Volume 69 Issue 07

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Monday, November 16, 2020

VOL. 69, ISSUE 07

est. 1954

FEATURES

Under The Kilt:

Breaking off toxic relationships BREAKING OFF A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP CAN BE AN EMOTIONALLY DRAINING PROCESS BUT THERE ARE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO GET RID OF BAD ENERGY IN YOUR LIFE. NIA MITCHELL Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

NEWS

UC President Michael Drake discusses tuition and fees, campus reopenings and UCPD LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, newly appointed University of California (UC) President Michael B. Drake met with student press from across the UC system to answer their questions and discuss issues ranging from the UC’s budgetary constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic, campus reopenings and the UC’s relationship with the UC Police Department (UCPD).

Drake was appointed the 21st president of the UC system in August 2020 after serving as president of The Ohio State University (OSU) from 2014 through June 2020. Prior to OSU, he served as the chancellor of UC Irvine from 2005 to 2014 and as the systemwide vice president for health affairs from 2000 to 2005.

DRAKE MEETS WITH STUDENT PRESS FROM ACROSS THE UC SYSTEM AND ANSWERS THEIR BURNING QUESTIONS. Drake began by acknowledging the flexibility and resilience of the student body amidst the campus closure, virtual learning and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He stated that the UC has made great progress and will continue to do so.

The conversation was kicked off with

a question about the ways the UC will prevent budget cuts from affecting its most vulnerable employees and contractors.

Drake stated that the UC has experienced severe budgetary constraints and expenditures since the pandemic began, with COVID-19 costs exceeding $2.1 billion for the UC system since August.

Drake stated that his administration will do all they can to protect the UC’s lowest income workers and have been discussing programs to combat this issue, as it is a top priority for them.

Similarly, Drake also addressed the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) strikes that were occurring on UC campuses early in the year before being halted by campus closures. Graduate students from across the ► SEE DRAKE PAGE 4

OPINIONS

In high school, I was in a very toxic friendship with someone who I had considered my best friend. We were inseparable. We were childhood besties, and our friendship was going on 12 years strong. We did everything together, and our families were super close. But day after day, our friendship began to get more and more toxic. She started to try and control who I could and couldn’t be friends with. She caused a lot of drama in other areas of my life, and I would constantly feel belittled.

Whenever I wanted to hang out with any of my other friends, she would get mad. She constantly told me I was only allowed to have one best friend (that of course, being her), and it was off limits to talk to anyone she didn’t like. Not only did she not want me to have other friends, but in our own friendship, she thought that she knew best. She tried to control everything I did and it got to a point where I realized that although we have known each other for almost our entire life, I did not recognize our friendship anymore. In fact, it was just causing me more stress and frustration in life.

It got so bad that I decided to move school districts because I felt the need to totally remove myself from all of the drama, stress and frustration that she had caused. To anyone dealing with a toxic friendship or relationship, I ► SEE TOXIC PAGE 8

It is time to abolish the Electoral College and adopt the national popular vote THE ANTIQUATED SYSTEM OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAS NO PLACE IN A MODERN DEMOCRACY. A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY DIRECT POPULAR VOTE IS LONG OVERDUE. THUY-TIEN BUI Contributing Writer

Now that the 2020 presidential election has come to an end, it is time to rethink the system that chooses the president of the United States. Over the last two decades, two out of five presidents have won the election despite losing the popular vote.

This is owed to the Electoral College — a system that delegates a certain number

of votes per state based on congressional representation. Concerned about placing the presidency in the hands of an uninformed public, the framers of the Constitution adopted the Electoral College as a lastminute compromise between a popular vote and a vote by Congress. However, with the media and campaigning creating a more informed electorate, the intent of the framers simply does not translate

to modern-day politics. Saying that the current electoral system is unnecessary is an understatement. The Electoral College is outdated, divisive and undemocratic, and we need to abolish it.

The irony of the Electoral College is that it was built for inclusivity but seldom reflects this purpose. The winner-takes-all ► SEE ELECTORAL COLLEGE PAGE 6

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Upcoming Events: Week 7

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NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF: UCR Alumni Association implements new online student mentorship program DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

The UCR Alumni Association has recently launched the UCR Career Network, a new online platform powered by PeopleGrove. The site is designed for students and alumni with the ultimate goal of helping Highlanders build up their network.

The program encourages students to cultivate a successful mentor relationship and forge connections with university alumni in relevant career fields.

In an interview with The Highlander, Brock Cavett, director of young alumni engagement at UCR, talked about his support for the new program. “The UCR Career Network does a great job

guiding students through the process of making connections by providing message templates and tips on how to nurture the connections they have made,” he stated.

In order to be a part of this program, students must register themselves into the system. They are first asked a series of initial questions to determine their interests and help match them with recommended alumni connections.

Once finished, students gain immediate access to the entirety of the platform. They are given a profile in which they can edit and add their own personal, academic and careerrelated information for others to peruse. Students on this system may

also choose to contact connections or continue to sift through potential mentors in different industries or cities.

With the current features, students can either directly message or set up a live video chat with those in their connections list.

