Volume 63 Issue 23

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THE RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL W I T H I N T R U I G I N G WO R K S A N D I N T ERAC T IVE Q & A ’ S , R I F F 2 0 1 5 I S O F F T O A G R E AT S TART

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Highlander University

Volume 63

of

C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e

Serving the UCR community since 1954

Issue 23

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

Gov. Brown orders restrictions on state water use SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

As California enters its fourth year of severe drought, Gov. Jerry Brown is taking aggressive action to save water by requiring the state to reduce its water usage by 25 percent.

Announced on April 1, the unprecedented state mandate will support the UC in its ongoing efforts to conserve and manage water throughout its 10 campuses.

Annual surveyors recently discovered the Sierra Nevada snowpack, critical to California’s water supply, to be at its lowest levels since recordkeeping began in 1950. “People must realize we are in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that’s going to be a thing of the past,” Brown said in a state press release.

The decision will require campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscapes to conserve water; local governments to replace 50 million square feet of lawns ► SEE WATER USE, PAGE 4

DRAG KINGS AND QUEENS OF UCR STRUT DOWN THE CATWALK AT THE 12TH ANNUAL “EXODUS” DRAG BALL TO SHOWCASE AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT OF FIERCENESS AND RAISE FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.

20

Senatorial debates kick off ASUCR elections

Inland Education Collaborative awarded $5 million IXIA JOHNSON Contributing Writer AMY ZAHN Senior Staff Writer

CHASS senatorial candidate Johnson Pham responds to a question on language requirements.

AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

A crowd of approximately 45 people came to support candidates running for ASUCR senate, with political party members from [OUR]Voice; PAC: Pride, Action, Change and [YOU]CR participating in the senatorial debates on Wednesday. The candidates discussed issues ranging from gender gaps in graduation to impacted classes that adversely affect enrollment.

The debates were moderated by Highlander Editor-in-

Chief Colin Markovich, who asked the candidates a variety of questions regarding issues pertaining to each of their colleges. Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) candidates Erin Sunga of PAC: Pride, Action, Change and Ryan Torrento from [OUR]Voice were the first to present their plans to tackle their college’s gender gap; 77 percent of the graduating class in 2014 were male.

Torrento stated that community outreach was necessary to help close the gap.

“No matter what background you come from, the only way

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER BCOE senatorial candidate Erin Sunga suggests outreach programs for BCOE.

NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • A&E 11 • FEATURES 19 • SPORTS 24

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

you’re going to get interested in engineering is if you’re introduced to it at a young age, so the most important thing to do is to have outreach events to connect with kids,” Torrento stated.

While also advocating for more community outreach for the college, Sunga described the importance of empowering women in the engineering field as well. “Being a woman engineer, it is difficult getting into this field. We feel intimidated at times. When I go to class, people don’t expect me to be an engineer. If we can empower women and talk to the parents at outreach events then we can help bridge the gap,” Sunga explained. There are three candidates running for two BCOE senator positions.

The next group to debate were College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) candidates Robert Kotonya from [YOU]CR and Wen-Yu Chou from [OUR]Voice. Both candidates brought forth proposals to alleviate class overcrowding in particular subjects, such as chemistry, which could deter students from completing their requirements. ► SEE DEBATES, PAGE 4

An Inland Empire collaborative has been selected to receive a $5 million Governor’s Award for Innovation in Higher Education, the maximum amount possible. The Federation for a Competitive Economy (FACE), whose plan went up against 57 other proposals from around the state, hopes to use the grant to improve college graduation rates in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Established at UCR in 2009, FACE is an initiative that aims to improve the college readiness of high school graduates and increase the number of college degree holders in the Inland Empire, one of the most populous — and povertystricken — regions in the state.

Despite being home to over 4.3 million people, Riverside ► SEE EDUCATION GRANT, PAGE 5

PERFORMANCE GANG SISTER SPIT BRINGS

EMPOWERING

MESSAGES &

QUEER-CENTRIC PERFORMANCES TO

UCR

.

17 PLEASE RECYCLE

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NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF

UC doctors launch eight-day strike

COMPILED BY SANDY VAN & AMY ZAHN, SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

New budget plan strives for transparency Administrators discussed key aspects of UCR’s new budget plan at the chancellor’s first town hall meeting of the new quarter on Monday. The new plan aims to remedy the lack of transparency of the current plan, as well as redirect resources to improve academics.

The plan is part of UCR’s effort to implement its Strategic Action Plan by 2020, which, among other things, includes hiring 300 more faculty and improving UCR’s status as a research institution.

According to Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Paul D’Anieri, the current budget plan is “not simple, not transparent, and very hard to

implement strategy through.”

Under the new plan, budget details such as revenue sources, and where expenditures are going, will be available for easy viewing.

The new plan will also ensure that academic leaders, such as deans, department chairs and provosts, have more authority regarding how money is spent. “The goal is that the academic mission drives how we spend our money,” said D’Anieri.

The finer details, however, have not been decided. Administration will work on the plan’s implementation in the 2015-2016 academic year, and it will be finalized in 2016-

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

2017.

Also addressed at the meeting was an update on the hiring process for the new faculty UCR hopes to hire by 2020.

Rather than hire on an individual basis, D’Anieri explained that faculty will be hired in groups based on proposals. A call for proposals was put out in December, and 128 proposals have been received and are currently in the process of being reviewed.

According to D’Anieri, UCR’s 675 faculty lags behind the number of faculty in other competitive institutions.

“Clearly, we need to expand faculty and we know we have the ability to,” he said.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), representing the largest union of licensed doctors in the U.S., are planning to hold an eight-day strike against alleged unfair labor practices throughout the UC system. Since contract negotiations with the UC began over a year ago, UAPD members filed multiple charges against the UC with the Public Employment Relations Board, with one accusing the UC of withholding financial information needed to allow the union to bargain fairly.

UC doctors who are part of ULP held a one-day strike in January, serving as the first nationwide doctors’ strike in over two decades.

However, protesters argue, “that action was not enough to convince UC to bargain in good faith.”

“For more than a year, UC said

it could not afford to make the changes needed to attract and retain student health center doctors. Recently they admitted they can afford to improve health care on campus, they just choose not to,” UAPD President Dr. Stuart Bussey said in a press release. “We continue to push hard for this financial information because we believe UC has enough resources to improve student health care. They can make student health a priority.”

The strike will occur from April 9 at 7 a.m. to April 13 at 7 a.m. on the northern UC campuses of Berkeley, San Francisco, Davis, Santa Cruz and Merced. The second half of the strike will continue from April 11 at 7 a.m. to April 15 at 7 a.m. on the southern UC campuses of Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine and Santa Barbara.

Vice provost for international affairs selected Kelechi Kalu, former associate provost for global strategies and international affairs at Ohio State University, will be joining UCR on June 1. Filling the position of UCR vice provost of international affairs, UCR hopes Kalu will help set UCR on the path to becoming a global university, such as by expanding international research opportunities for both faculty and students.

“Scholarship, education, and engagement are increasingly global as well as local enterprises, and UCR has a rich tradition connecting our students and our region to entire globe,” said Executive Vice Provost Paul D’Anieri in a press

release. “Professor Kalu has the talent, experience, and enthusiasm to lead our expanding international initiatives. He rose to the top of a talented pool in a competitive national search.”

The 14-member committee in charge of filling this position considered candidates’ experiences in leading international programs at large-scale universities and their visions for how UCR could engage with the world. Currently, UCR students study in more than 60 nations and faculty research occurs all over the world.

Kalu will earn an annual salary ■H of $210,000.

QUOTEBOOK “Evolution has shown us that predators are the ones that survive.”

- Dr. Leo Winkler regarding skeptics’ concerns over contacting aliens

MULTIMEDIA

f

UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH

LAURA NGUYEN

KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mayhem Miller, the host, starts the ball by coming toward the audience to speak about her experience with something small.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPRING 2015, WEEK 2

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

4/7

4/8

4/9

4/10

4/11

4/12

4/13

Student Recreation Center Free Massage 4 - 7 p.m.

SRC South - 2nd Floor

Dress for Success Fashion Show 2:30 - 4 p.m.

HUB 355

Gerard and Kelly, performance artists 3:10 - 5 p.m.

ARTS 100 & 166

Symposium Presentation Workshop 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Surge 367

Ragtime: The Musical 2 - 4:40 p.m.

Landis Performing Arts Center at RCC

Hands-On Healthcare 10 - 11:30 a.m.

HUB 302 South

Pepsi Information Session 7:30 - 9 p.m.

HUB 355

Vagina Monologues 7 - 9 p.m.

HUB 302

Spring Job Fair: Career Night 4 - 7:30 p.m.

HUB 302

Hiring Part-time and Summer Now! Employer Panel 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

HUB 302 South

Passport to Brazil: Conversational Brazilian Portuguese 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

UCR Extension Center

Alex Zumberge and Anahita Farahani Earth Sciences Seminar 12 - 1 p.m.

Physics 2104

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NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

UCR researcher discusses extraterrestrials and efforts to ‘phone’ them AARON GRECH Senior Staff Writer

UCR postdoctoral physics and astronomy scholar Leo Winkler gave a presentation discussing potential extraterrestrial life, civilizations and the possibility of communicating with them last Thursday.

The two-hour lecture was given in Room 206 of Winston Chung Hall to a crowd of approximately 20 people, mostly graduate students.

Winkler discussed the origins of Earth and the diversity of its ecosystems, which allow different species and small life forms such as bacteria to flourish. Scientists have discovered that many organisms, particularly bacteria, have been capable of surviving in extreme conditions on Earth ranging from temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius and above 120 degrees Celsius, as well as extreme pressures and conditions with high salinity.

“There are organisms that can live and feed in temperatures above 167 degrees Fahrenheit, which is above the temperature to boil water which we usually use to sterilize,” Winkler explained.

Winkler reasoned that the ability for life to be able to live on Earth in extreme conditions opens up the possibility for organisms to live in similar conditions outside the planet as well. On Jupiter’s moon Europa, for example, the slush on the moon along with its liquid oceans show that the core is still warm, which would allow for hyperthermophiles — organisms that live in extremely hot conditions — to live by the hy► DEBATES FROM PAGE 1

Chou said she would “(open) up communication with advisors in the college a lot more by contacting them directly” if she were elected.

Kotonya said he was interested in creating online classes to help students who are not in CNAS get through their requirements faster.

“With this they wouldn’t have to wait all quarter with the professors. It would help students get through the coursework in a shorter amount of time than the current moment,” Kotonya elaborated. There are currently seven CNAS candidates running for four senatorial spots.

