Honors Outlook Volume3 Issue 2
A Place of
promise
BY Jess ica Sor i a
The excitement over UCR’s School of Medicine first ever Open House on Feb. 1 was posi vely electrifying as the school used its first opportunity to show people from all over the community what it had to offer. Esteemed speakers, such as Dean of UCR School of Medicine Dr. Olds and Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Schiller, welcomed the
large group of people who came. Bianca Freeman, the 3rd year Honors cohort representa ve, organized a group of pre-med Honors students to par cipate in the day’s ac vi es. People of all ages eagerly explored the school’s Medical Educa on building, listening in on research presenta ons from medical faculty and “oohing” and “ahhing” over the lifelike robots
medical students use for s mula ons. Several outreach programs aimed at kids to college students were also prominently featured. All in all, the open house was a smashing success and showed that UCR’s medical school is certainly living up to its promise of training physicians rooted in the Inland Empire.
Majordecisions b y R a j v e e S a ng h av i
A college ll As students facing the competi veness of the real world, many of us are contempla ng important decisions that come with las ng consequences. We are faced with the dilemma of choosing a career path for monetary gain versus choosing a path that we are genuinely interested in. I would like to assess the ques on: should economics be the dominant factor in determining a major? The most obvious answer to this queson is that majoring in something that you do not like may land you a job that you do not enjoy. Ul mately, what is the purpose of it all if you are not happy at your job, and the only happiness comes from the material spending of your hard-earned salary? As “mushy” as this may sound, happiness does ma er. On another note, let us think about
the example that we would be se ng for someone who looks up to us–like a child or a sibling, for instance. Doing something simply for economic gain sends a message that it is okay to be greedy, and that we do not always have to stay true to our hearts. If we choose to work solely for economic gain, we are not striving to achieve our dreams and pu ng forth the effort to achieve; we are instead dismantling them and construc ng false goals in their place. Perhaps economics should not be the dominant factor in determining a major, but it should certainly be considered. It is important to be prac cal about job prospects, because blindly following one’s passions can lead to an uncertain future. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult to scrape by with li le earnings. In today’s consumer-dependent economy, all of our basic
needs come with a price tag a ached to them. It is difficult to find a clear-cut answer to the ques on of majoring for the job or majoring for your passion and risking the stability of a good job—but perhaps what this all comes down to is figuring out the kind of life you want to have. Some individuals prefer to sacrifice their passions for a job that will help them become be er providers—whether that is for themselves or their family. Yet there are others who would be happier searching for success in the field they are passionate about, even if that might mean barely scraping by with poor earnings. There also exist those who are lucky enough to make a good salary while working a job they absolutely love. It is a ma er of sorting out priori es and what values are important to us.
the
women Sharia of
BY Mer ima Tr icic
, Dr.Pbook arker s signing BY Jacquel ine Wong
There is a common myth that crime cannot be controlled by scien fic study and quan fying it would be useless in its preven on. However, Dr. Robert Nash Parker, Professor of Sociology and University Honors faculty, rejected and dispelled this myth at a recent symposium at UCR. Presen ng his new book en tled Alcohol and Violence, the book explores the role that alcohol plays in violent communi es. Hypothesizing that “if people intervene in their communi es, we ought to expect a decline of violence,” he explained how he and a team of researchers conducted a series of longitudinal experiments of interven on across the country, where they helped facilitate alcohol regula on laws in various communi es. These methods included enforcing Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) licenses to bartenders, establishing DUI checkpoints, and employing underage “decoy s nks” (people who were above the drinking age limit, but did not look like it) to expose and prevent the sale of alcohol to minors. A er linking the communi es’ alcohol sales to their rates of violence, he found that the more that the sale of alcohol was regulated, the rate of violence decreased. Ending his presenta on on a hopeful note, Dr. Parker concluded that as a community, “we can intervene, and we can see reduc ons in violence no ma er what else is going on…it can be done, so everyone should do it.”
