Volume 68 Issue 20

THE HIGHLANDER 2020

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

VOL. 68, ISSUE 20

est. 1954

Primary election guide VOTE

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TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

HUMANS OF UCR

UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 9

TIAN TAIN HAN | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING | SECOND-YEAR COMPILED BY LYDIA TSOU

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Tuesday

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UCR Music - Japanese Drumming Demonstration 12:00pm to 1:00pm Arts Building, Amphitheatre Steps

Sense Us: Why the Census Matters 4:00pm to 5:00pm HUB 265

Mobile Food Pantry 11:00am to 2:00pm Rivera Library, arches (Outdoors)

Campus Safety Walk on Wednesday 5:30pm to 7:30pm Parking Lot 24

Don’t be Scared of Credit 12:00pm to 1:00pm HUB 265

Egg Hunt Open House 7:00pm to 10:00pm Student Recreation Center (SRC), Challenge Course

Salud Sin Papeles “Health Undocumented” film 10:00am to 12:00pm Culver Center of the Arts

Color Festival 2:00pm to 5:00pm Anderson Hall (School of Business, AGSM), Front Lawn

UCR is Dancing 2020 8:00pm to 9:30pm University Theatre, Humanities 400

Women’s Basketball vs CSUN 5:00pm to 7:00pm Student Recreation Center (SRC), Arena

NASP Lecture Series: Dr. Daniel J. Calac, MD 12:30pm to 1:30pm HUB 268

Women’s Health Seminars for Successful Aging 6:00pm to 7:00pm UCR Palm Desert Campus, B200 75080 Frank Sinatra Dr, Palm Desert, California 92211

Wednesday

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Thursday

“As a young girl, I remember taking the taxi home from school with my friends. One time, my friends and I didn’t bring enough money and we couldn’t go home because a lot of taxi drivers wouldn’t give us a ride. We were anxious, however, one of the drivers that we had seen before was

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Friday

willing to give us a ride and she told us that we can pay back the money another time when we see her; or, if not, to not worry about the money. I really appreciated it. She said that she had seen us before and that she felt that she could trust us. I was really thankful because this lady really cared about us over the money. To her, what’s most important was to make sure the girls got home safely. “

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Saturday

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TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

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Sit-in protest in Hinderaker Hall aims to bring awareness to the COLA movement

PREETI JUTURU Contributing Writer

On Thursday, Feb. 27 at approximately 2:15 p.m., students in support of the costof-living adjustment movement (COLA) gathered in front of Hinderaker Hall with boxes of pizza, preparing to sit in the hallway of Hinderaker Hall’s fourth floor, the location of the chancellor’s office.

According to UAW 2865, the average salary of UC-employed graduate students is $21,000 per year. Students spend between 38% and 60% of their pre-taxed income on housing costs, according to a 2019 estimate by the union. UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) graduate students, demanding an increase in salary in order to afford housing, have been on an unsanctioned, full-fledged strike as of Feb. 10. The COLA movement gained

traction on UC Riverside’s campus as of last week, with a large-scale rally being held in support of the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) wildcat strike.

Students striking at UCSC, as well as on other UC campuses, have been arrested due to strike participation, threatened by potential job loss and have faced cases of police brutality. The sit-in, according to Margarita Vizcarra, a second-year GSOE graduate student, was aimed to “denounce what the administration of Santa Cruz is doing.”

Approximately 30 students were greeted by Chancellor Kim Wilcox and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brian Haynes at around 2:22 p.m. “We brought the pizza, hoping that you have the COLA,” stated Vizcarra when facing Chancellor Wilcox. “We’re expecting an official letter … saying that you do not

agree with the tactics that the institution is using to bring down strikers,” she continued.

In response to Vizcarra, Wilcox explained that it is difficult to engage in the middle of a union relationship.

“We have to fully respect the role of the union in negotiating that relationship,” he stated. In response, Vizcarra stated that “union workers are being used as pawns.” After approximately 15 minutes, Vizcarra and other graduate students were able to arrange a meeting with Wilcox to discuss COLA affairs on Friday, Feb. 28 at approximately 2:30 p.m.

In an interview with The Highlander, Wilcox stated, “I applaud their desire to stand with their colleagues at Santa Cruz.” In regards to the UAW negotiations, he explained that, “the negotiations of the contract were over

a year ago. The challenge is how do we get to a place where a contract that’s not very old is so far out of the alignment from what the employees thought they needed.”

In 2018, a contract was ratified with the United Automobile Workers (UAW), the union that represents graduate student workers, after graduate students in UCSC presented that the cost of living in the Santa Cruz area exceeds what UCSC graduate students are paid. However, the contract ratification was opposed by more than 80% of UCSC graduate students. “I can’t negotiate the contract ... I’m not the authorized negotiator with the union. You need to respect the process,” Wilcox stated Student protesters continued to sit in front of Wilcox’s office until ■H approximately 6:00 p.m.

ASUCR

ASUCR passes bill that would require any proposed stipend increases take effect the following school year

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, ASUCR held their eighth senate meeting of the quarter.

During Public Forum, Amanda Riggle, a second-year English doctoral candidate, spoke in support of SR-W20-004 Solidarity for COLA and UC Graduate Students Act which would be presented during Committee Reports under LRC. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) movement is demanding an increase in salary in order to afford housing. The movement, which began at UC Santa Cruz gained traction at UCR last week, with a large-scale rally being held in support of the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) wildcat strike. A sit-in protest was also held on Feb. 27 in Hinderaker Hall.

Riggle stated, “We are asking for your (ASUCR) endorsement for COLA and to stand in solidarity with graduate students.

We are overworked and underpaid and we are not asking for a reduction in work. We are asking for a cost of living increase.”

Ben Harder, a lecturer for the University Writing Program at UCR, also spoke during Public Forum in support of SR-W20-005 Solidarity with UCAFT; it would also be presented during Committee Reports under the Legislative Review Committee (LRC). UC-AFT is a union representing librarians and non-senate faculty working throughout the UC system. Their members hold academic appointments as lecturers, program coordinators, supervisors of teacher education and librarians.

On Feb. 1, UC-AFT released a statement regarding their contract negotiations with the UC. The statement stated that after more than nine months of negotiations, on the day before their contract expired, UC administration gave them an “incomplete, take-it-orleave-it, bundle of articles with little to no movement.” UC-AFT is demanding that the UC end all unpaid work, assign available classes to current faculty before hiring new faculty, as well as the implementation of longer term precontinuing appointments, more full-time teaching jobs, middle-class salaries and fair workload standards.

Harder stated, “I have been working full time here at UCR for 21 years ... I have an $83,000 salary ... Many of you want to start out of college with my salary and I am still here after 21 years.

Our contracts are self-terminating. If they

don’t tell us that we are rehired, we just have to assume that we were fired. We are trying to push for more job security and a salary that will allow someone to buy a house after 10 years.”

After their statements, both resolutions were presented during Committee Reports under the LRC. SRW20-004 Solidarity for COLA and UC Graduate Students Act was presented first. Orlando Cabalo, a first-year senate intern presented the resolution. This resolution would call on ASUCR to

make a median salary of $19,000 which is below the poverty line. It is immoral for universities with so much money to pay lecturers this.” The resolution was passed 10-0-2.

President Pro Tempore Miguel Ramirez then presented SB-W20-010 Amendments to Ch. 8: Stipends and Regulations. This bill would revise Chapter 8 of the ASUCR bylaws and make it so that any proposed changes for stipends for elected officials would apply to the following year’s elected officials.

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stand in solidarity with graduate students fighting for COLA. Vice President of External Affairs Luis Huerta voiced his support for the resolution stating, “Although UCR is one of the last to catch wind of the movement, the march last week is a testament to UCR’s support for the movement. The COLA movement is just making sure grad students across the UC have a livable and sustainable wage which is why my name is on this resolution.”

The resolution passed 12-0-0.

SR-W20-005 Solidarity with UC-AFT was then presented. This resolution would call on ASUCR to stand in solidarity with UC-AFT and their contract negotiations. Cabalo also presented this bill and stated, “Lecturers

He stated that this bill was written in the essence of the 27th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Ramirez stated that this bill will help with transparency and will ensure that elected officials are working for students and not to benefit themselves.

Executive Vice President (EVP) Abigail Cortes, voiced her concern with the bill. At the Feb. 5 ASUCR meeting, SB-W20-009 Amendments to Chapters 10, 8, 2 & 4 of the ASUCR Bylaws, which would propose a stipend increase for the ASUCR EVP, was denied by the senate with a vote of 7-4-4. Cortes stated in regards to SBW20-010, “I don’t think we should be punishing elected officials for knowing their worth. The way this is written

basically selects which students are allowed to receive a stipend increase the year that they are asking for it and which students are not.”

She went on to state that this bill could indirectly punish students who may want to push for fair pay. She stated, “I don’t think it is correct for us to pick and choose which students deserve to receive pay and which students do not.

We’re here talking about the cost-ofliving adjustment but then also here limiting students from receiving pay that they think is fair.” Cortes stated that adding these amendments into Chapter 8 is not beneficial in any way.

“For these reasons, I really encourage you all to indefinitely table this piece of legislation,” stated Cortes.

Elections Director Dyanna Castaneda voiced her support for Cortes. She stated, “It doesn’t make sense for us to be advocating for UC labor laws and then restricting our own government body. It is just asking for a pay raise ... it’s realizing that you are doing all this work and not getting paid enough.”

Luna Sebastian, the personnel director, who is a secondary author on the bill stated, “I have four committee members who do tremendous amounts of work and don’t get paid at all ... we receive stipends of thousands of dollars while others only receive hundreds.”

The bill ultimately passed with a vote of 8-0-4.

SB-W20-011 The Veto Transparency Act was also presented and passed.

This bill would require that if the executive cabinet veto a bill, they practice transparency ensuring that the president works with the body that authored the bill to explain why a veto took place, inform the public within 48 hours that a veto occurred, inform the public of the vote count of the veto and require that the president explain why the veto took place at the next senate meeting. The bill passed 10-1-1.

