the course of the next five years. Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan referred
to the plan as “hostage taking,” and said that “UCOP is putting a gun to the head of the UC student body and extorting the governor and legislature for more funding.” The plan promises to increase enrollment by at least 5,000 California students, boost graduation rates, provide more courses, improve the studentfaculty ratio and maintain the UC’s current financial aid — all in the next five years. The plan has been met with opposition, notably in the form of a petition begun on Oct. 30 by the UC Students Association. The petition states that students “have the right to seek long-term, sustainable funding sources that take the burden off students, and not only freeze tuition, but roll back tuition.” Galvan urged ASUCR to take action, saying, “This petition will not be enough. It will take a lot more action from us to prevent something like this from happening.” ■H
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OPINIONS
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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hat is college all about? Of course there’s the preparation for entering society as a full-fledged adult. That’s what taking classes and doing research is for: Eventually, you become an expert in your area of study and are ready to contribute back to the world. There’s also the more personal aspect. You’re at college to get to know new people and make friends. You learn about different cultures and expose yourself to different ways of life, and in so doing, take the best parts of what you learn with you. By the end of your college career, you’ve not only become more worldly (which can help when you’re contributing back to the world) but learn more about yourself in the process. These dual achievements are what college is for. And as such, it’s what commencement is all about — or should be about. Recently, it seems like commencements have strayed a lot further away from their purpose of celebrating a major milestone in students’ professional and personal lives. One need to look only at the petition to force Bill Maher to withdraw from his commencement address at UC Berkeley after making incendiary remarks. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, it’s become readily apparent that a commencement address has mutated into something much different. Instead of celebrating the formation of friendships and tightening of bonds, it’s divided a community with countless accomplishments to be proud of. Students have questioned UC Berkeley’s administration for inviting Maher, and the administration has itself cleaved in its support. The student body is of two minds: A counter-petition has now surfaced asking Maher to stay. The result is that a virulent back-and-forth over free speech versus hate speech has overshadowed what is supposed to be a celebratory occasion for students and all who have supported them. Maher has said that the only reason he will withdraw is to prevent a “media circus” — but hasn’t that already happened? Whether Maher stays or goes is between him and the students of UC Berkeley. But
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
it is emblematic, even if it is a particularly heated example, of what commencement ceremonies all too often are. Instead of celebrating students, the commencement ends up focusing more on the speaker than the students, with the speakers patting themselves on the back for giving such an amazing speech. Students, whether divided by ideology or more physically segregated from the friends they have gained in college and worked with for years, are shunted into chairs alongside individuals they hardly know. And after paying through the nose for tuition, selling an arm for a parking permit and a leg for a set of books, the last hurrah is marked by, well, mark-ups on caps, tassels and gowns. Commencement is certainly not all that bad, and many students are just as thrilled to attend their commencement as their parents are to watch. But as with anything, it can be improved upon. And for graduating students with uncertain job prospects, cost is the first thing that comes to mind. After what feels like years of being nickeled and dimed by the bookstore, parking tickets, renters and who knows what else, the last thing students want to see is another pricetag — and this time for something supposed to celebrate their successes. UCR provides soon-to-be graduates with coupons providing discounts on caps and gowns. But surely it wouldn’t be a bridge too far to cover the cost entirely? The price shouldn’t be too exorbitant. If UCR isn’t willing to cover the cost by itself, partnerships with local vendors or donations from the community could help. Highlanders are third in the nation in community service and actively give back to not just UCR but the Inland Empire in countless ways. Given the School of Medicine’s impressively successful accreditation effort due mostly to community donations, something similar could be achieved when it comes to commencement. The way that UCR arranges its commencements could use some tweaks as well. Although we appreciate the current format of delineating ceremonies by college, this often leaves many students graduating without the friends they know. Students don’t just make friends in the
classroom — through involvement in clubs, hanging out in the HUB or simply visiting the recreation center, we meet many a different stripe of person, frequently with different majors. Obviously, coordinating several ceremonies is a massive undertaking, and destroying the current system of collegebased commencements would only make that worse. But instead of breaking down the large colleges of CHASS and CNAS by major, another option is to allow students to graduate with the people they want. A sort of priority system is a possibility, where students wanting to graduate together can select a preferred date for their graduation ceremony. It may not guarantee a graduation together, but it’s something worth looking into to improve the chances of a happy ending. There’s also the matter of the speaker. It’s no easy task to arrange for a Steve Jobs or Barack Obama to speak at commencement. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily impossible. But speaker search committees should place a renewed focus on drawing in unique speakers with the possibility to excite students. Entrepreneurs or politicians are fine — but expand the search criteria to include popular musicians, actors and others well-known among students. To that end, the committee in charge of finding speakers needs to be more accessible to students than ever. Students are already involved in speaker selection, but gathering more student input via polls or a public forum could be beneficial. Maher has certainly brought the spotlight to Berkeley. But all too often there is no spotlight on commencement at all. UCR can help change that by implementing student-friendly changes that inspire students to go to their commencement and enjoy it. After all, who would want their final impression of college to be an ■H impersonal and expensive one? 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, NOVEMBER 11 2014
HIGHLANDER
Maher commencement invitation sparks Islamophobia debate HONEIAH KARIMI Contributing Writer
“Maher” and “controversy” may as well be synonyms. UC Berkeley students recently launched a petition to rescind comedian and political commentator Bill Maher’s invitation to speak at their midyear commencement after he unabashedly made Islamophobic comments on his show “Real Time With Bill Maher.” The commencement ceremony is, coincidentally, the 50th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement. Some may be tempted to guffaw at the perceived irony; however, this is only one aspect of a much more convoluted issue — one that is not as ironic as it may seem. Maher’s now-famous “Real Time” debate with Oscar-winner Ben Affleck resulted in a thoughtprovoking CNN interview with UC Riverside professor and religious scholar, Reza Aslan. Maher masks his bigotry behind misguided attempts to enlighten Muslims and all other adherents of religion. While criticism of organized religion and other social institutions is pragmatic, and often a necessity, stereotyping all Muslims — the tactic that Maher employs — is intellectually dishonest as well as the antithesis of a cogent argument. Keeping in mind the increasing number of hate crimes committed against Muslims that are largely unacknowledged by the media, manufacturing fear of Islam assuredly has fallout. Bigotry
is a dangerous and insidious sentiment. It is irresponsible to normalize it on a popular television show, especially when Maher presents his opinions as indisputable facts despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, such as this sweeping overgeneralization: “All religions are stupid, Islam just happens to be the one right now, in this century, that’s most dangerous and violent.” Considering the San Diego Muslim woman who was murdered in her own home, or the Sikh man who was pushed in front of a New York subway because the woman who murdered him thought he was a Muslim, people’s safety needs to be prioritized. Breeding hostility toward a group of people is toxic. Respect, acceptance and coexistence are values worth sharing — ones that actually benefit humanity. As Aslan articulately responded, “Islam doesn’t promote violence or peace. Islam is just a religion, and like every religion in the world, it depends on what you bring to it. If you’re a violent person, your Islam, your Judaism, your Christianity, your Hinduism, is going to be violent.” Islam is a doctrine. It’s neutral. The manner in which people apply it should not reflect on the doctrine; rather, it should reflect upon the individuals themselves. In response, one may postulate that religion is the problem. Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, Benito Mussolini — all were atheists, and all committed atrocious crimes against humanity. The problem
What do you mean “death with dignity”? RICKY ST. CLAIRE Contributing Writer
The death of Brittany Maynard at the beginning of this month, and her actions leading up to it, have sparked a debate on an individual’s right to die. The right-to-die movement argues that you should have the right to choose how you die, especially in the face of terminal illness, thus fighting against the stigma of suicide in such scenarios. Maynard was diagnosed in January with tumorous brain cancer; in April, her doctors gave her a six-month prognosis. Rather than go through intensive surgeries and a full brain radiation with severe side effects that may not have worked anyway, Maynard advocated for death with dignity laws, and her family moved to Oregon, one of five states where it is legal for doctors to offer assisted suicides through medication. Maynard took the lethal medication on Nov. 1. In the aftermath, various groups have praised or condemned Maynard’s actions. The Death with Dignity National Center, legal defenders of Oregon’s right-to-die law, call her a “heroic young woman” on their website, while Vatican official Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula has been reported describing her decision as a “mistake” and “an absurdity.” Regardless of the position taken, however, Brittany Maynard has brought this topic into the spotlight for the time being, so let’s talk about it.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Students at UC Berkeley spoke out against Bill Maher speaking at this year’s commencement celebration.
lies within human nature. Positing that Islam or atheism is the root of humanity’s problems shows nothing but a lack of insight — an inability to understand and interpret history. Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, said, “The fact is, whenever you have an ideology — whether it’s secular or religious — and you’re willing to kill and murder other people to impose it on them, you’re dangerous, and you’re a problem.” It’s important to note that freedom of speech protects citizens from censorship by their government. It does not protect anyone from the consequences of spewing hate or slander. This coincides with the petition, which reads, “In a time where climate is a priority for all on campus, we cannot invite an individual who
Was it wrong for Brittany Maynard to take her own life in the face of a debilitating cancer that was in the process of killing her anyway, and causing immense amounts of pain? As long as her family was okay with it, no, I don’t believe so. As long as there was absolutely no chance of her beating the odds and surviving the cancerous tumor in her brain, I think she made a sensible decision. Would I make that decision myself? I doubt it, but then again, I’ve never experienced that much physical pain. What actually troubles me about this whole situation is the underlying message. Maynard moved to Oregon because of its Death With Dignity Act. Think about that title. What does it mean, death with dignity? According to the website deathwithdignity.org, “The greatest human freedom is to live, and die, according to one’s own desires and beliefs.” This is a fine ideal, to be sure, but it completely ignores the grim reality of death: You can’t control it, and often you don’t get a say in it. The right-todie movement wants to say otherwise, and focuses on death from old age and terminal illness, which are more or less predictable. However, this ignores the chaos and unpredictability that surround us each and every day. This ignores the fact that natural death is not the only way to go, but it implies that it’s the only dignified way to go. That implication concerns me greatly. A day or so after her death, CNN published a story by Maynard, explaining her reasoning behind her decision. In that story, she describes the side effects of full brain radiation: “The hair on my scalp would have been singed off. My scalp would be left covered with first-degree burns.” That sounds horrible, and I personally don’t blame her for deciding not to go
himself perpetuates a dangerous learning environment.” If a commencement speaker is meant to bestow knowledge upon university graduates, then it’s unsurprising that some students don’t want Maher to be the voice on stage. Making bigoted comments, not surprisingly, invalidates one’s ethos. Does Maher have the right to speak at the commencement? Absolutely. But whether or not he’s someone who promotes the tenets of higher institutional learning remains controversial. Above all, this day is about the students, not Maher. This is the students’ commencement, and subjecting Muslim students to this is profoundly unfair on Berkeley’s part. UC Berkeley issued a statement that their decision to not revoke the invitation “does not
constitute an endorsement of any of Mr. Maher’s prior statements.” Universities may not endorse the views of all their commencement speakers, sure, but this goes beyond a simple disagreement with Maher on the students’ part. Maher is denouncing the existence of 1.5 billion people based on the actions of a fraction of them. “Real Time” racks in about 4.1 million viewers per episode. Maher’s pernicious statements have evident consequences. If the argument for Maher’s freedom of speech still stands, then it’s no doubt that the UC Berkeley students are exercising their freedom of speech too by speaking up. These students are carrying on a tradition of free speech by voicing their concerns, perfectly in line with the anniversary of the Berkeley Freedom of Speech movement. ■H
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Brittany Maynard opted for a medically assisted death after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
through with that. However, the position taken by her supporters is that she maintained her dignity through death — so what does that say about others who would have tried the procedures anyway? Maynard later describes what the brain tumor and pain-killers would potentially do to her: “personality changes and verbal, cognitive and motor loss of virtually any kind.” Basically, various symptoms of mental illness. Would anyone dare say there’s no dignity in mental illness? No … unless you’re talking about dying. And that’s ultimately the thing that turns me against this whole concept: This implicit idea that the natural degradation and malfunctioning of the human body is so embarrassing and frightening that it needs to be avoided at all costs. This idea that we have a right to avoid pain and suffering. This idea that death is preferable to dying. This idea that we can have some
control over it. That’s not the right message to send to people. Everyone has different sources of pain, different sources of suffering and everyone has different levels of tolerance for that. We need to help each other as individuals, and recognize that everyone has different journeys ahead of them. We should not take one person’s decision to cut that journey short and use it to imply that there is no dignity in taking the journey, nor should we imply the opposite. The fact is, life is too chaotic, and you just don’t know what the future holds. Maynard was suffering a lot of pain at the end, which is why she took the medication. As long as she had her family’s support, I don’t condemn her for that. However, I strongly disagree with the message that’s been coming out of that decision. In the end, the sad irony is the timing. The doctors gave her a six-month prognosis in April. She outlived their prognosis. ■H
OPINIONS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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Opinion Poll Did you vote? Why or why not?
