Volume 68 Issue 21

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

VOL. 68, ISSUE 21

est. 1954

UCR grad students organize march in solidarity with Santa Cruz wildcat protests

MARTIN LOPEZ/ HIGHLANDER

UCR students gather to rally in support of UCSC graduate students’ pursuit of a cost of living adjusment (COLA).

TIMOTHY HUGHES Staff Writer

Approximately 350 protesters gathered in the lawn outside Orbach Science Library on March 5 to stand in solidarity with the UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) graduate student wildcat strike.

Margarita Vizcarra, an organizer, chant leader and a secondyear GSOE graduate student, began the march around 11:45 a.m. with acknowledgment of the native lands the university stands on, and the protestors moved out of the Orbach lawn at 11:50 a.m.

Marchers walked by the

#COLA for All #we run the UC #COLA for All #we run the UC #COLA for All #we run the UC

Physics building and down the quad, heading toward the HUB shouting chants such as, “Janet Janet, we can’t stand it, give us COLA, we demand it,” and “When our rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back,” and “F--- Janet.”

The march reached the HUB at 12:00 p.m and marchers gathered in front, holding a long red ribbon between them. The leaders of the march went to the second floor of the HUB and draped large canvas signs over the side reading “COLA for All” and “we run the UC.” Protesters stood and continued chanting “Fire Janet” and “Fire Wilcox.” ► SEE COLA PAGE 4

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TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

HUMANS OF UCR

UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 10

ANGUS CHANG| ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | FIFTH-YEAR COMPILED BY LYDIA TSOU

10

Tuesday

11

Energy Reclaim Workshop TUESDAY TALK - Let’s Talk About Sex! 3:00pm to 4:00pm 5:00pm to 6:00pm HUB, 268 Costo Hall 245

Therapy Fluffies UCR Orchestra and UCR Concert Band 11:00am to 1:00pm 8:00pm to 9:30pm Orbach and Rivera Library University Theatre

Wednesday

12

Technology for Aspiring Note Takers 2:00pm to 3:00pm HUB 379

Finals Got You Feelin’ Faint?

Don’t Stress - Tape & Paint!

3:00pm to 4:00pm Rivera Library Challenge Course

13

Feminist Friday: Positive Body Image 12:00pm to 1:00pm Bannockburn K101

Surprise Snack Giveaway UCR Library, Rivera & Orbach

14

Pi Day 3:14pm Orbach Library (Science Library)

Thursday

“When I was in my junior year of high school, my physics teacher opened my eyes to hiking and nature. I signed up for a nature hike in Joshua Tree National Park. One thing I remembered was that he’d put chapstick next to anything he took a photo of: whether it be a rattlesnake, cactus or

Friday

animal scat (AKA poop) to use as a size reference. Among many other things, this is what led me to become enthusiastic to learn about nature and its inhabitants. I then went on to trips where we hiked up a volcano, jumped off sand dunes and also explored a lava tube and slot canyons. “

Saturday

15

R’Finals Study Jam 4:00pm to 8:00pm Orbach Library (Science Library)

Sunday

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Finals Confessional 8:00am to 6:00pm Orbach Library (Science Library)

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Pizza Party 2:00pm Rivera Library

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News 4

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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UCR grad students organize march for solidarity in Santa Cruz wildcat protests

► FROM COLA

At 12:10 p.m. the protestors moved under the Transfer & Commuter Lounge bridge to avoid the sun and have greater acoustics as a lineup of students were about to begin speaking. Christina Manzano began by reading various facts, such as the salaries of UC president Janet Napolitano UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox, which are $578,916 and $406,495 respectively, juxtaposed to the average UC graduate student stipend of $22,000. Other facts included UCSC firing 74 graduate student strikers, and UC admin sending out emails to undergraduates to turn them against the strikes. Each fact read was met with a unified shout of “What the F---!” from the crowd.

Romina, a UCR graduate student in ethnic studies and a parent, spoke of her experiences surviving on her grad student stipend. She said that “after (her) rent, insurance and groceries, (she) is left with $9 a day to support (her) family of three.” She also spoke about how UCR no longer pays their utilities, and paying a $200 light bill during the summer leaves her with nothing.

Two undergraduates, Nicholas Darten and Jorge Plascencia, gave speeches as well. Darten called for undergraduate student solidarity and support of UC graduate students, bringing about a chant from the crowd of “undergrads got your back,” bringing some graduate students in the crowd to tears of gratitude. Plascencia, a first generation student, spoke of the great pride he had in being admitted to UCR, but became very discouraged by seeing UC workers and grad

students alike suffering. He spoke words of encouragement and joy in seeing strikes to make lives for workers better saying, “we are filled with leaders, organizers, allies and advocates for a better future.”

Cuauhteomoc, another graduate student and local of Santa Cruz, gave his speech first in Spanish, then translating and continuing.

He begins saying “I came here to say today, that the president is basura (trash in English).”

He explained how graduate students are not eligible for the same financial assistance as undergraduates are and how that makes them endure great hardship. He described the fragile nature of the graduate student position saying “If I, in sickness, have to become homeless and jobless and take time off from school in order to survive.”

The final speaker was Dylan Rodriguez, a member of the faculty and head of the Academic Senate. He spoke of how humbling, as a faculty member, the march was. He referred to the protest as “education at its finest,” and highlighted that students should know who the regents are and that they “have no background whatsoever in education, they are governors.”

He called on students to stay aware of “how power runs in this institution.”

The Highlander received comments from Vizcarra, Yajira and Manzano, organizers of the movement, who were all very pleased with turnout and how the protest went. Vizcarra stated “we want UCR students to understand that Santa Cruz is not an isolated incident and the

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

administration milks us all for our labor.” Yajira added that the administration needs to know that graduate students are not standing down and that, “the intimidation tactics will not work.”

Vizcarra also said that COLA (cost of living adjustment) is not the only demand, “we are seeking a reversal of the retaliation against grad students and de facto deportation of international students.”

The Highlander also spoke with Rodriguez

who stated that the faculty have a responsibility to support grad students. He stated, “We are raising up the next generation of the professoriate, and they need to know we have their back and want them to be taken care of so they can be effective and successful.”

The march concluded at 1:00 p.m. Marchers were encouraged to stay around and make cards as signs of support for UCSC strikers who have been fired by the UC. ■H

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Students meet with chancellors to discuss UCR’s response to COLA strikes

Seventh-year graduate student, Christina Manzano, expresses frustation with currrent graduate student salaries and UCR’s response to the COLA strikes.

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

On Thursday March 4 at 3:30 p.m., four students met with Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brian Haynes and Executive Vice Chancellor Thomas A. Smith for one hour to discuss UCR’s plan of action moving forward from

the COLA strikes happening across the UC system. Vice Chancellor Haynes asked that The Highlander not be present during the meeting.

The meeting was scheduled a few hours after a large student demonstration at the HUB in response to graduate students demanding cost of living adjustments (COLA) across the UC. For roughly three months now,

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

graduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) have been on strike, demanding pay increases to afford the cost of living in the area. Last Friday, the university responded to the strike by firing 74 graduate students.

In an interview with The Highlander, Christina Manzano a seventh-year physics graduate

student, Nicholas Darten, a fourthyear physics undergraduate, Mallory Peterson a third-year Ph.D. student in dance and Jackson Kishbaugh-Maish, a physics graduate student sat down to discuss what happened during the meeting.

Manzano led the discussion, stating “He (Wilcox) gave us some updates from the Chancellor’s meeting with all the UC’s … there was no real resolve.”

According to Manzano, Wilcox, Haynes and Smith agree that the UCSC engagement was unfortunate and they all believe UCSC should reduce the police presence. Manzano stated that Wilcox does not advise reopening the contract that mandates graduate student pay because “it would reward bad behavior and show disrespect to the system.” The current bargaining agreement states, “any employee who violates this (no strikes) article shall be subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.”

Darten stated that they did not address any changes to be made in the future, “only things that have happened and what’s happening now.” However, they did discuss their plans for housing and the new apartment complexes which were not specified but were assumed to be the North District Development Project. According to KishbaughMaish, they discussed keeping the apartment complexes simple and minimal in order to keep the cost of rent down because statewide, tax and tuition money cannot go into housing.

Marzano stated, “Wilcox says they are taking graduate student pay into consideration when figuring out housing costs but it is not a driving factor.”

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

5

UC-AFT holds rally in support of better working conditions for lecturers

CHRISTINE TRAN Senior Staff Writer

Lecturers, graduate students and undergraduate students gathered underneath the “Change Things” and “Things Change” sculpture outside the Arts Building on Friday, March 3 at 12 p.m. to show solidarity before the University Council-American Federation of Teachers’ (UC-AFT) contract bargaining meeting with the UC administration. UC-AFT is the union representing librarians, lecturers, program coordinators and supervisors of teacher education. They have been on a bargaining campaign across the UC system and made their way to UCR to work to pass proposals that would guarantee equitable working conditions for contingent faculty.

While pizza, t-shirts and buttons were being passed out, UC-AFT bargaining team member and UCR English lecturer Benjamin Harder gave the opening speech for the rally. The rally continued with words from Mia L. McIver, the UC-AFT president and a UCLA Writing Programs lecturer who led the crowds in chants such as “I believe we will win.”

“I want the UC to take our bargaining proposal seriously for salary which is what we’re doing today. My big thing is about the actual negotiations, for the university to really seriously consider our salary needs.

In general, we want to get commitment from the university to its teaching faculty and appropriate compensation,” stated Harder in an interview with The Highlander.

Amanda Riggle, a second-year English doctoral candidate stood up and began reading off facts about the UC

Two negotiators organize schedules to meet with administration following the Hinderaker sit-in on March 3.

administration through a megaphone.

The crowd yelled their disapproval after hearing Riggle state that Janet Napolitano’s salary is $579,000 a year and she was previously the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush.

“As a part of the COLA collective, we are here to support the lecturers because they’re fighting for the same things that we’re fighting for as graduate students.

We’re a part of the same apparatus in the sense that the institution is banking off our labor,” said second-year GSOE graduate student Margarita Vizcarra. She stated that it was great to get UC-AFT’s support at the COLA rally because lecturers were graduate students at one point and know of their struggles. The contract bargaining was originally planned to begin at 10 a.m.

in INTN 3023, but the UC administration delayed the meeting and requested to meet off campus in the University Village. In the end, the location remained at INTN 3023 but the meeting did not begin until 1 p.m.

“We had set up a week or two back an arrangement to meet in INTN 3023 but yesterday there was the COLA rally so there was directive from the chancellor that we were no longer welcomed to meet in the agreed upon location,” said lecturer and UC-AFT negotiator Stephanie AnnWilms Simpson. She went on to state that, “They said basically they were afraid graduate students were going to come in and disrupt the bargaining session but they had no evidence to back that up. We had assured them that it was calm and peaceful and so they agreed to come meet us at the table.”

MARTIN LOPEZ/ HIGHLANDER

The rally came to an end at 1 p.m. with closing comments from Harder calling for justice, celebration of higher education and unification. The crowd then proceeded to make their way to INTN 3023 for the start of the labor negotiations. Any UCR students and faculty were allowed to sit around the edge of room while the representatives from all 10 UC campuses discussed with the UC-AFT bargaining team.

“We’re hoping to pass our salary proposal and move forward. This is our first meeting with them after our contract expired on January 31. They said that they have six articles to pass.

The problem that we’ve had negotiating for this past year is their unwillingness to move on any of our core demands,” said Simpson.

■H

UC Riverside responds to coronavirus in new ways; university researchers identify potential drug target

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

The spread of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is growing in the U.S. with the death toll rising to 22 as of Sunday. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an $8.3 billion measure to help tackle the outbreak by providing funding to federal public health agencies for vaccines, tests and potential treatments for the disease. The measure will also aid in helping state and local governments prepare and respond to the threat.

On Monday, March 2, a university press release announced that a group of UCR researchers were able to characterize a protein that may assist in creating an antiviral drug to tackle coronavirus. This research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Chicago, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, who are all part of the Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID). According to the press release, the protein known as Nsp-15, which is found in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is 89% identical to a protein from the 2003 outbreak of SARSCoV. SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the current outbreak of COVID-19 which suggests that the drugs designed to target the Nsp-15 protein found in SARS-CoV could assist in treating the current outbreak as well.

