Volume 69 Issue 12

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Monday, January 18, 2021

VOL. 69, ISSUE 12

est. 1954

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SEE PAGE 5

f UCR Highlander Newspaper @UCRHighlander HighlanderTV NEWS 3

OPINIONS 5

FEATURES 8

RADAR 10

SPORTS 11

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MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Upcoming Events: Week 2

Humans of UCR MARIELA ESTHER RIVERA | SUSTAINABILITY | FOURTHYEAR COMPILED BY THE HIGHLANDER STAFF

18 Monday

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Hot off the Presses: Toby Miller 3 p.m.

Virtual Event

Virtual MPP Information Session 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Virtual Event

20

Inauguration Day Watch Party 8:30 a.m.

Virtual Event

Remote Research Series: Check In 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Virtual Event

Tuesday

Wednesday

“I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California.

Not a lot of people know that I have my own podcast called Wine Chats, and you can listen on Spotify, Anchor and Apple Podcast. Wine Chats is a casual podcast about general topics, interviews, stories wine and more.”

21

Delegation Skills Webinar 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Virtual Event

Virtual Stargazing Tour of the Moon 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Virtual Event

22

Virtual Bingo 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

ABC’s of Gender Pronouns with Alexis Ungerer, PhD 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

Thursday

Friday

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Saturday

CONTACT US

HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Silvia Ferrer

Amani Mahmoud

editorinchief @highlandernews.org

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

News Editor

Asst. News Editor Davina Garcia dgarc084@ucr.edu

Laura Anaya-Morga

news@highlandernews.org Opinions editor

Asst. Opinions Editor Evelyn Homan ehauthor19@gmail.com

Madison Rheins opinions@highlandernews.org Features Editor

Asst. Features Editor Alexandria Estaban aeste005@ucr.edu

Adriana Mandujano Angel features@highlandernews.org A&E Editor

Asst. Features Editor Kevin Sanchez Neri ksanc034@ucr.edu

Colin Carney

radar@highlandernews.org Sports Editor

Asst. Sports Editor Kevin Contreras kcont012@ucr.edu

Production Manager

Art Director

Amanda Joy Teano

Celine Hoang artdirector. highlander@gmail.com

productionmanager @highlandernews.org

Production Assistants

Kathy Garcia Brinly Den Asst. Photo Editor Leo Yue lyue003@ucr.edu

Photography Editor

Ryan Poon

photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers

Isuru Karunatillaka Martin Lopez

Llyod Kao

Video Editor

Rodolfo Andres Valdivia rvald015@ucr.edu

Business Manager

Arshneel Kaur

highlanderads@gmail.com Marketing Coordinator

Hannah Chung

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Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information.

Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Samuel Harrison at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.

LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander.

The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation.

The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

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News

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

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ASUCR

ASUCR passes bill to implement proper methods to report discrimination on campus

CHASS SENATOR CHRISTOPHER KENT IS CHOSEN AS SENATOR OF THE MONTH.

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, ASUCR held their second meeting of the quarter and passed a resolution detailing the implementation of new protocol meant to make the process of reporting discrimination on campus easier for students.

SR-W21-002 Protocol to Report Discrimination on Campus was submitted in partnership with the Middle Eastern Student Center (MESC), Community Outreach Director Samia Alkam, CHASS Senators Mufida Assad and Sebastian Quinteros, along with former SPP Senator Nava Majlesi. The senate resolution aims to find a more streamlined and efficient process for reporting discrimination on campus and will engage UCR’s Chief Diversity Officer, the campus’ eight ethnic and gender centers, ASUCR’s diversity counsel and UCR Administration.

Samia Alkam presented SR-W21-002 to the senate and stated that the resolution was especially important after the national reckoning against

police brutality that happened over the course of last summer.

Alkam talked through the difficult process that students currently need to go through to report an act of discrimination that they have experienced on campus. The current process is difficult to manage, and there is no set way for students to report. One of the main issues, Alkam stated, is that the main function for reporting these acts is through UCPD. “[This] may alienate a lot of Black students who feel uncomfortable going to an institution they might even believe is apparently racist,” she stated. Alkam shared an anecdote about an instance of discrimination she faced on campus from a petitioner who made sexist, racist and Islamophobic comments towards her. After going to Student Conduct, Alkam said she was turned away, and nothing could be done about the situation because the petitioner was not a student at UCR. She acknowledged that the difficult process may discourage students from reporting in the future and will thus affect the data of UCR,

making it unknown how many students are actually facing discrimination on campus.

The model for the senate resolution follows that of the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz, which has a webpage specifically aimed toward providing resources for students who face hate and bias on their campus. Through this webpage, students have access to various report forms such as the Hate/Bias report form, the UCSC Police report form and the UC Systemwide report form. “I believe we should use UC Santa Cruz as a model and work together with the chief diversity officer in order to make filing reports regarding disrimiation a little bit easier on campus,” stated Alkam.

SR-W21-002 Protocol to Report Discrimination on Campus passed with a vote of 14-0-0.

During Public Forum, Ori Liwanag, fourth-year business major and campaign coordinator for CALPIRG, updated the senate on the efforts of the organization throughout the winter quarter.

CALPIRG is a statewide,

JOSHUA WANG / THE HIGHLANDER

student-run, student-funded organization across the UC system dedicated to bringing awareness to issues such as food insecurity, voter engagement and climate change. This quarter, CALPIRG at UCR is focused on tackling the climate crisis. The state of California currently has a commitment to clean electricity by 2045 but with Riverside having the poorest air quality in the country, the increase of wildfires in the state each year, “we know we can’t wait another 25 years to make that commitment,” stated Liwanag. He said CALPIRG will be pushing on California Gov. Newsom to accelerate this transition and make a commitment to clean electricity statewide by 2030. A recent two-week recruitment guide to

engage students in CALPIRGs efforts attracted over 850 students, and they were able to hire 80 new interns to be involved in their campaigns, as well as 93 volunteers. “It’s really exciting to see so many students excited about making a difference,” stated Liwanag.

Finally, Executive Vice President (EVP) Natalie Hernandez announced the Senator of the Month for December, CHASS Senator Christopher Kent.

While acknowledging his highlights, EVP Hernandez stated that Kent is consistent in his work, constantly brings new legislation to the table and never fails to have a positive attitude.

The meeting was adjourned H at 6:58 p.m.■

NEWS IN BRIEF:

UCR moves to vaccinate frontline healthcare employees

DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

EMPLOYEES FROM THE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER AND UCR HEALTH ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. COURTESY OF PEXELS

In the interest of protecting frontline healthcare employees, UCR’s Student Health Services (SHS) received a 100 dose shipment of the Moderna vaccine via Riverside County. According to William Rall, senior administrative officer of SHS, administration of the vaccine began on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

The California Department of Public Health’s vaccination plan prioritizes healthcare workers who operate in direct contact with COVID-19, and especially in those areas of the state that are highly impacted, like all counties in the southern region. Because of this, as well as the help of colleagues, Rall informed The Highlander that the process of applying and receiving the vital vaccine was thankfully straightforward.

“It’s important to have this

opportunity for frontline essential workers to be protected … The SHS has been open since the campus has been closed. It’s an added barrier of protection,” stated Rall.

UCR Health is also in the midst of receiving vaccinations for their eligible employees. According to Dr. Andres Gonzalez, chief medical officer of UCR Health, their faculty and staff are getting their first doses at either UC Irvine, UC San Diego or at the affiliated hospitals where they work. Vaccination opportunities have also been made available for them through the Riverside County Medical Association.

Gonzalez emphasized the importance of vaccine distribution in combating the widespread effects of the virus. “Currently available vaccines have demonstrated efficacy between 94-95% … They are one of the best tools in our fight against H COVID-19.”■

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NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

RYAN POON /THE HIGHLANDER

“Black and brown people and their white supporters are treated like law breaking criminals by peacefully protesting. White mobs are treated with kid gloves”

THE HIGHLANDER’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SPOKE TO DR. YOLANDA MOSES ABOUT THE CAPITOL HILL RIOTS AND THE HYPOCRISY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT’S RESPONSE TO PROTESTS. BY: AMANI MAHMOUD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Moses serves as a professor of anthropology, associate vice chancellor for diversity, equity and excellence and executive director for conflict resolution at UCR. Her research focuses on the broad question regarding the origins of social inequality in complex societies through the use of comparative ethnographic and survey methods.