Angela Chung Undeclared First-year “I didn’t vote because I don’t care.”
Robert Andalon Economics Fourth-year “I was going to vote but I did not have time to. That day I was going from class to class and then to my internship.”
C ompiled
Kim Nava Political Science Third-year “It was my busiest day and I was not able to vote.”
by
L aura N guyen
Jason Chao Bioengineering Fourth-year
Jessica Ochoa Neuroscience Fourth-year
Andrew Whitaker Mathematics First-year
“I had a midterm that day so I could not vote.”
“I just did not have time.”
“I based my voting decision the morning of, as I watched videos of the individuals running and reviewed the pamphlets with information on the propositions.”
► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: An Open Letter to the UC Student Community
F rom UC S tudent R egent - designate A vi O ved My name is Avi Oved. I am a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. I am an Economics major. I am a fourth year. I am the Student Regentdesignate of the University of California Board of Regents. And I am Jewish. Prior to my appointment as your Student Regent-designate, some members of the UC community raised concerns about my ability to be an effective leader. I was called upon by many of these students to answer for my conduct, for my past work as the Internal Vice President of the UCLA Undergraduate Student Association Council, and for my personal beliefs. With the tumult of this summer and my confirmation by the UC Board of
Regents behind us, I am taking this opportunity to answer. In the months and weeks preceding my appointment, there were many conversations that took place about my history of work and service in student government. Some of these conversations were heated, and some of these conversations took place on social media. The technology that we have at our disposal, and at our fingertips, is both a gift and a responsibility; comments made in the heat of the moment may not be withdrawn. They may not be redacted. They are burned into the consciousness of all who see and read them. Some of the comments that emerged in those conversations
carried with them an undercurrent of intolerance and ignorance. It is statements like these, filled with ugly sentiment and ill feelings that I wish to acknowledge and to condemn. I am Jewish, and I am proIsrael. I have never felt the need to hide my heritage or my beliefs. However, I cannot sit idly by and allow my culture to be conflated with ideas and viewpoints that I do not ascribe to. I find all forms of hate-speech repugnant. Any implication that I feel otherwise because of statements made by others, or because I embrace my cultural heritage, is an irresponsible one. With that said, I want to stress that while I do identify with certain
groups and a certain culture, those aspects are part of my persona, but not a part of my platform. As your Student Regent-designate, I am committed to listening to and advocating on behalf of all students, regardless of background or belief. I consider myself fortunate to be in a position from which I am able to advocate for mypeers, and I mean to make the most out of my time as your Student Regentdesignate. During my tenure, I want to focus on a number of key issues, including sexual violence prevention, mental health awareness, and increased student representation on the Board of Regents. In addition, I want to
centralize this office’s advocacy efforts with other tiers of higher education. In the meantime, I want to reiterate something Student Regent Saifuddin and I spoke about following my appointment. Hateful invective and bigotry will never give way to productive discourse and dialogue. Personal views and beliefs aside, I am confident that the common ground I share with you, the students of this great university, will yield an immensely productive term as your Student Regent, and I look forward to serving you.
always have unanimous consent. Our student government is not immune to such honest mistakes. Just last Wednesday, I presented my nominations for the Judicial Branch to be approved by Senate, where they were able to question the nominees on their qualifications. As the public saw, there was dissent as to how that process should have gone. My decision was informed by precedent: since the inception of the ASUCR Judicial Branch, it has been the President who made the nominations. My interpretation of the constitution and bylaws, as guided by set precedent*, was such that my office conducted the nomination process and presented the finalists for Senate, Executive Cabinet, and Directors to ask the nominees any inquiries before senate confirmation. What was made clear, and as
I have come to agree with, the level of collaboration on those appointments could have been more extensive. This was a perfect example of my constitutional interpretation and desire to work as a team contradicting one another. The trade-off resulting in a presentation that was perceived as lacking transparency. It will be improved upon for the final Justice nomination, and we will work collaboratively to clarify the inconsistencies within our bylaws and constitution. To put into context, this hiccup in our meeting will in no way impact the value ASUCR strives to provide you with everyday. Our projects, our outreach, and our Senate are tools for you to use to make your college experience the best in can be. To promise you perfection would be foolish. It is very likely that we will all make
mistakes somewhere. To promise you excellence though, is a goal above all others. Our mission, serving you, is the holy grail.
Respectfully, Avi Oved UC Student Regent-designate
Transparency Whenever Possible
F rom ASUCR P resident N afi K arim And here’s how: There is now a direct line of communication between every UCR undergraduate student and the President of your student government to get feedback. I want there to be a whole new level of transparency, unseen on this campus since UCR opened in 1954. I promised the incoming first-year class during my convocation speech that I would be your “servant-in-chief”, and this is one way I am serving you. Something I have come to understand since taking office is that a reality exists alongside my ideals of ASUCR. My beliefs in transparency are tempered with not giving you, the students, a false sense of reality that full disclosure on all of our actions is practical or even possible. Don’t get me wrong, to say most operations in our student government cannot
be transparent is misguided and unfounded – it can and ought to be. The few circumstances where we cannot release the complete admission of processes have been mandated in our constitution for the protection of students, namely personnel matters. These are not released to the public for the same reason you would not want your job history or private information posted on your Facebook timeline. At times, I am entrusted with confidential information, which comes with the understanding that breaking that trust risks worse consequences for our student body. Such an understanding requires a tempering of actions and decision, a tempering I do in the best interest of the student body collective. Often in pursuit of wanting to live up to our constitution, we interpret the laws and precedent laid down for us in ways that do not
Sincerely, Nafi Karim ASUCR President
The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact opinions editor Jake Rich at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letter can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.
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OPINIONS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
HIGHLANDER
SpaceShipTwo’s crash is not the end of commercial spaceflight JAMESON ADAME Staff Writer
American culture is obsessive in its seemingly singular desire to possess what it doesn’t already own. While immensely problematic at times (see: Manifest Destiny), this striving has also led to great strides in the fields of medicine, agriculture, government and especially space travel. Ever since 1969 and the broadcast of Neil Armstrong claiming the moon — our flag is on it, that means we own it — the idea of space travel has become the new romantic ideal, pushing aside global travel in favor of celestial adventure. Though with the increasingly lessened funding to space exploration programs and NASA, this effort to get the everyman into space has become privatized. However, in the wake of the failure and subsequent crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, the American public must ask the question as to whether such pipe dreams are worth the cost of human life. An investigation was launched by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after the crash of the SpaceShipTwo during a test flight, which resulted in the death of test-pilot Michael Alsbury and the narrow escape of copilot Peter Siebold. Not only did this crash cost a human life, but resulted in extreme setbacks as a result of the necessity for an investigation, postponing progress on Virgin Galactic’s $500 million program.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The price for advancement in sciences has always been high, but with the recent crash of SpaceShipTwo, man’s ambitions are, yet again, put side-by-side to man’s limits.
In the wake of such a tragedy, it must be remembered, however, that such extreme advancements in aerospace engineering have never come without asking a high price. Even before the desire to test pilots and crafts against space and the upper atmosphere, the cost of testing new aircraft has come at the expense of human life. Even now, these losses are remembered in the names of such facilities as the Edwards Air Force Base, whose namesake died during a test flight for what would eventually evolve into the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Later, as NASA began to take shape and evolved out of the Mercury Program and into the Apollo Program, lives were still lost in the effort to make sure later stages of the programs succeeded. Apollo 1 was a spacecraft that never even managed to make
it off the ground as a fire in the cabin instantly broke out in the artificially oxygenated atmosphere, tragically killing three astronauts and setting back the $23 billion program. Similarly, the Challenger explosion that occurred as recently as 1986 took the lives of seven astronauts before managing to break up in Earth’s atmosphere. It is important to remember that the lives lost in these flights were not lost for nothing. To this day, those tests have resulted in functioning stealth bombers, man landing on the moon and even the functioning of space shuttle Endeavor. Test flights such as these were essential to ensuring that later uses of the same technology were safer and that such crafts could be flown with a greater level of reliability, not to mention the everyday
applications that tests of these technologies assured, such as fire-resistant materials, improved radial tires and other innovations that are now commonplace. Prototypes are always dangerous as they are the first step in mitigating Murphy’s Law. Virgin Galactic has recently released a statement on their website, telling the public that they “are committed to learning from this incident and ensuring something like this can never happen again.” As a sentiment, this is more than likely genuine. Virgin itself is an extremely highearning company and knows that it is in their best interest to keep their customers safe in the future when Virgin Galactic is finally open for public use. It follows that with more than $89 million in deposits for tickets that cost $250,000 a pop, Virgin
Galactic’s best move would be to be exhaustive in their use of test flights, and keep their ticket purchasers in the loop. While the loss of human life is never anything short of tragic, the catastrophic failure of SpaceShipTwo and the death of Michael Alsbury should not be viewed as the end of Virgin’s program, nor should it have to be. As the investigation of the crash moves on, the safety measures taken by Galactic will increase until the use of space flight is just as dangerous as taking a flight in a Boeing plane. Additionally, as this form of tourism becomes more commonplace, governmental regulations and standards will be implemented just as they are for any other form of travel, so don’t panic, and settle in for your trip to the stars (if you can afford it). ■H
A bit is a bit: Net neutrality and the open Internet CHRIS HOOKS Contributing Writer
Over the past few years, a great increase in notable Internet-related legislation has come into Congress. Some notable bills have been SOPA and PIPA. But what is now on the legislative docket is the issue of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the idea that all traffic on Internet networks should be treated equally — that is, your connection to a Netflix stream should have no level of importance greater or less than your connection to Verizon’s main webpage. Net neutrality has picked up in the public eye considerably over the past year, through a prominent appearance in news media, and popular YouTube channels such as CGP Grey. But as of late, net neutrality has slipped from the front lines of media coverage. Now, with the upcoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing on a newly proposed “hybrid method” concerning net neutrality, it is time for it to come back into the spotlight, so people are informed and can take the appropriate steps to fight for an open Internet. Currently the way your Internet works is that all data that goes through it is treated the same. Your connection can be looked at as a pipe connected to a water line: If you open the spigot, water comes out at a consistent speed. It does not care if the water is hot or cold. But with current proposals, Internet service providers (ISPs), like Time Warner Cable or Comcast, will alter the speed depending on what service is being requested by you. To bring this concept back to the water spigot
analogy, your ISP could possibly give you less water if you are requesting cold water rather than hot. ISPs want to implement something called “Internet Fast Lanes,” which they argue can make some things faster to the end user, but many experts believe that a “fast lane” is not so much a “fast lane” — but a “normal lane” next to a “slow lane.” What this means for you and me is that Netflix would have to charge a higher fee per month, since the fee from the ISP is levied on the company — just to get the same speed as what you had before. The original ideas opposed to net neutrality were struck down due to overwhelming public and corporate backlash. But the public eye is not always watching, and when it is not, the things that we oppose try to be pushed through. So, over the last few months the FCC has been working on new ideas on how to regulate ISPs and Internet traffic and they have now come up with one they are calling a “Hybrid Method.” With this new method, the FCC will reclassify the relationship between companies like Netflix and ISPs as a common carrier, which means that the FCC can more closely regulate them. But the relationship between the ISP and us remains the same. This hybrid method is not what we need to fix the situation. It is too complex and unfocused; this complexity will lead to loopholes and exploitation, two things that we don’t need in this already corrupt industry. The Internet is a great place. It allows the “little guy” to make his voice heard. It allows the small-business owner to find her customer at a low cost and still compete with companies like Wal-Mart. And for
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The logo of the Net Neutrality movement which hopes to keep the Internet equal for all.
