Volume 74, Issue 09 by The Highlander- UCR

The Highlander

The

UC cannot rely on annual tuition hikes to cover federal and state funding cuts

take effect in the 2026-27 academic year.

On Nov. 19, 2025, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents approved an undergraduate tuition increase for future students despite systemwide student opposition.

In a 13-3 vote, the Board renewed its Tuition Stability Plan — first adopted under former UC President Michael V. Drake in 2021 — that includes several amendments set to

Under the Tuition Stability Plan, regents can approve undergraduate tuition and systemwide fee increases up to five percent annually. Each cohort of students pays a fixed tuition rate for up to six years, with every new class paying more than the last and less than the next cohort. However, graduate students are exempt from this model and instead receive annual tuition increases tied to infla-

tion.

The UC Regents’ renewed version adds three amendments to the Tuition Stability Plan.

Riverside City Council approves millions for animal services

$16.8 million in funding allocated towards preventative animal care.

thanasia rates, helps reunite owners with pets before they enter the shelter system and helps to cover the rising costs for operations.

The agreement was brought before the Riverside City Council after the Riverside County shelters have been struggling to keep up with the demand for shelter and a data report dating back to May 2025 noted that Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) has been experiencing over 220% capacity across its shelter locations. As a result of overcapacity, euthanasia rates have creeped up to 37% for dogs and cats, which animal activists claim

is the highest in the entire country.

The new agreement seeks to lower these rates through preventative care services including asking veterinarians to expand free spay and neuter services ranging from three to five per month, ex-

A sign of change: ASL Club’s mark on UCR

ASL Club helps students and the deaf/hard of hearing community find a place on campus.

Being a part of a college campus means that in some way, shape or form, you want to help change the world, or at the very least be an active part of it. Even if your only aspiration, after spending four years at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is to get a desk job and make sure there is enough money in your checking account to pay rent, you still have shown the self advocacy to make sure that you’ve secured a place for yourself in the world. Through our time here we realize it’s the little things that build up day after day, and month after month to help us reach our goals and create something we are proud of.

The American Sign Language (ASL) Club is the perfect example of this, creating a tight-knit community on campus where people can feel like they are learning something new, making connections with others and inciting real change in the world.

Makayla Anderson, third year education major and president of the club, explained that ASL club started...

Students and families should not be forced into debt just to access higher education at the UC.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The Highlander

SANJANA THATTE Features Editor

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Staff

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Mata Elangovan

editorinchief@highlandernews.org

Managing Editor

Isaac Solnick

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News Editor José Del Ángel news@highlandernews.org

Asst. News Editor

Angelica Brianna Acosta asst.news@highlandernews.org

Opinions Editor

Cecile Diroll opinions@highlandernews.org

Asst. Opinions Editor

Rubaita Iqbal asst.opinions@highlandernews.org

Features Editor Sanjana Thatte features@highlandernews.org

Asst. Features Editor

Nola Perifel asst.features@highlandernews.org

Radar Editor Ian Palma radar@highlandernews.org

Assistant Radar Editor Aakif Iqbal asst.radar@highlandernews.org

Sports Editor Terry Nguyen sports@highlandernews.org

Asst. Sports Editor

Sofia Majeed asst.sports@highlandernews.org

Photography Editor Vash Chen photo@highlandernews.org

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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LEGAL

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

Compiled by Isaac Solnick, Managing Editor

I’m proud to be from Riverside. I grew up here. I would like to get to know more people and show them [all] the places Riverside has to offer. I’ve been living here for about 16 years already. So it’s always been my hometown. I know this place [from] the top of my head.

There’s a bunch of hiking trails that we have around here in Riverside and a bunch of free events that people don’t know [or] when these events are taking place. I like hiking around Doty Trust Park and also Mt. Rubidoux. I know everyone goes [to Mt. Rubidoux, since] that’s one of the more popular places to hike.

I’m currently taking one class related to my major. It’s social health inequality. It’s my favorite class. We just talk about health inequalities that low-income communities face. My end goal is to go into the nursing field. I want to go to a master’s entry [program] for my nursing degree right after undergrad.

Back in middle school, I read this manga. The main character was a surgeon. I found her job really cool and I [knew] that I wanted to work in the operating room. I got involved in a bunch of health related classes and clubs and that’s what made me discover my passion to help others.”

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2 Tuesday 3 Wednesday 4 Thursday 5 Friday 6 Saturday 7 Sunday 8 Monday

UC tuition increase passes

UC REGENTS RENEW TUITION STABILITY PLAN WITH PROPOSED REVISIONS.

JIHOON KWON Staff Writer

On Nov. 19, 2025, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents voted 13-3 to approve the renewal of the modified Tuition Stability Plan, effectively continuing their annual tuition hike as well as implementing newly proposed changes starting in 2026-27 school year until further revision in seven years.

According to the UC, this plan, which was initially approved on July 22, 2021 and adopted in fall of 2022, is a way to make sure the tuition stays consistent and predictable for students while also providing UC campuses with revenue needed to cover the increasing cost of providing education, resources and financial aid due to inflation. This model allows the UC to increase their tuition by five percent annually for incoming students and lock the fee for up to six years.

In the renewal of the Tuition Stability Plan, three major changes have been implemented as outlined in the UC Board of Regents action item B3. The changes include “banking” of unused amount from previous years with inflation rate below five percent and apply it to future years, reduction

of revenue dedicated to return-to-aid from 45% to 40% with future plan to drop it further to 33% and the 1% increase in addition to the 5% annual inflation based increase to support “capital improvements.”

According to CalMatters, the primary motive behind this change lies in the UC’s budget struggles. With frozen federal research grants from the Trump administration and the number of students which exceed what the state is funding them for, the revision allows

ASUCR Senate Meeting

THE SENATE DELIVERED UPDATES REGARDING THEIR STAFFING AND APPROVED GCAP RESOLUTION.

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer

The Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) meeting on Nov. 26, 2025, began via Zoom at 6 p.m. and concluded at 6:53 p.m.

All agenda items and prior meeting minutes were approved.

In new business, ASUCR Executive Vice President (EVP) Mia Tu’ifua delivered a state of the union update. She stated that the Legislative branch is fully staffed and they had placed interning students with Senators in the Senate internship program.

In committee reports the Senate passed the Green

Campus Action Plan resolution SR-F25-002 to fund the electrification of UCR’s heating systems to promote communal health. The Resolution passed 13-0-3. Senate bill SB-F25-012, which would implement Scotty Eats into the Office of the Vice President of Campus Internal Affairs bylaws, was tabled for a second time due to its proposed alteration of the Sexual Violence prevention committee.

In public comment, EVP Tu’ifua shared that the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Neida Zamora, resigned.

The tuition model has been faced with fierce opposition, mainly from UC Student Association (UCSA) as they’ve made multiple statements criticizing the proposal prior to its approval. In one such statement, they emphasized that such an increase in tuition and decrease in share for financial aid is “devastating and harmful” and urged the Board of Regents to reject the proposed 1% increase for capital

improvements or dedicate them solely for student support as it is not appropriate to fund capital projects using tuition fees. Additionally, they organized a protest on the day of the Board meeting with slogans such as “no cuts, no fees, education should be free” and “hey hey, ho ho, tuition hikes have got to go.”

UCSA called upon UC leaders to “seek ways to empower students towards education, not shut them out from the doors of a UC.”

Crime Watch: Cold case suspect sentenced to probation for manslaughter

SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING HER NEWBORN NEARLY 40 YEARS LATER AFTER NEW EVIDENCE EMERGES.

ANDREW HAGLER Staff Writer

On Thursday, Nov. 20, Melissa Jean Allen Avila pleaded guilty to the voluntary manslaughter of her own infant child nearly 40 years ago. The infant’s body was found in a trash bin behind a Riverside business on Oct. 13, 1987. Despite an investigation, police were unable to identify a suspect at the time.

In 2020, the police department reopened the case with DNA technology and identified now 56-year-old Avila as the girl’s mother. Four years later, she was found in Shelby, North Carolina, arrested, and extradited to Riverside County.

During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Nov. 20, Superior Court Judge Gary Polk sentenced Avila to four years of felony probation. A motive is not disclosed at this time, nor are the specific

the UC to alleviate financial burden off of them.

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Riverside City Council approves millions for animal services

$16.8 MILLION IN FUNDING ALLOCATED TOWARDS PREVENTATIVE

ANIMAL CARE.

Following a 5-2 vote, the Riverside City Council approved a $16.8 million dollar animal services agreement on Nov. 18, 2025. The three-year service agreement will run through the 2025-26 fiscal year until 202728. It aims to improve the quality of shelter life, encourages adoption, reduces euthanasia rates, helps reunite owners with pets before they enter the shelter system and helps to cover the rising costs for operations.

The new agreement seeks to lower these rates through preventative care services including asking veterinarians to expand free spay and neuter services ranging from three to five per month, expanding vaccination programs and introducing a pet microchipping initiative.

Most notably among the bunch is the microchipping initiative which seeks to partner with the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center to place microchip scanners in local libraries throughout the county in an effort to reunite pets with their owners before they enter the shelter system.

A similar program was implemented in Albuquerque, New Mexico and saw a 6.5% overall drop in shelter intake as well as a 17% increase in reunification before entering the shelter system, holding a promising future for the $816,000 funding that was appropriated towards this pilot program.

In addition to these preventative care approaches, Riverside County has worked towards increasing adoption rates by partnering with RCDAS to increase community adoption events. Two notable events are held at the renowned Festival of Lights on Dec. 4 and 18 in Riverside, as well as the Riverside County Fair and Date Festival held in Indio from Feb. 15–17, Feb. 22–23 and March 1–2.

Turning to the dissenting council members Chuck Condor and Phillip Falcone, they found concerns with the increased cost of the program and the language utilized in the contract itself. It should be noted that

while Falcone stated that he is supportive of the transition towards implementing no-kill shelters, but his “struggle is the city paying for something that should be purely in the space of the county to pay for.”

Councilmember Jim Perry joined his fellow council members when he stated he “can’t remember a time when government entities started charging one another for services, especially before something has even started.” The city’s leading management analyst – Diana Platto – countered by stating that the contract was “a standard template that the county had shared with every city.”

The mandated monthly meetings seek to share shelter data with the public, which helps in demonstrating the effectiveness of these new service implementations. Additionally, bi-weekly volunteer briefings aim to inform volunteers about new initiatives, as well as fostering community engagement.

Overall, the new services aim to address ongoing shelter overcapacity in the county, with an initiative to transition to no-kill shelters, but its cost and contract language has roused concern among Riverside City councilmembers. The public will have access to shelter data, which will help determine the effectiveness of the $16.8 million contract. ■ H

MARIBEL HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

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Nursing is no longer a professional degree

A 1965 FEDERAL LAW MAY LIMIT HOW GRADUATE STUDENTS ACCESS FEDERAL LOANS BEGINNING JULY 2026.

OVI MATHIVANAN Staff Writer

As federal policymakers prepare to overhaul graduate student loan borrowing caps, a longstanding gap in federal education policy has resurfaced: nursing will no longer be classified as a professional degree under federal law.

Many individuals have been frustrated and confused, believing the federal government recently reclassified nursing as a nonprofessional degree or is newly excluding nursing students from accessing federal loans. However, the issue stems from a 1965 federal law that defines a professional degree as one “that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree.”

The law further lists ten specific examples of professional degrees that policymakers have historically relied on when regulating student loans: Pharmacy, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Chiropractic, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatry and Theology. The law notes that the list is

not exhaustive, but federal policymakers have continued to rely on it, leaving nursing outside the professional degree category.

The omission of nursing from the list of professional degree classifications has drawn heightened public attention due to the changes in graduate loan borrowing that will go into effect beginning July 1, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Under the new borrowing limits, students enrolled in graduate programs covered by the federal professional degree definition may borrow up to $50,000 annually and up to $200,000 over a lifetime in loans. Students enrolled in other graduate programs, including nursing, would be limited to an annual borrowing limit of $20,500 and lifetime borrowing limit of $100,000 in loans.

Many current and aspiring nursing students, professional nursing associations, nurses and patients have raised concerns about how the reduced borrowing limits may affect the education of nursing students in the nation.

On Nov. 26, 2025, the American Nurses Association issued a statement expressing their concerns that limiting graduate loan borrowing limits could exacerbate preexisting issues with vacancies of nursing faculty at nursing schools nationwide, threaten the integrity of the nursing profession and create further gaps in patient care access.

As the 2026 date to implement the borrowing limits approaches, advocacy groups and educators nationwide continue to push for the federal government to reconsider its definition of professional degrees and reestablish graduate student borrowing limits.

President Trump signs the Epstein Files Transparency Act

WITH THREE WEEKS

LEFT UNTIL THEIR MANDATED RELEASE, POLITICIANS AND THE PUBLIC ANTICIPATE WHAT WILL BE REVEALED FROM THE FILES.

KASSANDRA AGUIRRE Staff Writer

President Donald J. Trump signed off on the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19 following its nearly unanimous passing through the House of Representatives and Senate. The bill, authored by Calif. Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna, mandates that the Department of Justice (DOJ) release the Epstein Files in their entirety within 30 days of the bill’s passing.

The bill’s passing follows the release of emails by the DOJ on Nov. 12, which highlighted the relationship between Epstein and Trump.

The Act specifically mandates that the DOJ release all files relating to Epstein, including any travel logs, prosecutions, information regarding his former girlfriend and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, information regarding implicated individuals and entities and any legal deals made by Epstein. It also mandates the DOJ release its own communications regarding the investigation and all documentation of Epstein’s death.

Although the bill is set to release the Epstein Files in its entirety and has support from both parties, it did include permitted grounds for withholding. The clause could withold the release of information which could identify victims within the case, material related to child sexual abuse, material displaying deaths and other records of abuse and information that

could jeopardize national security of the ongoing federal investigation.

Another factor is that the “Epstein Files” is a relatively abstract concept in the sense that there is no concrete file held by the DOJ depicting all relevant material. As explained by CNN senior legal analyst and commentator Elie Honig in an interview with the Law and Crime Network, “it’s not so neat and tidy as the Epstein Files. There’s not some file cabinet at DOJ that has it all in there. There’s a combination of video and surveillance and audio and documents.” Honig went on to report that in its totality, the DOJ currently has over 300 gigabytes of material in relation to the case, which is expected to increase as investigations continue.

The one dissenting vote in the 427-1 decision within the House of Representatives was imputed by Republican Clay Higgins as he argued its release posed a threat to innocent individuals.

Besides this, the release of information within the Epstein files has been bipartisanly advocated for such as on Nov. 18, when Khanna and Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green joined Epstein Survivors on Capitol Hill as they pressed the House of Representatives to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

On a political scale, members of both parties

have spoken in support of promoting public transparency through releasing the bill, but both also allege that doing so will reveal incriminating implications of members of their opposing political parties.

For instance, in a post to Truth Social, President Trump announced that he had signed the bill in an effort to help expose democrats implicated with Epstein by saying, “Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffery Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!”

With the deadline now looming three weeks away the release of the files remains spotlighted as both political parties speculate the changes it will make to the American political climate. ■ H COURTESY OF REUTERS

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Riverside County reports first flu death of the season

HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND GETTING VACCINATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ANDREW HAGLER Staff Writer

On Nov. 20, the Riverside University Health System reported the first flu death in Riverside County in this year’s flu season. According to their news release, the unidentified individual, who was over 65 and from Western Riverside County, had not been vaccinated.

Riverside County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky stated, “This death is a sad reminder of the dangers that influenza can pose, especially among older adults and those with underlying conditions, and the impact it can then have on families who suffer the loss … To protect our loved ones, it is important to make sure those at higher risk don’t delay getting a flu shot.”

Influenza can be especially dangerous for individuals who are considered to be at risk, including those over 65, children under five years old, women who are pregnant, immunocompromised or with preexisting conditions.

Current indicators such as hospitalizations and wastewater testing show influenza activity is low

in Riverside County, and emergency department data indicate a relatively low rate of reported influenza-like illness-related visits compared to this time last year.

However, experts warn that these numbers are likely to increase throughout the holiday season. Alicia Budd, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s domestic influenza surveillance team, stated: “We certainly do expect we’re going to see influenza activity increasing over the next several weeks.”

The 2024-2025 influenza season was especially harsh, with 1.1 million hospitalizations, the highest number in 14 years, along with an estimated 38,000 to 99,000 deaths. Additionally, less than half of children were vaccinated against the flu, representing a decline of over 20% from the 20192020 season.

The California Department of Public Health recommends that everyone six months or older receive the flu vaccine annually; it also posits that vaccines are extremely safe and among the most

effective ways to ensure one is protected against various illnesses. Additionally, it recommends taking preventative measures against influenza and other respiratory viruses, such as staying home when sick, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes and letting fresh air into homes.

Medical professionals stress that now is the ideal time to get vaccinated,

as flu season spans from October through April, peaking around January and February. Riverside University Health System Physician Dr. Geoffrey Leung stated that “We are just starting to see flu cases pick up and we expect that we’ll see a rise … and that tells us that this is the best time to get vaccinated because you do want to get your flu shot before the peak.”

United Auto Workers Local 4811 strike

ACADEMIC EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE UC SYSTEM SEEK BETTER CONTRACTS AND FAIR WAGES.

JOSÉ

DEL ÁNGEL News Editor

On Thursday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m., members of United Auto Workers Local 4811 (UAW 4811) gathered in front of the Bell Tower to rally for fair contracts and wages. Many speakers openly criticized the University of California (UC) for what they described as uncooperative behavior with the union over unfair labor practices.

UAW 4811 represents 48,000 academic employees across the UC system, including 36,000 academic student employees, 7,000 postdoctoral fellows and

5,000 academic researchers.

UC negotiators met with UAW 4811 the day before the rally on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at UC Berkeley for its most recent round of contract negotiations. According to one of the speakers, the UC representatives did not arrive on time, making it clear for the union that negotiations were not presented in good faith.

“UC is trying to divide us by claiming staff do not deserve the same rights and protections that we have

UAW 4811.”

The UC negotiators offered a 3% pay increase as part of a new contract, with a further 2% increase every year thereafter. However members of the unions don’t consider this nearly enough.

Union members said the rally, which occurred at several UC campuses, aimed to emphasize ongoing wage concerns and protect the future of academic workers across the UC system.

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BENJAMIN WRIGHT

Cal Fire property to become 209 affordable homes

MULBERRY GARDENS WILL BE BUILT ON MULBERRY STREET IN RIVERSIDE, PROVIDING 209 AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR THE AREA.

MICHAEL GOI Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s newsroom, announced that a four-acre plot of land formerly belonging to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, otherwise known as Cal Fire, is being turned into affordable housing for seniors and families.

The project is being constructed in phases: the first phase is already underway, with the construction of 59 housing units for lowincome seniors. In comparison, the second phase will include 150 affordable housing units, each with one to three bathrooms, for low-income households. The second phase will also include amenities such as a community room, a computer lab, fitness facilities and a playground.

It is currently being developed as a private-public partnership by developer Eden Housing, with funding from a variety of sources. The project was funded by “...37 project-based Section 8 vouchers and approximately $4.5 million in local funds,

$44.8 million in state funding and $2 million in private sources…”

Mulberry Garden is also benefiting from expedited environmental review from the Department of Toxic Substances Control. The agency completed the cleanup review in under six months, an accelerated timeline for this type of environmental process.

This project is possible through Executive Order N-06-19, passed in 2019, which tasked agencies such as the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of General Services with identifying and converting underutilized state-owned properties into affordable housing.

Governor Gavin Newsom added in his press release, “We’re not just pushing local governments to build more housing — we’re putting state land to work and creating new homes ourselves. It’s a groundbreaking strategy, and as the Trump administration turns its back, California is leading with real solutions to tackle the national housing crisis head-on. As we convert state properties,

we’re moving faster to tackle homelessness and open up opportunities for families and seniors who need a safe, stable place to call home.”

This project is one of more than 90 like it, intended to combat the ongoing and chronic housing affordability crisis gripping the state. Even in Riverside, according to Apartments.com, housing costs $2,772 per month, which is 32.3% higher than the national average, with the overall cost of living being 15.9% higher than the national average. ■ H

Deadly atmospheric river claims 7 lives; 7-year-old girl among the dead

AS THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER SLAMMED INTO CALIFORNIA, MANY WERE EVACUATED; HOWEVER, DEATH AND DESTRUCTION STILL FOLLOWED.

MICHAEL GOI Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, the California DThe atmospheric river tore through California in mid-November, prompting many residents who had been affected by the Jan. 2025 wildfires to be evacuated again due to the risk of landslides caused by burn scars, according to the Associated Press. With the National Weather Service adding in a Sunday update, “Due to the abundant rainfall the past couple of days, it will not take as much rainfall to cause additional flooding/rockslide conditions.”

As explained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, atmospheric rivers are “relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere … that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics.” Which, on average, can carry “an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers can transport up to 15 times that amount.” The ones that contain the most water vapor and strongest winds may cause extreme danger and destruction to everything in their path.

This amount of water, combined with winds, led to a deadly combination as shown across California, with seven people being reported dead. Among the dead was a seven-year-old

girl who was swept into the ocean, and her father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta, who died trying to save his daughter from the estimated 20-foot waves at Big Sur Beach.

In Sutter County, north of Sacramento, a 71-year-old man died when his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol. Lastly, just off the coast of San Diego, a small wooden boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized, injuring four and killing four others.

The Associated Press article announced that the National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard reported rainfall of up to one inch per hour in coastal regions prone to flooding. Previously, Santa Barbara received more than four inches of rain as the storm system approached Los Angeles, and the storm set a new rainfall record for Downtown Los Angeles, surpassing the previous high set in 1985.

The atmospheric river has left a trail of damage from Northern to Southern California, with a tree falling onto a California Highway Patrol car in Santa Cruz County, resulting in minor injuries. Flooding near Palm Springs, road closures throughout the Coachella Valley and more than a foot of snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada were among the impacts caused

by the atmospheric river.

As the worst of the atmospheric river has passed, lingering concerns about mudslides persist for many residents in areas affected by the Jan. 2025 fires as rain and thunderstorms continue.

The phenomenon of atmospheric rivers has long been vital to irrigation and the water cycle in the southwest. However, according to reporting from the University of Miami’s newspaper, the effects of climate change are supercharging atmospheric rivers, as a warmer air holds more water vapor, leading to substantially more destructive and deadly storms.

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Opinions

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

The UC cannot rely on annual tuition hikes to cover federal and state funding cuts

Students and families should not be forced into debt just to access higher education at the UC.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

On Nov. 19, 2025, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents approved an undergraduate tuition increase for future students despite systemwide student opposition.

In a 13-3 vote, the Board renewed its Tuition Stability Plan — first adopted under former UC President Michael V. Drake in 2021 — that includes several amendments set to take effect in the 2026-27 academic year.

The UC Regents’ renewed version adds three amendments to the Tuition Stability Plan.

First, while regents can still raise tuition by up to five percent each year, they can now “bank” any amount over the cap for future years. This means if the regents approve a tuition hike greater than five percent due to inflation but can only charge students a five percent increase that year, the extra percentage can be “banked” and applied to a future year to help offset or reduce future tuition hikes. This approach was created in 2022 to create long-term “stability” after the 2007 Great Recession, when UC tuition doubled in six years.

Second, the UC will lower the return-to-aid rate — the percentage of tuition increase that must be allocated to financial aid — from 45 to 40%, with the eventual goal of returning to

the pre-Tuition Stability Plan rate of 33%.

Finally, future student tuition and fee increases will be based on that year’s inflation plus an additional one percent increase for capital improvements, such as campus infrastructure and facilities.

The renewed plan comes at a time of significant funding challenges for the university. At the meeting, UC President James B. Milliken reported that the system had laid off 800 employees this year, which he said was “extraordinarily difficult” and “implemented only as a last resort.”

The UC’s budget crisis, he warned, is “serious and compounding.”

However, students from across the UC system and the UC Student Association (UCSA) — the systemwide coalition representing undergraduate students from all UC campuses — gathered at the meeting to protest the tuition hike.

“Future generations of students should not be subject to these forever hikes while non-tuition costs continue to exacerbate inequities and higher education remains inaccessible to so many,” UCSA said in a statement.

Two things can be true at once: yes, the UC needs to increase tuition to keep pace with inflation, maintain adequate student services and continue enrolling more in-state students as required by the state legislature. However, the burden of federal and state funding cuts should not fall on students and their families — many of whom are already struggling with the rising cost of living.

The UC prides itself on fostering access to higher education and socioeconomic mobility. In 2025, 41.8% of admitted first-year students were low-income and 42.4% were first-generation. As the #1 university

in the nation for social mobility, UC Riverside serves a student body that is 58% first-generation, with 87% of undergraduates receiving financial aid. However, these tuition hikes and the shrinking return-to-aid rate directly threaten the system’s ability to support these very students.

Other groups are already feeling the strain of paying for tuition or facing barriers to financial aid. Last year, the regents approved a $3,402 tuition hike for incoming out-of-state and international students. This month, the Trump administration sued California over laws that allow the state’s undocumented students to pay instate tuition at public universities and receive scholarships and student loans.

Middle-income students and families, in particular, may face the worst of the renewed plan as they earn too much to qualify for most of the substantive financial aid programs but too little to absorb thousands of dollars in new tuition costs without going into debt.

If tuition continues to rise while financial aid declines, fewer students from most socioeconomic backgrounds will be able to attend a UC campus or will incur debilitating student debt. The return-to-aid rate should remain at a percentage that ensures students have access to adequate financial aid and student loans without delays or months of waiting. Access to higher education, especially public higher education, should not depend on a family’s ability to accept crippling debt.

But the real failure here lies with the federal and state governments. Over the past year, The Highlander has reported on the UC hiring freeze, federal threats to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) funding, President Trump’s cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and the state’s initial proposal

to cut the UC funding despite the UC increasing in-state student enrollment. Students and families should not be forced into financial instability because government leaders refuse to fund public education. Public higher education is not a privilege; it is a right. The UC leads the nation in public university research and social mobility, which makes the federal government’s politically motivated funding cuts especially unjust. The state must also follow through on its promise to provide full funding to the UC this next budget year, as the UC has enrolled more in-state students over the past few years.

However, given the unprecedented challenges facing public higher education, it is time to consider new policies that protect students and families. For example, California Community Colleges and K-14 schools receive guaranteed state funding through Proposition 98, which establishes an annual minimum funding level every fiscal year for these systems.

As a major economic driver for the state, the UC deserves similar protection. California should pass a constitutional amendment that guarantees funding for the UC, protecting the university system from fluctuations in the state’s general fund and preventing the need for increasingly steep tuition hikes.

The UC cannot continue shifting the financial burden onto students and families simply to fill the funding gap created by state and federal cuts. It is the government’s responsibility to use the taxpayer dollars Californians pay to fund the education of this state’s students.

Future students deserve better and the UC, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. must do better.

Direct admission could transform college access to the UC

THIS STRUCTURE HAS SHOWN PROMISING RESULTS IN THE CSU SYSTEM, BOOSTING ENROLLMENT AND EMPOWERING STUDENTS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE SEE THEMSELVES AS COLLEGE-BOUND.

RUBAITA IQBAL Assistant Opinions Editor

Direct admission is a new college enrollment approach that is being used by university systems, such as the California State University (CSU) system, to make higher education more accessible. Instead of requiring students to apply first, colleges review verified academic data and reach out directly with admission offers. This early offer tells students they are capable and wanted, helping more of them see college as an achievable path.

For many students — especially those who are unsure if they are “college material” — this early and automatic acceptance can be the encouragement they need to take the next step toward higher education.

One of the biggest advantages of a direct admissions system is that it reduces the administrative and psychological burden on students. By removing application fees and eliminating tasks like gathering transcripts, requesting recommendation letters, writing personal essays and completing multisection online applications, the process opens the door to students who may not have strong counseling support at school or at home. This benefit is particularly significant for first-generation students and those from communities where collegegoing rates are historically low.

When students receive an admission offer before applying, it sends a powerful message: they are capable, qualified and wanted.

The effectiveness of this approach is already visible in places like Riverside County, where the CSU launched its pilot program. Under this pilot, eligible students were automatically admitted to 10 CSU campuses, including Channel Islands, Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, Maritime Academy, Monterey Bay, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Marcos and Sonoma. As reported by the CSU and local media, this initiative helped boost enrollment and provide a more accessible path for students who might not otherwise apply.

This is especially meaningful in regions such as the Inland Empire and Central Valley, where college attendance rates lag behind other parts of California. With only about 57% of high school graduates enrolling in college compared to roughly 65% statewide, these students may not realize they qualify for a four-year

university or may assume the process is too complicated or expensive.

At the University of California, Riverside (UCR), a minority serving institution, programs like direct admissions would align closely with the university’s mission to expand access and support students from underserved communities. By providing early acceptances, UCR would help ensure that more Inland Empire students see a path to higher education that feels attainable and welcoming.

In addition to boosting enrollment, direct admissions gives students more time to plan financially, explore housing options and compare colleges early in their senior year. This early knowledge can make the transition to college smoother and allow students to focus on preparing academically and personally for their next chapter rather than stressing over other administrative tasks.

However, whether the UC system should adopt a direct-admission model is a bit more complicated. UC campuses are more selective than CSU schools and rely on holistic review, which looks beyond the grade point average (GPA) to essays, activities and personal insight questions. While some argue that the UC should move away from GPA-heavy evaluation because grades often reflect economic background more than ability, the system would need a model that identifies strong students without relying only on GPA and still keeping extra requirements for competitive majors.

Several states have already adopted or piloted similar programs: Utah guarantees admission to at least one public college for all eligible high school seniors, Georgia’s “GEORGIA MATCH” provides directadmissions pathways for qualifying students and Tennessee sends automatic college admission letters through a pilot program. As more states adopt this model, it may become an increasingly important tool for reducing inequities in higher education.

Overall, direct admissions has demonstrated strong potential to expand college access, especially for students who might otherwise be overlooked by fouryear universities.

When Trump met Mamdani

ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND ZOHRAN MAMDANI.

NAYSHA AGARWAL Contributing Writer

In a plot twist nobody saw coming — not even the aunties who claim to have all the gossip — New York City has apparently decided that the relationship between Donald Trump and Mayorelect Zohran Mamdani is the next great American bromance.

Yes, Trump has found a new “Bubba,” as one bewildered New Yorker put it and that “Bubba” is a socialist-leaning mayor who somehow convinced the city that socialism does not mean giving your TV to your neighbor.

Some interviews with them together inform the public. Some interviews sway voters. And some interviews feel like watching two planets collide in slow motion while the rest of us whisper, “Is this … actually happening?” The recent TrumpMamdani sit-down was exactly that.

Trump entered with the theatrical confidence of a man who believes every room is secretly a rally stage. Mamdani walked in like someone who spent all morning telling himself, “You can do this. You can survive this.”

But the weird part — Trump is glazing Mamdani.

Like Krispy-Kreme level glazing. He’s called Mamdani “charismatic,” “interesting” and “a different kind of socialist,” which is basically Trump-code for “the only one I don’t openly boo.”

Mamdani, meanwhile, radiated “PR intern on their fifth coffee.” He nodded politely every time Trump derailed the conversation and kept perfect posture even as Trump tap-danced around policy like a man who once declared tariffs were “the most beautiful word.”

The most chaotic part? People actually love this. Especially the person writing this. It’s like reaching across the aisle, even though the aisle in question is more like a lava pit filled with glitter, ego and a social media intern having a breakdown.

Trump’s side: “Look! He’s civil and cordial with a socialist! How presidential!”

Mamdani’s side: “If Trump doesn’t call Mamdani his favorite Democrat on camera, we win.” Shockingly, people love it. Commentators are calling it “reaching across the aisle,” even though the aisle is basically a glitter-filled lava pit supervised by a panicked social media intern. At this point, we might as well embrace the absurdity. If politics wants to become a PR bromance nobody ordered, fine. Let them have it. Let them launch a joint press tour. Let them release a podcast called “Left, Right and Wrong” where Mamdani explains policy and Trump interrupts to comment on the lighting. Because if there’s anything this country has taught us, it’s that politics is no longer politics. It’s reality TV with higher stakes and worse hair, basically Love Island for policy bros, where we’re all forced to watch Trump “explore his connection” like it’s a televised situationship. The Weekly Dossier is intended for entertainment and satire; its content should not be taken as serious news or factual reporting.

Jubilee doesn’t foster understanding and connection as it claims to

DESPITE ITS MESSAGE OF PROMOTING EMPATHY, THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAS STRAYED FAR FROM ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE.

ANDREW HAGLER Staff Writer

Jubilee is a platform not for productive dialogue, but for division and centers around a business model of profiting off of hatred and bigotry. Creating a space for people of all political backgrounds is one thing. But when those people who are platformed directly advocate for policies that could undermine democracy or rob certain groups of the right to share their opinions, continuing to give them a voice shows a clear indifference and willingness to allow those ideologies to prosper as long as it profits the company.

The group was founded in 2010 as a non-profit organization centered on its YouTube channel by the same name and operating on a message of empathy and understanding. In 2017, the channel reorganized as the for-profit group, Jubilee Media, around the same time it began covering political topics with the goal of representing both left and right-wing points of view.

Since then, Jubilee has begun distributing increasingly divisive content and extreme viewpoints, despite claiming to promote mutual understanding. In one video, immigrants were asked to debate Trump supporters, only to be attacked. In another, transgender individuals were asked to debate whether they deserved the right to express themselves in public. It’s hard to imagine how these videos allow for any kind of greater understanding; if anything, they foster division and ignite pre-existing tensions.

Jubilee platform extremists frame the channel as legitimate for debating important issues, even when they often do so in bad faith. Numerous times in recent years, they’ve featured rightwing speakers in their debate videos, ranging from far-right conservatives to borderline neonazis. In the past, Jubilee guests have advocated extreme positions from idealizing fascist leaders, such as Carl Schmidt and Francisco Franco, to arguing that the United States (U.S.) should become an autocracy.

We have a right to free speech, but media companies should be held to a higher standard of responsibility to avoid lending legitimacy to those who advocate for the removal of rights for certain groups, like the right to freedom of speech itself.

In their video, “1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan),” released earlier this year, left-wing political journalist Mehdi Hasan debates 20 conservatives, including several alt-right extremists who went on to not only debate in bad faith, but also argue racist talking

points.

One such talking point included the belief that white people are native to the U.S. and that violating the Constitution is a good thing, with one guest by the name of Connor even identifying himself as a fascist who thinks the U.S. should eliminate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Jubilee’s debate videos are structured in a way that doesn’t facilitate fair, good-faith debating but rather fosters anger and engagement. Many guests have little formal debate experience and go in to provoke rather than actually debate the question that Jubilee gives them a microphone to discuss.

Many of these videos operate on the premise of trying to find a middle ground, yet invite guests who make racist, alienating statements. In their 2018 video, “Can Trump Supporters And Immigrants See Eye To Eye? | Middle Ground,” one of the guests they invited claimed that violence is baked into the religion of Islam and that the Muslim travel ban at the time was necessary to keep violent people out of the country. It’s questionable for Jubilee to platform these ideas and claim that they’re doing it in the name of empathy and compassion.

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Giving hateful extremists a platform to speak is particularly dangerous because it allows people with the same views the ability to continue spreading them and reach a larger audience, even if it’s done from the supposedly neutral stance of hosting a debate.

In an interview, former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz asked the founder of Jubilee Media, Jason Y. Lee, if the company was concerned about the danger of spreading alt-

right ideologies. Lee responded by claiming that the way Jubilee structures its videos is from an unbiased position and that it simply wants to represent both sides equally.

The problem is that many of these Jubilee videos present a moderate position and an extremist one side by side as if they are equal and have them debate. In doing so, they imply that both positions are legitimate and acceptable, which is not the case. This can lead young, impressionable viewers to see both sides as equal, making them more open to considering radical viewpoints. Additionally, by normalizing extremist views, Jubilee contributes to rising political polarization across the aisle.

Clips from these videos are often broken up and reposted across platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where most people see them. This means they’re taken out of context, and rather than giving people a clear picture, they only present the most viral, provoking and bite-sized pieces. While Jubilee preaches that their goal is productive dialogue, what the general public ends up with is far from it, simply whatever stirs the pot the most.

Jubilee claims that its goal is to “provoke understanding & create human connection,” but it is not a platform for legitimate political discussion in the slightest. It increasingly promotes political extremists, hateful rhetoric and debates that go nowhere, resulting in profit for the company and clickbait content on social media.

The company has demonstrated that it is ignorant, if not indifferent, to the consequences of the ideas its channel propagates and cares more about making a quick buck than portraying an issue in good faith.

Take it or leave it: Humanities majors are just as important as STEM

HUMANITIES MAJORS ARE IMPORTANT THAN WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.

NATALIE MARTIN Contributing Writer

Oftentimes, you may hear family, friends or the internet praising science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors and why you should choose that pathway in college. People often overlook or downplay humanities students because they are seen as “really easy” or “not important.” This stereotype is because STEM majors tend to have a perceived heavy workload, such as difficult labs, heavy scientific research or challenging exams.

This is a damaging stereotype because research shows that many people choose STEM majors over the humanities due to familial pressures. By giving up their true passion for a more “stable” career, these individuals are more prone to looking back at their past choices with immense regret.

As a society, we are making a huge mistake in seeing humanities majors as something to look down upon. It’s possible to acknowledge the value of STEM without downplaying other majors. In fact, humanities majors matter just as much as STEM because they keep our ethics alive and light the flame for our creativity.

discriminated against African Americans, leading to intergenerational poverty. Crucial work in the humanities helps hold the government accountable for its actions, both past and present.

In addition, we can look at how the humanities have helped keep our ethics alive in the medical industry. History can demonstrate how there have been unethical experiments on patients, discrimination and

ple, documentaries, books and other pieces of media allow us to learn through various perspectives on a variety of subjects, such as history and culture. These things are what makes us human as we learn about empathy.

coercion in the medical field, which have caused significant damage to people.

The “human” aspect of humanities is very important in our society. The students who study history, political science, sociology and more keep our ethics alive. Ethics, or “what is morally good and bad and morally right and wrong,” is analyzed by humanities majors who study our past. Without ethics, we would have chaos and anarchy, which is something STEM majors may not be able to prevent, but humanities majors can.

These students develop skills in critical thinking, close reading and in-depth research that help them understand society’s past — from world wars to laws to political leaders — and the choices humans have made. By studying these subjects, we learn how to guide society toward better decisions. For example, humanities majors can trace how the U.S. has systemically

African Americans have long faced medical abuse and neglect. Enslaved people were subjected to forced experimentation over the decades, and throughout the 20th century many endured forced sterilizations at the hands of those who were supposed to assist in their health. A method used to cull the population as a broader action taken by the eugenics movement of the time, displaying their racism and xenophobia. It was not until the movement of “medical humanities,” which “includes the humanities, social arts and the arts and their application to medical education practice,” that these practices would cease.

As humans, being morally grounded in justice, empathy and activism is essential. We use the discipline of humanities to spread awareness on foundational issues in today’s world through thought-provoking arguments and artistic creations. For exam-

With the takeover of artificial intelligence (AI), our true, authentic creativity is rapidly being overshadowed. Humanities majors are one of the only things that are keeping the flame of creativity alive because they foster originality in a world that is increasingly becoming an echo chamber. Music, drawings and poetry generated by AI are not authentic; they’re counterfeit. When we invest so much in AI rather than the humanities, we then face the consequences of people losing job opportunities. For example, Coca-Cola’s annual Christmas commercials for the past couple of years have been solely AIgenerated. Rather than a billion-dollar company hiring talented and creative artists for this advertisement, they instead used AI for its cheaper cost.

In Hollywood, AI is also becoming more and more prevalent. “The Diary of Sisyphus,” an Italian film that tackles existential crises and psychological dilemmas, is another example of how AI is infiltrating our media, as the entire script is AI-generated. Writers and artists are becoming more reliant on AI for ideas, which threatens the value of human creativity and originality.

STEM majors are vital for our society because, through important innovations like medicine and technology, our world can be a better place. But we can appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to be a STEM major without downplaying the importance of the humanities.

If you see value in a major in the humanities that others may not see, you should still follow your own dreams without someone making you feel guilty about it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAVEL DANILYUK VIA PEXELS

Features Scotty-Scopes:

How each sign survives week 10

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22): The balancer

You juggle deadlines and emotions with surprising grace. Even when overwhelmed, you still manage to look put together. People assume you are fine, but you are just organized.

(Dec. 22 – Jan. 19):

overprepared one

You already have your finals plan readyto-go. Week 10 is just a warm-up for you. Your discipline makes everyone else reconsider their life choices.

Aries (March 21 – April 19): The power walker

You walk across campus like you are late to save the world. Your confidence and caffeine intake rise at the exact same pace. Everyone else just tries to stay out of your way.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): The emotional support student

You survive through playlists that match your every mood. You find calm in familiar rituals that make the week feel less chaotic. Week 10 feels easier knowing you are there for everyone, but make sure that you are not alone too.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21): The disappearing act

You vanish into the library like it is your natural habitat. When you return, you somehow know everything. Your ability to focus is almost intimidating.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18):

You invent study methods no one has seen before. They appear chaotic but end up being genius. People pretend not to copy you, but they definitely do.

WHAT THE STARS SAY THIS WEEK.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21):

You swear you can write a five-page essay in one hour. The concerning part is that you usually can. Your survival strategy is confidence mixed with chaos.

(Feb. 19 – March 20):

You daydream your way through the week but remember everything when it matters. Your intuition turns into your greatest strength. Somehow you pass with vibes and accuracy.

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Taurus (April 20 – May 20):

steady worker

You take week 10 one slow, steady step at a time. Your calm approach keeps you from spiralling when everyone else is panicking. People underestimate how effective consistency can be.

ORANGE ST

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22):

dramatic studier

You treat week 10 like your season finale episode. Even your study breaks have main character energy. People underestimate you until they see you work under pressure.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20):

dual personality scholar

You alternate between being motivated and being mentally checked out with impressive speed. Somehow, both states help you learn. No one understands your methods, but it works.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22): The planner prodigy

Your Google Calendar is color coded to perfection. You have an agenda for every assignment and a backup plan for each agenda. Week 10 only functions because you do.

The optimistic procrastinator

Capricorn

The

The creative survivor

Pisces

The intuitionist

The

KARMEN LEON Contributing Writer

SPOTLIGHT NORM’S NOOK

The Scotty bench

A University of California, Riverside (UCR) staple, the Scotty bench is loved by students, staff and faculty alike. This iron statue, with frankly creepy eyes, is located near the stairs leading down to the Highlander Union Building (HUB) and the Bell Tower. Donated to UCR by the graduating classes of 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2009, this UCR staple represents our mascot Scotty the Bear. Unveiled by Scotty himself in 2013, this landmark has become the object of thousands of photo-ops and countless student gatherings. Our former Features Editor Natalie Dahl even chipped her tooth giving him a smooch on the cheek. Next time you walk down to the HUB, make sure to take the time to take pictures on the Scotty Bench if you haven’t already! Mind your teeth when you do. ■ H

SUPERHEROES

23. Belgrade native

More voluminous, as hair 25. Rattle 28. Freshen 29. Inhabited by an evil spirit

30. Soprano _______ Patti 33. “Platoon” setting

“What’s up, ___?”

One way to wish

Close way to win

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

45. Fixed, as a seam

By S FeaT

46 Happened to 48 Inquires

49. Corresponded to 50. Quarter-inch of snow, e.g. 54. Broadcast 55. Co-founder of the Justice League

57. Japanese computer giant

58. Forever ___ _ day 59. Tokyo airport 60. Bat wood

61. Actress Michelle of “Crazy Rich Asians” 62. Pearl source

Down 1. When doubled, a Hawaiian fish

Rip

“Yes __ __?”

Registers, as at a security desk

Part

Comparatively bulky

Young fellow

Fat substitute

Shifted shapes

Greyhound or Trailways

Avenger aka Natasha Romanoff

12. Singer _____ Mann

13. Drummer Ringo

18. Under the covers

22. NATO member with the smallest population: Abbr.

25. “Don’t think so”

26. Indian bread

27. Played by Chris Evans and Joseph Quinn

31. It smells

32. Passed with flying colors

36. “__ __ seems”

37. Water channel that rises and falls

38. Nail polish remover

_______ Beach (Los Angeles suburb)

Pair 41. “Make up your mind!” 42. “Shoot”

Wise old heads 46. Master in Swahili

Great Lakes natives 51. Not orig. 52. Statistician

GRAPHICS BY LAYNA LAPIKAS / THE HIGHLANDER

NOLA PERIFEL

Assistant Features Editor

ALONDRA ORDAZ / THE HIGHLANDER

SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

Find out how you stress with this quick quiz.

By: Nola Perifel, Assistant Features Editor

1. When preparing for an exam, you usually:

A. Study for little bits at a time without giving it too much thought.

B. Start studying weeks in advance for several hours at a time.

C. Start studying at the last minute and cram the night before.

D. Create a clear studying schedule that you stick to perfectly.

2. When you have a little free time, you like to:

A. Go out with friends.

B. Look for more work to get a head start on.

C. Watch your favorite TV show.

D. Study for an upcoming test, even if it’s weeks away.

3. I get triggered by:

A. Not much. I try to stay optimistic.

B. Deadlines and an aim to be perfect.

C. Overwhelming tasks and judgement.

D. Feeling unprepared for unplanned events.

If you got “A” more often, you are chill and carefree. You stay optimistic and relaxed and you are okay with procrastination. You don’t worry much about your grades so you don’t care about studying too much. You might prioritize fun over work but you still get the work done even if it’s last minute. Being stress-free is great, but try to find a better balance between work and fun.

If you got “B” more often, you are an overachiever You will do anything for a perfect grade. Getting less than an A+ is unimaginable. You usually spend hours upon hours perfecting your work and you take on too many responsibilities. You are never fully satisfied with your work and you struggle to find time for yourself. Be careful, if you keep going down this road, you might burn out. It’s okay to take a break sometimes.

ORANGE ST TEST YOURSELF!

If you got “C” more often, you are an avoider You cope with stress by avoiding it altogether. You pretend stress isn’t there by distracting yourself from it. Procrastinating is something you know well. Self-isolation from social situations is a solution that you employ often. You try to push your stress deep down to avoid facing the music. Try to work on creating smaller, less stressful tasks to stick to day by day, rather than piling on responsibilities.

If you got “D” more often, you are a controller You feel the need to manage every detail of your work and life. You hate being uncertain and you have a need to be ready for anything. You are also an anxious perfectionist and procrastination is a nightmare for you. You stick to strict schedules and usually end up adding too many things on your plate. It’s okay to let other people pick up the slack when it becomes too overwhelming for you. ■ H

BRIANNA GALAVIZ-VILLAGOMEZ / THE HIGHLANDER

A sign of change: ASL Club’s mark on UCR

ASL CLUB HELPS STUDENTS AND THE DEAF/HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY FIND A PLACE ON CAMPUS.

Makayla Anderson, third year education major and president of the club, explained that ASL club started a few years back and had a decent membership up until the pandemic began. Faith Jenkins, second year education major elaborated further, stating that the club itself is very important to those who wish to learn ASL, as there are no courses at UCR for students to learn the language: “this is a way for students to learn some sign language and practice their signs, because some students come into the college already knowing sign language. We do

have a huge deaf population here, so it’s really good to just even know basic signs so you can communicate in public.”

Those who join the ASL club do so for a variety of reasons. Sharing her reasons for getting involved, Anderson stated, “I am a CODA, which stands for Child of Deaf Adults. My dad is deaf, so I’m fluent in my language. And coming into UCR as a freshman, I wanted to find a place where I can be involved and continue to support the deaf culture and the community, and so I joined as treasurer, and now I am president.”

Expanding on her involvement in the club, Anderson noted that it’s a great way for her to share her knowledge of ASL with other people. As Jenkins previously mentioned, there are no ASL classes offered at UCR, which poses a great opportunity for those who are interested in learning ASL and for advancing their goal of generating broader interest in ASL.

Others joined because they wanted to maintain skills they learned in high school, or because they wanted to get involved with the deaf and hard of hearing community themselves.

The club meetings themselves start with a quick overview of what the club is about before going over the previous meeting’s lessons as a way to review. Then the meeting launches into the new lesson taught by ASL instructor Carlene Middleby-Hernandez. Anderson and Jenkins emphasized repetition as means of learning the material. The lessons scaffold, building on top

of each other and furthering your sign language skills. The club also hosts a lot of fun and casual events, such as potlucks and handpainting. They interact with the deaf community in Riverside as well through tabling at conventions, having guest speakers and partnering with local community colleges.

Both Anderson and Jenkins believe that representation as well as opportunities are sorely needed in the deaf community. Be it a deaf actor’s opportunities being taken away by a hearing actor or even a lack of captioning for lectures here on campus, deaf individuals struggle to find a space for themselves in the world due to lack of consideration. The club aims to tackle that by teaching hearing and non-hearing students alike basic signs, so that they can meet deaf individuals halfway and reciprocate their efforts.

The club outreach mostly happens over social media, which is where they try to advocate for ASL classes at UCR as well as try to boost club membership in general. Anderson described how the club wanted to start fundraising soon to expand the club’s activities.

Both big and small opportunities for change take place at ASL Club. Whether it’s interacting with campus faculty to push for ASL classes or simply learning how to sign “what’s up,” ASL Club allows students to provide a space for themselves and others to make a difference in the world.

SANJANA THATTE Features Editor

By: Naysha Agarwal, Contributing Writer

Hate mail to Slate: The new advising portal URGENTACTIONREQUIRED.

Dear Slate,

I hope this letter finds you well – actually, no. I hope this letter finds you exactly the way you find us: confused, exhausted and clicking the same button 14 times hoping something – anything –will load.

You were introduced to University of California, Riverside (UCR) as our shiny new “streamlined advising experience.” Adorable. Precious. Because logging into you feels less like scheduling an appointment and more like being dropped into an escape room where none of the clues help and the prize is a 15 minute appointment at 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. If we’re lucky. And honestly, at this point, luck feels like a resource more scarce than parking spots on campus.

First, I log in. Or try to. The login screen alone loads with the speed and confidence of the campus wifi, and by the time it finally opens, I’ve already questioned my major, my future and my will to live.

But once I’m in? Oh Slate. You truly shine. With more tabs than a dining hall soda machine, you present me with a labyrinth so complex it should count for upper-division elective credit. I click “schedule appointment.”

You: “Are you sure”

Me: “Yes”

You: “Are you really sure?”

Me: “Yes again.”

You: “Error: Something went wrong.”

Something always manages to go wrong. Honestly, I’ve seen group chats run more efficiently than you – and some of those have about 67 people in them, three of whom are always arguing about something irrelevant.

Meanwhile advisors say that you’re “so much easier on their end,” which is basically like being told that the fire alarm isn’t loud when you are standing across the street. Great! Fantastic! While I’m over here decoding appointment categories like ancient scripture. What does “General Inquiry” even mean? Do I click that when

I want to change my major or when there is a schedule issue or when I’m having an existential crisis?

After 10 minutes of aimless clicking, like I’m trying to unlock a secret level, you finally reward me with a single available appointment … two weeks from now … at 7:45 a.m. … on Zoom … for exactly 15 minutes … with the wrong advisor. A gift, truly.

And then there are your emails. My god. You love sending emails the way UCR loves constructing a new building every six months. Did something update? No. Did anything change? Also no. Did you feel lonely and want attention? Absolutely. Your subject lines carry the emotional energy of a clingy ex texting “hey” at 2 a.m.

At this point UCR students have developed a sense of community trauma around appointment scheduling. Some of us miss the old web forms, which says a lot because those were held together by the digital equivalent of duct tape and prayer. But at least they didn’t gaslight us with “oops – unexpected error” at the exact moment we finally found a time slot that fit between work, class and attempting to have a life.

To be fair though, you have potential. You’re clean, you’re official, you’re central. You could one day evolve into the advising platform we deserve. But right now? Right now, it feels like a group project where only the interface showed up and the functionality did not.

So here it is, our official hate mail to you, Slate. Not because we fear organization. Not because we enjoy chaos. But because all we want – all we beg for, is to be able to talk to an advisor without needing to mentally prepare for it like it’s a competitive sport.

Until then, Slate, please recover soon. We believe in you. Kind of.

Sincerely,

Naysha Agarwal Contributing Writer

ADELIA URENA/THE HIGHLANDER

So you’ve got a crush … Here’s what you should do …

HOW TO TURN YOUR FAR AWAY CRUSH INTO A ROMANCE MOVIE. (SLIGHT DELUSION AND CONFIDENCE REQUIRED).

SOPHIA UCROS Contributing Writer

You sit down in your lecture hall at the beginning of the quarter. You don’t want to be there, no one really does – that is until you see them. You see the most jaw dropping human you’ve ever seen, and it’s all downhill from there. You now work a full time job: having a crush. You start planning your outfits to look good before class, and making sure their seat is in line of sight with yours at 3 p.m. on a random Wednesday. Then the quarter ends and you’re just left wondering what could’ve been. So, to avoid all that, if you’ve got a crush, here’s what you’ve gotta do.

Talk to them

A conversation never hurts anybody, unless you lose your voice, then maybe save it for tomorrow. If you’re feeling bold, you can go with an introduction and short question to get a conversation going. Something along the lines of: “Hey, you’re in my _______ class right? I’m _______,” would be a friendly but subtle approach just to get to know their name.

If you’re not so fond of the subtle approach you could always directly go for a nice compliment while asking for their Instagram or phone number. However, if you decide to be direct, make sure to be respectful with compliments to avoid making your crush feel uncomfortable. The words you choose could be the difference between success and failure when talking to them. Just start with an

enthusiastic “hello” and work from there.

Your crush is a real person, not a fantasy. Get to know the real them. It’s easy to get attached to a fake idea of what a person could be, rather than getting attached to who they really are. It’s like a celebrity crush, but with a completely attainable and all too real person who sits right in front of you in class instead. Once you’ve talked to them, get to know them and some of the things that they like, then, use those to connect with them.

Maybe you both like the same sport. That opens the door for a simple, “Did you catch the game last night?” This approach not only allows you to learn real and true things about the person you once admired from afar, but also bridges the gap between the two of you, allowing you to bond and create a real connection. Who knows, maybe you’ll joke someday about having ridiculously athletic Division I babies.

Be yourself, be open-minded, be okay with the possibility of rejection and most importantly don’t be afraid of your feelings.

While flirting is fun, be aware of your actions and try to figure out if your crush is in the same place as you. Be attentive to their body language. Make sure they are not uncomfortable, and not already in a relationship. If that’s the case then don’t force things. Pat yourself on the back for trying and for putting yourself out there. Don’t let this

The consuming blight

discourage you. Being respectful of people’s boundaries and feelings is imperative to being a good partner and all around good person. While flirting is fun, make sure you aren’t blindsided by your feelings and try to be sure of where they’re at before going any further.

There are so many people out there you will be able to find your person, but it isn’t going to stem from a forced and uncomfortable

connection. At the end of the day, rejection is a part of the process of finding “the one.” We’re all naturally inclined to like and love, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Worst case? You end up with a funny story one day. Best case? You find our soulmate. Good luck crushing it Highlanders! Y’all got this.

ASTER, A TREE FAIRY, IS FORCED TO WATCH AS THE INSECTS OF THE PIT RIP AWAY THE LOVE OF HER LIFE IN THE MOST BRUTAL OF WAYS.

MALINI JOSEPH

Contributing Writer

Stained glass wings shred like gossamer under their claws. Hoots and hollers, screams and shouts. The sounds of their glee, their raucous joy, fade to static in her mind.

Gone. He was gone?

He can no longer see. Craters in place of … periwinkles uprooted. They’d plucked his bluebell eyes. They polish them like trophies. She’ll never see them again.

Wet — thick, viscous wet — slides down her back as they strip her flight.

Missing bluebells. The crown of hawthorn lays shattered around him. A broken halo. Her nails sink into the ichor-stained soil. She claws her way to him, drags on her stomach until

fingertips brush the fractured branches.

A noise scratches through her, the mourning screech of a rook separated forevermore from her mate.

“Come back,” she rasps, fighting tears. “Come back! You promised, matchstick.” Her voice breaks on that last sentence, like the wood of a dam splintering under the pressure of the current.

Her fingers drift lower, caressing his cheek. Delirious, she prays this is a story. A tale from the books he loves so much.

She presses her lips to his, willing something — anything — to happen.

Only ice meets her.

He who is as warm as the element he was born from, as the fire he forges with, has

never been cold. Not even in the darkest pits of Winter.

No. Nonononononono.

Laughter meets her sobs as the hordes of the Pit’s vilest creations gather to watch. They chitter and screech, a cruel mocking sound.

A tether snaps in her mind.

The dagger pain of her back is nothing compared to the dull roar slowly consuming her. She punches to her feet, swaying listlessly. The ice slips through her lips, down her throat and settles behind her sternum. Where it begins to fester.

There had always been something slightly wrong with her. Something wild, rotten. Her siblings had all been born from the dewy moss of Summer. She had clawed her way out of the

rotten wood of an old aster tree. She had tried to hide it, to carve away the corruption and blend in with her glorious siblings. Nothing seemed to work. Until him.

Her firestarter.

For the first time, someone loved her. Not in spite of the rot. But because of it.

With his voice, the festering slowed. Under his burning touch, she began to bloom.

Flint is dead. He has taken his warmth with him. And the blight is hungry. She stumbles forward, towards the Pit Bugs. They jeer at her wobbly gait.

Her hand plunges into the one nearest, sinking through the bark armor into that fleshy rot center mass. She pushes it off, clutching a heart

in between her fingers. She studies it, idle curiosity. It is smaller than she expected. She drops it, bored.

There is silence — blissful silence — as the camp stares. Struck dumb at how easily a broken fairy has killed one of their own.

She grins, feral and vicious. Licking the blood off her palms, she watches in glee at the rage bubbling within their ranks. She beckons them with her stained hand.

Here, in this torn, stained battlecamp she makes a promise. A vow she will keep until her last heartbeat.

The earth will scorch, their kin will burn. Flint has struck Aster and I will ensure their ruin.

COURTESY OF BUDGERON BACH VIA PEXELS

Seven snacks to eat while studying for finals

FINALS SEASON STUDY SESSIONS ARE DRAINING, BUT THE RIGHT SNACKS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

WADE MU Contributing Writer

Studying for finals can be mentally draining, but here are some cool snacks Highlanders can enjoy to fuel their brains.

Gum and mints

Dozing off while rewatching lectures is inevitable. While technically not something you can eat, chewing a stick of spearmint gum can help wake you up with the added benefit of leaving one’s breath smelling fresh. If you don’t want the added hassle of getting up and spitting out the gum, an alternative snack you can eat is an Altoids spearmint mint. Plus, the Altoids tin case can be repurposed for storing earbuds or other equipment you might use for studying. Altoids and gum can be purchased at a Scotty’s or local convenience store.

Hardboiled eggs

Grinding through a ComputerAided Design (CAD) assignment can cause a nasty headache, but luckily something that can be easily made in under 10 minutes, hardboiled eggs, can help you

keep going. Offering a whopping six grams of protein and plenty of vitamins, hard boiled eggs can help fuel a study sesh without the dreaded sugar crash. Plus, eggs contain a nutrient called choline, an essential chemical dedicated to making a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that is involved in memory formation, attention and learning. Stop by a local grocery store to buy some hardboiled eggs, or make some at home!

Trail mix

If your tastebuds are craving a bit of variety while studying organic chemistry mechanisms, grab some trail mix from a local convenience store. The combination of nuts such as peanuts and cashews, coupled with dried fruits can provide protein, antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats that can help one memorize reaction mechanisms. Trail mix can easily be made at home by mixing a combination of nuts, dried fruits and small candies like M&Ms or mini chocolate chips.

Pistachios

Political theory essays may make you want to pull your hair out, but

fortunately pistachios can help you fuel through them. Packed with plant protein, complex carbs and antioxidants, pistachios can provide long standing energy during work sessions. Big bags of lightly salted pistachios can be found at local wholesale markets like Costco or Krogers.

Fruits

If none of these savory snacks are working for you, easy-to-eat fruits such as apple slices, bananas, strawberries and grapes can help with that sociology essay. With fiber and naturally occurring sugars, fruits are hydrating and delicious, helping one power through a study sesh. Many fruits such as oranges and apples also contain vitamin C which helps boost immunity as flu season looms along.

Crackers

Biochemistry can be confusing, but luckily crackers such as Ritz, Wheat Thins and Cheez-its exist. Although not the most nutritious snacks, crackers can provide quick and steady carbs that you could need to grind through practice problems. Paired with dips such

as hummus or cheese, they can become more nutritious. They are always available in grocery stores, and are convenient to eat so more time can be dedicated to studying.

Popcorn

Memorizing psychology terms can be made fun while eating popcorn! This easy-to-make snack is only a microwave button away and is available at most stores. Providing light carbohydrates and plenty of fiber, popcorn is a great snack one can eat. Plus, leftover popcorn can be eaten during a study break watching a TV show or movie!

First-Gen Life: The small routines that saved us this quarter

A REMINDER THAT SOMETIMES THE ROUTINES WE BARELY NOTICE ARE THE ONES THAT CARRY US THE FURTHEST.

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).

Sometimes, a quarter isn’t defined by the big moments. Not the midterms, not the grades, not the nights we spent convincing ourselves we were definitely going to drop a class, even though we didn’t. This fall quarter was held together by something smaller, our routines and the quiet familiar

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habits that helped us move through the noise.

As first-gen students, we don’t arrive with a built-in roadmap for how a quarter is “supposed” to feel. We have to create our structure from scratch. Back on it, it definitely feels like the routines were created both by accident and on purpose. Yet, they carried us farther than we realized.

For many of us, it starts with a morning drink: coffee for some, matcha for others. That first sip was more than a wake-up call. It was a reminder that even if we were running five minutes late, we showed up.

half-zipped, Canvas notifications conveniently ignored, those walks become a mini reset between everything else.

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Our study spaces played their part too. With the graduate study area moved this year, many of us wandered into new corners of the library. We accidentally stumbled upon our new favorite spots, some with a pretty unbeatable view of the Bell Tower. It wasn’t just about studying. It was about finding a place that felt steady.

And of course, the people. The friend you waved to every Thursday, the classmate who made the same joke every week, the quiet check-ins with people simply asking, “are you good?” These aren’t the big, cinematic displays of friendship that we see in movies. Consistency doesn’t need to be large or loud to matter.

Then came the walks across campus. The ones that feel peaceful even though mentally, we are doing gymnastics calculating whether taking the diagonal route would get us to class faster. With our headphones in, backpack

But some of the routines that saved us weren’t academic at all. The playlist that set the tone for the day, the nightly skincare routine that helped us decompress, the ritual of rewriting our to-do lists because we were making progress – those were moments of connection. Even the spontaneous moments grounded us more than we realized.

Looking back, maybe this quarter wasn’t held together by big breakthroughs. Maybe it was held together by the comforting routines that carried us from one week to the next.

So Highlanders, here’s to the coffee, the matcha, the playlists, the power-walk, the library views and the small rituals that helped us feel okay. They carry us through fall, and they’ll carry us into whatever comes next.

COURTESY OF KOBE VIA PEXELS

COURTESY OF PEXELS

COURTESY OF FLICKR

Comics

Harpy, Charile, & Ordgul

By: Joshua Pena

The Simple Life By: “Hattrik”

The Little Things / By: Sara Ortiz Delgadillo

Something’s Missing / By: Natalie Marquez

Radar

Defining Redemption: A look into Season 2 of ‘Hazbin Hotel’

SINNERS BEWARE, NO ONE IS SAFE FROM REDEMPTION.

MATA ELANGOVAN & ANGELICA BRIANNA ACOSTA Editor-in-Chief / Assistant News Editor

Hell has never looked more chaotic — or inviting — than in the long-awaited season finale of “Hazbin Hotel” Season 2, which dropped on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 19, 2025. Under the creative direction of Vivienne “Viv” Medrano, the series returns with Erika Henningsen taking on the role of Charlie Morningstar.

The story picks up almost immediately after Season 1’s fiery conclusion. With the original hotel reduced to rubble and a gleaming new one built through the power of friendship, familiar faces and long-teased characters flood back onto the screen. Season 2 saw a myriad of new plot and character development, but some of the original cast felt underdeveloped.

With only eight episodes to wrap up the new conflict created by Season 1’s revelations, and introduce a deeper level to pre-existing characters and develop new ones, many storylines felt rushed or completely left behind. Characters like Baxter and Cherry were left almost completely on the back burner until the very end to execute Charlie’s major plan. While characters like Sera and Vox had enough time to fully develop their stories.

Vaggie’s identity crisis after the events of Season 1 could have been a turning point for her character, giving her individuality outside of her relationship with Charlie and allowing the viewers to get more of an insight into Heaven. But by the end of the season, Vaggie’s character saw no new development, even as she herself moved the plot along.

Charlie herself didn’t stray or grow from her mistakes in Season 1. Pushing her friends

to uncomfortable lengths, almost killing both Angel Dust and Husk in order to prove redemption was possible to Vox and Velvette, Charlie’s pushiness specifically towards Angel Dust, mirrored a similar story line in Season 1 where she ignored Angel Dust’s warnings and wants.

The plotlines the show’s creators chose to focus on did well and felt finished by the end of Season 2. Sera’s storyline was organic and drew from her initial guilt in Season 1. Her inner turmoil and redemption after being the person to command the extermination in the first season was earned. At times Sera was seemingly the only character that really understood the gravity of what Heaven did, and her guilt was made to feel genuine through her actions.

This season’s songs are consistently catchy and difficult to forget, functioning as a central driver of the show’s atmosphere. Featuring standout performances from Broadway and musical theater talents such as Liz Callaway — known for voicing Disney’s Anastasia — and Christian Borle — a Tony award winner for his role as Black Stache in “Peter and the Starcatcher” — each track reinforces the tone of its scene while advancing character arcs with precision.

This time around, The Living Tombstones, the show’s musical composers, expanded the series’ palette through extensive vocal stacking, producing dense harmonies and doubled leads that create a fuller, more immersive sound. This approach is especially effective in pieces like “Hear My Hope” and “Sera’s Confession,” where the layered vocals elevate the emotional depth and narrative momentum. In an interview with Polygon, Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg go in depth with the technical expertise behind

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the song “Hear My Hope,” explaining how they came around to messing with vocal registers and the transitions behind the different genres displayed in the song.

For an animated show which has its roots as a YouTube pilot, “Hazbin Hotel” has come a long way in becoming a musical that will be remembered for the ages. From big star names and explosive tracks composed by some of pop culture’s best, chances are, each song is a fanfavorite for someone out there.

Season 2’s technical aspects marks a noticeable leap forward for the series, presenting vibrant, colorful animation that, while still relying heavily on the red-heavy character designs that can verge on eye-sores, feels far more refined than its predecessor. Characters move with greater fluidity, supported by dynamic angles and the thoughtful use of colored linework that softens their appearance and adds depth to each frame.

One of the most striking improvements this season is the selective use of rotoscoping — particularly in the finale — which lends key plot moments a smoother, more cinematic quality. Together, these enhancements demonstrate the production team’s commitment to elevating the visual storytelling of the show.

Verdict:

Despite its glaring flaws in character development and overly ambitious cast size, “Hazbin Hotel” remains a must-watch for its standout musical moments and unforgettable world building. Don’t forget, “Trust us with your news.”

AAKIF IQBAL Assistant Radar Editor

‘Riviera’ is a must-listen

THE HELLP IMPRESSED WITH THEIR LATEST INDIE-SLEAZE EFFORT.

Producing music for almost 10 years, The Hellp has been a part of the underground music scene for quite some time. From appearing on the cover of United Kingdom rapper Fakemink’s 2023 mixtape “London’s Savior” to directing music videos for 2hollis and the album cover for Rosalia’s latest project “Lux,” their influence has extended to some of the biggest acts of 2025.

Combining the sound of bands like Basement Jaxx and M83, their nostalgic synth leads and electronic drum grooves are part of the latest iteration of the indie sleaze movement. Not just in the sound of music, but the fashion as well. Members Chandler Lucy and Noah Dillon wear tight leather jackets and skinny jeans like a uniform.

Aesthetically, the band mainly pulls from the fashion of Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme runaways, but musically their influences extend as far as hyperpop and modern rap music. Alongside acts like Bassvictim and Snow Strippers, The Hellp is a part of a greater movement of musical acts attempting to revive the sound of bands like Crystal Castles and Phoenix. With the release of their latest album “Riveria,” they have done just that.

Opening the album with “Revenge of the Mouse Diva,” they announce themselves immediately. The track’s distorted sawtooth lead and heavy acoustic

drum break create an immediate difference from their last project “LL.” Whereas “LL” concerns itself with epic beat drop, dynamic musical interludes and explosive instrumentals, “Riveria” is a much simpler listen. Dillon’s vocals on the album are mixed closer to the front of mix, invoking the sound of more conventional pop music.

The way the band mixes the skin-tight tailoring of 2000s fashion with less classy staples in checkered vans perfectly displays the juxtaposition featured in their music. Whereas the pop singles of the original indie sleaze era involved celebrating fun summers and making the most of the time they had, The Hellp sings of regret in having wasted time in such shallow environments.

“Country Road” introduces the central thesis of not only “Riveria” but The Hellp’s music as a whole. Moving from the midwest to Los Angeles (LA) and New York City to follow their dreams, Dillon and Lucy explore the dissonance of yearning for an urban party culture that has no room for their midwestern differences. The repeated refrain of the song “Country road, take me home / But this ain’t West Virginia / This is LA, I’m on Sunset / Driving home and I’m all alone.”

Feeling like an alien and the melancholia that comes with it decorates the lyrics of each song on the album. Whether it’s the third track “Pray to Evil” which ex-

plores the atheistic and occasionally satanic culture of LA that differs greatly from the Christian Midwest, or “Modern Man” which suggests that being a modern man involves saying “hello to desire.”

The sound of the music would suggest a fun time of partying and romance like the rest of its indie sleaze revival acts like The Dare, but the duo are deeply concerned with where human beings are headed. This fear and desire for a positive future can be heard clearly in the closing track of the album “live forever.” As the band goes between singing “I wanna’ live forever” and “I don’t wanna’ live forever,” they are deeply conflicted with taking more “hard drives” into the city and reviving old memories.

As indie sleaze comes closer to being revived, with the rise of Hedi boys in fashion and 2hollis in underground music, The Hellp are one step closer to becoming a part of the mainstream they dreamed of. But perhaps not before they leave LA in a rush to save their souls.

Verdict:

With their latest project “Riveria,” The Hellp has zagged away from their previous hyper-pop influences to create a cohesive collection of introspective indieelectronic bangers.

Radar: ‘Cabin In The Sky’

HOW A GROUP’S BROTHERHOOD SURVIVES EVEN AFTER DEATH.

ANTHONY ASCENCIO-CARVAJAL Contributing Writer

The album “Cabin in The Sky” is hip-hop in its purest form, accompanied by some of hip-hop’s finest decorated veterans. For the MC side, the album features Q-Tip, Common, Killer Mike, Black Thought, Nas and Slick Rick. Even legendary producers Pete Rock and DJ Premier appeared on the album to make the beats for De La Soul.

So many came together to work on this project for multiple reasons: to see and be a part of the next installment of De La Soul, remembrance for Dave otherwise known as Trugoy The Dove and a celebration of Dave’s legacy.

It was a rocky path for De La Soul to come back into the spotlight again. As their catalog of classics were shelved for years while battling with record labels, it was a while before it was possible to listen to their

old projects. March 3, 2023 was a day like no other, receiving all of their music on streaming services, but the shining member “Plug Two” known as Dave Jolicoeur passed away. It was a bittersweet victory for De La Soul that Dave couldn’t see.

Yet as Dave’s sister told “Plug One,” Posdnous, “they had to continue her brother’s legacy through their music, as he lives on through them.” The day that they stop, is the day that Dave stops too, so this prompted them to get to work on this special album for Dave. His presence is even still felt through posthumous recordings.

De La Soul has inspired many artists, as they stood out from the rest of their peers. Their silly style and witty, upbeat lyrics –offered during an era when hip-hop heavily favored gangsta rap – helped define what

they call “da inner sound, y’all” (D.A.I.S.Y.). A sound that listeners now associate with “3 Feet High and Rising.”

The legacy of D.A.I.S.Y. inspired artists like Tyler The Creator, OutKast, Mac Miller and many more. Wherever Dave is now, he’s probably living it up in that “Cabin in the Sky,” smiling down at the group’s evolved efforts to continue the sounds from the soul that is De La.

Verdict:

Whether a hip-hop fan or not, anyone can appreciate this heartfelt accumulation of De La Soul’s beautiful music. Their soulful beats and rhymes, style and therapeutic lines to spread positivity are their gift of love to the world.

‘Train Dreams’ rewrites 20th century Americana

CLINT BENTLEY OBSERVES

THE ERASURE OF THE AMERICAN EVERYMAN IN MUNDANE TRAGEDIES.

JIHOON

KWON Staff Writer

*This review contains spoilers*

The myth of the American identity of glorified individualism, innovation and conquest, best captured and perpetuated by the Frontier Thesis, has been a guiding consciousness for the nation since its birth. This spirit transcends westward expansion and Manifest Destiny and has been absorbed even into the very core of American culture, including films.

“Train Dreams” by Clint Bentley exists as an antithesis of such a notion. It is a deliberate decision that the protagonist, Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) starts off as a railroad worker and later takes up logging work which are symbols of expansionism and corporate power.

Rather than exploring a typical risk taking, individualistic and restless hero, Bentley presents one of countless stories that are in the margin of American narrative through a poetic but plain, grand but minimal lens. This film easily situates itself amongst other films that seek to dismantle the illusion of American fantasy such as “First Cow” by Kelly Reichardt and “Days of Heaven” by Terrence Malick.

The film carries itself with an existential undertone as it explores the entire lifetime of Robert. Although not particularly flashy in any sense, Robert is certainly a decent, hardworking man who dedicates himself to his wife Gladys Grainier (Felicity Jones) and daughter Kate. However, his life is full of absurd tragedies. Coworkers are killed. New

technologies replace him in the workfield. And he constantly finds himself in financial struggles. In the midst of it all, even his meaning of life fades as his family perishes in a wildfire.

Robert’s rebellion against this 20th century America is a silent, yet resilient one. The movie focuses on his mere perseverance through the indifferent, rapidly moving world around him. The film’s reliance on a rather simple and plain narrative becomes a thematic device of its own as it focuses not on spectacles but on how Robert moves through his entire life.

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Bentley jumps between contrasting visual languages. Wide shots are used most frequently during the forest scenes, providing

a sharp contrast between the tragedy of small humans and the nature that merely observes to emphasize the irony. While close up shots with long takes are used to create a meditative, contemplative atmosphere, adding a more empathetic, intimate touch.

Verdict:

“Train Dreams” is an American epic stripped of epicness as it observes the nation through Robert Grainier’s life full of loss and irrational struggle and his resilience through it all. The film’s devotion to mundane tragedies while resisting heroic spectacles redefine the American identity.

‘Zootopia 2’ is a mixed bag

“YOU CAN BE RIGHT OR YOU CAN BE HAPPY.”

*This review contains spoilers*

In “Zootopia 2,” Disney attempts to recapture the charm of its beloved 2016 hit, but somewhere between the opening scene and the fifth abrupt plot detour, it feels like the film forgot what it was supposed to be about. The result is a movie that’s colourful, frantic and intermittently cute – but also deeply confusing, structurally incoherent and stitched together with transitions that feel less like narrative choices and more like jump scares.

This film does not “begin” so much as it erupts, immediately tossing Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Ja-

son Bateman) into a plot like someone hit shuffle on a stack of half-finished storyboards. After nine years of waiting, the audience expected a story. Instead, the audience got a narrative that sprints, trips, rolls down a hill, crashes through a wall and keeps going.

The chaos starts early when Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), radiating the energy of a high school football coach who has had enough, gives Judy and Nick an ultimatum. For a full minute, viewers genuinely have no idea whether they are watching a cop-drama, a relationship crisis or a deleted scene from “Zootopia Couples Counseling: The Musical.” The film then breaks into a musical number without

warning and buildup.

Judy and Nick are then suddenly framed by the Lynxleys, a crime family, for making an attempt on Chief Bogo’s murder as part of a plan that they allege was crafted by Gary. This back and forth continues as the movie goes on, from musical number to random plot point.

Nick, formerly the smooth operator of the first film, takes a cautious and wary backseat role in this sequel as Judy assumes an anxious yet determined lead, launching herself headfirst into action.

Meanwhile, the tension between the squabbling partners increases as Judy’s beloved carrot-shaped audio recorder pen, which was introduced in the first film installment and served as a key reflection of the developing communication and witty banter in their relationship, returns for the sequel. Amid their tension and miscommunication, the pen falls, cracks and symbolically fractures like the duo’s connection.

However, when Nick and Judy reunite, Judy declares, “You’re my fluffle,” in a tender moment to her troublesome partner. Nick then reveals the

mended pen recorded with a new message: “Love ya, partner,” the pen mirroring their mended relationship as they stand together as a united pair once again. But then the film announces, without irony, that the villains were “turnin’ the floor into a zoo, ooh, ooh.”

Verdict:

In the end, “Zootopia 2” is a long-awaited sequel, with heart, humor and moments of genuine charm, but those strengths get swallowed by the film’s chaotic pacing and half-formed ideas. After nine years, audiences expected growth. Instead, they received a film sprinting in six different directions at once, unable to be tamed by its own narrative. The sequel spends most of its time tripping over its plotlines, leaving the audience with something far less cohesive and closer to a cinematic fever dream.

OVI MATHIVANAN, Staff Writer, NAYSHA AGARWAL, Contributing Writer

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY

Dye on the rise Sports

HOW DYE TRANSFORMS BROTHERHOOD AND FORGES FRIENDSHIP.

Dye is a simple table game built on fast throws, quick reactions and noise. It looks casual from the outside, but it has its own culture, rules and vocabulary. Over time, it has shifted from a simple outdoor game to a game that carries meaning inside friend groups, fraternities and entire college campuses.

At its core, dye is a four-player game. Two teams stand at opposite ends of a table and try to toss a die extremely high while trying to land it on the farther half of the table. The most common way points are scored is when the die bounces off the table and the other team isn’t able to defend via catching the die before it hits the ground. There are other niche ways to score points and the variations may differ from campus to campus or fraternity to fraternity. The game moves fast but stays accessible. You don’t need athletic skill to pick up dye; you just need a table, dice and people willing to play. That simplicity is what keeps the game alive and mobile.

Dye facilitates socialization because it takes people out of their heads. It replaces awkward small talk with something physical, loud and shared. The rules force players to communicate. They call shots, argue bounces, celebrate lucky rolls and complain about misses in a way that feels natural. Even players who barely know each other get pulled into the rhythm. A good game

creates momentum: Inside jokes form, teams develop chemistry and the energy around the table becomes its own environment. That’s why the game shows up at tailgates, backyard parties and late-night hangouts. It gives groups something to build around.

At the University of California, Riverside (UCR), the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) described dye as one of the easiest ways to get people involved without forcing anything. Dominick Chang, a thirdyear chemical engineering major and AEPi brother, said playing dye helps new members bond with active brothers. “We try to separate teams with an active and new member, so that way people can talk a bit and get to know each other,” Chang said.

Joshua Malka, a third-year computer science major and AEPi brother, said, “[Dye] comes up clutch during recruitment. It really gets the guys going — gets people talking and competitive.”

When people gravitate towards the dye table, it’s easy to stay longer than expected due to the energy and adrenaline that surrounds the game. “One time I was playing with Cisco who is one of our best players. He [tossed backwards] and before the opponents noticed, it was in their cup and we won. It was crazy… I’ve never seen someone [do that before]. It was magical,” described Malka.

Dye has become a signature part of social life on several campuses,

particularly within fraternities. Different schools have their own custom-built tables, house rules and bragging rights. Some chapters host casual tournaments; others treat big games like unofficial traditions tied to rush weeks, fundraisers or homecoming weekends. The appeal is always the same: The game pulls in crowds and gives people something to rally around. You can tell a campus has a strong dye culture when the tables look worn and dice are chipped.

One of the more notable organizations that has extended the culture of Dye is Dyeislife. Dyeislife partnered with UCR fraternity Delta Chi and hosted a tournament at UCR in Spring of 2024. The tournament brought together various fraternities at UCR and created more memories to be celebrated on UCR’s campus. Francisco Partida, a third-year sociology major and one of AEPi’s top players, described his experience as a great bonding opportunity, recalling the thrill of playing twice in week one of the quarter and the satisfaction of mastering both offense and defense. He emphasized that new players should focus on hitting the table, playing to their strengths and not getting discouraged, noting that “once you figure out how to hit the table and practice a bit, it’s really not that hard.”

Dyeislife has also created its own platform — merch drops, traveling tournaments, custom tables, regional rivalries and house

rules that get passed down like traditions. Players treat their tables like landmarks. People show up just to watch. Big games get recorded, posted and debated. In some chapters, the best players are talked about the same way schools talk about star athletes.

Most importantly, Dyeislife keeps the spirit of the game alive. It’s the idea that no matter where you go — a backyard, a basement, a rooftop, a school event — if there’s a table and a die, you can build a moment worth remembering. That mindset is what turns a casual toss into something people connect over. Dyeislife isn’t about being the best. It’s about showing up, throwing high and keeping the vibes immaculate. Good music, good friends and good weather are important factors that elevate the experience of tossing at the table.

As dye moves from house to house and campus to campus, it keeps evolving. People add new rules, new strategies or new ways to keep score. The game gets passed along because it’s easy to learn but hard to master and because it works in every setting where people want to feel connected. It isn’t about competition as much as it is about being part of the moment. That’s why dye keeps showing up in college culture. It stays simple, it stays loud and it keeps people coming back to the same table.

RUBAITA IQBAL Assistant Opinions Editor

RUBAITA IQBAL / THE HIGHLANDER

ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER

Highlander in the Arena: Makena Tong finishes her senior season strong

SETTER MAKENA TONG EXPRESSES OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE AND PRIDE IN HER TEAM DURING HER FINAL SEASON.

IZZY GRAHAM Contributing Writer

Throughout Makena Tong’s senior year with the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women’s volleyball team, there’s been plenty of opportunity to create memories with her teammates while building a solid foundation for the volleyball program under first-year head coach Branden Higa. After a season filled with ups and downs, UCR played their final game of the season on senior night against California State University, Northridge (CSUN) on Nov. 22.

Although the Highlanders fell short in their final game against CSUN in a 3-2 loss, Tong could not be more proud of herself and the team. “Even though we didn’t get a win, I was still very proud … and I thought that everyone gave their all,” commented Tong.

Flashback to last year, Tong suffered a severe ankle injury during a game at Cal State Long Beach. Going into this year, Tong wouldn’t let an injury derail her senior season: “I knew that going into my senior year my mindset was really strong through the injury … I wanted to continue what I had started before the injury, and I also just wanted to [finish off my career strong].”

She emphasized, “I already went through all the lows. I wanted this year to be my high.”

After losing to CSUN on senior night, UCR finished with a 5-13 conference record and failed to reach the Big West Women’s Volleyball Tournament. Despite finishing eighth in the Big West conference, Tong is confident that Higa is building a program that can compete for more wins in the future.

Tong grew up in Honolulu, Hawai’i and she detailed how she first started playing volleyball when she was eight years old. “My parents put me in it just for fun … but towards the end of middle school is when I really fell in love with volleyball,” explained Tong. “I had more fun and made

all my best friends through volleyball, so that was also why I have so much passion for the sport.”

When asked what her favorite UCR volleyball memory was, Tong stated, “My whole senior year was definitely my favorite memory; there are so many things that I could choose. From preseason tournaments, traveling to Florida, Utah, Vegas and even our practices were really fun.”

Tong ends by adding, “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m just grateful that I got to end off my UCR career the way that I did.”

MAKENA TONG

ELENA VERSAGE / THE HIGHLANDER

Highlander Hot Take: This is the best Lakers team since the bubble

LUKA DONCIC IS POSITIONING THE LAKERS FOR SUSTAINED SUCCESS.

TERRY NGUYEN Sports Editor

Author’s note: This article was written on Saturday, Nov. 29, before the Lakers played games versus the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

Before year two of the Luka-LeBron era in Los Angeles began, the assumption was that Luka Doncic would be the primary scoring option and LeBron James would be the second option in his 23rd NBA season.

Fast forward to now, and James is the clear-cut third option for the Lakers’ offense.

The emergence of Austin Reaves, paired with Doncic’s MVP form this season, has made James’ workload less than expected. Albeit James has only played four games this season, it appears his season-long averages will noticeably dip from last year.

Last season, James played in 70 regularseason games averaging 24.4 points per game, his lowest scoring average since his rookie year. This year, he’s averaging 16.5 points per game despite playing over 30 minutes in every contest.

A key factor that has allowed James to take on a lessened workload is Doncic’s ability to run Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s offense. Doncic has become the team’s primary ball handler and facilitator. For players that have logged at least 35 minutes this season, Doncic ranks first in usage rate and seventh in assist percentage in the NBA.

Not only does Doncic lead the league in points per game at 35.1, but he also draws so much attention to himself that his teammates have better opportunities to score with improved spacing.

The role Doncic is playing this year, taking on massive scoring and facilitating responsibilities, is the role LeBron James has played throughout most of his career. This is the first time we will see James play an entire season where he can score primarily because of his teammates’ playmaking abilities, rather than his own.

The player who has benefitted most from Luka’s prowess this season is fifthyear guard Austin Reaves. When Luka is not the primary ball handler, Reaves has the green light from coach Redick to let it fly. Reaves is having another breakout season, averaging 28.5 points per game,

and is expected to make his first All-Star Game this year if he keeps up this pace. It seems like each year Reaves takes a step forward in his development and gets more comfortable becoming a go-to guy for the Lakers. Not only can Reaves put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, he is a solid catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter that can thrive off Doncic’s playmaking.

Before this year, there were also question marks regarding how free-agent signing Deandre Ayton would fit into the Lakers’ lineup. Thus far, Ayton has checked off all the boxes, as he’s shooting a career-high 70.7% from the field while serving as a lob threat that Doncic likes to play with and defense have to respect.

The Lakers currently rank sixth in offensive rating, and their scoring has allowed them to ride a six-game winning streak.

This season, Luka Doncic has looked unguardable and Austin Reaves has developed into an elite secondary scoring option. Once LeBron returns to the court, the Lakers will have the makings of another championship roster.

Be productive.

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