Vol. 72, Issue 19

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Tuesday, March 5, 2024

VOL. 72, ISSUE 19

NEWS

ASUCR DIVESTS

est. 1954

ASUCR BECOMES THIRD UC STUDENT GOVERNING BODY TO DIVEST FROM COMPANIES ON BDS LIST.

MATA ELANGOVAN AND EMYR ORTIZ News Editor and Assistant News Editor

The Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) Senate voted Thursday to pass divestment legislation, a measure championed by dozens of organizations, clubs and student advocates on campus. This would restrict ASUCR funding by establishing a guideline for ethical spending to put pressure on the state of Israel and show support for those in Palestine. The legislation follows a precedent set by the student government at the University of California (UC) Los Angeles and UC Davis (UCD) who both voted to support BDS resolutions, meaning that UCR is the third UC student governing body in the system to divest.

The unanimous vote, 15-0-0, came in an emotionally charged ASUCR Senate meeting that drew hundreds of attendees and dozens of speakers for public forum.

Supporters of the legislation filled HUB 302 North, which was expanded during the meeting to fit capacity. Alumni, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students voiced their support of the legislation, drawing from personal stories, historical precedent and appealing to senators’ morality.

“I implore you, I no longer want to be complicit in the bombings of my family,” expressed Students for Justice in

Palestine (SJP) President Hibah Nassar, who has family in Gaza. “We demand our senators to vote ‘yes.’”

SR-W24-005, entitled, ASUCR Boycott and Divestment from Israel and Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza, “seeks to address the human rights violations of the nation-state and government of Israel and establish a guideline for ethical spending.” The legislation bases its guidelines on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lists companies to boycott “in an attempt to pressure the Israeli government to abide by international law and put an end to its genocidal and apartheid policies.” Through this resolution, “no ASUCR funds shall be committed to the purchase of products” from the BDS List.

The resolution calls for collective action to “advocate for a halt to such grave violation of human rights” in Gaza taken by Israel. It also cites various scholars and practitioners who have “applied definitions of concepts such as “genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and occupation to the situation within Palestine.” The document takes note of UC policy that prohibits discrimination and accuses UCR administration of having “refused to condemn or recognize

its complicity in Zionist settler colonialism, genocide and apartheid.”

The legislation faced opposition from Hillel, a student organization on campus. Naum Yankelvich, secretary of the club, and second-year biology major, spoke on behalf of the organization during the meeting. The day after the meeting, he shared that “The goal [of speaking during the meeting] wasn’t to make it so that the resolution doesn’t pass. It was just to get it on the record that this resolution came about in a very un-ASUCR-like way. We found out about [the legislation] less than a week before the vote.”

From his perception of the process, Yankelvich claimed that “[the legislation] apparently was created less than a week before the vote.”

For Hillel’s next steps, they plan on “going to try and talk to school officials who would be responsible for going through with that resolution and the next steps of the bureaucracy. We’re going to try to talk to them and voice our concerns. Hopefully, further down the line [the legislation] gets shut down.”

► SEE DIVEST PAGE 4

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Research spotlight: Phillip Sternes’ megalodon research challenges its presumed morphology

UCR RESEARCHER, PHILLIP STERNES, REVEALS THAT THE MEGALODON WAS SLIMMER THAN PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED. GABRIELA GALVAN Contributing Writer

Feeding the media mouth fulls of scale-rasing jaws, challenging the fear factor of caged adrenalin junkies and curbing the idea of a family beach day — sharks have gone beyond their marine domain as apex predators and deliver a presence in the realms of the media and academics. Their 450 million-year existence catalyzed the staggering number of species dominating the earth’s waters and has made for an extensive fossil record detailing the long history of its kind.

However, the mystery lies within the prehistoric mightytooth shark, the megalodon. Due to the megalodon’s limited fossil record, research led by UCR Biologist Phillip C. Sternes and his team worked to unveil the megalodon’s morphology, eventually proposing a slimmer body form than the stocky build that was previously assumed.

Sharks remain one of the most acknowledged fish in the animal kingdom due to their grandiose teeth, agile predation and tertiary status in the food chain, features best represented by the shark world’s primadonna, “Otodus megalodon,” more widely referred to as the megalodon. Primarily recognized for its mega-sized jaw, lined with serrated teeth and for being the largest shark to have ever existed, the megalodon’s physical image continues to be showered with acknowledgment by paleontologists, furthering the research towards its unknown anatomy.

The ever-growing enigma of the megalodon’s frame has long been challenged by paleontologists’ interpretations of the existing, yet limited, fossil record of teeth and an incomplete set of vertebrae.

Given the need for a model, the great white shark was used to assume early 2D and recent 3D renditions of the megalodon’s body. According to Sternes, the standard lay in both sharks’ shared similarities — serrated teeth, similar diets, food chain status and their regional endothermy (regional warm-bloodedness).

Using the white shark as a template rendered a megalodon model that was similarly stout and heavy set, a research result widely accepted in academia and the media that would inevitably be countered.

The assumptions being made about the megalodon’s build based on a limited fossil record, Sternes’ explained his childhood passion for sharks, “my passion for sharks happened once I was five or six years old … Yeah, I watched ‘Jaws’ for the first time ... and I watched that [‘Jaws’] I don’t know how many times ... I was captivated by them,” and a team of 26 scientists behind him with similar ideas, pushed for new research.

Efforts to challenge the presumed stocky build, rendered

by UK biologist Jack A. Cooper’s 2020 research article, “Body dimensions of the extinct giant shark Otodus megalodon: a 2D reconstruction” and 2022 research article “The extinct shark Otodus megalodon was a transoceanic superpredator: Inferences from 3D modeling” on the megalodon, led Sternes and his team towards the central question — Did the megalodon look like a larger great white shark? Sternes states, “the first step was to go back and look at both the 2020 and 2022 papers [and ask myself] why are they still following this assumption [ that megalodons look like larger great whites] in the first place.”

IMAGE COURTESY OF UCR

Aided by a Belgium megalodon shark named IRSNB P 9893, vertebral centra, preserved extant species, and the given available Computed Tomography (CT) scans and images, Sternes, and his team were able to answer this question by addressing four discrepancies in Cooper’s proposals — the construction of the vertebral column, jaw size, ontogenetic concerns and body form reconstruction.

Cooper’s suggestions about the megalodon, brought upon by his research, remain to raise concerns by Sternes

and those alike. These concerns were first addressed

by Sternes and his team when responding to Cooper’s reconstruction of the megalodon vertebral column using an incomplete vertebrae set that was assigned numbers without the consideration for missing pieces from the sequence.

Thus, leaving room for an underestimated column length as Sternes comes to suggest, “Yeah, the vertebral sets are incomplete to begin with. So at minimum, this vertebral set is 36 feet long. There [are] probably even more vertebrae that were missing in the first place. So that [vertebral column] could be even longer than that.”

Cooper’s reconstruction also features the largest vertebrae at the first position of the column, an assumption inconsistent with shark anatomy, according to Sternes, “you see in both extinct sharks, and the living sharks, the largest vertebrae is always in the stockist portion of the shark. But what Jeff Cooper and others did is they put the

largest vertebrae directly in the first position.”

Sternes’ team next recognizes discrepancies in Cooper’s megalodon jaw size. Comparisons began with the ratios between two exact white shark jaw sizes and their largest vertebrae, with a ratio of 8.3, and the megalodon’s 3D jaw size and its largest vertebrae, possessing a ratio of 10.6. Comparing the two ratios, Sternes’ team realized differences in the ratios revealing that megalodons had an oversized jaw.

Next, ontogenetic concerns were acknowledged, revolving around Cooper’s use of a juvenile white shark as the model for the megalodon. Sternes’ team argues for the lack of consideration for allometric change, that is, the change in the juvenile shark’s morphology as it ages. The use of a young shark, as the team protests, works against the idea of negative allometry.

The last discrepancy addressed by Sternes’ team was Cooper’s rendition of the megalodon’s build.

Cooper’s team used two megalodon specimens from different regions of the world from two different periods and combined one tooth set and vertebrae set.

After recognizing the discrepancies, Sternes and his team rendered their new interpretation of the megalodon’s body. Despite the argument behind these discrepancies, Sternes and his team acknowledge that the exact body of the megalodon cannot be reconstructed based on the available fossil record.

Further driven by Cooper’s research claims, Sternes mentions his and his team’s desire to counter these discrepancies, “These fundamental assumptions that the 2022 paper relied on … we attacked … because those key points were very important for building a 3D model in the first place. So those are the ones we’re going after … Those are the only four issues we caught at the moment.”

Sterne’s research goes ahead and argues that the megalodon’s body form is more elongated than that of an extant white shark. The original vertebral column length of 11.1+meters and the maximum diameter of the Belgium megalodon vertebrae suggest that the vertebral column was thinner than extant white sharks and more slender than smaller lamnidae. It was also considered that the megalodon could have had a more oval cross-sectional geometry, a more elongated body form closer to that of extant sharks, as opposed to Cooper’s rectangular anatomy.

Offering the public a chance at a new perspective revolving around the world’s beloved mega-shark, Sternes highlights the purpose of his team’s research, “I strive for both the scientific community and the public alike to understand what [the] megalodon looks like. We say it’s [a] more slender-looking shark. That’s what we propose.”

The overall impact of this research not only leaves an open floor for those wishing to counter its results but also opens the door to further explore the megalodon’s influence on the history of marine life. Diving into new projects soon, H Sternes hopes to continue to influence shark research. ■

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ASUCR DIVESTS ASUCR BECOMES THIRD UC STUDENT GOVERNING BODY TO DIVEST FROM COMPANIES ON BDS LIST. MATA ELANGOVAN AND EMYR ORTIZ News Editor and Assistant News Editor

The Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) Senate voted Thursday to pass divestment legislation, a measure championed by dozens of organizations, clubs and student advocates on campus. This would restrict ASUCR funding by establishing a guideline for ethical spending to put pressure on the state of Israel and show support for those in Palestine. The legislation follows a precedent set by the student government at the University of California (UC) Los Angeles and UC Davis (UCD) who

both voted to support BDS resolutions, meaning that UCR is the third UC student governing body in the system to divest.

The unanimous vote, 15-0-0, came in an emotionally charged ASUCR Senate meeting that drew hundreds of attendees and dozens of speakers for public forum.

Supporters of the legislation filled HUB 302 North, which was expanded during the meeting to fit capacity. Alumni, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students voiced their support of the legislation, drawing from personal stories, historical precedent and appealing to senators’ morality.

“I implore you, I no longer want to be complicit in the bombings of my family,” expressed Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) President Hibah Nassar, who has family in Gaza. “We demand our senators to vote ‘yes.’”

SR-W24-005, entitled, ASUCR Boycott and Divestment from Israel and Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza, “seeks to address the human rights violations of the nation-state and government of Israel and establish a guideline for ethical spending.” The legislation bases its guidelines on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lists companies to boycott “in an attempt to pressure the Israeli government to abide by international law and put an end to its genocidal and apartheid policies.” Through this resolution, “no ASUCR funds shall be committed to the purchase of products” from the BDS List.

The resolution calls for collective action to “advocate for a halt to such grave violation of human rights” in

Gaza taken by Israel. It also cites various scholars and practitioners who have “applied definitions of concepts such as “genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and occupation to the situation within Palestine.” The document takes note of UC policy that prohibits discrimination and accuses UCR administration of having “refused to condemn or recognize its complicity in Zionist settler colonialism, genocide and apartheid.”

The legislation faced opposition from Hillel, a student organization on campus.

Naum Ya n k e l v i c h , secretary of the club, and secondyear biology major, spoke on behalf of the organization during the meeting.

The day after the meeting, he shared that “The goal [of speaking during the meeting] wasn’t to make it so that the resolution doesn’t pass. It was just to get it on the record that this resolution came about in a very un-ASUCRlike way. We found out about [the legislation] less than a week before the vote.” From his perception of the process, Yankelvich claimed that “[the legislation] apparently was created less than a week before the vote.”

F o r Hillel’s next steps, they plan on “going to try and talk to school officials who would be responsible for going through with that resolution and the next steps of the bureaucracy.

We’re going to try to talk to them and voice our concerns.

H o p e f u l l y, further down the line [the

legislation] gets shut down.”

While concerns were brought up about how long it took for the bill to be drafted and presented to the ASUCR Senate, Senator Haidar explained that “there is no baseline typical timeline of a resolution or bill because it depends on what the resolution and bill is for.” She elaborated, in the case of this divestment legislation, “a lot of the content of the resolution and bill came almost directly from UC Davis.