Q:

The treatment of largely white supremacists by Capitol Hill police stood in stark contrast to the way law enforcement handled protests for Black lives this summer. This mob stormed the Capitol with little to no resistance from police, while some even took selfies with white police officers. How do you react to the stark differences in treatment of peaceful Black protestors and organizers versus the treatment of violent white supremacists who stormed the United States Capitol? ​

A:

10 years ago, the FBI put out a report that law enforcement in the United States is infiltrated by white supremacists. The question I would ask, is why has there not been a national reckoning around this information? Where is the institutional will to root out white supremacists from law enforcement in this country? There is a long history that supports this behavior. From history we know that law enforcement developed in this country to patrol runaway slaves, the property of white owners. So you might say that white supremacists today are now protecting whiteness, or the power of whiteness to call the political decisions in this country.

Q:

This summer, in reference to overwhelming peaceful protestors calling for racial justice, Trump tweeted, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” In response to violent white supremacists storming the Capitol, Trump told the extremists, “We love you. You’re very special ... but you have to go home.”

Before the mob stormed the Capitol, he told his supporters to “fight like hell.” How do

you respond to the difference in response that President Trump had for Black Lives Matter protestors in comparison to white supremacists storming the United States Capitol?

A:

Trump has shown over the past four years, and even before this incident when he said Barack Obama was not a real American, and born in Kenya, that he was a racist and sympathized with white supremacists. He knew that white supremacists supported him, he also knew that there were white supremacists within the police.

Q:

The FBI is notorious for surveilling Black activists and protestors, from the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter movement. What is your reaction to the FBI’s response to this riot that was planned on many social media platforms very publicly?

A:

I believe that there was complicity in the system. Somebody knew that these rioters were coming to the capitol. There is a lot of finger pointing right now, but the FBI is the organization that is supposed to monitor domestic terrorism.

It is hard to believe, but there are not even laws on the books to prosecute these people as white supremacist domestic terrorists.

That is something that the Biden-Harris administration has to change.

Q: A:

What does the Capitol Police’s handling of the riot say about the police’s ability to de-escalate?​

The Capitol Police and the Metropolitan police have many black police in their ranks. They have complained in the past about racism in their ranks, and racist treatment by white racist officials’ in the White House and Congress.

Look at today how some of the white congress people are refusing to go through the metal detectors. It is no coincidence that the head of the Capitol Police resigned,

and officers in the ranks did not know what was going to happen. I believe the chief of the Capitol Police knew what was going to happen, did nothing, and put his officers in harm’s way.

Q:

How does the police’s ability to de-escalate situations compare to the brutality that Black and brown folks face at the hands of the police?

A:

​ ll police officers in all departments A across this nation are not taught deescalation tactics. We do not know what their training was in the attack on the Capitol. Clearly, they were overwhelmed.

There were not enough police officers. That is in stark contrast to the police who were called out by the president to “show force” in those demonstrations around BLM and police brutality this summer that happened across our nation. There is clearly a double standard. Black and brown people and their white supporters are treated like law breaking criminals by peacefully protesting.

White mobs are treated with kid gloves. No wonder Black and brown folks are skeptical about the “serve and protect” motto of law enforcement. It appears to be to serve and protect “whiteness.”

Q:

doing the president’s bidding. He told them that the election was stolen, and this would be the last opportunity for them “to take their country back.” And my question is taking their country back from whom?

There were 7 million more people who voted for Joe Biden than for Trump. Any rational person could see that. But Trump stoked fears that were already there in the minds of these folks, that “their country” is being taken over by people they do not like.

Q:

The Capitol Police are one of the most heavily militarized police forces in America. What does it say that this mob of white supremacists were so easily able to infiltrate the Capitol building and met with very little violence or retaliation from police? ​

A:

As I mentioned before, while I think some of the Capitol Police fought valiantly against this mob attack, they were overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

I believe that there were Trump supporters and White Supremacists within the Capitol Police that colluded with officials in the White House and even Congress to plan the storming of the Capitol. The mob knew H where to go once they got in. ■

Many of those participating in the violent mob are supporters of the police and “blue lives matter.”

Despite this, a handful of Capitol Police faced serious injuries at the hands of protestors, and one died. What does this say about how the “Blue Lives Matter” slogan is a rebuke to Black Lives Matter and the oppression Black people face at the hands of police? ​

A:

We all saw the hypocrisy of the Trump supporters when they attacked the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police. They did not care about those police officers, for them they represented the government, and they were protecting people that the rioter wanted to get to. Plus, these are people who were

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Opinions

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OPINIONS

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

5

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Faculty intimidation on our reporting can lead to a culture of fear and an issue of censorship of student press THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NEEDS TO PROVIDE MORE CONCRETE PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENT JOURNALISTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT FACE BULLYING, HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION FROM ADMINISTRATION AND FACULTY.

A

fter The Highlander published an article on Nov. 30 detailing a lawsuit a UCR professor was facing, the editor-in-chief, managing editor and news editor of this student-run newspaper were suddenly met with a barrage of emails from UCR faculty and department leaders. Like any other publication, we are no strangers to criticism, but these emails and letters felt never-ending. Every time we received an email or letter from a faculty or a UCR department leader,, we would receive another email before we even had a moment to respond to the previous one.

These emails and letters demanded that the article be retracted because it was “defamatory” while disparaging our ethics as a newspaper, our skill and our integrity. It was incredibly stressful.

Like many other students, we were forced to balance taking finals online and work in-person at our essential jobs while managing the daily work of The Highlander. Not only were we in the middle of a global pandemic that was worsening, we were managing a multitude of harassing emails during finals week.

In an attempt to clarify and accurately respond to the complaints, The Highlander consulted with campus faculty, professional journalists and university lawyers who uniformly concluded that there was no legal basis to the claims that the article was defamatory.

The Highlander has been independently serving UCR since 1954, and we have routinely brought light to topics on campus regarding lawsuits, budgetary concerns, faculty and administration.

Our mission statement remains clear, “[We are] committed to the pursuit of truth, the free exchange of information and ideas and maintaining a fair and independent student voice.”

In addition, college newspapers at large are protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment. Under California’s Fair and True Reporting Privilege (Civ. Code, § 47(d)), publications that report on public proceedings and official documents are protected from claims that those reports are defamatory, as long as it is reported fairly and accurately.

In the case of Nafi vs. Regents (The Highlander), the court agreed that there is no valid legal claim for defamation by omission, an issue addressed by Paterno v. Superior Court, 163 Cal.App.4th 1342, 1352 (2008) which states, “Media defendants are liable for calculated falsehoods, not for their failure to achieve

some undefined level of objectivity.”

The Nov. 30 article was published with care. Several sources were contacted for information. Both parties were interviewed, but neither was allowed to comment; therefore, the article was based off of the lawsuit, with the assurance that there would be a follow-up and an in-depth text written for both the plaintiff and respondent.

After conferring with outside resources and doing this research, we knew we were legally protected under freedom of the press laws, but we still feared the implications that these complaints could have on our relationship with our sources and on our personal relationships with professors — the people responsible for educating us.

We responded to the first complaints quickly and thoughtfully, including this information in our email, but continued to receive deprecating emails from faculty and UCR department leaders that dismissed our response. We were told that further contact would be rescinded unless we retracted the article. For faculty to threaten the quintessential relationship between a college newspaper and a university member, or for our publication to simply retract an article for fear of retaliation, goes against our First Amendment rights as journalists.

To receive messages that were harassing, threatening and bullying in nature from faculty and administrators is reprehensible. What is even more reprehensible is that through their harassment, intimidation and threats, these faculty and administrators contributed and fostered a culture of fear for student journalists on UCR’s campus.

