Volume 66 Issue 12

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

est. 1954

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

VOL. 66, ISSUE 12

RENOVATIONS TO SURGE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

NEWS IN BRIEF

UCR carjacking suspect arrested On Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 3:05 p.m., UCPD sent a mass text message to UCR students warning of two attempted carjackings by a suspect in the Bannockburn area. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male about 25 years old with a shaved head wearing a blue, striped shirt.

Inland Empire economy ends 2017 on a high note

CHLOE FLORES / HIGHLANDER

ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer

Ongoing renovations since Dec. 27 to the Surge building have continued into the new year, as campus architectural planners and officials seek to upgrade the building’s exterior and enhance insulation materials for safety and maintenance reasons. Construction teams, headed by project manager Fernando Nunez of UCR Architects and Engineers,

seek to replace old, delaminated exterior tiles with new, weather-resistant ones in order to extend the building’s lifespan and mitigate possible structural safety concerns. The current exterior of the Surge building had been showing signs of wear due to weather and climate conditions, according to Nunez. This damage would represent a running risk in the future and could only be remedied by replacing the old exterior with more weather-resistant

materials. “The purpose of the renovation is to address the delamination of the existing exterior tiles and remedy any exposure the building may have to future weather conditions,” said Nunez in an email. The solution? “All the exterior tiles are being removed with the installation of a stucco finish to replace the tile exterior.”

UCR School of Business end-of-year reports indicate that the Inland Empire’s economy ended the year with a strong showing. The UCR School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development’s December 2017 Regional Intelligence Report indicated a number of positive developments in the regional economy.

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► SEE SURGE, PAGE 4

UCR graduate student curates new exhibit about ancient Mesoamerican culture

AMANI MAHMOUD Contributing Writer

UCR Ph.D. candidate from the Department of Anthropology, Catharina E. Santasilia, is curating an exhibit about Mesoamerican culture at the Riverside Art Museum in collaboration with the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM). The exhibit officially opens on Saturday, Feb. 3, however, there will be an opening reception on Friday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m The exhibit, titled “Uncovering Ancient Mexico: The Mystery of Tlatilco,” is specifically about ancient Mexico and the specific archaeological methods used to study the area. The Highlander sat down with Santasilia in order to better understand the exhibit. Santasilia claimed that the exhibit is introducing cultures and civilizations from more than 3,000 years ago in Mexico — long before the Spanish arrived. Santasilia stated that curating an exhibit at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum and the Riverside Art Museum happened as part of a series of serendipitous events. Santasilia explained, “It was a great opportunity ... so I just seized the moment when curator Dr. Brenda Focht, a UCR alumna, and former director Sarah Mundy of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum offered it to me.” Santasilia said she was motivated to curate this exhibit because of the experience it

would provide her with. She was particularly excited about being able to incorporate her dissertation research into her exhibit and the opportunity to share the story of the Tlatilco, an ancient community located in Mexico, with the population of Riverside. In an email interview, Focht noted the “exhibition features a collection of ancient Mexican objects. This Tlatilco collection is the heritage of the Riverside’s Latino people.” Santasilia hopes that people will learn something about this unique culture and see how complex Mexico was 3,000 years ago. Through dissemination of her dissertation research, she hopes to share her passion for archaeology as well as Tlatilco. Santasilia stated, “We really want to share this story and we would like people to find inspiration in these ancient artifacts.” Santasilia said that her advisor, Dr. Karl Taube, played a key role in the change of events. As she stated, “My advisor proposed that I changed my dissertation topic and focus on Tlatilco … I do not think he would have ever suggested I just change my topic, but because I was now an intern at RMM and suddenly had access to this unique material, it became an opportunity that I could not pass up.” Santasilia shared that this opened up a “whole new way of doing research,” as she had the opportunity to visit museum collections across the United States to pursue research on Tlatilco. ► SEE MESOAMERICAN, PAGE 4

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UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 2

JOSE MORENO, BIOLOGY, SECOND YEAR COMPILED BY MARTIN LOPEZ

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Tuesday

Book Sale 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Humanities & Social Sciences Building Courtyard

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Emory Elliott Award: Charmaine Craig 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. College Building South

Wednesday

Function Of Amber 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. HUB 302

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Real Talk about Sexual Harassment 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. HUB 269

Panio Gianopoulos 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. UCR Palm Desert Auditorium

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Feminist Fridays 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Costo Hall 260

Film: American Promise 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Culver Center of the Arts

Thursday

“My uncle was always quite the chef. He used to ask me what I was

Alien Worlds: UCR’s Cosmic Frontier 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. UCR Palm Desert

Friday

going to have for dinner, and if I said I didn’t know what to make he would be at my place in five minutes to help me cook with whatever I had lying around.”

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Film: American Promise 3 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Culver Center of the Arts

Saturday Correction: On the front cover of Volume 66, Issue 12, the headline “ASUCR bans political parties and laptopping in 2018 elections” was misleading and inaccurate as ASUCR had not passed any concrete resolutions or laws concerning political parties. In a political climate ever more reliant on good, accurate and dependable journalism, we sincerely regret this mistake and promise to do better in the future.

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Monday

Winter 2018 Weekday Carillon Recitals 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Belltower

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News

Renovations to Surge: What you need to know ► From surge, page 1

It is hoped that this new exterior will increase safety by enhancing the building’s condition. Exposed to the extremes of Riverside weather, the old tiles’ delamination posed a threat to the building’s integrity. The construction will, hopefully, “eliminate any safety concerns to our students, staff and faculty.” The large amounts of foot traffic and the location of functioning university offices and classrooms in and around Surge have presented challenges to the construction team. Extensive scaffolding and barricading of the outside of the building have proved obstacles to the free movement of people between the HUB and North Campus Dr. The noises resulting from construction have also posed a potential disruption to the smooth operation of the surrounding campus areas; a notice on one of the Surge doors notes that construction is mainly scheduled between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00

p.m., and occasionally on weekends and after-hours to mitigate noise disturbances. According to Nunez, “As with many projects, scheduling work activities so that they are the least disruptive to the surrounding campus community can be challenging. While we try to mitigate issues, this project has provided restrictions on access to the building and exposure to construction noise that has had an impact to classes as well as building occupants.” Progress on the site, however, is moving along steadily, with phase one (the removal of exterior tiles) expected to be completed by the end of the Martin Luther King Day weekend. Phase two, the installation of the new stucco exterior, is “scheduled to commence in the upcoming weeks,” according to Nunez. When work has finished, university officials hope to have a long-term answer to the deteriorating toll Riverside’s desert climate can have on campus buildings. Construction is slated to finish by Feb. 23, 2018. ■H

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

UCR graduate student curates new exhibit about ancient Mesoamerican culture ► From MESOAMERICAN, page 1

The RMM is funding this exhibition, according to Dr. Focht, who added, “The RMM also facilitated and funded a loan of objects from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Tlatilco collection for the exhibition.”

After visiting the museum in fall of 2014, Santasilia expressed interest in an internship in the museum’s anthropology collection, according to Focht. Focht acknowledged Santasilia’s work on the Tlatilco collection as what led to her being chosen to select objects and write text for the exhibit. “The work with this RMM collection

led to her (Santasilia’s) decision to make the ancient Tlatilco culture the subject of her dissertation,” Focht furthered. UCR’s Center for Ideas and Society also played a significant role as Santasilia and Dr. Taube applied for and received a grant to arrange a conference where speakers from all over the United States, Canada and

Mexico have been invited to come and present their research. “The Center for Ideas and Society have been a tremendous help and they are doing great work trying to promote and arrange the conference,” said Santasilia. “Being a graduate student, arranging a conference and curating an exhibit is a lot of work, so the fact that CIS

were able to take care of most of the logistics has been incredible.” The conference, “The Rise of Civilization in Mesoamerica,” will be held in conjunction with the opening of the exhibit on Feb. 3. The exhibit’s opening is free and open to the public and will take place at the Main Library in Downtown Riverside. ■H

Flu virus places strain on Riverside healthcare facilities H3N2 reaches epidemic levels in Riverside and the Inland Empire

Atenas Odriozola Contributing Writer

On Thursday, Jan. 4, the Riverside City Council held a press conference discussing the influenza (flu) epidemic that has affected a significant amount of the city’s population. The wave of influenza has become a recent worry particularly in California where there have been 27 flurelated deaths. Riverside has not been unscathed. In Riverside County, emergency room (ER) ambulance transports increased 31.1 percent from the average of 2,604 to 3,415 incidents in the past week. ER wait time has increased and fire departments have experienced an increase in their workload. This flu season has presented unique challenges particularly because of the prevalence of the influenza A subtype H3N2 strain. The flu vaccination has not proven as effective in combating this strain due to the strain’s built up immunity. While the usual flu can display uncomplicated symptoms including tiredness, a cough, sore throat or fever, symptoms of H3N2 include chest pains, shortness of breath, blurred vision, extreme weakness and inability to eat or drink. “In general people should worry about influenza viruses,” stated Rong Hai, a UCR assistant professor who specializes in viral molecular pathology, virus host interactions and vaccine development. “The flu can change on its surface, so by changing it means it can get our pre-existing

immunity against the viruses. When this happens, it will need potentially high contaminate and mobility. “ Dr. Steven Kim, medical director and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine of Riverside Community Hospital, recommends that “If they (flu victims) have those (non-complicated) symptoms, but overall they’re doing okay, they don’t have to come to the ER.” Instead, he advised they stay home, rest and drink plenty of liquids and only visit the ER if one displays the complicated symptoms. During this season, the fire department, the first responders to a 911 request for assistance, have seen a 400 percent spike in calls, many of them involving cases of the flu. However, he noted a majority of patients admitted to the ER have mostly displayed less severe flu symptoms. Bruce Vanderhorst, City of Riverside Fire Department battalion chief and public information officer, is wary of the increase in both wait times and his department’s workload. “There are already so many patients in the hospitals,” said Vanderhorst, “every bed is filled in the emergency room.” Kenneth Han, chief physician of UCR Student Health Services, sent a school-wide email recommending students, staff and faculty “take all precautionary steps including receiving flu vaccine in addition to washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes with your sleeve or

tissue, and stay home when you are sick.” On Friday, Jan. 12 between 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, the UCR Health offered flu shots for the UCR community outside HUB 302. Han was unavailable for comment at the time of writing. The flu season will continue

until the end of winter. In the meantime, it is recommended to receive the flu shot, which would protect one from multiple versions of the flu. Those at a higher risk are children under the age of 2, elderly people who live in nursing homes, people who have heart problems or

pneumonia and those with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these groups should be extra diligent in seeking medical symptoms and taking care of themselves against the flu. ■H

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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Neuroscientific research pushes for linguistic diversity in education VIVIAN LEE Contributing Writer

Gigi Luk, a faculty member and researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, shared her research during a talk held at UCR on Tuesday, Jan. 10 in Humanities 1500 about linking neuroscience with bilingualism and the benefits to encouraging bilingualism in an educational setting. “We are building bridges between psychology research and education problems … while using a neuroscientific approach to address these educational problems,” Luk told The Highlander. Luk and her team of researchers focused primarily on K-12 students with low-income status in order to discern whether socioeconomic status has an effect on learning English as a second language. Furthermore, they wanted to see how this socioeconomic difference can be important in adjusting the educational system in improving the English Language Learners, or ELL, curriculum. Luk and her team hope to examine their paradigm as to how the education system can be changed to accommodate bilingual students in a way that empow-

ers their different cognitive skills, rather than undermining them for not being able to perform the same way monolingual students would in language proficiency. “It’s actually quite satisfying to think hard about what we know about bilingualism,” she said. “Thus, what can we do to contribute to this existing field and at the same time, how can this knowledge, being inspired by practical problems, be translated back to practice?” Throughout their research, Luk and her team decided to focus on the language aspect of bilingualism by testing her subjects with auditory and visual exams, rather than focusing on literacy by producing reading and writing exams. After working with educators in producing these exams to assess bilingual students and examine their brain activity, Luk took interest in understanding the social stigma that portrayed bilingualism in a negative light and put more efforts into making bilingualism a positive asset. “Our goal is to not focus on what bilingual children can’t do well,” Luk expressed, “it’s to focus on what they do well and use that to help them academically.” The team assessed students who were identified as bilingual, and compared

their assessment and reading proficiency scores. Luk and her team found a significant connection between socioeconomic status and these test scores, as they examined the different test score results between monolingual students and bilingual English language learner students. Only recently has her team been able to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show different brain activity with monolinguals and bilinguals during the resting state, showing how each group was unique in the cognitive skills they used and performed neither better or worse in different executive functions. Luk revealed how her interest in neuroscience stems from her being drawn to understanding human behavior. After taking an introductory summer course in psychology, she decided to switch her major from business economics to psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada where she got her undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. degrees. Luk shared in an interview that she wanted to learn more about human behavior rather than the consequences of human behavior and decision-making. A seminar will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 2:00 p.m. in HUB 268 by the UCR

Office of Research Integrity. Judith Kroll, a distinguished professor of psychology who hosted Luk’s linguistic diversity talk, will be discussing the benefits of bilingualism. ■H

COURTESY OF HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

ASUCR

ASUCR discusses Costo Hall referendum

EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

The first ASUCR senate meeting of winter quarter commenced in HUB 221 on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The senators briefly discussed ASUCR’s open house next Wednesday, Jan. 17, which is intended to provide information on the organization for interested students. The senators voted 12-2-0 to make their attendance of the open house mandatory. During senate reports, CHASS Senator Grant Nakaoka reported on the status of the Highlander Empowerment Student Services Referendum (HESSR), which supplies funding to the ethnic and gender programs in Costo Hall. Nakaoka said that the Referendum Student Advisory Committee (RSAC), the committee that oversees HESSR, pulled the stipulation that HESSR would have to be voted on every five years in a meeting with Chancellor Wilcox. The referendum would instead undergo an administrative review possibly by the chancellor, however, the process of this is still unclear. Assistant Dean of Students Joe Virata stated that the chancellor will probably form a committee of administrators and students to make sure that the “interests of students are being represented” and funds are being allocated fairly. CNAS Senator Matthew Shashaty then discussed the Research Expo that is being hosted on Thursday, April 5. Additionally, CHASS Senator Marco Ornelas discussed providing free, better quality feminine hygiene products inside women’s restrooms. Vice President of Internal Affairs Semi Cole briefly offered updates on the Beyond R’Margins conference, an event which aims to promote diversity and cross-cultural understanding. Cole revealed that Sabrina Cervantes, a California assemblywoman representing the 60th district which encompasses portions of northwestern Riverside county, will be speaking at the conference. The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 p.m. The next senate meeting will be held in HUB 221 on Wednesday, January 17 where the Sabra hummus resolution will be revisited. ■H

CHLOE FLORES / HIGHLANDER

NEWS IN BRIEF EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

Inland Empire economy ends 2017 on a high note

ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer

UCR carjacking suspect arrested On Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 3:05 p.m., UCPD sent a mass text message to UCR students warning of two attempted carjackings by a suspect in the Bannockburn area. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male about 25 years old with a shaved head wearing a blue, striped shirt. The first incident occurred at 1:30 p.m. when a female UCR student reported that a man tried to steal her car in the parking lot of Bannockburn Village Apartments. Another incident at 2:43 p.m. involved the suspect trying to gain control of another vehicle, also

belonging to a female UCR student, at the University Plaza Apartments on Linden St. In both instances the suspect was unable to steal the vehicle and fled on foot. Around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, police arrested Antonio Martinez, 25, of Riverside by Campus View Dr. and Celeste Dr. near the intersection of Watkins Dr. and Blaine St. Martinez faces two counts of attempted carjacking, two counts of attempted robbery, resisting arrest and violating parole. Martinez is being held at the Riverside Robert Presley Detention Center without bond. ■H

UCR School of Business end-ofyear reports indicate that the Inland Empire’s economy ended the year with a strong showing. The UCR School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development’s December 2017 Regional Intelligence Report indicated a number of positive developments in the regional economy. Employment in the Inland Empire increased double the statewide average, with a 3 percent increase noted in contrast to the California average of 1.5 percent. Wages also increased, with the regional average of $45,000 up 6.5 percent from the past year. Although this increase lagged behind California’s average of 7.7 percent, it still stands ahead of the national average of 5.7 percent. Unemployment was down 0.6 percentage points from the past year, to 4.7 percent as of Oct. 2017. These positive developments are

expected to continue in the new year, although they will be limited in potential growth by a local housing shortage. Increases in the profitability of several sectors including the leisure and hospitality, healthcare and education and the transport and warehouse sectors will drive the ongoing industrialization of the region. ■H

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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Opinions HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

2018’s ASUCR elections must be conducted without laptopping or political parties

O

n Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, ASUCR’s final meeting of the fall quarter saw an outpouring of vocal opposition against the use of political parties in the coming ASUCR elections. Some in attendance cited concerns about the potential corruption and “unethical leadership” that a political party can fall into, as well as the unfair advantages that some parties will inevitably have over others. Though there are certainly some benefits to using the party system for student elections, it is clear that the stigmas created by controversies in past years surrounding alleged unethical campaigning by political parties have not yet faded from memory. As a result, many students are disillusioned and untrusting of the candidates and ASUCR as a whole, and conclude that there is simply no point to voting. If ASUCR wants to improve both their public perception and voter turnout, there are two powerful steps they can take: First, conduct 2018’s elections with an independent-only system, which would demonstrate that the candidates who step forward in 2018 are those who want to earn students’ votes based on the merit of their platform, and not the popularity of their party. Second, completely ban laptopping, the ethically dubious and once-banned practice of approaching a student with an unauthorized internet-capable device and asking them to use it to vote. There is plenty of utility to an independent-only system for elections. A candidate who has to run as an independent will have to work harder to reach out to students and earn their votes through the quality of their platform and ideas. They would not be able to succeed

JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER

simply by riding on a party’s name. This in turn would create a more level playing field and increase competition between the candidates for each position. The independent-only system is obviously not a perfect one. There are a little over 20,000 undergraduates enrolled at UCR as of fall quarter, and an independent candidate can easily be overwhelmed by the prospect of reaching even a fraction of that population and earning each individual’s vote. This process can exhaust even the most well-connected candidates, and lead less popular but highly qualified candidates to drop out due to the sheer difficulty of balancing their campaign on top of their existing workload as a student. This is not to mention the considerable financial strain of making campaign materials like flyers and posters. This problem is why some might argue in favor of the party system, as a political party offers a network of financial and interpersonal support for its members and turns campaigning into a group effort, thus relieving the burden on each individual member. Additionally, grouping candidates with similar platforms under a single party’s banner makes it easier for voters to keep track of which candidates stand for what values and goals, and the independent-only system lacks this convenience. Yet, the vehemence of the opposition at the Dec. 6 meeting reflects a lingering distrust of political parties among the student body, and underscores the need to use an independent-only system in future elections. For many, the mere mention of student elections conjures up memories of past controversies, such as those regarding election rule violations

by [OUR]Voice, as well as the discrimination done by [YOUR]Side in 2015. This, unfortunately, has poisoned the well for future elections; even if a new political party were to form, one that has no connection whatsoever to previous controversies and unethical practices, the party would still have to operate amidst that lingering suspicion. Laptopping, much like the party system, also leaves students with a bad taste in their mouths about elections (not to mention the abhorrent cybersecurity risks it poses). In March of 2017, ASUCR clarified their definitions of legal and illegal laptopping practices, but allowing laptopping under some conditions doesn’t change that, on top of being a risk to login credentials, it’s simply a nuisance to many busy students (much like other kinds of solicitors). On top of that, for students who already distrust the electoral process, being laptopped is likely to reinforce their negative view of the electoral process — after all, the practice of laptopping treats voters as someone to demand a vote from, rather than someone with agency who ought to be honestly persuaded that a candidate deserves their vote. One might argue that laptopping could increase voter turnout by enabling students to vote without having to stand in line at a designated polling area. However, this comes at the cost of aggravating students by pestering them to vote right that instant (likely interrupting the student’s other business), instead of letting them vote at their own leisure. Low voter turnout is indeed a recurring issue in ASUCR elections — only 21 percent of students voted in 2017’s ASUCR elections, down from 31.5 per-

cent in 2016 — and it begs the question of whether the results truly represent the students. Yet, raising student voter turnout requires a better solution than the superficial convenience of laptopping. If students felt like candidates were more honest and attempted to earn their vote through good policy, perhaps more would get out to vote. Removing both the party system and the ability to laptop would go a long way toward that end, requiring candidates to truly earn the vote on their own merit rather than by riding the party’s coattails or shaking down students for a vote. The fact that many students clearly remain jaded about the ASUCR electoral process demonstrates the need for the organization to adopt an independentonly system going forward. Although there are conveniences to using the party system, an independent-only election provides a lot of the same benefits and limits the potential for corruption. Part of rebuilding students’ faith in the yearly elections will require a greater commitment to making sure the problems of past elections don’t repeat themselves, as well as being responsive to students’ concerns about the integrity of the elections. ASUCR needs to ensure that 2018’s elections do not see a return of the party system and legal laptopping, encouraging a fair and transparent process. ■H 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.

OPINIONS

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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OPINION POLL Compiled by Bri Chew, Staff Photographer

“Which do you like better, chilly weather or warmer weather?”

Nicole Barbosa Microbiology First-year

Chloe Liu Computer Science Fourth-year

Kevin Liu Business Economics First-year

Anaya Henry Film Second-year

Dana Noguera Cellular Biology Second-year

Riley Casaje Psychology Third-year

“I like chilly weather more because I get to layer up.”

“I like chilly weather more because I don’t like sweating too much.”

“I prefer chilly weather because Riverside is always really dry and hot.”

“Chilly because I don’t like sweating that much.”

“I don’t really like either, because I don’t like being sweaty or freezing my ass off. I just like normal weather.”

“I like both, but I honestly prefer chilly. I feel like chilly is more refreshing and you want to be up and just do things to keep warm. Plus fashiojn wise, it’s a lot easier with colder weather.”

Invoking blacks in Confederate statues is an abhorrent political tactic MICHAEL BEELI Contributing Writer

South Carolina State Assembly Members Bill Chumley (R-35) and Mike Burns (R-17) have introduced a bill into the state legislature to build a statue to Confederate-serving African-Americans at the South Carolina Statehouse. The purpose of the statue, according to Burns, is to honor any African-American who served the Confederacy, regardless of whether they served as soldiers during the war. Mr. Chumley and Burns’s tactless proposal attempts to obscure their infatuation for regressive Confederate iconography by callously exploiting the tragedy of African-American oppression in the Civil War-era South. Their efforts are nothing more than a disgraceful new strategy to preserve Confederate memorabilia and whitewash the hardship of a dark part of American history. Assemblyman Burns said that this “monument can help educate current and future

generations of a little-known but important part of South Carolina history.” Continuing, he said, “These African-Americans, like many of their Caucasian contemporaries, stepped up to defend their home state during a tumultuous time in our country’s history. Their service has largely been overlooked or forgotten.” Firstly, Burns’ claim that African-Americans stepped up to defend their home is one still under debate by historians. University of South Carolina History Professor Emeritus Walter Edgar claims that he has seen no documentation of black South Carolinians fighting for the Confederacy, and instead said that South Carolina actually feared the premise of armed black soldiers and denied them service. Due to the nature and history of the Confederate government in South Carolina, any attempt to praise both the Confederacy and the plight of African-Americans is unequivocally contradictory. In an institution that denied the ability of a population to even voluntarily serve in the armed forces, it is reasonably

obvious that the aims of such an institution and the wellbeing, liberty and aims of that population are in direct conflict. Thus, an attempt to honor “black Confederates” is a logical absurdity that, at best, implies and praises a tragic phenomenon of Stockholm Syndrome amongst blacks in the Confederacy, and at worse, is a devious mechanism to preserve pro-Confederate iconography. Conversely, John Stauffer, a professor of African-American studies at Harvard University, has estimated that somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 blacks, including some from South Carolina, served as soldiers in the rebel army, and that over 100,000 served in the war in a non-combat capacity. It should be noted however, that the alleged 3,000 to 6,000 blacks still made up less than one percent of both the black military-age population in the South and less than one percent of the total Confederate army. In accordance with Stauffer’s estimates, Burns has also claimed that the statue aims to

honor all African-Americans who served the Confederacy in any capacity. There is contention over whether blacks from South Carolina served at all, but more importantly, the notion of “honoring” blacks who supported the Confederate army is equally heartless as it is myopic. Slaves, by their very definition, are involuntary servants, meaning any and all work they did was the result of unconstrained coercion, a circumstance that under our legal system, dismisses actions and evidence in a court of law. Furthermore, Stauffer also points out that the majority of slaves who did fight were given the hope of freedom, further evidence that the support of blacks in the Confederate effort is a tragedy, not a display of common ground between slaves and their morally debase owners. Burns and Chumley, after all, could maybe benefit from this piece of history that is so important and seemingly so little-known in their state. Blacks in the Confederacy had no choice whether to serve the rebel army

or not during the Civil War. The slaves did the work of the South since before the birth of the nation, during times of peace they were forced into difficult manual labor in the fields and house. During times of war, they were coerced into supporting the war effort, which by all historical accounts, was prompted by the federal government’s attempt to prevent the expansion of slavery. The notion of honoring the “service” of slaves that were obligated to fight for the very institution that had oppressed them for over a century is both historically deceptive and deeply inappropriate. The servitude of blacks to the Confederacy during the Civil War is nothing more than a shameful extension of the greatest calamity of American history, and the attempts by Chumley and Burns to exploit this deep tribulation of African-Americans is a shameful disservice to the men and women who suffered so much for the wicked attempts at preservation of the South’s peculiar institution. ■H

Logan Paul and the importance of humility in the social media age MEENAKSHI KUMARAGURU Contributing Writer

Depending on how deeply you associate with the “Logang” community, you likely stood on one of two sides of the controversy around Youtuber and actor Logan Paul. On New Year’s Eve, Paul released a disturbing video that appalled and confused millions of people, both within and outside of his enormous 15.6 million subscriber fan base, a portion of which includes elementary and middle schoolers. During his trip to Japan, Paul, along with his vlogging mates, ventured into the Aokigahara Jukai forest at the base of Mount Fuji, colloquially nicknamed the “Suicide Forest” due to the large number of suicides conducted there, and recorded the body of an apparent suicide victim. Paul’s video sparked tremendous public outcry and many popular online and celebrity personalities, such as Dylan O’Brien, Anna Akana and Chrissy Teigen, condemned his actions through indignant and disappointed tweets. Paul released statements on both Twitter and YouTube apologizing for documenting the suicide victim, claiming that the vlog was

meant to spread awareness about mental health and suicide, and in no way was to gain views or be insensitive. Due to the wideranging backlash, Paul has since taken a break from social media “to reflect.” In the meantime, YouTube penalized Paul by removing him from Google Preferred and withholding him from a planned YouTube Red movie. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, the company announced that they are thinking of “further consequences” for Paul, as his video clearly violated community guidelines by displaying graphic imagery, and confirmed that they have issued a strike to his channel. When my nephew first showed me the video, I was taken aback by the insensitivity Paul showed toward suicide. “Suicide is not a joke … We came here with the intent to focus on the ‘haunted’ aspect of the forest. This obviously just became very real, and obviously a lotta people are going through a lot of shit in their lives,” Paul claimed before turning the camera off him and recording the body of a man who took his own life. Paul blurs out the face of the man but keeps the camera rolling, and even goes as far as zooming in on the body

and panning downward. He can be heard making remarks to the body, calling out, “Yo, are you alive?” and laughing with his friends throughout filming. Sure, laughing can be a coping method for people unaware of how to react in uncomfortable situations, but Paul should have been more conscious of the repercussions of the content he brings to his audience. Paul’s entire Japan series reeled in a total of nearly 24 million views, which highlights the enormous reach he has in terms of viewers having access to and watching his content from all over the world. I could not help but wonder how one could be so oblivious to the severity of witnessing something like this. I am aware that you cannot predict what your reaction will be in times of distress, but why should it be keeping the cameras on and continuing to roll footage? Even in the situation that one acquired the footage somehow, in what way is editing it multiple times and posting it online to 12-yearold fans under the guise of suicide awareness fitting? An audience composed of many children and young teens, who have only a very small understanding of the complexities of mental health

and suicide, were thrown into a situation that no one should should encounter, when they clicked on their favorite YouTube channel and saw a victim hanging dead from a tree. Logan’s suggestion after the incident that he “was not thinking” seems ingenuine, as he clearly had the opportunity to think through what he was doing. The process of filming and editing a video is not an easy one and certainly not a quick one, so did this all seem appropriate to him in that span as well? Paul’s claim, in his written apology published on Twitter, that he “intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention” and “create a positive ripple on the internet” is concerning because he clearly used the video, which was #1 trending on YouTube without an age restriction before it was taken down, to gain views and ratings. Paul titled the video: “We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest…” — intending for it to be clickbait and also described it as his “craziest video yet.” He even reminded people to subscribe to his channel at the end. Not to mention he constantly put out statements on Twitter after taking down the video like, “Logang4Life,” and “Like if

you’re still in the Logang” on a since-deleted tweet. With the great power that comes from Logan Paul’s wide reach on social media, he has a greater responsibility to understand the sensitivity of subjects like suicide and mental health. Paul’s actions serve as an example of what human indecency does for you when you are irresponsible online. We live and thrive in an age of YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and other platforms, and we should embrace that, but it is also time we become self-aware of our social media identities and take responsibility for what we post on public platforms. In no manner is suicide or mental health a joke, and Logan Paul, along with ourselves as an online community, has an obligation to humble and educate himself greatly about this going forward. Note: If you or anyone you know has depression or thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. UCR Psychological and Counseling Services provides counseling and group therapy for those who need it; you can book your appointment today at 951-827-5531 or visit counseling.ucr.edu. ■H

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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Monarchy: Good for the king, useless for the people QUINN MINTEN Senior Staff Writer

Count Nikolai Tolstoy, relative of the “War and Peace” author and head of the International Monarchist League, has argued that the United States should adopt a constitutional monarchy, similar to that in the United Kingdom. Tolstoy, and other monarchists, believe that monarchies are needed as unifying symbols for a country, and that countries with monarchs are generally more stable and prosperous than those that lack a monarchy. Monarchs, in the monarchist view, would wield primarily symbolic power, or very limited and specific legal powers, existing to preside over affairs of state and to serve more or less as a figurehead. Even if someone knows these beliefs, they can easily dismiss monarchists’ arguments by calling monarchy inherently dangerous or saying that a noble, wellintentioned monarchy could devolve into something oppressive. However, even if we assume that a potential American monarchy could never become as full of corruption and intrigue as, say, the Saudi royal family, and even though the United States is undeniably tumultuous, perhaps more so than at any point in a century, the solution to the country’s turmoil is not to create a monarchy — whose establishment would be nigh impossible due to America’s history with monarchs, among

other factors — but to make actual policy changes that address the specific problems present in the country. Perhaps it should go without saying, but the very existence of the United States owes itself to a rebellion against the British monarchy. This basic historical fact means that, in many ways, anti-monarchism is at the core of what defines America. Indeed, a 2012 CNN poll showed that only 13 percent of Americans supported the idea of an American monarchy. With monarchy, at least in this country (the same poll showed 82 percent of Americans held favorable views of Queen Elizabeth), being such an unpopular possibility, there is no way that a monarchy of any kind could be established here without defying the democratic spirit that a constitutionallylimited monarchy is supposed to preserve. A large part of the monarchist argument is that monarchies serve a symbolic purpose, even though they don’t really labor for the money they make. However, the idea that the “majesty” provided by a monarchy is worth creating a new monarchy over assumes that such majesty would exist spontaneously — which it wouldn’t. The British monarchy is, admittedly, a majestic institution, but its majesty is earned. The current ruling dynasty, the House of Windsor, has controlled the throne for a century, and the monarchy has existed in some form for many centuries more. Thus, there is an enormous

history behind this monarchy, which lends it authority and legitimacy. A newly established monarchy in the United States, on the other hand, would have none of this history, and indeed would be of questionable legitimacy, regardless of how legally it was formed. It is impossible to state with any certainty how long it would take for an American monarchy to become truly accepted, but odds are it would take many decades, because the idea of supporting a royal family is simply unprecedented in American history; until it reached legitimacy, any American monarchy would be very easy to write off as an expensive waste of time and money. Speaking of wasting money, it is likely that, on an economic basis, many people would object to the cost of starting a monarchy from scratch, in terms of paying for miscellaneous institutions, ceremonies, and physical sites associated with monarchy, not to mention the amount paid into the personal wealth of the royal family. The British monarchy cost taxpayers a sizeable $48 million in 2016 (out of the total $368 million price tag) just to maintain its precious symbols. Now, while the British monarchy arguably pays for itself by generating tourism and its accompanying revenue, this tourism is predicated on the aforementioned prestige and history of the monarchy, which would be absent for years in a new American

monarchy. In the meantime, that royal family would be an expensive burden on American taxpayers, and in an age when many are (rightfully) outraged by the costs of supporting a president who takes expensive trips to his personal resort (similar to what an American monarch would do), that’s a tab few are going to want to pick up. The question of who exactly would become America’s first monarch also creates enough trouble to negate any value in having royalty around in the first place. If a random, anonymous family is chosen by lottery to become the royal family out of nowhere, there is a definite chance that the monarch would be unfit in some capacity to rule, to be the figurehead that represents the American people. They could be undiplomatic (e.g. crude, unmannered and uncooperative with people), politically problematic (e.g. loudly and unabashedly conservative in a time when conservative values are unpopular), or physically or mentally unfit for the duties they must fill. The same possibilities also arise if an election is held to determine the monarch, with the further problem that the viable candidates are almost certainly limited to those with a certain amount of celebrity already, denying the average American a chance to become royalty. Unlike with unpopular or bad presidents, any poor quality monarch could not be voted out of office, which means an embarrassing

symbol of the country could be in charge for decades. In addition, it would be next to impossible to choose one family, tasked with serving as symbolic rulers for ages, that truly represents all the diverse and changing aspects of America, in terms of race, region, culture and economic status. All these factors mean that there will absolutely be people displeased with the choice of monarch, and they will be unable to act in that displeasure. The reigning monarch would exist not as a symbol of America’s stability or majesty, but of its being fixed at one point in time, unable to change by the very nature of the institution. Perhaps the most foolish thought behind creating an American monarchy is thinking that all the issues America has to deal with — immigration, race relations, economic inequality, gender inequality, etc. — will magically evaporate if Americans have someone regal to look up to. How would an American royal palace eliminate police brutality? What can crown jewels do about North Korea? And how does a ruler who, by definition, is essentially powerless manage to achieve anything meaningful? Paying someone to smile and wave for a crowd from the comfort of their throne won’t solve anything; we need lawmakers to act to resolve these problems, and these lawmakers need to be elected by and answerable to the people of the United States. ■H

Trump: Stable genius, unstable ego ELAINE CHEN Contributing Writer

A little under a year has passed since President Donald Trump was inaugurated, and although he’s had his fair share of speeches and addresses, there is one platform from which we seem to hear from him the most: His Twitter account. From calling Kim Jong-un “little rocket man,” to retweeting a GIF of what appears to be him hitting Hillary Clinton with a golf ball, Trump has certainly raised questions as to whether the leader of our nation ought to be spending this much time posting such unprofessional content for the social media world to see. Trump’s eccentric behavior came into further question after an explosive tell-all book, “Fire and Fury,” was published on Tuesday, Jan. 9, including nearly 200 interviews’ worth of his staff expressing that there is something “fundamentally wrong” with him. A day after the book’s publication, Trump took to Twitter to compose a three-part tweet validating that his mental stability was more than fine, boasting that it was, in fact, one of his “two greatest assets,” the other one “being, like, really smart.” He closed his argument by claiming that his accomplishments have earned him the title of a “very stable genius.” In the aftermath of yet another social media rampage, now more than ever, Trump’s

mental health is being called into question, with psychiatrists like Bandy Lee, Judith Herman and Robert Jay Lifton speaking to various news outlets such as Vox and CNN about what they’ve collected from watching his behavior. Contrary to what he wanted, Trump’s blatant narcissism just went handin-hand with the speculation surrounding his mental instability, further deeming him a dangerous fit for presidency. If one were to try and trace the root of where Donald Trump’s questionable mentality stems from, it would lead to his Twitter account. Aside from this recent fiasco, Trump is infamous for tweeting up a storm when any sort of controversial material pops up. Like a fish taking its bait, he is lured to put in his two cents on anything on the horizon that has the ability to make him look bad. Doesn’t agree with the news? It’s all fake. Doesn’t like the outpour of criticism? He tweets about “Crooked Hillary” to remind the world that he’s not the only one who’s committed wrongdoings. Going back to the threepart tweet in which Donald Trump tried to clear up any misconceptions about his mental health, he lists the big accomplishments in his life, claiming there’s no way somebody short of genius could have done what he’s done. The narcissist in him shines when he talks about being a “VERY successful businessman” (he declared

bankruptcy four times during his business career) and a “top T.V. star.” But, our nation is not a reality show that allows for multiple takes. With tensions between the U.S. and North Korea rising and test missiles being launched, Trump takes to Twitter to bully Kim Jong-Un, name-calling and bragging about our nuclear assets without much thought about the repercussions of such reckless behavior. Although a social media standoff isn’t enough to set off something as catastrophic as a nuclear war, Trump’s trouble with handling such international relations has the possibility of alienating allies that this country has worked so hard to maintain in the past years. All tweets aside, Trump has certainly caught the eye of a large audience, including elected officials of both parties and even psychiatrists, all having something to say about the way he’s worked in his presidency so far. Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee famously bashed Trump back in August, stating that Trump lacks “the ability” and “some of the competence” to be a successful president. Richard W. Painter, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, also expressed his feelings about Donald Trump being “psychologically unfit” for his position and urged Congress and the U.N. Security Council to take action. Additionally, while the Goldwater Rule deems it unethical for psychiatrists

to comment on politicians’ mental health, Bandy Lee, an assistant professor in forensic psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, recently spoke to 12 members of Congress about Trump’s dangerously unraveling mental state. Although defying the presupposed ethics of psychiatry, Lee also spoke to Vox about how she believed it was moral to assess the dangerous behavior of our nation’s leader in order to inform the people about his unusual lack of professionalism and his inability to cope with the stressors of being a president in a rational way. In the interview with Vox, Lee expressed further concern

at the type of example he’s setting for his supporters and worries of Trump normalizing a violent and aggressive culture. The common American people as well as government officials and psychiatrists breaking their code of ethics, have all expressed concern about Trump’s behavior. Unless Trump can miraculously come to terms with his own personal wrongdoings and rise to the occasion when it comes to condemning certain behaviors of his supporters, his current state will only continue to put the people of this nation at risk, whether it’s through a hateful blast on Twitter or

■H

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Radar

“The End of the F***ing World” is brilliant in its brevity

COURTESY OF CLERKENWELL FILMS

Julian Medranda Senior Staff Writer

This article contains spoilers for “The End of the F***ing World.” A lot of the shows on Netflix don’t exactly bring attention to themselves, which is ironic considering both how much original content Netflix creates and how fiercely they advertise it on the main page. For every “Master of None” there’s a “13 Reasons Why” or a “Richie Rich.” Never heard of “Richie Rich?” Most haven’t. “The End of the F***ing World” effortlessly ushers wayward eyes with its titling, but beyond its brash name lies a confidently told on-the-run black comedy a la “Thelma and Louise” with a bit of “Heathers’” razor-sharp wit and style. Based on the comic series of the same name by Charles Forsman, “The End of the F***ing World” stars Alex Lawther (“Black Mirror’”s “Shut Up and Dance” episode) as James and Jessica Barden (Nosebleed Woman from “The Lobster”) as Alyssa. A combination of abusive treatment at

home and teenage ennui drives Alyssa to befriend and run away with James, who is ostensibly a psychopath ready to graduate from killing animals. A common complaint hurled at the otherwise critically acclaimed series is its ambiguous ending. James’ intentionally vague fate was a point of contention for fans of the comic series as it is today for the show, but one can argue that the truth isn’t as obscured as its sudden curtain call would imply. For all the differences between the source material and television adaptation (the most important of which being the depth given to characters and the detail in the two’s misadventure), their shared ending and the ambiguity surrounding it brings attention to itself for reasons other than shock factor. James is dead. He gets shot and he dies. I say this not to dismiss fan theories about a possible continuation nor as a knowledgeable authority but as a normal viewer, just like everyone else, who fell deeply immersed in the welfare of the 17-year-old protagonists. Even if the series is revitalized with a second season and

extends beyond the comics’ storyline, it would be in disservice to the show’s core ideas. A good story will leave you satisfied but wanting more, luring you into proceeding with the narrative threads established early on. It’s what franchises like the MCU and, in a slightly different fashion, “Black Mirror” do. Either by serial narrative or a loosely connected episodic formula (think sitcoms and shows like “Twilight Zone” or “Star Trek” where viewers aren’t recquired to have a comprehension of every preceding episode to engage with the current), film and television create characters and places that, if successful, we want to see more of. It stands to reason that if something was engaging enough and leaves room for expansion, viewers will return, bringing in heaps of steady money for broadcasting companies. A good story also dwindles into nothingness the moment it promises a never-ending well of content. This coaxing of fans into being laced up in the spindly tendrils of repetitious entertainment in exchange for viewership is precisely what is

poisoning the industry of film and television: Franchises aren’t allowed to simply die off and usher in new properties to flourish, they languish in perpetual monotony (think “San Junipero” but less romantic and even bleaker). “The End of the F***ing World” doesn’t do that, but that isn’t for lack of quality; it’s a great story that doesn’t necessitate a long-term attachment. Great stories not only provide the desire for a continuation, but they leave an immediate impact that isn’t lessened by a halting of the story. It’s probably why you hypothesize the various ways James and Alyssa make it out happily ever after. A perfect visual representation of this refusal to fade away and stagnate like so many franchises today can be seen in the beginning of the series’ sixth episode, wherein the two have no choice but to listen to The Spencer Davis Group’s “Keep on Running” in a car they’ve just stolen. Enjoyable as the song may be for the law-evading teens, it gets old. It’s almost as if the song was purposefully chosen to fit the themes of the show!

Throughout the series, we’re reminded about the things our characters feel they lack, their problems extending beyond cliche teenage ennui. James believes himself to be a psychopath and consequently devoid of emotions. His only reason for befriending Alyssa is to assuage his murderous desire. Alyssa, on the other hand, lacks anyone to care for her — her stepfather is a creep tiptoeing into abusive behavior while her mother turns a blind eye. In the end, James realizes he isn’t a psychopath because he discovers “what people mean to each other” before death, while Alyssa recognizes the good in her mother, the bad in her father and falls in love with a boy she just met. Careening through the outskirts of mainland Britain, their criminal romance is boldly cut short, highlighting how essential every minute of the show’s less-than-three hour runtime is. “The End of the F***ing World” derails what could have easily been a trite young adult romance into a poignant tragedy that uniquely spins the coming-of-age formula on its head. ■H

lit pick

of the week: “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Janine Lano, Staff Writer Radar is committed to all forms of art and entertainment and as such, will pick one book as a reading recommendation for this column. This week, Radar’s “Lit” pick is “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “Americanah” is an impactful story written by award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Centered around two lovers navigating through the world, the storyline follows them from their teenage years through adulthood.

Ifemulu and Obinze are two teenagers living in Lagos when they meet and fall in love very quickly. However, when a military dictatorship threatens their country, it drives a wedge in their relationship, causing Ifemulu to move to America while Obinze stays behind in Lagos, and eventually makes his way to London. Adichie adopts first person perspectives for both characters, which creates an attachment between reader and character. Alongside the romantic

thread, “Americanah” addresses relevant social issues such as race and the immigrant experience in America, having to face culture shock and assimilation. Ifemulu faces many hardships such as finding a job and being treated unfairly because of her race. Masterfully combining a love story with themes addressing race and identity, Adichie’s novel presents a memorable story that will make readers laugh, cry and reflect on the complexity of life. ■H

COURTESY OF ALFRED A. KNOPF

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

Things We Enjoyed …

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Julian Medranda, Senior Staff Writer

American Pleasure Club - “Let’s Move to the Desert”

COURTESY OF RUN FOR COVER RECORDS

best

best &worst

worst

best

of NYE countdown 2017 Amrita Kular, Senior Staff Writerpick is

This was my second year returning to Insomniac’s Countdown NYE, one of the premier EDM festivals in SoCal. With a record of 78,000 attendees at San Bernardino’s NOS Events Center, the 2017 rendition had one of the strongest lineups in its wheelhouse compared to the other two raves occuring at the same time, OMFG! LED and Snowglobe Music Festival. But while the lineup certainly did not disappoint, some aspects of the two-day event were less than favorable. Here’s a breakdown of the best and worst aspects of Countdown NYE 2017:

worst best worst

The band formerly known as Teen Suicide (the name change is a wholly welcome decision, long overdue) dropped a music video this past week in anticipation of their upcoming album, “A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This,” and while it bears the mark of a different project — namely, the song culls its experimental texture from lead singer Sam Ray’s other musical project, Ricky Eat Acid — its ethos is entrenched in the despondent beauty that made Teen Suicide such a uniquely desolate band. The song features a sample of Aaliyah’s “At Your Best,” injected with an uptempo, almost nightcore quality to it before being retooled to a lower pitch. “I wanted to write a song as pure and simple as the best Towne Van Zandt tracks,” Ray said in a press release. The song successfully evokes a sense of wonder with its densely swelled, downpitched sample; despite the name change and salient alterations to the Teen Suicide formula, American Pleasure Club’s direction is invigorating in its haunting new approach. “A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This,” the follow up to their re-introductory mini-album, “I Blew On A H Dandelion and the Whole World Disappeared,” drops Feb. 16. ■

Water Refill Stations

When you’re dancing and sweating for hours, water becomes a necessity. Fortunately, the water refill stations were really well-organized throughout the grounds and had a sufficient number of staff to ensure that the lines were not longer than they needed to be.

Lack of proper photo ops

While there is the ever-so-basic photo of attendees with the festival’s lights and decor glimmering in the background, there was still a striking lack of inventive and creative photo opportunities. Given the target millennial audience of the festival, there was a glaring lack of creativity in providing varied photo backgrounds. In fact, a greater focus on finding more creative photo opportunities would benefit both parties; we would be able to get cute photos and essentially promote the brand for the festival itself.

Zen Zone

The Zen Zone was the perfect spot for moments of rest in between standing on your feet all day, as well as time spent waiting for members in our group to use the bathroom. Also, given the amount of other activities available, there weren’t too many people in the tent at once. Given how cold it got as the night winded down, it was nice to have heat lamps for a source of warmth while waiting.

Decorative “art”

As an avid fan of EDM music, I have been to the NOS Event Center for raves several times. After the first couple of times, I realized that Insomniac always uses the same decorations for each event regardless of the festival themes. Sure, there might be a few differences here and there, but the “astounding visual and interactive creations” boasted on the website are anything but.

Infinity and Resolution Stages

My favorite aspect of the event by far was the stages and their incredible detail. From the dazzling laser and light displays to the sonic resonance of feeling each bass drop in your heart (cheesy, but true), the stages were truly breathtaking. Moreover, most of the headliners were at the stages that had these awesome features — most of which were close together — something my feet were definitely grateful for.

Underwhelming countdown

While there was a New Years countdown at the Yellow Claw stage, it was very underwhelming. Besides the numbers being displayed on the screen, the countdown itself — the namesake of the festival — after 3...2..1...there were no fireworks, which, considering the price of general admission tickets was tickets, the least that could have been provided for the New Year celebration should have been fireworks included. Furthermore, the new year was ushered in with no other details and the artists continued their set without any kind of extravagance. For an event centered around the countdown to transition from 2017 to 2018, there definitely could (and should) have been more creative additions to create a more memorable experience. ■H

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Kali uchis

On the Radar: Music to anticipate in 2018

alex silva

Contributing Writer

2017 was another busy year in the music industry and hopefully in 2018 we see more of the same. Some artists are

primed to end long periods of silence, while new names yet to be discovered lie in wait to push new sounds. Here’s a shortlist of established artists we hope to hear from this year. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

jay rock

Frank Ocean

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The ever-enigmatic Frank Ocean made a triumphant return since the double release of “Endless” and “Blonde” in 2016. Those releases and the numerous singles released in 2017 formally established his position as one of the greatest songwriters alive, and his steady stretch of releases does not look to be ending any time soon. He’s still up to his old tricks on tumblr, leaving fans with cryptic posts that may or may not be signaling another project on the way in 2018. “‘WELL I MADE THE ALBUM BEFORE 30. I JUST AINT PUT

THAT BITCH OUT!’ -QUOTES FROM AN INTERVIEW I HAVEN’T GIVEN HAHA,” a post from November 2016 read. The singer then took to Tumblr again with a picture of a man in Times Square wearing a hat that reads “If you liked 2017, you’ll love 2018,” with a caption reading “New 18-99.” Decide for yourself what this means, but keep in mind all of his internet shenanigans during the year and a half leading to the release of the two 2016 projects that misled us in a thousand different directions.

schoolboy q

Top Dawg Entertainment’s first signee made his return last week with the single “King’s Dead” off of the “Black Panther” soundtrack being curated by Kendrick Lamar. The Mike Will Made-It produced track is an uptempo but ominous track that features Future, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock at their absolute best. Jay Rock has been relatively quiet since the release of “90059” in 2015 and as the usual rotation of releases for TDE artists goes, he should be next, if not close to it.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Tame impala

A$AP Rocky

The last track of A$AP Mob’s “Cozy Tapes, Vol 2: Too Cozy” features Principal Daryl Chode (voiced by John C. Reilly) of Yamborghini High listing a group of artists who will be “moving on to other endeavors” and “participating in a full summer school schedule.” Rocky is the first name on the list. In a fantastic GQ cover feature this past October, Rocky explained that he had been working on a new album in London that is “really about testing new sounds.” When asked about about a potential release date, he responded, “ASAP, no pun intended.”

Kali Uchis is one of the most seductive and eccentric songstresses on the rise right now. Her 2015 album “Por Vida” firmly established her fan base of R&B faithfuls, while her work alongside artists like Tyler the Creator, Miguel, Daniel Caesar and Vince Staples have made her name recognizable amongst hip-hop heads as well. She’s been busy this past week too, touring and dropping singles including “Tyrant” featuring Jorja Smith and the recently released “After the Storm” featuring Tyler the Creator and Bootsy Collins. The latter is a sultry funk anthem that resides somewhere in the mid ‘70s, and is an early contender for best track of the year. With nearly three years separating her from her last release, Kali Uchis could have a breakout year.

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Steve Lacy

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On January 4, Kevin Parker took to Twitter to post a link to a poster for the Mad Cool festival in Madrid, Spain. On top of that, a slew of tweets announcing a “Currents” collector’s edition and articles bloviating rumors of a collaboration between 2016 breakout star SZA, no one has heard from the Australian one-man band in recent memory. 2017 brought the re-release of “Currents” with b-sides and remixes, but not since the 2015 album’s release has Parker put out fresh material. Hopefully the closing of this chapter in his musical anthology and his Mad Cool announcement are signs preluding a new Tame Impala release.

Vampire Weekend COURTESY OF THREE QUARTER COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Q was also named on the short list of the A$AP Mob tape, and could be primed for a release as well. 2016’s “Blank Face” showcased Q reaching new heights and landed the LA rapper two Grammy nods. Late in 2016 he took to Instagram to say in a now-deleted post, “New album 2017 f--k a break I’m already ready,” and in an interview with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe in February he claimed his album was “halfway done.” With a lot of talk coming from the bodacious west coast rapper, a 2018 release seems all but inevitable, especially considering that ill-fated Instagram announcement.

Steve Lacy made his name as a solo artist in 2017. The teenage prodigy has been the lead guitarist for Odd Future act The Internet since he was 14 years old, and recently, produced “Pride” off of Kendrick Lamar’s sensational album “Damn.” “Steve Lacy’s Demo,” his first solo endeavour released in February of last year, showcased his songwriting prowess centered around gorgeous fuzzy guitar tones. His unique style fuses elements of R&B and indie rock, and at 19 it wouldn’t be a stretch to surmise that he has an album coming out in 2018.

It looks to be an exciting the year to say the very least, but there is something listeners should definitely keep in mind: Although artists may often say one thing and do another, it takes a great deal of effort to make a great album. There’s a great deal of sleepless nights, honing in on certain sounds and emotional toil to make a cohesive project. In the age of instant gratification where we’re so used to having everything on demand, it is easy to forget this, so let’s make one of our resolutions as listeners to be patient, let the artists work and learn to appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that go into curating an album. ■H

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The eclectic indie pop band Vampire Weekend have been on hiatus since 2013’s “Modern Vampires in the City,” but its members have kept busy between then and now. Ezra Koenig has been producing and hosting his show on Beats 1, and even made an endeavour into directing with the Netflix anime series “Neo Yokio.”

Ezra announced 2017 that the group had begun a new project that was “80% done.” However, Rostam Batmanglij whom released a solo project in 2016, and produced all three of the band’s previous albums, announced last year he has left Vampire Weekend, meaning we might hear a very different sound from the band this time around.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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The top quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft Dominic Petric, contributing writer The 2018 NFL Draft is without a doubt the draft of the quarterback. With some of the highest profile NCAA quarterbacks in the last few years declaring for the draft this year, there is no question there will be several going in the first round. But which quarterback is the best? Who showed they have the most to offer in the NFL? The three highest profile and best skilled QBs entering the draft this year include USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. These brief profiles will determine which is the most fit to take on the NFL, as well as visit each of their illustrious college football careers.

Sam Darnold USc

The general consensus is that Sam Darnold is the top QB in the draft, and will most likely go first overall to the dismality that is the Cleveland Browns. It was originally rumored that Darnold, a sophomore, would not declare for the draft, however, as of Jan. 3, he has officially made his decision to forgo his final two years with the USC Trojans and join the NFL. The sophomore had a stellar season at USC, leading the Trojans to a Pac-12 championship which earned them a visit to the Cotton Bowl. He finished his career at USC with an impressive 7,229 passing yards and 57 touchdowns. The Trojan quarterback has proven he is able to make those highlight reel plays, and has proven his intangible ability to extend plays and be very mobile in the pocket. With seven rushing touchdowns in his career at USC, Darnold should not be ruled out as a strong dual-threat quarterback, should he be placed in the right offense for his style. Considering the Browns are infamous for ruining the potential career of almost every quarterback that has played for them in the last few years, Darnold may not want to be the number one overall pick this year anyway. Of course this may not be this case if Cleveland were to trade away that first overall pick, however that does not seem likely at this time, since the Browns need all the help they can get. Many analysts agree that Josh Rosen will be the next quarterback to be drafted after Darnold. Some may even argue that Rosen and Darnold are interchangeable for the first overall pick, however Darnold deserves the top spot, considering how much further he took his team and the greater feel he has for the position relative to his Bruin counterpart. Rosen, the UCLA junior, has officially declared for the NFL draft after what some would consider a decent season with the Bruins. Within the last couple months, it was rumored that Rosen would not enter the draft had the Browns secured the top pick; however that rumor was clearly falsified when Rosen also declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 3, after the Browns had already clinched the first overall pick. Rosen is equipped with all the right weapons to make him a successful pocket-passing NFL quarterback. He has good measurables, experience and finished his career with just over 9,300 yards and 59 touchdowns as a Bruin. While UCLA had a very average season, Rosen did everything he could for his team and exhibited the skills he has on hand, including the necessary poise in the pocket to make the right decision and complete a pass down the field. Intangibles like this are what make him another top pick for the NFL.

Baker Mayfield Oklahoma

Perhaps the most interesting quarterback this draft class is Baker Mayfield. Mayfield, known for his strong personality and antics both on and off field, was one of the highest profile players in college football this year. The Oklahoma quarterback won the Heisman award, and led the Sooners to the second seed in the College Football Playoff. Many analysts are putting Mayfield a lot lower than he deserves in their draft rankings, simply because of his size and his attitude. Mayfield has been known for taunting other teams, famously at Ohio State and Kansas. An arrest for public intoxication has also been following Mayfield since last February, worrying some NFL scouts on how he may act in the future. However, Mayfield is the only quarterback in this conversation with a Heisman award, and he’s also the only one who was able to lead his team to the playoffs. While he is shorter than Rosen and Darnold at 6’1” and may have some off-field problems, he clearly does not deserve the low draft ranking he has received. The Oklahoma senior finished his career with over 14,600 passing yards and 131 touchdown passes. While he does have a year or two on Rosen and Darnold, he would still mathematically have the most yards and touchdowns had the two Pac-12 QBs played a full career with their respective teams. Mayfield was by far the most entertaining quarterback to watch this year, as he weaved between numerous defensive linemen and made huge passes down the field. The undersized argument can easily be discredited by the successes of Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, who both stand around 5’11”. Both of these quarterbacks are two of the best in the league right now, and it would be ludicrous to dismiss Mayfield’s chances of being an elite NFL quarterback due to size only. Personally, I believe Mayfield was the best quarterback in the NCAA this year, and he has the stats to show for it. If he did not have a couple small off-field incidents over his head, he would indisputably be the number one QB in this year’s draft class.

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Josh Rosen ucla

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports

Women’s basketball splits week in conference play HIGHLANDER HOT TAKES Why LaVar Ball’s JBA is destined to fail DOMINIC PETRIC Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

DOMINIC PETRIC Contributing Writer

January 11, 2018 Aggies 74-Highlanders 63 The UC Riverside women’s basketball team (5-13, 2-2) lost on the road to UC Davis (13-3, 3-0), 74-63 on Thursday, Jan. 11. The loss marked the Highlanders’ sixth in their last seven games. Riverside came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, starting the game on a 12-2 run. The key to that stretch was the Highlanders’ stingy defense which held the Aggies to 16 percent from the field during that run. However, UCR’s defense shortly faltered as Davis went on a 25-10 run during the final 15 minutes of the first half to take a 29-26 lead into halftime. Coming out of halftime UC

Davis was the team that got out to a fast start. The Aggies went on a 19-5 run at the start of the third quarter to give them their biggest lead of the game, 52-35. The Highlanders were able to keep things close in the fourth quarter by going on separate 8-0 and 7-0 runs to cut Davis’ lead down to five, but were not able to get closer than that. Senior guard Michelle Curry led all players in scoring with 25 points while also adding seven rebounds and three assists. Redshirt senior guard Lauren Holt was the only other Highlander player who broke double-digits in scoring, with 13. January 13, 2018 Highlanders 63-Titans 50 The Highlanders were able to bounce back and earn a 6350 victory against Cal State

Fullerton (7-10, 2-2) in their home arena on Saturday. Riverside got out to a slow start and were outscored by the Titans 20-13 in the first quarter. A lot of that deficit came after Curry was subbed out midway through the first quarter because of a freak injury where Fullerton’s redshirt junior center Daeja Smith appeared to step on Curry’s face. Curry and the Highlanders came back with a vengeance in the second quarter, opening the first two defensive possessions with back-to-back steals. UCR’s defense would continue to force turnovers throughout the second quarter which helped them hold Fullerton to only five points. The Highlanders’ offense also picked up that quarter thanks in large part to Holt, who had 13 first half points to help

Riverside go into halftime with a 32-25 lead. The Highlanders were able to outscore the Titans by three in each of the last two quarters to increase their margin of victory to 13. Riverside’s frenetic defense, led by Curry, deserves most, if not all of the credit for the win as they were able to force Fullerton out of their comfort zone. UCR won the turnover battle easily, 2211, and those extra possessions proved to be the difference as both teams shot under 40 percent, but the Highlanders took nine more attempts. With the win Riverside moves out of the basement of the Big West standings and into the top five. The Highlanders will attempt to move even higher on Thursday, Jan. 18 against Hawaii (8-9, 1-3) H in the SRC Arena at 7 p.m. ■

Men’s basketball still seeking first conference win JARYD BONGCARAS Contributing Writer

The UC Riverside men’s basketball team has lost five straight games, falling to 5-13 on the season and 0-4 in Big West play, after going winless on the week. On Thursday, Jan. 11, the Highlanders dropped a 75-65 decision to UC Davis (116, 2-1). Freshman Dikymbe Martin led the team with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting. This marks the fifth time Martin led or tied for the team lead in points, as well as the 11th time he has scored in double figures so far this season. Senior Alex Larsson put up 14 points while shooting 70 percent from the field, reaching double figures in scoring for the 10th time this season, and also grabbed six boards. UC Riverside got off to a hot start early on, scoring the first nine points of the game as the Aggies missed 10 of their first 11 shots

from the field. Larsson grabbed five of his six rebounds during the first five minutes of play. A back-and-forth game would continue as the Highlanders led by six, 58-52, with 7:39 left to play in regulation. Here, the Aggies would go on to score 11 of the next 12 points, as well as 23 of the final 30 to run away with the victory. UC Davis senior Chima Moneke proved to be a huge factor for the Aggies win, putting up 21 points and heading to the line 12 times. This greatly contrasts with the amount of times any Highlander went to the line, as the entire team went a total of 13 times to the charity stripe. The Aggies upped their field goal percentage in the second half, connecting on 56.5 percent of their shots compared to 40.7 percent in the first half. This game snapped Riverside’s previously undefeated record of 5-0 in games where the

team led at the half this season. The team returned to the court on Saturday, Jan. 13 to take on Long Beach State (9-11, 3-1), but were without Martin for an undisclosed reason. UC Riverside led 7-4 early on in the first half, only to quickly relinquish their lead to a Long Beach State team that would score the next 11 points and not trail for the rest of the night. On top of that, the Highlanders allowed for 24 offensive rebounds to occur, the most given up this season. Eight different UCR players would score in the first half, yet no player had more than six points, except Larsson, who led all Highlanders with 10 points while also grabbing five rebounds. Though 12 different players scored in the game, none managed to reach double digits. Dating back to last year, the Highlanders have lost 11 straight

regular-season conference games. Their last conference win came against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on February 4, 2017. Since interim Head Coach Justin Bell took over on Jan. 1, UCR has yet to earn a win, putting his

record at 0-4. He and the team will look to snap this loss streak on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. against the lastplace Cal State Northridge Matadors (3-14, 0-3). The game will be at home and also broadcasted on ESPN 3. ■H

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

LaVar Ball is at it again with his newest venture, the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), which poses as a substitute for NCAA basketball. Representatives of Big Baller Brand claim that players will make anywhere between $3,000 and $10,000 per month. According to Ball, they plan to have somewhere between eight and 10 teams represented across the nation. Seems like a good idea right? Well, not really. Based on NCAA statistics, the JBA will not end up having a very high success rate for their athletes. According to the NCAA, there are about 4,150 Division I men’s basketball players that are draft eligible per year. Of this number, only about 44 per year get drafted to the NBA. This equates to a 1.1 percent success rate for the number of NCAA basketball players to be drafted to the NBA. Assuming a safe number of 15 players per team in the JBA, that’s about 150 players. According to NCAA statistics, this means not even two players per year will eventually go on to be drafted to the NBA. For a league with the sole intention of getting players to the NBA, the JBA will need to find a new method to raise these statistics and put more players in the NBA if they want to be successful, especially when considering the lack of an educational foundation that the league offers. Overall, the JBA will never be able to compete with the NCAA. With the sole purpose of getting players to the NBA with nothing else to show for it, that means this program could have over a 98 percent failure rate for their number one focus. NCAA players will also get a degree at the end of their time with the program, which will better set them up for their future, considering they will most likely not be going to the NBA. The bottom line is that after four years for both a NCAA player and a JBA player, the NCAA player is much better prepared for the rest of their life than their counterpart. Sure, the JBA player might have a small amount of money in their savings account, but how long will that last in relation to a degree from a university? Not to mention this degree was obtained for a heavily discounted financial cost, if not for free. ■H

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