Adam Godzik, a professor of biomedical sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine stated in an interview with The Highlander that although the protein link found in Nsp15 will not directly cure the current outbreak, “It is just one step of the ongoing puzzle that is COVID-19.” The link between SARS-CoV

While UCR remains under normal operations during week 10, Chancellor Wilcox advises all to be prepared for emergency campus closures.

and COVID-19 was previously well-known by researchers and although the protein was not yet discovered, according to Godzik, the link was obvious to those working on it. Godzik stated that the CSGID studies various pathogens, but they are currently prioritizing the ones that are linked to COVID-19.

According to Godzik, the CSGID is currently negotiating with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other agencies to have funding to further the research. He mentioned that the protein link they have found in Nsp-15 may not contribute directly to the fight against COVID-19 but it will provide the knowledge needed for future coronavirus epidemics.

Despite this, Godzik stated that it is important to note that there is research happening on campus.

This research, “leads to better understanding of

LYDIA TSOU / HIGHLANDER

different pathogens, including this coronavirus, and it’s great because in the long term this is how we beat these things,” stated Godzik.

Additionally, on Tuesday, March 3, Chancellor Wilcox sent a campuswide email to all UCR students, faculty and staff to address what UCR is doing in response to COVID-19. The email states that the Student Health Center has implemented a thorough screening process, along with a dedicated nurse line for remote consultations. It also states that Housing and Dining has increased the number of hand sanitizers on campus, and that the Environmental Health & Safety and Student Health teams are collaborating to raise awareness of best hygiene and flu prevention practices. University administrators representing the Executive Management Policy

Group are meeting daily to develop a plan of action to ensure the continuity of UCR’s operations in the event that the impacts of COVID-19 become worse.

The email also states that there have been no major disruption to UCR’s operations so far other than an on-campus conference that was canceled and a study abroad program that was suspended. The UC Office of the President has issued a directive to limit non-essential travel to countries that are designated with a CDC Warning — Level 3 Travel Notice. Currently, the countries in this category include China, South Korea, Italy and Iran. UCR advises that any campus community members who are currently traveling on university-related business in a country designated with a CDC travel warning should plan to “immediately leave the area.” Upon return, travelers will likely be prompted to participate in a 14-day quarantine before being allowed to return to campus.

The email also acknowledges the importance of not stigmatizing any individuals based on their national origin stating, “It’s imperative that all students, faculty and staff uphold a campus culture of respect and uphold our Principles of Community during this critical time.”

In another email sent on Sunday, March 8, Wilcox addressed the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Riverside County stating, “To our knowledge, this person is not affiliated with the UC Riverside campus.” He stated that although there will be no changes to normal campus operations, all members of the UCR community must be prepared for the possibility of emergency campus closures in the near future.

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6 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

ASUCR

ASUCR debates over possible liabilities of a Lyft initiative

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

During the March 4 ASUCR meeting, debates were heard over the potential liabilities involved with a Lyft initiative that would provide UCR students a Lyft discount code on the day of Spring Splash to get them to and from campus and prevent DUI’s.

During Public Forum, former CHASS Senator Aaron Sanchez addressed the senate. Sanchez expressed his concern with what he stated was unprofessional conduct

by Vice President of Finance Carolyn Chang during the March 3 Finance Hearing. Sanchez stated that he wants to appeal the Finance Committee’s decision to not fund the Lyft Initiative. The initiative was asking for $5,000 but was denied by the Finance Committee by a vote of 0-4-0. Sanchez stated, “VP Chang was out of line when she broke procedure by unduly influencing the Finance Committee in a week prior to our meeting ...

VP Chang misinformed voluntary committee members and therefore biased the vote in favor of not allocating funds to this potentially life saving initiative.” Sanchez went on to state that he believes it is “appalling to see an elected official break procedure to fulfill a personal vendetta against me. When it goes so far to deny the UC students the opportunity to get an alternative to a DUI, that is grounds for removal.”

CHASS Senator Nelson Huerta addressed Executive Vice President Abigail Cortes during Public Forum and asked her why Parliamentarian Avi Idea was not at the horseshoe.

Idea was put on leave for two weeks

by Cortes. Idea told The Highlander in a past interview that he was put on leave by Cortes due to a difference in the way he and Cortes wanted to run senate meetings. He stated that by

ASUCR motions to table discussion about Lyft disount code at Spring Splash.

LLOYD KAO / HIGHLANDER

putting him on leave, Cortes felt that Idea and herself would be given time to review Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure. Idea was expected to be back for the March 4 meeting. Cortes responded to Huerta stating, “That is a personnel matter that has been discussed between the parliamentarian and I.” A temporary parliamentarian took Idea’s place for this meeting.

During Committee Reports, Chang presented the Finance Committee meeting minutes from March 3. $1,000 was allocated for Executive Vice President Cords for First Generation Graduates which would provide cords for first generation students at commencement to “recognize their accomplishments” according to Cortes. $1,000 was allocated for Marketing Director Budgets. This allocation will provide the Marketing Committee with more funds for more marketing supplies. These two allocations were approved 12-0-0.

Chang then went on to explain why the Lyft Initiative was denied by the

Finance Committee. Chang stated that the initiative, which would give students a $5 off Lyft coupon code on the day of Spring Splash, presented too many liabilities for ASUCR. She stated that Lyft has been in the media recently due to sexual assaults allegedly committed by their drivers and that it presents too many dangers, especially for female students at UCR. Chang admitted that she did speak to her committee about the initiative before it was voted or presented on.

Sinclair provided more explanation and stated that The Risk Management office at UCR has said that as long as the campus counsel can clarify that Lyft is fully insured to cover the event the liabilities would be limited.

The senate then decided to motion to table the discussion of the Lyft Initiative on the basis that Sanchez and CNAS Senator Luv Amin, who is also working on the initiative, return with more information, planning and details regarding the legal logistics of the initiative. The motion to table the discussion was

After Santos’ speech, Sureya Washburn was called in to give her speech and answer questions from the senate. Washburn stated that she believes serving as a GSOE senator will make a positive impact on the campus. CHASS Senator Isaiah Kim asked Washburn what plans and projects she would have as GSOE senator. Washburn stated that she, “would like to work with the GSOE dean to increase student engagement and increase student knowledge about GSOE events.”

Second-year Stephanie Zeng was the last candidate to present her speech. Zeng previously worked as a senate intern for CHASS Senator David Melgoza who served on ASUCR from 2018 to 2019.

Zeng stated that as GSOE senator, she would want to advocate for the 40 hours of fieldwork required for GSOE students to be meaningful. She stated that she wants to encourage students to first, “get a feel of what they are interested in and then pursue the 40 hours of required fieldwork so it is more of a meaningful experience for them.”

After all candidates gave their speeches, ASUCR Executive Vice President Abigail Cortes announced that the senate would be moving into

another room to discuss their votes on the new GSOE senator. Before the senate could move into a seperate room, ASUCR Executive Director Laurie Sinclair announced that two candidates would like to make some clarifications before the senate voted. Washburn and Salem announced that they were not currently GSOE majors meaning that they did not meet the qualifications to be a GSOE senator. Washburn stated that she is currently an English major but has applied to GSOE and withdrew her candidacy. Salem also stated that she is

passed 12-0-0.

During Roundtable and Announcements, Huerta addressed ASUCR President Julian Gonzalez and stated, “I want to remind President Gonzalez that under his bylaw (Chapter 9 of the ASUCR Bylaws) it states that the president is to make sure that ASUCR as a whole runs very smoothly and functions properly. There has obviously been some issues in ASUCR that he needs to address ... the EVP has been doing a lot of injustices lately such as secret meetings and pushing back meetings without proper notice and not attending certain things. I think it is really important that the president should publicly tell the EVP that she should apologize for those issues.”

Gonzalez acknowledged Huerta’s comments during Roundtable and Announcements. He stated, “My EVP is my EVP for a reason and if I don’t believe she did anything wrong I am not going to reprimand her in public because she explained herself already and I am not going to continue this toxic conversation.” Gonzalez went on to state that he did not appreciate Huerta expressing his concerns publicly. He stated, “We had already decided that if we had any issues with anyone we would do it internally but now you have made it public. I would appreciate it that next time if you had any complaints you would come to me because this is the first time I’m hearing anything from you.” Gonzalez also stated that he will never publicly shame members of ASUCR for any mistakes they make, stating that he believes it is wrong to do so.

EVP Cortes went on to announce that the senator of the month, who she stated is the first female senator of the month, was awarded to CNAS Senator Natalie Hernandez.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

■H

ASUCR hosts special elections to fill vacant GSOE senator position

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

Four candidates applied for the position of Graduate School of Education (GSOE) senator on Wednesday, March 4 at the weekly ASUCR meeting. A special election was held to fill the recently vacated position after the former GSOE Senator Evelin Castaneda publicly resigned from the position at the Feb. 19 ASUCR meeting.

Each candidate was given two minutes to give a speech and then answered questions from the senators. The first candidate was second-year Rania Salem.

Salem stated that she wants to advocate for transparency between ASUCR and the student body as well as tackle low voter turnout on campus. She stated that as a GSOE senator, she would make sure that the concerns of GSOE students are heard.

Third-year Esmerelda Santos then gave her speech. Santos stated that as GSOE senator she would like to focus on students who have imposter syndrome, students who work full-time and on getting GSOE students more involved in student government. Santos is also currently the Vice Chair of the Outreach Committee.

Stephanie Zeng expresses to ASUCR why she would be the best fit for GSOE Senator. LLYOD KAO / HIGHLANDER

currently in the process of switching to the GSOE but is not currently enrolled.

Salem requested that the senate allow her to serve as the GSOE senator beginning spring quarter which is when she will declare a GSOE major. EVP Cortes stated that she would keep Salem’s request in mind while the senate deliberated.

After the senate deliberated, the senate moved back into the senate chambers and EVP Cortes announced that with a majority of 10 votes, Zeng was elected GSOE senator. She was then invited to take her seat on the horseshoe.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

NEWS

Riverside city council town hall aims to connect UCR students with newly elected council members

7

PREETI JUTURU Contributing Writer

On Thursday, March 5, at approximately 5:10 p.m., the ASUCR City Relations Committee, under the ASUCR Office of External Affairs held a Riverside City Council town hall in HUB 302 South.

The event, comprising a panel and Q&A section, was moderated by members of the ASUCR City Relations Committee.

“Historically, UCR students are left out of the local governing process and therefore, we have not had a strong partnership with our councilmembers,” stated Emily Thomas, ASUCR City Relations assistant director and School of Public Policy (SPP) senator. “We wanted to recognize the importance of starting a dialogue without council members,” she continued.

The town hall began by introducing the panelists. The first panelist was Council member Erin Edwards, a former AmeriCorps volunteer and chair of Glocally Connected, a refugee-serving organization in Riverside County; she now serves as the representative for Ward 1, which includes downtown Riverside, Northside and Wood Streets neighborhoods, on the Riverside City Council.

Council member Ronaldo Fierro was the second panelist. Born and raised in the city of Riverside, Fierro is the owner, founder and operator of both the Salted Pig gastropub restaurant and the W. Wolfskill bar in downtown Riverside. He currently represents Ward 3, which covers the Airport, Magnolia Center and Victoria neighborhoods, on the Riverside City Council.

The third panelist, Gaby Plascencia, represents Ward 5, which includes the Arlington, Arlington Heights and Ramona neighborhoods, on the Riverside City Council. A Riverside resident for nearly 30 years, as well as a current school counselor with Loma Vista Middle School,

PREETI JUTURU / HIGHLANDER

Riverside City Council Town Hall aims to engage UCR students in their local government.

Plascencia “is an education champion,” stated Ashley Vazquez, one of the panel moderators. The three councilmembers are the newest members sitting on the city council, having taken the oath of office in December of 2019.

During the panel, moderators asked questions regarding safety, retention of UCR alumni within the city of Riverside, environmental racism and student opportunities within local government.

“People who feel safest in their neighborhoods are the ones who know their neighbors,” responded Edwards, when asked about plans to make the area around UCR safer. “Get to know the people around you,” she stated. Fierro stated that development around the campus area would help with safety, and Plascencia expressed that students should let the city council know if there are any concerns and ideas they have to improve the area.

“The question is of how to make the economy stay local,” stated Councilmember Fierro, in regards to keeping UCR students in the region after graduation. “We can bring in sustainable, high paying jobs relating to clean energy,” he explained. Plascencia stated that connecting students with internships and apprenticeships within the area would help retain students. Edwards stated that

students should express if they have any ideas or suggestions relating to economic development plans.

