This year, we at Features tried to incorporate as many new ideas into the section as possible to appeal to readers of all interests, such as having frequent restaurant reviews, creating recipe videos and introducing a variety of Campus Cope articles (such as Ladies vs. Gentlemen, Highlander Diaries, those divided into “The story” and “What I Learned” to allow for easier reading). The leading addition to the section, however, has the expansion of articles that engage with the staff, faculty and student body of UCR, such as the “Word of Advice” and various spotlight articles. Perhaps being the most “liquid” section, Features has the most flexibility in going in-depth on the rich history and stories of the school that have never been told before. This past year has served as a renovational period in Features to prepare the section for the exciting year ahead, in which our goal is to shine a light on the faces of UCR and make our readers more connected the campus than ever before.
Let’s take a look back at the best and most memorable moments of Features from 2016-2017.
1. Memorable events: October
Highlander Con
Coordinated by UCR’s Highlander Gaming club, Highlander Con is the first large-scale gaming event to ever take place in the Inland Empire and welcome students from across California and even out-of-state.
2. Memorable events: November
On the Stage with Randall Park
APSP invited “Fresh Off the Boat” actor Randall Park to speak to students about pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and being an Asian-American actor.
3. Memorable events: February
Beyond the Hashtag #Black Lives Matter
#BlackLivesMatter co-founders Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors visited UCR to discuss the origins of the movement, its presence in black history and unite students to speak out against police brutality and systematic oppression of marginalized communities.
4. Memorable events: April
Middle Eastern Student Week
The Middle Eastern Student Center filled the week with Middle Eastern cuisine, poetry, dance and stories. With the montage of activities hosted, students could learn how to write calligraphy, learn to dance the dabke, or traditional Arab folk dance, and listen to the stories of the parents of MESC students on their experiences immigrating from the Middle East to the United States.
5. Memorable events: May
ASPB Presents: Gone Global
ASPB hosts a cultural show every year, with R’Movement, their annual cultural dance show, having taken place every year since 2011. This year, however, they wanted to do something different to be more inclusive of all organizations and at a more accessible location, hence the introduction of Gone Global, which welcomed organizations as widely ranging as the Filipino Martial Arts Club and HallyUCR and took place right at the heart of the campus — the Bell Tower.
6. Memorable events: The Fast Lane: Car of the Year
2017 Volkswagen Golf R
With 292 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive, and a six-speed automatic with launch control, the Golf R is one of the most fun cars I’ve tested all year. In addition to its impressive performance credentials, the Golf R come packed with convenience features such as adaptable cruise control and lane keep assist all while still maintaining the practicality and versatility of the standard Golf. This perfect blend of practicality and performance was what won my heart with the Golf R and makes it the best car I’ve tested this year.
7. Best restaurant we reviewed
Chicago Pasta House
As sports editor and loyal New York pizza-fan Jon Hammond said it best himself, “After seeing this pizza, and more importantly tasting it, I shed a single tear, and realized the war needs to end, because the world needs Chicago style stuffed pizza too.” With its cozy atmosphere, loving service and expertly crafted and well-portioned dishes, this is the ideal restaurant to take your friends, family or date for a slice of authentic Italian cuisine.
8. QOTY: Quote of the Year
“Despite the constant negative press covfefe” – 45th and current President of the United States Donald Trump via his Twitter account
9. Best of Overheard at UCR
- “There’s nothing in my backpack. I just carry it around so I look like a student and the police won’t follow me when I walk down the street.” – Student in the Student Life workroom
- “A good ass is the pinnacle of health.” – An enthusiastic male student near INTS
- “Of all the places it could hit, it hit my nuts.” – A male student who perhaps was never taught the meaning of “Keep your voice down” walking near the A-I food trucks
- “I walked into the room, but it was the wrong room. There was a naked lady in it … and she said, ‘Get out, bitch.’” – Perplexed student talking on their phone at Lot 26
- “Clits are scary because they’re too big.” -Male student at The Well picking up condoms
- “What brings you here?” – Male student trying to make casual conversation with a medical attendant at the sobering station during Spring Splash
10. Article of the Year
“Family housing’s last stand” by Myles Andrews-Duve
In July 2017, a Campus Event Complex will stand in place of what is now, and has been for the past seventy years, family housing at UCR. Editor-in-chief Myles Andrews-Duve met with the families of the community, who expressed their deep appreciation for the shelter and sense of unity that the complex has provided. Heather Andrews-Horton, a resident of family housing, shared in the article, “People don’t get to feel privileged very often when you’re a family trying to get by in graduate school or just going to school and having kids … You got to have an address that wasn’t an apartment and a lawn and a playground.”
