Volume 73, Issue 27

HIGHLANDER

THE

University of California, Riverside

ISSUE 73 VOLUME 27

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 13, 2025

est. 1954 Holly Dawson // THE HIGHLANDER

PROOF OF WHY

CHARLIE KIRK COMES TO UCR...READ ABOUT IT ON PG 4-5

BY SENNA OMAR EDITOR IN CHIEF

COLLEGE MATTERS!

2 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

STAFF

HUMANS OF UCR

(ൽංඍඈඋ ංඇ &ඁංൾൿ

Senna Omar editorinchief@highlandernews.org 0ൺඇൺ඀ංඇ඀ (ൽංඍඈඋ

Anahi Rubio (she/her), Graduate student in Education

Mata Elangovan managingeditor@highlandernews.org 1ൾඐඌ (ൽංඍඈඋ

Sanjana Thatte

“

news@highlandernews.org $ඌඌඍ 1ൾඐඌ (ൽංඍඈඋ

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CONTACT US THE HIGHLANDER 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Cecile Diroll at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter

by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements.

Correction for Volume 73, Issue 26, Published on May 6, 2025.

The Highlander recognizes its ethical responsibility to maintain transparency in its coverage and promptly correct any issues published, large or small.

Located on page 6, the News article “Harvard pushes back against federal budget cuts” by Staff Writer Sarah Tabel, was incorrectly attributed to News Editor Sanjana Thatte.

On the same page, News article “Legislative review committee fails to meet quorum” written by News Editor Sanjana Thatte was incorrectly attributed to Contributing Writer Alex Kupisiewicz.

Our online version of the Issue has all updated corrections and can be viewed at https://issuu.com/ucrhighlander.

LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on nondiscrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

13 Tuesday

Trivia Night 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Stable Combat Imposter Syndrome 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Virtual Queer in the Workplace 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

LGBTRC

14

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday

15

Thursday

16 Friday

Screening: Pirates of the Caribbean 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

SRC Pool

Screening: Ghosts of Adelanto 4:00 p.m.

INTS 1128 2025 Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Research Symposium Alumni & Visitors Center

Ways of Knowing Native Americans Symposium UCR Palm Desert Auditorium Lecture: Lizzie Wade - Apocalypse 6:00 p.m.

Cellar Door Bookstore

17

A Doll’s House 8:00 p.m.

Arts Studio Theatre

18

Cross-Disciplinary Conversations Conference 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

HUB 302

Saturday

Sunday

19 Monday

JOSEPH RODARTE / THE HIGHLANDER

Florence Bayz Music Series 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Arts 157

Office Hours: CHASS Dean Daryle Williams 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

HMNSS 3413 Carillon Recitals 12:00 p.m.

Bell Tower

3

4 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

NEWS

highlandernews.org/category/news

NEWS Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour” comes to UCR STUDENTS EXPRESS DISCOMFORT WITH CHARLIE KIRK’S PRESENCE ON CAMPUS. SENNA OMAR Editor-in-Chief

A

s part of his “The American Comeback Tour,” on Friday, conservative media commentator Charlie Kirk visited the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Hundreds of curious students, community members, supporters and protesters gathered outside the Bell Tower for the chance to debate Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Kirk.

TPUSA is a conservative “student movement” with chapters across over 3,500 university campuses.

According to their website, TPUSA LV D ³ F QRQ SUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQ whose mission is to identify, educate, WUDLQ DQG RUJDQL]H VWXGHQWV WR promote freedom.”

This “conservative youth groups” growing role on college campuses has sparked extreme criticisms. From their involvement in the January 6 Capitol insurrection to spreading “misinformation,” TPUSA is no stranger to controversy.

Kirk’s visit to UCR was no different, amassing a massive crowd of supporters — clad in Make America Great Again (MAGA) merchandise — protesters, toting signs opposing his presence and interested onlookers just wondering why the crowd gathered.

During his 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. event, Kirk invited select students to the microphone to debate some of his classic talking points, including the effectiveness of college, abortion accessibility, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and the economy.

Protesting Kirk’s presence at UCR, music production group Tears of the Angelic attempted to host a punk show at the Bell Tower. However, they were stopped when one of the performers was detained by the UC Police Department (UCPD) for two hours.

Members of the group explained that the police department said they could not perform at the belltower, so they hatched a new plan to put on their punk show at the Aberdeen Inverness (AI) Knoll.

Once the group arrived, UCPD was already waiting on the Knoll to shut the show down. The cops told WKH SHUIRUPHUV DQG RUJDQL]HUV WKH\ were not allowed to put on the punk show, and they needed to pack up and leave.

“We’re trying our best to have

this show, but obviously, they keep pushing us out. Right now, we’re MXVW WU\LQJ WR ¿QG D V\VWHP EHFDXVH we really don’t want to stop,” shared RUJDQL]HUV RI WKH 3XQN VKRZ ³>7KH show] was a peaceful protest. We weren’t gonna do anything loud or obnoxious. We were just gonna play music.”

Tears of the Angelic moved the show a second time to Hunter Park — about two miles off campus — DQG RUJDQL]HG D VKXWWOH V\VWHP WR WD[L viewers to the park.

Inspired by a punk show thrown at Kirk’s tour event at San Francisco 6WDWH RUJDQL]HUV H[SODLQHG ³,W¶V disappointing that we couldn’t get it on campus at all, because that was the original point. We saw it happening LQ 6DQ )UDQFLVFR DQG ZH ¿JXUHG hey, it’d be cool if we do it here too.”

Although many students were unhappy with Kirk’s presence on campus, protester Jacks described, “Anything to do with Charlie Kirk is something we don’t like … but it’s all fair. He’s got a permit; it’s freedom of speech.” However, with the punk show getting shut down by UCPD Jacks expressed his discontent “We should be able to do whatever ZH ZDQW DV ZHOO >.LUN¶V@ RXW KHUH talking, yapping, spreading hate misinformation. I reckon we should be able to spread the truth.”

Prominent “White Lives Matter” advocate Kelly Johnson, also known as Kelly J. Patriot, was easily spotted in the crowd outside the Bell Tower. Hoisting a large cross above the crowd, this Huntington Beach local has followed Kirk around his Southern California run of the tour.

Johnson spread four banners displaying prominent Christian conservative philosophies across the Bell Tower lawn, reading statements such as “Choose Life” and “Jesus Christ Saves.”

“They think we’re radical. They think we’re terrorists. We love our country. We love the Lord. We’re not the ones doing violence. Just look around who’s doing the violence. It’s folks on the other side of the street,” proclaimed Johnson. “So we’re here to see Charlie. It’s good to see the kids wake up … I’m glad kids are here to listen to what Charlie has to say, just so they can get another opinion, or maybe get the truth.”

Recently, Johnson was the focal SRLQW RI D & ¿OP ³'HDU .HOO\´

— a documentary portraying “his descent into the conspiracy rabbithole.” His prominent role in the “White Lives Matter” movement has sparked criticism from his daughter Kaylee Johnson, who opened up DERXW KHU IDWKHU¶V UDGLFDOL]DWLRQ LQ the documentary.

When speaking about his daughter, Johnson claimed that the left has indoctrinated her. “My daughter’s D OLWWOH OHIW « >WKH OHIW LV@ WU\LQJ WR indoctrinate our kids. They’re trying to tear our families apart. They’re trying to get the girls to hate their fathers, and that’s worked really well with my family, with my lefty daughter, Kaylee, who’s up at UCLA. God bless her,” said Johnson.

In an interview with the Daily Bruin, Kaylee Johnson said, “This is not the man that I grew up with …

That’s why I do say I am mourning the father that I had, even though he’s still alive.”

Hand in hand with one another, on the lawn of Watkins hall wearing white t-shirts that read statements such as “Bold hearts at play, brilliant minds in action,” “No one is illegal on stolen land,” “Abolish ICE” and “Community over everything” a group of students hosted a “community event” in protest to Kirk’s presence on campus.

“We decided that despite the current climate on campus, it’s important that we maintain a community amongst our peers that GR QRW ZHOFRPH >.LUN¶V@ SUHVHQFH ´ explained an anonymous member of the community event. “We are a vibrant, strong community, and we deserve to just have a space where we can just coexist, have a good WLPH ZLWK HDFK RWKHU DQG UHFRJQL]H that there is power within our community.”

Amari, a participant in the community event, expressed that “it’s a terrible look for UCR” as a Hispanic-serving institution to have Kirk on campus.

She described that while protesting, participants in the community event experienced harassment from multiple Kirk supporters. “Anytime >.LUN¶V VXSSRUWHUV@ FRPH XS WR XV we just ignore them. We don’t say anything to them, and they are so upset,” shared Amari. “It’s sad to see them calling people names here, just making fun of us for sitting in a FLUFOH DQG SOD\LQJ >JDPHV@ :H DUH

just minding our business at the event to understand the other side. But they are not trying to understand our side.”

'HVSLWH WKH RSSRVLWLRQ RUJDQL]HUV believe it was important to “cultivate a beautiful community environment.

And this is what it’s all about. At the end of the day, we are a community.

At the end of the day, we all belong at this institution. We deserve to be here. We are home. UCR is our home.

And no matter what may be said, we deserve to be here.”

6HHQ KRLVWLQJ D 3DOHVWLQLDQ ÀDJ above the sea of MAGA hats at the Bell Tower, Second-year biology student Omar described his disappointment ZLWK XQLYHUVLW\ RI¿FLDOV IRU DOORZLQJ Kirk to come to UCR. “I came out here because I think fundamentally, there are some issues that he talks about that are incorrect, and I feel like they deprive students of their rights. One big thing that I disagree with Charlie Kirk on is the ,VUDHO 3DOHVWLQH FRQÀLFW ´ H[SODLQV Omar. “43,000 people have died. Two million people have been displaced. $QG >.LUN¶V@ QRW JLYLQJ WKHP DQ equal. He’s saying Palestinians should not have the right to exist. I’m completely against that.”

Despues Green, a third-year philosophy transfer student, was also among Kirk’s supporters. Green explained that although he could “care less about Charlie Kirk,” he was happy to see the crowds of Trump supporters toting MAGA merch.’

“I’m happy that we have people out here. I love to see our ladies in MAGA hats. I love to see our guys in Maga hats,” said Green. “There’s actually many times walking on this campus where I’ve had my MAGA hat on, and people are walking by and complimenting me. But I know that there are many people who are afraid to speak up, who are afraid to represent themselves, to show what they truly support, especially in such a blue state, such as California.”

Green especially thanked TPUSA for “coming over and just creating opportunities for more voices to be heard. Because there absolutely is a hegemony, a domination, of socalled liberal ideology, which aims to shut down people’s opinions.”

All TPUSA representatives at Kirk’s event declined to comment and were instructed not to speak with the press. ŶH

NEWS

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“I personally decided to come because I wanted to retaliate against the hate that Charlie Kirk spreads with MAGA … He is pro-Israel. He is anti LGBTQ. I don’t want that to be at UCR. At UCR, our people here are in support of Palestine, in support of LGBTQ, trans rights, of people of color, and yeah, I think it’s just solidarity against the hatred that MAGA brings with them,” shared Josselyn, a UCR student protesting Kirk’s presence on campus.

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

5

“As unfortunate as it is for people like him to have a platform to spread hate, we have WR DFNQRZOHGJH WKDW LW LV D )LUVW $PHQGPHQW ULJKW ,¶G UDWKHU OLNH ¿JKW IRU WKH )LUVW Amendment, rather than censoring anybody … I wouldn’t even censor Charlie Kirk KLPVHOI DV ZHOO EHFDXVH LW JRHV DJDLQVW RXU ¿UVW DPHQGPHQW ULJKW ´ H[SODLQHG DQ anonymous protester.

2UJDQL]HUV RI WKH FRPPXQLW\ HYHQW GHVFULEHG KRZ WKH\ ³GHFLGHG WKDW despite the current climate on campus, it’s important that we maintain a FRPPXQLW\ DPRQJVW RXU SHHUV WKDW GR QRW ZHOFRPH >.LUN¶V@ SUHVHQFH ´

“They think we’re terrorists. We love our country. We love the Lord. We’re not the ones doing violence. Just look around who’s doing the violence. It’s folks on the other side of the street. So we’re here to see Charlie. It’s good to see the kids wake up,” shared white lives matter advocate Kelly Johnson.

Cops seen shutting down the Tears of the Angelic punk show at the AI Knoll.

SENNA OMAR / THE HIGHLANDER

6

APRIL 6, 2025

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Abortion Rights and Access in 2025 Abortion Access has been severely limited in several states impacting vulnerable populations Sanjana Thatte News Editor The landmark lawsuit Roe v.

Wade guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion, reduced infant PRUWDOLW\ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ DQG UHDI¿UPHG ULJKWV WR FRQWURO PHGLFDO treatment, rights to procreate and rights to contraception.

After it was overturned in 2022, there has been a slew of abortion rights removals across the nation restricting access to abortions for women across the nation. This has had serious implications for women’s health particularly affecting poor women, women of color and midlife women in their caregiving roles.

Roe v. Wade began with Texan Norma McCorvey deciding that after two pregnancies and her continued drug and alcohol abuse that she no longer wanted to continue with the pregnancy. At six months pregnant, Texas lawyers Linda Coffee DQG 6DUDK :HGGLQJWRQ ¿OHG D ODZsuit on her behalf under the pseudonym of Roe. The opposing lawyer Henry Wade was infamous for his high conviction rate and prosecuted Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald.

The case concluded its opinion on the basis of the fourteenth amendment which states that “no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law”, which implies a right to privacy. Weddington has argued that liberty must extend to the right to end an unwanted pregnancy and that legal personhood began at birth. The court concurred with WKLV GH¿QLWLRQ EXW DOORZHG VWDWHV WR place limits on abortion in regards to the development of the fetus.

Since the overturning of Roe v.

Wade twelve states: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia have fully banned abortion making it completely illegal to have access to an abortion through medical or private facilities. Six have severely restricted abortion access, and several more have imposed limitations on abortion access. This ban also extends to cases of rape or incest.

This has implications for poor women, women of color, caregiving women at midlife. Dr. Judith A Berg and Dr. Nancy Fugate Woods explain that a pregnancy can occur until the onset of menopause. Because of this unintended pregnancy or pregnancies in which a woman does not wish to become pregnant, can occur very late in a woman’s life. 51 percent among women 40 and older are unintended. In another review on unintended pregnancies in the U.S. statistics also found that identifying as Black or Hispanic having a below poverty level income, experiencing a non-voluntary ¿UVW VH[XDO LQWHUFRXUVH HVSHFLDOO\ DW a young age, participating in the sex trade, experiencing stressful life events and having had a previous abortion.

Furthermore the article explains that legal access to abortion improves women’s healthcare and does not increase the usage of abortions, “930,000 abortions obtained across the US in 2020 represents a sustained increase in abortion and more than one in three of those abortions were obtained in states that are now certain or likely to ban abortion... decades of research consistently show that abortion bans and restrictions don’t reduce unintended pregnancy or the demand for abortion, and do not improve women’s health. Instead, they impose sigQL¿FDQW KXUGOHV WR REWDLQLQJ FDUH causing stress for people in need of abortion and leading some to

experience forced pregnancy with all its consequences.”

Furthermore, poor women, women of color, and those in the /*%74 FRPPXQLW\ DOVR ¿QG themselves at further risk for a need for abortion these communities.

Forty nine percent of abortion patients are below the poverty line and almost 4 in were black women. Reasons for this include limited access to health care which impacts access to contraception and other services included in pregnancy planning.

Women of color have historically been victims of medical discrimination more often, such as experimentation, forced sterilization, and inattention. This compounded with the fact that women of color often have limited access to transportation options to access abortions in other states also adds to costs adds to the overall cost of an abortion.

This is particularly important in the American South where abortion bans have taken place and more than half of the U.S’s population of Black women live.

In the past couple of years several cases involving child rape and abortion in the case of medical emergency have been brought to the public’s attention however, no further legal action to amend abortion law at a federal level has been taken. Berg and Woods explain steps that can be taken to mitigate harms posed

by lack of federal protection.They explain that strengthening sexual health education provided in schools to increase awareness of options for preventing unwanted or unplanned pregnancy are of utmost importance.

This involves improving access to information about fertility and fertility management, which includes monitoring menstrual cycles and menopausal status, and reliable and effective birth control approaches for all reproductive life stages, paying special attention to the speFL¿F QHHGV RI PLGOLIH ZRPHQ $Gditionally advocating for inclusion of explicit coverage of effective and reliable contraception and other pregnancy prevention methods in health insurance plans as well as provide readily accessible and affordable early pregnancy detection Furthermore, providing “morning after,” Plan B contraception to women to have on hand can give women contingencies after sex. Additionally, advocating for policies that would insure women’s right to agency over their bodies. They end their statement stating continued advocacy and push for legislative change necessary for protection and change saying that inaction is no longer an option. ŶH

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

NEWS

MAY 13, 2025 7

California’s mass exodus and potential bounceback Thousands of Californians are leaving the state due to an affordability crisis.

Wade Mu, Contributing Writer

In recent years, California has experi- forworld, immigrants are attracted HQFHG DQ RXWÀRZ RI UHVLGHQWV WR RWKHU to California’s strong economy and states. Due to expensive housing costs, cosmopolitan cities, starting busihigh taxes and higher prices in the state, nesses and working in the state’s many Californians have moved to places agricultural, healthcare, and techsuch as Texas, Florida and Arizona, citing nology industries. Natural births are more affordable living conditions. Media also aiding growth, outpacing the outlets around the country have been call- number of deaths in the state. ing this trend the California “mass exodus.”

Such language became apparent during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, where the state experienced its largest population decline of around 190,000 people, causing the state to lose a congressional seat in the House of Representatives.

Along with many deaths due to the virus, the rise of remote work and lockdowns prompted many Californians to move out of cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles to less expensive areas.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, net domestic migration out of the state was 355,643 people meaning that 355,643 more people left the state than migrated in. This trend in net migration out of the state has been happening since 1989, but has peaked during the pandemic, bringing more attention to this California “mass exodus.”

Currently, the California population has rebounded to 39.5 million people, which is around the same population as pre pandemic levels. During the pandemic, California lost a total of 358,543 people, decreasing the population to around 39.1 million. But in 2023, after the reopening of the economy and the resurgence of inperson work and activities, the- population grew by 192,000 people.

Then, in 2024, it increased by approximately 108,000 people. This population growth was driven largely through legal international immigration, which has driven California’s population rebound.

Now the fourth largest economy in the

“...many Californians to move out of cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles However, despite the population growth, net migration out of the state is still happening.

In 2023, for example, 91,189 more Californians left the state than other Americans came in. A reason for the migration out of the state is housing availability and affordability in California cities. As of April 2025, the average home in California is about $904,210, while the median in the United States is $403,600. In the states where most Californians are moving to, such as Texas and Arizona, the price for a home is around $303,321 and $429,120 respectively.

Now, in Santa Clara county, a person in a one-person household can qualify for low income if they make $111,700 per year; in San Francisco county and San Mateo, $109,700 is the threshold. In Los Angeles, a person who makes $84,850 per year can be considered low income. Living in California’s cities has gotten expensive, and many people are looking to relocate for more affordable lifestyles.

As California’s economy continues to evolve, this “exodus” of people moving out of the state will likely continue unOHVV SROLF\PDNHUV ¿QG VROXWLRQV WR DGGUHVV Ŷ this affordability crisis.

H

8

NEWS

MAY 13, 2025

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

ASUCR

Sixth ASUCR Senate meeting Grants and bills passed in Senate.

Dinara Godage Assistant News Editor

The Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) called their sixth Senate meeting of spring quarter to order at 7:22 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

The meeting began with Vice President of Finance (VPF) Cooper Kumar detailing three grants for clubs. The Senate passed each line item.

Joseph Anastacio, and External ments on attendance. This update The Legislative Review Com- Affairs Government Relations was passed by the Senate 10-0-0. mittee (LRC) items were dis- Director Briana Trujillo to excussed following the Finance plain the updates.

7KH QH[W ELOO XSGDWHG WKH RI¿PHHWLQJ 7KH ¿UVW ZDV DQ DPHQGcial bylaws on how many senament to the Vice President of 7KH ¿UVW XSGDWH ZDV WR LQ- tors there are for each college ([WHUQDO $IIDLUV 93($ RI¿FH clude the School of Public Pol- within UCR. The bill’s wording bylaws. President Pro Tempore icy (SPP) Senator in the bylaws. established the total number of (PPT) Leila Haidar invited Ex- Previously, there was an update senators from all the colleges to ternal Affairs Executive Assis- to the SPP Senator bylaws to be 19. The Senate passed the bill tant Rishika Salvi, President of chair a committee in the Exter- 10-0-0 the UCR College Democrats, QDO $IIDLUV RI¿FH VR the VPEA bylaws now Another bill removed the Exinclude the SPP Sena- ecutive Assistant position to mirtor’s involvement. ror current practices. The original position was split between Another update WKH ([HFXWLYH 93¶V RI¿FH DQG was to create two WKH 3UHVLGHQW¶V RI¿FH 337 +DL12-month paid posi- dar explained that these two potions to replace the sitions are vastly different and no singular Government longer utilize the same assistant.

Relations Director. The bill was passed by the SenThe bill writers are ate 9-0-1. working with the 93) WR ¿QDOL]H WKLV The next bill removed a posisplit. The new po- tion in the executive chapter that VLWLRQV ZLOO ¿UVW EH no longer exists. The bill was the Legislative Di- passed 10-0-0. rector, who serves 7KH ¿QDO ELOO ZDV DQ XSGDWH E\ as the UCR rep- President Abby Choy to change resentative to the nine-month positions into tenUC Student Asso- month positions. This was so ciation and their ASUCR student staff could be government rela- FRPSHQVDWHG IRU WKH ¿UVW PRQWK tions committee. of training before the nine-month The second posi- position. The bill passed 10-0-0. tion will be Lobby Core Director.

College of Humanities, Arts This director will and Social Sciences (CHASS) oversee general Senators Ryan Choi, Justin Ibay, operations and Nathan Baw and Karen Vo were handle lobby vis- absent. School of Business Senaits and trips. tor Dhruv Patel, College of Natural and Agricultural Science SenThere were ad- ator Vanisha Lalli and Bourns ditional updates College of Engineering Senator that included Uma Akundi were excused. Ŷ interns, committee titles and The meeting was adjourned at improve7:55 p.m.

H

highlandernews.org/category/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

6ĺijĸijĹĸĽ OP ED An open letter to the UCR community regarding the closing of the Getaway Cafe THE BELOVED UCR INSTITUTION HAS EXISTED SINCE 1988 AND DESERVES TO STAY OPEN.

COURTESY OF GETAWAY CAFE

anymore, which is a big reason why the cafe is QRZ IDFLQJ WKH ¿QDQFLDO FULVLV LW LV JRLQJ WKURXJK Matthew Hagan is a fourth-year political science and why it can’t pay the rent increase the school major who is passionate about the Getaway Cafe. is trying to enforce upon it. This was because of He will be graduating this academic year. You can rumors involving a patron being hit in the head.

The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Shawn Sabbagh, reach him at mhaga004@ucr.edu. claims the patron walked into the bottle drunkenly, while the patron claimed someone threw it at him.

Dear UCR community, Even ignoring the fact that, according to Mr. One of the best things about my experience here in Riverside was the time I spent at the Getaway Sabbagh and the UCR Police Department (UCPD), Cafe, a restaurant and bar across campus beloved there is no evidence to prove this person was hit by a large portion of the student body. Now, it is at in the head with a bottle, the entire community should not have been punished for a single action risk of being closed.

7KH ¿UVW WLPH , ZHQW WR WKH *HWDZD\ &DIH ZDV by one person. If we were to follow that logic conmy freshman year. I was walking down the street sistently, where any institution can be ended by a when I heard music coming from inside. Curious, single instance of violence, most bars would be I went in to see what was going on and I found a forced to close down.

If the school fears for the safety of the students, full-blown party with music, drinks and pool. I did not have many friends in my freshman year, and UCPD, which is located across the street from GXH WR YDULRXV SHUVRQDO GL൶FXOWLHV , ZDV VRPH- *HWDZD\ &DIH FRXOG VWDWLRQ DQ R൶FHU RU WZR GXUwhat isolated from the rest of the students I lived ing DJ nights to ensure people act orderly. They do that every Wednesday when the various school with in the hall at Aberdeen-Inverness.

But I found a community at Getaway Cafe that clubs hold their events and during the pro-PalesI could consistently count on. Just about every tine encampment on campus, so why can’t they do Wednesday, there would be a DJ, and just about the same here?

Some may object by saying that Getaway Cafe every Wednesday, I would be there. Many of my closest friends today are people whom I met at has become a hub for underage drinking. If this is Getaway Cafe through my regular attendance, and such a problem, then just ID people at the door. DJ I do not believe I am the only one who can say that. 1LJKWV XVHG WR FRVW ¿YH GROODUV SHU SHUVRQ DQG WKH\ The University of California, Riverside (UCR) would give out wristbands. One solution would be LV D ELJ VFKRRO ZLWK D ORW RI GL൵HUHQW SHRSOH EXW to give a certain colored wristband to signal which Getaway Cafe was a place where everyone: regard- people are allowed to drink.

Others may say that we need to get rid of less of their year, age, major, ethnic background or association or disassociation with greek life, could Getaway to make room for new housing for come together — on a Wednesday of all times — students. Putting aside the fact that the building and enjoy a break from being concerned about near the Getaway Cafe already houses students, upcoming tests or due dates. It is a place where UCR has plenty of places in which it could build someone like me, an autistic person who had long new dorms. For that matter, they could modernize struggled socially, could make friends and connec- certain dormitories, like Aberdeen-Inverness, and make them so that they are halfway liveable for tions with others.

Unfortunately, these DJ nights don’t take place arriving freshmen.

MATTHEW HAGAN

MAIN ST

ORANGE ST

Whatever the solution is, it certainly isn’t tearing down a beloved UCR institution that has been at this school since the days of George H.W. Bush, and whose continued existence is supported by the vast number of UCR students, myself included.

UCR prides itself on being a place where lowincome students, many of whom come from Latino or Asian immigrant backgrounds, can climb up the social ladder. The owner of the Getaway Cafe, Mr. Sabbagh, is a living example of this. Born in Iran, KH ZDV IRUFHG WR ÀHH KLV KRPH FRXQWU\ LQ WKH ZDNH of the Iranian Revolution. In spite of these odds, he managed to open a successful restaurant here in Riverside, one that has brought joy to thousands of people in the community. He is, by all intents and purposes, an example of the American Dream in action — a dream that Riverside purports to help people achieve.

If UCR has any regard for the will of its students or the community at large, it will not allow for the closing of the Getaway Cafe. It will allow them to resume DJ Nights as they did before early 2024, so they might be able to maintain a steady income.

I might not be here for long enough to see that happen, but I care about my friends and the people who have done good by me — Mr. Sabbagh and his business have done both. So, for the sake of his business and the future generations of UCR students who might not otherwise get the opportunity WR H[SHULHQFH ZKDW *HWDZD\ &DIH KDV WR R൵HU , urge the UCR community to support keeping this restaurant open! ŶH Op-Eds are not edited by The Highlander, excluding those related to grammatical errors and $3 UHTXLUHPHQWV 2S (GV GR QRW UHÀHFW WKH RSLQion of the Editorial Board and are not written by Highlander contracted writers.

9

10 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

OPINIONS

highlandernews.org/category/opinions

Beautiful game, beautiful money: How the FIFA World Cup will boost the economy LA IS POISED TO HOST THE WORLD CUP, TRANSFORMING THE CITY’S LOCAL ECONOMY AND LEADING TO ECONOMIC GROWTH. SHIVAM PATEL *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

Drama, passion and joy are set to fuel another summer as the World Cup takes over iconic North American stadiums in Los Angeles (LA) for the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2026 tournament.

The most recent edition of this soccer or fútbol tournament drew an impressive attendance of 3.4 million individuals, a number nearly equivalent to the entire population of Uruguay. While many dedicated soccer fans around the world look forward to this event every four years, there is criticism from the public about the expenses associated with building large stadiums to support crowds that are frequently abandoned, despite massive investment.

However, with California’s stable economy, facilities to support urban populations and stadiums capable of hosting large crowds, the 2026 FIFA :RUOG &XS ZLOO EULQJ VLJQL¿FDQW HFRnomic gains without the hefty price tag that has damaged past host countries.

The event will be an economic boost for LA as it will generate revenue through increased tourism, provide new job opportunities and bring recognition to the soccer industry, not just as a sport, but as a global event worth celebrating.

The FIFA World Cup will bring PRUH PRQH\ R൵ WKH ¿HOG GXH WR D VXEstantial boost in tourism revenue, diUHFWO\ EHQH¿WLQJ &DOLIRUQLD¶V HFRQRP\ It is expected to generate $343 million in direct spending just from an estimated 179,200 out-of-town visitors drawn in by the grandeur of the tournament.

With increasing global recognition for VRFFHU DQG DQ LQÀX[ RI WRXULVWV SXOOHG in by the World Cup celebrations, LA is expected to gain an extra $230.4 million in future tourism revenue.

The average tourist will spend $2,35 on travel, food, housing and shopping, generating much-needed tax income for the state to support companies and WKHLU VWD൵ 7KLV LOOXVWUDWHV WKH HFRQRPLF PXOWLSOLHU H൵HFW ZKHUH LQFUHDVHG spending sources lead to greater economic activity. Eventually, the original amount spent by tourists cascades through local businesses to hotel employees, drivers, waiters and food vendors, creating economic incentives surrounding this event.

The additional money from new sales and occupancy tax revenues — taxes collected from hotel stays and short-term lodging — can be directly used to improve diminishing urban infrastructure, support upgrades to local public transportation and provide funding to alleviate the homelessness crisis in LA. Better transportation infrastructure would boost productivity DQG H൶FLHQF\ ZKLFK LQ WXUQ ZRXOG stimulate economic growth and future tourism. Some of these new revenues

COURTESY OF MEHDI MARIZAD VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

can also be used to fund long-term solutions to aid the reintegration of the state’s homeless population into the workforce, such as transitional housing programs and mental health care.

By investing money in long-term interventions, LA can better address issues of homelessness while simultaneously increasing employment opportunities and improving overall quality of life. Tourist-generated revenue can yield more economic opportunities than drawbacks, which will improve FRQVXPHU DQG LQYHVWRU FRQ¿GHQFH LQ purchasing goods, investing in companies and overall business growth. As a result, California’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase, demonstrating how the FIFA World Cup 2026 will help build a better LA. Furthermore, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be a great investment for California’s economy by increasing the availability of employment and wages. In hosting just eight World Cup games in LA, wages will increase by $243.2 million from new jobs and added working hours for existing employees. Additionally, this sporting event will create new job opportunities to support the stadiums and merchandise booths and extended work hours in various industries to support the demand of crowds during the games.

While much of the increased workload will be temporary in hospitality, food service and transportation, these jobs can still provide valuable experience and transferable skills for future employment. As the tournament is scheduled for summer, the boost in employment opportunities will be parWLFXODUO\ EHQH¿FLDO IRU VWXGHQWV WHDFKHUV DQG VHDVRQDO ZRUNHUV ZLWK VSHFL¿F scheduling restrictions.

Many of these new jobs will not require a college degree, making them more accessible to individuals from low-income backgrounds, as a large proportion of young United States (U.S.) workers without a college degree are concentrated in customer service representative and construction

laborer occupations. With extra work hours, employees will gain more disposable income, which will be pumped back into the local economy, driving further consumption and stimulating economic growth.

Increased Major League Soccer (MLS) audience and merchandise sales LQ /$ ZRXOG HFRQRPLFDOO\ EHQH¿W WKH local population. The MLS revenue would provide the cash to pay for the wages of those who work for clubs such as LA Football Club (LAFC) and LA Galaxy (LA Galaxy), supporting hundreds of households. ,Q DGGLWLRQ ORFDO VSRUWV ¿UPV JDLQ monetary value from the revenue created by LA MLS teams because many of their goods and merchandise are handled by third-party sellers like soccer shops and sports stores. Media and sponsorship growth from the tournament will generate employment and LQYHVWPHQW ZKLFK ZRXOG VLJQL¿FDQWO\ advance the economic well-being of California and the U.S. by inspiring dreams and paying bills.

The World Cup can also provide VLJQL¿FDQW VRFLRHFRQRPLF EHQH¿WV E\ fostering growth within the soccer industry. Soccer’s popularity has been rapidly increasing in the U.S. In fact, the revenue generated in the soccer industry is projected to reach $5.43 billion in 2026, compared to the $4.33 billion generated in 2024. The passion and excitement fans have about the tournament can positively impact youth participation and registration for academy and club soccer teams, thereby stimulating the job market as more coach and instructor positions become available. Expenses associated with playing soccer, such as facility fees DQG DFFHVV WR VSHFL¿F DWKOHWLF JHDU FDQ also contribute to local sporting goods stores and boost local market economies.

Soccer’s unique position as a global sport can bring communities together and promote collective celebrations in the form of watch parties. Other posiWLYH H[WHUQDOLWLHV RU LQGLUHFW EHQH¿WV from the growing popularity of the

soccer industry also include improved public health and greater community engagement. Research shows that participation in soccer improves cardiovascular health, coordination and mental health. Playing soccer can also work as a protective factor in preventing non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and hypertension.

Some argue that despite economic EHQH¿WV WKH H[SHQVHV VHW DVLGH IRU WKH World Cup should be allocated elsewhere. In previous host countries, the money needed to successfully run this competition became an unbearable EXUGHQ GXH WR VLJQL¿FDQW LQIUDVWUXFWXUH construction and wage costs, which tend to rest in the hands of unwilling owners of private stadiums or a struggling government. Qatar spent $220 billion to build brand new stadiums, housing, parking and sporting facilities for the entire competition. However, these factors don’t hold true for the 2026 edition of the tournament.

The U.S. already has established stadiums that host the National Football League (NFL) and MLS, such as SoFi Stadium and Levi’s Stadium, and WKH EHQH¿WV RI KRVWLQJ D ODUJH VFDOH event like the World Cup would include infrastructure development, cultural exchange, sports growth and job creation.

Therefore, the costs for the U.S. will be very minimal compared to prior nations. FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) expect a $47 billion economic output from the World Cup. With these existing supports, the 2026 World Cup is an opportunity for the U.S. to not just host an international spectacle, but to be DEOH WR GR VR ZLWK D PLQLPDO ¿QDQFLDO burden.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is more than a global sporting event — it is a transformative economic opportunity for the city of LA and the U.S. It will provide a lasting boost through increased tourism, expanded employment opportunities and growth in the soccer market by introducing the sport to new players. ŶH

highlandernews.org/category/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

11

Tariffs, transparency and tyranny: Trump’s war on consumer truth AMAZON’S SURRENDER TO AUTHORITARIAN PRESSURE BETRAYS THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO TRUTH IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC MANIPULATION.

GRAPHIC BY ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER

LILIANNA ANGEL :[HɈ >YP[LY

When President Donald Trump issued a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports, he didn’t just restart a trade war, he reignited the age-old tension between corporate responsibility and authoritarian power.

A tariff is a tax placed on imported goods. While it’s often intended to protect domestic industries or pressure foreign governments, the practical effect is that it usually raises prices for American consumers, since companies pass those extra costs down the line.

To put it simply, other countries are charged to sell their products in the United States (U.S.), and as a result, to mitigate the charge that they are facing, they increase the price of their products so that they don’t lose revenue.

This latest clash, centered on Amazon’s discussions about displaying tariff-related costs on its platform, demonstrates more than just policy disagreements. It is a symbol of something far deeper for American consumers: the right to transparency and the danger of silencing companies that attempt to provide it.

Amazon faced extreme criticism from the Trump administration when the team behind Amazon Haul, a discountfocused part of the e-commerce giant, talked about disclosing tariff costs next to certain product prices. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out, calling the move a “hostile and political act.”

There is nothing political about honesty.

Companies like Amazon that operate in the U.S. have a legal obligation to tell their consumers why they are paying more. People cannot

make informed decisions if the causes of price increases are hidden. This especially applies to the impact of government policies like tariffs.

A global company like Amazon revealing that these costs are not a “hostile and political act,” they are an education. This is the 21st-century version of the Boston Tea Party.

Back then, colonists dumped crates into the Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation. Today, consumers deserve to know if their $19 phone charger now costs $27 because of a trade war they didn’t ask for.

Tariffs are not intangible; they translate into real money for everyday people. When companies hide these costs, whether it is out of political fear or corporate calculation, it erodes public trust and leaves consumers uninformed. However, in this case, it looks like political fear won rather than transparency.

Amazon stated that the proposal “was never approved and is not going to happen,” likely because of the SROLWLFDO ¿UHVWRUP WKDW HUXSWHG 7KLV was not only a setback for consumers but also a serious blow to the American rule of law, which is increasingly under threat from Trump. When a sitting president pressures private companies to suppress truthful, lawful information simply because it undermines his political narrative, it reveals how deeply the system is being bullied and bent by Trump’s personal agenda.

One of the most concerning parts about this situation is that while Amazon backed away from transparency with its consumers, the government’s response focused more on a speculative behind-the-scenes

idea than on the actual impact, which was nothing. Trump’s team treated the possibility of Amazon displaying why prices were higher to consumers as a betrayal, a political move meant to embarrass him. But transparency is not a personal attack. The fact that the White House reacted with such hostility reveals just how authoritarian Trump’s instincts are.

Trump’s former Chief of Staff, *HQHUDO -RKQ .HOO\ FRQ¿UPHG WKH former president once said that “Hitler did some good things” and wished his generals were more like Nazis — loyal without question. This LV D PDMRU UHG ÀDJ +LV DXWKRULWDULDQ mindset views dissent or independent action as betrayal and goes far beyond the military and corporate America, reaching into educational institutions through the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The suppression of critical discourse from DEI, and the lowering of the voices of the marginalized, the historically underrepresented, demonstrates his authoritarian mindset on views different than his own.

Let’s not forget that when Trump HQWHUHG RI¿FH IRU KLV VHFRQG WHUP billionaires like Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder), Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were all at his inauguration.

Fast-forward to today, and these same executives have become targets whenever their companies push back against his policies, including the tariffs on Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.

However, this same target has been put on Elon Musk through immigration H-1B visas so he can exploit workers for cheaper labor, and Mark Zuckerberg’s reinstating Trump’s

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Meta Socials. All showing that Trump doesn’t have any real loyalties and will impact even his ‘buddies.’ Under Trump, big corporations are expected to toe the line or face consequences.

It’s not capitalism; it’s loyalty politics.

Capitalism itself is its own problem, but when it continues to violate the rights of citizens, something is terribly wrong.

At the heart of this issue is the simple truth that transparency is not treason and must not be treated as such. Amazon’s internal conversations — however small — were a glimmer of accountability in an increasingly politicized economy. The fact that Trump’s team framed it as a “hostile” act shows how fragile his administration is when confronted with facts.

This isn’t just about Amazon.

It’s about who gets to shape public understanding. In a consolidated democracy, that power should never rest solely with the government.

Corporations, especially giants like Amazon, have a role to play in educating the public, even when it makes those in power uncomfortable.

In the end, the tariff labels may never appear on consumers’ purchases, and the transparency needed in a functioning marketplace won’t happen. The message has already been sent that Trump’s proposed tariffs, paired with his administration’s heavyhanded tactics, are a warning not just to companies, but to consumers. If the Trump administration does not like the honesty or ‘progressive’ policies that are basic human rights, they will continue to bully people. All of the U.S. is paying the price — literally and politically. ŶH

12 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

FEATURES

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-įīľĿļįĽ

NORM’S NOOK SPOTLIGHT

UCR lactation rooms GABRIELA GALVAN (ZZPZ[HU[ -LH[\YLZ ,KP[VY

When natur-baby calls! Caring for a kiddo do is mmo oenough hard work. Looking for parent accommodations across a college campus can be that much h harder, when it really never should be. Luckily, ckily, the University of California, Riverside (UCR)) off fers lactation rooms all across the campus! These ODFWDWLRQ URRPV DUH DYDLODEOH WR VWXGHQWV VWD൵ DQG faculty looking for a private and safe environment to take care of themselves and their child: Boyce Hall (2410), Pierce Hall (2316), Skye Hall (338), Sproul Hall (2113) and Student Success Center (115).

For those who are employed with the school, WKHUH UHPDLQ ¿YH ORFDWLRQV ZLWK UHVWULFWHG DFFHVV Bourns College of Engineering-Winston Chung Hall (214), Child Development Center, Center for Environmental Research and Technology, UniverVLW\ RI &DOLIRUQLD 2൶FH RI WKH 3UHVLGHQW 8&23 IntelliCenter, and Multidisciplinary Research Building. These rooms provide a multitude of amenities that include a fridge, table, chairs, microwave, outlets and medical grade breast pump!

If you, or anyone is looking for a sanitary and safe environment to pump, or feed, please consider H these UCR locations! Ŷ

(EASY)

Skye Hall Natalie Dahl / The Highlander

STUDENT POLL QUESTION: What is something your mom did for you as a kid that you hope never stops?

Answer our weekly question on the Highlander Instagram for the opportunity to get featured in the next issue!

My mom would always help me see the light in frustrating situations.

Jasmine L.

Arroz con leche.

Alonzo M.

Cut fruit for me.

Afra A.

Fried shrimp.

Simon N.

Put oil in my hair and massage my scalp.

Henna P. ŶH

GRAPHICS BY LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

13

ŶH

COURTESY OF FLICKR

BIRTHSTONES

BY NATALIE IE DAHL FEATURES EDITOR

ANSWERS

(DON’T PEEK!) MAIN ST Across 1. Making waves 6. Varnish ingredient 9. Tuck away 13. Youngster 14. Freudian topic 15. American singer-songwriter “_____ Brooks” 16. Overhangs 17. Modus operandi 18. All worked up 19. April birthstone 21. August birthstone 23. Tax form info: Abbr.

24. “___ Lang Syne” 25. Lentil dish 28. It’s soothing

*UDE FR൵HH SHUKDSV 35. Life lines?

37. Machine parts 39. Up the ante 40. Poison ivy woe 41. Haughty 43. Made, as cotton candy 44. Speck in the ocean 46. Joint with a cap 47. Chinese dollar 48. Sitcom that won 28 Emmys 50. Colored eye part 52. Toilet paper thickness 53. A celebrity may have one 55. Groundskeeper’s

supply 57. November birthstone 61. May birthstone 65. German sub 66. Evil 68. Empty spaces 69. Rips to shreds 70. Antiquity, once 71. Squeezing (out) 72. Former spouses 73. Grassy area 74. Counsels, old style Down 1. Got 100 on 2. Bangkok native 3. Part of the Hindu trinity

4. Fragrant resin 5. Gather on the surface, chemically 6. Bawdy 7. Foreign dignitary ___ Khan 8. Aquatic web-footed rodent 9. Delhi dress 10. Wife who rejects modern feminism 11. “A Man Called ____” 12. Put an edge on 15. Bridge support 20. Civil rights org.

22. “A Nightmare on ___ Street”

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24. Strong-smelling cleanser 25. Architectural column style 26. Embarrass 27. Hosiery material 29. Songbird 31. “Piece of cake!”

32. Tilt toward the sky 33. Like some suspects 34. Small change 36. “My Country, ‘Tis of ____” 38. Litigant 42. Voltaire’s faith 45. Pride and prejudice, for example

49. Juliet, to Romeo 51. To any known extent 54. Riot 56. Kendrick’s enemy 57. Medical breakthrough 58. Surefooted goat 59. Color quality 60. X-ray or physics units 61. Old Icelandic literary work %DWWHU\ ÀXLG 63. Crescent 64. Informal Australian for an entertainingly eccentric person H 67. A pint, maybe Ŷ

14 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

FEATURES

Scotty-Scopes: Your current vibe soundtrack

highlandernews.org/category/features

THE THEME SONG OF MY LIFE RIGHT NOW MUNA IQBAL *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22): “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21): “Creepin’” – Metro Boomin

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21): “First Class” – Jack Harlow

Don’t allow loneliness to hold you back when sadness causes you to withdraw.

Make contact and begin the healing process.

Not knowing can provide momentary serenity, but true growth comes from confronting reality, no matter how GL൶FXOW

The world might be coming for you, but they can’t alpha you. Keep doing what you’re doing while they continue to dream.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19): “The Hills” – The Weeknd

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18): “Ocean Eyes” – Billie Eilish

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20): “Honda Civic ‘98” — Chase Shakur

The hills may have eyes, silently watching. People will judge, but only you know the full truth of your journey, and that’s all that matters.

Those ocean eyes may make you fall, but try not to faceplant. Keep it cool and consider packing a life jacket.

We all have our stresses, even the people around us. But instead of getting caught up in it, just keep moving forward. Don’t worry about changing the topic, just keep going, even if you’re not sure of the next step.

Aries (March 21 – April 19): “Vicious” – Sabrina Carpenter <RX KDYH D ¿HUFH DQG XQVWRSSDEOH HQHUJ\ -XVW OLNH WKH VRQJ \RX ¿QG WKH best in the worst even when there is a big commotion.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20): “Princess Diana” – Ice Spice <RX KDYH WKH FRRO DQG ODLG EDFN FRQ¿dence of the people’s princess. Know your worth just like her and own your space unapologetically.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20): “deja vu” – Olivia Rodrigo Sometimes nostalgia comes back to haunt you, but stay in harmony within yourself and connect with the present.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): “Zombie” – The Cranberries

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22): “Made You Look” – Meghan Trainor

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22): “Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy

6LOHQFH LQ WKH IDFH RI FRQÀLFW LV D QDWXUDO or acceptable response, but I urge you to re-evaluate your understanding or assumptions about what’s happening.

:KHQ \RX ¿QG VRPHWKLQJ WKDW OLJKWV \RX up, makes you feel alive or challenges you in a positive way, don’t let it fade.

If you have a terrible habit, don’t bite your tongue. Even if you don’t know ZKDW¶V DKHDG ZDON ZLWK FRQ¿GHQFH Not knowing just means you’re still becoming. ŶH LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

15

Why you should learn to code JOY MARCOTTE *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

When you hear about cod- existence of a tool that just ing or programming, you happens to do what you need might picture brain-twisting it to, when you can just make lines of nonsense on a com- it yourself instead. puter, and understandably so. $OWKRXJK \RX PLJKW QRW ¿QG Programming can teach you how to solve problems. computer programming to be particularly useful or enOnce you’ve decided on joyable, I’m here to convince you to give it a try, because what tool you make and open it’ll teach you unexpectedly an online tutorial, you’re now useful things you can apply faced with a problem to solve. in college or life in general. By “how to think”, Degus Not only can it teach you how means computational thinkto take full advantage of your ing, which is a way of thinkphone and computer, it’ll also ing about problems systemteach you how to better solve atically and logically. Now, problems and face failure. picture this: you want your program to reverse the numProgramming can teach you ber 12345. This is very intuihow to take full advantage of tive for you: just write down your computer’s capabilities. 54321.

Computers help us be How would you explain PRUH H൶FLHQW LQ RXU GD\ WR this to a computer more preday lives. If you have a class cisely? According to computhat’s graded in a strange tational thinking, you will ZD\ DQG \RX FDQ¶W ¿QG DQ need to break down the probRQOLQH JUDGH FDOFXODWRU WR ¿W lem into simpler steps. This it exactly, save yourself the is where you start thinking trouble of typing in your cal- about the steps you actually culator over and over again, take to write down 54321: and make the tool yourself! looking at each digit from the If you need to manage a com- back and writing it down in munity without it taking up the front. This is where you all your free time, program a begin to form an algorithm Discord bot to do it for you! with computational thinking.

With programming, you can Once you come up with a instruct your computer to precise solution, you can now follow exactly what you told translate it into code. Learnit to do, and you can make ing computational thinking DQ\ WRRO WR ¿W \RXU QHHGV ,W¶OO can help you in areas outside allow you to rely less on the

of programming as well. If you’re solving a complicated math problem, breaking down the process into familiar steps can help you better understand the solution. If you need to plan a big event or outing, make sure you’re VSHFL¿F DERXW ZKDW LV KDSpening at any given time, like who needs to buy which items, or how you’re going to get from one place to another.

ger person. If you’re threading a needle or even applying for jobs, which you might need to try over and over DJDLQ \RX PLJKW ¿QG WKDW HDFK IDLOXUH D൵HFWV \RX OHVV because you’ve learned from your mistakes.

Where to Start

If I successfully convinced you to pick up programming, here are a few places to start.

Programming can teach you You may have heard that how to fail. programming can be done LQ GL൵HUHQW ODQJXDJHV ZLWK You’ve tried running your C++, Python and JavaScript code, but it doesn’t work. Dis- being particularly popular. appointingly, your computer These languages are all great gave you a number like 15 places to start with programinstead of 54321. Here’s the ming. While the basic conthing, though: programs al- cepts are essentially the same PRVW QHYHU ZRUN RQ WKH ¿UVW in most languages, they begin try. In order to get it to work, to diverge in more advanced \RX¶OO KDYH WR ¿[ LW RYHU DQG projects where each language over again. The debugging VKLQHV LQ GL൵HUHQW DUHDV FRGH ¿[LQJ SURFHVV LV LQThere are lots of great reevitably tough and gruelling. sources available on campus Instead of giving up immedi- online. If you can make space ately, you’ll need to examine in your schedule for a ComHDFK HUURU WR ¿JXUH RXW ZKDW puter Science course on camwent wrong, until your code pus, go for it! The CS009 se¿QDOO\ ZRUNV ries covers Python, while the This will train you to view CS010 series teaches C++. each failure as an opportu- Otherwise, online learning QLW\ WR OHDUQ DQG ¿[ WKH SURE- sites such as CodeCademy, lem, instead of a negative re- DataCamp and GeeksforÀHFWLRQ RQ \RXUVHOI %XLOGLQJ *HHNV R൵HU IUHH FRXUVHV IRU mental resilience and adjust- you to try your hand at proLQJ \RXU PLQGVHW LV GL൶FXOW gramming. Happy coding! Ŷ but you’ll come out a stron-

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ORANGE THE PRACTICAL USES OF ST COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR YOUR LIFE.

COURTESY OF FREEPIK

16 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

FEATURES

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Club Spotlight: The humanitarian organization, Tzu Ching A CLUB DEVOTED TO HELPING OTHERS RACHEL KO *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

If you’re looking for a tight-knit community and want to help those in need, then you’re in luck, because the Tzu Ching club here at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is perfect for that.

Tzu Ching, established in 2014, is the collegiate chapter of a larger parent organization, known as the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, and is a humanitarian organization dedicated to making the world a better place through acts of service and love.

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing the Tzu Ching president Melinda Wu, who explained that the name Tzu Ching directly translates to “compassionate youth” in Mandarin and that the organization is wholly committed to its four great missions: charity, medical, education and humanistic culture.

On UCR’s campus, the Tzu Ching chapter strives to provide support for not only the Inland Empire community but also to anyone else in need. Although Tzu Ching is based on Buddhist beliefs, the club is made up of students from diverse backgrounds, and anyone is free and encouraged to join. “We welcome people from all backgrounds and religions — we beOLHYH VHOÀHVVQHVV DQG D GHVLUH WR serve their community can come from anyone,” shares Melinda.

By now, you might be interested in joining the club but wondering on how to get involved. Look no further, because Tzu Ching regularly hosts volunteering opportunities that you can participate in! The club takes part in various service events such as food distributions in San Bernardino, where they do-

nate canned goods and fresh produce to families in need.

7R IXO¿O WKHLU PLVVLRQ RI SURviding medical care, Tzu Ching also volunteers once per quarter in medical outreaches where they offer medical, dental, optometry and pharmacy services to patients, free of charge with no need for insurance. If you’re a student who wants to pursue a career in the medical ¿HOG WKLV LV D ZLQ ZLQ VLWXDWLRQ IRU you: you get to work with both patients and healthcare professionals, and also do something meaningful for the community!

One of their more recent events was with the Inland Tzu Chi Youth Association Chapter, an organization for middle and high school students in the Inland Empire.

Together, they did a trail cleanup at Mount Rubidoux, and Melinda

UHÀHFWV ³>ZH@ HQMR\HG FRQQHFWLQJ with the Tzu Shao students and learning about the unique volunteer activities they participate in within their own chapter.” She hopes that the students will continue their Tzu Chi journey beyond grade school.

UCR Tzu Ching is special in many ways. Their humble dedication to serving others with compassion is beyond compare, and besides its four great missions, the club also focuses on fostering a healthy and friendly community.

Here, you get to meet like-minded individuals who all have a desire to help people in need. If you’re curious about Tzu Ching, you can follow their Instagram page @ ucrtzuching to stay updated about volunteering opportunities and meetings! ŶH

Burgers and Flannels: feeding Riverside in cowboy fashion FARMER BOYS’ FARMSTAND POP-UP PARTY CELEBRATING AFFORDABLE FOOD GABRIELA GALVAN (ZZPZ[HU[ -LH[\YLZ ,KP[VY

Overalls on deck and green thumbs in hand, the countryside is in town! And who better to take the horses reins than Farmer Boys themselves! Looking to celebrate their new Farmstand )UHVK $൵RUGDEOH 0HQX Farmer Boys, in collaboration with Feeding America Riverside, alleviates the anticipation of its fans by hosting a “Farmstand” style pop-up party at its Moreno Valley location.

Honoring its Inland Empire origins, the event on April 5 marked a day in Farmer Boys history in which families from around the county experienced a taste of great food and community.

Greeted by a makeshift IDUPVWDQG ¿OOHG ZLWK FUDWHV of fresh produce and hay bales, guests were transformed from suburbanites into country folk! Working with a team of around 15 to 20 people, Noah Chillingworth, Farmer Boys Chief 0DUNHWLQJ 2൶FHU ORRNHG to reinforce the connection

between the company and its communities by engaging with guests through high spirit events and delicious food.

Recalling the event, Chillingworth shares, “They were able to experience just a lot of fun events in terms of prizes, photo booths, face painting and balloons for the kids. Just a lot of great opportunities for giveaways.” Amongst the giveaway prizes were a half-dozen eggs on their Wheel of Freshness, while other activities included games for a chance to win merchandise and gift cards!

With over 700 people in attendance, Farmer Boys and Feeding America Riverside made a lasting impression on the meaning of food insecurity within the community. On behalf of the attendees, 282 pounds of canned food were donated, equal to that of 235 meals. Farmer Boys introduction of their new menu and Feeding America’s food GULYH UHLQIRUFHV WKDW D൵RUG-

able, good and quality food always be available to those struggling with food insecurity; their collaborative H൵RUWV FRPH WR FKDOOHQJH D community wide hardship often overlooked by big food corporations.

Chillingworth recalls the H൵RUWV ERWK )DUPHU %R\V and Feeding America share to battle hunger in the county, “What Feeding America does in terms of providing food, providing resources, and helping people be fed is such important work. As a restaurant, there couldn’t be PRUH RI D SHUIHFW ¿W IRU XV since that’s what we do, is feed people… And what we want to do is support them and their cause.”

The overwhelming success of the event called for a tour around the western states. Moving around its home state of California, the Farmstand Pop-Up 3DUW\ DQG LWV H൵RUWV WR LQWURGXFH D൵RUGDEOH PHDOV for everyone will continue through Nevada and Arizona! ŶH

COURTESY OF FARMER BOYS

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FEATURES

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TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

How to write a professional email to a professor THE NOT-SO-SECRET, SECRET ART OF A GOOD EMAIL. COURTESY OF FREEPIK

LENNY THAI *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

Emails, we all get them.

Whether you read them or let them accumulate in your inbox, it’s undeniable that emails play a large role in digital communication, especially to contact professors. If you aren’t NHHQ RQ JRLQJ WR R൶FH KRXUV sending a quick email to your professor is the best way to get hold of them. How you write emails to your professor makes a big impression, good or bad.

You want to make that good impression, so keep reading if you’re struggling to start that draft!

7KH ¿UVW VWHS WR ZULWLQJ D JRRG HPDLO LV ¿JXULQJ RXW ZK\ \RX want to email your professor in WKH ¿UVW SODFH &RPPRQ UHDVRQV to email a professor are to ask for excuses from class, help in a class, research opportunities and/or general questions about a course. You’ve decided on the topic, now you have to

communicate it through the subject line.

Your subject line acts as a preview to the contents of your email. Strong subject lines look like “Absence from class on 5/1” or “Extension Request for Assignment 2”. A weak subject line looks like: “Going to be absent from class this week” or “Can I get an extension?” You see how the strong subject lines can directly state what your email is about, while the weak subject lines are vague and wordy.

Next is the process of writing out the rest of the email. Make sure to consistently use a formal tone as you begin typing out your message. Start with a greeting, such as “Dear,” “Good morning” or “Hello,” followed by “Dr.” or “Professor.” Do not address your professor using “Mister,” “Ms.” or “Mrs.” If you’re unsure of their title, default to “Professor.”

You may optionally open with a pleasantry, such as saying

you hope they had a great weekend, but not including one isn’t the end of the world.

After your greeting is the body of the email. Identify yourself at this point so your professor knows who they’re talking to.

As for the rest of the email, you want to keep it short and simple because if you wouldn’t read all WKDW \RXU SURIHVVRUV GH¿QLWHO\ don’t want to either.

The length of your body can vary based on the message, but it shouldn’t be longer than a paragraph. To prevent yourself from writing an essay in an email, always include the information that your professor needs to know and omit what they don’t need to know.

6LJQLQJ R൵ \RXU HPDLO LV much more relaxed, as you can FXVWRPL]H WKH VLJQ R൵ KRZHYHU you like. Some people simply VLJQ R൵ ZLWK WKHLU QDPHV while others use “Regards,” “Sincerely,” “Thanks,” etc.

You can be fancy and include a signature, though this is

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uncommon. Once you’re done, proofread what you’ve written and run a spell check through it.

If everything looks acceptable, send your email and wait patiently for the response.

The rule of thumb is to wait up to three business days for a response, not including holidays. After three business days pass and there’s no response, reply to the original HPDLO WR FRQ¿UP WKDW WKH\¶YH received it. If this still doesn’t get you a response, you can go WR R൶FH KRXUV RU WDON WR \RXU professor directly after class.

Though this advice is geared toward emailing professors, it can also be applied to work or any situation where you need to write a professional email.

The guidelines are roughly the same; formal tone and succinct messaging are key characteristics that will help you succeed beyond your time at college. ŶH

17

18 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

FEATURES

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Features Fiction: Bereaved and grief It was the musty, dark garage with two tiny windows. Sort of squareish in shape.

No one needed a guru to tell what Aaliyah’s favorite place had been.

To her, it had been the world. It had seemed that the whole earth with all its seven billion people ¿W LQWR WKDW WLQ\ RIWHQ overlooked room. And now that she was gone, it felt so odd.

No one had ever understood why she liked the room. Daniel vividly remembered all the times he had met his daughter huddled up in the corner, staring out the oblong-ish windows. He had wanted to pull her out, wanted her to have friends other than his old tools. It

had bothered him what the gloomy room was doing to his daughter’s psyche. And so now, it felt quite weird now that he was sitting here looking at those same old tools, wishing that she had been huddled in that corner like the past nine years.

But like it seemed, Aaliyah was never coming back to her favorite place.

To the far left was a box covered with tarp.

Daniel frowned, not liking how he couldn’t recall ever putting it in there. It was greenishblue in color, something Aaliyah would call Aqua. He walked over DQG SXOOHG LW R൵ XQYHLOing something that struck

him somewhere between marvelous and sad.

It was full of her paintings. Those of the sky, the earth, and the rain.

Colors that were familiar enough to send tears falling. Tears that hadn’t fallen even when his little girl had stopped breathing.

His chest felt hot, something wedging in there, as he remembered all the times he had thought this room unnecessary and his daughter as strange. But there was no going back, was there? It was sad. Regret, the dark green kind.

Daniel was sure he could have done better. Pitiful, perhaps. And even sadder was that that was all it could ever be. ŶH

PAULA ONOHI OMOKHOMION *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

A STORY ABOUT A FATHER WHO COMES BACK TO THE GRIEF OF LOSING HIS DAUGHTER. COURTESY OF PICRYL

COURTESY OF PICRYL

Wafa Wonders: The Cookie A COLUMN FOR THE QUIETLY CONFUSED AND CASUALLY CURIOUS WAFA SUHIR *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

As the youngest in my family, moving to SoCal for college was nerve-wracking for everyone, especially my mom.

She constantly reminded me to “mind my manners” around my roommate, since it was my ¿UVW WLPH VKDULQJ D VSDFH ZLWK a stranger. Half-joking, she’d warn that my roommate would “beat me up in my sleep” if I left clothes lying around or GLGQ¶W WXUQ R൵ P\ GHDIHQLQJ 5:45 a.m. alarm.

But even her most imaginative warnings didn’t prepare me for my roommate’s most unhinged trait: her obsession ZLWK EOLQG ER[ ¿JXULQHV $QG worse, her desire to hide one somewhere on my side of the room.

Thus began the cookie. A FKRFRODWH FKLS FRRNLH ¿JXrine, no taller than an inch and a half, with bulging rosy cheeks and a menacing grin far too detailed for a dessert.

When I told her it unsettled me, she promised to move it somewhere I wouldn’t see.

I didn’t realize that meant it would begin…migrating.

The thing is, I’ve never actually seen it again. Yet my roommate swears it’s there.

She’ll casually drop hints: “Oh, I moved the cookie again,” or “He’s gonna getcha,” as I climb into bed.

Sometimes she stares a little too long, smiling in that slow, deliberate way that makes you wonder if it’s all a game. I wonder if she is actually hiding it or just playing some long, cruel psychological prank.

I’ve spent full weekends alone, desperate, rummaging through drawers and peering under furniture, searching for the abomination. But it’s always one step ahead, lurking, waiting.

And yet I know it’s still here.

Today, I live in fear, not just DV D ORVW ¿UVW WLPH FROOHJH VWXdent, but as Man, haunted by what might be lurking beneath my bed: a cookie. ŶH

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

RADAR

RADAR

MAY 13, 2025 19

courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The ‘Mamma Mia!’ franchise is the ideal post-Mother’s Day re-watch MOTHER’S DAY MAY COME ONLY ONCE A YEAR, BUT THERE IS NEVER A BETTER TIME TO WATCH THIS LIGHTHEARTED, JOYFUL DRAMA OF A MOTHER’S PAST LOVE LIFE. Madison Zepeda Contributing Writer

M

other’s Day mi might ighht be over, but movies and shows that honor the holiday spirit ensure that appreciating Mom never goes out of style!

However, after the celebration ends, there is only one franchise that can encapsulate the mood better than dessert: “Mamma Mia!” Released in 2008 and based on the popular stage muVLFDO WKH ¿UVW ¿OP LQ WKH franchise made roughly $611 million worldwide DW WKH ER[ RI¿FH ,WV follow-up, the aptly titled “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” made over $395 PLOOLRQ ZRUOGZLGH 8QWLO recently, “Mamma Mia!” was also “the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in JOREDO ER[ RI¿FH KLVWRU\ ´ an achievement that can’t EH GLPLQLVKHG At its center, a combination of situational hijinks, highspirited musical numbers and sincere character relationships gives the series everything it needs to be a VXUH¿UH KLW %XW VLQFH WKH devil is in the details, here are three major reasons as to why the “Mamma Mia!” franchise is the ultimate 0RWKHU¶V 'D\ UH ZDWFK If there has ever been a more XSEHDW DQG FHOHEUDWRU\ ¿OP than the original “Mamma

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ly understated eed d, bu bbut ut its eem mounderstated, emotional impact will leave one tearfully reminiscing about their own fond memories ZLWK 0RP IRU GD\V WR FRPH ZLWK 0RP IRU GD\V WR FRPH ,I WKH ¿UVW ¿OP LQ WKH ³0DPma Mia” franchise fails to pull at one’s heartstrings, then the sequel is sure to take on that challenge to the IXOOHVW H[WHQW 6LQFH ³+HUH We Go Again” examines Donna’s (Lily James) early life as she meets Sophie's potential fathers through similarly quirky events, the viewer relates to her in D QHZ ZD\ 6SRWOLJKWLQJ Donna’s younger years adds more context (and interest) to the headstrong woman ZH ¿UVW HQFRXQWHU DV PXFK more reserved and emotionDOO\ VSHQW

feelings to the surface for any viewer relating to Sophie and Donna’s motherGDXJKWHU UHODWLRQVKLS Put frankly, “Mamma Mia” DQG LWV VHTXHO DUH ¿OPV WKDW never set out to win Oscars or impress highly critical FULWLFV 7KH ¿UVW ¿OP¶V URWten tomatoes score of 55% DORQH FDQ DWWHVW WR WKDW IDFW But it’s these “rotten” aspects that make the franFKLVH ZKDW LW LV

The most outlandish moments in “Mamma Mia” and “Here We Go Again,” which includes Cher’s role as the older Donna’s mother, create a distinctive XQLTXHQHVV WR ERWK ¿OPV Just as the Star Wars prequels became uniquely beloved for their goofy CGI Arguably, this version of and cringy dialogue, so too Donna paired with the reap- is the “Mamma Mia” franpearance of Streep’s Donna chise known for its “campy provides the strongest emo- WRQH´ RYHUDOO WLRQDO EHDWV $V WKH ROGHU Donna sings “My Love, So now that Mother’s Day My Life” to Sophie, now is done, queue up the only a mother herself, the poi- WZR ¿OPV WKDW FDQ KRQRU gnancy of their relationship Mom and her inner DancIURP WKH ¿UVW ¿OP VXFFHVV- ing Queen at the same exact fully carries over to the sec- WLPH ŶH RQG 7KLV UHYHUVDO RI SODFHV in more ways than one, thus brings another kind of relatability to their relationship IRU WKH YLHZHU 8OWLPDWHO\ the particular focus on Donna’s character in the second ¿OP PD\ EULQJ D ZDYH RI

20 MAY 13, 2025

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

A local display of literary excellence ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN SEVERELY LIMITED IN SEVERAL STATES IMPACTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS Maribel Gamez Radar Editor

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onday, May 5 be enjoyed in-person, facilimarked the com- tating engagement between mencement of the literature enthusiasts and a University of California, SOHWKRUD RI ZULWHUV Riverside (UCR) 48th annuDO :ULWHUV :HHN 7KH UHWXUQ- In close quarters, brought ing longest-running, free together by a shared apliterary festival was held preciation of literature, the in Interdisciplinary South 48th Annual Writers Week (INTS 1113), with no alter- returned with a diversity QDWLYHV WR MRLQ RYHU ]RRP of author panels, featurThrough the strife of disrup- ing promising and distintion caused by the pandemic guished writers: Xochitlin 2024, The Creative Writ- Julisa Bermejo, Jos Charles, ing Deprtment’s remarkable Geoffrey Dyer, Jennifer Esefforts took the event global SLQR]D %ODV )DOFRQHU (Gby making it virtually ac- gar Gomez, Jean Guerrero, FHVVLEOH 7KLV \HDU KRZHY- Bret Anthony Johnston, er, attendees were reminded Erin Marie Lynch, Sarah of the precedent set by the Manguso, Maggie Nelson, 1st Annual Writers Week in Lilliam Rivera and Steven 1977, which was meant to 6KDYLUR Bobbi Mandour & Maribel Gamez // THE HIGHLANDER

DAY ONE: MONDAY, MAY 5TH: Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo’s “Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites” and “Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge” were featured works IRU WKH S P SDQHO $V WKH GDXJKWHU RI 0H[LFDQ LPPLJUDQWV UDLVHG LQ San Gabriel, California, Bermejo lets her Chicana experience guide her ZULWLQJ PDQ\ RI ZKLFK FDQ EH IRXQG LQ 7KH 2I¿QJ $PHULFDQ 3RHWU\ Review, Acentos Review, [PANK] Magazine, VIBE, Huizache, About 3ODFH -RXUQDO &DO\[ 6DQWD )H :ULWHUV 3URMHFW DQG RWKHU SXEOLFDWLRQV

Courtesy of Mouthfeel Press

Llilima Rivera’s “Tiny threads” concluded the third panel of the day, VFKHGXOHG DW S P /OLOLPD 5LYHUD LV DQ DZDUG ZLQQLQJ DXWKRU ZLWK many of her books featured in NPR, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, WKH 1HZ <RUN 7LPHV DQG RWKHU QRWDEOH SXEOLFDWLRQV +HU PRVW UHFHQW book, “Tiny Threads,” will be released on June 24, 2025, except for copies provided at the book signing following the Q&A and reading SDQHO ³7LQ\ 7KUHDGV´ IROORZV D \RXQJ IHPDOH SURWDJRQLVW ODQGLQJ WKH job of her dreams, only to discover a dark supernatural twist to the JODPRURXV ZRUOG RI IDVKLRQ

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

Jean Guerrero’s “Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir” and "Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda” KHDGOLQHG WKH ¿UVW SDQHO VFKHGXOHG DW D P *XHUUHUR LV ZLGHO\ recognized for her extensive experience as an investigative journalist, reporting on various topics for The New York Times, Los Angeles 7LPHV 9DQLW\ )DLU 3ROLWLFR 7KH 1DWLRQ :LUHG 7KH :DVKLQJWRQ 3RVW .3%6 DQG PRUH

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

As an award-winning reporter, her career has explored family separations at the border, Trump’s wall, deportations and migration— topics RI LQWHUHVW WKDW VKH UHÀHFWV RQ PRUH LQWLPDWHO\ IRU KHU GHEXW ERRN ³&UX[ $ &URVV %RUGHU 0HPRLU ´ ,Q &UX[ *XHUUHUR XVHV ¿FWLRQ WR WUDFH DQ inevitable self-exploration that transcends the physical crossing of the 8 6 0H[LFR ERUGHU WR DGGUHVV WKH UHODWLRQVKLS EHWZHHQ KHUVHOI DQG her father, and the embodiment of trauma that manifests through his PHQWDO LOOQHVV +DWHPRQJHU 6WHSKHQ 0LOOHU 'RQDOG 7UXPS DQG WKH White Nationalist Agenda” takes on a more journalistic approach in examining prevailing nationalism and racism in the 21st century

Her debut collection, “Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge,” takes readers through real and imaginative borders to reconstruct her family KLVWRU\ %HUPHMR DUWLFXODWHV YLVFHUDO PHPRULHV DQG EHDUV ZLWQHVV WR VWRULHV RI IHPLQLVW VROLGDULW\ UHIXJH DQG VRFLDO MXVWLFH %HUPHMR¶V ODWHVW collection, “Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites,” explores United States monument sites with traumatic histories, offering poems of love, IDPLO\ DQG IULHQGV DV VWRULHV RI UHVLVWDQFH DQG UHVLOLHQFH

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

MAY 13, 2025 21 Erin Marie Lynch’s “Removal Acts” (2023)

DAY TWO: TUESDAY, MAY 6TH: UCR alumni Jennifer Espinoza’s “I Don’t Want to Be Understood,” ³,¶P $OLYH ,W +XUWV ³ ³, /RYH ,W´ DQG 7+(5( 6+28/' %( )/2:(56´ ZHUH DOO VSRWOLJKWHG ZRUNV LQ WKH D P TXHVWLRQ DQG DQVZHU SDQHO DQG UHDGLQJ -HQQLIHU (VSLQR]D KROGV DQ 0)$ LQ 3RHWU\ IURP 8&5 DQG LV FXUUHQWO\ D SURIHVVRU RI FUHDWLYH ZULWLQJ (VSLQR]D¶V ODWHVW book, “I Don’t Want to Be Understood,” draws from her life experiHQFH WUDFLQJ EDFN IURP FKLOGKRRG WR DGXOWKRRG This collection of poems works as a personal archive of transsexual exSHULHQFH (DFK SRHP LV XQDSRORJHWLFDOO\ KXPDQ FKDOOHQJLQJ FRQYHQtional narratives by questioning the limitations placed on what it means WR EH KXPDQ (VSLQR]D¶V SRHP ³$''(1'80´ GHOLYHUV D FRPSHOOLQJ timeline of her journey of self-acceptance and survival, with a striking ¿QDO OLQH ³WKLV LV KRZ L EHFDPH D SRHW L PDGH P\VHOI ¿JKW H[FHSWLRQDOO\ KDUG WR ORYH PH ´ Courtesy of Alice James Books

Courtesy of Erin Marie Lynch’s Instagram %ODV )DOFRQHU¶V ³ 5DUD $YLV´

*HRIIUH\ '\HU¶V ³7KH /DVW 'D\V RI 5RJHU )HGHUHU DQG 2WKHU (QGLQJV´ was the main book of focus, along with a brief mentions of his other works “Jeff in Venice,” Death in Varanasi,” “But Beautiful,” “Out of Sheer Rage” and “Homework (forthcoming)” for the second session DW S P ,Q ³7KH /DVW 'D\V RI 5RJHU )HGHUHU DQG 2WKHU (QGLQJV ´ '\HU H[amines the concept of endings in the last days and last works of artLVWV DQG DWKOHWHV FDUHHUV DQG LQHYLWDEO\ UHÀHFWV RQ KLV RZQ OLIH DV D ZULWHU E\ UHFRQVWUXFWLQJ PHPRULHV '\HU¶V WKHPHV DOORZ KLP WR URDP XQUHVWULFWHG )URP WKH ¿UVW SDJH KH HQJDJHV UHDGHUV ZLWK DQ XQFRQventional narrative style, omitting an introduction and clear chapter titles to reel readers into a journey of beginnings, endings and perhaps « HQGOHVVQHVV Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

6WHYHQ 6KDYLUR¶V ³)OXLG )XWXUHV 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ DQG 3RWHQWLDOLW\´ IROORZHG DIWHU DV WKH WKLUG VHVVLRQ RI WKH GD\ DW S P 6WHYHQ 6KDYLUR LV EHVW NQRZQ IRU KLV VFKRODUVKLS LQ WKH HPHUJLQJ ¿HOG RI 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ +H ZDV PRVW UHFHQWO\ DZDUGHG WKH 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ 5HVHDUFK $VVRFLDWLRQ 6)5$ $ZDUG IRU /LIHWLPH &RQWULEXWLRQV WR 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ LQ ³)OXLG )XWXUHV 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ DQG 3RWHQWLDOLW\´ DGGUHVVHV futurity by observing the tools of extrapolation, speculation and fabulation within the context of unfolding future possibilities that our presHQW FRQGLWLRQV LPSOLFLWO\ VXJJHVW ³)OXLG )XWXUHV 6FLHQFH )LFWLRQ DQG Potentiality” is brilliantly thought-provoking, inviting readers to conWHPSODWH KLV H[DPSOHV RI SKLORVRSK\ ¿OP DQDO\VLV DQG FORVH UHDGLQJV WR FRQVLGHU WKH H[LVWLQJ FRQFHSWV LQ VFLHQFH ¿FWLRQ WH[WV

Courtesy of Goodreads Bret Anthony Johnson’s “We Burn Daylight” (2024)

Courtesy of Repeater Books

MAY 7TH & 8TH FEATURED WORKS: Courtesy of Apple Books Jos Charles’“a Year & other poems”(2022)

Sarah Manguso’s “Liars” (2024)

Edgar Gomez’s “Alligator Tears”(2025)

Maggie Nelson’s “Like Love: Essays and Conversations”(2024)

Courtesy of Jos Charles Instagram

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

Courtesy of Time

22 MAY 13, 2025

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‘We Live In A Society’ is no joke of an EP Stela Noelle Abasta Contributing Writer

The new collaborative release by Flume and JPEGMAFIA is an unexpected but worthwhile commentary on what it means to be a human.

On May 2, producer Flume and artist JPEGMAFIA released an EP titled, “We Live In A Society.” The title of the EP, assumingly named in reference to the popular Joker meme, is not the only unique part of the release.

It is a four-track EP full of unexpectedly catchy sounds.

Flume is known for his iconic collaboration that birthed the 2016 banger, “Never Be Like You (feat. Kai).”

JPEGMAFIA is recognized for his distinct sound and ÀRZ HQMR\HG E\ PXVLF HQWKXVLDVWV DQG FDVXDO OLVWHQHUV DOLNH 7KH WZR ¿UVW FROODERUDWHG RQ D WUDFN WRJHWKHU LQ 2019 on a song titled, “How To Build A Relationship.”

The introduction to the EP, “Track 1,” shows listeners what it’s like to collaborate on a song. It’s accompaQLHG E\ D IXQ DQLPDWHG YLGHR RQ <RX7XEH 7KH ¿UVW IRXU minutes of it consists of Flume and JPEGMAFIA messing around in the studio, exchanging playful banter during a jam session. Flume shows JPEGMAFIA different experimental beats he’s been working on, all of which the rapper doesn’t like very much, before they both agree on one beat, which takes up the rest of the song.

On the topic of this song, JPEGMAFIA informed his audience, “This track is one of many that Flume and I created back in early 2023. While our musical paths have since GLYHUJHG DQG WKLV WUDFN GRHVQ¶W UHÀHFW ZKHUH , DP FUHatively in 2025 and beyond, I’m always proud of the music Flume and I make together. Maybe one day soon, we’ll release the rest of it. Who knows — we live in a society.”

The purpose of this song being included on this EP LV YHU\ FOHDU ² QR PDWWHU KRZ PXFK DUWL¿FLDO LQWHOOLgence (AI) can try, it can never recreate real human collaboration. AI can never replicate what it’s like to write a song together, choreograph a dance together, direct a movie together, or, in this case, create an EP together.

An AI video of two people shaking hands was used for the Spotify banners of three out of the four songs of this project. Some fans are disappointed by this, but it was intentional to show that AI could never replicate the joy of human collaboration (like in this EP) without it being strange. However, it missed the mark with a lot of listeners.

The duo joking back and forth about a “good” beat emphasizes how something that is “good” is completely subjective and based on the human perspective. AI does not know what is truly “good” art, so it spits out slop that it thinks humans enjoy — such as the Studio Ghibli “art” trend that’s running rampant on TikTok and X. Within the “actual” song, after the banter, a person says over the beat, “How it’s supposed to feel.” Again, connecting this line to the story that this EP is trying to tell, Flume seems to be implying that this is how real music is supposed to sound — and this is how real art is supposed to impact its listeners, by inducing feelings that AI is unable to.

It’s the only “lyric” of the song, which some fans are disappointed about, hoping that JPEGMAFIA would rap over it. Others feel that highlighting Flume’s production skills was a valid choice. Still, many are disappointed as the video was released before the actual EP, so fans assumed the video was a promotional teaser, and the “full” version of the song would be released as part of the EP. However, that was not the case. Many await for Flume to release the full version without the talking, so listeners don’t have to skip four minutes of the song just to get to the “good” part.

The second track, “Is It Real (feat. Ravyn Lenae),” is the best one on the EP. Out of the four songs, this one is especially catchy. This is credited mainly to the smooth voice of the featured vocalist, Ravyn Lenae.

Listeners may not recognize Lenae’s name right away. +RZHYHU E\ ORRNLQJ DW KHU DUWLVW SUR¿OH WKH\ FDQ VHH that she is the singer of the catchy and cutesy number “Love Me Not,” which is currently trending on TikTok. The track begins with a record scratch before JPEGMAFIA says the song’s title, his voice heavily autotuned and echoing: “Tell me how it feels / Now tell me, is it real?” This is likely a reference to the previous track’s lyrics. The beat drops before the piano backs Ravyn Lenae, who sings the only verse. A lyric in this verse is “I play to win.” This is a play on words of the phrase “pay to win,” which is used to refer to paying for overpowered (OP) abilities or items in a video game in order to win in that game. This can be compared to people paying for things like premium ChatGPT to cheat on school

assignments, for example. Renae implies that trying one’s best is much more valuable than just paying to win.

If listeners were not convinced to stay and listen DIWHU WKH ¿UVW WUDFN WKH\ ZLOO GH¿QLWHO\ KDYH WR VWD\ WR listen to Lenae’s dulcet voice. Her soft tone contrasts nicely with the heavy electronic sound of the chorus.

Her singing style is beautiful, and it sticks in the listener’s head without fail. Her voice is autotuned in the pre-chorus, but it doesn’t take away from its loveliness in the slightest. The lyrics are feel-good, encouraging OLVWHQHUV WR MDP DORQJ ZLWK FRQ¿GHQFH IHHOLQJ WKHPselves and being proud of what makes them human.

Lenae’s bridge is more about living it up while you can, something that many college students relate to. She almost sounds like she’s whispering on the bridge, which is even more pronounced when the pre-chorus and bridge are layered together. As for the backing track during the bridge, the well-known “clap” sound keeps the beat, which further highlights Lenae’s sweet voice. This was an incredibly smart choice, because it would have less impact if there was the noisy beat to back it up, but it would also be quite strange if it were completely a cappella.

After the bridge, the track builds up before JPEGMAFIA comes back with the chorus before the song ends, some quirky sound effects added in, making the song sound even more electronic. This can be in reference to real art being lost to and taken over by AI. Overall, this is a solid number to add to that pregame playlist.

The second-to-last song, “AI Girlfriend,” is interesting, falling under the genre of industrial hip-hop. The title likely throws listeners off from the get-go, and the lyrics don’t

encourage critics to take this track too seriously either. However, it can be listened to as a commentary about the reliance and love for AI in our society as well as simply being a bop in general. Despite AI killing real art in some ways, the concept of AI inspires real art for others, such as this number.

The verses include an intriguing stylistic choice, having the last syllable of some lines repeat and fade into the background or be replaced entirely with exhales. This happens every few lines or so. It’s a highly unique element of the song, and it pays off quite well, cultivating an almost futuristic sound.

The chorus has a distinct drop that is well-loved by ravers. However, lyric-wise, it is simply JPEGMAFIA re-

peating the title of the number, feeling as if it lacks creativity. Though perhaps, some can argue this is the song’s point, referencing how all AI can do is copy over and over again, rather than create something new. This also connects to the last syllable of some of the lyrics being missing and replaced with soft breaths, showing that AI’s attempts at creating art would likely be half-baked and missing essential elements of what makes art really art. $IWHU WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKH FKRUXV SOD\V D URbotic female voice is seemingly talking to JPEGMAFIA, excited about meeting him. Albeit a bit strange, listeners are led to believe this is the song’s intention — society should feel unsettled by AI. The autotune over JPEGMAFIA’s voice is a stylistic choice that is enjoyable as well as intentional. Listeners can infer that he wanted his voice to sound more robotic to emphasize what this number is about. Perhaps this is symbolic of society using and giving power to AI to the point that society is consumed by it, eventually becoming one with it.

The track’s outro described his “AI girlfriend” as “bad luck.” However, despite this, he still wants and admires her. Although AI has many cons in our current day and age, both a layperson and a machine learning enthusiast cannot help but be curious about the new technology that arises, preferring progress over principles.

The EP’s outro number, “The Ocean is Fake,” beJLQV ZLWK D ÀRDW\ VRXQG EHIRUH D FDQGLG FOLS SOD\V and JPEGMAFIA raps a verse. It’s sampled from Headache and Vegyn’s single, “Miss Understood.”

Again, this unusual title makes for some hesitation amongst listeners. However, this can be seen as false LGHDV DQG QDUUDWLYHV VXFK DV WKH (DUWK EHLQJ ÀDW EHLQJ spread in society like a plague. Many people fall victim to being lost in an “ocean” of similar viewpoints, which is hard to escape from online, as algorithms often show users what they want to see. However, this fosters misinformation and eventual disillusionment.

In the introduction, JPEGMAFIA sings, “I don’t even know what’s the season.” This can be a reference to climate change — while people opt for senVDWLRQDOL]HG VWRULHV WKH\ LJQRUH VFLHQWL¿F WUXWKV JPEGMAFIA truly shines in the one verse of this song. He raps, “She come around, but we don’t share the same space.” This connects to this digital day and age PDNHV LW GLI¿FXOW WR IRVWHU UHDO UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK RWKHUV +LV ZRUGV ÀRZ RXW RI KLV PRXWK VR VPRRWKO\ DQG LW¶V evident of what kind of lyricist he is through his plays on words. His laughs as a bit of a candid ad-lib at the end are fun, making the song feel casual and effortlessly cool.

Verdict: Although not well-known by the wider mainstream audience, Flume and JPEGMAFIA’s “We Live In A Society,” is an EP that listeners will enjoy if they are looking for lyrics about the realness of the huH man experience backed by unique, electronic sounds. Ŷ

highlandernews.org/category/radar

RADAR

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

23

KATSEYE’s ‘Gnarly’ employs intentional controversy, but has questionable quality THE GLOBAL GROUP’S WELL-ANTICIPATED COMEBACK SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED FANS, STIRRING UP CONFLICTING DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE SONG. JOANNA SIMON *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

KATSEYE is a “global group” that debuted on June 28, 2024.

They aren’t a K-pop group, but they are partially under HYBE labels, known for producing groups such as BTS. KATSEYE took a drastic turn from their previous concepts — while their songs “Touch” and “Debut” were bright, poppy and leaning towards a cuter aesthetic, “Gnarly” shatters their earlier concept and attempts to surprise audiences with an edgy, “badass” vibe, claiming a satirical air around the song’s lyrics and production.

“Gnarly” is a hardcore electronic song that claims to be hyperpop, ZLWK FOHDU SURGXFWLRQ LQÀXHQFH from the likes of Charli XCX and Sophie. The track has a booming chorus instrumental and disjointed instrumental for verses, and it’s quite catchy. The lyrics have random phrases that revolve around the concept of “gnarly” being a vague adjective that can describe anything, such as boba tea to Tes-

las- the latter being a controversial mention in today’s political climate.

None of the lyrics in the song are serious or insightful despite an attempt at a satirical tone, with chorus lines like “hottie hottie, like a bag of Takis, I’m the shit.”

The song overall is obnoxious in multiple ways. Though it has potential to be enjoyable, and is certainly catchy, the lyrics are the weakest point and so questionably written that the instrumental doesn’t carry the track for many listeners. Despite this, it is a fun song that has appeal when some listeners don’t take it too seriously.

Fans had instantaneous negative reactions to the track, as many were used to their previous concept, so WKLV FDXJKW WKHP R൵ JXDUG +RZever, there was a lot of praise for KATSEYE’s undeniable amazing performance skills and styling, with the music video being well produced. Some listeners ended up enjoying the song after a few days, but it was something that had to grow on them. Even then, many “Gnarly” enjoyers found it hard to defend it

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

as a good track for the group.

An interesting note is that one of the songwriters, Alice Longyu Gao, has an “odd” style of music that seems very similar to “Gnarly.”

Fans of both KATSEYE and Alice asserted that the song would have EHHQ EHWWHU R൵ VWD\LQJ LQ $OLFH¶V discography, as she had more auWKHQWLFLW\ DQG H[SHULHQFH WR SXOO R൵ such a concept.

In general, “Gnarly” tries very hard to critique the pop machine that churns out nonsensical tracks, even

getting into critiquing Hollywood culture- but this fails when they’re linked to both of those things.

VERDICT: “Gnarly” is a relatively catchy song that attempts to critique music industry culture, but ends up having the paradoxical nature of being too commercialized and unpleasantly jarring at the same time. ŶH

Radar Replay: ‘Lady Bird’ and the messiness of identity, teenagehood and parental MAIN ST relationships THIS CULT CLASSIC SERVES AS A HOMAGE TO THE NEVER-ENDING NUANCES OF IDENTITY AND RELATIONSHIPS. NICOLE LOPEZ *VU[YPI\[PUN >YP[LY

The complexities of late teenage-hood, the nuances of exploring one’s identity and dealing with the back-and-forth sentiments of relationships between parents are all encapsulated in one raw and beautiful portrayal, “Lady Bird.”

Released in 2017 and directed E\ *UHWD *HUZLJ WKH ¿OP IROORZV Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she traverses through the uncensored and authentic experiences of a catholic high school girl, accompanied by her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein), and a complicated relationship with KHU PRWKHU 7KURXJK WKLV ¿OP VKH learns what it means to hold herself true to her own identity as Lady Bird — a name she gave herself – DQG ¿QGV RXW KRZ WR QDYLJDWH WKH vague, misunderstood signs of love

that her mother tries to give her.

7KH ¿OP VWDUWV ZLWK D UDWKHU abrupt and shocking scene where Lady Bird jumps out of the car durLQJ D ¿HU\ DUJXPHQW ZLWK KHU PRWKer, since she felt misunderstood and invalidated about her college hopes and plans. In another scene, Lady Bird and her mother argue at the thrift store, since the mother thinks Christine is setting a negative image for their family by dragging her feet. Immediately after yelling at each other, her mother picks up a dress, and they both start admiring it, saying how cute it is — a typical mother-daughter best friend sentiment. The audience is left with an unstable and unpredictable tone as it illustrates their relationship’s full, see-saw image.

Lady Bird is unapologetically KHUVHOI ZLWK WKH ¿OP VKRZLQJ HYHU\ XQ¿OWHUHG DVSHFW RI KHU FKDUDFWHU This authenticity, showing the posi-

tive and negative sides of characWHUV PDNHV WKH ¿OP UHDO DQG LQYHVWV the audience in their lives.

In school, Lady Bird and her best IULHQG -XOLH DUH ZDOOÀRZHUV MRLQing theater and not being “in” with the more popular kids. However, as Lady Bird falls into a rabbit hole of lies about her identity and living situation, in an attempt to make herself more likeable to the richer kids, WKH ¿OP WDNHV RQ WKH FODVV GLYLVLRQ argument and the desperation of having a good image.

Through this, she loses her special connection with her best friend Julie, who mourns the loss of the old Lady Bird. After an epiphany in which Christine decides to stand her ground and end the performance of this persona she had upheld after having a conversation with Kyle (Timothée Chalamet), she returns to Julie, as well as Lady Bird’s authentic, unapologetically imperfect self.

ORANGE ST

Amongst the themes of relationship complexity and identity, “Lady Bird” also depicts the struggle of sexuality, queerness, independence and religious contexts. People of all GL൵HUHQW EDFNJURXQGV DQG H[SHULHQFHV DUH ERXQG WR KDYH WKLV ¿OP resonate in one way or another.

Even if it doesn’t resonate, “Lady Bird” is nothing short of an exceptional inclusion into the coming-ofDJH JHQUH ,W VKRXOG GH¿QLWHO\ EH experienced at least once in everyone’s lives.

VERDICT: “Lady Bird” is an exceptional, raw, rebellious portrayal of the nuances that come with identity, relationships and coming of age. This ¿OP KDV WKH SRWHQWLDO WR EH UHYLVLWHG time and time again as a comfort classic for its authentic characters and their heartwarming redempŶH tions.

24 MAY 13, 2025

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

SPORTS

(M[LY Ä]L `LHYZ \UKLY 4PRL 4HNWH`V .\Z (YNLUHS PZ ZL[ [V SLHK <*9 TLU»Z IHZRL[IHSS ARGENAL SETS SIGHTS ON PROGRAM’S FIRST BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP DURING LAST TUESDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE. 6R¿D 0DMHHG Staff Writer

G

us Argenal was recently announced as the new head coach of the University of California, Riverside (UCR) men’s EDVNHWEDOO WHDP 7KH IRUPHU California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) head coach has 21 years of coaching experience naWLRQZLGH DW GLIIHUHQW OHYHOV Argenal has coached in the Big West conference, once as the assistant coach for UC Davis and as the associate head coach for Cal State )XOOHUWRQ The announcement was made by UCR athletics in a press conference on Tuesday, May 6, where Argenal had the opportunity to talk about his goals and vision IRU WKH SURJUDP $WKOHWLFV Director Wesley Mallette spoke about the search for the perfect new head coach, how the ideal candidate would have their own vision for the program while also building off former head coach Mike Magpayo’s sucFHVV

)RU WKLV XSFRPLQJ VHDson, Coach Argenal hopes the team will win the Big West championship and be a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association 1&$$ WRXUQDPHQW 2II the court, increasing community engagement is a priRULW\ IRU KLP

big difference,” said ArgeQDO ³, KDYH WR UHFUXLW WKH roster right now, but once that gets done and my staff gets hired, we’ll get to the things we have to do in the community, but also on this FDPSXV ´ Regarding recruiting a roster, Argenal is no stranger WR D UHEXLOG +H KDV EHHQ D part of numerous collegiatelevel retools and roster turnovers at every coaching job he has had, including his VWLQW DW &686% )RU 8&5 he has already started the recruitment process, and the spring transfer portal is still RSHQ +H KRSHV WR LQFUHDVH retention for the incumbent SOD\HUV DW 5LYHUVLGH DV ZHOO

ELENA VERSAGE// THE HIGHLANDER

“I’ve been a part of reEXLOGV ,¶YH EHHQ D SDUW RI taking [a program] to the QH[W VWHS UDLVLQJ WKH EDU I take pieces from each experience on how to restart, how to rebuild, but also how to continue and create better trajectories,” shared ArJHQDO ³<RX KDYH WR JHW WKH right pieces of the puzzle WKDW ¿W WKLV FDPSXV <RX have to get the right type of SOD\HUV DQG WKH ULJKW VWDII You don’t rush into everyWKLQJ ´

Argenal is the only Latino men’s basketball head coach on the West Coast at the DI level, and hopes to inspire other Latino players “Truthfully, we need to be and coaches in the area to more out in the public with FKDVH WKHLU GUHDPV ŶH the community and also on campus, like the simplest WKLQJV OLNH WDEOLQJ $OO WKH little things that you do go D ORQJ ZD\ people [at a game], that’s a

ELENA VERSAGE// THE HIGHLANDER

highlandernews.org/category/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

25

Unrivaled Basketball: The new three-onthree basketball league paving the way for female athletes AFTER SIGNING PAIGE BUECKERS TO A $3 MILLION CONTRACT, UNRIVALED CONTINUES TO RESHAPE THE LANDSCAPE OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN ITS SECOND SEASON. Lasting just nine weeks, Unrivaled allows players to play without overlapping with the WNBA Taking the world by storm on season. Unrivaled players earned -DQ LQ WKHLU LQDXJXUDO ¿UVW JDPH an average salary of over $220,000, Unrivaled Basketball League has which is more than the WNBA’s changed the game for women bas- max salary of $214,466. ketball players.

Aside from the higher salary, Based in Miami, Unrivaled Bas- 8QULYDOHG LV YHU\ GL൵HUHQW IURP ketball League is a three-on-three WNBA. As mentioned before, women’s basketball league found- Unrivaled is three-on-three rather ed by WNBA stars Napheesa Col- WKDQ ¿YH RQ ¿YH OLNH WKH :1%$ lier and Breanna Stewart in July of Unrivaled games are played on a 2023.

49.2-by-72-foot court. With four fewer players on the court, there As mothers, founders Collier and is more space and less court so the Stewert felt it was unfair that many players are able to retain their stamWNBA players are forced to uproot ina. their lives playing for abroad basNHWEDOO WHDPV LQ WKH R൵ VHDVRQ WR Each game is played with three make ends meet. With Unrivaled, seven-minute periods. The last perithey wanted to create a space for od is called “winning score,” which women basketball players to do- is completed when a team reaches PHVWLFDOO\ HDUQ D OLYLQJ LQ WKH R൵ the target score. The target score is season. determined by the amount of points ELENA VERSAGE :[H࢒ 7OV[VNYHWOLY

7KH ¿UVW VHDVRQ RI 8QULYDOHG the leading scorer has by the end of was very successful. The league the third period plus 11. featured top names such as Sabrina )UHH WKURZV DOVR ZRUN GL൵HU- Ionescu, Brittney Griner, Angel Reently in Unrivaled. When a player HVH DQG UHFHQWO\ VLJQHG :1%$ ¿UVW gets fouled they shoot only one free overall draft pick Paige Bueckers to throw. Free throws are worth two an unprecedented $3 million dollar points unless a player is fouled on a contract. Unrivaled generated $589 3-point attempt (3 points) or it’s an million in earnings while drawing ‘and-1’ free throw (1 point). Since an average of 221,000 viewers on the teams are so small, if a player TNT and truTV simulcast coverage. fouls out, they can keep playing if The league has 21 corporate their team does not have another available player to substitute. How- partners including Sprite, State ever, every additional foul by the Farm, Under Armour and a plethfouled out player will result in a ora of investors including the likes of Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetechnical foul. tokounmpo, JuJu Watkins, Dawn Unrivaled also featured a one- Staley and Geno Auriemma. Unrion-one tournament with the winner valed just proved that female sports earning $200,000 and her three-on- leagues can prioritize their athletes three teammates receiving $10,000 and still succeed — something the each. The runner up of the one-on- WNBA hasn’t been able to do in the one tournament receives $50,000 past 25 years. ŶH DQG HDFK VHPL¿QDOLVW HDUQV apiece.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR & WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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26 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025

SPORTS

highlandernews.org/category/sports

From Red Sox to Riverside AN INSIDE LOOK AT COACH BOBBY KIELTY AND HIS TRANSITION FROM A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER TO A TENNIS COACH AT UCR. KISHNEET KAUR :[HɈ >YP[LY

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

BASEBALL

SPORTS

UCR vs CSUN

UCR Team Leaders: Nolan Milliman: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 K, 1 BB Jacob Badawi: 2/3, 2 R David Whittle: 1/2, 1 R, 2 RBI

BASEBALL

CSULB vs UCR

MAY 13, 2025 27

7-4, L

5/4/2025

12-4, L

UCR Team Leaders: Adrian Blanchet: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB Robert Pitts: 2/4, 2 RBI, 1 BB David Whittle: 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI

5/9/2025

BASEBALL

6-3, L

CSULB vs UCR

UCR Team Leaders: Jaxon Byrd: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB Landon Nunes: 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB David Whittle: 2/4, 1 RBI

BASEBALL

CSULB vs UCR

UCR Team Leaders: Joshua Martinez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 0 BB Kurt Maton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB Robert Pitts: 1/2, 2 BB

5/10/2025

2-1, L

5/11/2025

BREAK NORMS.

BE WEiRD.

The Highlander Newspaper is a great way to keep up with current events and QHZV DURXQG FDPSXV ,I \RX DUH LQWHUHVWHG LQ WKH QHZVSDSHU¶V DUWLFOHV RU SLFWXUHV ZH RIIHU RSSRUWXQLWLHV LQ ZULWLQJ SKRWRJUDSK\ DQG GHVLJQ -RLQ XV HYHU\ 0RQGD\ DW S P LQ +8% WR OHDUQ PRUH Holly Dawson // THE HIGHLANDER