Sebastian presented SB-W20-012 Ch. 6: The Office of Personnel. This bill would recognize and acknowledge the work that chairs of the personnel committee put in, as well as provide a better structure for all committees and their responsibilities. The bill would also require that the executive cabinet submit reports on the work they have completed. The bill passed 12-0-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

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David Leonhardt lectures on the state of journalism at the 51st annual Hays Press-Enterprise conference

SAMUEL HARRISON Senior Staff Writer

On Thursday, Feb. 27, New York Times op-ed columnist David Leonhardt presented on both the evolution of modern journalism as well as some of the obstacles modern journalists face for the 51st Hays Press-Enterprise lecture. The event was held at the UC Riverside Extension Center.

Leonhardt is the latest in a long line of Hays Press-Enterprise lecturers and is most notable for receiving a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in April 2011 for his examination of America’s economy, especially with regards to the federal budget deficit and health care reform.

Today, Leonhardt primarily opines on the upcoming 2020 United States presidential primary election.

UCR’s Chancellor Kim Wilcox began the event at 4:02 p.m. with a brief history of the Hays Press-Enterprise Lecture series.

The Hays Press-Enterprise lecture was started by Pulitzer Prize winning publisher Howard H. “Tim” Hays, Jr., then editor of The Press-Enterprise, in an effort to examine issues in the field of journalism.

Chancellor Wilcox explained that the lecture series was endowed by Hays’ son Tom Hays in 2011 to ensure his father’s legacy — a legacy that Wilcox described as representing not only “a continuing connection between our university and the important region around us” but also “a connection between our university, our region, and the important issues of the day.”

Following this introduction, Leonhardt took to the stage and opened his lecture with an anecdote from his early days interning with the Washington Post during the summer of 1994. Near the end of his internship, Leonhardt wrote a story on the politics of building a sports arena in downtown Washington. In this article, Leonhardt misspelled the name of longtime

Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. The article made it to print before any corrections could be made.

Met with laughter from the crowd, Leonhardt explained that this mistake illustrates his first point: in many ways, journalism is much more healthy than it used to be. In today’s modern age, such a mistake “would go online, and in all likelihood, within minutes, some eagleeyed reader would begin mocking the story and the person who wrote it” on social media, he stated. He continued to say that journalists are more accountable than they used to be.

Leonhardt then went on to explain that the gradual transition to digital platforms also affords journalists certain tools that improve the overall state of journalism.

For starters, if a journalist misspelled a person’s name in an article, the publication would quickly be informed and a correction could be made to the digital edition. He also explained that a digital format allows journalists to make more comprehensive, eye-catching graphics — a technique Leonhardt often uses in his own articles.

Leonhardt acknowledged that current journalism is not without its failures, however. For starters, local journalism and print journalism both seem to be in crisis.

“Newsroom employment has fallen by 25% since 2008,” Leonhardt explained, “and it’s probably down more than 50% from its peak, which was well before 2008.” This means that local events, like school board and city council meetings, are going uncovered. Leonhardt argued that this issue needs to be addressed, as less local coverage means that “our community doesn’t know itself.”

Furthermore, Leonhardt stated that Americans are especially distrustful of the media today. He attributes this decline in trust to the fact that living standards for many Americans have stagnated for the last 40 years. “Lifespans, arguably the

David Leonhardt presents at the 51st Hays Press-Enterprise lecture.

single best measure of our quality of life have stopped growing for people without college degrees,” he explained, and this stagnated standard of living leads to distrust of not only the media but other pillars of society.

The third and final problem Leonhardt highlighted was the prevalence of disinformation thanks to what he called deepfake videos, misleading memes and outright falsehoods spread across the internet. “Today, many people only believe those sources that agree with them ideologically,” he stated.

In order to address these problems, Leonhardt argued that social media platforms must make an effort to combat the spread of disinformation by removing misleading content. On the topic of trust in the media, Leonhardt believes that journalists should put in extra effort to compensate for society’s discontent and rededicate themselves to doing their jobs well. This entails being open to criticism and being transparent about how they go about reporting a story. Finally, Leonhardt reaffirmed the importance of local

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journalism, imploring audiences to support their local papers.

To end his lecture, Leonhardt said that journalism matters more than many other industries because “it is, at root, in the business of educating citizens to live better lives and to participate in democracy.”

After Leonhardt’s presentation, Karen Kane, a 74-year-old social worker and attendee of the event, told The Highlander that this would be the fourth Hays PressEnterprise lecture she has attended and that she had not heard a columnist speak on these issues before. She went on to say that “it was interesting to me to learn about the positives and negatives” of the field, and that she was surprised to learn that columnists like Leonhardt were so receptive to feedback.

When asked by The Highlander to elaborate on the future of print journalism specifically, Leonhardt admitted that he wasn’t sure how long print newspapers would be around, but “in terms of a daily news publication, I assume we are heading towards a world where that all happens H digitally, both locally and nationally.” ■

MRB and the Office of Technology launch Lunch and Learn series to discuss MRB Life Sciences Incubator

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Multidisciplinary Research Building (MRB) and the Office of Technology Partnerships hosted their first inaugural Lunch and Learn to discuss MRB’s Life Science’s incubator. The incubator’s first tenant, Murrieta Genomics, is partnering with Beckman Coulter, to provide the free monthly series on the last Tuesday of each month in the MRB Seminar Room from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The event was led by David Pearson, the managing director of Entrepreneurial Programs at UCR’s Office of Technology Partnerships. He stated that the series is in collaboration with Murrieta Genomics, the provider of genomics services and a launch pad for genomic sequencing startups. Pearson stated that he is in charge of getting the incubator equipped, staffed and filled with tenant companies during the course of this year. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to help bring this incubator to life,” said Pearson.

In a statement sent to The Highlander, Pearson wrote, “We in the Incubator aim to be great neighbors in the multidisciplinary neighborhood. We hope that this initial offering of a Lunch ‘n’ Learn series, focused on bringing education about state-of-the-art technologies by

leading companies and national academic experts, can mature into a standard educational fixture.”

The overall objective of the Office of Technology Partnerships and Murrieta Genomics is to create a space in the Inland Empire that will welcome technology based startups from UCR and from the community, stated Pearson. Pearson also stated that they currently have partners from Loma Linda University, City of Hope and California Baptist University who have expressed interest in UCR’s incubator because of a lack of access at their institutions.

Members of the audience consisted of UCR researchers and graduate students who had previously done genome sequencing research in San Diego before the implementation of an incubator at UCR. According to Pearson, San Diego is home to 600 biotech companies and 80 research institutes in comparison to Riverside’s two biotech companies and one research institute. Pearson stated, “We are not trying to be San Diego, we’re trying to figure out how to do things right for UCR and for the community here. We want to build our own brand of entrepreneurial excellence and I think it is through collaboration.”

Jay Goth, co-founder of Murrieta Genomics, discussed the work that they do

David Pearson discusses MRB’s Life Science’s incubator.

at the genomics sequencing lab as well as the qualities they look for in researchers.

According to the Murrieta Genomics website, they are “dedicated to advancing the use of genomic sequencing in precision medicine, agriculture, forensics, veterinary and direct to consumer applications.” Goth stated, “Genomics is much more than sequencing, it’s interpreting the data to guide new product development of medicines, diagnostics and agricultural applications.” Murrieta Genomics along with the Office of Technology Partnerships are looking for academic researchers and industry experts

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to ensure that UCR has access to leading advisors and funding to advance genomics research toward commercialization.

The MRB Life Sciences Incubator is funded by a $2.5 million grant from the Economic Development Administration given to UCR last May and is projected to be fully equipped by next month. The next Lunch and Learn event will be held on Tuesday, March 31 at 11:30 p.m. in the MRB Seminar Room. The main topics to be discussed will be genome assembly for agricultural technology and the Beckman Ultracentrifuge resource for MRB ■H researchers.

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Where the 2020 candidates Health Care Do candidates support “Medicare for All,” having a public and private healthcare option, or a free market health care system?

BERNIE SANDERS

MIKE BLOOMBERG

TULSI GABBARD

WILLIAM F. WELD ELIZABETH WARREN

Supports Medicare for All

JOE BIDEN

AMY KLOBUCHAR

Supports giving a public health insurance option like Medicare

DONALD TRUMP

Does not support healthcare for all

Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Tulsi Gabbard have all expressed their support for Medicare For All. Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and Amy Klobuchar support a public health care option such as Medicare. William F. Weld supports private insurance.

Donald Trump does not support Medicare For All and supports more privately funded healthcare options.

Immigration Do candidates support adding more physical barriers such as a border wall along the US Mexico border or call for stricter immigration policies in other ways?

Does not support Trump’s border wall

Supports alternative immigration policies

supports funding a border wall

Bernie Sanders does not support the border wall and wants to halt all deportations. Elizabeth Warren does not support the border wall and wants to end criminal prosecution for simple immigration violations. Joe Biden supports simplifying immigration policies and expanding legal immigration. Mike Bloomberg does not support the border wall because he thinks it is ineffective but wants stricter immigration policies to protect U.S. workers. Amy Klobuchar’s stance on the border wall is unclear. Tulsi Gabbard’s stance on the border wall is also unclear but she wants to fix broken immigration laws. William F. Weld’s stance on the border wall is unclear but he wants to expand the work visa program, stop mass deportations and simplify the immigration adjudication process. Donald Trump wants to fully fund a wall against the southern border and end DACA.

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s stand on four key issues

BY: Amani Mahmoud, Senior Staff Writer & LAURA ANAYA-MORGA, Senior Staff Writer COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Income Inequality Do candidates support taxes on the United State’s wealthiest Americans, an adjusted tax on capital gains or tax cuts for the wealthy?

Supports increasing taxes on the wealthy

supports a fairer tax system

Supports taxes cut for the wealthy

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren support vastly increasing taxes on the wealthy as a fix to widening inequality. Joe Biden supports policies that would raise billions by taxing the wealthiest Americans. Mike Bloomberg has stated that he supports a fairer tax system.

Amy Klobuchar is open to a wealth tax but does not have a clear stance. Tulsi Gabbard wants to break up big banks and reinstate Glass-Steagall but is unclear on taxing the wealthy. William F. Weld is unclear on his stance. Donald Trump supports tax cuts for the wealthy and has aided in giving the rich a lower tax rate during his presidency.