Concerns regarding the Inland Empire being known for “the harshest environmental racism issues” were brought up, and councilmembers were questioned as to what the city council could do to alleviate these concerns. Plascencia stated that “we need to be thinking outside of the box for transportation and sustainability and energy,” and that clean air should be “on the forefront of policy.”

Edwards stated that the city council is currently approving trails and safe routes for biking, and Fierro stated that the city requires “smart urban planning” and needs to implement emission free public transport.

During the Q&A section, students brought up concerns regarding the reputation of Riverside, homelessness in the city and policing in the area.

An anonymous audience member asked how the city council could create more dialogue between UCPD and the Riverside Police Department. The council members expressed that there needs to be communication between the two departments, but aren’t sure of what the current collaborations are. “We need to know what it is that you want to accomplish with collaboration,” stated

Plascencia.

“What concrete things can you do to reduce housing costs in Riverside, and do you support the wildcat strikes of UC graduate students seeking cost of living adjustments?” asked Timothy Hughes, a fourth-year environmental science major. The council members stated that the city needs to build more housing and educate community members about what affordable housing entails. Fierro stated that “inclusive zoning will help, but it’s important that when we’re subsidizing and creating affordable housing that we are not destigmatizing the need for affordable housing.” All three councilmembers expressed their support for the cost of living adjustments and the wildcat strikes.

Mark De Alba, a second-year political science major, asked the council members how “we can change the image of Riverside and the surrounding area.”

“We have a lot of work to do when it comes to telling our story,” Edwards responded. “This community is amazing … tell the story of the city and show it through social media,” she continued. The council members expressed that through economic development, advocacy and promoting the city, they can increase the city’s reputation.

The town hall concluded at approximately 6:20 p.m.

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Former CEO of San Bernardino County discusses the city and county development of the Inland Empire over the years

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

The UCR Inland Center for Sustainable Development (ISCD) hosted a Randall Lewis Seminar on Thursday, March 5 featuring Greg Deveraux, former chief executive officer (CEO) of San Bernardino County and former city manager of Ontario and Fontana. Devereaux spoke about his experience working in local government as well as the progress he has witnessed in regards to development in the region.

Devereaux began the discussion by giving a rundown of his long standing history in local government. He retired as CEO of San Bernardino County three years ago and stated that the difference between city and county government is that, “cities are about the structure and hierarchy, counties are about relationship.”

He began his career in public service as the head of cultural service for the city of Long Beach in 1982, he then moved on to working in Garden Grove until he became the city manager of Fontana in 1993. At the time, Deveraux was the sixth city manager of Fontana in five years and that is where he learned that “city government is a team sport.” After spending a few years in Fontana, he moved on to be city manager of Ontario which he said was more developed but still had some changes to be made.

Devereaux addressed what governments do well and identified what they may be able to improve in. He stated that every city is different but, for the most part, they all take care of basic services such as safety fairly well. “One of the things cities don’t do well is understand how to evaluate and assess risk,” stated Devereaux.

Fontana and Ontario had many unfunded liabilities when he started his work there, he mentioned. According to Deveraux, cities can also work on their community engagement.

Toward the end of the discussion, Deveraux answered questions from the audience members in attendance. “There is a great need in our region for more minimum and higher wage jobs,” stated Deveraux in response to a question about the region’s most pressing issues. “We as communities have got to learn to celebrate the diversity in a community,” he added.

Deveraux believes that the biggest success in his career was the lasting progress of Fontana and Ontario stating, “Creating cultural change is one thing, creating cultural change that lasts is another.” Despite this, he stated that he regrets not having done more for the county of San Bernardino, “I’m not sure that we reached the tipping point.”

In response to his ideas for fixing

Greg Deveraux’s long standing history in public service allows him to discuss how local governemnts can improve.

the housing crisis in the Inland Empire, Deveraux stated that in order to give cities more housing and better jobs, cities need to be given a portion of the income tax that is generated by the people working and living within that city. He also stated that homeowners need to be given incentives such as retail and commercial areas.

To young professionals seeking a career in public service, Deveraux stated that they need to be dedicated and fully committed to the cause, “you have to be passionate and

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care deeply.” He stated that in every job he had, the individuals he worked with changed the quality of life of those in their respective communities for the better, forever. According to Deveraux, “The people who make the highest contributions, take the highest responsibility.”

Finally, Deveraux stated that he would not advise anyone to seek a job in public service “unless they think there is more work to be done than they can possibly do.”

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8 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

Social Services panel discusses alleviating homelessness in Southern California

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer

As homelessness rises in Southern California, the Dean’s Brand Ambassadors and UCR’s School of Public Policy (SPP) hosted a panel of policy practitioners from various social services agencies across Southern California to discuss what can be done about the issue.

The panel, held on March 4, was comprised of Armando Gonzalez, a human services administrator for the County of Los Angeles, Natalie Komuro, the deputy county executive officer, Tanya Torno, the principal development specialist for the County of Riverside and Sumit Sapra, deputy division director for Orange County.

They each led the discussion by introducing the work that they have been doing in their respective cities. Gonzales has been working with the county of Los Angeles for 16 years analyzing and interpreting new and revised policy related to healthcare reform and currently serves over 3 million individuals in the MediCal program. Komuro has worked within the nonprofit sector planning programs for the homelessness and implementing policies being made federally and locally.

She stated, “we are in a really oportun moment in Riverside County because the (homelessness) numbers may not be as large as Los Angeles but the intensity of the problem is no different so what we have to do is substantially the same.”

Sapra overseas regional and divisional operations such as CalWORKs and Refugee Cash Assistance, Welfare-ToWork and Foster Care Eligibility programs while Torno is part of a team that works to support individuals that experience homelessness.

Komuro stated that there is a severe undercount in the number of individuals that are reported homeless, because homelessness can present

With the rate of homelessness rising in Southern California, UCR School of Public Policy informs students on how they can help.

itself in different ways. For example, homeless families who overcrowd houses are undercounted while African Americans are overrepresented because they have a higher representation in shelters. According to the 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, there are currently 151,278 homeless individuals in California, those of which 108,432 are unsheltered. In Riverside County, 27% of the unsheltered population is Hispanic and 54% are white, stated Komuro. Gonzalez stated that these numbers are very similar to those in L.A. County and according to Sapra, the number of unsheltered men are the highest compromised group in Orange County at 71%.

Torno stated that one of the main causes of homelessness is inaccessibility to affordable housing, “for Riverside … more than 50% of people that are currently in housing are paying more than 50% of their income toward rent.” Gonzales

From left to right: Armando Gonazalez, Natalie Komuro, Sumit Sapra and Tanya Torna.

stated that there is not one set cause for homelessness and it can affect anyone.

When the 2008 recession hit, “we started seeing individuals with Ph.D. degrees, engineers from all levels of economic and educational backgrounds (seeking homeless assistance),” stated Gonzalez.

The panelists also addressed myths and misconceptions pertaining to homelessness in the country. “Well they are not all drug addicts,” stated Komuro, “addiction is a real thing but perception does not equal fact.” She stated that for every homeless person seen that is affected by addiction, “there are hundreds of others that you never see.” Torno addressed the racial disparities in Riverside County stating, “when we look at who we are serving in our shelters it is a very different reflection of those that would not meet Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) standards of homelessness.” In Riverside County, according to Torno, 67% of people experiencing homelessness are

COURTESY OF UCR SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY VIA TWITTER

COURTESY OF UCR SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY

white and only 26% are black. The racial disparity comes from comparing the data of who actually lives in Riverside County.

It does not take into account the families of color who are doubling up in homes making them ineligible to receive the resources HUD provides because they are not living in the streets or in shelters, stated Torno.

In response to the effectiveness of arresting homeless individuals, the panelists’ views aligned. “It’s not very effective, it also adds to the list of violations they may have on their record,” stated Komuro. According to Komuro, it is much more cost effective to provide interventions to homelessness rather than arrest them.

After the panel, The Highlander spoke to all four panelists about their views on the current state of the homelessness issue in Southern California. Gonzalez stated that people having access to healthcare will address some of the issues homeless individuals are currently experiencing and that the current stigma comes down to a lack of awareness on the homeless crisis.

Sapra stated that he has certainly seen improvement to the issue in the time he has worked in Orange County. “We definitely recognize in Orange County that it is not just one agency or department that can do it alone,” he stated.

Torno spoke to the cost of living adjustment (COLA) strikes happening across the UC system stating that she believes there is power in protest. “We’ve had affordable city developments … that would allow for people to quickly regain housing but because of a collective group that says no, those projects have been turned down,” stated Torno. Therefore, she believes “there is absolute value in collective groups coming together to champion a cause.”

“There has been growing dogma about what approach is the right approach,” stated Komuro. She stated that this has been harmful to policy because the qualifications of what characterizes someone as homeless are too specific. To college students looking to get involved in the same field, Korumo stated the most important thing to do is always ask questions. “When presented with a policy, always ask why … If you can’t explain the rationale behind a policy then maybe we don’t need it,” she said.

Gonzalez stated, “We have to change what the definition of homelessness is,” and he acknowledged that the agencies they work for and HUD are the drivers of such change.

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Opinions

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

‘The Bachelor’ should revise their love story to represent America’s minority populations

Peter Weber poses for a photo with the contestants of season 24 of “The Bachelor.”

R

egardless of quality, reality television is alive and well — just this year, Netflix released several new reality shows that gained significant audience and media attention. They’ve recently tapped into a gold mine that traditional networks have had a stake in for over decades; though looked down upon by most audiences, reality television is a genre that is significantly popular and financially lucrative. “The Bachelor,” for example, has endured for more than a decade, with over 20 seasons and continues to average six million views per episode.

Like most reality television, “The Bachelor” and its sister shows, “The Bachelorette’’ and “Bachelors in Paradise,” is not without its problems — the most prominent being their continued lack of racial representation. As the newest season of “The Bachelor” wraps and the next season of “The Bachelorette” gears up, it has become apparent that the show will continue to be overwhelmingly white. Despite the reputation that follows reality television, it should face the same demands for representation that other media forms do.

ABC was sued for racial discrimination in 2012, and although the case was eventually dismissed, the network seemed to take the lawsuit in mind during casting for the following year. There was a sharp increase in the number of minorities the show featured from then onwards. However, this

increase in minority contestants seemed to highlight other issues with the show: the few minority contestants on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are booted off the show relatively quickly and very rarely do they win. A third of the contestants of the current season of “The Bachelor,” for example, were women of color, but the final four were all white women. Even this season’s pick for the bachelor was contentious among fans; many criticized ABC’s decision to cast Peter Weber over Mike Johnson, a fan favorite.

Johnson’s time on “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelors in Paradise” won over so many fans that a petition on change.org with over 3,700 signatures at the time of publication urges ABC to cast Johnson as the next bachelor. If chosen, Johnson would be the first black bachelor and the second black lead in the series’ history. The network’s decision to cast Weber highlights their shameful history with racial representation. Not only are minorities not being cast as contestants, it’s become apparent that there is little chance that they’d be cast in a lead role or progress through the show successfully.

During the 2012 lawsuit, the show’s creator defended their casting choices by claiming that people of color “don’t come forward” despite his personal desire to cast more diversely. People in the entertainment industry denounced the statement at the time for being “straight up racism,” and it should continue to be denounced: there

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is an obvious lack of incentive to cast more diverse contestants on the show. “The Bachelor” and its sister shows consistently receive millions of viewers per episode, and this season in particular saw a 25% increase in viewership and a 37% jump in ratings for the target audience, 18 to 49-year-olds.

Despite the Johnson debacle, fans are still tuning in to watch.

While there are no specific numbers available for audience demographics, ABC seems to be catering to one specific audience, and that audience does not include minorities. Besides the majority white cast, the contestants undergo drama and sexual scenes that appeal to the American viewer, but may scare away more conservative cultures from watching and participating.

Reality television is already looked down upon in mainstream American culture for being trashy; likewise, conservative ethnic communities may frown upon their members joining such a frivolous show. Nevertheless, it would be ridiculous to assume that a significant amount of people of color have not attempted to join the cast, as the show’s creator said. While there may be more social repercussions and scrutiny for people of color on the show, the allure of television and possibility of a career in social media or entertainment is likely to entice many people regardless of race.

While an appearance on “The Bachelor” may not be an incredible achievement, it presents a significant

opportunity for people of color to see themselves on the silver screen.

