Volume 66 Issue 13 by The Highlander- UCR

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

est. 1954

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

VOL. 66, ISSUE 13

Carisha Moore Executive Vice President

Martin Cuenca President Pro Tempore

Mariam Al-Khalili CHASS Senator

Roy Tongilava CHASS Senator

Semere Mengistu CHASS Senator

Solomon Demeku-Ousman CHASS Senator

Marco Ornelas CHASS Senator

Reginald Wong CHASS Senator

Grant Nakaoka CHASS Senator

Carolyn Chang CHASS Senator

Valeria Orozco CNAS Senator

Matt Shashaty CNAS Senator

Yes No

Abstain

Priyanka Garg CNAS Senator

Andrew Ng CNAS Senator

Patrick Le BCOE Senator

Amanda Xaypraseuth BCOE Senator

THE

OVER PA RT Y ’ S

In last Wednesday’s meeting, ASUCR senators voted to ban political parties from the 2018 elections. The move makes UC Riverside the first UC campus to ban parties from their student elections and marks the second year in a row that all candidates will run independently.

ASUCR bans political parties for 2018 elections EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Jan. 17, ASUCR senators ofﬁcially voted to ban political parties in the 2018 ASUCR elections with a vote of 4-3-9. At 7:03 p.m., Elections Director Taylor Brown introduced the Senate Bill on Political Parties, which she described as “a strikethrough of everything that has to do with the language of parties.” The bill’s only amendment

raised the campaign expenses cap (the maximum amount of money a candidate can spend on a campaign) from $400 to $600. Brown explained that this vote was the senate’s opportunity to “listen to the students” and decide “whether we should save the status quo or make the change that we say we want to make.” Executive Vice President Carisha Moore opened discussion on the senate bill allowing 10 minutes of discussion each for those for and against the bill to address the senate.

Transfer student and third-year English major Justin Domecillo was the ﬁrst to speak, expressing his support for the legislation. “This senate bill is perfect for allowing students to feel heard,” said Domecillo. He spoke on the concerns of Costo Hall and members of the Diversity Council feeling excluded from the senate, stating that “oftentimes, (the senate) is elected because they have political party backings that people in Costo Hall might not have the ability to enter, be it economic or social-issue related. By strik-

ing down political parties, ASUCR makes very clear in a loud statement that they care about hearing student voices.” Another student, third-year physics major Omar Asad, also expressed his disillusionment with ASUCR’s political party system. “With political parties it is highly impractical for an individual to gain success, to obtain a position that you all obtained last year,” stated Asad. A representative from Asian Pacific Student Programs, who did not state

her name, explained that by perpetuating a party system in the elections, “students will never be the priority but the fulﬁllment of a party’s and the preservation of itself, that is the number one priority of the party system.” She continued, telling the senators that “if you truly believe you are sitting in these seats because of the repoire you have built and the core values that you hold, you should have no reason or fear of an independent election system.” ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 4

f UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander HighlanderTV NEWS 4

OPINIONS 7

FEATURES 11

RADAR 15

SPORTS 19

KUCR 88.3 FM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

HUMANS OF UCR

UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 3

EJ REDONDO, COMPUTER ENGINEERING, SECOND-YEAR

Tuesday

COMPILED BY MARTIN LOPEZ

Wednesday

Thursday

“My dad used to work on houses and he pretty much knew everything about them, because once you get familiar with the design of things

26 Friday

FLEAP General Information Session 10:00 a.m.– 11:00 a.m. Humanities & Social Sciences Building Courtyard

LGBT Tuesday Talk: My Sexuality Isn’t Consent 5:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. Costo Hall 245

Internship and Nonprofit Job Fair 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. HUB 302

Glow Stick Open House 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. SRC Challenge Course

GRE Strategy Session Featuring Princeton Review 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. HUB 269

ASPB Film Premiere: Maze Runner: The Death Cure Starting 10:00 p.m. University Village Theater

Women’s Tennis vs. Long Beach State Starting 1:30 p.m. Student Recreation Center

IIGB Seminar Speaker: Dr. Sarah O’Connor 12:10 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Genomics Building 1102A

Inaugural Oaxacan Philharmonic Banda Audition !2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Arts Building 166 - Outdoor Area

Basketball vs. Alumni Starting 12:00 p.m. Riverside Sports Complex

everything is pretty much the same ... That’s the highest tier of knowledge you can have. I want to have that general knowledge for computers someday too.”

Saturday

Women’s Tennis vs. Grand Canyon Starting 11:00 a.m. Student Recreation Center

Winter 2018 Weekday Carillon Recitals 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Belltower

Sunday

HIGHLANDER STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Quinn Minten

Myles Andrews-Duve editorinchief @highlandernews.org

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

NEWS EDITOR

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Evan Ismail

Andreas Rauch

news@highlandernews.org OPINIONS EDITOR

ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR

Christian Monroy

opinions@highlandernews.org FEATURES EDITOR

Julian Medranda

radar@highlandernews.org SPORTS EDITOR

Asst. Sports Editor

Jonathan Hammond

Jonathan Fernandez

sports@highlandernews.org

Aida Yeung

productionmanager @highlandernews.org PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Brandi Huynh, Stephanie Ma, Nicole Francis

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Asst. Photo Editor

Jimmy Lai

Martin Lopez

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bri Chew, Adrian Dizon, Thomas Holguin, Lydia Tsou VIDEO EDITOR

Catherine Yong

video.highlander@gmail.com BUSINESS MANAGER

Tamara Sasso

highlanderads@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

TECH DIRECTOR

Kevin Ciampaglia

techdirector@highlandernews.org

MARKETING COORDINATORS

Taylor Kim Amrita Kular

TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details. Business Office: (951) 827-3457

Classifieds & Billing: (951) 827-5039

Fax: (951) 827-7049

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chiraag Dave

Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org

Editorial Office: (951) 827-3617

A&E EDITOR

photo@highlandernews.org

marketing.highlander@gmail.com

The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Christian Monroy at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements. LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

Monday

MULTIMEDIA

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please submit Classifed ads by calling 951-827-3457 or by emailing Highlanderads@ucr.edu PAYMENT Visa and Mastercard Make checks payable to The Highlander Newspaper No refunds RATES Classiﬁed: $2 per line; 17 characters (spaces, dashes, etc.) MISCELLANEOUS Pregnant? Free counseling and services. We come to you. Holy Family Services, adoption & foster care. 1-800-464-2367.

ASPB Presents: La Chingona with Jenny Ruiz 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. HUB 302

UCRHIGHLANDER

UCR HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER @UCRHIGHLANDER UCRChannelH KUCR 88.3 FM, WEDNESDAYS @ 11:30 A.M.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

News ASUCR

ASUCR bans political parties for 2018 elections

► FROM ASUCR, PAGE 1

Shortly after, students opposed to banning political parties were given the chance to speak. ASUCR Vice President of Finance Jose Cortez-Hernandez began by speaking of the benefits of parties. Cortez-Hernandez, explained that political parties “promote diversity” and cited elections code guidelines Part 2, Item 1, Section C, that require parties to reach out to other groups on campus and not solely be dominated by, in particular, an extracurricular activity such as Greek life. He further explained that parties help prevent corruption, stating, “there’s no one that’s a tougher enforcer of elections codes than the opposite party.” Cortez-Hernandez cited the 2014 elections in which there were allegedly over 30 election violation cases brought against rival parties. Vice President of Internal Affairs Semi Cole similarly spoke in favor of political parties. Cole explained that ASUCR exists to better the student experience and that parties “make it more about a group of people rather than one person with an agenda.” He stated that political parties can have “diverse perspectives” and serve to advocate for all students. Cole stated that an independent system simply is not practical, saying, “there are 16 senators that sit on this board. Do you honestly think that someone will take the time to look at each and every one of their platforms? No.” Cole was unable to comment before time of print. Prior to the banning of parties for last year’s elections, the controversial [YOUR]side party was set to run unopposed. Cortez-Hernandez, Cole and President Pro Tempore Martin Cuenca were all members of their elected slate. On Wednesday, Cuenca outlined how ASUCR elections had never fallen below a 30 percent turnout rate until last year’s elections, a race that ran only independent candidates and netted a 21 percent turnout — just one percent

above the minimum threshold for referenda to pass. After questions from the galley, the senate voted on whether to hold a roll call vote, which would require each senator to share their vote on the political parties bill publicly. The vote passed 7-44 with opposition coming from Cuenca, CHASS Senator Carolyn Chang, BCOE Senator Patrick Le and CNAS Senator Valeria Orozco. CHASS Senators Grant Nakaoka, Marco Ornelas, Roy Tongilava, Mariam Alkhalili and Reginald Wong, CNAS Senator Priyanka Garg as well as BCOE Senator Amanda Xaypraseuth voted in favor. CHASS Senators Semere Mengistu and Solomon Demeku as well as CNAS Senators Matthew Shashaty and Andrew Ng abstained. Ornelas moved to approve the bill to ban parties while Alkhalili seconded. The senate’s vote on the bill carried out in the following order: • CHASS Senator Alkhalili: Yes • CHASS Senator Chang: Abstain • President Pro Tempore Cuenca: No • CHASS Senator DemekuOusman: Abstain • CHASS Senator Mengistu: Abstain • CHASS Senator Nakaoka: Abstain • CHASS Senator Ornelas: Yes • CHASS Senator Tongilava: Yes • CHASS Senator Wong: Abstain • CNAS Senator Garg: Abstain • CNAS Senator Ng: Abstain • CNAS Senator Orozco: No • CNAS Senator Shashaty: No • BCOE Senator Le: Abstain • BCOE Senator Xaypraseuth: Abstain The vote, evenly split, had to be broken by Moore, who voted yes on the measure. “Chairing meetings throughout the year and being a senator last year I was hearing a

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE / HIGHLANDER President Aram Ayra, pictured, is a strong proponent for banning political parties.