The faculty members who were sending harassing emails to The Highlander included professors whose classes we were currently enrolled in. Not only were we receiving this harassment during finals week, but members of The Highlander’s staff now feared that the personal bias these professors had for us could impact our grades.

These professors and administrators have power over our grades and the future of our education; student journalists should not be afraid of retaliation or intimidated from contacting them. The culture of fear these faculty members and department leaders fostered was so strong that members of The Highlander feared that we would face bias in future classes if a controversial article featured a situation with any member of faculty or administration.

The relationship between campus officials and student journalists is bound to be adversarial at times, and at many institutions, the act of censorship is completely in the hands of their administration. A 2016 study by the American Association of Student Professors (AAUP) found that student news publications are often subject to threats of censorship and intimidation from administrators, such as budget cuts or even the firing of their faculty

advisors. The report cites the case of the that we’re still students.” As former University of Redlands, who stripped students themselves, we expected these their student newspaper of funding after UCR members to have empathy toward an article included critical comments us in these depressing circumstances, of a major donor. The report notes that but we weren’t afforded any empathy or this type of censorship “imposes a chill basic courtesy. on the independence of journalistic This intimidation is even more coverage that invariably will produce inappropriate when considering the more timid journalism that ill serves the demographic of UCR’s student body, public interest.” and of The Highlander staff specifically.

In a statement issued to The Fifty-seven percent of UCR students are Highlander from the Director of News first-generation students, and roughly and Information John Warren and on the 65% are people of color. The Highlander behalf of the College of Humanities and staff reflects those statistics; most of Social Sciences, Warren stated, “UCR our staff is women of color, many of strongly supports the First Amendment whom are the first in their families of the U.S. Constitution, which protects to go to college. It is imperative that free speech and press freedom, including professors and faculty consider that we for student news organizations and do not have the privilege nor resources journalists. Free speech and freedom of a formal journalism program at UCR, of the press is a foundation of our nor do we have the privilege of having democracy. One of the tenets of freedom lifelong mentors. The Highlander is of the press is free and open dialogue, entirely student-run, with no faculty which includes the potential for public advisor or staff. If professors seek critique of an organization’s news vindictive measures to reprimand student coverage.” While it is paramount for journalists for perceived offenses, the UCR to support student journalism, it university must make it clear that they needs to go further than that. They need will support their reporting in order to to offer student journalists concrete foster a transparent partnership between protections from faculty and department student newspapers and the university. leaders who harass and threaten students.

The UC system should provide This culture of fear created is not fair to student journalists with more concrete student journalists who are simply trying guarantees of protection for what they to inform the student body on issues write, assuming they do not maliciously relating to their campus — they should attack and defame another individual. have no obligation Journalism is not to produce material meant to play based on the best favorites, and if interest of those in This culture of fear created a story unearths higher positions. information that is not fair to student C o l l e g e could be troubling or newsrooms are journalists who are simply offensive, journalists supposed to be the not be afraid trying to inform the student should place where the of any repercussions body on issues relating next generation the article may of journalists are result in. The UC to their campus — they able to hone their must make such skills; they should should have no obligation to protections clear and not be pummeled produce material based on regularly reaffirm into submission its dedication to the best interest of those in protecting by administrators and higher positions. to the extent that siding with student they are only journalism. Faculty comfortable should be treating publishing “timid journalism.” In an student journalists with the same respect interview with The Highlander, Editor- they would be expected to treat any in-Chief Sarah Harris and Managing students with, regardless of their position.

Editor Amanda Bradford of the Daily If faculty is unhappy with an article, it Californian, the University of California is not in their right to censor it if it is (UC) Berkeley’s student newspaper, truthful. To harass and/or bully student wrote that they have “always called our journalists is not only inappropriate for a newspaper a training ground, so we can faculty member, but is truly damaging in only hope faculty have empathy for us. that it is undoubtedly meant to intimidate Faculty and student newspapers serve a subordinate individual to refrain their campuses — but are both bound to from criticizing them in any way and make mistakes or do something that not ultimately silences the voice of students. everyone is happy about. It happens, and The Highlander editorials reflect standing by your reporting is necessary for a complete record and maintaining the majority view of the Highlander your own journalistic integrity.”

Editorial Board. They do not necessarily Bradford and Harris also wrote, “I reflect the opinions of the Associated think campus papers are in a tough position of wanting support and to Students of UCR or the University of be taken seriously, but also wanting California system. community members to acknowledge

“

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6 MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Efficient vaccine distribution will only be possible with a united and uniform approach SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

Despite the hopes that 20 million Americans would receive the COVID-19 vaccines before the end of the year, only 4.8 million Americans have obtained it so far. Once again, the U.S. is allowing party divisions and differences in ideology get in the way of helping the American people transition into a semblance of normalcy.

This delay will only be surmounted once two things happen: first, President-elect Joe Biden must officially hold office and receive the full support of Congress to prevent any additional roadblocks, and second, the federal government must create a task force that streamlines vaccine distribution. Without minimal pushback and a uniform method of distributing vaccinations nationally, it will be nearly impossible to return to the healthier America we desperately yearn to be again.

Operation Warp Speed has been the Trump administration’s most proactive way of managing the spread of the coronavirus, but as has always been the case with the president’s administration, it took some serious missteps that have delayed the distribution of the vaccine and has ensured that the 20 million goal would not be met, making the work of the Biden administration that much harder. Joe Biden’s creation of a COVID-19 response task force, however, is the first step to ensuring that the country is being led by professionals who will handle this global health crisis with expert hands. But for his task force to fully lead and guide the country out of this pandemic, Biden must have the utmost respect and support of the

federal government. As a country, we can no longer let petty partisan arguments continue to stall our return to normalcy; we must demand that our public servants stand behind the president so that he can quickly pass policy that helps floundering businesses, overwhelmed hospitals and struggling individuals.

This may be easier now that Georgia’s election results have finally secured a Democratic majority in the Senate, resulting in a blue federal government for the first time in over a decade. While Americans can look forward to Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, it is doubtful that this win will appease the near constant aggression of the Republican party.

It is extremely important, especially after the attacks on the Capitol, that the Republican party set their own woes aside and support President Biden. The country will be able to move forward without their support, but it will only delay what can be an efficient, harmonious process and turn it into a contentious situation.

Now more than ever, partisanship must be put aside, at least temporarily, while the country heals.

This united government will allow for a smooth vaccine distribution that state governments are not equipped to handle. The catastrophe that has been ongoing in New York needs to be avoided; the federal government needs to prevent state governments from imposing impossible rules on health care institutions that will ultimately increase the inaccessibility of the vaccine and the inefficiency surrounding its distribution. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s threats to

It doesn’t matter who is ‘winning’: we’re all losers under the two-party system THOUGH DEMOCRATS SEEM TO BE FINDING A FOOTHOLD AFTER THE GEORGIA RUNOFF ELECTIONS, AMERICA WILL NEVER PROGRESS IF BIPARTISAN MENTALITY IS NOT ABOLISHED.

COURTESY OF RAPHAEL WARNOCK VIA FLICKR

COURTESY OF PEXELS

fine hospitals and health care providers will do nothing but damage the same institutions that have been at the forefront of this pandemic.

This will do nothing but damage the institutions that will continue to do the grunt work of caring for the sick. Additionally, forcing health care providers to only administer vaccines to “eligible” individuals — many of whom are declining the vaccine — is a precedent we need to avoid at all costs. For instance, in Riverside County, hospitals are reporting that only 50% of their workers are accepting the vaccine.

With this knowledge, there must be a process to administer the rejected vaccines to community members who are eager to receive them. This will ensure that vaccines are not going to waste, and immunity overall would increase, leading the country to safety person by person.

Joe Biden needs to be up to the challenge of cleaning up the havoc that the Trump administration has wrought on the country.

He will be unable to do so if he has no one to lean on; Republicans must rally behind the 47th president with as much fervor as they’ve had for the 46th. Without a cohesive federal government, it will be nearly impossible for proper, efficient vaccine distribution to take place — a task that the federal government must take on to avoid disorganized distribution, H which will only delay our return to normal life. ■

EVELYN HOMAN Assistant Opinions Editor

For the first time in 10 years, the U.S. Senate has a Democratic majority, and there is a Democrat in the White House. With majority control over the House of Representatives as well, many people think that this is a sign of hope for Democrats, as many states who traditionally vote Republican swung blue in the 2020 election. The next age of voters seem to lean Democrat, and overall, there is an appearance that as time goes on, the United States may start becoming more Democratic.