In 2015, the average U.S. resident consumed over 1.7 trillion hours of traditional and digital media, which displays how media is present in huge portions of our everyday life.

Furthermore, studies have found that the portrayal of diverse characters in the media has a proven impact on the psyche of diverse individuals.

Casting people of color in roles like these would be an important step in turning away from the usual stereotypical roles relegated to them in film and television.

Additionally, an appearance on a traditional show with millions of viewers is a remarkable opportunity for any person of color who is attempting to break into the entertainment industry. For example, Malaysian born A-List actor Henry Golding now has multiple blockbusters under his belt but began his acting career on several different variety shows.

“The Bachelor” provides every contestant with a weekly chance to win over audiences and brands, which is especially valuable for individuals who may have a tougher time breaking into an industry where they don’t fit into the typical Hollywood mold.

Unfortunately, the Hollywood mold is what “The Bachelor” is selling. Aside from racial diversity, the show and most other reality television rarely stray away from a Eurocentric standard of beauty. By sticking to the white, blonde, thin, able-bodied form, “The Bachelor” is sending a message of what is

attractive in itself. While this is problematic in its own right, it is also confinining the producers of the show to a certain standard that will inevitably get formulaic and boring.

There have been 24 seasons thus far and 24 cookie cutter bachelors; eventually, audiences will demand a change or simply stop watching the show. Victoria’s Secret faced a similar issue in 2019 as trends shifted toward body inclusivity and natural beauty over the fantasy that Victoria’s Secret sells. While their annual fashion show suffered plummeting ratings and views, Fenty, a racially and body inclusive brand thrived financially and in the public eye. Simply put, inclusivity sells.

The producers would do well to tap into these markets, or people of color will make their own space in reality television as Fenty did in lingerie. Traditional television will draw in diverse audiences if ABC is able to step away from the formula that they’ve honed for over 20 seasons. Perhaps it is making a step toward that by casting Clare Crawley as the new bachelorette because she is far outside of the age range of prior contestants, but this change is not enough. “The Bachelor” should make a concerted effort to be more representative of America’s diversity in a way that is sensitive and inclusive.

■H 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.

10 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINION POLL Compiled by Lydia Tsou Staff Photographer

“How should the lack of diversity on reality TV shows be addressed?”

Logan Gamboa Chemical Engineering Second-year

Cody Vadeboncoeur

Rey Lambert Physics Fourth-year

“Reality TV shows should care a bit more about the lack of diversity -- then they would show more diversity in TV. ”

“They should involve new participants in each show. They shouldn’t only choose certain races and they should make it open to everyone, including those with disabilities.”

“The selection committee should involve people from a variety of backgrounds. ”

Undeclared First-year

Christel Benny Biology First-year

Dr. Pankaj Mehta Environmental Science First-year post-doc

Omar Marquez Chemistry First-year

“They should choose people from different backgrounds, religions and people with disabilities, because that’s what children see on TV and that’s what they perceive as ‘normal.’

It makes children feel different or unusual when they shouldn’t feel that way.”

“They are giving opportunities to different races, especially women.”

“Most reality TV shows are based off one ethnicity.

If they can show more mixed race families who go through difficulties, but raise them well together, that would be good. ”

The coronavirus may exacerbate the ongoing healthcare crisis

SAAD KHAWAJA Contributing Writer

After a grim warning by top CDC official Dr. Anthony Fauci that a coronavirus outbreak in the United States was inevitable, there are now at least 536 confirmed cases with 22 deaths at time of writing. Around the world, the virus has rapidly spread and has now infected over 97,000 people in 81 countries, with the death toll rising over 3,300. As Washington and California have each declared a state of emergency, the Trump Administration is racing to stop the spread of coronavirus by expanding testing following the initially slow rollout. In addition to this, the House and Senate have both approved of an $8.3 billion emergency response bill to battle the new coronavirus.

This coronavirus infects the lower respiratory tract, causing patients to develop a fever, cough and aches until it progresses to shortness of breath and pneumonia.

According to new reports, the mortality rate ranges between 2% to 3.4% based on the number of confirmed cases and deaths, all of which change on a daily basis. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is highly contagious but much is still unknown about the virus. This makes it difficult for the United States and our healthcare system to be fully prepared to fight the deadly outbreak.

Although the confirmed cases of coronavirus are lower in the U.S. than other countries and its spread is not as pervasive, we must take the potentially devastating effects that a surge in coronavirus cases may have on a country already plagued by an ongoing healthcare crisis seriously.

According to a 2018 report from the Commonwealth Fund, researchers estimated

Airmen assist one another in donning their personal protective equipment while on-board an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during transportation isolation system training at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

that 87 million Americans were uninsured or had no coverage for at least a part of last year. In addition to this, studies consistently show that the healthcare system in the United States remains among the worst compared to other developed countries such as Canada, France, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and others in terms of access, outcomes and quality of care. Even with the “strong economy” that President Trump boasts of, nearly 7 million Americans have become uninsured since Trump took office in 2016. Combine all of this with the fact that over 500,000 families will go bankrupt this year due to medical expenses and, suddenly, it becomes clear that our healthcare system is not only incredibly fragile, but would amplify a public health nightmare.

In the case of a massive

outbreak of disease, millions of vulnerable Americans who don’t have access to quality healthcare and cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars in copays and deductibles will suffer under our current system. The Miami Herald reported on the story of a young man named Osmel Martinez Azcue. Azcue, upon his return from China, made the responsible decision to get tested for coronavirus.

Fortunately, Azcue was found to have no traces of the novel virus, however that visit to the hospital still ended up costing him $3,270.

After insurance, Azcue is responsible for paying at least $1,400 of the bill due to his new insurance company’s strict requirements, but this shows that even those who are insured face tough numbers.

Worries about such catastrophically high deductibles and outof-pocket expenses will

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undoubtedly deter many Americans from seeking necessary care and will put more people at risk.

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations, the United States is also one of few developed nations that does not guarantee paid sick leave to workers, meaning that millions of Americans cannot afford to take days off of work to recover from illness. More than a third of American workers today are unable to get paid sick leave and are forced to work while sick, passing illnesses to their coworkers as well as those they interact with due to the fear of missing a day of work and the financial devastation it would cause.

In recent years, a dozen states and many cities across the nation have made progress in passing paid sick leave laws but more needs to be done to avert a potential outbreak.

No American

should ever have to worry about getting paid sick leave or experience bankruptcy as a result of crippling medical costs, especially during a global epidemic. There should be no cost barriers in seeking and receiving necessary medical treatment.

The U.S. is unprepared for a massive disease outbreak if millions of Americans today do not have access to universal healthcare and are not guaranteed paid sick leave.

We should be asking ourselves why we continue to uphold a failed healthcare system that leaves millions uninsured and poses a threat to the security and wellbeing of the entire country.

As the risk of a global epidemic rages across the country, millions of infected Americans will be left in its dust and the economy will be ravaged by a failed healthcare system.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

OPINIONS

11

The model minority stereotype creates a lack of support for Asian communities

JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

The model minority myth refers to the commonly held belief that Asian Americans achieve a higher degree of economic success relative to other minority groups. Asians are often put on a pedestal of success — a pedestal that many view as emblematic of the American dream. While the stereotype of the model minority can be perceived as a compliment, the effects of the myth trivialize the pain and suffering Asian Americans had to endure to achieve socioeconomic success in America. It also continues to limit society’s perception of the challenges that members of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community face.

As the term “model minority” suggests, those considered to be under the model minority umbrella are expected to achieve a higher level of socioeconomic status than the average person. The term creates unrealistic and unattainable stereotypes for Asians to live up to and constructs an illusion that Asian children are inherently gifted in school and important resources may not be diverted to these kids because they aren’t supposed to need the assistance.

Many Asians are overlooked by people in positions of power because it is often assumed that they don’t need assistance due to being deemed successful solely because of their race. The model minority myth perpetuates the idea that all Asians should be successful in society and encounter economic prosperity without recognizing the fact that Asian Americans are not one monolithic group. They are a diverse group of people that derive from a variety of different countries, backgrounds and perspectives. Lumping them into a single group deprives each Asian of their individuality and uniqueness as a person.

AAPI individuals from older generations are often extorted and not given the proper government assistance because it’s perceived that there are no problems

NBC Asian America “Take Back” host Cat Sandoval interviews Pui Ming Tang Wong and her caretaker in her San Francisco apartment.

within the community. It is assumed that they can either support themselves, or their families can support them. Such was the case with Pui Ming Tang Wong, an elderly Chinese woman who cannot see and can only hear in one ear. Since her gas in her San Francisco apartment was shut off, she became heavily dependent on her caretaker, who had to take money out of her own pockets to pay the bill.

While the situation was eventually settled with the gas being turned on after a few months, cases like these aren’t unique — many older AAPI tenants have dealt with this and a fear of eviction or financial retaliation keeps them from having their voices and concerns heard.

In order to address these stereotypes, we must demand more representation in the media of Asians and Asian Americans.

With more accurate representation in the media, Asians can depict their own stories and shine a spotlight on the issues that impact them. Additionally, the government must provide more funding to organizations such as the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) that administer assistance to Asians. The CPA has supported hundreds of workers to assert their rights, recoup unpaid wages and change policies on rest breaks, sick days and fair scheduling. But the current state of the CPA cannot afford to support everyone.

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The communities and government must be made aware of the problems that arise within the Asian communities and they must provide support. Not all Asians living in America are financially independent, in fact, there are many that need the type of aid given to other minority groups. Additionally, the stereotype creates unrealistic expectations of young Asians to thrive and excel and when they cannot live up to those high standards, their mental health starts to degrade. People in power should not be allowed to turn a blind eye to the issues and assume that the Asian community is thriving if that isn’t always the case.

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A united Ireland is no longer just a republican fantasy

COLIN CARNEY Senior Staff Writer

Ireland has had a long and bloody history centered around its struggle to reunite the North and south. Presently, the northern six counties that make up Northern Ireland are part of the United Kingdom (U.K.) with the remaining 26 counties comprising the independent Republic of Ireland. This divide has long been a point of contention in the north as Irish nationalist groups like the Provisional IRA fought a bloody campaign against northern Protestant unionists and the British in order to have the north rejoined with the south.

This violent period was only brought to an end when both sides came together and signed the Good Friday Agreement.

The groundbreaking agreement guaranteed both Irish and British citizenship to the Northern Irish and removed all barriers along the border. Most importantly, however, the agreement guaranteed that if the Northern Irish ever wished to rejoin the Republic, the British would be duty bound to call for a referendum. The Good Friday Agreement has long held the peace between north and south, pushing any talks about reunification to the side. However, recent events surrounding Brexit and the Irish election have made the possibility of a unified Ireland no longer a simple republican fantasy but a practical possibility.

As many are likely aware, the U.K. voted to leave the European Union (EU) in 2016 and have only recently managed to secure a withdrawal agreement. Fewer are aware of the impact this decision has had on Ireland and the conflict it could possibly reignite. In 2016, 51.9% of British citizens voted to leave the EU, however, only 44.2% of Northern Ireland voted to leave. These results and the U.K.’s

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald pictured taking part in New York’s St Patrick’s Day parade.

subsequent departure from the EU proves how little Parliament cares for the plights of the Irish. Furthermore, the shortsightedness of Brexit has only brought more uncertainty to the island as concerns over the Irish border have reignited. Though the recent withdrawal agreement was established in hopes of solving that issue, it creates more problems than the British may fully realize.

The withdrawal agreement places a border in the Irish Sea separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. This move places Northern Ireland in an economic and political limbo where they have left the EU on

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paper but are still dependent on EU regulations and remain a part of the customs union. This compromise was done in order to avoid a hard border that would separate Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland, which is still a member of the EU, but it deepens a growing divide between the people of Northern Ireland and its government in London. As Brexit becomes fully realized, the Northern Irish are going to grow more reliant on the government in Dublin instead of the government in London. As a result, Northern Ireland’s economy will become far more integrated with the Republic than with the rest of the

U.K., making reunification seem even more necessary.

With regards to the Republic of Ireland, the recent parliamentary election results have indicated a growing desire to unite the north and south. The election saw the two established parties that have governed Ireland since its independence unseated

by Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA. Though no party has a clear majority and none have been able to form a government thus far, Sinn Fein’s success cannot be overstated.

Their success has normalized the party among the Irish electorate and reinvigorated public sentiment toward unity. Previously, unity was a general desire but hardly spoken about in order to avoid reigniting sectarian divides.