Cavett added that he anticipates the new career networking program will make facilitating connections between students and alumni a smoother process. He concluded by stating, “We hope that this platform makes finding mentorship opportunities easier for current students while giving UCR alumni the chance to give back by sharing their experiences and career H advice. ■

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THE UCR CAREER NETWORK ALLOWS STUDENTS AN EASIER WAY TO FORGE CAREER-RELATED CONNECTIONS.

COURTESY OF UCR

ASUCR

ASUCR senate approves senate resolution to mandate recorded lectures for all classes

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA / THE HIGHLANDER

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

On Friday, Nov. 13, ASUCR held their second State of the Association (SOTA) meeting of the year, where ex-officios are able to share their reports for the past month.

Vice President of External Affairs, Vincent Rasso, shared that this month, his office met with UC President Michael Drake and received commitments from the UC Office of the President (UCOP) to advocate for the continuation of lenient academic accommodations for students.

They also discussed their short and long term plans to ensure campus safety and the issues with policing on campus, along with the impact that budget cuts have had on UC workers. As part of Rasso’s contributions to the UC Student Association (UCSA), he also assisted in the creation of systemwide statements about the failure of Proposition 16 and the election of Joe Biden. He also highlighted the Election Day events hosted by his office and other university organizations such as the UCR Civic

Engagement Coalition, Student Life, ASPB, the School of Public Policy and CALPIRG. During public forum, Ori Liwanag, fourth-year business major and vice chairperson for CALPIRG at UCR, gave an update on their upcoming events and initiatives. Liwanag stated that CALPIRG will be hosting a week of actions to go along with national hunger and homelessness awareness week.

Liwanag highlighted the 2019 College and University Basic Needs Insecurity: A National #RealCollege Survey Report released by The Hope Project. The survey revealed that 45% of 86,000 respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days, 56% were housing insecure in the previous year and 17% were homeless in the previous year.

During New Business, SR-F20004 Proposition to Mandate Recorded Lectures was presented. The resolution is aimed towards convincing the academic senate to mandate recorded lectures for all classes. Primary author of the proposition, CHASS Senator Lizbeth

Marquez stated that the purpose of the resolution was to alleviate some of the stresses brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, especially for international students who are currently facing their classes in a different time zone. “We are hoping students can have access to their course material when it is most feasible to them,” stated Marquez. The resolution passed with a vote of 15-0-0.

The senate also passed SB-F20-007 to add a clarification to Chapter 53 of the ASUCR email policy. Currently, ASUCR utilizes ScotMail to distribute mass emails to the entire campus and the bill clarified the regulations that the association must follow when sending emails en masse.

ASUCR President Luis Huerta presented his monthly report which included his meeting with the Athletics working group to discuss the future of the athletics department as well as his role on the Campus Safety Task Force to discuss new approaches to policing on campus.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:32 H p.m.■

ASUCR HOSTS THEIR SIXTH MEETING OF THE QUARTER AND THEIR SECOND STATE OF THE ASSOCIATION MEETING.

4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

UC President Michael Drake discusses tuition and fees, campus reopenings and UCPD DRAKE MEETS WITH STUDENT PRESS FROM ACROSS THE UC SYSTEM AND ANSWERS THEIR BURNING QUESTIONS. AMANI MAHMOUD / THE HIGHLANDER

“

I think that affordability, access and excellence are cornerstones to an outstanding education, and we wanna make it so that students can be affordable and the best education they can have.

- UC President, Michael Drake

”

► FROM DRAKE

UC system were demanding cost of living adjustments, fair pay, flexible hours and improved benefits. Drake stated that across the system, campuses have worked hard to provide campus housing and programs to support graduate students broadly. “These are ongoing conversations and as we find our budget squeezed … we don’t want to make decisions that put our graduate students at risk,” he stated.

In regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty around vaccinations and campus reopenings, Drake stated that his priority is the safety of UC students, faculty and staff.

Campuses have been closely monitoring county health departments and the status of the infection rate to determine when in-person instruction will be feasible.

While coronavirus testing varies across the UC system, the sensitivity and specificity of the tests has improved rapidly since the start of the pandemic, stated Drake, with over half a million tests being done across the system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demands from students to lower tuition and fees across the UC system, resulting in a class action lawsuit against both the UC and CSU. UC tuition rates have been flat for nine years, stated Drake, and there are no plans to increase tuition while instruction is being done remotely. According to Drake, the UC has refunded over $400 million in fees to students for housing and dining services that were not provided earlier in the year and have done what they can to ensure that UC tuition has remained

affordable throughout the years. “I think that affordability, access and excellence are cornerstones to an outstanding education, and we wanna make it so that students can be affordable and the best education they can have,” stated Drake.

In response to the failure of California Proposition 16, which aimed to allow for the reinstatement of affirmative action programs in California, Drake stated that he and the regents were disappointed with the outcome. Drake stated that ever since he was a faculty member at UCSF, he was a champion for diversity and rejected the passing of Proposition 209. Despite the failure of Proposition 16, the UC will be active in their outreach and recruitments of students and will continue to champion diversity across the system. Drake highlighted the UC’s milestone of achieving their most diverse class in history, with Latinos making up the largest group of Californians admitted. Similarly, the UC will be active in developing pathways for diverse leadership to be able to rise to positions of power, stated Drake.

