Volume 74, Issue 06

The Highlander

“60

Miles East” debuts at the Riverside Art Museum

The exhibit spotlights the grit, fury and camaraderie of the 90’s Riverside music scene.

HIGHLANDERS COME UP SHORT AGAINST CROSS TOWN RIVALS IN 56-53 LOSS

UC

Riverside

women’s basketball falls to California Baptist University in season opener.

If someone were to ask which place has the coolest punk scene, the city of Riverside would most likely be the last location anybody would think of. People would be quick to point to other places like New York, with bands like the Ramones and Agnostic Front, or London with the Sex Pistols and The Clash.

It’s hard to believe that Riverside, a quaint little city best known for its Spanish missionary architecture, donkeys and chaparral could be the locus for something as bold and brash as the punk scene. Riverside Art Museum’s newest exhibition, “60 Miles East: Riverside’s Underground Punk Rock, Hardcore & Ska Scene from the Late 1980s to Early 2000s,” sheds light on the history of the scene while proving that Riverside can rock as fast and harder than any other city in California.

Monday, Nov. 3 was opening night for college basketball. Hundreds of schools across the nation played their first game of the season and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women’s basketball was no exception. The Highlanders traveled to face their crosstown rivals, California Baptist University

Local government and organizations strain to compensate for SNAP’s defunding NEWS

With the government shutdown, SNAP fund uncertainty, local food banks and city governments respond to public concern.

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE

Contributing Writer

With the government shutdown now going into its second month, more of the nation’s programs are being threatened. One of them is the rescindment of the funds for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Impacting Americans nationally, including those in the Inland Empire, local governments, food banks and pantries are trying to continue supporting citizens amidst uncertainty and a shrinking safety net.

SNAP benefits, known as CalFresh in California, refer...

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IAN PALMA Radar Editor

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ELENA VERSAGE / THE HIGHLANDER

ELENA VERSAGE Staff Writer

Staff

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Cecile Diroll opinions@highlandernews.org

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Humans of UCR

Victor Sanchez (he/him), First year Sociology Major (left) and Andrew Morales (he/him), TFDP Major

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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.

“

”Sanchez and Morales: “We’re roommates. [We’re in a] triple. [The third roommate] is pretty chill. He’s barely here though. All of us were random [roommates]. We got lucky.”

Sanchez: “I’ve been apart of this youth crisis where it’s a digital version of the suicide hotline. And what we do, instead of taking calls, it’s a private messaging service where people that are having suicidal thoughts come to us and we text them back and forth. We can use those said skills that they teach us and use that in a mental health career field.

Sociology really wasn’t my first choice [for a major], psychology [originally] was. But I’m fine with sociology since [it] focuses more on the social aspects of humanity, whereas psychology focuses more on the science aspect of the brain. And I feel sociology matches more with me since I’m more interested in the mental health aspect.

Morales: “I work out [at the gym] a lot. I’ve been teaching [Victor] a little bit of stuff. Other than that, I’m just mainly like a theatre guy. I’ve filmed like one movie so far. Next week I’m gonna help some friends film their other movies. It’s been a lot of fun getting actors together. It’s a blast.

I’m [also] in the rugby club. We’re the official rugby team [here at UCR]. It’s really fun. My sister actually got me started in rugby. She took me to one of their meetings before they officially started. I just thought the people were chill. I gave it a shot and it turned out that one of my friends is [also] in the rugby club. It was a good surprise. I guess I just like the brotherhood of it.”

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Staff Photographer Elena Versage photo@highlandernews.org

Compiled by Isaac Solnick, Managing Editor

The U.S. and Brazilian tariff dispute

FIVE REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMOCRATS TO END TRUMP’S TARIFFS.

MARIBEL HERNANDEZ Contributing Writer

On Oct. 28, 2025, a bipartisan resolution passed where senators voted 5248 on the issue regarding the termination of President Donald Trump’s Brazilian tariffs. It is part of a series of resolutions the Senate has recently passed in an effort to challenge Trump’s tariffs, including those imposed on Canada.

Among the senators were Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, as well as Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky. The 50 percent tariff on the majority of Brazilian goods was a national emergency declaration enacted by Trump to pressure the Brazilian government to end the “witch hunt” against his former ally, Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is a former Brazilian president who was sentenced last month to 27 years in prison for his attempted

coup to stay in power after his electoral defeat in 2022. Trump’s official White House report statement claimed that the Brazilian government has “unjustly charged Bolsonaro with multiple crimes related to Bolsonaro’s 2022 runoff election,” and that these are “unjustified criminal charges.”

ASUCR Senate Meeting

THIS WEEK’S MEETING FOCUSED ON VOTING ACCESS, SENATE UPDATES AND A STUDENT ORGANIZATION FUNDING APPROVAL.

OVI MATHIVANAN

Contributing Writer

On Nov. 6, 2025, the Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) meeting began at 6:58 p.m. and adjourned at 7:55 p.m, with all agenda items approved.

Public forum comments highlighted issues with oncampus voting during the 2025 U.S. election, including limited accessibility for working students, unclear voting locations and hours and a need for more informational resources.

Executive Director Asha Nettles presented plans to modify the ASUCR Senate Chambers to improve wheelchair accessibility and confirmed that fall enrollment

numbers have been finalized, adding that future campus growth depends on funding.

Senate bill SB-F25-008, which revises Civic Engagement Committee bylaws by adding a Voter Registration Coordinator and renaming the UC Divestment Coordinator to Advocacy Coordinator, was passed unanimously, 14-0-0. The senate also unanimously approved a $3,500 Green Campus Action Plan Green Grant for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to support construction of a sustainable solar boat.

The vote came after the tariffs began to negatively impact farmers and small businesses. Oregon’s Democratic Senator Ron Wyden has reported how his counterparts are going to their home states and “they just feel like they’re getting hit by a trade wrecking ball” because

of their constituents reporting how the tariffs are “killing” them with the increasing prices in grocery stores. He also points out how “red states in rural areas are being hit the hardest.”

Paul, who voted alongside Democrats to end the Brazilian tariffs, has expressed

frustration with the President’s national emergency. Paul emphasized how “war, famine, [and] tornadoes” count as emergencies, but Trump’s course of action is an “abuse of the emergency power.”

Crime Watch: Human trafficking suspect arrested in Arizona

SUSPECT ARRESTED BY RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN INVESTIGATION INTO CASE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION.

ANDREW HAGLER Contributing Writer

Suspected human trafficker and registered sex offender 31-year-old Deirdrick Bradford was arrested in Arizona and extradited to Riverside County on Oct. 14, on charges of human trafficking of a minor, possession of child pornography and pimping.

The investigation into Bradford began in mid-August after Riverside police received a tip about an underage girl being advertised online for commercial sex. The Riverside Police Department’s investigation revealed she was a victim of human trafficking, engaging in prostitution in Riverside, Los Angeles and Arizona. In the following months, Deirdrick Bradford was identified as a suspect believed to be exploiting her and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Bradford was located and arrested in Phoenix by Riverside police, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Metropolitan Division and U.S.

Marshals. Upon extradition, he was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center, where he is currently held on $85,000 bail.

Anyone with info relevant to this investigation is urged to contact the Vice Unit at RPDVice@RiversideCA.gov or (951) 3537614. ■ H

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MILLIONS

Government shutdown triggers unprecedented SNAP crisis

OF AMERICANS LOOK TO THE USDA FOR ANSWERS AS SNAP BENEFITS DWINDLE AMID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

OVI MATHIVANAN

Contributing Writer

On Oct. 1, 2025, the federal government of the United States entered a shutdown after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, indefinitely reducing or suspending functions for a range of government-funded programs and services. During previous shutdowns, Americans experienced partial or full disruptions to crucial programs and services, including federal employees being forced to work without pay or placed on unpaid furlough, halts in small business loans and reduced operations from several government agencies.

These disruptions extend to state and local governments as well, straining communities, businesses and individuals as they scramble to redirect their resources to maintain essential operations. In particular, one of the most visible consequences of the shutdown has been an announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), declaring that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were on the verge of collapse. SNAP recipients include people of all ages and backgrounds, family structures and living conditions.

SNAP, which provided food benefits to nearly 41.7 million low-income individuals per month on average in fiscal year 2024, is funded through annual congressional appropriations. In a stark departure from previous shutdowns, the USDA initially declined to pull funding from contingency reserves to sustain SNAP benefits until proper funding appropriations could

be allocated. Households reported cutting down on snacks, relying on canned and shelf-stable food to extend meals and even skipping out on social traditions, such as trick-or-treating, due to the added costs of items like candy.

In response, 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, including California, filed a public lawsuit against the USDA on Oct 28. 2025, asserting that the USDA’s refusal to sustain full SNAP benefits violated federal law. In a press release that same day from the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, the state administration criticized the federal government for arbitrarily allocating temporary funding for certain programs, such as the Women, Infants and Children benefits program, while leaving SNAP unfunded.

The impending suspension of benefits has also prompted judicial action. On Oct. 31, two District Court Judges, John McConnell of Rhode Island and Indira Talwani of Massachusetts, simultaneously issued two separate but nearly identical emergency rulings, ordering the USDA to clarify how it would sustain SNAP benefits by Nov. 3.

In the wake of growing public and legal pressures, the USDA released a statement on Nov. 5, revising the partial November SNAP allotments. The update clarified that benefits would be reduced by 35 percent instead of the previously communicated 50 percent, bringing the maximum SNAP allotment to 65 percent of typical benefits, effective immediately.

State governments have raced to fill the gap left by the SNAP funding crisis. In California, where SNAP benefits are provided through the CalFresh program, Governor Newsom announced $80 million in expedited funding to support food banks and deployed the California National Guard for additional support. The state is also coordinating with local agencies and organizations to increase access to food banks and pantries, expand meal distribution and ensure that Californians are receiving food assistance in the face of the unprecedented federal crisis.

Food banks and social service organizations have experienced an uptick in demand, stretching resources and employee capacity, forcing these locations and their staff to expand their hours and work overtime to accommodate the growing number of individuals seeking meal support. Additionally, inconsistent access to food assistance can exacerbate or contribute to chronic health conditions in individuals who rely on SNAP for nutrition, creating pressure on local health systems.

For many, uncertainty persists despite federal efforts to partially restore benefits, with individuals seeking stability and reliable access to food rather than temporary, reduced allotments for the month. As demand for food assistance surpasses the supply and capacity of local programs, communities are struggling to provide sustained nutritional support.

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Local government and organizations strain to compensate for SNAP’s defunding

WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SNAP FUND UNCERTAINTY, LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND CITY GOVERNMENTS RESPOND TO PUBLIC CONCERN.

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer

With the government shutdown now going into its second month, more of the nation’s programs are being threatened. One of them is the rescindment of the funds for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Impacting Americans nationally, including those in the Inland Empire, local governments, food banks and pantries are trying to continue supporting citizens amidst uncertainty and a shrinking safety net.

SNAP benefits, known as CalFresh in California, refer to funds provided to lowincome Americans by the federal government through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards for the purpose of purchasing fresh, healthy food.

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service report, SNAP benefits were provided to over 41.7 million Americans monthly in 2024, and CalFresh currently serves 5.5 million Californians, according to the news site California Globe.

The rescinding of funds for SNAP has come around due to Democrats and Republicans continuing to fight over the Republican-proposed federal budget.

Despite the mandate for the Trump Administration to pull emergency funds for SNAP from two judges, as has been done during previous government shutdowns, the administration has continued to display pushback against funding SNAP until Democrats yield and approve the budget.

Until then, it has been unclear whether or not federal funding will be allocated to partially fund SNAP, leaving it up to local governments and, more commonly, to non-governmental organizations to respond to the concerns of citizens and support those dependent on SNAP.

Feeding America is a national organization that works to combat hunger across the country. Their Inland Empire location, called Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino’s (FARSB), is one local food bank that operates out of a warehouse near Downtown Riverside.

As a food bank, FARSB assembles packaged meals from donated goods and purchased items, which they then distribute to food pantries to give to citizens. FARSB currently provides food for over 250 food pantries across San Bernardino County.

FARSB’s Marketing and Engagement Manager, Rachel Bonilla, expressed that they had already observed an increase in demand for food when the government shutdown began due to federal employees going without payment.

Furthermore, Bonilla described that the demand for their services is only increasing as those CalFresh recipients who have been budgeting, waiting for the government shutdown to end and regain financial stability, are further struggling to stretch funds. The rescinding of SNAP funds amplifies their stress, as she mentions, “Unfortunately, we definitely are seeing a really steep rise in need. A lot of our food pantries are seeing as soon as they get their pantry stocked from the stuff that is here, it’s, you know, gone.”

Financial support from sources outside the federal government, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom’s CalFoods budget allocating $8 million to food banks such as FARSB, has helped keep them temporarily afloat according to Bonilla.

Despite this, whether or not the benefits will be funded at all is unknown as politicians continue to negotiate, FARSB and other food banks are hoping the government shutdown will end

sooner than it will take for resources to run out. Bonilla expanded on this by saying, “We’re getting, you know, emails from the government saying oh well it’s going to be half and now we’re not sure … they need to figure out what they’re doing politically to help, you know, reopen the government.”

Along with the efforts of local food banks, the Riverside City Council motioned on Nov. 4 to allocate $100,000 to support. According to the motion’s press release, the 46,649 Riverside citizens who typically depend on SNAP benefits and are now facing food insecurity.

To do this, they are partnering with the Salvation Army’s Emergency Food Access Program and transferring funds from Riverside’s Senior Supplemental Rental Assistance Program.

Bonilla described this through observations she’s made while working for FARSB since the shutdown began. “Now we’re hearing a lot of people that I think are just kind of more desperate because … [they’re] not really sure what to do moving forward.”

Despite the general sense of helplessness citizens are feeling regarding SNAP’s defunding, as described by Bonilla, FARSB and local food pantries are seeking volunteers and both financial and item donations to help meet demand for their services.

Anyone currently affected by cuts to SNAP can utilize the find a pantry feature on FARSB’s website, and University of California, Riverside students can visit the R’Pantry, which has two locations open for walk-ins. One being the HUB 346 location, which is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the satellite location in the Student Health and Counseling Center 1303, which is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Prop 50 passed by California voters, redrawing the congressional district map

DEMOCRAT-FAVORED PROP 50’S PASSES IN A LANDSLIDE VICTORY.

JIHOON KWON Contributing Writer

On Nov. 4, 2025, Californian voters approved Proposition 50, also known as Election Rigging Response Act, allowing an independent committee to temporarily redraw the congressional district map in favor of the Democrats ahead of the 2026 Midterm elections. The measure passed with 63.9 percent of the voters in favor of it, which was a decisive win for the supporters of the proposition.

Voting results indicate general support for Prop 50 in coastal and southern counties, while opposition from northern counties. The proposition saw the biggest support in San Francisco County with “Yes” votes at 80.6 percent. In contrast, Lassen County saw “No” votes at 80.1 percent. In Riverside County, it was highly contested with “Yes” votes at 56.7 percent and “No” votes at 43.7 percent of voters.

General dissatisfaction with the Trump administration has been the primary motivation for the majority of the voters that voted in favor of Prop 50. According to CNN, more than 90 percent of California voters, including those who voted in favor of the proposition, indicated they’d prefer a state congressional district line to be drawn by a non-partisan committee, but that 82 percent of the voters who voted for the proposition view it as a way to counter

the changes led by the Republicans in other states including Texas.

More than 60 percent of the “Yes” voters also said that the Trump Administration’s immigration policies have gone too far and that Governor Newsom should not cooperate with President Trump in their effort to enforce such policies. In an interview with NBC, political analyst Dan Schnur said that special elections “tend to have much lower turnout” but this election saw an unprecedented turnout as “Gavin Newsom and his allies recast this initiative, not about issues about drawing legislative or congressional districts, but rather as a referendum on Donald Trump.”

Governor of California Gavin Newsom, one of the most vocal advocates of Prop 50, said in his speech following the victory that it was “not just a victory for the Democratic party, but a victory for the United States of America and the principles that our Founding Fathers lived and died for,” and that it sends a message to President Donald Trump who Newsom called out as “the most historically unpopular president in modern history.”

Opponents of Prop 50 have voiced their dissatisfaction towards the election result as well. President Trump made a post on

Truth Social claiming the election was a “giant scam” and that “the entire process, in particular the voting itself, is rigged.” Californian Republicans have also filed a lawsuit against the proposition the day after the election, arguing that it “violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law and the right under the 15th Amendment to not have one’s vote abridged on account of race.” As a response to this, Newsom’s office responded on X, “Good luck losers.”

Governor Newsom believes that the advantage the Democrats have gained which effectively cancels out Texas Redistricting could potentially be the “de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it” in the following 2026 Midterm elections “the minute speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries gets sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives.”

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Opinions

The poetic justice of the Louvre’s heist

INSUFFICIENT SECURITY, LOW STAFFING AND A WEAK PASSWORD.

MARIBEL HERNANDEZ Contributing Writer

On Oct. 19, 2025, Louvre on-goers bore witness to a heist within its own corridors. The heist occurred in the span of seven minutes, with the robbers using ladders and power tools to steal $102 million in crown jewels.

As of late, five new suspects have been arrested, but their identities are unavailable to the public as French investigations are designed to be secretive. One key part of the Louvre heist investigation that remains a mystery is the identity of a well-dressed man pictured next to French officers, wearing a four-piece suit, a fedora and even carrying an umbrella.

The sharp man’s identity has yet to be released to the public as French law prioritizes privacy during any official investigation. However, when social media caught wind of this man’s appearance, which is reminiscent of that of an old-fashioned cartoon detective chasing a bandit of thieves, the amount of attention the heist received increased exponentially.

Despite the immense worth of the Louvre’s contents, the only piece that is under high security day and night is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which explains the ease with which the heist was pulled off. With that being said, many spectators of this story have found the Louvre’s error in security judgment laughable. How could one of the all-time renowned museums not have better security systems in place? The answer is simple: staffing issues, inadequate surveillance in the Apollo Gallery — where the heist took place — and a password weaker than most would create for personal use.

The Louvre’s staff have long since complained

about the lack of security around the entirety of the museum, as most of the security guards, CCTV footage and physical barriers are set to protect Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Earlier this year, staff members went on strike, asking the museum to install fiercer security measures, as there are “too few eyes on too many rooms.”

To compare a museum’s effective security system to that of the Louvre’s, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) is by far significantly more intricate. While the Met’s CCTV footage information is not available to the public, the extensive rules Met Gala attendees are expected to follow provide a sense of how heightened the museum’s security is. For example, celebrities have been threatened with being banned from the high-profile event for breaking the no personal photography rule by taking the infamous “Met Gala mirror selfies.”

Returning to the Louvre’s lacking security measures, CNN reports that while the museum has 465 galleries, in 2024, there were only 432 CCTV cameras to monitor the museum, leaving “61 percent of the galleries without any CCTV coverage.” If this isn’t enough, a renowned French newspaper called Libération has claimed that the Louvre’s video surveillance password was the word “Louvre” itself. The jokes truly write themselves.

The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars and French President Emannaneul Macron have both faced backlash from French citizens after the heist took place, as French culture is deeply tied to the historical importance of the museum’s contents. The Louvre’s collection has largely been acquired through Napoleon’s looting from his conquests, confiscation from the French monarchy during the French Revolution and

archaeological excavations.

With that being said, Americans’ interest extends past the idea of a cartoon unfolding before our very eyes, as it has become a distraction outlet against the political stressors the United States is faced with today. While the country faces food insecurity due to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits being halted for the first time in history and the mistreatment of power-hungry Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials towards both immigrants and U.S. citizens, the White House would rather spend their time creating a webpage reminiscent of MySpace — titled mysafespace — to display their blatant racism towards Hispanics and Latinos and their deep disrespect for their Democratic counterparts.

The page depicts a sombrero-clad background and dubs Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as being “Tampon Tim.” When your government acts in this manner, it’s no wonder so many Americans are turning their focus to France’s entertaining scandal in an effort to prioritize their mental well-being. The old-fashioned aspect of the crime partnered with the entertaining manner in which the robbers made their escape — on electric scooters similar to the ones seen across our very own campus — has provided the world with an escape from their lives ruled by a capitalist society.

Considering the lack of efficient security measures, the Louvre sure did make it easy for the heist to be pulled off. Although the French’s distaste for the crime is understandable, there’s a sense of poetic justice felt considering the manner in which the museum attained its artifacts, specifically through Napoleon’s looting. This may be a long-awaited revenge for the owners of the original objects.

Zohran Mamadani’s time has come, but his plans to make NYC more affordable may be too ambitious

MAMDANI WILL ASSUME OFFICE AS NEW YORK CITY’S NEXT MAYOR, BUT HIS OVERLY AMBITIOUS PLATFORM MAY FALTER.

After a heated but successful campaign that had President Trump’s attention, New Yorkers on Nov. 4, 2025, chose Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, as their next mayor, next in line to lead the country’s biggest city.

Central to Mamdani’s campaign is affordability and mending the cost of living, something the city has historically struggled with. Some of his most ambitious plans with a high probability of failure are his plans for rent freezes for rent-stabilised tenants and building 200,000 new rent-stabilised affordable housing units over the next 10 years. He also plans to create a network of city-run grocery stores, aimed at providing groceries at a low price and not making a profit.

Several factors suggest parts of his agenda could prove effective. Freezing the rent for rentstabilised tenants would provide an immediate relief, which has been done before. In 2015 and 2016, New York City’s rent guidelines board voted to freeze rents on one-year leases for the first time in history, but the city didn’t collapse. Tenants got relief, and it demonstrated that freezes can work.

Mamdani is simply using precedent to implement his goals when the circumstances are dire. The city receives the largest federal funding and has more than $100 billion in its annual budget. A city like New York can afford to experiment with Mamdani’s social welfare programs, which aren’t unheard of in the city.

Mamdani is essentially proposing to extend the scope of these programs and make them universal to alleviate concerns that his program is too farfetched and to use precedent. It is a way for Mamdani to tell voters and critics that he’s not doing anything out of the ordinary, but rather that he’s bold enough to expand on what the city has done on a smaller scale in previous administrations.

Going back to Mamdani’s ambitious housing project, the mayor-elect aspires to build 200,000 new units of permanently affordable housing over

the next decade, and it is not without precedent that the city has led massive housing projects before. It would certainly be a challenge to Mamdani’s administration, but not impossible.

Let’s not forget that New Yorkers didn’t just choose Mamdani, but chose his platform to make the city more affordable for the millions of ordinary New Yorkers, and that gives his administration a huge mandate to follow through. When he goes to the City Council to push his agenda, he can do so with good reasoning.

Mamdani’s idea of running city-run grocery stores is certainly a much more eye-catching program, and doing so would put pressure on privately-owned grocery store chains to lower prices. Additionally, Mamdani’s tax plan to generate revenue and fund his welfare programs, as detailed on his platform, includes an increased millionaire surtax from one percent to two percent on all New Yorkers earning over a million per year and a corporate tax hike that would match New Jersey’s rate at 11.5 percent from its current 7.25 percent, making it the highest rate in the country.

Overall, the city has the money, precedent and the political mandate. If the proposed tax plan succeeds, it will be the first time New York City has the scale and mandate to experiment with these.

These projects could work because rent freezes provide relief to tenants, though landlords may face immediate consequences. While landlords argue they won’t have the money to maintain their buildings, it’s important to understand that public housing in New York City — administered by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) — is notoriously underfunded and known for its poor infrastructure and services, which require billions of dollars to repair. A rent freeze in the private market may lead to the same kind of negligence and deterioration in maintenance and services.

New York City already has the budget to fulfil Mamdani’s agenda, but a large amount of that is already being put towards public services and essentials like schools, hospitals, pensions and the

police. To pay for his programs, Mamdani is banking on his tax plan, which may falter as there has been an uptick of wealthy New Yorkers leaving the city since the pandemic.

If those fewer than one per cent of taxpayers who contribute to more than 40 per cent of the state’s income tax revenue — with a similar share in New York City — leave for Florida or New Jersey, then Mamdani’s projections for a more affordable city will fail because the provision of public services will have to be cut.

Execution of the planned 200,000 new social housing units will also be too difficult, as that is about as many as the city currently oversees, and NYCHA can’t even manage its pre-existing housing. Even if the city were financially capable, construction in New York City is notoriously slow between zoning fights, environmental reviews, lawsuits and contractor delays, effectively handicapping Mamdani’s platform to create more social housing units when it cannot even be lifted off the ground.

Even if Mamdani had the best visions for New York City, the political and economic pressure would stall most of his plans before they could even see the light of day. Overall, freezing rents could lead to housing decay, and tax hikes could scare off the wealthy and destabilise the city’s budget. Big promises like social housing may also be legally impossible.

Scaling these promises down while taking it slowly and monitoring its progress will allow for a more realistic and safe approach for the Mamdani platform, rather than going all out and seeing what sticks and risking failure, but that is not to say his incoming administration shouldn’t pursue this positive trajectory for making New York City more affordable.

When Mamdani takes office in January, he will be promising far more than any mayor could actually deliver and if he fails to deliver, his promises risk collapsing under their own weight.

ALAN LOK Contributing Writer

EMILY MATA / THE HIGHLANDER

The problem is not how struggling people spend but how the rich exploit the system

AMERICA SHOULDN’T BLAME THE MARGINALIZED FOR THEIR SPENDING ON FOOD WHILE BILLIONAIRES FLAUNT EXTREME WEALTH AND AVOID ACCOUNTABILITY.

RUBAITA IQBAL Assistant Opinions Editor

America has a strange relationship with wealth and blame. As the government shutdown leaves millions uncertain about their Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, people seem more outraged about how recipients might spend those funds than about the policies that caused the cuts in the first place. Many find it easier to criticize those struggling to survive than to question those in power.

The wealthy have shifted blame onto SNAP users, acting as if buying a bag of chips is worse than spending millions on use less luxuries. This twisted logic demonstrates how far America’s sense of fairness has sunk — people ignore the wealthy squander ing mon ey while attacking the working class for seeking some com fort.

America’s priorities are misplaced. The average household pays around 13 percent of income in federal taxes. Many billionaires pay a smaller share because their income comes from investments such as stocks and other capital assets. They pay capital gains taxes only when they sell stock, often delaying it for years. Meanwhile, the average worker is taxed on every paycheck. This structure allows wealth to grow at the top while millions struggle to stay afloat. This economic inequality is breeding resentment among working and middle-class Americans who feel the system is rigged against them.

party while 42 million Americans prepared for their SNAP benefits to expire. The image is symbolic. The roaring 1920s ended with the Great Depression and today’s excesses mirror that moment. Lavish parties, growing inequality and mass poverty are creating the same conditions.

Additionally, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos hosted a wedding estimated to cost around $25 million in Venice. Forbes reported that sources close to the event believe the cost

There is nothing classy about spending thousands of dollars on a single studded hot dog purse and posting it as a “casual” date night. Millions of Americans skip meals or try to make $300 in food stamps last an entire month, yet they defend influencers who treat luxury as personality.

This contrast exposes a broken national conversation. The focus is on how those struggling to make ends meet spend small government stipends while ignoring how the wealthy exploit the tax system. America’s richest individuals and corporations use loopholes to avoid paying billions. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits low-income taxpayers more often than the rich. This system rewards those at the top and punishes those

house workers and delivery drivers are facing harsh conditions, particularly in Inland Empire warehouses. The demand for speed and efficiency leads to frequent injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Amazon for unsafe conditions.

Instead of demanding audits for billionaires, many Americans turn to inspecting every single item in a struggling person’s grocery cart. Research shows that people using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) spend most of their benefits on essentials like meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, with only a small portion going toward snacks or soda. Still, these shoppers are often treated as if they are the cause of the country’s economic problems, accused of wasting taxpayers’ money meant to help them survive.

On Oct. 31, 2025, President Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween

Government investigations have confirmed high rates of musculoskeletal problems from repetitive work. Workers describe burnout, anxiety and fear of losing their jobs. His focus is on private islands and space tourism and sending Katy Perry to space instead of his workers’ safety and well-being.

Influencer Becca Bloom flaunts “everyday” jewelry worth nearly $240,000. Her wedding jewelry collection exceeds $1 million, including a Van Cleef & Bvlgari Tubogas jewelry piece worth more than a million dollars. Many of her followers praise her style and success, forming parasocial relationships through her TikTok account and convincing themselves she is relatable. They defend her by saying she is a billionaire who “does wealth right.” But no one with that much money can ever “do wealth right.”

The focus needs to shift. A person trying to survive on $300 a month should not face more scrutiny than billionaires spending thousands on brunch in

the mountains. Until tax policy holds the wealthy accountable, debates about grocery

The warning signs are already here. The top one percent holds more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. Corporate profits rise while wages stagnate. These conditions echo the years before the Great Depression, suggesting that President Trump’s Halloween party is driven more by substance than symbolism. When the working class can no longer afford to consume, the system breaks. We are approaching that point again.

Tax policy is the most direct solution. We need higher taxes on wealth, inheritance and capital gains. We need stronger enforcement against corporate tax fraud. The money exists; it’s simply concentrated in the hands of a few. What’s missing is the will to make the system fair.

Until that changes, we should stop policing what low income people eat. The real problem is not the person buying snacks with EBT, but the billionaires who treat public wealth as private property. Your anger should be aimed upward, not downward. The solution is clear. Tax the rich. Feed the poor. Stop pretending the problem starts at the checkout line.

Take It or Leave It:

The matcha shortage is TikTok’s fault

THE PRICE OF POPULARITY FOR TRADITIONAL FOODS SHOULDN’T COME AT THE COST OF THEIR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.

CECILE DIROLL Opinions Editor

You’ve likely seen the viral TikTok videos of vibrant green matcha being poured into lattes. Watching the matcha swirl around with a straw and hearing the light tapping of the ice cubes has a satisfying appeal on your screen and makes you want to watch a million other videos of the same thing.

This craze for matcha — the traditional Japanese bright-green powder mixed into drinks, ice cream, chocolates and pastries — has skyrocketed globally in recent years on social media. Forbes reports that market predictions estimate matcha’s growth to be $5 billion by 2028 and up to $7.43 billion by 2030. In 2024, Japan also saw a surge in tourism, with a record-breaking 36.9 million visitors.

However, the demand for matcha has reached the point where Japan’s manufacturers can no longer keep up. In early 2024, several Japanese tea companies, such as Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen, announced to their customers that the availability of matcha products would be limited due to short supplies and high demand.

The reason for the shortage? A record heat wave and fewer tea farmers.

Record heat in Kyoto — a key region for tencha, the tea leaves used to make matcha — reduced the spring harvest by 20 to 30 percent. Additionally, the number of tea farmers has dropped dramatically: according to the Global Japanese Tea Association, four out of every five tea producers ceased production between 2000 and 2020.

Adding to the strain, the Trump administration’s tariffs on Japanese imports are expected to raise prices further and make it more difficult for cafés in the United States (U.S.) to get the product.

Matcha is a traditional cup of tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies and valued for its health benefits, as some evidence shows it has anti-inflammatory effects and lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. It comes from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, which can be used to produce green tea, oolong tea and black tea. The plant was first brought from China to Japan around 750 CE, with the first matcha itself being made around 1250 CE. Today, it is only produced in Japan and remains deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

However, the green-colored tea has now become a global sensation — viral TikTok videos of fruit matcha lattes are gaining millions of views, long café lines for matcha wrap around streets and it now appears in all kinds of treats.

There is nothing wrong with people enjoying matcha and experimenting with its vibrant green powder in other foods. Some of the best creations have been made from these innovations and Japan has seen economic benefits as a result. However, the overconsumption driven by social media trends and the potential loss of matcha’s cultural significance is concerning.

What began as colorful matcha drinks on social media has since evolved into a symbol of minimalism and is often tied to the so-called “clean girl” aesthetic. Popularized largely on TikTok, this aesthetic includes a polished “no makeup” look with an emphasis on health and self-care. Matcha falls into this image for its health benefits and connection to wellness.

With the rise of the “clean-girl” aesthetic has come a wave of overconsumption, hoarding and gluttony by influencers seeking out a social media trend. For example, TikTok creator Meredith Mao faced backlash after traveling to Japan and stocking up on matcha powder and matcha-flavored foods by filling an extra-large suitcase and carry-on bag for a matcha haul.

Videos like hers have become common on #MatchaTok, where showing off massive personal collections of matcha products has become a trend in itself. This consumer behavior undoubtedly does not help with the shortage of matcha and is causing the traditional drink to lose its cultural

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significance — a pattern that continues to affect many traditional foods and practices popularized on social media platforms.

Take avocado toast, for example: it has been repackaged as a symbol of “cleangirl” wellness on social media even though avocados have been a long-standing part of everyday meals in Mexican and Indigenous cultures. This shift not only overlooks its cultural origins but also ignores the environmental consequences of rising demand, such as deforestation and disrupted monarch butterfly migration patterns.

Furthermore, this raises serious questions about cultural appropriation, authenticity and the responsibility of both consumers and producers to acknowledge the origins of the traditions and foods they engage with. If all cultural elements are consumed solely for aesthetic or social media purposes, their meaning and value risk being misunderstood or erased entirely.

At the end of the day, enjoying matcha at your favorite café isn’t the problem. It’s how we engage with it that matters. Consumers can sustainably buy matcha and respect the culture it comes from at the same time.

So, when you sip your next matcha latte, take a moment to appreciate its origins and culture.

ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER

Features Scotty-Scopes:

The obstacles in my closest connections

(Sept. 23 – Oct. 22):

Avoiding accountability or imbalance creates tension. Fairness, honesty and thoughtful choices restore harmony and mutual respect.

(Dec. 22 – Jan. 19):

Attachment to control, ambition or fear can interfere with connection. Awareness of desires allows intentional choices that support mutual growth.

(March 21 – April 19):

Your focus on control and quick progress can make it hard to pause and understand others. Harnessing patience and perspective brings clarity to the path forward.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22):

Unprocessed emotions or hidden fears influence your interactions. Facing uncertainty with honesty will allow your intuition to guide you toward clarity and healing.

REVEAL WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK AND HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR CONNECTIONS.

(Oct. 23 – Nov. 21):

Holding onto old patterns or resentments blocks growth. Releasing what no longer serves both parties leaves space for transformation.

(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18):

Skepticism or detachment may create distance in relationships. Embracing hope, vision and inspiration fosters meaningful engagement.

(April 20 – May 20):

Overindulgence in comfort or attachments may create distance. Leaning into selflove fosters stability and mutual trust.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22):

Wanting recognition is natural, but it’s also important to focus on shared goals. Being yourself helps build trust and stronger relationships.

(Nov. 22 – Dec. 21):

Rushing or seeking extremes can create friction. Integrating patience and flexibility nurtures understanding and shared purpose.

(Feb. 19 – March 20):

Avoiding intuition or emotional truth can stall progress. Trusting inner guidance and quiet reflection deepens understanding and empathy.

June

Scattered energy and overthinking can cloud intentions. Aligning communication with purposeful action creates deeper understanding and meaningful connection with others.

(Aug. 23 – Sept. 22):

Overanalyzing or withdrawing may prevent connection. Reflection and selfawareness illuminate what actions you should take to strengthen bonds.

Libra

Justice

Scorpio

Death

Sagittarius

Temperance

Capricorn

The Devil

Aquarius

The Star

Pisces

The High Priestess

Aries

The Chariot

Taurus

The Empress

Gemini (May 21 –

20): The Magician

The Moon

The Sun

Virgo

The Hermit

RUBAITA IQBAL Assistant Opinions Editor

The Thai Student Union Welcomes All

THE THAI STUDENT UNION CARES FOR ITS STUDENTS THROUGH KINDNESS AND AUTHENTICITY.

SANJANA THATTE Features Editor

As the most diverse public university in California, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is home to students of all kinds of backgrounds. For many, stepping foot on this campus was a breath of fresh air. There is a wide variety of cultural organizations catered to helping students connect with peers of similar upbringing, an important facet of campus cultures, as shared values, practices and interests can provide a sanctuary for those struggling to reconnect and celebrate their roots. The Thai Student Union (TSU) is one of these, standing out with its positive atmosphere, friendliness and burgeoning inclusivity here at UCR.

Jasper Tangsriwong, a third year pre-med mathematics major and president of the club, explained that the organization began in 2012 in an effort to create a space for students of Thai descent on campus, “We definitely wanted to provide a sense of unity for our Thai students, and we wanted to foster much culture around our students and for other individuals who want to learn about Thai culture and Thai community.”

Tangsriwong himself joined his first year, as he knew the president at the time. He described wanting to join the club’s board, and follow in her footsteps to continue building a community for Thai students on campus.

The average club meeting operates something like a social, “It looks like a social event. We love to come together and just

spend time together, catch up on just the dayto-day … and just, embrace who we are, our identity.” These meetings are meant to foster a sense of social support, giving members a relaxed space to congregate. Like the Hotpot social that the club recently hosted, the TSU often hosts events to provide this space. Past events include a Thai New Year event, game nights, Thai culture workshops and more. Tangsriwong explained that they often ask their members what they would like to see at the club and plan their meetings from there.

The club also has a year long Big-Little program, where club members pick someone from the board to be their mentor. “We help them in any sense that we can, such as study tips, life tips, anything that they need from us… we’re here to provide for them,” he explains.

Members talk about both their culture and childhood through sharing stories of their upbringing, “We talk about how we grew up and where we come from. A lot of our members are from Thailand. So growing up as a Thai American, I always ask my fellow members that are from Thailand how the experience back home for them is, how different it is from America, what we can do to support them, to make it feel more like home for them.”

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He continued saying that their dual identity shapes their experience in America, “They love it in Thailand, they love it in America.

There’s pros and cons. There’s much opportunity here compared to back home, but either way, the main message is that they still love home, because that’s where they’re from. And you know, if I was born there, I would also love home too, because it’s a beautiful place to be, and honestly, they bring such much needed… authenticity.”

Tangsriwong emphasized the love for both what came before and what comes next as he aims to bring more people into the club, “[Our] goals for this year is to bring more individuals from other cultures in, do more fundraisers, outreach, as much as we can … Our goal is always to cater to our members and celebrate them, because without our members, this club is quite literally not a club… We depend on our members because we love them, we care about them, and ultimately, we want them here, so that we [can] create just this big, great community together.”

The Thai Student Union brings people together with their positivity, openness and consideration for their members. So if you are looking to find a place to call your own in this diverse school, as Tangsriwong himself put it, “if you want to learn about Thai culture, Thai community, Thai tradition, you’re more than welcome to come, and we’ll welcome you with open arms.”

NORM’S NOOK

SPOTLIGHT

The Native American Garden

DISCOVER AN HOMAGE TO THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES OF RIVERSIDE.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, it seemed only fitting that we spotlight the University of California, Riverside (UCR)’s very own Native American Garden. The project was completed in 2023 by professors, students, staff and Indigenous peoples who helped select the plants that grow in the plot today. The garden was created with the intention to honor the tribes that lived on the land that UCR now stands on. The garden stands right in front of the Subway and to the left of the

bookstore. In it, we can find a variety of cacti, palo verde, chaparral and other desert plants which each hold a specific connection to the Indigenous tribes that once lived in the area. The plants surround a dance circle filled with sand in which classes, study sessions or performances can take place. This 20,000 square-foot Native American garden is an amazing way for students to remember and acknowledge the Indigenous tribes that lived where we now study.

STUDIO GHIBLI

25. Movie containing a ghost spa

Western

Rid of vermin

Wanna___

Angers

Thin in tone

“That hits the spot!”

___ Vegas

Singer LaBelle

Hex

42. Howl’s cursed compatriot

44. How some ground balls are fielded

47. “You’re kidding!” in Japanese

48. Studio Ghibli’s first

animated film

54. Refer to 55. Don’t let this hit you on the way out

56. Flightless birds

58. “I smell _ ___!”

59. Fascinated by 60. Ghibli HQ

61. Clayey deposit

62. “__ __ isn’t!”: emphatic rebuttal

63. “ and a partridge in _ ____ tree”

Down

1. Japanese technology company

2. Enlist again

3. “A guy walks into _ ___”

4. Having a certain level of skill

5. Tehran-based carrier

6. Store event

7. “____Tu” (1974 hit)

8. Cook’s collection 9. Confiscated

10. “Chess Set” painter Yves ______ 11. Approximately 12. A magical goldfish princess

13. Writer Sontag

21. Chicago winter hrs.

22. Blind as _ ___

25. Go bad

26. Prefix with legal

27. Residents: Suffix

28. Singer Piaf

29. Tooth: Prefix

30. Golfer Palmer, to fans

33. Bay Area subways

34. Simplicity

35. “Fer ____!”

37. Connected, or engaged in slang 38. Where cars can be found

40. Summer hangout

Italy’s Reggia di

(royal palace) 42. “Fiddler on the Roof” setting

43. “Say what?”

44. Philosopher William of _____

45. Nigeria’s currency 46. “_ ____ Is Born”

Prefix with sphere 50. Slang for phone alerts

Horse walk

Palmer of “Nope”

“Divine Secrets of the

Sisterhood”

Frat.

GRAPHICS BY LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

ALONDRA ORDAZ / THE HIGHLANDER

NOLA PERIFEL

Assistant Features Editor

SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY: EASY

What Studio Ghibli movie are you?

Find out what magical Ghibli world you belong in!

By: Nola Perifel, Assistant Features Editor

1. Choose one super power:

A. Shapeshifting into anything

B. Talking to and understanding animals

C. Having the ability to win any fight

D. Flying wherever and whenever you want

2. Your friends describe you as:

A. Empathetic

B. Grounded

C. Passionate

D. Quick-witted

3. Where would you choose to spend a weekend?

A A quiet village by a river that seems to wake up after nightfall

B. In a beautiful and bright clearing between the trees

C. In a dark and mystical forest filled with interesting creatures

D. A bustling city on the coast, by the sea

4. In difficult times, you often find yourself:

A. Struggling to let go

B. Too trusting and naive

C. Unable to forgive

D. Doubting your choices

answer key

If you chose “A” for the majority of your answers, you are “Spirited Away.” You are an intuitive and empathetic person. You feel emotions very deeply and you care very much about your friends and family. You are often stuck between two worlds, your childhood and adulthood seem to be colliding as you struggle to let go of your past. Nostalgia comes in waves and can make you feel lonely at times but your strength is your emotional intelligence.

If you chose “B” for the majority of your answers, you are “My Neighbor Totoro.” You are a playful, fun and caring person. You are loyal to the people around you and you are ready to do anything for them. You have a wide imagination and creativity is your strength. You are innocent, though sometimes, that can turn into naïveté. You trust people quickly. You are also very grounded and in touch with nature, plants and animals.

ORANGE

If you chose “C” for the majority of your answers, you are “Princess Mononoke.” You are an independent and protective person. You enjoy living your life like a lone wolf, traveling to wherever your heart leads you. You are a bit of a wild card, though you are passionate about everything you decide to do. You can sometimes be brutally honest and blunt but your biggest flaw is that you struggle to forgive people who have wronged you. Your passion burns strong in your adventures, so don’t let it burn out.

If you chose “D” for the majority of your answers, you are “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” You are daring, adventurous and creative. Your optimism is one of your most treasured qualities though your independence is a close second. You like exploring and you are very resourceful. Nothing will stop you from getting your way. You are inventive and quickwitted, though self doubt can sometimes cloud your judgement. Try to trust yourself more and you will succeed in all your endeavors.

BRIANNA GALAVIZ / THE HIGHLANDER

Biology major survival guide

SO, YOU’VE DECIDED TO MAJOR IN BIOLOGY, CONGRATS! YOU’RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON AN INTERESTING JOURNEY TO SAY THE LEAST.

NAYSHA AGARWAL Contributing Writer

Between the endless lab reports, 8 a.m. lectures and memorizing every single functional group there is to know, being a biology major can sometimes feel like it’s everyone for themselves. Here’s an insider’s guide to not just surviving, but thriving in the life sciences jungle.

Build a strong foundation from your intro classes

Go to Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions for tough classes like Introductory Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math. SI sessions are study groups organized to help review the lecture material, work through problems and prepare for exams. This is an effective resource if you need that extra help in addition to the lecture.

Office hours are your best friend! Do not wait until you are completely lost before you ask for help. Visit your professor’s and TA’s office hours regularly. This will also help you create a bond with your professor and show interest, which can help you to get a letter of recommendation later down the line.

Strategize

Plan your path early on. Use degree audit and term plans to map out your four years. With the requirement of 36 upper division courses, you have the flexibility to tailor your degree according to your goals and needs. Not to mention, upperdivision biology courses often have complex prerequisite chains.

You must meet the minimum grade requirements (often C- or better) and maintain a 2.0 grade-point-average (GPA) minimum in your core classes for a smoother journey. For example, if you’re on the Pre-Health track, some

classes like Genetics and Cell Biology are highly recommended. Use the course catalog and meet with your academic advisor to make a four-year plan that works for you.

While medical and graduate schools appreciate rigor, they prioritize a strong GPA. Be strategic about what classes you take each quarter. A high grade in a class you can handle is a better asset than a low grade in one that overwhelms you. Be strategic in your course load each quarter.

Seek research opportunities

Getting involved in research is a powerful way to build skills, connect with faculty and build a strong resumé. There are many ways to start, such as checking out the department websites, cold-emailing professors whose work interests you and using resources like the Undergraduate Research Portal and Handshake to find research opportunities.

There are multiple summer research opportunities such as Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) and Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP) available to apply to as well. Another good way to find research opportunities is to join clubs on campus that deal with your specific major or specialization. This provides networking, leadership experience and a supportive community of like-minded students.

Look for shadowing and volunteering

Especially for pre-health students, clinical experience is essential. Start early to accumulate hours and gain exposure in your intended field. Consider volunteering at nearby places like Riverside Community Hospital or Kaiser

Permanente in non-clinical support roles, or look for opportunities at local free clinics.

Prioritize

mental health

Between back-to-back classes, demanding lab schedules and exams, being a biology major can get very stressful at times. Resist the urge to pull all-nighters. Consistent, quality sleep is much more beneficial for memory retention than cramming. Also, don’t forget to eat regular, healthy meals. Take breaks and make time for yourself and hobbies, so please, go outside and touch grass.

If you’re struggling with stress or anxiety, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is there for you. For academic support, remember the Academic Resource Center (ARC) is not just for struggling students, it’s for everyone seeking to improve.

Embrace the struggle… and growth

Every biology major faces challenges, from late-night study sessions before organic chemistry exams to lab results that don’t go as planned. But these moments also teach you to bounce back, adjust and keep going. These skills end up mattering just as much in real life as they do in the classroom.

And finally, between lab coats and lectures, it’s easy to forget that there is more to college life than coursework. Take time to unwind, whether it is going to the Student Recreation Center or simply grabbing boba after lab.

Because at the end of the day, being a biology major isn’t just about understanding life, it’s about living it.

Downtown Riverside’s farmers market

A LOVELY EXCURSION TO BUY FRUIT, BREAD AND FLOWERS FOR YOUR APARTMENT OR DORM.

MALINI JOSEPH Contributing Writer

You are walking through downtown Riverside on a sunny November morning suddenly craving some fresh, sweet fruit. It always seems like the produce in grocery stores goes bad immediately or is not in season. Thankfully, there is an outdoor event that occurs each weekend filled with deliciously fresh food that you will want to eat immediately. Here are some things you can look forward to at the Riverside farmers market.

When you first walk into this outdoor market from the entrance of 5th and Main Street, you are met with a series of food trucks showcasing local cuisines and small food businesses. Families walk slowly or eagerly chase their little ones from truck to truck, sampling the various food offerings. For me personally, the standout options were the Old Town Baking Company and SunnyFresh Bowls & Smoothies stands. Old Town Baking Company had a wide range of freshly baked breads and pastries that looked absolutely mouthwatering.

They had various sourdough flavors (kalamata olives, rosemary garlic and jalapeño cheese to name a few) as well as chocolate pound cake and chocolate drop cookies. SunnyFresh’s acai bowls were very refreshing and the perfect treat for a hot day. Their menu featured so many different flavors of smoothies and acai bowls, such as their mango bowl and ube bowl, that it was hard to pick just one. There was also a coffee and matcha truck, a Tea Rose House truck (a shop based in Hemet that sells loose-leaf teas) and a stand with deep fried pasta bites.

When we turned away from the food trucks, our eyes caught on white tents that line either side of this small stretch of road. A musician

Half-lit

in the intersection serenaded the boulevard as we followed the curve of the road to an aisle of produce stands. While there was a massage booth and a couple stalls for flowers and plants, primarily food and produce was sold. Vendors from all over the Southern California area, as well as right here in Riverside, came out to sell their produce.

Everything from eggs to blueberries, and even flower bouquets and house plants can be found here. The strawberries and grapes were some of the juiciest and ripest fruit I have ever eaten. You could practically taste the sweetness before you even ate them and there was a surprisingly good deal for them (two baskets of strawberries and one basket of mixed berries for $10 at one stand).

Even the vegetables were only $5 when you mixed and matched the ones you purchased. I will definitely be going back to get more of those

strawberries, and perhaps a bouquet to brighten up my living area. There was a gentle, casual atmosphere to this market. People bought produce or sampled honey and apple cider as if it was their weekend routine. It was lovely to be brought into this fold for even a brief moment.

Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the heart of the Arts & Culture District, an intimate farmers market gathers on Main Street. In addition to getting fresh produce that tastes better than the ones in the grocery store, it is a perfect way to support a range of local businesses and restaurants. Bring your friends or roommates and make a day trip out of it. With nearly every food group available, you will surely be able to create a balanced meal with ingredients that you know are freshly picked.

THE CONFESSIONS OF A WORK-IN-PROGRESS.

NAYSHA AGARWAL Contributing Writer

A poem about someone who shines bright on the outside but is dimmed within.

By day, she is sunlight –warm, laughing, alive. Her stitched-up smile, painted so carefully, a masterpiece of “I’m fine.” A voice that never trembles, eyes bright enough to blind the truth.

She talks in colors, moves like music, and everyone believes she’s whole.

She wears her charm like armor, and no one sees the war bleeding beneath her ribs. She’s the ‘happy’ girl everyone calls sunshine, but the warmth is borrowed. Every grin she gives costs another fragment of herself. No one notices how hollow her “I’m good” has become,

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how her reflection stares back like a ghost.

When the sky begins to bruise, her mask begins to crack, she unravels. Her laughter fades into the quiet hum of falling apart –a sound too soft for others to hear.

In the mirror, she meets the stranger she’s become, eyes heavy with words she never said. Alone, she comes undone in silence. held together by shaking hands.

She breaks softly, invisible to the world –splintering piece by piece into someone she no longer knows. She’s too much and not enough, a walking contradiction, a smile made of sorrow, a heartbeat echoing emptiness, a girl who saves everyone

but unable to save herself.

And when morning comes again, she rises.

She always does.

But each day, a little less of her returns.

ADELIA URENA/ THE HIGHLANDER

MALINI JOSEPH/ THE HIGHLANDER

Winchell’s Donut House

THIS 24/7 DONUT SHOP IS A SOLID OPTION FOR A GRAB-AND-GO TREAT.

MEGHANA KUMARAKALVA

Contributing Writer

Right at the intersection of University and Chicago Avenue, Winchell’s Donut House is a simple, classic breakfast spot open 24/7. Despite the sketchy area, the exterior looks like any other graband-go restaurant, but the inside has a nostalgic feel to it. With its small tables and large display case of donuts, Winchell’s is a popular spot for classic breakfast sandwiches, coffee and of course, donuts. It’s a versatile place, perfect for quick family meals, studying or catching up with friends over some coffee.

Iced Caramel Latte

Price: $4.99

Rating: 3.5/5

When it comes to coffee, Winchell’s offers the classics – hot black, lattes and cappuccinos – with various syrup flavors to choose from. I ordered the iced caramel latte, which tasted exactly as I thought it would. Smooth, milky and not overly sweet. It was a classic cup of iced coffee. I will admit, there wasn’t as much coffee flavor as I had hoped, as the milk and caramel took over for my taste buds. And though the coffee wasn’t

fresh, it was still enjoyable and perfect if you’re looking for a basic latte.

Ham, Egg and Cheese

Croissant

Sandwich

Price: $6.49

Breakfast

Rating: 3/5

As one of the more popular breakfast sandwiches at Winchell’s, my hopes were high. I will say, the croissant was flaky and buttery, the eggs were fluffy and the ham was juicy. However, the sandwich lacked a distinctive flavor despite its strong individual ingredients. Varying condiments like ketchup or mustard would be a great addition based on preference, but there were no options within the establishment. However, the portion was quite large, so it is a good option for relatively cheap but filling sandwiches.

Glazed Donut

Price: $1.99

Rating: 5/5

The American classic, Winchell’s glazed donut was no exception to the deliciously simple rule. The donut had the perfect amount of glaze, and the bite was fluffy and doughy. This item was perhaps the most

nostalgic, reminding me of late brunches on Sunday mornings. It really is a classic choice where there is no going wrong.

Pineapple Upside Down

Cake Muffin

Price: $2.99

Rating: 3.5/5

One of the more unique items on the menu was this pineapple upside down cake inspired muffin. It’s an upside down muffin, with the glazed pineapple and cherry on top. The muffin was a bit crumbly, but it had good density to it. The glaze coated the entire exterior, offering a great bite when you first start eating. It is pretty heavy, and the pineapple was a bit tough. Overall, this was a fun muffin with a unique flavor combo.

I would recommend Winchell’s as a breakfast spot. Its close proximity to campus and relatively inexpensive prices make it a perfect spot for students. Where it lacks in interesting flavors, it makes up for in nostalgia and reliability. What’s advertised is what’s served, nothing more and nothing less.

Rest is the hardest thing we’ve had to learn

REST IS NOT GIVING UP, IT’S HOW WE PROTECT THE DRIVE THAT GOT US HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

By: karmen leon, contributing writer

The purpose of this column is to support you. First-Gen Life will offer tips, stories and guidance to help first generation students not just survive, but thrive here at the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Rest used to feel like a reward, something earned only after doing enough to deserve it. Even when exhaustion set in, it was easier to keep going: one more assignment, one more shift, one more “productive” hour. It felt responsible, but underneath was a quiet fear of stopping.

Many of us grew up watching our families move through life without a pause. Our parents worked early mornings, late nights and with no days off. Slowing down felt selfish. Resting looked like failure. And as first-generation students, the pressure to prove ourselves has made it even harder to sit still. We learned to treat tiredness as an indicator that we were doing something right.

Eventually, everything starts to blur together. The to-do lists never end, and neither does the guilt. It is easy to confuse motion with progress, but living in constant motion only teaches survival, not growth. Exhaustion might look like discipline, yet it quietly drains the joy from learning.

The truth is, resting isn’t quitting – it’s recovering. Rest doesn’t erase effort, it preserves it. Small changes can make a difference: closing the laptop before midnight, taking a full day off from studying, and letting silence just be silence. It feels wrong at first, almost as if we are disappointing someone invisible. Then it starts to feel necessary. The hardest part is believing that slowing down doesn’t make us less ambitious. Rest takes courage. It means unlearning the idea that our worth depends on how much we can carry. It’s a reminder that even ambition needs rest to stay alive.

Our parents didn’t always have the privilege to stop, and that’s what makes rest powerful now. We don’t honor their sacrifices by repeating their exhaustion. We honor them by building something sustainable. A version of success that includes peace.

Learning to rest isn’t easy. Some days it still feels uncomfortable. But each time we choose balance over burnout, we prove that slowing down isn’t falling behind. It’s how we keep going.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MEGHANA KUMARKALVA

Be resilient.

The Highlander Newspaper is a great way to keep up with current events and news around campus. If you are interested in the newspaper’s articles or pictures, we offer opportunities in writing, photography and design. Join us every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101 to learn more.

COMICS

Rush / Susanna Wu

The Comfort of Tamales / Natalie Marquez

Dewy’s Adventures / Emily Mata

THE COMIC / Holly Dawson

RadaR Closing the Gap — What went wrong in the Sandy Liang x Gap collaboration

HOW THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN SANDY LIANG AND GAP BECAME A REMINDER OF FASHION EXCLUSIVITY

With the collaborations of designer brands with trusty everyday retailers, this collaboration feels like a slap in the face to fashion enthusiasts who can’t afford designer brands.

When news of a Sandy Liang and Gap collaboration first broke out, the fashion community was enthralled by the idea of the renowned designer making clothes for a more affordable brand. The expectations were high and people anticipated the designs to follow the beloved coquette elements that the Sandy Liang name is known for. The polka dots, frills, lace, pastels and most of all: the bows. And well, there were some bows.

The star of the collection is called the “BowBack Trench Coat.” An eye-catching piece that puts a youthful twist on a business casual staple adorned with a giant bow on the back of the average khaki trench. This principle of “everyday basics with a little Sandy Liang sparkle” seemed to be the selling point of this collection.

Other standout products included the “CashSoft Crop Sweater” — with the signature baby blue color and a graphic of a Mary Jane slipper — and the “Vegan Fur-Trim Crop Zip Hoodie” — another baby blue outerwear piece with the signature Gap lettering spelling “STAR” in baby pink lettering. But the Sandy Liang sparkle stops here.

Inspired by nostalgia, the collection lazily takes a stab at baby and toddler clothes. What could have been an exciting collaboration for fashion-loving parents ended up becoming a half-hearted, superficial attempt at child fashion. Arguably, the most absurd product of the collection was the “Baby &

Toddler VintageSoft Logo” hoodie and jogger — a heather gray toddler jogger set sold separately with Gap lettering that spells baby across the front of the hoodie and the bum of the sweatpants.

The collection simply lacked style. Only four out of the 27 products were not of the basic businesscasual color palette and one of these colorful products was a baby onesie. The collab also failed to include tailored garments, and the loose silhouettes came across less as an intentional, relaxed collection, but rather as more of the designer’s lack of effort. In full overview, the entire collection seems to be cluttered with dull-colored, generic looking items. Given the limited products, the vision of the collection was lost in translation from the lack of consistency in its aesthetics.

Overall, the collection is uninspiring and the few eyecatching products are circulations of trends that have been bubbling for a while; the Peter Pan collars, the denim bow embroidery and the furlined trim outerwear. Much of the product space felt wasted by average hoodies that slapped words across the chest. They all held up to the Gap portion of the collaboration, but it felt like the Sandy Liang aspect was severely lacking in the designs to the point where if the designer name was erased from the products, there wouldn’t be any association at all.

Truthfully, the public is well aware of the absurd prices of designer brands. That doesn’t stop consumers from getting excited about brand collabs. $228 for a trench coat isn’t absurd and sure is a lot cheaper than the Sandy Liang brand site’s coat that runs for over $1,000. However, consumers may not spend even $100 for the same exact trench coat without the designer name attached to the product. Consumer culture manipulates customers into

thinking how much they could potentially be saving for a coat from the designer brand itself.

Perhaps consumers were putting the expectations too high on these fast-fashion brands. The reality is that these collaborations are not going to provide the average consumer with out-of-the-box designs at affordable prices; otherwise, it would devalue their own products. But dangling designer names in the average consumer’s face does the opposite of bridging the gap between the averageincome fashion lover and high-end fashion. It’s a reminder of what defines higher and lower ends of the fashion spectrum.

People who can’t afford to drop $1,000 on a statement coat, let alone $500 on a cotton sweater, are perpetually excluded from participating in the fashion scene. Yet, the irony is that these brands profit from the eyes of these non-paying consumers who admire their designs, who also cannot afford them. The look of exclusivity blinds the rich and poor alike. The Gap was never cheap; it’s reliable.

VERDICT:

As a popular retailer, the consumers were excited that the Sandy Liang products were reaching audiences on a larger scale. Even if it was never about the money, there was an anticipation that styles from a well-loved designer were reaching stores worldwide, that designer looks could also be accessible. But alas, uniqueness is a luxury, sought to be preserved and reserved for the rich and tasteful. It’s a flex to be able to wear high-end designs because to the eyes of the majority, it’s a case of “look, but don’t touch.” Looks that could burn a hole in one’s wallet.

GIANNA ALMARIA

Contributing Writer

‘Die My Love’ is an opaque look at postpartum depression

LYNNE RAMSAY’S STAR-STUDDED FILM IS A BLEAK MUST-WATCH.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

“Die My Love” announces itself immediately from its opening scene. When Jennifer Lawrence’s Grace and Robert Pattinson’s Jackson arrive at his old uncle’s house, the camera holds for several minutes as the couple explore their new place. Shot in the classic academy-ratio with vibrant colors indicating that the movie was shot on film, it’s clear that the movie is not the typical Hollywood fare they’re both used to.

Director Lynne Ramsay, known best for her 2011 film “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” has been an indie-darling since she broke out in the early 2000s. With her newest film, one would expect a filmmaker who’s been working for decades to shake off the experimentation for something easier to grasp, but that could not be further from “Die My Love.”

The movie works as a series of vignettes, going between montages and tiny moments, starting in the middle of conversations and ending before they’re over. With flashbacks and dreamlike sequences, it is occasionally hard to place where in the story a scene is, but its non-linear structure serves to reflect the emotional state of Grace.

Ramsay’s previous film “You Were Nev-

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er Really Here” starred Joaquin Phoenix as a depressed spectator in his own life, and “Die My Love” is no different. Having just given birth to a newborn, Grace is not used to all of the changes that come with becoming a mother. From the way her husband sees her and interacts with her to the way people around her talk to her about having kids, she is in a constant state of exhaustion.

Invoking the likes of Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” and Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s famous short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Grace gets pushed to her limits as her situation only continues to worsen.

With use of intense close-ups and handheld cameras, the movie is fully submerged in Lawrence’s performance which takes center stage. If not for the idiosyncratic performances of Grace and Jackson, the film simply would not work. With so little given in way of story or clarity of situations, it relies on the familiarity and empathy coming from not being seen or heard.

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In 2025, between music albums by Dijon and Tame Impala, and movies like “One Battle After Another” and “Sorry, Baby,” there has been a plethora of art made on the subject of being a parent. Unlike films like “Kramer vs. Kramer” which displays a neutral per-

spective toward the act of parenting, modern artists all seem to be interested in exploring the depths of what parenting involves. From the beauty of it, to the absolute terror and exhaustion that it involves.

“Die My Love” is not unlike Mary Bronstein’s “If I had Legs I’d Kick You,” which also came out in 2025 and featured a depressive mother struggling with the world around her. Where “Die My Love” differs is in its focus on the experience of a woman adapting to her perception shifting. Though it’s central to her character to involve her child, the film is focused firmly on her emotions.

Underscoring the dialogue-less moments between Grace and Jackson, the film is filled wall-to-wall with diegetic needle drops. From neurotic punk music to folk classics, the music acts as a way to deepen and characterize the relationship between the couple. John Prine’s “In Spite of Ourselves” is used to great effect in two climactic moments of the film, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

VERDICT:

While “Die My Love” may not be for everybody with its non-linear structure, dreamlike tone and raw characters, it is a movie that is rewarding for those open to seeing an honest portrayal of becoming a mother.

AAKIF IQBAL Assistant Radar Editor

COURTESY OF KIMBERLY FRENCH VIA MUBI

“Bugonia” is a bleak and awkwardly funny portrayal of corporal manipulation and indifference

YORGOS LANTHIMOS’S STYLISTICALLY

PRECISE ADAPTATION OF THE KOREAN CULT CLASSIC DEPICTS THE CRUEL NATURE OF CAPITALISM AND ITS DISREGARD FOR MARGINALIZED INDIVIDUALS.

**Contains Spoilers**

There is a particular bleakness which runs through the cinema of movie director Yorgos Lanthimos. A world where individuals are forced into a rigid, absurd bureaucracy and human connections are replaced by that of mechanized systems so arbitrary yet holds a mirror to our own world. A place where any form of revolt becomes its own kind of system.

His films have depicted characters failing within these dehumanizing structures. However, in his newest film “Bugonia,” Lanthimos moves beyond that stage as he explores characters that have already been broken by an indifferent corporate world in his adaptation of the 2003 Korean film “Save the Green Planet!”

The main protagonist Teddy (Jesse Plemons), is convinced that an alien species he refers to as the Andromedans have infiltrated human civilization and manipulated them. To save the Earth, Teddy, alongside his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis), kidnap Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), a high profile CEO of Auxolith who Teddy believes is an alien. Teddy hopes to use Fuller as a bargaining chip with the Andreomedans to save humanity. It is initially made unclear whether Fuller is truly an alien or not.

The film deludes the audience by portraying Teddy’s convictions as one rooted in his personal tragedies. His flashbacks show that Auxolith’s test conducted on Teddy’s mother, Sandy (Alicia Silverstone), has led her into a state of coma. His childhood trauma lingers in the background of his dialogues with Casey (Stavros Halkias), his former babysitter who works as a police officer. He is presented as a confused individual misguided by a personal vendetta and conspiracy theories, rather than a savior of the Earth as he claims to be.

Michelle Fuller, by contrast, is presented as a victim of a misplaced wrath, as she is abducted

and physically tortured beyond reason. When her hair is entirely shaved off and when she is placed in confinement and tortured through electroshock, the audience can’t help but recognize her pain despite her unusually elevated bureaucratic jargon which does not seem human at all.

The film’s cruel genius lies in how it involves the audience as Fuller turns out to be the alien empress and everything Teddy has been saying up to this point turns out to be true. We instinctively dismiss a socioeconomically disadvantaged man with a tragic past regardless of the actual merit of his message and extend that faith to the CEO of a Big Pharma company portrayed as having caused environmental and ethical concerns. Not even in his own film can a man like Teddy be given a proper voice.

Michelle Fuller shows no remorse as she tricks Teddy into injecting a bottle of antifreeze into Sandy which leads to her death, just as she felt no remorse when her experiment put Sandy in a coma. She gave only a procedural response to Teddy so cold that it nearly feels mechanical and a compensation in the form of funding Sandy’s medical bill. This scene reflects the indifference corporate structures exhibit in the pursuit of their interest, stripped of any human emotions.

It is nearly comical how easily Michelle Fuller is able to end the existence of human species as a whole with few words near the end of the film as lyrics from the song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” echoes, repeating “Oh, when will they ever learn?” This powerful ending illustrates the powerlessness of humanity in the hands of the upperclass.

Beyond the thematic progression, Lanthimos’s stylistic progression is visible as well. The relatively small, grounded setting with the majority of the narrative taking place in a house mirrors that of Lanthimos’s earlier works such as “Dogtooth”

or “Alps.” Although not as bizarre or surreal as his recent films such as “Poor Things” or “Kinds of Kindness,” the flashback scenes share a dreamlike quality with these films which adds ambiguity to the credibility of the flashbacks.

The awkward movements, which have come to define Lanthimos through his infamous dance sequences make their appearance in this film as well as the indicator of class difference between the clumsy Teddy and Don and the precise, adept movement of Michelle Fuller.

Throughout his time in Hollywood, Lanthimos has collaborated with many writers. His decision to work with Will Tracey for “Bugonia” is not a surprising one, considering the tense and unconventional script of Tracey’s previous work “The Menu,” the kind that Lanthimos adores himself. The script brings a psychological layer to the film in its depiction of the ways in which both Teddy and Michelle Fuller manipulate Don, the innermadness of Teddy and the intense interplay between Teddy and Fuller.

However, “Bugonia” fails to bite when it needs to. It exists mostly in the atmosphere of its original work “Save the Green Planet!” Because of this, it does not reflect much on the current state of things and feels largely disconnected. It merely flirts with the idea of corporate horror and the conspiracy theories rather than piercing through it. The film refuses to take the kind of risk that “Eddington” did in its unapologetic portrayal of the United States in the 2020s. Ultimately, it ends up feeling shallow and rather banal in its message.

Verdict: If the previous films of Yorgos Lanthimos were allegories of human behaviors tainted and enforced by the social conditioning of the system, his most recent film “Bugonia” is a disillusioned commentary on the system itself: capitalism, its indifference and debris.

COURTESY OF FOCUS

JIHOON KWON Contributing Writer

“60 Miles East” debuts at the Riverside Art Museum

THE EXHIBIT SPOTLIGHTS THE GRIT, FURY AND CAMARADERIE OF THE 90’S RIVERSIDE MUSIC SCENE.

IAN PALMA Radar Editor

If someone were to ask which place has the coolest punk scene, the city of Riverside would most likely be the last location anybody would think of. People would be quick to point to other places like New York, with bands like the Ramones and Agnostic Front, or London with the Sex Pistols and The Clash.

It’s hard to believe that Riverside, a quaint little city best known for its Spanish missionary architecture, donkeys and chaparral could be the locus for something as bold and brash as the punk scene. Riverside Art Museum’s newest exhibition, “60 Miles East: Riverside’s Underground Punk Rock, Hardcore & Ska Scene from the Late 1980s to Early 2000s,” sheds light on the history of the scene while proving that Riverside can rock as fast and harder than any other city in California.

Curated by Zach Cordner and Ken Crawford in collaboration with the 98 Posse and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, “60 Miles East” displays a bygone era in which Riverside, being miles away from the more prominent music scenes in Los Angeles and Orange County (OC), began building a culture of its own.

Harnessing the punk, hardcore and ska sounds present during the ‘90s, Riverside-based bands invited people to watch them play in tightly packed backyard parties and venues. At a time when the GPS and internet weren’t accessible to everyone, scene-goers got to where they needed to go either by word of mouth or by following instructions on posters. Most importantly, the exhibit highlights the community that was formed out of love for the Riverside sound.

the names of bands and streets were often misspelled and the directions being vague, the passion was there. In a way, many of those responsible for making posters could be seen as modern-day cartographers.

Bands hailing from Riverside as well as the greater Inland Empire have also received their fair share of recognition by the exhibit. Despite their ‘90s heyday, many of these bands have gone on to better things. For instance, the Riverside born and bred punk

wanting to take in the hardcore punk and alternative scene.

The Showcase Theater in particular has housed influential bands such as No Doubt and Green Day. Spanky’s, a small but rowdy venue, also had well known punk bands like The Vandals and The Melvins perform. The exhibit also referenced The Barn at the University of California, Riverside, which surprisingly was another venue that welcomed punk, hardcore and ska band performances.

Away from the LA and OC spotlight, Riverside bands had creative freedom when it came to building their identity. Some bands added more niche genres such as cowpunk and psychobilly into their sound, while others had performances as experimental and macabre as an Alice Cooper concert.

In an interview with punk scene photographer and exhibit curator Zach Cordner, Zach asserted, “[Riverside has] always been the underdog out here. We’ve been in the shadow of LA and Orange County forever, but Riverside holds its own.”

As much as it was about highlighting the artists and venues of the time, “60 Miles East” also exposes the community and comradeship established from those who experienced the Riverside punk, hardcore and ska scene. Photos of concert-goers relishing the chaos of the gigs can be seen around the exhibit.

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Posters and ‘zines make up a substantial portion of the exhibit, giving testament to the DIY ethos associated with punk. Due to the unreliability of ‘90s printers, a lot of the posters were etched with pencil markings to fill out missing information. What’s most astounding about these posters was that many of them had directions written on them, usually when it came to house parties.

People had to memorize and draw the correct streets to turn and stop at as GPS was still relatively new at the time. Although

band Assorted Jelly Beans had their song “Rebel Yell” used in the video game “Tony Hawk’s Underground.” The Skeletones, one of the longest-running bands in Riverside, played ska alongside like-minded bands such as Sublime, No Doubt and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The ska punk band Voodoo Glow Skulls had a cover of “Used to Love Her” by Guns N’ Roses being featured in the “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” soundtrack. The exhibition displays instruments, posters and photos from other Riverside bands like the Debonaires and Los Infernos.

From signs to official documents, the exhibit additionally showcases memorabilia from long-gone venues such as Spanky’s Cafe and the Showcase Theater. The two venues served as epicenters for those

Despite Riverside being a self-contained area as well as the technology of the ‘90s being close to useless, people still managed to connect with one another due to their love of the same bands. Many of those who were lucky enough to experience the scene made lifelong bonds within the pandemonium of the music scene, as was the case for Zach Cordner and Ken Crawford.

Overall, the punk, hardcore and ska scene of the ‘90s remains a vital chapter in Riverside’s history as a cultural and artistic hearth, which is a sentiment that “60 Miles East” captures well.

COURTESY OF ZACH COEDNER / 60 MILES EAST

UCR dominates in home opener at the SRC in 9049 win over La Sierra

MEN’S BASKETBALL OPENS THE SEASON AGAINST NAIA’S LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY.

TERRY NGUYEN Sports Editor

When the lights turn off at the University of CaOn Monday Nov. 3, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) men’s basketball team defeated La Sierra University, 90-49.

UCR’s home opener was an opportunity for many incoming transfers to display what they can bring to the table for head coach Gus Argenal and his entirely new coaching staff. The starting five were all first-year transfers that were either juniors or graduate students (BJ Kolly, Osiris Grady, Marqui Worthy Jr., Andrew Henderson and Jailen Daniel-Dalton).

UCR scored the first points of the game and never gave up the lead, courtesy of a three-pointer by University of Massachusetts transfer Marqui Worthy Jr.. Later in the first half, Worthy showed off his hops with a steal and slam to make the score 11-6 in favor of the Highlanders.

That was one of the few instances where shots in the paint weren’t contested by La Sierra’s seven-foot three-inches tall center Jasper Reinalda. His presence defending the rim was felt all night, but the UCR bigs were able to attack the paint from time to time. UCR center BJ Kolly finished the night with nine points and seven rebounds while guarding Reinalda for most of the game.

Before the game, coach Argenal commented that his squad would be a fun team to watch, and that was apparent when California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) transfer Andrew Henderson drew three defenders with him and made a beautiful pass to a cutting Osiris Grady for a dunk right before halftime.

At halftime, the score was 45-27 and it was clear that UCR outmatched La Sierra in every facet of the game. It became a formality that UCR would win, and the second half was an opportunity for more bench players to get playing time.

Redshirt freshman guard Tyler Jones, one of UCR’s two returning players, went 3/3 from downtown in his first ever college basketball game.

At the end of the night, Worthy finished with 16 points and three steals, showing his versatility on both ends of the court. Listed at six-feet four-inches and 216 pounds, he’s a strong body guard who has potential to be an elite perimeter defender in the Big West.

When asked about how it’s been adjusting to a new team with five new starters, Worthy commented, “We’re all pretty old, so we’re veterans. Having an older starting five has made it easier for all the transfers because we’re all pretty mature.”

“That’s how [college] basketball is now. A lot of transfers all over. [We] got to get together and figure it out fast,” mentioned Utah Valley transfer Grady.

Grady played strong minutes for the Highlanders, logging 17 points and eight rebounds. He’s an athletic big who can get to the bucket in a variety of ways. Grady hopes to be a reliable defender in the paint for the Highlanders who can be a good communicator on and off the ball.

On Nov. 6, UCR traveled to North Dakota and won their second game of the year to improve to 2-0. Worthy led the way again with 21 points and five assists in a 74-70 victory for the Highlanders.

COURTESY OF ELENA VERSAGE / THE HIGHLANDER

MARQUI WORTHY JR.

OSIRIS GRADY

Highlanders come up short against cross town rivals in 56-53 loss

UC RIVERSIDE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY IN SEASON OPENER.

Monday, Nov. 3 was opening night for college basketball. Hundreds of schools across the nation played their first game of the season and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women’s basketball was no exception. The Highlanders traveled to face their crosstown rivals, California Baptist University (CBU).

The Highlanders welcomed back nine players from last year’s squad. Returning players include junior forward Maya Chocano, who was recently named a Kay Yow Servant Leader. The team also brought back senior guard Shelley Duchemin, a Second Team All-Big West selection, and sophomore guard Hannah Wickstrom, who earned Big West All-Freshman Team honors last season.

However, the Highlanders lost some key players who graduated or entered the transfer portal. Last year’s starting forward Esther Matarranz recently signed to play professionally for Lointek Gernika Bizkaia in her native country of Spain.

In the offseason, four freshmen and two transfers were brought in to strengthen the Highlander roster this season. Among the newcomers are several players expected to make an immediate impact.

Aaliyah Stanton transferred from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and she hopes to make an immediate impact as she was third in the Big West Conference with 14.3 points per game last season.

Another notable addition is freshman guard Taylor Swanson. The Westlake High School graduate was a two-time varsity captain and a three-time first-team all-league selection. Head coach Brad Langston showed his trust in the true freshman as Swanson was thrusted into the starting lineup for her first ever college basketball game.

The Highlanders opened their season with an early bucket from graduate guard Seneca Hackley as she drained a three-pointer to start the game. UCR held CBU scoreless until the two-minute mark of the first quarter, setting a strong defensive tone early.

The game opened at a slow pace, with both teams working to find their rhythm and chemistry. UCR sophomore guard Kaylani Polk cut through the defense for a layup, which was quickly answered by CBU’s Emma Johansson making the score 6-4 in favor of the Highlanders. UCR maintained a narrow lead for most of the first half, but never built a comfortable cushion.

Polk knocked down a deep three to extend UCR’s lead 32-25 early in the third quarter, but CBU’s dominance on the boards kept them within reach. The Lancers outrebounded the Highlanders 60-47, creating plenty of second-chance opportunities on offense throughout the game.

CBU redshirt junior guard Filipa Barros tied the game 39-39 late in the third quarter, and a free throw from Johansson gave

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CBU a slight edge heading into the final minutes. Both teams continued to trade baskets throughout the fourth quarter, with the lead changing hands several times.

With 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Barros converted a key basket to give CBU a 56-53 lead. Down by three with 6.7 seconds left, the ball was in the hands of Seneca Hackley. She attacked the basket and couldn’t score, but it was surprising that UCR didn’t attempt a 3-pointer given they were down by three.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Highlanders faced another tough road test against the University of Arizona. Stanton led the way with 14 points, but UCR came up just short in another close contest, 62-59.

The Highlanders will host their first home game and look for their first win of the season this Friday, Nov. 14 against Saint Mary’s College at the Student Recreation Center.

ELENA VERSAGE Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY ELENA VERSAGE / THE HIGHLANDER

KAYLANI POLK LEADING THE OFFENSE

Women’s Basketball - Nov. 3

UC Riverside vs. California Baptist 56-53 L

UCR Team Leaders:

Points: Kaylani Polk (15)

Rebounds: Shelley Duchemin (9)

Assists: Seneca Hackley (4)

Men’s Basketball - Nov. 3

La Sierra vs. UC Riverside 90-49 W

UCR Team Leaders:

Points: Andrew Henderson (19)

Rebounds: Osiris Grady (8)

Assists: Dylan Godfrey (7)

Women’s Volleyball - Nov. 7

UC Riverside vs. Cal State Fullerton 3-0 L

Women’s Basketball - Nov. 6

UC Riverside vs. Arizona 62-59 L

UCR Team Leaders:

Kills: Sophia Ewalefo (12)

Assists: Makena Tong (24)

Digs: Jessica Dean, Mia Delahoussaye (11)

UCR Team Leaders: Points: Aaliyah Stanton (14)

Rebounds: Maya Chocano, Shelley Duchemin (6)

Assists: Kaylani Polk, Seneca Hackley (4)

Men’s Basketball - Nov. 6

UC Riverside vs. North Dakota 74-70 W

UCR Team Leaders: Points: Marqui Worthy Jr. (21)

Rebounds: Osiris Grady (6)

Assists: Marqui Worthy Jr. (5)

Women’s Volleyball - Nov. 8

UC Riverside vs. UC Irvine 3-0 L

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UCR Team Leaders: Kills: Sophia Ewalefo (15)

Assists: Makena Tong (26)

Digs: Jessica Dean (17)