So that is why it may seem like a shorter timeline because we had a lot of those materials prepared for us.” Due to the previous legislation drafted and approved by UCD, it meant that “a good portion of [the resolution] was already completed.”

Prior to the legislation being brought to the Senate during the ASUCR meeting, it was approved by the Legislative Review Committee of ASUCR on Friday, Feb. 22, 2024 at 3 p.m. In regards to the length of time it took to create, edit and review the legislation, Senator Haidar shared that it took a “few weeks.”

Due to ASUCR’s nature as an autonomous organization on campus, they have the ability to have their own governing documents and act without interference from administration on campus, as long as it is legally allowed and abides by campus policies. Senator Haidar claimed that she “[doesn’t] think administration had any power in telling us what to do or how to operate when it comes to things we do internally.”

Many other on-campus organizations such as Muslim Student Association (MSA), Young Democratic Socialists for America, Providing Opportunities, Dreams and Education in Riverside (PODER), had the opportunity to share support of the resolution as secondary authors.

According to Senator Haidar, Hibah Nassar, her co-author in the bill, reached out directly to different organizations on campus and explained to them what the resolution entailed for their clubs and organizations. She elaborated on the information that Nassar provided, claiming that, “there was

IMAGES VIA SENNA OMAR / THE HIGHLANDER LEFT: Some Jewish speakers voiced support of the legislation. Ph.D. student Linton Freund (pictured) stated, “I am also a Jewish American and I’m a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. I have heard too many times tonight, at our local city Council meeting, by our government, by faculty that Zionism is the same as Judaism. That blindly supporting a government that is funding and perpetuating genocide against an entire group of people is what is required for Jewish safety. I am here to tell you that that is wrong.” Another Jewish speaker, graduate student Aaron Goodwin, vocalized, “Israel is less than 100 years old, they do not represent Jewish people … Look at the news, they’re killing people. I mean, it’s heartbreaking. To say that that represents Judaism is such a horrifying, disgusting lie.”

RIGHT: Dozens of speakers commented in support of the divestment legislation. Many shared stories expressing the personal impact of the issues discussed. Multiple speakers shared accounts of family members losing their lives in Gaza. Another speaker shared the impact the conflict has had at home, “my mother and father, who are the most important people in my life, have completely physically and mentally shut down, watching the horrors happening to their families.”

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news a point of reaching out to clubs and orgs directly to ensure that this is something that they support.”

Some students were confused by the information presented by the resolution and were unsure of what it entailed. A few were confused as to whether the resolution

would extend to administration. Others wondered if it meant that the divestment would be applied immediately.

Senator Haidar clarified, “the biggest misconception of the bill is that this will apply to administration. As much as I, as an ASUCR representative, would love to have our diverse voices heard to that extent, and demand action from

NEWS administration. This is separate.”

The legislation would apply only to ASUCR funding, so any funding a club or organization on campus receives from ASUCR would be impacted. This includes grants or allocations they received from ASUCR. While this is the case, the legislation will not go into effect overnight.

By spring of 2024, ASUCR will create a new policy to set guidelines on the matter of ethical spending and maintain a list of boycotted vendors and corporations, notify student organizations and clubs prior to the adoption of these policies and then implement the policy by fall of 2024.

In a statement released March 1, 2024, the day after the Senate meeting,UCR administration voiced their opposition to the Senate legislation. “This resolution runs counter to UC Riverside’s longstanding position and practices, does not align with the university’s views, and does not affect the investment practices of the university. We strongly oppose

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

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this action and believe that it goes against the culture of open dialogue and discourse.”

Senator Haidar expressed that ASUCR expected a response like this from the University in regard to the bill and resolution. “We were of the understanding that administration was not going to be on our side. And this is not something that we are going to be able to reason with administration prior to its passing.” Due to this sentiment, it made it a necessity for ASUCR to “show that this is

something the students wanted.” Senator Haidar points out how “we had around 500 students at that Senate meeting.

We know that this is something that the student body wants.”

Similar to UCR News, Hillel, on their Instagram page, released a statement sharing that they are “deeply disappointed that ASUCR voted to adopt a hateful resolution that demonizes Israel and further targets and marginalizes the Jewish community at UCR. Antisemitism has no place in our community, and we are offering support to all students impacted by the decision.”

However, Senator Haidar shared her sentiment that “This is not a resolution to incite hate. This is not meant to be hateful or to incite any kind of anti-Semitism or discrimination in any way. I would not sign my name on this, if I thought this was anti-Semitic.” ■ H

IMAGES VIA SENNA OMAR / THE HIGHLANDER LEFT: Throughout the duration of the meeting, the audience had exhibited restraint in their expression, and most occasionally finger snapped in support. Any cheers or exclamations were quickly hushed by other audience members. However, as the Senate announced a unanimous vote in favor of the divestment resolution, and soon after the accompanying bill, the crowd erupted in exuberant celebration and chants of support. During public comment afterward, SJP President Hibah Nassar (pictured center) expressed her gratitude. “I extend my deepest gratitude to ASUCR for passing divestment ... Thank you, you guys made history tonight. My family thanks you back home. Thank you for standing in support of your students, I appreciate you. On behalf of every student that came here today, thank you.”

RIGHT: ASUCR as an organization was a focus of conversation during public forum. Senate intern Sophia (not pictured), speaking on behalf of herself and not ASUCR, appeared overcome with emotion while addressing the Senate. “You talk about people getting involved, well here they are now. They are here to tell you to vote ‘yes’ on this legislation. They are here to tell you that they want ASUCR to be better. They want you to make ASUCR something they can be proud of.”

BELOW: Many delivered statements to the Senate in regard to the divestment legislation with the issues discussed resonating throughout the hundreds present. One speaker engaged the audience on their perception.

“I’m gonna do a little something that’s not very traditional. Raise your hand if for the past, let’s say since October, you’ve seen at least one photo of something or someone that you cannot even recognize as a human being.

Raise your hand if you’ve read a list with thousands of names on it that had thirty names from the same family. Raise your hand if you had a conversation about someone and they expressed to you how little they can do here in the West. [Almost] everyone in this room is raising their hand.”

6 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

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One million dollar grant will support teacher education

THE UCR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION RECEIVED A GRANT TO ADDRESS THE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND DIVERSIFY THE TEACHER WORKFORCE WITHIN THE INLAND EMPIRE. ALEXANDRA ARCENAS Staff Writer

As the Inland Empire (IE) continues to experience population growth, the demand for qualified educators has reached a critical point, posing significant challenges for local schools. Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education, Dr. Frances Valdovinos, highlights the plans for newly acquired funding, awarded to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Education (SOE) to help remedy the teacher shortage in the IE. The milliondollar grant from the Inland Empire Collaborative group will fund multiple programs geared towards supporting students from K-16 up through their higher education to ensure they are properly prepared to meet the career requirements for teaching.

According to Dr. Valdovinos, the SOE supports teacher education not only on the UCR campus, but also “through partnerships” with “Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Community College, Coachella Valley Unified School District, College of the Desert and Palm Desert Center.” She states that the primary focus of all the newly made and current teacher education programs is to create supportive pathways to serve future educators of color within the IE region. She specifies that the SOE wants to respond to the teacher shortage in a “culturally responsive way” to meet the needs of the community.

Thus, creating a space for future students to feel included in their learning environment.

Within the IE, Dr. Valdovinos declares a need for diversity among teaching professionals. He further states that “there is research” supporting the idea that students who can relate to their mentors or teachers “have a higher percentage of being successful.” Therefore, the SOE has several programs focused on growing the diversity within the work pool.

For example, Fueling the Inland Empire Region with Community Educators (FIERCE) is a program specifically for students who will continue to work and reside in the IE. According to the FIERCE Website, the

goal for participants is to become “community-ready” and “equity-centered” to strengthen the IE teacher workforce. Another program, known as the Black Community Education Promise Program (BCEP) is dedicated to undergraduate SOE students who have an interest in serving the African American community after graduation.

The programs concentrate on creating educators that are specialized to serve a particular student population.

In most of the programs, Dr. Valdovinos explains there is a “mentorship component, financial component and a professional development component” to ensure that students get the necessary support from start to finish of their academic career to succeed in their profession. In a more general sense, the programs aim to “increase the number of students of color” and the number of students who pursue teaching careers.

Another program the grant will support is Supporting Teacher Education Through Partnerships (STEP). STEP’s main goal is to supply “highly qualified teachers” in multiple disciplines to areas with a teacher shortage. The partnership with the Coachella Valley School District will allow student-teachers to connect with seasoned teacher-mentors in a “hands-on” classroom environment.

Dr. Valdovinos affirms that these programs are in place to “improve” the “academic performance” of minority students. Therefore, increasing graduation rates, and hopefully “inspiring students” into higher education.

SOE is trying to create “well-rounded educators” and “critical thinkers” to cater to the “younger more diverse generation.” She stresses that the goal is to have “support systems” for students to be successful from elementary through high school and college to complete the educator career track.

Currently, SOE graduates can achieve their teaching credentials in two ways. Dr. Valdovinos explains that graduates at UCR’s Teacher Education Program can

pursue their credentials within a year or pursue their Master’s and credentials, also within a year. She likes to encourage the candidates to acquire their Master’s of Education, with a teaching emphasis, and the credentials with any subject they desire. Also, there are resources and scholarships available to complete the Master’s program, such as the Cal Grant, Teach Grant and Golden State Grant. She states the importance that “students understand that these financial services are available.”

As for future programs that will be supported by the grant, the SOE aims to offer teaching-centered career pathways in IE high schools. In this case, she hopes to prepare students to take the necessary classes to succeed in higher education, whether it be community college or the UC system. She states that there is a “disparity of students in the region” that continue to accomplish a college degree; therefore, it is crucial to “offer that support” because the students “are more than capable” of succeeding.

However, the objective of the pathways is for students to serve as educators in their communities, says Dr. Valdovinos. There will be an initial meeting next month about upcoming programs that will be made possible by the new grant. The goal is to find what is needed in the K-12 sector, the community college sector and at UCR to facilitate the progress of teacher candidates.

For Dr. Valdovinos, the purpose of the grant is to “ensure equity” and organize support structures for future and current SOE undergraduates. Lastly, Dr. Valdovinos defines the new generation of students as “very different,” which calls for a different type of educator. As explained

by Dr. Valdovinos, the School of Education will use the grant to shape future educators who are focused on equity, social justice and restorative justice to fulfill the need in present Inland Empire classrooms. ■ H

School of Public Policy’s hosts second Alumni Spotlight, hosting the founder of Xara Public Affairs FROM LABOR UNIONS TO PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, VIOLETA AGUILAR-WYRICK SHARES HER TRANSFORMATIVE STORY. GREG HAESSNER Contributing Writer

Violetta Aguilar-Wyrick was welcomed to the UCR Visitor and Alumni Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

She presented “Como Los Monarcas: Building power to advocate and create a better opportunity.” The event featured an array of photos throughout AguilarWyrick’s life from her high school graduation to her time advocating for healthcare rights at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

As the Principal Consultant of Xara Public Affairs, Aguilar-Wyrick is responsible for engaging with client objectives and building relationships. This includes project management, quality assurance and client engagement. Xara Public Affairs has broken barriers leading successful strategies, field communications, public policy and government affairs efforts at the local, state and federal level for candidates, labor unions and corporate clients.

Director of External Engagement for School of Public Policy, Mark Manalang, organized the event with other dean’s brand ambassadors as part of the external engagement program. Manalang explained how he hopes that students will engage in these seminars with open eyes and find something to take away, “The Alumni Spotlight Series is part of our community seminars. All of these are geared towards external spaces. I really want to see more people from outside, off campus, alongside folks on campus, to join us to spotlight more alumni for doing great things. A lot of these folks have blazed the trail for our current students talking about some really inspiring stuff and my hope is that we have students who sat in this audience today and a fire got lit.”

Manalang has hosted an abundance of seminars but this is his second time featuring an alumni at the Alumni & Visitor Center. He explained, “At the School of Public Policy, we are training tomorrow’s future leaders, MATA ELANGOVAN / THE HIGHLANDER

community leaders, regional leaders, policy leaders and we understand that sometimes it takes you seeing inspiring figures to kickstart your show.”

Aguilar-Wyrick’s presentation begins with a girl from Michoacán immigrating to California. As an immigrant herself, Aguilar-Wyrick has always wanted to give a voice to people who are typically unheard. Her efforts to give people a voice pushed her to join a labor union out of college and give a voice to workers.

Aguilar-Wyrick’s commitment to advocacy and overachievement followed her into her teenage years.

