Volume 69 Issue 14

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Monday, February 1, 2021

VOL. 69, ISSUE 14

est. 1954

NEWS

UCR loses federal designation as a Hispanic Serving institution due to filing error by camus administration, resulting in the potential loss of millions in CARES funding LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

In 2008, UC Riverside became the first federally designated HispanicServing Institution (HSI) in the UC system. The streak was lost at the beginning of last year after a filing omission occurred under UCR’s Office of Planning, Budget and Administration that caused them to miss the filing deadline for 2020.

As a result, UCR was potentially barred from receiving millions of dollars in CARES Act funding and federal grants meant to support and expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and other low-income students.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions are defined under Title V of the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Act as an institution of

higher education with a full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic. Additionally, HSI’s must have an enrollment of students in need where at least 50% of an institution’s students received financial assistance under the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study or the Federal Perkins Loan Programs. UCR met the requirements to be considered an HSI in 2020 as defined by statute, as it had a fulltime hispanic student enrollment of 41.2% and since its enrollment of students in need exceeded 50%.

The filing omission occurred after the individual responsible for submitting documents to the Department of Education required to certify UCR’s HSI designation left

the university during the summer of 2019; the interim appointee in the position was not made aware of the comprehensive submission requirements, thus causing them to miss the January 2020 filing deadline.

The mistake occurred under the direct supervision of Vice Chancellor of Planning, Budget and Administration Gerry Bomotti, who stated in an interview with The Highlander that the specific annual requirement was not part of their division’s “mastercalendar” project that ensures that such responsibilities are not overlooked. Bomotti expressed his apologies for the error and ensured that his office is constantly checking on when the annual certification portal will open up this month to restore UCRs HSI status for 2021.

ARCHIVE /THE HIGHLANDER

UCR IS EXPECTED TO REGAIN ITS HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION STATUS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

► SEE HSI PAGE 3

NEWS ASUCR passes bill meant to increase protections and provide for family housing for student-parents on campus LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

On Jan. 27, ASUCR held their fourth meeting of the quarter where they discussed the revocation of UCR’s federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) and a senate resolution meant to increase awareness on the need for more family housing on campus.

Vice President of Internal Affairs Angelica Garcia read a letter to the senate bringing awareness to UCR losing its federal designation as a HispanicServing Institute for 2020 after the previous individual responsible for submitting documents to the Department of Education required to certify UCR’s HSI designation left the university during the summer of 2019. The interim appointee in the position was not made aware of the comprehensive submission requirements, thus causing them to miss the January 2020 filing deadline. In the letter, members of ASUCR and the

Diversity Council condemned the university’s failure to formally address and acknowledge the mistake made by the Office of Planning, Budget and Administration. “[We] believe that the campus administration’s indifference to this situation, the way the situation has been handled and its blatant lack of transparency is disrespectful, impetuous, and malicious,” stated the letter. In their demands, ASUCR is urging students to keep campus administration accountable by signing their petition, organizing to ensure that adequate consequences are faced and to bring the issue to the attention of larger entities within the UC system and the U.S. Department of Education.

ASUCR’s Diversity Council also announced that they are planning a town hall with the faculty responsible for the mistake and other campus administrators to discuss their lack of transparency while also

STUDENT-PARENTS AND NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS SPOKE OUT ABOUT THEIR ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS AND HOUSING INSECURITY RELATED TO INSUFFICIENT FAMILY HOUSING AT UCR.

highlighting other important issues on campus.

During Public Comment multiple student-parents expressed their support for SRW21-006 Resolution Regarding Non-Traditional Student Housing Needs, to raise awareness for the need for more family-housing on-campus and shared anecdotes about the adversities they have faced as student-parents at UCR. Jazmin Garcia, a student and resident advisor (RA) for Oban family housing urged the senate to vote in favor of the resolution.

When she first transferred to UCR, she had to take a year off due to housing concerns because she didn’t have a place to live near UCR. Once she finally was able to obtain family housing and be readmitted into UCR, she became an RA and has since been a mentor for other student-parents at Oban, has helped others move in and furnish their units and has even helped with child care and cooking.

Many others shared their stories and experiences with homelessness as student-parents because the waitlists for family housing like Oban would exceed the amount of time a student could be enrolled at UCR. Many lowincome families struggle to meet the requirements to be approved for houses or apartments outside of campus.

“I think that UC Riverside, as an institution should be doing everything in its power to ensure that there are safety nets, for the disenfranchised, at risk communities that it washes over,” stated Alonso Roman, student and member of the Diversity Council and the Student Veteran Organization.

Deidre Reyes, a fourth-year public policy major expressed that she is currently experiencing homelessness and living in a motel due to her inability to obtain on-campus housing. She is number 373 on the studenthousing waitlist. She was advised

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that it would take her two years to reach the top of the waitlist, but by then she would have graduated from UCR. “I find it to be heinous and egregious that homeless students and parents are not prioritized,” she stated.

During the Finance Hearing, the senate revisited a grant allocation for the Undergraduate Business Association to book an event with Jonathan Javier, a UCR alumni and the CEO and founder of Wonsulting, a company focused on teaching others about professional development.

Previously, the allocation failed to pass after concerns were raised by members of the senate regarding sexual assault allegations against Javier publicized in a Twitter thread last summer. The same person who publicized the claim later tweeted that the allegations against Javier ► SEE ASCUR PAGE 3

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NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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UCR loses federal designation as a Hispanic Serving institution due to filing error by camus administration, resulting in the potential loss of millions in CARES funding

► FROM HSI

By being designated an HSI, institutions are eligible to apply for competitive grants meant to serve Hispanic and other low-income students including faculty development, improvement of academic programs, curriculum development, scientific or laboratory equipment for teaching, renovation of instructional facilities, counseling programs and student support services. HSI’s can also seek funds that are exclusive to them through three competitive U.S. Department of Education award programs. The largest of the the three, the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program, received $124 million in fiscal year 2019 funding, followed by the HSI Science Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (HSI STEM) and the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program (PPOHA), which were funded at $93 million and $11 million, respectively. Many granting agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), have their own criteria that still allow UCR to qualify and receive funds as an HSI even without the official designation as long as it is able to provide supplemental documentation, However, it is unknown which other programs UCR researchers were ineligible for last year due to the university’s HSI status.

In 2020, UCR was allocated $29,734,626 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to cover expenses related to the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, $14,867,313 of which were to be used to provide students with emergency financial aid grants through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The CARES Act set aside $1 billion for institutions federally designated through Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI). Overall, HSI’s received an additional $226 million in HEERF Funding from the DHSI Program and PPHOA. The university estimates that UCR lost $2.4 million in CARES and HEERF funding due to losing its HSI designation. This comes during a time when UCR is facing approximately a $70 to $108 million permanent budget shortfall over the next two to three years due to the coronavirus pandemic UCR lost its federal HSI designation at a time where the university’s Hispanic student population was at an all time high. In the past five years, UCR’s percentage of Hispanic students has increased by 4%, and in June 2020, UCR was ranked No. 1 in Hispanic enrollment by the Urban Institute and No. 3 in graduating Hispanic students in

STEM majors by the NSF which found that HSI’s have played a large role in increasing STEM representation on campus.

Certain programs that were previously funded by HSI Stem grants, such as UCR’s STEM Pathway Program, were not affected. UCR received its first $3.3 million 3-Year HSI-CCRAA grant to fund the project in 2008, followed by a $3.9 million 5-Year HSI-STEM Grant in 2011, after which UCR has dedicated resources to institutionalize the programs and efforts established by the grant, stated STEM Connections Coordinator Nhi Tran. The program aimed to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students receiving STEM bachelor’s degrees by focusing on student success, outreach and retention efforts. Tran stated that these efforts were achieved by dedicated student support through peer mentorship, outreach projects such as the annual Sequence to Success program and increased recruitment and partnership with campus admissions and its six community college partners. Tran stated that while the STEM Pathway project was not directly affected, he expects that future opportunities will decrease as a result, many of which directly benefit community college students and the STEM community.

In an interview with The Highlander, Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chair of the HSI Committee on campus Mariam Lam stated that she was informed that UCR lost its HSI status during the summer and at that time, the HSI Committee and academic leadership were informed so that they could pass along the information to all faculty who may be applying for HSI grant funding. University spokesman John Warren told The Highlander that campus administration worked with

congressional delegation on legislation to mitigate funding impact, notified student and faculty leadership and met with key student and faculty committees on the matter. Lam stated that the campus worked with members of congress to introduce legislative language in the HEROES Act, meant to provide more funds to bolster education, that would restore some of the funding that was lost. It remains unclear what specific language was introduced into the HEROES Act and whether or not it was successful.

Many campus faculty and students were never made aware of UCR losing its HSI designation, including members of the Academic Senate’s committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Committee Chair and professor of Biochemistry, Xuan Liu told The Highlander that she found out during a meeting but was not given specific information about the error that was made nor the specific impact that it would have on the university. Committee member and assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education, Austin Johnson, said that he was never made aware that UCR had lost its status as an HSI. Assistant Professor of Entomology Kerry Mauk told The Highlander that she also found out about the loss through communications with grant facilitators while preparing a USDA-NIFA grant proposal for which HSI status was relevant. For that specific grant, it was acceptable to submit supplemental information to prove HSI eligibility, but Mauk stated that the information on the change in UCR’s HSI status should have been more widely disseminated to the faculty as soon as the mistake became apparent. “Many faculty have special funding to support educational efforts and curriculum development

that rely on the HSI status, or were preparing new proposals that depended on this status being intact at time of submission. In my opinion, the failure to promptly communicate the issue was a major mistake on the part of the administration,” stated Mauk.

On Jan. 26, members of the ASUCR’s Office of Campus Internal Affairs and ASUCR’s Diversity Council sent a letter to upper administration condemning their failure to formally address and acknowledge the mistake made by the Office of Planning, Budget and Administration. “[We] believe that the campus administration’s indifference to this situation, the way the situation has been handled and its blatant lack of transparency is disrespectful, impetuous, and malicious,” stated the letter. In their demands, ASUCR is urging students to keep campus administration accountable by signing their petition, organizing to ensure that adequate consequences are faced and to bring the issue to the attention of larger entities within the UC system and the U.S. Department of Education.

ASUCR and the Diversity Council have worked closely with the directors of Chicano Student Programs (CSP) over the past few months to piece together what happened and the implications that losing the HSI designation may have had on the university. Moving forward, the Diversity Council is planning a town hall with the faculty responsible for the mistake and other campus administrators to discuss their lack of transparency while also highlighting other important issues on campus, such as housing and food insecurity, along with UCR’s plan to reopen the campus during fall 2021.

The portal to reapply for federal HSI designation for 2021 will open up this month, and UCR should regain its status H in the next several weeks. ■

LYDIA TSOU / THE HIGHLANDER

4 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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ASUCR ► FROM ASCUR

publicized in a Twitter thread last summer. The same person who publicized the claim later tweeted that the allegations against Javier were “false and unfounded.”

GSOE Senator Stephanie Zeng stated that while the allegations may have been unfounded, she still had reservations about approving the allocation and did not feel comfortable voting in favor of it.

CHASS Senator Christopher Kent questioned Vice President of Finance William Wang on the committee’s methods for approving allocations for clubs on campus. Wang stated that the Finance Committee does not do background checks or ask for further information from clubs about speakers they want to bring to campus. “We have no idea what their money is going towards,” stated Kent. Wang and Kent discussed possibly changing the requirement for grant allocations to include specific information on each organization’s

proposed event.

CHASS Senator Juan Morales also had some reservations about the speaker and encouraged the Undergraduate Business Association to find a different speaker to talk about professional development. He also urged the senate to reconsider their vote and take into consideration the reason why it did not pass the first time. The grant allocation for the Undergraduate Business Association failed to pass with a vote of 3-11-4; CHASS Senator Nelson Aguirre, CHASS Senator David An and BCOE Senator Connley Neufeld voted yes on the allocation.

Finally, the senate voted on SR-W21006 Resolution Regarding Non-Traditional Student Housing Needs. Authored by student-parents, members of the Diversity Council, ASUCR President Luis Huerta and CHASS Senator and student-parent Alyssa Marchan, the resolution outlined the economic hardships students have faced

during the COVID-19 pandemic, including housing insecurity. According to a study by the UCR School of Public Policy and the Inland Center for Sustainable Development, it was found that 12% of mortgage holders and 18% of renters had missed their respective payments in the month of July 2020. The resolution outlined the hardships faced by student-parents in particular and highlighted a pre-pandemic study conducted by Temple University that demonstrates the economic instability that they face. The study surveyed over 23,000 student-parents at 56 four-year institutions and 171 two-year colleges and found that 8% of student-parents are housing-insecure, over 17% experienced homelessness the previous year and over 53% were found to be food insecure.

The resolution states that more emphasis should be placed on providing nontraditional and parenting students with affordable on-campus housing.

The senate calls on UCR officials to support these students by providing housing assistance including but not limited to securing Falkirk Apartments for nontraditional student communities, prioritizing student-parents who have experienced or are at risk for homelessness, student-veterans and the formerly incarcerated community, allowing student-parents to stay in family-housing units up to six months after graduation and providing regular monetary grants for student-parents in order to meet their housing needs.

ASUCR will also work with interested community groups, institutions and UCR in order to advocate for the fruition of the aforementioned requests to assist student-parents. SR-W21-006 Resolution regarding Non-Traditional Student Housing Needs was unanimously approved with a vote of 18-0-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:48 p.m.■ H

Leaders of fraternities and sororities at UCR discuss the ups and downs of operating through COVID-19 THE HIGHLANDER SPOKE TO THE INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL AND COLLEGE PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE BEEN MANAGING DURING THE PANDEMIC. DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

Social fraternities and sororities are a rather famous part of the typical university image and college experience. Like many other on-campus organizations, they seek to provide opportunities for everything from professional and personal development to social networking, as well as to foster a sense of community and belonging among the students who join their ranks. However, these fraternity and sorority organizations in particular can be unique in their immersiveness and their pledge to lifelong membership.

Of course, these organizations are still not immune to the isolating effects of COVID-19. The Highlander talked to a few in regards to how they have been managing the negative impact that the pandemic has brought about and their feelings regarding the near future.

RASNEEK SINGH, THIRD-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY MAJOR AND PRESIDENT OF GAMMA PHI BETA: According to Rasneek Singh, the women of Gamma Phi Beta’s morale has seen some fluctuation as they strive to find new ways to support all members and keep them engaged during the COVID-19 imposed restrictions.

“We’re still able to connect with sisters virtually and celebrate our sisters in modified ways, so we’re trying to keep all of our spirits high,” she stated, adding that they are consistent with their weekly meetings and have worked quickly to move some of their most highly anticipated events like date nights and semi-formals onto an online platform. Indeed, Singh told The Highlander that the sorority has been somewhat lucky, as they have been able to successfully host and participate in virtual social and philanthropic events. In fact, she reported that their philanthropic fundraising event, Gamma Phright Night held during November of 2020, was a surprising triumph as they managed to raise more money than in years past when the event was held in person.

When asked about recruitment, Singh stated that it was a “brand new experience” for everyone. Normally, rush week is filled with four days worth of recruitment events

— two open house days where a rushee meets all the chapters on campus, followed by a more exclusive philanthropy day and preference day. The night preceding is when rushees receive their bids and discover which organization they are to join. As a lively weeklong event, all of the panhellenic sororities had to work hard in order to completely shift it to an online medium.

Though they managed well, Singh confessed that as a whole, there was a significant drop in recruitment numbers compared to years past. However, considering the severe pandemic limitations, the women of Gamma Phi Beta are pleased with the quality of their newest members.

For Singh in particular, striking a balance between all of her personal, academic and extracurricular responsibilities was challenging at first. However, she noted that remote learning has actually given her more leeway in terms of scheduling and more time to accomplish tasks in between classes. Having adjusted fairly well, she is now chiefly concerned with the near future of the sorority, namely how they will be navigating next fall quarter, but Singh is faithful. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to grow as a Panhellenic community in the fall when we’re finally back in person,” she concluded.

LORENZO BAZZANI, SECOND-YEAR CELL MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY MAJOR AND PRESIDENT OF SIGMA PHI EPSILON: For Lorenzo Bazzani and the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the inability to physically gather has been a particularly harsh blow. From missing in-person leadership conferences to halting popular events like socials and formals, the quality of their professional, social and academic lives have been heavily impacted.

However, according to Bazzani, the fraternity has been working that much harder to continue being a connected and worthwhile space for all members, no matter where they might be. “Pretty much everyone in the chapter is looking to improve some aspect of their life, whether that be investing, finding a job, or getting their grades up,” he stated.

Bearing that in mind, they developed new ways to help one another. In lieu of library studying time, they created a special discord

RYAN POON / THE HIGHLANDER

server for those who want or need to take time out of their day to study for classes. In the interest of those who are looking for advice or aid regarding the workforce, they began orchestrating monthly alumni meetings, something that is reportedly much easier now, thanks to the now common usage of Zoom. In addition, they are in the process of adapting more joint philanthropic events to online platforms, in honor of organizations like Read Across America.

Now, Sigma Phi Epsilon reportedly places a strong emphasis on being well balanced. As a full-time student with a service job at Chick-fil-A and a prominent leadership position within his fraternity, Bazzani’s time is spent striking a balance between all three. “As a second year, it’s a daunting task to lead a 40-man organization with so many older, more experienced people in it,” he stated, adding that this presidency is his first considerable leadership experience. Though Bazzani noted that it is tough at times, he is grateful to receive much helpful support from their previous chapter president as well as their national board.

Though they are keeping as busy as possible, Bazzani and other members are also taking a proactive approach to their worries for the future. They are chiefly concerned about how to better market themselves to potential new members, as well as how to continue adding value to the lives of one another, and are continuously brainstorming potential solutions. Thanks to their dedication, Bazzani affirmed that their recruitment rates were solid this past year, and overall, he is confident that the fraternity will remain strong.

JASMINE PENNALA, THIRD-YEAR HISTORY AND GLOBAL STUDIES MAJOR AND PRESIDENT OF SIGMA KAPPA: Jasmine Pennala and the women of Sigma Kappa expressed some similar sentiments in regards to the arduous process of acclimating to COVID-19 life. They miss everything from formal events to oncampus tabling every Wednesday, but they especially miss just being able to see one another on a near daily basis.

According to Pennala, when UCR first began reinforcing pandemic-related safety measures, they were focused on their own

personal lives and trying to manage the new complications that had arisen, and there was a stretch of time when general morale was low. Pennala herself experienced hardships as she moved back home and dealt with her online school workload as well as her responsibilities to the chapter.

Still, she and the other officers reportedly dedicated a lot of time to figuring out how they were going to function best despite the drastic changes, and after adjusting, members were able to put more attention back into the sorority. “Although being online was difficult and new, our chapter began to appreciate all the things we took for granted like meetings and our chapter’s group chat has become more vulnerable and supportive due to these times,” Pennala stated.

In order to stay better connected with each other, Pennala explained that the women of Sigma Kappa placed an even stronger emphasis on self-care and wellbeing on all levels: physical, mental and professional. They established more sisterhood events, hosting game and movie nights over Zoom; they also implemented a new study program to keep one another accountable and try to mediate any stress caused by remote learning.

When talking about recruitment, Pennala remained exceedingly positive. In spite of the hassle of adapting to an online rush environment and the inevitable Zoom fatigue, she contended that it was an easier process than in the past due to not needing to worry about room decor or staying on her feet all day. In fact, Pennala informed The Highlander that Sigma Kappa was able to recruit more members this school year than they had in the past. “I believe it’s because of the pandemic and women seeking to find a community of people who share the same values and interests,” she affirmed.

Now, like many others, Pennala is primarily worried about the uncertainty of the future. She is eager to see a return to normalcy, but the health of herself and her fellow members are top priority. Still, regardless of what may happen within the next several months, Pennala is hopeful that Sigma Kappa will maintain their strong bonds and continue to make more memories H together. ■

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THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Biden shows promise that he will finally pull America out of the pandemic

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fter what seems like an eternity of horrible mishandling of the COVID-19 vaccination process by former President Trump, Americans might be able to breathe a little easier. With President Biden’s promise to vaccinate 300 million people in the U.S. by the end of the summer, the U.S. finally has a strong chance of getting back to a sense of normalcy again. However, it should come as no surprise that there will be obstacles in the way, such as skeptics and strict guidelines pertaining to who is eligible to receive the vaccine.

In order for this plan to be a success, the Biden administration must push forward and distribute vaccines to those who actually want it and do away with strict parameters in order to make it more accessible to a larger population.

America has had the ability to do something as ambitious as vaccinating 300 million people by the end of the summer since vaccine rollout began; the country has just lacked the strong, organized leadership to do so. And although the country seems to be playing catch-up when it comes to strong initiative compared to other countries such as New Zealand, we all need to rally behind President Biden’s efforts. In order for this plan to work, there needs to be complete support for Biden and the validity of the vaccine.

Unfortunately, one big challenge when it comes to the vaccine is a skeptic public. A lot of individuals are refusing the vaccine outright, namely healthcare workers. As a result, the Biden administration has their work cut out for them when it comes to regaining the trust of the public. However, this still should not be seen as a large deterrent to the cause. As a matter of fact, only a minimum of 50% of the American population needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity, and within the population, 60% of Americans want to be vaccinated. So, even without the anti-vaccine radicals, Biden’s goals should be more than achievable considering the amount of people he is planning on vaccinating each day.

In the past administration, too big of a platform was allotted to conspiracy theorists who slowed the process of getting America back on track. Biden, on the other hand, will actually let science speak for itself. So, as long as they are firm with their plans and don’t spread misinformation, then it should not be necessary to concern themselves with people who refuse the vaccine. Instead, to regain trust from the public, the Biden administration should put their efforts towards highlighting the benefits of the vaccine in order to help with motivation and morale. More importantly, in order to ensure that the largest possible

population receives the vaccine, there needs to be a mandate that all schools and workplaces require the vaccine of students and staff. Additionally, this could also be applied to things like travel as to dismiss those who are not vaccinated in order to keep people safe and limit a potential outbreak.

If put in place, these requirements, coupled with the focus on how safe the vaccine is, will bring enough motivation for a majority of the public to get vaccinated.

Equally important in this process will be the revising of parameters on who should be qualified to receive the vaccine. Since the first round of distributions, the vaccine itself has been made very inaccessible to a large number of individuals solely because many don’t qualify for it. Of course, when it comes to refocusing the strict guidelines on who should be vaccinated, the elderly must always come first. But this does not mean that the vaccine should be restricted only to them. Vaccines will end up expiring in freezers and going to waste if we keep turning those who actually want the vaccine away. For instance, many vaccines are ending up in the garbage due to strict guidelines and the fear of retribution by hospitals.

For this reason, essential workers must be prioritized the same way the elderly have been. Furthermore, if a younger person wants the vaccine but

BIDEN’S VACCINATION PLAN WILL ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF HE FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH IMPORTANT CHANGES.

an 80-year-old doesn’t, there should never be a reason to turn away someone who still wants to be vaccinated.

Regardless of age, if someone is willing to be vaccinated, then the government has the responsibility to vaccinate that person for the safety of everyone. All in all, the federal and state governments need to revise these guidelines that hurt vaccine efforts and instead make it more inclusive to yield the largest possible benefit.

There finally seems to be some hope after all of the death and devastation caused by this pandemic. After almost a year, this bleak time in history may be coming to an end. However, this dream will never become a reality without strong support from the public and a firm plan from the current administration. In hindsight, there seems to be more solutions that outweigh the challenges. And if President Biden keeps pushing forward with trying to vaccinate the largest population possible, then there should be no reason why this plan H would fail.■

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, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

OPINIONS

Don’t throw away your mask even after getting vaccinated ABHIJIT REGE Staff Writer

Many recent developments have allowed for hope that the global pandemic may soon come to an end. Newly inaugurated President Joe Biden promised to administer 100 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within his first 100 days of office. At the time of publication, millions of doses have already been shipped and administered across the nation. However, even with the arrival of the vaccine, wearing a mask is still absolutely necessary to save lives.

COVID-19 has become even more dangerous as it now mutates, with new variants emerging throughout the globe.

The B.1.1.7 variant, also known as the British variant, is thought to be 50% more contagious while B.1.351 variant, or the South African Variant, has shown to have a higher resistance against the immune system and vaccines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccine works with two doses: the first shot starts building protection, and the second shot builds more resilience against the coronavirus. But this protection only goes so far. Even with the vaccine, it is still possible to contract and spread the virus.

There are reports of people, including important officials, testing positive for the virus even after the vaccine was administered to them.

The effectiveness of the vaccine is also dependent on its distribution and safety. To achieve a proper ending to the pandemic, herd immunity must be achieved. Dr. Anthony Fauci has stated that this may be possible by the end of 2021 while other experts say otherwise. There is also the possibility of continuing the spread of the virus, even if the vaccine is successful, as individuals may still be asymptomatic carriers.

For these reasons, wearing a face mask is one of the simplest and most effective methods to protect ourselves from of COVID-19. Many states have already implemented legislation that requires people to wear a mask or face covering in public places. The importance of such mandates also lies in how we help those around us. Front-line healthcare workers and essential workers put their lives on the line each day as their risk of death has risen significantly. Until more protections are implemented for them, it is our duty to do our part to protect these individuals.

Overtime, we’ve learned the importance of specifically obtaining an N95 mask. The N95 is specifically designed and layered with synthetic material to filter 95 percent of respiratory aerosols or chemicals which you breathe, hence the 95 in the name.

These masks have become relatively cheap and readily available, though it appears that the U.S. has not produced enough for workers, even with the Defense Production

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THE PANDEMIC HAS NEARLY REACHED ITS 11TH MONTH, YET MASK USAGE STILL REMAINS TO BE AN ISSUE. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE VACCINE, WEARING A MASK IS STILL ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

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Act. To make matters more complicated, mask usage still remains an issue. While many Americans follow public health recommendations and wear masks, others passionately fight against them, claiming that they impair individual freedom.

Donald Trump and his administration began his pandemic response with a denial of COVID-19 and the threat it posed and downplayed the importance of mask usage, leading to a divide forming among Repubican leaders. In contrast, Democratic leaders, including the Biden administration, have been more vocal about the importance of face masks, rightfully stating their effectiveness in slowing the spread of the virus.

Evidence has proven the effectiveness of mask-wearing, especially when considering how other countries handled

the pandemic. The ground zero for the virus, Wuhan, China, has greatly benefited from strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols, primarily mask wearing.

Other countries, such as South Korea, have effectively curbed most COVID-19 deaths through effective mask usage in conjunction with other measures such as contact tracing. In fact, a study that observed coronavirus deaths across 198 countries found that those with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask wearing had lower death rates.

The benefits of wearing a mask is not only for the protection of oneself but for the benefit of everyone around. And even with the arrival of a vaccine, COVID-19 cases and deaths still continue to surge, making it critical to still continue practicing social distancing, wash your hands and, of course, H wear your mask. ■

We cannot afford to survive off empty promises: AS THE NEW BIDEN ADMINISTRATION STARTS TO BREAK GROUND IN WASHINGTON, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE PROMISES MADE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM.

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We must hold the Biden administration accountable for delivering promised immigration policy reform DAVID MORENO Contributing Writer

With the entrance of the Biden administration, we’ll start to see groundbreaking work in regards to the major issues surrounding immigration policy in this country. However, this doesn’t mean we should stop pushing our newly elected officials to uphold their promises of action. In contrast to the policies and hate campaigns started by the Trump administration, President Biden is a breath of fresh air for the immigrant community.

After the past four years spent in a headlock, it is understandable why some are overly optimistic about all the change they can expect from Biden. For many who identify with these marginalized communities, it’s easy to get into the mentality that the battle has been won. On the contrary, the battle has only really just begun for championing real change in this country. We should not be afraid to hold our publicly elected officials accountable for the promises they feed the public on the campaign trail. Furthermore, we cannot be too quick to forget how the Obama administration failed to set protection for the millions of uncounted students and laborers.

In this newfound age of the pandemic we currently find ourselves in, all undocumented people in the United States under the Biden administration deserve an equal opportunity to receive aid in the form of stimulus checks, healthcare and a set pathway to citizenship.

Accountability in politics has never been more important, and pressuring elected officials to hold up their side of the deal when it comes to policy making is crucial.

Coming off a period of mass deportations

and blatantly racist immigration policies, we cannot afford to get too comfortable.

Under this new administration , we will be presented with positive and effective immigration policies. We have already seen this in action with some of the executive orders President Biden signed on his first day in office. Progress is evident ranging from ending the ban on U.S entry from majorityMuslim countries, to revising immigration enforcement policies. Additionally, President Biden also strengthened the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act and pulled funds from the Trump border wall. This rapid movement from the Biden administration to fix the mess that Trump left behind is admirable. But before we start to aimlessly praise President Biden, it’s important that we first look back at the legacy of the former Obama administration immigration policies When discussing immigration policies it’s imperative we look back at the work done under the Obama administration.

Furthermore, it’s important we understand just how much harm the former administration had on these immigrant communities. It has been reported that over 3 million people were deported under Obama. These mass deportations left hundreds of communities devastated and in fear for their future.

Millions of people who came in search of a better future not only for themselves, but for their families, were ultimately turned away from the American dream. Unlike the detentions and deportations under Trump, the deportations under Obama were not as heavily criticized during the height of his administration and often overlooked. As a result, it’s only fair to associate these mass

deportations with Biden as he was the sitting vice president. Under both Democratic and Republican controlled governments, the immigrant community has suffered.

Therefore, we can’t allow the past to repeat itself and the American people should remain vigilant in addition to maintaining their optimism.

The pandemic has revealed that all undocumented people in the United States should receive the proper care they rightly deserve, from the thousands of students currently under the protection of DACA to the farmer laborers who have not stopped working throughout the past year. These families need to be assured that real help is on its way. In fact, it’s important to know that President Biden is planning on sending his U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 bill to Congress. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for temporary legal status, giving them a more transparent and accessible pathway to citizenship.

Under this new administration, we have a higher probability of achieving real long lasting constrictive immigration policy reform. If passed, bills like the U.S. Citizenship Act would be a substantial step forward for the immigrant rights movement.

However, we cannot allow our elected officials to fall short on their promises. We can’t be too quick to forget how they failed to ensure security in the past. We must hold them accountable and apply pressure every step of the way to further advocate for the undocumneted community so that all of them can receive the aid and protection they H so rightly deserve. ■

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OPINIONS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

7

The length of a skirt does not make a woman available to men DRESS CODES SHOULD BE REMOVED TO PREVENT THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN AS SEXUAL OBJECTS. COURTESY OF PEXELS

REBECCA SALINAS Contributing Writer

Schools have notoriously enforced dress codes for years and have defended it with the belief that they prevent the sexualization of women. However, in reality, dress codes promote the endless cycle of men perceiving women as sexual objects. The criticism dress codes place on women are learned by boys and girls and turn into negative dynamics between men and women in adulthood. To stop this vicious cycle, schools must abolish dress codes and re-educate young boys in order to stop the sexual objectification of women once and for all.

Dress codes were invented in 1969 to prevent students’ expression, and schools have since used them as permission to pass judgement off women. While schools claim that dress codes are for both boys and girls, girls are most often the ones that are punished for so-called violations. This is because dress codes have been designed to continue misogyny by forcing girls to dress in a more conservative style and judge girls who don’t. Furthermore, they determine whether a girl is seen as promiscuous or not. And if a girl was to be classified as such, it welcomes unwarranted criticism from school teachers and administrators. Consequently, this criticism wrongly teaches girls that they should always cover up to be treated with respect or to be taken seriously.

It is unbelievable that young women should have to

bear the burden of covering up throughout their youth, but this is sadly the reality if no change is made. The morals dress codes teach are taken in by male students whose actions thereon are motivated by it. Young boys witness the judgements passed on the attire of female students, erroneously coming to understand that if a girl dresses “provocatively,” then she is willing to be a sexual object for their pleasure and that all women should be judged based upon this assumption.

Consequently, women struggle to be seen apart from this perception because the “provocative look” is subjective to the male gaze.

Women also absorb the toxic standards of dress codes and feed into the belief men have. This can be seen when women judge other women on the basis of their attire, assuming that these women want men to notice them. This popularly occurs on social media but has also occurred on college campuses. In one incident at the University of Notre Dame, a mother of a student publicly criticized a group of female students for wearing leggings during an on-campus Mass. The woman claimed that looking at the women sexually was “unavoidable” and would likely cause a man to lose control. Her solution to this was to cover up the women to protect the men around. The type of behavior this mother expressed heightens the issue women face as they are seen as sexual objects not only by men but by other women too.

To stop the objectification of women and to prevent

it from continuing in future generations, schools must abolish dress codes altogether. This would also stop the absorption of the toxic standards dress codes push onto young students. If this were done, future adult women will no longer have the burden of being seen as sexual objects on the basis of their clothes.

Schools should also have students and educators learn about gender equality to teach them that objectifying women is not acceptable in any circumstance. Lectures like this must start at a young age because children are very impressionable and are at risk of picking up behaviors that develop disastrously. Such lessons will re-educate young boys and teach them not to view women as sexual objects. Children will be able to learn self-control and respect for others from a young age. This will lead both men and women to champion feminism, helping develop equality. It will also prevent the re-creation of dress codes in the future and would also hopefully prevent the creation of any sexist rules in the future.

Erasing dress codes would begin to improve the misogynistic rules society has. Furthermore, the erasure of dress codes will also eventually push for change in other areas because men and women would have been taught that passing judgement of women based on sexist ideas is problematic from a young age. However, none of this can occur until schools stop using dress codes and begin to change the perception they have H promoted for women. ■

8 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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Features

FEATURES

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

9

Rusty quills

By: Alexandria Esteban, Assistant Features Editor In the archive of ink & yellow trees the heart is pumping Blood Which worms its way through narrow Veins Until it leaks out from fractured Skin And a borrowed quill brushes LIFE.

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

We are simply the hostages of something BIGGER.

The world will slip through your Fingertips And you’ll let the wet tears scratch your Eyes As those you love swallow the salty The pain sounds more like a cackling Remains Flames Of their stories being reduced to And you wonder what you did to ASH deserve such Laughter Unless you find a blade sharp enough It’s not your fault, it’s not my and SINK ■ Fault H

Students hear from social justice educator and ‘Pose’ actress in Day 1 of the Social Justice Symposium ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Features Editor

On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB), African Student Programs (ASP) and HUB Programs held Day 1 of 2 of UCR’s Social Justice Symposium. The symposium featured keynote speakers Dr. Jon Paul Higgins, a social justice educator who focuses on gender and race related topics and Dominique Jackson, author, model and actress for the television show “Pose.”

The event started off rocky as many students, including myself, were unable to access the event due to what seems to have been miscommunication between attendees and hosts. The event, which was originally set to begin at 5 p.m., was pushed to 5:30 p.m. via an announcement on social media.

As a result, attendees who had not kept up with social media announcements were confused and left waiting for the event to begin. In addition, a few attendees had tried to access the event via the Zoom link sent to students’ emails after registering for the event, only to discover through Instagram that there was a separate Zoom link for the workshops. I was one of the attendees who had waited since 5 p.m. through the emailed Zoom link wondering why the event was not starting. I was eventually able to access the link and managed to catch the end of Dr. Higgins lecture as they were saying goodbye and mentioning the importance of self-care. What followed next was Dominique Jackson’s lecture which was accessible through a link posted under Higgin’s Zoom workshop chat.

At 6:30 p.m., actress, model and author Dominique Jackson appeared on the screen of many UCR students to give her lecture moderated by Geo Perez. Jackson’s most notable work is on the television show “Pose” and spent some time discussing her character Elektra Abundance as well as her experience on the show in relation to her

MULTIPLE UCR ORGANIZATIONS HOLD A TWO DAY LECTURE TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE NEED FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN OUR SOCIETY WITH SPEAKERS SUCH AS DR. JON PAUL HIGGINS, DOMINIQUE JACKSON, ANGELA DAVIS AND GERRY MEDINA. own background. As a Black transgender woman, Jackson explained that she never thought she’d see herself on a television show; however, Jackson stated that “the world has given me the power” by starring in a television show with the largest transgender cast. “I am the moment, not the situation,” she explained.

Throughout her lecture, Jackson often referred to her history with domestic and sexual abuse and cited her history as a reason as to why she was able to stand in front of everyone and tell her story. Jackson stated, “I went through those things so you don’t have to,” and that she fought really hard to not let anyone put her in a box nor let anyone invalidate her power. While listening to Jackson’s experiences and what she had to go through, I could almost feel what she had gone through. I could feel her pain and sympathize with her.

Many attendees commented uplifting and heartwarming messages towards Jackson that were noticeably appreciated by her.

At one point, moderator Perez asked Jackson how she got started working with nonprofit organizations, such as Destination Tomorrow, a Bronx-based LGBTQ+ organization. Jackson explained that, due to a history of sexual abuse, she feared being HIV-positive and tested

ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL / THE HIGHLANDER

negative. After becoming involved in the ballroom scene, an LGBTQ+ underground subculture with origins in New York, she became a mother to “beautifully talented children,” as part of her chosen family.

According to Jackson, most of them were HIV-positive and she realized she would have to live with saying goodbye to people she loved. This realization led to her involvement with nonprofit organizations.

As Jackson was recounting her experiences, one could easily see the many emotions she had been carrying. Sadness, grief and, most importantly, love and selfacceptance. Her lecture was very uplifting and emotional. There were a few moments where I also felt like crying, especially when attendees were visibly crying on screen. What struck me the most was these students who were apologizing for their tears were quickly comforted by Jackson.

She encouraged them to cry stating, “When we cry that means we are being cleansed.”

This comment deeply resonated with me, leading me to realizing that crying is a healing process. Hearing Jackson say it out loud made me more appreciative of her loving aura.

During the student Q&A portion of the night, Jackson kept repeating

the importance of self-love and openmindedness. One student asked Jackson, “What do you think is missing in the movement for the liberation of trans people?’’ Jackson immediately replied that what was missing was open-mindedness.

She stated that what matters is being true to oneself and not letting others put you in a box.

Another student asked, “What words of encouragement or advice would you give to the transgender community who are transitioning and looking into surgery?”

Jackson explained that the most important aspect of getting surgery was to thoroughly research and be patient with the process, stating that it took her approximately 20 years to receive bottom surgery. Her advice was very insightful and came from a place of love and appreciation.

Despite being unable to fully attend Dr. Jon Paul Higgins workshop and listen to their lecture, Dominique Jackson’s lecture was fulfilling and made my heart feel happy and loved. I never knew it was possible to feel loved via a Zoom lecture, but Jackson made everyone feel loved and cared for in that 1 ½ she was with us. I will definitely keep an eye out for “Pose” season three H and Dominique Jacksons future work. ■

10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

FEATURES

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In Day two of the Social Justice Symposium, Angela Davis and Gerry Medina discuss activism, privilege and Black Lives Matter ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN Assistant Features Editor

On Friday, Jan. 29, the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB), African Student Programs (ASP) and HUB Programs collaborated to host the second part of their social justice symposium.

The event began at 6 p.m with a brief workshop with Gerry Medina, the Leadership and Service Programs Coordinator at UCR. Music played as people began to enter the Zoom meeting.

Rather than muting all of the participants, the first half of the symposium allowed everyone free access to their microphones and video displays. There were roughly over 60 people who attended this workshop.

The workshop was interactive, and when Medina was introduced, he announced that the purpose of this workshop was to serve as a “primer on the concept of social justice and what it means.” Medina guided the participants through different questions and encouraged people to answer them in the chat.

In between questions, Medina also prepared an activity that would enable participants to check their privileges.

Participants were encouraged to take out a piece of paper and map out their identity by examining which parts of their identities they think about the most and whether those parts granted them some sort of privilege in society. Medina stated that it was important to understand that “Life is difficult for everyone, but do you have institutional barriers in society along with those everyday difficulties?”

After Medina’s workshop, the Social Justice Symposium ended with a Q&A lecture with Angela Davis. Davis, a political activist and professor at UC Santa Cruz, was a keynote speaker for this event. Her Q&A session began at 7 p.m., and Ta’Neill M Hope was the first to interview Davis. In this first half of the lecture, Davis revealed that her interest in social justice started when she was

MULTIPLE UCR ORGANIZATIONS HOLD A TWO-DAY LECTURE TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE NEED FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN OUR SOCIETY WITH SPEAKERS SUCH AS DR. JON PAUL HIGGINS, DOMINIQUE JACKSON, ANGELA DAVIS AND GERRY MEDINA.

very young. Davis stated, “I never had an epiphany. I never made a decision to be involved in these efforts. It is simply how we must live our lives.”

When asked how she combats burnout, Davis responded, “I think what has helped me is my sense of being a part of a larger community.” She claimed, “We learn how to think of ourselves primarily as individuals so one of the challenges is to resist that ideological turn.”

The topic of our current school system was also brought up. Davis suggested, “Our system needs to be re-hauled, revamped and re-imagined.” Davis expressed her excitement over visiting some high schools with social justice embedded into their curriculum, and she argued that all schools should do the same. She firmly believed in “education not incarceration” and noted that our society needs to shift funding to build better schools and make free quality education available to everyone.

The questions then turned to current

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events, as Hope asked Davis how we should continue to push against police brutality after the number of protests that arose last year. Davis was awed by the people who chose to attend protests and to take steps towards progressing the Black Lives Matter movement last year, especially at the expense of their own health as the pandemic loomed over the world. She stated, “Victories come as a result of people who stood up and resisted” and that she imagined that “the work we’ve been doing in the past decades were to prepare for the future.”

Afterwards, the conversation transferred to the student Q&A section.

One participant asked Davis how she dealt with the anxiety of meeting resistance during protests. Davis replied, “There have been so many times when I was really scared to death, but I learned that one can still act.” One student asked how to hold oppressors accountable.

Davis replied that our society impulsively sends people to prison, and she argues that this only prevents us from brainstorming better ways to deal with people who have done wrong.

She claims that many people who have

been abused want and know how to reeducate abusers.

The final question came from Dominik Deciga who asked for Davis’ opinion on social media and performative activism. Davis replied, “I don’t know whether now is the time to criticize people for their performative activism.” However, she argued that technology could be useful in bringing attention to a cause, especially since it connects us to similar movements around the world. She claimed, “We have to use that technology productively and not allow it to use us.”

Both halves of the events were so engrossing and enlightening that they ended up going over time. There was a lot to cover on the topic of social justice, and though Davis was unable to answer everyone’s questions, she made a point to ask the ASPB to email her a copy of the questions so that she could read them. This symposium was an educational experience, and UCR should make an effort to host similar events.

ASPB will host its next event, “Mindfulness and Meditating with H Raveena,” on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.■

Radar

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘The Little Things’ doesn’t amount to much as it fails to deliver anything memorable COLIN CARNEY Radar Editor

Following the Christmas release of “Wonder Woman 1984,” Warner Bros. announced its new pandemic strategy — their 2021 film lineup would be released simultaneously in select theaters and on its HBO Max streaming service for the first 30 days of the film’s release. First up on that list is the crime thriller led by Denzel Washington and Rami Malek, “The Little Things.” The film follows former Los Angeles (LA) police detective Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington), now a Kern County sheriff, as he is sent to LA to gather some forensic evidence for a case. While in LA, pieces of Deacon’s checkered past are drudged up as he eventually agrees to help lead detective Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek) solve a murder investigation similar to one from his past.

Throughout the course of the film, the plot carries an uneasy and unsettling tone as these two men investigate these murders. Deacon locks himself in his dark hotel room while he stares at pictures of the deceased, and Baxter begins to get too close to the crime and risks his career on trusting Deacon. Furthermore, the introduction of their one suspect, Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), just screams “I’m a killer, lock me up” as he toys with police officers and makes unsettling comments about the deceased, claiming innocence. Altogether, these characters and the progression of the plot attempts to establish an eerie tone but it feels all too forced and never truly lands.

This is especially the case with the film’s climax and resolution.

Without crossing over into spoiler territory, the film’s climax is painfully reminiscent of another crime thriller, “Seven.” In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, the entire movie attempts to capture the tone and feel of that film, minus the religious iconography. It is a shame that “The Little Things” fails to live up to the high bar that is set by “Seven;” in fact, it doesn’t even come close. The climatic event at the end is expected,

EVEN GREAT TALENT ON SCREEN CAN’T CARRY A BLEAK AND UNREMARKABLE PLOT. unlike the twist at the end of “Seven,” and the resolution is neither satisfying or thought provoking.

One aspect of this film is that it is decent in its performances from its two leads. While by no means anything to write home about, Rami Malek and Denzel Washington deliver characteristically good performances that make “The Little Things” somewhat entertaining.

Washington’s Deacon clearly carries with him the weight of his past mistakes and is determined to see the case to the end.

Malek’s Baxter starts off with confidence that is slowly eroded as he becomes more and more enamoured with the case he’s working. With that said, both characters come off as overly bleak and uncharismatic, which is largely due to the overall tone of the film. “The Little Things” goes for that psychological thriller vibe that turns the world into a dark and depressing landscape that is left uninteresting by the bleak characters that occupy it. To reference “Seven” again, despite an oppressive environment, its characters were at least interesting and lively.

When put together, the elements of “The Little Things” don’t amount to anything close to a remarkable crime thriller that’ll linger with audiences. Its predictable plot and unsatisfying ending cannot be redeemed by simply mediocre performances from its two main lead actors. As the film progresses and viewers learn more about the characters and the case they’re investigating, they’ll likely yawn and wonder why they care at all when the credits roll. All in all, “The Little Things” tries to capture the thrill of past great crime thrillers but fails to live up to H the achievements of its predecessors. ■

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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THE PROFOUND SADNESS BEHIND “WANDAVISION” IS FINALLY EXPLORED OUTSIDE OF THE SITCOM NARRATIVE.

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The lastest episode of ‘WandaVision’ is a confirmation that Wanda’s grief is super powerful SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

After several ambiguous episodes and much theorizing from the Marvel fandom, “WandaVision” has finally moved the curtain back. The newest episode of “WandaVision” has finally moved away from the sitcom narrative it has dedicated the first three episodes to — which, frankly, was quickly running its course. Episode four, titled “We Interrupt This Program,” is chock full of answers and Marvel easter eggs that do an excellent job in progressing the show past the emptiness of the sitcom style and furthers the worldbuilding of a post-Infinity Saga Marvel.

Marvel has gone through various changes over the past decade as it has moved from Phase One to Phase Three.

Phase One movies like “Iron Man” (2008) were based mostly in action with minimal character development; Phase Two moved away from solely telling standalone hero stories to ensemble epics with movies like “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), indicating a wider universe. Phase Three furthered that goal, exploring what the Avengers are like when faced with the bleakest odds. “WandaVision” is part of Phase Four, and so far it is doing a good job of exploring an individual Avenger’s psyche in a way that other superhero movies have not done before. In this Disney+ original, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) is not facing a battle or a villain — she’s facing her own grief.

Episode four spends the majority of its 30 minute runtime in the aftermath of the Marvel “blip” as Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who we last saw decades younger in “Captain Marvel,” awakens to a chaotic hospital. People who disintegrated five years earlier are suddenly reassembling back into humans into a transformed world. This is the first time besides “Spiderman: Far From Home” that the audience is seeing how the world grappled with the return of the people who were lost to Thanos’ snap. People scramble around the hospital in an attempt to call their loved ones; in Monica’s case, she’s trying to find her mom, Maria Rambeau, who died in the five years she was gone.

Only weeks later, she’s back at work and

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Little Things” features decent, albeit unremarkable, VERDICT: performances from Denzel Washington and Rami Malek VERDICT: “The but fails to deliver on a memorable or entertaining story.

has to see her colleague in a position that she implies would’ve been hers had she not been part of the snap. Seeing these sorts of interactions makes the viewer become invested in the world instead of just caring about the characters, a task that will surely help Marvel as they move into Phase Four.

FBI Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) makes an appearance in this episode as one of the many agents investigating why a town that no one has heard of has suddenly popped into existence. After Monica’s agency, Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division (S.W.O.R.D) sends her to examine the scene, and she is pulled into the energy field surrounding the town of Westview. Everyone remains baffled until Monica is expelled from the town after Wanda realizes she is not part of the set she’s created. The show picks up from the end of episode three as Monica says, “It’s all Wanda.”

Out of the many theories, one has surfaced above the others: Wanda is not being held hostage by Hydra; she is simply a prisoner of her own grief. The implication itself creates a saddening but realistic portrayal of how everyone — even Avengers — are vulnerable to the psychological damages of war and death.

Wanda lost the love of her life, the person who she was setting herself up to be with for the rest of her existence; it is a loss none of the other Avengers really endured.

Most characters returned (albeit in younger versions) or did not have a profound connection with anyone the way Wanda did. Worse, she was forced to kill Vision (Paul Bettany) herself in order to save the rest of the universe, a task that ultimately proved futile and painful when Thanos used an Infinity Stone to turn back time and crush Vision’s skull himself. Wanda has a near debilitating episode of posttraumatic stress disorder in “We Interrupt This Program” when she sees Vision not as the vibrant crimson of his former self but a lifeless gray husk of metal with a missing chunk in his head. Throughout, Wanda has been attempting to keep her perfect life in place by rewinding and rewriting reality or expelling characters that don’t fit in with the idea of picturesque domesticity that she has created. This episode explores the H limits of her power. ■

“WandaVision” makes a good move by replacing the hollow sitcom style storylines and vague clues with a view into the post-snap Marvel world. In an episode filled with Easter eggs and answers, the audience finally watches Wanda’s power be stretched to its limit, ensuring an enthralling watch next week.

Sports 12

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR women’s basketball comes up a bit short against California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

UCR’s women’s basketball team returned to the Student Recreation Center (SRC) arena on Friday, Jan 29, where they began their third 2-game series against California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (SLO). Unfortunately, the Highlanders got off to a rough start and struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game.

The Highlanders came in strong, but unfortunately, the Mustangs came in stronger, going on an 8-0 run before sending senior guard Keilani Cooper to the free-throw line. She sank a free throw, leaving the scoreboard 8-1 with under five minutes in the first quarter. Cooper shot a 3-pointer, putting UCR within 4 points, to which SLO replied with a nice jumper of their own. UCR then pulled together to go on a 7-point charge to put them in the lead by a point, 1 minute and 24 seconds left in the first half. Mustang’s sophomore point guard Abbey Ellis sunk a quick 3-pointer in the final minute of the quarter. This put them ahead 13-11.

In the second quarter of the game, UCR did much better to keep up with SLO. The Mustangs opened up the scoreboard with a quick jumper. A nice 3-pointer from sophomore guard Jada Holland put UCR a point behind SLO, 15-14 within the first two minutes. Both teams traded shots with each other in the following minutes before tying at 17-17 points. The Mustangs sank another 3-pointer shot before sending

THE HIGHLANDERS FIGHT TO THE END BEFORE CLOSING OUT THE GAME WITH A 14-POINT DEFICIT. redshirt junior forward Daphne Gnago to the free-throw line, allowing her to sink a shot. Shortly after, a foul in favor of SLO sent them to the charity line prompting freshman forward Suzan Kinran to sink a nice 3-pointer of her own. This put UCR behind 22-21 with well over five minutes left in the first half. SLO gained an extra 4 points before sending UCR to the freethrow line again, made good by Kinran, the scoreboard now 26-23. UCR charged forward to bridge the gap, making five shot attempts in the final minute of the game, but much to their dismay, SLO was able to gain 5 points, still in the lead 31-23 at halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, UCR did their best to bridge the gap in points.

Both teams came in, both trading points, each gaining two in the first minute of the game. The Mustangs then seemed to kick it into a higher gear, gaining 4 points before Gnago put a stop to their small charge.

This left UCR 10 points behind, 37-27 with over five minutes left in the third quarter. Again, SLO gained 4 more points but a foul in favor of UCR sent Gnago to the free-throw line to successfully shoot two free-throws. The scoreboard was now 41-29 with just under four minutes left. A jumper from Cooper put UCR back within

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10 points. SLO continued on, gaining another 4 points before closing out the quarter, 45-31.

Despite the deficit that UCR found itself in, they didn’t give up, quickly opening up the scoreboard for that final stretch of the game. A nice jumper from junior guard Lauryn Pointer prompted UCR to go on a quick 5-point run. A foul in favor of the Mustangs sent Ellis to the free-throw line to make good of her two shots. The scoreboard was now 4736 with well over six minutes to go. The Mustangs gained another 2 points before sending Pointer to the line. Both teams tightened up, keeping each other scoreless for the next few minutes. Both teams then gained an extra 2 points, the scoreboard now 51-39 with four minutes left in the game. UCR tried to close the gap, but was only able to gain 4 more points while SLO

gained 5. UCR lost the first game of the series 56-43.

UCR fought hard but unfortunately just could not find the back of the net.

“We just didn’t execute the game plan.

Is there anything we need to change?

I don’t necessarily think so, we need to change our application of the plan, not the plan itself,” said Head Coach Nicole Powell in a press release with UCR. The Highlanders did try their best, making way more attempts than the Mustangs.

UCR shot more free throws, 3-point shots and more field goal shots than SLO, but just could not sink them, with their percentages in each category being 65%, 21% and 21%.

UCR played against SLO the following day on Jan. 30 but lost 67-53 despite a push in the second half. ■ H

UCR’s women’s basketball team lose their second game against California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

The UCR women’s basketball team closed their two-game home series against California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo (SLO) with another unfortunate loss. The Mustangs came into the game building upon the momentum generated by Game 1.

UCR was quick to get the ball, but a turnover led senior forward Sierra Campisano to open up the game for the Mustangs. SLO managed to get an extra 3 points before senior guard Keilani Cooper could open up the game for the Highlanders with two back-to-back jumpers. This prompted the Mustangs to go on a 7-0, putting them in the lead 12-4 within the first five minutes. Both teams then went on a quick back-and-forth before a foul in the Highlander’s favor led to successfully shooting two free throws. The score was now 16-10 with the Mustangs still in the lead with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. SLO gained 2 more points before sending UCR to the free-throw line again, the shots scored by redshirt junior forward Daphne Gnago. The Mustangs gained another 2 points and fouled the Highlanders, giving them 2 more points as well. No more than one minute later, UCR returned to shoot two more free throws, scoring only one.

This allowed them to get within seven points, 20-13 with over two minutes left in the first quarter. Quickly after, Gnago

returned to the charity line to sink two more free throws. Both teams then went on the offensive, UCR making a layup while SLO managed to make two. The quarter ended 24-17 with SLO in the lead.

Both teams came eager into the second quarter, UCR gaining 4 points while SLO gained 2 in the first minute of the game.

Freshman guard Joy Campbell of UCR managed to get in a quick layup, leaving the scoreboard 26-23 with eight minutes left in the first half. Both teams tightened their defense, not allowing them to score in the following two minutes. The Mustangs broke the silence with a 3-pointer to which the Highlanders replied with a nice jumper. SLO snuck in another layup followed by a shot from deep for UCR. The scoreboard was 31-28 with well over five minutes left in the first half. Freshman forward Suzan Kinran scored a 3-pointer that scored the game for the Highlanders 31-31. A quick 4-2 run for the Mustangs put them up 35-33 at halftime.

Coming out of halftime, UCR was eager to cut their deficit against SLO. Both teams traded layups early on in the third quarter. A 3-pointer from Cooper put the Highlanders in a 1-point lead, making the score 38-37 with well over seven minutes left. SLO then tightened up, leaving UCR scoreless for the rest of the quarter. SLO went on a huge 14-0 run, closing out the quarter 52-38. The Mustang’s senior forward Sierra Campisano led the charge for SLO, scoring a total of 23 points for

her team.

Into the fourth quarter, UCR did their best to stay in the fight despite SLO’s comfortable lead. The Mustangs used the momentum they created in the third quarter to go on a 5-0 run before UCR could get in a free throw. The scoreboard was left 57-39 with seven minutes left in the game.

Both teams seemed to close upon each other in the final quarter. UCR did their best to keep up, but unfortunately, the deficit created in the third quarter proved to be too big. UCR managed to score 14 more points, while SLO gained 10. SLO closed the game 67-53, a 2-0 series for the Mustangs.

Compared to the previous game, UCR did definitely improve, achieving a higher field goal and free throw percentage. In fact, UCR led in 3-pointer and free throw attempts. Despite their best efforts, the deficit created at the beginning of the second half was a big one.

“It obviously wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for,” said Head Coach Nicole Powell in a UCR press release. “Being down two starters didn’t help, but we still need to be able to adjust when these situations come up. We can do better. We will keep our focus, get back to work and prepare for next weekend.”

The women’s basketball team for UCR is looking forward to coming back on Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. against California State H University Fullerton. ■

A THIRD QUARTER CHARGE FROM THE MUSTANGS LED TO THE HIGHLANDERS DEFEAT IN GAME TWO.

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