Candidates in the College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) were the last to present, with six speakers from each party crowding the stage. Corey Willis and Casey Thielhart represented [OUR] Voice, Johnson Pham and Tia Rey presented for PAC: Pride, Action, Change and Tesleem Azeez and Katherine Lee spoke on behalf of [YOU]CR. A major question asked was the candidates’ stances on the current CHASS fourquarter foreign language requirement and possible ways to improve bottleneck enrollment. Thielhart stated that he would push for a three-quarter requirement as opposed to the current

Professor Leo Winkler describing the importance of where Earth is located relative to the universe.

drothermal vents near the moon’s core.

After the analysis, Winkler spoke about the possibility of intelligent life and civilizations. He began by borrowing a quote from Carl Sagan, who stated that intelligent life is “capable of communicating with individuals very different from themselves with the interest in doing so.”

To calculate the number of other potential civilizations in our galaxy, Winkler used the Drake equation, which multiplies the average lifetime of civilizations on our planet by years, specific star formations which allow life to exist and known planets that can potentially support and develop life. After using data currently known by scientists about planets and stars in our galaxy,

one. “With unit caps, I don’t think we should require these classes at these more difficult levels. They’re difficult to get into, they’re difficult to pass these classes.

I think, therefore, a year is very adequate,” Thielhart reasoned.

Lee supported the current system; however, she admitted that enrollment was a problem as classes fill up quickly, and plans to investigate the issue further. Her fellow party member Azeez, while admitting the benefits of learning a foreign language, believed that, “Shortening it would be beneficial because reaching such a high level of foreign language is only beneficial if it is integral to your career, versus just needing a basic solid understanding to communicate with someone.”

As a linguistics major, Pham stated that he supported the current requirement because it helped students become more well-rounded.

“College has become a factory for people to create careers, when in fact the institution should be focused on creating a balanced individual who has knowledge in all these different areas,” Pham argued.

As the largest college, there are 29 candidates in CHASS running for 10 senatorial positions. The debate for candidates running for director positions will occur on Wednesday, Apr. 8.

■H

Winkler concluded that there are as many as 2,940 civilizations that humans could communicate with in our galaxy.

With this possibility, Winkler explained that using radio signals would be the best way to establish communication with other intelligent life rather than trying direct contact. “The reason we cannot contact them directly is that distances in our galaxies are huge,” Winkler explained, citing that it would take thousands of years to travel such large distances in the fastest object that is currently available, the New Horizons spacecraft, and that wormholes and black holes pose too much of a risk.

His discussion later described current and previous messages sent, such as the Arecibo binary code

developed by Frank Drake, which Winkler joked that the extraterrestrials “would need an IQ of over 300 in order to understand.”

While scientists have not picked up any responses from intelligent life, Winkler said that interest in extraterrestrial life has created advancements in various fields.

Disciplines affected range from engineering, which allowed for the creation of the New Horizons spacecraft, and philosophy, which raises questions about the best course of action if contact were to be established. “We shouldn’t come to error of the conclusion that we are the only life in the universe,” Winkler concluded.

Mike Phillips, a graduate student of materials, science and engineering, asked Winkler about the possi-

JEFFREY CHANG / HIGHLANDER

bility of extraterrestrials contacting Earth directly. “I have seen a lot of movies,” Winkler joked, adding that scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have been skeptical of sending information into space as evolution shows that predators are usually the dominant creatures.

Phillips said after the meeting that as a student outside of astronomy, “The presentation covered a lot of ground and was very linear, allowing those without a background in the subject to understand. I appreciate that.”

This lecture is part of a series of astronomy lectures hosted by UCR’s physics and astronomy departments. The next lecture will be on April 24 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope.

■H

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Santa Ana River has been tremendously impacted by the California drought. ► WATER USE FROM PAGE 1

with drought-tolerant landscape; and create a temporary statewide rebate program, allowing consumers to replace older appliances with more water- and energy-efficient ones.

UCR Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences David Crohn said the governor is attempting to safeguard agriculture, which Crohn says is “our most important industry.” California’s agricultural industries — which use up to 80 percent of the state’s drinking and irrigation water — will not be required to follow the state mandate, though many are being asked to reduce their water use.

Though these industries contribute only 2 percent to the state’s overall economy, they produce nearly half of all fruits, nuts and vegetables consumed in the United States.

Brown was prompted to take further action after the state struggled to reach a voluntary 20 percent water reduction last year, which was preceded by a declaration of drought emergency. Though UC President Janet Napolitano has previously announced goals of following through with this reduction by 2020, every UC has also released water reduction plans tailored to each respective campus.

For UCR, one core recommendation includes retrofitting the campus with more water-efficient technologies in some of the older facilities.

“Our metering capabilities throughout campus and the dorms could be improved. That would help us to better see where our water is used (or) where our use could be more efficient,” Crohn said. Though UCR is located in a hotter climate than other UCs, the university’s water supply is not as

heavily impacted as it is locally sourced.

Requiring large amounts of water for irrigation and landscaping, UCR obtains most of its drinking water from the city, which pumps underground aquifers in the San Bernardino and Riverside area.

Using 2012 as a baseline, UCR would be required to reduce its water usage by 10 percent or about 70 million gallons to reach systemwide cutbacks in water use.

Associate Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy Ken Baerenklau said, “In Southern California, based on current water rates, we have about three years of storage left,” about the ongoing drought. “But, it’s important that we don’t go blindly into investing in reduction strategies. We need common sense and a critical eye toward what works and what doesn’t.”

■H

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NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015 ► EDUCATION GRANT FROM PAGE 1

meetings on mondays, 5:15 p.m. @ hub 101

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Winston Chung Hall houses multiple labs and classrooms for students taking STEM classes.

TIM BACA / HIGHLANDER

and San Bernardino Counties have some of the lowest college graduation rates in California, with only 21 percent and 19 percent of their respective residents holding bachelor’s degrees.

FACE is comprised of partnerships between UCR, CSU San Bernardino (CSUSB), the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and nearby educational institutions and businesses, including Bank of America and Redlands Community Hospital.

Improving math skills is an integral part of what FACE is working toward, since lack of math preparedness has historically been a significant roadblock to college success. “Many high school students aren’t ready to handle the college math expected of them, and you can see it in how many students drop out of STEM majors after their freshman year,” Pamela Clute, executive director of UCR’s ALPHA Center and education and mathematics lecturer, told UCR Today.

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The team hopes to meet several goals by 2020, including decreasing the number of college freshmen who require remedial courses, particularly in math, by 20 percent; increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees earned in the Inland Empire by 15 percent; creating more internship opportunities; and increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees earned within six years by 10 percent.

The proposal was submitted by the team at CSUSB in January, led by CSUSB President Tomas Morales and Director of Research of Sponsored Programs Rachel Weiss in partnership with UCR. A total of $50 million was awarded to applicants, with 14 out of 58 receiving between $2.5 million and $5 million in funding.

“What’s truly innovative and important about this grant is that it is a unique collaboration of all sectors of public higher education along with the private sector,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Paul D’Anieri told UCR Today.

■H

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Opinions

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E

verybody within arm’s reach of college knows about the issues surrounding the looming increase of UC tuition. The administration is trying its best to make everybody happy and still keep the UC in the black while students face the increase with varying levels of outrage and annoyance, having to pay off whatever they take out in loans.

This inevitable conflict of interests between students and the UC came to a head recently at the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco, where protesters entered the meeting and took off their clothing, revealing undergarments that displayed the phrase “Student Debt.” In response, UC President Janet Napolitano decided to encourage the regents to break for lunch, stating that the regents needn’t “listen to this crap.”

Both sides of this interaction between regents and students have garnered mistrust, causing continuous debates as to whether the protests are going too far with the actions at the regents meeting, and whether Napolitano’s comments point toward her fallibility as a leader, or whether she just doesn’t care for the concerns of the students who depend on her to affect positive change. With this mistrust, it is unnecessary to examine the actual events of the recent regents meeting, because the real issue is that the communication between students and UC administrators has broken down.

On the side of students, it should be no stretch to say we feel as though we are not being heard. Though Napolitano and the regents postponed the tuition rise for summer in the face of Governor Jerry Brown’s budget gambit, it is still very much on the table, leading many students to feel as though she is ignoring their concerns in an effort to continue her standoff with the governor. It is in response to this perceived lack of caring

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

(as there very well may be a sympathetic ear among the regents, if not one that has no immediate recourse to support the student protestors), that the Berkeley students felt the need to put on such a bombastic display of protest within the regents meeting itself.

It must also be noted, however, that the regents are showing that they are reaching the end of their collective rope with the student protests and displays, whether they are justified or not. The very fact that a trained politician like Napolitano would break in public like she did shows the level of her frustration at the situation. Additionally, it shows that while the protestors are managing to get the attention of UC administrators, the attention they are garnering is that of an annoyed parent, just hoping that the bad behavior will stop if ignored for long enough.

Something must be changed on the very core from which the student body of the UC has access to the eyes, ears and minds of the UC regents, keeping communications alive and preventing further frustration on both sides of the equation.

While there is already a student regent who exists to act as a bridge between the bigwigs and the student body, this person is elected from a group of candidates by the regents themselves, which could lead to conflicts of interest when they consider the contrasting desires of men and women in charge of running an institution as large as the UC, and the interests of the student body who patronize it. To mitigate this conflict, the very process of regent selection must change, making it one of popular vote.

If the student regent candidates are initially chosen by the student body itself, then allowing the regents to pick from that pool, it could help to ensure that the elected individual has the interests of the students in mind, and owes no necessary

allegiance to the regents themselves.

Additionally, since this student would then be conducting themselves as a part of the professional setting instead of trying to be heard as an outsider, this could garner a degree of appreciation from the regents too.

It is this change from the inside as opposed to a potentially disruptive outside force that will reach the regents’ minds. However, to make any meaningful change from within, the system itself must be amended to give more power over to the voices of the students.

Creating a series of meetings that includes representatives from all of the campuses of the UC and the regents could help put forth in a succinct and formal setting the regular concerns that students have. If done on a regular basis, it could allay many of the fears that led to the protests at regents’ meetings, showing that the regents are receptive to student concerns when put in the right setting, and given an atmosphere of politicality that they are accustomed to.

While both sides are beginning to wear thin at the edges, it is active and continuous levels of communication that will keep regents and students away from each others’ throats. This communication must come in a form that the regents feel comfortable responding to, however, and if students don’t concede to this point, then the administration is likely to begin disregarding them altogether. The best solution is to give students a better mouthpiece for their concerns, allowing them access to the regents in such a way where they will not only be heard, but listened to.

■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinion Poll Did you believe any of the April Fools’ articles?

Angela Wang Liberal Studies Fourth-year “No.”