However, this is a false hope. We should not have faith in our parties anymore; instead, we should focus on individuals and their beliefs, not if they have an R or a D next to their names. The two-party system is restrictive and antiquated, and American politics would be much better off if they were to get rid of it completely.

Though it may seem strange, as both parties seem to encompass certain ideologies that any given individual has to fall under eventually, Democrats and Republicans spread themselves too thin trying to encompass the ideological spectrum. Not all Democrats vote Democrat or believe everything the Democratic party stands for, and vice versa. It is very hard to completely encapsulate the entire population into two different groups ideologically.

Indeed, in recent years most people choose to not identify on either side at all. Speaking as an Independent myself, I find that I have beliefs on both sides of the political spectrum that prevent me from believing strongly in either party. There is no point in trying to keep a disintegrating system going if less people believe in it every year.

Getting rid of the bipartisan system in America would not only liberate people from focusing more on party affiliation, but it would also allow people to focus more on voting for individuals they actually admire as human beings and who share the same beliefs as them. The party system veils political candidates behind shrouds of blue and red, and obscures the nuances they might have in the beliefs that their party supports. If we abolished the two-party system, we could see people as individuals rather than the symbolic faces of their respective parties. Nuances could bleed in on important issues: for instance, pro-life liberals like

WITHOUT FULL SUPPORT FOR BIDEN AND A NATIONAL PROCESS OF DISTRIBUTION, RETURN TO NORMALCY WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO BE DELAYED.

Terrisa Bukovinak or LGBT conservatives like Jim Morgan and their causes could get more attention, offering a less divisive America and instead one that can discuss calmly rather than in heated red and blue arguments in Facebook comments sections.

Removing the way we run politics would allow for more progress in communicating differing political ideologies to one another.

Although the removal of the two-party system seems like it would be a push back in advancements made by Democrats, the abolition would actually help promote more progress. By focusing on individual politicians, such as recent Senate winner Raphael Warnock, rather than party affiliation, we could help continue to vote more progressive people into office. Removing parties will allow voters to truly focus on what the person supports rather than what their party usually upholds; if voters are more progressive, they can more clearly see which candidates are truly progressive, and which are disguising themselves as activists to gain office. Even better, needing to focus more on the individual would be greater for political candidates running for office, because they will not simply gain support from the public just because they share party affiliation, but the people will know them and understand where they come from. This would lead to stronger bases for politicians, and the people could truly vote with their hearts for more qualified people to improve the country.

Though this is an almost impossibly daunting task, if we want to see real change in America, we need to abolish the very thing that is constantly keeping us from it. We could see real change in major issues like systemic racism and global warming if we stripped away the false pomp and circumstance of party politics and instead laid bare the people who are running for office, examining them as individuals rather than as cardboard candidates with “Democrat” or “Republican” written across them. Real change needs real people, not performative activists masquerading under party titles that mean nothing anymore. We can be optimistic about just about anything if we truly examine the people we are voting for. Making “Democrat” and “Republican” labels a thing of the past is our best hope for the progression of our H future.■

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

7

The new variant of COVID-19 may put a damper on 2021 optimism

MADISON RHEINS Opinions Editor

A new variant of the coronavirus was recently found in South Africa, and it is already being characterized as more of a risk than the variant found previously in England. The U.S. needs to be the most alarmed when it comes to the new variant as the country has some of the highest numbers of the original coronavirus cases.

In fact, the UK variant has already made its way into the US and in California. Of course, lockdowns in the U.S. have proven to be a failure due to pure ignorance and the selfishness of anti-maskers and others.

Nevertheless, America must learn from its past mishandlings of the virus and do better if they ever expect 2021 to return to preCOVID-19 life.

Lawmakers have a bad habit of listening to a misinformed public in a time of crisis. As a result, whenever a small bit of progress is made against slowing the spread of the virus, people see this as a sign to roll back lockdown guidelines and reopen everything. Too soon, there have been reopenings of restaurants, shopping malls and movie theaters and consequently, people have paid the price with a case spike in their counties. It is important that Americans learn from their repeated mistakes and make sure that even if progress is made, it does not warrant them to stop active prevention altogether.

If anything, Americans need to realize that in order to protect each other, lockdowns need to be more strict with little to no wiggle room for people to make excuses as to why they are not social distancing.

There needs to be a mandate that

prohibits restaurants and retail from opening their doors for the duration of the healing and vaccination process.

Additionally, all outdoor lounge areas need to be closed. All too often, I have seen people get their takeout food and eat at these seating areas, which totally defeats the purpose of social distancing and staying home. Furthermore, there is no reason for shopping malls to have their doors open at all. With lines stretching on forever outside of stores like Bath and Body Works, the likelihood of someone asymptomatic spreading the virus to others is too high and not worth a nice candle. If people have the time and patience to wait outside of a store in a line for hours, then they have the time to shop online from the comfort and safety of their homes.

Along with lockdown restrictions, there should be stricter travel restrictions.

After all, the reason that new variants keep popping up in multiple countries is because people feel the need to take vacations during a pandemic. This is extremely selfish to those who are hooked up to ventilators fighting for their lives and those who have to suffer at home because ICUs are at max capacities. Hospitals are having to use waiting rooms and gift shops to treat patients, yet people are still traveling to other countries and spreading germs to others. Limiting travel will slow the spread of new variants immensely. Other than emergencies people should not be planning their next trip to the Caribbean at this time.

Choosing to go out and shop, eat or travel is not worth continuing this never ending pandemic. Even more disappointing is that too many people are choosing to be performative by preaching about social

distancing, but when it comes to celebrating holidays or birthdays, everything seems to go out the window. Those who chastise others for seeing friends and family without making sure everyone is tested during a pandemic are the same ones who try to justify their own selfish actions with petty reasoning and are only contributing to the prolonging of the virus. This mentality is very dangerous, especially when it comes to younger people. New variants of the virus will only slow down the progress that is being made and yet, people fail to recognize the part they are playing in all of this.

For once, Americans need to think about others instead of just themselves. We should only be optimistic about the future if we are willing to put in the work to make things happen. With vaccines rolling out and a new administration willing to take the pandemic seriously, 2021 might truly be a time for healing but that will only H happen if people do their part.■

IF WE DO NOT LEARN FROM OUR PAST MISTAKES, THE SWEEPING OF THE NEW CORONAVIRUS VARIANT WILL BE OUR PUNISHMENT.

LLOYD KAO /THE HIGHLANDER

It’s about time for proper drug reform, and Oregon should be our role model OREGON’S DECRIMINALIZATION OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES SHOULD BE THE STANDARD FOR DRUG REFORM IN AMERICA.

MATT ZALEWSKI VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UNDER CC BY-SA 3.0

ABHIJIT REGE Senior Staff Writer

It’s time for the U.S. to decriminalize drug possession, and it appears that a majority of the nation agrees with this too.

The 2020 election saw many measures and legislation on the ballot, some involving the legalization and decriminalization of various drugs — primarily marijuana. Four states, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and Arizona, voted to legalize recreational use while Mississippi voted to legalize its medical use. Oregon, however, has made historic progress as the first state to decriminalize the possession and personal use of all drugs. The passage of Measure 110 is a huge step forward for public health, criminal justice and social welfare.

Measure 110 has three key components.

The first aims to reduce misdemeanor drug possession to a non-criminal violation where people with small amounts of drugs, such as heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine, may get a ticket with a $100 fine or have the option of being screened for a substance abuse disorder. The measure then reduces penalties for current felony drug possession cases, knocking down most offenses to misdemeanors. Finally, millions in marijuana tax revenue will be funneled toward Addiction Recovery Centers, where people can be screened and directed to treatment options. All three components are promising reforms that may significantly combat the drug crisis in the country.