The relationship between university policing and campus safety was illuminated after recent events across the country sparked major protests surrounding police brutality and the United States’ long-standing history of institutionalized racism. These have caused an increase in calls across the UC system to defund or decrease the budget of the UCPD. President Drake recently implemented a Campus Safety Task Force on each UC campus assigned to rethink the way that safety is monitored on campuses. Each task force will present a final report to Drake

in January with a final recommendation being made in February. Drake opened up about his personal experience with policing growing up in the United States, stating that he has seen and experienced his own communities being targeted disproportionately and understands the need for students to feel safe on campus.

Finally, Drake addressed two issues that he says have been at the forefront of UC issues for many years, mental health and sexual assault. He understands that during the pandemic, students in particular have been going through a difficult transition and stated that he is working to understand the issues with mental health resources on each campus in order to improve them. As OSU president, Drake also worked closely with President-elect Joe Biden to launch the “It’s On Us” campaign, an initiative aimed to combat sexual assaults on campus and implement sexual violence awareness training for all freshmen. He stated that he has been very focused over the years to find programs and initiatives to tackle sexual assault and will continue to work to keep students safe.

Before ending the meeting, President Drake stated that he looks forward to working with his friends, Presidentelect Joe Biden and Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris throughout their term, two people who he believes have valued education throughout their lives.

He hopes to work with the federal government to bring awareness to these issues and others. “I know what an unusual and unsettling time this is for everyone and we don’t take that for granted,” stated Drake, “We all look H forward to being on the other side.” ■

Opinions

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OPINIONS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

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THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

California’s failure to pass Proposition 16 ignores the obstacles faced by students of color CALIFORNIANS’ ‘NO’ VOTE ON PROPOSITION 16 HIGHLIGHTS THE STATE’S FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE ELECTORATE AND ITS HESITANCE IN CONFRONTING RACIAL INEQUITY.

A

lthough there were many promising pieces of legislation on the California ballot, progress stagnanted this year.

Disappointingly, Californians failed to recognize the importance of voting for policies in their own state rather than just the presidency. Consequently, crucial legislation such as Proposition 16 failed to pass, which will create a significant hurdle that students of color will have to overcome in college admissions.

Proposition 16 could have created equity among different communities, and this would have been accomplished by repealing the Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (1996), which was passed in order to ban preferential treatment based off of race, color or sex in public employment and public education. With this amendment in place, communities of color would not be able to compete with their white counterparts when it comes to advancing in society.

Furthermore, a “yes” on Proposition 16 meant that public entities would have been allowed to use affirmative action programs and take race, place of origin, color or sex into consideration when hiring employees or admitting students. On the other hand, a “no” would keep Proposition 209 in place, creating a barrier for many people who are trying to access more opportunities.

COURTESY OF VINCENT RASSO / UCR

With Californians ignorantly voting against Proposition 16, they are depriving minorities of affirmative action programs and making it more difficult for disenfranchised students to pursue higher education.

The most plausible reason Proposition 16 failed to pass in California is because people do not realize how conservative California actually is. In reality, California is only liberal when it comes to presidential elections. However, when it comes down to putting in real work by passing legislation, California voters tend to skew conservative. Most Democrats in California only pay attention to surface level politics in contrast to their much older and traditional Republican counterparts, who are far more engaged in state politics than Democrats, which explains why less progressive policies have not been able to pass. Additionally, the ballot’s misleading and inaccessible language could have affected results, especially from voters who did not have the time to research what the passage of Proposition 16 would mean.

Failure to pass Proposition 16 will impact countless students’ lives when it comes to pursuing higher education.

Proposition 16 would have helped students of color who may not have come from wealthier backgrounds.

The impact this will have on schools in California will only cause more stress for first generation students.

In fact, educational institutions often use student leaders to represent different cultural communities and to develop outreach programs for the surrounding areas in order to provide better resources. However, it is unfair that the burden falls on these students because it puts pressure on them to reach out to these different communities. This would simply be too much to manage for a student, and Proposition 16 would have alleviated this amount of labor.

Affirmative action would have increased the budget schools have to reach out to underrepresented communities, and it would have allowed for more resources to go to people who would otherwise not have access to higher education.

Without affirmative action, diversity on campuses will decrease, and many students of color will lose their chances to go to school. Without policies such as Proposition 16 that combat structural racism, communities without adequate resources will be unfairly put at a disadvantage.

Of course, there is the age old argument that qualifications should be solely based on merit. However, this argument does not take into consideration the resources wealthier communities are given in contrast to underserved communities. For example, a wealthy white or Asian student from the suburbs can afford an immense amount of SAT and ACT

prep in order to pass their exams, whereas some people of color from low income communities do not have that same luxury and therefore might not do as well on exams. Arguing against affirmative action is refusing to recognize the large amount of inequity in the country. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where everyone starts at the same point, and basing things off of merits alone would only work if there was equity across all communities, which there clearly is not.

People need to be more aware of the inequity that plagues communities in America. Qualifications based solely on merit are not something that can be easily done anymore, and it would be pure ignorance to believe that race does not play a large factor in determining someone’s future. Until equity is achieved and everyone can start at the same place, affirmative action needs to be kept in the forefront of everyone’s minds. Looking past the surface level of activism and actually paying attention to law and policy will go a long way in ensuring that more H progressive legislation gets passed. ■

The 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.