On March 3 at 6 pm, the Middle Eastern Student Center hosted a panel to discuss and elaborate on what sharia (Islamic Law) exactly is, and what women’s rights are within sharia with the help of four panelists, Noha Al Shugairi (M.S. Licensed Marriage Therapist), Shaykh Jamal Diwaan (Scholar from Irvine) and Dr. Jeffrey Sacks (UCR professor of Arabic Literature). While it is common belief that sharia is an oppressive and exploi ve system, the panelists discussed the ways in which sharia actually serves to protect and empower women. Research revealed that, historically, the role of women in Islamic Law has protected them in case of divorce, death, business, and marriage, as well as protected their rights to vote and speak out. Faculty panelists also discussed current research and modern approaches to the role of women in Sharia and contrasted this with the nega ve media interpreta ons of sharia that have led to an -sharia laws in the United States. I myself had the chance to speak at this event as a co-founder of the Middle Eastern Student Center and was overjoyed to hear and see new students come forward to ask ques ons that ordinarily would have been too difficult to ask in public; ques ons ranged from the headscarf to whether or not domesc violence was permi ed within Islam. By the end of the Q&A session, students had gathered even a er the event to speak with the scholars, many of whom told the speakers that such an event had opened their eyes to the amount of media misinterpreta on and generaliza on that has been made even today. I myself spoke to Noha Al Shugairi who commented, “Such events are so necessary given the amount of Islamophobia today. It’s important to open the doors to these conversa ons because society o en deems it improper to ask but, [this] also constantly perpetuates these images in the media of what a ‘Muslim woman’ is.” The success of the event clearly highlighted that more events such as this will be present at UC Riverside next year. To get involved, please contact the Middle Eastern Student Center through Merima Tricic at mtric001@ucr.edu.
THE H FACTOR BY jacquel ine wong
The inside of UNLH buzzed with the excited voices of Honors students on Wednesday Feb. 24 as they enjoyed the acts of the talented par cipants of University Honors’ first annual talent show. The brainchild of Jericha Viduya, a second year biology major, the show was also facilitated by Honors’ Cohort and Social Commi ees. Honors Leadership Commi ee (HLC) Vice President Luke Hatch was MC for the event, interac ng with the audience in a jovial manner and introducing the acts, which included singing, piano-playing masters, a magic show, and a tradi onal Tahi an dance. These impressive acts highlighted the other skills Honors students are involved in at a high level outside of schoolwork. Even faculty joined the fun. Dr. Perring’s guitar and vocal talents were featured during his duet performance with Jericha, covering Phillip Phillip’s “Home.” Viduya praised her duet partner, saying “He is quite talented! I emailed him a song, he learned it on the guitar, and we prac ced in his office for 30 minutes to an hour. Then we just jammed a er. Being able to duet with your professor is, for a lack of a be er word, so cool and rare! You start to see more of who they are and what they’re capable of beyond the tradi onal classroom se ng.” On the impact of the showcase, Viduya says that “events like these change your perspec ve about how Honors is just about research and GPA requirements. It reveals a dynamic that truly showcased the Honors community as a whole, and I believe that it is important to provide students the opportunity to express themselves.” True to her statement, Honors students are already looking forward to holding these showcases in the future.
Tsai
Katherine B Y r u s s e l A lt a m i r a n o
On March 6, the Women’s Resource Center honored three undergraduate and three graduate women students who have demonstrated exemplary work in leadership, civic engagement, and social jus ce in addi on to overcoming adversity. This sixth annual Celebra on for a Day of Apprecia on and Recogni on of Women Students commemorates Women’s History Month and The Leadership Community for Women Ini a ve by awarding UCR women students for their remarkable impact in the community and greater society. University Honors is pleased to have one of our students selected for this admirable award. Katherine Tsai, a fourth year Biology major and Donald Strauss Founda on Scholarship recipient, has been awarded the undergraduate Leadership and Civic Engagement Award for her outstanding academic and community engagement. Katherine has devoted extraordinary efforts to community leadership and civic engagement projects while achieving academic excellence to pursue an M.D. She is President of Flying Samaritans, an organiza on that provides free medical care and support to the rural community
Lunch chat &
with Dr. Nunley By Jacquel ine Wong
In the spirit of Valen ne’s Day, Dr. Nunley sought out to ques on students’ assump ons about love during his Lunch and Chat. He began by proposing different ideas about love that would challenge our preexis ng ideas. For example, he claimed that, “the silliest no ons of love are that people disappear in the rela onship.” We can see this no on is pervasive throughout the media, such as in movies where the guy or the girl will do anything so they can end up with their “soul mate,” as well as the music we listen to, in which the musician croons on about how he
of El Hongo, Mexico. She has also been awarded a $10,000 Donald Strauss Scholarship to fund her Mini-Medical School public service program. These projects serve underrepresented communi es in an effort to prevent chronic illnesses and provide valuable medical informa on to the local community. Katherine’s excep onal dedicaon towards these projects has strongly impacted and benefited underprivileged communi es. In order to posi vely influence fellow students as well, Katherine Tsai works with many on-campus academic support organiza ons. As a Supplementary Instructor at the Academic Resource Center, Tsai assists fellow students in subjects including Chemistry and Biology. She also supports and guides students in their pursuits of a medical related profession as a Health Professions Advising Center Peer Mentor. Katherine has wholeheartedly devoted countless hours and put in an immense effort to help others through her passion for the health field. Thus, Katherine’s experiences and achievements exemplify a strong female voice that con nues to inspire many UCR students and community members.
or she cannot live without his or her partner. Dr. Nunley described how this approach to love is flawed, analogizing it humorously with the 7-Eleven on his street. He said that if it closes, “I will be heartbroken, but I’m just going to go to another 7-Eleven.” Rather than saying
that one’s partner is easily replaced, Dr. Nunley pointed out that love and rela onships are all about sharing, and that you need to know yourself before you can extend yourself to and for the other person. In other words, it is not all about the other person, but both par es in the rela onship. He said that “rela onships press all insecurity buttons, and the more you learn about yourself, the more self-regard you have for yourself,” and the less likely you will get consumed within the rela onship. By emphasizing the sharing aspect of rela onships, Dr. Nunley made us rethink about what loving another person actually means. It does not just stop at “happily ever a er,” rather, it is a process of growth and evolu on that you share with your partner.
DESTRESSING: citrus sty style le B Y R U S S E L A LT A M I R A N O
be around; however, we must not let them disorient our future prospects. A er the presenta on, all students par cipated in a soulful exercise that benefited both themselves and the community. Students were given oranges and instructed to write down their current stressors on the back of the peels, which were then collected. These peels are to be planted in Riverside to sustain the growth of trees and plants. Although we all had what is many stressors in our life stressing you today at the me, this ac vwill not be stressing you ity symbolizes the fact out ten years from now. that they will not live However, what you learn forever but can defrom your stress today velop into something will help you become the beau ful. person you will be then.
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On Feb. 27, the University Honors Community Service Commi ee held a fun and interac ve workshop to de-stress students before finals week. Beginning with an informave presenta on on iden fying and addressing high levels of stress in our lives, the talk included educa ve facts and simple day-to-day exercises to recharge our brain and relax our tension. It is highly recommended for college students to take me from their hec c days to breathe, stretch, and laugh their pain away. Furthermore, students offered sincere support and learned different coping methods by sharing personal stories and experiences with one another. Through these exercises, we realized that as college students, stressors will always
keely smith
honorsDOES
SERvice
path of life by Jacquel ine Wong
On Feb. 4, the University Honors Service Committee held an event at the Path of Life Center called “Kids of Promise.” This event was organized in order to interact and connect with families residing in an emergency shelter. There, the Honors students volunteered themselves to play with and serve ice cream to the children, ranging from three to fourteen years olds. Service Committee chair, Keely Smith, said of the event that “all of the volunteers that I spoke with really enjoyed the event. It was fun to interact with the children because we could tell that they genuinely wanted us there. The students were touched that they could make such a posi ve yet simple impact on these kids’ lives.” She said that the state of the families’ living situa on was sad to see, and that the event made the volunteers realize how privileged they were. Yet the comfortable and easygoing atmosphere between the students and families helped create a warm and welcoming environment where everyone just enjoyed each other’s company. This event was an important way to show support for these families amidst their unfortunate circumstances. Smith said that “it allowed us to understand what it is like to be a child in the situa ons that they found themselves in. We were also able to connect with the children and make them feel important because these college students wanted to interact with them.” Overall, Smith and the other volunteers agreed that this was an enriching experience to help out the Riverside Community.
skyzone
HONORSgoes
BY R a j v e e s a ng h av i
social
A group of University Honors students spent the night of Jan. 30 literally reaching for the stars in Sky Zone, an indoors trampoline park. From 6:30-9:00 p.m., students bounced their cares away, taking advantage of discounted prices thanks to Sky Zone’s College Night. And once students had jumped to their heart’s content, they could catch their breath in Sky Zone’s built-in arcade to play. All in all the night proved to be the best kind of stress reliever from the daily grind of class and work for this group of hardworking Honors students. The event allowed them to let all their cares go and spend the evening ge ng to know each other while jumping on trampolines, shoo ng hoops, or diving into ball pits.
, FARRELL S ICE CREAM PARLOUR BY R a j v e e S a ngj av i
Carefree laughter spilled over in the room where University Honors students gathered at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour from 6 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20. Put on by the UH Social Commi ee, this Foodies event proved to be one of the most popular events of the quarter. University Honors students were able to unwind and spend some me ge ng to know each other as well as enjoying delicious ice cream. Addi onally, the restaurant offered up family-friendly environment with enthusias c and welcoming staff. The turnout was spectacular, with over 35 students a ending. The students enjoyed a pleasant evening full of relaxa on and even a few birthday celebra ons over some delicious desserts.
KOREANA grill B Y e st e f a n i a z av e l a
On Wednesday Jan. 22, hungry University Honors students clambered into Koreana Grill as a part of Social Committees’ beloved Foodies events. The place, though decep vely plain from the outside, was fragrant with delicious smells. Although the Honors group had the challenge of pu ng together a couple of tables to fit their large group, everything came together in the end for the sake of good food and discourse. “It was very fun,” said Alyssa Stump, “I met new people.” This is really the point of the Foodies events: communica ng with fellow honors students and forming new connec ons. It doesn’t hurt, however, that this place is All You Can Eat! This is the second Foodies Event at Koreana Grill and hopefully the con nua on of a yearly tradi on of intelligent discourse and Korean barbecue.
The
Stress! And Honors overcoming l
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b y E st e f a n i a Z av e l a
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b y R u s s e l a A lt a m i r a n o
“Well, I think those equa ons are definitely going to show up on the It is inevitable for college students to stress during their four years exam.” in college. Midterms, term papers, and finals are all stressors that may “--just what Obama thinks he’s donega vely affect students’ ing with the Affordable Care Act.” health due to sleep depri“--are actually a delicacy hearkenva on and malnutri on. ing back to the World War II era.” Although the workload may This is my third year but I’m be overwhelming at mes, ashamed to say I never spent much I have no ced a trend that me in the University Honors (UH) only worsens this condi on. lounge before this quarter. This Ironically, many students quarter, driven by the lure of the new (myself included) stress Honors laptops and the slow, anguishover stress. We may not be ing death of my own laptop, I spent able to control the amount a lot of my breaks eavesdropping on of work we receive in a amazing conversa ons like the ones given quarter, but there sampled above. are ways to rid the murky I’ve always regarded eavesdropclouds of anxiety in order ping as sort of an art form: it alerts to maintain healthy living you to concerning truths about your habits. roommates and gives great fodder for First of all, it is important to dis nguish between two different types of blackmail. Usually, though, listening stress. Stress can either be a reac on to a s mulus or the harmful s muin on other people’s conversa on is lus itself. As an example of the former, stress can be our mo va on to get either boring or just plain demoralwork done. For instance, although I may stress about having two midterms izing. This is not the case with the UH on the same day, it can also mo vate me to study and not slack off. Other lounge. This place provides the most interpreta ons, however, antagonize stress as the s mulus that should be consistently vibrant and well-informed avoided due to its harmful nature (Medical News Today). For example, if I discourse of almost any other place have a midterm each week of the quarter, the thought of how distressing I’ve ever been. Fox News could take a studying will be can disorient me before I even start on any work. This type few pointers. of stress is not only regressive, but harmful to the quality of the work. Over the course of the quarter, I As we roll into a new quarter, it is important to understand how differfound the UH Lounge not just a great ent s muli affect our individual bodies. This involves key me manageplace for has ly scribbling out some ment. Any exam or paper will cause some level of stress but sleep deprivahomework, but also a great place to on, hyperven la on, and mental fa gue will not make them any easier. reenergize. Visi ng the lounge is like Although it is easier said than done, effec ve control over our tasks can be taking a brief opportunity to rememachieved with me. Personally, I have found that comple ng small tasks ber: This is why I go to college. first is most helpful. Sending important e-mails and finishing a short ar cle It seems like everyone in Honors first gives a sense of progress that mo vates me to con nue crossing passes by the lounge at some point things off my list. Furthermore, iden fying our values and long-term goals or another. It’s a great place to run early in the quarter can guide the priori za on of our work. For instance, into someone and have a brief, if a student looks forward to their Honors Thesis, they should improve heated debate. My goal for their wri ng and research skills early since they are vital for scholarly and next quarter is to be less professional success. Although students do not have the same long-term goals, of an eavesdropper it is important to keep our driving force in the back of our mind. and more of a When it comes to stress, remember, you’re not alone! Talk to friends, counselors, contributor. and/or family. I truly believe that they are the best medicine.
The en re campus came alive on Saturday, March 8, to welcome poten al UCR freshmen as they came in droves to explore what UCR had to offer. In one of the biggest recrui ng days of the year, Discover Day, University Honors (UH) had a smashing success in reaching out to dozens of poten al Honors Students. Discover Day started off with a bang, as Dr. Perring and a few students spoke about UH and its advantages at breakfasts for scholarship recipients put on by the four colleges within UCR. Meanwhile, in the UH office, volunteers were busy preparing for tours to efficiently showcase two of UH’s biggest benefits: community and research opportuni es. In the computer lab, the leaders of the UH commi ees waited to give a small explana on of their commi ee, while in the conference room, a few students assembled presenta ons based on their research. Out by the Bell Tower, Honors staff and students set up a booth where they gave informa on about University Honors and led tours to the UH office and housing. With this coordina on, tens of hundreds of poten al Honors freshmen and their parents eagerly explored the UH office, with most, if not all, leaving with an impressed look on their face. By the end of the day, Honors staff and volunteers were exhausted but thoroughly pleased by the huge turnout of students. Many volunteers, including myself, were renewed in our commitment to University Honors by the sheer excitement of the students and their parents. All in all, Discover Day proved to be one of the most rewarding days of the year for the Honors community.
discoverday by Jess ica Sor i a
, TheVoicesofChina s Lunch & Chat with Dr. Nugent
b y R u s s e l a A lt a m i r a n o
On Feb. 7, Honors faculty Dr. Connie Nugent held a Lunch and Chat for students in the Honors Conference Room. As an Art History major, I felt nervous approaching a professor of molecular biology for advice on narrowing down a research ques on. However, Dr. Nugent was happy to help. She created a laid back environment that generated topics from research to living abroad. In this friendly environment, students led the discussion while Dr. Nugent
shared her own thoughts. This was a valuable learning experience since I was able to ‘chat’ with a professor from a different discipline about subjects that interested us both. University Honors faculty are truly open with students and Lunch and Chats are advantageous opportuni es to network with professors in various fields. Thus, students are highly encouraged to use the resources that University Honors provides. One never knows what they will learn next.
Check out the...
honors
COMMITTEEs
Workers
b y E st e f a n i a Z av e l a
On Feb. 24, Professor Jasso hosted a TED Talk en tled “The Voices of China’s Workers” and framed it with his recent experiences in China. The talk, given by Leslie T. Chang, was insolently triumphant - it derided the pity Americans o en feel for factory workers earning small wages and asserted these factory workers’ new found economic mobility. Essen ally, this talk argued that the factory workers did not need the developed worlds’ useless empathy because their jobs were providing them with new opportuni es. Jasso took themes from
this talk and shaped them into one provocave ques on: Do Americans have a similar work ethic to these factory workers? No one was able to find any consensus. Certainly it is difficult to imagine working twelve hours a day on a factory floor--but the uni ng characteris cs these workers shared was despera on for knowledge and be ering their quality of lives. And these characteriscs, gratefully, are not unique to Chinese factory workers. They exist in every struggling diverse student in universi es like UC Riverside.
Honors Leadership Council The HLC President, Vice President, and Secretary work with all of the Honors commi ee chairs and the cohort representa ves. This council serves as the liaison between the Honors student body and the Honors staff and administra on. HLC’s main objec ve is to establish a strong community founda on by coordina ng several types of Honors events. For mo more re iin n fo, f o, contact N in a : NB N B ok okh001@uc h001 ucr.edu r. edu
the student cohorts in each year and act as the liaison to HLC. Cohort Representatives represent For Fo r mo more re iin nff o, contact N in a : N Bo B okh001@ucr. kh 00 1 ucr.ed ed u student involvement with faculty through cultural and academic events. Co-CurriculaR promotes c o ntact Jac k: k : IWa I Wa ng 003 003@uc ucr.ed r. ed u, Jody: Jo dy : Jgoto0 Jg oto001@uc 01 ucr.ed r. ed u students with volunteer opportuni es in the area. Community ServicE cconnects o ntact KKeeely: ely : ksmi ksmit01 t013 3@ucr. ucr.ed ed u, sn eh eha a : ss ssha ha r01 6 6@ucr. ucr.ed ed u photographers, and designers that maintain social media and this Media & Communications writers, Je ssica : JS ori007@ ori007 ucr.ed uc r. ed u, Dav David id:: DRo m e00 e0 0 5 5@ucr.e ucr.edu du very newsle er! Jessica University Honors to prospec ve students. Outreach & Recruitment cpromotes ontact C o lin : m mma ma rk0 rk003@uc 03 ucr.ed r. edu u encourages students to meet new people, develop rela onships, and try new things. Social contact c o ntact M ia : Mmont M mo nt 0 119@uc 9 uc r .e du , Ka ra: ra : KHomo0 KHomo001@ 01 ucr.ed u
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