The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Tuesday, October 19, 2021
VOL. 70, ISSUE 03
est. 1954
A FULL REOPENING AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ARE SOON TO COME.
NEWS
The Barn reopens its patio for service AMARAY ALVAREZ Assistant News Editor
As of Oct. 4, the beloved campus restaurant and bar, The Barn, has reopened after being closed since late 2021. Currently, only the patio is open to the public on Monday through Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., but students are eager to return and experience its charm. The Barn, a UCR landmark established in 1917, was previously closed for a twoyear renovation but reopened during the summer of 2021. During this opening, the restaurant saw success in their new venue and revised menu. The Barn was forced to shut down again in December due to the rise in COVID cases and state restrictions, additional issues of restaurants on campus being understaffed caused The Barn to be closed until now. Currently, 10 student staff members are working at The Barn, but more are needed to fully open it. “During the start of the quarter, I was working at Glasgow to help support them,” stated Barn manager Julie Zeno. Keeping Glasgow, UCR’s newest residential dining restaurant, staffed has been the main priority of dining services since school started. Lothian’s dining hall was also closed to support Glasgow.
The limited staff, however, has not caused The Barn to lose out on clientele. Although it has only been open for two weeks, the restaurant has seen the venue busy during its Thursday and Friday evenings. “I think it’s great that we have a place on campus where we can go to destress for a bit with friends. It adds variety and a change of scenery to UCR,” expressed fourth-year mechanical engineering major Samantha Macuxtle. One misconception students may have of The Barn is that they need to be 21 or older to visit since alcohol is served on the premises. Students, faculty and community members of all ages are welcomed. Appetizers and soda are also served for those not of legal drinking age. Alcoholic drinks are served in a black cup, while non-alcoholic ones are served in a red cup to distinguish the difference. One stark feature of the restaurant is their citrus beer collection that is unique to the campus. These beers change seasonally and are infused with citrus grown at UCR. They are produced in partnership with Ironfire Brewing in Temecula. Beer, wine and other cocktails are also served at The Barn. Students who previously socialized at
NEWS “Stop Redlining”: UCR members rally against proposed budget cut CAMPUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM UC PRESIDENT DRAKE. HANNA RUTQVST Contributing Writer
On Wednesday, Oct.13 at 11 a.m., a rally was held on campus in response to UC President Drake imposing a budget cut on UCR by 8.2%. The rally gathered at the Bell Tower and marched throughout campus with about 50 attendees calling for the UC system to stop “redlining” UCR. ASUCR-External announced in an Instagram post that they were “demanding President Drake stop redlining UCR and give our campus the proper and equitable funding required to support our faculty, students and growing community.” “Redlining” is defined as denying funds or loans to a certain person or group because they are considered a financial risk. To the members of the rally, however, it’s discrimination based on many factors
— race, location and social status. The rally started with speeches by a lecturer, an undergraduate student and Somchate Wasantwisut, a Ph.D. candidate and member of the UAW 2865 Academic Student Employee union. The speeches condemned the deprioritization of UCR by the university system. The crowd then marched to Hinderaker Hall and continued off-campus, shouting chants like, “They say cutback, we say fight back.” Micahrae Osteria, a fourth-year media and cultural studies major, was tabling for the Letters 2 Strangers club when the crowd accumulated. “There is actually a big group of them,” she said, referring to the rally organizers and attendees. “And they were very transparent about the issue, asking everyone if they know about the budget cuts and what ‘redlining’ is.” Last spring quarter, the department along with other UCR faculty, students and workers had discovered the system-wide funding formula proposed by UC President
The Barn may recall attending concerts or other live events there. Due to COVID, there have not been any performances since the renovation, but events are expected to return soon. “Our goal is to have live entertainment throughout the week,” stated Zeno excitedly. The UCR Dining Services website describes the new Barn as being able to offer “a great music experience paired with an excellent menu.” They refer to the services of The Barn as “dining, drinks and distractions.” To help welcome students, ample heaters are placed throughout the patio along with various games groups can play together, like corn hole, during this period before live entertainment starts up again. The Barn patio may only be open for the time being, but as staffing issues resolve, it plans to reopen the rest of its venue in phases. The first phase has proven to be successful as students and community members have long-awaited for the restaurant to reopen and provide a hang out bar on campus. In the coming months, The Barn is expected to once again fully reopen and reclaim its stellar H reputation. ■
COURTESY OF UCR
RADAR Complete discography for late singer Aaliyah added to streaming platforms 20 YEARS AFTER HER UNTIMELY DEATH, AALIYAH’S TIMELESS RECORDS HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE VAULT AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR LISTENERS TO STREAM FOR THE FIRST TIME. ELIAS ALMAREZ-HERRERA Contributing Writer
After shooting the music video for the final single “Rock the Boat” off of Detroit singer Aaliyah’s 2001 self-titled album, she and eight other passengers boarded a plane from the Bahamas Islands back to the United States. The plane, overloaded with weight from passengers and technical equipment, caused the engine to fail and catch fire, subsequently killing each person on board, including the rising star. Aaliyah’s first album “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” released in 1994 was majorly produced and penned by then R&B sensation, Robert Kelly. Between the ages of 12 and 14 years old, she worked closely with Kelly to record the full-length
► SEE REDLINING PAGE 4
project. She was thrust into early stardom with three entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts: “Back & Forth,” “At Your Best (You Are Love)” and the album’s namesake “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.” Her vocal range, textured falsettos and groovy backing instrumentals showcased Aaliyah’s “jazz personality” and “street mentality.” However, controversy surrounded the young singer as speculation grew surrounding the relationship between her and her mentor, R. Kelly. Interviewers would follow up questions about Aaliyah’s time in high school with “Are you two dating?” In October 2021, R. Kelly was found guilty on nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking. It has since come to light through key witness testimony that Kelly obtained forged identification for Aaliyah, 15, so the two could become married. The testimony also alleged that the young singer was seized by Kelly’s ► SEE AALIYAH PAGE 10
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