6 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

OPINIONS

► FROM ELECTORAL COLLEGE

approach silences the votes of individuals who voted for the candidate opposite of their states’ majority. It makes no difference if Joe Biden won California by 5 million votes, 5,000 votes or 50 votes; in any scenario, he grabs all 55 electoral votes. As for Californians who voted for President Trump, they made no contribution to his number of electoral votes.

In addition to the winner-takes-all basis, the way the number of votes is divided among states is mathematically illogical. If each of the 538 electoral votes were distributed by population, one vote would represent about 607,000 people.

However, many states such as Wyoming, Vermont and Rhode Island are overrepresented in terms of the ratio of electoral votes to the state population.

A single California vote represents nearly three times as many people as one Rhode Island vote. The inflation of electoral votes for smaller states sits in stark contrast to the notion of “one person, one vote,” which is upheld by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Even though every vote counts, not every vote is counted equally.

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Under the Electoral College, power does not lie in the people, but rather, power lies in swing states, who ultimately decide the outcome of an election. What was meant to be an institution that granted equal attention to all states has eroded down to a mere competition for battleground swing states that leaves the rest of America on the sidelines. The winner-takes-all basis,

In an already divided nation, the Electoral College creates a false image of a country separated into blocks of red and blue when we are in fact purple from east to west. It is high time the process of choosing our president represents this diversity in American politics instead of deepening the political divide. The winner of the election should be the candidate who wins the popular vote. This is how every other election in the country is run, whether it is mayoral, gubernatorial or congressional.

Of course, the presidential election should be no exception.

Abolishing the Electoral College and adopting the popular vote will prove to be a difficult task. It has been attempted over 700 times with little progress, since amending the Constitution requires COURTESY OF APK VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UNDER CC-BY-SA-3.0 a two-thirds majority vote in the House and coupled with state overrepresentation, only amplifies Senate. Given that the Electoral College has always the political control of swing states. As a result, benefitted one party over the other, it is uncertain individuals’ voting powers are disproportionate and if Congress will reach an agreement — especially in vary in impact, which should not be the case. Every today’s polarizing political climate. Nevertheless, one vote should hold equal influence, regardless of the state thing remains clear: the candidate with the most votes H where it originates. should win. It’s just basic fairness.■

Big money wins California with the passage of Proposition 22, but they cannot continue to do so across the U.S. SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

PROPOSITION 22 REDUCES RIGHTS TO CONTRACT WORKERS WITH DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING; AMERICA NEEDS TO LEARN FROM THIS TO AVOID SIMILAR LEGISLATION NATIONWIDE.

COURTESY OF PEXELS

In 2019, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 5, a landmark labor law that would extend employee protections to contract workers in order to provide them with benefits like minimum wage, holiday and sick pay and healthcare. Only a year later, app-based companies undermined this law and ensured that millions of workers will continue to endure poor working conditions and a dreadful lack of labor rights. Proposition 22 “classifies app-based drivers as ‘independent contractors,’ instead of ‘employees,’” as such, it exempts companies like Uber, Lyft, Instacart and DoorDash from providing employee benefits to certain drivers.

To the delight of these companies, who spent over $200 million in an incessant advertising campaign, 58% of voters said yes. The passage of this ballot measure is a reminder of how, even in a state as seemingly progressive as California, big money still wins elections, regardless of how badly it truly affects residents.

“If drivers are forced to become employees, 90% of app-based jobs could disappear. And the jobs that are left will not have the flexibility you need,” warns one of the many commercial ads that inundated social media spaces and television.

Users and drivers alike were forced to click through messages on the apps detailing how failure to pass this proposition would result in job loss or higher prices and longer wait times for customers. In 63 seconds, the commercial manages to scare

the viewer and empathize with the so-called “vast majority of drivers who want to remain independent contractors;” months before, the companies even threatened to cease services in California if forced to classify their drivers as employees, and subsequently, provide them benefits. If these companies really are invested in the well-being of their employees, then why threaten to leave them jobless at the drop of a hat just because a piece of legislation did not go their way? In reality, these companies are more afraid of the loss that they would accrue from AB5 than they are for their workers. That’s why they used a combination of scare tactics and nonstop advertising to push millions of Californians to vote “yes” on a proposition that will exploit drivers and ultimately contribute to a gig economy — a system that only profits the leaders of big business.

This was visible immediately after the news that Proposition 22 had passed — Uber’s stock rose nearly 15% on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at an all-time high for the past year, while Lyft closed up 11%. It is strikingly obvious that the real winners of the proposition are not the drivers. I’ve been on the passenger side of ordinary people, old and young, of every ethnicity, but would be hard pressed to remember the time I rode alongside a multimillionaire.

And that is what each one of these CEOs are: Lyft CEO Logan Green’s stake is valued at $700 million, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick’s net work is a reported $2.7 billion and Tony Xu, CEO of DoorDash, now has a

business valued at $13 billion. With Proposition 22 in place, drivers will have no way of building sustainable wealth on these apps; they are unable to choose their clients or set their rates and are promised roughly $6 an hour for their work — horribly below minimum wage. Their actions are even more disgusting when it’s evident how completely hypocritical they are: Lyft and Uber ran ads with progressive sentiments, like billboards denouncing racism, when the majority of the affected workforce is Black and brown and 56% are immigrants.

Worse yet, these companies are now touting their victory and planning to ensure that similar legislation passes all around the country. This passage will protect them from future regulation and has now created the legal framework they need to support their business model and maximize profits for the people at the top. People at the bottom around America now have to fear laws that will ensure that they do not receive proper minimum wage or basic labor rights. If Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are to save face, they need to deliver on their promises to give drivers healthcare, minimum wage and other benefits that they now lack. But considering their shoddy morals, it is doubtful they will. With this in mind, organizers and the new administration must then unite to avoid similar legislation from passing and instead advocate for federal laws that mimic AB5. It will be difficult to fight against companies with such grandiose budgets, but it is H a worthwhile fight. ■

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

Great expectations of change from the Biden administration

ABHIJIT REGE Staff Writer

On the campaign trail, the former vice president made many promises while discussing some of the legislation he would attempt to implement over the next four years. This includes complex policies, such as his healthcare plans, to more simple ideas, like treating the COVID-19 pandemic with greater seriousness in comparison to his predecessor. However, the level of progress him and his constituents are willing to bring about is nowhere near the level where it should be, given the hardships Americans have recently faced. While electing Joe Biden to be our president is a step in the right direction, the nation should expect more progress and change out of the Biden administration.

The election took place in a manner akin to the chaotic and tumultuous four years Americans experienced under the Trump administration. As the oldest president-elect at 77 years of age, Joe Biden’s victory comes as a result of the turnout of many significant populations, including women, people of color, voters of all ages and even some discontent Republicans. Biden has expressed a

message of unity and healing with a call to return to normalcy, no matter how daunting of a task that may be.

We need a much better response to the pandemic than what we had received under the Trump administration. Under Biden, the U.S. should expect increased COVID-19 testing, a national mask mandate, closure of schools and the potential of nationwide lockdowns. The Biden team has already named its own COVID-19 advisory board in an effort to generate an effective plan. Biden has also stated that he plans to repair the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization. However, much more is needed for our nation, such as contact tracing, which is known to be effective in combating the impact of the virus.

Additionally, the country needs more stimulus bills and other legislation that provides aid to those in need.

Furthermore, the number of cases break multiple records each day as hospitals overflow, urging more support and budgeting to be done in order to support large patient populations.

Healthcare is another major issue that needs an overhaul. The incoming administration has proposed to implement Bidencare, a plan to reform

WITHOUT THE REGULATION OF GOODS AND SERVICES, PEOPLE WON’T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE ON ANY MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE.

and expand on the Affordable Care Act. The main goals of this legislation would include: creating a new public health insurance option, streamlining health care plans, reducing prescription drug costs and keeping health care accessible.

However, this legislation is unfortunately still not a plan for universal healthcare, which the pandemic has illustrated to be a necessity for the nation when it comes to health care reform. Privatized insurance does not work either as many Americans, especially those of lower income communities, are rather apprehensive of visiting a doctor. And the pandemic has exposed the flaws in the broken healthcare system, while little is being done about it. Bidencare is too minimal of a change, being only a slight step up from Obamacare of a decade ago.

Joe Biden’s message of healing and unity is one that is necessary to overcome the struggles we will face in the next four years because of the damage the Trump administration brought. However, to achieve the most for the American people, more substantial progress must be made in regards to handling the pandemic and H healthcare. ■

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

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AMERICANS SHOULD HOLD JOE BIDEN TO A HIGHER STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO CORONAVIRUS RELIEF AND HEALTHCARE REFORMS.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UNDER CC-BY-SA-2.0

Price regulation will stop inflation in response to minimum wage increases ROBERT GOLD Contributing Writer

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

In order to not render minimum wage increases ineffective, America must regulate prices in all industries. This is not a novel concept in American history: this country has a long history of price regulation. From groceries to college tuition, the government needs to step in on behalf of the people.

If policymakers raise the minimum wage without regulating the price of goods, it will not do anybody any good.

Instead, all it would do is cause inflation, which only hurts the people these “wellintentioned” politicians are trying to help.

For instance, Florida’s new $15 minimum wage law, an increase from $8.50, will hurt every Floridian if groceries increase by, for example, a dollar on each item. As a result, the working class does not end up benefiting whatsoever from an increase in poor living standards because all of their new wages are just going to pay for the same products and services as before, which have now been made more expensive.

The absence of price regulation especially hurts the middle class and the elderly, neither of which benefit whatsoever from increases to the minimum wage. The elderly live on fixed incomes while the middle classes feel all the brunt of the inflation, watching their grocery bill hike yet receive none of the benefits of the surplus in wages. Another example of good intentions for the lower class hurting the middle class is when middle class parents don’t get tuition assistance for their children, but they are impacted

when tuition costs skyrocket in response to financial aid support for working class families.

In counterpoint to any free market advocates who might argue that such heavy-handed government meddling in a capitalist laissez faire economy is unconstitutional, unfounded, unwarranted or even un-American, it is important to note that the concept of price regulations is not a new concept in American politics. Up until the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the airline industry was heavily regulated with price caps. In fact, right now the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently in the process of negotiating drug prices for over 250 FDA approved products that will hit the market in 2023-2024. Tariffs on foreign imports, which have become a staple point of the Trump administration, are also a form of price regulation. Anytime the government steps in to artificially increase or decrease the price of goods and services is a form of price regulation.

Thus, the idea of the government stepping in to regulate the price of goods, services and various products in a free market economy is not a new or radical one.

The working classes would like to see their wages increase, of course, yet nobody finds themselves happy when they see that the price of milk has nearly doubled overnight. To prevent this kind of inflation, the government needs to place price caps and price regulations on all industries. There is no point in raising the minimum wage if the cost of living is H going to rise right alongside it. ■

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Features MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

COURTESY OF PEXELS ► FROM TOXIC

wouldn’t advise you to literally move away from the situation like I did, but instead you should break away from the person who is no longer a beneficial factor in your life.

If you are in a relationship with someone who you dread being around, is controlling or makes you feel belittled, you are in a toxic relationship. If you find yourself in that kind of relationship, you should start to distance yourself from that person and surround yourself with people who have the qualities of real friends: people who actually want to see you happy and content.

If you are noticing early signs of a toxic relationship, before entirely cutting it off, talk to your friend to let them know how they are making you feel. After you have a conversation with them, you should soon be able to tell if they took your feelings into consideration and changed the way that they treat you. If your friend has changed the way they treat you and you start to notice a positive shift in the relationship, then that’s great! I know the idea of confrontation can seem or feel a little scary at first, but sometimes just talking things through can really make a positive impact. If after having a conversation with your friend you continue to feel belittled, then it is time to take it

a step further and remove yourself from the toxic situation.

For some people, cutting off a friend isn’t as difficult as it is for others. Your emotions while considering breaking off a friendship can vary, and that is totally normal.

In relationships that are new, as soon as you see toxic qualities in that person, cut them off early on. It gets harder to cut them off if you continue to let the relationship drag on. Being in a relationship for a longer time period and then realizing that the friendship just isn’t working out can be a terrifying feeling because you have already invested so much time and energy into the relationship. However, realizing how the friendship is negatively affecting your life will make ending the relationship a lot easier. Make a list of the ways that this person makes you feel, and if the majority of the feelings are negative, then that alone should help you realize that you are not gaining anything from this friendship and that it is time to move on. Cutting off this person will make you feel so much better in the long run.

The most healthy way that you can go about distancing yourself from this person is if you tell them directly why you are choosing to no longer be friends. Sit them down and let them know that because of the way they make you feel, you don’t want to continue being around them. You can also mention that because you have

F F EATURES

FEATURES FICTION IS A COLUMN SHOWCASING CREATIVE WORK FROM STUDENTS, RANGING FROM POETRY TO SHORT STORIES.

ICTION

already spoken to them about the negative ways they make you feel and they have failed to change the way they treat you, it is apparent that your feelings aren’t being taken into account in the relationship.

Doing it this way, as opposed to ghosting the person, is a lot better because it makes your intentions and reasons clear to the other person. If you were to ghost your “friend,” they could start to feel upset and frustrated because they don’t think that they’ve done anything wrong. This could result in more drama and more confusion which you are trying to avoid.

After you have taken this step to remove toxicity in your life, you may go through a rollercoaster of emotions. It will feel good knowing that the toxic people in your life have been removed, but it can also feel a little overwhelming because you just built up the courage to let someone know that the way they have been treating you is not okay.

Eventually, all of the emotions that you start to go through will go away, and you will feel really relieved that you’ve removed this person from your life.

The next steps are to find people who you enjoy being around. Join a club on campus and surround yourself with like-minded people so that you can create real friendships with people who will support you, be there for you and H help you be the best that you can be.■

VOICELESS

By Katie Polanco, Contributing Writer

She marches on without her spirit’s guide In a world divided by people’s pride.

We fight for a cause that is hard to attain, That will only result in others pain.

Try to follow their positions blindly, See if that will make them treat you kindly.

Their divisions are strong, all seems hopeless.

Her spirit muted, words remained voiceless. ■ H

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Radar

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

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‘Operation Christmas Drop’ accomplishes its mission to imbue holiday spirit “OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP” JASHANPREET MALHI Contributing Writer

With the holiday season fast approaching, Netflix recently released “Operation Christmas Drop,” a truly different film that takes place on an island — as opposed to the usual snowy settings that several Hallmark movies are known for. It seems like the world is divided by whether or not one is a winter or summer person, and this film brings together the best of both worlds in a unique tale of what Christmas really entails.

Based on a humanitarian mission conducted by the Department of Defense, “Operation Christmas Drop” follows Erica Miller (Kat Graham), who works as an aide to Congresswoman Bradford (Virginia Madsen). Upon seeing an article questioning the operation, Bradford sends Erica to Guam to assess the productivity of the U.S. Air Force base. Erica, desperate to ascend the ranks, views this as an opportunity for a promotion and is given the vital task of assessing whether the operation should be ceased. She befriends the Air Force captain, Andrew Jantz (Alexander Ludwig), who shows Erica the mechanisms of the operation and attempts to convince her that it should be maintained.

Although it takes place on an island, the film still manages to capture the Christmas spirit. It effortlessly captures two different settings by shifting between a white Christmas in Washington, D.C. to the sunny, tropical Guam islands. Furthermore, it is filmed at the Andersen Air Force base in Guam, which makes the film more authentic. The amazing locations in the film make it visually stunning as it showcases the tranquil

beauty and crystal clear beaches in Guam. The camera also works well in capturing the entirety of the island and beaches by utilizing a bird’s-eye view. The film takes the audience along with Erica and Andrew as they travel through the island’s lush greenery in their Jeep.

Despite the great locations and camera work, there are some flaws in the film that make it less engaging.

The film has a predictable plot, allowing the audience to deduce the ending and the actions characters will inevitably take. In addition, there are a few scenes in the film that are too lengthy. An example of one scene is when a CGI gecko is in Erica’s room as she has a conversation with it and attempts to lure it outside. While it was perhaps an attempt to include humor in the film, it fails to do so and seems pointless.

Each actor performed a great job in delivering their respective characters. Graham was successfully ambitious and dedicated to being an exceptional employee in the eyes of the congresswoman. She transitions from embodying a strict attitude towards the operation to a zealous demeanor to embrace Christmastime in Guam, being miles away from home. Her costume design also works in establishing this change in character as her attire changes from dark, professional clothing to more colorful tones. Ludwig captured Andrew’s kind-hearted, selfless nature who finds joy in helping others in any way possible.

His character is predominantly seen smiling throughout the film, and his facial expressions really nail Andrew’s content personality.

Madsen portrays the “Grinch” in the

film with her intimidating, powerful manner and stubborn attitude. In addition, the film also includes a nonfictional character, Bruce Best, who is a researcher at the University of Guam and has dedicated multiple years in proving communication to islanders and volunteering for the operation. Playing himself in the film, he shares some of his contributions, such as helping to collect generators for the islanders.

This makes the film altogether more meaningful and establishes a sense of unity among compassionate individuals with a common goal of helping others.

“Operation Christmas Drop” effectively fosters the themes of giving and selflessness through dedicated characters that will stop at nothing to aid those in need.

They display heroism by taking initiative and dedicating numerous hours towards the operation, which reinforces the meaning of humanity and inspires the audience to give back. Moreover, a theme of unity is established as the air base works together to justify the operation and is determined in overcoming obstacles that prevent it from executing their mission. The film displays the true meaning of Christmas: discovering ways to provide happiness to others.

Ultimately, the film is unique in that it doesn’t take place in a winter wonderland. Sure, it has a few faults, but the effectively delivered theme, acting and superb scenery make up for them. Furthermore, it manages to maintain the holiday ambiance as it educates the audience on the U.S. government’s humanitarian airdrop mission to provide donations to H islanders.■

CAPTURES THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AS IT TRANSPORTS YOU TO A TROPICAL HOLIDAY WONDERLAND.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Verdict:

With a few bumps in plot, “Operation Christmas Drop” is a lighthearted, decent film with great acting and cinematography.

Through it’s heartwarming themes, it is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit.

Radar Replay:

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ forces the heartbroken to contemplate lost memories Radar replay allows the Radar writers to celebrate a certain piece of media for its impactfulness or importance. It’s here where we get the chance to discuss the significance of our favorite pop culture pieces and the value they carry today.

SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

We’ve all lamented after a crushing breakup: “I wish I had never met them.” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is dedicated to those dealing with the type of heartbreak that makes it too painful to reminisce on past memories. Protagonist Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) decides to undergo a mind-altering procedure that would completely erase his ex-girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), from his memories after he finds out that Clementine has already erased him from hers. In a nonlinear fashion, the audience observes the couple find their way back to each other in real time while also traipsing through the past two years of the couple’s history, from their meet-cute at a beach barbecue to the final fight that ended their relationship. Intertwined with the main storyline is a story arc revolving around Mary (Kirsten Dunst), the receptionist of the mind-erasing firm, technician Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and their boss, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), that reaffirms the film’s question — if you could erase someone from your mind,

even if it meant losing blissful moments but no longer suffering over the loss, would you do it?

The film’s nonlinear sci-fi narrative is what differentiates the movie from other romantic comedies. Joel and Clementine’s relationship troubles are startlingly ordinary: Joel doesn’t quite want as big a commitment as Clementine yet, and Clementine is constantly annoyed by Joel’s eccentricities. However, their decision to undergo such an extreme procedure brings to light how fickle fate is and how precious memories become once we are threatened with their destruction. Coincidentally, the two connect again only a day after Joel’s procedure; unfortunately, Mary decides to send tapes of their erasures to every patient, and Joel and Clementine hear the most intimate and disparaging information about each other. Armed with the information about what ultimately tears them apart, the couple decides to get back together nevertheless. What makes “Eternal Sunshine” so intriguing is that it is up to the audience to decide whether the couple is doomed, but more importantly, whether the question of their fate is fruitless anyway. The film sets up the final scene so the

audience is able to understand that it may be better to live with the pain of a romance gone wrong if you eventually H get to reminisce about the special moments you shared.■

Verdict:

It’s no wonder “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” has become a cult classic and named No. 6 on BBC’s list of the 100 best films of the 21st century. The wisdom in this stripped down film is hard to ignore and only made more enjoyable by the realistic, vibrant characters and melancholy soundtrack. Even now, the romance still resonates with those reveling in the agony and affection of a lost love.

Sports 10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

needs to go back to Highlander Houston the drawing board to create Hot Take: a winning team

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

Russell Westbrook, the current point guard for the Houston Rockets, has requested to be traded and is looking to leave the team in search of a more agreeable environment. Westbrook came to the decision because he wishes to play a more central role on the team he plays for. That request, unfortunately, will not be possible, as the Rockets have placed their trust in point and shooting guard James Harden, who shows more promise in the near future and continues to remain committed to the team. James Harden has been able to lead his team to the conference semifinals, and once to the conference finals without the support of big name players.

In light of this news, the Houston Rockets organization has been looking to handle this situation with care quickly and efficiently during the off-season and hope to be ready come game time. Both players are great. However, Westbrook already has one foot out the door, so the question becomes: What is in the best interest of the Rockets? Should they structure a winning team around Harden, or should they trade him and create a championship team from scratch?

Harden shows more promise for the Rockets in the next few seasons. In the past four years, he has averaged no less than 25 points per game. Westbrook, on the other hand, has an average of no less than 23.

Westbrook is better as a supporting role, with higher rebound and assist averages.

Getting their start in the Oklahoma

Thunder, both players have an impressive playing record. Most notably, Westbrook has 146 triple-doubles under his belt, and Harden has 46, which is still an impressive amount.

That said, it is time for the Rockets to cut ties with these two great players in search of something greater — another NBA title. The Rockets currently have two titles from the 1994 and 1995 NBA championships, but they have not returned to the NBA finals since then. Harden has fought ferociously for the Rockets for the past four years, coming close to securing the championship both in 2015 and in 2018 but ultimately losing in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors both times. Harden and Westbrook are both absolute machines on the court and a delight to watch, but at 31 and 32 respectively, they are in the final stages of their prime.

Westbrook is on the way out, and with a $130 million contract still very much in effect, the Rockets can’t hope to make much money nor get a great player in return. A similar situation stands with Harden. The Rockets could wait out Harden’s contract or be smart with their moves. Houston has nothing but time and 2 exceptional players that provide a hidden amount of leverage. If the team’s upper management is smart, they can use these players to get great top first and second round picks in the upcoming NBA drafts and build a stable winning team that could show results for the team and the people of Houston in the upcoming seasons. ■ H

RUSSELL WESTBROOK’S REQUEST TO BE TRADED FROM THE HOUSTON ROCKETS HIGHLIGHTS THE TEAM’S NEED TO START OVER.

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This week in UCR men’s soccer win sports: their first Big West Title

TWO YEARS AGO, UCR MEN’S SOCCER MAKES HISTORY.

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

Two years ago on Nov. 10, the UCR men’s soccer team made history by winning their first Big West title in the history of the program. After suffering through a disappointing season, with an early record of 0 wins, 7 losses and 1 tie, the team managed to turn things around and bring the Big West trophy home. The Highlanders were able to appear in the Big West Conference Tournament final after defeating the Cal State Fullerton Titans in a dramatic 3-2 game. UCR entered the tournament with a postseason record of 7 wins, 9 losses and 3 ties.

The title-winning game was played against UC Davis on UCR’s home turf. After an intense game, the score was 0-0 at the end of regulation time. For the first go-around, both teams exchanged goals, ultimately tying at 1-1. However, a mistake by UC Davis player Robert Mejia allowed UCR the advantage they needed.

Sophomore forward Roberto Garcia and goalkeeper Edwyn Gutierrez worked in tandem to help UCR take the lead at 2-1.

The Highlanders maintained their aggressive attitude throughout, finishing the game with nine of their 15 shots on target, which was impressive compared to the Aggies’ own three of nine shots on target.

Taking the game to penalties, it was freshman David Castaneda who once again scored the game-winning goal, fresh off of his win against CSU Fullerton. Castaneda closed the game with a score of 4-2.

Their victory allowed UCR to advance to the NCAA men’s soccer tournament.

In an interview with the Press Enterprise, Head Coach Tim Cupello spoke about the fierce determination his team demonstrated despite the disappointing losses. “These guys never lost hope, never gave up. You just continue to reinforce that what we’re doing will pay off eventually.”

At the NCAA tournaments,

the Highlanders experienced great competition, winning all of their games but one. Then, sophomore Daniel Aguirre was named the tournament MVP and attributed the team’s success to their ability to unite with a common goal in mind.

“Those seven games, we weren’t playing bad,” said Aguirre in an interview with the Press Enterprise. “It was just little moments in the game, we would collapse, and as a group, we all came together because we knew (in the) Big West you can’t turn off the moments or they’ll punish you. As a group, we all came together, and we fixed it.”

Since then, the Highlanders have focused on improving both on and off the field to continue this streak of success.

This past year, they were awarded the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award. They look to the future and hope to bring home more titles, despite the uncertainty of the continuation of UCR H Athletics. ■

LLYOD KAO /HIGHLANDER