the first time in human history the world is now almost completely interconnected, where borders no longer have any effect on culture, but as a collective we can change how things are done. This is why an open, user-centric Internet is so important. Allowing an ISP to dictate what is important to use bandwidth, and put a fee on the person or company to use the full potential of the Internet is against what the Internet has been about since its creation. The Internet is the universal equalizer for information. What can we do to keep our Internet open and continuing to do the amazing things that it does on a daily basis? It may seem like a daunting task, one which you might think that you do not have any sway
over, but you do. Every person who writes his or her Congressperson, posts on a blog, or watches a video about keeping their Internet the way it was intended — to be neutral — is playing a critical part. The open Internet has shown us that numbers work, that many small voices yelling in unison is very powerful. We have seen the Arab Spring, a freedom movement that flourished on Twitter, topple governments, and we need to keep the Internet the way it is so that we are still able to do great things. So, in the final upcoming weeks of 2014, please keep an eye on net neutrality, because once it is gone, it will be incredibly hard to regain. Be the watchdog and tell the FCC that we want our Internet open, ■H the way it was intended to be.
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HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER
GRAPHIC BY JAMESON ADAME
Tips and Tricks for living on your own: Money savers JAMESON ADAME Staff Writer
Living on your own for the first time is one of the most daunting things that any reasonable person can think of. Without the familial support net that most people rely on or the help of school facilities to keep you afloat, most newly independent students tend to make seemingly obvious mistakes. Without any sort of help, stress levels rise while bank accounts and credit scores plummet into the red. In an effort to mitigate these descents into college student debt and insanity, here are some basic tips and anecdotes that can help to alleviate the worries that come from living on your own for the first time, away from the constant support of school housing and the people who raised you. Essential to living alone is making sure that you have your utilities and bills set up in advance. Utilities companies such as AT&T or Riverside Public Utilities are all willing to set up activation dates well ahead of time.
So, when you go to attach your address to an account, make sure that all of your amenities are waiting for you on the day you choose to move in. Additionally, if you have multiple roommates, take one utility bill apiece. This way, not only does the mail get checked (sometimes obsessively) by everybody, but then everyone has a chance to develop their credit scores by making their monthly bill payments. Another thing to consider is buying floor and desk fans. Air conditioning is a quick path to a huge electric bill, but floor fans wind up costing much less. Pay attention to the wattage of these and any other appliances you buy to keep overhead costs as low as you want to keep the temperature in your house or apartment. Riverside may be a desert, but even Mother Nature can’t beat a fan blasting you with high-speed air. Unless you already have an extremely well-paying full-time job, you will probably make a significantly small amount of money for the average household. Use this to your advantage and explore the various low-
income plans that utility companies often have for their customers. These plans can alleviate the costs of electric, water, gas and any other bills that you will have to start paying. On that note, to quote every stereotypical old person in every poorly written movie ever, “Get a job!” If you think you’re too busy with schoolwork and your clubs to work a part-time job, you’re more than likely not. On a personal note, I manage to work two jobs while regularly attending club meetings and balancing four classes for my two majors. As long as you can reliably manage your time, you’ll find that balancing your student life with everything else is far from impossible. Apart from the necessities and tricks of working and paying your bills, knowing how to work around a night out on the town is a great way to keep from breaking the bank. You don’t need to go to the Getaway Cafe for every football game during the season, and if you do, then go with a group so you can pool together for food. Eating
out will drain your bank account quicker than anything else due almost entirely to how often the temptation arises (especially when you consider the sheer amount of food options in and around campus). Make your meals at home and save the leftovers for lunch. Moreover, unless it’s a special occasion, you probably don’t need to go to the movies or spend any money to be social. Invite friends over for a movie night and have everyone bring food to share. Potlucks are cheap and also give you a chance to make fun of how bad another friend’s cooking is while everybody praises the amazing pigsin-a-blanket that you whipped up. When all is said and done, saving yourself money is easy, provided you take the time to tighten your belt. Learning the difference between necessity and desire isn’t always easy, but if you follow these tips and make some of your own rules, you might be able to get away without destroying your credit scores for the future and having to rely on aid refunds to keep you afloat. ■H
Why capitalism means the death of literary artistry QUINN MINTEN Contributing Writer
I hope you’ve read a book in the last year. It would be an incredibly great thing to know that every student here has taken time out of their busy schedules and conflicting forms of entertainment to pick up and read the fruits of someone else’s mind. That said, I hope that if you do choose to read a book, that you will not select something written in the last few years. I’m not saying that you will find nothing of value in modern literature; there is quite the list of modern novels that would be considered part of the literary canon. Unfortunately, there is little chance of finding these meaningful pieces of writing. Any time you walk into a bookstore, odds are the first things you’ll see are the latest teen thriller or cheesy romance, some action novels and perhaps some nonfiction about dieting or relationships or the like. The quality stuff apparently does
not sell, as a brief look at the bestseller list of any newspaper will consist almost entirely of popular fiction: John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, Tom Clancy, Patricia Cornwell and, of course, James Patterson dominate the top spaces. If the works of canonical writers — modern or classical — are being sold, they must not be selling very well. Consider this: Patterson has turned out dozens of novels in the space of just two years (the majority of which, admittedly, he writes with the assistance of other authors). I know he has published some of these because he is the only author I’ve ever seen who advertises his books on television ads. The fact that there are commercials for his writing make it quite obvious that his motive for writing is precisely that: commercial. Instead of working to create a handful of powerful, meaningful, innovative novels that could define his writing to future generations, those future generations
will have to wade through well over a hundred titles (and counting, as he does not seem to show signs of stopping) to even try to learn about the writer. And the problem is not limited to James Patterson; he is just a convenient example. There are many more authors who focus more on producing another money-making novel than on creating an artful and unique work that will resonate for all times. Their protagonists never die, and never will, taking away any real suspense that their potential deaths might generate. Not that an author must keep their characters alive — I enjoyed “Catch-22” despite the multitude of characters in whom I had emotionally invested who died by the end — but this guarantees that their creators will not have to work hard inventing an entirely new line of thinking. They instead focus on creating more and more extreme and fanciful plots so people will pay attention to subsequent titles.
Now I will admit that I have indulged once in a while in reading this sort of writing, my personal choice being Clive Cussler. However, there are books that merit more attention than those of an average fiction writer — the “classics,” the sort of books you would be forced to read in an English class. And yes, for most people, it is a matter of “force” when it comes to reading these classics. And no, I do not claim to have read everything that might be called “classic,” nor do I claim to have enjoyed the classics that I have read (I’m looking at you, “Wuthering Heights”). Ultimately, however, there are many that I do enjoy, and it is because these have more to them than just a simple entertainment factor; they have a message, and whether they deliver it by satire, being sincere, or creating emotional involvement, they have the common goal of trying to teach something that matters to the author. The same can only rarely be said of modern
authors. The labors of classical authors have increasingly been ignored by modern authors. A study at Dartmouth College analyzed the works of authors writing after 1550 and demonstrated that these authors’ use of “content-free” words (such as “at,” “of,” and “by”) varies significantly from the patterns of classical authors. This indicates that contemporary authors do not strive to emulate the accepted canon, but instead are influenced by other modern authors, hence the similarities in style between most authors and the resulting creation of similar series of novels. No author will work without pay; money is, has been, and always will be a motive for any form of art, authors included. This, however, should never interfere with the greater purpose of writing — namely, the desire to create something of meaning and cultural value, instead of financial ■H value.
Be heard.
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Highlander
. FEATURES .
