Volume 69 Issue 17

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Monday, February 22, 2021

VOL. 69, ISSUE 17

est. 1954

Winter Soulstice is a night of soulful vibes with a tinge of social activism

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The 44th annual

writers week festival celebrates achievements in literature

LEO YUE / THE HIGHLANDER

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NEWS 3

OPINIONS 5

FEATURES 8

RADAR 10

SPORTS 12

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MONDAY, FEBRURARY 22, 2021

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Upcoming Events: Week 8

Humans of UCR BLANCA ESTELA ALBA| SOCIOLOGY | THIRD-YEAR COMPILED BY THE HIGHLANDER STAFF

22 Monday

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CHASS Transfers F1RST: Internship Workshop 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Virtual Event

Tiendita Peligrosa 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Virtual Event

Chat with the Attorney 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

Stress Management 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Virtual Event

Promoting Health Literacy Global Webinar #2 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Virtual Event

Tomás Rivera Conference 2021 – Roberto Lovato: A Reading and Conversation 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

Tuesday

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Wednesday

“Transferring to UCR from San Diego Mesa College this past fall as a low-income, first-get, Latinx immigrant has been challenging, especially with online learning. Who knew that registering for classes and the quarter system would be so difficult? However,

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Performance Management in Action 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Virtual Event

Disability Network Meet & Greet 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

Bee Your Own Boo: Self Love and Reflection With CARE 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Virtual Event

ISS Town Hall Discussion 9 a.m.

Virtual Event

Thursday

this did not stop me from getting involved and continuing to want to help students like me. By my first quarter at UCR, I was already a member of the ASUCR Basic Needs Committee and the Transfer/Non-Traditional Students Committee, where I hold the position of outreach coordinator. I also have the opportunity of being a transfer mentor in the CHASS Transfers F1rst Mentorship Program. Even if education has not always

26 Friday

felt empowering, lately it has been liberating as I advocate and bring awareness to ongoing issues on campus.”

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Saturday

CONTACT US

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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.

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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.

2021 Structural Competency Conference, How We Heal: Confronting Racism in Medicine 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

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28 Sunday

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News

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NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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ASUCR

ASUCR senate approves large-scale initiative to implement reusable to-go containers in UCR’s dining halls ASUCR SHOWS SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS TO SHIFT FROM A TWO-YEAR UPPER-DIVISION PROGRAM TO A FOUR-YEAR MAJOR. LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

On Friday, Feb. 19, ASUCR held their seventh meeting of winter quarter, where they approved a large-scale initiative to fund the use of reusable containers in UCR’s dining halls, discussed a piece of legislation outlining international students participation in ASUCR Elections and also discussed the R’Gear allocation for this year.

The senate approved a $15,000 largescale initiative allocation for the Green Campus Action Plan (GCAP) presented by Vice President of Sustainability Vanessa Gomez-Alvarado to promote sustainability on campus. The project will launch a reusable to-go container program for takeout and online orders at the dining halls in Lothian and Dundee-Glasgow as early as this March. GCAP took some inspiration from Oregon State University, who has

successfully integrated the Eco2Go program on their campus.

When implemented, students will be able to pick up their food in an Eco2Go container, eat and rinse after it is used and drop it off at a designated location around the dining halls where they will be cleaned and utilized again.

In the large-scale initiative proposal, GCAP stated that the project will eliminate at least 14 tons of trash from landfills and cut the university’s water consumption, as it currently takes 10 liters of water to produce a single disposable plate. It will also eliminate 58.9 metric tons of Co2.

They are currently working with UCR Dining Services to implement the project and eventually spread the use of reusable containers across campus.

“This program is really just a big jumpstart to a sustainable future,” said CNAS Senator Barry Liu. The allocation was approved with a vote of 13-0-0.

The senate also approved two pieces of legislation during LRC. The first, SB-W21-006 By-Law Amendment to

Update International Student’s Voting Status was presented by President Pro Tempore Orlando Cabalo. The senate bill clarifies in the ASUCR constitution that only undergraduate students who pay the quarterly ASUCR fee are eligible to vote in ASUCR elections and run for office. Those who do not pay the fee are ineligible to participate.

SB-W21-006 was passed with a vote of 13-0-0.

Cabalo also presented SR-W21-008 Support for the UCR School of Business’ 4 Year Program. The senate resolution proposes to convert the UCR School of Business’s current method for obtaining a Business Administration (BSAD) degree from a two-year upper-division program to a four-year major program by allowing students to directly apply to the BSAD major as an incoming freshman. Currently, students interested in the School of Business must follow a two-year, pre-business track under the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences before being accepted.

The UCR School of Business has proposed this change to the academic senate

multiple times, stating that the BSAD major at UCR has grown to become the largest undergraduate business program in the UC system with approximately 1,400 BSAD majors as of fall 2019.

The senate resolution was approved with a vote of 14-0-0 and ASUCR will be working closely with the School of Business to support the change.

Vice President of Finance William Wang briefly spoke to the senate about the R’Gear allocation for the 2020-2021 school year. Earlier in the meeting, one student expressed disapproval for R’Gear, stating that the allocation should be used to support students financially instead.

Wang stated that while he has not discussed any plans for R’Gear with Marketing and Promotions Director Ian Chew, he does not foresee it getting approved by the senate. “I personally think it is pretty insensitive to do R’Gear this year considering that we are in the middle of a pandemic,” stated Wang.

The public meeting was adjourned at 7:21 p.m. before the senate moved into a H closed session. ■

The UC and the UC Student Association partner to launch the Double the Pell Grant campaign THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA STUDENT ASSOCIATION IS WORKING WITH THE UC TO URGE CONGRESS TO DOUBLE THE MAXIMUM VALUE OF THE PELL GRANT. AMANI MAHMOUD Editor-in-Chief

In an effort to double the Federal Pell Grant, the University of California (UC) has partnered with the University of California Student Association (UCSA) to lobby government officials to double the maximum amount awarded for the Pell Grant.

Since its inception, the Federal Pell Grant has provided the funding to help low-income students pay for higher education.

It is awarded to students who are considered low-income undergraduates and who are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens.

Students are automatically considered for a Pell Grant if they file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

According to the UCR Office of Financial Aid, awards range from $6,195 to $657 per academic year in 2019-20.

The UC announced that it was launching the Double the Pell campaign on Feb. 8, 2021. In a press release, the UC is urging Congress and the new federal administration to “charter a more affordable pathway to higher education for America’s students and families. UC is partnering with the University of California Student Association (UCSA)

in this national advocacy effort to boost financial support for low-income students across the country, which will include virtual events and information sessions.”

More than 7 million students take advantage of the grant each year to pay for a portion of their educational expenses. Forty years ago, the Pell Grant covered more than 75% of a student’s four-year public college costs; however, over time, disinvestment has corroded the value of the grant to approximately 28%. The UC’s Double the Pell campaign aims to further the UC’s commitment to ensuring that Californians and students across the nation have access to a quality, affordable college education. In the press release, UC President Michael Drake stated, “The University of California has a longstanding record of investing in financial aid and student success … However, UC cannot do this alone. We need impactful, long-term support for students and for higher education across the country; we need Congress to double the Pell as a down payment on America’s future.”

In an interview with The Highlander, Vincent Rasso, vice president of ASUCR’s Office of External Affairs, stated that the campaign’s main goal is to build strong support amongst national higher education partners, statewide student associations across the country and elected officials in the U.S. Congress to double the federal investment

in the Pell Grant. It aims to double it from its current $6,500 maximum award, to cover a $13,000 maximum. Tuition and fees have risen exponentially alongside additional costs of attending college like basic needs, textbooks and more.

In August of 2020, the UCSA hosted its annual Student Organizing Summit via Zoom which allowed students from all backgrounds and across each UC campus to select their annual campaign priorities. At the end of the conference, Rasso stated that students voted for the Double the Pell campaign to be the main goal for UCSA’s “Fund the UC” efforts. Since August, the UCSA has organized on each individual campus to assess the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their communities while building momentum for this effort to take off.

UCSA works at a state and national level in order to advocate for the accessibility, affordability and quality of a UC education for current and future UC students.

“Double the Pell is a huge step we can take in all of those advocacy areas, especially after the disparities faced by our lowincome student communities that have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Rasso.

The Pell Grant is the largest federal investment made towards higher education in this country.

Rasso stated that with a new presidential administration and

with the power dynamic in D.C. shifted in one direction, it’s important to push for transformative change to support those who have been most impacted by a global pandemic, racial injustice and economic uncertainty.