College Education Do candidates support canceling existing student debt, cancelling student debt based on income, alleviating debt in other ways or don’t support canceling debt?

supports cancelling student debt

alleviate student debt burden in other ways

supports slashing student debt forgiveness programs

Bernie Sanders supports cancelling all student debt. Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg support cancelling student debt based on income. Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard supports alleviating student debt in other ways. William F. Weld supports ■ making two years of community college free and the last two years of tuition at state colleges or universities free.

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Editor’s Notes: Candidate’s stances were drawn from direct statements as well as their candidate websites.

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Chancellor Wilcox expresses his belief that the UC should not drop SATs from admissions

Chancellor Wilcox explains in an email interview with The Highlander why he believes SATS should not be dropped from UC admissions.

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Los Angeles Times (LAT) published an Op-Ed written

by UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox in which Wilcox wrote that dropping the SATs could make UC admissions more biased.

In an interview with The Highlander, Wilcox stated that he believes eliminating the SATs from the admissions process would impact inequities by placing all of the focus on the one remaining

quantitative measure: high school grade point average. “Many people who have studied college admissions will tell you that grade inflation – the tendency of more affluent schools to give higher grades – poses a greater problem than standardized tests,” stated Wilcox.

Wilcox wrote in his Op-Ed that the UC faculty taskforce found that the UC system has been able to offset such bias by including other relevant factors in admissions. He stated in the Op-Ed that he believes that, “as a practical matter, eliminating the tests could make

inequities worse. Doing so would mean relying more heavily on other measures that are equally biased or more so, like high school grades.”

At least one major study asserts that the GPA gap between affluent schools and those serving lower-income students is growing wider in recent years, stated Wilcox. He wrote, “If we drop the SAT and ACT, there will be more pressure on ever to get the highest possible grades.

That very likely means wealthy parents paying tutors more money, more extra credit for A’s at affluent schools, more

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pressure for greater grade inflation.”

The SAT – when weighted in the proper socioeconomic context – can provide some insulation against grade inflation, according to Wilcox.

Wilcox stated that UCR has assured that they offset SAT testing bias because UCR gives specific weight to both firstgeneration and low-income students in its admissions process. UCR also evaluates SATs in the context of the student’s high school and neighborhood. “That way, we can better identify the true standouts,” stated Wilcox.

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Workshop by Career Center and International Affairs encourages students to negotiate for better salary

SILVIA FERRER Senior Staff Writer

The Career Center and International Affairs Negotiating Your Salary & The Gender Pay Gap in celebration of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Career Center. The workshop was focused on helping students grow their negotiation skills, evaluate job offers and included information about the gender pay gap.

Kristen Roberts, the career center specialist of social sciences and host of the event, suggested that students create a “wish list” of items they would want in a job offer. After, she displayed a PowerPoint presentation with a sample job offer letter and explained how it was important that one negotiate each section.

She stated that a prospective employee can negotiate for a different job title or start date than is stated on the offer letter. She said that while most people only know to negotiate for a better salary, there are many different perks outside of that that can benefit the employee. Roberts explained that employers are open to discussing relocation expenses, flexible hours, signon bonuses, tuition reimbursements and more. She stated, “Like if you’re a nurse who gets a job offer in the middle of nowhere North Dakota, employers might be like ‘Hey, here’s a bonus because we really need good people out here.’”

Nor Akmaliza Rais, a doctoral candidate in chemical and environmental engineering asked whether students were looked down upon if they negotiated during the interview process. Roberts stated that it all depended on how a student approached the process. She also said that jobs in which the applicant doesn’t stand out, entry level jobs, highly structured jobs like the military and jobs with a known salary were not jobs that were open to negotiating.

OURTESY OF UCR CAREER CENTER

A portion of the presentation was dedicated to some of the reasons behind the gender pay gap, which include occupational segregation, gender bias and application confidence bias. Roberts said, “Men will apply to a position if they meet half of the qualifications, whereas women will apply only if they meet 75%.”

In an interview with The Highlander,

Roberts stated that the aim of the workshop was to help students, whether they were male or female, to feel empowered during the negotiation process. “A lot of students are nervous about negotiations and feel like they are not worthy. These skills will make them know they can and they will feel comfortable,” Roberts said.

Rais stated that these Career Center

workshops are very helpful, especially as an international student. “Now that I am interviewing, the process is very different from Malaysia and this is an important skill for me,” she said.

Students who attended the event were also given the opportunity to take a professional headshot at the Career Center on Friday, March 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

■H

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Opinions

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OPINIONS

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HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

The switch to a point-based immigration system will worsen existing problems within the UK

O

n Wednesday, Feb. 20, the U.K.’s Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the launch of the new points-based immigration system. Following on the heels of Brexit, the system is meant to be another way to address the voters’ concerns over the impacts of high immigration from the European Union (EU) while “attracting the brightest and best from around the globe.”

Under this new system, which is projected to come into effect on Jan. 21, 2021, certain qualifications, skills, professions and salaries will be assigned a predetermined amount of points. In order to work in the U.K., EU and non-EU citizens alike will have to prove they can speak English, have a verified job offer and meet the points threshold to obtain a visa. While Boris Johnson’s government is following the wills of their voters, their intentions to end the U.K.’s reliance on lowskilled workers is incredibly shortsighted and will only hurt their current available workforce and relations within the U.K. The U.K. government turned to other countries like Canada and Australia, who both currently use a point-based immigration system, to showcase how the U.K. could make the change. Despite the Johnson administration’s optimism, they have also estimated that 70% of the more than one million EU citizens working in the U.K. currently would not have qualified for a visa under the new

COURTESY OF PEXELS

rules. Upon hearing this, many sectors of the U.K.’s economy are concerned about what this means for their businesses and organizations with the changes less than a year away, and rightfully so.

One of the sectors predicted to take the biggest hit is social care.

Under the existing immigration system, there are not enough workers in the country, with vacancies currently ranging at around 122,000. Social care is overwhelmingly dependent on low-skilled foreign workers, around 17% of people working in adult social care in England are non-British nationals; the number rises to 40% in London.

It does not help that the sector is also severely underfunded in the U.K. and Johnson’s promises to rectify this are not fast moving enough to address the accumulating issues. The U.K. government promises the new immigration system will make provisions for recruiting occupations facing shortages like nurses and doctors, but this does not change with the poor image social care has among U.K. citizens. No one within the country wants to take up what they consider a low-skilled labor job but there continues to be an exponential amount of people needing extended stays at hospitals because there is no one at home capable of taking care of them.

Social care, food, construction, retail and logistics and hospitality industries are all concerned with what the new immigration system could mean for the future of their respective fields. The food industry in particular heavily relies on

migrants from eastern Europe to pick Britain’s fruit and vegetables and to work in their food processing factories. Yearly, Britain’s fruit, vegetables and flower farms need about 70,000 seasonal workers but the government is proposing to give visas to only 10,000.

The low salaries that these industries offer their workers make it difficult to gain the points needed to obtain a visa, but a decrease in qualified workers does not mean there is less demand for these services. For example, the British government said it is dedicated to building a million homes within the next five years but under the new system there simply aren’t enough people to build them.

When drafting the upcoming system, the Johnson administration left little room for flexibility in their requirements. It is wellknown in the technology industry that a degree can be optional as long as one has the skills to make up for it, one in three developers consider themselves self-taught from free resources like online tutorials. With the point system, people who don’t have the credentials could be denied entry despite having the necessary skill and talent. Also, those seeking to work freelance will face trouble because there is no dedicated route for the self-employed in the British government’s plans. The lack of consideration for workers who don’t follow a traditional pathway could severely stifle innovation in the U.K. Additionally, the Johnson government has received criticism about the ethics of a system like this,

some even going so far as to label it xenophobic to limit immigration into the U.K. People have called their actions unethical because of what they are considering a lowskilled job, specifically in regards to social care. When the British government calls something as important as social care lowskilled, it brings to light moral issues within their administration.

Few would consider being with someone at the end of their life or taking care of patients with dementia low-skilled labor.

Yet, considering the demographic that Johnson is representing, the same people who pushed for Brexit, he is simply doing what the voters are asking him to do despite ethical concerns.

Still, by addressing the demands of his voters, he is putting more strain on the relations within the U.K. In 2016, both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain a part of the EU because they largely benefited from it, but the U.K. moving forward with Brexit left the two reconsidering their relations. In September of 2014, Scotland held a referendum to decide whether or not to stay a part of the U.K. Voters decided that they wanted to stay within the U.K., with 55.3% voting against independence. PostBrexit, Scottish voters seem to be prioritizing remaining in the EU, electing a left wing nationalist party, the Scottish National Party, in their last election — a party that is fighting for a second independence referendum.

Currently, the Republic of Ireland and the U.K. share the Good Friday agreement to have a

soft border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland so people can cross over easily and go about their daily lives.

Brexit would mean the return of border controls and checkpoints since the U.K. would no longer be part of the EU while the Republic of Ireland would. Under the reinforcement of border control due to Brexit, Northern Ireland would have to be separated from the rest of the EU against its wishes. A hard border could also be especially troublesome for the 15% of businesses in North Ireland that depend on export to the Irish Republic and jeopardize the Good Friday agreement meant to end decades of conflict on the island of Ireland.

With relationships already tense due to Brexit, the addition of a new immigration system that will most likely hurt rather than help the economies of Northern Ireland and Scotland will further exacerbate existing issues. It could even push them as far as wanting to separate from the U.K. permanently. While Johnson most likely had the best intentions in mind for his people, the lack of consideration for the current state of the economy and U.K. relations can only mean a downward spiral for the United ■H Kingdom.

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.

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

11

OPINION POLL Compiled by Lydia Tsou Staff Photographer

“The UK formally left the EU (Brexit) on January 31 of this year. Do you believe they had good reason to leave?”

Omar De La Cruz Mechanical Engineering

Alicia Ramirez English Second-year

“It was a good idea to leave because they can act independently without the EU’s economic regulations. ”

“No, it’s a pretty drastic move for the reasons that they had. ”

Second-year

Thea Adumitroaie

Environmental Science

First-year

“I feel like the reasoning was valid because their culture is significantly different to the majority of Europe. Economically, they’ll probably end up benefiting in some aspects, but struggling in other ways. ”

John Dover History Second-year

Jaron Land Art and Film Sixth-year

Halle Sam-Boudreau

“No, I think it was based on xenophobia and it was more based on fear. Being in the EU was vital to their economy. It seemed like the decision was based more on feeling rather than logic.”