In high school, Aguilar-Wyrick joined Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan (MECHA). A notable accomplishment of hers was when she opened a library by coordinating with other city council members to advocate for students to send cards in support of the idea.

In 2009, Aguilar-Wyrick graduated with a bachelor’s in women’s and labor studies from UCR; in 2015, she returned, completing her master’s in public policy in 2019.

Aguilar-Wyrick secured employment post-undergrad by talking to her labor studies professor and getting

hired at Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers [SEIU UHW]. She mentioned, “I was an English tutor, as part of the staff union, I was interested in continuing to organize. I love organizing …

She sent out my resume and she talked to folks and then I got a phone call and they became my boss. So ask for help. Ask your professors and ask folks.”

While Aguilar-Wyrick was employed at SEIU UHW, enrollment plans for the Affordable Care Act were being rolled out. As part of her work, she was able to ensure Riverside residents were eligible for a healthcare policy, she described how “Healthcare policy was one of the areas I covered so we need to figure out how to enroll people.

In the Inland Empire, Riverside specifically, we were one of the very first ones to start organizing ourselves and creating round tables. We were very much ahead before Covered California brought analogous staff to help us go into doing enrollment clinics.”

One source of her consulting skills came from her skills in collective bargaining. Her job as a Collective Bargaining Director for SEIU Local 121RN was to assist in employee contract negotiations with employers and supervise the implementation and enforcement of these employee contracts. In describing job expectations, she said, “In the process of bargaining a contract with the employer, you can use that as an opportunity to organize.

There’s no better opportunity to organize your workers than when there’s arguing because everybody wants to know what they’re getting paid.”

One of her most recent projects is with industrial realestate developers called Howard Industrial Partners.

Howard Industrial Partners wants to take 341 acres in the city of Perris for mixed-land use and attract workers for construction jobs to repurpose the land. ■ H Article continued online.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

7

Prospective senator holds campaign rally in the Inland Empire SENNA OMAR Managing Editor

CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE HOLDS “BARBARA LEE SPEAKS FOR U.S.” EVENT TO MOBILIZE SUPPORT FOR SENATOR CAMPAIGN. Since 1998, Congresswoman Barbara Lee has represented California’s 12th congressional district in the House of Representatives and is currently running for California’s open United States (US) Senate seat, formerly occupied by Senator Dianne Feinstein. Currently polling in fourth place at 9.1%, Congresswoman Lee, in anticipation of today’s (Tuesday, March 5, 2024) primary elections, held a rally in the Inland Empire (IE) to garner support for her campaign.

Beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, 2024, the “Barbara Lee Speak for U.S.! Inland Empire Rally & Mobilization,“ garnered a small crowd of approximately three dozen supporters.

During her time on stage, Congresswoman Lee addressed the low turnout explaining that, “people have not really tuned in [to the election] and are struggling to survive, so this is not a top priority.” She elaborated further, “I also know that many voters do not believe that elected officials can or will deliver; they make promises they don’t keep. I understand that, but I also understand that if you don’t have a voice and if you don’t have a vote, you won’t have a voice at the table.”

The event opened with remarks from the executive director of Inland Empire United, Sky Allen. Here, she shared a little bit about her organization and welcomed Congresswoman Lee back to the IE. Founded in 2017, IE United is a collaboration of community agents and leaders “affecting change in Riverside and San Bernardino county.”

According to Allen, “we recognize that people in the [IE] do not get the appropriate share of resources and for a long time our elected officials didn’t represent the way our communities looked or the way our communities felt about issues that matter to us on a day to day basis, and we knew that we needed to work from the ground up to address and close the gap. Making sure that folks who represent us actually have our interests in mind and the policy aligns with what we need.”

Approximately a year ago, before

Congresswomen Lee launched her senate campaign, she flew out to the IE to meet with local elected officials and community leaders, because, according to Allen, she “recognized the value of the IE … she knew that she needed to actually talk to the community to speak for the community.” This initiative to prioritize learning the needs of her future potential constituents spurred IE United to endorse and support Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s campaign for senate.

Following the introduction by Allen, San Bernardino Mayor, Helen Tran, spoke in support of Congresswoman Lee’s campaign. Echoing Congresswoman Lee’s campaign slogan throughout her speech, Mayor Tran stated, “Barbara Lee speaks for me, and for all of San Bernardino because she is what we need in the senate.” The mayor thanked Congresswoman Lee for her dedication to communicating with IE officials and for running for senate. The San Bernardino mayor ended her speech by introducing Congresswoman Lee to the audience so she could answer some questions about her senatorial campaign.

Congresswoman Lee began her speech by thanking the mayor and IE United for their support regarding her campaign.

She emphasized the importance of communicating with local leaders because she needs to know what people need from her and what their views are for the future of their cities and the state as a whole.

Characterizing herself as the “most experienced, most consistent and most progressive candidate in this race, ”Congresswoman Lee went on to explain examples of her bi-partisan efforts and her record of constantly striving for “global peace and security.”

In 2001, Congresswoman Lee was the sole no-vote in the US House of Representatives regarding authorization for military force in the aftermath of 9/11, an initiative spearheaded by President George Bush. Despite, in her words, “disagreeing with [George Bush] on every single thing,” she “worked with

him to get the job done.” Congresswoman Lee further elaborated, “I’ve worked with [Bush] to deliver on our Global HIV and AIDS initiatives, helping to save 25 million lives.”

Almost 23 years after being the sole vote against the War on Terror, Congresswoman Lee is now the sole major candidate in this senate race calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. She began by emphasizing her experience in the Middle East and by condemning the acts of Hamas on Oct. 7. Congresswoman Lee elaborated, “we’re up to 30,000 plus [Palestinian] civilians[of which a] large majority [are] women and children, [killed]. That is not a counter-terrorism measure, that is waging war on civilians … the only way that there will be peace and security for the Israelis and the Palestinians is through a permanent ceasefire. That will allow for the release of the hostages, and the beginning of a diplomatic and political solution.”

After her discussion of the situation in the Middle East, Congresswoman Lee answered a question from the audience regarding her stance on pollution and the Green New Deal. She emphasized her support for a “green, fossil fuel free economy,” while ensuring that workers within these fields transition smoothly without losing their jobs or retirement benefits. Secondly, Congresswoman Lee, iterated her support for clean water initiatives for Californians who are living without access to clean water.

As a closer to the campaign rally, Congresswoman Lee stated, ”I just want to say promises made, promises kept. You can check my record.”

Following the event, The Highlander had the opportunity to speak with Congresswoman Lee and some of her supporters.

In the event that she loses the senate race, according to Congresswomen Lee, she has no intention of re-running for her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Instead she endorsed Lateefah Simon, a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of

Directors member, for her seat in the 12th district.

Emphasizing support for Congresswoman Lee’s senate campaign, regional director for Region 16 of the California Democratic Party, Joe Salas, and an attendee of the rally, stated, “Barbara Lee is the only candidate who is on the side of making humanity prosper at its highest level … If we would have listened to Barbara Lee 23 years ago, America would be in a better off place.”

Salas later stated that Congresswoman Lee, out of the three Democratic candidates running for the senate seat, “has been [in the IE] the most … making personal connections with people; there’s investments in the relationships here on so many human levels, on her political record and current campaign, that’s why I came out in support today.”

Another attendee of the event, Jose Marquez Cuevas, who works in the infectious disease sector of public health as well as a non-profit immigrants rights organization, emphasized his support for Congresswoman Lee’s senate campaign.

Cuevas stated that Congresswoman Barbara Lee is the only candidate so far to push for a permanent ceasefire, which was an issue of extreme importance to him, given that he was recently arrested for an action calling for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine.

Cuevas further stressed his support, stating that Congresswoman Lee “has been the most vocal progressive candidate … we need to have someone that really represents our people, that’s not being bought out by big corporations.”

If elected, Congresswoman Lee stated that she intends to continue her legacy of social justice, through “furthering these causes by being an effective legislator, appropriator, negotiator and also working with the community.” She declared her intentions to “build a new table,” where everyone has a seat, because “it is important to our democracy that everyone H have a seat at the table.” ■

MATA ELANGOVAN / THE HIGHLANDER CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SIGNING A CAMPAIGN POSTER FOR A SUPPORTER.

Opinions 8 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

OPINIONS

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THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

The lifting of degree requirements for state jobs is so minimal as to border on ineffective

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM’S EXECUTIVE ORDER POINTS OUT THE REAL UNADDRESSED ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA EDUCATION AND EQUALITY. 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.

The State of California is working to make state jobs more accessible by lifting some degree requirements. Many programs have also been trying to bridge the gap by uplifting career education for those who cannot afford college. While these programs are essential and could help, the state is failing to address the significant issues that make California as a whole inaccessible.

In an executive order, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the creation of a centralized system to facilitate career education in just over a year. The goal is to expand access to employment by creating online portals for those seeking state jobs and introducing the idea of a “career passport,” which would include work skills and experience as part of one’s transcript.

This order paves the way to look beyond academic grades as a part of someone’s value in the workplace by including experiences outside of the classroom. It makes room for non-traditional students, and research has suggested that expanding the job pool this way will create a more diverse workplace.

Assemblymember Rebecca BauerKahan, in 2023, put forward legislation that would make degree requirements less common instead of the standard. In a statement supporting Assembly Bill 1693, Bauer-Kahan stated, “There is no reason for California to have an arbitrary barrier to access these good-paying jobs that benefit our state.” This bill is made even more necessary to help address worker shortages in state jobs that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Prior to the spread of COVID-19, the state job vacancy rate was below 15%, and it has increased

by 5%.

However, the degree requirements are not the primary issue; the pay is. For some positions, the government pays more than the average, but not all or even most. There are also concerns that by lifting bachelor’s degree requirements, private employers will use it as an excuse to pay even less.

These workers need to be paid a livable California wage. California is rated the third most expensive state in the U.S. to live in and the highest in poverty. Workers need to be paid more for these jobs to be worth taking.

Furthermore, going to college gives more than a bachelor’s degree, it gives students connections and opportunities.

A major draw to the UCs is the research and internship opportunities offered exclusively to the student body. If lifting degree requirements is going to have a substantial impact, the fact that connections trump everything else needs to be addressed.

Going forward, this is not a real solution. As California faces affordable housing issues, high rates of homelessness and income disparity, lifting degree requirements is an incredibly small effort.

There is a larger economic problem here that needs to be addressed. Efforts such as these need to be made in tandem with major shifts in how California governs overall.

College is an incredibly valuable experience and needs to be more accessible, but not having a college degree needs to stop being counted against people. A large portion of what college students do is theoretical, and it is not the pathway for everyone. The way college is

structured means that people have to study things that do not apply to their future career path, and many specific markets require more practical experience than anything else. There must be economically feasible options for everyone, regardless of whether or not they attend college.

Despite these drawbacks and shortcomings, Newsom’s plan to include opportunities for students to learn real-life career skills for pay is a nod to the need to respect the economic roadblocks to social mobility in California. This plan has a lot of moving parts that have the potential to make an impact, but not without widespread reform. The executive order’s declaration that “Students and workers should have access to career education through systems that reduce the burdens of substantial debt and the challenges of navigating confusing bureaucracies” should have been the standard.

The order also advocated for college and career readiness as early as the ninth grade. For first-generation college students, especially, this is important.

The bureaucracy surrounding college and financial aid is confusing enough without being compounded by a lack of an experienced support system. This is yet another major issue that permeates higher education and decreases universal accessibility.

California’s problems are so much bigger than college degree requirements, but it’s time to stop punishing people for being unable to attend university. The efforts to make career education programs more cohesive and accessible is a step in the right direction that is in the state’s best interest. ■ H

COURTESY OF PEXELS

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

9

First-year students suffer from FAFSA technical glitches CECILE DIROLL Assistant Opinions Editor

Plagued by errors, the revised FAFSA demonstrates the Education Department’s lack of preparation and foresight.

As high school seniors begin to hear back from colleges in the coming weeks, many have been left in financial limbo due to technical glitches in the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. In an effort to simplify and “streamline” the form, which included 103 labor-intensive questions, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020. The revisions also sought to expand eligibility for student financial aid and Pell Grants.

However, when the online form was released in late December, students encountered technical glitches, misleading error messages and screens abruptly locking. Traditionally, the FAFSA application opens in October but was delayed this year when the Education Department failed to provide the revised form by the deadline. As the financial gateway for millions of students seeking to attend higher education institutions, the Education Department’s failure to release a more straightforward and comprehensive form shows a lack of preparation and foresight.