“Education attainment is the key to economic prosperity, and our very own campus UC Riverside is a national leader in social mobility for the success of low-income communities in higher education and obtaining a college degree,” said Rasso. He noted that UCR has the largest percentage of students enrolled who receive the Pell Grant, and UCR students stand to gain the most if their advocacy effort to double the Pell Grant is successful.

Students across the UC and the country have been urging their congressional representatives through social media, lobby meetings and direct email to their offices with their proposal to double the Pell Grant. The UC Advocacy Network and UCSA launched a petition to build strong support for the campaign publicly, and they have been urging every single student in our community, regardless if they receive the Pell Grant or not, to sign their petition.

The UCSA has also met with the presidential transition team for the Biden-Harris Administration and spearheaded a joint-letter with five other statewide student associations representing more than 3 million students across the West Coast to include this priority in their education policy platform.

The campaign is also actively collecting student testimonials to gain a better understanding on how the Pell Grant has impacted their college experience.

Once they are able to mobilize the Double the Pell campaign through Congress, “there will be a massive shift in the financial aid support for universities to support student needs,” stated Rasso.

He noted that the Pell Grant has been a key financial support for student communities who come from low-income families, many of whom happen to be students of color, first generation, transfers, or have other non-traditional and underrepresented student backgrounds.

This federal investment would also call on state financial aid such as the Cal Grant and the UC’s institutional aid to expand to support more students that it currently does not support financially, which would occur through policy reform and expanded access to aid, especially for undocumented students, formerly incarcerated students and more.

The Double the Pell Grant campaign “would have a massive impact at UCR, which is a Hispanic-serving institution, has the largest share of Pell Grant recipients and first generation college students than most (if not all) UC campuses, and continues making strides and breaking barriers in educational attainment for marginalized communities,” H stated Rasso. ■

4 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

NEWS

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UCR’s Chancellor Wilcox condemns violent and racist attacks nationally against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders AMANI MAHMOUD Editor-in-Chief

On Friday, Feb. 19, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox sent a campuswide email in which he condemned the recent violent and racist attacks against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders specifically in the Bay Area and across the country.

In January, a 19-year-old man violently shoved 84-year-old Thai man Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco.

Ratanapakdee died two days later from his injuries. One week later, three Asian senior citizens in Oakland, California were assaulted by one man.

In the statement, Wilcox stated, “We unequivocally condemn the recent violent and racist attacks in the Bay Area and nationally against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.”

He acknowledged that since the onset of the pandemic, violent attacks and hate incidents toward Asians and Pacific Islanders have increased. He noted that violent attacks and hate incidents have even occurred on UCR’s campus. “While these particular attacks may have made state and national headlines and have been stoked by anti-Chinese rhetoric during the pandemic crisis, they are emblematic of longstanding discrimination toward the Asian and Pacific Islander community since the building of the US transcontinental railroad and global imperial wars before that. And all are unacceptable,” wrote Wilcox.

He noted that this conduct has no place at UCR, does not reflect its values and will not be tolerated.

“We pledge our full solidarity with the Asian/American and Pacific Islander community on campus and beyond and support the efforts by student organizations; our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office; and faculty and staff to address violence and discrimination against Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders,” stated Wilcox.

Acknowledging the hardships of this past year, Wilcox wrote, “It has been such an overwhelming year and we recognize many members of our community are tired of the seemingly unending challenges and obstacles being faced. Please know that you have the support of colleagues and friends on campus as we strive to foster a community that reflects the very best of UCR’s ideals.”

For some students at UCR, the attacks have made them concerned for their families and friends. In an interview with The Highlander, Mimi Nguyen a third-year business administration student with a concentration in marketing stated that after the pandemic struck, the U.S. began to encounter two types of viruses: the spread of COVID-19 and the spread of xenophobia. She noted how the mistreatment and prejudice towards Asians in the U.S. has skyrocketed and more attacks on Asians, particularly the elderly, have worsened. She attributes these attacks to prejudice against the Asian community and putting the racist rhetoric that labeled the virus the “Chinese virus” or the “Kung Flu.” As someone who identifies as Asian, Nguyen stated that she is fearful for her

relatives, friends and especially for the elderly. “These recent hate crimes have targeted predominantly Asian American seniors who have no means of defense or protection against these attacks. I am anxious and worried that my own grandparents cannot walk to the store or run their errands without being the next victim or target of these hate crimes,” stated Nguyen. She stated that the recent attacks were especially disheartening during the approach of the Lunar New Year – an annual holiday that symbolizes a new year of prosperity and hope for the Asian community.

“Historically, Asian Americans have been taught to feed into the model minority. This myth has suppressed and invalidated our stories and kept us quiet in the face of many injustices,” stated Nguyen. She finds that the model minority narrative perpetuates the notion that Asian Americans can achieve the American dream if they are jovial. The model minority justifies how Asian Americans have the ability to overcome bigotry because of hard work and intellectual superiority, stated Nguyen.

The term was coined to justify that despite marginalization, ethnic minorities like Asian Americans can achieve a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the average. Nguyen stated that racial attacks against Asian Americans are often ignored or underreported because it is minimized by the model minority myth.

In order to further support the Asian community, Nguyen stated that people need to start conversations and raise

Grants awarded to UCR faculty for improving online learning

DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

In the interest of bettering the current state of online courses, the University of California Office of the President made Remote Course Conversion (RCC) grants available for certain instructors. The grants were awarded to professors who were teaching classes that had already been adapted to an online platform, but especially to those who teach undergraduate courses that satisfy general education or major requirements and/or courses that tend to have large waitlists.

According to UCR Keep Teaching, based on “the investments in technologies, such as Canvas, YuJa, Slack, and Gradescope,” UCR is now able to support more in-depth and higher quality online courses. Thus, last month, the Office of the Provost, Undergraduate Education and Exploration Center for Innovative Teaching & Engagement (XCITE) announced 19 UCR faculty recipients of the RCC grants, allotting $8,000 per awardee.

Some of the overarching goals of the RCC grants include: the promotion of

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greater student access by providing more high-quality remote classes at UCR, the promotion of student success through teaching innovation and best practices in online course design, the upkeep of instructional quality through meeting national, proven quality assurance standards and the maintenance of instructional equity by embracing equitable and inclusive teaching and accessibility.

In striving towards these goals, RCC recipients are expected to work alongside one of XCITE’s instructional consultants in addition to completing a corresponding 10-week long online training certification from the Online Learning Consortium. The course development will be geared towards incorporating pedagogical technology with an emphasis on asynchronous adaptation in order to allow for maximum flexibility as well as meeting certain accommodations by video captioning and upholding a design that meets universal standards.

The Highlander spoke to a few RCC recipients on their experiences with online teaching and how they anticipate making use of this initiative.

Katja Guenther, associate professor of gender and sexuality studies, affirmed that the move to online learning has profoundly impacted her teaching, especially when combined with the general stressors that came with the last year. Having to rethink and reorganize her teaching methods in a way that translates well remotely has been quite time-consuming for Guenther, especially since she is aware and trying to be conscious of the high levels of stress that have been affecting students.

“In the future, I hope that faculty and students who are teaching and learning online are doing so because it’s a choice that they make to best meet their specific needs and the needs of specific courses,” she stated.

Guenther is particularly looking forward to the certification program that she and the other recipients are set to complete.

Coupled with XCITE’s Instructional Design Team, she hopes to find ways to better teach her introductory courses, particularly as it pertains to fostering a sense of community amongst students. According to Guenther, finding ways to support community development and engagement within the classroom and outside of it was difficult in an online setting. With help from the RCC grant funds, she hopes to engage with technologies and tools that enable students to work together and engage with one another in different ways in order to create “a sense of community with each other and with the campus and region.”

For Joab Corey, associate professor of economics, it had been five years

SOME UCR STUDENTS EXPRESS THEIR FEAR AND CONCERN FOLLOWING A STRING OF ANTI-ASIAN ATTACKS.

awareness. “We must amplify these stories by sharing and talking about them on mainstream media. To show solidarity is to not be silent … With the accessibility of the internet and power of social media, our generation has the advantage of being exposed to a plethora of resources, petitions, and knowledge that we can obtain to understand the history and current events of the AAPI community,” stated Nguyen.

Wilcox urges students to visit help.ucr.edu for additional resources and guidance on how to report incidents of discrimination within the UCR H community.■

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19 PROFESSORS AT UCR WERE AWARDED A REMOTE COURSE CONVERSION GRANT IN ORDER TO BETTER THE ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. since he had taught an online course.

However, he was fortunate in that two years ago, he had participated in a summer workshop dedicated to online teaching.

Corey was reportedly able to implement many of the strategies that he had learned about previously, like designing weekly prerecorded learning modules, lectures and review sessions in order to accommodate different time zones and schedules.