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE / HIGHLANDER The senate voted 4-3-9 to ban parties in the 2018 elections, with Executive Vice President Moore (far left) breaking the deadlock.

lot of students say they want political parties banned,” explained Moore in an interview following Wednesday’s meeting. “I see it as a great accomplishment for ASUCR. In the past with political parties, people were scared to get involved. Now that that’s out of the way, I hope people are more open to getting involved.” The measure makes ASUCR the first student government in the UC system to ban political parties. “The fact that it came down to a tie-breaking vote and that we’re the first UC to ban political parties is pretty historic,” said Moore. “That’s huge.” In an interview with The Highlander after the meeting, Alkhalili, who was vocally opposed to parties, stated that “anyone who wants to run now has an equal chance to run. No one candidate has an upper hand or edge on anyone else other than their qualifications.” Alkhalili criticized the party system for politicizing ASUCR, explaining that student government should be a “united front for the students.” She added that “we’re (ASUCR) trying to make the student experience better on campus and so this isn’t a place for someone to step on another candidate or another student just to get what they want and political parties foster that.” Alkhalili expressed how an independent system also allows for wider representation for minority students. “A lot of the time, my community, the Middle Eastern and Muslim community, were underrepresented in ASUCR and a lot of students can resonate with that, like undocumented students they have never had representation in ASUCR and a lot of other communities have not had representation and that is because people had to go through a party system, they had to know people.” “Now, they (candidates) have to convince students about why … they need to vote for them,” said Alkhalili. “It (independent elections) will really filter out those who are just riding the coattails of the party.” In a later interview, Asad expressed similar views. “The party system is flawed from a structural and fundamental perspective ... (which) leads to a lack of representation of the general populace,” stated Asad. He also cited the political science principle of “first-past-the-post,” meaning that members of Congress in the United States are elected based on the candidate with the most votes wins

the congressional seat and that the losing party or parties win no representation at all. Asad criticized this system, saying it is “flawed” and “favors a (binary) party system,” instead of favoring single transferable vote, which achieves proportional representation. Asad has been one of the most vocal students at recent ASUCR meetings concerning political parties. Asad felt like he had a duty to “stand up for my fellow students” because “I was one of the individuals that was aware, and because I kind of have an understanding ... because not a good amount of people knew about elections.” Asad continued, stating that he felt he could provide a “certain perspective and a certain level of eloquency that others could not provide.” ASUCR President Aram Ayra, who brought forth the case against [YOUR]side to the judicial council last year, also expressed his satisfaction with Wednesday’s vote. “I was relieved that for once the system actually worked in favor of the students,” he stated. Ayra explained that, because UCR’s campus is proportionately smaller than other UC’s, parties have a higher likelihood of dominating elections. “On other campuses … one, the size of it (student government) is much bigger, and two, there’s enough big parties that balance each other out, there’s no instances where there’s one party endlessly dominating,” stated Ayra. Ayra also provided his perspective on how this vote will affect ASUCR in the future. “My ideal view of ASUCR in the future is completely independent,” without political parties. Ayra suggested that there could be a point when the campus may change enough to where political parties may be feasible, though he does not think so. “At this point in time, and probably for the next five years or so, I don’t see that being a reality. Our system needs to be cleaned and opened up to establish student government to being open to everyone in the first place.” He added that if, in the next five years, there are a large number of people running, political parties may become suitable. Ayra, however, favors a system where independent candidates run “completely issue-based campaigns being endorsed by program centers (and) departments on campus to show voters ‘this is what this person stands for, this is what they have done.’” In his view, having candidates backed by centers

will produce representatives that advocate on behalf of these organizations but also maintain an extra level of accountability. Laptopping debate continues The next bill to appear was whether to allow laptopping, the use of a private electronic device to solicit votes from students. Le and Domecillo showed fierce opposition to allowing laptopping, citing cybersecurity risks. Nakaoka, who sits on the Referendum Student Advisory Committee, which oversees the Highlander Empowerment Student Services Referendum (HESSR) that supplies funding to Costo Hall programs, expressed concerns about how laptopping could affect turnout. His main concern was with the fact that 20 percent of students need to vote for a referendum to pass, explaining that if HESSR does not pass, the paid staff that run the ethnic and gender programs on campus will lose their jobs. Nakaoka later moved to table the bill so further discussion could be had, which was seconded by Ng. It was tabled unanimously, 16-0-0, and is slated to be voted on during this Wednesday’s meeting. Highlights: During ex-officio reports, Ayra introduced the new interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Thomas Smith, currently the dean of the graduate school of education, who will be filling in for James Sandoval after he left the university during winter break. Smith thanked ASUCR for their service and expressed his anticipation to work with the senate. • Ayra addressed the senate about all of the positive work ASUCR has done over the past academic year, including giving students a voice on the Academic Senate and giving nearly $2,000 in funds to the on campus food bank, R’Pantry. • A resolution to support the Pell Grant, whose budget may be cut by Congress by nearly $3.3 billion, was proposed by student Miguel Ramirez and passed unanimously. • Ayra introduced a bill to strengthen ties between students and their neighbors as well as connecting students with fair housing councils and addressing issues with their landlords. The bill was passed 15-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m. The next meeting will be held at HUB 221 on Wednesday, Jan. 24, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ■H •

NEWS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

UCR professor maps over 700 books based on geographical location

AMANI MAHMOUD Contributing Writer

UCR Creative Writing professor Susan Straight collaborated with Esri, an international supplier of geographic information system software, to map the settings of 737 books according to American geographical location. The map, which was published on July 3, 2017, indicates the locations of nov-

els that were all selected based on the way it represented a specific geographical region in America. Straight began working on the map the day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. In an interview with The Highlander, Straight stated that she created the map because “Every time I looked at CNN or Fox News, they had a big map of the United States and these channels were just obsessed with whether a state was red or blue. This re-

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER Susan Straight partnered with Esri to create a map of novels across the United States.

duces everything in America to just politics.” Straight claimed that this is problematic because, “They don’t take into account all of the nuances that might exist in a particular county that they were labeling red or blue. I wanted to take America away from pure politics.” Through literature, Straight wished to prove how America is very regional instead of being merely red or blue states. Straight stated, “I thought literature would be a great way to remind people about how diverse we are.” Straight believes that this map is a great teaching tool because it teaches people around the world about American literature and how literature differs based on region. Instead, Straight believes that “the true America is in the details of where people grew up.” Michael Jaime-Bercera, an associate professor in the UCR Department of Creative Writing, whose novel, “Every Night is Ladies’ Night,” is featured in Straight’s map, stated, “There’s a sense of pride that people take from where they are from and something as simple as labeling a region red or blue does not account for that pride. Looking at states as blue or red denies people from their identity and their pride.” Straight claimed that she would dedicate about one hour every night over the course of three months to look through novels and find

their specific geographical location. Straight stated that the novels had to have a specific geographical location mentioned in the text that Esri could locate. This task was difficult for Straight because, despite the fact that she wished to include some novels that she loved into the map, she could not because a specific geographical location was not specified. Because a specific location could not be found, more well-known novels by authors were not featured in the map. Instead, the map tends to be comprised of lesser-known novels that specifically focus on place. In an essay published by Granta, a literary magazine based in the United Kingdom, Straight wrote, “Some of these authors wrote one book, and some wrote hundreds; some wrote books set in many locations, and some writers among my favorites wrote collections with no particular geographic heart, or their best-known books were road trip novels or stories set in so many places that one could not be chosen as the soul.” Straight claimed that many of the books included in the map were geocoded by Esri to indicate exact streets or even buildings where the novels took place. “I think that this level of particularity in a story is what allows readers to relate,” stated Jaime-Bercera. That connection is what is so magical about the map.” ■H