With Sinn Fein’s success, regardless of their ability to form a government, reunification is back on the agenda going forward. Mary Lou McDonald, the party’s leader, has already told London that they “need to get ready for unification,” making her party’s desire for a border poll even clearer.

The damaging effects of Brexit on Anglo-Irish relations coupled with Sinn Fein’s monumental success in the recent Irish elections are key indicators of growing interest in Irish unity. As Parliament’s neglect toward Northern Ireland becomes more apparent, more of the country will become less attached to British rule. Brexit began something irreversible in 2016 as Parliament’s utter disregard for the welfare of the Irish has set into motion the genuine possibility of a single Irish state.

Continued British neglect and ignorance of Irish concerns have seriously strained its relationship with Northern Ireland, perhaps even fatally. As Sinn Fein’s demands for a border poll grow deafening and the full economic effects of Brexit become visible, a reunification referendum in the near future is inevitable.

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Highlander Write-Off Which music genre is most effective for commenting on contemporary social issues ?

VS Caricatures drawn by Justus Ross

Country music is the ideal genre for commenting on social issues giving a voice to sidelined populations

EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

As one of the most popular music genres in the United States, country music has a particularly long history of representing the voices of Americans left behind by American capitalism. Though it has experienced an infusion of a popular sound, typified by the “Bro Country” trend in the past 10 years, there are still many songs that have an important and effective message on class issues — primarily with other songs that consider feminism and race as pressing issues not only in the genre, but the nation at large.

Country music is a highly effective genre for commenting on social issues because a wide swath of the country has experience with the problems of rural America — high costs of living and wealth disparities, for example — which places the genre in a unique position when discussing relevant social problems.

Today’s country music has roots in the instruments and music of the enslaved, folk songs of the working class, ScotchIrish and English ballads and blues and gospel music in the American South’s socalled “Hill Country.” The unique blend of American country music has brought about distinct messages that speak to a large segment of the American population.

The most prevalent of the issues tackled by contemporary country music is that of class, emergent in the five-decade high

rate of income inequality in the United States. Additionally, several songs in country music speak to the rural lifestyle and the importance of a population that perhaps feels misunderstood and left out.

One song that immediately comes to mind is Jason Aldean’s “Fly Over States” recorded in 2010. Opening with two rather obnoxious passengers flying first class from New York City to Los Angeles, they comment on the paradoxical mix of uniformity and shapelessness of the American Midwest, commonly known as “flyover country.” Aldean then cuts in explaining that they clearly have not been to the region, or met the farmers who work tirelessly to provide the country with foodstuff and witnessed the beauty and importance of the Midwest. Aside from clearly representing resentment at characteristically snobbish wealthier Americans, this song explains that this part of the country is more important than many would tend to think.

In a similarly placed ballad with a different angle, “Cost of Livin’” by Ronnie Dunn, released in 2011, chronicles the story of an Army veteran who feels disillusioned and laments over the high cost of living and Rust Belt anger at the loss of manufacturing jobs. The veteran is trying to convince an employer why they should be hired, while consistently panicking over high gas prices and foreclosure. Additionally, Margo Price’s 2017 ballad “All American Made” offers a blistering critique of the American

government and economic system. Overlaid intermittently with speeches from American presidents and political figures in a garbled, radio hiss, Price wonders if “the president gets much sleep at night.” This song represents a compelling downside of rural, and by extension American, life and speaks to a feeling of widespread malaise in a time of sociopolitical upheaval.

Feminism has also been a regular subject of recent pieces in country music, though admittedly the tradition is not as extensive as the messaging regarding class and rural idealism. Women are routinely underrepresented in hits out of Nashville and receive significantly less airtime on country radio. Songs like the newly released “Lady Like” by Ingrid Andress are meant to rebuke American society for its sexist expectations of women. Additionally, “Girl in a Country Song” by Maddie and Tae released in 2015 expresses dissatisfaction with the “Bro Country’’ trope of objectified women, trucks and beer that has largely dominated the country airwaves. “Buy My Own Drinks” is another take where the trio Runaway June states they don’t need a boyfriend and do just fine by themselves.

Another topic beginning to be discussed more often is race, especially since the genre remains predominantly white. Only a handful of black country artists have had mainstream success and the genre does have a troubling past regarding popular minstrelsy. A new crop of black artists, particularly Jimmie Allen and Kane Brown,

have broken into the charts with Jimmie Allen’s 2018 “All Tractors Ain’t Green” which comments on the racial dynamic in country music, pointedly stating “I ain’t afraid of standing out.” Many black artists are routinely questioned on their country bona-fides despite the fact that these two artists in particular were raised in rural regions of the country and provide nuanced, personal perspectives on their lives.

In a relatively homogenous genre, black and female artists stand out more and with effective algorithms in radio and streaming, these artists can make a larger impact and reach a wider audience while bringing forth a different perspective on particularly rural America.

Though many popular country songs are superficial and vaguely reflective, many recent and past releases in the genre have made interesting and compelling comments on two dynamics of American life: the importance of rural regions of the U.S., but also the troubling class afflictions that have stricken the country.

Feminism and race are also topics that are beginning to emerge as well. Country music’s popularity is growing on Spotify and the genre was one of the most popular on radio among adults 18-34 in 2019, Nielsen’s most up-to-date ratings.

Country can be an effective commentator on social change and using new internetbased streaming services, pieces that are more critical and deep are quickly emerging.

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Hip-hop is the most effective genre to comment on social issues and spark change in future generations

JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer

Music has been one of the more popular forms of media in which artists can make social commentary and take stances on political issues. This isn’t a particularly recent phenomenon either. The tradition of critiquing society through music is as old as music itself. Songs have been written to fight in favor of or protest many issues including slavery, war, civil rights and police brutality. As the decades passed, the issues changed, and as the issues changed, so too did the genre that is most effective in delivering the intended message.

Hip-hop originated in the late 1970s and was created by young African Americans and Latinos who had been marginalized and written off by mainstream society. The growing genre has roots in urban culture and was a reaction to social and economic malaise. Because many of the artists and hip-hop fans were from the inner city, it was a natural step for the genre to comment on important social issues that affected these marginalized communities.

One of the first hip-hop tracks to make social commentary was “The Message”

by Grandmaster Flash in 1982. In the

song, Grandmaster Flash comments on the difficulties that come with living in a lowincome neighborhood filled with violence.

Fast forward 38 years and hip-hop artists have followed in Grandmaster Flash’s footsteps by continuing to use their music to speak up on social issues. There are many artists today using their platform to do so, such as J. Cole and Childish Gambino.

Cole’s 2018 album, KOD, shows what hip-hop can be at its best. His lyrical prowess is second to none and in this album he raps about a number of important issues including substance abuse, education in underprivileged communities and gun violence. On “Brackets” Cole argues taxpayers should have more agency in choosing where their money goes so they can more effectively help their community: “Let me pick the things I’m funding from an app on my screen/ better that than letting whack congressman I’ve never seen/ Dictate where my money go.”

He also comments on race and education in this song, specifically in underprivileged communities: “And the curriculum be tricking them, them dollars I spend/ Got us learning about the heroes with the whitest

of skin/ One thing about the men that’s controlling the pen/ That write history, they always seem to white-out they sins.”

Another example of a hip-hop artist using their music to make a political statement is Childish Gambino’s hit single, “This is America.” This song perfectly exemplifies how hip-hop can comment on social issues and be successful, as it catapulted to the no.1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. The music video went viral specifically because of the social commentary. Gambino’s lyrics and music video for the song highlight police brutality, systematic racism and a general apathy toward gun violence in America.

Gambino raps, “Look how I’m livin’ now/ Police be trippin’ now,” which is a subtle reference to how, even though he’s rich and successful, he still can’t escape racial profiling from the police. Gambino also references specific instances where African Americans have been killed by police. When he says, “This is a celly/ That’s a tool,” he alludes to a man named Stephon Clark who was killed in his backyard because police assumed he was responsible for robberies in the area; the police claimed he was armed with a gun or a tool, but Clark was found with only

his cell phone. Another aspect of the music video that garnered attention was Gambino striking a pose reminiscent of the Jim Crow caricature, gun in hand, before shooting someone and nonchalantly walking away.

In 2018, the most streamed genre on Spotify was hip-hop and it grew even more popular last year. Hip-hop accounted for 27.4% of album equivalent audio consumption in 2019, the most among all genres. This continued growth in popularity makes hip-hop the ideal genre to make social commentary. Additionally, young adults are more likely to listen to hip-hop than any other genre (other than pop) which makes this the ideal genre for artists to make social commentary if they hope to spark change in future generations.

Hip-hop is the best genre to use to provide social commentary because of its rapid growth in popularity and connection to younger audiences. While country and folk music has famously been used to make political statements in the past, if artists are looking to incite change for future generations, they will continue to target the younger audience through hiphop.

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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As former scouts begin to come forward with abuse allegations, the reputation of the Boy Scouts of America will be forever be tarnished

HEEWON KIM Contributing Writer

Once known as a safe after-school program parents could send their children to, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has recently filed for bankruptcy after facing multiple sex-abuse lawsuits. In light of these victims coming forward with their traumatic experiences, the BSA’s reputation has been irreparably tarnished. Although the organization itself may not have been aware of these instances of sexual abuse perpetrated by the scoutmasters of that time, the organization still has a responsibility to compensate their victims.

BSA attempted to both keep their business and make amends with the victims simultaneously by filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The decision to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy was a smart legal tactic to maintain the BSA’s business, but it reveals their cowardice and unwillingness to compensate every victim, and it places victims under an intense time constraint.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows victims to come forward with sexual abuse allegations and, in turn, receive some form of repayment. However, they must adhere to a “claims bar date,” which is a specific deadline in which victims must come forward with allegations. If the victim were to forget the deadline, or was unaware of this option, then they would miss the opportunity to be compensated. They could still freely accuse BSA leadership, but receiving any kind of atonement past the claims bar date is unlikely.

The public has every right to find the BSA scout masters untrustworthy and unre-

The Boy Scouts of America Troop 44 recites the Scouts’ Law at a dinner held in their honor at the Recce Point Club on Beale Air Force Base in California on Jan. 26, 2013.

liable as role models for children. Despite them offering to have more thorough background checks on scoutmasters, there is no way to be certain that after hiring them they won’t commit the same crimes that were hidden from the public for decades.

Unfortunately, the future of the BSA will not be looked upon the same as it was

before. While Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows the BSA to sustain their business, their reputation will be forever damaged.

The continuation of this organization also seems unlikely. Parents are less likely to send their children to an organization with thousands of victims who wish to file sex allegations against them.

COMICS TALL TAIL #38 BY: JUSTUS ROSS

COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

Bouncing back from the fact that 12,000 children were sexually abused in the organization alone already leaves a cavernous scar for their business. To make matters worse, if their intentions are to simply maintain their business, they contradict their core values as the Boy Scouts of America.

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FEATURES HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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Campus Spotlight:

omen's

Resource Center, educating guys, gals and nonbinary pals MARGARITA MANZO Contributing Writer

The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) opened in August 1973 with its purpose being to create “educational programming, study space and resources, sexual assault and domestic/relationship violence advocacy, leadership opportunities, special events, and safety support services for women and all members of the UCR community,” as stated on the center’s FAQ section. From its conception, the center has collaborated with other resources on and off campus for issues that affect other marginalized communities, such as the LGBTQ community. It has adapted since then with the ever changing needs of students and communities by adding programs such as the quarterly selfdefense and the Persist: Women’s Political Engagement Conference.

WRC Director Denise Davis shared how the center has changed since the beginning.

“There were feelings of disempowerment post-2016 election and I thought, ‘What can we do as the Women’s Resouce Center to respond to these feelings,’” Davis said, “and to help empower students especially women and students of color and undocumented students, Muslim students who were feeling particularly vulnerable; and so we came up with the concept of the Persist: Women’s Political Engagement Conference.” The conference aims to encourage not only women, but everyone to pursue all kinds of political engagement from activism to running for office.

During her tenure, the center first focused mainly on helping those who survived sexual assault, but those issues are now handled by the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) offices established throughout every UC in 2015.

Since then, the WRC has added legal assistance for those kinds of situations and now devotes its resources to “highlight survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and raise awareness,” said Davis.

These issues are highlighted with events like The Clothesline Project in the fall,

The WRC also helps students build on their life skills. In observance of Women’s

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and Take Back the Night in spring. The Clothesline Project allows survivors to write their stories on a t-shirt and display them on a clothesline as a way to bring attention to violence against women.

At Take Back the Night students come together to march from the Alumni Center to the Belltower to break the silence around sexual assault through shared stories.

Day this past Sunday, March 9, the Center held a presentation, “Salary Negotiation through an Intersectional Lens.” It was created and hosted by one of the WRC interns, as most programs are. This one was organized by Yvette Hayes, a fourthyear sociology major. A perk of being an intern, as Shamika Martinez, a fourthyear liberal studies major said, “You have the freedom to talk about something

WRC’s Clothesline project, pictured above in October 2019, brings attention to violence against women.

meaningful and bring awareness to that with the Women’s Resource Center, so it’s a good opportunity to educate other people about things you are interested in and not just things focused around the WRC those things are important too.”

This presentation had in mind a woman of color’s perspective and more specifically those who came from a low income family; its four panelists were people of color that had been in either single parent households or foster care. Some were also first generation college students. When asked by the host Yvette Hayes how her identity affects negotiation, Monique Pierce, the program coordinator and panelist of the event, answered, “We all know the data that women make less than men but that statement is speaking to what white women make black women, Latino women make much less… and just in general women don’t really negotiate as much.”

Because 89% of UCR’s population is made up of people of color, and over half of its demographic is female, the kind of information that the session provided applies to a majority of those who attend UCR, especially those of immigrant families and first generation college students.

Currently the WRC offers the Campus Safety Escort Service (CSES) and the R’Kids program. CSES allows students to be walked anywhere on campus if they don’t feel safe. R’Kids is a studentled community program that is devoted to students and staff who have children, providing services like child care, lactation rooms on campus and a support group geared toward student-parents.

They also have Feminist Fridays, which is a weekly gathering and discussion on varying topics from sex education to finacial wellness. These and other resources are happily offered by the ■H WRC in Costo Hall 260.

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Campus Cope: Health and wellness after the New Year hype SOFIA GARCIA Contributing Writer

With the New Year’s hype dying down, it’s getting harder and harder now to stick to resolutions; whether the promise was to eat better, work out more or set a sleeping schedule, it’s likely gotten more difficult two months after the New Year began. As time passes, school and life will begin to hinder your progress toward certain goals. It can feel impossible to find time or motivation to work out and eat healthy, but there are ways to navigate around those mental barriers.

If motivation to work out eludes you, try inviting some friends to tag along.

Making plans with others keeps you accountable and establishes an incentive to go for at least a little while. Be sure to invite multiple people in case one friend can’t make it. If you and your friends are too shy to work out in front of each other, make a playlist and have everyone bring their own devices to listen to it, that way you are all still connected while everyone gets things done.

If you are the type that prefers to work out alone, or are strapped for time with other things, try multitasking; classroom readings can be handled with an audio version that plays while you work out. Then you’ll be able to flex your muscles and your mind!

Be sure to orient yourself with all of the resources at the SRC; there’s more to the place than work out machines.

The multipurpose rooms are excellent for working out away from other gymgoers, and can be used for several forms of exercise such as yoga, dance, training and much more. If you don’t know all of the available resources, head over to the front desks at either entrance and ask for a pamphlet. There are also free massages several times a month, nap pods, hydra-massage machines, ping pong tables, boxing equipment, rock climbing walls,

racquetball rooms and so much more; all of this is available for anyone who asks.

Being healthy and sticking to your resolutions isn’t just about working out though;

meal prep can be just as essential.

The weekends are a great opportunity to prepare healthy meals for the week so that when you get home you can simply heat up a well-made and healthy meal, which is much better for you than getting fast food near campus.

While it can be difficult to find time to eat, stores like Trader Joe’s, Clark’s and Goodwin’s all have excellent options for quick, easy-to-make and healthy food. If you have five minutes between classes and need something that’s quick and filling, a great option is any of the lunch selections from Clark’s and if you have any questions about healthy choices, the staff are all knowledgeable and very ready to help.

If you have a sweet tooth as so many do, consider baking your own sweets

during the weekend and eating them during the week. Experimenting and finding healthy recipes can help you make delicious food such as cupcakes, cookies, brownies or cake;

you might even be able to make healthier versions of them with research and practice.

If you try cooking and baking for yourself at least once a week, you just might find a love for cooking that helps you eat healthier, which in turn will give you more energy for studying and being active.

All of this, however, is not as vital to your health as one very simple thing: sleep.

As college students we all share the agony of sleep deprivation, but the most important thing you can do for your health is finding sleep wherever you can. There are many places on campus where you can catch some sleep between classes: the nap pods at the SRC, the student lounge couches and in the quiet of the libraries.

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It may seem impossible to get a full eight hours of sleep at night, but if you have the time then try separating yourself from any devices that can potentially prevent you from sleeping. You can try reading a novel, listening to something peaceful like ASMR or binaural beats, writing a journal about your day or even watching Netflix. The point is to do things that will help you relax so that your body settles down, tiring you out so that your mind follows suit.

an important part of mental health is to take breaks when needed.

There are so many places on campus where you can sit and simply take a deep breath if you need to ground yourself. Don’t be afraid to get away from everything for a few moments. To help you escape for a bit, try exploring different areas on campus and you may find little quiet spots you never knew about. The Botanical Gardens are a great start, full of little sectioned areas for specific plants and all-around a quiet place. Try going on an adventure when you need a break, even if the treasure at the end is only some peace of mind.

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COURTESY OF PEXELS

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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Color Festival Held on the front lawn of the A. Gary Anderson School of Management (AGSM) building last Friday, March 6, the Color Festival was hosted by the AGSM Student Association. Taking inspiration from Holi, a Hindu festival of good harvest celebrating spring’s arrival, eventgoers doused the venue, be it the open air or the faces of others, with a rainbow of colored powders. Here, you can see just the kind of fun students had either dusting things up or biting the dust.

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LLOYD KAO / HIGHLANDER

JOSHUA WANG / HIGHLANDER

JOSHUA WANG / HIGHLANDER

ISURU KARUNATILLAKA / HIGHLANDER

VICTOR LEI / HIGHLANDER

LEO YUE / HIGHLANDER

VICTOR LEI / HIGHLANDER

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RADAR

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Surprisingly sophisticated,

‘The Invisible Man’ offers a nuanced take on surviving an abusive relationship

By: Samuel Harrison, Senior Staff Writer 2017 was a big year for Universal Pictures. On May 22, the studio unveiled their answer to the incredibly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe: a planned series of interconnected monster movies they called the “Dark Universe.” The first movie in the series, “The Mummy,” would release one month later in June serving as the spearhead of the project, and horror fans gathered outside theaters in rapt curiosity.

Was this the start of a horror renaissance?

No. It most certainly was not.

2017’s “The Mummy” bombed and it bombed hard, debuting with a $32 million domestic gross in its opening weekend — a weekend in which its biggest competition was A24’s lackluster “It Comes at Night.”

The “Dark Universe” was officially scrapped in early 2019, but all was not lost. One film in the works, “The Invisible Man,” was announced to have changed hands to director Leigh Whannell, the writer behind recent horror classics like 2004’s “Saw” and 2010’s “Insidious.” The film was finally released on Feb. 28 of this year, and quite unlike the flagship movie of the “Dark Universe,” it offered a sophisticated take on an important, contemporary social issue: the struggle to survive an abusive relationship.

A remake in name only, “The Invisible Man” borrows only the last name of the original antagonist and his iconic invisibility, providing a wholly original story otherwise.

The film opens inside the mansion overlooking the ocean. Protagonist Cecilia Kass (Elizabeth Moss) attempts to escape an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver JacksonCohen). She succeeds in escaping, but is told two weeks later that Griffin took his own life. Cecilia attempts to reclaim a sense of normalcy, but something seems off. Griffin, a renowned scientist in the field of optics, had developed suit technology that allows him to turn invisible, and he’s using this newfound power to torment Cecillia.

Elizabeth Moss does a fantastic job portraying the unfortunate Cecilia Kass. It only makes sense; Moss is perhaps best known for her lead-role as June in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” another character who undergoes torment at the hands of male-abusers. Her

original, but those are big shoes for an invisible man to fill. Using little more than his own voice, Rains managed to endow the character with a manic, mad scientist sort of energy. While Jackson-Cohen does spend a longer amount of time on-screen relative to Rains,

doesn’t see much of antagonist Adrian Griffin throughout most of the movie. In the earlier half, his presence is almost exclusively conveyed through his interactions with the surrounding environment.

Cecilia sees his footprints on a blanket laying on the floor,

COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

performances lend these characters a sort of strength in spite of their circumstances, and it is always a joy to see her on screen.

As for the antagonist, Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s performance as Adrian Griffin doesn’t quite capture the same gravitas Claude Rains showed movie-goers in the 1933

but his performance is slightly underwhelming. Still, JacksonCohen really sells the “abusive boyfriend” aspect of the character, and though he may not come with as strong of voice-work, he does manage to bring the character into the modern day.

For obvious reasons, the audience

and when she goes outside to investigate her recently opened front door, the ghostly wisps of Griffin’s breath hovering in the night air serve as the only sign that he’s still there, watching her.

Even when audiences do get a proper look at the eponymous invisible man the scene mostly

takes place outside, at night, during heavy rain. Griffin’s vague outline is framed by the water sloughing down his suit, only occasionally short circuiting to reveal the man underneath. These choices make for a uniquely frightening and mentally taxing viewing experience. The audience knows that Cecilia is telling the truth, an invisible man really is ruining her life, but they are forced to sit and watch as Cecilia is treated like she’s completely lost her grip on reality.

In terms of plot, critics will be quick to call certain story beats contrived, writing off the film as unrealistic. And to be sure, Cecilia makes a number of strange decisions while trying to prove she’s being stalked by Griffin.

At one point in the film she finds her allegedly deceased ex’s cellphone in the attic of the home she’s staying in. On the phone are photos of her and her friend Sydney sleeping, but she doesn’t take it to use as evidence. Later on, the invisible man places a knife in her hand to frame her for an assault. Why doesn’t she react and throw the knife down so that onlookers won’t assume she’s the perpetrator? In the eyes of many critics, it seems as though the filmmakers simply needed the plot to progress in this direction, and Cecilia is forced to make bad decisions for the sake of drama.

It is up to filmgoers to decide whether or not Cecilia’s actions are excusable, but it also bears mentioning that, to some degree, those who find themselves criticizing Cecilia and her decisions echo the skeptics Cecilia encounters throughout the movie.

Such skepticism is likely all too familiar to many survivors of toxic relationships. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, victims of abuse are often put on a sort of proverbial trial when they come forward with their experiences, and many onlookers search for reasons to blame the victims themselves for the assault. Whether this was intentional on the filmmaker’s part or not, the analog deserves further analysis.

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Verdict: Slightly contrived as it may be, “The Invisible Man”

doesn’t just thrill audiences, it does what any good horror movie should: it forces viewers to examine their own society and culture.

The invisible man is terrifying not just because you cannot see him, but because he represents abusers who all too often go unseen themselves.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/radar

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Little Monsters rejoice: Lady Gaga is back with ‘Stupid Love’ LUIS OVIEDO Contributing Writer

Lady Gaga returns with a brand new track that promises a new album and a new era. On Feb. 28, she released the song “Stupid Love” along with a music video; but for her fans, whom she likes to refer to as Little Monsters, the name “Stupid Love” has been around for a few months now. On Halloween of last year, Lady Gaga posted a picture of a pumpkin, and in the background, we could see an iPod touch playing a song called “Stupid Love.” Since then, Little Monsters have been predicting a new song from Gaga. On Jan. 21 of this year it was reported that the song had leaked, and fans were over the moon when they got a sneak peek of the new song.

Fans rejoiced to see Lady Gaga going back to creating dance-pop tracks. She dabbled with jazz, country and even an Oscar-winning film, but Little Monsters missed Lady Gaga, the pop star. This new track is a powerful upbeat dance song that makes great use of ‘80s synth-pop. The production of the song has a lot of depth, but is also catchy and full of high energy. With that said, the production is a bit busy and at times it

distracts from the message in the lyrics.

This is unfortunate as this marks the first time that Gaga has worked with iconic producer Max Martin, who produced hit songs such as “... Baby One More Time”

by Britney Spears and “I Kissed a Girl”

by Katy Perry. It is fun to see Gaga making odes to her previous work, in

COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS

an upbeat dance format. The track has the right elements to be a commercial success, but it is not a highlight on Lady Gaga’s illustrious catalog. The song and music video lack the boundary-pushing aesthetic and themes that Lady Gaga’s career has been based on.

A music video was released at the

same time. The music video starts as if it was going to have a strong plot, but we just see Lady Gaga and an army of dancers living it up in the desert, dancing in beautiful colorful costumes.

Some people with good eyes for art literacy have claimed that the music video is a political statement. The video shows people arguing wearing the colors corresponding to U.S. political parties, blue and red, a sign of political polarization. Regardless, “Stupid Love” is a colorful music video with crisp dancing that only adds to the upbeat nature of the song.

Lady Gaga’s appreciation of her fans has been apparent for her entire career, “Stupid Love” seems to be a song made with Lady Gaga’s fans in mind. It pays homage to the most successful and impactful work of her career while also providing another danceable track. Pop music has been going through a slow phase with lots of ballads, and it’s fun to see some of the main pop figures bring back some elements of disco. “Stupid Love” might not be the strongest move to bring Lady Gaga back to pop music, but it is a great dance track that will cheer up Little Monsters for many years to come.

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The engrossing sounds of Red Vox’s ‘Ozymandias’ and a discussion with the band’s lead vocalist The indie rock group “Red Vox” has finally released a snippet of their new music. On Feb. 21, the band revealed an entrancing track titled “Ozymandias.”

The song opens with a deep drone-like bass that booms over the synthesizershighlighted sound. This compliments lead singer Vinny’s voice as his airy lyrics briefly recount the tale of a king named Ozymandias. The band has been wading into the alternative rock genre for some time now, and this new song adds to that feeling. The song is a different type of alternative than what Red Vox had previously been experimenting with, and this new sound certainly compliments the band’s deep rock background.

“I

frightening, encouraging and fascinating all at the same time. All that from such a short poem,” he said. His interpretation is a great understanding of the poem’s purpose; in his vocals we as listeners can hear that understanding shine through quite brilliantly.

Vinny also discussed the initial creation of the song as he explained, “I had written a song on synthesizer that sounds vaguely Egyptian I guess. After putting the demo together, I wasn’t sure there were room for vocals at all. Joe, Red Vox’s bassist and producer, liked the song and told me to give vocals a try for it and see what I could come up with.” I asked Vinny about the evolution of his vocals since Red Vox started creating music in 2012 and how he feels about

t’s about the temporary nature of both the material form and power in general. Ozymandias had a great kingdom, complete power and lots of amazing works to look upon, but time left very little to behold. It’s frightening, encouraging and fascinating all at the same time. All that from such a short poem.

I reached out to Vinny who had quite a bit to say about the production of the album. Over email, he was able to answer a few questions about the band and single itself. The song borrows its name and key lyrics from the famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that explains a tale of a traveler who comes across a ruined statue that announces to its onlookers the wonders of his now deserted kingdom. I was able to ask Vinny about his thoughts on the poem to which he responded with a very meditative response. “It’s about the temporary nature of both the material form and power in general. Ozymandias had a great kingdom, complete power and lots of amazing works to look upon, but time left very little to behold. It’s

familiar rock beats will be a welcomed addition to the album.

In closing Vinny stated, “I’m just glad people gave us a chance. We’re shocked at how many people now listen to our music and that inspires me in particular

to want to keep writing and producing songs. I’m glad our fans are willing to let us indulge a bit in some weird s--before going back to the basics of what we mostly like to do, which is just play in H a rock band. We’re eternally grateful.” ■

“

ADAM ALVERNAZ Senior Staff Writer

them now. He stated, “I think I more or less found my voice and am more into the way I sing now, which feels way more natural and less forced.”

The single comes to fans as a teaser for Red Vox’s upcoming album, “Realign” which will be a follow-up to their 2017 album, “Another Light.” When asked about the project, Vinny articulated that “Realign is a fairly eclectic album.

Though more synth heavy, there’s some more familiar sounding songs and lots of guitar. About half of the songs follow the vibe of the singles and the other half are either in some weird quadrant of space or rooted in the ground with the basic rock elements.” Their upcoming project sounds exciting as a return to some

Vinny (left) joined by his drummer Mike (right).

COURTESY OF REDVOX VIA FACEBOOK

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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KUCR Presents

OFF

Record the

Six Former KUCR DJs pose for a photo while tabling.

The rich world of college radio is an underground treasure to many people on and off their local college campuses. However, most students are completely unaware that they have fully equipped broadcast stations tucked away into the shadows of their college campuses. As a result, the mainstream of campus is oblivious to the magic that occurs within those seemingly random, overlooked buildings. Those who do curiously stumble into those corners know that within those buildings something special is taking place; students are learning to host radio shows, become DJs, promoters, event planners, journalists, producers, audio engineers, social media experts and so much more.

A college radio station, is a school of its own, where you learn to be an expert in many different media formats yet simultaneously critical of the corporate systems that deliver them.

This community is vital to not only sustain college radio but to encourage the growth and innovation of stations during this modern age of technology and streaming. Fortunately for KUCR and many other California stations, this sense of community became a lived experience on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Los Angeles College Radio Night (LACRN), hosted by UCLA radio at the Bootleg Theater.

Sarah Bazzy Contributing Writer

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LACRN brought nine college radio stations, six musical acts and over 10 panelists from different areas of the music industry together for one night. There they commemorated the foundations of college radio, the people who have worked hard to keep it alive and those hustling to make it even better.

This all came together in three different parts: tabling, live music and Q&A panels. The first room of the Bootleg Theater consisted of tables from college radio stations which displayed student led efforts like handmade zines, stickers, pins, shirts and more. The tabling room felt like the perfect spot to relax and get to know fellow college radio DJs more intimately as it was lit by iridescent pink fluorescent lights, had paper rose petals on the floor and cozy bunk beds to sit on when you wanted to just sit and talk.

This set the tone of the night to network and form new meaningful connections with fellow DJs and music enthusiasts.

Q&A panels with music industry professionals that got their foot in the door by being college radio student managers, music directors and DJs was the most inspiring aspect of the night for those who hope to continue their journey in the world of radio and music. The wide variety of input from recent college graduates like radio promoter Dawood Nadurath of Terrorbird Media, to KCRW DJ legends like Anthony Valdez was

refreshing because it provided a sense of mentorship in a very obscure and seemingly elitist industry. Furthermore, tips from accomplished veterans in the field like Adam Lewis, founder of the music marketing company Planetary Group, about entrepreneurship and what students should be doing now to ensure they have the right assets to enter the job field once they graduate was valuable information you don’t typically find at your college campus job fair. This sense of direction and the willingness of these professionals to network with the students was extremely appreciated and useful.

And of course, the night would not truly be a celebration of college radio without live acts from a variety of upand-coming musicians like E Arenas, Fell Runner, Your Angel, Carter Ace, Ryan Pollie and Dylan Meek. In between chatting at the tabling sections and taking notes in the panel room, gangs of college radio fanatics and people from the community who purchased tickets for the show united under the fundamental characteristic we all have in common: our love for fresh, original music. This unity was highlighted during the electric, yet trancy performance by E Arenas. Led by the bassist of Chicano Batman, Eduardo Arenas, the band was fully stacked with incredible musicians: Kevin Marten from Brainstory on the

guitar, William Alexander on drums and b.i.g.f.u.n. on the keys, which created incredible chemistry on stage. E Arenas seamlessly blended different styles of music like corridos, psychedelic rock and funk into one transmission that energized the crowd. As a result of the music blending so many different genres, the crowd reflected this in their dances as people were chain dancing, grabbing partners during the more corridos influenced songs and even moshing all at once. By the end of their set a vast majority of the audience went outside to get fresh air and take in the beauty of what had just happened.

Overall the night was a true celebration of what it means to be a part of college radio, which is to be a member of a community dedicated to bringing diversity to the music industry, a constant pupil and an entrepreneur of the arts. LACRN was a reminder to those working in college radio that their efforts are appreciated and their goals are attainable. The event also served as proof that college radio stations are important spaces that bring communities together to share valuable knowledge that is hard to find anywhere else. The experience was a unique one in that it brought us all together under one roof to celebrate the history and future of these underground spaces which we cherish so deeply. â– H

Sports

VICTOR LEI / HIGHLANDER

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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Women’s tennis loses fifth straight match after suffering losses against Utah State, Ball State and Colorado State University CHRISTINE TRAN Senior Staff Writer

VICTOR LEI/ HIGHLANDER

The UC Riverside women’s tennis team (3-8, 0-2) returned to the SRC tennis courts on Wednesday, March 4 to battle against the Utah State University Aggies (4-3) after being rained out for the previous two games. Before the match delays, the Highlanders were on a two-game losing streak in which they lost to Long Beach State University (7-4, 3-1) and Villanova University (7-1, 1-0). Despite looking to end their string of losses, UCR dropped both matches against Utah, 4-0, and Ball State University, 4-3.

In the doubles bracket, UCR struggled to counter Utah and were only able to secure one game at both of the top two spots. At the No.1 spot UCR junior Tia Elpusan and senior Sara Khattab were defeated by Utah seniors Lucy Octave and Hannah Jones 6-1. Sophomores Mahli Silpachai and Hanh Pham were also defeated by the Aggies 6-1. The team of sophomore Lindsey Gelinas and senior Lauren Wolfe were able to clinch two games but eventually their match against Utah was left unfinished 5-2, with the doubles point going to the Aggies.

With the Highlanders already trailing, the singles side needed to make up lost ground. Despite their efforts, the Aggies continued their dominance and earned three victories in the singles bracket, sufficiently ending the match. Silpachai competed against Utah’s Octave and was defeated 6-1, 7-5.

Gelinas and Pham faced losses as well with both losing 7-5, 6-3 and 6-1, 6-0 respectively.

“Overall, the way it ended especially was really good, we got off to a bit of a slow start. They (Utah) played good doubles and we couldn’t quite counter that. Even the singles again, just a little bit of a slow start but once we got into the match I thought we played really well,” commented women’s tennis head coach Mark Henry in an interview with The Highlander, “We got people coming in and out of being a little off because they’ve had injuries. So some of them haven’t been playing much but they did a nice job of competing and making it a nice match.”

On Thursday, March 5, the Highlanders went against the Ball State University Cardinals (10-2). The Highlanders refused to go down without a fight against the Cardinals. In the doubles bracket, UCR got off to a strong start with Elpusan and Khattab winning their match 6-1. However, the Cardinals were quick to rally back and won two consecutive victories to take the doubles point. Highlander doubles team Silpachai and Pham lost their match 6-2 and Ball State clinched a win against UCR’s Gelinas and Wolfe 6-4.

The singles bracket saw a much closer competition with the Highlanders and Cardinals splitting the singles points right down the middle. At the number six slot, Ball State’s freshman Emily Desai took the first singles win against Khattab 6-1, 6-0.

UCR’s Elpusan and Silpachai led the Highlanders with two wins by scores of 6-3, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-4 respectively.

The Highlanders were briefly ahead of the Cardinals until Ball State responded with two wins of their own against UCR sophomore Natalie Shamma and Pham. For the last matchup in the singles bracket Gelinas went back-and-forth against Ball State senior Rebecca Herrington but was defeated 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. In the end, the Highlanders weren’t able to overcome the Cardinals’ early lead in the doubles and the win went to Ball State.

“We have to continue to get smarter about what we’re doing.

We’re getting there but it’s taking us a little while. Right now, I think the singles are coming along nicely and we need to work more on the doubles. Also, trying to get off to that fast start so we can get those points and we don’t get behind from the beginning where it feels like we have to come back,” Henry stated.

On Saturday, March 7, the women’s tennis team went up against Colorado State University (3-5) at 11 a.m. and were defeated once more 4-3. The team continued on to play Youngstown State University on Sunday, March 8 here in Riverside at the SRC Tennis Courts. Their next home match is this Thursday, March 13 at 1:30 p.m. against Youngstown State University (3-7).

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Individual Highlander performances are overshadowed by dominance from Cal State Fullerton at the RCC/USCF Tri Meet DAMIAN GARCIA Staff Writer

On Friday, March 6, the UC Riverside track and field team competed in a local single-day meet in The RCC/CSUF Tri Meet held at Riverside Community College.

The women’s side of the meet featured debut event performances from senior Callie Lawson-Freeman and sophomore Purnima Gunarathna. In their first appearance in the 100-meter hurdle event, Lawson-Freeman finished with a time of 15.29 seconds while Gunarathna finished with a time of 15.37 seconds. Lawson-Freeman and Gunarathna finished in fifth and sixth overall, respectively.

In the women’s long jump, sophomore Asia Mallory traveled a distance of 5.94 meters to tie Cal State Fullerton senior Naiah Boardingham’s distance. After an adjustment of results, Mallory ultimately placed in second. Mallory also finished third in the women’s 100-meter dash event with a time of 12.22 seconds.

Junior Hana Johnson was especially successful in the women’s triple jump. On her third attempt, Johnson leaped a total distance of 12.38 meters, placing her first overall in the single event.

The triple jump on the men’s side was also a bright spot for the Highlanders. The top three finishes were all Highlanders.

With the help of junior Brian Nnoli, junior Anthony Reyes and freshman Deandre Ruth, the Highlanders were able to earn crucial points on the score sheet. Nnoli led the way with an elevation of 14.95 meters.

In the men’s long jump, freshman Damion Loman placed in second, leaping a distance of 7.10 meters on his first attempt. Opening up his season on the same event, junior Anthony Reyes glided a distance of 6.92 on his first attempt before increasing to 7.03 meters on his third and best attempt.

Five Highlanders placed within the top 10 in the men’s 1,500 meter run event. Junior Carlos Rivera placed in fourth with a time of 4:04.73 while sophomore Tanner Anderson led

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UCR with a time of 4:00.49 that placed him second overall.

In the 4x400 meter relay event, the UCR men’s team placed third with a combined time of 3:24.37. In the same event, the women’s team also placed in third with a collective time of 4:00.26. This was a slight drop in performance from their display at the Don Kirby Invitational on Friday, Feb. 14 where they ran the event with a time of 3:51.73.

With their collective athletic performances, the women’s team finished third place overall with 73 points. Over on the men’s side, the Highlanders also placed in third overall with

90 points. A dominant performance from Cal State Fullerton saw them take first in both sections, with 232 points on the women’s side and 236 points on the men’s.

Following this meet, the Highlanders will compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The two-day tournament will begin on Friday, March 13.

■H Editor’s Note: Callie Lawson-Freeman, a competitor in the 100-meter hurdle event, is a staff writer at the Highlander.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Women’s basketball wraps up season in hard fought loss to UC Irvine CALLIE LAWSON-FREEMAN Staff Writer

The University of California, Riverside women’s basketball team (822, 4-12) took a tough loss against UC Irvine (13-17, 9-7) on Thursday, March 5 at Bren Events Center in Irvine, California. The Highlanders fought until the final seconds of the 86-76 game but were not able to make up the 10-point deficit before the clock ran out.

UC Irvine went on an early 12 -2 scoring run to jump out to a 15-6 lead four minutes into the game. Riverside answered back by outscoring UC Irvine in the final four minutes of the first quarter to end the period with a 21-19 lead. The Highlanders and Anteaters were in a close battle at the start of the second quarter, but the Anteaters started to run away with the game shortly thereafter.

The Anteaters went on a seven-point scoring streak that later became a 16to-2 point scoring run to take the lead. UC Irvine freshman forward Sophia Locandro went on a personal 6-0 run to contribute to that stretch.

The Highlanders were able to get back within single-digit

Men’s tennis extends win streak to eight games, defeat Villanova and Hope International KEVIN SANCHEZ-NERI Contributing Writer

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scoring range, only for UC Irvine to extend their lead to 42-29 before the half.

The Highlanders trailed UC Irvine by double-digits throughout the third quarter.

Behind 58-42 going into the fourth quarter, junior guard Keilani Cooper heated up with 14 points to aid the Highlanders in cutting the deficit to nine points, 78-69.

With two minutes left in the game, the Highlanders put up a lot of shots but were not able to score enough in the short time remaining on the clock.

This marked the second loss that the Highlanders took at the hands of UC Irvine this season, but this was a much more competitive showing for UC Riverside than their 7753 defeat in February. Now ranked third in the Big West Conference, UC Irvine will continue their season in the Big West Tournament.

Junior guard Keilani Cooper led the Highlanders with 20 points, while sophomore forward Daphne Gnago contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Senior

guard Jannon Otto also put up 11 points and snagged five rebounds.

Not competing in the Big West Conference Tournament this year, the Highlanders ended their 2020 season with a 74-49 loss to California State University Northridge, (1218, 7-9) on Saturday March 7 at the SRC Arena in Riverside, California. During the game, the Highlanders honored Otto, Marina Ewodo, Skyler Lewis and Jayln Clay on their senior nights as they played for UC H Riverside for the last time. ■

UCR baseball kicks off their series against Holy Cross with a walk-off victory, wins series 2-1

SOFIA GARCIA Contributing Writer

On Thursday, March 5, the UCR men’s baseball team (8-7) faced the Holy Cross Crusaders (5-8).

The Highlanders edged the Crusaders in a close battle 7-6.

The Crusaders immediately pulled ahead by scoring two runs in the first inning while the Highlanders went scoreless.

Holy Cross added another run in the top of the second to extend their lead to 3-0. The Highlanders were finally able to get a run across the plate in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore second baseman Damien Sanchez was hit by a pitch, leading all three runners on base to advance. Their luck continued to change as senior outfielder Travis Bohall hit a double to left field, bringing three baserunners home to give the Highlanders the lead, 4-3.

In the fourth inning, UCR sophomore catcher Jacob Shanks went out with an injury and was replaced by junior catcher Ethan Payne.

Overall, neither team scored in the fourth inning and the Highlanders left two runners on base. At the game’s halfway point, the Highlanders led the game 4-3.

The Crusaders scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning,

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taking a 5-4 lead.

As the game was nearing its end, both teams were tied with six runs apiece and UCR only needed one hit to bring home the win. At the bottom of the

10th inning, the Highlanders got a hit from junior right fielder Dylan Orick and won by a run. The final score was 7-6 in favor of the Highlanders.

In a postgame interview

with Cody Yates, the director of baseball operations, Yates spoke about the game saying, “A win’s a win, even though it was an ugly game and an ugly win is better than a good loss any day. Our bench players were outstanding tonight, numbers 1 through 33, everyone contributed when called upon no matter what.”

Bohall said, “It was a big win for us, we didn’t really play our best, but we just battled and never gave up.

It went well tonight, and we could have thrown in the towel and lost, but we didn’t and that’s what matters. That last moment is probably my favorite moment in baseball when you have a walk-off and everyone runs onto the field and goes crazy. It’s awesome and a lot of fun.”

On Friday, March 6, the Highlanders played the Crusaders once again. This time around, UCR was unable to secure the victory as they lost 4-3.

In their third consecutive match against Holy Cross, UCR earned a 7-3 win. The game was played on Saturday, March 7.

Up next, the Highlanders will travel to Bakersfield, California on Friday, March 13 to battle California State H University, Bakersfield (5-7).■

On Tuesday, March 3, the UC Riverside men’s tennis team (12-5) took on Villanova University (3-7) and Hope International University (6-5). This match marked the Highlander’s first action in two weeks. Despite the break, the Highlanders were still riding a wave of momentum after a dominant performance on their East Coast road trip, taking home five wins and extending their win streak to six games — a much-needed morale boost going into a doubleheader day.

First up for the Highlanders was the Villanova Wildcats. The Highlanders fought tooth and nail in this one, with the match featuring close doubles contests, and prevailed with a 4-3 victory. UCR secured the win in the No. 1 flight of doubles in a close 7-6 victory in what would be their only doubles victory against Villanova. The disappointing doubles showing would effectively put the Highlanders in a deficit entering their singles matchups.

Senior Nabil Abdallah and freshman Daniel Velek each had standout performances in their singles bouts, with Abdallah decisively taking the No. 2 flight 2-6, 7-5, 6-0. Velek would also come away with a solid 6-3, 6-1 win. In another tight contest, freshman Nikita Horunzhy eked out a victory, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, after sealing the match in the third set.

The Highlanders would move on to dominate Hope International University where they came away with a 7-0 romp over the Royals. With the victory, UCR extended their win streak to eight games, good for a UCR school record.

Velek continued to shine as he outperformed his opponents, winning the No. 4 flight of singles, in a convincing 6-0, 6-2 victory. Horuznhy, another consistent performer of the day, stepped up his game with an impressive No. 6 spot victory, 6-0, 6-2.

UCR will look to expand on their record-breaking win streak as they gear up for another similarly scheduled doubleheader day on Tuesday, March 10 at home against East Carolina University at 10 a.m. and Bucknell University at 4:30 p.m.

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SPORTS 24

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

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On and off the court with Callum McRae and George Willborn III BY: JORDAN HOM, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

For sophomore center Callum McRae, coming from New Zealand to play basketball in the United States didn’t institute as huge of a culture shock as expected, largely due to the already existing culture surrounding him.

“There wasn’t a huge culture change because we got a big Australian, New Zealand presence on the team already,” McRae said.

However, despite not needing to adjust much culturally, McRae still found himself struggling on the court at times during his freshman season. Although McRae started 17 out of the 32 games that he played for the Highlanders, he averaged only 7.6 points per game (ppg) and 4.8 rebounds per game. The talent was there but oftentimes, McRae found himself in foul trouble or turning the ball over.

This season, despite only being a sophomore, McRae finds himself as one of the best players on the court for the Highlanders. Currently, McRae is the second leading scorer on the team, only behind junior forward Arinze Chidom. He has displayed a more well-rounded game both offensively and defensively and the numbers behind his improvement reflect that output. But according to McRae himself, most of what was holding him back was his own confidence. “I think most of it is just confidence.

My confidence has improved. My teammates have more confidence in me and so do my coaches. Just learning through last year because last year, I played a lot of minutes and I learned a lot,” McRae said.

His numbers on the court have reflected that improved confidence. Offensively, McRae is averaging about two points more than he did last season, going from 7.6 to

9.8 ppg, despite not having a significant minutes increase from his first to second season. On the other side of the court, McRae is developing into a legit defensive threat as his blocks per game have increased from 0.3 to now a block a game.

For junior guard George Willborn III, defense and hustle has always been a staple in his game. That constant effort displayed in his play style was ingrained through his upbringings. “I’m from Chicago and toughness is instilled in us at a young age,” Willborn III said.

As a Chicago native, WIllborn III drew inspiration from many of the NBA players that have come from Chicago. Willborn III stated, “Obviously you’ve got a lot of Chicago players like Pat Bev (Patrick Beverley), D-Rose (Derrick Rose), Jabari (Parker) and a lot of guys that I’ve seen with my own eyes that inspired me to keep playing this game and to play hard.”

That mindset is one of the reasons why Willborn is among the top on the team in terms of steals. Willborn leads the Highlanders in steals per game (spg), swiping the ball from opponents nearly once a game and averaging 0.9 spg.

Beyond their contrasting on-the-court identities is the one they display in the classroom. Although McRae and Willborn III are college athletes who participate in workouts, practices, drills as well as having other athletic responsibilities, they are also college students who study and take midterms too. While it may be a tough task to balance, the two have a system in which they enact to stay on top of their responsibilities.

“It’s probably just organization,” said Willborn III. “Just trying to stay on a routine and our days are kind of mapped out so we know what time we have to be and at certain places so from there, just trying to work in your own schedule within the schedule of the team.”

Additionally, their professors also help the team in terms of ensuring that they are able to fulfill their duties both in the classroom and on the court. “When we have to miss class, our teachers are good at helping us out. We email them and talk to them beforehand at the start of the quarter and they’ll help us out,” McRae stated.

However, despite their focus in the classroom and on the court, they can find themselves in a slump sometimes.

One element that keeps them motivated, and the people they turn to when times are tough, is their family. “For me, I talk to my family a lot. I am one of the more fortunate people in my family to go to college and that just motivates me to keep going,” Willborn III said.

Head Coach David Patrick has been a main factor in the changing culture of the men’s basketball program in the way that his players operate on and off the court. “We both came in with him. His first year was our first year so we sort of knew his expectations. I was a freshman so I didn’t really know anything about college basketball so that just made it easier to sort of follow him,” said McRae. Under Coach Patrick, the men’s basketball team is trending upwards and slowly starting to build a strong culture. The team will look to the future with their bright core of McRae and Willborn III in hopes of finding success for years to come, both on and off the court.

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