When the application launched on Dec. 30, it was only available sporadically as parents and students overloaded the FAFSA website in hopes of completing their forms

before it closed.

Although the Education Department reported that “more than 500,000 FAFSA applications were submitted in the first week,” millions of other students experienced difficulty with completing their applications.

According to the National College Attainment Network, the number of submitted financial aid forms dropped by 1.5 million from last year. The incomplete and unsubmitted FAFSA applications are mainly from the students most affected by the technical glitches and errors — first-generation students with undocumented parents.

In previous years, parents without a Social Security number had the option of mailing their information to the Education Department or completing the paper version of the form. However, students cannot submit the revised FAFSA online if the Social Security number box is left blank. When these students called the FAFSA support center for help, they were either abruptly dropped from the line or unable to communicate their questions due to a lack of multilingual staff.

Nearly half of FAFSA applicants are first-generation college students, and many must navigate the college admissions process independently. Thus, the Education De-

partment showed a lack of forethought and preparation when they failed to anticipate that large numbers of these students would have parents without Social Security numbers and would need bilingual assistance.

The most unfortunate part of this debacle is that students won’t know or receive their financial aid awards until late March.

The Education Department announced that it would take weeks for schools to receive student data rather than the usual few days.

In response, the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) announced they would extend their decision deadline to May 15. Given that schools have had less time to prepare financial aid packages, first-year students, in turn, also have less than a month to commit to a campus.

The FAFSA complications have undoubtedly worsened a very stressful and overwhelming time for students.

Facing intense criticism and in their defense, the Education Department stated FAFSA had “less funding than anticipated would be needed to complete the job correctly and on time.” While this may be true, the Education Department had three years to plan, prepare and complete the necessary changes to its financial aid form. The tech-

nical glitches with Social Security numbers and lack of sufficient bilingual support personnel reveal that the Education Department failed to understand the challenges some students would face completing the revised form and the support they would need to complete it in a compressed time frame.

If the Education Department needed more money or time to launch the revised form successfully, the release of the revised FAFSA should have been postponed by a year.

Last week, the Education Department announced a workaround for students with undocumented parents. Those unable to complete the form will receive an “incomplete” notification to be “corrected” later. According to reports, a final resolution to the technical glitch will be finalized by next month.

While it is commendable that the Education Department will address these problems, they never should have occurred in the first place. The path to higher education, particularly figuring out how to pay for it, is already difficult enough. The revised FAFSA was supposed to be an easier experience for the most vulnerable students. Unfortunately, the H revised FAFSA has done the opposite.■

IMAGE COURTESY OF FREEPIK

10 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

OPINIONS

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A rise in hate crimes raises concerns about the future SONALI WHITTLE Staff Writer

THE INCREASE IN HATE CRIMES AT SCHOOLS IS CONCERNING AND SHOULD BE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO BY THE PUBLIC. Hate crimes are often committed by those who harbor a deep-seated prejudice against a specific group of people or those who identify differently from themselves.

Recently, according to a report by the FBI, hate crime rates have risen since 2018. When examining what types of crime are most prevalent, the most common behavioral trends observed are committed against African Americans, crimes based on religion and committed against those identifying as LGBTQ+.

The increasing trend is concerning and should be paid more attention to because it affects the attitudes and actions of the future society. Hate crimes are rising because it is proportional to society’s global issues involving racism, homophobia and racial bias.

Although it is apparent which groups are targeted the most by hate crimes, understanding the impact, and causes of this phenomenon requires a deeper understanding and analysis of this pattern. In Texas, a Black student was suspended for his hairstyle because the

mere act of self-expression set off an unjust reaction by the school faculty. In addition, since the start of the pandemic, there has been an increase in activism and vocalization for people’s rights.

This can be seen in increased activism related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. According to the BLM organization, 2020 was a recordbreaking year for fundraising. As people become more forward in advocating for topics such as fighting systematic racism, LGBTQ+ rights and combating religious discrimination, those with close-minded ideologies begin to act and speak out on their opposing views as well. However, these opposing views ended up creating an increase in conflict and tension.

In addition to the racial hate crimes, LGBTQ+ individuals have been a major target with the setting on fire of pride flags to attempts at vehicular harm.

Along with LGBTQ+ and racial hate crimes, there have been religious-based hate crimes, too. The growing hatred of racist and homophobic ideologies is

festering and increasing because there are not enough systemic changes being made.

Furthermore, schools have become a common location for these crimes to occur. The climbing number of hate crimes in elementary or secondary schools creates an unsafe learning environment that warrants extra caution due to the impressionability of young minds. Still, in their formative years, children are most susceptible to suggestions, making it easier to absorb different views from them. The increased coverage of injustice and other hate crimes in the media could be influencing the increase in hate crimes at school. Social media’s influence on students is a powerful tool that can be used to perpetuate a cycle of hate from the content a student absorbs. With the increased usage of social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram, news is spread like wildfire. The ability for people to access a mass amount of information and people at their fingertips opens up a world of possibilities for people to adopt

the views they learn about online.

Over time, society has grown to protect its right to free speech and thinking, but some use this to justify their wrongdoings and biases. According to social scientist Jack McDevitt, after examining multiple hate crime cases, he concluded that “many hate-crime offenders believe that society supports their violent prejudices.”

The future of society lies in how people treat one another. With the increase in hate crimes, there is ample evidence to cause concern for people’s general safety.

When hate is left unchecked, it grows and becomes more powerful. Until there are policies and conscious efforts made to fight the impact of harmful stereotypes that contribute to hate crimes, these crimes will continue to climb. Without new attitudes and policies to replace the ones that incite violence, as generations progress, the world will become a more dangerous place to live. Bringing attention to a problem is the first step in H beginning to solve it.■

Spitzer’s “NoLAinOC judges list” is plainly nonsensical YSABEL NAKASONE Opinions Editor

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TODD SPITZER HAS POLARIZED JUDICIARY ELECTIONS TO AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL. As everyone is turning in their primary ballots, people are preparing for that slew of judges on their general election ballot whose names they have never heard of. In Orange County (OC), District Attorney (DA) Todd Spitzer released what he calls his “#NoLAinOC judges list” in an article in the OC Register. This is an incredibly alarming act of judicial interference on the part of a DA who is already exaggerating a crime crisis to prey on people’s fears.

Spitzer is no stranger to painfully questionable tactics. For at least two months after an order by a superior court judge, Spitzer failed to release data on racial injustice and the racial makeup of the defendants his office chose to prosecute. OC was further scandalized after it was revealed that Spitzer made comments about a defendant that violated the Racial Justice Act. There is also the Wahoo Fish Taco incident, where Spitzer made a citizen’s arrest using a gun and handcuffed an individual who attempted to talk to him about Christianity and had the gall to look at a knife back when Spitzer was the OC Supervisor. The man was quickly released by law enforcement since no crime was committed and it certainly calls into question Spitzer’s judgment.

His new decision to call out specific

judges for their rulings and name-drop them is an incredible violation. Not only does it endanger the judiciary’s physical safety, it appears to be akin to retribution for unfavorable rulings. To interfere with the judicial process in this way is a violation of democratic principles and the values the justice system was built on.

There are ways to appeal sentencing as a prosecutor w i t h o u t publicly sha m i ng judges for exercising ju d icia l discretion.

Judicial discretion, a judge’s power to make decisions based on their

own evaluations and guidance from the principals of the law, is a key element of the judicial system. Spitzer’s claims suggest that judges are incompetent unless they are uncompromising and adhere to sentencing models he approves of.

To in any way suggest that judges are not impartial by being lenient or using their discretion is plainly insane.

Fu r ther more, increasing the severity of a punishment does not have any significant impact on reducing crime, as Spitzer claims.

Spitzer also cites a Public Policy Institute of California survey, which states that 76%

of Californians see crime and violence as a major issue in their community.

Unfortunately for Spitzer, anyone with a brain can see how misleading that statistic is. While crime rates in California overall are concerning, that is not Spitzer’s purview. Spitzer is the DA of OC, which has one of the lowest violent crime rates in California at about 318 per 100,000 residents, according to data from 2022 collected by the same institution.

Increasing the severity of punishment in a county where crime is already relatively low and when there are no proven benefits is an overreach on the DA’s part. To then target judges personally and by name in the press is even worse.

As voters receive their general election ballots in November, Spitzer is right about one thing and one thing only — people need to pay more attention to who they vote for and look into those judges. But for voters, Spitzer’s stamp of approval should be a scarlet letter and not a point H in their favor. ■

IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Features

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

11

Who you are is what’s important This week is all about figuring out what matters to you…

Aries: Five of Wands Reversed March 21 - April 19 Something in you is tense now, Aries.

You’re living on a hair trigger and have tension that needs to be released.

This is not sustainable, and you need to find the root cause. You are waiting for something to happen, and the only relief will be discovery.

Cancer: Four of Cups June 21 - July 22 Look inward this week as you contemplate the future. This is not the week for big decisions but the week for meditation and evaluation. Take a break from pressuring yourself to bring things to a conclusion, it will only make everything worse.

Libra: Seven of Cups Reversed September 23 - October 22 You have a lot of choices in front of you. There’s a lot of good options out there. Don’t make a decision based on anything but your own values. If it doesn’t align with who you are, it will only cause you suffering, even if the option looks attractive now.

Capricorn: Empress Reversed December 22 - January 19 You’re feeling creatively blocked right now, Capricorn. You may need to depend on others to help you in the short term.

Don’t push yourself too hard to reach creative nirvana; just let it return naturally. It’s frustrating, but anything you do now will be lifeless without inspiration.

Ysabel Nakasone, Opinions Editor

TAURUS: Ace of Cups April 20 - May 20 You’re about to have a breakthrough, and many confusing things are about to become clear. You’ve been feeling bombarded by life right now, and there hasn’t been a lot to string all these new developments together. Just sit back and wait for the connecting pieces to come together.

Gemini: Three of Pentacles May 21 - June 20 You need to focus on teamwork, Gemini. As you work on projects, you should seek the counsel of people you trust and know more than you. Knowing that you don’t know everything and some things require support; you will ensure your success or at least prevent the worst outcome.

Leo: King of Swords Reversed July 23 - August 22 You’ve done something worrisome, Leo. The King of Swords Reversed speaks to manipulation. Think carefully about your actions as you are about to commit an atrocious mistake. You’re just not as slick as you think.

Virgo: Queen of Swords Reversed August 23 - September 22 You have been influenced, Virgo. As you make decisions this week, consider your motivations and if they are really your own. Ensure you’re doing something because you believe in it and just because someone else does.

Scorpio: Queen of pentacles Reversed October 23 - November 21 You’re facing a conflict at work and home. There are issues in every sphere of your life that demand the same parts of your life. You are overextended and overwhelmed. You need to set boundaries and find the balance between the two. But over both, remember to choose yourself.

Sagittarius: Three of Wands November 22 - December 21 The Three of Wands speaks to expansion and progress. Things are moving forward for you this week, and everything is on track for once. Take advantage of the calm and get ahead of the curve.

Aquarius: Ten of Cups January 19 - February 18 You are about to experience a week of harmony and love. Take this as the rare blessing that it is, Aquarius, and savor it.

Enjoy the bliss you will find in your personal relationships and the fulfillment that comes with it.

Pisces: Six of Swords February 19 - March 20 This week will be about releasing baggage for you and letting go of what is holding you back. Right now, you’re being weighed down and need to seek out change. As an opportunity comes to you, take it. It will be what you make of it, so H dive in headfirst. ■

IMAGES COURTESY OF FREEPIK

12 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

FEATURES

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College student survival guide to Ramadan MAKING THE MOST OF THIS MONTH WHILE AWAY FROM HOME.

SENNA OMAR Managing Editor

With Ramadan less than a week away, now, if you haven’t already, is the time to start preparing. For those who don’t know, Ramadan is the Muslim holy month where Muslims (who are able) fast, or abstain from food and drinks, from sunrise to sunset; yes, before you ask, even water.

As college students, most of us will be spending this Ramadan away from home and family. It is a very different experience than past Ramadan’s where you are constantly surrounded by loved ones. Despite the changes that come with aging, here are a few tips to help you make the most of this blessed month.

Find a community Spending Ramadan by yourself is sometimes difficult and creates the perfect recipe for sadness. This year, find a community within the University of California, Riverside (UCR) campus or even just the Riverside community. Attend a UCR Muslim Students Association (MSA) event; they often host iftars during Ramadan for anyone looking for a meal to break their fast while on campus. To stay up to date with UCR MSA events, follow them on Instagram @msaucr.