“Save TPS”: Students march for immigrant protections

MARK BERTUMEN Contributing Writer

Student protesters were gathered around the UCR Bell Tower around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 to promote awareness of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS), which allows people who illegally immigrated from countries ravaged by armed conflict and natural disaster to temporarily reside in the United States. This protest was organized in response to the recently planned removal of countries eligible for the program by the Department of Homeland Security. As of now, TPS eligibility to citizens from five countries (Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Sudan) has been given an “expiration date” and will be removed from the program in the near future. On Sept. 16 of last year, Sudan became the first nation intended for expulsion from the TPS program. El Salvador was most recently added to the list of to-be-rescinded countries on Jan. 8 of this year. Starting from the Bell Tow-

er at 1 p.m., the 38 participants marched around Watkins Hall to Hinderaker Hall. The leaders of the group asked their followers to “show (them) what democracy looks like,” and the group referred to themselves in response: “This is what democracy looks like”. Then, the protesters passed by the Student Services building and directly through the crowded HUB, proclaiming that “refugees are here to stay,” and “to welcome them in every way.” The protest concluded by the Bell Tower at 1:20 p.m., with protesters interlocking arms as they recited the Assata Shakur chant. Shakur was a member of the Black Liberation Army, a black nationalist group, and created the chant to inspire activists to fight against discrimination together. Javier Romero, a third-year theater major, and leader of the march, found that it was his duty to organize this protest. “One of my best friend’s mothers was under TPS many years ago and the constant fear that it might be revoked always loomed over their family,” he shared. “Doing noth-

ing would have been a dishonor to her and her entire family, and anyone else affected by TPS.” Romero also noted that TPS is in need of greater publicity, contending that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy mainly assists Mexican immigration. He claims that TPS and other illegal immigration services and issues in countries besides Mexico tend to be overshadowed by the prominence of DACA. Currently, 262,500 El Salvadorians are protected by TPS, while 548,000 Mexicans are protected under DACA. “Oftentimes, what we notice is that when we look at DACA, and we look at something like TPS, for DACA, there’s always a lot more hype, a lot more energy, generally a lot more popularity,” says Romero. “Sometimes, the narrative (for other nations) gets taken away. I feel like (DACA) gets highlighted too often; a lot of people don’t know what TPS is.” Victor Marroquin, a march participant and a third-year gender and sexuality studies major, emphasizes the importance of student awareness

MARK BERTUMEN / HIGHLANDER

for all ethnic programs on campus to keep students informed of services relevant to themselves. Marroquin finds that immigrant students are “isolated from the larger Riverside community,” claiming they don’t have easy access to other programs. “What’s really going to be important is now having workshops, resources, bringing in with undocumented student programs at UCR, working with Central American Student Association, Chicano Student Programs and also African Student Programs,” he said. Concerning on-campus resources, Romero highlighted Providing Opportunities,

Dreams and Education in Riverside (PODER, “power” in Spanish). “They do a lot of teach-ins; they host ‘Legal Hour,’ where they let immigrant people know, ‘Hey, these are your rights, and if a police or ICE officer does this, then that’s legally not allowed.’” Nicaragua, Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras are all scheduled to be removed from the TPS program during this year or in 2019. Participants have until their designated dates to either leave the country or keep their citizenship with a different method, such as a Permanent Resident Card (or “green card”) or marriage to a citizen. ■H

New genetic research reveals consequences of pesticide use on mosquito evolution

VIVIAN LEE Contributing Writer

Researchers from the UCR Department of Entomology have learned more about the genetic changes exacerbated by pesticidal chemicals used on mosquitoes. According to the research paper, titled “Human Interventions: Driving Forces of Mosquito Evolution,” published in the journal Trends in Parasitology, the use of pesticides affect important biological functions in mosquitoes. By understanding the new genomic sequences that allow mosquitoes to be immune to current pesticides, entomologists and researchers would be able to create better decisions about the effects humans have on the evolution of mosquitoes and the consequences that follow. The team includes Colince Kamden, a postdoctoral researcher, and Caroline Fouet and Peter Atkinson. In their

paper, the team shared how the mosquitoes’ resistance to pesticides would increase the spread of serious diseases. Kamden shared with The Highlander that these vectorborne diseases like malaria and leishmaniasis, otherwise known as black fever, can be transmitted to communities in sub-Saharan Africa. “Rapid evolution such as the adaptation of mosquitoes to insecticides enables us to study significant biological processes in real time and to advance understanding of how human actions affect other species,” said Kamden. Through researching this mosquito species and understanding the profound effect pesticides have on its genome, Kamden and the team are able to use these findings to conduct more extensive research in regards to pesticides. New and more effective pesticides could be produced, making them more resilient against these evolved mosquitoes, whereas existing pesticides

could be improved. Some of the methods the team has used in their research include DNA sequencing, through which they were able to examine the mutations the mosquitoes have developed from exposure to pesticides that eventually made them resistant to their effects. “We need detailed information on the genetic and ecological changes associated with resistance to different classes of insecticides and to understand how these changes vary from one region to another and from one mosquito population to another,” Kamden explained in an email. By understanding these changes and the risks created by continued use of pesticides, researchers now see the importance of human intervention where actions such as excessive pesticide use can become more harmful than good. More understanding of the changes occuring in mosquito species would give entomologists a better idea of

how to combat vector-borne diseases that have a profound effect on people who live in environments that put them at risk for these diseases. “Thanks to a combination of intervention measures including the scaling up of long lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying, improved diagnostic and case management, a dramatic reduction

in malaria burden has been achieved in sub-Saharan Africa over the past few decades,” said Kamden. “The impact of widespread insecticide resistance on malaria epidemiology remains poorly understood, but insecticide resistance management is clearly needed to preserve the efficiency of malaria control programs that are underway.” ■H

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Online-only community colleges work, but only in theory

e have heard the horror stories: Students attend their local community college, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and planning to bolt after two years. Then, five years later, they’re still around, struggling to get into classes they need to graduate. It is part of the trade-off of attending a two-year community college — sure, the ease of admission and financial cost are excellent, but the burdens of impacted classes and not being able to fill necessary requirements have severely delayed students’ paths to getting the credentials needed for their career. This is an issue Governor Jerry Brown aims to fix with his latest proposal to launch California’s first fully online public community college by fall 2019. The move, which was proposed in the 2018-19 budget plan, is Brown’s effort to improve economic mobility with a focus on providing short-term credential programs for fields such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare and child development. For Brown, online courses offer a more accessible and cost effective alternative to traditional college campuses, and his proposal, in his words, “is targeted to several million people who can upgrade their skills by taking online courses and maintaining their employment.” In truth, the proposal is shortchanging prospective students, posing as opportunity but disregarding the challenges of online college programs. What seems to be ignored in Brown’s proposed spending of a

JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER

whopping $120 million to start this program is this: Online community colleges are not working. A 2013 study conducted of more than 40,000 community and technical college students in Washington State by scholars at Teachers College, Columbia University found that online students’ performance suffered across the board, with a considerable gap in persistence — or, ability to complete their courses — between online and face-to-face learners. This was similarly shown in 2015 by a study conducted by UC Davis researchers, which discovered that online courses yielded lower grades and course completion rates than those same courses did in a regular classroom setting. An online-only program also threatens to severely undercut the revenue from existing four-year and two-year universities, a fear that has been expressed privately by both teachers union leaders and college officials, according to the LA Times. A look at the budget proposal itself shows a shift in the state’s priorities, as Brown earmarked a 6.5 percent increase in community college revenue from general funds and property taxes while proposing an increase of 3 percent for the University of California and Cal State University, which is down from 4 percent in each of the last few years. Online classes carry their own unique set of burdens and, while they have made progress (nearly two-thirds of online students completed their courses in 2015-16, compared with just

over half a decade prior, per the LA Times), community college officials themselves have acknowledged that their online system is nowhere near a finished product. So why the hurry here? Yes, there is an obvious need to improve accessibility of community college courses and it is important to acknowledge the flexibility and cost cutting that online programs provide for students, particularly the working adults and parents whom this proposal targets. Though, it seems more prudent to invest $120 million into expanding and enhancing existing community colleges’ online capacities than to create an entirely new program founded on a currently unpolished system. It isn’t as if Brown hasn’t tried this before. In 2013, a Brown-initiated online pilot at San Jose State University was scrapped in the same year after half of the students failed to pass their final exams. The governor’s flawed logic behind this most recent proposal could reap similarly failed results. To create an entirely independent community college that offers only online courses does a disservice to not only the college programs already in place, but to students who may wrongly view online courses as a shortcut through the college system. As Joshua Pechthalt, president of the California Federation of Teachers, told the LA Times, “What makes education really come alive for students is interaction with instructors and other students … Online is not a good approach. Students hurt the worst

are at the lower end of the economic spectrum. They tend to drop out of online courses at a higher rate. The idea that it’s beneficial to them flies in the face of our experience.” This makes sense; consider the benefits of visiting your professor during office hours, speaking with them directly following instruction and collaborating with peers face-to-face — these are privileges not as readily available in an online setting. The notion of online-only courses is excellent in theory: It provides accessibility and availability for students who may not otherwise be able to attend courses in-person and offers easier opportunity for students to get their necessary credentials in two years’ time without being burdened by impacted courses. Though, what Brown’s proposal works best as is exactly that, a concept not yet ready to be put into practice. As technological capabilities advance and campuses grow, it is important for colleges to adapt and find sustainable alternatives for prospective students who wouldn’t otherwise be served by the present structure. However, it is misguided to take this huge of a leap forward instead of focusing more keenly on fixing the H problems of existing online programs.■ 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.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINION POLL Compiled by Bri Chew, Staff Photographer

“Which do you like better, tea or coffee?”

Yanessa Zepeda Neuroscience Second-year

Leslie Rocha Undeclared Second-year

Keane Veran Business Economics Second-year

Jaclyn Huang Arts Studio Second-year

Renata Haro Biochemistry Second-year

Isaac Hong Bioengineering Second-year

“I’m not really a tea or coffee person, but I prefer drinking coffee.”

“Coffee because it gives me more energy and tea doesn’t do anything to me. I only drink tea when I’m sick.”

“Coffee because it tastes good!”

“I prefer coffee because it tastes better.”

“Coffee because it tastes better.”

“Tea because coffee is expensive!”

Supreme Court holds back critical step against gerrymandering MICHAEL BEELI Contributing Writer

Judge James A. Wynn Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit struck down North Carolina’s congressional districting map, claiming that the drawing of districts was “motivated by invidious partisan intent,” and ordered the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to create an entirely new map of congressional districts by Wednesday, Jan. 24, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Jan. 9. On Thursday, Jan. 18, however, the Supreme Court granted North Carolina Republicans’ request to delay the court’s ruling until the Supreme Court reviews the decision. Judge Wynn’s ruling was a refreshing impetus of judicial activism that took the first steps toward addressing a national political crisis; however, the Supreme Court’s decision to delay the ruling essentially enables further rigging of our political system. Judge Wynn’s decision was supported by the other two ruling judges on the court, W. Earl Britt, and William L. Osteen Jr. North Carolina’s congressional map has been largely criticized by activists as heavily gerrymandered, meaning deliberately drawn to favor political concentration of one party. The process is highly convoluted; however, one fairly obvious example of North Carolina’s gerrymandering can be found in its 2016 elections, in which Republicans won 53 percent of the statewide popular vote, yet claimed 10 out of 13, or 77 percent, of congressional seats. State lawmakers were given a little more than two weeks to draw up new congressional districts that, if not found satisfactory by the court, will be replaced by a map drawn up by the court itself. Wynn’s ruling, if later affirmed by the Supreme Court, will have wide-reaching implications for both North Carolina and national politics. In terms of statewide results, there will be significant consequences for the state’s congressional elections in the future after 2018. If a partisan-neutral map existed in 2016, for example, Republicans would hold seven instead of 10 congressional seats out of 13. The Fourth Circuit’s decision

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

was a praiseworthy defense of our democracy that would equitably balance the political scales in North Carolina, and prove critical in representing voters in the coming midterm elections. Republicans filed to overturn the ruling in an appeal, and have denied all charges of gerrymandering. Under federal law, any appeal related to constitutional challenges to the apportionment of house districts goes directly to the Supreme Court, meaning that the Republicans’ appeal will join two additional cases, Gill v. Whitford, in Wisconsin, and Benisek v. Lamone, in Maryland, alleging Republican and Democratic gerrymandering, respectively. The tying in of North Carolina’s gerrymandering has blocked the measure for an uncertain duration of time, but also means if the Supreme

Court issues a ruling on any of the three respective cases, the national political implications will be enormous. Gerrymandering is an esoteric and fairly comical term that has its origins in 1812 Massachusetts, where Democratic-Republican Governor Elbridge Gerry drew the state’s districts in a way that resembled a salamander in order to give his party in edge in congressional elections. Although gerrymandering has existed since the birth of our nation, and was recognized as a political weapon as early as 1812, the practice has only grown in both use and cunning. The Associated Press conducted a comprehensive analysis of the 2016 elections using a new statistical method of calculating partisan advantage in all 435 U.S. House races and 4700 state

house and assembly seats, and found that partisan gerrymandering conferred a significant political advantage to Republican candidates. The analysis found that the number of states that gave a distinct advantage to Republicans due to gerrymandering outnumbered states that favored Democrats by a factor of four to one, and that those advantages led to approximately 22 additional congressional seats being granted to the GOP. The national results of the 2016 congressional elections are also very clear: Republicans received 49.9 percent of votes cast for Congress nationwide, yet received 55.2 percent of the seats. Given all available evidence, it’s indisputable that Republicans continue to win a greater share of governmental seats in elections than their

voting totals reflect. Blind partisans or people who honestly don’t care will chalk it up to “coincidence,” but gerrymandering is having a real, significant and toxic effect on our country’s politics. And while the Supreme Court didn’t rule against the Fourth Circuit’s verdict, the decision to delay it certainly is disheartening and stifles much of the antigerrymandering movement’s momentum. Regardless, through his ruling, Judge Wynn has still taken important steps as a public servant to making our government work better for all by bringing the very real and corrosive effects of partisan gerrymandering to the national stage. It falls on the rest of country’s judges, especially those on the Supreme Court, to restore faith in our political system. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

COMICS SEASON SISTERS #7 BY: RANDY YAMANAKA

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

HIGHLANDER

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

WRITE * SHOOT * DESIGN

SINCE 1954

WORK FOR AN

AWARD-WINNING

NEWSPAPER

MEETINGs MONDAYS, 5:15 P.M. @HUB101

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Features

Leukemia survivor Keane Veran is breaking ground for cancer patients with OURA by: martha delagado, contributing writer

Student spotlight

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

As a 10-year-old, Keane Veran was undergoing treatment for leukemia when his dad shared with him the story of Sadako Sasaki, a twelveyear-old Japanese girl who, in the 1950s, was diagnosed with cancer and tried to fold one thousand origami cranes. According to the Japanese legend, if a person folds 1,000 origami cranes, they will be granted a wish. While Sasaki was not able to fold enough cranes before she passed away, Sasaki and the legend became something that Keane and his dad connected through. Soon, the legend became instilled in OURA’s mission to make a thousand hats for every design and use that to grant a child cancer patient’s wish. OURA headwear, short for origami, is a social enterprise founded by Keane, now cancerfree and in his second year as a business economics major at UCR, and his brother Shaun Veran, a UCLA graduate with a degree in microbiology. When Keane was 10 years old and began to undergo doses of chemotherapy, he lost his hair and wore a hat to cover up, but soon he and his family realized that hats were unsafe. “When was the last time you washed a hat?” Keane asks. For cancer patients, their immune system becomes weak and makes them vulnerable to all bacteria. “Not washing a hat can be deadly because hats are perfect incubators for bacteria,” says Keane. “You sweat in them, you take them all around, but they are one of the few things we don’t wash. My family found themselves recycling through hats

like every week.” OURA, launched in November 2017, is their solution to that problem. The OURA hat is infused with titanium dioxide which makes it self-cleaning, UV-protective, water-resistant and moisture wicking. “If you leave it in the sun, it would kill all the bacteria on its own,” explains Keane. Although the hat is designed with cancer patients in mind, it applies to everyone. “If you have an active lifestyle and go out alot, it has UV protection and stays clean,” Keane emphasizes. After being diagnosed in November of 2008, Keane joined the Make-a-Wish Foundation. His wish to meet President Obama was granted in 2012 when he and his family flew to Washington D.C. and met him in the Oval Office. Obama “was a figure I looked up to when he was first elected. I felt empowered and so inspired,” states Keane. After the trip, Keane not only began to see his cancer as a blessing that taught him humility, but wished to create the same feelings of hope for other cancer patients. “We just want to provide (Make-a-Wish) support in their mission to grant more wishes to children,” says Shaun. For Shaun, watching his brother undergo treatment was something that motivated him to make a change in the lives of cancer patients. “You can never have enough support, especially as a child,” he states. Childhood is something Keane has only muddied memories of. When he first underwent treatment in fifth grade, Keane had to be

in an isolated room and was not able to socialize at school nor at family parties. “I didn’t feel like a child. I just felt like something going through pain and nonstop treatment,” he recalls. Though, he found solitude in those closest to him. “I thought about my family and my friends, what would happen to them if I gave up,” says Keane. “That’s what kept me going for a long time. Once I had my wish, it made me grateful for the people around me, not just my family and friends but strangers as well.” OURA does not just make self-cleaning hats. They want to promote hope. Recently, OURA implemented a 1K challenge where cancer patients can get a free OURA hat by folding one thousand origami cranes, taking a photo of the cranes and sending 100 to the company. “Just by folding the cranes, it gives them something to do. It’s a distraction and takes the pain away from the treatment,” says Keane. While OURA is reaching the halfway mark to selling their first one thousand hats, Shaun and Keane are optimistic about the future of the company. Keane and Shaun have received positive feedback from a limited number of patients using OURA. As of now, OURA hats are manufactured in a factory in Los Angeles, but Keane hopes that they can expand to larger factory. For now, Keane finds that OURA has grown from a company to a passion. “It feels like I’m living a dream,” he tells me. “It’s definitely stressful but it’s well beyond worth it.” ■H

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

FEATURES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Amber Liu’s singularity shined through at

“Function of Amber” The K-pop star attracted a massive crowd of dedicated followers into HUB 302 for the ASPB-hosted lecture BY Marcelo Garcia, Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF ASPB

“What is success to you?” This was the question posed by Amber Liu, a TaiwaneseAmerican rapper and member of K-pop group f(x), when she spoke on her experiences and life lessons during her nearly nine-year-long music career to over 650 students at the ASPBhosted event, “Function of Amber,” held Wednesday, Jan. 17 inside HUB 302. During her brief speech, Liu explained that, for a long period of time, even though her thriving career would be considered by most to be success, she felt that something was missing. Liu went on to introduce seven key components which she felt helped her find herself and a feeling of success: Having

the knowledge that pleasing everyone was impossible, limiting ambition and competition when it became unhealthy, finding the positives in a negative situation, using power and influence wisely, working efficiently instead of just effectively, helping others and, finally, actively listening to and communicating with others. She expressed a hope that her sharing this would help others find that same feeling. If Liu showed herself as anything Wednesday night, it was sincere — slight nervousness was apparent at times but her speaking came across as very natural. She also kept the audience engaged by directing questions their

COURTESY OF ASPB

way during her speech and maintained the same energy and charm while answering questions from the audience during a Q&A segment. Liu debuted as a member of f(x) in 2009, where she quickly made waves in the K-pop scene for her distinct tomboy style, which deviated from the expectations of femininity from women in the genre. One look at any of f(x)’s music videos and Liu’s singularity in the K-pop scene is very apparent: While beside her fellow group members who don mini-skirts and high heels, Liu sports baggy shorts, large fitting t-shirts, snapback hats and sneakers. Liu also raps on several tracks, a practice more commonly attributed to men in the music industry. In 2013, LA Weekly went as far as to call her an “Androgynous K-pop star” and praised her for finding success in a genre that produces “carbon-copy pop stars” and pushes back against non-conformity. Liu has operated as both a member of f(x) and a solo artist, and also managed her own YouTube channel with over 650,000 subscribers for more than two years. She has also collaborated with very well-established YouTube channels such as

Buzzfeed and SUPERFRUIT. One particular video on her channel, titled “Where is my chest? (Responding to hate comments),” was particularly successful by reaching 2.4 million views, far more than the average view count for one of her videos. In it, she reads and sarcastically responds to various negative YouTube comments regarding her appearance and her channel’s quality (specifically the lack thereof), in order to promote a message of self-confidence and self-respect. It was very wellreceived by her audience, with the entire video’s comment section flooded with viewers from around the world, especially young women, who found the video motivational and inspiring. During the audience Q&A, Liu expressed that she was surprised with the success of the video, but was glad that it happened. She felt that the video represented a lot of her sentiments toward internet culture, as well an example as to how negative people and issues of selfesteem should be handled. Her impact on women’s empowerment is especially tangible in countries such as South Korea, where Liu is not only more well-known, but traditional gender roles and

stereotypes, as well as very clear-cut beauty standards, such as big eyes and pale skin, are heavily integrated into the culture. As Liu stated in response to an audience member’s question regarding gender, “Gender roles are definitely more black and white there (South Korea) ... and that’s part of the culture, which I try to respect.” She went on to explain that while forming her celebrity persona, androgynous girls were definitely a target audience, since they were not really represented in the culture at the time. And while South Korean culture is still very much one that pushes traditional gender roles, Liu insists that change is slowly happening. “As the years went by, there started to be a lot more girls out there (South Korea) with things like shorter hair,” Liu explained. “There’s also a growing feminist movement out there now, so things are definitely changing.” After the event, a select few audience members who correctly answered trivia questions about Liu were able to attend a special meet and greet. The event left students in the audience overjoyed to have been able to interact with Liu in person and inspired by her H unapologetic individuality. ■

Campus Cope Starting the new quarter off right By: Marcelo Garcia, Contributing Writer It’s 2018 and that means more than just new year’s resolutions; a new year brings a new quarter and new set of classes. But with new beginnings come the end of all the old habits we picked up over winter break. After three weeks of binging TV shows all day and staying up till 3 a.m., it can be hard to return to the world of college where everyone seems to get a nightmare class schedule with a week full of 8 a.m.’s. But while getting back into study mode is difficult, it’s not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you get there:

Fix your sleep schedule

The first thing you should do, while the quarter is still starting and your workload isn’t as heavy as usual, is fix your sleep schedule. Since sleep is as important as reading ahead for lectures and ordering textbooks can be, none of those other preparations will matter if you’re half asleep during lectures and discussions. “But how do I fix my sleep schedule if I’m wide awake at 1 a.m.?” you may ask. Well, there are actually a few different ways you can remedy any sleep problems you might have. One trick that tends to work for me is going to bed way earlier than when I plan to sleep; usually around 8 p.m. When you lay down, just relax — don’t check your phone or think about what assignments are due tomorrow, and if you get too restless in bed, chamomile tea and some relaxing music are a lifesaver. I even know some people that use Youtube playlists as background noise, which is fine. As long as it helps you fall asleep, use it to your advantage.

If none of that works, there’s always a last resort: Fall asleep at whatever time comes naturally, but forcing yourself to wake up at 8 a.m. no matter what. I’ve done this once before and while it might have made me hate that day, by 9 p.m. I was in bed and out like a light. We can call this the nuclear option. No one wants to use it, but the threat of it is convincing enough to make the other options way more appealing.

Manage your time

Now that you’re nice and well-rested, you can focus your attention on making a schedule. Obviously your classes will dictate a lot of what you do, but determining how to manage the free time in between those classes is something that can be difficult even for seniors. Don’t make the mistake of undermining time management, since it can really be the determining factor for how smoothly your quarter goes. Make sure you give yourself more than enough time for studying and assignments. It’s never a bad idea to try and get a headstart on any readings or homework listed in the syllabus. If you work ahead while you have some breathing room, classes will be a lot easier to manage once the quarter picks up. Also, don’t worry about giving too much study time, since finishing early just means more free time for you. The most important step for starting off any quarter is to relax. It’s only the third week of winter; things will definitely get a lot harder but for now you’ve got a lighter load, so enjoy it. Do things that you won’t be able to do in week five when you’re worrying about midterms. Go out with friends or find a date for the weekend. Savor this little grace period we all have, because if you do, that 10page essay you’ll have to write in a few weeks might not seem as bad. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

Still marching

Photographers Myles Andrews-Duve and Adrian Dizon captured the second annual Women’s March in downtown Riverside held Saturday, Jan. 20 — precisely one year after President Donald Trump’s inauguration — which brought out approximately 3,000 locals and members of the greater Inland Empire Community for a powerful display of intersectional solidarity.

Chants such as “The people, united, will never be divided” echoed as the demonstrators marched through downtown, toting the march’s slogan, “Hear Our Vote.” Among the around 3,000 attendees of the march, many were senior citizens and long-standing members of the Riverside and greater Inland Empire community, a group in the crowd noted they travelled over 60 miles from Apple Valley.

Three boys were leading a front of organizers as the group made their way around University Ave.

“I had to put my money where my mouth is.”

Question: “What brought you out here?” Answer: “Everything.”

Unallowed to venture onto the roads, organized crowds marched eastward onto the 10th street sidewalk and wrapped around University Avenue.

A woman and her children arrived in the later part of the moring with handmade signs. “I wanted to bring my boys out to show support.”

On the Main Street sidewalk, Christy Armendariz, owner of Ziggy Signs, provided free signs to attendees. “This is what democracy looks like!” shouted a woman walking backward with the moving crowd. A group of young marchers followed behind her and echoed the chant.

With the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements as the backdrop for Saturday’s march, hundreds of men showed out to support the call for progress and solidarity.

“It took us (women) 20 years to vote and 40 to be in the Constitution. It’s not gonna change overnight,” Shirley Harlan.

write poetry or fiction? MEETINGS MONDAYS, 5:15 P.M.

@HUB101 GET IT PUBLISHED

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

Radar

Daydream Time Machine

RADAR

sessions ADRIAN DIZON / HIGHLANDER

COURTESY OF DAYDREAM TIME MACHINE

JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

It can be difficult to define what it is to be a band in the Inland Empire music scene, especially when so many of the acts that congregate here both originate from places elsewhere and frequent venues outside of the area. Daydream Time Machine is a band composed of five members — Chris on lead vocals and guitar, Beck on drums, Roman on backing vocals, Gus on percussion and bass and Juan on saxophone and keys — none of whom hail from Riverside or its surrounding cities. But make no mistake, they’re as ingrained to the local scene as any of the previous bands we’ve featured on Radar Sessions (it’s almost a given at this point to say that they’ve shared bills with Dreamlover, Shinobi Ghost and Chola Orange). They’re reluctant to claim their status as an IE band though, only taking ownership of it after I posit

that they’re a limb of the ever-expanding register of artists who play shows at spots like Back to the Grind, Mission Tobacco Lounge

and Pomona’s dba256. “We’ve been fortunate enough to play shows with our friends,” Chris says, “if that’s what it takes to make a scene then hell yeah, it’s awesome.” At the tail end of our talk, the reluctance they had in declaring themselves as a band embedded to the scene shifts to an eagerness when asked if there’s any bands they want to shout out. They rapid-fire call out, “Violet Minefield, The No. 44, Children, Sleep Club, Kiki Diago, Dreamlover, Shinobi Ghost,” not averse to showing recognition and praise for the people that inhabit the local music scene. Daydream’s been around for over two years at this point, but only recently has their momentum been doubled down, garnering new fans by performing more frequently in bigger spots like the Fox Performing Arts Theater in downtown Riverside. Here’s a brief timeline: Roman and Chris were in a punk band in high school and not long after that, Chris and Roman’s brother Raulie (who is credited as the songwriter) formed The Verunas; Beck would fill in

when Raulie couldn’t make it and both Gus and Juan would join Daydream once formed after the dissolution of The Verunas. During their live sets the band is often accompanied by visual artist Mono Vision — other times they’re complemented by Stranger Liquids. He’s something akin to a secret weapon, buttressing the inbuilt psychedelia in their sonics with vibrant, colorful eye candy. Their debut album, “Pursuit of Madness,” waxes and wanes between psychedelic anthems that put Chris’ fretwork in center stage (“No Majesties”) and airy atmospheric cuts like “Dios Apate” and “The Pursuit of Madness,” divvying up the the 34-minute record into a heterogenous eight-song sampler. It’s an album Chris hopes listeners experience from top to bottom — they take considerable effort in song arrangement and fluid transitions, as with the shift from “Dios Apate” to “Mistress.” On their upcoming record, which pulls influence from David Bowie and Carlos Santana, Beck says, “We’re trying to make something

sonically complex and wellrounded, with less of a focus on trying to be a rock band and crafting songs (like those) we take inspiration from … we take songs we’re inspired by and try to push forward with it.” Most excitingly, it’s an album to showcase more of Juan’s ace sax playing, as with the song “Lady Moonbeams.” Where luck favored us in the past, shooting Daydream’s second song, “Lady Moonbeams,” saw no such favor. Chris’ guitar stopped working and, for a moment, it seemed that hope was lost in finishing up the session. In a Radar Session first, the band decided to proceed irrespective of the technical difficulties we couldn’t evade that prevented us from filming. And proceed they did, in high spirits, with a valiant effort to deliver the same explosive punch the song carries with guitar. For the band, it was a bit like a blessing in disguise that allowed them to toy with the dynamics between each instrument. Surely the experience exists only in memory, but it’s a testament to the tenacity they bring to their shows. ■H

COURTESY OF DAYDREAM TIME MACHINE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

READING FILM 101:

How music speaks louder than words in “Your Name”

MARCELO GARCIA Contributing Writer

This article contains spoilers for “Your Name.” Makoto Sinkai’s critically acclaimed “Your Name” became the highest-grossing anime film of all time when it released in 2016. While it resonated with audiences because of its compelling narrative that seamlessly wove together the mysterious story of teenagers Mitsuha and Taki, whose bodies swap when they sleep, a quintessential aspect of this film, and a large part that contributes to its success, is its soundtrack. Japanese rock band Radwimps recorded the entirety of the film’s music, which is a particularly interesting fact in its own right. While the practice of hiring popular artists for a movie soundtrack isn’t completely unheard of, films more often hire preestablished musicians for lead singles. Consider the “007” franchise, whose most recent release, “Spectre,” featured Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall,” a decision largely driven by marketing purposes to both attract fans of Smith and lend the film further star power. Yet while the decision to hire Radwimps was similarly market-driven — Radwimps’ 2013 album, “Batsu to Maru

JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

This isn’t a matter of whether or not “The Post” is Oscar bait — that much is obvious; rather, it’s about the degree to which it panders to Academy sensibilities and whether or not the film’s impact and relevance override that fact. What is Oscar bait? Put succinctly, it’s a film engineered with the sole purpose of being competitive at the Academy Awards, one whose principle audience is not general moviegoers but rather the award show’s shadowy cabal of judges. The cynical connotation that the label bears is indicative of its film snob origins, but more severe of a crime than bashing films generally agreed to be good is the felonious deed of being an uninformed viewer. A film is Oscar bait if it meets certain criteria: It is released late in the year; it sports big names whom the Academy is known to be favorable toward (like Meryl

to Tsumi to,” is certified platinum in Japan — viewing the film as a whole shows that there was much more to this decision than simply attracting Radwimps’ fanbase. “Your Name’”s official soundtrack is 1 hour and 12 minutes long, and with the film’s full runtime being 1 hour and 52 minutes, this means that more than half of the entire film is accompanied by music. Compare this to musicals such as “The Greatest Showman” and “La La Land,” with their soundtracks being 39 and 45 minutes, respectively, and it’s apparent that “Your Name’”s soundtrack is as essential to the film’s effectiveness as the dialogue or animation. Every time a chord is played or a lyric is sung, it’s done so very intentionally and with precise calculation behind every character action and line of dialogue. “Your Name” has a way of immersing you in its world and characters: From scenic shots of the bustling Tokyo cityscape contrasted with picturesque mountain ranges, to intimate moments between Mitsuha and Taki such as their first meeting during twilight, the music is an essential aspect of that world. All of these scenes have one thing in common, which is the soundtrack that carries the emotion forward spectacularly. A perfect example of the

music effectively conveying its characters’ feelings would be the final scene of the movie where Mitsuha and Taki — five years after the events of the film — find each other again. At the beginning of the scene, both protagonists perform their morning routines on their way to work. The music is calm and serene, fitting the peacefulness of waking up on a normal day, but carries a feeling of melancholy in its serenity. Older but unfulfilled, Taki’s search for what he’s been looking for his whole life is still unresolved, and the music helps in reminding viewers of his internal struggle. The dreamy music continues at a slow pace, but builds as the pair end up at the same train station. Through the windows of their parallel trains, the two lock eyes as the the singer’s voice erupts in a momentous rush of emotions. As the song reaches its full swing, the characters’ connection is split by a third train, which leads them to rush off and search desperately for each other. When they finally reach each other, they’re hesitant, with the song acting accordingly by not only

GRAPHIC BY STEPHANIE MA

softening in volume but in tempo as well. As they walk past each other the song begins to fade away, but Taki musters the courage to turn around and call out to Mitsuha. She promptly turns around and just as their conversation begins they are cut off by the title and the song swells once again. While the music plays an important role in eliciting powerful emotions in scenes, it’s equally as impactful in its absence. For the most part, the music is unheard during transitions that branch the more important scenes together. However, during the sequence where Taki discovers that Mitsuha had died three years ago, which is the point when the protagonists are most distant from each other, we get one of these soundtrack absences. Taki also begins to lose his memories of Mitsuha at this point. So the lack of music reflects the loss of his

How Oscar bait-y is “The Post?” Streep); it concerns itself with real-world landmark history, especially that closely connected to the film industry; it is a period piece; the film’s protagonists are underdogs facing forces vastly surpassing their perceived strength, typically operating on a moral binary that places said protagonists in an exceedingly sympathetic circumstance; the film has protagonists who battle with disability or racism in a very heavy-handed manner. Some of the more popular films in recent years considered to be Oscar bait include 2014’s Alan Turing biopic, “The Imitation Game,” 2011’s white savior drama “The Help” and 2010’s controversial pick for Best Picture, the King George VI biopic, “The King’s Speech.” A final note: Those three movies are all good. In fact, many Oscar bait movies are good. The problem lies more in the obvious strategy to cater to the Academy’s easily discernible tastes than it does with the quality of a film. Every year a film comes out that shrieks “Oscar bait” so

aggressively, it would be more fitting if its poster depicted the head of its studio sailing across a lake in a cute little boat, fishing for those gold statuettes. Last year, it was “La La Land,” a film celebrating the history of Hollywood and jazz music while ignoring the impact of black musicians (a great film, nonetheless). This year, it’s “The Post,” the Steven Spielberg-directed film based on a screenplay by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer (“Spotlight,” “The Fifth Estate”) starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, centered on the Washington Post’s 1971 expose of the Pentagon Papers. The roster of talented cast and crew speaks for itself: If there were an Academy Award for Most Likely to Win Academy Awards, “The Post” would snatch the gold in a heartbeat. I can’t smell anything from my computer screen, but if I could, the trailer would emanate an oily odor, residue from the greasy assembly line it seems to have been produced in, and the comment section fulfills its role

by taking jabs at the obviousness of the film’s impending success this February. But “The Post” is still a good movie. It’s a timely film on the importance of the freedom of the press in the face of authoritarian-like presidency, despite being less thrilling than what the “thriller” in “political thriller” would lead one to think. But that’s OK, because what matters more is that the film is technically a period piece, stars Streep and Hanks, is scored by John Williams, is co-written by the man who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for a similar film about journalists, is directed by the one and only Spielberg and is about goodnatured people seeking justice against an unjust government — an inspiring tale of bravery if there ever was one. While the cynicism in its design cripples the film’s appeal to some, the relevancy Singer and Hannah inject into it would be criminal to gloss over. Streep, ever the graceful performer, plays a character who is placed in a tender situation: Risk the

connection to her. He doesn’t even feel longing at this point, his feelings for Mitsuha become non-existent. It’s when he begins to learn about Mitsuha’s hometown and the people who lived there that his connection is reestablished and the soundtrack reappears. What Radwimps and the rest of those involved in the creation of “Your Name” accomplished is something truly special. It is an example of a film whose separate components compliment and benefit the complete experience. And just like any other aspect of the film, this experience would not have been complete without the soundtrack. “Your Name” is an experience, and it seeks to capture a feeling. It evokes a feeling of longing, of a life not quite complete and chronicles the lives of two people who finally find the answer to that feeling. ■H

existence of the then-small scale Washington Post by publishing the same government secrets that got The New York Times into heavy legal trouble with the United States government, or succumb to media suppression. Richard Nixon is rendered a vile and silhouetted figure whose sole motive throughout the course of the film is to smear the name of the press. It’s hard to see the film’s depiction of Tricky Dick and not immediately wince at the mental image of The Donald’s relentless attempts to discredit publications by labeling them “fake news.” The parallels are eerie, to frame things lightly, which underscores the heroics of people like Chelsea Manning and others fighting against the government’s shady practices. In that regard, “The Post” has most other Oscar bait films beat. Surely it’s an invention with dollar signs in mind, but the heart is there: Spielberg, Streep, Williams — they’re all wonderful artists who understand the urgency of this film’s themes. ■H

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Highlander // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

“Out of this World”: How Mykki Blanco and i-D highlight Johannesburg’s queer life

COURTESY OF I-D

Hugo Cervantes Contributing Writer

In the Mykki Blanco-led documentary “Out of This World,” the queer worlds of Johannesburg are lusciously paced. Shots of Blanco twirling tulle in a fabric shop become regal and endlessly elegant; landscape shots of Johannesburg’s tangerine sundown flicker in the factory smog amidst endless highways. It’s a city with worlds bubbling just underneath its industrial mantle. The documentary, an i-D production directed by Matt Lambert, curves and contours the vibrancy of the South African city’s queer community. The structure of the documentary situates itself between classic documentary tropes like the interview and political action like their femme march and with the steady mundanity of life like going to swap meets or having dinner. The film is an emphasis of the inseparability of life and struggle that persists even after the cameras are off. It is the vibrancy of the film — the assistance when putting on an eyelash, the honest opinion on that skirt, the resilience of living as queer — that stays with you. Life reverberates in every scene. In one scene, Blanco sits across from trans model Elle van der Burg. The two are getting their hair done and, like sisters, they are are giddy to fill each other in on their lives. Blanco asks, “Ok, I am going to be nosy now, how’s your love life?” Van der Burg blushes, then shares, “You’d think it’d be difficult, right? Being this invisible figure in public, but it’s pretty great from my side!” There is a bright smile puntacting the sentence — it’s a scene where van der Burg’s joy fills the room. Joy is the pivotal force of the documentary as Blanco clarifies in an interview, “We did not want to create another documentary

that was just going to be a sob story, you can use this lens to find people who are thriving and living their lives despite oppression and injustice.” Here, joy is a generative and political force that ties and connects Johannesburg’s queer community together. Johannesburg’s social knotting aligns with what former UCR English professor and literary theorist Fred Moten would describe to be an undercommons: Places and collective relationships that are supportive and often lifesaving for generating creative work like music, performance, learning, organizing or fashion design. The documentary zooms into these femme undercommons that poignantly document the vitality of these places of gathering. Joy, and its forms — friendship, collectives and, at its most ecstatic, the party — glue these undercommons together. Blanco, at one point, describes his own trans experience as a process rather than a cyclical linear experience. Van der Burg then affirms and shares a similar story of being trans not being instantaneous but rather ongoing, she says, “Not all of us have a wake-and-change thing — it’s a process.” Their casual conversation zooms past monolithic mainstream narratives of transness. It is something complex and rich something that often mainstream outlets are not willing or able to describe. The conversation between Blanco and van der Burg is at ease — they can confide in one another. They chat about their experiences without a looming paranoia or frustrating misunderstandings. They can bring up the nonlinearity of trans-ness and then talk about boys, nightlife and their careers without it being sensationalized. They can throw their hands back and laugh. The documentary surveys

many one-on-one interviews that feel more or less like friends hanging out. And like the salon scene, it’s the banter and the catching up, even the gossip, between friends that makes it a pleasurable watch. It’s a gregariousness that calls to mind writer and artist Hannah Black’s account on the vitality of gossip among women under institutions operating on the gears of misogyny, homophobia and structural racism, as in cities like Johannesburg. In her essay, “Witch-hunt,” Black pulls from Marxist-feminist Silvia Federici’s “The Caliban and the Witch,” and its tracing of institutions in the late Middle Ages that led to the persecution of women known as the witch hunts. The witch that Federici describes — the midwife, the prostitute, the healerturned-witch — is reflective of the moralization of female relationships. She goes on to suggest that the villainization of female relationships resulted in the importance of gossip — secrets shared amongst women alone — and relationships that spiraled into communities of women treading along the jaws of the macho-machine. Like the binding forces of Blanco’s queer circle in Johannesburg, gossip, as Black suggests, is a generative force that continues to protect women today. The uproar and criticisms of #MeToo draws from the sohomophoric surprise of men assuming that women are not talking to each other about their experiences of sexual assault in the workplace. Gossip and its inseparability from joy — and its forms of friendship, care, support and collectivity — are the glue behind the femme undercommons this documentary surveys. It’s as simple as Blanco and van der Burg talking about their shared and unique experiences of their trans identity, dialogue that can be life-affirming for black

COURTESY OF I-D

femmes and queers of color alike. When women or femmes talk to each other to protect one another there is power. It can be lifesaving. The film graciously is able to capture Johannesburg’s queer underground of millenial black life and their strides toward world-building and art production. There is no sense of intrusion or exploitation by the camera. Instead, the camera simply rolls and disappears in between intimate moments of laughter and gossip. Much of its poignancy is accredited to the delight that is Blanco; he steals the documentary with his sincerity and warmth. His sense of

respect and love for the South African artists perfumes the documentary. Receptive of his own differences and interested in understanding their own. Blanco draws on the differences between queer experiences of color and shows how these can be productive and formative for resisting a world that desires to drown them. In one scene that could double as a performance or portrait, Blanco and FAKA (Fela Gucci and Desire Marea) line up behind the dusk blue horizon line wrapped in a cerulean skirt. Graciously they wave their arms back and forth in unison. It is a moment of unity. ■H

Be read.

Welcome back Highlanders! Interested in the newspaperâ€™s articles or pictures? The Highlander can help your passion in writing, photography, or design. Join us every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101 to learn more.

HIGHLANDER JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

Highlander // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

Highlander All-Stars BY: Jonathan Fernandez & jon hammmond, Senior Staff Writers

With the NBA All-Star and NFL Pro Bowl games coming up it’s only right we recognize the AllStars within our very own Highlander sports programs. While most programs did not get the results they wanted, there were still some players who had standout seasons. So without further ado, here are our 2017-18 Highlander All-Stars.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Michelle Curry Women’s basketball senior guard

Curry is having an outstanding season for the Highlanders thus far. She has been a swiss army knife for her team, showing off her ability to contribute on both ends of the floor, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or defensive energy. In conference play, Curry is averaging 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. She has been the motor for her team all season long which earns her the All-Star nod.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Lauren Holt

Women’s basketball redshirt senior guard Holt has been a more-thancapable number two option for her team and, at times, has even been the focal point of the Highlander’s offense. Her greatest strength is her three-point shot, which has helped a Highlander team that is only shooting 25 percent from deep on the year. Holt’s 33 percent from beyond the arc and her inconference production of 17 points and four rebounds per game is the reason why she is an All-Star for the Highlanders.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

DJ Sylvester

Men’s basketball sophomore guard After Interim Head Coach Justin Bell took the reins of the men’s basketball team, he made the immediate change of inserting DJ Sylvester into the starting lineup and Sylvester has produced in this larger role. Since Bell took over Sylvester is averaging 33 minutes per game, which is the most in his career. Sylvester has also been a steady offensive option averaging 13 points per game in conference play, and had a career-high 24 points in his first official start.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Kaiulani Ahuna

Antonio Lokossou

Arman Irani

Ahuna led all Highlanders in kills with 229 on the season. The junior outside hitter was a steady presence in matches and started in 21 of the 27 matches she played while averaging 3.21 points per set and 2.94 kills per set. Ahuna developed into an emotional leader for the Highlanders, as the team jumped out to one of its hottest starts ever.

Despite only starting in five of the 19 matches, Lokossou led all players in goals with five on the year. Lokossou also had that same goal scoring ability when it mattered most, leading the team in game-winning goals with three.

The redshirt sophomore emerged as the men’s cross country team leader in 2017. Irani was the number one runner for the men for every race the Highlanders participated in and finished the NCAA West Regionals with a time of 31:23, good for 92nd overall and his first top-100 finish. He also finished in the top-20 in his first four races of the season as he set personal bests in all of them. ■H

Volleyball junior outside hitter

Men’s soccer junior forward

Men’s cross country

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports

Track and field gets off to good start at Lumberjack Challenge HIGHLANDER

HOT TAKES

JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer

Both of the Highlanders’ track and field teams started their indoor season at the Lumberjack Team Challenge in Northern Arizona on Friday, Jan. 19. The men’s side was able to take first place in the Lumberjack Challenge due to some impressive performances from a lot of their team. The Highlanders saw four firstplace finishes from their squad, including senior Peter Manu in the 60-meter hurdle event (8.05 s), sophomore Aidan Olvera in the pole vault (4.11 m) and sophomore Lawrence O’Hara in the shot put event (16.57m). Juniors Ethan Van Setten and Ricky Wright Jr. both took third place in the 400-meter dash (50.41 s) and the long jump (6.85 m) respectively. UCR’s relay team of junior Matthew Reyes, freshman Blake Gelinas, freshman Quinn Williams and Van Setten also won third place in the 4x400 relay (3:28.09) The women’s team also earned a first-place finish from senior Faith Makau in the 800-meter dash with a 2:16:97

The (NBA) revolution should be televised! JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

time. The Highlanders won fourth place in the 4x400 relay with senior Taylor Brown, freshman Eve Alberico and sophomores Kenady Jackson and Sydney Hunter finishing

with a collective time of 3:56.48. The women’s team also received top-five finishes from Jorden O’Neal in the long jump (5.39 m) and Izabel Lopez in the triple jump (10.70

m). The track and field team will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 26 through the 27th as they take part in the University of Washington Invitational. ■H

Men’s basketball suffers seventh loss in a row JARYD BONGCARAS Contributing Writer

The narrative of UCR men’s basketball playing better at home than on the road, has not held up as of late. After going 4-2 on their floor induringnonconference play, UC Riverside (5-14, 0-5) has lost five consecutive conference games, three of which, including last Wednesday’s 66-57 loss to CSU Northridge (4-14, 1-3), have been on their home floor. UCR trailed for only 50 seconds in the opening half Wednesday as guard DJ Sylvester had the hot hand early on. At halftime, the redshirt sophomore led all players with 15 points on 3-of-5 shooting. The Highlanders led 31-27 in the opening minute of the second half, but CSUN would respond with a 28-10 run over the next 13 minutes, giving them a 55-41 lead, their largest of the game, as the lead wouldn’t fall under nine points for the rest of regulation. Redshirt senior guard Chance

Murray led the Highlanders in scoring, earning 15 of his 17 total points in the second half while also grabbing eight rebounds. Sylvester knocked down three triples for only the second time of his career, starting off 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first half, and finishing 3-of6. The sophomore guard only attempted 3 shots in the entire second half and failed to connect on any of them, scoring his game total of 15 points all in the first half. The Highlanders out-rebounded their opponent for the second time during Big West play (37-35), but shot 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from three-point land, far off from the 41.2 percent (7-for-17) mark posted by the Matadors. UC Riverside also had their most efficient game of the season from the free throw line, led by Murray who went 10-for-10. The team made their first 10 attempts from the charity stripe and finished 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) on the night.

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

This rough patch that the team is going through doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t compete with the rest of the conference. In fact, four of the five Big West games that the Highlanders have lost in a row have been decided by single digits. In two of those games UC Riverside had the lead after the first half. In this month’s matchup against UC Santa Barbara, the Highlanders were trailing by as many as 24 points at the half but able to cut the Gauchos’ lead all

down to a five-point deficit they still lost the game. The Highlanders aren’t getting blown out by their conference foes, they just don’t always seem to play a full 40 minutes of basketball. UCR’s next game will be on the road at UC Irvine (3-2, 8-13) on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. This will be the Highlanders’ first matchup of the season against the Anteaters, who they fell to three times last season. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN 3. ■H

Women’s basketball cruises past Hawai’i, falls to Northridge JON HAMMOND Senior Staff Writer

Jan. 18, 2018 Highlanders 79-Rainbow Wahine 57 UCR’s women’s basketball team (6-14, 4-4) rode their momentum from their Jan. 13 win against Cal State Fullerton as they took on Hawai’i (8-11, 1-5) in the SRC Arena. The Rainbow Wahine jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Highlanders flipped the script with a 14-2 run to take the lead 14-8. UCR never let their foot off the gas, as Hawai’i was only able to come within four points before the first half ended with a 19-2 Highlander run that extended

into the third quarter. The offense continued to hum in the second half as the Highlanders shot 54.8 percent (17-31) and went 3-3 from deep. UCR senior guard Lauren Holt led all scorers with 24 points and Michelle Curry chipped in 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jan. 20, 2018 Highlanders 55-Matadors 60 Cal State Northridge (10-9, 3-2) snapped the Highlanders’ two-game win streak in a fivepoint victory that was neckand-neck all game long. The Highlanders opened the first quarter unable to buy a bucket, shooting 23.5 percent (4-17). Down 21-11 after the first

quarter, the Highlanders were able to spark their offense with a 12-2 run to tie the game at 23 all with three and a half to go in the first half. The second half opened with a pair of Curry free throws that edged the Highlanders ahead by one point, 32-31 until CSUN jumped ahead by eight. UCR was able to cut the deficit to only one after Curry split a pair of free throws with a minute remaining in the game, but CSUN was able to score with 19 seconds remaining to ice the game. The Highlanders were unable to get a field goal in the remaining 3:14 of the game. Holt led all blue and gold scorers yet again with 17

points and was the only Highlander to score a three, going 2-9 from beyond the arc. Holt has now extended her double-digit scoring streak to 13 games. Curry wasn’t quite able to find her touch in the game as she finished with 12 points on 2-12 shooting from the field, but she was deadly from the line, finishing 8-10. Redshirt sophomore Skyler Lewis recorded her fourth double-double of the year with 10 points and 12 boards to go with four assists. The Highlanders are back on the court against UC Irvine (11-8, 3-2) on Thursday, Jan. 25 in the SRC Arena at 7 p.m., their first meeting of the season. ■H

After last year’s disappointing All-Star festivities, the NBA decided to spice things up for the main attraction. Instead of the game being the East versus the West, the leading vote-getter from each respective conference is elected team captain and gets to choose from the selected pool of All-Stars to make up their teams. This year, Stephen Curry and LeBron James have been made the captains of their respective conferences and, while this all sounds great, the NBA has decided not to air the draft for everyone to see. If this was the answer to changing the All-Star game up and making it more interesting, than the NBA is failing. The initial idea of bringing something as big as the All-Star game back to pickup basketball roots was a great one, but deciding not to televise the draft could be its fatal flaw. The intrigue of the All-Star draft was the drama and storylines that would come with it. The potential of LeBron choosing his former teammate Kyrie Irving, or LeBron choosing potential future teammates James Harden and Chris Paul. All of the potential drama and storylines that would come from seeing the players reacting to where they are selected is what made this new All-Star format interesting. If they don’t televise the draft, the game won’t gain the competitive edge that it so desperately needs, and it’ll be just as disappointing as it was last year. The Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, basically said he didn’t want to televise it because players could get their feelings hurt based on where they are drafted, but regardless of where they’re drafted, they’re still All-Stars. The NBA should take note of what the NHL did when they televised their All-Star draft for the first time in 2011. They offered to give the last player selected a free new car. The players were so enthused with the idea that they were holding notes up saying “Pick me last, I need a new car!” I suppose the difference between the two is the egos of NBA players compared to NHL players. But like LeBron said, they’re all grown men so televising the draft and all the storylines that come out of it should be a priority. ■H

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS