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The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Tuesday, February 16, 2021

VOL. 69, ISSUE 16

est. 1954

SPORTS

Context surrounding UCR vs CSU Fullerton men’s basketball cancellations made clear DESPITE THEIR EXTRA WEEKEND OFF, UCR’S MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM REMAINS FOCUSED ON THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

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NEWS

UCR’s spring 2021 graduation ceremony to take place virtually DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the UCR Commencement Task Force, comprised of student representatives from ASUCR, Diversity Council and GSA, as well as faculty, staff and administrators, confirmed that the spring 2021 graduation will take place virtually. The final decision was made in the interest of preserving the health and safety of the UCR community, and as stated in their informational email, is in line with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health and Riverside County Department of Public Health. Still, while understanding the need for safety precautions, some seniors are rather disappointed in this turn of events. Rohan Subramanian, a fourth-year

microbiology major, told The Highlander that the timing of the whole situation is just awful. “We’ll never get to experience another undergraduate lecture in-person, while the university is planning on resuming its normal operations right after we graduate,” he stated, explaining that this is a bit unfair, even if uncontrollable. Though Subramanian had been harboring hopes over having a modified in-person commencement ceremony, he is now simply hoping that they will be able to graduate in small breakout rooms with close friends or peers. Selena Raygoza, a fourth-year creative writing major, shared some similar sentiments. Initially, she had been hoping that UCR would choose to host an inperson graduation event, even with the extra precautions that would likely have had to be taken. “The thought of online graduation is very upsetting, and I have

THE UCR COMMENCEMENT TASK FORCE IS NOW ASKING FOR STUDENT FEEDBACK IN REGARDS TO HOW THEY WILL BE CONDUCTING ONLINE GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS. no clue what would make it better,” she admitted. However, now that the ceremony is officially taking place on a virtual platform, Raygoza stated that at the very least, the celebration should amount to more than “just a powerpoint presentation with just our names written on it.” ► SEE GRADUTATION PAGE 3

On the weekend of Feb. 5 and 6, UCR had to cancel their series against the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) Titans. The initial press releases posted by both schools on the cancellation of their games used vague terminology that made it unclear whether the cancellation arose because of concerns about the Highlanders or the Titans. An article published by the Orange County Register on Feb. 11, however, stated that the “Big West Conference games [that] were slated for this past Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton were canceled because of COVID-19 issue with the Titans.” The Titan’s series against the California State Polytechnic University Pomona Mustangs meant to be played this weekend was also canceled due to those same concerns. Despite the team’s disappointment, UCR men’s basketball Head Coach Mike Magpayo and the men’s team recognized that this sort of news was always a possibility amidst the ongoing pandemic. “Our team of course is disappointed since we prepared all week to play two games versus Fullerton and just finding out the day before at the last minute is always hard. The good ► SEE CANCELLATIONS PAGE 15

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TUESDAY, FEBRURARY 16, 2021

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Upcoming Events: Week 7

Humans of UCR BRIAN PICHE-CIFUENTES| MASTERS OF PUBLIC POLICY STUDENT | GRADUATE STUDENT COMPILED BY THE HIGHLANDER STAFF

UndocuCircle 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

ABLE - UCR’s 2-week Business Leadership Program 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Virtual Event

Monday

16 Tuesday

Wednesday

“When most people look forward towards their post-college plans, graduate school comes off as a scary idea. As a poor first-generation student I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to do it either. The cost, time commitment and overall stress

Advancing Equity for Undocumented Students and Students from Mixed Status Families at the University of California 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

CAPS’ Wellness circle drop in group 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Event

Making a Major Decision (Career Planning Series) 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Virtual Event

CSP Unity Hour 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

CORE Presents: Speed Friending 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Event

Talk - Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Virtual Event

Donor Appreciation Month: Seeds of Promise Panel – A UCR Campaign Celebration Session 10 a.m. Virtual Event

Virtual Bingo 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

Celebrating Excellence: A Toast to UCR 6 p.m. Virtual Event

Mujer Conference 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Virtual Event

Thursday

it would bring dissuaded me. But what ultimately pushed me to continue my studies was this passion for wanting to help create change in the lives of those around me. I do not believe someone chooses to pursue higher education selfishly with the goal of benefitting solely themselves. I believe we do it to help others. And

19 Friday

so my biggest struggle right now is how to balance life as an essential worker and student while trying to better prepare myself to help create that change.”

20 Saturday

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NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

ASUCR

ASUCR approves constitutional amendment to add three new positions to the extended cabinet LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, ASUCR held their sixth meeting of winter quarter where they discussed changes to the elections timeline, finance allocations and the addition of new positions within ASUCR. The Executive Cabinet (ECAB) also provided individual updates during the State of the Association meeting. During Ex-officio Reports, Elections Director Lama Yassine extended the deadline to submit constitutional amendments and file for candidacy until Sunday, Feb, 21 in order to give international students a chance to run in the 2021 ASUCR general elections. Yassine stated that international students are waiting to approve a bill that will determine whether or not they are able to hold office within ASUCR. During the Finance Hearing, Vice President of Finance William Wang proposed the allocation of three different stipends within ASUCR that all correspond with the upcoming constitutional amendment CA-W21-005 Constitutional Amendment to Add Three New Positions to the Extended Cabinet. The funding for the three positions is taken directly from ASUCR’s contingency budget. ASUCR Executive Director Laurie Sinclair explained that the organization’s contingency budget is a large pool of funds ranging from $50,000-$60,000 per year. This budget consists of funding from student fees, ATMs and vending machines on campus, as well as funding that is left over after everything in the yearly budget for ASUCR has been allocated. The new positions would start off with a base yearly stipend of

$2,980 and be allocated $1,000 for events and $200 for meetings throughout the year. The finance allocation was approved with a vote of 17-0-0. Next, CHASS Senator Alyssa Marchan, CNAS Senator Barry Liu, Vice President of Finance William Wang and International Student Committee Chair Cristina Chen proposed CA-W21-005 Constitutional Amendment to Add Three New Positions to the Extended Cabinet. The purpose of the constitutional amendment is to separate the current Transfer and Non-Traditional Student Director position into two different job titles: a transfer student director and a nontraditional student director. Additionally, the senate hopes to add an international student director and a freshman student director. The purpose of the new positions is to better attend the needs of each group in a more targeted way by having a representative within ASUCR dedicated to serving them. Vice President of External Affairs Vincent Rasso stated that oftentimes, committees representing international students and others alike have been very busy and working hard to make sure that the students they represent are taken care of. Committee positions are often unpaid. Rasso was in approval of the amendment, stating that he worked with the International Student Committee in the past and was impressed by their leadership. If passed during the ASUCR general election, the positions would start in fall 2022. Each position will be voted on separately on the ballot. CA-W21-005 Constitutional Amendment to Add Three

JOSHUA WANG / THE HIGHLANDER

New Positions to the Extended Cabinet was ultimately approved by the senate and will be placed on the ballot for the 2021 ASUCR general election. During State of the Association announcements from ECAB members, ASUCR President Luis Huerta stated that ASUCR’s pending Black Lives Matter donation of $5,867 has been finalized on ASUCR’s end, and now it is up to the Black Student Union (BSU) and African Student Programs (ASP) to decide the best way to utilize those funds. Vice President of External Affairs Vincent Rasso provided extensive updates on his work from the past month. Rasso discussed a letter that he drafted in collaboration with President Huerta regarding student priorities for the campus reopening in fall 2021. Rasso also discussed the UC’s recent campaign, Double the Pell Grant, which aims to provide further funding to help low-income students pay for higher education.

Rasso also attended a meeting with UC President Michael Drake earlier this month and was unable to get concrete answers from Drake on the UC’s plans for campus reopening. Rasso stated that they were unable to have him commit to providing remote learning options for students come fall 2021. “There’s not really any sort of ambitious proposal from the UC to prioritize disabled UC students, or people in our community with underlying health conditions in the UC community,” stated Rasso. At the end of the meeting, Executive Vice President Natalie Hernadez named CHASS Senator Marchan senator of the month and praised her for the efforts in representing studentparents, nontraditional students and the UCR student body as a whole. “Senator Marchan always maintains a positive view regardless of current events that help her lift other people up and make it very fun to work,” said H Hernandez. ■

► FROM GRADUATION

COURTESY OF UCR NEWS

Last year, graduating seniors were able to create a personalized slide for the online commemoration. They were asked to select a personal photo and message to be featured in the slideshow and were given the choice to have their name announced in a prerecording. When UCR hosted an online celebration for graduates in 2020, the students who participated were asked to submit suggestions to improve the event. Based upon their feedback, the Commencement Task Force is considering the following plan for spring graduation: With the current proposal, the ceremony will include a short and formal program on YouTube. The beginning is to be marked by greeting messages from the chancellor,

EXECUTIVE CABINET PROVIDES MONTHLY UPDATES AT THE SECOND STATE OF THE ASSOCIATION MEETING OF THE QUARTER.

provost, academic senate chair, ASUCR president, GSA president and the Alumni Association president. For the undergraduates, there will be a formal tassel-turn led by a student. Finally, there will be a spoken reading of each graduate’s name, all compiled into a slideshow on YouTube, and every graduate will be able to personalize a slide for display when their name is officially read. Still, the Commencement Task Force is open to hearing suggestions and is now asking for input from current students regarding the upcoming 2021 graduation. For those interested, a form has been sent to student’s R’Mails and must H be filled out by Feb. 18. ■

4 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

Chancellor’s distinguished lecturer and former NASA astronaut gives advice on pursuing one’s dreams ATENAS ODRIOZOLA Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox’s distinguished lecture series welcomed Jose Hernandez, former NASA astronaut and current president and CEO of Tierra Luna Engineering to present “How to Thrive in Today’s Challenging Environment.” Hernandez’s journey into becoming one of the crew members of the 2004 NASA Astronaut Group 19 originated from a humble background. He was born into a farmworker family and was the youngest of four children. Every year, Hernandez and his family would spend nine months in the U.S. following the harvest and the remaining three months in Michoacan, Mexico. Hernandez knew he wanted to become an astronaut from the age of 10. He was inspired by watching the last moonwalk mission, Apollo 17, as well as the moonwalk and the corresponding coverage by journalist Walter Cronkite. During the lecture via Zoom, Hernandez combed back through his memories as a young child. He recalled going to bed on the night of the Apollo 17 mission and telling his dad he wanted to become an astronaut. Later, his father sat him down in the kitchen and introduced Hernandez to some principles that shaped his life and ultimately helped him achieve his dreams. First, his father explained that one needs to decide what they want to do in life then recognize the distance between the current point and the destination. Living in a rental

in what Hernandez described as the worst part of Stockton, CA, he recalled saying, “Don’t get offended Papa, but I can’t be any further than this.” Another principle his father instilled in him is creating a roadmap that outlines the steps it will take for one to get to their destination. For Hernandez, education was key. His father also told him that it was necessary to develop a strong work ethic in order to exceed expectations and rise above them. “Always give more than what people expect out of you. Always give more,” Hernandez recalled his father telling him. Hernandez explained, however, that when he applied to become a NASA astronaut, a sixth principle arose: persevere and never give up. Before being accepted to the NASA astronaut program, he was rejected 11 times. By the sixth rejection, Hernandez was discouraged to apply again until his wife, Adela Hernandez, told him he would be a quitter. Hernandez adopted a new strategy. By analyzing accepted applicants, he was able to identify the traits and characteristics that led to an acceptance status aside from the minimum requirements. After conducting research into applicants, Hernandez found that all applicants were scuba certified and had a pilot license. In addition, Hernandez looked to gain other skills that would make him attractive to NASA: he started by visiting Siberia, Russia in order to train and learn the language. Hernandez recommended that those who want to be

an astronaut first research the minimum requirements and develop skills that would set them apart from the other applicants. “You’ve got to enjoy the journey,” stated Hernandez. He elaborated by stating, “The journey is 90% of the time and effort. If you are not enjoying the journey, chances are you’ve got the wrong goal for yourself.” In 2011, Hernandez left NASA to be with his family, and since then, he has founded Tierra Luna Engineering, which aims to “approach on aerospace, advance technologies and education outreach needs … in a sustainable and cost effective manner.” Hernandez continued on and explained how NASA not only helped him achieve his life dream, but also prepared him to deal with the “new normal” that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on. When preparing to go into space, training in isolation is imperative, Hernandez mentioned. The six main points in dealing with isolation, as he has learned, are having a positive attitude, communicating, creating a schedule, bonding with family, setting goals and practicing self-care management. During the questions and answers portion of the lecture, Hernandez was asked about the future. He said he wants to open a winery alongside his father and is currently working to release a Netflix biopic outlining how Jose Hernandez, a kid from Stockton, CA, went to space. H Filming is expected to begin later this year. ■

JOSE HERNANDEZ OUTLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSEVERANCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Riverside opens its first Free Little Pantry

IN COLLABORATION WITH RIVERSIDE MUTUAL AID AND THE INLAND EMPIRE HEALTH PLAN, THE LITTLE FREE PANTRY AIMS TO HELP COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY. AMANI MAHMOUD Editor-in-Chief

On Feb. 5, the city of Riverside installed its first of 26 community pantries to help fight food insecurity. Dubbed the Little Free Pantry program, the project was launched in collaboration with Riverside Mutual Aid and the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). The first free pantry in Riverside is located at 6807 Palm Ave. in front of Sandals Church in Downtown Riverside. Riverside Mutual Aid, a community organization that coordinates mutualaid responses for impacted communities in Riverside, were contacted by the city of Riverside with an idea to launch a network of pantries modeled after the Little Free Library initiative that has been implemented in many cities across America. The purpose of the food pantries is to provide communities with everyday food and personal necessities. UCR alumni and member of Riverside Mutual Aid Aram Ayra spoke in more detail about the project. He stated that the collaboration came about organically, because of similar work the city and Riverside Mutual Aid’s respective organizations were doing in Riverside. “We had separately been working to address COVID-related food insecurity in Riverside, so the Little Free Pantry project was a natural intersection point for all of us,” stated Ayra. Staff from the Community Engagement and Economic Development Office reached out to Riverside Mutual Aid and invited them to become a part of

the initiative’s development and official rollout. “We actually managed to go from idea to ‘built reality’ pretty quickly on this project. The City staff and our organizations worked to secure Federal CARES Act funding, develop a project rollout and build the first Little Free Pantry at the Palm Avenue location within the span of a few months,” stated Ayra. He went on to state that Riverside Mutual Aid is “blessed” to be able to work with city, staff and organization partners who shared their urgency to connect COVID-impacted Riverside community members to the food resources they needed. With a project of this scale, Riverside Mutual Aid had to consider everything, from how the pantries would be distributed to how they would be built on-site. Each pantry comes in a ready-to-assemble kit that requires some minor installation and were purchased with Federal CARES Act funding issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. They worked to select a building format that would be accessible to as many small businesses, nonprofits and community groups as possible. Riverside Mutual Aid Network partnered with Riverside city staff, IEHP, members of Sandals Church and Girl Scout Troop 1056 to build the first Little Free Pantry. “The beauty of the Little Free Pantry program is that it gets neighbors directly involved in addressing food insecurity in their community,” stated Ayra. The program recruits “stewards” to manage the Little Free Pantry once it has been built on a host’s property. Stewards are members of the community that volunteer to clean, stock and host food drives for their neighborhood Little Free Pantry. Ayra stated that Riverside is home to 26 unique and distinct neighborhoods, so the goal

COURTESY OF TREVOR KAMHIRIRI

was to install at least one Little Free Pantry in or near each neighborhood. The Little Free Pantry program invites small businesses, community organizations and concerned citizens across the city to apply to host a Little Free Pantry in their neighborhood. Based on those applications and available regional food insecurity data, they then work together to determine areas with high-need where the Little Free Pantry could most assist with food assistance. The current pantry at Sandals Church was chosen due to being in a hightraffic, high-need area and having a large number of stewards willing to volunteer to maintain the pantry. “In the short-term, we hope this project will connect neighbors in need to neighbors who are willing to assist with critical food resources. Long-term, we hope this project will inspire more grassroots initiatives that will tackle hunger in our Riverside neighborhoods and develop sustainable local food systems,” stated Ayra. The Little Free Pantry program is meant

to fill the gaps in food resources that exist in Riverside and ensure that our residents have more access to food. Ayra stated that the Little Free Pantry eliminates the “strings attached” and shame that sometimes accompanies receiving help and places all neighbors on equal footing. He stated, “We hope that the 26 community pantries will put resources closer to individuals and families in need, and make obtaining food more easily accessible to them.” The Little Free Pantries act as both an immediate food resource and a longterm focal point for community members to rally around in order to address food insecurity in Riverside, stated Ayra. He stated, “COVID-19 exposed gaps in coverage that already existed prior to the pandemic and highlighted the difficulties that many of our neighbors face on a daily basis. The installation of the food pantries is the first important step in addressing food insecurity and creating the sustainable H food systems that our communities need.” ■

Opinions

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM MUST STAND HIS GROUND AND MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IS BEST FOR CITIZENS RATHER THAN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE.

Recall Newsom is a wasted effort and should be ignored

he recall N e w s o m movement has been a n u i s a n c e composed by right-wing Californians even before the pandemic broke out. However, it has only since gained traction as a result of Governor Newsom’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis in California and his attempts at mitigating. Regardless, Gavin Newsom must stand his ground and do what is best for California when it comes to the pandemic. He will not be able to please everyone, and he should not waste time continuously trying to do so. If the governor focused more on effective COVID-19 regulations and less on public opinion, California would return to normalcy faster, and Newsom could sooner return to passing other progressive legislation. The recall Newsom movement should not be as important as it has gotten. After all, the movement only has attention because of farright coalitions, and because of the virus, it’s being overtaken by mainstream Republicans.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

However, what people fail to realize is that if he were to get recalled, it will decentralize the state and cause more harm than good. Yes, Gavin Newsom has made mistakes with handling the virus, and people should hold him accountable for that. But he has still taken the virus more seriously than former President Donald Trump and several other Republican leaders in other states. Recalling Governor Newsom outside of the regular election cycle is a waste of time, and it will only make a bigger mess of things. There is an obvious and clear divide when it comes to criticizing Newsom — one side wants to forgo all safety guidelines and let natural selection do its job, and the other side is actually concerned for the health of others. However, these reasons still do not warrant a total recall. Newsom deserves to stay in office until the next election cycle. It’d be too dangerous for California in the long run if he were to be removed so suddenly. Besides, every state has been hit almost equally as hard, and although California’s death rate is high, we are still doing better than

most per capita. Republicans are going to try and find a problem with any state leader so long as they are Democratic. If not Newsom, surely they will criticize other progressive governors for years to come. As a result, it would be wrong for the citizens of California to put so much faith into these coalitions. Gavin Newsom’s job performance is not as bad as people say it is, and his errors trying to please everyone is not enough to incriminate or recall him. Indeed, there have been scandals such as the Napa Valley incident, but he has not been doing anything severely bad since. As of lately, he has been trying to do his best to offer as many guidelines as he can without offending the extreme right. There has been a lot of criticism for how he has mismanaged the pandemic. Republicans will antagonize him and claim he is hurting businesses, but people need to realize that the governor is in an impossible situation trying to reach a middle ground in such a divisive political climate. In truth, if it wasn’t for the virus, Newsom definitely

would have been in a better position than he is currently. His low approval rating has a lot to do with the pandemic, the same situation every other public figure finds themselves in as of late. Additionally, health, safety and science have been so politicized that heavy opposition is inevitable. In reality, if it was not for the pandemic, the recall Newsom movement would be relatively small. The mess that California is in has a lot to do with the pandemic, and citizens are pulling the governor in too many different directions. There is no middle ground where he can play it safe, and the pressure has caused him to poorly manage the virus. Governor Newsom has been trying too hard to please everyone, and in doing so, he has mishandled the pandemic. The sooner Gavin Newsom learns to stand his ground and ignore opposition, the sooner California will be able to get back on its feet. When it comes to policy, it is obvious that Newsom’s heart is in the right place. One of his biggest priorities is the accessibility of education,

which includes bigger financial aid segments, pre-K for all and free community college. In fact, these progressive policies will probably have a bigger impact for many years to come in a way that his mishandlings of the virus won’t. However, if citizens are ever to enjoy these benefits, virus control must come first. Newsom was right to initially enforce statewide shutdowns, but he needs to do more. In the process of trying to please everyone, the governor floundered. Therefore, instead of attempting to reach across the aisle, Gavin Newsom must push forward and stand firm. He needs to make the right decisions and do what is best for California. Regardless of whether or not these decisions are in line with the delusions that the right has, they will benefit a majority of citizens in the long run. California has seen the consequences of both shutting down and reopening the state. However, if citizens want to stop living in limbo and going back and forth between different guidelines, Gov. Newsom must stop trying to appeal to his opposition. In a state of crisis, he must tune out the woes of those who are unable to comprehend this deadly virus and focus more on saving as many lives as he can. The recall movement will be ever present no matter who is in office, so long as they are Democratic. Therefore, it would be a waste of time to indulge their grievances. Gavin Newsom must persevere in order to return California to its H pre-pandemic glory. ■

The Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system. COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

6 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

OPINIONS

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Legalizing sex work is not as dangerous as people think ROBERT GOLD Contributing Writer

When people think of sex work, it inspires images of a criminal and dangerous world. However, sex work is more nuanced than what the public imagines it to be, and the illegality actually heightens the danger of a profession that should be legalized. Prohibition creates criminality and violence where there could be civility and industry. Likewise, government regulations on human rights truly never helps, it only causes more pain to those involved. To illustrate, Abigail Hall-Blanco wrote an article for the Las Vegas Sun entitled “Legalized Prostitution is Safer” in which she points out, “While this suggestion may sound radical, consider that organizations including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International call for the same.” These human rights organizations have published statistics regarding the positive benefits of legalization, pointing out that decriminalization can ultimately stop the spread of disease, violence and save human lives. UCLA public policy professor, Sharon Hong, reported 24% less cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) amongst Rhode Islanders after the state briefly legalized sex work between 2003 and 2009. The same study showed a 17% drop in rapes across Rhode Island during this six-year period. Not only does legalization mean more liberty, more freedom and less government, it also means a step in the right direction for women’s rights. Many women who become prostitutes do so willingly. In fact, sex work is not only empowering for some women, it’s liberating. For this reason, these financially self-sufficient women deserve the right to work out of a store front, a legitimate place of business, where they can be safe. These same politicians who tell us that life is sacred are killing hundreds of women with their prohibitive laws. We have the ability to build an unassailable existence .Life is sacred, and that fact alone should bypass any

moral issues some congressional legislators may have. People who work as prostitutes are at a high risk for violent attacks. Without legalization, the sex industry remains a black market in which abusive customers know that sex workers ultimately have no recourse if violence is committed upon them. While some sex workers find criminal enforcers who will punish unruly clientele, this is still showing that when sex work remains a black market enterprise, violence seems to be the only solution. Twohundred-and-four out of 100,000 sex workers are murdered. If, for example, 0.2% of Uber drivers were murdered annually, this would be of grave concern to the general public. However, sex work is ultimately associated with women and poverty — two groups which have been historically marginalized through public policy and legislature in this country and around the world. People who work in the sex industry are also far less likely to get screened for STDs. This creates an unhealthy environment for the sex workers, but also for clientele. Antiprohibitionists improve society by reducing the spread of deadly diseases. And if the moral hangups get in the way of good policy, it is time to set those high principles aside and face reality. While alcohol, marijuana and prostitution may be deemed morally unrighteous, prohibition still creates more problems than it solves. Sex work is legal across eight different countries. These countries include Latvia, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. The laws of how prostitution is regulated in each country varies. But prostitutes across each of these countries have made their voices loud and clear. In public interviews time and time again, sex workers have expressed that they feel safer working in a controlled environment, as opposed to working in the black market. Prostitutes should be given the option to work out of brothels as opposed to working in the streets. This is why the main focus should be

COURTESY OF PEXELS

giving prostitutes the legal option to work out of brothels as opposed to working the streets. In an article for Inside Turkey, sex worker Melike Arzu Sakiroglu stated in an interview with the paper, “You either work through an escort website or the streets, or work in a bordello.” She continued, “If you work in the streets, he could be a psycho or a serial killer.” Many prostitutes like Melike who work in the industry have known friends who have died working in the streets. Even in countries where prostitution is legal, women who work out in the streets are subject to certain dangers. This is why legalization will give men and women the opportunity to work out of brothels, bordellos or places of business in which sex work can be done in a safe and controlled environment, where the sex worker is not forced to go into the home of a client. Ultimately, prohibition is never the answer. Prostitution is similiar to anything else that can be legalized. It has the potential to be utilized by criminal elements if forced to live in the shadows. And more importantly, if legalization can be passed in other countries besides places like Greece and Hungary, thousands of peoples’ H lives can be saved, and violence can be avoided. ■

PROHIBITION CREATES A CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD AND A BLACK MARKET THAT HURTS EVERYONE.

The spread of false COVID-19 information within the Latinx community is just as deadly as the virus itself DAVID MORENO Contributing Writer

AS THE VIRUS SPREADS THROUGHOUT LATINX COMMUNITIES, SO DOES THE CAMPAIGN OF MISLEADING FACTS AND CLAIMS ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE AND THE LEGITIMACY OF THE VIRUS.

The spread of false information around COVID-19 within the Latinx community has misled millions, leaving a smear of ignorance that’s resulted in placing the community at the highest risk for infection. For this reason, local health officials need to do a better job at not only regulating but enforcing stricter COVID-19 safety guidelines. Latinx communities are contracting and dying from the virus at a rapid rate due to the spread of misinformation within the community. Systemic racism within these highly impacted areas has played a major role in the spike of COVID-19 cases. These communities need better access to valuable resources such as more COVID-19 testing sites and increases in vaccine roll out efforts. Health officials in these highly impacted communities have been trying to actively stop the spread of COVID-19, and these efforts have been ignored by the general public. These guidelines seem to throw people off when they realize they can’t send their children to school while shopping centers and outdoor dining venues continue to operate normally. This general sense of false security and lack of empathy for others result in people not caring enough to follow safety precautions. It’s vital that individuals who are familiar with these communities, such as the youth, local leaders and community activists, have the resources they need to help spread accurate information to those who need it the most. The Latinx community’s inevitability to take

the pandemic seriously has them now facing severe repercussions. Members of the Latinx community face higher chances of being infected by COVID-19, getting hospitalized and dying from the virus. The spread of false information within the community is more deadly than the virus itself. Some believe that the entire pandemic is a hoax, while others believe people are overreacting. Much worse, elders in the community are actively spreading misinformation. It has only heightened with the recent release of the vaccines, as many believe that if you are administered a COVID-19 vaccine, you are letting the government place a tracking chip into your arm, while others believe the vaccine will give you cancer. When people in these communities get infected , many won’t even visit a hospital because of rumors that they are actively letting COVID-19 patients die. False information needs to be stopped from circulating and instead be replaced with facts. This needs to come from within the community itself and larger social media corporations, where the majority of this false information is being posted and shared. People need to be properly educated on the real harm this virus can cause. Systemic racism has played into the development and mishandling of major issues currently facing the community. Members in these communities are facing great challenges with accessing the resources they need to stay alive. Something as simple as registering for a COVID-19 testing appointment can be a major obstacle. The virus is attacking people who have no other option than to work these bluecollar jobs. Workers in the fast food, warehouse,

COURTESY OF PEXELS

agricultural and janitorial industries have no other choice but to risk being exposed every time they step foot outside their homes. Many individuals in these communities lack access to affordable healthcare. Without proper healthcare, many fear they won’t be able to keep up with medical bills. The pandemic has left millions in a difficult situation where they have no other option than to prioritize monetary survival over physical. Until the Latinx working class receives real help in the forms of accessible healthcare, stimulus checks and vaccinations, we’ll most likely continue to watch the number of infections grow in this country. The continuation of false information spreading within the Latinx community will only result in more people getting infected. The community needs to start listening to their local and state health officials and holding not only themselves, but others around them accountable for following all the COVID-19 safety guidelines. Instead of fighting against the restriction, the community needs to be proactively working to make them fit their unique needs. Advocating for better representation in vaccine groups and making sure they have access to reliable information. These are the conversations that should be taking place, not ones that only result H in direct damage to the community itself. ■

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Joe Biden’s pandemic relief plan is ambitious, but still needs work

ABHIJIT REGE Staff Writer

Immediately after taking office, President Joe Biden released his strategy to combat the COVID-19 virus and to bring this pandemic to an end. The administration already formed their COVID-19 response team and have begun investing in effective measures, which include increased vaccination efforts and stimulus deals. But combating the virus is a difficult task, as the numbers are still out of control and cases reaching 28.1 million infections and 491,000 deaths. Though Biden’s plan itself is fairly straightforward and on target to provide relief, it falls short in keeping up with the ever-evolving circumstances of the pandemic. Biden’s strategy includes his American Rescue Plan, which aims to tackle issues that have stemmed from the onset of the pandemic and the Trump administration’s poor response. Within this plan, Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion rescue package to combat the crisis and to ramp up vaccination efforts. In fact, Biden already promised to administer 100 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within his first 100 days of office. His plan also ensures that everyone in the country can be tested regularly for coronavirus infections by increasing the number of testing sites and by scaling up the production of rapid tests. However, though more testing will help, it will not be enough if tests don’t reach communities hit hardest by the virus. It is paramount that the Biden response has a focus on equity, as COVID-19 has hit impoverished communities the hardest. COVID-19 has evolved and become even more dangerous with new variants emerging throughout the globe. These

variants from Britain, South Africa, Brazil and potentially even California, are more contagious and more resistant against the immune system and vaccines. This requires the Biden administration to adapt and put more effort to control the spread of the virus by increasing vaccination efforts. Biden needs to aim higher, as his goal of 100 million vaccinations is far from enough to keep up with the uncertainty of the pandemic and may hinder the potential of bringing the pandemic to an end. Because of this uncertainty, the plan’s goal of safely reopening a majority of K-12 schools in the first 100 days is another ambitious, yet risky, target to achieve. Previous efforts to reopen schools across the country have failed due to spikes in COVID-19 cases. Even with the arrival of the vaccine, its effectiveness is dependent on its distribution, and herd immunity must be achieved first before the country can reopen schools effectively. In turn, it would be best to maintain a remote learning environment till more vaccinations have occurred. The $1.9 trillion plan will also provide a stimulus to deliver immediate relief to working families who have been hit hardest because of this crisis by sending $1,400 per-person checks to households across America. This is in addition to the $600 received in December and the other rounds of stimulus bills in 2020. However, some will argue that this number is still too low to provide effective relief to Americans, with concerns that the $1400 addition to the prior $600 given by the Trump administration was not the $2000 that was initially promised. Despite these concerns, many still agree that Biden’s plan is the most comprehensive plan to date, especially in stark comparison to his predecessor’s. However, above

policy, the Biden plan must emphasize to all Americans that taking simple preventable measures such as hand-washing and maskwearing is the most effective way to limit exposure. Restoring America’s faith in science-based leadership is a rather daunting task after the damage done by the Trump administration. But prioritizing informing Americans on these simple measures will be the most effective path to return to normalcy, as evidenced by other countries with similar prioritization. While Biden’s plans and ideas are ambitious and aimed in the right direction, the road ahead is unfortunately tough and uncertain. But to bring the pandemic to an end, the Biden administration must be bolder and more capable to adapt to the H circumstances. ■

THOUGH THE PLAN ITSELF SHOULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE TO PROVIDE RELIEF, IT FALLS SHORT IN KEEPING UP WITH THE EVER EVOLVING CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PANDEMIC.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Bezos stepping down should give Amazon workers the room to breathe

EVELYN HOMAN Assistant Opinions Editor

The news that Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, will be stepping down from his role in the company came as a bit of a surprise to most, as the billionaire’s name has practically become synonymous with the company. At the end of summer 2021, current Executive Chairman Andy Jassy will step up to fill Bezos’ shoes, while Bezos will be settled into the role as Amazon’s executive chairman. This shift in power seems fairly innocuous, even for an enormous company like Amazon, but considering the stances of Jassy, this should be a major chance to help improve the Amazon company in ways that Bezos ignored. Jassy, for one thing, is not on track to become a trillionaire like Bezos. In fact, he’s not even a billionaire, despite all the stock he owns in Amazon. Though he still does live comfortably, he doesn’t have exorbitant wealth in quite the same way that Bezos does, which could suggest that Jassy potentially could pay more attention to caring for the workers of Amazon. However, Jassy has also been called “Bezos’ shadow,” and it has been speculated that Jassy might just be a “carbon copy” of Bezos’ own model of running the company. This, unfortunately, could mean that no changes will be made as a new CEO takes the reins, which is a travesty. Jassy needs to buck up, and instead of continuing on with the comfortable way of running the company hurts blue collar workers, he instead should implement

policies that will help the workers who help the company run. He should allow workers to unionize, which is something Amazon workers keep fighting for. Jassy should also use his position of power to help remedy the conditions that have forced employees to have to skip basic needs like bathroom breaks. To rise to this position of power and continue to run Amazon as Bezos did is a crime against Amazon workers. As CEO, Jassy shouldn’t necessarily be condemned for the inhumane conditions that Bezos allowed to occur. However, if he plans to let operations continue on as usual, then he should be condemned for his complacency. Just because he is new doesn’t mean he’s unfamiliar with the complaints that have been placed against Bezos and the company as a whole; though Jassy may not previously have had too much power to stop it, he still has worked with Bezos since the start of Amazon. Thus, he is essentially complicit in allowing some of these things to happen, but he can’t necessarily face the complete blame for it because he may not have been in the position to make any pushback against Bezos. Now that Jassy will have control of the company, however, he hopefully will hear the public, and his employees and start to fix these glaring issues. The new CEO of Amazon will have a lot on his plate, but that is not an excuse to keep the company running the way it always has. Jassy must abandon the ideology that he should keep Amazon running “as usual” and should instead use his position of power to improve the company in ways its employees H have been requesting for years.■

AFTER 27 YEARS OF BEING THE CEO, JEFF BEZOS STEPPING DOWN WILL ALLOW AMAZON TO RIGHT PAST WRONGS AGAINST WORKERS.

COURTESY OF SEATTLE STATE COUNCIL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Features

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Celebrating the Year of the Ox with good vibes

ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Features Editor

The vibes were off the charts on Thursday, Feb. 11, as Asian Pacific Student Programs (APSP) kicked off their Lunar New Year celebration with a performance from Royaljag, a band that hailed from San Bernandino and gave attendees a relaxing and groovy show as they played songs off their “IDKHIGH” album. The band consists of twins, Jay and Roland Garcia, and their best friend, David Ajoku, all of who dub themselves the “chameleons of pop” and make music in hopes of people grooving with it. Attendees were able to groove along with the members of Royaljag as they played songs such as “909,” “Foreign Exchange” and a few others. I personally had no prior knowledge of the band or their music, but when I tuned into the Zoom link, I was pleasantly surprised. The best way I could describe their music was that it made me want to dance and feel happy, which is something that rarely happens. Royaljag’s set definitely set up the atmosphere for the rest of the event, as it got attendees hyped. There were also comments in the Zoom chat with people asking where they could listen to their music. They are available on Spotify, YouTube and SoundCloud. I believe it is safe to say that Royaljag’s performance has garnered them new fans. After their set, the host, Angelica Garcia, appeared on screen to begin the Q&A section of the event. Garcia asked the members what genres or artists influenced the band, and according to Ajoko, they were inspired by the music their parents listened to. Roland, who plays bass for the band, claims that their inspiration came from boy bands and that as a result, their first extended play had a pop mentality with an indie sense. During the Q&A section, students were given the opportunity to ask the band questions. Melissa Wong asked, “What was your favorite part about being on tour, and what do you miss the most?” Roland immediately said that his favorite part about touring was hanging out with his best friends and playing their music every night. This sentiment was shared amongst the trio, although Jay said his favorite part was being able to arrive at a venue early and explore. For Ajoku, it would be the people he misses. Overall this portion of the event was very relaxing and

APSP HOSTED ITS LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENT WITH A PERFORMANCE BY ROYALJAG FOLLOWED BY AN INFORMATIVE AND HEARTWARMING STUDENT PANEL WHERE THEY SHARED THEIR FAMILY TRADITIONS DURING THIS FAMILY ORIENTED HOLIDAY.

COURTESY OF ROYALJAG

gave attendees the chance of getting to know the band better. Students were able to relate to them even more when it was revealed that Ajoku had actually gone to UCR as a biology major and dropped out in his fourth year to make music. The three shared their memories of visiting Ajoku and playing music at the Rivera Library. Their first shows were at The

Barn, and according to Roland, “UCR was definitely a start and will always have a heart for us.” Up next, APSB coordinator, Thuy-Vi Le, began the Lunar New Year student info panel. Le introduced panelists Kirsten Phan, Sydney Dao and Van Tran as they broke down Lunar New Year traditions. Le encouraged the panelists to share their personal stories with Lunar New Year. Dao recalled a time where she was watching traditional lion dancers at the temple and ran out of money as a result of giving it to her little cousins. Tran also remembered the times she would make traditional rice cakes with her grandmother. Hearing these stories was very heartwarming. Le asked how they would celebrate Lunar New Years in quarantine. Tran shared that usually her family would hold huge gatherings, but due to the ongoing pandemic this year, they are restricting it to only their family. However, Tran explains that regardless, the spirit of family is still there as they FaceTime their extended family members. Dao claims that she usually goes out with her lion dancing team, and although they are not having a big celebration, her mother still went all out with decorations, even buying apples with engraved Chinese characters. For Phan, her family has supported local small Vietnameese businesses. One of the last questions Le asked the panelists was if they had any tips or advice for a fun celebration. Phan explained that spring-cleaning is very important. “Cleaning your room and space will help get rid of bad spirits and will bring you into a clean and happy new year,” she said. Dao shared that being there for friends and family is important. For Tran, her tip on having a good New Years was to eat their culture’s traditional food. “Anyone is welcome to celebrate with us as long as you respect our tradition. Try out new things and as long as you keep the spirit and the purpose of new year in mind, you are free to join us,” she stated. Le also shared her sentiments and claimed that Lunar New Year is such a family-oriented holiday that anybody can celebrate. “[You] just have to have the right mindset and respect for our traditions,” she stated. Lastly, Le showed viewers a video on traditional Chinese lion dancing before the event concluded. The welcoming atmosphere was a great way for APSP to connect students for this cultural H celebration.■

Mastering recipes with Nick DiGiovanni

ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN Assistant Features Editor

On Friday, Feb. 12, the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) hosted “Spice It Up With Nick DiGiovanni,” an event featuring a cooking tutorial and Q&A with the former contestant from the TV show “MasterChef.” Following his television debut, DiGiovanni has since gained fame on TikTok and YouTube for his cooking videos. The event was moderated by UCR’s Student Recreation Center Chef Valerie Rose Batlle. When she introduced DiGiovanni, he revealed that he was calling from the East Coast and that it was “10 o’clock right now in Boston.” But, regardless of the time difference, he and Batlle were both ready to cook in their respective kitchens. The recipe that they planned to demonstrate was penne alla vodka, or vodka pasta. DiGiovanni used a special clear glass pot for the tutorial. He started out by adding a handful of salt to his pot of boiling water. He told viewers to “always remember to season your water before you put your pasta in there.” While they cooked, Batlle pressed him with questions such as “What inspired you to be a chef?” DiGiovanni revealed that he comes from a family with many different cultural backgrounds, so he was introduced to different types of food since he was a kid. “I found out that I had a sweet tooth and that if I asked my mom to get me all the

things I needed to make a lemon meringue pie, she would get that, no questions, but she wouldn’t buy me candy,” he stated. Batlle then asked DiGiovanni how he’d managed to cook healthy meals in quarantine. DiGiovanni stated that during quarantine, he couldn’t go to the gym, so he stayed healthy by learning to cook healthier food. He also “took quarantine as a way to learn about all different kinds of cuisine” and practiced cooking dishes from cultures he was less familiar with. After the pasta was finished cooking, DiGiovanni saved some of the pasta water claiming that the two biggest mistakes a person can make when cooking pasta are “one, they don’t salt their water and two, they throw away all their pasta water.” He then placed the pasta in a bowl and mixed butter in it so they didn’t stick together while he cooked the sauce. For the sauce, DiGiovanni sliced an onion in half and told the viewers that by using a sharp knife to cut onions, the chances of crying are significantly reduced. Batlle added that keeping the root on the onion while cutting also helps prevent tears. After the onion was diced, DiGiovanni crushed some garlic and demonstrated his knife drop skills by throwing his blade down so it lodged onto the cutting board. He encouraged viewers not to attempt a knife drop with their own knives because it damages the cutting board and the blade. DiGiovanni mixed garlic, onion, lemon zest, oil, vodka and heavy cream in the pan. He stated, “An important thing to keep in

NICK DIGIOVANNI, A FORMER CONTESTANT ON “MASTERCHEF,” GIVES A COOKING TUTORIAL AND PARTICIPATES IN A Q&A IN ASPB’S LATEST VIRTUAL EVENT.

COURTESY OF NICK DIGIOVANNI VIA YOUTUBE

mind when your cooking is seasoning all the way.” He topped the dish with some parmesan cheese. Both he and Batlle declared that their dishes were delicious, and DiGiovanni added, “If you want to take it to the next level you can get some fresh basil, really play around with it.” With the meals prepared, DiGiovanni moved on to the student Q&A portion of the event. Genevieve Chacon asked whether DiGiovanni had any recommendations for college struggle meals, to which he said that students should pick food that they know they like, but to also remember that pasta and fried rice are cheap and easy to cook. Another student, Dylan Tonthat, was

interested to know more about the clear pot that DiGiovanni used for the cooking demonstration. Tonthat wondered if there were any downsides in using a clear pot over a traditional one. DiGiovanni admitted that “they’re kind of a pain to clean” and “you can’t give it a quick temperature change.” He also stated that clear pots break easily so he doesn’t recommend that people buy one for daily cooking. The last question came from Josh Castro De Leon who asked about DiGiovanni’s favorite part about cooking. He claimed that his favorite part was “making someone happy.” He went on to say that “from the restaurants I’ve worked in, being able to work in the kitchen and see the food go out … that’s a great feeling.” DiGiovanni gave a lot of helpful tips to use in the kitchen. The recipe for his penne alla vodka can be found on ASPB’s Instagram account. In addition, everyone who attended the event was entered into an ASPB giveaway for the chance to win a set of kitchen utensils, an air fryer, or gift cards for HelloFresh. ASPB’s next guest lecture will take place on Feb. 24 and it will feature Michael Dante Dimartino, an animator and director for “Avatar the Last H Airbender.” Be sure to check it out!■

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

FEATURES

Campus In the post-Valentine’s Day the clearance section Cope: world, is our best friend ADRIANA MANDUJANO ANGEL Features Editor

COURTESY OF PEXELS

The only time I’ve loved Valentine’s Day was during elementary school. I remember rushing to the stores to buy Valentine’s Day candy and those little cards with Valentine’s Day puns. Valentine’s Day has never been the same since, but I have since found another way of celebrating Valentine’s Day, even without a significant other. The day after Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to go to different stores and visit their clearance section. If not the day after, anytime after Feb. 14 is ideal. The clearance section is our best friend during holiday times. It provides a warm, comforting and better yet discounted atmosphere. It is the place to be, as chocolates, stuffed animals, candy and even baking goods all go on sale during this time of the year. I remember going to Walgreens on a random day in late March and there still being Valentine’s Day candy at ridiculously discounted prices.

CAMPUS COPE IS A STUDENT ADVICE COLUMN AIMED TO PROVIDE INSIGHT ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS PERTAINING TO DAILY LIFE.

Now, you may be thinking,“I don’t want all these chocolates, candies or baked goods right now,” but most chocolate (like Hershey’s Kisses, which you are bound to find on clearance) expire in approximately 11 months. That gives you more than enough time to eat the chocolate on your own time or gift to friends on birthdays or special occasions. As for the baking goods, if you are a baker or have any friends who bake, buying these items and gifting them is a proactive measure for when TikTok’s trends rise up. The chocolate covered strawberry trend happening right now will probably start up again next year, and having supplies would be nice! Some stores that would be good places to keep an eye out for are Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid. Local stores might also have their designated clearance section, but the stores I mentioned earlier are stores that I know for a fact will have Valentine’s Day items on sale based on personal experience. My sibling has a birthday a few days after the holiday, and I have

always managed to find his favorite chocolates on sale. This year, I will look for items to treat myself with my favorite chocolate and maybe even buy some baking supplies. In addition to chocolate and candies, some other items to look out for are flowers. If you love flowers, such as roses, they will most likely be discounted depending on which stores you visit. You don’t need to wait for a significant other to buy you flowers when you can buy them for yourself. They’re beautiful, smell good and are on sale for a discounted price. You can buy them and keep them for yourself or gift them to family members. Although society has seemingly made us believe one can only celebrate this day with a significant other, it is also okay to go out and treat yourself. Especially now during a global pandemic, if buying discounted chocolate products make you happy (like it does to me), then go out and find those deals! The clearance section is our best friend, and who knows, you might just find H me there too. ■

Embracing love made easy by the womxn of APSP

APSP’S GIRL TALK UNFILTERED OFFERED A SAFE, RELAXING SPACE FOR WOMXN TO CHAT ABOUT NAVIGATING LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS. MADISON RHEINS Opinions Editor

The Asian Pacific Student Program (APSP) took full advantage of the love that was in the air on Wednesday, Feb. 10, with “Girl Talk: Unfiltered.” During this event, womxn not only learned more about themselves through the different love languages, but they were also able to take part in a lighthearted conversation regarding dating and relationships. “Womxn” is used by intersectional feminists to avoid perceived sexism in the standard spelling of “women” and to explicitly include transgender women and nonbinary people. As a result, the womxn were encouraged to feel safe and comfortable sharing their stories, which made for an exciting night. The event started with coordinators Esther Kim, Melissa Wong, Angelica Juhaina Habeebulla and Nia Tulifau breaking the ice by introducing the topic of love languages and how they affect different people and their relationships. While a Zoom call for this type of event may feel awkward, the coordinators of “Girl Talk” did an excellent job making introductions feel personal and safe. After everyone spoke, Esther explained the five different love languages — physical touch, acts of service, words of affirmation, gift giving or quality time — and how they were developed by Gary Chapman in order to help people in relationships better understand each other.

Following this, the womxn were given an interactive opportunity to take a quiz in order to determine their own individual love languages. Once everyone had their respective results, Kim then showed a video with a breakdown of what each language meant. This way, participants were given the opportunity to learn about each language and gain insight about themselves in the process. When the video came to an end, each participant took turns sharing their love language, and it was interesting to hear how most people shared love very differently from how they preferred to receive love. A majority of the womxn agreed that they all liked to receive love through quality time, physical touch and words of affirmation. However, in regards to giving love, many of the participants preferred physical touch or words of affirmation. Additionally, the participants explained that love does not always have to be from a romantic partner and that these love languages can apply to friends and family as well. The productive conversation of love languages made the event more inclusive and encouraged us all to talk more about relationships and dating. The discussion seamlessly shifted into how each womxn interpreted dating. In this portion of the event, the womxn were encouraged to share their opinions on the difference between dating and more serious

relationships. The consensus among everyone was that dating does not have to be labeled and that it could be more casual, whereas a relationship is more exclusive. Nonetheless, labels and relationships mean nothing if communication is not present. This sentiment was shared with all participants, and it was agreed that consistent communication with your partner is a musthave. The event concluded itself with everyone sharing their own relationship stories, starting with Kim sharing how she met her husband. Offering hope that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, Kim explained, “Meeting the right person means a million valentines forever.” At this, all of the participants were given a bit of optimism and comfort in the fact that being single is okay and that we will all meet the person we were meant to be with all along. Seeing so much hope among the participants when it came to finding their soulmates someday reinforced the importance of love, regardless of its form. “Girl Talk: Unfiltered” was a very important and insightful event that connected all the participants through the experience of finding, giving and receiving love. It was a perfect way to kick off Valentine’s Day weekend and encouraged the participants to welcome H love into their lives with open arms.■

10 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Highlander Lo By: Amani Mahmoud,

lizabeth Ha and James House are both current UCR students. Ha recalled that once during the spring, they had a picnic in front of the Arts Building and ate lunch together. “It was really beautiful outside and the sun was shining right on us. It was the best day,” Ha recalled.

ELIZABETH HA - SECOND-YEAR, BUSINESS MAJOR JAMES HOUSE - THIRD-YEAR, HISTORY MAJOR COURTESY OF ELIZABETH HA AND JAMES HOUSE

oth current UCR students, Eljohn Dela Cruz and Kathleen Matulac recalled many cute moments they shared at UCR as a couple. They had study dates at Orbach Library and the Lothian Residence Halls. They also used to sing together in the Lothian piano rooms. They would often grab lunch together at the HUB or grab boba at Ding Tea, 7 Leaves and Sharetea. The couple also often enjoyed picnics at Sycamore Highlands Park together and would go on what they called weekly “Sundate Sundays.” Dela Cruz fondly remembers serenading Matulac at Katipunan PSO, a Pilipino and Pilipino-American cultural organization at UCR.

ELJOHN DELA CRUZ - FOURTH-YEAR, BIOLOGY MAJOR KATHLEEN MATULAC - FOURTH-YEAR, SOCIOLOGY MAJOR, EDUCATION MINOR COURTESY OF ELJOHN DELA CRUZ AND KATHLEEN MATULAC

ariela Rivera and Kevin Sanchez met at UCR when they were both hallmates in AI on floor E3E. They quickly became super close. Rivera recalled many of the cute moments they shared together at UCR. They would both eat Subway for lunch every Friday and would do their homework together throughout the week at Coffee Bean. They have dated for the entire four years they have been at UCR.

MARIELA RIVERA - FOURTH-YEAR, SUSTAINABILITY MAJOR KEVIN SANCHEZ - FOURTH-YEAR, POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR COURTESY OF MARIELA RIVERA AND KEVIN SANCHEZ

iara Gardea recalls her favorite memories with her significant other at UCR. Gardea’s favorite memories include going on coffee dates in between classes, dates at the Botanical Garden and attending UCR concerts together.

KIARA GARDEA - FOURTH-YEAR, BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS MAJOR SAMSON AVENA - FOURTH-YEAR, CELL, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY MAJOR COURTESY OF KIARA GARDEA SAMSON AVENA

lsia D’Carpio and Sohan Manchireddy met during fall quarter of their junior year. She stated that they met through a mutual friend they shared since their freshman year. During the fall quarter of her junior year, D’Carpio had a class in INTN that ended at 9 p.m. and she didn’t want to walk to her car alone at night. While he wasn’t in her class, she asked him if he could walk her to her car one night, even though it would be out of his way. She stated, “Every week for the entire quarter he picked me up and took me to Taco Bell knowing I was hungry. Finally one night, he told me he really liked me and that I should give him a chance — that if I did, I wouldn’t regret it. Three years later, I can honestly say that I have not had any regrets.”

ELISA D’CARPIO - ALUMNI CLASS OF 2019, PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR SOHAN MANCHIREDDY - ALUMNI CLASS OF 2019, BIOLOGY MAJOR COURTESY OF ELISA D’CARPIO SOHAN MANCHIREDDY

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

FEATURES

ove Stories

UCR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SHARE THEIR HIGHLANDER LOVE STORIES.

Editor-in-Chief

oth fourth years and both education and liberal studies majors at UCR, Anney Lin and Moses Lee have been dating since 2017. They met each other through the Class of 2021 Facebook page during their freshman year.

ANNEY LIN - FOURTH-YEAR, EDUCATION AND LIBERAL STUDIES MAJOR MOSES LEE - FOURTH YEAR, EDUCATION AND LIBERAL STUDIES MAJOR COURTESY OF ANNEY LIN AND MOSES LEE

ictorio Osio and Skyler McBride met in line at Winter Soulstice 2020. They plan to stream Winter Soulstice together this year. Osio recalled that they once had a late-night tennis date at the SRC, went on many late-night walks on campus and hiked to the “C.” Osio noted that despite the pandemic, they have still remained together.

VICTORIA OSIO - THIRD-YEAR, POLITICAL SCIENCE/ADMINISTRATION MAJOR SKYLER MCBRIDE - THIRD-YEAR, PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR COURTESY OF VICTORIA OSIO SKYLER MCBRIDE

nahis Valenzuela and Collin Ross both met each other when they both worked at the Market at Glen Mor. They worked there together for two years.

ANAHIS VALENZUELA - FOURTH-YEAR, PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR COLLIN ROSS - ALUMNI CLASS OF 2020, MICROBIOLOGY MAJOR COURTESY OF ANAHIS VALENZUELA AND COLLIN ROSS

“M

y boyfriend didn’t know me yet but he told me he instantly fell in love with me,” stated Hannah Abad. She stated that after she sang a Filipino song called “Kailangan Ko’y Lkaw,” which translates to “I need you,” her boyfriend, Jom Mapa, immediately fell in love with her.

HANNAH ABAD - THIRD-YEAR, SOCIOLOGY MAJOR JOM MAPA - THIRD-YEAR, MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MAJOR COURTESY OF HANNAH ABAD AND JOM MAPA

ummaya Khugyani and Shawn Heavlin-Martinez met during Khugyani’s third year at UCR. Since they met, the couple hasn’t spent many days apart. In 2019, they went to their first big event together as a couple when they attended the Students for Justice in Palestine gala and the first time they revealed they were an exclusive couple to their friends. “It was funny, for some reason I was just so nervous. But when we saw our friends, I grabbed Shawn’s hand and we walked into the room together hand in hand.” Now married, Khughyani reflected that the night after they got engaged, they went to the Glen Mor soccer field to watch their friends play soccer. Khugyani fondly expressed, “He is the best person I could ever ask for in my life. He is such a blessing. I am so grateful to have such a kind, caring, loving and compassionate husband.” ■H

SUMMAYA KHUGYANI - FIFTH-YEAR, BIOLOGY MAJOR SHAWN HEAVLIN-MARTINEZ, UCR ALUMNI CLASS OF 2020, HISTORY MAJOR

COURTESY OF SUMMAYA KHUGYANI AND SHAWN HEAVLINMARTINEZ

10 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Radar

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’ deploys unrealistic details that take away from the romance of the trilogy

SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

The final installment in the “To All the Boys” trilogy has finally been released on Netflix, just in time for Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day viewings. As it stands, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever” is the weakest of the three movies. With convoluted visuals and a deviation from the original premise of the novels that glosses over many impactful points, the rom-com will surely check off every Hollywood trope, but it will leave faithful fans of the book series disappointed. One of the largest deviations from the book was location — the novel was set somewhere on the East Coast while the movie is set in California. Although not an obvious point of contention, this slight change affects plot points and removes depth from the original storyline. In the book, Lara Jean Song Covey’s (Lana Condor) top choice in college was the University of Virginia (UVA), in part because Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) was going there on a lacrosse scholarship, but largely because her deceased mother attended school there. Lara Jean’s status as a biracial Asian woman is something that is present throughout the entire book trilogy, as is her complicated feelings toward her father’s love interest. This depth is something the movie couldn’t replicate, and that significantly impacts the profundity. Instead, Lara Jean rarely mentions her mother, and UVA is replaced by one of the most cliche college choices

in movie history: Stanford and New York University. This choice is just one of the many unrealistic aspects of the film. One of the most infuriating moments of the movie is Lara Jean and Gen’s (Emilija Baranac) newfound friendship; in the book, the girls are cordial toward each other, but barely tolerate the other. In the film, they are practically best friends, asking each other for advice and extending invites to parties. This would be a great choice by the film’s director were the transition not so stark between films or had it been more thoroughly developed; it could have been a mature step for two young women who realize that a love interest doesn’t have to come between them. Instead, it is obviously an attempt to cover the film with a perfect Hollywood sheen that leaves no room for rivalries. Lara Jean is understandably insecure about Peter’s friendship with his long term ex-girlfriend, just as Gen is understandably hurt by watching her boyfriend of half a decade move on. These feelings could have created a more interesting plot line that would have resonated with the audience better. Instead, their complicated relationship is replaced by a hollow show of camaraderie. The visuals aren’t much better. The last film, “P.S. I Still Love You,” had incredible cinematography and transitioned between seasons seamlessly. “Always and Forever,” on the other hand, begins the movie by placing the Song Covey sisters in a Cafe Yeonnamdong 223-14, a cafe that looks

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

DEVIATING FROM THE NOVEL AND SUGARCOATING PLOTLINES BEYOND COMPREHENSION DON’T PREVENT THE CENTRAL ROMANCE FROM STANDING OUT.

like it’s made of 2D materials. The director bounces off the 2D quality of the cafe, and every transition scene is drawn out on paper, sometimes alternating between animation and just script on a piece of paper that cuts from one scene to the other. The changes are jarring and lazy — it seems as though the director did not have enough imagination to cut to different locations or times other than simply move an animated paper airplane. One of the only redeeming qualities of the film is that it sticks to its rom-com structure. It doesn’t concern itself with Lara Jean’s internal struggle to stay faithful to her mom, and although it touches upon Peter’s complicated relationship with his father in passing, it mostly focuses on the couple. The two are complicated enough as it is, but by developing their relationship throughout, the film hones in on Centineo and Condor’s incredible chemistry. It manages to capture the nuanced moments of a relationship — the moments where your pride wins out in a fight or when you share a moment so intimate that it makes your heart somersault. Although this directorial decision obviously comes with its downsides, it creates enough mindless entertainment that this rom-com has the H potential to be among other cult classics. ■

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

VERDICT:

To its detriment, the film closes off every plot point with a neat bow that removes profundity from the beloved book series. However, by focusing on the romance between Lara Jean and Peter, it manages to give the audience a chemistry-filled love story sure to entertain for Valentine’s Day.

‘Space Sweepers:’ An immersive watch that takes you on an out of the world experience COURTESY OF NETFLIX

JASHANPREET MALHI Staff Writer

With its infinite nature and endless possibilities, space has been a central point for several films, such as the legendary “Star Wars” saga. Adding to the list is Korea’s recent sci-fi film, “Space Sweepers.” Intended to be a theatrical release, “Space Sweepers’’ was recently delivered on Netflix and has already won audiences’ hearts by topping Netflix’s charts in multiple regions. The film supasses itself with not only brilliant performances and captivating scenes, but also delivers on powerful themes. Taking place in 2092 and due to Earth’s inevitable ecological deterioration, the ambiguous UTS organization builds a new home for selected citizens in space. The powerful corporation is led by James Sullivan (Richard Armitage), the antagonist who desires to abandon Earth for good. The dystopian film follows a crew aboard the spaceship, Victory, as they face distinct financial struggles. The crew encounters Dorothy (Park Ye-Rin), a highly dangerous young girl believed to be a robot capable of destroying anything in her vicinity. Dorothy is taken hostage as the crew capitalizes on this opportunity to exchange her for ransom. However, there is a change in plans when the crew

becomes close with Dorothy and embarks on a mission to save both her and human civilization from utter annihilation. The film incorporates a smooth plot that possesses a balance between actionpacked, amusing and emotional scenes without going off on any tangents. It effectively depicts the story in three stages: the crew’s miserable life, their journey in exchanging Dorothy for a price and saving Earth. In the midst of these stages, the plot effortlessly includes several warm scenes that draw the crew closer to Dorothy’s wholesome nature. Early on in the film, it seems the crew has no intention of saving the world, but the well laid out plot gradually urges the crew to do the right thing. The plot leaves the audience craving for more when it seems that everyone has achieved their “happy ending,” but more events are to unfold. CGI may be too over the top and haphazard in some films, but “Space Sweepers” makes excellent use of it, curating a futuristic realm. With its droid soldiers posing challenges to the Victory crew’s mission, “Space Sweepers” mirrors a “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”-like universe. Moreover, the graphics applied on the spaceships as they rapidly travel through space make the audience feel as though it’s partaking in a video game. The use of CGI is impeccable, as it shows how progressive the advanced alternate reality is from the

hopeless, dying Earth and makes the divide between the two spheres realistic. In regards to acting, each character embodies unique personalities that make the Victory crew well rounded. The crew leader, Captain Jang, (Kim Tae-ri) is a free-spirited woman known for her intelligence that is put to the test with Earth’s impending doom. Tiger Park (Jin Seon-kyu), an outlaw, relinquishes his tough demeanor that is dissolved when he connects with Dorothy. Bubs (voiced by Yoo Hai-jin), the crew’s robot, creates a lighthearted aura with her sarcasm that is sure to make anyone laugh. Furthermore, the film fleshes out the characters as their backstory is given and utilized to develop the characters. For example, Tae-ho (Song Joong-ki) loses his daughter and utilizes excellent facial expressions that develop sympathy in the audience. He evolves from viewing Dorothy as a financial opportunity to shielding her from any harm. Thus, the film is complimented by the crew’s distinct traits and stories. Being a foreign language film, it also exhibits a diverse cast, as some lines are delivered in a range of languages, from Arabic to Spanish, which make the film more authentic. Other than saving the world, “Space Sweepers” delivers themes that focus on prevalent real-world issues. In showcasing Earth as an inhospitable home, the film calls attention to human activities that

JOIN A GROUP OF MISFITS IN THIS MASTERPIECE AS THEY UNDERGO A LIFE-CHANGING MISSION.

harm the environment. Parallel to real human actions, morality is also explored as the crew faces a dilemma of renouncing their selfish endeavors to protect Dorothy. Thus, “Space Sweepers” is more than just a sci-fi film, as it makes one think about whether they would sacrifice their wishes for the greater good. “Space Sweepers’’ is a visually stunning film that brilliantly utilizes CGI to transport the audience into another world. The film excellently executes its plot by providing an engaging sequence of events and manages to effectively relay vital backstories of the characters. Each character radiates in their respective manners, as they each have opposite personalities that bolster their relationship. What sets “Space Sweepers’’ apart from other films are its themes of humanity and kindness that go deeper than other sci-fi elements. It definitely checks all the boxes with its remarkable cast, storyline and immersive use of GCI that H goes above and beyond. ■

VERDICT:

The film is sure to be a top favorite for not just sci-fi lovers, but for everyone with its exhilarating adventure and riveting use of CGI. “Space Sweepers” is a huge triumph for Korean cinema with its outstanding performances and heartwarming themes.

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Stardom and freedom clash in “Framing Britney Spears” AMANI MAHMOUD Editor-in-Chief

“Framing Britney Spears,” The New York Times’ newest installment of its “New York Times Presents” series, explores Spears’ rise to fame, the way the media treated her downfall as a sport and the ensuing court-mandated conservatorship overseen by her father, Jamie Spears. The Samantha Stark directed documentary offers a thought-provoking and harrowing look into the media’s malicious and misogynistic treatment of Britney Spears — also calling into focus the torment the media inflicted on countless other celebrity women in an attempt to create scandal and drama. The FX and Hulu documentary lays bare how the misogyny and torment from the tabloid media led Spears, a 39-year-old woman with agency, to wind up constrained to a legal conservatorship that has stripped away her freedom. It opens with an introduction to the #FreeBritney movement, a cry from her fans to release Spears from the conservatorship that she has legally been under since 2008. She was placed under the conservatorship after her alleged “breakdown” the previous year, where she divorced her then husband Kevin Federline, who won custody of her two sons, then infamously shaved her head and smashed the window of a paparazzo’s car. After she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Spears’ father, and attorney Andrew Wallet were granted a conservatorship of her approximately $60 million fortune. After offering a brief introduction to the #FreeBritney movement, the documentary goes back and chronologically details how Spears has gotten to this moment. It particularly and importantly details how Spears was objectified and sexualized at a young age by adults.The media and public were inappropriately obsessed with her virginity, and this intrusiveness intensified after her split from Justin Timberlake, who she dated from 1999 to 2002. Their breakup sparked an intense level of scrutiny into Spears’

life, advancing a narrative that women such as Spears were out of control. The documentary artfully theorizes that Spears’ breakdown wasn’t what the media made it out to seem. While the media painted Spears out to be hysterical, crazy and a bad mother, The New York Times skillfully chronicles how Spears was made out to be a sex symbol at a very young age, packaged into the box of a sex icon that she never asked to be in and then condemned for the very thing the public made her out to be. “I’m tired of everybody touching me,” Spears lamented after she infamously shaved her head. The documentary clues viewers in on what has tormented Spears throughout her career — hounded mercilessly by the tabloids who never once reflected on their own role in Spears’ downward spiral. “Framing Britney Spears” is meticulous in how it illustrates what may have led to Spears’ alleged fall from grace. It weaves in interviews Spears was subjected to, in which the media sexualized and tormented her for years. At just 10 years old she was asked by host Ed McMahon on “Star Search” if she has a boyfriend. In one interview, the interviewer tells a 17-year-old Spears that everyone is talking about her breasts. In another interview, Diane Sawyer asks Spears, “What happened to your clothes?” By exposing how the media catapulted misogyny and sexim directed at Spears, the New York Times shrewdly provides a heartbreaking look into the way Spears was treated by the media. Stark intelligently illustrates the culture of toxic misogyny that pervaded the early 2000’s and pushed Spears to her breaking point. The documentary allows viewers to understand Spears’ behavior in a different lens. With the knowledge we have now and with the diminished tabloid culture, we can recognize the possible emotional distress the star was under. “Framing Britney Spears” conveys how society has progressed when it comes to de-stigmatizing mental illness, but it also starkly highlights just how cruel the treatment Spears received at the hands of the media was.

The New York Times documentary also details the conservatorship Spears is under straightforwardly for viewers. By interviewing attorneys and journalists, The New York Times succeeds in highlighting not only what a conservatorship is but allows viewers to critique why she is in a conservatorship in the first place. Stark thoughtfully outlines not only the flaws in the conservator system, but how her father’s control over her finances, estate, medical decisions and career has further taken away Spears’ agency. While the conservatorship has been argued by her father to keep Spears’ best interest at heart, the documentary argues the opposite. It allows the audience to scrutinize the conservatorship in a different light and discern that it has left her vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. Despite being deemed unfit to manage her own estate, Spears made a career comeback with her 2008 album, “Circus,” and went on to release more albums, tour and star in a year-long Las Vegas residency. While conservatorships are put in place for people who are unable to make their own decisions or are mentally incapacitated, Spears is shown working consistently throughout her conservatorship. Spears has publicly moved for her father to be removed from his conservator role, and The New York Times skillfully offers a thought-provoking look into how necessary her conservatorship is and whether her father being in charge of her career, finances and mental decisions H is a form of exploitation and manipulation.■

COURTESY OF HULU

A return to form for Kevin Smith with the announcement of ‘Clerks III’

ROBERT GOLD Contributing Writer

“Clerks III” has the opportunity to be a great film if Kevin Smith as a director can rediscover his touch. There are a few indie character-driven films like “Clerks I,” “Clerks II,” “Dogma” and “Chasing Amy” that show off Smith’s greatest talents as a writer-director. Smith’s minimalist aesthetic is what made films like “Mallrats” cult classics, and thus, bigger is not always better. Smith’s films at their core are character-driven stories. Films like “Chasing Amy” are a great example of Smith’s hidden ability to write great dialogue and great character dynamics. The secret of every good film is heart, and Smith knows how to make us fall in love with his protagonists. Bigger is not always better.

COURTESY OF MIRAMAX FILMS

Kevin Smith was great when he had a small budget. Nowadays, Smith’s films, like “Yoga Hosers” and “Moose Jaws”, are plotdriven monster flicks with big budgets. With recent films like “Yoga Hosers” having bigger budgets than his older films like “Chasing Amy,” Smith’s newer films tend to feel as if he’s just throwing money at projects with less worry about whether or not the film itself provides anything of substance. Money cannot fix a bad script. A film stands on the merits of its creative quality, not it’s budgetary quantity. “Yoga Hosers” had a $5 million budget, as opposed to “Chasing Amy,” which was filmed on a budget of a quarter of a million dollars. The only major difference is that “Chasing Amy” made 48 times what it cost to make, while

nobody went to go see “Yoga Hosers.” One is a macrocosm tale and one is a microcosm tale. Both films are by the same writer-director, yet one is plot-driven while the other is character-driven. Films don’t need to be bigger, better, budgetary, expensive and flashy to be quality. They just need to be quality, and that problem lies in the dialogue and the character dynamics. “Yoga Hosers” has no heart and tries to squeak by with little to no character development, relying almost entirely on the plot to drive the story forward, whereas “Chasing Amy” is driven by the relationship between Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams and squeaks by with little to no plot whatsoever. You don’t always need a big “the universe is going to explode”

plot to bring people in. “Clerks II” works because it returned us to a more minimalistic form of storytelling that Smith is good at. It includes just three characters who fill the traditional comedy film trio: our moral protagonist, our love interest and our foul mouthed side kick. This trope has been used in plenty of films, from “Fight Club” to “Superbad.” It’s the comedy format that worked for all of Kevin Smith’s early works before he went off the rails with big-concept nightmares like “Tusk,” “Red State,” “Jersey Girl,” “Zack & Mindi,” “Yoga Hosers” and “Jay & Silent Bob I and II.” Comedy is a great tool for character building. “Chasing Amy” is a film about two people falling in love. But the film works because Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams all connect to each other by making each other laugh. Not only does this actually work on a character building level, it’s genuinely entertaining because we’re laughing too. Laughter bonds our characters to one another and to us. In this way, characters don’t always have to be likable, just interesting. I like Joey Lauren Adams as Amy because she’s interesting and makes me laugh,

“FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS” OFFERS A THOUGHTPROVOKING LOOK ON THE TABLOID AND MEDIA CULTURE THAT HARASSED CELEBRITY WOMEN FOR YEARS.

VERDICT:

“Framing Britney Spears” compellingly sheds light on how the misogyny, sexualization and harassment she faced at the hands of the media and public led her to lose complete control of her life.

THE LOW BUDGET INDIE CHARACTERDRIVEN FILMS OF SMITH’S EARLY CAREER ARE WHAT WE WANT FOR ‘CLERKS III’. but she’s breaking Affleck’s heart all the way, so I want to hate her. Thus, comedy can be the ultimate bridge builder between the fictional things happening on the screen and the patient audience member folded out on the couch 10 feet away. The secret of every good film is heart. This means you can’t be so slapstick that we don’t take your universe or your plot seriously, and you can’t be so serious that you bore us to tears. Most of Kevin Smith’s big concept plot-driven films become so over-enveloped in their own macrocosm, they forget to include Smith’s witty dialogue, clever quibs, and three-dimensional interesting characters. Kevin Smith is a great filmmaker. His sense of dialogue, heart, comedy and character building is beyond what most directors are capable of. But since “Clerks II” in 2006, Smith has increased his budgets and tried to tell much more macrocosm plot driven stories. Hopefully, “Clerks III” can be a return to form for Smith that utilizes his amazing dialogue, writing skills and his innate talent for microcosmic, minimalistic and H character-driven storytelling. ■

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR men’s basketball team get a blowout win against UC Irvine HANSEL CHU Contributing Writer

The UCR men’s basketball team got a dominating win against UC Irvine (UCI) thanks to a 3-point clinic by the Highlanders. Both UCI and UCR were 5-2 in conference play going into the game. With the win today, UC Riverside jumped to second in the Big West Conference Standings and defeated UCI for the first time in six years. The Highlanders jumped out to an early 7-0 start in the opening minutes, forcing Irvine to quickly call a timeout. The timeout proved to be in vain, as UCR continued their early onslaught with a 18-5 lead within the first seven minutes of the game. By the halfway point in the first half, the Highlanders were up by 15, 22-7, and held the Anteater offense to 30% from the field and forced 4 turnovers. “We really just tried to protect the paint as best we could and come in waves with our big men,” said Head Coach Mike Magpayo when asked about the defensive gameplan coming into this game. “That was a big emphasis for us all week.” Irvine started to gain some traction as they cut the lead to 22-14; however, UCR stopped any momentum from the Anteaters by going on a quick 7-0 run thanks to a 3-pointer from redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom and a layup from sophomore guard Zyon Pullin to extend the Highlander lead back up to 29-14. As the first half started to wind down, Pullin finished a layup plus the foul to give the Highlanders a 41-28 lead going into the locker room. Pullin led the Highlanders with 12 points and 2

A 3 POINT BARRAGE FROM THE HIGHLANDERS PROVED TOO MUCH FOR THE ANTEATERS

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

steals at the half, while Chidom contributed 8 points and 4 rebounds as well. UCR also shot a blistering 59.3% from the field while holding the Anteaters to only 34.4% from the field. In the second half, the Highlanders continued their offensive onslaught, as a 3-pointer from redshirt senior guard Dominick Pickett extended the lead to 17, bringing the score to 49-32. UCR also intensified their defense, as they forced 2 quick turnovers off of their full court trap, which resulted in easy baskets for the Highlanders and ballooned the lead to 57-34. The story of the second half was the 3-point shooting for the Highlanders, as they

drained nine 3-pointers in the second half on 50% of their 3-point attempts. A 3-pointer from freshman guard Wil Tattersall at the halfway point in the second half gave the Highlanders the largest lead of the game, 66-38. “You know we always want to fight for rhythm 3s in our offense and we don’t play anyone that doesn’t have a license to shoot a catch and shoot in rhythm,” said Magpayo when asked about 3-point barrage in this game. With 5 minutes left in the game, redshirt senior center Jock Perry put the exclamation point by draining a deep 3-pointer as UCR won 86-65. Pickett led the Highlanders with a

career high 22 points, including six 3-pointers. Perry also had 16 points with three 3-pointers. Chidom contributed with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals and Pullin chipped in with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. UCR finished the game with 14 3-pointers on 54% from 3-point attempts. They also forced Irvine to commit 13 turnovers, which translated to 21 points off of turnovers for the Highlanders. The Highlanders improve their record to 9-4 and look to continue their hot streak against UC San Diego next Friday, Feb. 19, and next Saturday, Feb. H 20. ■

UCR men’s basketball team lose a tough defensive game against UC Irvine HANSEL CHU Contributing Writer

UCR’s (9-5, 5-3) men’s basketball team lost a tough match against UC Irvine (UCI) 67-73, whose conference record stands at 11-7, 7-3. The Highlanders were unable to get stops and scores down the stretch. Coming off of a blowout win 24 hours beforehand, UCI seeked to get their revenge against the Highlanders with a comeback win. With the loss, UCR dropped down to the fourth seed in the Big West Conference standings. The Highlanders jumped out to an early 9-4 lead thanks to 7 early points from redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom. However, UCI learned from their mistakes after yesterday’s blowout loss and kept the game close throughout the first half. A jumper from Irvine’s guard Andre Henry tied the game 14-14 before a 3-pointer from redshirt senior center Jock Perry gave the lead back to the Highlanders 17-14 at the halfway point in the first half. The Highlanders were unable to contain Irvine’s star Collin Welp, who exploded with 15 points for the first half, carrying the Anteater offense. A turnaround jumper from Welp gave UCI the lead 23-21 with 2:30 to go in the first half, forcing Head Coach Mike Magpayo to call a timeout. With the first half coming to an end, redshirt senior guard Dominick Pickett finished a layup plus the foul to give UCR the lead 31-27. The Anteaters responded by going on a little run to end the first half, as a layup from Welp tied the game at 35 apiece, but a couple possessions later, Chidom sank a 3-pointer to give UCR the lead 39-35 at halftime. Chidom led the way with 10 points and 4 rebounds, while junior guard Flynn Cameron contributed

with 7 points and 5 rebounds. Coming out of the second half, the Highlanders went on a quick 5-0 run to extend the lead to 44-35 thanks to a layup from Chidom and a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Zyon Pullin. However, UCI responded with a massive 11-0 run to retake the lead 44-46 before a jumper from Chidom tied the game back up to 46 apiece. Both teams continued to trade baskets throughout the second half, as neither team seemed to gain control of the game. A corner 3-pointer from senior guard George Willborn III gave UCR the lead 56-52 before Welp responded with a 3-pointer to bring the game back to 56-55 at the halfway point of the second half. A layup from Irvine’s guard Dawson Baker regave the lead back to the Anteaters 56-58, and a 3-pointer from guard Jeron Artest extended the Irvine lead to 5, 5661. The Highlanders responded with a 3-pointer from freshman guard Wil Tattersall and a pair of made free throws from Pullin to tie the game back up 6161. Down the stretch however, UCR was unable to get stops and scores, which allowed Welp to take over the game for Irvine. A layup from Welp gave UCI the lead 61-63, and a critical 3-pointer from guard Isaiah Lee extended the Anteater lead 61-66 with less than 4 minutes left in the game. Chidom responded with a 3-pointer to inch the Highlanders back 6466. Welp answered back with a devastating fadeaway jumper to increase the lead 6468 with two minutes to go. “He made a couple huge 3s on blown coverages. He’s a player of the year candidate and respect to him he kicked our butts,” said Magpayo when asked about Welp’s performance. UCR went on a drought in the last two minutes of the

game, and a made free throw from Welp sealed the game as the Highlanders lost 6773. “When you get outrebounded by 15 you will lose … We really never got our feet settled in defensively, something we pride ourselves in,” said Magpayo when asked about what went wrong down the stretch. Chidom led the way for the Highlanders with 17 points and 5 rebounds, and Pickett chipped in with 10 points and 5 rebounds. However, the Highlander defense allowed Welp to score 27 points and grab 13 rebounds, which proved detrimental in this tight game. The Highlanders drop their record to 9-5 and look to bounce back against UC San Diego next Friday, Feb. 19, and next H Saturday, Feb. 20. ■

THE HIGHLANDERS COLLAPSE DOWN THE STRETCH, ENDING THEIR 3 GAME WIN STREAK.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Sports

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

► FROM CANCELLATION

news is our guys have gotten very accustomed to remaining agile this season,” Magpayo said in an interview with The Highlander. He went on to state, “The only thing that’s guaranteed this year is that nothing is promised so we really take a grateful approach to every practice and every game when presented.” The extra weekend gave the

SPORTS

Highlanders more time to prepare for what was supposed to be their hardest opponent so far, the UC Irvine (UCI) Anteaters, scheduled for Feb. 13 and 14. UCI is the top rebounding team in the Big West with an average of 39.1 rebounds per game, they are also second in offensive rebounding with an average of 11.7. With the Big West postseason conference tournament just around the corner, scheduled for March 9 to 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Magpayo and the

UCR women’s basketball team cancel their series against UC Irvine scheduled for Feb. 13 and 14 THE OUTCOMES OF THE NON-CONFERENCE SERIES PLAYED ON JAN. 8 AND 9 NOW COUNT TOWARDS THE CONFERENCE STANDINGS.

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

UCR’s women’s basketball team was originally scheduled to play against UC Irvine (UCI) this weekend before both teams mutually agreed to cancel the series. Both teams had faced off a month prior after both UCR’s opponent, the University of Hawaii, and UCI’s opponent, UC Davis, canceled due to COVID-19-related reasons. “We agreed to move the games up because we both had time to play on that earlier weekend,” said Head Coach Nicole Powell. “It made sense because of how much uncertainty there was with COVID-19 cancellations at the time, so we thought if we had a chance to play, why not play early?” The Highlanders split the series against Irvine. Winning Game 1 in a show of force 63-45, the Anteaters bounced back for Game 2, 60-62. With these outcomes added to the Big West Conference standings, UCR is now tied for wins and losses 5-5 in the conference standing in sixth place, right behind the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs. When asked about what they are doing with the extra time, Coach Powell said the team remains focused on improvement. “This week we are continuing to practice our normal schedule. Specifically, we are focused on getting better. We just didn’t have games,” said Powell. Despite their conference record of 5-5, the Highlanders have been performing significantly well. With an overall record of 7-7, UCR has knocked out big name teams, most notably, the University of Southern California. Coach Powell expressed her pride in the

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021

team hope to see how they measure up against the two-time defending conference champions. “We will push forward towards our ultimate goal of constant growth and being our best selves as we enter the Big West Conference tournament,” said Magpayo. UCR won the first game against the Anteaters 86-65 and may have a chance to sweep Irvine and win the second game, leaving them in second place in

the conference standings just under UC Santa Barbara. The Highlanders have a conference record of 5-2, and after last night’s game, the Anteaters have a record of 6-3. “We just try to stay tough, stay the course,” Magpayo said in an interview with the Orange County Register. He went on to state, “We’ve taken that approach. And be grateful for every day of practice and every game.”■ H

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team’s ability to keep improving despite the constant uncertainty this season. “The thing I am most proud of with this team is our growth,” said Powell. She went on to state that this has been an extremely challenging season with all the uncertainty, the pandemic, playing back-to-back games in conference, having last-minute cancellations and rescheduling.. She stated, “This is ultimately something that every team is going through.” The Highlanders remain focused on improving their ball game, especially with the Big West Conference tournament just around the corner. Scheduled to take place between March 9 through March 13, they hope to garner more wins to place themselves in the best position before the postseason event. “All we can do each week is try and improve. A week ago we had some starters down with an injury and it created some opportunity for our bench to develop, we are building off of that,” said Powell. Coach Powell remains confident in her team and recognized their efforts both on and off the court. “I am proud of the little things, how well we are doing with our online classes, not having their normal flow, being severely isolated, honestly. It’s just not a normal college experience. My players have had a lot to deal with but I think they’ve done it well. I’m proud of them on the basketball side of things for staying focused and giving a great effort,” she stated. The women’s team is scheduled to play this coming weekend Feb. 20 and 21 against UC San Diego in the Student H Recreation Center.■

RYAN POON / THE HIGHLANDER