“I don’t think they had good reason to leave.

Regarding immigration as an issue (the reason some voted for the UK to leave the EU), I don’t feel that’s right because immigrants help with jobs and the economy.”

“No. Anyone who doesn’t want immigrants coming to their country, it’s wrong. Whether it’s travel or sanctuary, it’s not right for people to not allow others in.”

Economics Fourth-year

Despite objections, a balance between historical preservation and sustainability can be reached

CYRUS TOSCO Contributing Writer

In the pursuit of renewable energy, a conflict has arisen in the residential neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. between residents looking to install solar panels on their houses and architects who want to preserve historical architecture.

To be fair, both sides have their points: residents posit that the renewable energy solar panels provide would be invaluable, and architects point to the neoclassical style of architecture for which the district is known, arguing that the installation of the panels would ruin the aesthetic.

This dispute weighs sustainability versus an architecturally significant style, but these ideas are not irreconcilable, especially not in D.C. Sustainable architecture is already a fixture of the district; rather, D.C. needs a more efficient system for both historical preservation and renewable energy.

It is not surprising that such a conflict exists in D.C. After all, the D.C. is a storied city, with a wealth of unique design choices that give the area a simultaneous blend of antique and modern attributes. While they are beautiful, these design choices are difficult to improve. Installing solar panels on a mansard roof, for instance, would be difficult, as only the flatter, higher parts of the roof are capable of bearing the panels.

Even then, those installing the panels would have to be especially cognizant of how much weight that portion of the roof is able to carry, given the low amount of available surface area. This design becomes a greater problem when considering the renewable energy goal that D.C. has set for itself: 100% renewable electricity by 2032, with about 60% coming from solar energy.

On that note, D.C. has been doing well in their sustainability efforts on a large scale. Their 2020 plan for historic preservation is comprehensive and includes several objectives for sustainable architecture and improvement. The more troublesome aspects lie in the inefficiency of the process. Under the current system, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), as well as two other panels, must give approval for solar panel installation.

In 2009, a couple applied for solar panel installation; the HPRB deadlocked the case and rejected the plans. After four years and extensive revision, the couple was able to install solar panels that amounted to less than half the power initially proposed.

By comparison, starting this year, the

Capitol Hill is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. where it would be difficult to install solar panels.

state of California mandates that solar panels must be installed on new houses, with a few options available for installation and payment. This model has received overwhelming support, and because it is the first of its kind to mandate solar panel installation, it may be seen as a solid alternative to the model D.C. is currently under. Implementation of this kind of plan in D.C. could result in the district reaching the sustainability goal more quickly and more efficiently, while ensuring the district’s historical buildings would be capable of handling a mass infrastructure change more effectively.

Moreover, as previously stated, D.C. is doing quite well with regards to its

other sustainability efforts. It is currently home to the U.S. Green Building Council, which frequently lists D.C. as a leader in energy and environmental design. The sustainability design in D.C. is such that it is the only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinumcertified city in the world. Of course, these distinctions only serve to make the conflict between historical preservation and sustainability more glaring. The district needs to set in place a system that prioritizes its sustainability goals and allows historical buildings to be similarly modernized without having to go through three panels of approval.

This efficiency and balance is most

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

effective under California’s system.

Washington, D.C. is already a bastion of sustainability, but it could be even stronger if new houses in D.C. were automatically outfitted with solar panels. Furthermore, D.C. would have the potential to reach greater sustainable heights if those panels were no longer subject to the whims of three different boards that need to approve of these. Historical buildings are remnants of the past; in these changing times, these buildings should be allowed to remain, but it is important to recognize that they were constructed during a long bygone time period. D.C. must now move forward to the future, and its new architectural policies ■H should reflect that principle.

12 TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

OPINIONS

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Harvard’s implementation of pronoun stickers will reaffirm students’ gender identities

LEILA SHIBLAK Contributing Writer

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government has created pronoun stickers for students to place on their in-class name cards. Pronouns displayed on name cards will hold classmates and professors accountable for referring to students correctly, creating a comfortable learning environment for transgender and gender-nonconforming students. The Kennedy School of Government is the first school at Harvard to implement the use of pronoun stickers; however, many other universities are recognizing the importance of incorporating preferred pronouns into institutional documents.

It’s crucial that transgender and gender-nonconforming students, who are most vulnerable to depression and suicide, can openly claim their identities and have them be reaffirmed by professors who are in positions of power.

The implementation of pronoun stickers will make students feel more comfortable asserting their preferred pronouns. In the past, students have had to “come out” to their professors at the beginning of the term to communicate their preferred names and pronouns.

The implementation of these stickers would ideally reduce the need for students to come to their professors directly, minimizing

Harvard introduced pronoun stickers to assure students’ identities are acknowledged.

an uncomfortable experience.

In addition, the affirmation of preferred pronouns would encourage students to participate in classroom discussion without the fear of being misgendered when called upon.

It is important to note the link between the acceptance of transgender and gendernonconforming individuals and emotional and physical livelihood. For transgender youth, the affirmation of their gender pronouns along with their chosen names reduces the likelihood of

depressive and suicidal ideations.

Massachusetts has a relatively progressive view on the rights of the LGBTQ community in contrast to many southern states.

In many places, there are legal barriers that impede transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals from claiming their identities on legal documents, which further highlights the responsibility educational institutions have in accomodating name and pronoun preferences.

The fight toward creating an inclusive and equitable learning

COURTESY OF DIEGO A. GARCIA BLUM,

environment for Harvard students hasn’t been easy.

Harvard has applied inclusive pronouns in their registration process as early as 2015, however, it remains difficult to enforce the use of stated pronouns among university faculty across the nation. A professor at Shawnee State University refused to use his student’s stated pronouns and sued the university for taking disciplinary action against him.

There continues to be debate surrounding whether faculty

members should be required to adhere to discrimination laws surrounding gender identity.

Harvard is only one of many Ivy League schools that have shown a commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment in recent years.

Last year, Dartmouth College announced that they would allow students to select their preferred pronouns, chosen names and gender identities on official school documents.

One in five Americans have reported knowing someone who identifies with pronouns outside of the she/her or he/his binary. It stands to reason, then, that the education system needs to normalize the use of correct pronouns in order to ensure that all students are comfortable in expressing themselves in their academic environments.

Ideal classroom practices may require professors to initiate sharing pronouns to foster an inclusive learning environment.

Carnegie Mellon University uses NameCoach, for example, which serves to help professors in learning students’ names, pronouns and pronunciations. By mainstreaming initiatives like this, professors can share their own pronouns, while providing instruction on how to refer to others. In accommodating students’ requests to acknowledge and reaffirm their pronouns, identities become heard and known.

■H

Op-ed: Highlanders must support California Proposition 13 on March 3 for critical seismic infrastructure investment at UC

BY VINCENT J RASSO Government Relations Director, Associated Students of UCR Undergraduate Representative, UC Student Association

As a rapidly growing campus community with nearly 21,000 undergraduates, the students attending the University of California, Riverside recognize the utter importance of finding a space in Orbach Library to study for midterms, hoping for an open seat for lecture in UNLH or Life Sciences 1500, and of course, praying to secure a parking spot in Lot 30 after 10 a.m.

However, one thing that goes right over our heads is our safety when it comes to critical infrastructure on campus.

Riverside sits in the center of three major earthquake faults: the San Andreas, San Jacinto, and Elsinore fault lines, all of which can potentially cause earthquakes ranging from 6.0 to 8.3 magnitudes.

For buildings at UC Riverside like Watkins Hall, Tomas Rivera Library and Spieth Hall, this is a dangerous reality considering that across the University of California, $11.8 billion has been identified in underfunded capital needs across 10 UC

campuses, largely due to the fact that more than half of UC buildings are over 30 years old.

A sharp decrease in state investment to modernize buildings at the UC as well as at our sister university system, the California State University (CSU), was witnessed from 2005 to 2015 as a consequence of the Great Recession, in which states like California saw massive cuts in capital investment for colleges and universities, causing largescale backlogs of deferred maintenance that increases risks to student safety in buildings that are not retrofitted for seismic activity, or any other natural hazards imminent to regional environments, including wildfires and storms.

These issues might only seem relevant to students taking Dr. Ford’s Geology 004: Natural Hazards and Disasters, but there are many things that we should all consider prior to hosting our friends for study spaces on the third floor of Rivera.

While UC Riverside opened

as a public university in 1954, the UC Citrus Experiment Station (CES) was founded much earlier, on Feb. 14, 1907.

With UCR’s 113-year history, its oldest buildings include the CES, Watkins and Rivera, alongside several new projects being constructed at the North Campus, Glasgow Dining and Residence Hall and the Student Success Center, it seems reasonable that students expect the costs of our education will reflect within the quality of our learning environments.

As UCR is continuing to expand and increase enrollment to serve the diverse people of the state of California, we must also be proactive to address the overdue need for the state legislature to sponsor critical capital needs for the sake of our campus, our community and the Inland Empire region.

The UC Board of Regents is looking to its Riverside campus in order to accommodate the growing population of college students and state’s demand for Bachelor’s degrees.

In the broader arena of higher education, California predicts a shortage of college graduates with a bachelor’s degree by the

year 2030, something that urges new capital investments in the aging infrastructure across the UC, especially for buildings at UC Riverside that do not meet the need of our current students and cannot accommodate more students as enrollment continues to grow.

For the future of higher education in California, I affirm strong support for the bipartisan California Coalition for Public Higher Education: teachers, doctors, nurses, firefighters and many more who are supporting a school improvement bond on the March 3 California Primary ballot: Proposition 13. This massively important measure will provide $15 billion in critically needed funding aimed at protecting students, from prekindergarten through college, by supporting infrastructure on our campuses that ensures our health and safety in school.

The bond measure, officially titled the California Public Preschool, Kindergarten-12 and College Health and Safety Bond, might host the same ballot-designated number as the 1978 tax measure that largely defunded public schools in communities across the state,

but this measure stands to reflect the complete opposite – the strongest school bond in California’s history. Campuses at the UC, CSU, and community colleges stand to gain $6 billion in facilities reinvestment, with an additional $9 billion that will fund critical health and safety improvements for California’s pre-K-12 schools.

