Volume 73, Issue 28 by The Highlander- UCR

SPRING SPLASH

Neorah Davis

STAFF

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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 Dirollat 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 27, Published on May 13, 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 20, the Radar article “A local display of literary excellence” by Radar Editor Maribel Gamez Reyes had the title blurb incorrectly published as “Abortion access has been severely limited in several states impacting vulnerable populations.” The correct title blurb for the article should be “Deep dive into UCR writer’s week authors and readings.”

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.

ASHLEY CHO/ THE HIGHLANDER

Timeline: Brief chronicle of events between India and Pakistan

RECENT WAR BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS STEMS BACK TO OVER A CENTURY AGO.

Mata Elangovan Managing Editor

Partition of India: 1947

The division of British India into two independent nations was marked by the ending of British colonial rule under the 1947 Indian Independence Act. The act was set to go into effect on Aug. 15, 1947 and separated the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh populations residing in the area between the sovereign states of India and Pakistan. During this time, about 12 million people were crossing the borders of the two nations, with Muslims moving west and Hindus and Sikhs to the east. Arising from this migration was communal violence, riots and border disputes, resulting in the deaths of between 200,000 and 2 million individuals.

First Indo-Pakistani War / First Kashmir War: 1947-1948

The First Indo-Pakistani War, also known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the state of Jammu and Kashmir. During the time of partition, the Hindu maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh, sought to retain independence from both new nations. As rebellion broke out by pro-Pakistani residents in Kashmir, armed groups from Pakistan invaded the area. Singh made an appeal to India for military assistance. -

vened in the unfolding events, but on the condition that Singh signed an Instrument of Accession merging Jammu and Kashmir with India. The document was signed on Oct. 26, 1947. By the language of the document, Singh declared that he “accede to the Dominion of India … exercise in relation to the state of Jammu and Kashmir” and that “such functions may be vested in them by or under the Government of India.” This resulted in India gaining two-thirds of Kashmir.

The Karachi Agreement: 1949 -

was created to “investigate any dispute or any situation which might … endanger the maintenance of international peace and security … in the existing state of affairs between India and Pakistan.” The and recommended the use of observers to stop the from India and Pakistan met to sign the Karachi by military observers. These observers made up the -

The

Second Indo-P akistani War / Operation Gibraltar: 1965

The second war over Kashmir was reported to have begun when between 26,000 and 33,000 Pakistani line into Indian-Held Kashmir. This event was also known as Operation Gibraltar, a covert mission by rebellion against Indian rule. Operation Gibraltar

populace and incite them to rebellion” while guerilla warfare commenced. The operation ended in failure, as most of the force was discovered by India’s army and local support did not materialize.

war with the Tashkent Agreement in 1966, which restored pre-war boundaries but left the Kashmir dispute unresolved. The agreement was signed between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan and aimed “to restore normal and peaceful relationships between their countries” as it is “of

vital importance for the welfare of the 600 million people of India and Pakistan.”

Third

Indo-Pakistani War / Bangladesh Liberation War: 1971

Following the 1970 election victory of the Awami League, Pakistan began a political and military crackdown in East Pakistan in what is now modern day Bangladesh. The Awami League was led by campaign was established on the party’s Six-Point Plan for regional autonomy for East Pakistan. India intervened in support of Bengali independenceing in a war which ended with Indian victory. In the end, Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation as an Instrument of Surrender was signed by General Jagjit Singh Aurora of India.

Simla Agreement: 1972

The Simla Agreement was signed on July 2, 1972 by India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the President of Pakistan Zulifar Ali Bhutto for the countries and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations and work for the promotion of a friend and harmonious relationship.” Within the document, -

ern relations between the two countries, that differences will be resolved through peaceful means and that they will respect the other’s national unity and territorial integrity. Through this framework, they aimed to have peaceful interactions between the two nations in the future.

Brasstacks Crisis / Operation Brasstacks: 1986-1987

ed Operation Brasstacks, a military exercise, near the Pakistan border. Pakistan, seeing the exercise as a precursor to invasion, mobilized its troops, and began a military standoff between the two nations. The crisis itself was a nuclear scare between India and Pakistan. During this time period, Pakistani

“Pakistan would use its atomic weapons if its existence was threatened.”

Kashmiri armed insurgency: 1989

The Kashmiri armed insurgency was spurred by the results of the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir elections, which many perceived to be rigged by the Indian government to keep pro-India parties in power. Beginning as a response to the political repression and rigged elections, many Kashmiris sought independence or union with Pakistan, and eventually became militarized with support from Pakistanbased groups.

Photo courtesy of Amit Gaur

Nuclear tests begin: 1998

Beginning in 1998, India and Pakistan conducted a series of nuclear tests which marked a turning point for security dynamics for the two nations. Duringderground nuclear tests and declared itself a nuclear weapons state. In response, Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests of their own in May at Balochistan. In 1999, both countries ended up signing the Lahore Declaration 1999 to reduce the risk of accidental agreements, both India and Pakistan agreed that they will continue to not only work on resolving issues regarding Jammu and Kashmir but also “take immediate steps for reducing the risk of accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons.” The declaration was signed off by the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, but mentioned that the “technical details of the above measures” will be worked out by experts from both sides.

Kargil War: 1999

The Kargil War took place when Pakistani militants and occupied parts of the Kargil region of India-held

sure, Pakistan withdrew its forces from the region

ing most of the lost territory, but led to heightened tensions among the two nations. India now observes

Indian Parliament Attack: 2001

injuring several others. All militants were killed in the gun battle that took place, but the assault was seen as an attack on Indian democracy. India blamed attack, furthering tensions from past events. The

incident led to a massive military standoff known as Operation Parakram, but full-out war was avoided. President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan denied any involvement in the attack on the Parliament. There was no international consensus tying leadership of JeM or LeT to the planning of the attack. In response to international pressure, Pakistan took steps to ban JeM and LeT and arrested several members of the organization.

MumbaiAttacks: 2008

2008 when 10 gunmen from LeT carried out assaults across multiple sites in Mumbai. 166 people died as a result of the attacks and over 300 were injured. Ajmal Kasab, was the only member of the group to be apprehended alive by the Indian police and confessed to the LeT’s Pakistani origins and support. Pakistan denied involvement with the Mumbai attacks, and initially denied Kasab’s Pakistani citizenship until evidence was brought forward. They then launched their own investigations and arrested a senior LeT commander.

Uri Attack: 2016

17 Indian soldiers were killed in an assault by fourtack as the Uri Attack. India accused JeM for the attack and accused Pakistan for providing support to escalating tensions between the two nations. The Uri Attack marked a turning point in Indian military doctrine, with preemptive cross-border strikes becoming a more public aspect of their counter-terror strategy.

was canceled due to diplomatic fallout as a result of the attacks. India, in response to the attacks, announced it would not participate in the summit, and in solidarity with the nation, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out. As four out of eight

not meet consensus and the event was postponed

Article 370 revoked: 2019

On Aug. 5, 2019, the Indian Government, led by the

This led the state to be separated into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir with a legislative assembly, and Ladakh without a legislative assembly. By removing the separate constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, they subjected the region to a full Indian legal framework and imposed a security lockdown in the region.

Pahalgam Attack: 2025

On April 22, 2025, the Pahalgam attack occurred the city of Pahalgam. They were said to mainly local Muslim inhabitants were also casualties. The of LeT, claimed responsibility for the attack initially, releasing a statement that they orchestrated the attack due to the abolition of the special status of Kashmir. However, they later denied involvement in the attack and claimed Indian cyber-intelligence for earlier reports.

Operation Sindoor: 2025

On May 7, 2025, following a series of cross-border missile strikes on Pakistan, named Operation Sindoor. According to reports from the Indian government, the strikes targeted militant groups JeM and LeT. However, reports from Pakistan claim that the strikes hit civilian areas, including mosques and killed 37 civilians.

Disclaimer:

The information in this article is meant to provide context and is not a complete history of events in India and Pakistan. This is merely a timeline of events, and does not about any event, check out the article online for linked information.

Photo courtesy of Nasir Kachroo

Pope Leo XIV: The Vatican’s next chapter

THE VATICAN PREPARES TO INAUGURATE POPE LEO XIV, THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE.

mitted to bridging different communities, describ-

pointed the new Pontiff and assumed the name Pope Leo XIV in honor of Pope Leo XII. He was born in -

Upon his election, the Vatican described him as the second pope from the Americas, second to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who was from Argentina.

In his early years, he served as an altar boy until he was ordained in 1982 and was assigned to a parish in Perú in 1985. He spent 10 years as a local pastor and as a seminary instructor in Trujillo in northwestern Perú.

In 2019, former Pope Francis appointed Prevost he focused on matters related to priests and pastoral ministries. Later in 2020, Francis appointed him as a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, making him well known amongst other cardinals. In 2023, Prevost became an archbishop and within a few months

darkest nights. He has previously expressed progressive views aligning with those of the late pope, who advocated for underprivileged and underserved communities.

Pope Leo has previously spoken out on politicaling his time as a bishop, Francis appointed him to oversee revolutionary reforms, where he appointed three women into the Dicastery for Bishops, who that women “can add a great deal to the life of the church on many different levels.” However, similar to his predecessors, Prevost believes that ordaining or “clericalizing women” will create new problems

The new pope has expressed reservations about voiced his disapproval of “alternative families composed of same-sex partners and their adopted children.” During his tenure as a bishop in Perú, he opposed government efforts to incorporate gender studies in public school curriculum, stating that promoting gender ideology creates “genders that do not exist.”

upon world leaders and urged for “no more war.” In his speech, he called for lasting peace in Ukraine grief over the deaths in the Gaza strip and called medicine and essential supplies to the Palestinian enclave. He appealed for all prisoners in Ukraine to be freed and all children to return to their families. He further urged world leaders to renounce the paradigm of war. The political views of the new pope for May 18.

Senators and fellows discuss upcoming events

ASUCR HOSTS SEVENTH MEETING OF SPRING QUARTER OVER ZOOM.

Due to their lack of agenda items, the Associated Students of the University their seventh senate meeting of spring quarter over Zoom. As the Finance committee were not meeting, there were no meeting minutes or legislative items to review for the Senate meeting. The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Pizarro informed the Senate that they would not be approving last week’s meeting minutes. Instead, meeting four through seven will be approved at week eight.

The Senate did not vote on anything during this meeting, and following attendance, they moved straight into public comment.

Executive Fellow for campus interna-

to speak. She plans to host a hygiene kit distribution in collaboration with Basic

take what they need from a wide selection of free toiletries, personal grooming items and menstrual products,” shared Llous.

The hygiene kit distribution will occur from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. near Wednesday’s tabling at the Bell Tower.

First-year executive fellow Jacob Fernandez also spoke during public comment, sharing information about his recent event at the Bears Den. On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in collaboration with Highlander Emergency

“We gave out pizza and lemonade and had a pretty good turnout. It’s unfortunate that the Scotty Fair was also today, so not a lot of people were at our event … But all in all, I think our event went pretty well, and we completed our

Bears Den project,” explained Fernandez.

table announcements. First to speak-

workshop on Friday, May 15, 2025.

SOE Senator Hirmiz discussed that she -

to “provide cupcakes, a charcuterie tray

land Student Association culture show, which took place on Friday, May 15, 2025, at the Barn.

day, May 22, 2025, she will host a Paint and Protest event in the Associated Stu-

5 p.m.

“I’m just doing an event providing

practice on them with different supart, I feel they should come … We’re gonna be learning about artivism and tag up places,” explained SPP Senator Jimenez.

Last to speak during roundtable anAnahita Hooshyari Far, who shared inon Monday, May 19, 2025. “We will have boba and Bundt cakes, and Dean Williams will be there,” described quarter was adjourned at 7:14 pm.Karen Vo were absent.cused.

SARAH TABEL

SENNA OMAR

Photo courtesy of rawpixel

ALEX KUPISIEWICZ Contributing

On April 23, 2025, the University of California, Riverside (UCR), held a coffee tasting event in Highlander Union Building 302 open to UCR Dining Services’ employees and students. This event marked the beginning of the selection process of applicants for the new UCR Dining Services coffee vendor. The event will allow for selection of one from eight vendors to supply coffee products, drink recipes and equipment for various locations across campus. Starbucks was the provider of coffee, drink recipes, cups and more for four years, until the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, when UCR Dining

AS A FIVE-YEAR COFFEE-SUPPLYING CONTRACT EXPIRES, STUDENTS MAY

FIND BRAND NEW DRINKS ON CAMPUS IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR.

to expire by the end of the summer, UCR Dining Services opened the application for any local or apply for the contract.

Each business held a presentation, where each had provide to the campus. Sustainability was a major talking point, as it was part of the criteria laid out by UCR Dining Services. After the presentations, everyone in attendance, from UCR Dining Services’ directors and supervisors to any students who decided to join, were allowed to taste test a variety of sample drinks offered by the vendors. Everything from hot black coffee and cold brew to artisan drinks such as Starbucks’ UCR sourced honey and citrus infused iced coffee. Klatch Coffee also presented specialty drinks such as a whipped honey and citrus espresso and ube matcha latte offerings.

Outside of Starbucks and Seattle’s Best being offered again by a Nestle representative, the list includes other well known names such as Klatch

WORK DEVICES ISSUED TO COMBAT CONCERN REGARDING SECURITY TOOLSET REQUIREMENTS.

ALEX KUPISIEWICZ Contributing Writer

On May 28, 2025, a new cybersecurity mandate will fully go into effect for all University of California (UC) campuses, with several key requirements for campus instructors. This was outlined initially in a letter from President Michael V. Drake, sent to the 10 UC Chancellors on Feb. 26, 2024. It details expectations for each campus’ individual plans, which included continuation of mandated faculty cybersecurity training. Within it, new policies were issued available for all devices which are able to access the network, requiring multifactor authentication upon login, and deployment of UC-approved endpoint detection and recovery (EDR) software. Each campus was then expected to submit their own detailed plan that follows these requirements for how they would proceed to enhance the campus network’s cybersecurity.

Cyberattacks have become all too common on university servers,

information, either professional or personal, or simply looking to lock away sensitive or irreplaceable research in the interests of collecting a ransom. The UC system was victim to large scale cyber Health in 2015 and then at UC Davis Health in 2017.

Both of these attacks required costly follow-up from the UC’s healthcare

systems, including experts to trace the breach and tighten up security, as well as security measures such as credit monitoring for any individuals whose social security information may have been accessed, free of charge to the individual. There are also legal requirements set out by Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rules that require such corrections, on top

be laid out as a consequence.

The UC Riverside (UCR) campus has laid out three steps to be taken by their employees to adhere to the 2025 Cybersecurity Mandate. One is to remain up-to-date with the UC cyber security awareness training that all UCR employees were already required to take yearly. As of now, there may be stiffer penalties for not being compliant with training requirements, such as being shut out of university servers until the training is complete. Another is to verify identity upon login using multi-factor authentication (MFA). This can be done through mobile number or through the Duo app, in the same way that students use MFA to log in to student accounts. The third is to only connect to the campus servers via a device which has the new security toolset installed.

This is a requirement only set out for employed instructors at this point in time, which means that as of May 28, graduate students who instruct classes

Coffee, Peet’s, Peerless, Caribou, Thanksgiving Coffee and the growing co-op Pachamama. Following the tasting event, the decision process will continue, taking into account the votes from the event alongside many other pieces of criteria.

The criteria include, community connections and

pricing, menu variety and training. Each vendor is required to provide information on each of these areas, which is weighted and scored by evaluators within UCR Dining Services. Therefore, the highest scoring vendor, according to campus priorities laid out for the vendors in advance, will win the contract.

This process will be concluded on May 30, with the announcement to be made after the contract is

following. The new vendor should be integrated on campus by the beginning of the next fall quarter, available to students and staff at Bytes, Emerbee’s, Ivans, all Scotty’s locations, the Barn and the new North District coffee counter opening in the summer.

are not required to have the security toolset downloaded. This does, however, include lecturers on staff, many of whom plan their classes, post their Canvas pages and grade their students from personal devices.

This became a point of concern for many, because the security toolset includes NinjaOne, which is a UCapproved endpoint management (EM) tool. The purpose of the program is to “gather device information for the university’s records so that UCR can track devices when they connect to UCR networks or resources,” according to the UCR security toolset whitepaper.

This means that anyone who has access to the security database would then have access to any and all information and activity that is present on the device itself, which raises immediate concern from staff who still conduct their university work from their own personal devices. Precise complaints range from general discomfort at their personal data being stored to HIPAA concerns relating to telehealth information that is stored on personal devices.

The security toolset web page currently states that “security tools must

be installed on personal devices if the user wishes to connect to secure UCR resources and applications”, but it now also states that “staff members should not conduct university business nor access secure UCR resources from a personal laptop/computer.”

This concern is now being addressed by the UCR administration, as Provost campus will be “purchasing computers to provide to lecturers who do not currently have a university-issued device.” The security toolset webpage has also updated their frequently asked concerns of faculty and staff, answering that the tools are set up to detect harmful activity on the device and that there is no plan to manually review any information collected from university-issued devices.

Any information collected from these devices will be kept safe within the UCR secure servers. Even in the case of a security investigation, the Information Technology Solutions (ITS) Information strict campus privacy policies while doing so.

Writer

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Kirk’s hate speech has no place at UCR

UCR ADMINISTRATION AND ASUCR’S RESPONSE TO KIRK’S “THE AMERICAN COMEBACK TOUR” VISIT ON CAMPUS IS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING.

OP ED

The rise and fall of promising students: How two leaders worked to ruin the integrity of an Honor Society

TWO ELECTED STUDENTS SACRIFICED OTHERS WHILE COMMITTING MANY EGREGIOUS AND POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL ACTS TO SELFISHLY OBTAIN RENT DISCOUNTS AND OTHER FORMS OF COMPENSATION FOR THEMSELVES.

ANONYMOUS

It is not often you see two students readily undermine everything they and their organizations have accomplished in four years in less than two weeks. Instead of relishing in the honor of helping resurrect our two student-run residential organizations, these two student leaders’ legacies are now tarnished by fraud, harassment and abuse of power.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Residence Halls Association (RHA) and National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), two student organizations under Residential Education (ResEd), worked hard to rebuild themselves by hosting community events and advocating for students living on campus.

Their accomplishments included hosting the University of California, RiverConference in over 20 years, recruiting students to perform community service and creating other memorable ResEd programs. It was not surprising that UCR’s RHA and NRHH won Regional Building Blocks in 2023 and 2025, an award given to the most improved RHA of College University Residence Halls (PACURH) — the regional organization overseeing RHA and NRHH.

All that changed in March 2025,ship — made up of RHA, NRHH and Campus Apartments Resident Association (CARA) — was made aware of an incoming budget cut and voted to merge positions in the organizations to minimize the impact. In mid-March, ResEd and Housing Services revealed that the cut was severe, as the total budget went from $200,000 to $35,000 due to low funds. Because of the alleged short notice and poor communication, Student

The Presidents of RHA and NRHH of the 2024-2025 academic year worked to convince their respective cabinets toparency or using more acceptable tactics, they twisted words and deceived their cabinets to believe that ResEd was making the cabinet applicants “homeless” and were “unwilling to communicate.”

In reality, it is actually the RHA President’s fault if their members have no

housing. Instead of warning their members to apply for housing when the portal opened, so they would have a backup plan if they were not elected, the President of RHA assured them that he would get them elected by any means.

dent chose to focus on ResEd’s missteps rather than his own. However, his claims of homeless members were never proven, and most of the members had sehousing. To further push the lie, the RHA President claimed he would also

Home prototype, a large school project he pitched for a new housing design. At this point, the RHA President had been re-elected and had guaranteed housing.

It gets worse. Although the presidents told the RHA and NRHH cabinets that they would create a referendum to work with ResEd for implementation, the referendum was actually a list of impossible demands that only helped the RHA president. One such demand was an additional meal plan for the RHA president, even though he had already been awarded 100 percent compensated $16,000). There was no mention of compensation for other positions in the referendum.

In fact, the NRHH and RHA presidents planned to drastically cut or provide no compensation for cabinets despite unchanged workloads. Instead of supporting their cabinets, the RHA president pitched to have his friend, the NRHH president, be awarded $18,000 of the alleged $35,000 budget.

deeper hole. In less than 24 hours, they students to forge documents for invalid NRHH memberships to help acquit the NRHH President. The presidents, along with the recruited students, then commit-ing for invalid membership inductions, fraudulent Of-The-Month submissions (OTMs) and forged community service hours.

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This compensation was also contingent on the alleged plan that the RHA president would get the NRHH President re-elected by using RHA’s larger voting pool to outvote NRHH members in the merged election. Rather than splitting the $35,000 fairly across the three essentially aimed to award a singular position more than half the budget.

Fed up, the NRHH cabinet voted to no longer merge with RHA. However, this didn’t stop the Presidents of RHA and NRHH. They started to become more forceful with their plans, creating a meeting on April 27, 2025 which

The NRHH President conducted inductions outside the constitutionally required banquet timeline and without the approval of the NRHH cabinet. These false inductees never attended any weeks before the end of the academic year. Coincidentally, this was a couple of days before the president’s impeachment hearing.

which are award nominations to recognize a person, organization or program for their service. Members are required to submit a minimum of three OTMs to be inducted. It is estimated that over 30 OTMs were used for these invalid inductions, where many impersonated others (AI).

ORANGE ST

— to announce that RHA and NRHH are now merged again, before proceeding with budget planning.

By this point, the presidents had and violated the NRHH constitution, which requires the vote of the cabinet to authorize the merger. The NRHH cabinet then moved to impeach their president in a hearing scheduled on May 5, 2025.

Instead of redeeming themselves, the presidents dug themselves into a

Many of these OTMs included falsegrams or mentioning responsibilities cabinet members did not have, like repairing HVACs. All these submitted documents are publicly available to every school in PACURH and the National Association of College University Residence Halls (NACURH), which oversees PACURH.

were faked and submitted to NRHH to prove eligibility of these incoming members, as 15 hours of community service must be completed before being inducted.

Overall, the student conduct violations by the two presidents and everyone helping them include: Standards of Conduct 102.02 Dishonesty for the fake OTMs and community service and Standards of Conduct 102.28 for violation of California Penal Code 529 False im-

personation to help the NRHH president keep their 100 percent discount ($1,697/ month) and a free meal plan while potentially gaining the $18,000 compensation misconduct cases arise, we are unable to keep this list updated with everything the presidents have done.

All of this was to stop what was essentially inevitable: the NRHH President’s impeachment. If his impeachment

been easy to convince two-thirds of the voting members. The president’s inactivity in OTMs, community service, mandatory training and helping out at NRHH programs for the whole year was not the reason the cabinet was motivated to im-

Furthermore, these proven violations allowed for the NRHH President’s immediate termination by a legitimate cabinet vote.

Now, will RHA cabinet members follow suit and stop their president? This is not to say that the RHA President did not work hard, and accomplish things likeHomes project. However, we challenge these attacks on student democracy. Their president was reportedly working on impeaching RHA cabinet members for suspected whistleblowing, which would terminate their rent compensation.

In addition, the RHA President allegedly planned to use all the friends, family and coworkers who helped out in the fraudulent documentation of memberships and OTMs as scapegoats, where they will face the brunt of the consequences for the RHA President’s ploys. As a student government that promotes student advocacy above all else, RHA should consider advocating for itself.

Op-Eds are not edited by The Highlander, excluding those related to grammatical errors and AP requirements.

Editorial Board and are not written by Highlander contracted writers.

COURTESY OF UCR RHA

Why you should be worried about the slow and painful death of public edutainment in the US

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS ACTIVELY HARMING THE FUTURE OF THIS NATION BY REMOVING PBS AND NPR.

LILIANNA ANGEL

Social Emotional Learning can help students build empathy and critical thinking skills in K-12 education

YES, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING WORKS, AND NO, IT’S NOT A LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY THEORY.

MELISSA SANTOS PONCE Contributing Writer

Japanese koi pond

GABRIELA GALVAN

paddles and color variations! While the

STUDENT POLL

NORM’S NOOK SPOTLIGHT

QUESTION: What song would you have on deck in case someone stopped and asked, “what song are you listening to?”

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

”Nobody Compares” by One Direction

”Is it True” by Tame Impala

”Invincible” feat. Daniel Caesar by Omar Apollo

”I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris

”Back to the Old House” by The Smiths

”Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey

Soﬁa D.

Eve A.

Lily R.

Jorge G.

Senna O.

Kish K.

GRAPHICS BY LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

Koi Pond Courtesy of Rawpixel

BY NATALIE FEATURES

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HIGHLANDER

Scotty-Scopes:

Explore a UCR resource this week.

The Libra values balance, and Basic Needs Resources ensures you’re supported in every way. your busy day.

UNLOCK UCR’S POTENTIAL

orchards as well. Get out there and learn about podcast). world.

You crave adventure and new experiences.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22): Basic Needs Resources

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21): The Well

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21): Creat’R Lab Makerspace

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19): The Orange Orchards

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18): Digital Books & Magazines (OverDrive/ Libby)

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20): Intramural Sports at the Student Recreation Center (SRC)

Aries (March 21 – April 19): Career Center

Taurus (April 20 – May 20): R’Closet

Gemini (May 21 – June 20): Fraternity and Sorority Involvement Center (FSIC)

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22): Education Abroad

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22): Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP)

LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

MUNA IQBAL

Features Fiction: The green and the yellows

PAULA ONOHI OMOKHOMION

MICAH HAS A DREAM, EVEN IF IT’S AGAINST FATE.

COURTESY OF

Wafa Wonders: Crimes against Crest

A COLUMN FOR THE QUIETLY CONFUSED AND CASUALLY CURIOUS

WAFA SUHIR

COURTESY OF FLICKR

COURTESY

A CANYON CREST

NATALIE DAHL Features Editor

If you’re looking for a fresh, cheap slice after class, swing by Canyon opening on May 17, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tony, a 13-time world offering daily slices, including favorites like pepperoni and cheese, and a rotating special slice.

This Slice House is only the second in the Inland Empire, along with the location in Eastvale. The emphasis of this new location is the affordability keeping prices low. Prices for a slice range from $5.25 to $7.25

LOCATION FOR A FRESH, AFFORDABLE SLICE H

Derrian, a University of California, Riverside (UCR) student, noted that

Other guests expressed their excitement to participate in the various

entire year. Other giveaways included a Slice House t-shirt giveaway for

engage with UCR students for potential fundraising events and aim to Customers are encouraged to download their app and follow Slice House on Instagram.

Simple Simple Simon’s

A RUN-OF-THE-MILL RIVERSIDE DINER.

Features Editor Natalie Dahl

Opinions Editor

Cecile Diroll

Simple Simon’s is a small, quaint diner offering everything you would expect from a classic American establishwhat we thought was unnecessary. But if you’re looking for classic diner food with a little bit more freshness, this is the place to be.

Vegetarian omelette

Price: $17.00

for a light and healthy breakfast. This one is made with spinred peppers and grilled onions, then topped with fresh avocado slices. All the vegetables were tender and complemented options, including Swiss, cheddar and more. I recommend the Swiss, as each bite delivered a satisfying cheese pull. The meal also comes with toast and butter, which pairs nicely with the omelette, along with a side of potatoes that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. However, a bit

Pastry - Croissant

vor. Overall, if you’re willing to splurge a little on breakfast,

vor. Overall, if you’re to a little on breakfast,

French toast with berry compote Price:

topped with mixed berries — blueberries, raspberries and blackberries — and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. The custard is creamy, rich and subtlyhanced by a light glaze, and the croissant itself was airy and buttery. This is a great choice if you’re looking for a pastry that’s not overly sweet and just the right size for a sweet treat.

$5.50 eadtastetoit.Whilenotabadsensation,it eat

This french toast had a unique, almost sourdough bread taste to it. While not a bad sensation, it wasn’t a particularly good one either. The berry compote made of itty bitty berries was a nice twist, but then again, it left me wishing for normal sized berries. The bread was quite dense andlarly bad, but its uniqueness didn’t quite hit the spot.

$13.75

Price:

First of all, congrats on graduating champ! Whether you are graduating

years or early like me, you deserve a pat on the back.

I’m graduating from University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s in political science and minor in feminist studies at 19 years old as a traditional student who completed a four-year degree in just two. It feels surreal to be graduating this early. I am of achievement and uncertainty about what comes next.

For me the choice to accelerate my education wasn’t just ambition — it was rooted in love and urgency. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the start of last year and while she is now in remission (something I am so eternally grateful for). I wanted to make absolutely sure she would see me graduate and walk across the stage.

achievement isn’t just mine, it belongs to my whole family. My grandparents who are 94 and 86 have been a large part of my life and I want to make sure they can witness this moment too.

I also have a vision for my future. I am determined to become a constitutional lawyer and one day, a to that goal. The legal path is long and demanding, and every step forward now means helping more people sooner. Then of course there is the practical reason why I am graduating early: undergrad is expensive, and law school even more so. Two fewer years

So whether you’ve graduated early by one quarter or two full years, know this: it’s not just impressive — it’s

empowering. Now let’s talk about how to make the most of it.

What you can do after graduating early:

Take time to rest

degree can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. Rest is not permission to do absolutely nothing for a bit.

on long walks. Revisit your hobbies. I can’t wait to pick up crocheting and start reading books for fun again. This is the time to reintroduce joy in small ways, one quiet moment at a time.

board

You’ve been moving fast, so now is and reconnect with your why. Start by writing down your core values and long term goals. Try to discover what truly matters to you, and the life you want to build personally, professionally and emotionally.

Once you have jotted those down, make it visual. Creating a vision board is a fun and powerful way to clarify your direction and you can make it via paper or digitally.

This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about reminding yourself, daily, of what you’re working toward. Whether your board includes courthouse steps,

Don’t worry if that vision changes over time — what matters is that it’s yours.

Start planning!

Campus Cope: How to occupy your time as an early graduate

Find yourself outside of school.

Use this time to design your next chapter. Think of this more as short term goals. For me, I’m treating the next year as a gap year studying for

deeper understanding of legal work. Even if you’re not sure what comes next when thinking of your short term goals, remember nothing is set in stone and that is okay! Ask yourself: What do I want to learn?

What do I want to try?

Where do I want to grow?

Celebrate

You’ve earned it. So own it. Whether you throw a big party, go on a trip or have a relaxed backyard barbeque with your closest people, mark this moment with intention. Celebration is about joy, not scale. So do whatever feels right for you.

Some fun ideas you can do are plan a solo staycation or spa day, do something adventurous like an escape room or host a potluck dinner (and of course invite everyone who supported you).

Explore your career options

You have extra time now, so use this period to explore what your passion is. You are just like Barbie. You are out in the real world now and you can be anything you want to be!

Tips for how to do so include: experience in law, politics, journalism,

real-world dynamics. Try sites like

opportunities.

Shadow professionals: Email professionals you admire and ask to shadow them for a day or week. Observing someone in the role you aspire to be in can be incredibly illuminating.

Part-time or freelance work: help build transferable skills, like writing, research, customer service or administrative support.

that let you serve communities and test your passion. This can be done groups.

Each of these options can give you you and what doesn’t before fully committing to a path.

beautiful achievement; it’s not a sign to rush forward, but an invitation to isn’t a race. You don’t have to leap into the next thing just because society expects it.

This time is yours. For growth. For who you are when you’re not buried in assignments. For anything you want it to be.

Your path doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s to be valid. You’re not behind, and you’re not ahead compared to anyone else; you are exactly where meaningful because it is different. And remember: success isn’t one thing. It’s everything you make it.

Congratulations to the class of 2025!

LILIANNA ANGEL

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAW PIXEL

Season two of ‘The Last of Us’ continues to be divisive among the many factions of fans

Deep into the show’s second season, the use of perspective between its two main anti-heroes is still missing.

Sebastian Morales Staff Writer

*contains spoilers*

Now, more than halfway through season two of “The Last of Us,” and with only two episodes left for audiences, the critically acclaimed series adaptation continues to stay generally faithful to its original video game name-

explore the same themes of violence and characters that fans have come to form long-lasting love-hate relationships within the game.

That is to say, the series’ second installment is notpectations were set by the intellectual property’s highly dedicated fanbase recogto translate the game over to screen.

One of the largest deviations from the game to its live-action show is the original story’s use of cordyceps spores. An element of the game that pollutes the air with cordyceps fungus reproductive cells, infecting an individual when breathed in, and is a main contributor

in its storyline. The show, though, introduces infectious spores in the second season, long after the out-

Series adaptation creators Craig Mazin and Neil

out this critical mechanic throughout the storyline for all of season one and most reasons other than theorized creative live-action complications, a decision that drew criticism from many gameoriented fans.

In episode seven, during Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) descent into chasing Nora (Tati Gabrielle), an accomplice in Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) death, the audience follows them both within the basement of a Seattle hospital occupied by the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.). The basement is revealed to be infested with spores, revealing that the missing game element had been looming in the show’s world all along.

The addition of spores in the series will not only cre-

ate complications for characters and storyline, but will also raise questions for the viewer. At the same time, it also produced certain advantages that can be utilized as the story progresses off course of source material.

Viewers witness how integral spores can become towards the show’s narrative as Ellie, being the only

to cordyceps, is able to traverse through spore-infested areas without becoming infected, giving her the upper hand during her encounter with Nora and others in the future.

As the introduction of spores appears later in the storyline than expected, it is hard not to believe that there will be some deliberate payoff down the road.

For those unfamiliar with the source material, an adaptation of the game’s notorious second installment titled “The Last of Us Part

second part of the game, players shift from the perspective of Joel within the

tertwined narratives of Ellie as an adult and the newly introduced Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

Much of this season has faithfully been centered around Ellie and her jourthose involved in Joel’s torturous death. However, fans of the original material will and what Abby is doing since her last appearance in episode two.

slower approach to showing the other half of Joel and Ellie’s violent actions, and Abby’s past, which is shown to players within the game to humanize her.

show more rewarding due to this approach since a large criticism of “The Last of Us Part II” video game is how on the perspective of Abby, who is notoriously hated for murdering Joel.

Ellie’s hatred for Abby is -

heritance of Joel’s violence which is expressed in her brutal interrogation scene with Nora. The scene is also shot in a way that is similar to the moment where Abby episode two, which draws parallels between Ellie and Abby in their suffering at the hands of violence, and as individuals who are two sides of the same coin.

and-forth rivalry between the two characters within “The Last of Us Part II” that is drastically missing and begging to resurface for audiences to understand the complex perspective behind

VERDICT: With the re-son two of “The Last of Us,” series creators Craig Mazin up the spectacle of action, scenes. However, audiences who have played the video game may feel that the adaptation so far is unable to convey the nuanced and challenging storytelling of its complex characters.

Image courtesy of HBO

The Last of US Season 2 staring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey

CHILLEST SPR

TDespite student skepticism, the event provided a refreshing end to the school year.

he hype for The Associated Student Program Board’s (ASPB) Spring Splash across other years mainly relied on a stronger lineup, Tecca for last year’s Spring Splash and Baby Keem inment relied on enjoying the free giveaways, going on rides and grabbing a bite to eat with friends.

Held on Saturday, May 17, Spring Splash was highly anticipated by many students who wanted the event demands of spring quarter. many students came with most of it. They planned to hangout with friends, conversations, eat food, go on attractions and embrace musical acts.

“Calling (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).”

year’s Spring Splash was themed, “Under the Sea,” which was well-received by some. Some dressed accordingly while others slightly dejected the theme who believed it was regurgitated from the past. The event’s promotional art-

tuna cans. Aside from be-

ASPB’s social media, the theme’s only real indicators -

MERCHANDISE:

Teased days ahead of the event, the released merchandise proved to be a starting point for those entering the concert grounds. The promotion tent located at the Highlander Union Building (HUB) lawn was crowded with people hoping to get a hold of exclusive t-shirts at a limited capacity count after over an hour, many wearing the t-shirts over what they had on.

without long waiting times.

FOOD OPTIONS:

Keeping Highlanders wellfed, the available food opUp Lemonade, Fries Galore, The Big Easy Sand-

still appreciated listening to live performances. Many expressed that Spring Splash gave them a much

es and netting on the water station booths.

LINE:

Eager to explore the grounds that this year’s Spring Splash had to offer, concertgoers of ASPB events were in line hours before the ex-

p.m. Students arrived as ear-

Preceding a variety of performers, the prelude set before the opening artist was hosted by IV Wring-

was hosted IV Wring ley, who also played during the intermission of sets.

e eatu ed a t sts ca e o The f ur rti ame on stage in the following order: Casey Baer, Zacari, William and headliner Swae Lee, who closed out the night with well-er” and N

ASPB’s sponsors’ booths on the HUB lawn also received more engagement than past events. Attendees made their way through the Raising Canes booth to receive small wallet. Other spon--

be, Elala and Goldenvoice provided generous goodies

Sour Belts booth gave out each student and ran strong

was a rough wait for those awaiting early admission, this wasn’t the case for everyone. Many began lining up closer to the scheduled gate-opening time without having to wait as long as required in previous years. Similar to the line formation of past events, the line for Spring Splash started at the lawn space between the Student Success Center and Sproul Hall. It then curved towards the courtyard of the Interdisciplinary South and North buildings. Starting on

brief security screening

p.m. Attendees entered calmly, following the clear instruction of ASPB personnel to enter in order. Since -

ting people past the metal detectors, students rapidly accessed the venue.

Other booths were a big hit amongst students, with many carrying their free boba from the Doordash from Goldenvoice and sip-

AMENITIES AND ACTIVITIES:

ASPB offered a plethora ofporated in past events, consisting of access to a photo booth and a VR headset booth. They even brought

The Sizzler and Ballistic Swings on Pierce Lawn. Well-received, these attractions garnered consistent lines for the duration of the event. The excitement for these activities didn’tciency of lines allowing attendees to enjoy everything

The Sweet Shop, MK’s Bernie’s, Salt n’ Pepper and Red’s Pizza. LA hotdogs & munchies turned out to be absent for the event. The menus all offered a great range of bowls, sandwiches and fries, amongst other hot meals. The dessert offerings were aligned closely with the spring season, but unfortunately would have been enjoyed more if the cold and cloudy weather didn’t dampen the experience. The water station also

to embrace the communal aspect of ASPB’s concert events. Some students also complimented the spaced out arrangement of booths and food which created a comfortable atmosphere that was easy to navigate. A third-year student shared, “The vibes are the same as every year. But I’m just here because I get FOMO (fear of missing out).” Other students shared this same

hopes that ASPB dives into new themes in the future.

ing cups to have on standby, which helped mitigate long lines, as people were able to easily grab a cup and go on their way.

ather e a y

RECEPTION AND INTERVIEWS:

From early impressions to event day responses, this year’s Spring Splash surprisingly met expectations of most students in a brief interview. The overall consensus was that this year’s Spring up more ef-

overt

last year. There were only some hiccups arising as disruptions near the stage, long lines and discoordinated operation of booths. Initially, the lineup felt underwhelming, but at the event some students shared that they

N WS: impressio y respon pring Spl met expe w. o was tha pring eff ere some ng as ear the ines and d itially, derwhelme event udents hey ns ses, ash cta-

Neorah Davis // The Highlander

RING SPLASH YET

By Maribel Gamez Reyes, Radar Editor and Ian Palma, Contributing Writer

Splash could be summed up in a simple word, it would be “eclectic.” With songs and acts ranging from the Rachel Chinouriri to the hardcore rhythms of dubeven the recognizable rap pieces of Swae Lee, the tunes of the event undoubtedly delivered a variety of genres. Given the enthusiasm of the crowd through most of the sets, the lineup of Spring Splash certainly mirrored the wide array of music that students at University of California, Riverside (UCR) are heavily fond of.

Casey Baer opened for a Spring Splash with a short, but sweet set. Despite her brief appearance, Baer brought an acoustic, stirring performance that matched the gloomy afternoon weather. Entwining a gui-

was a slow yet welcoming buildup to the chaotic sounds of the following performances.

The crowd, although smalltinuing to enter the event, gradually began to build up until her last act. Baer went out with a bang with I Ever,” in which she belts a Taylor Swift album. As brief as her performance with the audience withZacari followed suit with an explosive performance. While Zacari was placed as second act for the venue despite his discography consisting of contributions to

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

artists in the world today, he was still a fan favorite for many. He wasted no time winning the approval of the crowd with his openthat’s just as recognizable for those well versed with this, Zacari made numerous shoutouts to his label — Top Dawg Productions of his own such as “Mixed Emotions” and “Bliss.”

ing of wah-wah pedalled guitars and drums, many of his songs threaded into the realms of neo-psychedelic, R&B and soul. “LoneWolf Still,” a song propelled by

sition given the presence of was a completely new proj-

formed – was well-received by the crowd. Audience

the singer, most notably citing his voice as a favorable part of his performance.

pulsating EDM that heavto rave culture. It was certainly a crowd-puller, with many raising up and down all the while synchronizing to the beat. Uptempo and

by screens displaying brain rot and media familiar to Gen-Z such as anime, KPop, video games, showseled into somewhat humorous irony, such as when heing screen that plainly stated that they do not have any accompanying visuals.

Far East Movement were enveloped in thumping bass of dubstep. With a perfor-

mance was nothing short of enticing, both musically

included some unreleasedhaps one of the longest sets of the concert, but was well of audience members vibing with his songs.

Rachel Chinouriri, an English indie singer-songwriter who is currently in the middle of her American tour, made a stop to perform during Spring Splash, and her show was nothing short of cathartic. Many of the songs within her set focused on her personal experiences with boys and relationshipsics of a Sabrina Carpenter song, albeit with a sound similar to The Beaches.

were heavy hitters with the

ing her spot as a memorable performer of the event.

Swae Lee, the headliner and last performer of the concert, made an unforgettable entrance wearing a UCR hoodie, both as a representation of the university and as a response to the chilly night time weather. Many people poured into stands

the pavements near the Bell Tower to hear Swae Lee’s songs at his loudest. After throwing his hoodie into the crowd, Swae Lee turned his performance up to 11

“Come Get Her” and “No Flex Zone” while sporting a

As his performance went on, Swae Lee arrived at a

Amidst this, he made numerous shoutouts to UCR and its students, particularly strong.” A standout part of his performance happened

the night was an unreleased -

min in which he complimented UCR students for bringing unmatched energy, referring to them as “one of ever performed in.

seemed to be the highlight of the set as audience members participated in synergic call and response.Although

the udience memted onse.Although

a song made famous by its presence in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” The overall loose vibe of the concertgoers was accompanied by visuals that heavily replicated the art style of the

hitters within the crowd in which many of them twostepped in the vein of Chi-

crowd of them twoe vein of Chi-

seemed to be the highlight of the set as audience members participated in synergic call and response. The set did include some slower

udience memted onse. The set some

Near the end of the song, Swae Lee decided to let the audience sing it by themselves. The crowd didn’t disappoint, reciting each lyric word-for-word and with near-perfect pitch, earning praise from Swae Lee himself. His inclu-

Concert staff should have just as equal commendation as the performers themselves. With American Sign Language (ASL) transla-curity ensuring the safety of attendees, the focus of the concert never seemed to stray from guaranteeing the overall enjoyment of everyone in the event. Despite a few hiccups, the sound technicians played as much of an essential role when it came to providing a coherent level of noise to be enjoyed by listeners. Overall, the concert was run in a way that’s precise yet satisfying for all involved.all satisfaction with the lineup, students pointed out Swae Lee as their primary reason for attending the show. Some students suggested the presence of artists such as Travis Scott, Doechii, and even past performers such as Wallows to play at the next Spring Splash. That isn’t to say that students were entirely unenthusiastic with the other performers, with many of them dancing along to the music despite never having heard them before.

“My Everything,” but the overall atmosphere of her performance was mostly enthusiastic. Albeit some

ing,” but thhe e sphere f h her r was mooststly somme

Beatles” symbolized his humble beginnings and was equally just as adored by the crowd. His set additionally

nal song with as much grace

Samples from songs such as “Still Into You” by Para-

collaboration with other artists such as Rich the Kid.

Neorah Davis // The Highlander

SPRING SPLASH LOOKBOOK

Riya Charora 3rd yr Aarya Manoj 2nd yr Saanvi Vishwakumar 2nd yr

Neorah Davis // The Highlander

Cheyenne Chapman 1st yr

Shinde 1st yr

Sam Agustin 3rd yr

Lillie Cosby 1st yr

‘ Notes to John’: An invasion of privacy

THE

CONTROVERSIAL PUBLICATION OF JOAN DIDION’S THERAPY NOTES.

the entries were written between to be private.

the public. her inner circle is that her privacy course, understand the public thirst

MAIN ST

wanted these published because she be personal.

was a real person — and a writer that

ORANGE ST

her estate and her assistants clear

IRIS ARANDA

COURTESY OF KNOPF VIA AP

COURTESY OF FLICKR

SPORTS

Grading the main storylines Wrestlemania 41

DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON DIDN’T COMPLETELY RUIN WRESTLEMANIA 41.

Diego Albarran Contributing Writer

Wrestlemania 41 is

This year’s ediplace in “Sin City,” at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, in attendance.

Americano, Penta and Rey Fénix all debuting at Wrestlemania. It was also CM at Wrestlemania of his career, a dream come true for

Cena’s last Wrestlemania.

with unforgettable moin other places. Let’s grade each match out of ten avocados before rating the entire card.

NIGHT 1: started with off the show we were yeeting our souls out for “Main Event” Jey Uso vs.the World Heavyweight Champion, “The Ring General” Gunther.

World Heavyweight Championship: Jey Uso def. Gunther (c)

Every time Jey Uso’s theme song hits, one can’t help themselves but “yeet.” However, fans were understandably frustrated withline as Jey defeated Gunther Royal Rumble.

In addition, the story they were trying to tell wasn’t interesting. With that being said, Gunther’s destruction of Jey’s twin brother, Jimmy Uso, on that episode of Raw was enticing.

The match itself was just

a Raw Main Event than a Wrestlemania opener. The ending wasn’t great either. They made the Ring Gen-

Gunther tapped out before Jey had the sleeper-hold

Verdict: 4/10 avocados

El Grande Americano def. Rey Fénix

This event was originally meant to be Rey Mysterio versus El Grande Americano. Mysterio was replaced by the freshly debuted Rey

Fénix after Mysterio injured himself the night before on

Fénix’s inexperience within WWE, he displayed great chemistry with El Grande Americano.

Rey’s athletic acrobatic lucha style with El Grande’s more grounded style with a hint of his new lucha style, made this match so entertaining to watch. El Grande Americano got the crowd on his feet after hitting a the top row, just incredible.

Americano ended up beating Rey Fénix with his signaheadbutt. It was very disappointing to see the character

art of lucha libre win this match and defeat one of the best luchadors. Despite the unreal athleticism displayed by both wrestlers, the resultcha libre fan.

Verdict: 4/10 avocados.

WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) def. Charlotte Flair

An infamous off-scriptDown where the two exchanged personal insults made the build up for this

most notable of them being Tiffy Straton’s comments on Charlotte’s marriages meant that anything could happen in this mania match.

The match was expectedly messy, but it was nice to see Tiffy retain her belt, as she was the only champion on Night 1 to do so. The match

in terms of the blows each of them were given each other. Tiffy had her tooth chipped off which made it a crazy scene to see when she lifted the belt, seeming as if she just fought a war with Charlotte.

given the shoot promo and-

ers continues to grow. It was nice to see that WWE didn’t punish Tiffy for defending herself during the promo. It is commonplace to be punthis, but that didn’t happen to the Barbie of WWE.

Verdict: 5/10 avocados

Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns and CM Punk

The main event saved a eventing Wrestlemania was nearly four years heading into Wrestlemania without a belt around his waist. For Seth, we’ll insert evil Seth Rollins Laugh. This triple threat match was perfect, incredible everything it needed to be and by far the best match from both nights.

The story heading in here was very simple. Each wrestler hates each other for different reasons and the Paul Heyman variable made for perhaps the best Wrestlemania match and build in a long time. The match started off brilliantly with amazing entrances, espe-

age before playing his old theme song, “Fire Burns” by KIllswitch Engage, was perfect.

Then, these three legendary performers went on to

have an amazing match with many near falls and great spots all leading up toout the whole match, fans were focused on Paul Heyman and whether he would help his tribal chief Roman Reigns or his best friend, it, Paul grabbed a steel chairhis wiseman just turned on him.

Until, bam! Low blow from

Mania match was overshadowed with the main Judgement Day story, the match sweet ending.

Verdict: 8/10 avocados

Randy Orton def. Joe Hendry

When the build for Wrestlemania began, fans were excited to see how WWE versus Randy Orton. Unfortunately, the tragic news -

chair. Roman then turns his attention to Seth who was moment mirrors the time when Seth betrayed Roman decade before. But before Roman can get his revenge.

Bam! Paul low blows Roman as well and sides with Seth. Seth beats Roman with the chair and pins Roman. It was perfect.

Verdict: 10/10 avocados.

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio def. Bron Breakker (c), Finn Bálor and Penta

The fatal four-way for the intercontinental championship was so fun and saw Intercontinental ChampionGuerrero did. The main story heading into this match was if the Judgement Day Mysterio’s faction) would apart.

It was the main factor in the story as it was very imsome interference from the Judgement Day to wear-

mania debut. This left just Bron, Finn and Dom; Finn hit Bron with his signature “Coup de Grace” and it win it until from the top rope, the best frog splash in the history of pro-wrestling was hit by Dom onto Finn and Bron for the pinfall win.

gery prevented a potential instant classic. This all led up to Orton’s “open challenge” with the mystery being who would step up.

After the Viper slithered into the ring, the WWE world heard the words, “Say His Name And He Appears.” The stadium erupted as they saw the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling World Champion, Joe Hendry answer the call. This from the crowd and it was a fun little watch with a beautiful RKO at the end to get Randy Orton his mania win. The match didn’t go too long, but given the circumstances, it was solid.

Verdict: 5/10 avocados

Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena def. Cody Rhodes (c)

Many WWE fans today got into professional wrestling because of one person: John Cena. It made his impending retirement announcement

enteenth World Championship, fans lost hope after Jey Uso won the Royal Rumble. But just one month later, Cena’s chamber match victory at Elimination Chamber set up an Undisputed WWE Championship bout with Cody Rhodes. that same night. Either sell his soul to the “The Final Cody would choose the latcareer.

about Cena’s unpredictable heel turn. Building the anticipation for this match to another level. The match

after a ref bump. The crowd held their breath as Cody hit Cena with his signature cross-rhodes. He got the visual pin on Cena, but there was no ref to count. This gave Cena a chance to recover and throw Cody into

He hit Cody with his fourth attitude adjustment, but the out at two. With both wrestlers exhausted and on the mat, surely now The Finalpearance. Instead, Travis Scott made his way to the ring as his song, “FE!N” echoed around Allegiant Stadium.

With his Target Hardcore WWE Title replica, Travis attempted to help Cena, but failed as Cody hit Cena with another cross-rhodes. Cody pinned Cena, but Travis

pulled the ref out of the ring before he made the threecount.

Travis then eats a crossrhodes himself, but the a distraction for Cena to capitalize. Cena grabs the American Nightmare is able

hitting Cena with the belt, but his morals won’t allow

of Cody’s hesitation and hits him with a low-blow and then some more with the belt for good measure.

He pins Cody to win the Undisputed WWE Championship and stands alone as Champion.

Verdict: 17/10 avocados

Final Thoughts

Overall, Wrestlemania 41 was average at best. Nightter than Night 1, but Night 1 did have the better main event if we are being hon-

Lynch’s surprise appearances were nice, yet the event was really missing one per-

main event was fully built around him, but fans got nothing in the build or actual match. Instead they got Travis Scott. Putting all the behind the scenes rumors and reports coming out as to why he didn’t show up, fans were left with a somewhat they were invested in.

Besides that, Paul and Seth’s alliance is super cool, especially now that there is a faction being built in the aftermath of Wrestlemania. Jey Uso winning the world title was cool and the women’s triple threat match was amazing. Wrestlemania 41 was fun, but it was underwhelming in too many areas. Though, it will be exciting to see how these storylines develop and what new ones come out of it.

Verdict: 6/10 avocados