As UCR students, we are very lucky to have a masjid right next door to campus. The Islamic Center of Riverside (ICR), located right next door to the UCR Plaza apartments, is the perfect place to find a community this Ramadan. Attend as many Tarweeh prayers as possible, and when the Masjid is hosting an iftar, try your best to be there. Ramadan is a month of devotion to your deen and growing closer to Allah (God), so try your best to go to the masjid as much as possible.

Eat Suhoor Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal eaten before fasting, is an essential part of a successful day during Ramadan as a college student. I know it is very hard to wake up well before Fajr to make yourself a meal, but eating suhoor will give you the capacity to make the most of your time and give you the proper nutrition to be functional throughout the day. Whether the suhoor is as simple as some fruits, dates and water or a whole meal, try your best to eat something before fasting time so your body is fueled and ready for the day.

To make your mornings a little easier, have some cut-up fruits and nuts on hand for a quick suhoor that you can pop in your mouth 10 minutes before Fajr. Or, if you are looking for something a little more filling, try meal prepping suhoor; for ideas on suhoor meal preps look to the end of this article for a suhoor meal prep recipe. Most importantly, make sure to drink water; staying hydrated in Ramadan is key, so chug as much water as you can before Fajr so hopefully you won’t be super thirsty throughout the day.

week this quarter. Prioritizing your deen during exam season is very hard, especially when the amount of work you have to do outnumbers the number of available hours in a day. Because of how busy exams can get, it is important to plan your days accordingly and create a Ramadan routine contingent on your own lifestyle.

Make sure that alongside the mountains of studying and paper writing occurring during the last two weeks of the quarter, you are also prioritizing your deen during this blessed month. It is necessary to find the right balance to ensure you are not falling behind in classes but you are also making the most of your Ramadan. This month is very short and, before you know it, it’ll be over so try your best to schedule your days around salah (prayer) and make time to read the Quran and grow closer to your religion and in your relationship with Allah (God).

Meal prep your iftar Iftar is the meal typically consumed by Muslims to break their fast following Maghrib (sunset) prayer. If you know you have class till 7 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday, or you know you will not have enough time to make a meal before Maghrib, make sure you are packing yourself something to break your fast with. This could be something as simple as some dates and water, or as extravagant as a whole meal for you to enjoy on campus. Try meal prepping iftars so you have time to eat before heading to the masjid.

For a quick and easy iftar meal that will last you all week, check out one of our recipe articles entitled “Ramadan Recipes: Vegetarian Moroccan Harira.”

Get your work done before iftar We have all said it before, “Oh I’ll get my work done after iftar,” and we are all liars for that. Never not once has any of us ever studied or done homework after iftar. It is simply not happening; you know it, I know it, so let’s all just stop pretending and try our best to get homework done before iftar time. Now that you can’t eat during the day, you should have more time for homework anyway.

Night time during Ramadan often is very busy, so let’s not waste the few hours between Maghrib and Fajr on homework. Schedule your life properly and dedicate your evenings to praying Taraweeh at the masjid and going to Quiyams when possible. Nights are not the time for that essay you put off for months; try your best to get as much of your homework done during the day so you can make the most of your nights.

Ramadan Kareem everyone, hopefully these tips will help you maximize your time during this blessed month!

Plan your days and create a Ramadan routine This year, Ramadan is set to begin the evening of March 10, during week 10 and finals

Suhoor Meal Prep Recipes Overnight oats

Egg bites

Prep time: 5 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serving size: one; make as many as you want for meal prep!

Serving size: 12 servings (1 serving per egg used)

Ingredients: ½ cup of rolled oats ½ cup of any milk of your choice 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt 1 tablespoons of chia seeds 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, or any sweetener of your choice Toppings can be whatever your heart desires, here are some options to inspire you: Sliced strawberries Slices banana Berries Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios) Peanut butter Cinnamon Dates Literally, anything else you want

Ingredients: 12 eggs 1 to 1½ cups of cottage cheese (depending on how creamy you like) 1½ cups of any shredded cheese your heart compels you toward Seasonings to taste (paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder. etc.)

Toppings can be whatever your heart desires, here are some options to inspire you: - Feta cheese - Tomatoes - Mushrooms - Spinach - Onions - Sausage

Directions: In a jar, add oats, chia seeds, some greek yogurt and your sweetener of choice. Afterward, add any toppings to the oat mixture that your heart desires and top it all off with your milk of choice. Mix well, add some more toppings to the top (if your heart desires) and store in the fridge to be consumed for suhoors to come.

COURTESY OF PEXELS

Directions: Start by prepping all of your toppings. If you are using fresh vegetables, make sure to cook them before adding them to the egg bits, and drain all the liquid from the vegetables to ensure the egg bites don’t get soggy.

In a blender (or bowl) combine the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese and seasoning to taste. Blend until smooth.

Pour the egg mixture into muffin trays (preferably silicon so it is easier to remove) about ¾ of the way to the top and add toppings of your choice over top of the egg.

Feel free to be as creative as you want here, and try making different variations of the egg bites so you do not get bored of the same egg flavors.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and bake the egg bites in a water bath for about 30-35 minutes. Allow them to cool, and store in the fridge or freezer for up to five days.

Reheat the egg bites in the microwave for the perfect quick and easy suhoor. Feel free to top the cooked egg bites with any extra toppings or sauces you have lying H around. ■

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

13

“Ins” and “Outs” for spring quarter FOLLOW THE TRENDS AND DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND. MARIBEL GAMEZ-REYES Assistant Features Editor

Thinking ahead — set your sights on the next quarter and what you can leave behind for your benefit and those around you. If you haven’t kept up with your New Year’s resolutions, don’t fall into distress, after all this here is a moment to reflect.

Commencing spring quarter, here are the “Ins” and “Outs” that we should strive to uphold: In: Better scooter etiquette Out: Being an inconsiderate scooter driver Now, this isn’t an attack on all scooter owners, but you know who you are if you’re a horrible scooter driver. If you find yourself offended, “sorry” not sorry. It just has to be addressed and hopefully dealt with starting next quarter. It’s quite unfortunate that I’ve actually seen scooter-pedestrian collisions more than once. If we were to do a frame-by-frame rewind of the cause, it comes down to the pedestrian sometimes walking while distracted, and almost always the scooter driver speeding to the point of not being able to prevent the collision. Applying this to the city’s driving scene, it’s emphasized that pedestrians have the right of way. In the same way that you avoid hitting someone with your car by being mindful of established traffic laws, be mindful of what is common sense. To write it out for you, there are bike and scooter lanes for a reason so use them and not the sidewalk. If you’re traversing through campus, keep in mind what are the most crowded routes and which ones permit you to speed a little more if that’s your adrenaline kick. Find what works for you, but don’t make those around you collateral damage of your negligence.

Ins: A widespread study sesh schedule that allows you to prepare with an ample amount of time Outs: All-nighters Instead of unbearable long nights of attempting to ‘absorb’ your class material in a single sitting for the next day’s exams, create a schedule that doesn’t deprive you of much-needed sleep. For the sake of your mental sanity, choose an alternative schedule that allows you to spread out multiple study sessions in a timeframe of your choosing. This will allow you to study for shorter amounts of time, leaving leisure room for any personal interests you want to indulge in. In college, maturing is realizing that all-nighters are never the right answer. You are in control of these aspects of your life; don’t make things harder than they have to be. If you truly give a more realistic and widespread schedule for studying, the results should reflect your efforts. If you find yourself defaulting to your past ways, call it a day and go to sleep because if you don’t know the material, a couple of stressful hours won’t make a grand difference.

Ins: Meal-prepping and maintaining a good diet Outs: Unhealthy eating habits Sometimes it becomes a nuisance to incorporate a well-balanced meal three times a day into your already overwhelming full schedule, but I implore you to try and see things from a different perspective. We are all here on the journey of earning our degree, but to reach the finish line and revel in the reward of your hard work, you need a nutritious diet to keep you moving. It won’t be worth anything if you cause irreparable H damage to your health by neglecting your food intake.■

Feed your brain with this meal-prep guide LEARN HOW TO SET A MEAL-PREP ROUTINE IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAUNTING FINALS WEEK. BRENDA JOVEL Editor-in-Chief

Gone are the days of your parents’ freshly cooked meals whenever you came home from school. If college has shown me anything, it is possible to run on a granola bar until the god-given hours of the night when you either eat your struggle sandwich or some quick ramen.

As finals season rains upon us, it is time to prepare meals so you are not starving yourself while cramming last-minute studies and crying into your pillow every night.

This is a simple guide that you will hopefully adopt to not only feel well-nourished during finals week, but also confident in your test-taking abilities.

Step 1: Make. A. Grocery. List. Before even stepping foot into the store, make sure you have a set list in mind rather than aimlessly roaming around the aisles for hours till end. Avoid getting things that you probably won’t eat that will end up rotting in your fridge for the next few weeks. Instead, call your parents and ask how to prepare some of your favorite home meals. They will probably give you the basic version of these recipes to make it easier on your end, while praying that you won’t burn your college apartment down. You can also look on Pinterest for simple one-pot/pan recipes or a quick Google search on the New York Times food column. I would recommend getting ingredients that you are familiar with, and try to avoid experimenting the first time you cook. You don’t want to end up with a horrible-tasting meal before your 7 p.m. final.

Step 2: Go to the grocery store. Whether that be Food 4 Less, Ralphs, Trader Joe’s or any other store, simply go and shop. Both Food 4 Less and Ralphs offer sales if you download their rewards programs, which help with saving money on the tight student budgets we all live on. If you don’t have a car, try taking the bus, aka the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA). Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) teamed up with RTA to offer students free passes whenever needed. Simply swipe your R’Card and you’re in!

Or maybe you have a friendly roommate that you can grocery shop with. Regardless, there are accessible ways to get to the grocery store of your choice. The only thing required is your energy and will to make delicious food for the week.

Step 3: Now that you are in the store, go straight to what you have set on your grocery list.

Now, it is okay to get a couple of snacks to keep beside you while you study, but don’t buy that loaf of bread if you truly don’t need it. Try to stick to what is on your list, especially if you’re making set meals for the week that require specific ingredients.

A couple of the meals that I like to meal prep include veggies such as cauliflower (the best vegetable on this planet), green beans, broccoli, asparagus (if my funds allow it) and bell peppers. They are usually paired with pan-fried chicken, rice, beef, or ground turkey. If you know what certain ingredients taste good together, then you can practically make anything that comes to your mind. Knowing how to pair ingredients is a skill, so make sure to practice cooking and following the occasional recipe for new meals.

Step 4: Set time aside to actually make these meals. The good thing about meal-prepping is that you don’t have to worry about constantly cooking every day. Though cooking can be fun, it can also be a grueling task, especially during finals week. Use your Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening before finals week to stay in your kitchen and cook. You can prepare overnight oats for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and a healthy dinner of your choice. Every college student living on campus is probably paying between $400 to $1,200 in rent, so use your kitchen as much as you can because it is worth it. Once you have these meals set and cooled down, place them in glass or plastic containers and store them in your fridge for the week. If this process of meal preparation works for your finals, maybe try incorporating it into your weekly routine. It will probably save you the exhaustion of having to make those struggle meals on nights where you’d H prefer to sleep and relax. ■

IMAGES COURTESY OF PEXELS

14 TUESDAY, FEB 13, 2024

Hunting for housing

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS OF FINDING YOUR NEXT ON-CAMPUS OR OFF-CAMPUS HOME. ASHLEY CARRANZA Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 Housing Services hosted an event at the Highlander Union Building (HUB) to help students navigate the process of hunting for housing. They acknowledged the difficulty finding housing and the planning it takes to find the best fit for you. Here are some questions they came up with to ask yourself when planning where you’re going to live next quarter or year.

Planning The first step toward finding housing for the next school year is to be prepared by planning ahead. Ask yourself important questions such as where you would ideally want to live and what price ranges are in or out of your budget. Planning ahead of time can also prepare you for the difficulties that many University of California, Riverside (UCR) students face when looking for housing if they are scrambling at the last minute. Giving yourself enough time to think about where you want to live is vital when planning ahead; it lets you take your time in deciding about important factors rather than being rushed to accept an offer because you’re desperate. Here are some questions that may be helpful to consider: 1. What is the amount of miles you are willing to travel according to your class schedule?

2. What will your transportation to campus look like in the future? What kind of parking is in your budget to purchase?

3. Does your financial status allow you to consider living without a roommate?

4. Do you want to have roommates?

5. How many roommates will you have if your budget can not afford you to live alone?

That brings us to an equally important step two, determining your budget. Figuring out how to come up with a financial plan can be overwhelming, so here are some steps on how to break down your monthly or quarterly budget.

For starters, list your income and how often you get paid (ex: biweekly, monthly, etc.) If you receive a refund from financial aid, also add that to your income. The amount of money you receive each quarter divided by the months will determine how much your monthly income will be. For example, if your quarterly refund is $3,000 divided by three, you receive a monthly income of $1,000.

If you have any family or friends contributing toward your finances, add that amount to your income as well. Any side hustles that bring in profit (ex: photography for friends, etsy shops, etc.), add that to your income as well.

The next step in the budgeting process will be to make a list of your current and anticipated expenses. Think about what you spend your money on daily and any recurring charges. If you are unsure, take a look at your bank statements. It may feel overwhelming at first, so try to think of expenses that you normally will spend before diving deeper into your miscellaneous expenses.

This will help you determine your bills that are fixed, such as rent and utilities, from your variable expenses that fluctuate between months, like items such as personal care and groceries. A tip that can help you differentiate between fixed and variable expenses is to determine what are needs and what are wants. Food and housing should be your top priority and your wants will be things you can eliminate if your budget requires you to. Saving money by doing things like making coffee at home rather than buying one before class, buying store brand name items rather than name brands and cutting back on nights out with friends can help accumulate money into your savings.

After figuring out your monthly budget, decide if you would like to live on campus or off campus. The application process will greatly depend on whether you’ll be submitting a housing application with UCR or with an outside party. If you are applying within UCR, keep in mind that you will have to pay a $200 security deposit. If you apply outside of UCR, additional expenses like moving expenses and property taxes will need to be added to your budget. Some rentals and leases may have rental insurance included in their monthly rent, whereas some will have it as an option.

But don’t feel overwhelmed by the extra expenses! UCR’s Financial Wellness Program has a general monthly budget template that is accessible for students to use. Once you’ve accessed the template you’ll be able to create your budget more accurately. This is an estimated budget for what UCR projects will cost for one academic year (September - June) for one student. It’s based on what your living situation is whether that be on-campus or off-campus, direct cost and indirect cost, so the amount will vary depending on your living situation. For example, housing and food for a student on campus was $18,925 for the year 2023-2024 which was roughly $2,057 a month while off-campus housing was $13,800, which meant the rent budget was up to $1,500. Living with family was less than half the cost of living on campus: $7,725. Now that you have an idea of how much your fixed monthly expenses are, you can evaluate a plan. Take your income and subtract it from your monthly expenses. If your budget is over, cut some of your variable expenses.

On-Campus Living Options Now, deciding where to live! If you opt to live on campus, the residence halls and on-campus apartments are the two categorical options you have for applying through the housing portal. Keep in mind that when you live in resident halls or Glen Mor, you do need to have a dining plan. Let’s break it down beginning with Campus Apartments.

North District has its own contract which means you will have to apply separately through the Housing portal. You will see two different contracts, one for the general four campus apartments and one specifically for North District. Also, Stonehaven is through a third party which means they charge for their own separate bills. If you are undecided between The Plaza, Falkirk, Bannockburn Village, Glen Mor and Stonehaven, go on the housing website, housing.ucr.edu, to take a 360-degree tour of each apartment. This will also allow you to see the amenities that each apartment provides like furniture, wifi and on-site washers and dryers. For the Campus apartments, dining plans are optional except for Glen Mor. If you would like to see the rates billing and terms for each apartment, go to the page and look at rates and contracts. You will find individual links for each apartment. Make sure to take the time to read the contracts to understand the cancellation policies. If you have questions about the contracts, please contact housing services. They are more than happy to assist you and answer questions! Deja S. McAlister is the housing contract coordinator and Carla Lopez is the housing specialist and basic needs specialist.

When applying for on-campus housing and off-campus housing, please keep in mind housing deadlines. If you miss the deadline, you are forfeiting the opportunity to apply and will have to reapply again for the next year. Make sure you are following directions and checking your emails daily. If you are confused, please call housing services to ask questions. Be diligent in checking your email for those updates.

If you are living on campus, meal plans will be included. Meal swipes allow you to access Glasgow Residential Restaurant and The Barn. For everything else, you can use dining dollars. If you need to check how much you have, you can go through R’Web or UCR Card Services to figure out how many you have left in your account. For the next academic calendar, Residential Life will be changing its name to Residential Education. Student staff positions like Residential Assistants (RA) are there to help make your transition from home to school easier, so reach out to them with any questions, as they are there to assist you. If you want a job on campus and you don’t want to pay rent, you can apply to be a RA! That will mean taking housing expenses and food out of your budget because rent is free or at a discounted rate and the job comes with a meal plan. An additional benefit to living on campus is the opportunity to not have to consider a long commute.

Off-Campus Living Options When looking for housing off campus, it may become overwhelming due to the fact that there are many options available in Riverside and the Inland Empire.

The recommended time to search for an apartment if you want to move in before the school is around June and July because this is when there are many options available due to graduating seniors and students moving back home. If you apply too early, the apartment you want may not be vacant because people have not ended their leases yet. Be mindful of your lease before moving out if you already live in a rented space by making sure you know how many days your apartment needs to be notified of your moving. When looking at off-housing listing services, make sure to filter your searches like how far do you wanna walk, are utilities included and if there are any on-site amenities.

To avoid scams, please be aware of the red flags during the application process. If you are being asked to wire money or they have a dramatic landlord story, stop the application! If they claim they can’t meet you or won’t meet you in person, stop the application! Never pay an application fee before viewing the unit and a general rule of thumb, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Please make sure to view the unit before the application fee to ensure it’s physically there.

Final Steps The last step is the application process is finally signing the lease. Remember, if there’s a clause that you don’t understand, ask questions, be proactive and learn what it means. A tip when deciding what apartment to choose is to read some reviews from previous renters online. Additionally, ask about topics such as late fees, renters insurance and billing to your potential landlord before signing. If you are paying rent with your UCR refund, keep in mind financial aid sometimes lags, so also make sure you know what’s the grace period for paying rent. Another thing to keep in mind is that there are two types of leases you can run into: joint and individual. An individual lease means you are responsible for your own half of the rent. If your roommate leaves, that will not affect you. A joint lease means that you will be sharing the rent bill, so if you have roommate struggles or changes, you still have to work out rent with them.

Finally, know your rights and responsibilities. Some affiliations that can help you with any landlord issues or housing problems are ASUCR Legal Clinic, Riverside Legal Aid Fair and Housing Council of Riverside. Another great resource is the The CA Tenants Guide, which can help readers stay updated on their rights. For example, the guide states that as of July 1, 2024, landlords are prohibited from asking for two to three times the rent as a security deposit.

Hopefully, these steps will help you in your hunt for housing — good luck out there Highlanders! ■ H

IMAGE COURTESY OF FREEPIK

Radar

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

RADAR

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

15

Film Fest: A memorable cinematic experience showing off UCR filmmakers UCR students showcase their filmmaking talent.

BRENDAN VO Radar Editor

On Feb. 29, the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) presented Film Fest, an event that showcased six works of fellow University of California, Riverside (UCR) student filmmakers where the top three student films would win awards. The competition was judged by professor of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production (TFDP) Dr. Bella Merlin, a regular director for TFDP productions and acting teacher, alongside Dr. Stuart Krieger, who wrote the animated classic “The Land Before Time” for producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and is a professor of screen and television writing for TDFP. The prizes featured a bronze, silver and gold Scotty for third, second and first place winners respectively. Each awardee was also given a unique prize such as the third place awardee winning a director’s slate, the second place awardee winning a projector and the first place awardee winning $200.

Line The line formed at around 5:45 p.m. and at approximately 6:25 p.m. tickets that would be turned in for merchandise were handed out, ensuring that there was a clear expectation of who would be able to get merchandise even before the start of the event.

A bit before 7:00 p.m., ASPB would let it in the line, swiftly directing students to the frontmost seats to fill in as much space as possible.

Amenities Before the show started, entrants were able to help themselves to several foods and beverages from different stations. The main station had a variety of desserts that included cheesecake bites, brownies, chocolate-chip cookies, madeleine and palmier cookies. It also included a beverage section that sported apple cider, hot chocolate and mini water bottles. Another inclusion was a Rockstar drink station that featured a variety of Rockstar flavors students could help themselves to.

Films Summer Hussain’s first film, “I’m Not In Love” was the first to be played. The short movie explored her main character trying to get over not only a creative block as an artist but also heartbreak, which was inspired by Hussain’s experience with her own creative block. As Hussain’s character finds himself overcoming a breakup he rises to the task of creating a new painting (perhaps with a blank canvas symbolizing a fresh start), the viewing experience is profoundly cathartic. It is unfortunate, though, that there were technical difficulties with the playing of the film as the video was zoomed in, so it had to be played once more properly.

The next showcased film was Liz Waddleton’s “Modern Romance.” Inspired by a love for horror, her film reflects the comedic terror that comes with contemporary dating. Gaining many laughs and eliciting reactions from the audience as her character

IMAGES COURTESY OF JASPER TANGSRIWONG

faces a snowballing series of terrible dates, the film was strong on many levels, which included great cinematography with color-popping shots. It felt like a very polished viewing experience, despite an unfortunately quiet audio. A fun fact about the film was that its last shot of her character getting proposed to looked so realistic that a passerby jogger thought it was real and congratulated the fake couple.

Following Waddleton was Jaymee Martinez-Romero’s film “En El Mercado.” Her short film focused on the college experience of finding independence, but also connecting back to your roots — a tension that many can relate to. How “En El Mercado” turned a seemingly mundane idea of a shopping trip into a sentimental piece that was diabetically sweet is nothing short of impressive, especially considering how the piece could resonate with many of the students in the audience. Martinez-Romero also left audiences with a wholesome sentiment, stating that you can find community anywhere and she found hers in UCR. The fourth short movie to be showcased was Valentina Munoz’s “The Blue Bloom.”

Munoz would cite how the film was inspired by an emotional moment she faced in December and her determination to turn that sad moment into a great one to hopefully inspire people to be happy despite the difficulties of life. With much symbolism behind many elements of her movie, like the old-timey background music, the prevalence of the color blue and flower imagery, the film is a deep viewing experience.

Following “The Blue Bloom” was Justin Takiguchi’s “Pay Back” which he described to be a story about the main character trying to break into someone’s house with ambiguous intentions. Amped up by the rock music (made by the filmmaker himself), “Pay Back” captured the joy of films. Under the guise of a serious action movie, Takiguchi plays with subversion and goofiness and produces an incredibly fun film that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Lastly, Daniel Herrera’s “SURRENDER” caps off the night as the last short film.

Herrera would summarize his movie as a stalker attempting to go on a date, unsure of what he wants from it. His film was uniquely styled, feeling like a slide show that used still frames and accompanied music. This aesthetic lent to an intensely suspenseful and rivetingly visceral viewing experience. Herrera would also cite how he focused on delivering subtle facial expressions that would allude to the stalker’s creepiness and how creating the film had him thinking the way a stalker would.

Results 1st Place: Liz Waddleton’s “Modern Romance.”

2nd Place: Jaymee Martinez-Romero’s “En El Mercado.”

3rd Place: Valentina Munoz’s “The Blue Bloom” ■ H

16

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

RADAR

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

Radar Replay:

Revisiting Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ A timeless story, unforgettable score and undeniable obsession.

MARIBEL GAMEZ-REYES Assistant Features Editor

Encapsulating the musical experience of Broadway’s longest-running show, Joel Schumacher directed a seamless transition from stage to screen in his 2004 adaptation of “The Phantom of the Opera.” With a notable track record of accomplished films, his ambitious execution resulted in a well-rounded installment. With preceding films paying homage to the novel, Schumacher’s formidable adaptation was distinguishable as it encompassed the original musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, inspired by Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name. Keeping the essence of the musical, Schumacher introduced “The Phantom of the Opera” to wider audiences, bringing a taste of Broadway’s most haunting love story to more accessible mediums.

With a talented cast, lavish costumes, a re-orchestrated soundtrack and visually striking cinematography capturing the colorful and vibrantly constructed sets — the adaptation is a sordid retelling that profoundly resonates, leaving an indelible impression in the hearts of viewers. Years later, there are still mixed reviews of the film that interpret it as sublime or purely kitsch, mainly relying on individual preferences of adherence to the musical or novel. In the course of a two-hour and 21-minute run-time, the film covers some of the most memorable scenes in the musical, such as the labyrinth underground, building up to cue the iconic title song and duet between Christine and the Phantom himself. Adjacently coherent with the musical’s two-act structure, the cinematic experience does a phenomenal job of following the sequences and creating the same theatrical excitement within the film.

The opening prologue of the film sets the stage in 1919, with a glimpse into the Paris Opera House presently auctioning off artifacts of the dilapidated theatre. With a grainy black-and-white semblance resembling that of silent films, it isn’t until the grandiose chandelier is announced to have been repaired and illuminated that the invigorating overture comes to life. The lights activate the seeping of colors over consecutive shots

of the cobwebbed chairs, dusty statues, dull faded walls and restoring all to what it was in the past, set in 1870.

The refined choice to cast Emmy Rossum as Christine Daae comes across organically as her vocal prowess and youthful visuals align with her character, who navigates a promising opportunity as a vocalist with the unknown guidance of the “Angel of Music,” also known as the Phantom (Gerard Butler). Scheming in the shadows of the Paris Opera House, Butler captures the tortured soul and complex infatuation of Christine that his character embodies. Unraveling the harmony of the conditions in place, a change of the theatre’s owners brings on board a new patron, Raoul (Patrick Wilson), with an endearing shared past with Christine, who is the third principal of the crucial triangle for the development of the story.

Complementing the exceptional acting, the cast demonstrates their vocal capabilities with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revamping of the original 1987 album that repurposes cinema with a full symphony orchestra. With over 14 tracks throughout the entirety of the film, there is a lot to commend, from vocal control and musical timing to the emotional heft that adds a stimulating sentimental reaction.

With a straightforward name like “Phantom of the Opera,” there is a familiarity of having a conjured idea and expectation from the film; however, this adaptation elevated this by maintaining an elegant elusiveness that can be subtly appreciated. Mirroring the fate of the Paris Opera House in the film, the Broadway musical ended its record run on Apr. 16, 2023. However, when questioned about the show’s possible return in a Vogue interview, British theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh replied, “All the great musicals do.” Until then, “All I Ask of You” is to find solace in the timeless masterpiece that is the 2004 adaptation of “Phantom of the Opera.” ■ H

‘Through My Window: Looking at You’: maybe it’s time to close the window The Netflix adaptation of the Wattpad story delves into the complicated and unrefined romance between two lovers who might have been better off apart.

SPANDANA JANAPATI Staff Writer

“Through My Window: Looking at You,” the third and final installment of the “Through My Window” movie trilogy, follows the relationship between Raquel (Clara Galle) and Ares Hidalgo (Julio Peña) as they navigate the aftermath of Yoshi (Guillermo Lasheras), one of Raquel’s best friends’, death. Based on the novel originally published on Wattpad by author Ariana Godoy, this Spanish Netflix drama concludes Raquel and Ares’ exhausting and repetitive back-and-forth story. Released on Feb. 23, Director Marçal Forès attempts to create a touching drama and a steamy romance set against the backdrop of Spain’s nightlife and club culture but only succeeds in shallow conversations and underdeveloped plot lines.

The film starts with Raquel and Ares, post-breakup after an exchange of harsh words at Yoshi’s funeral in the previous movie, “Through My Window: Across the Sea.” Although Raquel is now in a relationship with her writer friend Gregory (Ivan Lapadula) and Ares is in a relationship with his medical school friend Vera (Andrea Chaparro), the two can’t seem to stop wanting each other, entering into a cycle of cheating, deceit and terrible communication. Raquel, facing questions about a new book, finds herself reconstructing the story between herself and Ares once again in search of a sequel. Ares, on the other hand, deals with the same parental pressure of upholding the Hidalgo family name and honor through his relationships and career pursuits. Just as Ares pushes back against familial expectations and chooses to be with Raquel, an accidentally-on-purpose drugging by Greg’s sister and Yoshi’s girlfriend before his passing, Anna (Carla Tous), sends both Raquel and Ares to the hospital. Eventually, the two get a happy ending, as Forès included a time jump to a future where Ares and Raquel are starting a new life together.

Although Forès gave other characters in this movie happy endings as well, there were significant holes in the story and several unanswered or poorly concluded plot lines that made the movie less than satisfying.

A glaring hole in the plot was apparent right from the start of this movie when it came to the relationship between the older Hidalgo brother, Artemis (Eric Masip), and the Hidalgo family maid, Claudia (Emilia Lazo). In “Through My Window: Across the

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Sea”, the two were involved in a toxic relationship with an undeniable power dynamic and problems with respect. However, in this movie, the two appear to be more in love than ever with Claudia’s pregnancy. Also, issues between the two in terms of money and family dynamics are briefly touched on but never fully addressed, leaving the audience wondering how and why the two ended up together.

Furthermore, Anna’s initial anger toward Raquel felt baseless, especially as she somehow blamed Raquel and Ares’ relationship for Yoshi’s death. While Anna’s grief is understandable, her drugging Raquel’s drink at the book publishing party felt unnecessary as there was nothing Anna would have accomplished. The drugging and overdose were simply used to recreate a plot line where the audience endures Ares’ chlorine allergy in live action once again. Perhaps Forès was attempting to create an interplay between the three movies with Ares being the hero but it falls short of creating this meaningful connection.

Spanish techno-pop, modern rock and funk music were used throughout this film to create the aura of romantic pining and teen partying. The exciting soundtrack, however, could not strengthen the character’s relationships or their acting. The funky music at the beginning of the film paints a picture of teen romance but fails to deliver this excitement as the movie progresses.

Additionally, in regards to the actors, Julio Peña’s acting specifically failed in delivering emotionally charged lines and his facial expressions didn’t match what was needed to receive the audience’s sympathy. A similar conclusion can be drawn about Clara Galle who does a mediocre job in portraying Raquel’s internal conflict.

The film felt rushed as it grasped for a logical ending for Raquel and Ares’s story.

It seems that Forès believed a rugged beard and glasses for Ares and some blonde hair extensions for Raquel would be enough to appease viewers’ questions about misguided H plotlines and forgotten arguments between the characters. ■

Verdict: “Through My Window: Looking at You” fails to provide an adequate romance worth rooting for while using convoluted plotlines to create unnecessary drama and toxicity within all relationships portrayed throughout the film.

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RADAR

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

17

Soulmates do exist in ‘Born to Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours’

Rihanna’s latest short film and collab with beau, A$AP Rocky, promotes her newest lip balm and shows off their intimate love.

BRENDA JOVEL Editor-in-Chief

For those still waiting for Rihanna to release music, collect your napkins or handkerchiefs because it is going to be a hot minute until that happens. Rihanna’s latest project released on YouTube titled, “Born to Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours,” is a one-minute and 53-second short film promoting her newest product in her Fenty Beauty line, Lux Balm Ultra-Hydrating Cherry Lip Balm. Though what may seem like just another unique form of marketing, the short film also explores the banter of relationships and the definition of self-care.

Captured in black and white and set in the 20s era, the film is narrated by a male voice, seemingly Rocky, who captures the elegant and devious essence of Rihanna. “She was a classy dame, but she had odd ways of showing her affection,” are the first lines that are spoken as Rihanna looks into the camera. Her makeup and hair are perfectly done to match the classy and ageless aesthetic of the 20s.

Bouncy piano music creates a playful tone at the beginning of the film, emphasizing the lighthearted nature between Rihanna and Rocky. She later goes into his closet while he narrates, “The male chooses his attire carefully. Although the female choices are endless, she borrows from the male for her camouflage.” The dialogue plays around with the conventional joke of a partner stealing from their significant other’s (SO) closet. The narrator then says, “The more Savage of the species, the females are known to hoard from the unsuspecting males.” Not only referencing Rihanna’s lingerie line, Savage X Fenty, the narrator also continues to make fun of the stealing and borrowing of clothes from one’s SO as Rihanna steals a blazer from her beau’s closet. Throughout this scene, she exudes a mysteriousness to her character as if acknowledging her sneaky actions. It is clever and humorous, to say the least.

COURTESY OF FENTY BEAUTY

Glimpses of her Lux Balm are shown as Rocky ponders where his blazer might have gone. His wardrobe matches the aesthetic the film sets; a striped shirt tucked into dark pants and black gloves make him look clean and effortless while applying the balm. The promo could not honestly get better; Rihanna has outshined her competitors into nonexistence.

The final scenes of the film show the couple’s easy-going nature with one another throughout a series of scenes. Rihanna steals the blanket from Rocky, leaving him to sleep in the cold. She steals his pancakes, indulging in them mischievously, and proves that she has also taken Rocky’s lip balm. The narrator then says, “So when I finally solved the case of my missing Lux Balm, I wasn’t surprised when she surfaced. Not so fast baby, this one’s mine” before Rocky smiles into the camera, gleefully.

Miniscule in its duration, the short film’s jovial nature of its depiction of relationships is also layered with the importance of taking care of one’s body. This is directed at particularly men as they have usually been shown throughout history that they lack self-care or barely know what a skincare routine is at all. Today, there has been an emphasis on self-care for men as more products are geared towards them. For all the men out there, it is H okay to moisturize your lips, and as the short film states: “lips speak louder than words.” ■

Verdict:

Witty and romantic, “Born to Steal, Yours, Mine, Ours” was a successful marketing tool that will most likely make you jealous of Rihanna and Rocky’s in-sync chemistry.

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TWICE’s ‘With YOU-th’ is, unfortunately, not love at first listen The queens of bubblegum K-pop come out with a new EP that makes listeners question the rightful owners of those crowns.

STELA NOELLE ABASTA Contributing Writer

On Feb. 23, the successful K-pop girl group TWICE released their EP “With YOUth.” It’s their thirteenth EP, consisting of six tracks, and released in the midst of TWICE’s “READY TO BE” world tour. The group is known for songs “Cheer Up,” “TT,” “What is Love?” “Yes or Yes” and “Feel Special” — continuing the themes of past tracks, “With YOU-th” has bright tunes and heartfelt optimism, perfect for the coming of spring. The capitalized “YOU” in the EP’s title references the group’s togetherness and loyalty to their fans. In a Reuters article, rapper Chaeyoung said, “I think this album is a collection of things that represent our youth, the friendship and special bond that glues the nine of us and that only TWICE can show.”

The introduction to the EP is TWICE’S third original English-language single “I GOT YOU,” first released as a single on Feb. 2. Both John Morais and Daniel Seavey, members of the American boy group Why Don’t We, were credited as songwriters. “I GOT YOU” is a high-energy, synth-driven, fully English pop song that describes the friendship and love between the group’s members. In a more general analysis of the song, it’s about TWICE finding themselves in a healthy relationship with someone who’d accompany them into their best and most difficult times of life. It features a bubbly new-wave style beat that makes it feel like it could be a part of the soundtrack of a happy coming-of-age 80s movie.

According to Musicstax, the song was composed in the key of G-sharp Major and has a tempo of 176 beats per minute. TWICE’s agency, Jin-young Park (JYP) Entertainment, stated that this song is expressing how “[e]ven during difficult situations, I was always happy because of ‘you’ and we will overcome those hardships ‘together’ as always,” per Korea JoongAng Daily. In the pre-chorus, rapper Dahyun sings, “We were lightning from the start / And it keeps me going to know that.” Here, she sings to TWICE’s fandom, ONCE. Later, in the chorus, the girls sing the song’s title, “No matter what, you got me / I got you.” In an interview with Apple Music, vocalist Sana says, “It’s saying we’re always

Verdict:

going to be there for each other, either as a family or a team.”

The beat is catchy, and the 80s synths in the song’s introduction are unexpected but welcome. However, the melody is something that listeners have to listen to a few more times before it causes earworm because it has a semblance of familiarity that feels overdone in other songs. Although this is mainly a sweet love song to the members, the lyrics seem to be made cheesier by it being completely English. In general, the song, despite being the most popular on the EP, is nothing extraordinary.

Next is the title track, “ONE SPARK.” In the Apple Music interview, rapper Momo says, “TWICE’s sparkling moment of youth and passion — that’s what we wanted to express here.” Leader Jihyo described this song as their first attempt at a “drum ‘n’ bass style.” Genius confirms this as a “dance-pop track with a fast-tempo bass” and “built on fast electro.” It is an energetic, upbeat song, showing that the girls weren’t afraid to embrace the feelings deep in their hearts for their significant other.

Jihyo shared her hopes, “It’s got a dreamy sound and melody that I hope listeners will find exciting.” Although an exciting song, listeners wouldn’t use the word “dreamy” to describe the song. The only “dreamy” parts of the song are the “ahh’s” in the background of the pre-chorus and the short twinkling sound bite in the background of the bridge.

