Volume 74, Issue 07

UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF OF CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

The Highlander F For or the the week week oF of t Tuesday uesday,, N November ovember 18, 18, 2025 2025 For the week oF tuesday, November 18, 2025

VOL. 74, 74, ISSUE ISSUE 07 07 VOL. VOL. 74, ISSUE 07

est. est. 1954 1954 est. 1954

Give Thanks, Thanks, Give Give Love, Love, Give Give itit your your all all Give ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER

Take itit or or Leave Leave it: it: Thanksgiving Thanksgiving kinda kinda rocks rocks Take

NEWS NEWS

Staff therapist Heather Staff therapist Heather Johnson allegedly Johnson allegedly suspended for union suspended for activity union activity UPTE-CWA contests Johnson’s placement on administrative UPTE-CWA contests Johnson’s leave placed on by administrative CAPS leadership. placement leave placed by CAPS leadership.

AAKIF IQBAL Assistant Radar Editor AAKIF IQBAL Assistant Radar Editor

Don’t put lights Don’t put lights up just yet, up just yet, Thanksgiving is on Thanksgiving is on the way! the way!

Thanksgiving cannot be discussed without Thanksgiving cannot be discussed without acknowledging the colonial and imperialist acknowledging colonial imperialist implications of thethe holiday.

The ideaand of a holiday being implications the holiday.

The idea of asimultaneously holiday being surrounded ofaround gratitude while surrounded gratitude simultaneously reminding around indigenous peoplewhile of the trauma their reminding indigenous people of problematic... the trauma theiry ancestors endured is part of the ancestors endured is part of the problematic... y

COURTESY OF ELEMENT5 DIGITAL VIA PEXELS

► SEE THANKSGIVING KIND OF ROCKS ON PAGE 9

► SEE THANKSGIVING KIND OF ROCKS ON PAGE 9

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE / THE HIGHLANDER

SPORTS SPORTS Marqui Worthy Jr. makes an immediate impact as UCR’s StudentMarqui Jr. makes an immediate impact as UCR’s StudentAthleteWorthy of the Week Athlete of the Week In the same week, Worthy is named Big West Player of the Week while detailing his goals for this basketball season.

In the same week, Worthy is named Big West Player of the Week while detailing his goals for this basketball season.

IZZY GRAHAM Contributing IZZY GRAHAMWriter Contributing Writer

This past week, Marqui Worthy Jr. was named This past week, Marqui Jr.University was namedof the Student-Athlete of the Worthy Week for the Student-Athlete of the Week for University of California, Riverside (UCR) Athletics. In addition California, (UCR) Athletics.

In addition to Athlete Riverside of the Week, he was also chosen as Big toWest Athlete of the Week, he was alsoexpressed chosen asthat Bigit Player of the Week.

Worthy West Playertoofbethe Week. Worthy expressed thatand it felt great recognized for such an award, felt to be recognized such an award, and thatgreat he “wanted to make anforimpact right away.” thatThis he “wanted to make impact right after away.” is Worthy’s firstanyear at UCR transThis isfrom Worthy’s year at UCR after transferring the first University of Massachusetts ferring from thetheUniversity of was Massachusetts (UMass) during offseason. He a consistent (UMass) during theatoffseason.

He was a consistent role player while UMass, obtaining career high role player while UMass, obtaining a career high of 18 points last at season... of 18 points last season...

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

► SEE HIGHLANDER IN THE ARENA ON PAGE 25

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer AGUIRRE KASSANDRA Staff Writer

On Nov. 4, 2025, students and On Nov. 4, 2025, the students and teachers representing University teachers representing the University Professional and Technical Employees Professional andhosted Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA) an information(UPTE-CWA) hosted an informational picket at the Belltower to address alconcerns picket atof the Belltower to address alleged retaliation against concerns of alleged retaliation against campus staff therapist Heather Johncampus son. staff therapist Heather Johnson.After having worked as a therapist After as a therapist for the having school’sworked counseling and psyfor the school’s counseling psychological services (CAPS)and program chological services (CAPS) program for seven years, Johnson was placed on for seven years, Johnson placed on administrative leave in was September by administrative leave in team September by the CAPS leadership members, the CAPSDirector leadership members, Senior of team Well-Being and Senior DirectorHealth of Well-Being and Safety Mental Initiatives ElizaSafety Mental Health Elizabeth Mondragon andInitiatives Senior Director beth Mondragon SeniorOperations Director of Financial and and Business of Financial and Business Operations ► SEE COUNSELOR ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE ON PAGE 5

► SEE HIGHLANDER IN THE ARENA ON PAGE 25

► SEE COUNSELOR ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE ON PAGE 5

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Jia Mai (she/her), Biology, First Year

At first I was thinking about [being an] ophthalmologist. But I had to rethink about what I want for my future, because you also have to think about social life [and] other things like family and stuff.

If you’re gonna focus on medical school, you have to stick [to] being a doctor [or] a physician. There’s not a lot of flexibility in terms of switching jobs. [It’s] why I [have] to take a minute and think about what [if] I really want [to go to medical school].

[Pink is my favorite color]. I think [it was] just a color I grew up with and [it] appeared in my childhood a lot. And I mean, there’s definitely other colors that I like, but I’m sticking with pink.

I like to [draw]. I usually do cartoons and [art] with more detail. I sometimes post it online, but now [I’m in college. It’s] a lot of work, so right now I don’t have that much time for art.

UCR [has] definitely changed my mind because at first I thought I wanted to go to other schools, but I picked UCR because it’s closer [to] home. And [I’ve since] realized that other schools would be farther away and [I’d] be really homesick. And UCR [definitely] the [right] choice. Now that I think about it.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

18 Tuesday

19

Upcoming Events

Wednesday

20

Thursday

21 Friday

22

Saturday

23 Sunday

24 Monday

Adelante! Success Series: Fall 20258 a.m.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

HUB 268 Sundrop After Dusk A Tangled Screening 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

HUB 302S

ASPB Presents: Fall Nooners 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Bell Tower Student Performance and Composition Concert (Florence Bayz Music Series) 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Arts Building 157

International Resource Mixer 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

HUB 268 Women’s Volleyball vs.

Cal State Bakersfield 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

SRC Arena

Highlander Community Dinner 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

HUB 302S

Women’s Volleyball vs.

Cal State Northridge 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

SRC Arena

No events

Men’s Basketball vs. Grambling State 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

SRC Arena Sappho’s Circle 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

260 Costo Hall

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NEWS

4 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

highlandernews.org/category/news

News Two Republican incumbents set to face each other in the 2026 midterm elections KEN CALVERT AND YOUNG KIM BOTH ANNOUNCE CAMPAIGNS FOR NEWLY DRAWN 40TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

JIHOON KWON Staff Writer

T

wo veteran Republicans are set to clash in a newly drawn 40th congressional district as a result of Proposition 50 (Prop 50). The district, which currently includes cities in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties such as Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Chino Hills and Laguna Hills, will also include Menifee and Murrieta starting in 2026.

On Nov. 5th, 2025, Republican Congressman Ken Calvert, a 30-year veteran in the House of Representatives currently serving for the 41st congressional district, made an announcement that he will be campaigning for the newly drawn 40th congressional district in the 2026 midterm elections. On the same day, Republican Congresswoman

COURTESY OF MARC THOMAS KALLWEIT VIA PICRYL

Young Kim, currently serving as the representative of 40th district, made a statement on X announcing that she’ll be running for re-election.

According to Voice of OC, the redrawn 40th congressional district includes 70 percent of Calvert’s old district in Riverside County. This includes the city of Corona, which is his home base. He stated, “No one else comes close” when it comes to the record of serving the people in 40th congressional district as he has spent his entire life and already represents the majority of this district in Congress.

In their respective statements, both have voiced their staunch support for President Donald Trump. Calvert said he “[looks] forward to helping President Trump” and “make America Great Again together.” Similarly, Kim shared that she is the “America First

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COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY SGT. JAMES K. MCCANN VIA PICRYL

champion to take the fight to the radical Democrats and help President Trump unleash the Golden Age.” This will effectively knock out at least one prominent member of the Republican

ASUCR

ASUCR Senate Meeting SENATE AMENDS BYLAWS TO SUPPORT SCOTTY EATS AND STUDENT AFFAIRS. KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer

The Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) meeting on Nov. 12, 2025 began at 7 p.m. and concluded at 7:56 p.m.

Executive Vice President Mia Tu’ifa nominated fourthyear Nayeli Dominguez for the ethnic and gender program liaison and student resource center liaison and third-year Za’Morion King for the diversity council commissioner. Both were ratified 13-0-0.

The Senate reviewed bylaw SB-F25-009 to relax the senator community service requirement. It was passed 9-0-4.

party out of the House of Representatives as the Democrats had intended with Prop 50. Both Calvert and Kim have spoken critically of the proposition. On Nov. 4, 2025, following the announcement

that Prop 50 was passed, Calvert made a statement on X saying that “Californians were sold a bill of goods.” Kim emphasized that Prop 50 only “[benefits] themselves and ■H their allies, not voters.”

Crime Watch: 57 trucks cited taking illegal shortcuts

RIVERSIDE TRAFFIC STOP FINDS NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING SEMITRUCKS ILLEGALLY USING CITY STREETS. ANDREW HAGLER Staff Writer

Bylaws SB-F25-010, SBF25-011, SBF-25-013, SBF25-014 and SBF-15-015 were passed 12-0-1. They nullified the food security committee and implemented support for Scotty Eats.

Bylaw SBF-25-016 centralized school social media accounts and mandated content be Senate approved passed 11-0-2.

Vice President of External Affairs Briana Trujillo proposed SR-F25-001. It asks for campus and UC administration to meet with student leadership and passed 13-0-0.

■H

In a recent commercial vehicle inspection checkpoint conducted by the Riverside Police in response to numerous complaints about commercial trucks illegally using city streets as shortcuts, 57 trucks were cited as offenders.

These trucks were found to be in violation of Section 10.56.050 of the Riverside Municipal Code, which states that trucks with more than three axles cannot operate on designated city streets, with the exception of delivering to, picking up from or performing a service for a property in the area.

The checkpoint took place on Central Ave., west of Victoria, where 16 vehicles were inspected, resulting in 57 axle code violations, two violations regarding air brakes, two for bald tires and one for an unlicensed driver.

Regarding the citations, Riverside Police

Motor Officer Jesse Castro stated, “There are exceptions for vehicles making deliveries or picking up merchandise … But our city streets are not meant to be a shortcut for truck drivers going from one freeway to ■H another.”

COURTESY OF RAEAN

NEWS

highlandernews.org/category/news

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

5

Staff therapist Heather Johnson allegedly suspended for union activity KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer

UPTE-CWA CONTESTS JOHNSON’S PLACEMENT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE PLACED

BY CAPS LEADERSHIP.

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE / THE HIGHLANDER

On Nov. 4, 2025, students and teachers representing the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA) hosted an informational picket at the Belltower to address concerns of alleged retaliation against campus staff therapist Heather Johnson.

After having worked as a therapist for the school’s counseling and psychological services (CAPS) program for seven years, Johnson was placed on administrative leave in September by the CAPS leadership team members, Senior Director of Well-Being and Safety Mental Health Initiatives Elizabeth Mondragon and Senior Director of Financial and Business Operations Jackie Rodriguez. According to Johnson, this decision was due to an allegation about an unspecified grant she had received.

Although Johnson has reported that the allegations have since been cleared, she remains on administrative leave.

Along with being placed on leave, Mondragon and Rodriguez filed against Johnson’s license, an action which Johnson and UPTECWA are currently pursuing a cease and desist order against.

Johnson elaborated on how the

ongoing restrictions have affected her and her patients, describing the situation as “incredibly professional” and noting that she was “not entirely sure why [CAPS leadership filed against her license].” She shared that overall, “it’s had a huge impact on my life — my personal life — as well as my patients.”

Although the official reasoning for Johnson’s administrative leave was due to her receipt of a grant, Johnson and UPTE-CWA allege that the action was made covertly, prompted by her union affiliation and activity.

As a two-year member of UPTE-CWA, Johnson described her involvement as active, detailing how she “led (her) team at the counseling center to participate in those strikes. I’ve also led my team to be really involved with trying to change department standards and expectations.”

Johnson explicitly stated that her administrative leave leaves CAPS with only eight and a half therapists. UPTE-CWA’s website states that the ratio of available therapists to students has led to delayed care for students who require mental health services.

UPTE-CWA has also been

pushing to create healthcare caps for employees in response to increasing healthcare premiums.

The union’s contract with the school’s healthcare and technical team has expired since Sep. 30, 2024, and union members have hosted three strikes since February of this year. They reportedly plan to continue these efforts.

Overall, Johnson described relations between UPTE-CWA and the school as “consistently a bit of a challenge … just because the UC doesn’t necessarily want to pivot on bargaining.”

Currently, the school and UPTE-CWA are in active bargaining.

When asked to comment on the situation, Rodriguez declined, citing UC privacy policies that prohibit discussion of UC personnel matters.

UPTE-CWA and Johnson are now seeking to have her reinstated and have the school issue a public apology to her and her patients.

Johnson stated, “We would really appreciate union members to be respected and allowed to engage ■H in their concerted activity.”

NEWS

6 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

highlandernews.org/category/news

Republicans launch lawsuit against California’s Proposition 50 MARIBEL HERNANDEZ Contributing Writer

CLAIMS ABOUT VIOLATIONS AGAINST THE 14TH AND 15TH AMENDMENTS.

Following the passage of Proposition 50 (Prop 50), where California voters voted upon the redrawing of Congressional districts to favor Democrats in five additional seats in the midterm elections in the following year will be in effect until 2030.

Republicans launched a lawsuit the day after it passed in an attempt to block Prop 50. Prior to election day, it was frequently referred to by Democrats as a chance to help “put our elections back on a level playing field,” as former President Barack Obama shared on his social media pages.

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom introduced Prop 50 as a response to Texas Republicans’ decision to redraw their own districts to favor their party in five districts. The Governor and Democrats have referred to it as the “Election Rigging Response Act,” as it sought to rebalance the power distribution that was initiated by Texas Republicans.

The plaintiffs are being represented by the Dhillon Law Group, the firm who “unsuccessfully” repre-

sented California Republicans earlier this year in their attempt to prevent the election on the ballot from taking place in the first place. They are asking the court to “invalidate the map” and prevent further redistricting efforts from taking the same course of action Prop 50 has, as they are claiming that it “favors Latino voters” as it would “separate citizens into different voting districts on the basis of race.”

The lawsuit argues that the 14th and 15th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution have been violated by the ballot measure. The 14th Amendment declares all people born within the confines of the United States to be citizens of the country, and the 15th Amendment prevents citizens from being denied their voting rights based on their race.

To return to the claim that Prop 50 gives preference to Latino voters, The Guardian provides insight to this claim by drawing from an analysis done by the Public Policy Institute of California’s where it was found that “the new congressional boundaries

created by Proposition 50 leaves racial representation nearly unchanged.”

The Democratic House Minority Leader has spoken out against the lawsuit by calling it “frivolous,” and points out that the Texas Republicans’ district redrawing is in fact expected to “flip seats held

by Black or Hispanic Congressmen.” Republicans allege that Prop 50 disproportionately favors the votes of one race over others.

Governor Newsom appears to maintain a blasé attitude towards this lawsuit proving to be fruitful as he has shared posts targeted towards President Trump and the remaining Republicans stating, “Good luck, losers” and “Cry harder.” The Governor’s reaction stems from the previously mentioned fact that the law firm representing California Republicans in this lawsuit was unsuccessful in stopping Prop 50 from ■H being voted on.

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COURTESY OF WEISS & PAARPZ INJURY LAWYERS

Flight disruptions continue as government shutdown ends

FAA FLIGHT REDUCTIONS AT 40 MAJOR AIRPORTS CAUSE DISTURBANCES FOR TRAVELERS AND AIRLINES NATIONWIDE. OVI MATHIVANAN Staff Writer

On Nov. 6, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an agency within the United States Department of Transportation responsible for regulating all aspects of civil aviation, announced a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high-traffic airports across the nation, citing the need to maintain safety, relieve strain on airport employees and address a recent uptick in flight delays caused by the government shutdown. The reduction was implemented in phases, beginning with a four percent cut in operations on Nov. 7, increasing to six percent by Nov. 11, eight percent by Nov. 13 and 10 percent on Nov. 14.

Additionally, the FAA intends to limit various other operations at affected facilities, including limiting visual flight rule approaches, limiting commercial space launches and reentries to overnight hours and curbing parachute and photo missions near the impacted control centers.

Among the 40 airports subject to the FAA’s capacity cuts, the most affected include Los Angeles International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. These airports are among the

nation’s busiest and part of the FAA’s Core 30, a network of high-traffic airports designated by the FAA as essential to the national airspace system and vital in maintaining air travel efficiency.

from the FAA and travel advisories and ensure their travel schedules remain flexible.

The FAA has cited several reasons for the reduction, noting that the recent government shutdown has left air controllers working without pay, causing operation strain and staffing shortages at many airports. The staffing shortages sparked an increase in staffing triggers, which occur when a control center falls below the minimum number of controllers needed to safely manage an aircraft. In the event of a staffing trigger, the FAA will enact operational reductions to ensure airspace safety and prevent escalation of risk.

Airlines have also taken steps to minimize disruptions and pledged support to their customers.

American Airlines responded to the FAA’s announcement by reassuring customers that most travel plans will proceed as scheduled and that they will proactively notify customers of any flight disruptions. Southwest Airlines said it will evaluate the impact of the FAA traffic cuts on its operations and rebook and notify customers accordingly.

Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines promised it would monitor the situation closely and await further instructors from the FAA before making any operation changes.

For passengers, the effects of the cuts have been immediate: flight cancellations and delays, fewer available flights, increased ticket prices and frustrated travelers. The disruptions have created strain for travelers and airlines trying to coordinate tight schedules. As the nation waits for full operations to be restored at airports, passengers are encouraged to check if and how their airline is affected by the FAA’s temporary flight reductions, explore flight rebooking and rerouting options, monitor updates

Ultimately, the FAA’s responsibility is to uphold the standard of safety in air travel, even in the face of logistical challenges. While many passengers may experience inconvenience and disruptions in their travel plans due to the temporary reductions, the FAA asserts the necessity of these measures to maintain safety for all passengers and airline personnel as well as to ensure flights remain as safe as possible until airport operations can return to ■H normal.

highlandernews.org/category/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

7

Longest government shutdown in U.S. history comes to an end DEMOCRAT-FAVORED PROP 50’S PASSES IN A LANDSLIDE VICTORY.

JOSÉ DEL ÁNGEL News Editor

On Nov. 12, the House approved a Senatepassed funding package and President Trump signed it into law, putting an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

The agreement extends funding for most federal agencies through Jan. 30 and includes three longer-term appropriations bills funding additional government functions through September 2026.

The Senate reached a breakthrough earlier in the week with seven Democrats and one Democrat-aligned independent joining Republicans to end the impasse. In the House, six Democrats crossed party lines to support reopening the government. The deal followed six weeks of stalled negotiations that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay, jeopardized food assistance for millions of Americans and caused nationwide delays in air travel.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian says he expects the nation’s air travel system to rebound more quickly than many anticipate following the end of the 43-day government shutdown. Speaking on “CBS Mornings,”

Bastian said he believes airline operations will be “full steam ahead” by the weekend as air traffic controllers and other critical aviation staff return to work and begin receiving back pay.

Bastian reassured travelers that flying remains “the safest form of transportation,” crediting Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for proactively reducing flight schedules when staffing shortages raised safety concerns. While airlines were frustrated by the disruptions, Bastian called the decision “prudent” given the circumstances.

With controllers now back on duty and paychecks expected within days, he said the aviation system should stabilize quickly. Looking ahead to the busy holiday season, Bastian expressed confidence, saying he has “no concerns” about Thanksgiving travel.

As agencies reopened Thursday morning, employees began returning to work and operations gradually resumed. According to guidance from the White House budget office, some federal workers can expect back paychecks as early as Sunday, while others

will receive their payments by Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The agreement that ended the shutdown also sets the stage for a consequential December showdown over Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end. Without congressional action, millions of Americans could face steep increases in health insurance premiums.

Democrats secured a commitment for a Senate vote on the issue next month, though internal divisions remain after eight Democratic senators broke ranks to support the reopening deal. Party leaders now face a compressed timeline to craft a strategy that secures enough support to extend the credits.

Meanwhile, Washington began returning to normal. The Capitol Visitor Center reopened Thursday, drawing tourists relieved to resume long-planned visits. The Library of Congress and the U.S. Botanic Garden also reopened, signaling a broader return to routine across ■ the capital after weeks of disruption.

H

88 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

OPINIONS OPINIONS

OpiNiONs

highlandernews.org/category/opinions

UCR students celebrate Thanksgiving UCR STUDENTS SHARE HOW THEY PLAN TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING! Compiled by: Rubaita Iqbal, Assistant Opinions Editor

What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?

“

I am most thankful for my roommates London Forbes, Jaedon Leypon and Jeremy Tran. They’re dope.”

“

“

I’m most thankful for my family and getting to spend time with them, especially with being so busy with school.

I’m glad to have time to spend with them.”

This Thanksgiving, I’m really most thankful for a safe flight, because I am from Virginia and I’m flying back home for Thanksgiving. I have heard a lot about plane crashes, so I hope my flight will be safe.”

Gaby Pina, Neuroscience, Third Year

Chinasa Nnamani, Biochemistry, Third Year

Mark Linares, Pre-Business, Second Year

What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?

“

“

“

My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is getting together with my family and eating my grandma’s mac and cheese.”

My favorite part about Thanksgiving is just the fact that my family and I all get under the same roof. I have a big family, so I really enjoy that. It’s the first time in a while that we get to reunite.”

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is getting to go home to see my family since I’m not from here. I get to fly home, and I don’t see them that often.”

London Forbes, Biology, Second Year

Jadaly Lopez, Biology, First Year

Leila Shao, Business Economics, Second Year

What do you hope your Thanksgivings will look like in the future?

“

“

“

I hope my future Thanksgivings are spent with friends and family, everyone happy, laughing and enjoying being together.”

I hope my Thanksgiving will be filled with family, friends and just good times in general.

I know that this Thanksgiving, my uncle will be giving me a lot of Pokémon packs, so I’m looking forward to that. But maybe next year I’ll go out with friends, because we haven’t planned anything yet.”

I hope in the future Thanksgiving will have not only my family, but also close friends and people my family is close to. I feel Thanksgiving is about uniting people in one H room to reconnect and share conversation.” ■

Nila Vedantam, Pre-Business, Second Year

Justin Pan, Business Administration, Third Year

Athena Bravo, Anthropology/Law and Society, Third Year

OPINIONS

highlandernews.org/category/opinions

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

9

Take it or Leave it: Thanksgiving kinda rocks AAKIF IQBAL Assistant Radar Editor

DON’T PUT LIGHTS UP JUST YET, THANKSGIVING IS ON THE WAY!

Thanksgiving cannot be discussed without acknowledging the colonial and imperialist implications of the holiday. The idea of a holiday being surrounded around gratitude while simultaneously reminding indigenous people of the trauma their ancestors endured is part of the problematic history of America. But centuries removed from the original events that took place, in a vacuum, Thanksgiving is arguably the best holiday.

you are not fond of. The popularity of “Friendsgiving” celebrations only emphasizes this as well. Bring your favorite food, sit with your favorite people and enjoy the atmosphere and joy that comes along with it.

Let this year’s Thanksgiving be even more intense than the last. With all the rumors surrounding the new files that have been leaked, this is the perfect opportunity to start an entire family-wide battle surrounding recent reveals.

Even still, if you’re

In a late-stage capitalist society where every holiday has become deeply monetized, it is also nice to see that Thanksgiving has mostly gone unscathed. Aside from a couple of movies that vaguely reference Thanksgiving, most marketing and media go straight from Halloween to Christmas.

Marketing agencies seem to suggest “take down the Halloween lights and costumes and get an ugly sweater and some eggnog.”

In doing so, this maintains the purity of the idea of Thanksgiving.

Additionally, the beauty of Thanksgiving is that there is no right way to celebrate it.

There is a beauty to being able to create traditions for a Holiday. I personally enjoy watching “Fantastic Mr. Fox” every year on Thanksgiving. Whether people enjoy watching a movie, the football game or simply coming together, there is no requirement for how to do Thanksgiving right.

You don’t have to celebrate with anybody

DE LAN IGH EH / TH NA RE AU ELI AD

Whereas most popular American Holidays people indulge in involve religious implications or an excuse to party, Thanksgiving is a happy in-between.

One does not need to be a part of a religion or partake in substances in order to enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities.

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Although a traditional Thanksgiving involves pumpkins, turkey and cranberry sauce, it’s really a holiday built around warmth and comfort. It’s a time for people to come together, throw on a cozy outfit and enjoy each other’s company. Thanksgiving is ostensibly autumn as a night.

required to spend the holiday with less favorable members of your family, there is a certain beauty to that as well. In a time where people are at their most divided politically, it is nice to be able to sit across the table over a slice of pie and debate the current state of politics. Whether one agrees with the election of Zohran Mamdani or supports the Big Beautiful Bill Act, no topic is too sacred to be discussed.

Unlike the costumes that are necessary for Halloween and the ugly sweaters for Christmas, there is no dress-code for Thanksgiving. This is a great time to pull out a nice fishermen’s sweater or herringbone sport coat; the only requirement is to come comfortable. Beanies, gloves and scarves are all welcome.

Even so, if none of this seems appealing, let this time off be a break. As seasonal depression increases, Thanksgiving is the last catapult before finals week. It’s the necessary time off one needs to gather before things start getting stressful and before the long winter break. Give Thanksgiving ■ another chance.

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COURTESY OF KAROLA G VIA PEXELS

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OPINIONS

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California’s Head Start Program funding should be better protected LOW-INCOME STUDENTS ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND DUE TO POLITICS. MARIBEL HERNANDEZ Contributing Writer

of the program educators, I found confidence benefits from its services — including parents in my ability to catch up to my classmates and and educators.

Head Start is a government-funded program developed an enthusiasm for learning.

Many working-class families do not have that focuses on “child development and early This enthusiasm is what pushed me to work so access to alternative childcare, leaving parents learning” for low-income children. It not only tirelessly to pursue higher education straight out in a difficult position about whether they should prepares children for kindergarten by helping them develop their early learning skills in language, of high school as a first-generation student. My attend work when they cannot find someone to math, literacy and social-emotional skills, but it story is only one out of thousands where Head watch their child during the day. This leaves also provides students with healthcare, including Start alumni have statistically proven to have families already struggling to make ends meet vaccinations, dental care and balanced nutrition. been “12 percent less likely to live in poverty as at risk of falling into deeper poverty, which The program encourages parent involvement, as adults and 29 percent less likely to receive public defeats the point of the program as it strives to provide students with the building blocks to live their influence has a major impact on children assistance.” successful lives. during their developmental years.

While the program strives to improve These programs should be just as protected as Without the necessary funding for Head children’s livelihoods, my mother found herself inspired to learn English herself after witnessing Social Security or Medicare, as they protect the Start, which was halted during the government shutdown, the program was forced to face how I became a learning sponge. Growing up livelihood of entire low-income communities. closure, leaving thousands of students, parents in poverty in Mexico, my grandmother — the Unlike Social Security and Medicare, which and educators scrambling to find childcare and sole provider of her family — put herself and continue to function normally under a government her siblings through as much schooling as shutdown, Head Start falls under the category of employment. possible, but the costs of attendance soon caught government programs whose funding freezes We have already seen the closure of one up with them, leaving my mother with only an during a shutdown. program and three others that are “affecting elementary-level education.

Freezing these funds has left thousands of about 1,000 very-low-income children and 270 She has long been my biggest advocate in students at risk of falling behind academically teachers.” The longer our government leaders pursuing higher education, as she understands and despite the government shutdown having refused to cooperate to lift the shutdown, the risk of these programs shutting down increased the importance and privilege of receiving an recently ended, Head Start programs could exponentially, leaving negative effects on their education. I have fond memories of sitting next take up to six weeks for the funding to reach to her as she typed away on a school computer, individual centers. communities. diligently working to further her reading abilities, We must continue to advocate for this Among the community members most while I did my own reading homework. necessary program to be better protected from impacted are low-income, English-learning My experience shows that the Head Start future shutdowns and, in general, continue to students and their families. As a former Head Start student, I joined the program not knowing program not only strives to improve students’ support low-income English-learner students, ■H a single word of English. Through the nurturing educational careers, but that an entire community their families and their communities.

H COURTESY OF US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION VIA FLICKR■

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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Take it or Leave it: Embrace the whimsy LOOK AT THE WORLD NOT AS A PROBLEM TO SOLVE, BUT AS A STORY STILL BEING WRITTEN. NAYSHA AGARWAL Contributing Writer

We’ve built a culture that treats busyness as a badge of honor. At the University of California, Riverside (UCR) — like most universities — the rhythm of our days is measured in deadlines, discussion posts and the number of unread Canvas notifications waiting for us.

Students are constantly sprinting from lecture halls to labs, calendars are packed and their minds are endlessly bracing for the next thing. Yet, somewhere between the 8 a.m. coffee and the midnight study session, many of us feel something quietly slipping away: our sense of wonder.

We as college students talk a lot about ambition and resilience, the drive to excel to “make it.” We live in an age that rewards efficiency over curiosity, productivity over play. Every hour seems to demand justification in our minds: “What are you achieving? Where are you going? What’s next?”

But what about the equally important act of slowing down? What about the courage to be curious, to play, to find beauty that doesn’t need to justify itself on a résumé?

That’s where whimsy comes in.

Somewhere between the crowded lecture halls and the silent study rooms, we have lost the art of simply being, or embracing

the whimsy for its own sake. Whimsy is often overlooked as something unimportant, too unproductive for a world obsessed with outcomes. But in truth, it’s a form of resistance.

To embrace whimsy is to reclaim control over how we move through life — to reject the idea that worth is measured only in achievement and to remember that creativity, joy and curiosity are not distractions from success but the ground it grows from.

At UCR, whimsy already lives in small, almost secret ways. It’s the student who brings a ukulele to the Bell Tower lawn between classes. It’s the impromptu picnic outside Orbach Library on a sunny afternoon. It’s the quiet laughter echoing through the dorms at 2 a.m. These moments might seem fleeting, but they sustain us. They remind us that college isn’t just a waiting room for the “real world” — it is the world and it deserves to be lived fully.

Embracing whimsy doesn’t mean rejecting ambition. It means broadening our definition of it. Success should include the courage to pause, to create for the sake of creating, to take joy seriously. When people wander back into their routines, they become not only better students but also

more present human beings.

That’s what embracing the whimsy really means: giving yourself permission to live a little more like a poem and a little less like a checklist. To let the ordinary moments shimmer again.

Today’s world demands that each individual be efficient. But, in small ways, people should choose to be enchanted instead.

So, the next time you find yourself racing across campus, look up. Watch the leaves fall like confetti. Listen to the rhythm of the day — the laughter, the footsteps, the distant hum of the bell tower. Ask someone about the pins on their backpack.

Let yourself do something “pointless,” simply because it feels alive. Notice how the world, even in its chaos, keeps offering tiny invitations to joy.

You might realize that the moments you’ve been overlooking are the ones you’ll remember the most because life isn’t just about where we’re headed. It’s about how we let ourselves live — curiously, kindly and with a hint of the beautiful, fleeting ■ whimsy of it all.

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ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISRAYOSOY S. VIA PEXELS

FEATURES

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Features

Scotty-Scopes:

If the signs were Thanksgiving dishes …

WHAT THANKSGIVING DISH ARE YOU GIVING THIS YEAR? KARMEN LEON Contributing Writer

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22): Stuffing

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21): Gravy

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21): Apple Pie

Warm, social and beautifully put together — you bring harmony to any room. This Thanksgiving, you’re the reason everyone feels connected and welcomed.

Intense, deep and absolutely essential in bringing the whole table together with your energy. This week, you’ll lean into honesty and depth, surprising even yourself.

Bright, adventurous and full of optimism.

You bring a burst of sweetness at the end of a long year. This holiday season your energy feels like a fresh start.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18): Pumpkin Pie Unique, comforting and quietly iconic, you are more loved than you realize. This week, your originality shines through in ways that feel refreshing and sweet.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20): Cinnamon Rolls

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19): The Turkey

Stable, dependable and the backbone of the whole gathering, you keep everything together. This Thanksgiving, your discipline pays off in quiet but meaningful ways.

Aries (March 21 – April 19): Cranberry Sauce A little sharp, a little sweet and definitely not for everyone. But the people who like you really like you. This week, you’re learning that being bold doesn’t mean you need to be the whole meal. Sometimes being the standout on the side is enough.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): Mac & Cheese Golden, warm and the definition of comfort. People feel instantly safe around you. This Thanksgiving, your genuine care and steady presence make the whole room feel calmer.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20): Garlic Bread Warm, indulgent and universally adored, you bring comfort in the most effortless way. This season highlights your ability to make every space feel softer, cozier and just a little more delicious.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22): Honey-Glazed Ham Shiny, sweet and undeniably the main character of the Thanksgiving table. This season, you walk in glowing and leave everyone feeling more lively.

Soft, dreamy and tender with a swirl of sweetness. This Thanksgiving, you’re giving comfort, softness along with a gentle reminder to slow down.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20): Dinner Rolls Light, fun and always keeping the room brighter, you’re the one passing joy around the table. This Thanksgiving, your energy will bring movement, conversation and laughter.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22): Mashed Potatoes Creamy, reliable and always a hit. You’re the dish everyone trusts. This week highlights how your steady presence brings comfort, structure and balance to every ■H space.

LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

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FEATURES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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Cruising across campus: Skate Club’s mark on UCR

SKATE CLUB PROVIDES A WELCOMING AND RELAXED ENVIRONMENT FOR NEWCOMERS AND VETERANS OF SKATING. SANJANA THATTE Features Editor

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hether it’s by the Belltower, in front of the bookstore or by Orbach Library’s staircase, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is home to excellent skateboarding locations. You can often see people grinding a ledge or trying to stick a kickflip wherever you go on campus, but few know that there is actually a school sanctioned space for it. Skate Club at UCR is committed to providing a safe space for skateboarders of all levels to learn, grow and have fun with those that share a love for the board.

Zach Nish, second-year environmental engineering major and co-president of Skate Club joined last year after attending one of the club’s general meetings, “I heard that they were gonna host a little general meeting, and I just came. It was really a pretty small turnout, so it was just pretty much me and like a couple other people … Owen was the president last year. He was on a scooter, and he liked how I was skating … he filmed a couple of clips for me.”

Nish himself started skating when he was in middle school, but many people who join skate clubs often have never been on a board before.

The club meets by the Belltower after Wednesday’s weekly club tabling where more experienced members coach beginners. Nish explains, “if anybody’s ever trying to learn even the simple stuff, pushing or stopping, or basic stuff, ollie, which is just a normal little jump, we try and teach people those little things.”

Though Wednesdays are the club’s official meeting time, the club often meets informally at locations all across campus, “it’s not necessarily a scheduled thing, whenever somebody goes out and skates, they’ll just send a message to the Groupme and just tell other people to come and usually others will pull up.”

In terms of learning to skate, Nish explained that while tricks do look cool, they may not be the best to start out with. Once you’ve mastered the basics, trying tricks such as ollies and shove-its will come naturally.

As many people are often intimidated by the idea of skating, Nish emphasized the importance of just starting and giving it a shot: “I remember when I first was starting out, it was just [a] really intimidating thing to go to the skate park, and I would go and I wouldn’t even skate.

I would just watch people because

I was so scared of being judged.

But we try and make it a safe place for people to just learn without embarrassment … I would say the first steps are probably finding likeminded people.”

Nish explained the difference between ledge skating as opposed to transition skating, which is done primarily on structures such as a half pipe where the board transitions from one side to the other. Ledge skating is what is most associated with street skating as it involves grinding on ledges and jumping up on structures.

The club hosts events with other board clubs on campus such as the Surf Club and Snow Boarding Club, “There’s an event called Switchboard, where you basically, in the morning, go to the beach and surf, and then in the afternoon, you go to a skate park and skateboard, and then you hit the ski slopes and snowboard after, all in one day …

That’s one of our bigger events …”

For more general events, Nish explains, “We’ll drive out to other parks and stuff, and we’ll shuttle people there and we play music and stuff, and it’s [to] just hang out pretty much.” The club also attended events with other schools such as UC Irvine and UC Los Angeles.

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The club has struggled with communication specifically in regards to organization and planning, but are working towards establishing a clearer set of expectations. Their goals this year involve reaching out to more people: “we really just want to recruit more members and get more people skating, just because it’s a pretty positive thing, I would say, just to pick up a hobby and something that you know. You can spend time on [it] productively and exercise [and] meet new people.”

Much like UCR itself, Skate Club reflects a sense of openness and acceptance, “UCR is already such a unique school, everybody says that UCR students are more chill than other schools. That definitely helps the atmosphere in Skate Club.

I don’t know if I could really say for sure, but I’m sure other clubs might have issues with judgment and beef.

UCR Skate Club really doesn’t have that at all. Everybody’s friendly and it’s really just an inviting club.”

So the next time you find yourself enviously watching someone make an insane jump outside the bookstore or wince as you watch someone faceplant by the University Lecture Hall, know that there is an opportunity for you to experience both with the Skate Club at UCR. ■H

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COURTESY OF SKATE CLUB

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FEATURES FEATURES

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What the Highlander staff is thankful for in 2025 WITH THANKSGIVING COMING UP NEXT WEEK, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO DISCOVER WHAT OUR VERY OWN HIGHLANDER STAFF IS THANKFUL FOR. LET’S SEE WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY …

KISHNEET KAUR Advertising Representative

Allison Fry – Business Manager:

My name is Kishneet Kaur, and I am an Advertising Representative here at the Highlander Newspaper! I am eternally grateful for my friends and family as they shape me into a better version of myself everyday. I am also grateful for being able to wake up everyday and spread positivity! But most of all, this year I am thankful for the Highlander Newspaper as it helped me blossom into a mature individual and introduced me to some of the most kind, hard-working people I have ever met! ■

I’m grateful for crispy queso tacos, really soft blankets, bean bag chairs, my large family and a really amazing collection of ride or die friends.

Mata Elangovan – Editor-in-Chief:

Isaac Solnick – Managing Editor:

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I’m grateful for good food, a funny sister, great colleagues and the raccoons I see late at night.

I am thankful that my mom is healthy this year. She won her battle with breast cancer!

Love you Mom!

Rubaita Iqbal – Assistant Opinions Editor:

Angelica Brianna Acosta – Assistant News Editor:

I am thankful for the book, “Before the Coffee Gets Cold.”

I am thankful for my little sister, Abby. Even though she is a pain in my side, she also understands all my jokes.

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Edwin Basurto – Video Editor:

I am thankful for bargain bins and thrift stores.

Nola Perifel – Assistant Features Editor:

I am thankful for all my favorite sitcoms like: “The Office,” “Friends,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and so many more! I am also thankful for my brother, my parents and my boyfriend.

Paris Cao – Advertising Representative:

I am thankful for my friends and family because they always support me and keep me happy!

Sanjana Thatte – Features Editor:

Something I am grateful for are brown butter chocolate chip cookies. They have been saving my mood recently. They have also acted as a study snack for me while I was crashing out over my midterms. Making them has been very therapeutic for me! I am also very grateful for my family and friends.

Ian Palma – Radar Editor:

Three things I am thankful for are family, friends and the fact that I am living in the same timeline as The Dare. He’s known for wearing suits and playing EDM music, and he just exhibits aura.

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Aakif Iqbal– Assistant Radar Editor:

I am thankful for cable knit sweaters because I love “When Harry Met Sally” and “Gilmore Girls.” Thanksgiving time is also the perfect time to wear them, although they are good year round. Suffering in the heat is worth the drip. I am also thankful for my family.

ORANGE ST ST ORANGE Terry Nguyen – Sports Editor:

I am thankful for casinos. I am thankful for my girlfriend. I am thankful for just being able to move my body, to exercise – good health in itself is a blessing. I am thankful for Kish coming back from her trip. When I see her smile, I know it is going to be a good day.

GRAPHICS / LAYNA LAPIKAS

FEATURES

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NORM’S NOOK SPOTLIGHT

Orbach Library

DISCOVER UCR’S ELEGANT SCIENCE LIBRARY. NOLA PERIFEL Assistant Features Editor

The University of California, Riverside (UCR)’s second library, Orbach Library is located in front of the School of Medicine. It was built in 1998 and dedicated to Raymond L. Orbach, one of UCR’s former chancellors. Orbach was chancellor for 10 years before moving to Washington D.C to be the Director of the Office of Science at the United States Department of Energy.

This library, also known as the science library, contains enormous collections of books on the subjects of biology, medicine, agriculture and more. Open 24/7

during finals week and from 7:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays, this library is a great place to study.

It is not too far from the dorms, provides quiet study spaces for students and has many comfortable seating choices. Just like in the Rivera Library, students have access to both black and white and color printers at any time. It is home to many labs including the Creat’R Lab and the STAR Lab on the first floor.

Next time you are struggling to find a nice place to study, Orbach Library is a great option to ■H explore.

NOLA PERIFEL / THE HIGHLANDER

THANKSGIVING

GRAPHICS BY LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

By Haley Klein, Staff Writer

ANSWERS

(DON’T PEEK!)

Across 1. Swiss peaks 5. October birthstones 10. H.S. exam 14. Center 15. Summary 16. Date tech blocker in “Haikyuu” 17. Hammer or sickle 18. Sports venue 19. Reasonable 20. Seasonal drink from pressed fruits 22. Take from the top 23. Building wing 24. Dissertations 26. Horse house

30. Largest of the Mariana Islands 32. Monk’s home 33. Technically edible labyrinths 38. Catches 39. Trudges (through) 40. Sheltered bay 41. Thanksgiving feeling 43. Actress Zellweger 44. Taxis 45. Stun guns 46. The “S” in GPS 50. Junior 51. “Cheerio!”

52. Holiday dessert with

orange filling 59. Cries of discovery 60. Nimble 61. ____ Grey tea 62. Part 63. Spotless 64. Asia’s ____ Sea 65. Low digits 66. Shades 67. Hamilton bills

Down 1. ____ Diurna 2. Roller coaster feature 3. Play thing 4. Peddle 5. Prophet 6. Danger 7. Passed with flying colors 8. Highway division 9. Michigan State players 10. So last year 11. Drenches 12. “Tomorrow” musical 13. Abounds / Over-

flows 21. Slippery 25. “Let me think ...”

26. Squealed 27. Ski lift 28. “Dancing Queen” group 29. Second to none 30. Merchandise 31. Impulse 33. Driver or putter 34. Whizzes 35. Region 36. At any time 37. Spots 39. Cause of colonial unrest

42. Rink surface 43. Hindu queen 45. Arcade coins 46. Begin 47. Google rival 48. Like old bread 49. Shocks, in a way 50. Water balloon sound 53. Jamaican wrinkly fruit 54. Appearance 55. Tidy 56. Trim 57. Persia, today 58. Building additions ■H

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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TEST YOURSELF! What Thanksgiving food are you?

This quiz will tell you what Thanksgiving food you are – brutally honest edition.

By: Nola Perifel, Assistant Features Editor This is all for fun guys don’t take it seriously!

BRIANNA GALAVIZ-VILLAGOMEZ / THE HIGHLANDER

1. What makes you annoying?

A. You make golf look interesting. Go read a book my friend you are BORING. B. Being inconsistent.

C. One minute, you’re bouncing off the walls and the next, you’re just there.

D. You’re a social butterfly that can go 23 hours in the day and you still beat yourself up over not being able to get that last one.

2. During a family gathering such as Thanksgiving, how do you act?

A. You are in everyone’s way, standing uselessly and awkwardly in the kitchen.

B. You sit quietly until someone talks to you and once they do, you fish for compliments.

C. You help everyone out with cooking, decorating and setting the table, pausing ever so often to pet the cat.

D. You are annoyed that you have to socialize and the night usually ends with doomscrolling on the couch.

3. How do you like to spend your Saturday evening?

A. You order from the same place you usually do and watch your favorite movie on repeat.

B. You plan to go to two parties one dinner and one game night but you usually end up cancelling and spending the night alone at home.

C. You like to curl up on the couch with a couple friends to talk watch movies and eat snacks.

D. You just stay in bed wondering who to hang out with but also hating everyone.

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4. What is your role in your friend group?

A. You organize activities but somehow end up just tagging along forgotten as usual.

B. You’re the unpredictable one your friends either want to be around you or they need a break from you.

C. You are the therapist and mom of the group you are everyone’s shoulder to cry on and they know you’ll always be there for them.

D. You are the sarcastic friend that uses humor as a defense mechanism.group; everyone’s shoulder to cry on, and they know you’ll always be there for them.

D. You are the sarcastic friend that uses humor as a defense mechanism.

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answer key If you got “A” more often, you are turkey. You are an average person, not unique or original, but somehow always there.

Like turkey you tend to be bland and dry, lacking in personality and exciting energy. You can be a disappointment at family gatherings and let’s be honest, though you are loved by some, many might find you below par. Don’t be discouraged though because, despite all of this, you are still the glue that holds your friend group or family together.

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If you got “B” more often, you are pumpkin pie. Many people are confused by you. They don’t know whether to love or hate you. Like pumpkin pie, you can be overly sweet but a little bit boring as well. When you aren’t too boring, you can be too overpowering, which might cause people to step away like they would with an unfinished slice of pumpkin pie.

The artificial nutmeg and cinnamon flavor from store-bought pies might be mirrored in your insincere and unreliable tendencies. Fear not, you are still a sweet person … at times.

If you got “C” more often, you are mashed potatoes. You are a warm person, loved by almost everyone. Your personality has many different levels and people are automatically drawn to you. You have enough love in your heart to share with everyone. You are a nice and comforting presence for the people around you and your reassuring words always help calm people down. Don’t change one bit. You’re definitely a fan favorite.

If you got “D” more often, you are cranberry sauce. Like sweet sauce on turkey meat, you are usually not in your place.

You tend to be bitter about life but sometimes your sweetness resurfaces. Watered down cranberry sauce resembles your weaker emotional state. You struggle to find everyone’s approval no matter how much you might want it. You show H a tough exterior but you do have a soft spot for your friends. ■

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FEATURES

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What to do if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving

Features Fiction: A flawless facade THE CONFESSIONS OF A WORK-IN-PROGRESS.

FOR THE ONES SKIPPING THE STUFFING BUT NOT THE FUN.

By: Naysha Agarwal, contributing writer

The feeling of holding yourself together, so no one sees you falling apart.

NAYSHA AGARWAL Contributing Writer

Ah, Thanksgiving, that time of EMILY MATA / THE HIGHLANDER the year when airports turn into chaos zones, everyone’s arguing about stuffing and dressing and your feed explodes with “so thankful” captions nobody asked for.

As November rolls around, the campus starts to buzz about Thanksgiving — travel plans, turkey dinners and family reunions. But not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, and that’s perfectly fine. Maybe it’s not a part of your culture, maybe you’re far from home or maybe you’re not feeling the whole turbeing lazy during Thanksgiving break — key vibe. Whatever your reason, you’re not alone and you deserve a good it’s called recovery time. break too. So, if you find yourself staying Connect on campus or skipping the holiday altoThanksgiving is often framed around gether, here are a few ways to make the togetherness, but connecting doesn’t long weekend your own. have to mean awkward family dinners.

Text that friend you have been ghostMake your own kind of holiday Who says you need turkey and stuffing ing or hop on a call with someone who to celebrate gratitude? Host a friendsgiv- makes you laugh. If you’re itching for ing, with a unique twist. Make it chaotic, some of that Thanksgiving spirit, volunfun and completely unhinged — think teer at a food drive or shelter. It’s a great ramen instead of roast or cook the food way to meet new people, help out, feel you actually like. Play your favorite mu- warm and fuzzy inside and maybe earn sic and have dessert before dinner. Host some good karma to help you out dura movie marathon with your closest ing finals. Even if your version of giving friends and toast to surviving week eight. back is sharing some snacks with your Or completely skip the “giving” part and roommates, that totally counts too. host a “do nothing and vibe day.” Cozy Redefine gratitude in your own way hoodies, comfort food and zero guilt.

You do not need a turkey to feel thankful. Make a gratitude playlist. Write a list Explore Riverside With the campus quiet and everyone of small wins — like surviving a chemat home, you’ve basically got your own istry lab, eating a proper meal or just apprivate town. Hike up Mount Rubidoux, preciating the fact that you made it this wander around the botanical gardens like far into the quarter. Just take a quiet mothe main character that you are or head ment to appreciate your messy, but midowntown to see the Mission Inn Festi- raculous student life. Gratitude doesn’t val of Lights — it’s a holiday classic and need to look picture perfect, sometimes the closest thing to walking through a it’s just you, a burrito blanket and your movie. Plus, parking? Actually available. boba in hand.

So, if you’re not craving turkeys or catching flights this Thanksgiving, don’t Rejuvenate Let’s be honest, midterms have prob- sweat it. You’re not missing out, you’re ably drained every ounce of your soul. just simply rewriting rules. Whether you Use the break to sleep in, journal, read spend the weekend sleeping, exploring some non-academic literature or binge- vibing with friends or just enjoying your watch that show you’ve been putting off. own company, make it meaningful on Take a nap, wake up and take another nap your terms.

Because at the end of the day, the best just because you can. If the only thing you achieve this weekend is making it to kind of holiday is the one that actually ■ the end of your “continue watching” list, feels like yours. take the win. There is no such thing as H

Probably needed a hug, but she stayed quiet.

She didn’t want to make a sound, didn’t want to be a burden, didn’t want to take up space in someone else’s warmth.

She folded her arms around herself and called it enough.

Told her heartbeat to hush, told her eyes to dry, told the ache to wait its turn.

She wiped her tears the way she always does, careful not to let them fall too long as if catching them early made her look strong.

She straightened her face, fixed the cracks with practiced smiles, and walked back outside like nothing in her had withered inside.

And then she stood up, glued the pieces back together, like nothing was wrong.

No one asked, and she didn’t tell.

That’s the quiet pact she’s made.

It’s strange how good she’s gotten, At simply looking fine.

She walks with a smile, a perfect illusion.

So she nodded at the world, and carried on like nothing was wrong.

But somewhere along the lines a part of her whispered, I shouldn’t have to be this brave just to be okay. ■ H

HOLLY DAWSON / THE HIGHLANDER

highlandernews.org/category/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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Forget Me Not Antiques: The maximalist curiosity shop of your dreams A HOARD OF ANTIQUES AND CURIOSITIES TUCKED AWAY IN A CORNER OF DOWNTOWN.

MALINI JOSEPH Contributing Writer

Downtown Riverside has many attractions: vintage stores, restaurants and indie bookstores, all complete with incredible architecture. As a result, many students from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), don’t tend to venture past this hub of exploration. After all, there is seemingly not much worth seeing past downtown.

Following this unfortunate line of thinking will cause you to miss out on many gorgeous shops and attractions that can be found past this area of Riverside. Forget Me Not Antiques, found on Elizabeth Street, just off Magnolia Street and a seven minute drive away from downtown, is one of these hidden gems.

This antique shop has a treasure trove of items waiting to be discovered and carried to their new home. When you first walk into this shop, you’ll notice the immediate festive theme as they have started decorating for the holiday season. Ornaments and small Christmas trees decorated with ribbons are scattered throughout the store bringing about that festive spirit. The immediate decorations give way to the store’s unapologetically authentic charm as you walk further into the shop.

Beautiful dining sets are artistically arranged at the front, with neat tags labeling the price, from the table to the glass centerpiece. Turning away from these sets, there is a long table bisecting the room in

two, with chairs and wreaths sitting on top while velvet armchairs and chaise lounges surround the bottom.

Each side of the room is then divided into small nooks. Each nook has its own personality and is filled with baubles, room decor and clothing. Mirrors of all shapes and sizes line the walls, accompanied by artwork of various subjects as well as books organized on the floor. From lamps and small ceramic statues to fabric pumpkins and gorgeous vintage jewelry, Forget Me Not Antiques has an incredible variety in decor to fulfill your maximalist dreams.

Clothes can be found on racks throughout the store, but there is one section dedicated to outerwear. Vintage and modern coexist here in a beautiful dance. Each piece seems to hold a story that you can’t wait to uncover.

Some things I was surprised to find at this store was a Levi jean jacket for $45, a Zara leather trench coat for $47 and a Giorgio Armani leather jacket for $90. Incredibly good prices for how expensive these brands can be. I’m sure if I had looked even deeper, I would have been able to find more incredible pieces for stellar prices.

Speaking of costs, everything in the store seemed reasonably priced, though at times there was no clear pattern for what garnered low and high values. Chairs might be $40, but a golden filigreed mirror could be $75.

Jean jackets could be anywhere from $20 to

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MALINI JOSEPH / THE HIGHLANDER

$120, though this was likely more a factor of the brand that produced them. With a keen eye and a nose for bargains, you will be able to find the items of your dreams for nearly a fourth of the price of their original productions.

Forget Me Not Antiques is a delightful shop full of incredible objects and intriguing clothes. It is completely worth the trip out to see everything the store has to offer. I know that when I start decorating my house, this will be the place I go to for all my decor needs. It’s a good shop to visit if you want new aesthetic and maximalist pieces for your dorm, apartment or house for a more reasonable price than a regular furniture store.

There won’t be nearly as much character in pieces from a different store than the ones you can find at Forget Me Not Antiques. ■ H

20 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

Flowers that Remind Me of You / Natalie Marquez

C O M I C S Lovely Weather / Susanna Wu

Dewy’s Adventures / Emily Mata

COMICS

highlandernews.org/category/comics

Mirror Madness Pt. 2 / Chloe-Jane Cuevas

Radar TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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EVENTS THIS WEEK 11/18

Arts and Letters: Susan Straight @ Palm Center Desert Auditorium, 6 p.m.

11/19

Student Performance and Composition Concert @Arts Building 157, 12 p.m.

11/19

The Audacity of Failure @CHASS Interdisciplinary South, 1128, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

11/20

BVRNT/TOUR Jakobs Castle and Strawberry Fuzz with Strange Case @The Barn, 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.

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COURTESY OF LYNDSEY RANKIN VIA CHASS MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

RADAR

22 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

highlandernews.org/category/radar

Radar

Find your perfect selection for tonight’s movie with this ranked list.

FIND YOUR PERFECT SELECTION FOR TONIGHT’S MOVIE WITH THIS RANKED LIST.

SHREYA PATEL Contributing Writer

*contains spoilers* November marks the beginning of fuzzy blankets, cozy hot drinks and long movie marathons. Ranging from themes like family bonding to heartfelt rom-coms, these films add to the sparkle of holiday for those celebrating now!

Interstellar” (2014) Christopher Nolan presents us with a mindbending and emotional science-fiction movie, “Interstellar.” Set during the last years of Earth, a team of astronauts led by Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, start their journey through a wormhole in space to find a new home for humans that leads them to a completely new universe.

Time is portrayed as a tangible 5-D object, seen especially during the Miller’s water planet scene, where each tick sound symbolizes onepassing day on Earth (a true masterpiece of Nolan’s creations) and the time tesserect scene, where one can view any specific time period of their life and community through gravity!

Astronauts are able to survive Earth decades without aging, while their family back home puts all their life energy into bringing them back.

What started as a journey to find home soon turned into the boundless nature of human love, sacrifice and curiosity evidenced by Cooper and his daughter’s relationship. With the breathtaking scenes and Hans Zimmer’s magnificent score, Nolan’s “Interstellar” is a true masterpiece to enjoy with the whole family.

“Lost in Space” (2018-2021) For those that are more into shows than movies, “Lost in Space” presents a similar vibe with its science fiction and family oriented story line to “Interstellar.” This show follows the experiences of the Robinson family after their spacecraft crashes on an unknown planet.

Here, Will Robinson, the youngest child of

the Robinson family finds a robot alien who is believed to be dangerous to mankind due to its previous homicidal attacks on the International Space Station.

parts thriller and warning, scaringly close to the realities of the world right now.

As the show progresses, viewers are gripped by the mysteries that unravel and the struggles the family goes through to stay together on this new planet as they find their way to their new home on Mars. Brian Steele’s Netflix series is perfect entertainment for those seeking a thrilling adventure with warmth of home.

While Thanksgiving brings the feelings of family and togetherness, this movie is the exact opposite. Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” starts after the Black Friday riots in Massachusetts, the birthplace of the original holiday. This film follows a masked serial-killer who turns this lively celebration into a bloody horror scene.

Follow this enjoyable and somewhat grisly storyline as the town-people try to save their lives and stop the killings from happening, only to find the greatest climax is yet to come.

“Eternity” (2025) Directed by David Freyne, “Eternity” stands as a romantic comedy with concepts revolving around the afterlife. After her death, Joan turns into her younger self in the afterlife. However, she is faced with some hard challenges and choices to make — such as what setting to live in (paradise or night club).

The most important decision is about who she is going to spend her afterlife with — her husband of decades or her first love who was killed at a young age and has been waiting for her ever since? Follow this chaotic and heartwarming romantic comedy to brighten up the mood this thanksgiving season.

“The Running Man” (2025) Directed by Edgar Wright and an adaptation of Stephen King’s book “The Running Man,” presents a heart-wrenching storyline that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. The vibes and atmosphere of the film are reminiscent of “Squid Game.” Starring Glen Powell, the movie dives into a reality game show that offers a grand price for the winner.

The only catch is that the players have to survive for 30 days while deadly, trained killers are chasing them anywhere they go. But don’t take this lightly, as this adaptation of King’s novel shows the cruelty of entertainment and the cost of human life. “The Running Man” is equal

“Thanksgiving” (2023)

“Regretting You” (2025) Here comes the social media’s new sensation, Josh Boone’s “Regretting You,” based on the original Colleen Hoover book. This movie explores the relationship between a mother and daughter (Clara) whose bond weakens after the death of Clara’s father and aunt in a tragic car accident. As secrets are uncovered and the grief deepens, both women are forced to distance themselves from each other and face their past love affairs.

“Regretting You” follows a cute symphony of romance and the deep relationship of a mother and daughter through an emotional heartbreak and the rebuilding of hope to start their new lives.

“Hot Frosty” (2024) Lastly, for those that seek the whimsy in entertainment, Jerry Ciccoritti’s “Hot Frosty” is a go-to selection. This magical fantasy follows the life of Kathy who magically brings a snowman to life and starts falling in love with him. They unite before the holidays, but he is destined to melt in the end. Those who love a heartfelt romantic comedy about connection, change and believing the impossible should keep this movie ■H in their watchlist.

ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER

highlandernews.org/category/radar

RADAR

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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“Christy” is a boxing film that fails to land a blow DAVID MICHÔD’S NEWEST FILM BLENDS STRENGTH THEMES AND WEAK STORYTELLING. JIHOON KWON Contributing Writer

CONTAINS SPOILERS

“Christy” by David Michôd is not a film that exhibits the directorial ambition that Michôd showed in his previous films such as “The King.” Rather than taking any meaningful risks, the film relies heavily on the cliché of a typical award-bait biopic. The audience intuitively feels what the film wants to achieve even when the execution fails.

Christy Salters (Sydney Sweeney) is a formulaic underdog character one might expect in a boxing film, though the execution is unearned. Despite not having any real experience in boxing, Christy beats every single opponent she is faced with and quickly gets noticed by a boxing coach, James Martin (Ben Foster).

Although James Martin initially doubts Christy, the audience is told — through Martin’s words — that she earns his respect through hard work and dedication. However,

what they actually see is her quitting boxing twice, once before her first training session, and again by neglecting a healthy diet by eating burgers and falling out of shape.

The film’s biggest strength does not lie in its elements within the ring. It lies in how it explores the exploitation and repression of Christy’s agency and identity. One such struggle comes in the form of homophobia.

Her sexuality causes tension within the family as her mother is homophobic. Eventually, her highschool girlfriend Rosie (Jess Garbor) breaks up with her.

Another struggle arises in the form of domestic abuse once she marries James despite her sexual orientation. James tries to sabotage Christy through isolation, manipulation and even physical violence. As she becomes more and more successful, getting contacts from a major boxing promoter Don King (Chad Coleman), James’ jealousy and insecurities continue to rise.

The film falls apart narratively in the last

15 minutes. In an attempt to portray Christy as defiant, the film ends up portraying her as irrational as following her attempt to escape with Rosie after reconnecting with her, but goes back to confront James, who stabs her multiple times and shoots her.

When she escapes and ends up in the hospital, she calls Rosie, but Rosie leaves simply because Christy’s mother tells her to despite clearly caring about her. When Christy and Lisa (Katy M. O’Brian) meet, it is supposed to be the moment of her reclamation of sexual identity, but rather it ends up feeling abrupt instead.

VERDICT: Despite its attempts to

handle its thematic weight with heavy subjects such as domestic violence, homophobia and attempted femicide with responsibility, “Christy” ultimately crumbles under its algorithmic narrative which fails to do justice ■ in its depiction of Christy Salters.

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Radar Replay: GZA’s ‘Liquid Swords’ 30th Year Anniversary HOW THE GROUNDBREAKING RELEASE IN ‘95 LEFT AN IMPACT ON HIP HOP WHEN IT FIRST DROPPED TO TODAY. ANTHONY ASCENCIO-CARVAJAL Contributing Writer

What does the concept of being lyrically sharp mean? GZA or “The Genius” once remarked, “I’d rather slip on the pavement than slip on the tongue.” The concept follows his sophomore released album in November 1995, “Liquid Swords,” whose title was inspired by the Kung-Fu movie, “Legend of the Liquid Sword.” It was fitting for an album of this caliber, the lyrical wordplay, intricate rhyme schemes, visual narratives and metaphors that cut deep.

GZA made it a point from the Kung Fu films he sampled that “people would get their head cut off but it would still be on their shoulders. No one else would notice, because the sword was so sharp. Wu-Tang is a sword style, and here is the sharpest.” Indeed, “Liquid Swords” is one of the sharpest albums of all time, that showcases the authenticity of what it means to be a sharp emcee.

It all started in the slums of Staten Island, New York or “Shaolin” as GZA and the rest of the Wu-Tang members call it. The chorus from the title track of the album was an old routine GZA wrote in their teen years and rapped back in high school. It had been 10 years old up to that point, to which RZA brought it back for the “Liquid Swords” album. This conversation started the recording process, and conceptualized GZA’s next big solo work piece.

All recording was conducted in RZA’s basement, allowing GZA the freedom to write at his pace, listening to beats for days

at a time. Guest features included all the original Wu-Tang members who jumped in during recording sessions to spit a verse wherever they saw fit. The album cover was designed by Denys Cowan, a comic artist who worked with Marvel and DC in the past.

The chessboard concept with warriors fighting with swords was thought up by GZA. GZA had been a decades-long devoted follower of the hip hop genre, frequenting block parties as a child in the early 1970s. Although breakdancing, graffiti art and DJ-ing kept his interest, it was always writing that defined much of his career. Studying Mother Goose and nursery rhymes to sharpen his craft, his themes carry significance in subjects related to philosophy and science along with his street persona.

Despite having dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, he’s since been known to have developed a vocabulary wider than Shakespeare, and has been invited to deliver lectures at Ivy League Universities from Cornell to Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 2015, GZA wrote an essay called “The Lost Art of Lyricism”. In his view, creative witty lines that set the bar for many of the legends of days past haven’t

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been much of a focus in the mainstream side of music today. Unfortunately, a regression in writing, makes it so only underground hip hop circles continue valuing the lyricism element.

Overall, “Liquid Swords” is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Due to its cultural significance, blending kung-fu and samurai inspired themes and gritty Staten Island culture, it created a new standard for hip hop that had been dominated

by West-Coast music up to that point. Thus it became a staple to be honored for generations to come. As GZA said, “It was not a hobby but a childhood passion that started in ■ the lobby and was quickly fashioned.”

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COURTESY OF GEFFEN RECORDS VIA GZA

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24 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

SPORTS

highlandernews.org/category/sports

“Frankenstein” isn’t monstrous enough GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “FRANKENSTEIN” DOESN’T TRUST ITS AUDIENCE.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

RAMITA SETTY Staff Writer

*this movie review contains spoilers* On the surface, Guillermo del Toro seemed like the perfect director to film an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” In films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” (which won Best Picture) the director has shown a talent for humanizing monsters. There seemingly was no better candidate to bring one of sci-fi’s oldest and most misunderstood creatures to the big screen.

In the novel, a creature is abandoned by his creator right after being created. Intelligent and longing for affection from somebody, the creature’s attempts to be friendly with humanity are repeatedly repelled. Enraged, he decides to become a true monster.

Themes surrounding the responsibility of creation, complex familial dynamics and what true monstrosity looks like are ripe within the novel, with plenty for a filmmaker to mine from for an adaptation. Sadly, Guillermo del Toro chose to take an extremely surface-level approach to this story.

The first half of “Frankenstein” follows Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) as he attempts to fulfill his dream of cheating death. Taking various body parts from corpses and sewing them together, he hatches a plan to bring this bizarre crea-

ture to life. During this process, he falls in love with his brother’s fiancee Elizabeth (Mia Goth). But when Frankenstein finally manages to bring the creature to life, it upends both of their lives.

The creature (Jacob Elordi), when first brought to life, has no sense of right or wrong. He’s essentially an infant discovering the world for the first time — albeit in a hulking, seven-foot tall body covered in patchwork scars and grey skin. Even so, Frankenstein is mistrustful of his creation, sternly disciplining him in a way reminiscent of an earlier scene of Frankenstein with his father. It is one of many scenes that illustrate how del Toro can’t fully trust his audience to understand Frankenstein’s misdeeds without it being explicitly spelled out.

This is also seen in how the creature is depicted being constantly subject to abuse onscreen, first from Frankenstein and then from the various people who attempt to kill him. He is a subject of the audience’s pity but never does he truly horrify them. In the novel, the creature, after being constantly shunned by humanity, commits some truly atrocious acts out of rage that cement his monstrous status.

Del Toro’s version of the creature exhibits a similar rage but he never truly does anything heinous with it.

In this, del Toro misses why “Frankenstein” has had such an enduring legacy.

The complex exploration of how humanity ultimately creates its own monsters out of fear and hatred is completely missing in this adaptation because the creature is a monster in name only. But in the black-and-white world del Toro creates, Frankenstein is the explicit villain and the creature can’t be anything other than a victim.

This isn’t to say that del Toro’s adaptation offers no pleasures. Mia Goth sports a beautiful series of gowns with periwinkle blues and earthy greens that are a welcome breath of fresh air after countless period pieces with shoddy costuming.

And the set design manages to achieve a Victorian steampunk-esque feel, particularly Frankenstein’s lab.

Additionally, Jacob Elordi is truly something to behold in this film. He uses his physicality to make the creature feel both delicate and something inhuman.

But the shallow writing is ultimately what stops this adaptation from truly reaching greatness.

Verdict: Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation is replete with numerous visual pleasures, but it ultimately falls short of ex■ ploring its themes fully.

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highlandernews.org/category/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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Sports Marqui Worthy Jr. makes an immediate impact as UCR’s Student-Athlete of the Week IN THE SAME WEEK, WORTHY IS NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK WHILE DETAILING HIS GOALS FOR THIS BASKETBALL SEASON. COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

IZZY GRAHAM Contributing Writer

This past week, Marqui Worthy Jr. was named the Student-Athlete of the Week for University of California, Riverside (UCR) Athletics. In addition to Athlete of the Week, he was also chosen as Big West Player of the Week. Worthy expressed that it felt great to be recognized for such an award, and that he “wanted to make an impact right away.”

This is Worthy’s first year at UCR after transferring from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) during the offseason. He was a consistent role player while at UMass, obtaining a career high of 18 points last season.

This season, Worthy is already creating a name for himself scoring a new career high of 21 points against North Dakota in the team’s second game. When asked about setting new and higher goals for the season, Worthy hopes to be more “team oriented.”

Worthy expressed his willingness to “do whatever [he] can to get more guys involved.”

While making sure to be consistent and reliable as the starting point guard, Worthy believes that being able to win as a team is the priority.

relationships with the coaching staff and team are, commenting that “it’s made our connection easier on the court.” Head coach Gus Argenal made it a priority during summer pre-season training to connect with the team and get to know each athlete individually.

Having that great

preparing to play California Baptist University during the crosstown showdown on Tuesday, Nov. 18. UCR are also ramping up to play their first Big West Conference game this season against UC Irvine (UCI) on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Worthy described that the squad is excited to play UCI, one of the Big West’s best. “It’s good to play one of the best teams first … and get a good feel for the rest of the teams,” commented Worthy. “They’re pretty tough and they’re physical, so we are just working on that as a team.”

His performances so far this season have written the narrative. Worthy earning StudentAthlete of the Week and Big West Player of the Week honors were inevitable. A team player who consistently looks for ways to improve himself and support his teammates, Worthy knows that he has to play hard and that once he can “[get] all the other guys going, everything else [will] fall into place.”

relationship on and off the court with the coaching staff is what creates that gameIt’s still early in the season, but Worthy winning environment for Worthy and the rest and the new-look Highlanders aim to surpass of the team. the expectations placed upon them during the preseason as they were picked to finish ■ Looking ahead, the Highlanders are ninth in the Preseason Coaches Poll.

Worthy expressed how valuable good H

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highlandernews.org/category/sports

UCR women’s basketball underperforms in home opener

DESPITE STRONG PERFORMANCE FROM AALIYAH STANTON, UCR FALLS 51-41 TO SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE.

ELENA VERSAGE Staff Writer

This past Friday, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women’s basketball team hosted Saint Mary’s College of California (SMC) in their home opener.

Last season, the Highlanders traveled to play the Gaels on their home court, where UCR won 49-41.

The Highlanders entered Friday’s game, 0-2, losing to California Baptist University and the University of Arizona. On the other hand, SMC came into the game undefeated, carrying a three-game win streak with victories over the University of Wyoming, California State University, Chico and San Francisco State University.

UCR opened the game with a Taylor Swanson layup just five seconds after the Highlanders won the tip. Swanson, the freshman guard out of Thousand Oaks, has started in all three games of her college career.

Although UCR found open shooters and easy buckets early, SMC consistently answered the call. The teams traded baskets throughout the quarter and finished the first quarter tied 11-11.

Starting the second quarter, guard Shelly Duchemin broke the tie for UCR with a threepointer assisted by guard Aaliyah Stanton.

SMC guard Addi Wedin responded with a three-pointer of her own to tie the game again.

The back-and-forth pace carried into the second quarter as both teams continued trading baskets. The Highlanders displayed beautiful ball movement, allowing for everyone to eat.

At halftime, the Gaels held a 28-24 lead.

The Gaels emerged from halftime with renewed energy, while UCR couldn’t quite recapture the momentum it had in the first half. SMC took a lot more shots than UCR while the Gaels only shot 42.9 percent and

AALIYAH STANTON (MIDDLE)

were able to take a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. SMC’s defensive pressure made a noticeable impact, forcing multiple turnovers and stifling UCR’s rhythm in the third quarter.

In the second half, SMC made the difference by converting turnovers into transition points.

The Highlanders generated multiple open shots but struggled to score, leaving points on the board during crucial stretches. Both teams were cold from behind the arch and found more success in the paint.

Stanton opened the fourth quarter with four quick points. The Cal State Fullerton transfer continued to be a reliable scoring option throughout the night, finishing with a game-

high 13 points. The Highlanders defense forced turnovers which kept them in the game, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on the extra possessions. UCR only shooting 36.4 percent from the field in the fourth quarter was the nail in the coffin.

The Highlanders couldn’t recover the lead the Gaels had made in the third quarter.

With less than a minute left, forward Maya Chocano drained a three to trim the deficit to single digits, but UCR would get no closer.

The Gaels finished the game with a free throw and a 51-41 win.

This week, UCR will travel to Idaho on Friday, Nov. 21 to face the University of Idaho ■ and Boise State University.

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MAYA CHOCANO

PHOTOS BY ELENA VERSAGE / THE HIGHLANDER

SPORTS SPORTS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025

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spOrts

Men’s Basketball - Nov. 11

Men’s Basketball - Nov. 15

UC Riverside vs. New Mexico

North Dakota vs. UC Riverside

UCR Team Leaders: Points: Andrew Henderson (27) Rebounds: Denzel Hines (10) Assists: Marqui Worthy Jr. (3)

UCR Team Leaders: Points: Marqui Worthy Jr. (20) Rebounds: Osiris Grady (11) Assists: Marqui Worthy Jr. (7)

Women’s Volleyball - Nov. 13

Women’s Volleyball - Nov. 14

UC Riverside vs. Long Beach State

UC Riverside vs. UC San Diego

3-0 L

3-1 W

82-68 L

UCR Team Leaders: Kills: Nikki Hughes, Layla Hooks (4) Assists: Makena Tong (16) Digs: Jessica Dean (14)

76-74 L

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UCR Team Leaders: Kills: Sophia Ewalefo (20) Assists: Makena Tong (37) Digs: Jessica Dean (19)

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Points: Aaliyah Stanton (13) Rebounds: Bria Shine, Shelley Duchemin (5) Assists: Seneca Hackley (2)

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Be thankful.

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.

The Highlander VASH CHEN / THE HIGHLANDER