HIGHLANDER
SOLDIERS IN DISGUISE
COURTESY OF BLASON TOAN
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
Maxine Arellano, Senior Staff Writer & Melissa Fuentes, Contributing Writer hile many are out and about enjoying the day off at the beach, others are taking a moment to appreciate the hard work and dedication given to serve our country. Veterans Day was made in honor of our beloved heroes: those who work diligently day-in and dayout to protect our freedom. What many fail to realize is that heroes walk among us every day. In fact more than 150 student veterans are scattered across campus today. UCR is an extremely diverse school with students from different races, genders and religions, but one of the greatest of all is background. Two incredible former soldiers and current UCR students, Blason Taon and Nathan Anderson, opened up about their experiences as students transitioning from life in the armed forces. Both are active in the Association of Veterans and Servicemembers (AVS), which provides resources for veterans and help them establish themselves at the university. Taon, president of the AVS, grew up in West Covina, Calif. He was raised in a home where education was at the top of the list. In high school, he was unsure of what to do as the next step. Prior to high school graduation, he received a call from a recruiter encouraging him to join the military. “The military was offering funds, tuition coverage and I was sold,” he said. In less than a month, soon after his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the Army and was shipped off a thousand miles away from home without a clue on what to expect. Coming from a tight-knit family, however, it was upsetting to see his parents sad. “After I enlisted my mom was like unhappy, she didn’t talk to me,” Toan explained, as he felt like he broke the family culture by not taking over the family business. “It was a hard decision for his parents to comprehend, yet he added, “But as years went by they were so proud. They would tell all their friends, ‘My son is in the army, he wears a uniform’ and still to this day.” Being in the army, he faced many challenges. Some people say basic training is hard, but not for Toan. “My parents are very high-disciplinary individuals so the drill sergeants were kind of like my parents,” he laughed. Reflecting on the Army, it was an overall exciting time, even with the few bumps in the road. “I don’t know whether it was part of growing up or the age or if it was part of the maturing process, but I feel the military has made me more responsible for my actions.” Everything he did had a purpose — elevating the process to achieve each goal. He was in the Army for six years and on reserve for two, returning home in 2011. While in the Army he worked as a cable installer. But this back-breaking career was not for him. “I want a job that doesn’t just expand my physical attributes but also my mind,” he shared. It took his counseling of soldiers to show him that hands-on training and constructive criticism was what he really wanted. After having this realization, he decided to attend Riverside Community College and find something suitable for him. He is now a fourth-year psychology major at UCR. He shared the conversation with his father about what Taon wanted to so with his psychology major. With a blank stare as his answer, he thought his ending goal could be chancellor. His father’s advice? “Get a dog and name it Chancellor … That way every time you call him you remem-
ber what you want to become,” he shared lightheartedly. Although he was used to a completely different scenario from the college environment, the only stressful part for him was adapting to the new social culture here in Riverside. “Coming back to school I see people and I was like, why are they so strung-out? Like I don’t understand, it’s so chill. It’s not life or death out here,” Taon said. Being part of AVS has helped contribute to making his transition from soldier to student easier. Creating families on campus, AVS has established networks to help students build relationships after returning from the hardshipzzs of war. Anderson grew up in California in the city of La Verne and is now the vice president of the organization. After his high school graduation he attended Mt. San Antonio College for a year. He would miss class consistently and his grades were low. It was then where he realized school just wasn’t working for him so he decided to choose an alternative. “It was a better option than what I was doing at the time, it was guaranteed pay, I was getting out of La Verne, I was going to travel the world, supposedly, even though I never did, and plus the benefits of an education afterwards,” he said after having talked to a recruiter. Soon after his 21st birthday he enlisted in the Air Force. His parents were in disbelief because no one in his family had ever joined the military. “They were happy I had made the decision to do something kind of bigger than me because before I joined I was always like ‘What am I doing this weekend, where is the next party?’ Then you start to realize that your actions in and out of your duties affect others,” Anderson said. One of the greatest obstacles he had to face being in the Air Force was separation from family. He shared, “It was hard because all of my family was in California … and I moved around a lot … had to establish new families and new friends.” He was the first one to ever take such a risk, and nevertheless his family was proud of him, but unfortunately it was heartbreaking for his younger brother. He left two weeks prior to his brother’s high school graduation and was not there to see his “becoming a man.” His brother held some resentment toward him, “but as he’s gotten older, we’ve gotten closer,” he shared blissfully. He did two enlistments which totaled up to eight years. He came back home in 2012 to his wife, and a newborn daughter. While being in the Air Force he worked as a space operator where he dealt with space satellites. Because of his job, the transition from soldier to student was easy. Used to instruction, Anderson felt right at home in the classroom. Two weeks after arriving he began community college and later transferred. He is now a fourth-year business major. Being in the military impacted his life in a grand way. “It makes you realize that you’re not invincible and that you have to care about the things that you do, and everything that you do is going to have an impact in your life whether positive or negative,” he said. After graduation he plans to find a stable job and continue to work hard toward success. Even though they come from a completely different background, they are students trying to figure out a career. Along with Blason and Anderson, there are hundreds of veterans with a unique background that walk among us every day. Honor and respect to those who give their all for our country: Heroes are everywhere. ■H
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Tiffany Liaw
TIFFANY LIAW / HIGHLANDER Media personality Kid Fury (center) jokes about how his doctor was the one who revealed his sexual identity to his mom before he did. He was ultimately thankful for having caring parents.
The real “coming out” stories of the LGBTQ community
TIFFANY LIAW Contributing Writer
Students, professors and members of the LGBTQ community gathered at HUB 355 Friday afternoon on the occasion of “Coming Out Black and Queer.” A panel of speakers, including assistant professor of ethnic studies Ashon Crawley at UCR; Dennis Tyler, assistant professor of English at Fordham University; Alisha Gaines, assistant professor of English at Florida State University; and hosts from The Read, Crissle West and Kid Fury, were seated at the front of the room ready to share their experiences with eager students. The room bustled with noise and activity as a wave of students entered after class and took their seats. Ten minutes until showtime, students had flooded onto the floor, as there were not enough seats to cater to the unanticipated audience. After a short introduction, it was established that each speaker would share their “coming out” story in their various backgrounds. Crawley explained that by being “black and queer,” one would be living “within the folds of gender” and therefore subject to the ongoing struggles in the world today where we continue to falsely define the term “normal.” Growing up in an extremely religious household was challenging for Crawley considering his sexual identity and, even though he valued the Christian church, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was just a phase: At least that is what his parents had told him. When he came out, the only response he received from his father was that his parents would pray for
him. “I realized it wasn’t a phase and decided to own my sense of sexual worth. I don’t want to be in a heterosexual marriage and depressed simply because I needed to please people,” he admitted. It takes time to learn to embrace oneself as well as their sexuality but it can definitely be done. From a similar religious background, West began, “Homosexuality was a taboo in my household and when I started to notice other girls, I freaked out.” However, since she attended an accepting school, her friends rejoiced when she “came out” to them. West planned to keep her identity away from her parents until they discovered her yearbook and read messages referring to her as lesbian. Her parents wept and demanded to know the truth. “Once I saw how extreme they reacted, I brushed the comments off as a silly rumor at school. The whole incident made me very depressed,” she confided openly. When her brother experienced police brutality, she saw it as the golden opportunity to finally come out to her parents. “I figured in comparison, my situation wouldn’t be so horrible!” she joked. Her mother accepted her identity as long as she didn’t cut her hair short and dress like a tomboy. Unable to contain herself any longer, West exploded, “I’m depressed and I’ve decided that I will live my life how I want and I won’t change for you.” All it took was for West to reveal her feelings and now she and her mother are on good terms. “By the way, I’m 1,000 percent uncomfortable right now,” remarked Kid Fury while the audience
laughed along. “I’ve always been an introvert and I knew something was different. I’m comfortable being feminine and I was sure everyone knew of my sexual orientation,” he announced. Fury was aware of the severity of being anything other than heterosexual in his home country of Jamaica, where it wasn’t accepted. When his parents confronted him, they simply said they would love him, but they wouldn’t accept him. This comment affected him as a child and Fury struggled to feel comfortable in his own home. “To me, sexuality was never a big deal and it still shouldn’t be; it was only made a big deal by society,” he confessed as he was welcomed by an uproar of agreements by the audience. When his mom found out he was gay, she connected it to his unsocial nature and his difficulty in school. She was however more upset that the topic wasn’t discussed earlier to prevent his rough childhood, and from then on, Fury was grateful to have parents with good intentions. “To be in a place where blacks and queers are accepted is such a blessing,” began Tyler. “It’s about identification, not just behavior.” He came out around his 20s and explained it was a continuous process. “My friend got disowned and I hear horror stories so I was very afraid of telling my mom,” he stated. Surprisingly, she took it very well, even though his dad’s concern was what he should tell their friends. Tyler concluded, “Don’t sacrifice your health for the comfort of others. Don’t allow the terms to define you. You define the terms.” Gaines, on the other hand, went to a school where she was pigeonholed
as an African American, a rape victim survivor and finally a lesbian. “I’m honestly not close to my parents anymore partly due to my sexuality, and partly due to my dad’s extreme conservatism,” she disclosed. The only family member that seemed to take it lightly was her grandmother. “My grandmother asked me about the sexual details of being lesbian so we sat in a Wal-Mart parking lot and I told her just that,” she laughed. An open Q-and-A commenced, along with some encouraging comments. Some wondered if a person’s sexual identity affected his or her professional career — every panel member agreed no. Even as media personalities, Fury and West both admitted that their sexual identities are what makes them who they are today and if they were ever asked to change for popularity, the obvious answer would be no. “If you are ever asked why you are so angry when it comes to topics like this, your response should be: Why aren’t you angry? You should be angry with all that’s happening in the world,” commented Crawley. “People choose not to acknowledge the wrong since they don’t have the will to fight it. It takes a lot of bravery to come out in today’s society,” claimed Fury as he and Crawley closed the discussion and left the audience with those two notes. A racket of cheers concluded the eventful discussion and the audience dispersed with some newfound perspectives and most definitely some food for thought. The speakers’ insightful words seemed to loom over the crowd as it reminded us to be true to others and most importantly, ourselves. ■H
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
L E A R N I N G T H E A RT of
S TO RY T E L L I N G with
MIGDALIA CRUZ
Students work and share their pieces with Migdalia Cruz during her writing workshop. Prior to the workshop, Cruz read from several of her plays to an audience in ARTS 157.
Christal Mims, Senior Staff Writer and Kelsey Bavencoff, Contributing Writer
P
eople trickled slowly into ARTS 157 last Tuesday afternoon. Most quickly found their seat while others darted up to say a quick hello to theater professor Tiffany Ana Lopez and playwright Migdalia Cruz. Only a few brave souls plucked up the courage to sit in the front row. The others camped down in the back until Lopez laughed and asked that we fill in. Even then, the third row quickly became the spot of choice. After all, it’s a given: The third row is far enough to not get called on and close enough to not get called out. Attendance was perhaps 30 or 40 people, but the sight of notebooks on almost every lap told me that attendees were here for business. We were here to learn from a playwright who has written more than 50 plays in the course of her career, who has seen her work produced on stages as far as Greece and even earned a kiss by Robert Redford on the cheek. Nuyorican playwright Migdalia Cruz traveled from the East Coast to Riverside on Tuesday night to shed light on the art of storytelling. Cruz specializes in writing about subjects containing violence and trauma, including self-harm, domestic violence and sexual abuse. Lopez began the evening by introducing herself and Cruz, thanking the department and the Tomas Rivera endowment for their part in
bringing Cruz to our shores. At first glance, Migdalia Cruz is an average woman. However, describing her first play at the age of six in 1964 — a puppet show featuring a black rubber ball against tissue paper, depicting racial issues between African Americans and the KKK — audience members found she was anything but the sort. It wasn’t until she was eight-and-a-half that she really became a writer — when her best friend was raped and thrown off a roof. “We keep away from the sandbox now. It’s strange when
Photos by Jeffrey Chang and Andrew Golden
Later that evening, aspiring writers gathered in HUB 302, hoping to gain knowledge on the difficult task of using their pain to create a compelling story. The Gender Respect-sponsored event began at 6 p.m. and allowed guests to get up close and personal with Cruz, the intimate setting including only a few round tables, chairs and sheets of paper. “Everyone get up and find open space,” Cruz instructed. She then conducted a 20-minute physical exercise that included deep breathing and stretching. Cruz
“Having respect for yourself is going to allow you to write what you need to” - Migdalia Cruz people from an island are scared of sand,” she read, telling the story of the men in her neighborhood who caught the rapist and brought him to justice in the sandbox. Over the next couple of hours Cruz discussed her slow path of playwriting with her tough (in Cruz’s words, “really, really mean”) but much-beloved mentor Maria Irene Fornes, and her incorporation of music into the soundtracks of her characters. She interspersed this with readings from several of her plays that were by turns poignant, funny, strange and occasionally downright dirty. (“What do you call a woman without an asshole? Single!”)