“It has definitely taken a lot more time and work for me to create lecture videos and set up an effective online class, than to teach in a face-to-face setting,” Corey stated, ”but I have learned a lot in the process and I am looking at it as a valuable learning experience.”

When considering the RCC funds, Corey envisions a large portion going towards improving accessibility, namely using a more professional captioning service in order to make sure that all lectures and materials can be read by those with hearing impairments. He also wants to explore the ways in which the quality of pre-recorded lecture videos can be made better.

Corey emphasized his appreciation of his students’ patience and understanding during this time.

Though continuously navigating remote learning has been exceedingly trying for both students and teachers alike, Corey is striving toward making it easier for everyone. “I will continue to do my best to give students a flexible and affecting learning experience and will strive to continually improve the quality of instruction in my classes,” he H concluded.■

Opinions

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OPINIONS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Children need to learn the dark side of American history too

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or quite some time, children in the U.S. have been receiving a heavily skewed education in American history. From grades K-12, children are spoonfed lies of American exceptionalism; they are taught that the U.S. is heroic and that their actions are justified in every situation — even when it comes to slavery. However, these falsehoods hurt people of color in America because they erase and downplay their struggles.

If this whitewashing of history continues, then history is bound to repeat itself. Schools have the responsibility to teach children the truth about slavery, the genocide of indigenous people and other horrors committed at the hands of white Americans if we want to move forward as a more educated nation. Regardless of how America tries to make itself appear, history is history.

By ignoring the disturbing parts and only educating children on the glorified parts, we are doing them a disservice as citizens.

It is the government’s responsibility to provide a curriculum that offers a complete view of American history. Such a curriculum should be universal across all 50 states so that students have an equal understanding of real U.S. history. One curriculum that is beneficial to children is the 1619 Project, which highlights the legacy of slavery in America and how it has affected democracy to this day.

However, some Republican lawmakers are trying to punish schools who implement this curriculum and instead offer funding so school curriculums center around America’s “heroism.” They believe that deviating from such lesson plans will lead to American youth being indoctrinated by the far left. But in truth, we can never celebrate American accomplishments if we do not hold our country accountable for the damage it has caused to marginalized groups. The 1619 Project does not overlook American

accomplishments, but also does not gloss over the atrocities enacted upon Black people in this country. Projects such as this one uplift voices of groups that have been ignored by the sugarcoating of U.S. history.

Teachers must also move away from this destructive traditionalism and improve the way U.S. history is typically taught. Glossing over history is detrimental, and if we are not honest about this country’s past, then white supremacy will never fade away. History has played a large part in systemic racism today, so it is important that students are given the details as to how this came to be. Ignoring the horrors of slavery explains why racism and bigotry in have trickled into the present.

Schools also must stop teaching history classes from a two-way-street point of view when it comes to colinization and slavery. Oftentimes, history courses ask students to find reasons to justify slavery or colonization. Young students of color should never be asked to explain why slavery or colonization was okay. Slavery and colonization should not be framed in a pros and cons manner. Students of color should never be asked to defend these damaging institutions.

Furthermore, kids often watch the news at home and have been keeping up with what is going on with movements such as Black Lives Matter or atrocities such as the Capitol riots. For this reason, it is important that children are taught the ugly side of U.S. history and politics because it would be misleading for children to be taught that the U.S. is such a great country but then see the horrible reality of the world in the news. Teachers need to take a more proactive approach to how they address these issues and connect them to the past so that kids can have a better understanding of the realities of this country.

It is not a mystery that history

COURTESY OF THOMAS HAWK VIA FLICKR UNDER CC BY-NC 2.0

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EDUCATORS TO TEACH CHILDREN THE REAL HISTORY OF AMERICA EVEN IF IT PAINTS THE COUNTRY AS THE “BAD GUYS.” makes white people out to be white saviors. The extent to which we learn about people of color, racism and civil rights movements is shameful. In fact, people of color are still oppressed today because of how history is taught. As a result, the whitewashing of history needs to cease so children grow up to become more informed members of society who are able to make a difference. The argument that young children cannot handle these truths and that elementary school teachers must sugarcoat history is weak and irrelevant.

After all, if Germany can teach the Holocaust accurately to children as young as nine, then U.S. schools can accurately teach about slavery.

Children are smarter than adults care to admit, and learning these truths later in life will not help students understand the full scope of politics in this country. It is not enough to learn everything as a crash course in the later years of high school and college. It is never too early to teach these topics to children, and it can definitely be tailored to the age groups without being too graphic or leaving anything out. Young people have resilient minds and can handle heavy topics. Besides, if they can be taught about violent American wars, then they can be taught about the violence of slavery.

Upholding white nationalism often stems from parental influence, so schools have a responsibility to make their learning environments factual for students to grow and be more educated than their parents.

If the way we teach U.S. history is not criticized and revised, then racism and

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ignorance will continue to affect this country in many negative ways. It is shameful that students are not given a chance early on in their lives to learn the truth of American history. Everything must begin in the classroom.

And if this change occurs now, students will grow up equipped with better tools to aand make a H difference in society. ■

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 22, 2021

OPINIONS

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The national anthem should have no place in pre-game traditions

MADISON RHEINS Opinions Editor

It is no longer uncommon to see people protest the national anthem during sporting events. Whether it is the refusal to sing or taking a knee, it has become recognized that the pregame tradition of singing the national anthem no longer resonates with the majority of Americans. Sporting events are supposed to be inclusive of all people, bringing together fans from all backgrounds in celebration of sporting events. Until American patriotism benefits all citizens and not just white people, sports fans and athletes should not be required to have the national anthem as their pregame ritual.

Teams should not be reprimanded for refusing to play the national anthem just because a few ignorant people get enraged over its absence. For instance, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, was recently berated by mobs of angry people after he made the executive decision to cease playing the anthem. His reasoning behind it was rational, explaining that many people feel like “The Star-Spangled Banner” no longer represents them. Many sports fans saw this move as “unpatriotic,” thus causing the NBA to force Cuban to resume this tradition.

This ridiculous commotion over the anthem is taking away from the real purpose of sporting events - camaraderie and fun. Sports should not have become as politicized as they are now. Political leaders and the “patriotism police” should not have a say in whether or not a song is being played. After all, the national anthem is not an integral part of sporting events in America, and until the song brings pride to all Americans and not just white ones, it is not necessary to keep playing it.

The national anthem does not benefit those who are constantly being hurt by this country, which is obvious once the lyrics’ origins are examined. Especially following Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, it should be clear that the national anthem does not reflect all voices equally in America. Even if the anthem’s

COURTESY OF CARRIE NELSON VIA FLICKR UNDER CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

lyrics aren’t explicitly racist, the writer of the song was. Continuing to uphold this song while ignoring this fact silences and demeans people of color.

In this country, the anthem has become aggressively politicized and a symbol for division and hate. Considering that people of color make up a large number of the fan base for sports and athletes on teams, it is outdated to include this song in the pregame repertoire.

The national anthem is not inclusive to Americans and if we keep perpetuating this false sense of patriotism, then nothing will improve for people of color.

Many will viciously argue that the refusal to play the anthem or the willingness to condemn it means that one is un-American. In fact, I have often heard the argument, “Well, if you don’t like it here, then leave’’ from these individuals whenever I have spoken on this particular issue. However, this argument is baseless and tone-deaf. This country is not for white people to gatekeep, and they do not have the authority to say who stays or who goes although foolish leaders have given them this false confidence.

This country was founded on the displacement of people of color, and in the coming centuries, they have continued to be violently oppressed and exploited by those who pride themselves in being patriots.

Consequently, the national anthem has since become a tool for racism rather than patriotism- although recently those words have become synonymous. Sporting events in America have long been known to bring large groups of people together. Therefore, the national anthem should have no place in sporting events where teamwork and love is supposed to prevail.

Being anti-American should never be characterized as someone who is willing to hold themselves and their countries accountable for their actions. And it should never be antiAmerican to want this country to be better and full of love. Therefore, sporting events, a staple in many American’s lives, should not be centralized around a song that does the opposite of spreading love and pride. While it may anger those who do not understand, it is necessary to make this change in order to be more inclusive H of all people in America. ■

PREGAME TRADITIONS HAVE BECOME TOO POLITICIZED AND THEY MUST BE REVISED TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF ALL PEOPLE IN AMERICA.

Californian homeless relief is better off without government assistance THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT LIKELY WON’T GET AROUND TO HOMELESS RELIEF FOR YEARS. TAKING MATTERS INTO CIVILIAN HANDS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET ANYTHING DONE. EVELYN HOMAN Assistant Opinions Editor

An initiative to build affordable housing for the homeless has started in Los Angeles, thanks to a group called RMG Housing. They are trying to build places for the Californian homeless population so they can have a roof over their heads and start getting back on their feet; most remarkably, they are doing this completely without funding from the government.

The initiative is utilizing donations and investments in order to fund this relief project, and not a penny is coming from state or federal organizations. This feat is truly incredible, and though it might suggest that the government simply doesn’t care about the homeless, RMG Housing taking homeless relief into their own hands will allow assistance to come far faster than it likely ever would from the government.

Given the constant dueling between the Democrats and Republicans, both within California and in America at large, getting any bills for homeless relief passed through the Californian government would likely

take ages. With the ongoing pandemic tossed in with bipartisan quarrels, any government foray into relief for homeless Californians would likely stay on the backburner for ages. The recall Newsom movement has only launched California into an even more volatile state of unrest.

The government likely would not be getting anywhere close to passing sustainable homeless relief for quite some time. In reality, the government deems it more important to try and muddle through this confusing pandemic and to argue across the aisle than focus on helping one of the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Though it seems disheartening that the government likely won’t come to give their support to homeless initiatives being run by citizens, this shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a bad thing. Given the nature of government-funded projects, if the government were to offer some kind of homeless relief or build government housing for the homeless, partisan issues would likely bleed into the fray and delay funding or development. Even when Newsom offered emergency funding for the homeless, it wasn’t nearly enough to help get people off of the street.

Furthermore, given the tumultuous nature of politics and the frequent backand-forth between parties and governors, one governor might start this relief project only for the next to stop it and redirect the funds elsewhere. The public, however, is

not nearly so tumultuous. While workers on the project might come in and out, the goal and funding remains the same, which means nothing can stall the project: not a party change, nor a new governor or any sort of politics. Only people who want to help others will advance the project, even without the interference of a capricious government.

Additionally, the government not being behind this initiative will allow the RMG Housing project to be accomplished solely out of the good of people’s hearts, not because of a political agenda. It’s no secret that politicians lie and make promises they can’t keep. So for this building project to be run completely independent of the government means that this project is

solely by people, to help people. It isn’t a politician’s promise to better the state so that he can be voted in again, nor is it a lie to gain support of people who want to help the homeless. It is simply a push from kind hearts to help other people who need it, which is more valuable than any empty promise or government program.

In short, though it may seem disappointing that civilians have to be the ones to initiate change to better the lives of the homeless, their initiative is stronger, more fast acting and more kind than it likely ever would have been if it were backed up by the government. The movement is a true testament to pure human kindness, something that no government financial H support could emulate.■

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

Removing misinformation isn’t censorship EVELYN HOMAN Assistant Opinions Editor

After many debates surrounding this controversial issue, Facebook has finally made the decision to ban misinformation surrounding vaccinations. The new ban will not just target false claims about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but also false claims that vaccines, in general, cause autism. The growing sentiments of anti-vaccination have finally reached a breaking point, and some are questioning if this is the right course of action.

However, banning misinformation isn’t necessarily censorship, and therefore, this ruling should not be seen as such.

Censoring is defined as “examin[ing] in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable” by MerriamWebster Dictionary. With this base definition in mind, it should be fairly obvious that misinformation about vaccines does not fall under something “objectionable,” because it is false.

Censorship happens when speech is silenced because it goes against a regime, corporation or entity that doesn’t want dissenting opinions in discussions. But in the case of most anti-vaccine propaganda, their posts aren’t “dissenting.” They’re simply wrong, harming the stigma of people who have autism and preventing the next generation of children from getting the vaccinations they need to grow up healthy. Overall, it is not censorship to get rid of information that is simply not true.

Facebook and other social media users, typically those who are rightwing leaning, are often quick to call

censorship because they are most likely to share “countermedia” or “fake news.” But again, if something is false or misleading, it’s not censorship if it is taken down, it is preventing people from becoming scared of something that is not as harmful as people think. Not to mention, with the number of people who believe “fake news” reportedly increasing, it seems like getting this misinformation off the internet will help more than it hinders.

In a world where journalism is heavily clouded by one party or the other, it is not hard to understand where these fears of censorship are coming from. Some might argue that misinformation could gain a mottled meaning because of this new removal policy. Thus, conservativeleaning media might get the axe even if it’s not reporting vaccine falsehoods. In these instances, it is up to social media users, regardless of political stance, to speak up against something wrongfully being taken down. But in the case of something that is purely false, such as arguments that vaccines cause autism, there is no censorship occurring.

Censorship absolutely can lead to the slippery slope of social media corporations deciding what media users can and can’t post. But for the time being, we should rest easy that “fake news” surrounding vaccines will be cleared away for actual facts. Though we should keep wary of corporations overstepping their boundaries, removing falsehoods from these platforms will help prevent H people from being misinformed.■

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

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FACEBOOK HAS OFFICIALLY BANNED ANTI-VACCINATION PROPAGANDA ON ITS WEBSITE. IT’S NOT A VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT IF OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES FOLLOW SUIT.

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8 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Features

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

The 44th annual

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WRITERS WEEK

festival celebrates achievements in literature By: Alexandria Esteban, Assistant Features Editor and Silvia Ferrer, Managing Editor

T

he Writers Week Festival event is an annual literary event that features readings from many different published authors.

Entering its 44th year, the festival is the longest-running free literary event in California, and every event is open to the public. This year, the event was held via Crowdcast from Feb. 16 to 19.

Using an online platform resulted in the event being a little different from usual. Through most of the sessions, writers submitted prerecorded readings of excerpts from their novels or a few original poems.

For example, during the 1 p.m. session on Feb. 17, Shin Yu Pi read from her latest poetry book, “Enso.”

Furthermore, during the 6:30 p.m. session on Feb. 18, John Jennings shared his screen and showed a brief preview of his graphic novel, “After the Rain.”

The recorded excerpts differed in content just as did they in execution; for example, although Session 2, which took place on Tuesday, Feb. 16, was focused on immigration and feelings of nonbelonging, the presentations had distinct tones. Author Reyna Grande’s excerpt on her memoir, “A Dream Called Home,” was comforting and relatable; Stephanie Elizondo Griest, on the other hand, spoke emphatically about what she had witnessed at the U.S.-Texas border.

The prerecorded readings were then followed by live Q&A sessions, where audience members could submit their questions through the “Ask a Question” feature at the bottom of their screens. While the prerecorded readings included closed captioning, the live sessions had American Sign Language interpreters on the side of the screen.

The Q&As gave the writers an opportunity to share their advice to aspiring writers in the audience.

During the 6:30 p.m.

session on Thursday, Joseph Cassara encouraged others to learn what time of day they work best and to learn to distinguish between the three parts of the brain which he defined as the critic, the editor and the writer. Cassara wanted aspiring authors to know that they must allow the writer to work before they welcome in the editor and critic.

Other Q&As focused on what inspired the writers and what encouraged them to continue writing despite the ongoing pandemic. On the first question, Elizondo Griest said that issues of social justice were her own personal motivator while Grande said that the reason why she began to write was because she was unable to find stories that spoke to her situation. “Usually the stories I have to tell are the stories that, as a reader, I cannot find … For example, writing about my own experiences as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. — that came from that need I had as a young reader.”

Both writers said that their writing changed because of the pandemic. Grande stated that she wrote with a “sense of urgency,” because she feared she would not be able to finish her upcoming novel if she were to get sick. Elizondo Griest explained that this was the third time all of her events had been cancelled, the first because of the 2008 recession and the second because she was terminally sick. She stated, “This time has been deeply reflective for me. I’ll look back at this time with love and tenderness and gratitude.”

The Writers Week Festival aimed to be an inclusive space, inviting writers from many different backgrounds. During the Writers Resist Reading on Feb. 19, UCR undergraduates, graduate students, faculty writers, alumni and community members were given the opportunity to read works of resistance. The poems that were presented covered a variety of topics such as white supremacy, toxic patriarchy, domestic abuse and the commodification of self-love. Similar to the other writing sessions, part of the event was prerecorded while other poets chose to present their writing live. People in the chat were actively quoting their favorite parts of specific poems and

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complimenting the writers on their work.

The event ended with the Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony on Feb. 19. The first recipient was Rita Dove, an American poet who received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton and the National Medal of Arts from President B a r a c k O b a m a .

The second recipient was Joy H a r j o , a writer who was inducted into the O k l a h o m a ’s Writers’ Hall of Fame. Finally, the third recipient was Juan Felipe Herrera, the 21st Poet Laureate of the United States.

The ceremony began with videos of different people paying tribute to the three writers’ accomplishments.

David St. John, a published poet, stated, “You three have reminded us what it means to believe in language.” After the awards, the recipients were given time to share their work with the viewers. Dove read some of her poems and explained how her writing was shaped by her experiences. One poem titled “Demeter’s Poem to Hades” was inspired by her own relationship with her daughter. Following Dove’s reading, Harjo read some of her work aloud and played a recording of a song she wrote. Lastly, Herrera shared some poems that he wrote in a mandala, a geometric configuration of symbols with spiritual connections.

Although the awards could not be handed out in person, they were delivered to the recipients’ homes prior to the event. As they held them up to the camera, the chat showered them with virtual applause. The award presentation was quickly followed by a brief Q&A session with the recipients.

Every book that the authors read during their sessions are available for purchase at Cellar Door Books and the campus bookstore. All of the Writers Week sessions were recorded and can be viewed on H the Writers Week website. ■

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THE 44TH ANNUAL WRITERS WEEK WAS A 4 DAY EVENT DEDICATED TO HONORING THE POWER OF DIFFERENT LITERARY WORKS.

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

FEATURES

Drag Jollification: Spreading joy with UCR’s Drag Club ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Features Editor

The Drag Club at UCR hosted its first virtual drag show on Friday, Feb. 19 with featured performances by Amber Saint James, Brennda Joyy and Luxe the Drag Queen. The event was hosted by Drag Club president Victoria Osio, a third-year political science major, who played music at the beginning of the event to hype up attendees and set up the atmosphere.

Despite the event being set to begin at 6 p.m., the host waited a few more minutes to make sure people arrived.

Once the event began, attendees were shown a video with information about drag jollification. By definition, jollification is a merry celebration with others, or merrymaking. In this context, drag jollification means a lively celebration with drag, and that is exactly how this event can be described. The atmosphere was filled with high energy as club members commented in the Zoom chat that they were eager for the event to begin. Their contagious enthusiasm transcended the screen.

As the event was held on Zoom, all performances were prerecorded. Despite being limited to a screen, attendees were able to see the amount of creativity and hard work put into the performances. To start off the night, the vice president of the

Drag Club, Olga-Marie Davis, a political science major, was first to perform with an impressive six-minute long performance where Davis’ creativity shined as they performed a monologue. Davis utilized different camera angles and sported a retro-style dress. People in the comments went crazy over Davis’s performance, sending compliments throughout.

Up next was a performance by “Vinnie Paradise,” a psychology major who prefers to be known as Bartley. Bartley claimed that the character’s inspiration was to be as “douchiest as possible.” Vinnie Paradise partied and drank on the screen, which was a fun reminder of the college experience currently on hold because of the pandemic.

The last student performance was

by Osio, who performed “Man to Man”

by Dorian Electra and later “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood. Before showing the video, Osio told attendees the performance was recorded in the middle of the night as their entire family slept.

Nonetheless, Osio delivered a moving and powerful performance that made viewers go crazy in the comments. It was awe inspiring to see people unite in such a fun way and celebrate their individuality.

What followed next was the long awaited performances by Amber Saint James, Brennda Joyy and Luxe the Drag Queen. After some technical difficulties, Saint James was able to pull up the videos.

Brennda Joyy was first to perform, and I was stunned at their beauty. A sparkling red dress was the showstopper of the performance. Attendees in chat were commenting on how amazing their performance was.

After Joey’s performance, Luxe the Drag Queen immediately appeared on screen. Luxe sported a sort of clowninspired outfit for the performance that was stunning and fitting as “Funhouse”

by P!nk played. Luxe’s performance was very animated and exciting. After Luxe’s performance, the screen suddenly went black, and an emergency message popped up on screen.

It was the beginning of Amber Saint James’ performance, who sported a stunning blue dress with blue thigh-high boots. Saint James utilized different film techniques, which gave the appearance that backup dancers had joined as the screen was split into three. This just expounded on the high energy dance performance that viewers had the privilege of witnessing.

Overall, the event was a success and created an outlet for students to showcase their creativity via performances while having a fun jolly time doing so. The next event will be Drag Ball on April 8, which is hosted by Drag Club at UCR. Look forward to it and expect stunning outfits H and high energy. ■

Emmy winner LeVar Burton discusses the power of imagination and the promise of creating a better educated and more inclusive world

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NIA MITCHEL Contributing Writer

This past week, UCR wrapped up their Living The Promise campaign and met their goal of raising $300 million to help students, faculty and staff by supporting students’ research endeavours, funding different campus operations, supporting different university programs and more. UCR kicked off the Living The Promise campaign four years ago. The main goal of the campaign was to raise money to further advance the programs and opportunities that UCR offers.

The celebration concluded on Thursday, Feb. 18 with “Future Perfect: A Conversation With LeVar Burton,” a virtual event. Burton is a distinguished actor, director, producer and Emmy award winner. His event focused on the power of imagination and the importance of creating an educated and more comprehensive world. The event

was open to students, faculty and community members and seemed to be well received by all. The night started off with a message from Chancellor Wilcox as he introduced Burton and the host of the evening, Nalo Hopkinson, UCR creative writing professor and award winning author.

Burton is most known from his role as host of the PBS show “Reading Rainbow,” but others may recognize him as playing the role of Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries “Roots.”

Throughout the event, Burton explained where he gets most of his creative inspiration from and his journey to becoming a successful member of the production industry.

Burton emphasized that he got most of his inspiration from his mother, Erma Jean Burton, who was an elementary school teacher. He stated, “Everything that I do is because of that woman.” Select students were able to ask Burton direct questions, and he spent time encouraging them to explore and use their imagination to create change in this world.

Many of the questions that students had for him stemmed around Burton’s role as host of “Reading Rainbow,” and he emphasized that his passion for children and reading originated from growing up around his mother and the other educators throughout his life. When he took on the role as host for the hit show, the goal was to continue to educate students between the summer months and the start of the fall school year. Although the education community was skeptical of the show’s effectiveness when it first aired, “Reading Rainbow” continued on for 26 years of production and became the fuel for many children’s love for reading.

While talking about some of his other accomplishments, Burton gave credit to other influential people in his life that

9

IN THE FIRST EVER VIRTUAL DRAG SHOW, STUDENTS SHOWED OFF THEIR CREATIVE PERFORMANCES ALONGSIDE DRAG QUEENS AMBER ST. JAMES, BRENNDA JOYY, AND LUXE THE DRAG QUEEN.

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AS UCR CLOSES OFF THEIR LIVING THE PROMISE CAMPAIGN, DIFFERENT SPEAKERS CAME TO CAMPUS TO SPEAK ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING AWARD WINNING ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER, LEVAR BURTON.

helped guide him throughout his time in the entertainment industry. Fred Rogers, Alex Haley, Gene Roddenberry and the late Cicely Tyson all played important roles in Burton’s career. They each gave him words of encouragement and advice that have shaped him into the person he is today. Some of the advice that he shared with attendees included staying authentic throughout their endeavors and remembering that their own heroes in life are human, which means that they can do anything that we put our minds to. He also stressed the importance of finding your own unique voice.

Due to Burton’s contributions to the “Star Trek” series, he was also asked many questions about the science fiction genre and how the stories that unfold in sci-fi novels and movies play an integral role in our ever-changing society.

His response was that science fiction shapes the future and that he believes “Star Trek” has played an important role in creating the inventions that we have today.

He encouraged students to use their imagination because “our imagination is a trigger for manifestation,” a key takeaway for the night.

He ended the night speaking directly to students interested in creative writing and stated that they are living in a “democratization of content creation,” meaning that almost all students have access to the tools needed to tell stories. All of the technological advancements that have been made over the past 10 to 20 years allows each of us to share our stories and let our voices be heard.

As a final push to motivate students to use the resources available to create and share stories, Burton said, “You no longer have to ask for permission, just freaking do it.”

If you missed the event and would like to watch it at a different time, the lecture was recorded and posted on H YouTube.■

10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Radar

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he Associated Student Program Board (ASPB) hosted 2021’s Winter Soulstice on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., featuring Jorja Smith as the headliner and Pink Sweats as the supporting act. The event came just in time to close off one of the last major events ASPB was hosting for Black History Month; both of the performers for the soulful night are rising Black artists that let their voice and lyricism shine in their stripped down tunes.

Pink Sweats, who boasts over 14 million listeners on Spotify and close to 234 million views on YouTube, began his set wearing his iconic pink colors. The singer songwriter lost no time as he introduced himself and started with his first song, “17.” He was accompanied with a single guitar, played by a musician who occasionally accompanied him on vocals. The Philadelphia native got his start as a vocalist and songwriter for artists like Rosie Bondz and Aaron Camper, but has started releasing music on his own since 2018.

His music is comforting in a way many students may be searching for as we near finals.

His next song, “Lows” featuring lyrics like “A single moment feel like all day /Lookin’ in your eyes erase all the pain,” and his heartfelt lyrics were expounded upon with his smooth voice. In an interview about his last project, “PINK PLANET,” he explained that it “is about love, it’s about inclusivity, and it’s about creative freedom.”

One of the songs the artist featured on that album that he also sang during the event was “Not Alright,” a change from his usual love ballads. Although the song features an upbeat pop tune, it has much more bleak lyrics. Pink Sweats prefaced the song by saying, “Sometimes in this world you’re not alright with what’s happening, with all the injustice.” The song was played acoustically for Winter Soulstice, which allowed the lyrics, which touched upon life as a Black person in America to stand out instead of the beat. The song was released as a single during June 2020, at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd’s last words were reverberating through American society.

The lyrics are relatively simple, stating, “I ain’t got no home /I’ve been roamin’ on this Earth forever/ Please don’t beat my soul/ ‘Cause that’s the only thing I treasure.” In an Instagram post, Pink Sweats wrote that “Not Alright” is a song he wrote about the wide range of feelings “you experience being black in America.” He added, “I was planning on putting this record out with the rest of the album,

but I need you all to hear this one now … A lot of us are not alright, but you’re not in this fight alone.” This message is especially poignant during Black History Month as his artistic presence emphasizes the celebration of Black artistry and his song pays homage to the difficulty of traversing society as a Black individual.

Jorja Smith, the headliner for the event, joined next. Winter Soulstice usually invites big names in the R&B world to Winter Soulstice and Jorja Smith is certainly one of the biggest. The English singer songwriter has made waves with her passionate lyrics and impactful vocals and currently has close to 10 million listeners on Spotify and over 335 million views on her music videos.

Additionally, she’s been featured on Drake’s 2017 surprise LP “More Life.”

She appeared on students’ screens in a white room that allowed her presence to take center stage. Unfortunately, however, the show was the epitome of a depersonalized, pre recorded show. She looked undoubtedly beautiful in her two-piece green skirt and top combo and white gogo boots, but her small anecdotes about her favorite show seemed detached and straight out of an interview blurb. The only times it was obvious she was performing for the UCR community was when she would address UCR, as she did at the end of her set.

Smith’s set up, however, was far more professional than Pink Sweats. She was accompanied by a few musicians, so she was able to branch out more musically instead of limiting herself to an acoustic set. To the delight of her fans, she performed one of her most popular songs, “Come Over.”

She also performed “By Any Means,” which she released in August 2020 with the intention to contribute to the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement. She said in an interview statement that she was inspired to write “By Any Means” because of the protests and her desire to keep the conversation going. The lyrics include, “If you can feel the pain then you know you’re alive/ Both feet on the line/ By any means I will fight.” The music video was the lead single on Jay Z’s Roc Nation Reprise project, which aimed at uniting artists in protest against social injustice.

Winter Soulstice was a little more poignant this year as both artists briefly addressed how their songs attempted to keep this important discussion alive through their music. The event ended at 8:30 p.m., with a couple of closing words from the host about upcoming events and the giveaway ASPB is holding in tandem with the event.

ASPB’s next event is “Sound Clash” which will include a Q&A with H Brie Larsen. The event will take place digitally on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. ■

Winter Soulstice is a night of soulful vibes with a tinge of social activism By: Silvia Ferrer, Managing Editor

JORJA SMITH AND PINK SWEATS ADDRESS SOCIAL INJUSTICE AMIDST THEIR R&B TUNES AND HEARTFELT BALLADS.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Choose your adventure in ‘Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie’ with spur-of-the-moment decisions JASHANPREET MALHI Staff Writer

The sun is setting, and the jungle’s inhabitants feast their eyes upon you. Lethargic from a day with no food or water, you have a few minutes to make a decision before the animals rip apart your flesh. Are you quick enough to make a choice, or will you crack under pressure? If you find yourself astray in the scary wilderness, rest assured that Netflix’s latest interactive film will help you out — to a certain extent.

Netflix extended its “You vs. Wild’’ show starring Bear Grylls, an adventurer and survival expert, with its short film “Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie.” Faced with the challenge of securing wildlife that have escaped the reserve, the film follows Grylls as we make a myriad of choices to help him on the adventure.

The journey involves three tasks: finding a lion before it devours a researcher, restoring power to the reserve to safeguard the animals and locating a baboon. Despite a few flaws in directing and limited interaction, the unique medium utilizes certain aspects to its advantage in curating an exciting watch.

The individual we predominantly witness in the film is Bear Grylls. Grylls is fearless and willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission of keeping the animals safe. While certain individuals may be hesitant to eat a live leech, Grylls isn’t afraid to try new things when it comes down to survival. He’s a go-getter, and his determined demeanor makes the audience feel as though the choices they make are correct as he tries to work with them. Moreover, Grylls possesses a positive outlook and is willing to undergo life threatening choices, showcasing his commitment to safekeep the animals. He’s the type of guy you would want to be stuck in the wilderness with.

In the midst of the mission, Grylls communicates with the rangers through a walkie-talkie, who deliver their lines unconvincingly. It would’ve been nice to see the rangers in the scenes, and

their absence makes the audience wonder what they are doing while Grylls is playing the hero.

In terms of directing, the camera follows Grylls through every step of the journey with rapid movements. In one scene that is from Grylls’ perspective, we are immediately placed in a dire situation while we run away from a lion. Since the film takes place in South Africa, the camera showcases a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the translucent, blue waters of the Horn of Africa and the Afri Canyon. They also capture magnificent shots of elephants and other animals grazing in the beautiful savannah.

However, there are some scenes that are questionable and quite silly. For example, we also have to secure elephants from poachers, and Grylls manages to effortlessly hide them and sushes them until the poachers leave. When he says it’s safe, they start trumpeting again. The more realistic opinion would be to simply confront the poachers. In another scene, the audience can choose to make a raft, and the materials to build it are coincidentally near the ocean. Despite these questionable scenes, the stunts Gyrlls performs and the animals you encounter are real. Hence, you experience the dangers of the mission firsthand through an authentic lens.

Though it runs 45 minutes long, the film is unique in that it can be prolonged as each choice changes the course of the mission. Now, there’s two types of people when it comes to making a decision: you’re either serious about the mission or simply want Grylls to languish. Once the choice is initiated, watching Grylls plunge into danger really makes one think if they made the right one. For anyone that’s indecisive, past choices can be revisited and changed. Where the film takes a hit is the lack of options. It’s also similar to “Dora the Explorer” when Grylls asks questions and pops out a map after each task is completed. Nevertheless, making a choice on the spot still makes for a fun-filled adventure. The music is also appealing as the audience is on the edge of their seat witnessing the consequences

unfold as the adventure progresses.

The film is not just an adventure, but it also introduces environmental themes along the way.

It highlights human actions and how they harm ecological communities and wildlife through poaching and plastic pollution. Apart from basic survival skills, such as using resources in wildlife, perhaps the greatest life skill communicated is being calm in perilous, urgent situations.

Ultimately, the incredible camera work and Grylls’ survival mode makes for an engaging adventure. Though the film suffers from limited interactiveness and uncertain scenes, the rapid choices still invoke a fun watch. In sharing wilderness facts, Grylls also manages to deliver H powerful themes. ■

UK songwriter and rapper Slowthai is back with his latest full length LP “TYRON.” This is the second full-length commercial album from the Northampton native, which arrives just a few years after his breakout debut, “Nothing Great About Britain,” tape that would propel him to be an artist to watch thanks to its fusion of grime, hardcore hip hop and with some punk aesthetics. Along with Thai’s unique, nasally, elastic and animated delivery, his more aggressive tracks paired with wild shows and social media antics gave him kind of a bad boy reputation.

It looks like Slowthai may be trying to find a balance between this image with “TYRON.” This LP is presented in a twodisc format, although rounding off at a swift 35 minutes. While

relatively short, this record comes with quite a strong emotional separation between the two batches of tracks.

Bouncy aggressive bangers with a trap flare to kick things off at the beginning of the project with a run of despondent diatribes, with names like James Blake, Mount Kimbie and Dominic Fike adding to the emotional nuance part of the album.

Where at times he’s reckless and carefree, the next he’s very emotional struggling with his mental health. On his last record, I felt Slowthai did a good job in making these two sides of himself quite clear, but with his new LP, it is clear that he really wants listeners to understand these two sides of himself, which I did for better or worse.

In the process, it feels like he is pitting the two sides of himself against each other, and what side outshines the other depends on personal preference, personality

MAKE CHOICES FOR A SURVIVALIST AS YOU EMBARK ON GREAT ADVENTURES ACROSS MAGNIFICENT SOUTH AFRICA.

VERDICT:

Although it may seem childlike at times and embodies dubious scenes, “Animals on the Loose: A You vs.

Wild Movie” remains an exciting and adventurous watch.

Grylls radiates with energy no matter what choice you make as you join him in magnificent views across Africa.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Slowthai gives fans a deep dive into his psyche in his latest double disc project ‘TYRON’ JAMES JONES Contributing Writer

11

SLOWTHAI SPLITS HIS MIND IN TWO IN HIS TWO-DISC LP ‘TYRON’

COURTESY OF METHOD RECORDS

and what has made you a fan of Slowthai’s music in the first place. Whether he’s speaking on his overindulgence of drugs and women over a bassy trap beat, or talking about his struggles with depression and mental health, there isn’t much of a significant difference between the two faces of Slowthai. Overall, the second half of the album is more calm and emotional, but Slowthai still comes with the zany animated flows and delivery.

There are some standouts in the first half of the record, with tracks such as the hardhitting “MAZZA,” featuring A$AP Rocky, in what seems to be Thai’s attempt at a Playboi Carti song. Slowthai is spitting shrapnel and crazy ad-libs over a bare trap beat and deceptively

dusty, weary, wheezing chords; Rocky doesn’t skimp on his guest appearance, giving an impressive performance with clever lyricism and wordplay. Other tracks like “CANCELLED” featuring Skepta were also standout moments for this half of the project, where the subject matter revolves around “cancel culture” and how they cannot be cancelled due to their enigmatic status.

The second half of the album is a calm production, and Slowthai speaks on his struggles with mental health, addiction and relationships. The Northampton rapper clearly wanted to make both sides of himself clear as day.

I especially enjoyed the outro track “adhd,” where he speaks on his state of mind, almost

going over the edge and needing someone to pull him back in.

Slowthai’s outro is a fitting closer to the album in the way that it alludes to him going through these mental struggles that put us on the “TYRON” journey. His anger and depression coalesce and meet at this enraged climax. ■ H

VERDICT:

Overall, this was a strong showing for Slowthai, both creatively and conceptually. This record is more so about the journey than it is about any one track.

Though “TYRON”’s introspective side slightly outshines the bangers, the overall journey is compelling.

12

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR survives comeback from UC San Diego HANSEL CHU Staff Writer

On Friday, Feb. 19, UCR’s men’s basketball team defeated the UC San Diego (UCSD) Tritons 81-75 thanks to a 3-point barrage and dominant rebounding from the Highlanders. UCR played the Tritons in a non-conference match on Jan. 31 when UCSD’s scheduled opponent, Long Beach State, was forced to cancel the game, in which the Highlanders won 71-59. The Highlanders looked to bounce back after a disappointing loss last week.

UCR started with a quick 5-3 lead to open the game. However, 3 quick turnovers from the Highlanders led to a 5-0 run from the Tritons, which saw the Highlanders trail 5-10 in a matter of minutes, forcing Head Coach Mike Magpayo to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, UCR settled into the game and went on a 10-2 run, which included a 3-pointer from redshirt senior guard Dominick Pickett to give UCR a 15-12 lead near the halfway point in the first half.

With 7:24 left in the first half, the Highlanders led 28-26 but also committed 8 turnovers, which caused Coach Magpayo to call another timeout. UCR then went on a 16-4 run to lead 44-30, which was the largest lead of the game, and led 44-36 going into halftime. Pickett and senior guard George Willborn III led the

Highlanders with 8 points apiece, and sophomore guard Zyon Pullin chipped in with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

UCR also shot 59.3% from the field and a scorching 61.5% from 3-point range, along with a 21-8 rebound advantage over the Tritons.

In the second half, UCSD started to climb back into the game, bringing the game to 49-43 four minutes into the second half. However, a Pickett 3-pointer a couple of possessions later put the Highlanders up 54-43 with 14:44 left in the game. In a statement with GoHighlanders, Magpayo said, “Dom is our Tom Brady. Carries our team with confidence since the first day we got here.”

The Tritons once again chipped into the UCR lead and brought the game to 57-51 near the halfway point in the second half.

Both teams continued to exchange baskets, and a 3-pointer from UCSD’s guard Gabe Hadley brought the game to 68-65 with 7:55 to go. A fastbreak layup from Pullin extended the Highlander lead to 72-67.

With 3:13 left in the game, UCR led 7670, but UCSD made one final push to win the game. A layup from Hadley cut the lead to 78-75 with 1:26 to go, forcing Magpayo to call a timeout. The Highlanders would not let the Tritons score for the remainder of the game, and a steal from center Jock Perry sealed the game as the Highlanders

won 81-75. “A tough tough road win today.

Proud of the guys for gutting this one out and finding a way,” said Coach Magpayo when asked about victory.

Pickett led the Highlanders with 19 points, including five 3-pointers. “He is our calming presence, and he did it again when we needed it on the road,” said Coach Magpayo in a press release. Pullin contributed 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and forward Arinze Chidom chipped in with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. UCR connected on 14-29 from 3-point range, while out-rebounding the Tritons 39-25.

The Highlanders improved their record to 10-5 and will face the top seeded UC Santa Barbara next Friday, Feb. 26 and H next Saturday, Feb. 27. ■

“WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO OUR CORE OF WHO WE ARE,” SAYS HEAD COACH MIKE MAGPAYO AT UCR’S CLOSE LOSS.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

UCR men’s basketball loses an overtime nail-biter in their second game of the series against UC San Diego THE HIGHLANDERS DEFEAT THE ROADRUNNERS IN AN ALL AROUND TEAM EFFORT.

KYLE PENIX Contributing Writer

Leading the weekend two-game series against UC San Diego (UCSD), UCR men’s basketball team (10-6, 5-3) entered their second weekend contest in La Jolla, California with impressive momentum.

Despite maintaining a lead throughout most of the game, the Highlanders shockingly fell in overtime, concluding the score at 82-83 on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The first half played similarly to the first game of the weekend, since UCSD (5-8, 0-0) opened with a 3-pointer, staying ahead early. Sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin did not allow that for long, leading the way for the Highlanders with 19 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds.

The Highlanders tied it up on three occasions before allowing the point deficit to balloon by 8 for the first time in the series, bringing the score to 1018 with 10:46 to go. UCR capitalized on costly turnovers committed by UCS and a layup from redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom finally brought the Highlanders ahead 24-23.

Despite a Game 2 defensive scheme

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

change, the UCSD Tritons lost their early momentum and couldn’t reestablish themselves quickly enough as UCR kept on the pressure by shooting 55.56% from the field and 44.44% from the 3-point range.

By the end of the first half, almost every UCR player scored a basket, bringing the Highlanders to a 35-30 lead.

Returning from halftime, the Highlanders didn’t let up as center Jock Perry laid up the first two points in an exciting team 16-9 run. Redshirt freshman and power forward Oliver Hayes-Brown and Pullin were in regular form. Big team offensive plays and stout defense combined to give UCR it’s largest lead of the game, 51-39 at the 12:59 mark.

Unfortunately, key late game mistakes on offense and defense hurt UCR and provided UCSD with an opportunity to remain in the game. When asked what UCR could have done differently in the second half, Head Coach Mike Magpayo replied, “I wish we made our free throws and didn’t give up so many 3’s. We had a tough time guarding their shooters. I need to do a better job with the scheme against that team.”

Up by 6 points, at 60-54, with 6:11 on the clock, the Highlanders received a gift when Triton’s leading scorer with 16 points, junior forward Toni Rocak, fouled out and was forced to the bench for the remainder of the game. However, despite the efforts of Pullin, Chidom and company on offense, UCR couldn’t find an answer to stop UCSD’s 3-point shooters, senior guard Gabe Hadley and senior forward Hugh Baxter.

With 12 seconds left in normal regulation, Hadley knocked down a magical deep 3-pointer to bring UCSD within 1 point of tying the game with UCR at 69-68. Seconds later, Pullin got fouled by redshirt senior guard Mikey Howell, then proceeded to make both free throws and extended UCR’s lead to 71-68. Immediately afterwards, in a miraculous effort, Hadley tied it up by scoring another deep 3-point shot with only 2.8 seconds left to go. Senior guard George Willborn III then launched a deep ball behind the half-court line in a Hail Mary-style attempt to overcome the Tritons but missed, resulting in overtime.

In overtime, the game remained close.

The two teams battled and tied four separate times. Junior point guard Flynn Cameron scored a point in the paint layup that gave UCR its first lead at 78-77 with 1:50 to go. Soon thereafter, Hadley was fouled and made two free throws.

Following that, Baxter was fouled, repeating his teammate’s success.

UCR quickly tied it to 80-80 then gained the lead off of another clutch jump shot from Pullin, bringing the score to 82-80 with 21 seconds left. Perhaps borrowing from the NFL quarterback’s Ryan Fitzpatrick’s playbook of crazy game-winning throws, Hadley lobbed up another deep 3-pointer with only 7 seconds left on the clock. In a heroic final attempt, the unfazed Pullin made his way to the basket to score a layup but unfortunately came up short.

In a statement about the offensive and defensive game play, Magpayo said, “We wanted to get the ball inside and drive the paint on offense. On defense it was no 3s for Hadley. Unfortunately we couldn’t stop him.”

The top two scorers for UCR, Pullin and Chidom, finished the game with a total of 19 points each. Pullin led the team with 6 assists. Flynn Cameron led the team with 8 rebounds.

Magpayo’s concluding words in anticipation of the next game are, “We just haven’t gotten settled defensively in the last 3 games. We have to get back to our core of who we are, which is a great defensive team. I know our guys will put the work in and we will find a way to get better.”

The Highlanders, now 10-6 overall, 5-3 in conference, will face Big West opponent, UC Santa Barbara next weekend at home on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ■ H

Sports

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

13

UCR women’s basketball comes a bit short against UC San Diego in Game 1

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

UCR’s (7-8, 5-6) women’s basketball team closed out their first game against UC San Diego (UCSD) with a loss on Friday, Feb. 19. Playing in the SRC arena, the Highlanders did their best to close out the game with a win, although they trailed behind by 10 points for most of the game.

Despite their best efforts, they closed out the game 63-59.

UCSD (3-7, 3-7) opened up the scoreboard with a 3-pointer to which UCR replied with a nice 2-point jumper of their own. Both teams traded points back and forth before tying 8-8 with a little over five minutes left in the first quarter. The Tritons then began to create a lead for themselves, going on a 7-0 run.

The Highlanders replied with a small 6-1 run of their own before closing the quarter 16-14.

Going into the second quarter, the Highlanders did their best to stay close to the Tritons. Going back and forth, both teams gained 4 points before UCR sent UCSD to the charity stripe to score 2 successful free throws. UCR replied with a jumper from freshman guard India Aikins. UCSD went on a brief 5-0 run in an attempt to gain momentum before sophomore guard Jada Holland scored a 3-pointer to leave the scoreboard 27-23

with just under three minutes left in the first half. The Tritons managed to keep going, earning 6 more points while the Highlanders earned 2 points, leaving the scoreboard at 33-25 at halftime.

Going into the second half, UCR went back and forth with UCSD while trying to close the gap created. Three minutes into the third quarter, both teams had gained 6 points. Freshman forward Suzan Kinran sank a 3-pointer to try and get some runs going for UCR, to which UCSD’s freshman forward, Aisha Brown, replied with a jumper of her own. UCR went on a 5-0 run before allowing UCSD to score two free throws. This prompted a pushand-pull run for UCR, gaining 8 points while the Tritons gained 9, which resulted in UCSD returning to the free-throw line to sink two baskets. With about a minute left in the third quarter, UCR found themselves in a 10-point deficit, 53-43.

Freshman guard Jordan Webster sank a buzzer-beater, earning UCR 3 points before heading into the final quarter of the game, down 53-46.

Going into the final 10 minutes of the game, UCSD opened up the scoreboard with a solid 3-pointer. UCR was given two free throws, which were successfully shot by junior guard Lauryn Pointer.

Brown drove in a layup, which left UCR down 60-50 with five minutes left in

DESPITE THEIR BEST EFFORTS, THE HIGHLANDERS COULD NOT CLOSE THE GAP.

the game. The Highlanders managed to go on another run, essentially shutting down the Tritons by going on a 9-3 run.

Unfortunately, their late push was not enough, leaving the scoreboard 63-59.

Despite their best efforts, UCR could not overcome the gap in points created by the free throws UCSD was given. UCR went 3-3 at the free-throw line, while UCSD went 10-12. This ultimately aided the Tritons’ charge.

“We just have to do a better job. We weren’t tuned into the simple things. You have to be ready to play, and defense is 100% an effort thing. We didn’t give our best effort and UCSD took advantage of that,” said Head Coach Nicole Powell in a press release.

Powell and the women’s team look forward to Game 2 and are hoping to make the necessary changes in order to bounce back and win the second game.

“A lot of our mistakes are fixable.

That’s the good news. There are small things we should already be doing at this point in the season, but that’s just part of growth,” stated Powell. “The rest of it, to me, it looked like we just haven’t played a game. We looked like we haven’t competed in a few weeks. A lot of the issues are easily fixable and that is encouraging to this team.” ■ H

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

UCR women’s basketball close out the weekend with another loss against UC San Diego

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

UCR’s women’s basketball team played their second game against UC San Diego (UCSD) on Saturday, Feb. 20.

After an intense game against the Big West newcomers, they drew another loss.

After both of this weekend’s games ended in losses, UCR now has a conference record of 5-7.

UCR came into the game by opening the board with a jumper. UCSD replied with a 3-pointer, but a free throw in the Highlander’s favor put them in the lead by a point, 3-4. This prompted both teams to go back and forth, trading the leader position. UCSD tried breaking away by trying to create a lead, but UCR managed to keep them at bay. The push and pull resulted in both teams tying 16-16 with 2:29 left on the clock. UCSD managed to

get some momentum in the final minutes of the quarter, going on a 7-2 run and closing out the quarter 23-16.

The Tritons came into the second quarter with a brief 5-0 run. UCR put a stop to them with a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Georgia Ohiaeri.

Shortly after, the Tritons were awarded a free throw, which was sunk by freshman forward Aishah Brown. Brown sunk a 3-pointer right after, to which UCR replied with an 8-0 run. The scoreboard was now 32-29 with just under four minutes left. Unfortunately, UCSD kept finding the back of the net and scored 11 more points while UCR only scored 4.

The Highlanders were then awarded two free throws but only made one, leaving the scoreboard 43-34 at half-time.

Going into the second half, UCR attempted to close the gap created in the second quarter. The Highlanders

opened up the half with a jumper, which prompted another push and pull for both teams. Unfortunately, the Tritons’ charge proved too much, gaining 8 points while the Highlanders gained 7. This left the scoreboard 51-41. This prompted UCR to tighten up, going on a 9-3 charge which left them 54-50 at the end of the third quarter.

Going into the final minutes of the game, UCR kept their intensity in an attempt to find the victory, scoring a jumper early on. UCSD went on a 6-0 run, to which UCR replied with another jumper. Both teams managed to sink a 3-point shot, leaving the score 6357. With four minutes left in the game, both teams pressed on, each seeking victory. Unfortunately, UCR came up short despite the intense final seconds of the game. The Highlanders fought to the very last second to close the gap but ended up losing the game 74-67.

UCR’s lack of free throws, 3-pointers and rebounds ultimately led to their loss.

UCSD was 17-23 at the charity stripe while UCR was 9-14. The Tritons sank nine 3-pointers in the game while the Highlanders only sank three. UCSD also landed 43 rebounds while UCR earned 29. The Highlanders fought hard to the end though; sophomore guard Jada Holland earned 21 points for her team aided by senior guard Keilani Cooper, who scored 16.

When asked about the team’s performance, Head Coach Nicole Powell said, “I thought today our intensity was better, it wasn’t there the whole 40

THE HIGHLANDERS PUSH IN THE SECOND HALF BUT TO NO AVAIL.

minutes like it needed to be, but I thought we really showed some grit at times, and that was really positive.”

She continued, “This weekend exposed some things that we need to do better at. Some basic, fundamental basketball things that we haven’t carried with us from the beginning of the year.

We’ve kind of regressed in some basic shell principles so that’s what we will focus on this week.”

Coach Powell noted that she’s leading a very young team. Despite that, she’s proud of the team’s overall success.

“I want us to be sound fundamentally.

We’ve done that, at times, really really well. But the mark of a successful program is consistency. We are growing.

We have five freshmen, we are really young. It’s been a huge learning curve,” stated Powell. “Overall, I’m really proud of certain moments, but we are striving for more. We’re definitely able and going to get to that level of consistency to be a great team, but it takes some time.”

She added, “We’re just looking to the next game. Right now, it’s the same approach that we’ve had every week.

We have one more conference series and we are looking at what we can do to get better this week. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re not going to think about playoffs or postseason, we are just going to get better this week.”

The Highlanders will play their final two-game series of the season away against UC Santa Barbara on Feb 26 and H 27.■