The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Monday, May 3, 2021
VOL. 69, ISSUE 25
est. 1954
SPORTS
UCR baseball sweeps doubleheader match-up against UC San Diego after tough loss in first game in weekend series
THE OSCARS SUCCEED IN DIVERSITY BUT FALL UTTERLY FLAT IN ENTERTAINMENT.
HIGHLANDERS SHUT DOWN TRITON ADVANCES IN A SHOW OF FORCE. KYLE PENIX Contributing Writer
game 1 UCR’s baseball team won both of their games against UC San Diego on Saturday, May 1. The Highlanders bounced back from a tough Game 1 loss on Friday, April 30, to lead the four-game weekend series, 2-1. Strong offensive production and consistent pitching led to the final scores of the two games 13-3 and 11-6 for UCR. Unlike the previous game, UCSD failed to score with their first time at bat in the opening inning. Instead, UCR scored in the bottom of the first inning from a single hit to right field by redshirt junior Dylan Orick that brought redshirt senior Tyler Bohall to home. UCR didn’t hold on to its early lead for long as UCSD responded in the top of the second inning with two runs to take the lead, 1-2. It remained close between the two teams through the fourth inning as neither led by more than one point. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Highlanders mounted an incredible 8-run campaign to the surprise of the previously leading Tritons. UCR’s redshirt junior Cole Pofek went to bat first and hit his ► SEE BASEBALL PAGE 11
COURTESY OF ALAN LIGHT VIA FLICKR UNDER CC-BY-2.0
RADAR
A live audience at the 93rd Academy Awards is unable to bring it back to life — or relevancy
COLIN CARNEY Radar Editor
As everyone is already painfully aware of at this point, 2020 was a depressing year that changed how we all consumed entertainment media. Streaming became the primary source of escapist entertainment as theaters closed down. As that year’s awards season loomed, audiences were given empty auditoriums with Zoom acceptance speeches. Comedy attempted to alleviate any awkwardness but mostly fell flat as a result. With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming more widely circulated, this year’s Academy Awards was able to be held indoors with a live audience, albeit greatly reduced. Unfortunately, a live audience hardly made the show any more lively.
Rather than the traditional Dolby Theater, the 93rd Academy Awards took place in a much smaller venue to accommodate for a much smaller audience. This year, Los Angeles Union Station housed the honored guests of the film industry for another hostless Oscars ceremony. The last time the Oscars had a host was with Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, and 2021 is the latest attempt at a hostless ceremony. Though it is true that the Oscars have been steadily losing audiences for years now, ditching hosts has been the wrong move. Forfeiting a steady presence through the night’s proceedings in exchange for a hodgepodge of loosely aligned performances and sporadic
interruptions by different minihosts has resulted in a disjointed and unengaging event these past few years. To make matters worse, this year, the Oscars practically ditched all of its fun interruptions: no performances, no comedic interruptions and no thematic throughline. This year’s Academy Awards opened with a brief opening monologue from Regina King, who provided an enjoyable yet unremarkable start to the night’s proceedings. What followed was a repetitive formula of providing a new presenter for every two awards with forgettable acceptance speeches in between. Only once did the show provide a break from the ► SEE OSCARS PAGE 9
NEWS
ASUCR initiative asks that graduating students be allowed to bring guests to in-person commencement ceremony
ASUCR AND THE COMMENCEMENT TASK FORCE IS COLLECTING SIGNATURES OF 2020 AND 2021 SPRING GRADUATES TO PUSH FOR BRINGING GUESTS ALONG TO THE CEREMONY.
DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor
UCR is currently allowing for spring 2020 and 2021 graduates to participate in an in-person commencement ceremony if they so choose. However, in an effort to continue adhering to COVID-19 regulations, UCR has mandated that there is to be no guests allowed on campus during the graduation event. After hearing many students expressing disappointment over the no guest policy, CHASS Senator Alyssa Marchan reported back to ASUCR and the Commencement Task Force members. In response, many rallied
together and took the initiative to create surveys and draft legislation that would allow the Commencement Task Force to see tangible data concerning student sentiments over the graduation ceremony. “As an undergraduate representative on that task force, I knew I had to empower their voices through my efforts,” Marchan stated. Marchan is confident that the new legislation, paired with continuous efforts from ASUCR graduating seniors and CTF members, will make all the difference. She stressed that it is not only the legislation that matters, as that exists only to provide
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OPINIONS 5
FEATURES 8
RADAR 9
SPORTS 11
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