explained that writing is a sacred practice and should be treated as such. By allowing yourself to relax, you are able to give the process your undivided attention. Cruz proceeded to explain the importance of being visual as a playwright and encouraged the use of poetry, music and paintings to spur creativity while writing. Cruz explained how to channel rage with ease, stating that you simply must be willing to relive your memories. “I always say I used to have a boulder on my shoulder, now I have a chip,” said Cruz. She continued that you have to release rage because it’s the only way to heal. Guests were able to give it a try when she
assigned everyone the task of writing a poem, scene or monologue and asked if anyone would like to share what they’d written. Painful circumstances were prominent in the expressed pieces, but Cruz reiterated the value and healing in writing. Living through self-harm, sexual abuse or any kind of trauma can feel like a trap. It’s extremely difficult to reach out for help when feelings of embarrassment, depression and shame often accompany these realities. According to Cruz, creative writing is an effective first step in allowing yourself to accept traumatic experiences while also expressing the suppressed emotions that may accompany them. “Having respect for yourself is going to allow you to write what you need to,” Cruz told the audience. Ignoring or being ashamed of what’s happened to you will not only prevent you from excelling creatively but also prevent you from being content with the ways in which you choose to live the rest of your life. Cruz concluded by encouraging everyone to continue using the writing practices that she demonstrated during the workshop and thanking those that attended. The event was a therapy session as much as it was a writing workshop and consequently left attendees inspired to embrace their own stories in order to create honest works of art. ■H
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“ S word“ poken
more than
M
By Nelson Luu, Contributing Writer Photos by Tim Baca
oody lights, chill vibes and amazing poetry: What more can you ask for from an evening of spoken word? From the gate, a large group of ASPB members greeted guests warmly and passed out information about the event. As the crowd started filling the interior of the Barn, excited murmurs resonated around the room as people began chatting about the performers on the list. The evening began with the event’s first-ever open mic session where students were encouraged to perform their original pieces of poetry or performances. Fourth-year neuroscience student
Courtney Pattugalan opened up the performance with her poem, “Drunk in Love.” Other memorable performances included a beautiful mash-up cover of John Legend’s “Save Room” and Ariana Grande’s “Love Me Harder” by fourth-year business student Arthur Kang. Among the nervous stutters of first-time performers flowed beautiful truths from UCR students, experiences that hit home for many in the audience. Themes of love, family and school drew raucous cheers and applause from the audience. Even with slip-ups and forgotten lines, the audience cheered on the performers in a
Shihan Van Clief, known as Shihan the Poet, weaves poem recital and informal storytelling in his performance.
way that united the room through poetry, music and love. As the room continued to fill up with students, the emcees for the night introduced the first of three main acts for the show. Welcomed with a thunderous applause, Sy Stokes took to the stage. A UCLA undergrad from the Bay, and youngest of the three performers, he took the stage first with a poem called “Random Thoughts” where he talked about life getting in the way of love and the beauty that a person cannot see. He performed two more moving pieces where he talked about depression, suicide and family. It was incredibly personal and soul-stirring and caused many in the audience to tear up. Interlaced between his dark and sad performances were lively Qand-A sessions where people were encouraged to ask him questions about his life. Many of the questions stirred laughter and smiles that helped relieve the sad tension in the air and allowed the audience to connect with the performer and vice-versa. The audience asked a range of questions that encompassed his love life, family, his inspiration for writing poetry and tips on how to start out as an aspiring poet. Neil Hilborn took to the stage afterward. Many could feel the energy emanating from him as he introduced his first piece. His opening piece, “OCD,” was an explosive expression of the effects of OCD on a previous relationship. He brings us into his mind and showed us how his ex-girlfriend was able to, for a time, love him with his mental illness. What made his performance memorable was how his eccentric, electric, sarcastic and witty humor was able to grab his audience’s attention. In one incredibly hilarious poem titled “Dear Creationists,” he discussed pigs having 30-minute orgasms, the size of whale genitalia and how humans cannot possibly be the best-designed species. Between his humorous and dark poems, the audience was shown how the highs he experiences in his bipolar disorder are also countered by extreme lows.
UCLA third-year student Sy Stokes is full of emotion as he per forms his poems on love, family, depression and suicide.
He tackled issues of class, mental disorders, death and suicide. He spoke about how it didn’t seem fair that life circumstances allowed his family to provide him with the care he needed to cope with his disorders but his friend had to deal with depression without aid because his family couldn’t afford therapy. Viewers were taken on a roller coaster of emotions throughout his performance and were left exhilarated and energized afterward. Finally, Shihan the Poet closed off the group with a string of poems that tackled issues of race and family. He started off his set with a powerful poem that dealt with the oppression and killing of black people that span thousands of years. It was fast-paced, and the closer he got to the present time, the harder it hit members in the audience that prejudice is still very real to this day. In a similar fash-
ion to Stokes, he also interlaced his pieces with Q-and-A sessions to create a dialogue with the audience. One of his most memorable pieces of the night was “Love in Five Parts” that was dedicated to his wife. “More Than Spoken Word” really lived up to its name. The evening was filled with good vibes and energy, people were able to express themselves artistically to a welcoming crowd, and strangers were able to bond over a shared love of spoken word. Before he finished his set, Shihan said that it is “hard to get people interested in poetry … but since spoken word is heard, it allows you to hear the emotion in the performer’s words, and not in a disinterested voice.” This event was an amazing way to introduce newcomers like myself to the scene and also for veterans to perform and see their role mod■H els perform live.
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Ashley Chung, Contributing Writer ombified students gathered in the dozens at the Stress Relief Campfire last Thursday evening as they sought to alleviate their stressful burdens of upcoming exams or midterm scores. Many pupils who were completely stressed-out and sleep-deprived from their week (or weeks) of hardcore, all-nighter study sessions speedily gravitated to the blue tents from the Well, Native American Student Programs (NASP) and Stressbusters, all of which came prepared with warm, inviting faces and campfire snacks. Flamboyant orange and yellow flames blazed high in the dimming sky as crowds of wearied faces leered toward the welcoming fire pits in the middle of the Bell Tower lawn. The spirited, energetic music of NASP gradually helped bring life back into the weary enthusiasm of students with midterm stress. Booths from NASP and Stressbusters lined the Bell Tower lawn, sharing their stress-relieving tips with passerby. As soon as one walked through, an individually packaged ooey-gooey s’more was quickly passed to the student as if they were receiving a jolt of energy along with this traditional campfire snack. Students were quickly ushered to a brightly lit tent crowded to the brim with others, who eagerly filled their styrofoam cups with scorching water as they chose between packets of much-needed coffee, hot chocolate or relaxation teas. As soon as each person was satisfied with their boiling beverage, they went on to linger around the lawn from campfire to booth while chatting and calming their mid-quarter stress with friends. Stressbusters held a captivating, colorful booth with a whimsical yet informative game of spin-the-wheel. Each question on the wheel provided beneficial tips and facts to “reduce day-to-day stress.” As a reward for answering a question correctly, students were given not just any regular old stress ball, but a stress brain. Stressbusters informed their peers of their available services such as providing presentations and workshops on stress management and relaxation techniques, while sharing helpful advice like the calming effects of the color blue. Meanwhile, other booths gladly provided counseling pamphlets and helpful information on improving self-esteem and coping with depression, along with group therapy. The Well greatly emphasized the idea that no student is alone in their struggles; developing healthy self-esteem and learning to control your
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body’s responses will aid you in managing stress and anxiety. Along with these accessible tips were free (yes, free) scantrons, blue books and pencils to relieve students of the hassle of preparing for their exams. If all this weren’t enough to revitalize one’s post- or pre-testing spirits, then the massage therapy definitely would have done it. With professional cushioned seats and well-practiced masseuses, anyone would surely be able to enjoy the deep back rubs enough to forget about their testing afflictions. The Well also provided a health booth to analyze one’s body mass. As if everything else
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
WHAT A RELIEF
weren’t enough, the Stress Relief Campfire definitely brought the whole package in soothing the soul and enlightening pupils on their physical, mental and emotional health. The ultimate goal to help students cope with stressors was surpassed by great limits with the dozens of peers who appeared at the event for their personal advancement. The Stress Relief Campfire did more than “extinguish (one’s) mid-quarter stress,” they also revived students of their bright-eyed optimism and prepared them for a school year — if not a lifetime — of confident reH sponses to stressful situations. ■
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STRESS RELIEF CAMPFIRE Photo by Jeffrey Chang
Students gather beside the Bell Tower for the Stress Relief Campfire event.
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LOUNGE 33 21 AND OVER CLUB
NAME RATING LOCATION PRICE HOURS CATEGORY CREDIT WEBSITE
Lounge 33 features a large selection of drinks and a nice ambience for those 21 and up.
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hen most of your free time is spent poring over textbooks or pulling the late shift at the library in preparation for the first round of midterms, it can be beneficial to put down your book and cut loose for a night. This Tuesday, I decided to do just that, and headed downtown to Lounge 33, a bar located off Central Avenue at the Riverside Plaza. As I drove past the dark storefronts of the Plaza’s now-closed businesses, haggling with my friends over which one of us would have to stay sober for the
LOUNGE 33
★★☆☆☆
3639 RIVERSIDE PLAZA, SUITE 530 RIVERSIDE, CA 92506 $$ TUESDAY - SUNDAY 6 P.M. - 2 A.M. CLOSED MONDAY CLUBS, DIVE BARS YES YELP.COM/BIZ/ LOUNGE-THIRTY-THREE-RIVERSIDE
ROBERT LEES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER // PHOTOS BY TIM BACA five-mile drive home, I wondered what a place that identifies as a “lounge” would be like. I pictured myself reposed on a velvet couch, sipping a martini while the blur of soft jazz and half-whispered conversations hung like smoke in the air. As I parked, however, and moved toward the thumping bass common to club music, I realized that our destination would have a club-like atmosphere much different from the one I had imagined. Open since 2008, a time when most of us viewed our college life as some faraway fantasy, the lounge greeted Riverside with large bay windows and an interior
dimly lit by black lights and small blue lamps, which were perched along the walls. After walking through a front patio roughly the size of a dorm room, I stepped into the cacophony of whooping patrons and blaring dance music. The interior thronged with people, some nodding rhythmically while others stood inches away from one another, trying to hold conversations above the surrounding din. We managed to find an open table out of the four total scattered around the interior. The crowd filled the inside that was roughly the size of a small classroom. As I glanced around looking for another room I may have
missed, my friends and I headed to the bar to satiate our thirst. The first bartender we spoke to was kind and eager, but upon asking about any house specialty drinks he looked bemused and simply informed us that well drinks were $3 until 11 p.m. My eye caught a sign listing a variety of specialty cocktails, but I was informed that those are no longer served after 10 p.m. I tried to order a Tom Collins (gin, club soda, lemon juice, and sugar — my goto drink), but the bartender seemed confused at my request and stated that they did not have any gin. I ordered a Rum and Coke, and to my surprise, my cocktail was served in a six-ounce disposable cup. My friends ordered a Stella Artois Cider and a Shock Top, both $6, and rather than receiving a pint glass, they were given the disposable cups as well. I questioned the unorthodox serving style, as the bartender explained that after 10 p.m. drinks are served in the plastic cups to avoiding breaking any of the Lounge’s glassware. While this is a valid reason, it’s ludicrous to pay $6 for 6 ounces of beer. If broken glasses truly are an issue, they could switch to serving beer in larger disposable cups. While my friends pensively sipped and tried to make three gulps of beer last more than five minutes, I was delighted when I tasted my cocktail and realized the bartender had given me a strong pour. I decided to mill about and get a better feel for the club. Aside from the bar and a DJ booth that consisted of two people sharing a single Macbook, there was a small dance floor-type area inside the door between the bar and two of the tables. Street tacos were the food offered, prepared by a kind-looking man working over a portable grill. He explained to me that he was hired by the lounge to cater on Tuesdays, and that there is not any
food to be had on other nights. I lucked out coming on a Tuesday, as the tacos were only a dollar and tasted excellent. The chicken was sweet and spicy, while the carne asada was smoky with overtures of onions and chilis. The salsa and cilantro were fresh, and the fine food elevated our mood. As I chatted with some of the other patrons, I found that they shared many of my gripes. Their complaints were typically about the paltry serving sizes and cramped atmosphere. While six ounces for a rum and coke was acceptable to me, a man who had ordered a Long Island Iced Tea was disappointed that a drink usually served in a tall highball glass was being served in the same tiny cups that everyone was holding. However, both the staff and guests were all in good spirits, and I soon lost myself joking with the other patrons and staff, laughing outside with my friends and embarrassing myself on the dance floor while Kanye West blared from the PA system. When I found myself at the bar again, a second bartender was able to make a Tom Collins and the sweet taste of gin and citrus propelled me toward more sporadic dancing. Overall, Lounge 33 seems to have an identity crisis. It’s too loud to be a small, cozy dive, and far too small to be a club. I’m not disappointed because it didn’t match my initial expectations, but because every strength it has is counteracted by one of its flaws. While the disposable-cup servings and friendly staff give it a familiar feel akin to a house party, the small beer portions and limited availability of specialty drinks will disappoint most beerdrinkers and alcohol aficionados. However, if what I’ve described sounds appealing and you feel like giving Lounge 33 a try: Grab some friends, order a mixed drink and dance your heart out. ■H
@highlanderradar
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Events this week Thursday | 11/13
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT @ University Theatre, 8 p.m.
Friday | 11/14
Bonfire @ Softball Field / Lot 19, 6 p.m.
Friday | 11/14
Ladyfest I.E. @ Blood Orange Infoshop, 7 p.m.
Saturday | 11/15
Misfits @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
Reverie performs “Did He” at the Barn in front of an intimate crowd.
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
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HIGHLANDER
Swift Musings: Revenge of the Nerds, or saving Geek Culture from itself Nathan Swift, Senior Staff Writer
Nerd culture has seen a rise price: Those who now proudly in popularity in the last few wear the “true nerd” label years. Thanks to a combination without a sense of irony. And of things such as the availability these folks could potentially and knowledge of the Internet hurt the newfound love of all and changing social attitudes things geek with their mindset. about personal niches (for You’ll hear them in line for the example, people now look down latest “Avengers” movie, saying upon a high school jock who things like “You liked the first gives a nerd a wedgie for playing ‘Avengers’ movie, but did you “Magic: The Gathering”), it’s know how badly it differed now considered cool to like from the comics?” They’re also nerdy things. And that’s really the kind who call out women great. I personally love little for being “fake nerds” or “fake nerdy or geeky pleasures as much gamer girls,” or ask questions as the next person. Should I feel like “Did you only get into comic ashamed knowing books because of that I’ve watched your boyfriend?” every single While liking nerdy Along with episode of the things has never throwing sexist original Twilight been as cool or lingo upon what Zone, or that I’ve popular, it’s also was originally an read every single anti-social stigma, never been as they’ve divided book in the original poisonous, and the nerd block as a “Goosebumps,” “ G o o s e b u m p s the wound is self- whole between the 2000” and “Tales “casual nerds” and inflicting. to Give Yourself the “true nerds.” Goosebumps,” While liking nerdy as well as the numerous spin- things has never been as cool offs? What about the fact that I or popular, it’s also never been still own and play my original as poisonous, and the wound is copy of “Pokemon: Gold self-inflicting. Version” (I named my level To this I say: There’s 100 Ampharos “Amphy”), or absolutely nothing wrong with that I totally flipped out over being a “casual” (or what the the lineup announcements for Internet likes to dub as “a pleb”). “Super Smash Brothers”? (Go It’s great that people as a whole Megaman!) have broken many stereotypes by Throughout most of the making nerd culture more open, history of pop culture, nerdy diverse and accessible to the people have had a bad reputation. masses. Why should people be They’ve had this burden to bear so hostile toward an individual if on their shoulders about the they call themselves a “Legend things they like, which transpired of Zelda” fan while never into shame. This originated playing “Majora’s Mask” (which not from themselves but from fits me), or if an individual calls society, because society is cruel himself a Joss Whedon fan and vicious. Back in the pre- even if they’ve never watched Internet days, to be a nerd was to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or be an outsider, a David trembling “Serenity” and think that “Cabin under the Goliath of society. in the Woods” is overrated The stereotype of the pimply, (which also fits me)? smelly, unmannered, socially It seems as though the stigma awkward 30-year-old playing around accusations of being a “Dungeons and Dragons” in his nerd has now been switched parents’ basement existed as a around to accusations of not cultural myth. To be a nerd was being a true nerd or nerdy to be framed as the unintelligible enough, which then just turns “other” that could be virtually the issue into a silly semantics laughed out of existence. argument. There are many Nowadays, you’ll see people different ways to be considered wearing geeky T-shirts that a nerd, and the fact that I have to basically read “Hi, I’m a fan of point this out simply highlights (insert a nerdy pleasure here).” the ridiculousness of this issue. There are entire movie franchises Don’t get angry if your friend dedicated to superheroes, and likes Batman but doesn’t know every kind of person enjoys the backstory of every single them. And almost every friend Batman villain. In the words of and their mother plays video Childish Gambino, if someone’s games. Could it be a better time happiness makes you angry, then to be nerdy? don’t be mad that they’re doing The popularity of nerdy them better than you’re doing things, however, comes with a you. ■H
“Boyhood”
COURTESY OF IFC
Linklater’s latest film uniquely captures life’s small but big moments at the Culver Center JAKE RICH Senior Staff Writer
“You don’t want the bumpers. Life doesn’t give you bumpers.” It’s hard for me to begin to describe Richard Linklater’s latest film, “Boyhood.” How are you supposed to describe something that’s so intensely personal, yet epic in scale at the same time? How are you supposed to describe something that fits your childhood almost to a tee? The film, which played for three showings at the Culver Center last weekend, follows the life of a young boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from seven years old up until college, as well as his family around him. The film’s unique approach in filming the story, however, is what makes it stand out. If you don’t recognize it by now, you may know it as “that movie that took 11 years to film.” Linklater, along with Coltrane as Mason, Ethan Hawke as his father, Patricia Arquette as his mother and Lorelei Linklater as his older sister, began filming the project in summer of 2002, and shot bits of the film each year until finishing in October 2013. Though the film spanned so many years, it is Linklater’s understated directorial touch and great, if subtle, editing that ties all of the film’s eras together in a cohesive and believable way. While everything about these people’s lives is changing constantly, it is a remarkable feat to have stayed so true in directorial style to one vision. Linklater’s shots often are still or slow-moving, and encompass both the small details of emotions in the actors’ faces while life and the rest of the scene is moving around them. They are the obvious focus of the film — but it does not mean life is still not going on around them. The film, which clocks in at two hours and 45 minutes, is also probably one of the best examples of pacing you can find in a movie. The film is essentially
a bunch of vignettes, with some extra depth to tie them together. You piece the story together by what is implied. There are no indicators for when time shifts occur; you simply have to notice the difference, whether it’s Mason’s haircut, a song that’s playing, the kids putting Obama signs on lawns for their dad or other indicators. It mimics the way our own memories work at time, vaguely associating certain things with certain time periods, with it all sometimes blurring together. But enough of my gushing at the wonderful technicalities of the film. While the film indeed astounds in its technicalities, the film is at its best when you look at its intangibles as a whole — namely, its heart. It’s that special thing that’s hard to find in just any movie. A lot of this can be attributed to its script, which was modified as the years passed to fit into some things really happening in the actor’s lives, as well as featuring the actors’ input on the writing (similar to the technique Linklater used in writing his “Before” trilogy, also starring Hawke). The intangibles come when the script, the actors and the cinematography come together to elevate to something greater than themselves. The film’s way of passing time is astounding in its own right, but it’s even more astounding in making us realize how real it is to us. Years slip by and suddenly you don’t even realize how much someone has aged. You don’t realize how your interests slowly change. You don’t realize that it’s been 10 years since that part of your life. You don’t realize it’s been 10 years since you’ve seen someone you once considered a dear friend. Or that you’ve forgotten about that one memorable moment you had, and how it meant so much to you then. And how it’s just a footnote to you now. This is where “Boyhood” is an absolute triumph. The movie lives in the spaces you’ve forgotten
but once loved, and though it’s called “Boyhood,” and Mason is its titular character, it may as well be called “Motherhood,” or “Fatherhood,” or “Girlhood,” or any number of other titles too. The film captures the essence of confusion, joy, melancholia and everything in between that comes in different stages in life. Every scene is something that might actually happen, rather than the high drama of most films; this is the drama of your day-to-day life. And while this may possibly sound like a boring premise, it’s what made you who you are; it’s what shaped your character. To you, at that place in time it was not just important; it was the most important. And looking back at how you grew and came out of places can make even the most hard-hearted cynic a little nostalgic. Personally, I could relate to so many of Mason’s experiences that the movie gave me more of a realistic look back to my childhood than anything I’ve ever seen. Everything from the Harry Potter book releases to the baseball games, to the moving out for the first time, to the random hikes into the mountains to try random things left me feeling like it was a movie made specifically for me, or people in my generation. Beyond the specifics though, “Boyhood’s” breathing of life into the little moments you loved but had forgotten, to the people who you used to hold dear, to the moments of introspection that you think will never end is where the film ascends to classic status. Near the end of the movie, there’s a line where Mason’s mother, in a devastating performance by Arquette, says as Mason is about to leave for college, “I thought my life would be more than a series of milestones … I thought there’d be more.” Apparently, nobody ever really “figures it out.” But it’s whatever your personal journey to find meaning is, and helping others on theirs along the way, H that makes life worth living. ■
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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MUSIC REVIEW MOTION // CALVIN HARRIS
RATING: ★★☆☆☆
I
f you happen to enjoy generic electronic music, then look no further than Calvin Harris’ new album. Even after a two-year wait since his last album, I fail to see what kind of innovations Calvin Harris has made in his work. The music on this album is as forgettable as a David Guetta collaboration. Harris’ work has recently been graced with a starstudded cast of vocalists. He takes advantage of his celebrity DJ status by recruiting the likes of Gwen Stefani, Ellie Goulding, Big Sean and Tinashe as vocalists. But while it’s rather impressive that he is able to recruit such an ensemble for his album, many of the songs felt like EDM remixes of pop songs. Their vocal styles just don’t match well with the type of music he’s trying to produce. The music isn’t bad, per se. But it leaves me wanting so much more. Even after listening to the album three times, I could only find a small handful of songs that I would consider somewhat memorable — and a majority of them were because I heard them on the radio too many times. The rest of the album blends
BY: NELSON LUU, CONTRIBUTING WRITER into his typical style without much thought given to new techniques or styles. Perhaps my favorite track out of the album would be “Outside,” which features the vocals of Goulding. The song had good energy, the vocals matched the style well and overall, it was one of the better-produced songs. Although it falls into the typical EDM style, it was more cohesive to listen to and I really enjoyed hearing Goulding’s vocals in this album. N o t s u r p r i s i n g l y, given the success of Steve Aoki’s “Delirious” featuring Kid Ink, Harris attempts to mix EDM with hiphop with his collaboration tracks “Open Wide” and “Dollar Signs,” f e a t u r i n g Big Sean and Tinashe r e s p e c t i v e l y. “Open Wide” isn’t too bad of a mix. I wouldn’t mind listening to this song in a club or at a party; but like many of the other songs on the album, it blends into the background and isn’t really all that memorable. But it does lay the groundwork for other DJs to attempt to bridge hip-hop and EDM together. “Dollar Signs” was an interesting song to end the album. I really enjoyed
“Even after a two-year wait since his last album, I fail to see what kind of innovations Calvin Harris has made in his work.”
hearing Tinashe’s vocals on this track and it had the potential to be a well-produced song. The only problem I had was the ridiculous bass drop that clearly doesn’t match the style of the song at all. I would have expected this track to be produced by an amateur DJ, but not Calvin Harris. The song switches to and from a relatively relaxed beat and builds up to that bothersome drop, then switches back to the moderate tempo. Take out that drop and add some consistency to the song, and this track would have been
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Courtesy of Fly Eye Records
a great addition to Tinashe’s next album, but it clearly doesn’t belong in “Motion.” To continue on with songs that don’t belong on this album, his collaboration track “Ecstasy” featuring Hurts, has a beat worthy of a lullaby and follows a relatively fastpaced song in the collection. It is a jarringly bad song that sticks out of the album like a sore thumb. Other tracks along this vein of thought include “Slow Acid” which could fall into the reject pile of “Tron: Legacy’s” soundtrack and “Under
Control,” which sounds like a generic EDM track spiced up with a vocalist with an interesting voice. I simply feel that Harris has reached a comfort zone, and “Motion” is the mediocre byproduct of it all. While the album does have a few decent songs that I wouldn’t mind hearing at the club, it’s nothing to go wild over. Out of the 2014 EDM releases, “Motion” is the Kirkland brand of the bunch so excuse me while I go play some Tritonal and Porter Robinson ■H to cleanse my ears.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
SNAKES AND LADDERS // WILEY RATING:
U
★★☆☆☆
napologetic — the single word I’d use to describe the Godfather of Grime’s tenth studio album, “Snakes and Ladders.” Before listening to this album a few times over, I had no idea who Wiley was nor did I comprehend his prolific impact on the UK music scene. Like most American hip-hop heads, I’ve had amateur contact with the grime genre thanks to YouTube’s “Related Videos” section and aimless Internet musings. So what is grime? An authentic, underground subgenre that stylistically borrows everything from the breakbeats of hard-hitting UK garage and drum and bass to the rapid-fire lyrical prowess found in hip-hop. While it is just beginning to reach a global audience, albums like “Snakes and Ladders” are sure to get American audiences fired up for something different. Wiley takes a nostalgic yet contemporary approach with the production, utilizing trap elements like 808s and snare rolls, and adding the signature developments of Wiley’s “eskibeat” sound in the bass and synths. This sets him apart from the next Lex Lugor or DJ Mustard and gives his latest record character from top to bottom. At times I felt like I had
WILLIAM ROBERTS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER been uploaded to an old Gameboy that was given a few jumpy synth programs, composed by someone who watched too many Halloween specials. If you want a lesson in a lyricist who knows how to pick his beats, this is the perfect introduction as Wiley makes it seem effortless to flow over pounding, unrelenting bangers. As you glide through the album, you’ll notice influences from dubstep, electro and jungle, all while getting accustomed to Wiley’s chilling vibe of the early 2000s. Lyrically, Wiley dominates nearly every track. With an animated cadence, precise delivery and meaty content, Wiley backflips around the rising grime emcees he featured on tracks like “Reel Off” and “Grew Up In.” Often Wiley combines his self-awareness with a flurry of words on tracks like “Step 21” and “BMO Field”: “I was on my laptop listening saying to myself I could duppy this beat / even though it’s got them dubstep elements.” Or “I share bread and water like Jesus Christ / I know myself well like Three Blind Mice.” Wiley’s braggadocio is fun and charismatic and fits well with his meta-cognizant take on his seasoned position in the grime world. Frank and boisterous, Wiley tackles topics from the
stranglehold of big record labels to simple loneliness at the top of the musical food chain. Wiley even goes toe-to-toe with his overseas brethren Cam’ron and Problem and stands his own on one of the most bass heavy tracks, “Lonely.” He’ll often double-time his bars on beats, seamlessly cutting through tenacious synths like a gatling gun while describing the trials of his younger self or the triumph of his grimy throne. Tracks like “Bloodtype” and “On A Level” will have you banging your head and scrunching your face at the sheer rawness and filth that embodies the streets of Bow, a district in East London. Energetic and catchy, Wiley seems to be magnetic on each track save for a few hiccups in between them. This leads me to discuss the main gripes I had when digesting this album — the hooks. Wiley is able to pull off some infectious choruses despite the tendency to have a minimal quality to them. In “Busy” he lazily repeats the song title, only to say the “s” part with a “z” sounding inflection to the melody of the chorus. At first this bugged me, but after relistening on a more-thanadequate sound system, I could see how it might go perfect with a little rubber on the road and rev on the gas of your favorite whip. However, on other tracks I
Courtesy of XL Recordings
wasn’t as forgiving. “Drive By” and “Flying” have some of the speediest lyrical execution on the entire album and yet fall short of their potential by simply repeating the same words over and over. Where Wiley copy-pasted, he could have easily composed powerful opportunities that would reclaim my attention to the content. Unfortunately I was too busy thinking of what else could have sounded edgy, instead of effective hypnotism of adjacent hooks in “No Skylarking” or “On A Level.”
Despite some slight mistakes, “Snakes and Ladders” is Wiley at his prime. Brash, poetic and introspective, Wiley’s forward thinking, experience and lyrical ability gets more than the job done. Backed by his futuristic production with its wideranging elements, this album truly made me not just a grime fan but a Wiley fan. Time will only tell if he can win over the rest of the American audience, as he heads toward the physical release of “Snakes and Ladders” next year. ■H
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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MOVIE REVIEWS COMING OUT SOON:
FOXCATCHER
BEYOND THE LIGHTS
ROSEWATER
DUMB AND DUMBER TO
WOLVES
JOHN WICK
RATING: ★★★★☆
B
BY: JAMESON ADAME, STAFF WRITER
ig dumb action films don’t get the appreciation they deserve in this day and age. It seems as though you can’t throw your machine-gun-that-never-requires-reloading without hitting a superhero action film or a run-and-gun flick with way too much shaky cam to hide its PG-13 rating. It is into this current trend of veiling how big or dumb you movies are that “John Wick” burst, sporting not only an R rating, but Keanu Reeves, the biggest and dumbest chosen hero of them all! “John Wick” is an action film courtesy of directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. The story centers around the eponymous formerhitman who has been long since retired and found a happy life with his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan), until she passes away due to a mysterious unnamed disease. It is at this point that he receives a posthumously delivered puppy — played by the world’s most adorable pup — and the message that he should depend on the dog to provide him comfort in his time of mourning. This manages to work for a while too, until he takes his fancy car out for a drive and encounters his for-
mer Russian mob boss’ son, Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen). Iosef steals Wick’s car, beats him bloody and worst of all, kills the puppy, leaving John with the singular purpose of revenge for the rest of the film. The plot to this film is as straightforward as anybody could possibly want in a fight-fest such as this. John wants revenge for the loss of his wife, and because his target is high-profile, there is an army standing between him and his goal. However, contrary to how this same story would feel played out in other films, “John Wick” takes advantage of such cliches to build what’s actually a highly intriguing world of organized crime and contract killers. The whole film is underlined by the existence of a hidden community of hitmen, laying out certain codes of conduct, a specialized economy and a mythology that is known to the entire cast, but only shown in hints and subtle moments to the audience. Most intriguing of all is that John stands as the Boogeyman in the world of assassins, sending out waves of terror when it is known that he is back in the game. The action choreography in the film does a fabulous job of support-
ing the notion that John is death on two legs as well. Scenes are filmed to be intense and quick, showing John flip from one enemy to another, dispatching foes as though they were children by comparison. Stunts show him flipping over one person’s back to shoot somebody across the room, doing the same thing in the other direction and then topping it off by comboing a breakdance with gun kata to kill the person he was flipping over the whole time. All of this is augmented by the film’s thankful lack of shaky cam and abundance of blood and gore, making it some of the most gratifying violence that I have had the pleasure of watching in recent months. Casting in this film is just as solid as the action, but this is not to say that it is objectively good. Keanu Reeves is delightfully hammy in his performance as John Wick, going so beyond the pale in the angry whisper that he delivered, that it felt as though the movie should be retitled “Keanu is Angry and Will Shoot You.” Additionally, Michael Nyqvist as the Russian mob boss Viggo Tarasov is bombastic to the point of Bond villainy, making it all the more interesting every time he
Courtesy of Summer Entertainment
comes on-screen to punish his entitled son Iosef for being an idiot. The supporting cast is impeccable too, claiming such names as Dean Winters, Ian McShane, Adrianne Palicki and Willem Dafoe. With such an ensemble on screen so often, every scene is on-point, exaggerating the grandiose nature of the movie’s setting to the perfect degree. This movie’s value ultimately
comes from how mindless and intriguing the fun is. Reeves does so well at keeping the audience rooting for his ultra-violence, that they have little recourse but to let out an audible “woah.” If you want an action film that requires introspection and deep analysis, watch anything but this, but, if you’re in the market for something that you can eat popcorn and cheer out loud for, spend ■H you time and money here.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
INTERSTELLAR
RATING: ★★★★★
F
BY: STASEAN WASHINGTON, STAFF WRITER
resh off the success of his “Dark Knight” trilogy, Christopher Nolan returns with another hit. “Interstellar” is a sciencefiction adventure film about a team of explorers who must travel through space in search of a new hospitable planet. In the near future, Earth becomes unable to sustain humanity as crops are ravaged by blight and dust storms. Cooper, a former NASA test pilot, is chosen to pilot the Endurance, an experimental spacecraft designed to travel into a wormhole orbiting Saturn. Cooper and his team must search for a new world as it is a race against time to save humanity. “Interstellar” is an intense movie filled with a mind-blowing plot, memorable characters and tons of other features that make it an incredible masterpiece and a blast to watch. The movie’s plot is consistent in keeping the audiences on their toes. The film keeps the audience’s attention even with a total runtime of 169 minutes. The viewer will be tossed new information and situations that take them on an adventure and changes the circumstances of the characters. The plot is far from straightforward, but it does an excellent job of putting together the pieces for the audience so that everything is understood and there are no plot holes. Nolan does a great job of allowing the audience to be an active participant in the journey rather than a
simple viewer. Besides the plot, the characters also help to make the film. Their likeability makes the audience want to care for them as they follow them on this dangerous mission. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a father who is chosen to leave on an adventure that will save his children’s life, but they are too young to understand. Amelia (Anne Hathaway) is the daughter of Professor Brand who wants to chase after her lover, a pilot for a previous mission, through the stars while also playing a pivotal role in her father’s life work. Even the synthetic robots, TARS and CASE are characters that the audience will want to follow because of their unique personas. All of this is amplified by the setting of the film. Space is vast and unexplored, which leaves room for the imagination. The film uses scientific theories to help paint a picture of what space could be like. Anomalies like black holes and wormholes are turned into visual masterpieces. Audiences will also be able see great environments for potential planets beyond our solar system. From a tidal wave-ridden ocean planet, to gas giants where everything (even the clouds) is frozen, the film does a great job of bringing theory to life with the power of imagination. But the icing on the top of this magnificent piece of work is the score. Hans Zimmer’s score adds the emotional oomph to Nolan’s
visual storytelling. The score will have audiences sinking into their seats as they are both awestruck by fantastical design and atmospheric music to being on the edge of their seats with the
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
foreboding rhythmic pounding of a pipe organ as the story reaches its climax and the action rises. “Interstellar” is an ambitious film that tackles the unknown. All that has been told of space
has come from textbooks of boring theories and science that most cannot understand. But “Interstellar” brings theory to life and never has it looked so excitH ing and visually stimulating. ■
BIG HERO 6
RATING: ★★★★☆
“B
BY: KELLY DUARTE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ig Hero 6” is the latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and it doesn’t disappoint: It’s a fun, action-packed film with a comedic edge but also contains some surprising depth and heavy emotional scenes. It’s fun for everyone regardless of age or gender, which fits right in with the Disney formula for their good movies. “Big Hero 6” may not be a revolutionary or groundbreaking film from Dis-
ney, but it’s still a solid, entertaining movie from start to finish. The story is actually so heavily packed, it’s pretty hard to sum up the whole plot in a couple of sentences. We meet our hero, aptly named Hiro Hamada, who is a young teenage technological prodigy. Rather than go the college route, he chooses to use his knowledge in robotics to engage in illegal robot fighting. But his money-making schemes are cut short as he uncovers a villain utilizing his
stolen technology. With the help of his friends GoGo, Honey Lemon, Fred and Wasabi and also Baymax, his brother’s helpful robot, he takes on this villain and discovers his true potential along the way. And this is just the bare plot. There are so many important events that transpire and affect Hiro’s life and shape this story that can’t be fit into a quick synopsis. Overall the story is full of heart, and although a bit predictable and cliche, still really an enjoyable watch.
Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures One element that did surprise me about the movie was how much comedy there was. There are plenty of jokes that fall flat and predictable animation gimmicks. (Especially that one scene that’s in every Pixar movie where a character does something slow and funny while the others stare at them dumbfounded. Think of Russell sliding across the window in “Up.”) However, there are some legitimately funny moments as well. Comedic relief resides mostly with Fred and Baymax. Fred, the closest thing to a stoner in a Disney movie besides Crush the turtle from “Finding Nemo,” is a big geek and his obsession with anything comicrelated is surprisingly funny. And although Hiro may be the protagonist, Baymax steals the show. For an adorable marshmallow-looking “emotionless” robot, not only does Baymax provide most of the comedy in the film, he surprisingly is the one to bring the most emotion to the film as well without being the typical “this robot is growing feelings.” It’s pretty good writing to have a consistent emotionless robot bring so much feeling to the film. The other three are entertaining as well, providing humor and chemistry that meld them into a great superhero team. Watching them fight and make wisecracks, it almost felt like a ju-
nior “Avengers” or “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Although the story isn’t anything new or groundbreaking, this movie does offer some of the most amazing, atmospheric animation that Disney has probably ever done. Not only is it beautiful, but it is inventive and imaginative, which is everything the film stands for. The fictional city of San Fransokyo is a seamless blend of the two cities it’s modeled after, where old architecture and trolleys meet sleek trains and towering skyscrapers. There is so much detail put into this setting, it feels like a place one can hop on a plane to visit. Not only that, but this imagery lends to one of the most creative villains I’ve seen in a Disney film. Sure, his tragic backstory may be a dime a dozen, but this villain uses nanobots to travel around and utilize as weapons, which is a first for a Disney villain. Overall, this movie meets the a good family film criteria by keeping both kids and adults interested. It’s not only a fun film, but it’s also a bit inspiring, trying to instill a love for technology and science in everyone. And it succeeds by capturing us in this almost possible world filled with fantastic inventions. Disney applied their winning formula to “Big Hero 6” and got it right. ■H
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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STAFF PICKS:
What entertainment do you indulge in to cope with midterms?
“Researching anything One “Channel my inner Joe Pesci and “Sports.” Direction-related and devoting every beat up my midterms for owing me ounce of what’s left of my sanity to money.” them.” Maxine Arellano Nathan Swift Features Editor A&E Editor
“Deciding between the 313 movies “Watch 30 Rock. What would Liz and TV shows on my Netflix queue.” Lemon do? Then do NOT do that thing.” Jake Rich Managing Editor
“Catch up with my best friends (TV shows).”
Oscar Ho Asst. Video Editor
Estefania Zavala Asst. News Editor
“Entertainment? What’s that?”
Colin Markovich Editor-in-Chief
“Diving into the heavily modded world of Skyrim.” Cody Nguyen Asst. Sports Editor
“Re-watch Oliver and Company.”
Cameron Yong Asst. Photo Editor
“Watching as many episodes of Cupcake Wars as I can.”
Sandy Van News Editor
“Enjoying my night cheese and filling a slanket with my farts.” Vincent Ta Photography Editor
Christal Mims Asst. A&E Editor
“Jimmy Fallon.”
Brandy Coats Production Manager
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
Women’s basketball dominates Cal Poly Pomona in exhibition CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer NOV. 8, 2014
.............................................................................
Highlanders 86 - Broncos 62
Taking to the court for their second exhibition of the 20142015 season, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team came out firing on all cylinders on their way to picking up a convincing 86-62 victory over the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos. Highlander Annelise Ito put on a clinic in the first five and a half minutes of play, accounting for all 10 of UCR’s first points. Throughout most of the first period, the match remained quite competitive, with the Broncos never falling into a double-digit deficit until there was 4:15 left to play in the half. At this point, the Highlanders had just begun to open up a 9-0 run that facilitated a lead of 4330 going into halftime. The floodgates burst open for the Highlanders in the second half, in which a 13-0 run led by Brittany Crain and Annelise Ito brought the UCR lead to a commanding 65-39 with 10:32 left to go. Both teams were essentially just trading buckets after this point, and the Highlanders were able to come away with an 86-62 victory in their second exhibition game of
CALEB LIN / HIGHLANDER
Dynese Adams (No. 13) sets herself up for a jumpshot.
the year. Strong shooting and defense was the name of the game for the Highlanders this match, who finished the game with a 51.7 field goal percentage,
while holding the Broncos to a paltry 39.6 shooting percentage. Pacing the Highlanders in scoring was hometown junior Brittany Crain, who finished
with 27 points on nine-for-19 shooting while connecting on seven of eight free throws. Annelise Ito trailed Crain with 19 points of her own. Next up for the Highlanders
is their first meaningful action of the season on Friday, Nov. 14, where they are set to take on Santa Clara University to mark the start of a three-game homestand. ■H
SPORTS
HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
27
Volleyball loses 17th straight game DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer
weekly meetings: mondays at 5:15 p.m. @ hub 101
write. shoot. design.
Highlander
UCR has played 23 games thus far, only recording two wins. Friday night’s home loss to UC Davis was no different in the somber narrative of the team’s rough 2014 season. The Highlanders were competitive, but couldn’t convert key points when it counted. Plagued by attack errors, the Highlanders found themselves down early in the first set as UC Davis opened an early 14-6 lead. UCR then generated some offense, winning seven of the next nine points. Freshman Cristina Maietta smashed three kills during the run while Alex Gresham chipped in two as the Highlanders cut the advantage to two, 16-14. The Aggies, who have won three straight conference games, responded by winning nine of the last 11 points en route to a 25-16 first-set win. Both teams recorded a positive kill-to-error ratio, but UC Davis was far more efficient with an attacking percentage of .207 compared to UCR’s .059. The home team managed to tie
the game twice in the early going of the second set at 3-3 and 5-5. The Aggies and Highlanders traded points until the Aggies started to pull away. Kaylin Squyres, who is the reigning Big West Conference Player of the Week, rocketed three kills to extend UCD’s lead from 11-9 to 17-11. UC Riverside cut the lead to five at 19-14, but another kill from Squyres sealed the second set for the Aggies, 2516. Led by Ashley Cox, the Highlanders opened the third set in the lead, 12-10. The lead was shortlived, however, as the Aggies tied the game three times through 1515. UC Davis used its height to tally several team blocks and take the lead, 23-17. UCR responded by cutting the deficit to one, 2322. Two Squyres kills, however, dashed UCR’s hopes of mounting a comeback as UC Davis won the third and final set, 25-22. Cox led the Highlanders with 11 kills. Gresham added eight while Maietta tallied seven. Squyres had 14 kills for the Aggies. The Highlanders play next at H UC Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 13. ■
Ashley Cox (No. 3) and Meg Graham (No. 19) work together to block a spike from UC Davis.
AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
. SPORTS .
HIGHLANDER
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER
Senior Colin Gruber (No. 22) drives to the hoop for a layup while Cheick Thiero (No. 22) defends for him.
Highlanders dominate the paint, win exhibition game DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer NOV. 26, 2013
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Highlanders 66 - Hawks 69
The UC Riverside men’s basketball team made a triumphant start to the new season with a 66-49 exhibition win over Holy Names. Playing their first game without former center Chris Patton, the Highlanders had no problem scoring in the paint and controlling the boards, tallying 38 points in the key compared to the Hawks’ 18.
Holy Names, who never led in the contest, got off to a rough start, receiving a technical foul for dunking the ball during warm-ups. The Highlanders took full advantage. UCR led in the double digits for the majority of the 40-minute contest due in large part to the play of junior transfer Jaylen Bland. Bland, who transferred to UCR after winning a league championship at the College of Canyons, recorded a doubledouble in his first game for the blue-and-gold. He scored 17 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. The 6-foot-3-inch
guard was also perfect from the free-throw line (5-for-5). Another standout player was junior Taylor Johns, who tallied 16 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks on the night. Nick Gruninger chipped in 12 points and four assists. Johns and Gruninger were both named to College Sports Madness’ Big West Preseason All-Conference teams before the season started. Along with being named to the preseason All-Conference team, Johns was named to the Big West Conference Honorable Mention Team last season after finishing third in the Big West
Conference in blocked shots, fifth in rebounds and sixth in field goal percentage. He blocked 72 shots on the season, which was the third-most in program history. Dante Robinson led the Hawks with 21 points off the bench. Both teams shot below 30 percent from beyond the arc. UCR, however, shot over 40 percent from the field compared to the Hawks’ 31 percent. The Highlanders also dominated the glass, outrebounding their Division II opponent 43-26. ■H
Men’s soccer tops UCI 2-0, secures division title CODY NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer
CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER Ashkan Khosravi (No. 30) catches the ball with ease against a number of shots.
After enduring a season full of its own trials and tribulations, the UCR men’s soccer team secured the Big West South Division title Wednesday evening with a road win over the 18th-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters. Though it was the Anteaters who would register eight of the first 10 shots of the match, the Highlanders were able to put the ball in the places it actually mattered, scoring the first point of the game off a Tyler Miguel goal in the 24th minute. Just over 10 minutes later, Miguel scored his second goal of the match, assisted by fellow Highlander Philipp Dominique. Miguel’s pair of goals in this match were also his first two of the season, allowing him to match his season total of two goals last year as a freshman.
In the second half, the Anteaters outshot the Highlanders 9-6, but were unable to find the back of the net, allowing UCR to clinch their fourth shutout victory of the season behind goalkeeper K.C. John. With the victory, the Highlanders conclude their regular season with an overall record of 5-9-4, and a conference record of 4-3-3. The Highlanders’ strong conference record also earned them a firstround bye in the upcoming Big West tournament, giving the team much-needed rest and extra time to prepare for their next opponent. Up next for the Highlanders is a playoff tilt against the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Nov. 12, in which the team will play at the friendly confines of the UCR Soccer Stadium for the right to advance to the conference ■H championship on Nov. 15.