For Highlanders who are casting their votes on March 3, voting YES ON PROP 13 is a critical step that we must take by highlighting the concerns we face on our campuses regarding deferred maintenance and student safety. It is more important than ever for our voices to reflect the needs of California’s students and families, from kindergarten programs to University education.

■H Vincent Rasso is currently a third year Political Science and Public Policy undergraduate at UC Riverside. He is also the Director for Government Relations at the Associated Students of UCR, and a systemwide representative for the UC Student Association. For more information on Prop. 13, please visit http://yestohighered.org/.

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OPINIONS

COMICS TALL TAIL #36 BY: JUSTUS ROSS

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

15

Bee Healthy with Your Honey A week on being sweet with yourself and others, sans the sourness

MARK BERTUMEN Senior Staff Writer

The Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education group (CARE) hosted their annual Bee Healthy with Your Honey celebration all through last week, a collection of events aimed to teach students what it means to love yourself as well as love others. The week was organized by the Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE) Peer Group, a partnered group under CARE. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, students gathered in a circle in HUB 355, on chairs or yoga mats, snacks in hand and wrapped in blankets as they introduced themselves for “Bee Your Own Boo: The Importance of Self Love for Relationships.” From the discussion, it was learned that self-care can come in many forms: for some, it’s putting on makeup in the morning, for others it’s looking back on what they are grateful for, be it today or throughout their whole life.

Neglecting to care for yourself can have detriments beyond mental; it strained the relationships of some and left others bedridden from burnout. It was mentioned that students can especially have it rough.

As one attendee put it, “Keep in mind that we’re students and that we have to deal with a lot. We can have three lectures back to back with no time for lunch,” but regardless she emphasized that “we need to have a way to keep ourselves energized so we can be and give our best.”

Jacqueline Grimaldo, a fourth-year sociology law and society major, was a SAVE Peer Educator that helped manage the event with her team. Rather than list what the attendees could do to practice selfcare, Grimaldo and her group determined that they should focus on “really unpacking what that (self-care) means for you and for the people around you.” As such, the relaxed organization of the room, which was filled with mats and blankets, was meant to make the discussion feel intimate.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, SAVE hosted the “Bee Healthy with Your Honey Tabling Fair,” complete with tablers from various campus resource centers as well as activity tables. At the tabling fair was a

physical touch and acts of service) and allowed students to find which languages of love they were fluent in, though this was no longer the case once they ran out of survey sheets. Meanwhile, students put

SOFIA BAUTISTA / HIGHLANDER

button-making station and a CARE gram table where students could write a loving message to anyone, even themselves.

There was also a station that discussed the five love languages (quality time, receiving gifts, words of affirmation,

sticky notes of what love was to them on a whiteboard surrounding a heart-shaped “Healthy” in the middle. One note read, “consider your loved ones before moving forward.” Another, “HONEY” in full capitalization; perhaps the writer meant

that one be sweet as such, keeping in line with the name of the week.

Tablers came from all over campus and handed out pamphlets with information on different resource centers: those looking for mental help were asked to stop by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). For the food-insecure on campus, of which two-thirds of UCR’s campus classifies as, a “Food For Thought” quadfolding pamphlet was handed out, outlining various food resources on and off campus.

There were also several tables focused on the education of sexual health, sharing information on things like navigating HIV and AIDS and responding to sexual assault.

The next day, “Bee Healthy in All Relationships” was held in HUB 260, where attendees discussed what it meant to maintain a healthy relationship, be it romantic, friendly or anywhere in between.

CARE’s Violence Prevention Coordinator Lisa Chu talked about how her group has helped UCR students maintain healthy relationships over the years. “I think one big accomplishment is that students are becoming a lot more understanding, gaining more awareness and feeling a lot more empowered to utilize resources to seek help, to talk to the advocates, to look into all their options,” she said.

Ultimately, Chu wants CARE to feel like a place students can turn to when they are scared. One important aspect of our office is it’s a confidential resource for those who “seek it out like a safe space, that’s the intention … What the advocates do in our office is provide people a way out, options for them so they can decide whether they want to seek out help or if they want to report something: advocates really support them through that process.”

Links to resources related to this article can be found in the online publication. To find more student resources, visit CARE’s office in Life Sciences 2620 or visit them online at care.ucr.edu.

■H

SOFIA BAUTISTA / HIGHLANDER

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TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

Campus Spotlight: African Student Programs: ‘it takes a village to raise a scholar’

A talk with ASP’s black scholars and director on giving back to the community

RYAN POON / HIGHLANDER

MARK BERTUMEN Senior Staff Writer

African Student Programs (ASP) was created in 1972 as a result of black scholars advocating “to sustain a socially just and inclusive campus community,” says their mission statement, “at a time where students of African descent experienced a lack of support due to low numbers in population.” As Black History Month comes to a close, so too do the events that ASP has hosted in honor of the month’s celebration. However, it’s important to remember that black history, and ASP’s history, goes beyond a length of 29 days.

ASP’s Interim Director Jamal Myrick, a graduate of Florida State University, invited three black scholars to talk about their time at ASP and why they got involved with the center.

Rhiannon Little-Surowski graduated from UCR as a political science major in 2004. Two years later, Little began giving back to ASP; for more than nine years Little was ASP’s student affairs officer, managing and advising on events and leadership throughout 15 black student organizations.

Even now, Little is an event coordinator for ASP and helped plan out many of their events for Black History Month. “This is kind of my way to give back to the students and the department that were really essential during my undergraduate journey,” she said. “I also lived in the Pan-African Theme Hall … and I’m still really great friends with a lot of the folks that I lived with.”

Currently in Pentland Hills, the hall is a dorm that was created in 1994 “at a time when black students didn’t really feel welcome on campus; it was a space for students to live amongst folks that looked like themselves,” Little explained. She mentioned that similar dorms exist for other ethnicities, such as MUNDO for Chicano students and Stonewall for LGBT students. “I think we were one of, if not the first, trailblazer,” Little noted.

Little looks to keep honoring the efforts her predecessors made to make

the campus accessible and advisable to black students, and she’s glad that what they have done has borne fruit; “in 2017 our black graduation rates were reported higher than white students here on campus … it was by like 1.7 percent but we’re going to take it,” she concluded. “I think that it kind of affirmed the work that we do here to contribute to student success.”

Another black scholar, Selom Gbewonyo, a second-year biology major and front desk student assistant for ASP, went further into ASP’s history. “We were founded in 1972 and we were — we are — the first

is that “Huey and Riley move away from the city and out to the suburbs with their irascible grandfather. Biting socio-political commentary ensues.”

While the show came out in 2005, Gbewonyo is surprised by its staying power, as evinced by her good turnout. “And it was at that moment,” she recalled, “I just felt like this beaming sense of pride and as well as gratefulness, because if it wasn’t for the center, I don’t think I would have gotten my footing to be able to speak (like I did at the event),” she said in thanks to ASP. There’s an African proverb that says

“in 2017 our black graduation rates were reported higher than white students here on campus ... I think that it kind of affirmed the work that we do here to contribute to student cultural resource center on campus, and we are one of the only UCs to have a professionally staffed resource center,” Gbewonyo said.

Gbewonyo came to UCR excited and ready to get involved with ASP. “I remember the first day I walked in … I shook hands with one of our program advisors and I said ‘Hi, my name is Selom and I’m going to change the world,’” she reminisced with a laugh.

And change the world she’s started to do, with the help of ASP, by planning programs and events of her own. Her first one, as she remembered, was on Feb. 22, 2019, when she held a discussion on media representation through the cartoon “The Boondocks,” based on a like-named comic strip. As the IMDb synopsis states, the premise

“it takes a village to raise a child.”

Gbewonyo changed it up for her own experience in ASP: “it takes a village to raise a scholar.”

Other students are happy simply being a part of ASP’s family; frequent visitor of the center Josiah Davis, a fourth-year sustainability major, has been a part of ASP since his first year, and back then was at the center every day. “It was like a second dorm, really, because you see people sleeping here and studying here and as the school’s grown, and as the directors changed over the years, I think it’s just gotten better,” he said.

Alongside the community ASP has given to Davis, they have also given him an irreplaceable support system.

“It’s been a counseling center as well.

When my friend passed away … they held a group counseling in ASP because he was a member, he was a frequent visitor like me,” he remembered.

“ASP took charge in taking care of the community. And I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to talk to her (Dr. Bell from CAPS) unless ASP brought her to this space.”

As the black scholars left the room, Myrick came in to finish up the conversation on ASP. He’s had experience working with black scholars in Residential Life, and hopes to “serve as a mentor to young black men in the field of higher education.”

When Myrick became director he aimed to attack an issue of ASP being “unwelcoming.”

By this Myrick meant that “you would come in here and you feel like nobody’s talking to you, or engaging with you. I think we’ve done a really good job of connecting and engaging with our black scholars.” One way this issue was addressed was by contacting incoming black students to proactively address their concerns, “giving that opportunity to connect with scholars before they actually set foot on this campus,” Myrick said, as well as by sharing the resources that the campus could offer them.

Myrick has three goals while he’s interim director: “First and foremost is making sure that ASP is a more welcoming and inclusive, space for everybody … making sure that we are creating a really good narrative and highlight the network of our staff and our students and our scholars … and making sure that we have increased visibility, both with our campus partners as well as our external constituents in the Riverside area.”

Myrick knows that ASP does irreplaceable work for UCR. “African Student Programs has done a lot since 1972 and will continue to do so as long as we have the support of both the community, internally and externally. I just hope that we continue to recognize the great black history that takes place every single day and not just during Black History Month.”

■H

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Campus Cope: Rock climbing, and how it can help you rise beyond the cliff face

DAPHNE WU Contributing Writer

College is without a doubt an amazing learning experience. It’s an opportunity to push ourselves to try new things and to go way beyond our comfort zone. It is a place where we can grow and flourish as people, but only if we allow ourselves to open up to all the new and daunting experiences.

Keeping that in mind, we have to remember not to let fear or doubt hold us back in any way. All the missed opportunities and the what ifs in life will only continue to pile up if we let that fear or doubt keep us glued to the sidelines.

I learned these lessons when I started climbing at the Rock at the Student Recreation Center (SRC). In the beginning I was hesitant to jump on the boulder; there was after all an undoubtable aspect of fear involved. I didn’t want to fall and hurt myself in any way and I definitely didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the more experienced climbers. I was new and inexperienced. When I climbed, I felt uncomfortable, awkward and out of place. I was convinced that everyone was mocking me and laughing at me in their head, which in turn just embarrassed me even further.

These negative thoughts and feelings were crushing. It could have been really easy to just give in to those feelings and give up on rock climbing all together. It was just a hobby at the time and its impact on my life was far from monumental;

looking back now, I’m so glad that I refused to give up. College, after all, is one big tipping point in our lives — it’s where we start stepping out of what we know and instead open ourselves up to the unknown.

But admittedly, leaving our comfort zones can be a paralyzing choice; I mean, why would we willingly discomfort ourselves?

Here’s the answer I can give: there can always be something better for us out there, we just have to go and find it. Rock climbing has opened up a whole new world for me.

It has given me the opportunity to explore and climb in breathtakingly beautiful national parks. I’ve also learned to push myself both mentally and physically in order to succeed in this sport. You will fall, there is no avoiding that, and overcoming that fear of falling can be difficult, but in the end it ultimately taught me how to be brave and face my fears, both on the rock and off.

What’s more is that we don’t have to go through this process alone. Having a strong support system can make a world’s difference and it’s one of the main reasons why I never stopped climbing. Through my support system of friends, climbing partners and gym staff, I was able to stay motivated, encouraged and excited about this sport.

Trying new things doesn’t mean flying solo. If you let yourself open up to others, they will happily lend a hand. Because of that I was able to gain confidence and fall in love with rock climbing.

If you’re interested in giving the sport a try, the Rock at the SRC is a great place

for curious beginners. Unlike other sports on campus, you don’t need to sign up beforehand or be a part of any team. Just show up and everything is provided for; the chalk, shoes, harnesses and instructors are all there. As I kept attending I discovered why rock climbing had really left its mark on me: it was the people. The environment that was created was not one focused on competition but rather of togetherness.

It was an open sport that didn’t reject anyone. And through the community that was fostered here, I was able to meet likeminded people who shared my passion for attacking the cliff face.

There are so many things that I learned from this experience, like applying for

jobs I was once hesitant about or taking daunting classes that sparked my interest or even applying to be a contributing writer for The Highlander newspaper!

My experience with rock climbing has inspired me to go after the things in life that intrigue me and to stop worrying about everything that used to hold me back. I never thought that I would be where I am now, doing something that I truly love. It’s a bit crazy how that one seemingly listless thought, “Maybe I’ll try rock climbing,” would end up having such a strong impact on my life. It can be really intimidating to try something new, but never forget that the outcome may be incomprehensibly amazing.

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COURTESY OF UCR SRC

UNDER THE

KILT COURTESY OF PEXELS

There has to be a balance between what you do for others and what you do for yourself. We all have responsibilities to others and it’s important to think of how our decisions now will affect those close to us in the future, but we also owe it to ourselves to make choices that lead to our own happiness. It can be hard to figure out where the line’s drawn between pleasing others and taking care of yourself.

I’m where I am today, in college, because of the countless sacrifices my family has made and continue to make every day. I never asked them to do that

but I feel obliged to provide for them one day, as they have done for me. I should be a good daughter and get a degree that can let me support myself and my parents.

All the same, what good is their effort if I’m miserable in what I do? I spent a long time figuring out the major to take alongside my future prospects. Eventually I found a method for discerning what I should do, and what I want to do. If you have responsibilities, then you will need a career that can support them; this doesn’t necessarily mean choosing from options we believe to be set by others. Whatever

Me first

By: Sofia Garcia, Contributing Writer

your choice, it must be yours, ultimately uninfluenced by anyone else.

I used to hate the idea of being a doctor because it was what my parents always encouraged. But after becoming an optometry technician I realized I loved it; I loved helping people and now I can’t imagine being anything other than a doctor who helps improve people’s lives every day. I ended up choosing the path of what I should be doing but also what I wanted to do.

You may find that there’s overlap in those two categories. If there’s something you simply can’t handle not doing then you have two options: you can do it for money or you can do it for free. You can make a living off of the thing you love, whatever it is. My thing is dancing; I grew up dancing and I couldn’t imagine never dancing again, but I’m also not someone cut out for professional work. I don’t have the discipline so I just do it for fun, on my own time.

If you want to make a career out of your passion then treat it like a job. If you want to design video games, give yourself deadlines and emulate a professional model. Pursue your passion full time if you think it can help you support yourself and others; if it doesn’t work out and you find there’s passion only as a hobby, then just do it for yourself.

In a similar way, try giving different

careers a chance to catch your interest.

There are so many opportunities for volunteering in places where you could one day find work. If you like interacting with people, try volunteering in a hospital, homeless shelter or orphanage. If you like interacting with animals then you could try volunteering at an adoption center, shelter, zoo, aquarium or farm. If you like interacting with no one, see if you can volunteer in a botanical garden, research lab or a park.

The point is this: there are so many paths available for those of you who want something different than what others expect. If you have niche interests try Googling careers related to them, even if it’s just watching a show or reading a book. For horror lovers, look into being a mortician — I guarantee constant creepiness. For people who love mysteries like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” or “Law and Order,” maybe you could look into investigative careers. People who enjoy being outdoors and minimal social interaction, how about being a park ranger? Whether you love the ocean, cooking or reading, there is probably an occupation based off your interests.

We live in a very diverse world with tons of opportunities, and what I have learned is that we should do what we desire. There are many different ways to find careers in your areas of interest. All you need to do is ■H search for them.

RADAR

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EVENTS THIS MONTH 03/05

ASPB Free Film Premier: Onward 10:00 PM UV Theater

03/20

Film Premier: A Quiet Place: Part II

03/27

Film Premier: Mulan

SARA BERNAL /HIGHLANDER

Radar

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/radar

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

19

A display of musical prowess and student talent Preeti Juturu

Contributing Writer

SARA BERNAL / HIGHLANDER

With the sounds of lively guitar riffs and the smells of sizzling tacos from El Ojo Del Agua permeating the air, students sat in the HUB plaza in anticipation of Soundclash, the premiere music competition on campus hosted by ASPB. The judges panel consisted of Budget Personnel and Program Assistant for the HUB Denise Cisneros, former ASPB Director Donna Dunn and former Talent Buyer and Concerts Coordinator for ASBP Herbert Phan. Throughout the event, they rated and determined which band would have the opportunity to perform during ASPB’s Spring Nooners.

First on stage was Blueseason, a quartet of students characterized by their funky tunes and blues and jazz inspired music.

From releasing their debut E.P. “Knock on Wood” in April of last year to performing throughout Riverside, Blueseason has experience with performing live as well as with recording in the studio. With saxophone and guitar solos scattered throughout their performance, Blueseason was able to traverse a wide range of emotions and genre-blending. Students gathered around the stage area, pulling in closer toward the performers after each song. Their songs were rhythmically similar and were performed within the same chordal range, so there could have been more diversity in their musical technique. However, with the darker and melancholy sound of blues music fusing with the rich harmonies of jazz, the group was able to engage the crowd with their unique sound.

Giovanni Lombardi, better known as Vonni, was the next performer. Mainly present on Soundcloud, he first began releasing singles about a year ago. Vonni, a solo hip-hop artist, can be distinguished by his usage of sampledelia, rhythmic vocals and deep bass. Students gathered around the stage area as he performed, chanting his name as he rapped and hyped up the crowd. With his riveting rapping

technique and poetic background tracks, Vonni engaged the crowd with his high production value, dark beats and smooth flow. Though his overall performance was well-done, he was performing with a vocal background, restricting his ability to freestyle sections and fulfill his artistic potential.

Transitioning from hip-hop, the crowd was greeted by Amara, a solo female artist.

Amara takes inspiration from rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music which is evident in her debut album “Too Far to Be Close,” which she released in December of 2019 on Soundcloud. With light samples, a consistent rhythm and simple beats, she captured the audience’s attention and kept them in a musical trance. However, as her set continued, many crowd members became slightly disengaged. Vocally, she maintained a constant and monotonous tone, leaving out musical variation. As well as that, her pitch tended to dip slightly as her set continued. Overall, however, her flow was constant, she stayed on tempo and audience members paid close attention to each lyric she sang and each bar she rapped.

G. Bautista, the next group, brought along inspiration from funk, soul, jazz and traditional R&B. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Gabe Bautista, an up-and-coming vocalist, has produced and released music on his Spotify account since 2017. Performing with a musical accompaniment, the rhythmic booming of drums, tied together by harmonious guitar solos, jazzy saxophone improvisations and chord progressions, proved to be the embodiment of funk, soul and R&B fusion. The crowd was bewitched by the lead singer’s falsettos and complicated saxophone solos and students were drawn closer to the stage as the set progressed.

The musical balance was slightly off, with the lyrics and vocalists difficult to

hear over the instrumental backing.

However, G. Bautista had an incredibly strong presence on stage, and the set was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd.

The last performance of the night, Delfino Squared, was highly anticipated.

With the screams of fans filling the air, Delfino Squared brought forth catchy and ethereal guitar riffs, followed by smooth vocals and the rhythmic beating of drums. The band is experienced in live performances, as they’ve performed at The Mint in Los Angeles and live shows in Riverside; additionally, Delfino Squared has experience with studio recording, as they released their debut E.P “Sirena Sunset” in September of 2019 on Spotify and YouTube. With the band name inspired by Isle Delfino from Super Mario Sunshine, the band embodied the euphoria of childhood memories with their upbeat sound. Gaining inspiration from indie, alternative rock and soft pop, the group had the crowd infatuated

by their melodic tunes and soft vocals.

Occasionally during the set, there was a sound imbalance between the vocals and the instrumental backing due to the vocalist standing in close proximity to the microphone when singing high notes.

However, with a mature sound as well as professional musical skills, Delfino Squared surpassed the expectations of the audience. With passionate vocals accompanied by complex guitar riffs and solos, Delfino Squared displayed musical talent as well as an impressive stage presence.

After much anticipation, the judges announced that the winner was Delfino Squared. With this being the second year of the group participating in Soundclash, Delfino Squared will be performing during Spring Nooners, bringing their unique take on indie rock and alternative pop onto a larger stage.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

The charming romance in ‘All the Bright Places’ fails to make up for its gloom By: Silvia Ferrer

Senior Staff Writer

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Netflix has been on a teen romance streak as of late. Following closely behind “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You,” is another young adult, fan anticipated release — “All the Bright Places,” the adaptation of Jennifer Niven’s 2015 novel of the same name. Although similar in subject matter, the two films could not be more different in execution and tone. “All the Bright Places” features a cute romantic relationship, but is a lot darker than other films Netflix has targeted toward teens. While the cinematography and soundtrack do well to exacerbate this nuanced take, the plot of the film and the characterizations are quite flawed.

The impressive cast performances do not make up for the lackluster pacing or end.

The film features Violet (Elle Fanning) and Finch (Justice Smith), an unlikely couple who connect during a hopeless time of their lives. Finch helps Violet heal after a tragic event that has left her reeling, and the two embark on a mission to visit landmarks around their home state of Indiana.

Unfortunately, while the premise of the film is intriguing, its execution is

pretty bland. The plot has awkward pacing; certain scenes are weirdly slow while others are insanely rushed. For example, a key moment in the film, the start of Violet and Finch’s relationship, is so rushed that it doesn’t seem plausible.

The novel’s main characters were described in a New York Times review as “endearing” and praised for how they “burn brightly at the story’s gleaming center.” That same characterization is noticeably absent in the film. Violet and Finch are both dealing with serious mental health issues when they meet and the writers try hard to balance this aspect of the film with the teens’ love affair. The attempt isn’t very successful and the characterization of the pair suffers as a result. The couple shine the brightest during a charming montage that shows the progression of their budding romance as they complete a project for their high school geography class, but outside of that, their characters do not seem fully developed. This is further complicated because of the high school dynamics.

Violet is popular whereas Finch is called “The Freak,” but both act out in

Verdict While tantalizing, “All the Bright Pla ces” falls short. The perform ances of the coup le at the center were near perfect, but they w ere certainly not enou gh to make up for the rather lazy characterizat ions. The film is w orth watch ing for its ae sthetic value, but th e plot itself either drags on or moves too qu ickly to keep the viewer in terested.

ways that seem inconsistent with these labels. Consequently, it’s difficult for the viewer to become invested in the characters and their struggles.

Aesthetically, “All the Bright Places” is beautiful. The film deals with topics that seem to be meant more for older viewers than teenagers and adapts the tone to be subdued as such.

There are plenty of quirky settings, as in most teen movies, but they are not extravagant or overly lively. This was a good choice on the part of the director and cinematographer — rural Indiana glows in the background of Violet and Finch’s romance without taking attention away from the actual characters. The soundtrack is also appropriately subtle. It is filled with slow piano melodies that can easily transition from lovestruck to mournful, which is perfect for a film that intertwines love with darker themes.

The admirable performances by Fanning and Smith lend a hand to the darker themes in the film, but they aren’t enough to make up for the pace of the plot. In a heartbreaking scene toward the end, Fanning displays an incredible range of emotions in the

face of a devastating realization, but this realization is so poorly presented and hurriedly concluded that the entire film suffers as a result. The end is so abrupt that Smith’s remarkable acting in the lead up to this unexpected turn of events does little to make up for it. Even worse are the following scenes, which are surprising plotwise and seem out of character for the downtrodden Violet, who suddenly finds peace.

The trailer promised a different, more melancholy love story; while it was satisfyingly sad, the pairing itself is not very original and small flaws work against the film. It could have been easy to become engrossed in the story if there were strong characters, but the inconsistent characterization coupled with a weirdly paced plot are a turn off. Fanning and Smith try their best to make the most out of the script, but solid performances from both are unable to distract the audience. The same can be said for the stunning views of Indiana during the fall — while very pretty to watch, they’re not enough to make up for the less striking parts of ■H the film.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

21

KUCR Presents

OFF

R ecord the

COURTESY OF LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES

The cultural and historical significance of video game music JOSHUA MORENO Contributing Writer

The film “Sonic the Hedgehog,” has the highest grossing opening weekend of any video game movie on record which may be attested to all its fanservice. The most touching of which comes near the end of the film, where a piano suite version of “Green Hill Zone” plays in the background. It was not enough that the movie had countless references to its video game source material; Jon Baptiste’s rendition of the theme to Sonic’s first level was the cherry on top that solidified the movie as a true adaptation. It served nostalgia well as my memories of Sonic and video games in general always began with the music. Video game music (VGM), as a whole, connects society with compositions of cultural and historical significance as well as musical styles that might have otherwise been unheard.

Video game themes and music are some of the most recognizable pieces of music pop culture has to offer.

Nintendo has a wide array of identifiable music, but “The Legend of Zelda” may hold the most culturally significance. “Great Fairy Fountain” is easily recognizable as the file select music introduces a harp accompanied by a string arrangement that is totally mystifying. It signals to players that they are about to embark on a world of fantasy. Most importantly, VGM also serves as a bridge to a variety of different musical genres. “Great Fairy Fountain” itself is reminiscent of Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu’’ which is a piece of music from the Romantic era. Halo, Xbox’s largest IP, has a main theme that begins with Gregorian chant. This music can be dated back to 500 A.D., yet contemporary listeners can identify Halo’s theme music by the chant alone. The importance of Halo

utilizing the chant in its main theme is how a dying music becomes palpable again.

Like film, VGM brings the audience original pieces of music by hired composers. The difference is, where film is set as an absolute start to finish project, video games give players full control; this means the composers have to be more calculated about what music is going to accompany the player in a certain setting. The “Green Hill Zone” music was so recognizable in the Sonic film because of its constant looping and use in the first level of the iconic game, “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Plus, it’s a great piece of music that embodies the lush green and sea background of the Green Hill level. The cult classic game “Ico” utilizes a different approach. To accompany its fortress and dungeon landscape, “Ico” goes for a more natural approach to its soundscapes, using earthly sounds such as rushing water, birds and footsteps to aid the player on their journey. When “Ico” does play music, composer Michiru Ōshima goes for a medieval secular sound heard in the piece “Castle in the Mist” which utilizes lutes mixed with more modern melodies that create a serene escape.

“Breath of the Wild” must have taken clear notes from “Ico” as that game replaces melodic sounds with more natural foley just as well. Very prevalent especially in earlier video games, was the usage of certain instruments to coincide with real world type settings. For its water levels, the “Super Mario” series often uses the higher octaves of an electric piano to create a more ethereal sound. For its desert Pyramid dungeon, “Dragon Quest III” goes for a stereotypical raga type song full of sitar and flutes.

Aside from original compositions, there are video games that have licensed soundtracks, such as the popular

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” series. Growing up around the heyday of the Tony Hawk series meant hearing songs people ripped straight from the games. The playlist’s mixture of punk and underground hip-hop was so potent that Dead Kennedy’s “Police Truck” is instantaneously connected with “Pro Skater 1.” Another video game, “Grand Theft Auto,” had original music, but as the game’s title suggests, driving stolen cars meant being able to listen to the in-game radio full of licensed songs. Rockstar implemented many in-game stations that each had their specific genres, which allowed players to dive into their personal tastes. “Grand Theft Auto IV” introduced the station Liberty City Hard Core (L.C.H.C.) which was the biggest surprise as the game really put a low-profile genre like hardcore punk into a high-selling game. “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” not only had licensed music, but these games placed the instruments in the players’ hands. It was a totally new and innovative way to appreciate the music by allowing perhaps non-musical people the chance to feel like real musicians. Most importantly, it gave kids the spunk to really pick up on guitar or drums and get involved in the musical scene.

VGM has truly traversed boundaries of time and space by giving players some of the most easily identifiable pieces of music. VGM is so popular that even now, orchestras are being commissioned to perform symphonies of the music. “The Legend of Zelda” symphony performs every now and again while just last year the “Assassin’s Creed” symphony performed a tour in the United States.

Orchestral music in itself is not in the shining light, yet VGM gives it a new life to those who may have never listened otherwise. With this sort of potency, the music H will continue to live on in the hearts and ears of players. ■

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

Highlanders unable to keep up with Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis

KEVIN SANCHEZ-NERI Contributing Writer

The UC Riverside women’s basketball (8-19, 4-9) hosted the Cal State Fullerton Titans (15-11, 7-6) on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The Highlanders lost 68-45 to the Titans.

The Highlanders outscored the Titans 18-5 and shot 42% in the fourth quarter alone, but by then, the Titans had established a comfortable lead that proved to be too much for the Highlanders to overcome.

UCR also held the opponent to 2-for-15 shooting from outside the paint in the fourth quarter.

Junior guard Keilanei Cooper was the Highlanders’ leading scorer on the night as she finished with 18 points, five rebounds and two assists. Senior forward Marina Ewodo also had a solid performance, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds to go with her six points on the night.

The Highlanders were simply unable to put points on the board, making only 19 of their 68 shots, good for a 27.9% field goal percentage. UCR fell behind early in the game and were outscored handily as the game progressed, with the Titans connecting

on 43.5% of their attempts from the field, highlighting a daunting deficit to overcome.

The Highlanders also struggled with free throws and three-pointers, shooting only 2-for-10, and 10-for-26, respectively.

On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Highlanders took on the UC Davis Aggies (16-11, 11-3).

Despite holding an advantage on the glass, the Highlanders were unable to secure the victory as they lost 78-69. UCR grabbed 40 rebounds compared to the 33 rebounds secured by UC Davis.

Additionally, the Highlanders also stole the ball more times than the Aggies.

They finished with seven steals as a team compared to the five from UC Davis.

However, they turned the ball over four more times than the Aggies, 13 turnovers to nine.

UCR senior guard Jannon Otto finished the game with 21 points and five rebounds.

Cooper ended the game with 19 points and five rebounds. Ewodo contributed 18 points and eight rebounds.

Up next, the Highlanders will travel to Irvine on Thursday, March 5 to face off ■H against UC Irvine (11-17, 7-7).

RYAN POON/ HIGHLANDER

Men’s Basketball is defeated by UCSB in close battle SOFIA GARCIA Contributing Writer

On Thursday, Feb. 27, UCR’s men’s basketball team (15-15, 5-9) faced off against the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gauchos (19-10, 8-5). While the Highlanders led the Gauchos after the first half, they eventually lost by a final score of 65-60. This game’s theme was “Blue Out” and was also dedicated to fan appreciation. There were several prizes given out to the fans as a symbol of gratitude for supporting the team at home games.

The game began with the introduction of the starting five: redshirt junior forward Arinze Chidom, grad student guard Khyber Kabellis, redshirt junior guard Dominick Pickett, sophomore center Callum McRae and junior guard George Willborn III. UCR had an incredible start and immediately pulled ahead with the lead and prevented the opposing team from reaching double digits for almost the first 10 minutes. The first half of the game saw the majority of points being made

by Chidom and McRae. In the first half, UCSB’s senior guard Max Heidegger went down with an injury and McRae was able to slow down UCSB sophomore forward Amadou Sow defensively. The Gauchos were given a total of six free throws in the first half, but at half time UCR was still ahead 30-24.

In the second half, however, as said by UCR’s Head Coach David Patrick, “We came out a step slow and we can’t do that against a good team.” The Gauchos quickly pulled ahead by taking and making three-point shots and despite their best efforts, the Highlanders were unable to get ahead for the rest of the game.

Throughout the whole second half, the Highlanders kept committing fouls and ended up granting the Gauchos a total of 22 free throws. In the end, every time UCR closed the gap and came close to winning, UCSB would make another three-point shot much to the chagrin of the crowd. The overall score was 65-60 in favor of UCSB. In a post-game interview, Patrick said, “Putting them at the free throw line is

VICTOR LEI / HIGHLANDER

what killed us, you can’t defend those shots. You gotta play without fouling and we didn’t do that tonight. Your offense is not gonna win games — your free throws, rebounding and taking care of the ball (are what win games). We did a better job

of that tonight. You have to convert free throws, they did and we didn’t.”

McRae scored 18 points total, the most points of any of the Highlanders in the game and said of his performance, “My teammates put me in a good position,

I’m just trying to do my job every night and defend, rebound then the points will come.”

Next up, the Highlanders will compete against UC Davis (13-16, 7-6) on Saturday, March 7, in Riverside.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

SPORTS

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Baseball earns victory against University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Saint Mary’s College of California JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the UC Riverside men’s baseball team (5-5) battled against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in which they earned a 3-2 victory in the 11th inning of the game.

The win gave the Highlanders their third win of the season while the defeat for UNLV gave the Rebels another straight loss and a 2-8 record.

Since 2001, the Highlanders have played against UNLV a total of 46 times.

Of those 46 matchups, the Highlanders have been victorious in 22 of the games.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Highlanders beat UNLV 11-7 on April 30, 2019 in the last matchup between the two teams.

128 people were in attendance to watch the game at the UC Riverside Baseball Complex. The weather for the duration of the baseball game was a sunny 79 degrees and featured clear skies.

Due to a fielding blunder by UNLV junior first baseman Jack-Thomas Wold in the first inning, the Highlanders were able to score to start off the game. UCR senior center fielder Travis Bohall landed on first base after a fielding error from UNLV. Junior third baseman Nathan Webb moved Bohall to second base after he grounded out to second base. After another fielding error from the Rebels, UCR junior right fielder Dylan Orick reached first and Bohall advanced to third. An errant throw from Rebels pitcher Noah Mattera allowed Bohall to score the first run of the game for the Highlanders.

After UNLV went scoreless in the top

of the second inning, the Highlanders added to the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. UCR sophomore catcher Jacob Shanks hit a single to rightcenter field and senior first baseman Garrett Calvert advanced Shanks to third base after a fielding mistake from UNLV senior shortstop Trevor Rosenberg. Shanks was able to score off of sophomore second baseman Damian Sanchez’s groundout. Sanchez was credited with the RBI. The third and fourth innings were scoreless for both teams, but the Rebels scored their first run of the game in the

fifth. UNLV junior catcher Eric Bigani doubled after hitting the ball to right center field. A fly ball from freshman right fielder Austin Kryszczuk led to a run scored by Bigani.

In the eighth inning, UNLV tied the game at 2-2. The Rebels scored after a single from Gamble and freshman designated hitter Alex Sardina was walked, which led to Rosenberg running to home base.

With the score tied at two apiece after the bottom of the eighth inning, both teams would remain scoreless until the 11th inning. A double from Highlander

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

junior utility Nathan Webb drove Bohall across home plate for the Highlanders, giving UCR the 3-2 victory.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Highlanders traveled to Moraga, CA to take on Saint Mary’s College of California (2-7). They defeated the Gaels 3-2.

On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Highlanders attempted to sweep the Saint Mary’s College of California. UCR emerged victorious again, this time by a 1-0 score.

Up next, the Highlanders will travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 3, to go up against Loyola Marymount University (3-6).

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Softball goes 1-2 during the Amy S. Harrison Classic against University of Montana and University of Nebraska at Omaha

JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

On Friday, Feb. 28, the UC Riverside softball team (7-11) competed against the University of Montana (9-9). The loss marked the Highlanders’ eighth straight loss of the season while the win for Montana gave them their seventh win of the season.

Since 2018, the Highlanders have played against Montana a total of two times. The Highlanders have lost both times.

143 people were in attendance to watch the game at the Amy S. Harrison Field. The weather for the duration of the softball game was a partly cloudy 70 degrees.

The 9 a.m. game was the first of their Friday doubleheader and the first game of the Amy S. Harrison Classic.

The first two innings were scoreless for both teams. In the third inning, the Grizzlies got two runs on the board after junior first baseman Cami Sellers was walked and sophomore shortstop Maygen McGrath hit a home run to left field. The home run led to Sellers and McGrath both scoring a run, as they gave Montana an early 2-0 lead over the Highlanders. In the same inning, the Grizzlies added another run to the scoreboard. Senior infielder Morgan Johnson hit a single and advanced to second base after a wild pitch from UCR. Junior infielder Lexi Knauss hit a double to right center field and Johnson ran to home plate as she extended

VICTOR LEI / HIGHLANDER

Montana’s lead, 3-0.

UCR sophomore left fielder Nadia Witt scored a run for the Highlanders in the fourth inning. Witt was brought

home after sophomore third baseman Moana Pisia hit a single and advanced the runners on base. Despite the run, UCR still found themselves down 3-1.

Montana scored two more runs in the sixth inning and held a 5-1 lead at the end of the inning. The Highlanders attempted to tie the game in the seventh and final inning but their efforts weren’t enough. UCR senior right fielder Danielle Ortega and freshman second baseman Lauryn Garewal both scored for the Highlanders but in the end, the final score was 5-3, favoring the Grizzlies.

The second game against the University of Nebraska at Omaha (99) was played at 11:30 a.m. This game saw the Highlanders get shutout on the scoreboard as they went scoreless against the Mavericks.

The game only went five innings and Maverick junior pitcher Sydney Hampton threw a no-hitter game, the 18th such game in Maverick program history. By the second inning, the Mavericks already had nine runs on the board compared to the Highlander’s zero.

On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Highlanders took on the University of Nebraska at Omaha once again. This time around, the Highlanders were victorious as they defeated the Mavericks 4-3.

Ortega, senior third baseman Emma Ramelot, junior infielder Kennedi Sorensen and senior utility Kayla Curtan all scored a run each for the Highlanders.

Up next, the Highlanders will battle against Michigan State University (412) on Saturday, March 6 in Riverside ■H at the Amy S. Harrison field.

Sports 24

TUESDAY, MARCH 03, 2020

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

The Highlander sat down for an exclusive interview with women’s basketball Head Coach Seyram Bell, senior guard Jannon Otto and senior forward Marina Ewodo. In this interview, we got a different, more in-depth perspective at what it is like to be a student-athlete and how they attempt to balance school life with athletics. Additionally, we got a perspective of what the transition from former student-athlete to Head Coach was like for Bell.

Q: From being a student-athlete previously with UCR, what was the transition like from being a student-athlete to the head coach of the team?

Seyram Bell: Each level that I’ve been through has been different and shown its share of challenges. But it has been a learning experience with every jump and that goes from my freshman year as a student-athlete to my senior year as a student-athlete. I had an idea of what I was supposed to do going in but when I actually got here, I thought you just walk into the gym and work on this, this and this. But there is a lot more though that goes into what it is you need to work on with the players or doing some background homework on how to teach a certain drill with the offense or with the defense and with everything. Every level, I have just grown more and more with my understanding and knowledge of the game.

Q: How do you try to balance being a student with being an athlete?

Jannon Otto: I would just say time management. I have to find time to study or come in for extra shots. For practice, we have practice everyday so we have to really balance assignments and when they are due and plan ahead.

Q: Are there hours where you dedicate to study or study on the bus before or after games?

Bell: I haven’t had to designate study hours because they are really good about pulling out their laptops or their books. They do their assignments whether it is on the bus, in the airport or even in the hotel. When we played in Hawaii this past year, we had to be out of our hotels at a certain time and the game was later that evening so we were in a big meeting room and while we were in there, they are having study sessions with some working on math assignments and others are preparing for a midterm. Everyone had a laptop open and they were doing some type of assignment. It is pretty cool to see that they are taking advantage of any kind of opportunity that they have to put towards studying and you don’t have to ask them to do it — they do it on their own.

Q: Do you have a pre-game routine that you do? Is there a certain song or album that you enjoy listening to before games?

Marina Ewodo: I do have a playlist. I listen to it in my car when I leave to get to the game. Also, I listen to it when I get to the gym. I listen to different songs, energetic songs like Beyonce or rap.

Q: Do you have a favorite WNBA or NBA player that you try to model your game after or that you draw inspiration from?

Ewodo: I don’t watch a lot of basketball but I do like to watch the Chicago Sky sometimes.

Otto: I like Diamond DeShields from the Sky. She is my favorite WNBA player. I also like Damian Lillard.

Bell: I have two favorite players: (Michael) Jordan and Kobe (Bryant).

Growing up, those were my role models and I tried to emulate their game. ■ H

BEYOND THE COURT WITH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: INSIDE THE LIFE OF A STUDENT-ATHLETE BY: JORDAN HOM SENIOR STAFF WRITER COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS