THE HIGHLANDER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
est. 1954
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
VOL. 66, ISSUE 24
view the full list of candidates in Issue 23’s elections guide or online.
asucr elections
2018-2019
ENDORSEMENTS Chancellor Wilcox speaks on MSU investigation MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer
When endorsing himself as a candidate for UC Riverside’s chancellor vacancy in 2012, Kim Wilcox highly touted his experience overseeing the medical school at Michigan State University (MSU), where he served as provost from August 2005 to July 2013. A report from the Detroit News published earlier this month, however, suggests Wilcox failed to act on numerous complaints of sexual misconduct against the school’s former Dean William Strampel. Strampel, who was dean of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine for 15 years, was arrested March 26 on charges of criminal sexual misconduct, misconduct by a public official and two counts of willful neglect of duty. The charges were levied after investigators discovered numerous claims against Strampel as part of the broader probe into former sports doctor Larry Nassar, whom Strampel directly supervised. According to investigators, Strampel, 70, used his position at MSU to harass, discriminate, proposition, sexually assault and solicit pornographic videos of female students, and was complicit in allowing Nassar to molest over 150 young gymnasts and other athletes under the guise of medical treatment. According to reports, Wilcox became aware of Strampel’s alleged behavior as early as 2010, when he oversaw his dean performance review. The review included complaints that Strampel constantly interjected sexual comments into conversations with staff and students, openly commented about women’s bodies and often boasted about his sex life. ► SEE WILCOX, PAGE 4
UCR students “walk out” against gun violence ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer
“The residue of many bullets lives within me.” These were the words of Katherine Maldonado, a sociology graduate student speaking at the National School Walkout event, a protest against gun violence that occurred by the UCR bell tower Friday, April 20. On the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 15 and injured 24, Maldonado and others recounted their personal experiences with firearms and gun violence, and offered their opinions on how to deal with this problem that, according to organizer Andrew Eneim, “occurs every day.” The event, which drew a crowd of about 70 individuals, was organized as part of a nationwide youth-driven response to gun violence in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which resulted in the deaths of 17 and the further injuries of 17 others. The shooting, perpetrated by 19-year-old student Nikolas Cruz, stands as one of the deadliest in history. Eneim, a third-year cell, molecular and developmental biology major, and co-organizer Jeremy Jurgens, a fourth-year sociology student, set up the event, which was promoted exclusively through Facebook. The march was aimed to promote the debate and discussion of firearm violence on the UCR campus. After a few brief words of introduction, Eneim, wearing a t-shirt that read “This Student Calls BS,” turned over the microphone to a host of other students and allowed them to speak briefly and voice their concerns regarding the debate. Among these was Maldonado, a “mother, daughter, sister, friend and researcher,” who claimed she was “sick of seeing funeral roses.” Maldonado recounted her childhood growing up in South Central Los Angeles, an area renowned for its high rates of violent crime. Her first encounter with firearm violence occurred when her father, a taxi driver returning to work, was shot and killed. Maldonado was two days old. Jurgens also recounted his own experiences with gun violence, sharing with the audience a recent incident in which a close friend nearly
committed suicide after buying a gun. Jurgens pointed out the need for gun control, while also calling for increased attention to mental health issues. “He’s a jerk for not telling me about it until three months later,” Jurgens explained. “You are more likely to kill yourself, statistically, if you have a gun in the house.” Although his friend survived the experience, Jurgens lamented, “I’ve known this guy since we were little kids, and all that time he’s battled depression. And he still had a gun.” Mental health, a consistent talking point in the discussions about gun violence and mass shootings, also featured during the event, with multiple other speakers referring to the issue as either a primary driver or smaller factor causing firearmrelated tragedy. A table set up near the Bell Tower on behalf of UCR’s Student Affairs Case Management contained a wealth of pamphlets detailing the mental health resources available to students under the purview of the office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. ► SEE WALKOUT, PAGE 4
view on pg.8 ASUCR elections debates center on student involvement and food insecurity
Executive and senate candidates speak on outlook of their prospective positions for the upcoming academic year VIVIAN LEE Staff Writer MARK BERTUMEN Contributing Writer
This year’s annual ASUCR debates featured candidates for a variety of positions, speaking about their future plans and initiatives while addressing oncampus issues for the 2018-2019 academic year. The debates were introduced by ASUCR Elections Director Taylor Brown, and moderated by The Highlander’s News Editor Evan Ismail. PRESIDENTS Debates began with presidential candidates Semi Cole and Diana Jekki responding to questions pertinent to campus and student concerns. One of the leading questions posed to the candidates inquired about their future plans if elected to office. Cole shared that he wants to “restore the voice of students and their faith in (ASUCR) leadership” while combating what he perceives as general student apathy for student council. He also promised to increase student awareness for programs within Costo Hall. Jekki touted her past experience lobbying to prioritize students’ academic endeavors as well as their overall well-being. She emphasized the need to vote for the referenda and pass the required 20 percent voter turnout threshold.
MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER
► SEE DEBATE, PAGE 5
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