Volume 64 Issue 08

HARD DAY OF THE DEAD SEE WHAT’S CHANGED AT THIS YEAR’S MUSIC FESTIVAL 14-15

Highlander University

Volume 64

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 08

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

R’PANTRY HOSTS TEST RUN AT BEAR DEN

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

A student looks through the large selection of food items provided by the R’Pantry as they host a preview day at the Bear’s Den.

JOSEPH AVILA Senior Staff Writer

On November 3, 2015 the R’Pantry hosted a preview day at the Bear’s Den from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students were encouraged to bring reusable bags, though bags were also provided by R’Pantry volunteers, to fill up on supplemental food items equating a week’s worth of food. The next operation for food distribution through the R’Pantry is December 3.

Visitors to the R’Pantry were asked to sign in with their student IDs before they were given access to the pantry. Doing so entered students into a raffle to win $10 in dining dollars if they completed

a survey that asked about student eating habits, access to fresh food and any suggestions they may have to better the food pantry’s future operations.

The mission statement written on a white board read, “The UC Food Pantry (R’Pantry) was created as a direct response to the needs among the student population for more resources to fight food insecurity. It has become increasingly difficult for students to juggle the costs of living with the costs of obtaining a university degree, forcing students to choose between essentials such as food and the costs of college. The R’Pantry is here to provide emergency relief to help students continue on to successfully complete & obtain their

degrees at UC Riverside.”

The R’Pantry allowed three students at a time to pick out 10 items, two at most from each of the categories labeled condiments, crackers, cereal, gluten-free baking mix, baby food, pasta and teas and coffee, among many others. Smaller items like granola bars were counted differently with four bars equating to one item. Toilet paper, paper towels, tampons and other toiletries were also offered to students. Outside the pantry room was a table of taco shells, taco sauce, hamburger helper and frosting that students were encouraged to take without limit.

Jacqueline Moreno, program coordinator at The Well, said that

Cal States face potential tuition hikes IXIA JOHNSON Senior Staff Writer

An advisory panel has recently suggested a plan to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees that endorses steadily increasing tuition rates annually at CSU schools.

The plan is currently being drafted into a report and is expected to be finalized and released in full to the CSU Board in November and reviewed in January. If the plan is initiated, it will put an end to the currently static tuition rates. The panel believes that its passage

► SEE R’PANTRY PAGE 4

UCR Global Issues Forum hosts inaugural meeting SOM CHATURVEDI Contributing Writer

would help harbor financial stability and accommodate the increasing number of students being enrolled each year.

“The report is designed to initiate a dialogue about the CSU’s future and how we can continue to serve students with limited resources,” Toni Molle, a spokeswoman for Cal State and former UCR Chancellor Timothy White, asserted to Press Enterprise. Molle said that the report outlines a number of possible actions that the CSU system can take, which do not include plans for increases from ► SEE TUITION, PAGE 5

the R’Pantry had initially planned to service 150 students but according to data aggregated from the preview day, they exceeded that number and serviced around 157 students while still having food left over.

Michael Ervin, ASUCR vice president of campus internal affairs, who was a part of organizing and advocating for the R’Pantry and attended the event said of the test run, “It’s a culmination of months and months of work between all sorts of different student orgs and departments. A lot of people had their hands on this and I want to give credit where credit is due.

It’s definitely something that originated

COURTESY OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK Distinguished Professor Richard Alba.

NEWS 1 • OPINIONS 7 • FEATURES 12 • A&E 17 • SPORTS 23

The UCR Global Issues Forum held its first meeting on Thursday night to discuss immigration policies that are adopted and enforced by western nations, the statistics of who these migrants are and the socioeconomic implications of their integration and assimilation within countries.

Thursday night’s forum, entitled “Comparing Immigration Policy in the U.S. and Europe,” featured a panel of three experts in the fields of immigration, political science and public policy — specifi-

cally, Distinguished Professor Richard Alba from The City University of New York Graduate Center, Associate Professor Sara Goodman from UC Irvine, and UCR’s Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan.

The forum entailed all three panelists giving presentations on their approaches and interpretations of immigration trends and policies, followed by a Q-and-A session from the audience.

Alba began his presentation by emphasizing the distinction between immigration policy and integration, the latter be► SEE FORUM, PAGE 4

PLEASE RECYCLE

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

CRIME WATCH

UCPD hosts crisis course amidst recent crimes

ADRIAN TRAN Contributing Writer

On Monday, September 2, a male undergraduate was sexually harassed by another man at approximately 7:47 a.m. The indecent exposure incident marked the fifth criminal activity during a time span of two weeks at UCR. Of those crimes, there were two robberies, one sexual battery and one theft of a cell phone on campus. To combat the misdemeanors, the UCPD hosted a “Responding to a Crisis Situation” course on November 4. The one-hour session emphasized the utilization of the “RAIN” acronym (Respond, Assess, Isolate, and Notify), as well as UCR’s Emergency Notification System as a means of general protocol.

Although UCPD was generally satisfied with the turnout of the course, they would like to “present (the) training to all members of the campus community,” says UCPD Lieutenant Jason Day. “Personal safety is always paramount.”

In light of the recent offenses, UCR still ranks among the safest colleges in California. According to colleges.niche.com, an online resource that accounts for factors like its self-determined academics grade, student surveys on overall experience and campus quality, UCR places as the 257th securest campus in a state of 1,164 higher-level insti-

tutions.

Despite claims about the campus’ relative safety, there are still difficulties when reporting crimes on college campuses.

According to a report conducted by the Justice Department, only about “20 percent of campus sexual assault victims go to the police.” In addition, roughly one in 10 “say they don’t think what happened to them is important enough to bring to the attention of police.”

In light of these recent crimes, Day urges the student body to be forthcoming about any violation that may occur to them. “UCPD is the law enforcement entity with primary jurisdiction to respond to and investigate crime on the UCR campus,” he says.

“We always encourage the community to notify us any time they feel a criminal act has occurred or some manner of suspicious circumstances has arisen.”

Day also encourages those who have been sexually violated to consider the many resources on the UCR campus, such as the Title IX Office, the Women’s Resource Center, the Ombudsman’s Office and the Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE) Advocate.

UCPD has yet to release any further information regarding the sexual offense. The next “Responding to a Crisis Situation” Course will be held at the UC Riverside Police Department at 2 p.m. on December 10.

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JOHN CLAW / THE DAILY NEXUS UCPD encourages students to consider the various resource centers available to them on campus.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

QUOTEBOOK “The abandonment of race-conscious admissions policies resulted in an immediate and precipitous decline in the rates at which underrepresented minority students applied to, were admitted to, and enrolled at UC.” - Journalist Pardes Seleh on UC amicus brief affirmative action case

MULTIMEDIA

f

UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander UCRChannelH

JOSEPH PHAM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Club Cheval performs to an early-bird crowd at HARD Day of the Dead.

KUCR 88.3 FM, Wednesdays @ 9 a.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FALL 2015, WEEK 7

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

11/10

11/11

11/12

11/13

11/14

11/15

11/16

Let’s Talk About Consent Q&A 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

HUB 260

Sexual Health Drop In Class 1 - 2 p.m.

Veitch Student Center

Coming Out Series 3 - 4:30 p.m.

HUB 355

Ballroom/Latin Dance: Waltz/Cha Cha 6:45 - 8:45 p.m.

SRC MPR A

Dueling Disciplines: The Ethics of Water 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.

HMSS 1500

Yosemite Experience 12 a.m. - 10 p.m.

SRC

LinkedIn: How to Build Your Profile 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

HUB 268

YouTuber Laci Green presents “Best Sex Ever!”

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

HUB 302

Wellness Wednesday: Build Better Sleep 4 - 6 p.m.

HUB 269

One Mic, One Voice…

Spoken Word, Spoken Truth 6 - 9 p.m.

HUB 302

Spring Awakening 8 - 10 p.m.

University Theatre

Scot Fest at Homecoming 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Bell Tower

Dining Etiquette Skills 2 - 3 p.m.

HUB 269

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NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

UC takes stance on affirmative action case Sharon Liu-Bettencourt Contributing Writer

On Nov. 2 University of California President Janet Napolitano and all 10 UC chancellors, including UCR chancellor Kim Wilcox, indicated their support for affirmative action through an amicus brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court in support of the University of Texas in the Fisher v. University of Texas case.

Any third party in support of a faction or imparting additional relevant evidence can file an amicus brief.

In 2008, undergraduate Abigail Fisher argued the University of Texas’s admission policies focused too much on race, which gave unfair bias to minority students. According to past testimonies, the University of Texas argued that acknowledging race was only a miniscule aspect in regards to admissions.

The District Court that heard the case ruled in favor of the university in 2009. The case then went on to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals which also ruled in favor of the university. The case continued up to the Supreme Court who vacated their decision and sent the case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals again ruled in

favor of the university. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case a second time and will be ruling on it Dec. 9.

In 1997 California voters passed Proposition 209, which banned government agencies from discriminating based on race, sex or ethnicity, which in turn banned the use of affirmative action, by public universities. Since then, the UC system’s ethnic diversity has greatly decreased, especially at highly competitive schools such as UC Berkeley and UCLA. While Hispanic and AfricanAmerican students make up more than half of all California’s high school graduates, the amount of African-American and Hispanics represented at the UC system is only around 25 percent, with the numbers decidedly lower at UC Berkeley and UCLA. The percentage of African-American students in the UC system took a sharp decrease after the end of affirmative action and the percentages have not risen to the same level since.

“The University of California belongs to the people of California, and race-blind admissions have curbed our ability to fully engage the learning potential found among this state’s diverse population,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “We are committed to

serving California’s educational needs. Ensuring campuses enable meaningful interactions among students of different backgrounds is key to this mission.”

The UC system has many preemptive programs in place in order to reach disadvantaged students. Amongst these is an admission guarantee for the top 9 percent of students in a graduating class, as well as taking into consideration the obstacles low income and minority students face in life and placing less of an emphasize on test scores.

While the UCs continuously enroll more African-American and Hispanic students every year in an attempt to better represent the diversity of California’s population, the numbers still do not represent the amount of graduating African-American and Hispanic high school students.

While diversity has decreased in other UC’s, UCR’s ethnic diversity increased after the ban on affirmative action. UCR is ranked as the seventh most diverse schools in the nation, including a reputation as a top choice campus for minority populations, low-income students and LGBT students. At UCR, the graduation and retention rate is almost equal for students of all ethnicities and income brackets.

■H

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA The UC system announced support for affirmative action amidst a supreme court case in Texas.

Karthick Ramakrishnan, professor of public policy and political science at UCR, speaks at the Global Issues Forum.

► FROM R’PANTRY, PAGE 1

► FROM FORUM, PAGE 1

with the students (and) will be helped run by the students and because of the institutional support behind it we’re here to make visible just how useful and needed this service is.”

Kristie Le, second-year pre-business major, who also attended the event expressed her thoughts on the food pantry saying, “It was awesome. I didn’t even know that our school gave out food like that and I think it’s nice that they’re giving out food to broke college students … over time, groceries get expensive and some students just eat sandwiches all the time because they don’t have time (to prepare) or they can’t afford food.”

While she praised the purpose of the food pantry she suggested a more efficient use of space asserting, “The space was really small in there and I didn’t like that … only 3 people could be in there at once.”

Moreno stated that a generous donation from a shelving company gave the R’Pantry shelves that would better fit the food storage room upon next preview day.

The food distributed to students was donated by the non-profit organization Feeding America. The R’Pantry is aiming to operate weekly at the start of winter quarter.

■H

ing “whether the people we let in … become members of the mainstream society where they are residing.” Alba further explained his findings about integration made in his book Strangers No More in which he compares the perception of immigrants in the U.S. and Europe.

The professor acknowledged the inherent economic and educational disadvantages presented to immigrants coming to western nations, but concluded by revealing a recent finding indicating that these immigrants (particularly as Asians and Latinos) are filling a top tier percentage of the labor market — a trend that, Alba hopes, will ameliorate the inequalities faced by immigrants.

In her presentation, Goodman conceded that “while migration is a small empirical sample of the population, the public thinks it’s a much larger issue than it really is.” Goodman further explained how the immigration policies of the U.S. and Europe were fundamentally different. Through her findings, Goodman contrasted the U.S. immigration policies which promotes family reunification, with European policies which targeted and “deliberately shrinking” this group. Goodman went

on to highlight how such immigration policies are made, and the social and political motivations behind them.

Ramakrishnan provided a primer on the history of immigration policy in the United States, in which he highlighted the recurring theme of states vs. federal intervention, regulation and overall involvement in dealing with immigrants.

The professor then described points made in his new book “The New Immigration Federalism,” such as the distinction between laws that control entry and departure of individuals, and laws that are not explicit in how we ought to treat immigrants.

Later, Ramakrishnan went on to explain the highly polarized nature of immigration policies, specifically in Republican states such as in Georgia and Arizona, which attributed to the rise of restrictive policies caused by the sudden rise in immigration to these states.

He humorously pointed out that “what does matter is not how new the immigration is, but how Republican the destination is.”

Elisabeth McAllister, a second-year English and studio art double major, is in charge of outreach for the UCR Global Issues Forum through communicating via the forum’s website and blog, and was a photographer for

LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER

Thursday night’s forum. “Change begins with ideas, and is carried out by people coming together to act on those ideas,” said McAllister.

McAllister was ecstatic when she heard about the forum’s goal of acting as a conduit for students to discuss global issues and gain insight into these problems that affect everyone. “I feel very strongly about the education and involvement of students in contributing to the global community Instead of passively letting global issues occur and watching policies being enacted, I believe that each member of the university community has an obligation to be educated about what is happening on a global scale,” said McAllister when asked about why she joined the Forum. “We students should be engaged … towards something bigger … the prospect of a better future.”

Thursday night’s forum was the first Global Issues Forum, which was created as a coalition between several interdisciplinary faculty members, students and clubs. The next UCR Global Issues Forum titled “Living History: Austerity, Crisis, and Politics in 205 Greece” will be held on Dec. 2. More information can be found on the forum’s website and social media through Facebook and Twitter.

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NEWS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

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BCOE team wins $15,000 grant GRACE GU Contributing Writer

A team of students from UCR’s Bourns College of Engineering recently won a $15,000 grant for a reusable storm drain filter that is more cost-efficient and less harmful to the environment than other models. The grant, awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a phase one reward in the EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) competition.

The team members include Franklin Gonzalez, Karim Masarweh, Johny Nguyen, Diego Novoa, Kenneth Orellana and Taljinder Kaur and are supervised by lecturer Kawai Tam. The new design they developed, named “SustainA-Drain,” is set apart from other storm drains in that it has improved inserts that current models use. Some storm drains currently use inserts that are disposable — but generate waste — and filters with uncertain lifetimes.

This storm drain model’s main technological improvements are the calibrated indicator and filter system. The filter is made of 100 percent recycled materials including polyester, rayon and cotton fibers. Beginning tests have already proved it can absorb oil six times its beginning mass, using a capacity of 73 to 87 percent.

The indicator in the model is a 3-D printed device made of the same material as the filter as well as clear, biodegradable

plastic. The plastic has a polymer (a macromolecule made of smaller molecules) and changes from powder to gel form when full of oil, to indicate when it needs to be replaced.

The team hopes to improve the model with their new funding, which includes increasing the drain’s absorption capacity.

For the upcoming phase two EPA competition, the team will be submitting a proposal for a $75,000 grant in March. Judging will take place in Washington D.C. in April, where the team will travel to present their results.

Students on the team have plans to improve the way saturated fiber filters in their storm will be cleaned. Currently, the filters must be cleaned with biodegradable detergent, which can contaminate the wastewater with oil and heavy metals. Currently researchers are studying a mushroom which can break down contaminants into harmless compounds, thereby eliminating the waste.

Further plans also include testing the best way to clean the filter, which is currently underway at UCR’s Corporation Yard where the living laboratory is located. The price of making the improved “SustainA-Drain” product will be determined, and can possibly range around $300. The product currently on the market falls between the $350 and $500 range, and is not reusable. The team’s model also includes a metal mesh filter, water diverter and sediment catcher.

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COURTESY OF UCR TODAY

Above are the six students who were awarded the $15,000 pictured with supervisor Kawai Tam.

NEWS IN BRIEF

BY AARON GRECH AND IXIA JOHNSON, SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

UC Merced stabbings MATT HONG / HIGHLANDER

ASUCR resolution tabled Wednesday’s ASUCR meeting saw the tabling of a proposed prison divestment resolution due to factual errors. A revised version of the bill will be presented at the next meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.

Drafted by President ProTempore Corey Willis and CHASS senator Dalshawn Boson, the proposed resolution identifies problems within the U.S. prison system such as institutional racism and the “prison industrial complex,” a term used to discuss the political influence that private prison corporations have in the U.S. government.

A draft of the resolution was tabled due to errors that were persistent throughout the draft, which included a lack of updated statistics. Willis claimed

to have the correct version, however, this was not presented to Acting Executive Vice President Taylor Valmores.

According to the ACLU, the amount of prisoners in the U.S. has risen 408 percent since 1978, while also hosting the largest amount of prisoners than anywhere else in the world. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, over 2 million people in the country remain incarcerated.

These issues according to civil rights activists and scholars are often tied to institutionalized racism in the U.S. which is mentioned throughout the draft of the resolution. The resolution itself states that “through the prison system, semblances of slavery — that inequitably target black men — have persisted and continue to persist.”

HIGHLIGHTS: -The “Million Student March” organized by Willis and other ASUCR members will take place on Thursday, Nov.12 at 12 p.m. to advocate for free tuition at public universities, the cancellation of student debt and $15 an hour minimum wage.

On Wednesday Nov. 5, police shot an 18-year-old man dead on site after he stabbed four people at UC Merced.

The student was a firstyear computer science student named Faisal Mohammad from Santa Clara. Equipped with a hunting knife, plastic zip-tie handcuffs, a hammer, duct tape, a night-vision scope and two bags of petroleum jelly, Mohammad planned to seek revenge after being kicked out of a study group.

Mohammad planned to tie up the students in his class with the zip-tie handcuffs and wait for police to show up and slip on the petroleum jelly. Afterward, he expected to be able to stab a police officer, grab their gun and begin shooting the students in the room.

As Mohammad began to carry out his initial plan, he stabbed another student. A construction worker who was in the building at the time, overheard the struggle that was occurring and came into the room where he became the next of Mohammad’s victims.

Mohammad then fled the building, attacked an academic advisor with his knife and another student before being shot dead by police.

None of the victims received injuries that were life threatening. Mohammad’s fully-described plan was later revealed in a two-page handwritten manifesto found in his pocket during his autopsy.

COURTESY OF CSULB Cal State University, Long Beach boasts one the largest student bodies in California.

► FROM TUITION, PAGE 1

2015-2017.

As one of the largest public education systems in the United States, the CSU system currently consists of 23 campuses that collectively enrolls 460,000 students and employs 47,000 faculty and staff.

The 2010-11 academic school year for CSUs charged tuition rates of $4,440, while the following year experienced more than a $1,000 increase to total $5,472 for 2011-12. Since then, CSU tuition rates remained unchanged for the following four academic years.

The report indicates that rather than enacting large tuition increases over a number of years, this plan will install a model that increases rates each year in accordance with inflation.

With a mission to address the current state of education in California the advisory panel that

has suggested this plan, The Task Force for a Sustainable Financial Model, was appointed by White and consists of university, faculty and student leaders from different CSU campuses.

Other ways of balancing the CSU system finances have also been suggested in the report.

One suggestion recommended increasing the $55 application fee, which has remained constant since 1989, by $15. This would be able to raise an estimated $30 million for the system as a whole. Other methods of raising funds that have been recommended include offering year-round programs, investing in low-risk securities and more openly encouraging alumni donations.

In order for the CSU system to continue providing a broad, affordable and quality public education, the report urges that other resources be utilized.

■H

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TUESDAY, NovEMBER 10, 2015

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Opinions HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

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R’Gear: the changes are welcome, but spending is not

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espite controversies with the first R’Gear program, a reformed continuation has been in the works. Noticing a “lack of campus pride” as a first year, 2014-2015 ASUCR President Nafi Karim implemented R’Gear, hoping each sweater will “empower each incoming class.” Via the R’Gear program, students can receive a free sweater paid for by student fees in order to have a chance to display school spirit, even if they can not afford school apparel. Though the program was favorably received by many students, especially first-years, issues in regards to organization, transparency and labor practices were later revealed. With this in mind, needed and welcomed changes were imposed on the second R’Gear program. However, concerns of the necessity of the program still remain.

At an ASUCR meeting in late October, Vice President of Finance Shafi Karim announced several changes toward the R’Gear program that tackle the issues of transparency and labor practices, as the program was approved during the same meeting.

One surprising turn, as the last R’Gear program came to a close, was the reveal of its total cost — a whopping

ARCHIVE / HIGHLANDER

$51,601.86. While an approxiBeyond alleviating costs, mate disclosure of the total cost it was made clear that the — $43,800 for about 6,000 R’Gear sweatshirts will not be sweatshirts to fit 30 percent of produced by sweatshop labor, the 2014-2015 undergraduate as Shafi Karim announced he population — was given, there had received certification by was a large discrepancy of the graphics company hired for close to $10,000 between the the program. This action coinapproximate cost and the true cides with the ASUCR senate cost. However, this was ad- resolution that called in supdressed as it was revealed that port of the Bangladesh Accord this year’s R’Gear program for Fire and Building Safety, would only cost $30,728.88, a demand toward UCR and which is the entire $21,000 less IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY UC system than its pre- MEAN THAT THEY AGREE to cut ties to vious year. any clothThis con- WITH THE SENTIMENT ing contracts s i d e r a t i o n PLACED ON THE OBJECT. that utilize to cost is visweatshop tal as more A SWEATSHIRT DOESN’T labor due funds can NECESSARILY INSTILL A to concerns be allocated that rose to other ini- SENSE OF PURPOSE IN from the tiatives that STUDENTS. Rana Plaza can benefit factory colall students. However, beyond lapse on April 24, 2013. Since being economically smart, R’Gear is meant to bolster stating this R’Gear’s true cost school pride, it would be highearly on demonstrates consid- ly detrimental to said pride if eration to students whose fees students were to believe that go toward funding this pro- their R’Gear sweaters were gram. As current undergradu- produced by impoverished ates pay more in tuition and workers who are underpaid. fees than any other previous However, no matter the generation, we have the right changes that have been carto know and understand what ried out on the R’Gear proour money is going toward, so gram, there is a question to be seeing our student body speak asked: is it necessary for this plainly on its usage is both re- program to continue? Though freshing and necessary. the total cost has lowered to

$30,728.88, that is still a grand sum that could be used on other initiatives that can affect a greater number of students’ more pressing needs (R’Pantry and R’Closet come to mind).

Furthermore, can school spirit be truly encapsulated in a school sweater? It was stated that 89 percent of students supported the continuation of the R’Gear program, which can be understood as students believing that sweatshirts are a display of school spirit. However, think about it: many are going to agree on a program in which they receive freebies. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they agree with the sentiment placed on the object. A sweatshirt doesn’t necessarily instill a sense of purpose in students.

It’s understandable that uplifting students’ school spirit is a concern for our university’s student body, yet there are more pressing matters that should be focused on. It’s more understandable to use student fees to help them eat than to spend fees to get them a free sweatshirt.

■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, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinion Poll What was your favorite show or cartoon growing up?

Melisa Vargas Pre-Business First-year “I liked Raven.”

‘That’s

Paul Bains Business Administration Fourth-year So

“Danny Phantom.”

Angelina Chen Pre-Business Second-year “‘Pokemon.”

Ryan Sales Business Administration Third-year “I loved “Drake and Josh.”

C ompiled

Anna Rivas Biology Fourth-year “Rugrats.”

by

J aspery G oh

Patricia Zanbrano Biology Third-year “I liked the ‘Powerpuff Girls.”

► See more at Youtube.com/UCRChannelH

Ravers gonna’ rave—safety measures won’t change EDM culture

DANNY GARCIA / HIGHLANDER

DANIEL KELLEY Contributing Writer

If you were among the 70,000 people raving their faces off this past Halloween weekend at either of SoCal’s premiere Electronic Dance Music (EDM) events, HARD’s Day of the Dead or Insomniac’s Escape: Psycho Circus, I hope your recovery hasn’t been too bad. If you were among the nearly 500 people to get arrested for things like attempting to smuggle two joints and a tube of Vick’s Vapo Rub past security, I pity you (but it’s your own fault).

After the deaths of two young women at HARD Summer in August, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has been on HARD Events’ CEO Gary Richard aka DJ Destructo’s subwoofer about safety at his EDM events. A task force was convened to analyze safety at raves held on LA countyowned land, like the Fairplex. Surprise, surprise, they found that drugs were taken at the festivals. As a result, HARD faced a mandated downsizing that led to the addition of new security measures and rules at their events.

The maximum attendance of Day of the Dead was cut from 65,000 to 40,000 and HARD agreed to cancel a summer rave at Fairplex in order to host Day of the Dead there. LA County even barred young people from raving on Halloween by raising the minimum

age requirement from 18 to 21 at Day of There’s just no way: more than double the the Dead. And, HARD suffered. Only about amount of people attended Escape than Day 20,000 people attended Day of the Dead. of the Dead, with crowds of over 40,000 at LA County is sending a very clear mes- both days of the San Bernardino festival. Did sage to the rave scene: “I’ve seen enough. I changing the minimum age requirement from think we all have,” says Supervisor Mark 18 to 21 reduce the instances of public intoxiRidley-Thomas. “And we simply need to cation and drunk driving? Obviously not. Did make ourselves abundantly clear with respect LA County’s finger-wagging stop thousands to that which is unacceptable. [Raves are] a of young people from spending their Halviolation of public safety and public health.” loween being blinded by lasers and deafened Oh yeah, because by bass? Nope. Which LA is such a beacon of leads me to my point: 310 OUT OF THE 500 ARRESTS public safety anyway. ravers gonna rave. They No one died at either OCCURRED IN POMONA, just might not rave in Day of the Dead or LA anymore.

Escape this year; but WHERE HARD’S DAY OF THE People enjoy electhey easily could have. DEAD WAS HELD. DOES THIS tronic music, mindLooking at the arrest altering substances and rates and attendance MEAN THERE WERE FEWER dancing way too much for both festivals, DRUGS STUFFED INTO to let tighter security what did these secuand an age limit to keep rity measures actually UNDERWEAR AND GLITTER them away from raves. prevent?

However, LA’s deciBRAS AT ESCAPE? A third of all the arsion to hobble HARD’s rests which occurred massive-ness and alienat Day of the Dead were for fake IDs. Another ate it’s 18 to 20- year-old crowd is an obvithird were from alcohol related intoxication, ous signal to ravers that they aren’t welcome belligerence, or drunk driving. 310 out of the in Los Angeles. I braved the TSA-style scare 500 arrests occurred in Pomona, where the tactics and K-9 inspections at two consecuHARD’s Day of the Dead was held. Does this tive HARD Summers in 2014 and 2015, but mean there were fewer drugs stuffed into un- after being told I wasn’t tall enough to ride at derwear and glitter bras at Escape?

Day of the Dead, I think I’ll take my money

and kandi to other events from now on. Sorry, Destructo.

The crackdown on HARD is a blow to LA’s dance music culture, especially considering HARD Summer was the biggest festival of its kind that LA has ever hosted.

EDM isn’t just a fad, or some socially unacceptable weekend activity that our parents would rather we not partake in (although we know they would do it themselves). It’s a part of our culture, especially for us college kids.

For county-level bureaucrats to deliberately cripple a company’s sales and dictate where adults can spend their money and their Halloween is so not PLUR. I am not advocating for drug use or tolerance to drug abuse and I’m definitely not advocating for fewer medical personnel, security and first responders at EDM shows.

However, we just can’t point to the organizers of EDM events as the culprits for why so many arrests and emergencies happen at raves. Drugs like LSD and MDMA have been intertwined with the dance music scene since its inception. There’s nothing Gary Richards or Pasquale Rotella can do to change that.

Raves will always be a Flosstradamus mosh pit of unknown pills, heat and alcohol because that’s what makes them raves. No amount of admonishing, age requirements or K-9 units sniffing at crotches is going to stop EDM fans from taking risks at music festivals.

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OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

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COURTESY OF UCR TODAY Former Chancellor of UCR and current Chancellor of the CSU system Timothy P. White.

Annual tuition increases for CSU schools isn’t the best option MICHAEL LOCASCIO Contributing Writer

It’s no news to students in the U.S. that our education system, in its current state, is underfunded. This is evident even in day-to-day experiences; scantrons and bluebooks — necessary test-taking materials — are not provided with most courses, and many required textbooks are ridiculously expensive, the result of an astounding 1,041 percent increase in average college textbook cost in the last 38 years.

Oh, and according to data from earlier this year, we are 14th in the world in terms of “cognitive skills and educational attainment” out of 40 nations ranked in that category.

So how do we fix this funding issue? An advisory panel has suggested that the Cal State

University (CSU) system consider annual tuition increases.

Although the proposition is only a small portion of a larger draft report being reviewed this month by the Cal State University Board of Trustees, It wouldn’t be the first time something like this has passed, as Cal State tuition rose from $1,248 in 2001 to $5,472 10 years later in 2011.

Despite a stagnant Cal State tuition for the last four years, the real question that needs to be addressed is simple: will tuition increases really solve the funding crisis, or just scare more people away from higher education?

Yes, pouring more money into the system may fix some shortterm problems that the Cal State University system is facing, but is pulling that money from students who rely on either financial aid (payed for through taxation)

or heavy student loans really the best option here?

Probably not.

The public education system in the United States is not very efficient. In fact, according to a report released last year by London-based education consultancy GEMS Education Solutions, the United States ranks 19th on a list of 30 nations in terms of return on investments in education. Something needs to be done about our education system, but piling the burden onto students, those who actively seek out a better education, isn’t the answer.

What does need to happen is a reevaluation of expenses within the Cal State system, specifically, what can be cut, and what can be shifted around to maximize efficiency. Should we really pour a couple thousand bucks into re-

painting an old building, or can it wait? Is it worth it to be watering acres of grass and plant life every day, or would switching to less water-reliant vegetation and astroturf be more cost-effective in the long run? There are countless ways that costs can be cut at both the individual university level, and system wide throughout the Cal State University system.These are the conversations that should be taking place, not “how much of our student’s bank account balance can we syphon without killing them, literally or metaphorically?”

This whole idea of meeting exponential spending with exponential tuition increases just makes things harder for students who already have enough to deal with. Students not only have to bear the burden of paying for tuition, but commuting costs and

supplies can make a somewhat manageable price of attendance make the jump to a barely affordable cost. Many of the Cal State students I personally know have taken multiple jobs in order to afford their school and livingrelated bills. As tuition rises, fewer and fewer people will see the the financial viability of pursuing higher education, as the return on investment decreases.

Ultimately, people that would be dedicated members of the CSU undergraduate community will go to community college, transfer out of state or simply jump into the private sector just to get by. This is an issue that’s noticeably worse in the UC system (which was initially intended to be free for California residents), but if history is any indicator, Cal State tuition will likely catch up with time.

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CIA director gets embarrassed, stirs paranoia in Congress and Americans suffer JOSH ARAGON Contributing Writer

On October 19, 2015, a “13-year-old stoner” by the Twitter tag of @phphax successfully hacked into the private account of Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan. Phphax used a very common but efficient hack called social engineering to access private emails on the Director’s American Online account. Some of the data Phphax acquired was the personal info of many of the CIA’s top officials, including the head of the Department of Homeland Security. It brings up the question of why the CIA chief keeps valuable information about officials within the agency inside an unencrypted non-government server through AOL, a server that a 13-year-old can hack into? (Also, it brings into question if our CIA director is incompetent, since he was susceptible and unfamiliar to a fairly popular hacking technique).

If Phphax is caught, it is very likely that Brennan will make an example of him.

However, the consequences stretch farther than that. It is likely that these incidents will incite further support for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), a bill recently passed by the Senate, giving the intelligence agencies greater access to mass domestic surveillance under a vague label: “cybersecurity.” American Express’s Marc. D Gordan and Microsoft’s Scott Charney both make a good argument that “companies should be required to strip unnecessary personal information before

engaging in sharing, and that the government should not be able to use information it receives for law enforcement or national security objectives, absent judicial authorization.” According to Greg Nojeim, a privacy expert from the Center of Democracy and Technology, CISA does not adequately address privacy and civil liberties by giving intelligence agencies unwarranted access to the online activity of the normal American citizen. Because this bill could be passed, it is within the capacity of the government to observe most day-to-day activities of Americans.

The issue of the government spying on its own citizens has been addressed by many, and people have become more aware due to Edward Snowden. The main reason supporters of CISA want this act to pass is because they want more information to stop cyberattacks and cyberterrorism.

Unfortunately, pursuing this avenue to stop cyberattacks is not only immoral, but costly, redundant and inefficient. Security experts in the House, Space and Technology Subcommittee and the Chief Executive Officer of the Information Technology Industry Council both agree that the easiest way to prevent unwanted access into our government’s and industries’ servers is not to go through surveillance, but to adopt a sense of “cyber hygiene.” The House Space and Technology Subcommittee said that 80 to 90 percent of all cyber threats can be prevented using simple practices such as encrypting data, updating software and creating passwords. I concur with the

COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE President Obama meets with CIA Director John Brennan during his time as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.

experts, since it eliminates so much of malicious cyber activity without violating the rights of Americans.

When it comes to the drive of our country’s intelligence agencies, some would say that it would be commendable. What is even crazier is that their justification for using said techniques is just as ridiculous as the techniques implemented themselves.

A main force that drove Washington to attempt to pass CISA is similar to bills in the past that stemmed from American fear.

Because of a few extreme cases of hackers like Albert Gonzalez (the hacker that stole 170 million dollars from credit card theft in 2005), the paranoia that CISA thrives from is comparable to the paranoia from the Red

Scare of the 1950’s or the passing of the Patriot Act just after 9/11. Though fear is a natural part of being human, allowing fear to be the driver in such actions should not be the case.

The pursuit for passing CISA is simply a way for intelligence organizations to have the authority to track down American citizens. They use paranoia to get the authority they need, and once the intelligence agencies do, they will go through the private information of every American citizen to “catch” anyone who has the potential to embarrass them in that same manner.

Passing CISA is inefficient, a waste of resources, immoral and driven by the fear of cyber activity.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Away with the death penalty, let prisoners sweat for salvation

COURTESY OF TORANGE

BETTEENA MARCO Contributing Writer

California hasn’t executed anyone in nine years and a certain prodeath penalty group has waited long enough. They recently proposed a ballot extending prison labor to inmates on death row, as well as provided new deadlines for the appeals process. Evidently, the latter is meant to expedite executions in California, while the former is probably just to make sure they’re not having too much fun chilling in solitary confinement. Life in a small, windowless concrete cage is too luxurious, apparently.

An anti-death penalty measure has been proposed in opposition, which also requires inmates to work. However, instead of ultimately being executed, they are simply sentenced to life without parole.

In both proposals, the inmates’ earnings would go to the families of those they have harmed. Californians will be able to vote on either one of the measures on the November 2016 ballot.

Personally, I believe that our entire prison system needs reform, but in regards to these measures I prefer the

lesser of the two evils: anti-death, life without parole and requirement to pay restitution.

From issues like overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, it is evident that prison life is deplorable.

Instead of focusing on reform and rehabilitation for these misguided individuals, we have a justice system centered on retribution and punishment.

Yes, these people are criminals and have committed grave wrongdoings — but are they not people as well?

Can’t they be considered as victims of circumstance?

Granted, they’ve committed crimes so heinous that people can justify exterminating them completely.

Advocates of the death penalty argue that by taking the life of another person, murderers have surrendered their own right to live. Also, by executing these murderers, the victims’ families are given necessary closure.

Such a mentality is dangerous because it justifies killing in the name of justice — it implies that murder is okay in certain circumstances. This only promotes violence and vengeance. Furthermore, prisoners are usually on death row for years before finally being assigned an execution

date. The family’s grieving is prolonged, and they are trapped in the shadow of tragedy until “justice is served.”

This is especially true for the 750 criminals on California’s death row.

California’s last execution was in 2006, and it has only executed 13 inmates since it reinstated capital punishment in 1978. Uncertainty surrounding the constitutionality of the three-drug execution method along with inadequate representation and overall inefficiency of the appeal system has delayed the demise of these inmates, and has ultimately delayed “closure” for their victims’ families.

Admittedly, having hundreds of inmates living on death row is not ideal.

It is already difficult to accommodate them as it is, and providing for them (no matter how miserable the conditions) is expensive. Many of them either commit suicide or die of illnesses.

If the anti-death measure passes, inmates will have the opportunity to be productive and offer monetary compensation for their crime. It’s true that a person’s life is priceless, but money has a higher value than sentiment. Especially since the prisoners hardly have much of a life in prison

anyway, executing them just puts them out of their misery. If vengeance is the persuasion behind capital punishment, then the idea that victims are reaping the fruits of the perpetrator’s labor should elicit some twisted satisfaction.

The pro-death measure is simply cruel — it requires people already sentenced to death to participate in labor. It’s like rubbing salt on an open wound. Also, the value of their work might be lousy since they figure that they’re going to die anyways.

At least without the death penalty looming over them, there’s a chance of redemption. Since the inmate’s earnings will go directly to the victim’s family, there’s a higher sense of accountability and obligation. Every day is a physical reminder of their wrongdoing, and though it would never be completely rectified it’s still an opportunity to show remorse.

Though the anti-death measure would still require murderers to be incarcerated for life, it would still make our justice system appear more forgiving. Allowing them to work and compensate for their crime as opposed to disposing of them might just be the H first step to a more tolerant society. ■

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

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R’PERSPECTIVE: Water can be a class divide SHARON LIU-BETTENCOURT Contributing Writer

I grew up in a medium-sized farming community in the depths of Northern California, three hours beyond the Bay Area. In my hometown, many families and farms use personal wells, but since the drought,, many of these wells have been running out of water. Families whose entire livelihood relied on water suddenly have dry wells and are being told that their town cannot allocate enough water to support their family farms, unless they pay ridiculous amounts of money. Not just the farms, but also normal families who just want enough to shower, cook and wash laundry — very normal things in our society.

Mobile homes and lowincome communities are shutting off water completely as a tactic of conservation.

Families are told that they have to use a third of the water they used last year or risk heavy fines. I have friends in middleclass households who can’t afford to flush their toilets and collect bathwater to water their plants. It’s basically taboo to have green grass.

It’s awesome that my town is doing so much to conserve water.

However, the biggest issue with our drought conservation tactics: they disproportionately affect low-income and even middle-class households.

While I have personally seen

the effects the drought has had on my community, my own family’s water conservation does not match the urgency of the drought. And, why should we be concerned? It’s never affected us. We live in a marvelous gated neighborhood alongside the greenest golf course I’ve ever seen. Our Homeowner’s Association allows us to use as much water as we want. And even if they didn’t, it’s obvious that any one of these households could afford to pay the water fine. It’s the same story in every other gated community in my town. Green grass, sprinklers, who the heck cares?

Can you imagine the frustration you would feel if you limited your showers to five minutes, never washed your car and let all your plants die only to drive past the wealthiest part of town and catch not just glimpses, but ridiculously generous amounts of foliage and green?

I’ll be the first to admit, until I moved to Riverside I was oblivious to the state of the drought. I was sheltered from this reality by the community I grew up in. I don’t know what sparked my self-education on the drought. Somewhere along the lines, I started listening to the stories my hometown friends told me about the ridiculous measures they had to go to in order to conserve water and not be fined. I noticed I never heard the same stories from my parents.

"I heard from my co-worker that rock gardens have to be watered or else they'll lose their luster” I noticed that my new Southern California friends didn’t seem as concerned about conserving water either. I noticed a trend.

Water was starting to become a socioeconomic divide.

People that live in small, Northern farming communities that use personal wells know the feeling of waking up and having the water not turn on, while big Southern cities like Los Angeles don’t ever have to worry about it running out. The drought does not seem as prominent to people

who have never had to worry about their wells running dry.

The notion of running out of water completely is irrational to them.

Northern California’s water is literally going to the highest bidder, while it’s middle and lower income families bear the brunt of conservation. This is unfair. The United Nations clearly stated, “The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for

JACQUELINE LEE / HIGHLANDER

the realization of other human rights.” Water is a basic human right by every definition. It is the very force on which human life is dependant.

We’re taking a basic human right and turning it into a divide between who can and cannot afford to shower. When water levels run dangerously low, water starts to become the divide and the social class a person falls into starts to determine whether or not they can afford a basic human right.

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R’PERSPECTIVE:

A first-year’s journey of finding a life worth living MANUEL JACOB GONZALEZ Contributing Writer

Being stuck in a rut is not an ideal situation to be in.

Especially when it has to deal with your major. You know you are in the wrong major when the courses are either too difficult, unappealing, boring or you are looking for excuses not to go to class. But hey, if you make it through your grueling years as an undergraduate and receive your degree, you are more than likely going to find a job! A job that is just as difficult, unappealing or boring as your major, but you get to work in it for many years to come. What keeps you in this situation? It could be pressure from family, friends or even yourself. You know that this major is not for you, so what do you do?

What did I do? I followed my gut.

Coming to UCR as a first generation college student, I did not know what I wanted to do. In high school, one of my teachers recommended that I should become a mechanical engineer (ME). I took my teacher’s advice, applied and made it into BCOE as a declared ME major.

I felt proud of my “title” and solidified it by choosing to live in an engineering living community in Lothian. My first year held high hopes and dreams of becoming an engineer. I met a lot of people in my living community, some who became my closest friends.

College could not have been off to a better start. However, by the time winter quarter came, reality struck like a car hitting a wall.

My second quarter was the darkest of all of my time spent in college. Once I started engineering classes, my grades began to fall apart, I became

constantly stressed, I would lie about having fun, I faked smiles, I became outrageously sick, I fell apart. After my midterms, I decided I couldn’t last any longer. Physics, engineering, it no longer had its appeal, and thinking about a life that this major held, I knew it was not for me. I had to get out.

I would have instantly gotten out of the major, but what held me back was worrying about what others thought. I would ask people in my class if they would become a teacher or something different. They each responded the same. They measured me with their eyes and told me that there isn’t enough pay to become a teacher and shunned me. This made me think, what would happen if my friends in my learning community found out I was to switch my major? What about my family? They all think I am going to be this amazing wealthy engineer. I knew that I didn’t want to be an engineer, but the thought of being judged by others was too stressful for me to switch. I continued my classes the rest of the quarter, and found myself in the amazing world of academic probation (AP).

Attending the mandatory AP seminar, I was told that I could bring my grades up and “succeed in life” if I was to focus on the money. Of all things! Not the idea of fulfilling the life you want, but to focus on the pay. I realized then that I wasn’t doing it for the money. I wasn’t doing it for myself. I was an engineer because society around me held it on a high pedestal. What good is it when your self-recognition is affirmed by the people around you? In that moment, I decided no longer will I worry about what others thought. What matters is myself.

In my third quarter I was enrolled in “fluff” classes in order to bring my GPA up. Within these “fluff” classes, I discovered my own interests and passion. I didn’t discuss it with my family or friends and made the best decision of my college career. No longer was I bound to this “title”

of a major, I found myself bound to my own passion.

I am now a current third-year media and cultural studies major and loving every moment of it.

College is a tool and should be used to find your passion. I am in college for one reason only, not to find a job, but to enjoy my life.

VINCENT TA / HIGHLANDER

This life is mine, and there are no social standards that can prevent me from living it to its fullest.

If it is a title, the money, the social status you are looking for, by all means pursue it. It’s what you want and should be that way; but do not let anyone else keep you from your passion.

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Features

Uncovering

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

YOUR FOUNDATION DEBBIE DINH, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

E

ver struggled with finding the right shade of foundation? Or figuring out the perfect lipstick technique that doesn’t make you look like MirandaSings? If you said no to any of the above questions, then I applaud you for your talent and skill.

If you said yes, then you are probably like me and spent countless of hours on Instagram and YouTube searching for makeup tips and tricks.

On Thursday night at Hub 302, ASPB hosted, “Uncovered: Finding Your Foundation,” which brought famous makeup gurus from Instagram and YouTube from our cell phone screens to the stage. Exclusive to UCR students, some of social media’s most influential makeup artists Ourfa Zinali, Kevin Wade and Tyme the Infamous came to share the behind-the-scenes secrets of makeup and beauty.

With doors opening at 6:30 p.m., a line of students filled up the seats and finally after a 20 minute delay, the event started with a short introduction and Q-and-A from Marissa Alfe, a Los Angeles-based beauty agent.

The stars of the show then came up on stage with friendly smiles and flawless makeup (of course) and were greeted with small cheers from the crowd. Ourfa Zinali looked like a dark, beautiful nightmare, dressed in all black, except for her nude lipcolor and lip piercing that caught in the light whenever she spoke. Tyme the Infamous was a vision in red and black, with her iconic silver hair and classic Louis Vuitton red bottomed heels, she was the definition of fabulous and fashionable. Kevin Wade sat between Zinali and Tyme, a bundle of humorous wit and infectious laughter. Dressed casually and comfortably, Wade made the audience laugh every time he spoke. Starting off with questions about careers in social media, Alfe asked the three makeup artists, “When could you quit your job and become a full time social media presence?”

“This is my first year doing makeup and honestly, it just kind of happened.” Wade said. “The first person I ever did makeup on was Tinashe and from there, luck was just on my side.”

Zinali and Tyme, on the other hand, didn’t have the same luxury as Wade in the industry. Both starting out as makeup artists for MAC; the two struggled with finances until they gained enough social media presence to get to where they are today.

In spite of their current success, the trio agreed that a career in social media is not all fun and games and emphasized that it’s not as glamorous as people make it seem.

“It’s just grind, grind, grind, and edit, edit, edit, all day long.”

Tyme explained. Ourfa nodded and added, “It takes around 6 hours just to finish one look for the day.”

The interview went on to cover various topics such as their authority in the social media space and their thoughts of outrageous Instagram beauty trends. When Zinali talked about tagging

brands in her photos, Wade brought up the issue of underrepresented women of color in the makeup industry.

“I stopped tagging brands, because they didn’t post a lot of people of color on their account. I’m not going to support a brand if they aren’t going to support my people.” Wade expressed.

“Like if you haven’t posted a woman of color in 22 weeks, then I’m out.”

As the interview portion of the event came to an end, the makeup tutorials and presentations from the trio finally began.

Tyme the Infamous began her “College Everyday Makeup Look” tutorial that included simple steps for contouring a warm tone of brown eyeshadow, eyeliner, fake eyelashes (optional, if you have time) and a neutral lipstick. Tyme then applied a darker brown shadow on the outer corners of the ears and a shimmery eyeshadow to finish, showing the audience how to quickly turn an everyday look into a party look.

Zinali came on stage next and focused primarily on how to do apply liquid lipstick neatly and efficiently. Using Jeffree Star’s Unicorn Blood liquid lipstick, she outlined the steps for applying long-lasting and smooth lipcolor with these simple steps: moisturize your lips, use lip liner, fill in with preferred color and clean up any messes along the way. For a cleaner look, Zinali recommends looking at your lips from all angles, including the underside of your lips to get better coverage.

When Wade walked onto the stage, he gave helpful tips on how to find the right shade of foundation and said, “If you’re taking six months to blend it into your skin, it’s not your right shade.”

He went on to point out that skin doesn’t stay consistent and often times, foundation needs to be blended with other lighter or darker shades depending on weather and skin type. Wade was sure to include products for different skin tones when recommending products and suggested that people “go to the deepest, darkest corner of your house and take a picture with the flash on” to see if the foundation matches your skin tone and is blended well.

After the presentations were over, an open Q-and-A segment was offered to anyone who had any more questions. A line quickly formed behind the mic placed on the floor, ranging from questions about products to tips on dealing with haters.

For an event about makeup and beauty, the conversations and insights I heard from professional makeup gurus were surprisingly all about self-love, confidence and authenticity to your artistry.

I left the event feeling inspired, liberated and ready to take on the world of makeup, with all of its trials and tribulations, uneven eyeliner and lipstick-stained teeth.

Oh, and by the way, if you’re wondering what are the best products they would recommend to help students with the Riverside heat, those products would be Nyx Cosmetics Angel Veil Primer and MAC Pro Set Power. You’re welcome.

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I LEFT THE EVENT FEELING INSPIRED, LIBERATED AND READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD OF MAKEUP, WITH ALL OF ITS TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, UNEVEN EYELINER AND LIPSTICK-STAINED TEETH.

club see page 13 spotlight

Film and Photography Society

“W

e’re pretty much the only campus organization that creates actual film and photographic content … giving our members the opportunity to create films or stage photoshoots and the like,” chimed Faraz Rizvi, a third-year political science major and also board member of the Film and Photography Society, or FPS. This club combines the technical skills of moviemaking and photography with a casual and inviting atmosphere that gives anyone an opportunity to stop by and develop their skills or to just hang out and discuss their favorite movies. The club is relatively small, with only eight members, however most of the members have a technical prowess about them in the fields of both industries of film and photography, making the club a very good resource for aspiring directors or photographers.

The club was founded in 2005 by a student from Singapore and was later brought to UC Riverside as well

as UCLA in 2007. Since then, FPS has had many accomplishments, with a myriad of short films under their belt (some posted on their YouTube channel), and photographing for the Marriot Hotel in Riverside, as well as charitable work with Spotlight On Hope that gave pediatric cancer patients the opportunity to create films.

Furthermore, the president of FPS, Josiah Yu, a fourthyear film major, has also entered in various film competitions, one in which he was nominated for best short.

With these achievements, you would think it would be very intimidating for someone with no prior experience to join the club. On the contrary, the club is designed in a way to cater to those with no experience.

When I went to the meeting, half of the members there claimed to have no experience, yet they were all planning to be working on the current fall production that FPS set for this quarter.

Everyone seemed excited and restless, eager to learn

Osama Khan, contributing writer

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

Club spotlight (continued)

Osama Khan, contributing writer the ins and outs of creating an actual film from scratch. That’s the beauty of the club, it’s a place where you can go to express your love and passion for film or photography, or take away something more, making it a gateway into the professional side of things like expanding your repertoire into the editing process, handling the equipment or just getting the experience of being the director of a film.

One of the board members, Keanu Valibia, a third-year business major, was explaining how they offer networking opportunities with professionals from the industry, workshops to increase knowledge on specific areas and collaborations with different clubs on campus to

create “a place where anyone can come to develop (their) technical skills and have fun while connecting with other movie lovers.”

Currently, the club is in the editing phases of the script that they’ve selected for this quarter’s production. The most recent working title is “The Keepsake,” and it was interesting to see the insights every member had to offer to improve the film, or their ideas to completely change up the script. Everyone seemed to be bursting with ideas, going back and forth on what the setting should be, how they could film that scene or the scenario that the main character seemed to stumble into. Their goal is to get the film production finished

and ultimately ready to be submitted into the Riverside Film Festival. It’ll be interesting to see how the film turns out with this being the first production for many of the members.

From political science to business to media studies, the members come from various disciplines yet their love of film has brought them together. All of the members are passionate about film and photography and many of them have said that it’s not even about making a great movie, it’s about the experience of making the movie. After all, the club’s mantra is: “You can’t make good art unless you’ve made a bunch of bad art.”

■H

Disclosure: FPS board member, Faraz Rizvi, is also a staff writer for the Highlander newspaper.

All about breakups KYLE OMORI Contributing Writer

Breaking up is always messy.

Whether you are the one who is being dumped or the one who is doing the dumping, it’s not easy. However, there are ways to maintain your sanity during the difficult time that is the breakup as well as ways to initiate one without making you look too much like the bad guy.

The immediate aftermath of a breakup is not pretty. It involves a fair deal of crying depending on how invested you were as well as how blindsided you were. But allowing yourself to feel sad is an incredibly important step for feeling better in the future. You may go through the cycle of emotions that one experiences when encountering grief: denial, anger, bargaining and depression. Now some may skip over several of these steps, but for the sake of being thorough, I am including all of them. Either way, you need to experience the emotions you feel wholeheartedly; do not try to filter them with destructive behavior (drinking, gambling, etc.) as this will undoubtedly make you feel worse in the near and distant future.

It will also make it remarkably more difficult for you to get to the next stage of the breakup: acceptance.

Taking time for yourself can be a way to help you move on.

Hang out with your friends who can help cheer you up. Laughter is the best medicine for a reason; it works. Do things that make you smile, like a hobby, watch your favorite movie (preferably a happy one) or reading a really good book.

Sometimes, the best way to get over these things is to distance yourself from them.

This may be tricky though as there are some who simply cannot avoid encountering people, places or things that are associated with their exes.

There are those of us who have mutual friends with our exes — the poor individuals caught in between the tears and angry words. There is always the very real possibility that sides will be picked and some of these friends will be lost in the custody battle.

These losses are somewhat of an aftershock of the initial breakup and you’ll feel it just as much as the first. My advice therefore is the same: let yourself get through the pain and then let yourself be happy.

Another aspect of ending a relationship that is never fun is the returning of items. I always think of this as a kind of

13

exchange of prisoners. Hopefully, you ended things on good enough terms that you and your ex are able to arrange a time and place to return the jackets, borrowed books and cell phone chargers that you both left in the care of the other without incident. However, for those who did not end things so cleanly, a word of advice: do not take it out on the other person’s stuff.

Destroying your ex’s belongings will not make you feel better.

Sure, you’ll get some frustration out, but that’s only dealing with the surface of the issue. Return their possessions intact and you will come out of it the bigger person and respected by most.

My last piece of advice is also the most difficult to write: how to break up with someone. This is not something that should be taken lightly. You are most likely going to be hurting the person whom you are breaking up with, but I will try to assist you in making the blow a little softer. First, begin weaning yourself off of them in person and in contact. Take time in responding to them, but do not take so long that it seems like you are ignoring them. If you constantly spend time with them and act like everything is fine, then the break up may come as out of the blue and will leave them more distraught than

necessary.

Second, it should most definitely be in person. Try to be direct but don’t be brutal. You should explain why you would like to end the relationship with a firm tone that won’t come off as harsh. Do not leave it ambiguous, it needs to be clear that you are ending the relationship.

Give them the closure that will help them move on.

Third, try not to use cliches.

I know that this can be difficult as every reason to break up with someone has been said and done, but you should at least be able to avoid things like, “It’s not you, it’s me,” “We can still be friends” and “I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”

And finally, reassure them.

Let them leave with the knowledge that though you two may not have worked out, there are billions of people on the planet and the odds are pretty good that they will meet someone else.

The end of a relationship isn’t easy and will leave its mark on you. You’ll be sad and times may get tough, but at the end of the day we’re still only in our 20s.

There’s so much ahead of us that getting hung up on someone is letting life slip by. You never know when someone new will cross paths with you, and more often than not, this special some■H one will come as a surprise.

[

]

Sometimes, the best way to get over these things is to distance yourself from them.

HARD DAY OF THE DEAD

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

15

SATURDAY

GOING HARD ON HALLOWEEN WEEKEND CODY NGUYEN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER AARON GRECH, SENIOR STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY JOSEPH PHAM

F

or the second straight year, Live Nation subsidiary HARD events brought their annual Day of the Dead music festival back to the Pomona Fairplex — though this time with a much different look and

feel.

After the tragic deaths of two women at last August’s HARD Summer, the brand’s flagship festival, a bevy of operational changes quickly ensued for Day of the Dead, including an increase of the age restriction from 18-andup to 21-and-up, decreased venue capacity, hours of operation and heightened security measures. Upon walking through the entrance gates, one of the most apparent differences between this festival and others past was the lack of an outdoor main stage. Instead, all five stages were erected in buildings of various size inside the venue.

Despite the changes, the noticeably-smaller crowd efficaciously captured the Halloween spirit and arrived ready to take in all HARD had to offer, donning costumes ranging from show headliners Deadmau5 and Skrillex, to the all-too-typical Native American headdress that walks a fine line between being tributary and bastardizing a centuries-old culture.

Entering the first warehouse leading to the mainstage titled the “Hard: Haunted Mansion, I joined a group of about 200 people who were closely huddled to see the first performer. Taking a sip from the camelback I was wearing, I began to slowly see crew members prepare the stage. One of the audience members dressed as Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty, stayed true to his costume and scarfed down his drink right next to me as the lights began to flash down and a white “AW” appeared on the mainstage.

A small blonde girl in a white T-shirt and an upside down cross on her forehead appeared on the raised stage and television screens behind her. A short cinematic song began to play as she greeted the audience with “Let’s fucking dance,” in an Australian accent. Despite her small stature and relative distance from me on the stage, I obeyed, because I’m still pretty sure Alison Wonderland would kick my ass harder than the setlist she performed if I didn’t.

While it’s difficult to describe her music beyond trap infused with “insert genre here,” Wonderland definitely kept the audience turnt, from playing her hits such as “U Don’t Know,” before dropping the heavier songs into sped up versions of popular hits such as The Weeknd’s “Often.”

The crowd ate it up, dancing along as Wonderland seemed to keep pushing us harder the deeper she got into her set. Between sampling modern rap, house and trap hits, I kept questioning why the world chose Iggy to represent the convict island, instead of the small blonde force behind the turntables. After playing her most popular hit “I Want U,” and closing out the show, I ventured off into the next stage entitled the “Ghouls Graveyard.”

Settling into an even tinier crowd, I was quickly able to make it to the front of Djemba Djemba, known across the underground for his unique brand of drum and bass. While a little empty, the crowd was definitely dedicated to his brand of music hopping along ferociously through the DJ’s transitions as he remained relatively silent throughout the set.

While the underground artists such as Djemba Djemba drew a smaller crowd throughout the night (more about that once I get to Flying Lotus later) they definitely remain dedicated. While there were a few setbacks (in terms of the number of friends you can invite) by having a 21-plus rave, the crowd is a lot more mature and dedicated.

After exiting the stage easily through the dank smell of the warehouse (Ghoul’s Graveyard, to my surprise, was the only one like this) I wandered around the Fairplex to fill up the camelback and take a break before I saw Future. By this point the number of people across the entire Fairplex definitely increased, tripling in the past couple of hours. Heading back to the Haunted Mansion after my break, the warehouse was now packed with a large audience waiting for the rapper from Atlanta to perform.

Future has definitely been keeping busy these past couple of years, dropping five mixtapes and one album in 2015 alone.

Upon his introduction, a parody of the presidential seal with “Future” written across the borders in white and black awaited the audience.

Unfortunately the performance wasn’t as regal as I had anticipated. As Future yelled throughout most of his set through his various mixtapes to the popular hit with Drake “Jumpman,” I was sharply reminded of how difficult it is for some rappers to perform live, especially one who heavily relies on auto-tune for his career. Despite its mediocrity the aforementioned “Jumpman,” was a highlight, even without Drake.

After meeting up with my housemates

who finally arrived, we went to the Underground stage where Armand Van Helden became the man of the rave. Having a career that goes back to the early 1990’s, the audience ripped up the dance floor as his mixture of funk and acid house kept us going the entire time. Looking back at my snapchat from the night, the phrase “Dance just fucking dance,” summed up the experience perfectly.

After Van Helden my group went off to see Nero perform, as the warehouse was now virtually packed with over a thousand bodies awaiting the trio. Taking a place among a white pyramid across the stage, the singer Alana Watson remained the only one visible throughout the entire performance as the DJs appeared through silhouettes until they revealed themselves at the end.

Filled with trippy visuals as the background and pyramid changed, the crowd remained amped as they played through most of their “Between II Worlds,” album.

Opening with “Satisfy,” the band prepared the audience for their unique blend of alternative electro house blending electronic rock into the set as well. The cohesiveness of their set along with the atmosphere made Nero feel like a rock band, proving that electronic groups and DJ’s do far more than just press buttons at their turntables. Closing out with “The Thrill,” Nero definitely amped up the pressure I put on the closing act to perform well.

One of the major gripes I had with HARD was that they scheduled Flying Lotus (FlyLo), Pete Tong and Deadmau5 as finishers.

While it was a difficult choice, I went with FlyLo and I’m pretty sure I reached nirvana after seeing his closing performance.

Decked out in his “fly” halloween mask and a Captain Murphy flight suit, FlyLo made sure that his visuals and music choices fit the Halloween horror theme. Reaching the front of a small audience of maybe 300 at most, I got closer to the middle as he played through his trippy set of experimental electronic music. Blending hip hop, jazz, ambient and chiptune music into his set, the small crowd went wild as his visuals ranging from outer space to a cartoon about a gothic tragedy, kept his mix animated.

Between playing his experimental electro jazz tracks off of “Cosmogramma” and “You’re Dead,” including popular hits such as a remix of Travis Scott’s “Antidote,” FlyLo also rapped as Captain Murphy during the latter half of the set. Going through songs such as “The Killing Joke” and “Children of the Atom” as Captain Murphy, the loyal audience was greeted with a diverse and all around stunning performance as FlyLo closed out the show with about 50 people remaining for an encore.

In retrospect, I was honestly glad that the cruel HARD event planners chose to schedule Deadmau5 and FlyLo at the same time.

The crowd that stuck with FlyLo was a lot of fun and really brought out the most in the performance, it didn’t matter if we were all strangers at the beginning of the night, because at the end we each had changed from this experience. Also, I’m pretty glad I didn’t have to wait through 10 minutes of a blue screen of death once the power blew out at Deadmau5.

While the more mainstream performers such as Nero were a lot of fun to see, the more underground artists were able to use the small crowds to their advantage. Being relatively new to electronic music, I was surprised about the amount of energy FlyLo was able to gather from a relatively small group of people, and I remained relatively unaware of how many people were actually inside the warehouse until the end. The amount of cheers, shouts and dancing out of the 50 people remaining could’ve filled up a stadium.

SUNDAY Sunday’s action built upon the precedent of high energy, adventure and musical variety set by the day one crowd and performers. With performances by dubstep king Skrillex, hiphop star A$AP Ferg and dark techno visionary Gesaffelstein on the docket, a tapering-off of Saturday’s intensity was never a part of the equation.

Chad Greathouse, a 22-year-old college graduate from Palm Springs, was quick to dismiss any concerns about fatigue stemming from partying for a second straight day.

“Are you kidding me? I’m more pumped today than I was yesterday!”

Greathouse interjected as he quickly sprinted to keep up with his posse of various other 20-something festivalgoers.

Cameo appearances are some of the most anticipated and buzz-creating aspects of any music festival, and HARD Day of the Dead had no trouble generating its fair share of surprise guests.

One of the first acts on the bill, trap artist Troyboi, threw a curveball with his guests, sharing the stage with dance crew Kinjaz, best known as the runner-ups on the most recent season of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

Gary Richards, the founder and CEO of HARD events who also deejays under the moniker Destructo, brought out rappers Problem and Ty Dolla Sign during his set on the main stage to perform hits such as “Like Whaaat,” “Paranoid” and “Blase” for the crowd. Another surprise guest that stole the show was none other than world-renowned producer and DJ Diplo, who joined Skrillex for the last 10 minutes of his closing set for a

performance as the duo’s collaborative project, better known as Jack U. “Ridiculous, just ridiculous,” 21-year-old Manuel Escoto feverishly said of the night’s surprise guests.

Even without the presence of a plus one, I was still able to marvel at the ability of performers such as Gesaffelstein to garner the crowd’s affection.

Opening his set with the ominous, captivating sounds of “Pursuit,” the tone was immediately set for Gesaffelstein’s patrons as they were treated to an hour of groovy, bone-chilling and hard-hitting French techno.

While electronic music was the clear majority at the festival, other genres still made their presence felt loud and clear. Rapper Darold Ferguson Jr., colloquially known as ASAP Ferg, brought an unmatched intensity with his high-energy stage presence as he encouraged the crowd to “turn the fuck up” to live performances of club bangers such as “Work,” “Shabba” and “Murda Something.” Audience participation was a highlight of Ferg’s 45-minute set, as the crowd continually belted out the lyrics to the aforementioned tracks with ease, sometimes even drowning out Ferg himself on the sound system.

At 11 o’clock sharp, the stages across the venue transitioned from a lively cornucopia of sensory-overloading visuals and sounds to a blank slate of nothingness. As crowds filed out of the gates for the last time, the success of the event can be best encapsulated by a recurring quote overheard in a number of various side conversations: H “When’s the next HARD event?” ■

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, November 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Restaurant Review:

Tacos El Camaroncito RATING ★★★★☆ LOCATION 2592 Rubidoux Blvd

Ashley chung, staff writer Vincent Ta, Photography Editor

A

fter accidentally passing by what appeared to be an abandoned, white shack several times on a rather obscure street corner, I finally came to the realization that the little building was a restaurant named Tacos El Camaroncito. Being one to not typically judge a book by its cover, I figured I would give this restaurant

Riverside, CA 92509 PRICE $ HOURS Sun. - Sat. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

CATEGORY Mexican CREDIT YES

WEBSITE a try — at least my stomach was willing to, seeing as how much I was craving Mexican food at the time.

Upon pulling into the cramped, gravel lot, the scent of fresh cilantro and limes wafted toward me as I read a painted wall that advertised their burritos, tacos, tortas and ceviche in bold, black letters. Following the invigorating scents, my eyes

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-el-camaroncito-riverside

trailed to the dirt-stained walls as I walked around toward the front of the scrubby building where the cashier waited to take orders behind a small window opening.

Despite the grubby exterior, the restaurant still met the county’s standards of health and sanitation with their blue graded “A” noticeably exhibited by the cashier.

Tinted with age, the yellowing windows displayed a large menu

that boasted their assortments of meats, ranging from the more basic asada to the atypical cahuamanta, or manta ray fish. After much consideration, my friends and I finally made a decision and proceeded to order asada (beef), lengua (beef tongue), pescado (fish), camaron (shrimp) and cahuamanta tacos. Additionally, we requested a pastor (barbeque pork) burrito and ceviche de ca-

maron (shrimp ceviche tostada).

The cashier hastily wrote down our choices, aggravated at our indecisiveness in ordering, especially since we were the only customers and it was nearing the time of closing at 6 p.m.

As I waited for our food, I wandered about the limited space and noticed a tight indoor dining room neatly lined with just a few well-used tables and brown leather-lined benches. Sadly, the restaurant closed off their interior seating so we weren’t able to escape from the 60 degree SoCal weather. The space consisted of three tables and benches positioned under a patio roof, which was lined with a few hanging flower pots overflowing with delicate plants Our variety of food quickly arrived one after another soon enough, filling our table with vibrant colors from the fragrant limes, avocados and red chili sauce. My cravings and senses were well satisfied before I even got a taste of the food.

I sliced into the warm tortilla and filling, revealing layers of steamy beans, barbecued pork, onions and rice. With a tender bite into the wide burrito, I can gladly confirm that it tasted even better than it looked as the flavored meat melded with the aromatic Spanish rice. The ceviche de cameron met the high expectations set by the savory burrito as well. Sandwiched between two satisfyingly crunchy tostadas, the shrimp was cooked to the ideal level of crisp freshness that balanced perfectly with the tartness from the lime juice and diced tomatoes sprinkled throughout.

Each and every single taco we ordered was equally packed with assorted flavors. They were brightly topped with cilantro, diced onions, tomatoes, sliced creamy avocadoes and their red sauce, which gave it a heated kick. The fish in the soft-skinned tortillas were fried to absolute righteousness with a thin crunchy outer layer and a still moist and juicy interior. The shrimp, like the ceviche, was still fresh, while the meats were tender and soft with seasoned flavors flowing throughout. The manta ray fish was particularly flaky and somewhat resembled dried cuttlefish — a mixture of chewiness and dryness — peculiar, but something I’m sure we just needed getting used to.

Tacos El Camaroncito brought back old favorites of mine in a renewed light, while introducing me to different choices such as the manta ray fish. With its low, college-student-appropriate prices and authentic Mexican dishes, the visit to this tiny restaurant was definitely worth it.

Don’t let the grimy, unappealing exterior of the restaurant fool you into thinking the food is unappetizing, because it is quite the opposite.

■H

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

EVENTS THIS WEEK 11/9 11/12

Hard Drums for Whiskey Bottles: Indigenous Hip Hop, Traditional Music and Politics @ARTS 166, 6-8 p.m.

Spoken Word, Spoken Truth @HUB 302 South, 6-9 p.m.

“Spring Awakening” @University Theatre, 8-10 p.m.

11/13

Cinema Culturas Film Fest @ RCC digital library auditorium, 5 p.m.

COURTESY OF METRO/GOLDWIN/MAYER

18

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

HIGHLANDER JOURNAL READER SUBMITTED FICTION & POETRY

A June Drive

by Christian Monroy

Gyuri sees a crumpled workman’s boot sitting by the glaring white river and wonders if it belonged to someone they made disappear. The dawn lightens all the colors of the little Hungarian town, from the dusty road to the sparse grass to the cattle by the river, and so the stern black truck squatting in the center of town looks even more like a pit than normal. Niko drinks from his flask and thinks aloud how crude it was to send them in the truck at dawn; it probably scares the kids, and it’s so unsubtle; really, subtlety was the point the Party wanted to make, right? Hard unmistakable subtlety can’t be conveyed with a black truck at dawn like it could if it was night. Sure, but we have a tight schedule, Gyuri reminds him.

Sometimes, the people Niko and Gyuri make disappear reappear with a second chance and a job in the city, and others reappear in an article about recent martyrs in the struggle against the West on the back of the paper.

A pot-bellied middle-aged man with skewed glasses and gnarled lower teeth meets them when they knock at the door. He turns out his pockets before they even ask, and neither kicks nor begs nor makes any other lively declaration of innocence or injustice that dissidents usually make before disappearing. He leaves a grimy ring on a nearby drawer.

“My name is Levi. I teach math, you know, to the children here.

There’s a schoolhouse behind the church. I studied in Cologne, very good university there. Sister Ena, she helps run the school, she knows I am good. Teaching, I mean.”

“Oh-ho, Cologne? I’m sure you must be a very learned man, professor. You know, I once taught biology. I studied in Miskolc,” Niko brags.

“These are your writings?” Gyuri presents four incriminating letters, intercepted on their way to the West, dripping in bombastic denunciations of the Party and rabid calls to arms against her principles.

The penmanship is neat, deliberate cursive, and could’ve passed as type in its delicate uniformity. Unmistakable woman’s handwriting.

The middle-aged man squeezes the papers in a shaky hand. “Yes, yes they are. The climate, it just got to me, you know. I accept full responsibility, I’ll go quietly. Just take me away before the children are up to see, is all I ask. I don’t want them to fear the- I just don’t want to make a scene for them.”

“This writing is quite articulate for a mathematician. And the penmanship-” “Leave it, Gyuri, who says he can’t be both? After all, he did go to Cologne, you know. Ask to be an editor, Levi, they’re always looking for more editors.” Niko says with a light slur.

“You can bug every house in the town if you want, but I wrote them, I’m the one you’re looking for today. Please, before my students wake up to see this.” the middle-aged man insists.

Gyuri and Niko step back and exchange whispers. For once they agree that while maybe the old man wrote the letters and maybe he was covering for the one who did, what was more important was the principle of the incident. The West triumphed with every letter that slipped through the Iron Curtain. If not the middle-aged man, they’d have to take a young one. If not a man, then a woman. Really, they agreed, it was better for the town, and less work for them, if they just took this poor old sap and let the principles speak on their own from there.

On the way to the truck, Levi’s right leg gives out beneath him and he stumbles onto Niko’s waist for support, apologizing profusely.

“You need help?” Gyuri asks.

“Just an old army scratch. I’ll be fine.” Levi pulls away from Niko’s waist and pretends to adjust his pants.

“Wehrmacht?” Niko asks.

“Heavens, no. Deutsche Heer. But my son, he was Wehrmacht.”

Niko cracks up. “Zero for two! My deepest condolences.”

Gyuri stuffs the middle-aged man into the canopied back of the truck and starts it.

“So, dead, then? Or do the Americans have him?” Niko asks.

“No- you do, in Szeged. The Lord took him there before the end of the War, and then you took him from the Lord. He is set for a trial there.” Levi says.

“You’re very forthcoming for someone with a Nazi son. I hope the Lord let you two make your peace; your trial is the other way, in Debrecen!” Gyuri laughs.

“Something like that.” Levi agrees.

With the sun warming its shell, the truck ambles down the country road until the village is an indistinct ridge. Separating Levi from Gyuri and Niko is a steel wall with cross bars forming a window at the top.

The wooden floor of the back is old and bare, and Levi has to sit on his coat to avoid splinters. Levi watches the sky through the front window, his hand still pressed against his thigh. In the front, Niko lazily nurses his flask with a mixture four parts water, one part alcohol.

“You’re just holding out on me so you don’t have to drive.”

Gyuri says.

“You had your chance to take some from the back room yesterday. I owe you nothing.”

“Are we much farther?” Levi asks.

“Usually they complain the ride was too short.” Gyuri says.

“Settle in; there is time to kill.” Niko says. “Does anyone have a story to tell?”

“Watch out- the truck is bugged!” Gyuri stiffly jokes.

“Old man, that war scratch. Tell us how you got that, eh? Make it interesting.”

Niko screws the cap back onto his flask and stows it in his pocket.

The drinking helps him fail to notice that right above his pocket, his holster has been empty for a distance of many miles now.

“It is really not such an interesting story. I chose a bad time to climb up, and the round cracked through my thigh. I was lucky to land back in the trench on my neck, because that kept the wound clean. You know, they let me keep the bullet. I think it was Russian, but you know there’s no way to tell.” In the back, Levi fiddles with Niko’s worn-down pistol, his nerves dampened by a measure of national pride that German guns were never so shoddy.

“No, not Russian. If his aim was so bad he got your thigh, he was definitely American!” Niko roars with laughter.

“Another likely possibility.” Levi says. “Say, tell me, sir- do we have enough gas to make it to Debrecen?”

“Don’t worry yourself with that, right now our biggest problem is how to get through the drive itself! Niko, your turn for a story.”

“Well, you’ll never guess what I saw the other day. She was so slimy and green-“ “So, say we were going to Szeged, we would have enough?” Levi asks.

“You are going to Debrecen, old man.”

“Szeged is closer.”

“Oh, enough with the gas already!” Niko moans.

“So it is enough then?”

“Yes, yes, why wouldn’t it be? Niko, the girl, what did she have?”

“Actually, why don’t I go again?” Levi says as he steadies the gun’s barrel against the crossbars of the window. “A good one just came to mind.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

19

Exploring my insatiable fandom for Young Thug Myles Andrews-Duve Senior Staff Writer

T

here are two things I know to be true in this life: One, I love listening to Young Thug and two, I have no fucking clue why. As somebody who touts artistic creativity and independence in hip-hop and loathes the lack of such that currently defines the genre, Young Thug — on the surface — is the antithesis of what I stand for. However, beneath that surface, exists a rarely explored layer of Thug that draws my appeal. Of what this exactly is, though, I am not sure.

So, in an effort to explore this particular quandary, I searched high and low for Myles: So, I hear you enjoy listening Young Thug.

Is that true?

Myles: Why yes, I do. I fucking love him, actually.

What do you love about him?

I just, I just think that he is — in all that he represents — an art form. His music, his appearance, his sound it’s all so ugly. But this ugliness warps you into his unparagoned world and that makes it all sound so fucking beautiful at the same time. This fascinates me.

Is there any aspect of him which you find most appealing?

I mean, this isn’t a surprise at all, but it has to be his voice.

What about his voice, exactly?

Well shit, Thugger’s a straight up crooner, man! The manner in which he manages to shriek out melodies and return to a low, haunting drawl just seconds later is a skill wholly unique to his style. Listen to every track on the “Barter 6” and you’ll hear this done to perfection. It’s this ever-ranging voice that leaves you anticipating each line of his songs, man. It’s masterful.

Okay, that’s great, but it can’t be all love can it? I mean, no artist is perfect. There has to be something you dislike about Young Thug, no?

Well, every artist has their progressions man. Like even Kanye wasn’t Kanye right away, you know? It took time. And so with Thug, I would say we have yet to see him bring together an album with combined consistency behind both his lyrics and his production.

You bring up Kanye and I’m glad because I know you recently wrote about the genius behind his album, “Late Registration”. Do you view Young Thug as having a similar stroke of genius?

Well first, you’ve really done quite a bit of research on me, which I appreciate. I think when it comes to two starkly different artists such as West and Thug, it’s hard to compare them directly, but they are definitely among those of a unique mold.

What separates them — more so Thug, specifically — from other hip-hop artists, then?

There is a very unparagoned quality about their music, stylistically. When you listen to Young Thug, his sound is as distinct as Kanye’s sound is. Basically, you know right away who you are listening to when you hear their songs or a verse. In the world of hip hop — or even music, in general — where molds are often created and continually refilled, this stand-out quality is quite rare.

In that case, does his lack of widespread mainstream appeal add to your interest in him?

somebody, anybody, wittingly funny enough and unequivocally handsome enough to help me answer the pressing questions in regards to my Young Thug fandom. After extensively scouring the universe for the perfect candidate, I settled upon one man: myself. So, below is an interview I conducted with myself about Young Thug, what makes him unique as an artist and a few other Thug-related topics. For the few of you who have yet to act upon your inclination to turn the page, I say good luck and enjoy.

I mean, I suppose this can add to his allure for some.

But in a word, no. ... And honestly, to be living our lives liking or disliking a piece of work due to it’s popularity or lack thereof is a huge injustice to ourselves. Whatever music — or no, better yet, whatever sound — appeals to you is fluid and should be approached as such.

This is true, but it is undeniable that mainstream hip hop does have a particular sound or consistent subject matter, no?

It does, man. But, tell me, since when is having a “particular sound or consistent subject matter” grounds for immediate distaste? Like, there is no singularly uniform manner for which we should find art appealing.

To abide by some nonexistent criteria for such is unfair to yourself and to an artist like Young Thug, who shouldn’t be placed in a box.

You seem upset.

I’m not. I just really detest that hipster mentality.

Well, on the topic of stepping outside the box, what are your thoughts on Thug selling an image of homosexuality?

I think it’s genius, honestly. I mean, Young Thug isn’t gay. I think we all know that. But keeping around the question of “what if?” only adds to the enigma that he has become. The women’s clothes he wears, the lyrics that make you say “pause” ... it’s all part of his act and he’s damn good at selling it. And at the same time, dude is promoting LGBTQ equality in his own badass kind of way which is pretty awesome for a hip-hop artist in this day.

I agree it is cool. But, like, does it not bother you at all that this “act” of Thug’s isn’t as genuine as what we see from, say, an artist like J. Cole? ...

Would you like me to repeat the ques— (interrupts) Let’s...let’s just move on.

Well, no, I mean ... I think it’s an important question to ask. Young Thug offers very little genuine substance both within his music and in what he sells himself as. As a hip-hop fan, does that not bother you?

I think that’s a very offensive question to ask, honestly.

Well ...

Look, sometimes artists — in the most basic sense — are what they are. If you’re listening to Young Thug waiting for him to drop some contemplative lines about feminism or the poverty-induced drug epidemic then you’ll be deeply disappointed. Because his own background and story doesn’t tie into that.

Genuity is all relative to one’s own experience and it’s terribly unfair to fault an artist for not expressing theirs in a manner that you view as palpable.

So, regardless you would agree that Young Thug is not much of a deep-thinking rapper, right?

Jesus Christ, man. I asked you to do this interview because you seemed like the type who could actually ask a decent question without any hidden agenda.

But again, no I disagree. There is plenty of honesty within Young Thug’s music but if you’re listening to him and hoping to get contemplative, you’ll be disappointed. Thug’s tales of his own experience definitely exist throughout his music but they’re often intentionally disguised by loosely thrown together hooks, cheap wordplay and a few senseless lines.

But where do they exist?

Well, try tracks like “Hey, I” and “Never Made Love” where both reveal Thug’s conflicting views on love and relationships. On one — “Hey, I” — he expresses his need for companionship and on the other he opens about his inner jealousy and nagging fear of falling in love. If you take the time, you’ll find a candid layer to Young Thug’s music that most — including yourself — assume doesn’t exist.

I’ll take your word for it. Switching on you, those two tracks you just mentioned are you on last week’s release, “Slime Season 2”, no?

They are.

I understand you just recently listened to that mixtape, is this true?

It is. And I must say, while I don’t agree with your biases, the fair amount of research you have done on me is quite flattering.

Why? Because you’re pitting your own biases of an artist against them and those who enjoy his music.

Thanks. What were your thoughts of the tape?

I think “Slime Season 2” is honestly one of his most listenable projects to date. The entire mixtape is probably about a half hour too long but there is actual development and thematic continuity throughout that partially makes up for that — which is a cool wrinkle in his progression as an artist.

Okay, well, I didn’t mean t— (interrupts) Sure, you didn’t mean to, but that’s what came out. And that’s an issue.

Alright, any final thoughts?

Thanks for the interview. Also, you really should cut your hair and get a real job.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

MOVIE REVIEW SPECTRE // RATING: ★★☆☆☆ NATHAN SWIFT Senior Staff Writer

It’s strange to expect much from a character like James Bond.

From him, you’d expect less of the psychological grittiness that pervades the recent Batman movies and more of just, well, James Bond: a government-backed professional killer who always saves everybody from whichever super villain turns out to have the most ridiculous name. It seems like a simple formula for movie success, yet in “Spectre,” he was injected with an unhealthy dose of “killer with a conscious,” and as a result, this was one of the few Bond movies that nearly bored me to death.

The plot is as exciting and ridiculous as your typical James Bond flick. We see the famous British spy (Daniel Craig) caught in the middle of a power struggle as his most recent actions have landed him in hot waters. M (Ralph Fiennes) is forced to take Bond off duty because, I don’t know, he’s too good at killing people? Meanwhile, C (Andrew Scott), M’s superior, wants to create a broad, Orwellian surveillance system for counterterrorism purposes and wants the ‘00’ section of MI6 to be shut down. Of course, Bond disobeys orders and does what he does best: going country to country picking up clues that eventually lead to him taking out the bad guys.

The acting is great in this movie. I’ve always been on board with Craig as James Bond. Much like Christian Bale in The Dark Knight trilogy, Craig largely does away with the campiness of the old 007 flicks in favor of a Bond who’s more aware of his emotions and surroundings. Craig’s very good at this, too — a single glance or a punch to a wall will tell you all you need to know about how conflicted Bond is about something. The supporting cast is great as well. It was

fun seeing Dave Bautista playing a slightly more serious version of his WWE persona as his assassin character fights Bond through over-the-top choreography. And after playing the The Napoleon of Crime in BBC’s “Sherlock,” it was fun seeing Andrew Scott in another villain role. I hope he enjoys being typecast as “British villain with the creepiest smile ever,” because I certainly do.

“Spectre” has some of the most beautiful production values I’ve seen in a recent action film. It was good to see that director Sam Mendes picked up on what worked in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” particularly with its cinematography.

For example, the opening action sequence takes place during a Dia de Los Muertos festival in Mexico, and every detail about the physical location — from the celebratory crowd to the specific building heights — is established through panning shots right before the action even begins. And there’s an explosion towards the very end that’d make Michael Bay weep. Thanks to “Mad Max,” we’re slowly living in a world now where action movies give painstaking attention to details in action scenes, and “Spectre” reflects this.

Unfortunately, all of “Spectre’s” star-studded acting and amazing camera work is ruined by one thing: the pacing. This might’ve been the first Bond movie to put me asleep in between the action sequences. Pacing is always important for a movie: if too much is squeezed in between quintessential scenes then the movie will drag on; If too little is added, the viewer won’t feel grounded in the film’s reality. “Spectre” played both of these cards to little avail.

What made “Skyfall” such a great Bond film was how well it handled character development (especially with the secondary characters) and the plot’s advancement. In contrast to that, we don’t really know

COURTESY OF METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER

or learn more about Bond’s old and new acquaintances, and we’re rushed through different unfamiliar settings as Bond’s relationships with his peers are brushed aside within a plot that moves too quickly. In its rush to be exciting it lost a lot of charm.

Another factor for “Spectre’s” overall boringness was how serious it tried to be. For lack of a better word, James Bond is a superhero. Superhero movies are supposed to be more exciting than serious, but the screenwriters dropped the ball in attempting to add psychological grittiness to Bond. You’ll often be given what’s supposed to be a very serious scene and leave it thinking “was something at stake here?” This is most evident when Bond meets Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) in Austria due to his connections

with the terrorists Bond is tracking. They talk about secret spy stuff before a regretful Mr. White asks Bond to protect his daughter Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) from the very terrorists he worked with (who becomes his love interest because of course). And that’s the only time we see Mr. White.

The movie wants to be really serious with scenes like these, but the only thing that’ll wake you up is when shit starts exploding.

I also had ideological issues with the very concept of James Bond. Given that Ian Fleming created Bond in the 1950s, which was a time of rapid decline for the British empire, it’s easy to see how Bond is a standin for British imperialism. He’s a white man with a license to kill who travels through foreign corners of the world in an attempt to save civilized soci-

ety by shooting all the scary nonBritish people. It’s practically an imperialist’s wet dream — the idea of Bond taking up the burden of restoring law and order by any means necessary. I know it’s difficult to hold this against the movie, but c’mon. It’s 2015. It’s time to make a subversive Bond movie that challenges the assumptions and tropes that play into the cultural attitudes that allow a fictional character like James Bond to exist in the first place.

“Spectre’s” isn’t an amazing Bond film, nor even a great action movie. Look past the few little nuggets of excitement here and there and you’ll see something that’s best left for it’s eventual release on Netflix and Hulu. Or if you wish to be like me and fall asleep three times in the theater, then by all means, waste your money.

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TELEVISION REVIEW THE FLASH: THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT // RATING: ★★★★☆ ADRIAN GARCIA Contributing Writer

There’s one thing to take away after watching “The Flash,” which is that it’s simply a fun show. It also truly did deliver in bringing the fun in the show’s fifth episode of season two, “The Darkness and the Light.”

After sidetracking with a couple episodes, “The Flash” continued its exciting multiverse story arc the show has built after its epic season one cliffhanger. As seen in last week’s episode, Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) from Earth-2 has arrived to Earth-1 Central City through one of the 52 breaches in the city that connects both worlds.

After much shock that Harrison Wells is back, Team Flash learns that Wells has arrived to help Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) stop the evil speedster Zoom. But things are not all too well with Wells back, as Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears), the Flash from Earth-2, warns Team Flash that just like Earth-1 Harrison Wells, he is hiding many secrets and should not be trusted.

And Zoom himself has not stopped his goal of trying to kill Allen by sending more Earth-2 metahumans through the breaches. And this time he sends Dr. Light, a metahuman with blinding light abilities.

Right off the bat, the episode started with the longest look we’ve ever had at Earth-2 in the show.

Earth-2 is decidedly very futur-

istically retro and it’s an Earth in which Harrison Wells is still alive and highly revered, unlike Earth-1. The highlight of this look at Earth-2 is that we actually get to see Jay Garrick as his interpretation of The Flash. It’s pretty fun seeing Sears in the role of a much applauded superhero and is totally convincible as the crimson comet.

Unlike Gustin’s Flash, Sears is able to transform into a leader.

An important point is that Wells has developed a “Metahuman Awareness” app where it can warn people who have the app when a metahuman is near. We also see where the heated relationship between Wells and Garrick comes from. After revealing the new app, Garrick barges in and in front of the people of Central City, accuses Wells of creating the metahumans that have caused trouble in the city. With the whole crowd watching, Wells denies this accusation and refutes that Garrick should have stopped the villainous Zoom already if he would stop running from him. It’s an exciting look into a world we’re unfamiliar with and elevates the potential of what’s to come for the show.

This episode’s big drawing point is that Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells is back as a full cast member instead of cameos he has had in the previous episodes. I’ve always said that Cavanagh’s performance as Wells was the best thing of season one. I’m happy to say Cavanagh

once again brought his A game and was easily the best thing about this episode. Also what’s exciting is that Cavanagh is playing a completely different character than his season one counterpart. In season one we saw the mysterious and wise Harrison Wells. Now in season two we are seeing a demanding, abusive, pushover Wells. Much credit goes to Cavanagh and it’s a testament to his acting ability as it’s a vastly different interpretation of Wells.

He has changed everything ranging from the sound of his voice to the presence he makes when he enters a scene.

A major development happens for the series as Wells reveals that, thanks to his Metahuman Awareness app, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) is actually a metahuman. In previous episodes, Cisco has had strange visions where he sees something happening somewhere else. He has kept the secret to himself and now it’s out. But due to a very demanding Wells, he is insistent in using Cisco’s abilities to be able to track down Dr. Light. With his newfound abilities, the potential what the show can do with Cisco’s character just got more exciting.

Among these developments though, I can safely say that this is also by far the funniest episode “The Flash” has ever had. Wells’ presence in Earth-1 gives way to hilarious interactions between him and Team Flash, whether it’s Cisco giving wise cracks to Wells be-

cause of his inner hatred for Earth-1 Wells, or Wells’ deadpan realization of how much his doppelganger hurt Team Flash. Most of the humor in this episode is actually derived from the effect Dr. Light has.

She blinds Allen when he’s facing off with her, which leads to hilarious fiascos, such as him bumping into things and talking in the wrong direction to people.

This all leads to a literal blind date between Allen and Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten), Joe West’s (Jesse L. Martin) new partner-incrime. Gustin and VanSanten’s chemistry is off the charts and their interactions are so natural that it’s a joy to watch the two interact. The date also leads to more hilarity as “The Flash” introduces a more sitcom-y aspect to the series as Allen asks Cisco to be his eyes through-

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

out the date in which Cisco sees everything that’s going on from STAR Labs through special glasses he gave him. Amongst the menacing Zoom, the pending danger, and the dramatic multiverse storyline it’s nice to see that “The Flash” doesn’t shy away from having light moments and consequently, the show does a great job of balancing drama and comedy.

“The Flash” continued its exciting multiverse story and delivered exciting aspects such as a vastly different Harrison Wells and tension between him and members of Team Flash. It also ventured into more comedic territory, which was very welcome. All in all, these aspects of “The Darkness and the Light” made for a very balanced and more importantly fun episode of “The Flash.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

21

G N I N E K A SPRING AW or Nathan Swift, Seni

Staff Writer

Memebers of the Spring Awakening cast sat down with the Highlander to talk about their roles in the musical.

“S

pring Awakening” will be debuting for UCR’s department of Theatre, Film and Production this quarter.

Directed by Matt Neves of Riverside’s Repertory Theater, the musical debuted in 2006 and is based off the famous 1891 German play of the same name. The piece concerns the sexual awakenings of several different teenagers and how their confused thoughts about sexuality and growing up are handled by their peers and society.

Khalif Gillett, a fourth-year theater major, will be playing George Zirschnitz, one of the children who lusts after his piano teacher. Gillett was drawn into Zirschnitz’s complex inner life. “George is the best friend to the main character,” Gillett explained. “George is in kind of a depressive state, he’s very down-onhis-luck kid where everything is getting to him at this point in life.” He explained how wild Zirschnitz gets in his musical numbers, “he goes into his alter ego where he’s really hot-headed and

wild,” but he’s very different from classic angst-ridden teens of the American arts like Holden Caulfield “because he’s not as expressively angry about how he feels. He bottles it up until it explodes.”

For Gillett, the musical is all about the need for people to communicate and show affection toward each other. “A lot of adults lack that in this world.”

When asked what he wishes for students to take away from the musical, he replied “Just have a greater understanding of people and their stories, and that you never know what people are going through” and that both the silent and happy “could be going through the same types of heartaches, and you’d never know without asking.”

Haley Gaskin, a senior at UCR, will be playing Anna. In the musical, Anna is protective of her friends Marth and Thea, and slowly becomes more and more frustrated with her friends. For Gaskin, this is relatable for many people.

“This is a very complicated show,”

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she explained. “Many characters crumble under the weight of all the pressure that the adults and society throw onto these poor children. As Anna, it’s my role to try and be the voice of reason amidst all the chaos that’ll take place on stage.”

“Several times, different characters even fight, and with the few lines that I have, I try to point out and say, ‘hey, this is not ok.’ It’s tough trying to be the voice of reason in a really tough situation this musical presents on stage.”

Gaskin agreed with Gillett in that communication is one of the key problems the production addresses.

“A lack of communication is a cause for a lot of problems in society. ‘Spring Awakening’ is kind of like a presentation of the worst case scenario in terms of a lack of communication.”

Tony Baltierra, a production stage manager at UCR, addressed a few of the difficulties surrounding getting everything together.

“We’ve all been working on the cho-

AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER

reography and the musical numbers for the last four weeks of rehearsal, Baltierra noted. “It could be really tough and demanding at different times, but everybody’s been working hard to make this great.”

The theme of communication became more and more clear as Baltierra expressed what he also wanted UCR students to take away from the production.

“The adults in this piece don’t communicate well with any of the children, and there’s just a general lack of communication in the story as a whole.” The story ends up being disastrous for many of the children “because many of them aren’t getting the right answers, or even just answers, to many of their important questions concerning how they feel.”

Ultimately, director Reves hopes that “Spring Awakening” resonates with the campus. “This piece is very moving,” he explained. “Lots of people can relate to it. So I really hope that people can watch it, and see it, and related to it to help them through emotional times.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

MUSIC REVIEWS MADLIB, MED AND BLU: “BAD NEIGHBOR” // FARAZ RIZVI Staff Writer

The highly innovative and pioneering record label Stones Throw records has put out another album in “Bad Neighbor.” This album is a collaboration between underground hip-hop artists MED and Blu, and was produced by producer Madlib, who is widely considered one of the greatest producers within the genre. Stones Throw, which has boasted legendary artists such as J Dilla, Common and MF Doom has been on the forefront of the avant garde hiphop scene. Although the amount of talent is almost palpable on the album, “Bad Neighbour” just doesn’t live up to the expectations that an album produced by Madlib creates. His previous record, “Pinata” with Freddie

Gibbs was perhaps one of the best rap albums of 2014. However, this album falls short of such a benchmark.

While Madlib’s production is as brilliant as ever, the biggest drawback is that the vocals and the production just don’t have enough chemistry. The samples are cut perfectly, the layering is bass heavy and retains a strong funk groove to it. MED and Blu’s flows, by themselves, are great as well. Blu’s and MED’s flows are good, but they are lyrically weak. It’s almost as if they are there just to create fodder for the beats. While there’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s something that Madlib already has done with his collaboration album with J Dilla, it makes this album feel unbalanced.

The best song on the album is “Knock Knock” featuring MF

While “Bad Neighbor” certainly has some gems on it, and the production is virtuosic; it doesn’t live up to its promise.

RATING: ★★☆☆☆

Doom. Madlib and Doom already have a history of working well together, with their collaboration album “Madvillainy” being considered one of the best hip-hop records ever. The chemistry that made their collaborative album a classic is present here too; the song begins with a soul sample that’s been cut, which then is layered over a funk beat. Moreover, Doom’s flow is filled with brilliant internal rhymes and slack rhythms. Beyond that, the narrative of the song is hilarious: MF Doom raps a story of how he broke into his friend’s house and ate all his food. He raps, “Menacing, cousin villain, let myself in / only need a stick of butter, cheese / and some vitamin D.” Doom is a lyrical wizard, and that shows through.

Madlib’s best collaborative work always occurs where a rapper can not only rap over his beats, but compliments them. Doom’s lyrical wizardry and excellent flow was part and parcel of what made “Madvillainy’s” beats shine. Even on “Pinata,” Freddie Gibbs’ fierce flow compliments the beats, creating a dynamic between the vocals and the beats.

However, this album does have its strong points, apart from “Knock Knock.” The last track on the album, “The Buzz,” featuring

Mayer Hawthorne, departs from the funk vibe of the album, opting for an overall more soulful beat that’s reminiscent of J Dilla’s best work. The song is more downtempo, and actually works excellently with MED and Blu’s vocals. The kick drum beat and synth melody are layered under a series of excellently cut soul samples, and the

unity of the track is astounding.

While “Bad Neighbor” certainly has some gems on it, and the production is virtuosic; it doesn’t live up to its promise. Given the spate of excellent albums that have come out this year by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, The Game and A$AP Rocky, “Bad Neighbor” seems entirely forgettable.

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The following song, “Don’t Need Nobody” plays around the same theme of only wanting that special someone in your life. The electronic tempo toys with the repetitive lyrics of the song, “I don’t need nobody, need nobody but / I don’t need nobody, need nobody but you” creating a slow but playful mixture. “Don’t Panic” brings back the drums and the ‘80s vibe.

The chorus focuses on the main idea of the song, “Why you wanna ruin a good thing / Can’t we take it back to the start.” It talks about going back to the beginning of a relationship and trying to fix it. At the beginning of the album it was all about the way the other person moved and how it spoke to her.

However, it all changes with the

song “We Can’t Move to This” because she gave up on him for good.

This fun upbeat song makes you want to get up and dance, and forget about that toxic person you left behind. The next song completely changes the theme of breakups and relationships. “Army” is a slow moving song talking about having a strong support system that is there for you no matter what. This funloving song makes you think about family and friends that support you through the bad times.

“Lost and Found” is a bit different from previous songs with instrumental and electronic sounds in the background. The lyrics, “Is there anybody out there waiting for me on my way? / If we’re at the lost and found” create a powerful song

that motivates people to continue searching for the person they love.

“Devotion” has the constant sound of guitar strings and continues with an electronic vibe throughout the song. This song is exactly like the title, explaining her devotion to another person. The last song on the album titled, “Scream It Out” starts off slow and picks up after a few beats. The significance of this song is relatable because Goulding says, “I’ve always had a thing for silence/ But lately I just need a voice I recognize/ baby, it’s perfect timing now to.../ Scream it out, out.” This song sums up the whole album because it talks about laying out all your emotions, which is what Ellie Goulding did throughout “Delirium.”

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COURTESY OF BANG YAHEAD ENT.

ELLIE GOULDING: “DELIRIUM” // RATING: ★★★★☆ GABRIELA DE ANDA Contributing Writer

Is your relationship status complicated? If it is, then Ellie Goulding might be able to solve your relationship problems. The British pop artist is back and better than ever. With a combination of love and hate, Ellie Goulding is here to support you throughout your complicated relationship. So pick up your headphones and lay in bed because her album is a roller coaster full of emotions.

The first song titled “Delirium” is a short intro with a series of sounds and chants that draws in the listener. Followed by a sudden transition into “Aftertaste.” The tempo picks up a fast pace pop vibe, complimented with drums and an electronic beat. The repeating chorus explains how even after a relationship is over, the memories are the ones left behind. “I know there’s nothing that I can do to make you stay / But one thing I know that will always remain / And that’s the aftertaste.”

“Something In The Way You Move” continues the track list with its relaxing but uplifting tempo that almost constitutes a slow dance. A mellow tone is created with constant drums beating in the background and the slight sound of chimes. The song’s lyrics, “Something in the way you do / Something in the way you / Push me closer, further / Break me just enough” bring in the interpretation of how the actions of one person are drawing her in. “Keep On Dancin’” comes in with an almost slow ‘80s tempo. In addition to the random whistling and its easy-going twostep vibe, the song is a mantra to forgetting what everyone thinks of you and being who you really are.

Holding its place in the Billboard’s Hot 100 charts is the first single off the album titled “On My Mind.” The hidden meaning behind this gem: “Thought that you were cute and you could make me jealous / Pour it down, so I poured it down / Next thing I know, I’m in a hotel with you / You were talking deep like it was mad love to you/ You wanted my heart, but I just

liked your tattoos.” This song has held its spot within the top 20 songs in the Billboard charts. It’s fun pop tempo confusions you and makes you wonder why you are suddenly thinking about an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.

It seems like Goulding was in a ‘80s mood because the next song, “Around U” is funky and upbeat.

The constant beat throughout the song is interrupted in random parts with a faster tempo. It makes you want to get up and dance as if you were Molly Ringwald in a 1980s John Hughes movie.

The tempo suddenly changes with the following song, “Codes.”

This track seems like a continuation of the story behind “On My Mind.”

The first lines can be interpreted as a connection between both songs.

“Damn, boy you make it hard / Shouldn’t need a riddle to unlock your heart / So, say what’s on your mind.” Goulding brings back the upbeat pop tempo and sings about the confusing mixed signals she is receiving from someone else. This song describes the complicated phase in a relationship when both people don’t know what they truly want. The song, “Holding on for Life” makes you think that maybe Goulding had a really complicated relationship. With the repetitive use of the title, “Holding On For Life” is the longest song on the album.

This fast pace song creates a fun tempo but ends with the repetition of the words “say we’ll never die” bringing in a gloomy shadow over the song.

The song, “Love Me Like You Do” was featured in the 2015 movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Since the movie was so successful, the song remained in the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 weeks. The slow tempo of the song will have you swaying side to side for a few minutes.

However, it’ll all change when you start belting out the popular line “What are you waiting for?” followed by chorus that’ll leave you trying to catch your breath at the end. The following lyrics will perfectly describe how you feel, “Cause I’m not thinking straight / My head spinning around I can’t see clear no more.”

COURTESY OF POLYDOR RECORDS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

23

JASPERY GOH / HIGHLANDER

Meg Graham (no. 19) is quick to jump high and spike the ball over the net.

Volleyball begins streak in the right direction while making program history

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer NOV. 3, 2015

.............................................................................

Highlanders 3 - Matadors 2

“Northridge looks to attack, Rosas controls it and sets it up to Peric who ... gets the kill! Highlanders win! Highlanders win!”

That’s how it was — or, at least, how it would’ve been — called this past Tuesday at the Student Recreation Center (SRC) as the UC Riverside volleyball team defeated CSU Northridge in nailbiting fashion to earn their third conference win of the season.

The match opened with a first set that was nothing if not thrilling as the two squads found themselves tied 7-7 early before the Highlanders went on to earn six out of the next seven points. It looked as if the blue and gold were primed to run away with the set up until Northridge responded with

an identical six-point rally of their own to knot the score at 14 all.

However, UCR once again took the lead, 22-19 and forced a Matadors timeout which did little to quell the Highlanders’ momentum as the blue and gold closed the set with three straight points, 25-19.

This first set established the tone for the rest of the match as both teams continued to trade points throughout the second set, tying the score four separate times before Northridge eventually pulled away with an 18-12 lead and took the set, 25-21, behind a combined 11 kills from Cieana Stinson (6) and Aeryn Owens (5).

While the third wasn’t as volatile, with the Highlanders jumping out to an early 15-10 lead, a big momentum shift occurred as the Matadors knotted the score at 23 and took control of the set to win it, 26-24.

Being down two sets to one at home, the Highlanders responded

with an admirable display of resilience in the fourth set, winning the final three of four points to take the fourth, 25-22 and force a matchdeciding fifth set.

One would think the pressure that comes with a fifth set would be troubling for a struggling team such as UCR, however, given that both of their conference wins on the season have come in five set matches, the Highlanders actually found themselves in comfortable territory.

Nevertheless, the set was gutwrenching as both sides split the first 14 points of the set to knot it at 7-7. While Northridge managed to earn the largest lead of the set, going up 10-7, the Highlanders continued to threaten any notion of the Matadors’ momentum as they eventually took control of the set with a 5-1 run to lead 12-11. After plenty of back and forth between the two squads, the Highlanders finally won the match thanks to a set-closing kill from Helena Peric.

NOV. 7, 2015

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Highlanders 3 - Titians 0

The volleyball team followed up Tuesday’s gut-wrenching win with a drastically more decisive, 3-0 victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Saturday, November 7 and managed to add to program history in the process as the fourth conference win matched the most they’ve ever earned in Big West play.

As for how the Highlanders got the victory, they opened with a first set in which they never trailed en route to a final score of 25-13.

This was followed by an equally dominant second set where the Highlanders earned 12 of the set’s final 18 points, resulting in a 2518 win.

The story for the third can’t be told much differently than the first two as UCR jumped out to an early 15-6 lead and closed out the set — as well as the match — with a 25-17 victory.

The leaders for UCR in this one were the usual as Helena Peric (15), Fabian Rosas (11) and Alex Gresham (9) led the team in kills while Maddie Hubbell (15 digs) and Chelsea Doyle (37 assists and 15 digs) made their best efforts to stuff the stat sheet.

Oh, and if you’re in the mood for more history, this 3-0 sweep over a conference opponent was the Highlanders’ first of such since their 2011 victory over UC Davis.

It perhaps felt even sweeter coming against a team in Cal State Fullerton, who they had previously lost to 20 consecutive times.

The Highlanders now sit at 9-16 on the season and look to continue trending upward this week where they have a two-game slate at the SRC as part of Homecoming 2015.

Those matches will be against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday, November 13 and UC Santa Barbara the following Saturday, November 14, both of which are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

■H

Women’s golf finishes fall season with split finish MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer

The UC Riverside women’s golf team hosted CSU Bakersfield at the Canyon Crest Country Club on Sunday, November 1 in an 18hole duel match that would be their final event of the fall season.

The Highlanders entered the day with high expectations after defeating the Runners in five out of seven head-to-head matches last year as well as one three-way match. This, on top of Bakersfield’s lack of top five finish on the current season, boosted the Highlanders’ confidence even more coming in.

Nevertheless, the momentum UCR held on paper failed to perpetuate itself on the course as their eight head-to-head matches against CSUB were split four apiece on the day. UCR’s season-long star, Jakeishya Le, closed out her fall season fittingly with a solid showing in her six and five (six holes ahead with just five holes remaining) victory over Shannon Wong.

Highlander Julia Sander had an

identical finish in her head-to-head victory over the Runners’ Ariel Le. The Highlanders earned two other head-to-head victories on the day courtesy of Paris Griffith and Haley Wian, but failed to get a win in either of the three-way matches — both of which were taken by CSUB’s Jenni Chun.

That makes for a somewhat anti-climactic end to a fall season for women’s golf that included two first place finishes at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic and Cal Poly Lady Mustang Intercollegiate tournament, respectively.

The individual highlights of the Highlanders season were UCR’s Hannah Facchini — who claimed one individual title on the year and was the runner up at the aforementioned Cowgirl Classic — and Le, who finished in the top 10 for each tournament this year. Paris Griffith and Haley Wian both had a top 10 finish this year as well.

As of now, UCR looks ahead to the winter season, where they’ll return to the links on February 8, 2016 at the CSU Northridge Matador Invitational in Simi Valley, CA. ■H

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

24

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Men’s basketball shows promise in exhibition opener ALEC HAROLD Contributing Writer NOV. 06, 2015

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Highlanders 70 - Sealions 59

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

Eric Rwahwire (no. 13) attempts to score with a lay up.

The UC Riverside men’s’ basketball team took on Point Loma Nazarene University this past Friday in the Highlanders’ first and only exhibition game of the year, and defeated the Sea Lions, 70-59. Senior guard Jaylen Bland led the Highlanders on the night with 18 total points — 14 of which came in the first half — while newcomer Gentrey Thomas had a stellar debut, scoring 16 points and grabbing a game-high four steals.

While Thomas and Bland put up big numbers, other Highlanders had an impact on the game as well. Most notable is the performance from newcomer SeCean Johnson by way of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who had 15 points for the Highlanders, on efficient 4-9 shooting from the field and a solid 7-9 from the free throw line. Secondyear forward Robert Boezeman also had

a solid showing, putting up 14 points to round out the Highlanders’ top scorers on the evening, going 5-9 from the field and a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line.

As for the Point Loma side, Mike Planeta had a team-high 13 points for the Sea Lions, and led them from the three-point line as well going 3-7 from beyond the arc, all three of which came in a row. Rounding out the high scorers for the Sea Lions was senior guard Judd Welfringer who had 12 points on 3-6 shooting from the field and went 2-3 from the three-point line.

This win feels a bit sweeter for the Highlanders as senior standout, Taylor Johns sat out of the game for unspecified reasons, as did highly-touted 7’0” freshman Menno Dykstra and junior college transfer Malik Thames. None of these matters are considered terribly serious as head coach Dennis Cutts commented that all three will be active and available for the Highlanders’ season opener on Saturday, November 14 when they take on William Jessup University for Homecoming 2015.

Tip off for that one is scheduled at 4 H p.m. PT and will be played at the SRC. ■

Women’s basketball continues to shine in final game of preseason MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer NOV. 07, 2015

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Highlanders 85 - Lancers 75

In case you were unaware, the UC Riverside women’s basketball team is projected to finish second in the Big West conference based upon the coach’s preseason poll.

And, thus far, they’ve done nothing to suggest these expectations should be lowered.

Coming off a decisive 86-51 victory in their first exhibition matchup of the year against Cal Poly Pomona, the Highlanders faced a tougher test Saturday evening in their second and final matchup of the preseason against cross-city rivals, Cal Baptist University.

The game became a tale of two halves as the Highlanders got off to a slow start in what was an incredibly back-and-forth game early on.

Perhaps part of the team’s struggle to get into a rhythm was due to the foul-laden affair that became of the first half as the Highlanders (18) and Lancers (11) combined for a whopping 29 attempts from the charity stripe in the first two quarters.

This played directly into the Lancers’ game plan early on as the team’s backcourt — led by guard Kamille Diaz — managed to get attack inside the painted area during their halfcourt sets and swing the ball to the perimeter for an open three-point opportunity, which they managed to convert on five times throughout the first half.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders struggled to find similar success from outside, converting on zero of their four three point attempts in the half. With the outside shot not falling, the blue and gold looked to use the size and athleticism of Rejane Verin and Annelise Ito to their advantage, continually dumping the ball in the low post for high-percentage opportunities.

This contrasting play style between the two teams led to a highly entertaining matchup and the scoreboard would attest as much with a first half score of 37-36, Lancers.

The “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy seemed to be the creed for the Lancers come second half as their offensive sets found little to no variation from that of the first.

However, unfortunately for CBU, the Highlanders came out firing in the second with a clear intention to push the pace. And this proved effective as UCR found themselves ahead, 42-37 just over a minute into

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

Rejane Verin (no.10) drives down the court.

the third period.

The Highlanders attack didn’t stop there, as each player continued to show unrelenting energy on both ends, turning steals into fastbreak conversions and running halfcourt sets to near perfection throughout the third quarter. Come the third’s end, the Highlanders almost matched their first half total, outscoring the Lancers, 32-17 and found themselves ahead 68-54.

This momentum carried itself into the fourth quarter, where the

Highlanders got the 85-75 win with little resistance from the Lancers and a few highlight defensive plays from the likes of guards Michele Curry and Brittany Crain and forwards Verin and Ito. The win was an encouraging allaround effort for the blue and gold, with Verin putting up the most versatile line of the night with six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and six steals all alongside her gamehigh 25 points on 10-18 shooting from the field.

Even more encouraging is the fact the Highlanders were able to show such a level of dominance even despite the lack of statistical contribution from last season’s Big West Player of the Year in Crain, who only managed six points on a paltry 1-10 from the field — her lone make being a wide-open three pointer in the waning seconds of the game.

As it seems, head coach John Margaritis and staff hone a fair amount of depth this season and

thus far players such as Verin and Curry both displayed an ability to change the course of a game due to their two-way ability and all around energy on the floor.

Indeed it is very early in the year, but this team has the makings of a potentially dangerous one in the Big West conference this season. The Highlanders will get their first true test to prove as much this Friday, November 13 at 4 p.m. PT as they open the season at home against Fresno State.

■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

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UC Riverside falls 1-0 to Cal State Long Beach in the Big West conference semifinals Nov. 5, 2015 BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT ROUND 1: 49ERS 1 - HIGHLANDERS 0 GABRIELA DE ANDA Contributing Writer

This past Thursday, November 5, the UC Riverside women’s soccer team took on #1 ranked Cal State Long Beach in the Big West Conference semifinals. This was the third time in program history that the women’s soccer team managed to make the Big West tournament and hoped to advance to the championship game with a win.

The Highlanders had control of the ball throughout most of the match, but the defense gave the 49ers multiple opportunities to score.

Fortunately for UCR, the Niners failed to convert, but

the biggest blow to the Highlanders came from their own end. Early on in the match, senior Tyler Cunningham was given a yellow card for arguing what she felt was a bad non-call. This proved crucial later in the match when Cunningham received her second yellow card while trying to shield the ball and tripping Long Beach’s Mimi Akogi right in front of the 49er bench in the process. Long Beach coaches and players argued on Akogi’s behalf giving the referee reason to call the play.

By rule of soccer, two yellow cards equates to one red card, which leads to an ejection. And so, Cunningham

was removed from the game with only eight seconds left in the half, walking off the field wearing the Highlander jersey for the final time of her career. Considering the fact that this was Cunningham’s last moment in a college match with her fellow teammates who had been fighting hard throughout an all-ornothing match, this proved a highly emotional moment for the team. However, the Highlanders had to continue the match without their leading senior forward and with only 10 players on the field.

Throughout regulation time, neither team was able to score and ended the hard-fought 90 minute period, tied at 0-0,

forcing overtime. The Highlanders and 49ers headed into overtime both hoping to score and avoid going into penalty kicks.

With the Highlanders still one player down in OT, Long Beach’s offense applied pressure early on, knowing they had an advantage. Finally, in the 94th minute, it paid off as the Niners’ Jessica Vincent and Ashley Gonzales got through the Highlander defense. After crossing the ball through the box, Long Beach’s Fatmata Kamara slid towards the goal pushing the ball past the Highlanders goalie, Elizabeth Silas. And just like that, Long Beach State got the win, 1-0 beating

the Highlanders in the Big West Conference semifinals.

That same evening the Cal State Fullerton Titans won, 4-2 versus the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the 49ers and the Titans will face off on Sunday, November 8 at 1 p.m. to see who wins the Big West Conference cup.

As for the Highlanders, their missed opportunity at a conference championship does not negate the fact that the team managed to earn their second highest win total in program history (11) and also tied the program record for most conference wins in a season (5). The hope for them is that this success carries H them further into next year. ■

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBVER 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

NFL midseason awards and predictions Myles Andrews-Duve, Senior Staff Writer Cody Nguyen, Senior Staff Writer MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:

The NFL has officially reached its halfway point and whether your team has left you perpetually disappointed (looking at you, Chargers fans), pleasantly surprised (we see you, Raider Nation) or has met your expectations (hey, I knew my Jets wouldn’t be half bad) this season has been one of endless excitement — and, luckily for the NFL, one of considerably less controversy than the last.

While time for reflection could certainly be useful, we decided to take a look ahead and predict which players may reap the league’s most prestigious awards come season’s end. We even took a shot at a Super Bowl prediction to top it off.

Here’s what we came up with:

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots Just about two and a half months ago, Tom Brady was staring a four-game suspension dead in the face for his alleged role in the media circus colloquially referred to as “Deflategate.” One overturned suspension and a half season later, we’re back to to the typical modus operandi for Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots. Through the first seven weeks of the season, 38-year-old Brady has amassed 20 touchdowns and just one interception for a leagueleading 115.8 passer rating. The wheels have clearly not stopped turning for the league’s best signal caller.

COACH OF THE YEAR:

Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals just keep finding ways to win games. Take their showdown against the Seattle Seahawks, in which they outscored the ‘Hawks 17-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a 27-24 victory in overtime. Or last week’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where a struggling Andy Dalton was able to flip the switch in the fourth quarter and made plays when they mattered. Marvin Lewis’ team radiates an aura of swagger and mental fortitude never before seen in Cincy, and his status as the first coach to be 8-0 in AFC North history embodies that sentiment.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams

Gurley sat on the injured list for the first two games and was barely integrated into the offense during his week three debut. Yet, the rookie running back and his signature burst through the hole slots him fifth among this year’s rushing leaders and hones the highest YPA (6.1) in the NFL. All this while leading the St. Louis Rams to three wins in their last five games and changing the outlook of their season. Not only is Gurley the clear-cut most talented rookie of his class but it is hard to argue against his status as one of the league’s best runners (no, it is not too soon.).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers I considered slotting the age-defying Raiders defensive back, Charles Woodson here, but the now 8-0 Carolina Panthers have ran a freight train through the entire NFC and Kuechly is the conductor. Granted, Kuechly’s routine 150-plus tackles won’t be there come year’s end — due to three missed games early in the season — but the 24-year-old has asserted himself as the best linebacker in the league whilst anchoring the Panthers’ defense. Oh, and more highlight plays like last week’s game-saving interception against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football will probably help his cause, too.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders

Currently on pace for 1,291 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the season, Amari Cooper and David Carr are stealing the show in Oakland as the city’s best receiver-quarterback duo since Rich Gannon and Jerry Rice.

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:

Ronald Darby, CB, Buffalo Bills

Of all the pieces that were supposed to stand out on the ostensibly vaunted Buffalo Bills defense, Ronald Darby was certainly not supposed to be one of them. Currently allowing an average 38.2 passer rating when thrown at, the only cornerbacks that have allowed lower passer ratings are Josh Norman, Darrelle Revis and Patrick Robinson. That’s some good company to be in.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs

Berry wasn’t supposed to be here. But, less than a year after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he is. And much like his story, the 29-year-old’s play has been quite inspiring as he’s anchored the secondary of a struggling Chiefs team and currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best safety on the season. This man, more than anybody else on this list, deserves an award.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: MYLES:

Denver Broncos

The Broncos were my pick in the offseason and despite this past Sunday’s loss to the Colts, they’ve done nothing to make me hesitant about that prediction. Some may pit Denver’s dominant defense against what has been shaky offensive production and raise questions about their ability to put it all together come playoff time. To that, I say: just watch. Denver’s defense is by far the most disruptive in the league, quarterback Peyton Manning is showing greater reliability as of late and the growth of the run game should pay dividends in covering up any of Manning’s age-related deficiencies.

Oh, and by the way, they also just acquired (*cough* stole *cough*) tight end Vernon Davis from the San Francisco 49ers. Call me crazy, but I see little standing in the way of the Lombardi trophy making its way over to the Mile High city.

CODY:

New England Patriots

The old adage that defense wins championships is a dead horse that has been beaten into extinction with the advent of the NFL’s scoreboard-friendly rule changes in recent years and the surgical precision of the league’s MVPto-be. To say that this New England Patriots squad is even better than last year’s championship cohort is a lofty, but true statement. On the offensive side, Gronk is still Gronk, tailback Dion Lewis brings a new dimension to the offense and Julian Edelman brings back not-so-old memories of Wes Welker. Defensively, Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower star on what is shaping up to be one of the league’s premier front sevens that cover up for a suspect, but serviceable secondary.

■H

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports ► FROM EXPERTS, PAGE 28

of freshmen as well that I think are going to make a real splash to make this team pretty good this season.

How do you think UCR will fare against the top teams this season?

RS: Well, you’ve got to remember they beat UC Irvine last year (70-63 on February 14, 2015). So they are certainly capable of beating the best team in the league. The unique thing about (this year’s) preseason poll results and the All-Conference team is that there (are) only six players on the media All-Conference team. Two of them play for UC Irvine, who they ranked number one. Two

of the other four (Bland and Johns) play for UC Riverside and they ranked them number five. So, if I’m the players for UC Riverside I’m feeling a bit slighted and using it as motivation that they don’t think our team is good enough to finish in the top three.

How good do Jaylen Bland and Taylor Johns have to be in order for the Highlanders to be considered serious contenders for a conference title come March?

RS: I think, just like we talked about with the women’s team, it’s a matter of respect. And I think the media is voting on this and is looking at win-loss records and the tradition of the program over recent years.

Well, UC Riverside has not had a winning record in a few years.

So, the media is looking at, “well they have a couple great players, but they haven’t proven anything from a win-loss perspective.” So, until they do that, they are not going to get the respect they deserve. And so, this is just them on the way to the mountaintop. They’re rising to the top of the mountain and they’ll have to continue beating down the door, continue winning close games and continue building their program in order to get that respect in the future.

Could you see any x-factors emerging from this squad?

RS: Well, I think Larsson is really going to have a great sophomore year. Larsson was

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015 a freshman last year and he is very strong, he’s put on 10 pounds of bulk this summer.

Just pure muscle and I think he’s such an extremely hard worker that you’re gonna see a lot more production inside the post and you also have to understand that Steven Jones was the starting point guard for much of last season before he broke a bone in his foot. He’s back and healthy and I think he’s going to have a major impact on the success of the team. And it remains to be seen what we see from the incoming players but, trust me, there is a lot of talent on this team.

So, considering all that, where does this team stand among the conference come year’s end?

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

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RS: That’s a tough question and I don’t know if I can give you a straight up answer because so much of it depends on health. Are they (UCR) going to remain healthy? Are other teams in the league going to be healthy? A lot of times, the best team doesn’t always win the league. A lot of times it’s who is healthy at the end of the season and who is peaking at the right time of year. So I think a lot of that will depend on how well they gel together as a team and how healthy they can be by the end of the year.

So, no bold predictions from you at this time?

RS: I would be really shocked if they didn’t finish in the top five.

I would be very surprised.

■H

28

TUESDAY, November 10, 2015

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports What the experts are saying... about UCR men’s basketball

I

n part one of this series, where we sat down with ESPN’s Big West college basketball analyst Richie Schueler, we took an early look into the highly-anticipated season of the UC Riverside women’s basketball team.

This week, Schueler and I discussed the men’s team who — while their expectations aren’t set quite as high as they are for the women — have a legitimate opportunity to contend for a conference championship and improve upon last year’s 14-17 record. Here’s what he had to say of the team:

The coaches projected UCR to finish fifth in the conference, how much of a shot are you giving them to improve on that?

Richie Schueler: I think this is a team that can be better than fifth place but they have to be clicking on all cylinders and they have to mold this team together for that to happen. And that’s with any team, not just UC Riverside. But I think fifth place is a big jump from what they were picked a year ago (ninth, which is last). I think they — just like the women’s team — have gained a lot of respect from teams around the league and I think other teams look at them as a viable contender now.

What has made them a viable contender?

RS: (Head coach) Dennis Cutts. Coach Cutts has been outstanding. When you look at the way he has developed this program now in his third year

Myles Andrews-Duve, Senior Staff Writer

as head coach, the program has slowly improved as far as number of wins, as far as the level of talent that they’ve had and I think he’s really got these players playing at a higher level than we’ve seen in recent years.

been to get a lot of strong international post players and complement that with really talented perimeter players that fit coach Cutts’ style. And I think they’ve done that and I think that you’re bound to see a pretty good year this season.

What separates this year’s team from one’s you covered?

Where do you believe this team’s greatest strengths lie?

RS: Well I think if you look at the team two years ago, it was coach Cutts’ first year, he was the interim head coach.

They were a pretty talented team but they really needed one or two more strong guards to contend. And I felt last year that they really got better in the guard position but they were really young in the post.

And now I think this year they have depth both on the perimeter with some of the recruiting talent they brought in over the last two recruiting classes and they’ve got a lot of depth in the post. And I think that (their) recipe for success has

RS: Well, you have to look at the players. Number one: this team has tasted success. Last year there was a lot they had built on and they know how to win now. You couldn’t say that two years ago. But I think you have to look at two players in (forward) Taylor Johns and (guard) Jaylen Bland.

These are two players that — Johns being a post player and Bland being a shooting guard — have completely different skillsets that complement each other so, so well. But if you look outside their talent and ability level, those two — alongside the other senior, Steven Jones — have really taken some leadership upon themselves to hold this team accountable for practicing well and holds them accountable off the court and will do the same when games come along.

Where can the Highlanders stand to improve?

RS: I don’t know if there’s one key need for improvement, I think every team has a lot of needs right now and a lot of areas to improve. But I do think that the biggest challenge that they face is molding together a team with a lot of new faces. There (are) only five guys back from last season and all five of those guys are very strong players. They’ve added a lot of players, they have fifteen total on their roster so I saw 10 new players at practice today.

And so I think their biggest challenge is going to be: will they play as well together this season as they did last year? With the new faces, the new roles and new personalities, how will they mesh it all together at the end of the day?

And that’s the coaching staff’s job as well as those seniors to make it happen.

You’ve recently met with head coach Dennis Cutts, what is your opinion of his coaching philosophy?

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

During a timeout, Robert Boezeman (no. 12) listens to advice from Assistant Coach Justin Bell.

RS: You know, every leader leads from top-down. So, whatever the personality of the leader is, is generally what leaks down to the play-

COURTESY OF RICHIE SCHUELER

ers where the players are an extension of the coach. And so if you have coach with the right personality who’s a high character guy, who just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work you’re gonna have all your players doing the same thing. And I think they (UCR) have got their guys doing everything in that area (where) they’d like them to be and I believe coach Cutts is doing it the right way.

How about his offensive system?

RS: Cutts’ offensive system is neat in the sense that he gives his players a lot of freedom. Yet at the same time he doesn’t allow them to do whatever they want within that freedom. There are rules within the freedom and I think his players use their abilities the best that they possibly can but he has them reigned in well enough where he’s not allowing them to use abilities

they don’t have.

What were a few things you noticed during your time at practice?

RS: It was an extremely spirited practice. And I think that the excitement that they had at practice shows the optimism they have for the season. They have worked extraordinarily hard and people on campus should be proud of the team that they have. No matter what their win-loss record is, these players are working hard to represent UC Riverside.

Bland and Johns are going to get a ton of the credit but I think that Robert Boezeman is a guy that works really hard in practice, Alex Larson is returning in the post — he did a lot of great things last year as a freshman — and then they have a whole slew of talented players. Particularly, junior college transfers and a couple ► SEE EXPERTS, PAGE 27

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