The legalization and decriminalization of substances can lead to equal treatment in policing, criminal justice and economic inequality. The prohibition of drugs in this

country has been unnecessarily cruel, wasting billions of dollars and placing many lives in harm’s way. Addiction and incarceration rates continue to rise as a result of the failure of the war on drugs.

Consequently, the overall history of drug laws and enforcement in the U.S. includes years of over-policing and racially-biased incarceration.

Measure 110, however, would improve upon criminal justice and social welfare as it shifts the focus from unnecessary punishment and prohibition to rehabilitation and public health.

Implementing this reform not only serves to aid drug users but will also allow for a safer community, especially with the implementation of the option to be screened for treatment as an alternative to an arrest or fine. Such an implementation will act as a support system for addicts that will help their recovery and reduce the already out of control addiction rate, especially for the opioid crisis. Treating those with substance abuse disorders as patients rather than criminals will go a long way to get them the help they need.

Equally important, those who may oppose this reform for economical reasons would be happy to know that funding for such an option comes from taxes on marijuana. In fact, taxation on legal marijuana and other substances has worthwhile effects for the economy. The impact that the marijuana industry has had on tax revenue is immense, as over $12.2 billion have been generated in sales in 2019.

Opponents of the measure may cite a

variety of reasons to be against this piece of legislation. Some may argue that the ballot measure would rather encourage drug use, especially among children.

Others oppose the reform in opposition of drug use in general due to the notoriety it has achieved in relation to the nation’s economy and health. However, it must be understood that decriminalization is not the same as legalization, as possession of most controlled substances is still considered an offense. The measure aims to curb drug usage through a reduction in the severity of punishment and through providing a support system, which has already proven to be effective in combating a drug crisis in several countries.

Portugal, one of the first countries to implement a full decriminalization of all drugs, has seen great improvements with a fall in addiction and death rate.

Through heavy investment in evidencebased treatment and methods which curb addiction, the decriminalization strategy was proven to be effective in reducing problematic drug use and crime while improving public health. In turn, Portugal and Oregon may have found the answer to win the war on drugs.

Legalization and decriminalization of controlled substances has already shown immense benefits and progress in society with its impact on the field of medicine, the economy, criminal justice and social welfare. Through progress, we grow past the failures and stigmas that were once held and bring the systemic changes necessary to build a stronger, prosperous and more H unified nation. ■

8 MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

Features Cookies

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

with a side of

ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Feautres Editor

When I first heard about a cookie cafe nearby campus, I was ecstatic to try it and to help support small businesses.

Especially during the global pandemic, I have tried my best at making sure I am buying from small businesses as much as possible. Recently, I have been craving sweets, so what better way is there to satisfy that craving than by going to Tin Lizzy’s Cookie Cafe located at 1485 Spruce St. Suite O. As soon as I walked in, I noticed how small and quaint the cafe was. The best I could do to socially distance inside this tiny place was to stand as close to the cash register as possible, especially since four elderly ladies were sitting down without face masks and eating. I felt a little claustrophobic. While I debated leaving the establishment entirely to avoid being in an enclosed space, the lady working there was ready to take my order.

I took a look at their menu and chose a whole sandwich with a cookie for $8.15. The cool thing about ordering at this cafe is that you can add anything to your sandwich. I settled upon a ham, turkey and roast beef sandwich with provolone. For my veggies, I chose to add lettuce, onions and pickles. To be honest, this was a sandwich I could easily make at home. However, the cookies at this cafe definitely made this experience semi-worth it.

I chose an M&M’s chocolate chip cookie to accompany my sandwich and ordered another three on the side for $1.30 each. I wanted to get a feeling for their cookies and decided upon a snickerdoodle, chocolate chip and a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. All cookies were soft and delicious, and if I were to come here again (probably when there’s not a global pandemic still raging on), I would come here solely for the cookies.

debt?

Since it was also a cafe, I was interested in what beverages they had. On their menu, they had a variety of coffee drinks and teas, such as blended coffees, iced coffees, espressos, hot chocolate and chai teas. I decided upon a salted caramel iced coffee for $3.34.

Once I ordered, I eagerly waited for my food so I could run out of there and go back home. Interestingly enough, I spotted a “Recall Gavin Newsom” petition in the corner, and, suddenly, the indoor dining and close proximity to others in this tiny cafe made sense. Once I saw that, I backed up, got my food and left. I was honestly baffled at the fact that older ladies were the ones dining. To each their own, I suppose, but I was not about that life.

Once I made it home, I washed and sanitized my hands

TIN LIZZY’S COOKIE CAFE IS CUTE BUT THE FOOD IS EASILY REPLICABLE AT HOME.

and proceeded to eat my meal. The sandwich was stuffed with the lunch meats I ordered, and after three or fourbites, I was full. I ate my M&M’s cookie and decided not to go back there, regardless of how nice the workers were. All in all, I understand the convenience of buying sandwiches, but not when there’s possible health risks and especially when you can make your own at home for less money. The cookies were good but, again, not worth it in my opinion.

The iced coffee I bought was probably my favorite item I had bought, but not enough to make this trip salvageable.

Overall, I would give this cookie cafe a 3/10. You can easily make their menu items at home, buy cookies from H another local cookie shop or even make them yourself. ■

COURTESY OF PEXELS

Quivering loneliness By: Alexandria Esteban, Assistant Features Editor

Click.

Statement begins.

Eurydice? i’m here.

Open Your ears and see.

Tell me You see me.

Can You hear me, Eurydice? people will scream and shout and i am coming for You. The monsters from Tartarus chase cry and wail and bawl and roar and shriek and whine, me, But, Eurydice, remember You are But i’ll reach You very soon. mine.

You are not alone anymore.

Can You hear me, Eurydice?

Gone are the irises from Your eyes.

You used to smile a lot, Eurydice.

What happened to You? Can You hear me, Eurydice?

The song of Spring draws nearer.

These cavern walls separate US, Eurydice, But not for much longer.

Statement ends.

Click.

I see you.

I see You. I see YOU, Orpheus —

Features Fiction is a column under the Features section, showcasing creative work from students, ranging from poetry to short stories.■ H

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

9

Highlander Getting to know gaming Spotlight: enthusiast Olivia Chung HIGHLANDER SPOTLIGHT IS A FEATURES COLUMN THAT HIGHLIGHTS STUDENTS, STAFF AND FACULTY MEMBERS AT UCR. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO YOU BELIEVE SHOULD BE FEATURED IN THE HIGHLANDER SPOTLIGHT, LET US KNOW VIA FEATURES@HIGHLANDERNEWS.ORG OR SEND A DIRECT MESSAGE TO @THEHIGHLANDERUCR ON INSTAGRAM! ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Features Editor

When not studying or working, fourth-year sociology major Olivia Chung can be found relaxing and playing video games or being an active member of the Highlander Gaming Club (HLG). For the past three years, Chung has been a public relations officer for the HLG and has become a respected and loved member.

According to Chung, the HLG is a club meant to “promote and involve the campus about esports and the gaming industry.” She explained that as a social gaming club, they accept all students, hope to continue building friendships and to take the gaming experience on campus to the next level.

As a gamer herself, the club means a lot to Chung, who is passionate about playing games and surrounding herself with people who also love to play video games. She claims that the HLG is a “safe space where I can converse about my love for games with others like me.” Chung described how easy it was to make friends in this club and especially to find others to play with.

As a result of the almost year-long campus closure, the HLG has struggled to transfer to an online format and to get students involved in their club, like many other clubs and organizations on campus. The HLG has persevered despite the campus closure by hosting weekly movie nights, Friendly Fridays and online tournaments.

Most memorable to her during her time involved in the HLG is when she was in charge of the Artist Alley, an

area designated for student artists and local artists to sell their artwork. The alley was part Highlander Con, a daylong, free gaming convention held at UCR where students can participate in a wide variety of tournaments, gaming organizations and lectures that showcased artwork from students and the local community.

Like many other students, Chung is reminiscent of the times spent on campus, pre-COVID. One of the things she misses most is walking around campus, attending inperson club events and the connections she made at UCR. “I felt more connected to the people I was with then,” stated Chung. The biggest disappointment for Chung is that she will not experience an in-person graduation ceremony, which is something she had anticipated for years. It has been incredibly difficult for Chung, and many other students graduating this year, to come to the realization that their family and friends will not see them walk across that graduation stage.

After graduation, Chung looks forward to discovering what her career aspirations are and hopefully traveling after it becomes safe to do so. For now, Chung will be expanding her small art business that began as a hobby.

She enjoys making stickers, buttons, knick-knacks and art commissions. Most recently, she had the opportunity to make and sell custom stickers. Chung claims she will “try to continue doing artwork and I guess I will see where I go from there.”

For those interested in HLG, check out Instagram account @hlg_ucr and to check out Chung’s art, follow @ H mega.oddish on Instagram. ■

COURTESY OF OLIVIA CHUNG

‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ demonstrates the joy of science ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN Assistant Feautres Editor

On Friday, Jan. 15, the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) hosted a virtual lecture: “Consider the Following with Bill Nye the Science Guy.” Nye is most popularly known for his television show “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which first aired in 1993.

The show has since produced 100 episodes and has won a total of 19 Emmy awards. Since the television show premiered, Nye has become a recognizable figure in science classes all around America. Esperanza Avendano, a UCR student in the Zoom chat, stated that “Bill taught me when my 7th grade teacher didn’t.”

Jaivyn Laren, another UCR student, claimed that “Bill Nye walked so that every science teacher could run.”

The event started 10 minutes late, but there was music playing and excited messages in the chat as people started to log in. Students were welcomed to write questions using the Q&A feature on Zoom.

When Nye was finally introduced, he popped up on the screen dressed in a bow tie and vest.

Nye began by giving a few science demonstrations using a candle. First, he showed the audience that we cannot blow out a candle with a flat object between our mouths and the flame. However, we can blow out a candle with a round object between our mouths and a flame because the air that we blow will go around the barrier and towards the fire. Then, he attached a square of plastic to the end of a water bottle with a rubber band. The water bottle he used was cut in half, so when Nye flicked the plastic square, enough air was released to blow out a candle from a distance. Finally, Nye lit and blew out a match before dropping it in a water bottle with a little liquid left inside. After he squeezed thebottle a few times, a cloud began to form

BILL NYE, A WELL-KNOWN MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND TELEVISION PRESENTER, GIVES THE FIRST VIRTUAL LECTURE OF WINTER QUARTER.

LLOYD KAO / THE HIGHLANDER

within the bottle.

When Nye finished presenting, Dr. Robert McKee, a professor at UCR, asked Nye about his career on television and its contributions to science. Nye explained that he “aimed the show at people in the 4th grade” and that he believes the show was successful because it “treated the viewers like scientists.”

Nye then listened to questions from UCR students.

In this last part of the lecture, students were given the chance to speak to Nye and ask him the questions they wrote in the Q&A feature. Liana Banh asked, “Do you think humans will ever discover any extraterrestrials?”

Nye replied that he is hopeful that we will discover extraterrestrial life and pointed out that scientists theorize “life started on Mars,” making every living being on Earth descendents of martians.

Lesly Naranjo asked, “What kind of music do you listen to on a daily basis?” Nye replied that he usually listens to SiriusXM, R&B and an old country music station. Although, he is familiar with popular music artists and mentioned that he recently met Taylor Swift at one of her concerts. He also joked about his recent performance to a Lady Gaga song on “The Masked Dancer.”

Finally, Megan Woodall asked, “What is the single most important thing that we as a society can do to address our climax crisis?” Nye encouraged us to vote for government officials who believe in the importance of tackling climate change. He claimed that “we need new ideas” and that government funds are the best ways scientists can receive the materials they need to discover new things.

Nye believes that “it’s up to us, to you guys, to change the world.” This guest lecture was informative H and inspiring, regardless of your field of study.■

10 MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

Radar

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘SOUL’

DESPITE PERFORMATIVE MARKETING, THE NEWEST PIXAR FILM STACKS UP WELL AGAINST OTHER RELEASES.

will inspire heartfelt introspection with its storyline and beautiful animation

SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

Disney has managed to tug at the public’s — that is, the public that can offer to pay for their monthly $6.99 streaming subscription — heartstrings yet again, this time with the release of the movie “Soul.”

Although the Pixar flick is a refreshing change from all of the live action movies and sequels that Disney has been churning out lately, it still follows the tried-andtrue formula of Disney films; at the core, a misunderstood character undergoes an intense experience that changes his life for the better. The most revolutionary aspect of the film is that it is the first Pixar movie to star a Black lead, but even the racial significance of this fact feels watered down among all of the other heavy topics that the movie explores.

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), music teacher by day and aspiring jazz musician by night, is finally getting his big break.

After teaching disinterested teenagers for years, one of his pupils reaches out to invite him to audition for one of his music heroes, Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). Dorothea recognizes his bursting passion and his honed talent, but in a cruel twist of fate (that Pixar manages to animate in a quirky, beautifully illustrated way through the New York City landscape), Joe dies on the way to his apartment by falling into a manhole. For the rest of the movie, Joe is a cutesy animated blob who’s only semblance to his former self is through his fedora and glasses. This resulted in one of the main criticisms of the film, and one mainly deserved. The public has noticed a pattern between Disney’s tendency in casting people of color, especially Black people, in lead roles only to quickly replace them by a nonhuman counterpart. It was the same in “Princess and the Frog” — the first Black Disney princess was an animal for the majority of the film. If Disney is to continue to flaunt their “advances” in racial equity, they must also match it by providing their Black leads with the same opportunities that their white leads receive.

Performativity aside, “Soul” is funny and heartfelt. Joe joins the combative

Soul 22 (Tina Fey) in a quest to get back into his body, and 22 provides most of the humorous commentary and heart-tugging introspection. In a hilarious twist, 22 winds up in Joe’s body, and Joe winds up in the body of a therapeutic cat. In Joe’s body, 22 makes the most of her time on Earth by exploring the cuisine New York City has to offer and, in a tremendously lovely shot of autumn in the city, appreciates the little things the world has to offer. Scenes of 22 simply appreciating spending time with family, helping and listening to friends or even enjoying the sun on her skin are the most impactful, especially now that most people are stuck quarantining away from family or friends.

This theme of finding enjoyment in the small pleasures of life instead of living solely for the future, for big goals or for accomplishments, was a new but welcome topic for viewers. Pixar has always been good at getting its audience to shed tears, but branching out into this more mature topic is a good move for its viewership; adults who grew up watching Pixar films are sure to appreciate this serious topic just as much as children, the prime audience, are sure to appreciate the talking cat.

With lockdowns still in place, it is also a really pertinent film, down to its method of distribution. Movie theaters are still closed, but for less than $10 a month, interested individuals are able to watch “Soul” and the rest of the films on Disney+.

Unlike “Mulan,” which was available to subscribers for a premium fee on top of the monthly fee, “Soul” is completely free if one is already a subscriber.

Most importantly, the movie will manage to convince the audience to count their lucky stars for the little things in their routine now that most people are fed up with continuing to stay inside the home with limited entertainment. Additionally, although the film was the first Pixar film not to have a theatrical release, it did not take away from its critical success. It surely would have been a box-office hit, but Disney can rest assured that they can continue to make fans happy with online H streaming.■

VERDICT:

“Soul” is sweet, wholesome and funny. The main characters lead the audience on a road to introspection in a way that takes itself just seriously enough. While lockdown has dashed the film’s hopes for a theatrical release, online streaming this movie will remind people to be grateful for the little pleasures in life.

COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

What ‘House of the Dragon’ needs to do to capture the magic of ‘Game of Thrones’ ROBERT GOLD Contributing Writer

Nobody expected two novice TV writers to take the world by a storm of swords in 2011 when a little upstart TV series on a premium network slowly transformed into a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

The pilot episode of “Game of Thrones’’ received a measly 2.22 million viewers. By season eight, as the series was wrapping up, 23 million Americans were tuning in to see Daenerys’ final climactic battle with Queen Cersei.

While showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff will unfortunately not be returning for the “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “House of the Dragon” will premiere sometime in 2022. The series is set 300 years before the events of Robert’s Rebellion, during the reign of House Targaryen. The plot will revolve around Westeros’ new monarch Viserys Targaryen who has just been named to succeed the old king, chosen by the lords of Westeros at the Great Council of Harrenhal.

If “House of the Dragon” is to be as successful as its predecessor, it has to stick to the five things that made “Game of Thrones” better than all other fantasy-genre television: appealing to non-fantasy fans, minimizing the fantasy elements, focusing on character development, minimizing the action and creating laws and limitations to the magic which prevent the dreaded deus ex machina.

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“House of the Dragon” has to appeal to non-fantasy viewers. “Game of Thrones” was a worldwide cultural phenomenon because it broke genre barriers and brought in fans who would otherwise never watch a fantasy TV series.

This seems strange to propose, but what made “Game of Thrones” a successful fantasy series is that it minimized the fantasy elements in an effort to gather a wider mass appeal. “Game of Thrones” works with or without its fantasy elements.

It’s the Wars of the Roses with dragons, zombies and wizards. But throughout the series, those fantastical elements remain additive and never become the central focal point of the show. At the end of the day, you could take away the faceless men, the three-eyed raven and the red priestess, and you would still have a show about a medieval kingdom at war with itself.

Most characters in most fantasy shows are empty vessels, moved forward only by plot. They are characters who really don’t have personalities, are really interchangeable and often get confused for one another. Most fantasy TV series don’t delve deep into the emotional and psychological. “Game of Thrones” is more than mere action. In fact, the action sequences are few and far between. Most of the show is just characters in a room

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PROPER WORLDBUILDING AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINDLESS BATTLES AND CONSTANT ACTION SEQUENCES.

talking politics, power or military strategy.

Whereas most fantasy shows rely more on the action, adventure and fantastical scenery to keep you visually engaged some of the time, “Game of Thrones” keeps you intellectually engaged the entire time.

It leaves the bulk of its action sequences to a single episode per season, in one big battle that culminates in the second-to-last episode every season.

It would actually be a shame if “House of the Dragon,” with a bigger budget and an even wider audience, became another action-adventure fantasy series driven solely by its battles, zombies and dragons while throwing away all those pesky little talkie talk scenes that just get in the way of all the bloody fun.

Swordplay and climatic battles in fantasy often fall short when they forget to make us care about the people fighting. We, as audience members, have to be emotionally attached to the soldiers, officers and kings on the battlefield. Otherwise, it’s just blood and guts. “Game of Thrones” doesn’t just make you gasp when a character dies, it makes you cry.

The secret to “Game of Thrones” excellent worldbuilding skills is not just about how many made-up religions, cuisines, architectural designs, card games, ethnicities and clothing it innovated. The worldbuilding in “Game of Thrones” was excellent because it had laws and limitations. Casual viewers tend to stay away from fantasy because random magic powers that were never previously established always save the hero at the end of the day. For example, the new “Star Wars” trilogy and the prequel trilogy introduced new powers to the Jedi that left fans feeling both confused and angry. The rules of a magical universe need to be set up early and quickly so that the world itself has stakes in it. Characters cannot develop the power to fly at the 11th hour. Where is the danger, and where is the drama? Who is going to bite their nails and worry for these fictional witches and knights if we, as audience members, know that they will always pull something out of their potion bag to save the day?

“House of the Dragon” will succeed if it can continue to reach casual fans and remember the traits that made “Game of Thrones” unique for its genre. That worldbuilding is not about building worlds that have never been seen before. Drama is not about how many sword battles you can stick into one episode. Fantasy isn’t interesting unless it has consequences, laws and limitations. Magic that always comes to your rescue isn’t magic at all; it is a lazy plot device for lazy screenwriters.

Character is at the heart of every story, and you will never get anybody to care about any battle, war or one-on-one fight if we don’t care about the people doing the H fighting.■

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Sports THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

11

Wes Mallette moves into interim athletics director position with hope

SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

After serving as the chief of staff & senior associate athletics director of external relations for the past three years, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox announced on Tuesday, Jan. 12 that Wes Mallette is moving into the interim director of Intercollegiate Athletics role after it was vacated by Tamica Smith Jones. In an interview with The Highlander, Mallette said, “I am very excited about this opportunity.

This is a great place to be.”

Smith Jones’ vacancy is due to her new position at Kennesaw State University as the chief operating officer, but during her five year term as UCR’s athletics director, she worked with Mallette on a leadership team responsible for managing the Athletics department. Mallette stated that, “I would like to thank AD Tamica Smith Jones for her leadership and bringing me here three years ago and for the opportunity to help strengthen and lead our department. I also want to thank Chancellor Wilcox for this opportunity and trusting me to lead our department forward and I’m very thankful and grateful to our coaches, donors, staff and student-athletes who have been incredibly supportive.”

In a press release announcing Mallette’s transition into the role, Wilcox stated that Mallette’s responsibilities within his previous position have included: overseeing all external relations, communications, marketing, ticketing, media relations, fan experience and events and sport administration responsibilities for baseball. In this new role, Mallette will lead UCR Athletics on a broad range of issues impacting student-athletes on Riverside’s campus.

Mallette will have to begin his term as interim athletics director during a pandemic that has drastically changed the everyday life of student athletes and the overall

functionality of collegiate sports. At the end of 2020, the men’s basketball team has had to suspend all games due to a positive coronavirus case, but Mallette assures that “We have put our student-athletes front and center and our sports medicine crew has been terrific in their efforts to get everyone back.” He also stated, “Our staff, coaches and student-athletes are following protocols and making sure we are doing things the right way. We’ve also made sure that we’ve adapted our communication protocols to keep all of our stakeholders informed in real time.” The team has since resumed playing and will face Cal State University, Bakersfield on Friday, Jan. 22.

In addition to the stress of managing an athletics department during an ongoing health crisis, Mallette now must also work with the Athletics Working Group, Wilcox and Vice Chancellor Brian Haynes to determine the future of the Athletics department as a whole. He wrote in an email interview with The Highlander that for his goals for the remainder of the fiscal year, “We are working to get our teams back for spring sports, keep basketballs going, and keep operating at a high level. Our student-athletes are excelling in the classroom and we plan to stay on that trajectory. As for the department overall, we are focusing on stability, building a financially sustainable model for the future and continuing to build a strong program.”

Although Mallette is facing a hefty amount of responsibilities, he was positive throughout the interview, stating, “Our Athletics Department is on an upward trajectory and we are getting better every day.” He ended on a similarly optimistic tone, remarking, “Our coaches, staff, student-athletes and donors are incredibly passionate and committed to UCR Athletics and dedicated to ensuring the success of this program. It is an honor and a privilege to lead us forward.” ■ H

MALLETTE LOOKS TO LEAD THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WITH OPTIMISM.

COURTESY OF UCR NEWS

UCR men’s basketball loses in overtime against USC HIGHLANDERS COULD NOT COMPLETE THE UPSET IN A WILD OVERTIME LOSS TO USC

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

HANSEL CHU Contributing Writer

The UCR men’s basketball team took a tough loss in a close 62-67 overtime game to USC, who is ranked 16th in the nation, on Tuesday, Jan.12. The Highlanders were on the verge of winning their first game against the Trojans in the school’s history.

However, they were not able to score against USC’s elite defense in the clutch, as they rank No. 2 in block shots per game.

The Highlanders ultimately lost in this wild game.

The Highlanders went on a 7-2 run to start the game before the Trojans came back with a 8-0 run of their own. A pair of made free throws from USC’s sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley put the Trojans up 14-9, forcing Head Coach Mike Magpayo to call a timeout. The Highlanders came out on fire out of the timeout and, combined with their suffocating defense, they went on an explosive 16-0 run to blow the game open 25-14 before a top of the key 3-pointer from senior guard Tahj Eaddy stopped the bleeding for USC. The Trojans responded

by going on a 10-2 run of their own to bring the game to 27-24. A 3-pointer at the buzzer from redshirt senior guard Dominick Pickett saw the Highlanders up 32-27 at the half.

Junior point guard Flynn Cameron led UCR with 11 points, and redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom held down the defense with 2 blocks and 3 steals at the halfway point. The Highlanders stifled the Trojan’s offense, holding them to only 34% from the field and 20% from the 3-point line, while the Highlanders offense shot an efficient 50% from the field and 46% from three.

The Trojans came out of the half on a 9-0 run, giving them the lead 34-32.

The Highlanders struggled to score as USC intensified their defense, holding the Highlanders scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half. However, back to back 3-pointers from Pickett put UCR back up 38-36. The game turned into a defensive battle, as both teams struggled to put up points down the stretch. In a press release, Magpayo stated, “They did a good job switching in the second half, and that affected our offense,” when asked about

his team’s offensive struggles in the second half.

With under two minutes remaining, a hook shot from Chidom cut the UCR deficit to one, 51-52. A couple of possessions later, a step-back jumper from sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin gave the Highlanders the lead 53-52 with 31 seconds left in the game.

With 12 seconds remaining, USC’s redshirt senior guard Isaiah White drew a foul on Chidom, which fouled Chidom out of the game. White converts only 1 out of 2 from the charity stripe, tying the game at 53-53.

With a chance to win, Pullin’s 3-pointer got blocked by USC freshman forward Evan Mobley, which forced the game to an extra five minutes of action.

In the overtime, Chidom’s absence was felt on defense as the Highlanders were outrebounded 7-2 by the Trojans, including three offensive rebounds, which led to four second chance points. “You know the number one key for us today was defensive rebounding, and it’s hard to do against those pogo sticks,” said Magpayo. The Highlanders were unable to stop USC’s

junior guard Drew Peterson in overtime, as he scored eight of his 12 points during the extra five minutes. A layup from Evan Mobley sealed the game for the Trojans, as the Highlanders lost 62-67 in overtime.

“This was a local game against a good opponent to test ourselves. Bottom line, I think we got better today, whether it’s practice or game and our focus overall,” said Magpayo after the game.

Pickett led the Highlanders in scoring with 16 points, including a perfect 4-4 from the 3-point range. Redshirt senior center Jock Perry recorded his first ever doubledouble on Highlander record with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Chidom contributed with 10 points, four steals and two blocks.

However, the Highlanders were not able to stop the Trojan’s Mobley brothers. Evan Mobley recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks while his brother, Isaiah Mobley, contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Highlanders look to get back in the win column against Cal State University, Bakersfield on Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, H Jan. 23, both at 4 p.m.■

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MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

This past weekend on Friday, Jan. 15, UCR played their first game against California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO). After a very rocky first half, the Highlanders demonstrated an intense vigor that led them to their 35-point advantage victory.

The Mustangs held on to the lead for the majority of the first half, going on a 5-0 run within the first two minutes of the game. UCR did their best to keep up to no avail as Cal Poly SLO’s sophomore forward Alimamy Koroma extended the Mustang’s lead as he kept sinking baskets. With 15 minutes still to play in the first half, Cal Poly SLO was ahead of UCR 11-6, prompting a timeout being called. After the timeout, UCR tried chipping away at Cal Poly SLO’s lead, but were ultimately unable to. Cal Poly SLO went on another 5-0 run before the Highlanders could score another shot. UCR managed to come back, tying the game at 19-19 with seven minutes left in the game.

This prompted a series of back and forth points being scored by both teams as they went on the offensive. Cal Poly SLO would end up in front at the end of the first half 3736, with UCR close behind.

The charge by the Mustangs was led

by Koroma, scoring a total of 11 points and rebounding the ball 5 times in the first half. Cal Poly SLO junior Mark Crowe and sophomore guard Colby Rogers aided Koroma’s charge forward, scoring a total of 9 and 7 points in the first half, respectively.

The second half proved to be a completely different ball game for the Highlanders.

They came back with a newfound intensity.

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR shows up California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo 86-51 in Game 1 They went back and forth with Cal Poly SLO before going on a 13-0 run prompted by freshman shooting guard Wil Tattersal, who scored three consecutive 3-pointers, setting a precedent of the rest of the game.

This run was interrupted by Koroma, as the Mustangs scored a total of 4 points as they tried to bridge the distance, leaving the game 57-45 with 12 minutes still left in the game.

UCR pressed on, going on another run and scoring a total of 22 points before Cal Poly SLO could score again, which left the game 73-45. With a little over five minutes, redshirt senior center Jock Perry and junior point guard Flynn Cameron scored from deep, helping UCR close out the game, essentially shutting down the Mustangs at 86-51.

UCR kicked into a higher gear for the second half of the game, keeping possession of the ball through rebounds and finding the back of the net from the 3-point line.

The Highlanders amassed a total of 28 rebounds as opposed to the Mustangs’ 17.

Their shooting improved significantly with a field goal percentage of 56.3 while Cal Poly SLO’s was 12.9. This charge was led

by Tattersall who reached a new careerhigh of 19 points aided by redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom, sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin, Cameron and Perry, each scoring in the double digits.

Despite their grand victory, Head Coach Mike Magpayo recognized that the following game would require them to be just as sharp.

“We have a great challenge tomorrow. Road wins are very very hard to come by and we will have to be just as connected and locked H in to find a way tomorrow.” ■

THE HIGHLANDERS COME BACK FIERCELY IN THE SECOND HALF AND SCORE A GRAND VICTORY OVER THE MUSTANGS.

COURTEST OF UCR ATHLETICS

UCR continues its weekend of victory against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo THE HIGHLANDERS BEAT THE MUSTANGS WITH AN 18-POINT ADVANTAGE.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

On Saturday, Jan. 16, coming back from the momentum of their victory the night before, the Highlanders went against California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) for their second match. The Highlanders started the game on the right foot, despite the Mustangs’ attempt to erase their defeat from the night before, taking UCR to a 7-7 game in the first five minutes of the game. UCR replied with a 9-0 run that would take them to a 10-point lead with a little over 10 minutes left in the game. Cal Poly SLO did not back down, tying the game in the next five minutes and leaving the scoreboard 20-20. This prompted an intense back and forth in the final minutes of the game

that eventually ended with UCR on top 30-26.

Just like the previous game, UCR came back much stronger in the second half of the game and quickly created a comfortable lead for themselves in the first few minutes of the game. They went on an 8-point run before being interrupted by the Mustangs, leaving the scoreboard 38-30 with a little over 15 minutes left in the game. UCR bounced back, scoring a quick shot as the Mustangs sank a few shots of their own. The Mustangs fought to stay close, but the Highlanders proved to be too much, extending their lead by 11 points 51-39 with a little over 11 minutes left in the game. UCR kept attacking as the Mustangs tried to chip away at their lead. This was to no avail as UCR pressed forward, capping the Mustangs’ score at 53, as the Highlanders scored a

total of 70.

The Highlanders came in strongly, refining the different areas that they had lacked in the night before. They sought the ball vividly, rebounding a total of 43 times while Cal Poly SLO only rebounded 29 times. Sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin’s ability to find the back of the net was also shown throughout the game as he totaled 20 points during the game. Similarly, redshirt senior center Jock Perry also remained strong, totaling 17 points this game. UCR did well in tightening their defense, focusing on shutting down Cal Poly SLO’s best players.

“Our defense did the job again today overall holding Cal Poly to 31% from the field. Flynn had another spectacular defensive effort on their best player, Rogers, holding him to 1-8 today (4-

20 on the weekend) and we made the adjustment putting Arinze on Koroma and Arinze did a great job there holding him to 3-10 shooting and two turnovers,” said Head Coach Mike Magpayo.

UCR’s ability to come back amidst tough beginnings demonstrated real heart on behalf of the coaching staff’s ability to lead, as well as the athletes’ ability to thrive under pressure. Magpayo was impressed with his team’s ability to win both games, stating, “They treated this like a straight business trip and wanted to close the deal tonight. It’s always tough to get back-to-back wins for a road sweep, but they finished the job.”

The Highlanders will return to the SRC arena on Jan. 22 and 23 to face the Cal State University, Bakersfield H Roadrunners.■