C ompiled

by

J aspery G oh

Henry Chum Biology Fourth-year

Aaron Klatt Business Second-year

Valery Salas Business Second-year

Alex Gonzalez Political Science Third-year

Crystal Adams Political Science Fourth-year

“I kinda believed the rowing team one at first, but now that I think about it we don’t have a rowing team in this school.”

“I don’t believe in any of the articles.”

“The first few pages I thought, okay, that’s weird but I believe it, but then I got to the “Swim to the C” — that’s impossible. I wouldn’t do it.”

“I read the hydroelectric dam article and I got really mad about it.”

“The first article that I read about UCR being drained ... it was talking about free market, but then capitalism? It wasn’t making sense.”

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration act restores LGBTQ discrimination, not rights JESSICA BAKER Staff Writer

On March 26, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana privately signed SB 101, or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a bill that has instigated outcry from the LGBTQ community and activists. Citing the bill’s vague writing, opponents are worried that the bill will be utilized as businesses’ justification to decline service to LGBTQ customers. While Pence repeatedly stated that SB 101 is “about empowering from government overreach” on freedom of religion, the bill’s wording enables people to use it against the LGBTQ community, even if the community isn’t stated by name in the bill.

Specifically, SB 101 further “prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person’s ability to exercise their religion.” To Pence, it’s a further reinforcement of the similar Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993, supported by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Believing SB 101 mirrors the prior act’s intent, Pence’s bill asserts that “a person’s … exercise of religion” cannot be violated in a commercial environment.

Unfortunately, such a claim can be disputed by close analysis between the two documents.

The 1993 act was established due to the increasing court cases regarding employees’ religious freedom, such as whether a Muslim prisoner’s facial hair was problematic; the earlier bill was concerned with personal religious freedom, while the later bill goes beyond individual rights.

In contrast, SB 101 states: “A person whose exercise of religion has been substantially burdened … or likely … may

assert the violation or impending violation as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, regardless of whether the state or any other governmental entity is a party to the proceeding.” The indirect words, such as “likely,” or “impending,” imply that a person’s religious freedom doesn’t have to be significantly violated to take someone to court, which can impede on existing civil rights laws against discrimination; acting as a guise to conceal the real reason for suing another — discriminating against the defendant based on “their membership in a particular group or class.”

Since SB 101 states that suing based on this bill does not require blaming the government, the ambiguity of the word “person,” only enhances this conflicting interpretation of the bill’s language. While the 1993 act clearly defines “person” as a human being, SB 101 extends it to mean “a partnership, (an LLC), a corporation, a company, a firm, a society, a joint-stock company, an unincorporated association,” enabling businesses to sue others based on religious freedom. For example, Chickfil-A can act as a “person” to protect the company’s Christian values, rather than an individual “person.”

No matter Pence’s reassurances that SB 101’s curious language does not entail LGBTQ discrimination, many have made it clear that they will manipulate the bill for such purposes. The right-wing group Advance America has bluntly stated SB 101 would allow Christian business to maintain their religious freedom, saying “Christian bakers, florists, and photographers should not be punished for refusing to participate in a homosexual mar-

LGBTQ pride events are held all across the United States.

riage!” or “A church should not be punished because they refuse to let the church be used for a homosexual wedding.” Advance America’s leader and attendee at Pence’s private signing of SB 101, Eric Miller, said it is “important to pass Senate Bill 101 in 2015 in order to help protect churches, Christian businesses and individuals from those who want to punish them because of their Biblical beliefs.”

All of these quotes have one common word — punish. Such a strong word hints at a violence that businesses’ religious freedom are not exactly facing.

How exactly are businesses being “punished?” In his statement of support for the first business that spoke in support of using SB 101, Brandon Dickson stated

of LGBTQ customers, “I don’t agree with it. And I don’t want to be around it. I don’t want to see it … it’s alright if we don’t want to see it in our communities and our business.” According to his statement, businesses and communities are punished, because of the mere presence of homosexuality, or “it.” Dickson doesn’t reference a specific action done by the LGBTQ community, but demonstrates intolerance for the mere idea of homosexuality. This points to how these proponents are uncomfortable with the LGBTQ community and not an actual violation of religious freedom.

With the continuing legalization of gay marriage, Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act may be a new and legal

COURTESY OF FLICKR

form of LGBTQ discrimination instead of protecting religious freedom. If many still worry over a business’ right to deny service, then an alternative bill should be constructed to validate such a right only when a business is violently targeted.

Despite many protests, SB 101 is, truthfully a way to legally reassert an anti-LGBTQ agenda. In 2015, 16 states have constructed legislation “regarding the creation of, or alteration to, a state religious freedom law.” If these laws do not follow the same conventions set by the 1993 act, then these new state bills may mirror Indiana’s SB 101. If so, they must stop before any true violence is acted out on anyone no matter their political stance on on SB 101.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

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BY COLIN MARKOVICH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Napolitano’s “Crap” Comment: Much Ado About Nothing

UC President Janet Napolitano does not care about student concerns. Surprise!

f you are a politician, one of the first lessons you learn is to stay on-message. This means sticking to the “serious” issues, evading questions with the agility of a Cirque du Soleil performer and keeping your innermost thoughts to yourself until you are safely behind several sets of closed doors, preferably locked and swept for bugs (armed bodyguards are optional). Under no circumstances are you to commit what is known as a “gaffe,” otherwise known as a politician saying exactly what he or she actually thinks.

UC President Janet Napolitano apparently forgot this cardinal rule during the most recent UC Board of Regents meeting when a microphone recorded her verbalizing her thoughts. What gall!

For those who missed out on the spectacle, here’s what happened. At the tail end of one of the committee presentations, a group of students began tearing off their clothing, tossing fake dollar bills into the air and chanting. The camera turned to a visibly irritated Napolitano, who, unaware that the microphones were still live, remarked to UC Regents Chair Bruce Var-

ceived advance notice less than 24 hours before she went public with the plan. At this point, one would have to be willfully oblivious to not come to the conclusion that student concerns are the least of Napolitano’s priorities.

Meanwhile, the issue the students were protesting got lost in the shuffle. Have you heard of the Richmond Field Station?

No? That’s the point. The University of California hopes to inaugurate the Berkeley Global Campus, a fascinating idea that would invite universities from around the world to set up shop and give an international perspective on education, as well as provide an opportunity for academic freedom to countries where it is tightly regulated.

However, the campus is planned to be situated in Richmond, a city where the top three Google results are “crime,” “shooting” and “police.” There are concerns over whether the UC’s proposal will actually lead to job development and economic growth within the city for city residents, which is what the students were there to protest. But the outcry over Napolitano’s comments drowned out those concerns.

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ner, “Let’s go. We don’t have to listen to this crap.”

There it was — the dreaded gaffe. The outrage was predictably swift. “The students who sacrifice their time and money to come and speak to the Regents in San Francisco, away from their jobs, commitments, and classes, deserve better,” wrote UC Student Association Executive Director Marcy Straw. Spencer Pritchard, one of the student protesters, said, “It’s indicative of how she feels when students raise their voice.”

Well, yeah. Not to put a damper on the Napolitanobashing brigade, but we already knew exactly how she felt about student participation long before the crap hit the fan by way of hot mic. Back in early 2014, Napolitano’s task force on addressing climate change was heavily criticized by student participants for not listening to their concerns. When she visited UCR shortly after taking the helm as UC President, students remarked on the lack of questions they were able to ask of her. Most recently, her plan to increase tuition was met with widespread student hostility, with many student leaders complaining that they had re-

COURTESY OF THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION

After everybody weighed in on the comments, with students demanding an apology and many media outlets speculating about the harm it would do to her tenure, the final result of all the outrage was nothing more than a half-hearted apology from Napolitano that manages to be immensely condescending. “I ask for your empathy and understanding in my comments, but also to say that we have public comment to listen to comments about serious things expressed seriously,” Napolitano, Very Serious Person, responded.

Napolitano is fully aware of her perception by students, many of whom think of her as a ruthless backroom dealer who doesn’t care about the issues students face. This comment doesn’t change that. And we should not be surprised by her answer. As UC President, her job is to manage the various competing interests of a 10-campus, multibillion-dollar education system, including lecturers, janitors, clerical staff, tenure-track professors, researchers, legislators, taxpayers and yes, students. Her abrasive comments are not justified by that reality, but they are a re-

flection of it.

The toll it will take on her future is negligible. The students, who unfortunately have minimal institutional power, are not her biggest worry. Instead, it is California Governor Jerry Brown, who is the most popular politician in the state and is also the person who gives the UC its allowance. His position is not swayed at all by her comments. They will continue fighting over the appropriate level of state funding for the UC for as long as we wait for Godot.

Napolitano has not forgotten her previous life as an up-andcoming Democratic star: the two-time Democratic governor of ruby-red Arizona, first female Secretary of Homeland Security and twice-considered nominee for justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Maybe one day she will slip the surly bonds of the UC system and whoever the next president is will nominate her as United States Attorney General, or something similarly prestigious and Very Serious. Until that day, however, she will remain president of the UC system. She will continue to disdain student involvement. And we should continue to not be surprised by it.

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COMIC

SILKEA ISLAM / HIGHLANDER

The opinions expressed in the Opinions section belong solely to their authors and do not represent the Highlander Editorial Board or the University of California, Riverside.

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R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

EVENTS THIS WEEK 4/8

Vagina Monologues @ HUB 302, 8 p.m.

4/9

Gerard and Kelly, performance artists @ ARTS 166, 1:10 p.m.

4/10

Ragtime the Musical @ Landis Performing Arts Center at RCC, 7 p.m.

4/11

Phantom @ Wallace Theatre at CBU, 7:30 p.m.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

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ARTS & ENTE

THE RIV INTERNATIONAL

*ART IS B R OUG H T T Faraz Rizvi, Contributing Writer

Christal Mims, Sen

Photos by Aaron L

Riverside is a proud city that has participated in the cultu milestones. From helping build California’s then-miniscule citr Hispanic UC chancellor, Riverside has never been afraid to be The Riverside International Film Festival is taking place this tirety will occur from April 3 to April 12, but presented here is a general information on a few. But more importantly, the films’ c Riverside is always a bedrock for enthusiastic and optimistic out

( F R I D AY )

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ne of the earlier films to be shown was “Blue Eyed Boy,” an Iranian film by Amir Masoud Soheili. Only 18 minutes long, it’s about a young boy who can only see the world in blue. Through some mishap, the boy accidentally kills livestock, causing his family to consult a shaman to cure his color blindness. The film is an exploration of difference and belonging, and the struggle to adjust to a society with a handicap.

“Dear Friends/Para Los Amigos” is an Argentine film by Paulina Dana that narrates the story of six friends who congregate at a cemetery for a seemingly pointless day of relaxing. The film contrasts the exuberance of the teens and their relationships and ideas with the stark coldness of the cemetery. However, at the end of the film, the meeting at the cemetery comes into focus: They are visiting the grave of a deceased friend.

Jade Bryan’s “The Shattered Mind,” the longest of the three short films, tells the story of Zhane Ryan, a deaf girl who suffers from a weird illness and anxiety. The illness has a connection to her mysterious past, which her mother goes to great lengths to hide.

The film follows her attempts to uncover this mysterious past at all costs. Bryan gave an interview afterward talking about the struggles of being a deaf director, and how she utilized crowdfunding to fund the film.

The last film to premiere Friday evening was “Found On South Street.” In the film, Arthur Hodges Jr. (Austin Cary) plays a deaf man who invents a remarkable earpiece for himself and others, but the success comes with terrible costs. In the post-movie Q-and-A, Cary, himself deaf, explained how the protagonist’s struggle with his identity within the deaf community and culture was a cleansing process for his own questions and insecurities. Director Jonathan Blair spoke about how his mother’s deafness and the challenge of growing up with that inspired him to create “Found On South Street.” “I think it’s great that there’s more acceptance and understanding for the deaf community,” he said. “People shouldn’t be defined simply by their handicap.”

“

Assistant Professor Keun-Pyo Park, who produced “Eric Barr’s ‘A Piece experiences, speaks with attendees touched by its sincerity.

Joe Montegna converses with fans of his body of work.

the films’ contributions to Riverside’s artistic and cultural merit...will certainly be shown and felt.

Director of “Found On South Street” Jonathan Blair responds to que

ERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

VERSIDE L FILM FESTIVAL

TO TH E BIG SC REEN*

nior Staff Writer

Nathan Swift, Senior Staff Writer

}

Lai & Vincent Ta

ural and economic changes within California through several rus industry in the early 1900s to having Tomas Rivera, the first inclusive and outgoing. year at the Box Theater in Riverside. The film festival in its ena powerful snapshot of the types of movies that are playing, and contributions to Riverside’s artistic and cultural merit — on how tsiders with a vision — will certainly be shown and felt.

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( S AT U R D AY ) of My Mind’,” based on former UCR Theater Professor Dr. Eric Barr’s

estions presented by the audience during the post-viewing discussion.

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im Bartell’s independent feature film “Dirty Beautiful” stars a young aspiring writer named David who can’t seem to buckle down and truly perfect his craft, and a troubled, homeless girl named Kat he meets along the way. David agrees to let her move into his small apartment as the two attempt to have a romantic relationship. However, Kat is much too wild for David’s lifestyle. The two endure months of crazy, liquor-filled nights and loving but hating each other’s guts.

During a Q-and-A after the film, Bartell revealed that Kat was inspired by a hitchhiker that he picked up along the road a few years ago who appeared to be a drifter. “She had stayed in my mind and I thought there might be a really good story there,” he explained.

The character David was loosely based off of himself, a then-lonely writer whose need for love may have driven him to consider something impulsive like taking a hitchhiker home.

The film contained two alternate endings: one that sees David moving on from Kat and changing his life for the better and a second that shows him taking her back after an explosive argument that resulted in her leaving him. “The first ending does feel more conventional. We’d like to believe that we learn, we grow and never make those same mistakes but we do tend to fall back into those mistakes,” he said. The film did an excellent job of embodying the imperfections of human nature and our need for just a little taste of love and physical connection, no matter the consequences.

Up next was a documentary directed by Keun-Pyo Park entitled, “Eric Barr’s ‘A Piece of My Mind.’” The film shows Barr’s difficult recovery after a near-death experience that resulted in a one-man show starring the then-UCR theater professor. Park also works at UCR teaching film production in the department of theatre, film and digital production. An impressive display of courage and determination, Barr adamantly explained that he wouldn’t let the stroke that nearly killed him stop him from living his life to the fullest.

Throughout the film, we were introduced to friends and family members who helped Barr make a speedy recovery and only spoke of him in the highest regard.

The final film for Saturday, “American Real: The Forrest Lucas Story” is a documentary that portrays Forrest Lucas’ ascent to a luxurious life. If any film could embody the age-old rags-to-riches tale, it’d be this one. It tells Lucas’ life story, first recounting his rough childhood. “My whole family, including me and my three younger sisters, all lived in a shack,” he explained. His father struggled with alcoholism and only came home “when he sobered up for a day.”

Lucas worked as a truck driver for much of his life until he founded Lucas Oil Products at age 47, after inventing an oil additive to help big rigs not overheat. His multimillion dollar company now sells more than 100 oils, additives and greases. Having endured unimaginative pain and poverty in childhood, Lucas’ success story is one that deserved to be listened to.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

MOVIE REVIEWS

COMING OUT SOON: THE LONGEST RIDE

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts EX MACHINA DESERT DANCER

KILL ME THREE TIMES CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

IT FOLLOWS // RATING: ★★★★☆

COURTESY OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

STASEAN WASHINGTON Staff Writer

O

ne of the many things that doesn’t follow the horror genre is a decent reputation.

However, with David Robert Mitchell’s new horror film, “It Follows,” the horror genre seems to be working incredibly hard to ditch a stigma that has developed over the past few years due to the repeated release of shoddy, unkempt horror films.

“It Follows” tells the tale of Jay Height (Maika Monroe), who like most teenagers in horror films has an insatiable desire for sex. After a night of intercourse with a young man who goes by the name of “Hugh,” she begins to notice that there is something wrong. She’s then followed by an unknown, horny and unstoppable supernatural being who can be anyone at any time and will stop at nothing to get to her. With the help of her friends, Jay must find a way to stop the monster or simply pass it on much like it was passed to herself.

“It Follows” is a well-crafted horror film that has been touted as the best horror film of 2015 and has been compared to indie horror masterpieces like 2014’s “The Babadook.” Its visual style

is different and unlike many mainstream horror films that rely on jump scares and gore, “It Follows” is unique in the terror it brings to the theater.

Mitchell plays heavily with the camera and its framing to add extra tension to the film. The cinematography focuses heav-

unrelenting thing that the audience should be able to spot a mile away, Mitchell weaves in perfect sequences that will throw the audience off.

For example, in one scene we see Jay’s friend Yara (Olivia Luccardi) walking in the background behind our main

‘It Follows’ is a well-crafted horror film that has been touted as the best horror film of 2015 and has been compared to indie horror masterpieces like 2014’s ‘The Babadook.’ ily on what’s in the background, which helps reinforce the idea that something is in pursuit, which effectively heightens tension. The film’s location is also a contributor to its visual aesthetic. The story takes place in Detroit, Michigan, which is an uncanny place to shoot a horror film. The dilapidated buildings that riddle Detroit’s streets gives the movie a unique environment to play with.

Most horror films make the mistake of only focusing on jump scares or gore, which makes them both boring and lazy. However, “It Follows” is unique in its lack of cheap scares. And given that our antagonist is this slow-moving,

character who is lounging on a beach. The audience thinks it’s actually Jay’s friend. But, with some slow movement of the camera, we see another Yara in the distance playing in the water, and interacting with our character. This suspense is further enhanced by the fact that the only person who can see the monster is the main character.

Consistently notable sequences like these make the movie truly frightening.

The film has very little exposition. As much as ambiguity and vagueness are used with great effectiveness, they are also the film’s biggest crutch.

The audience will never know what the It that follows is. One

might say that it adds to the scariness of film, but not knowing what the thing is means that there is no way to combat it — therefore there is no proper end to the film.

The movie also suffers from weak payoffs for the things the film sets up. For example, the movie’s opening scene starts with a young woman literally broken in half. Yet in the second act of the film, we only see one person dying. Most of the characters that we see onscreen are just there; they don’t really do anything. This begs the question: Why were most of the cast even in this film if they weren’t integral to the main plot? And when we do get to our one character dying it’s not as dramatic as the opening sequence panned it out to be, nor is it as intense as the chase itself made it out to be.

“It Follows” is a unique piece of work that adheres to a certain style. Its cinematography and location make it visually incredible. The film weaves its visual style into its horror, choosing to focus on the chase and tension rather than simple jump scares.

However, the film focuses heavily on style and lacks an ending. But, even so, horror films should still try to follow in the footsteps of this film to learn the true meaning of terror.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

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GET HARD //

RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ ROBERT LEES Staff Writer

My patience with Will Ferrell is starting to wear thin. While I wouldn’t call him a stellar performer, he certainly has some acting range. So when he was once again cast as an idiot manchild with poor emotional and impulse control who learns a contrived lesson about maturity in a comedic context (e.g., “Talladega Nights,” “Anchorman,” “Step Brothers”) I simply found that the novelty has finally worn off. I am pretty sure that there’s a Google Doc floating around Hollywood that just has a few fill-in-the-blank spaces for any C-grade Will Ferrell comedy, like a less-funny version of Mad Libs for lazy hack screenwriters and producers.

Ferrell is joined by Kevin Hart, a man who people insist is funny but in whom I see no appeal, in a comedy that pulls off one of the worst bait-andswitches I’ve seen in cinema.

Now, I went into the theater expecting a dumbed-down comedy because of the aforementioned reasons, but a little twig of hope sprouted within my brain in the opening scenes. The film opens with a highlight of the harsh juxtaposition between the haves and have-nots in Los Angeles, with scenes of Ferrell’s rich, aloof character enjoying the high life, intercut with scenes of Hart struggling to make ends meet in a society that oftentimes sees poor minorities as throwaway people. There’s also a few strong hints dropped in the opening scenes that the movie may try to tackle issues of race in a comedic reimagining of “Trading Places.” Then Ferrell rubbed his ass cheeks against a plate-glass door and I realized that my initial suspicions were correct.

The plot concerns James King (Ferrell) a hedge-fund manager who is sentenced to maximum-security prison and must turn to Darnell Lewis (Hart) to learn how to survive behind bars. There is a subplot about him clearing his name and learning to be less of a racist, but most of the screen time is dedicated to talking about prison rape. Eventually everything works out in the end and James and Darnell become the best of friends. While showing some narrative coherence, there

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

is a definite lack of focus on antagonists.

For a film that had the tools to be so much more, “Get Hard” forgoes a chance to explore oftentimes painful issues in a comedic light in lieu of going for the low-hanging fruit of comedy.

90 percent of the humor centers around swearing, racial or cultural stereotypes and Kevin Hart being short. If anything, the film is less low-hanging fruit and more fruit that has fallen off of the tree and started to partially rot. While there are a few genuinely intelligent and original bits of humor intercut among all the white noise, these moments of clarity were few and far between, like the gasps of air a drowning man is able to take in before the waves swallow him completely. There may have been one or two people working on the script who had to share their office with a bunch of lazy, jaded filmmakers. Occasionally, these two were able to sneak in a few bits of adept humor, but

every time they tried to make a sizable contribution they were locked in a closet to think about what they had done.

While there are a few genuinely intelligent and original bits of humor intercut among all the white noise, these moments of clarity were few and far between, like the gasps of air a drowning man is able to take in before the waves swallow him completely.

The oftentimes cruel nature of capitalist society could have served perfectly well in the story, but the filmmakers felt the need to crowbar in a generic hitman character and a white supremacist gang, and the third act devolves from a comedy to a

poorly executed comedic action movie (something I’ve taken to calling “‘Pineapple Express’ Syndrome”). Also, every character that isn’t Ferrell or Hart is a stereotype: Hart’s wife is a sassy black woman, Ferrell’s future father-in-law is generic evil businessman, Hart’s family are gangsters, Ferrell’s fiancee is a gold-digger and all of the gay characters in the film are effeminate. In a film that derives some of its comedy from deconstructing stereotypes, relying on them in the script is disingenuous.

While I have spent most of this review rightfully complaining about “Get Hard,” there are some canny moments that deserve some merit. There are a few clever bits of dialogue, Ferrell and Hart have decent chemistry and Ferrell’s character actually has an arc, which is something that has sadly become more exception than rule in mainstream cinema. In addition, the cleaning staff at Fer-

rell’s mansion serves as a sort of Greek chorus, breaking the fourth wall and sardonically commenting on the major plot points in the film. I suppose some fresh-faced screenwriter came up with this before being locked in the naughty box for people who break the mold.

While certainly more drudgery than diversion, “Get Hard” did make me laugh in spite of myself more than I expected, and I find it hard to judge it too harshly in retrospect. Part of that may be because of its endearingly inept charm, or because I can’t seem to recall anything specific from the film less than 24 hours after I watched it. While there are worse comedies, the lack of any significantly funny or memorable moment is more detrimental than any lazy writing or recycled humor.

While you may consider viewing it if you have time to kill and need a vacuous distraction, in the end “Get Hard” will leave you flaccid.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

MUSIC REVIEW SUFJAN STEVENS: “CARRIE & LOWELL” // RATING: ★★★★☆ JAKE RICH Senior Staff Writer

“I

should have known better / Nothing can be changed / The past is still the past / The bridge to nowhere.”

We are all constantly grieving.

No matter our positions in life, we are almost always grieving for something. These things vary in weight, of course. A failed test.

A lost wallet. A lost job. A lost house. A lost loved one.

A lost innocence.

Even if unconscious, events like these in our lives shape small parts of who we are. Our reactions or lack thereof to these events reveal peaks and valleys of our emotional landscapes, whether they are ugly, beautiful, or that odd nearly indescribable combination of both. It is difficult and a deeply personal process in sorting through these events in our lives; often the furthest thing from a straight, clear process forward, feelings of old can come back even when we think they’re long gone.

It is in this spirit and realm that celebrated singer-songwriter Sufjan Steven’s latest album, “Carrie & Lowell,” lies. Named after his mother and stepfather, the LP mostly focuses around Steven’s dealings with his mother’s death from cancer in 2012.

A departure from the diverse melding of genres on his most recent album, 2010’s “Age of Adz,” Stevens returns with 11 songs and nearly only acoustic guitar and light keyboards, but to no less effect. With some of the most personal lyrics of his career, Stevens encompasses a plethora of the conflicting feelings grief and guilt bring without flinching, and in doing so paints the portrait of the artist as just a

human like you and me.

Opener “Death with Dignity” begins with a mid-tempo plucking of an acoustic guitar as Stevens coos, barely above a whisper, “Spirit of my silence I can hear you / But I’m afraid to be near you / And I don’t know where to begin / And I don’t know where to begin.” The track starts at the beginning of his grieving process, as he is lost for what he is supposed to feel.

He continually questions where to begin and some of the only things he knows is that he wants to be near his mother, and that he also forgives her. The fact that she left his family when he was a child colors many of his remembrances and grief for her in unexpected ways.

“Should Have Known Better,” lead single and one of the album highlights, has a similar mid-tempo plucking, accompanied throughout by lush choral ohhhs and ahhhs. The song narrates some of Steven’s memories of visiting his mother in Oregon as a child, as well as the odd, empty feelings left behind by the death of someone you had mixed feelings about but still loved. A tempo change, led by a simultaneously wistful and cheerful keyboard line, leaves the song not completely devoid of happiness, and carries an air of hope in the face of death and grief.

“Fourth of July,” deftly portrays a conversation between Stevens and his mother in which he repeatedly realizes “We’re all gonna die,” while “The Only Thing” deals with suicidal thoughts in the wake of his depression, and “No Shade in the Shadow of The Cross,” confronts his relationship with God and his doubts as he grieves. All find a central meaning, however, in using the perspective of one man

dealing with so many varied and conflicting feelings — something that happens to the best of us, but we are often not willing to admit.

A criticism that some may have, and with validity, of this album is that many of the songs follow a similar structure with similar instrumentation used throughout. Though this may be true, the beauty of the lush, if minimal, baroque atmospherics of the record serve mostly in its

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favor, as Stevens is able to deliver the story of his inner thoughts and conflicts in the most direct way of his career thus far.

Grief, at its worst, is one of the most painful things we can endure. Grief is also necessary to the healing process. Stevens is fully, painfully aware of this on “Carrie & Lowell,” and allows us a window into his grieving process. It is equal parts nostalgic, bitter, joyful, doubting and more,

COURTESY OF ASTHMATIC KITTY

and takes no shortcuts in going around these feelings. Though he’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, Stevens does one of the most important things an artist can do — be genuine and honest in one’s expression of their art. “Lord, touch me with lightning,” he sings as the last lyric on the last song, “Blue Buckets of Gold.” Stevens didn’t just want to make this album — this is one he needed to make.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

Sister Spit 2015: A night of depravity, snark, genitals...and empowerment Robert Lees, Staff Writer Photos by Janine Ybanez Represented by a group of variety and engaging individuals, Sister Spit’s visit to UCR gave oftentimes marginalized and sometimes outright mocked individuals a chance to speak and perform in a rapturous roar, the individual voices harmonious, yet distinct.

Away from the sweltering heat of the midday sun, a dozen or so students and attendees gathered in the air-conditioned HUB 269. The panel faced the audience, with the panelists at ease with the confidence of a group that had bared their hardships to countless crowds across the nation. Virgie Tovar, author and de facto emcee, introduced the panel with a brief discussion of Sister Spit’s history, which was created by famed author Michelle Tea and Sini Anderson. Tovar expressed the importance of “queer, outsider lit” to the audience, explaining how many of the panelists showcased had work that often broke established molds or ran counter to the modern zeitgeist of society. Author Kate Schatz humorously ran counter to Tovar’s initial statement, explaining how her newest book, “Rad Women A- Z,” has been met with critical acclaim and acceptance. Panelist Thomas McBee interjected, commenting on how his work deals with being both an insider and an outsider, and his search for inclusiveness.

Though hard to hear at times, the questions drew loquacious responses from the panelists, with Australian author Tom Cho often responding at great length in his dulcet accent, with the audience hanging onto every word. The responses given were so in-depth that Tovar had to encourage those in attendance to continue asking questions midway through the presentation. While certainly intimate and personalized, with the attendees and panelists almost a one-to-one ratio, the Q-and-A was comparatively milquetoast in contrast to the performance that would come later in the evening.

The sun set, the air cooled and a crowd of excitedly chattering students and alumni gathered outside the doors to HUB 302 at 7 p.m. While the panel had been informative and illuminating, the live performance was the true centerpiece of Sister Spit’s

visit. Tovar stood at the helm of the auditorium. After a brief introduction by Susan Straight, the head of UCR’s Creative Writing MFA program, Tovar welcomed the crowd to the event, briefly describing Sister Spit’s “crunchy, punk rock roots” when all the performers had for transportation was a constantly overheating van. After a brief reflection on how far Sister Spit has come since the ‘90s (now they have a working van), she invited Schatz to the stage to begin the presentations.

Schatz explained that “Rad Women A Z” was inspired by her young daughter. The book serves as an aide to both learning the alphabet and about brave and talented women throughout history, and she read aloud her passages about the abolitionist Grimke Sisters and revolutionary gender theorist and author Kate Bornstein. Accompanying her reading was a projected video of the women in the book, illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl.

A guest reader was brought up to read the entry for the letter “X,” which is for “the women whose names we do not know.” Schatz ended her presentation by asking those in attendance how they are “rad.” One attendee remarked that she had recently cut off nine inches of hair.

The next reader was poet and renowned drag queen Mica Sigourney, who is also known by his alter ego VivvyAnne ForeverMORE! As he took the stage, he remarked on the noise coming from an adjacent room, encouraging those in the hall to make as much noise as possible to outdo those who were in “the wrong room.” His first poem was on the subject of faux-leather couches, and he recited each line with clamorous energy, only to suddenly fall silent and repeat the word “nagahide” ominously several times throughout the reading. He also performed a piece about AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz, switching settings between San Francisco and New York, before ending his performance with a short poem about fried rice and cocaine that drew peals of laughter from the audience.

Tovar gave the next pre-

Clockwise from top left: Myriam Gurba, Virgie Tovar, Tom Cho, Felix Solano Vargas, Kate Schatz and Thomas Page McBee share their personal stories and written pieces at the Sister Spit performance.

The stories presented were often pro-feminist and engaged in topics of identity.

sentation, talking about her work in “fat activism,” explaining how she works to dismantle the constraints of diet culture, humorously remarking on how the “granddaddies of diet hated masturbation.”

Her message was one of empow- erment and comfortability with one’s own looks, and her presentation drew laughter and applause.

Poets Tom Cho and Myriam Gurba were the next two performers, and their readings were as hilarious as they were irreverent.

Cho read several pieces from his book “Look Who’s Morphing,” painting bizarre images and scenarios with his words that would have been at home in a William S. Burroughs fever dream. His energetic, surreal words painted nigh-unimaginable scenes, which included ninjas attacking a call center and a unique reimagining of the plot of “Dirty Dancing.”

Gurba delivered all of her poems in a drawling, laconic voice, her pauses for dramatic effect punctuated with raucous laughter from the audience. She recited prose of queefing, eczema and Christians’ fascination with the lowercase letter “t,” her monotone droll contrasting with her offbeat humor.

The next reader was local poet Felix Vargas, who talked about growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness before becoming a punk rock enthusiast and poet. I couldn’t tell where one poem ended and another began, as he delivered his verse in an emphatic ramble that was pure stream-of-consciousness.

The final readings were from Lambda Literary Award nominee Thomas Page McBee. He read the prologue from his book “Man Alive,” which poses the question “What makes a man?” He described his book as an “adventure story on how I quit being a ghost,” and his reading of the essay “Tenderness Too” talked the difficulties of gender transitioning and the special love he and his girlfriend share. His words were moving and heartfelt, and the audience was enraptured by his discourse, greeting the conclusion of his essay with thunderous applause.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

VIDEO GAME REVIEW BLOODBORNE // RATING: ★★★★☆ JAMESON ADAME Senior Staff Writer

here and there, featuring your character walking into one desperate battle for survival or anave you ever wanted to other. However, it is at this point know what was on the that the game reflects the older other side of a brick entries in the series and leaves wall? Did you want to the rest of the story open to the know so bad that you slammed player to discover themselves. face-first into that wall until eiFinding out the fine details of ther your face or the wall gave the story is usually boiled down way? Did you love every second to reading item descriptions of it, knowing that it didn’t mat- from the objects you pick off the ter if your eyeball just popped dead bodies and decrepit shelves out, because that crack in the wall around you. Consequently, the means you’re making progress? majority of the lore in the game Welcome to “Bloodborne,” is entirely missable, and requires the new action RPG from devel- a level of engagement that most oper FromSoftware, infamous for games would not, lest you be left their “Souls” series of games. scratching your brain at the baf“Bloodborne” tells the story a fling events of the game. city called Yarnham, driven into The game’s graphics are despair and decay after a curse definitely products of this newtakes hold, turning everybody est generation, and take every around into insane hunters of advantage of the Playstation beasts and outsiders, or else mon- 4’s ability to render wet cobblestrous creatures obsessed with stones and grotesque shambling bloodshed, huntmonstrosities. It ing everything is unfortunate, ‘Bloodborne’ is one of however, that they come across.

You stumble into the most frustrating and for all the grimy the city, lookbeauty that the ing for the heal- satisfying games in the game features, it ing church that current generation, and must suffer for once existed in renders in has already become a these the city, becomthe form of slowing a beast hunter contender for the 2015 down and frame yourself, and tryrate drops. In the game of the year. ing to uncover midst of combat the truth about with multiple Yarnham’s bloody past. combatants, or with an enemy For what it is worth, this is that has many elaborate decorathe most story-driven game that tions, the game will often slow FromSoft has created in their down, losing the pacing that bat“Souls” series (for which this is tles in “Bloodborne” will become a spiritual successor). The plot is famous for. given to you in short cutscenes A related failing of the game

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are its excessive load times, punishing players with a wait in between deaths that can sometimes last around a full minute. Though this may not seem bad at first, “Bloodborne’s” difficulty will quickly see players dying again and again, waiting through more loadscreen than video game at some points. However, it is this same frustrating amount of sitting and twiddling your thumbs that will motivate players to “git good.”

Like the games in the “Souls” series, this game is not for the casual player, and requires a level of patience and understanding beyond what most people would want to put into actual human relationships. If you can work hard enough on the game, though, it

will love you and hurt you better than any person ever could.

Appearing so similar to “Souls” games at first, it is the gameplay of “Bloodborne” that truly sets it apart. Instead of favoring the intimate sword-andshield encounters that the previous entries in the series featured, “Bloodborne” has a system of melee attacks and gun-counters, all made possible by the pseudoVictorian setting. Instead of playing passively defensive characters, players are encouraged to dash around their enemies and combo attacks with their transforming “trick weapons,” before dashing away from a devastating counter hit.

This style of play feels so satisfying when you can get into the

flow of combat that you might find yourself never wanting to return to the old ways of blocking until an opening finally appears in the opponent. The game acknowledges this same newfound action-oriented gameplay too, as players can find a mostly useless shield on a dead body.

“Bloodborne” is one of the most frustrating and satisfying games in the current generation, and has already become a contender for the 2015 game of the year. If players are able to look past the punishing difficulty and few hang-ups concerning loads and frame rate, then this is easily worth the full price, providing what is undoubtedly the most atmospheric game of the current generation.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Features

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S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T:

ADA NN A DURU HIT S EVE RY NO TE

Photo courtesy of Fox Entertainment

ASHLEY CHUNG Contributing Writer

“The coaches have taught me not to try to please anybody but myself,” first-year University of California, Riverside student Adanna Duru uses this as motivation to continue pursuing her dream after competing on the 14th season of “American Idol.”

Singing had come easily to Duru since she was a child; it was how she was able to cultivate this talent that helped to lay the foundations for her dream of becoming a well-known artist.

Developing and achieving dreams are often based upon one’s ability to persevere, a strength that Duru continues to practice. She reflects on how her older and younger brothers would constantly complain about her singing while growing up in Diamond Bar. “No matter how many times they tell me to stop, I keep going,” she stated, demonstrating her determination to continue on her path of becoming an artist.

Duru had become accustomed to sharing her angelic voice after years of performing in front of her family and audiences in talent shows, revealing how singing became second nature to her.

Duru relates how artists like Beyonce, Britney Spears and Stevie Wonder have always been major influences on her choice of music, but it wasn’t until she competed on “The Voice” that she really identified who she is as an artist herself. “At the time, I didn’t know much about myself — what type of music I wanted to sing, how I wanted to dress on stage,” she exclaimed as she reflected on the time Adam Levine chose her to pass through her audition. Duru was eliminated after the battle rounds; however, “The Voice” guided Duru in developing her brand identity and led her to discover her interest in pop, soul and R&B music, eventually preparing her for her next stage: “American Idol.”

“I’m still in a trance right now,” Duru heartily exclaimed over the fact that she competed with the top 11 finalists in “American Idol.” Coming a long way since taking a break from her academics here at UCR and deciding to audition with Lady Gaga’s “You and I” earlier this year, she’s established herself as a pop artist while still displaying her versatility by performing other genres of music. “I like to perform songs that allow me to have high energy when I’m on

stage.” She explained that her love for Lady Gaga and Rihanna has helped develop her interest in “edgy, dance music.”

Competing on “American Idol” is a handful of work, but there is also a dash of fun involved. Duru reveals that she has found the chance to meet many people who share this dream along with others who helped her achieve it. The “relationships built on the show are going to last for a long time,” she shared.

She expresses that much of competing on “American Idol” doesn’t feel like a competition at all, but rather that they are all working together and sharing a good time. Her least favorite part of the experience was losing her companions to the eliminations.

“You think that it’s a competition between yourself and everyone else, but it’s really a competition between yourself and the day before,” Duru explained.

She maintains an optimistic and headstrong attitude that reflects in her performances week after week, contributing to her success on the show. “If you keep doing your best, you’re going to get picked through. If you don’t, then you’re going to get eliminated,” she said, keeping her mindset short and simple.

“BREAKING” UP IS HARD TO DO EDWARD DAVE Contributing Writer

“Just let it die / With no goodbyes / Details don’t matter / We both paid the price,” a wonderful vocalist named Mariah Carey once sang. Carey brings up a prominent point, however, that many people in relationships fight for a relationship that is beyond saving by employing useless gimmicks. But relationships aren’t machines, and there are no set steps to repair them.

Taking a momentary break and returning to normalcy is nearly impossible and just isn’t realistic. If your relationship suffers from chronic breaks and separation, it’s only a matter of time before a permanent end becomes a reality.

Taking a break in relationships has been a form of coping to quell various aspects of being in a demanding relationship.

The idea is that a break allows for some alone time among significant others to think about their problems while self-reflecting. In theory, this sounds like a foolproof plan to repair any relationship damage and return things to the way they used to be. But while people are fixated on the surface meaning of the notion, they ignore what the action actually ends up doing to the relationship at hand.

While taking a break does allow for some alone time, it also makes certain issues fester and become larger because the anger is only being mitigated through avoidance, rather than combating it directly with your mate. Eric Alido, first-year sociology major states, “The point of being in a relationship is to be with your significant other through thick and thin, and to work on any trials and tribulations as a couple. Taking breaks

means you’re already working towards a dead end.”

It’s definitely a valid point to declare that people in relationships should stick together because that’s what the premise of a romantic relationship is. You vow to stick together even when things become rocky and the future ahead is uncertain. Separation begins to create a void between the couple because certain rules and boundaries the relationship was founded on become weakened. Some will feel as though they can do things out of spite such as getting flirtatious with another person at a party or kickback, and other things they normally would not do because they are temporarily disconnected with their significant other.

There will be some who defend the implementation of ► SEE BREAKING UP, PAGE 21

In this way, Duru managed to devote her time and effort into achieving the best of herself and learning to improve with constructive feedback from the judges and the audience. With alternating show themes and a busy travel schedule, rehearsals were difficult to manage, but Duru maintained her intensive training with her vocal coaches to develop her talent more each day as the coaches have taught her to be “100% confident with (her) artistry.”

After feeling confident in her performance of “Love You I Do” from the movie “Dreamgirls” on “American Idol,” Duru was unfortunately eliminated. Though she was surprised about her elimination, she remained optimistic of her future as she will continue to pursue a career in the music industry. “I’m happy I got to show America who I am,” she reflected.

As Duru continues to reach greater heights in the music industry, she reminds herself to stay humble as she thanks her increasingly large fan base for her success. She graciously mentioned that the messages and emails stating that she is an inspiration

from her fans are extremely rewarding. “I had no idea that I was going to make it (to the final 11),” Duru conveyed, as she thanked the show for the exposure that she has received while remaining in complete awe that it was America who had continually voted her through.

She continues to grasp the support of millions of Americans with her boundless talent and conviction. Having written songs for multi-platinum selling recording artists like Metrostation under Universal Records, she hopes to one day share her original pieces with the world through her own voice.

With the endless experience and lessons she continues to gather, she also hopes to “tour the world with (her) own entertainment company and mentor young artists.”

She elaborated on her vision to use her personal dream to aid others in achieving theirs. ”If you have big dreams, you don’t need anyone’s approval to go after them. If you have passion, dedication, and discipline, you will succeed,” Duru advised to anyone with great aspirations.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

EXODUS Drag Ball 2015 Christal Mims , Senior Staff Writer

D

uring my freshman year, I went to my first drag show in the dining hall at the AberdeenInverness dorms. I was immediately amazed by the amount of hard work and dedication that went into making the show an overall unforgettable experience.

Somehow, UCR’s 12th annual Dragalicious Drag Ball on Friday night, “Exodus,” took the energy and professionalism up a notch. Filled with flying wigs, full-out dance routines and impressive costumes, the drag ball served up nothing less than what I would call some of the most exhilarating performances I’ve witnessed here at UCR. HUB 302 contained a large stage with rows of chairs lined up on all sides to ensure that the audience got a perfect view of the performers from all angles.

Attendees arrived in droves to watch the gender-bending show and several people were laughing and dancing to the music blaring from the KUCR tent on the side of the stage. The lights dimmed and our attention was drawn to one of the two projectors on the wall to watch the

commercial for this year’s drag show, which contained a few of the performers voguing for the camera.

Put on by the LGBT Resource Center, “Exodus” was hosted by the crude and hilarious Mayhem Miller to raise money for scholarships.

With this being her second year in a row hosting, Miller knew exactly how to work the crowd. Donned in a sparkly gold dress, Miller opened the show by lip syncing to a hilarious monologue about reacting to a man with a tiny penis. She produced a roar of laughter from the audience throughout the entire night and even earned herself a few bucks. Miller joked about the crowd providing her with the money to pay for dinner as she walked amongst the audience and collected the money being handed to her. She was particularly happy about one man who handed her a $20 bill. “Oh, do you have a job? What do you want me to do for this?” she asked the enamored but shy audience member. Miller groped the generous audience member after asking about the size of his penis while everyone laughed and cheered.

After

Photos by Laura Nguyen Miller was done setting the tone for the show, we were ready to be introduced to our first drag performer, Karina Milan.

Milan emerged from behind the curtains as SZA’s “Babylon” blasted from both of the speakers near the stage. There was a large cry from the audience as the captivating showstopper made her way onto the stage and it was immediately clear why she took home the crown last year. Milan’s confidence was undeniable as she strutted down the catwalk and slowly removed the lace turquoise cover she was wearing to reveal a tight black outfit. The crowd went wild as she dropped to the floor and sprang back up with ease — all while continuing to look flawless.

I was certain that Milan would be a tough act to follow but the next performer brought just as much fierceness to the stage.

With fiery red hair, Scion Banks posed and danced to the music. She shimmied and did the splits effortlessly while creating a frenzied reaction from the crowd.

Banks gave 110 percent to her performance and as I watched her collect a large amount of money from the crowd, it’s safe to say that it paid off. Next up was Hunter Down, the only drag king in

the competition. He pumped his fists in the air as he lip synced the lyrics to “Take Me to Church” by Hozier and Panic! At the Disco’s “Miss Jackson.” Down garnered a wild reaction from the crowd as he mouthed “Are you nasty?” while climbing on top of a girl onstage.

Things took an interesting turn when it was Pierre’s chance to perform. Mattresses were placed onstage and Pierre proceeded to writhe under a sheet on top of them. She began covering herself with red paint, drawing a set of breasts and splashing it on the bed. Pierre certainly left the crowd with something to think about in what ended up being a unique performance piece.

Miller interrupted the performances to announce the walk-off competition in which she invited audience members who were in drag to compete onstage.

Several people made their way over to the host before dancing and walking down the catwalk. When Miller narrowed it down to someone she nicknamed the “black Ariel” and a drag queen so energetic she attempted a cartwheel onstage, the two were left to battle it out in a final walk-off that resulted in both of them snatching their wigs off. After

overzealous crowd reactions for both contestants, Miller announced that they were both winners and with that, intermission commenced.

We were brought back into the show with Sutton Rouge performing to “2 On” by Tinashe. Wearing a burgundy beanie, Rouge bounced around the stage and proved that she’d put a lot of time and effort into choreography by executing a strong routine. After Rouge came Jeska, who ultimately gave one of the best performances of the night as she stomped around the stage brimming with confidence and sass. Her strong dancing and interaction with the crowd could only come from someone with experience and the determination to give everyone a run for their money.

In the end, Milan emerged to crown this year’s winner, Jeska, and to close the show, all of the performers were invited to hit the stage one last time before the night concluded.

Following the show, audience members chatted with one another while fans snagged pictures with their favorite drag performers. If you’ve never attended one of UCR’s drag balls, I would encourage you to do so — if it contains even half of the excitement of this year’s show, you won’t regret it.

■H Clockwise from top right: Scion Banks, Gia Ferrari, Hunter Down and Jeska shine during the stage performances. Jeska (bottom left), the winner of the 2015 Exodus Drag Ball, impresses the audience and judges with her dances onstage.

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

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► “BREAKING UP” FROM PAGE 19

breaks and argue that having alone time will make you realize how important your significant other is. This may work for some people, as long as they are not solely relying on wishful thinking and fantasies to smooth the pain. You can’t leave your relationship to chance or fate, because there are so many anomalies and outside factors that can make taking breaks difficult. “It promotes unhappiness because

having time to yourself in solitude allows you to think yourself into more negativity and unnecessary thoughts. You start pointing out flaws and negative things instead of trying to make things better. You end up corrupting yourself,” third-year biology student Joana Schillinger remarked.

During that interval, the two scorned lovers will likely attempt to seek solace from a variety of friends who will all give their commentary on the relationship. Hearing every-

one’s opinion but your partner’s could weaken your own conviction of your relationship because you are letting outsiders into the fray. You are taking their advice in a state of vulnerability and appraising it as gospel which could cause you to think in a drastic way.

Talking directly to your significant other about any grievance is the only solution because you’re exchanging words and emotions that are organic, which will ultimately lead you to understand each other more

when you are both in states of emotional distress. If it comes to the point where you need to take a break, understand that it can be the determining factor for whether the relationship lasts.

Taking a break isn’t the end of the world, but it’s definitely not a good sign that things are on the right track. It means there is something seriously wrong with the relationship, and tiptoeing around issues and separating for an unknown period of time will only speed up

the breakup. When faced with the opportunity to take a break, understand that relationships are living and breathing things that need to be tended to constantly. Take a garden for example: If you leave the garden unattended just because it’s become a handful to manage, it’ll eventually die because of the avoidance to do anything about it. Treat your relationship like a thriving garden, and know when your best is not good enough so you can walk away H knowing you tried everything.■

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

JUJU BAR

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fter seeing multiple Snapchats of my housemates getting Juju Bar bowls and raving about how good it was, I decided to cave in to my love for acai bowls and give it a shot. A sizable crowd was gathered near the bar area waiting for their bowls and I eagerly made my way through to examine the menu that was plastered on the wall as the smell of freshly cut fruits wafted in the air.

Six menus were on the left of the entrance and boasted fresh juices, acai bowls, yogi (yogurt blended) bowls and at least 40 smoothies ranging from classics to protein and special “cold terminator” smoothies. Single or double shots of wheatgrass, ginger and more were available as well as boosts like chia seeds that can be added in your bowl or smooth-

ie for a little bit extra depending on what the boost was.

As I glanced over the pictures of the bowls, I was immediately drawn to the wide variety that they provided. Usually when I order an acai bowl, there aren’t that many flavor combinations; however, Juju Bar proved otherwise by giving its customers more customizable options that cater to any picky or extravagant eater.

Aside from the typical drinks and bowls, they also offered cookies, oat bars, kettle chips and hot pretzels for up to $3.75.

Being indecisive and faced with such a wide selection of bowls, I was a tiny bit overwhelmed with all the choices and managed to get in contact with the busy owner who along with at least four other workers seemed to be running around in the cramped bar the entire day.

“The Amazon is fruitier and it’s

personally my favorite, but I also like the Tsunami since it’s creamier and you get more of the banana taste,” explained the owner with a beaming smile as she diced up some bananas on the counter.

After attempting to narrow it down to one bowl while considering options that the juice bartender recommended, I decided to try the Tsunami, which included coconut milk, acai, strawberry and banana blended together with banana, strawberry, blueberry, coconut, granola and honey layered on top. My companion chose the Pitaya Bowl, which had a blend of soy milk, apple juice, pitaya, mango and pineapple with banana, strawberry, pineapple, coconut, granola and honey on top.

Disappointingly, the walls on the other side where additional seating was located were completely bare aside from a collage of pictures of yogi bowls and acai

RATING LOCATION PRICE HOURS

CATEGORY CREDIT WEBSITE

The Pitaya bowl (left) is topped with banana, strawberry, pineapple, granola, honey and coconut flakes. And the Tsunami (right) is topped with banana, strawberry, blueberries, granola, honey and coconut flakes.

TIFFANY LIAW, SENIOR STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY LAURA NGUYEN

★★★★☆

19040 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside CA 92508 $ 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sat. - Sun. Juice Bars, Smoothies Yes http://www.yelp.com/biz/juju-bar-riverside

bowls. Not many people took the time to sit down, which was understandable since Juju Bar was more of a place to get grab-andgo food.

For the price of $8.25 for mine and $7.95 for the other, the bowls were huge. (It still fits in your cup holder, but barely!) I stared at the vibrant colors of the acai layered neatly with granola and fruits wondering if I could finish all of it in one sitting even though

I knew I most likely couldn’t. I took a spoonful of the bowl and I have to admit, it definitely satisfied my cravings and I instantly felt a little bit healthier as it was a change to my unhealthy cheap college meals.

Although I got a little too much granola and I would have preferred a little less toppings since the toppings alone took up almost half the cup, the first bite was a mixture of creamy and crunchy textures. From the sweetness of the granola and honey to the tartness of the fresh fruits, I didn’t get to taste the acai too much as everything else was overpowering the mild berry taste. I had to dig into the clear plastic bowl to get a clear taste of the smoothie portion, but when that struggle was over, I was exposed to a creamy acai blend that wasn’t too thick or thin and I was finally able to taste the coconut milk in it.

It was still slightly sweeter than the Pitaya Bowl, however, which gave off more of a sour and tangy flavor, although the Tsunami acai bowl still wins in my book. The Pitaya, which was basically a dragon fruit-based bowl, was more refreshing and crisp and the texture was less velvety than that of the Tsunami’s, yet it was equally as delicious. Despite the overload of toppings and the slightly stressful extensive menu of goods, Juju Bar puts other chain juice and smoothie bars to shame with their variety, quality and taste.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our snack (which could have easily been a full meal with the huge portions) and if you’re looking for a healthy and satisfying treat, I would highly recommend stopping by Juju Bar. ■H

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015

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A UCR runner leads the pack with UCSB trailing behind.

Track and field compete in Stanford Invitational MELISSA FUENTES Contributing Writer

The UCR track and field teams travelled to Palo Alto beginning on Friday, April 3 to compete in the Stanford Invitational. The Highlanders sent several distance runners to compete in the meet, which featured over 15 universities.

Seth Totten and Faith Makau etched themselves into special company over the weekend as the pair of distance runners recorded collegiate-best times in the 5000-meter and 1500-meter.

Totten ran the fastest 5,000

in over 30 years for the Highlanders, as his 13:51.20 time was only two seconds off of the school record, which was set

by All-American Steve Alvarez in 1981. Makau ran the fastest 1,500 in the Big West Conference, finishing in 4:22.35. The time was good for fourth place at the invitational but placed her in the top 10 in the nation.

Raquel Hefflin, who was voted the Female Athlete of the Year in cross country, finished right behind Makau with a time of 4:22.99. With these times, Hefflin and Makau, the Big West’s Freshman of the Year in cross country, rank third and

fifth on UCR’s career top-10 performers list.

Weslie Totten ran the 5,000 for the women’s team and finished with a time of 18:20.35, which was good for 23rd in her running section. On the men’s side, Cody Jordan ran the fastest 1,500 in the Big West Conference, finishing in 3:47.15.

Deja Watkins was the sole fielder to travel to the PomonaPitzer Invitational, placing in second place with a top mark of 54.60m (179’ 2”).

The track and field teams next travel to Tempe, Ariz. to compete in the Sun Angel Classic on April 10.

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A UCR relay runner receives the baton.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports CAMERON YONG / HIGHLANDER

Baseball winless on week but battle late Senior Alex Rubanowitz (No. 14) winds up to pitch against UC Irvine’s Anteaters.

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Contributing Writer MAR. 31, 2015

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Roadrunners 10 - Highlanders 0

The UCR baseball team suffered its sixth loss in a row in an away matchup against CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday, putting their overall record at 10-19.

The Roadrunners broke the two-sided shutout by scoring three runs in the third inning and continued to pile it on with a seven-run outburst in the fifth.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders struggled to get anything going, totaling a mere seven hits and striking out seven times as a team.

Austin Colvin and Mark Contreras led the Highlanders in hits, converting on two of three at-bats, respectively. However, the Highlanders failed to conjure up a run and were shut out for the third time this season. They’ll look to bounce back in their upcoming three-game home series against conference opponent UC Irvine.

APR. 2, 2015

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Anteaters 15 - Highlanders 5

The UC Riverside baseball team came out aggressive Thursday evening in game one of their three-game series against UC Irvine (16-10, 4-0), jumping out to a three-run lead early on. The Anteaters scored first thanks to a leadoff double by Mikey Duarte,

Softball wins weekend series versus Long Beach DARREN BUENO Senior Staff Writer APR. 3, 2015

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Highlanders 3 - 49ers 2

The UC Riverside softball team continued their stellar season with a 3-2 win over Big West foe Long Beach State. Moving to 30-9 and 2-2 in conference, the Highlanders needed 10 innings to dispose of the 49ers as neither ball club tallied a run in the first seven innings.

UCR pitcher Chelsea Ponce was the star of the day. With four strikeouts and six hits at 34 bats, Ponce pitched all 10 innings and improved to 22-5 on the year.

After seven scoreless innings, Long Beach State struck first with a two-run homer in the ninth, but UCR responded in the same inning as freshman Rebecca Faulkner ripped a home run over center field, scoring teammate Karina Romero as well to tie the game, 2-2.

With the 49ers unable to scratch in the 10th, the Highlanders made their move, scoring the final run of the contest, 3-2, off a Jenna Curtan hit, which scored Stephanie Tickemeyer.

which was followed by a sacrifice bunt, putting them up 1-0 on the Highlanders.

However, UCR was able to respond by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, a charge led by the bats of Joe Chavez (single), Austin Colvin (double) and Adonis Morrison (single). This onslaught was followed by a scoreless inning of pitching in the top of the second

by Highlander Kevin Sprague in which he allowed just two hits.

UC Riverside went on to score one more run in the bottom of the frame, giving the Highlanders a 4-1 lead.

The Anteaters had answers of their own, though, scoring a total of seven runs in the third, highlighted by a three-run home run from Andrew Martinez. The third inning also marked the start of a masterful game from Irvine pitcher Elliot Surrey. After allowing a total of four runs on five hits in the first two innings, Elliot gave up a mere one run on three hits the rest of the way through before being replaced in the ninth by Shaun Vetrovec. Surrey ended the game throwing a total of 110 pitches and seven strikeouts, while allowing four earned runs, eight hits and zero walks in his dominant performance.

The pitching from Riverside could not find its groove, however.

After a solid first two innings from Kevin Sprague, he was replaced on the mound by Jesus Gonzalez after giving up the three-run homer to APR. 4, 2015

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Highlanders 3 - 49ers 2 49ers 4 - Highlanders 1

On a beautiful, sunny day at the Amy S. Harrison Field, the Highlanders split a two-game doubleheader versus Long Beach State, winning the first contest 3-2 before falling 4-1 to conclude the weekend.

In the first contest, UCR scored in the second inning before Long Beach State jumped out to a 2-1 lead behind a two-run fourth inning.

The Highlanders, who have responded extremely well when playing from behind this season, tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, 2-2.

Heading into the seventh inning, UCR found another gear as the leading hitter for the club Haley Harris smacked a rocket to right field to bring in the winning run, 3-2.

In game two, the 49ers found their offensive groove, recording nine hits to UCR’s four. Long Beach State tallied a three-run homer in the fifth inning, which cemented their first victory over UCR, 4-1.

Redshirt junior Chelsea Ponce went 2-1 over the weekend, striking out 10 and giving up 13 hits in 20 innings of work.

UCR next plays a home doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton beginning on Saturday, April 11.

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Martinez. Gonzalez, though, only lasted 1.2 innings, giving up two hits and two walks in his time on the mound. The Highlanders continued using their relievers, yet none seemed to have an answer to quell the onslaught of aggressive batting by Irvine.

The pitching struggle, combined with the Highlanders’ lack of run support to start the third, led to Irvine scoring seven runs to Riverside’s one the rest of the way through, ending the game with a score of 15-5 Anteaters.

APR. 3, 2015

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Anteaters 10 - Highlanders 4

It is often said that baseball is a game of failure, so perhaps the UC Riverside baseball team is doing it right. Coming off a blowout loss in game one versus UC Irvine, the Highlanders suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the Anteaters, 10-4. Though the margin of defeat is lesser than that of their previous two, the loss is no less painful, as it was the team’s eighth in a row and twelfth in their last 15 games.

It was a seven-run third inning from the Anteaters that hurt the Highlanders for the second game in a row. In what seemed like a series of deja vu events, the Highlanders let up after playing very solid defense early on. The score was 1-0 Anteaters until a fielding error by UCR third baseman Edgar Morales put a man on base.

The floodgates then opened for a seven-run rally as the next five batters for Irvine reached home safely.

This marked the end of the night for pitcher Kevin Leach as he was relieved by Cody Rogina. After allowing two to reach base, Rogina eventually retired the side thanks to a double play and a line out to third.

The Highlanders went on to score two runs in the bottom of the third and another in the fourth thanks to a home run by Vince Fernandez, which was his fourth of the season. Cody Rogina also pitched a great seven innings for Riverside, allowing only four hits on 102 pitches. Yet the offense never responded to the Anteaters’ onslaught in the third, only totaling one hit and one run after the fourth.

APR. 4, 2015

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Anteaters 11 - Highlanders 9

The UC Riverside baseball team suffered a close loss Saturday afternoon against UC Irvine as the team rallied for five runs in the ninth after being down 11-4.

In a game that looked like the team was destined to be on the wrong side of another blowout, UCR fell behind 5-1 after three and a half innings before scoring two runs in the bottom of the third.

The Anteaters then went on to score two runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh, whilst also shutting out the Highlanders during the period. This put their lead at 11-4

going into the ninth.

The lead seemed insurmountable and UCI brought in pitcher Shaun Vetrovec to close out the ninth. But Vetrovec allowed UCR to shift the momentum their way, loading the bases thanks to a single

by Joe Chavez and a couple of walks. This forced Irvine to look to the bullpen and bring in reliever Sean Sparking. Sparking did not fare much better, however, walking Robby Witt on four pitches, which brought a runner home. Mark Contreras conjured up an RBI single, making it an 11-6 game.

This marked the end of the day for Contreras and closer Sam Moore was brought in to quell the run. Yet Moore was hurt after a fielding error by the third baseman allowed a run to come home; then a single by Vince Fernandez brought the Highlanders within two, making it 11-9. AJ Sawyer was next at the plate but hit into a double play, ending the game.

It was an anticlimactic ending to what looked like a potential UCR comeback. The team fought hard, however, and Head Coach Troy Percival took note, saying after the game, “We played hard in a game that we were getting beat up pretty bad and we came back.

There is a definite positive there.”

Saturday’s loss marked the ninth loss in a row for the Highlanders, putting their overall record at 10-22. The team will travel to Loyola Marymount on April 7 ■H in search of better fortunes.

UCR men’s tennis falls in conference JASON AHN

Staff Writer

The UCR men’s tennis team lost their first Big West match of the season against No. 72 UCI, 7-0, on Wednesday, April 1 at the Student Recreation Center.

It was a warm day with a slight breeze as the two collegiate teams faced off. In between serves, cheers and words of encouragement from both spectators and athletes alike could be heard.

Highlanders Julian Ruffin and Cooper Bridge battled in courts one and two, until a gruesome third deciding set, which both players lost.

Three Highlanders, Luis Gastao, Sina Sharifi and Calvin Ngo, lost their sets 6-2 and 6-1.

Michael Carella lost his sets 6-1 and 6-4.

Sharifi, who played on the fourth court said, “I played a tough opponent today. He’s a very good player, but I definitely left some opportunities pass me for sure.”

In college tennis, there is no advantage scoring, which means when a game reaches deuce,

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER Cooper Bridge meets the ball and swings it back to his opponent.

whichever player wins the deciding point also wins the game. This means athletes get exactly one chance to defeat their opponent when a deuce occurs.

All of the tennis players competed hard on both sides in sweltering heat, with both athletes dripping in sweat, faces red from the sun and frustration from both ends.

When asked what challenges a tennis player must overcome, Sharifi emphasized the mental aspect of the game.

“They think it’s a ball being hit back and forth, but there are balls that club players that leisurely play, could easily hit shots that we would miss in a match,” he said.

“Even in boxing, you have some telling you what to do,” he said. “Sure I can have some come over and talk to me, but at the end of the day, it’s up to me to control

my destiny, my results.”

According to Sharifi, “The people that can translate their practice habits to their match most efficiently are going (to be the) best players out there.”

Most tennis teams practice the same amount of hours, do the same drills and lift the same weights, but Sharifi emphasized the mental side of the games. “Establishing self-belief and believing in yourself and preserving in pressured situations” is the toughest aspect of the game according to Sharifi.

Men’s tennis travelled on Saturday, April 4 to face off against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and fell 0-5 to the Broncos, followed by another 1-6 loss to the UCSB Gauchos on Sunday. The Highlanders next play a home contest against the Binghamton Bearcats on Thursday, April 9.

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