The chorus is repetitive with all the “burning, burning, burning”s and “hurting, hurting, hurtings.” However, the ad-lib “what’s” in the second verse is fun and reminiscent of the song “YOUTH” by Troye Sivan. The song ends with vocalist Nayeon singing a lyric of the chorus, “Cause my heart is burning, burning, burning,” but it feels a bit odd and out of place, because, suddenly, the entire backing track is gone and Nayeon’s voice is the only one that’s left. Listeners and fans of TWICE acknowledge her vocal talent, but the ending H felt out of place without a smooth transition. ■

Although TWICE’s “With YOU-th” was released at the perfect time to welcome the return of spring with its cheery vibe, the songs themselves are barely better than average.

18 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

RADAR

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Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ is a well-made disappointment that struggles to satisfy fans

The question of whether Netflix’s adaptation of the beloved cartoon can reach high expectations looms large.

KIMBERLY BEJEC AND BRENDAN VO Assistant Radar Editor and Radar Editor

Nickelodeon’s animated series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-2008) was one of their most successful shows. With a massive following and an endless amount of positive reviews, the show has become a cult classic and many fans’ top favorite series. In 2018, Netflix announced a “reimagined, live-action” series from the original cartoon. People were then split as they were hesitant about how the series would turn out to be. On Feb. 22, the eight-episode Netflix series was released and had generally mixed reviews from viewers.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a fantasy action television series in a world ravaged by war and split into four nations: the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. Some select people can “bend” and manipulate one of the four elements based on which nation they belong to. The Avatar is the person who can master all four elements while being tasked with maintaining balance and peace. However, after the Fire Nation attacked, the Avatar vanished. A hundred years later, the Avatar, Aang (Gordon Cormier) reemerges as the Fire Nation is close to winning the war. Although he still has much to learn, he begins his journey to save the world while making lifelong friends.

One of the few redeeming qualities of the show lies in the character casting and the proper representation of their backgrounds. In the original cartoon, many characters were of Asian and Indigenous descent. Netflix made an effort to cast culturally appropriate actors according to their roles that weren’t white-washed. With actors fitting their characters such as Kiawentiio Tarbell and Dallas Liu for Katara and Prince Zuko, respectively, the show demonstrated their ability to remain true to the source in this particular sense. Kiawentiio has Indigenous background, as she was born into the Mohawk family and Liu is of Chinese Indonesian descent.

The one exception to the representative ensemble is Ian Ousley who plays Sokka. Despite being described as Native American and of the Cherokee tribe, it was revealed that he was not enrolled in any of the federally recognized Cherokee tribes. As a result, fans were outraged at the lying and casting of Ousely. However, many viewers still praised the actors for fitting into their roles and being physically similar to the characters themselves.

With a few outliers, the acting in the show fell incredibly flat. The wide range of zany emotions that breathed life into the cartoons was completely absent in the live-action cast as the live-action portrayals of characters felt as if they had the charm sucked out of them.

This was especially evident with Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Zhao (Ken Leung). The fact that Sun-Hyung Lee as Iroh scarcely smiles or cracks any jokes completely sabotages his character and, similarly, Leung fails to capture the menace of the scheming Zhao in a superficially, one-noted performance.

Despite most of the cast’s mediocre acting, one standout character portrayal was Dallas James Liu’s Zuko. Liu nails the intense, fiery Zuko with a one-tracked mind to capture the Avatar containing a bit of sassiness that rounds out his character. An honorable mention would also be Suki’s (Maria Zhang) brief acting performance that captured a strong, fierce warrior who bests her enemies, yet has an adorable, wide-eyed curiosity and yearning to see the world.

Another major low of the series is the writing, which translated into some awkward dialogue between the characters that diminished their performance. There were particular scenes in which the dialogue felt too forced, such as giving Aang inspirational lines that felt unnatural in the moment. Additionally, the writing often brought the characters down, diminishing the actors’ natural charm that could have contributed to their roles. The awkwardness of various lines was enough to make viewers cringe and consider not continuing their watch.

While the show tries to find a middle ground between modern times and the original story that came out almost two decades ago, the changes made to characters often bring them down. For example, not making Sokka a misogynist at the beginning of the show

diminishes the potential for his character growth. Additionally, it makes his character less dynamic when compared to the original.

The action sequences in the show have some merit as they demonstrate the elemental bending with passing-grade computer-generated imagery effects. However, what stunts the potential of the live-action fight scenes is the dizzying high amount of cuts during these scenes. While this decision was probably made to create a sense of dynamism, it comes off as a cheap crutch and instead disorients the viewer. So, instead of producing any fun, awesome action, Netflix viewers are instead treated to a viewing experience that violently induces nausea.

It doesn’t help either that the visuals are mostly lackluster. The green screens are so apparent that the poorly rendered backgrounds take viewers out of the immersion.

The costume design also comes off quite cartoony and off-putting, using vivid and bright colors. While it serves to distinguish the characters by the different nations, it loses a gritty edge that would have been cohesive with its more adult take on the original. The stylistic choice, then, just doesn’t feel organic and is awkwardly mixed into a young adult story.

Another issue many fans had with Netflix’s live adaptation was that it was done before and failed. In 2010, a live-action film “The Last Airbender,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan, was released. The movie had many things wrong with it such as the writing, whitewashed actors and bad visual effects. The Netflix series was a bit better than this movie when comparing the two. For the visual effects and representative cast, the series excels more in this regard.

Generally, although seeing the representation and shots from the cartoon being made into live-action is intriguing, butchering the story and losing its true meaning diminishes the qualities that make the overall story so good. There is a struggle to translate the action and fluidity of the cartoon into live-action, which is evident in both the movie and the Netflix series.

Despite the shortcomings of the show and few highlights, new viewers might like the Netflix show. However, that might not be the case for fans, especially if they hold the original cartoon in high regard. Overall, the reception from both viewers and fans is mixed with H some liking it when it stands on its own versus when it compares to the original. ■

Verdict: Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has many lows and very few highs. Ultimately, it will have viewers wanting to return to the original series instead.

DISTRIBUTED BY NICKELODEON

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Sports

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

19

Highlanders humbled in 51-62 loss to Hawaii ISAAC SOLNICK Staff Writer

Despite Makayla Jackson’s top performance, UCR split the season series with the Rainbow Wahine.

The score was even between UC Riverside (UCR) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 60-60 with time winding down in overtime. With the game on the line, the ball found its way to sophomore guard Jordyn Marshall. She drove to the hoop and finished a contested layup as time expired. Marshall’s game-winner extended UCR’s winning streak to four games going into their road matchup against the back-to-back champions.

This season, the Rainbow Wahine have picked up right where they left off. Like the Highlanders, Hawaii entered this contest coming off an overtime win and carrying a four-game winning streak. They sit on top of the Big West standings thanks to their undefeated conference record at home. Led by junior guards Lily Wahinekapu and Daejah Phillips, the Rainbow Wahine had extra motivation to win this game.

When these two teams met in Riverside earlier this year, the Highlanders won 66-58 off the back of senior guard Jordan Webster’s 28 points. With this also being Hawaii’s senior night for guards Ashley Thoms and Olivia Davies, the Rainbow Wahine were especially hungry to win this big game. The Highlanders knew they had their work cut out for them.

Right from tip-off, senior Julia Stenberg and sophomore Makayla Jackson showed they were up for the challenge. They each showed off the hustle with offensive rebounds and steals. These extra offensive opportunities helped UCR get out to an early lead. After a corner triple from fifth-year guard Ryanne Walters, she found Jackson in the same spot for a three of her own.

After Hawaii’s junior forward Jacque David and Jackson traded 3-pointers, the first TV timeout of the game came at a good time for the Rainbow Wahine. Coming out of the break, David turned the tide in favor of the home side. She drilled a transition three and then forced a travel call against redshirt senior Mathehya Bryant. With the crowd back into it, the Rainbow Wahine retook the lead with a 7-0 scoring run.

A crafty bucket from Marshall ended UCR’s scoring drought, but the Highlanders still found themselves down 14-11 after the first quarter.

The Rainbow Wahine came out of the gates quickly to start the second quarter. Junior guard Meilani McBee and Wahinekapu hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions for Hawaii. For the Highlanders, Jackson did whatever she could to keep her team in the game. Despite being one of the smallest players on the court, she continued to fight for offensive rebounds and score tough buckets inside.

While Jackson was carrying the offensive load for UCR, Webster was struggling to find her offensive rhythm. It was evident that the Rainbow Wahine remembered what happened in their previous meeting and wouldn’t give her an inch of space. They denied her the ball with aggressive off-ball defense. When Webster looked to score inside, help defenders were ready to collapse on her. They were happy to send her to the charity stripe, but Webster wasn’t getting anything easy.

With junior forward Esther Matarranz unavailable and Bryant in foul trouble, coach Brad Langston was forced to send out smaller lineups. Phillips in particular was a nuisance on the glass for the Highlanders. She made her presence felt by drawing fouls and getting well-timed steals. A late run in the quarter from Hawaii gave them a 30-19 lead into halftime.

The second half wouldn’t represent a turn of events for the Highlanders. The Rainbow Wahine kept rolling as Davies knocked down a pair of three-pointers to start the half.

After Webster, Walters and Jackson failed to convert on a 3-on-1 fastbreak, UCR quickly found themselves down 40-20. To credit the Highlanders, they refused to give up.

Coming out of the timeout, they would go on a 7-0 run and would eventually cut the lead to 8. After a rather smooth first half, the second half turned really scrappy. There were many fights for loose balls and extracurriculars in between plays. Webster and Jackson in particular were fearless when it came to battling for rebounds and 50/50 balls.

Hawaii would go on to win 62-51 and strengthen their grip on the #1 seed in the Big West.

While Webster failed to find her offensive groove, Jackson has proved she can be a secondary scorer for the Highlanders without sacrificing her vital defensive contributions.

She finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds while having to guard Wahinekapu on the defensive end. Jackson held the All Big-West First Team guard and former Freshman of the Year to just 8 points and a poor assist-to-turnover ratio of 1:3.

After tonight’s performance, Jackson has reached double-digits in scoring in 4 of her last 5 games. With just two games left before the Big West tournament, the Highlanders are going to need their secondary scorers like Jackson to pick up the slack during Webster’s off nights. After the tough loss to Hawaii, UCR will look to get back on track H on the road against Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m.■

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

20 TUESDAY, MAR 5, 2024

SPORTS

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Highlander Hot Take: Dave Roberts will be fired should the Dodgers not win the World Series this upcoming season KIANOOSH NOOSHI Assistant Sports Editor

The eight-season Dodger manager’s reputation is on the line should another season of disappointment befall the Los Angeles super team.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly enter every season among the favorites to win the World Series. Disappointingly, however, for the fans of one of Major League Baseball’s blue blood franchises, they have only one title since their win in the 1988 World Series.

That win coming in the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020 did not help discourse around the Dodgers as being among the league’s most disappointing teams year on year despite their stacked roster and massive payroll.

Teams, fans and media from around the league often voice their condescension at the Dodgers and their fans for what is perceived to be spoiled behavior given that the Dodgers have made the playoffs for the last decade straight, the longest streak in North American Sports. Dodgers fans have long complained about their team’s shortcomings and given the team’s expectations as well as the Avengers-level roster they build year on year, it’s hard not to see why fans are in uproar.

While it is said every year, the time truly is now to go on and win World Series titles given their new additions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani to their pitching rotation. The addition of Ohtani is especially important given that Ohtani is the face of baseball around the world and has the potential to be the greatest player in the history of the sport. His 10-year, $700 million contract is the largest deal in professional sports history. The Yamamoto deal is tied for the 15th largest deal in history and all in all, means the Dodgers have handed out over one billion dollars in contract

money in one offseason.

Given the level of investment into an already great roster with the addition of the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) as well as league-wide expectation of a title run, the pressure is at an all-time high for manager Dave Roberts. Roberts, who has been the Dodgers’ manager for the last eight seasons, has only brought one title in his tenure with the Dodgers despite being near the top of payrolls every single season.

Despite his amazing regular season record with only one season without winning the National League West, Roberts has consistently fallen short in the playoffs and brought disappointment to both fans and players. There have been growing calls for the team to fire Roberts and his own comments have only further raised expectations for the team.

Roberts rightfully risks his reputation should he not be able to bring a championship to Los Angeles this upcoming season and is the first name on the chopping block in the Dodgers organization. Potential replacements for Roberts should he be fired is in-house candidate, Clayton McCullough and USA manager for the World Baseball Classic, Mark DeRosa. While Roberts will be a popular name for managerial positions should he be fired, he is unlikely to ever manage in such a desirable destination again should this H upcoming season be deemed another failure. ■

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS