Issuu

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

est. 1954

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

VOL. 66, ISSUE 17

41st annual Writers Week brings literary luminaries to UCR

ASUCR ANNOUNCES FIRST CANDIDATES FOR 2018 ELECTIONS

HIGHLANDER STAFF

The 41st annual Writers Week was carried out from Feb. 12 to Feb. 17, bringing a total of 20 writers to the UCR campus to read from their selected works and address questions. From UCR faculty, alumni and internationally recognized artists spanning several generations, the voices heard throughout the event resonated with audiences young and old. ► SEE WRITERS WEEK, PAGE 12

aspb presents: MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

winter soulstice 2018 lineup

EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

H.E.R. Marc E. Bassy K. Forest Friday, February 23, 2018 | 7 PM SRC (Student Recreation Center) North Gym COURTESY OF PEXELS

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, ASUCR held their 11th senate meeting of the academic year in HUB 221. Elections Director Taylor Brown announced the names of those set to run for an ASUCR position in the 2018 elections. The candidates announced during the meeting had permitted Brown to release their names publicly and may not represent all of the candidates that ﬁled. The deadline to ﬁle for candidacy is Tuesday, Feb. 20. Carisha Moore, the current executive vice president, was announced as a presidential candidate, along with Diana Jekki, a fourth-year double major in political science-law and society and English. During the meeting, Moore said why she was running, “I genuinely wasn’t going to run, but in light of all the things that have happened in the past few weeks, I thought it was best for the students, for ASUCR, and for all of us, so if you need help, I promise to always stay unbiased in this position.” In an interview later in the week, Moore,

a third-year biology major, further explained what motivated her to make the decision to run. “A lot of factors inﬂuenced my decision in choosing to run. From the beginning, I decided, no, I’m not going to run because after three years of ASUCR it kind of burns you out, I was ready to move on in a sense.” However, Moore said that with several issues beginning to surface such as other candidates that may run for president, coupled with encouragement from supporters to run and a desire to maintain “all of the work we had done,” Moore “realized it would be better for ASUCR, for UCR and for the entire campus if I ran for president.” Moore explained that she believes the student body deserves a leader who is very passionate about student issues. Though recent events in ASUCR did not shape her will to run entirely, Moore felt that “UCR deserves someone that isn’t about drama and looking good ... all of the stuff that is happening, UCR deserves more.” In regard to her plans if she is elected president, Moore hopes to increase female representation in ASUCR, since, in her view, there has been a dearth of a female perspective in the executive cabinet in the past few years. Though

she acknowledged that she does not have concrete plans at the moment, Moore expressed desires to address housing and food insecurity, work more effectively with Costo Hall and expand ASUCR’s community outreach. Moore also said that she feels optimistic about elections and is excited because elections will be “so much different than last year.” She cited the banning of political parties and laptopping as well as ASUCR’s preparation for a changed electoral landscape as a positive step in fruitful elections. “Everyone has a clean slate, so deﬁnitely I see how this will be a healthy and positive election year,” said Moore. In an interview The Highlander, Jekki explained that she was running because she owes her “strength and growth to the institution” and is “saddened by how it has turned into a political machine in the past few years and I’m at the point where I have contributed all I can to the ofﬁces I have served and that President is the only place left where I still have the opportunity to grow and learn.” ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 4

Armenian students protest for the recognition of Armenian Genocide EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

On Thursday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bell Tower, the Armenian Student Association (ASA) protested Turkey and the United States’ refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide. ASA students covered their mouths with duct tape while sitting down and

holding signs that “spread awareness on Turkey’s and the United States’ denial of the Armenian Genocide,” said ASA Vice President Angela Burmayan. The demonstration is held on UC and Cal State campuses every year to remind students of the importance of the issue, with the duct tape meant to symbolize the US’ failure to acknowledge the Genocide. Among the around 20

participants were students from the UCR ASA chapter as well as the Middle Eastern Student Center. The Armenian Genocide, which began in April of 1915, occured after actors in the Ottoman Empire and later Republic of Turkey systematically arrested, deported and executed the Armenian population in Turkey. The Genocide, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million people, ended in 1922. According

to the activist organization United to End Genocide, only 387,000 Armenians were left in Turkey in 1922, down from a population of over 2 million in 1914. The Turkish government has refused to recognize the atrocities as there are accusations that the death toll was inﬂated and that many of the deaths were the result of starvation and World War One casualties. 28 countries have since recognized

the ethnic cleansing as genocide. In 2014, on the 99th anniversary of the Genocide, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences to the Armenian people, stating that the atrocities during World War One were a “shared pain” and encouraged Turks and Armenians to respect each other. ► SEE GENOCIDE, PAGE 4

f UCR Highlander Newspaper @ucrhighlander HighlanderTV NEWS 4

OPINIONS 7

RADAR 11

SPORTS 15

KUCR 88.3 FM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

HUMANS OF UCR

UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 7

CONRAD TALAMANTES, PSYCHOLOGY, THIRD-YEAR

GIS Brown Bag Lunch 12:10 p.m.– 1:00 p.m. Rivera Library, 140

Origami Workshop 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Orbach Library, 140

A Conversation with composer Thea Musgrave 12:10 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Arts Building, Music Rehearsal Hall, ARTS 157

Men’s Basketball vs CSU Fullerton 7:00 p.m. Student Recreation Center (SRC)

Cosplay Workshop 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Orbach Library, 140

Antigone by Sophocles, Translated by E.F. Watling 8:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Arts Building, Studio Theatre, 113

Softball vs New Mexico 2:00 p.m. Amy S. Harrison Softball Field

A Woman Under the Influence 7:00 p.m. ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501

NOT FESTIVAL 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. UC Riverisde, Performance Lab, ARTS 166

Shadows 7:00 p.m. ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501

Softball vs Montana 11:30 p.m. Amy S, Harrison Softball Field

Softball vs New Mexico 2:00 p.m. Amy S. Harrison Softball Field

Winter 2018 Carillon Recitals 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Bell Tower

How Libraries Can Make Your Life Better and Save the World 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. CHASS Interdisciplinary South, 1113

Tuesday

COMPILED BY JIMMY LAI

Wednesday

Thursday

“I’m easy to talk to but I’m not an approachable type of person. I don’t

Friday

normally go up and talk to people, but like I’m really good at holding a conversation. It’s just the whole, ‘Hey, excuse me, you wanna talk about something?’ It always feels like sometimes you get into class and everyone has this like ‘I’m here for class’ type of face. I don’t wanna just be like, ‘hey, nice weather or something’ and start some conversation no one wants to hear.”

Saturday

Sunday

HIGHLANDER STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Quinn Minten

Myles Andrews-Duve editorinchief @highlandernews.org

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

NEWS EDITOR

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Evan Ismail

Andreas Rauch

news@highlandernews.org OPINIONS EDITOR

ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR

Christian Monroy

opinions@highlandernews.org FEATURES EDITOR

Julian Medranda

radar@highlandernews.org SPORTS EDITOR

Asst. Sports Editor

Jonathan Hammond

Jonathan Fernandez

sports@highlandernews.org

Aida Yeung

productionmanager @highlandernews.org PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Brandi Huynh, Stephanie Ma, Alfonso Deza, Kerry Mulia, Nicole Francis PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Asst. Photo Editor

Jimmy Lai

Martin Lopez mlope072@ucr.edu

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bri Chew, Adrian Dizon, Thomas Holguin, Lydia Tsou VIDEO EDITOR

Catherine Yong

video.highlander@gmail.com BUSINESS MANAGER

Tamara Sasso

highlanderads@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

TECH DIRECTOR

Kevin Ciampaglia

techdirector@highlandernews.org

MARKETING COORDINATORS

Taylor Kim

TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details. Business Office: (951) 827-3457

Classifieds & Billing: (951) 827-5039

Fax: (951) 827-7049

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chiraag Dave

Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org

Editorial Office: (951) 827-3617

A&E EDITOR

photo@highlandernews.org

marketing.highlander@gmail.com

The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Christian Monroy at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements. LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

Monday

MULTIMEDIA

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please submit Classifed ads by calling 951-827-3457 or by emailing Highlanderads@ucr.edu PAYMENT Visa and Mastercard Make checks payable to The Highlander Newspaper No refunds RATES Classiﬁed: $2 per line; 17 characters (spaces, dashes, etc.) HOUSING Available now for a female graduate student. Fully furnished room and whole house privileges. Less than one mile from campus overlooking golf course. Rent negotiable. Call 951-683-4347 JOBS TUTORING POSITIONS AVAILABLE! WANT GREAT PAY and FLEXIBLE HRS? Email applications to Ariel@ oxfordprivateschools.com or inquire at 909-536-0192 MISCELLANEOUS Pregnant? Free counseling and services. We come to you. Holy Family Services, adoption & foster care. 1-800-464-2367.

UCRHIGHLANDER

UCR HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER @UCRHIGHLANDER UCRChannelH KUCR 88.3 FM, WEDNESDAYS @ 11:30 A.M.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

News ASUCR

ASUCR announces first candidates for 2018 elections ► FROM ASUCR, PAGE 1

Primarily, Jekki hopes to reform the inner operations of ASUCR and create a more mentor-based approach that “invests in the well-being and development of each student who comes through AS (Associated Students).” Additionally, Jekki wants to cut the stipends for the executive cabinet members and use those funds for organizations like the R’Pantry, work with Transportation and Parking Services to alleviate parking issues, strengthen ASUCR’s lobbying efforts to represent students during periods of tuition increases and restructure ASUCR overall to better represent the students. In regard to her attitude toward this year’s elections, Jekki stated “Carisha (Moore) and I are very excited to be running and when we last talked we both expressed our excitement in this election hopefully bring-

ing ASUCR back to being the institution it was meant to be, and not the political machine it has been.” She later said that, through their mutual respect for one another, they can set an example for candidates and show that ASUCR can still do “good things even while crippled by political greed of generations before ours.” Moore echoed this sentiment, stating that in a conversation between her and Jekki, they found they would be happy “if either of us win, we agreed that there needs to be more women’s representation in ASUCR because there has been a lack of.” Though there have been rumors circulating in ASUCR about current Vice President of Internal Affairs Semi Cole’s possible run for president, his name was not announced during the meeting. Cole did not respond to numerous requests for comment by time of print regarding his potential campaign. Based on the announce-

ment Wednesday, some are not seeking to run. CHASS Senator Mariam Alkhalili decided that since she may be graduating early and has aspirations to move on to law school, it was best to focus on her academics as well as study for the Law School Admission Test. Alkhalili explained that she will be involved with elections since she sits on the elections committee and will be working with some candidates in an advisory role by counseling them on her experience as well as the different regulations governing elections. She also intends on remaining active on campus through her activity in Students for Justice in Palestine and Muslim Student Association. She also intends to work with ASUCR on such issues as more campus lighting to make students feel safer as well as maintain connections with the committee she founded, R’Feed, to address food insecurity. Looking back on her time as

a senator, Alkhalili said she had enjoyed her time at ASUCR. She acknowledged that though she feels she did not accomplish everything she had planned, she believes she can fulfill her goals in the remaining quarters. “I feel like I gave the position 100 percent and I am hoping I can accomplish a lot more by the time the end of spring quarter comes around,” stated Alkhalili. Highlights: • Two student representatives from the Menstrual Hygiene Club spoke to encourage ASUCR and the administration to sponsor installing menstrual hygiene products in women’s and gender neutral bathrooms on campus. They described a current pilot program supplying products to Orbach and Rivera libraries and the HUB and conducting surveys of women before and after the pro-

•

gram as well as each week. Student Daniel Wong presented a short powerpoint on the CalGrant, a grant from the state of California toward college costs, encouraging senators to advocate for extending the CalGrant over summer. The Highlander News Referendum, a measure that will appear on the 2018 ASUCR elections ballot to continue funding the Highlander Newspaper, was reapproved by the senate for a $1 fee increase instead of the previous $2. It was passed 7-2-0. To remain consistent with the ASUCR constitution, the minimum GPA to run for office will now be a 2.5. It had been listed as a 2.0 in the elections bylaws, but, per Moore, since the constitution must be followed, the 2.5 would be the new minimum. It was passed 9-1-0. ■H

Armenian students protest for the recognition of Armenian genocide ► FROM GENOCIDE, PAGE 1

COURTESY OF UCR ARMENIAN STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

The US government has not officially recognized the Armenian genocide for fears of aggravating a fraught relationship with Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member and a key ally in the Middle East. Burmayan, a fourth-year biology major, in an interview with The Highlander, explained that the reactions from passersby were “typically very positive.” She continued, “A lot of the time we will get people who have not heard about the issue

and want to learn more about it.” Another Armenian student and treasurer for UCR ASA, Maher Zaher, said that it is important for people “not to remain silent … by remembering it, you are using your voice to minimize the chances of any other future atrocities.” Zaher, a fourth-year environmental engineering major, thanked students for their support and willingness to learn. Another event, entitled “Flowers of the Fallen” will be held the week of April 24 to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. ■H

Indiana University sociology professor presents the effects of globalization on U.S. cities MARK BERTUMEN Contributing Writer

On Thursday, Feb. 15, Sociology Professor Arthur S. Alderson of Indiana University delivered a seminar in HMNSS 1500 on the effects of globalization in the US under the title “Urban Development and the World City System: Inter-City Relations and the Fate of U.S. Cities.” Professor Alderson was introduced by Matthew Mahutga, a sociology professor at UCR and a co-organizer of the political economy seminar. Mahutga stated that Alderson’s work aims to determine income inequality due to industrialization, foreign and direct investment, the world city system, and other factors. In the past, Alderson has written papers on the effects of globalization on income equality that Mahutga considered “seminal,” such as his paper “Globalization and the Great UTurn: Income Inequality Trends in 16 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Countries” from 2001. At the seminar, Alderson presented research on what he considered “powerful and pres-

tigious cities.” Power of a city, by Alderson’s definition, is determined by its outdegree, closeness and betweenness. Outdegree is the amount of outward ties a city has; this can be better understood as export-related activity, such as outsourcing or trade. Closeness refers to the “inverse average distance between a city and all others.” Betweenness is the likelihood that a city will be somewhere in the path between one city and another, such as in business or travel. Prestige is determined by indegree, which is the number of ties that a city receives. An example is the amount of foreigners or the number of unique imports that come into a city. When a city can be considered “powerful and prestigious” in this sense, they can be considered a world city in the world-city system. A world city is one that acts as a nexus for commercial activity on a global scale. The world-city system is the global conglomerate of activity between all civilizations, specifically cities. The world-city system is ultimately a result of globalization, the main focus of Alderson’s research. Globalization refers to

the expansion of business influence on the international scale, and Alderson’s central claim is that “globalization is altering the global hierarchy of cities and the nature of what goes on within them.” During the seminar, Alderson reported that in identifying cities at the helm of the globalized world-city system, there was a set of observable trends. In general, such cities had increasing levels of inequality, a larger level of high-end and low-end services, a decrease in manufacturing and a rise in foreignborn populations. These trends are the distinguishing factors that Alderson stated a powerful and prestigious world city would have; as such, one would expect that big cities today, such as New York, Tokyo and London, would always be at the top of the board for the world-city system. However, when asked about how this information could be used for the future, both in California and the country as a whole, Alderson responded that doing so would be difficult because the role of a “world city” fluctuates as time goes on, except for cities that have been leading in that aspect for long

CODY DAVIS / HIGHLANDER

periods of time. “It’s difficult to predict from today because there is a kind of reshuffling of this urban hierarchy,” said Alderson. “Now some cities are at the top 20 years ago, they’re still the top today, they’re probably going to still be at the top 20 years from now. But below that, there is a fair bit of movement.” A recent paper by Alderson in 2013, titled “The Changing Economic Geography of Large U.S. Law Firms,” reports that, at the time, New York had become more interconnected with foreign countries than Washington, D.C. for law firms. Both ar-

eas are known for large amounts of international traffic, but the fact that such a shift could occur even for long-established entities of interconnection suggests that other areas of business are subject to the same sort of geographical uncertainty in the U.S., and possibly the rest of the world as a whole. Alderson is also a political economist and studies the Global South (Africa, Central and Latin America and most of Asia) and Europe. His next plans are to continue his research on the effects of globalization as a whole by analyzing sociological trends in Europe. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

UCR researcher attempts to benchmark student success AMANI MAHMOUD Contributing Writer

When she was a young teacher, Linda Navarrette, a researcher at UCR’s Graduate School of Education, made a trip to South Africa where she recognized the value of critical and creative thinking in primary education. As a bilingual school psychologist and school administrator, Navarrette noticed that local students of lower socioeconomic status and English learners were constantly being remediated starting in kindergarten and that the achievement gap never closed. Instead, says Navarrette, the gap is widening according to 2018 statistics. Her trip to South Africa and the widening of the achievement gap motivated Navarrette to launch Project Moving Forward in 2012. Project Moving Forward was the focus of the first grant Navarrette received from the United States Department of Education. The program, which helps English-language learners and students with a limited English proficiency, started in the Moreno Valley School District, where it is now implemented in 17 schools. In an interview with The Highlander, Navarrette wrote that she believes, in order to

find a solution to close the achievement gap, “schools must accelerate students starting in kindergarten so that students don’t need remediation.” According to evidence from the Institute of Educational Sciences in Washington D.C., a focus on vocabulary development, phonics, collaborative learning and reading and writing emphasizing critical and divergent thinking moves students forward to academic success. Navarrette believes that, “schools are doing too much remediation using a myriad of programs. There is often little focus on what would accelerate learning by having students intricately involved in the learning process from the beginning.” Navarrette stated that students need to talk and think more in in the learning process. Project Moving Forward implements the evidence found by the Institute of Educational Sciences and focuses on a fast paced learning system “termed by the Rule of 3.” Navarrette stated that when a multi-sensory technique is used, learning is better and students are actively involved in the learning process. Project Moving Forward accelerates the learning process for kindergarten students, helping them rehearse, analyze and produce vocabulary words. Through the Rule of 3, students

analyze the phonetic make-up of a word only after they know the word’s meaning. Students then use their critical thinking skills to analyze the phonetic patterns in words. They then find evidence for these patterns located on “analyze phonics charts.” Students learn the sounds through motions, pictures and the auditory representation of the sounds in words. English learners and other students can then practice using these words in conversations and questionand-answer frames. Using answer frames and open-ended questions, students can think about and create their own answers. Navarrette stated that this targets both creative and critical thinking skills. Navarrette wrote that Project Moving Forward’s implications for primary education are tremendous. Navarrette wrote, “The Moving Forward program builds a strong foundation for students in listening, speaking, reading, writing and thinking starting in preschool and kindergarten. Once students have a strong foundation in language, they can experience educational success.” The program targets thinking skills that are learned throughout grade levels K-6 which enable students to be successful on high-stakes testing. This program is important

for minority children, according to Navarrette, because, “they come to school oftentimes with half the vocabulary that students from middle class families come with.” Navarrette stated that vocabulary has the highest correlation with school success. Through a focus on words integrated with phonics, listening, speaking, reading, writing and thinking skills, minority children can accelerate their learning which will, in turn, level the playing field. Project Moving Forward has been implemented in many schools and districts across the United States. As far as its reach, Navarrette hopes to see this program in early childhood classes across the United States in schools with English learners, whether they are in English-only or dual immersion programs. Navarrette’s goal is for this program to reach one million students. The program is currently being implemented in more than 100 schools in seven states. Project Moving Forward has succeeded in closing the achievement gap from 12.9 to 1.8, lessening the gap by 11.1. The lessening of the gap means that English language learners and students of lower socioeconomic status are now almost at the same playing field as students proficient in English and

middle class students. It has enabled many students to meet the high-level academic standards on high stakes testing. It has developed the foundation for students’ continued school success. A recent study, currently under the review of Harvard Educational Review for publication and cannot yet be released to the public, in reading with English learners done at UCR showed students not exposed to the program gained 0.6 points and those in Project Moving Forward classes gained 130.1 points. “The techniques for acceleration would help close the achievement gap early on,” stated Navarrette. “We see this in our research with English learners who usually barely knew letter sounds and had difficulty speaking and reading. Kindergarten classes as exemplified by classrooms right here in Moreno Valley have these same students exiting kindergarten who are reading and writing at the first and second grade level.” Navarrette noted, “I think teaching needs to change to a teacher facilitative model. Students need to talk and think more in the learning process. I hope that students going into teaching at UCR will participate in our Project Moving Forward classes and outreach.” ■H

Four UCR undergraduates selected to conduct STEM research nationwide MERETT SAAD Contributing Writer

Four UCR undergraduates have won prestigious research fellowships in the 2018 Exceptional Research Opportunities Program (EXROP), a branch of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Maryland. EXROP offers future STEM graduate students from groups underrepresented in the sciences an opportunity to get matched to a professor from another university and perform their own research project during the summer. HHMI provides a $5,000 stipend and housing arrangements. As a benefit from the program, participants are offered future funding opportunities, previews of advanced science courses and graduate school support. The award winners were nominated by Dr. Sue Wessler and Dr. Jim Burnette due to their performance in Dynamic Genome (BIOL 20), a research exposure opportunity for first-year students enrolled in Molecular Biology (BIOL 5A). Sabrina Stulting is a thirdyear biology major who currently works for Dr. Sean Cutler studying plant biology at UCR. She was one of about 20 students selected for the Sustaining Academic Leadership for STEM Achievement (HHMI-SALSA) summer scholars research program where she researched with Dr. Cutler, her current faculty mentor. Stulting studies drought tolerance in model plants like Arabidopsis using the latest technology of DNA splicing with CRISPR Cas9, a protein used to modify human DNA. Stulting hopes that her research will make important contributions to agriculture in California. Stulting matched with another professor of plant biology at Caltech to further her investigation, though she has not been informed yet on who the professor is. These experiences inspired Stulting to pursue a doctorate degree in genetics. Through EXROP, Stulting

wishes to prepare herself for graduate school both through the resources offered as well as the increased lab autonomy she will receive this summer to complete her own project. Stulting recalls the first time in her life when she knew she wanted a future in science during her AP Biology class in high school. As she entered UCR, her Dynamic Genome class sparked her interest in genetics and how fascinating and essential genetics are. She advises all to keep applying and learn the “benefit of the doubt” as she herself was hesitant about applying to such a competitive program. Benjamin Meza is a secondyear biology major and will be working in Dr. Michael G. Rosenfeld’s lab at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. His research involves certain molecular mechanisms caused by enhancer genes that increase the likelihood of proteins getting transcribed and causing disease. Meza’s research aims to develop therapies that target these enhancer genes to combat diseases like cancer, as well as memory loss and aging. Meza was assisting Burnette as a volunteer at an event known as “Sequencing to Success” hosted in conjunction with the Dynamic Genome program. Dr. Burnette approached him during his poster presentation and asked if he was interested in EXROP. Meza immediately said yes to the nomination opportunity to further his research. Meza’s interest in STEM field research originated when he was a child; his parents exposed him to a variety of different scientific topics through books and television shows that inspired his first passion in astronomy and meteorology. This led him to get involved in research and continue to challenge himself. Meza participated in the HHMI-SALSA Summer Scholars program in 2017 and hopes EXROP will open doors for a future career in research and allow him to do medical research with some of the top scientists in the country. Meza said, “this

is an opportunity to be a part of research that I once as a child could only have watched on TV or read about in books.” Diana Medina-Yerena is a second-year biology major currently doing research in plant biology at UCR with Dr. Linda Walling. Medina-Yerena works on characterizing the leucine aminopeptidase A (LAP-A), a protein in the wound response pathway of tomatoes that plays an indirect role in deterring herbivore feeding. Medina-Yerena also did her first research in the Dynamic Genome labs under Burnette. Medina-Yerena’s future career goal is to become a biomedical scientist focusing on plant and human health. Medina-Yerena’s principal investigator (PI), Dr. Walling, presented this research opportunity when Medina-Yerena mentioned that she was unsure about becoming a researcher. Medina-Yerena and her PI deliberately discussed this opportunity before deciding to apply. “I would never have thought that a program like this would accept me. However, as a wise man once said, ‘You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take’ and so I went for it and I’m still shocked by the results,” Medina-Yerena remarked. She hopes this program will help her grow professionally while in a lab setting and will challenge her personal and academic goals. Medina-Yerena’s first interest in science stems back to a day in her high school biology class. She was thrown off guard by the mechanism of a bacteriophage, a bacteria resembling a virus that spreads its “bad DNA” through a process called transduction. She remembers very vividly how the phage looked like an alien and the thought of transduction happening casually in the real world puzzled her understanding. Since then, MedinaYerena’s curiosity continues to grow more and she is beginning to realize that becoming a researcher is the career path for her. She hopes to gain from

COURTESY OF UCR TODAY From top left, clockwise: Benjamin Meza, Diana Medina-Yerena, Alejandro Quinones and Sabrina Stulting.

this EXROP fellowship an opportunity where she can begin to learn and work with this research career path. Alejandro Quinones is a third-year biology major and is currently working in Dr. Carolyn Rasmussen’s laboratory at UCR investigating division plane defects in plant cells. Quinones was selected by Dr. Wessler based on his two previous research experiences. His introduction to the laboratory began at his high school, California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, California, where Quinones took biotechnology courses which inspired him to pursue science. Quinones translated his high school lab experience to the Dynamic Genome laboratories as a freshman which served as his first exposure into research. Afterwards, he was selected for the HHMI-SALSA Summer Scholar program which was his first authentic research experience. He investigated the citrus genome within different citrus

lines here at UCR. This previous summer, Quinones became a research intern at the United States Department of Agriculture under the Human Nutrition Research Center, where he investigated the effects of probiotics on infected animal models with respect to the immune response and physiological response in the gut. Quinones found that obtaining results is one of the “most rewarding experiences” he had because he is the “first person in the world to examine them.” This also made him realize the greater impact research can have on the wellness of a population, the importance of the application of research and how it can change many lives. Quinones is fortunate that EXROP will give him the opportunity to explore and pursue important research ideas and work with leaders in the research field. He sees EXROP as a chance to learn more by improving critical thinking and problem solving. ■H

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

HIGHLANDER

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

WRITE * SHOOT * DESIGN

SINCE 1954

WORK FOR AN

AWARD-WINNING

NEWSPAPER MEETINGs MONDAYS, 5:15 P.M. @HUB101

UCR HIGHLANDER NEWSPAPER @UCRHighlander /UCRchannelH

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

UC free speech center’s inaugural group must protect 1st Amendment

erhaps free speech isn’t in a crisis but it is certainly in limbo — especially at California’s public universities. In the past year we have witnessed student and community-led uproar around the respective appearances of conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Ann Coulter and right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos at Berkeley, a school that was home to the free speech movement of the 1960s. The uproar is understandable — we live in the Trump era, one where longstanding political and racial tensions have neared a boiling point and reactionary responses seem the most effective means of eliciting change. But it has also become costly. Berkeley had to spend in excess of $1 milion to ensure safety and allow for speakers like Coulter and Steve Bannon during their so-called “Free Speech Week,” which was cancelled due to backlash, and Shapiro’s appearance last September alone cost the university an estimated $600,000 in added security despite protests being largely peaceful. This has made the consideration of having these speakers on college campuses a lot more daunting and made the universities’ view on the age-old right to free speech evermore murky in the public eye. The UC hopes to clear this up with their launching of the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, a center “charged with helping educational institutions and communities better understand, guarantee and facilitate free speech,” according to the press release. On Thursday, Feb. 8, the center

JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER

introduced its inaugural class of 10 fellows, comprised of students, scholars and analysts who plan to explore “the intersection of diversity and free speech, protests over police practices and challenges to safeguard the 1st Amendment amid today’s polarized politics,” per the Los Angeles Times. A couple members of the center will also work to develop curricula and toolkits aimed toward helping incoming college students better understand issues surrounding free speech and help campus leadership handle free speech-related politics. The venture is a unique one, but as ill-fated as it is ambitious. Though it is reasonable to suggest that, in the midst of the unrest over free speech, the university must work to re-establish a sense of order, giving 10 people the power to reconsider how to deal with issues surrounding free speech is a considerably dangerous undertaking at worst and a cipher at best. Free speech, despite its apparent convolution today, is a pretty straightforward concept. The right is a double-edged sword, granting the same platform to bigots and hatemongers as it does to more level-headed individuals, while also allowing the discussion of any ideas, no matter how contentious, which is a necessity for being able to resolve conflict and enact change peacefully. Working to adjust this definition in response to system-wide frustrations threatens to further complicate it and potentially abridge students’ rights to their political beliefs — no matter how misinformed.

There is a chance that this isn’t what the center hopes to do. The few articles covering its launch have posited the center more as a think-tank for protecting free speech in this contentious political environment, rather than an effort aimed toward redefinining what constitutes it. Still, the problem with creating a center around free speech is it implies that a group will receive the power to impede on long-established rights. Thus far, the center has done little to quell this concern, with no help whatsoever from UC President Janet Napolitano’s fall 2017 op-ed announcing plans for the center, where she wrote, “The time has come to explore in a thoughtful, deliberative way the state of free speech at our nation’s colleges and universities, students’ once and future relationship with the First Amendment.” It’s a statement that reads as if the recent political climate on campuses warrants further limitations on how free speech can be used, and that students’ loud resistance against figures like Yiannopoulos is the justification. If this is not the case, then this center seems little more than an elaborate photoop, posing as a means to address the recurring issues surrounding free speech on campus yet serving very little in the way of fixing them. If the board opts to take a theoretical approach to analyzing the state of free speech, it would do little more than establish what is already known: Free speech is no longer being treated as the sacred value it once was. If it aims to do more, it is a step toward the broader erosion of these freedoms.

There is a way this could work, of course. If the center focused on calculating statistics on how often free speech has been restricted on campuses, systematically reviewing every public university in the country for scale, and then reconciled this data with student testimony and anecdotal evidence, it could be a useful tool for understanding the extent to which free speech is at risk on campuses. Likewise, the center could develop a better understanding of how effective speakers are in swaying opinion. There is an argument to be made that the more that extremist ideas are exposed in public as nothing more than baseless ideology, the more easily they can be discredited, as opposed to allowing them to fester in the dark without facing a counterargument. For a university to fulfill its purpose, the campus must serve as a forum where ideas can be debated freely, and thus subjected to rigorous intellectual examination. Whether the center will serve to affirm this is yet to be seen. However, its current existence is troubling, seeming as either a hollow attempt to fix the UC’s bad optics in its relationship to free speech without the intent to actually protect that right, or as a potential force of further eroding the right on which our democracy is predicated. ■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.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINION POLL Compiled by Cody Davis, Contributing Photographer

“Which do you do to celebrate the end of midterms?” Jesus Ramirez-Campos Biology First-year

Madelyn Moritz Communications Second-year

Anaya Henry TFDP Second-year

Jacqueline Grimaldo Sociology Second-year

“To celebrate the end of midterms I go out with my buddies. Oh, and also I get a full night of sleep.”

“I just spend some quality bro time with my best friend, get something to eat, then prepare for finals.”

“I like to get crunk to anime theme songs and EDM.”

“l like to listen One Direction’s entire albums.”

Wesley Chou Biology First-year “I go out friends.”

with

Joshua Gutierrez Chemistry First-year “Go out to eat!”

Why college campuses need “an antidote to chaos” ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer

An increasing rarity in the tumultuous world of the late 2010s is the public intellectual. Following in the path of Noam Chomsky, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Stephen Hawking, Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology at Canada’s University of Toronto, is the latest avatar of a dying character: The respected, opinionated-yet-well-thoughtout celebrity of the mind. Yet, in a phenomenon perhaps (sadly) typical of the cultural climate of our time, Peterson has been met with outrage, hostility and imbecilic ignorance. Why? Peterson originally came to the world’s (and my) attention in late 2016, following a series of confrontations with LGBT rights activists regarding Peterson’s outspoken criticism of new Canadian human rights legislation. The proposed law, titled C-16, would classify gender identity as a protected category, something that, according to Peterson, constitutes controls on free speech. Peterson’s outspokenness garnered the world’s attention following proliferation through YouTube, and earned him a reputation as the bane of social justice activists. Renewed attention turned to Peterson following an interview on British television in which host Cathy Newman continually misrepresented Peterson’s views, in an apparent attempt to denigrate the professor as a sexist and bigot. Peterson’s cool demeanor won the day and catapulted him into the spotlight. Peterson’s work as a clinical psychologist culminated in a 13-year writing project, resulting in the publication of “Maps of Meaning,” an investigation of literary archetypes and their application and reflection of human psychology. Peterson’s most recent publication, however, has been his bestselling “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” a self-help, pop-psychology compilation intended to help readers “sort themselves out” and fulfill their potential. Within a week of release, the work was hovering around the top of the Amazon best-seller list, where it still occupies the number one spot as of the time

of writing. The messages contained in this work, compiled from a wide repertoire of his lectures available on YouTube, have earned Peterson a devoted following. Its message of selfsufficiency, responsibility, appeals to order and a recognition of the difficulties of life resonates well with readers, who tend to be young, college educated men. Amazon reviews overwhelmingly describe experiences claiming salvation from a drifting, meaningless life that many young people are susceptible to. The appeal of the book seems to have struck a chord with a demographic tired of being force-fed a diet of empty platitudes, rejection and denigration at the hands of society, and one that is particularly susceptible to extreme behaviors and ideologies in an attempt to escape the drudgeries of life. Young males, especially those in higher education, often express frustration at their mediocre economic prospects, and consternation with a culture that seems to blame them as the source of societal ills. The apparent contradictions of American feel-good culture, in which meaningless acts are awarded with compliments and failure is still rewarded with a participation trophy, cause many young people to face a severe shock when entering the real world full of disappointment, despair and ugliness. Peterson’s message, conversely, offers little such assurance. Throughout the book, he continually reminds the reader of the harsh realities of social interaction and economic misery. Rather than advocate cowering, however, Peterson tells his audience to “stand up straight with your shoulders back,” “compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today” and “set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.” This last piece of advice has particularly resonated with a demographic vulnerable to enthrallment by ideologies. The “extreme polarization” of our times (to use a particularly cliched term) feeds on the anger and resentment of disillusioned youths, left and right alike. Peterson’s exhortation to avoid extremism and hate (whether of minorities

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

or of the establishment) is a refreshing message directly in contrast to much of the rhetoric currently popular on campuses. Yet, Peterson’s rather positive message of selfownership and improvement has outraged many in universities, particularly on the left. It is clear from this response that many do not appreciate Peterson’s attempts to provide young people with the tools to lead a fulfilled life. Many critics have labelled Peterson as currying favor with the alt-right and courting racists, misogynists and transphobes. These allegations are unfounded, especially given Peterson’s constant condemnation of extreme ideologies. Granted, it doesn’t help the professor’s case that he has appeared on right-wing media, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight and Prager University. Even these appearances, however, failed to elicit any inkling of racism or bigotry on Peterson’s part. The unfortunate reality is that Peterson’s appearances on right-wing media sources is likely due to an unwillingness on the part of left-leaning media to host someone so associated with controversy. In this lies the true tragedy of the matter: The intolerant atmosphere surrounding college campuses has pushed a moderate, selfprofessed liberal intellectual into the arms of skewed and

biased right-wing media. As a liberal myself, it is appalling that intolerance of dissenting ideas has become such a commonplace feature of ideologues on this side of the aisle. Progressives are the inheritors of a long tradition of tolerant, creative and daring thought; the torch-bearers of free expression, pushing the boundaries of cultural norms. The supposedly open-minded intelligentsia and youth in today’s America, endowed with a surfeit of information and sources with which to inform their opinions, have shut themselves off to free exploration of human thought and the full cultivation of human potential in the name of securing ideological echo chambers and preventing any potentially “triggering” discussion of radical ideas. The sad truth? College students have become inured to the dangers of politicallymotivated censorship and prefer a padded version of the world in which novel thoughts go unexamined. The prognosis for free and diverse expression on university campuses is bleak. Often suppressed by cowardly faculty collusion, it is very difficult to hear a message other than the ideological orthodoxy. Universities, once bastions of free thought and questioning, have become sanitized cleanrooms devoid of intellectual curiosity as

politically correct mobs hold campuses hostage and prevent the introduction and dissemination of controversial ideas. In this, higher education has failed; where before academia manned the bulwarks of science and reason against superstition and authoritarianism, faculty and administrators facilitate the slow, steady indoctrination of society’s future. It is no surprise, on final analysis, that Jordan Peterson is no favorite of today’s college elites. He challenges the prevailing narrative of victimhood and a bleak view of a highly oppressive, ruined society and replaces this with an optimistic evaluation of the human potential to overcome life’s hardships. Advocating for individual responsibility in place of the pernicious blame game of modern politically correct ideology has made Peterson a scapegoat for society’s own failure to offer its youth alternatives of fulfillment and accomplishment. In order to remedy this sad state of affairs, we might, ironically, look to Peterson’s own advice. So, stand up straight, speak the truth and clean your room — and then, having understood the ideas you plan to invalidate, critique the merits or failures of Peterson’s message. Only then can one truly emerge from H chaos and improve society. ■

OPINIONS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

Politics and protests at the Olympics: A deep-rooted tradition JOSE FLORES Contributing Writer

There are moments in which the collision between sports and politics seems unavoidable. This year, the Olympics is no exception due to the political climate of the last two years. Although the current Olympic Charter explicitly states that, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites,” this has become a trademark practice of athletes from all over the world. Despite this, the political ties the Olympics has will continue to exist as long as the competition itself continues. The history of politics and the competition can be traced back to 1936 in Berlin where Jesse Owens won four gold medals in Hitler’s presence. Fast forward 82 years to Pyeongchang, and groups of skeptical South Korean citizens are protesting the Olympic committee’s decision to appear in the opening ceremony under one flag. People from South Korea, however, are not the only ones currently disappointed with their government. In the last two years, protests in the US have been frequently occurring, and thus it is no surprise that an American athlete has made a strong political statement in the Olympics this year. On Wednesday, Feb. 7, it was reported that Vice President Mike Pence invited the first openly gay figure skater, Adam Rippon, for a meeting after Pence became aware of Rippon’s comments in an interview with USA Today last month. “I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone

out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a friend of a gay person but that they think that they’re sick,” Rippon said regarding meeting with Pence during the traditional meet-andgreet with the US delegation. As expected, Rippon, who became the first openly gay figure skater after declaring his sexuality in an interview with Skating Magazine back in 2015, declined Pence’s request. The reason why Pence would want to meet with Rippon seems odd in the first place. Pence has been viewed as an opponent to the LGBT community after reportedly supporting “conversion therapy” for gay people and by signing the controversial Religious Freedom Act in 2015, which was viewed as a way for businesses to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. After the inauguration of the Olympics in Pyeongchang two weeks ago, the world’s attention has shifted to all the athletes competing there. Many will probably criticize Rippon for not being politically correct and therefore, Rippon’s denial to meet with Pence (who himself refused to applaud the unified Korea team as they walked out during the inauguration) will gather even more attention during the competition. His protest is justified by the history of protests at the Olympics, the most notable being in Mexico 1968 when Tommie Smith and John Carlos removed their shoes and held up their fists while wearing black gloves during the national anthem. If Smith and Carlos were able to protest their disapproval of the US at the time, then Rippon

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

should be able to demonstrate his advocacy for gay rights by refusing to meet with Pence in South Korea. After Smith and Carlos’ protest, many athletes and nations have taken advantage of the attention the Olympic games receives to make political statements. Although Smith and Carlos received heavy criticism from many Americans, including the famous Jesse Owens, they also made a huge impact, which

was followed by more athletes protesting for their beliefs on the international stage. Protests and political statements, which are officially banned by the International Olympic Committee, have happened at the games for many years and they won’t cease as long as the Olympics continue to exist. Therefore, Rippon won’t be an exception since it is his right to protest in any way he wishes to do so. However, he should also be prepared for consequences

COMICS SEASON SISTERS #10 BY: RANDALL YAMANAKA

and criticism — both negative and positive — upon returning home after the Olympics. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the most notable protest in the Olympics. This year also marks the most contentious that the Olympic games have been in years. The Olympics are political, and as long as the torch is lit up every two years for the winter and summer games, there will be always be a deeper meaning behind what is being witnessed. ■H

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

COMICS TALL TAIL #15 BY: JUSTUS ROSS

YOUR COMIC HERE MOISES BAUTISTA

BECOME A COMIC ARTIST FOR THE HIGHLANDER! CONTACT OPINIONS @HIGHLANDERNEWS. ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

Radar

Beneath the grind: Inside open mic night at Riverside’s downtown coffee house

OLIVIA SMUDA Contributing Writer

To describe the experience of being at a Riverside Underground Performance Organization (RUPO) open mic night would be to describe inhabiting a tight knit, welcoming community of enthusiastic artists. For a $3 cover fee (donated to support local aspiring artists and homeless people), anyone can venture down into the basement of downtown Riverside’s Back to the Grind Coffeehouse — a space in which topics deemed “too controversial” to be performed in a familyfriendly venue unfold as passionate songs and poetry readings. The long, low-ceilinged room, dimly illuminated with a ring of Christmas lights around the stage, provide a cozy feeling, like Christmas in February. The darkness of the room allows the audience to fade into the background, while drawing attention to the stage, the only lighted space in the basement. Across the floor on any given day, seated at hand-painted tables and mismatched benches, a modest audience of 50 patrons chatters amongst themselves, waiting for the show to get underway.

RULES: 1. No Full Frontal Nudity 2. No Raw Meat 3. No Simulated Masturbation Mario Sandoval is the organizer of this weekly event that attracts so

many local artists. He was happy to describe what makes Monday nights in the basement so attractive to these artists. 20 years ago, RUPO was started in the Aurea Vista club as a space for people who wanted to perform poetry readings and musical performances. Since then, it has moved venues, and with the transition came a transformation of the community that brought all the arts together. Music, poetry, theater, dance and comedy are among the welcomed forms of expression, with poetry being the most popular. It’s been nine years since Sandoval assumed the mantle of RUPO organizer, who describes the organization as “dedicated to bringing the community together, uncensored.” He explains that the goal of RUPO is not only to be a performance organization, but to give back to the community in a variety of ways. While its primary function is to provide aspiring artists a platform to perform, it also assists in lending them some needed visibility, an audience. No one knows better than artists themselves that their livelihoods depend on having their work consumed. Sandoval energetically describes the passion and courage required from artists to share their work on stage, and that the intention of RUPO is to build artists’ confidence and connections, to launch them onto bigger and better things. He gives the example of Daniel Rosas, a past RUPO performer who eventually featured on “The Voice,” and explains proudly that “he started out performing here.” But the community efforts of RUPO reach further than artistic expression; on Wednesday nights, some of the members can be found helping out at the First Congregational Church of Riverside, feeding local hungry people. They reach out to the community in order to be more connected to the public,

CHLOE FLORES / HIGHLANDER

and to give back whatever they can. According to Sandoval, giving back is one of the missions of RUPO. Sandoval clearly takes pride in RUPO as an organization and the community of artists that keep it alive. When asked about a performance he found particularly memorable, he refuses to pick just one. “There’s so many,” he says. “It’s the power that (the artists) put up on stage; the confidence, that makes it memorable.” The future of RUPO is bright, in Sandoval’s opinion, and will only get brighter. When 9:00 p.m. rolls around, the warm and raucous collective of patrons ushers each performer onto the neon-lit stage. The first performer, Brendan Creasy, commenced the night, and got the audience’s energy up by telling a story about his adventures in Mexico. This comedic anecdote started with him bruising his groin while watching a luchador match, and ended with him eating from a private taco cart in a locker room with famous luchadores. From then on, the performances ranged from topics like death and renewal, to psychedelics and sex (so much sex). The individual, personal experience is a popular topic of discussion here. Through the comedy and poetry alike, the audience lives vicariously as the performers speak from experience. Performers evoke schadenfreude and sympathy in the listener through anecdotal sets revolving around bad luck, discomfort and failure. It all helps to create a specific intimacy between artist and audience. Every performance feels personal, like speaking to a friend, and invites the audience to reflect on the dynamic between the open artist and the crowd of strangers. There is a barrier between them in their lack of a proper relationship but the artists express themselves to the audience nonetheless. For some, it’s a way of venting and facilitates bonds based solely on that personal divulgence. Confidence is a word that could aptly describe RUPO as a whole. Despite the shyness of first-timers shuffling up to the stage, cue cards

in-hand to perform from the heart, the environment is suited for them to take the stage and capture attendees’ attention, without the fear of ridicule. Nate Ooten, who was performing for the second time at RUPO, explained that he was looking for a place to start performing his music live, and that was how he found RUPO. “I Googled ‘open mic nights in Riverside’, and looked to see what was open. Downtown Riverside attracts lots of local artists, so I thought it would be a good place to start getting exposure.” Additionally, he confides, “I came last week to watch, to get courage, before I decided I wanted to get on stage.” Stage fright is a valid concern, and several performers announce their nervousness when they step on stage, even the ones who

CHLOE FLORES / HIGHLANDER

perform often. But the audience facing them is welcoming, and invested in seeing them perform for the sake of performance, for bringing art into the world. One patron, who introduced himself only as James, emphasized the personal draw of RUPO’s laidback atmosphere. “I’ve read a couple poems,” he said. “And I’ve sat in on RUPO a few times. It’s pretty chill. I’ll come back every so often.” Performing perfectly or elegantly is not implied to be the impetus behind either the performance, nor is it the end goal. The creative efforts of these artists are all important, and for an hour and a half, everyone’s art is celebrated with equal enthusiasm. ■H

CHLOE FLORES / HIGHLANDER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

RITER’S EEK 2018

41st annual Writers Week brings literary luminaries to UCR ► FROM WRITERS WEEK, PAGE 1

Tess Taylor

Julian Medranda, Senior Staff Writer The first of Writers Week’s 20 literaries to present throughout the week was poet Tess Taylor. Taylor is the author of the New York Times’ “Best Poetry of 2016” book “Work & Days,” as well as the 2003 chapbook “The Misremembered World” and the 2013 poetry book “The Forage House.” She is also the on-air poetry reviewer for NPR’s “All Things Considered” radio program and the chair of the National Book Critics Circle’s poetry committee. Taylor began her hour-long time slot with readings from “Work & Days,” “The Forage House” and a few from her upcoming book,“The Rift Zone,” the first of which centered around her hometown of El Cerrito. “It’s fun to write about the place you are,” she said. In between poems which she gracefully skirted around anecdotes equal parts droll and poignant. “Writing ‘Work & Days,’” she said during her Q&A, “I began thinking about farm poetry,” which is reflected in her poems, which act as dialogues of sorts between agrarians of the past and herself during her time spent farming at Farm Girl Farm in Sheffield, MA in 2010. “What is poetry if not artisanal?” she says.

Krys Lee

Martha Delgado, Staff Writer Krys Lee is the award-winning author of “How I Became a North Korean,” a book that follows the lives of three North Koreans trying to survive in the China-North Korea border region and escape to South Korea. Lee’s first book, “Drifting House” is a short story collection that has won the Story Prize Spotlight award and has received honors from the BBC International Story Prize and the Asian-Pacific American Libraries Association. When Lee was 24 years old, she met North Korean activists and refugees while working at the South Korean border setting safe houses. Then, she became an activist after listening to the refugees experiences. “I’ve never seen that kind of fear in my life,” she says. For her reading, Lee read a passage from Ted Hughes’ “The Thought Fox,” and proceeded to read from “How I Became a North Korean.” “North Korea is real and always imagined,” she begins, as she connects it to the way one of her characters views reality through living in North Korea. In the Q&A session, Lee explained the responsibility of writing about North Koreans and the emotional difficulty in writing about the subject. Around the time the book came out, South Korean writing painted North Koreans as subhuman. Lee recounted an experience in which one of the earliest readers of her book was a North Korean activist who told her, “This is the book that needed to be written.”

Gina Nahai

Janine Lano, Staff Writer Gina Nahai is an award-winning author of the novels “Cry of the Peacock” — which won the Los Angeles Arts Council Award for fiction — and LA Times number-one bestseller “Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith.” She is also a retired professor of creative writing from the University of Southern California. Nahai began her reading with passages from her latest book, “The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.” It’s a story about an Iranian Jewish family which is under the grips of Raphael’s son, a man who claims to be an heir to the family fortune. Being an Iranian Jew herself, Nahai’s mission is to give a voice to other Iranian Jews. She is also an immigrant currently living in Los Angeles, and tells the stories of the Iranian Jewish community living in LA. “Let me tell you something, Los Angeles was boring before the foreigners came,” Nahai spoke, causing a laugh from those in attendance. During the Q&A portion, someone commented on Nahai’s work, saying that even though her focus is on the Iranian Jewish community, her writing transcends that, making it universal and enjoyable for everyone to read. She smiled, as if to acknowledge that she has accomplished her goal as a writer.

Charmaine Craig

Patricia Gasaiwai, Contributing Writer Charmaine Craig is the award-winning author of the 2017 novel “Miss Burma” — which received numerous awards such as “longlisted for the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction,” “a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice,” and many more. Other than being an accomplished author, Craig also has a background in acting, both in film and television. She is currently a faculty member in the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. “Miss Burma” is a non-fiction novel based on the lives of the author’s late mother and grandparents, who immigrated from Burma (present-day Myanmar). Craig’s first novel, “The Good Men,” which was published in 2002, is a different, and more historical, version of Miss Burma. During the reading, she revealed her sense of duty in writing “Miss Burma.” Her book exposes the country’s history of dictatorship and the and the horrific terrorist attacks that affected the country. “I wanted to get the history and politics as accurate as possible, and stay true to the events that occurred,” the novelist says.

“Dahlia Season.” “Dahlia Season” won the Edmund White Award in 2007 and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. She was a member of Sister Spit, a lesbian-feminist performance art and spoken word group. Gurba read three chapters from her recent book, “Mean.” While the book is a mix of genres, Gurba focused more on the memoir elements for the reading. During her Q&A session, Gurba covers the humor and structure within the book. She discusses the idea of humor as self-preservation for marginalized communities, specifically for the queer communities. “I think that marginalized communities tend to develop these sorts of gifts that they give to the larger world, but they exist for the sake of self preservation,” she explains. When asked about the book’s format, Gurba brought up the motif of violence against women. “I wanted to create a structure that mimics violence, and I wanted to create a structure that mimics PTSD, especially the intrusive elements of it,“ she says.

John Jennings

Julian Medranda, Senior Staff Writer John Jennings’ reading could not have landed at a better time of the week. The work of the UCR professor of Media and Cultural Studies and author of “The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art” centers around comic books and blackness as they relate to one another, using the lens of black speculative fiction to “unpack problems we have as a people, as a country.” As it so happens, the release of the blockbuster Marvel film “Black Panther” — already breaking records, stirring discussions surrounding its layered depictions of black identity and pushing afrofuturism to a global platform — coincided with his reading, a topic he would discuss during his Q&A. Beginning with an excerpt comprised of 2 chapters from his 2016 graphic novel, “Blue Hand Mojo: Hard Times Road,” Jennings discussed what he would refer to as the ethno-gothic, a branch of speculative fiction concerned with the supernatural and trauma. The protagonist of the comic, he says, is modeled after his father — language and all. Writing, he says, is less of a creative output for him than it is a way of problem-solving; like a knock on the door that won’t let up, he describes his creative endeavors as means of resolving (or, at least, unpacking) internal thought processes.

Roxane Gay

Hugo Cervantes, Contributing Writer A considerate group of people spent their Saturday evening at the University Village Regency Theatre to see Roxane Gay. It was opening weekend of “Black Panther,” yet the auditorium halted their trip to Wakanda for a detour with Gay, who, along with poet Yona Harvey, authored the Marvel comic book series “World of Wakanda.” The writer emerged with a copy of her most recent book, “Hunger,” a memoir on unruly bodies. She read excerpts from the book, going through the choreography of the winks and jokes that accompany the passages that she must of have done a million of times on her book tour. One of her readings was a pitying vignette about her personal trainer’s diet of chicken breast and mustard. Its absence of spices was baffling to her. From there, she steadily progressed to the core of “Hunger,” which is the rape that caused Gay to gain weight, weight gained to be worn as men repellent, she says. Much of the reading felt like a prerequisite for the night’s main dish — the Q&A. Gay, like the audience, was eager to cut to the conversation. “It is a Saturday,” she affirmed “nobody needs to be lectured to today.” The writer then turned into an oracle. She answered questions about “Hunger’”s impact on her family, the process of writing through difficult subjects and the urgency of doing so, “Black Panther,” her favorite authors, Trump and the potency of bravery. Gay listed the ingredients of this potion of bravery to be a mix of wild insecurity and wild confidence, a potion she prescribed to be regularly consumed by black girls and women of color alike. The work of writers like Zadie Smith and academics like Tressie McMillan Cottom is where Gay says she finds those pursuits of bravery and boldness: A style of thinking that refutes the comfort of a prescribed collective opinion in exchange for something more audacious. With the audience hopeful for an elixir to success, Gay denied, rather offering a formula of commitment and rigor to the craft. Gay reshaped the questions and requests and sharpened them into writing guidelines: “Why should people care? It must be compelling. It must be good.” ■H

Myriam Gurba

Martha Delgado, Staff Writer Myriam Gurba is the award-winning author of “Mean,” a true crime, ghost story, memoir hybrid that explores her experiences as a queer, mixed-race Chicana and survivor of sexual assault. Gurba is also the author of five chapbooks and two short story collections, “Painting their Portraits in Winter” and

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER Roxane Gay (above) headlined this year’s Writers Week. Among other accomplishments, Gay is a New York Times Bestseller for her book “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body.”

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

MOVIE REVIEW “BLACK PANTHER” IS A SUPERHERO MOVIE WITH HEART JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

The Highlander would like to thank ASPB for their free screening of “Black Panther.” Shuri is a lot like most younger siblings: Her most defining feature is her spunk — she’s unwilling (or perhaps unable) to engage in conversation with her older brother without throwing in a joke at his expense — but give her a bit of time and the wisdom and compassion come through. “Just because something works,” she tells him after he returns from a battle he fumbled, “does not mean it cannot be improved.” She’s referring specifically to EMP beads, but her statement resonates with every major theme of the film. Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” is the 18th feature-length film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In a series light on ideas and heavy on highconcept plots, it’s a refreshing film that not only improves upon the working formula set forth by Marvel blockbusters, but clutches its own identity with its fist raised high. While it’s anchored by the conventions of the modern blockbuster in the most inoffensive of means, Coogler’s complex screenplay and layered performances allow it to overcome its hurdles. T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is the Black Panther, the king of the fictional country of Wakanda in central Africa. Following the death of his father T’Chaka, the former Black Panther, during the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” T’Challa returns to Wakanda to officially be crowned king. Unlike the web of relationships and conflict that complicate other entries in the MCU, “Black Panther” stands on its own as a film with no prerequisites (I haven’t seen a

single “Captain America” film but know enough to enjoy this movie). Recaps are brief and unobtrusive, and you won’t catch a character forcing references to inform the uninformed audience. The kingdom of Wakanda is a sprawling, technologically advanced hub powered by the powerful metal vibranium. Vibranium is this film’s MacGuffin, and the reason why Wakandans live so isolated from the rest of the world. It’s also the reason why Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan in a showstealing role) wants to dethrone T’Challa and lead Wakanda as an aid to black revolutionaries around the world to fight their oppressors. Their ideological conflict is one that puts into question the responsibilities of people in power and the baggage that it comes with, while also being distinctly centered around black identity. “Black Panther” comes packaged with more Marvel blockbuster boons than the average film of its ilk. It boasts a likeable protagonist, replete with his own worldview that his character arc explores with depth; the comedy, when it’s present, is more hit than miss; the supporting characters all contribute valuable insight to our understanding of the film’s themes; and the action, spread-out and well-paced, is entertaining and dynamic in setting (even when it looks awful). Like his father and, likely every Black Panther before him, T’Challa assumes the mantle with a hefty weight on his shoulders. Power, as it turns out, is not an easy thing to wield — especially when this power can shape the lives of billions of oppressed people. Early on in the film, T’Challa uncovers truths that his father omitted from the illustrious timeline of Wakandan rulership. He’s shocked, but mostly angry. In the ancestral plane where the

consciousness of those who consume the heart-shaped herb are transported to before gaining superhuman powers, T’Challa initially tells his father he’s reluctant to become king without his father. By the end of the film, their relationship is strained and unresolved, his conflict now centered around the legacy of the Black Panther. “It’s hard,” as T’Chaka says, “for a good man to be a king.” Leadership and the accompanying power, as it turns out, is difficult — Coogler understands this. The tension between Wakandan isolationism and the diasporic rage against oppression that Killmonger identifies with sears the screen, smiting neither perspective but assimilating the views into a tangible compromise by the end. “Black Panther” challenges us to consider the antagonist less as a whatever-means-necessary evildoer but a sympathetic, complex antihero with depth beyond his on-screen presence. While his ethos is stained with the blood of the innocent (not unlike the legacy of colonialism he seeks to destroy), Killmonger makes a compelling case for the best Marvel antagonist to date. Despite its heady gamut of themes that make it considerably darker than others in the series, “Black Panther” still espouses the light-heartedness of the MCU without jeopardizing that weight. Letitia Wright (“Black Mirror,” “Urban Hymn”) is a breakout performer as Wakandan wizkid Shuri who designs all the Black Panther gear. She delivers what is unquestionably the worst joke in the film (if “what are those” is a dead meme in 2018, this joke will serve only to exponentially date the film in years to come) but manages to recover from it with her puerile charm. It’s a funny movie that never really tries too hard, and

COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

most of its humor comes from the female characters. Like Shuri, the female characters of “Black Panther” serve distinct roles that are anything but tokenized. They’re active agents with their own worldviews that directly affect the plot of the film in incredible ways. To declare “Black Panther” as a film with a lot of hype is to understate how defining it is for a generation of black audiences. Most of the hype is warranted — it’s smart, entertaining and proudly black. But it’s not without its problems, the same problems that nine times out of ten will affect even the smartest of blockbusters. Most of it, however, is trivial action-related gripes that will only sway the pettiest of critics to dismiss its strengths. A lot of blood is shed, but you’d be hard pressed to find an ounce of it outside of a few

scenes — even when the city of Busan is devastated by superhero mayhem or a throat is slit with vibranium weaponry. While the Black Panther’s acrobatics and feline reflexes have the potential for great fight choreography, the CGI-rendered, shaky-cam combat can be painfully difficult to follow at times, especially in low-lit areas. Other times, it’s plain unconvincing.

Verdict: “Black Panther” is smarter than the average blockbuster without foregoing the comedy and action audiences adore. While it has some of the same problems many superhero movies have, director Ryan Coogler renders them obsolete with his fantastic script that tackles incredibly relevant and H challenging themes.

MUSIC REVIEW THE “BLACK PANTHER” SOUNDTRACK IS NOT REVOLUTIONARY, BUT A WORTHWHILE LISTEN MARCELO GARCIA Contributing Writer

“Black Panther’”s official soundtrack was released through Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope records and executively produced by Kendrick Lamar and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. My initial reaction when the tracklist released was pretty reserved, with artists like Travis Scott and Swae Lee drawing my disinterest. But, there also were plenty of exciting artists such as Vince Staples and 2 Chainz. And while TDE has been slowly killing my dream of a Black Hippy album over the years, this album pretty much buried it in the ground, with all four members appearing on the album but on separate tracks. However, the final product is a tightly packed compilation of tracks whose individual strengths outweigh the

album’s overall shortcomings. It’s not revolutionary, nor is it nearly as good as some of the featured artists’ solo albums, but it doesn’t promise anything that impactful. This album is also something of a landmark for Lamar, who is featured in over half of the album’s tracks. It’s the first nonsolo album that he has co-executive produced, the only exception being “Section.80,” which he was executive producer of alongside other TDE luminaries. And while the production owes much of its flair to Top Dawg overseeing the project, some credit is due to Lamar for how this album turned out from a production standpoint. Because while the tracks themselves aren’t amazing, the production consistently delivers. No track ever feels like it overstays its welcome, and for being a compilation album, the tracks actually flow very well. “Paramedic!” is easily the strongest track. It features rap

collective SOB x RBE, an up-andcoming-bay area group that’s been making waves over the last year, holding their own in an album with their more popular and successful contemporaries. The hard-hitting beat is met by exemplary verses and ﬂows from all four members that rival any of Kendrick’s performances on this album. The song’s only shortcoming is its outro, or lack thereof, which hurts what would otherwise be a great track. SOB’s Yhung T.O. doesn’t even ﬁnish his last line before the beat cuts off and the track transitions into next one. And while that was probably the intention, it ends up sounding less like dramatic intent and more like someone unplugging your headphones in the middle of listening. The album’s most disappointing track is “King’s Dead.” It’s not a particularly bad song, mostly courtesy of Jay Rock, but it’s still a tedious one. Jay Rock, who has

consistently delivered quality verses in the past, continues to do so on this song, with a really tight flow and braggadocious lyrics to match. Lamar’s verse at the end of the track is passable, but nothing special. Things go a little off the rails when Future hops on the second verse, however. Future’s performance begins promising, but derails midway when he decides to sing-rap in a banshee-like screech on his final moments. It’s so jarring that despite Future’s relatively small presence on the track (roughly 30 seconds), his little escapade left a bad taste in my mouth — and maybe some blood in my ears. The only other minor complaint is that it doesn’t feel like a “Black Panther” soundtrack. Other than the first track and a few of Lamar’s ad-libs scattered throughout the album reminding you the movie’s name and characters, there’s little beyond that which screams “Black Panther.” And while that doesn’t

necessarily take away from any of the tracks here, I can’t help but criticize the lack of creativity in this department. It’s especially egregious that Batman’s Gotham City — and, nearly, villain The Riddler — is referenced on “Opps.” Now call me overly critical, but if I was paying money to create an album whose main purpose would be to advertise a Marvel superhero movie I would ﬁnd referencing DC Comics’ faces and places to be counterintuitive; it’s the equivalent of a Coca-Cola commercial featuring lyrics from a song describing how great Pepsi is.

Verdict: The “Black Panther” soundtrack is a fun tracklist with some solid singles to add to your playlist. While most of the album isn’t exceptional, the handful of tracks that are demand hearing. H

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

HIGHLANDER

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

WRITE * SHOOT * DESIGN

WORK FOR AN

AW ARD-WINNING

NEWSPAPER MEETINGs MONDAYS, 5:15 P.M. @HUB101

SINCE 1954

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

Highlander World Cup Halftime Group A, Part I The 2018 World Cup in Russia is still months away, and some teams are still being put together. However, that’s not stopping the Highlander from breaking down every group to give you a comprehensive overview leading up to the first kickoff.

HIGHLANDER

HOT TAKES

How Kelly Olynyk caused KD to join the Warriors

JARYD BONGCARAS Contributing Writer

Russia FIFA Ranking: 65

Saudi Arabia FIFA Ranking: 63

Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov, Russian, since 2016, previously coached Legia Warsaw (Poland).

Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi, Spanish, since November 2017, formerly coached Chile

Players to watch: Igor Akinfeev The 31-year-old goalkeeper plays for CSKA Moscow since 2003 after coming up through their academy and has represented his country on 103 occasions. Akinfeev captains the host country’s national team and looks to be an inspiring and reassuring presence between the posts.

Players to watch: Mohammad al-Sahlawi The 31-year-old striker plays for Al-Nasr Riyadh since 2009 and has scored 23 goals in 24 appearances. He placed as joint top scorer (16 goals) in the Asian division of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, along with UAE’s Ahmed Khalifi.

Artem Dzyuba The 29-year-old striker plays for Arsenal Tula on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier league since Jan. 2018. Dzyuba has an average of one goal every two games in his country’s shirt, with 11 goals in 22 appearances since his debut in 2011. Dzyuba will look to lead Russia’s line and fire his team to glory.

Fahad al Muwallad The 23-year-old right winger plays for Levante UD in Spain’s first division on loan from Ittihad in Saudi Arabia since Jan. 2018. His blistering pace and dangerous dribbling make him a persistent threat on the Saudi right flank.

World Cup Appearances: 10 First Appearance: 1994 (As Russia) Last Appearance: 2014 Best result: Group Stage, 1994

World Cup Appearances: 4 First Appearance: 1994 Last Appearance: 2006 Best result: Round of 16, 1994

Potential lineup: Akinfeev–Kudryashov, Berezutskiy, Vasin–Golovin, Glushakov, Zhirkov, Samedov, Miranchuk–Dzyuba, Smolov

Potential lineup: al Mosailem–al Shahrani, M. Hawsawi, O. Hawsawi, M. al Burayk–al Faraj, al Khaibari–al Shehri, al Abed, al Muwallad–al Sahlawi

Formation: 3-5-2

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Prediction: 2nd Place in Group, Round of 16 elimination

Prediction: Group Stage Elimination, 4th place

Matches: Vs. Saudi Arabia (opener), 6/14 Vs. Egypt, 6/19 Vs. Uruguay, 6/25

Matches: Vs. Russia (opener), 6/14 Vs. Uruguay, 6/20 Vs. Egypt, 6/25

■H

Baseball opens 2018 season with a bang

DOMINIC PETRIC

Contributing Writer

UCR baseball (2-1) opened up their season at .500 on Friday with a doubleheader against the Washington State Cougars and Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Husker Classic in Tempe, Arizona. In their first game, the Highlanders took on the Cougars with redshirt sophomore starting pitcher Trent Toplikar taking on Isaac Mullins from WSU. UCR came out on top, blowing Washington State out of the park 8-1, their largest season opening win since 2014. Toplikar was credited with the win, pitching 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and striking out an impressive eight batters. Designated hitter Connor Cannon started the Highlanders out strong in the first in-

ning, advancing three runners and getting an RBI on the play on an error by Washington State. On the next at bat, a sacrifice fly into foul territory from utilityman Yeager Taylor allowed outfielder Dean Miller to tag up and score an unearned run for the Highlanders in just the first inning. Scoring went relatively quiet for the next several innings, until the seventh inning when two runners were batted in from two separate base hits. To add insult to injury, Cannon came back up with only one out and full bases to hit a monster grand slam to left center field, putting the Highlanders up 8-1 where they would finish out the game two innings later. Scoring could have been closer, but the Cougars managed to leave 10 runners on base throughout the course of the game.

A few hours later, UCR would take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where both sides played a close, defense-oriented game until the Highlanders would finally give in during the seventh inning, allowing four runs. Hazahel Quijada got the nod for the Highlanders, striking out two batters, but ultimately went home with the loss. UCR picked up four total strikeouts, and finished with three errors, compared to only a single error from Nebraska. However, Quijada did manage to keep the Cornhuskers scoreless up to the fourth inning, until a runner scored from second on a base hit. Infielder Cody Sporrer would answer in the top of the fifth, hitting a single and scoring outfielder Cade Peters, tying the game at one a piece.

However, the Huskers quickly responded with three more runs in the same inning, taking a 4-1 lead. In the top of the sixth, the Highlanders kept rolling as Taylor and Nathan Webb would come in to score and bring UCR within just one run. Unfortunately, Nebraska scored four unanswered runs in the seventh inning and walked away with an 8-3 win. It looks to be a promising season for the Highlanders as lots of talent could make for strong offensive production. Stellar pitching from Isaac Mullins and others should also be able to make them a viable threat on defense. The Highlanders are back in action Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 25 as they open up a fourgame series against Washington in Seattle. ■H

Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinals had the second-seed Cleveland Cavaliers up 3-0 over the seventh-seed Boston Celtics, along with a healthy LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love intact. With 5:24 left to play in the first quarter, Love and Boston’s Kelly Olynyk both went for a loose ball as Olynyk tugged at Love’s left shoulder in the process. Love bolted to the Cleveland locker room and would require surgery to repair his dislocated shoulder and torn labrum — forced to sit out the playoffs. Though more reliant on their two All-Stars, Cleveland still cakewalked to a finals matchup against Golden State, but not without suffering any consequences. With Love out, the team looked to James and Irving to handle the ball more. This means more plays, attention and physical pressure for the two. Irving would go down with a fractured kneecap in Game 1 midway through overtime, leaving LeBron by himself to fend off the team with the best record in the league. If Olynyk doesn’t tear out Love’s shoulder, then: Love plays in the 2015 Finals, one more player can handle the ball, and the chances of Irving getting injured are minimized. So, the Cavs lose in their first finals meeting against Golden State in six games, and the Warriors enter the 2015-2016 season with their confidence through-the-roof. They go on an absolute tear to start off the regular season, going undefeated in their first 24 games. In fact, they’re so caught up with how good they are, they decide to try and break the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72 wins in a season. The Warriors accept the daunting task of winning about 90 percent of their regular season games, and tire themselves out in the process. Curry misses the first two games of the first round match-up against Houston due to an ankle injury, and when he returns to the court, he injures his knee. If Golden State eases off the gas pedal in the regular season, Curry is fully healthy by the time playoffs roll around. Nevertheless, the Warriors continue to thrive in the playoffs, and rush Curry’s recovery doing so. Because Curry was never 100 percent in the playoffs after the Rockets’ series, he wasn’t as effective later on. It also didn’t help that their conference finals match up with the Thunder was a long and grueling seven games, only for that to be followed with another series that went the distance. The Warriors infamously blow a 3-1 lead to the Cavs in the 2016 Finals, and win Kevin Durant signing in free agency as a “consolation” prize. Curry’s lack of full health in that playoff run haunted Golden State during that year’s final. The chances of the unanimous 2016 MVP being injured back then would’ve been minimized if the team didn’t chase regular season records. And the only reason why they chased that record, is because they won the championship in 2015. Golden State had a huge chance beating the Cavs once Irving got injured, with the chances of that happening being reduced if Love was around to also handle the ball. But most importantly, none of this happens if man-bun Olynyk doesn’t yank out Love’s shoulder out of its socket. ■H

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports

Sky’s the limit: Newest track and field coach Candace Fuller has high hopes Men’s basketlot of the meets in the local area, as a model for her own athletes year of competition. Fuller wants JON HAMMOND ball splits weekSenior Staff Writer UC Riverside last season was one to follow, because of what she to work just as hard for them as of them, and I noticed very early recognized as the “decent level of they work for her as the outdoor end pair UCR’s track and field program on that this program had really technical excellence.” Now that season, and regionals, approaches. has added a new face to the mix: Cal-Nevada State discus champion and two-time Pac-10 Championship team member from UCLA, Candace Fuller. She began her coaching career as an assistant at Cal State Northridge in 1994 after graduating from UCLA, and four years later she accepted a job at Syracuse University under the same position until 2002. Her 20 years of coaching experience was last put to use at Cal Poly in 2016, again as an assistant. In those 20 years of experience, Fuller has coached 13 different NCAA All Americans, seeing many of them set school records and compete in Olympic qualifiers. Accomplishing everything Fuller has as a player and a coach is no easy feat, and it requires two very important attributes: The desire to work hard and refusal to make excuses. In fact, the hard work that UCR has put in not just on the field, but as a program is what drew Fuller to UCR when the position was available. “Being at Cal Poly Pomona allowed me to go to a

elevated over the years,” recalls Fuller. Fuller was also drawn to UCR because of the success she saw from a relatively new Division I school, especially since the school was Division II while she was competing. Fuller also admitted she sees the Big West as one of the more competitive conferences to be in on the west coast, and she knows the track programs atop the conference, like CSUN, all too well. “I’m very competitive by nature, so seeing an opportunity for a program like this that’s come up over the years in level of competitiveness... I would love to come in here and run rough shot all over my previous stomping grounds,” says Fuller through a smile. Of course, the budget and division increase in UCR sports and the beautiful campus aren’t the only aspects that attracted Fuller to this job. The athletes themselves showed a level of ability and work ethic that truly excited Fuller. She explained how last year she filmed UCR’s throwers to use

Fuller is actually in the program, she has been pleasantly surprised by how hard her throwers want to work in order to improve, and how positive their attitudes have been despite Fuller coming aboard halfway through the season. “Their willingness to dive in day one and go to the boards with me is really a testament to their faith in what we’re trying to do,” asserts Fuller. Despite entering the program late in the year, Fuller sees no reason why her throwers can’t still develop into a solid point-scoring unit for the entire team. “I’m not a fan of excuses,” she says. “I came into Cal Poly in January and I took a guy to Nationals (from) fifteenth to fifth (place), there’s no reason (we can’t).” “If you’re talented, and you want it and you’re willing to work all the way there everyday, we have plenty of time,” asserts Fuller, who doesn’t buy into the idea that the season is a wash just because a coaching change was made this late into the year. For Fuller, her top priorities are her seniors, and getting them as far as they can go in their final

Of course, the throwing squad and their new coach isn’t worried about the timetable at all. “They’ve trained with me for one solid week, and I had several PRs this weekend and that’s with little coaching. Imagine what’s gonna (sic) happen two or three months from now.” Indeed it seems the sky’s the limit for UCR’s throwers, and Fuller is determined to allow zero excuses on their way there. ■H

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Softball adds two wins with 10-run shutout ZIYAYE CHONGWE Senior Staff Writer

Last Wednesday, Feb. 14, UC Riverside softball (5-3) took on San Diego State (14) for an afternoon matchup, looking to end their two-game losing streak, with their latest loss suffered at the hands of UCLA. The Highlanders started the game with pitcher Tayler Misfeldt (3-1), who matched up against against the Aztecs’ Julie McDonald (1-2). Misfeldt came in with 39 career wins, and was looking to tie the all-time win record with another win. She led the way with three straight outs in the first inning. And on their first opportunity on offense, UCR scored twice in the bottom half of that first inning. The scoring all began with a single by sophomore catcher Sarah Parten, that brought in two runs from infielder Brittney Garcia and outfielder Jenna Curtan. In the top of the second, Misfeldt continued her great start, as she got two of the three batters to strike out swinging. Already up by two runs, the Highlanders added more runs in the second to raise their lead up to four. In the bottom half of the third, the Highlanders had another opportunity to raise their lead. With two outs and bases loaded, Emma Ramelot hit into a fielder’s choice to third base that forced an out on Seanna Garewal, who was heading for third. It wasn’t until the fifth that the Aztecs were able to score a run

against Misfeldt. SDSU’s Iesha Hill hit a double to center field, which brought in a run from Aris Metcalfe. With a runner on third brought over on a sacrifice bunt, the Aztecs could not shorten the lead as they left another runner on base. UCR’s Misfeldt went on to pitch the rest of the game, as she finished the game with five hits, one run and a game-high six strikeouts in a 4-1 victory. With the win on Wednesday, Misfeldt placed herself in the record books as she is now tied for 40 wins in UCR history. In their second game of the week, Saturday, Feb. 17, the Highlanders took on Army (1-5) in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. UCR started Haley Marschall (1-1) at pitcher, against Army’s Renee Poirier (1-2). Once again UCR took an early lead and scored three runs in the first inning. They then followed that up with another three runs, in which Jenna Curtan hit a double and stole a base before scoring on a throwing error. With a 6-0 lead at the end of the third, Marschall was in line to pick up her first win of the season as she finished with two strikeouts and gave up one hit. On the other side, Army’s Poirier was unable to go past the third inning, as she gave up seven earned runs on eight hits. With the game getting out of hand, the Highlanders closed it out by scoring four more runs in the fourth inning, bringing the total to score to 10-0. Army could not get back into the game, as they were

unable to even get a hit in the bottom halves of the fourth and fifth inning. Because of the huge deficit between the two teams, the game was called after the fifth. After this weekend, the Highlanders return home on Feb. 23 against New Mexico for a 2 p.m. matchup. ■H

After a 76-63 loss to UC Irvine on Feb. 10, the UCR women’s basketball team (8-18, 5-7) hosted the CSUN Matadors (1313, 6-6) on Thursday Feb. 15. The Highlanders had won four of five home games entering the night, and thanks to another impressive game from senior guard Lauren Holt, they were able to extend the streak with a 69-58 win. The Highlanders were in control for the first quarter, finishing with a 20-7 lead. The Matadors, however, rallied back in the second quarter with a 22-9 run to tie the game at 29 at the half. UCR pulled away in the third quarter, and led by three with 3:08

remaining in the third. UCR put together another run at the end of the quarter to take a 50-41 lead into the final quarter. Holt finished the game with 21 points and knocked down four triples for her 19th consecutive game over 20 points. Redshirt sophomore forward Skyler Lewis went a perfect 5 of 5 from the charity stripe and added four blocks to go with her 13 points on the night. Sophomore forward Marina Ewodo filled the stat sheet with eight points, five boards and seven assists. Senior guard Michelle Curry and redshirt sophomore Jannon Otto both dropped 11 points as well. Despite being outrebounded 48-29, the Highlanders forced 24 turnovers with four different play-

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

ers tallying two or more steals, led by Holt who had four. UCR was able to convert 22 points off turnovers compared to only two for CSUN.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 HIGHLANDERS 69 MATADORS 62 The UC Riverside (7-19, 2-10) men’s basketball team was looking to get back into the win column as they traveled up to Cal State Northridge (6-20, 3-9) on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Highlanders were coming off a tough 10-point loss to UC Irvine just four days prior, but that didn’t stop the blue and gold from marching into CSUN’s gym and leaving with a 69-62 win. The Highlanders benefited from the much-needed playmaking of sophomore guard Dikymbe Martin, who scored 18 points off the bench in this game along with fellow playmaker, senior forward Alex Larsson, who had 12. Senior guard Chance Murray rounded out the Highlanders’ big three with 14 points and a career-high 10 boards as he recorded his second career double-double. UCR had to battle for this win, as they found themselves trailing at the half 30-28, and then 42-33 with 14 minutes to go. However, the Highlanders managed to spark a blistering 29-6 run fueled by hot three-point shooting (4 of 7) and stifling defense, allowing CSUN to shoot just 38.7 percent from the floor. The bench brigade stepped up for the Highlanders, as they set an in-conference record for scoring with 44, 30 of which were poured in by Martin and Larsson. SATURDAY, FEB. 17 HIGHLANDERS 69 RAINBOW WARRIORS 74

Not in my house! Women’s basketball wins five of six at home JON HAMMOND Senior Staff Writer

JON HAMMOND Senior Staff Writer

UCR is back on the road for a tilt against Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 22, as they look to complete the season sweep of the Titans. ■H

The Highlanders looked to ride their momentum as Hawai’i (14-10, 5-6) came to town on Saturday, Feb. 17, but the Rainbow Warriors had other plans. UCR was led by Murray and Martin yet again as the guards dropped 21 and 18 points respectively. Redshirt sophomore guard Dj Sylvester hit one of his two three-pointers in the opening minutes of the second half to give the Highlanders a 2827 lead, but Hawai’i answered back with a 13-2 run to take a 40-30 lead. UCR battled back, thanks to a 10-2 run fueled by a couple of and-one’s by Murray with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. Martin knocked down his first three of the night in the final minutes of the half to give the Highlanders a fourpoint lead, but Hawai’i mounted one last charge to tie the game and force bonus basketball. Overtime opened with plenty of excitement, with five lead changes and two ties as Martin began to find his rhythm from behind the arc. With a minute remaining in overtime, the game was tied 69 all and a second overtime seemed inevitable until the Rainbow Warriors scored the final five points of the period to end the game, 74-69. Murray was the anchor for the Highlanders on the night as he grabbed six boards to go with seven assists and a career-high seven steals. Martin and Larsson, both back in the starting lineup together for the first time since Jan. 11, rounded out the rest of the leaders for UCR, as Larsson scored five points to go with a team high eight rebounds. The Highlanders remain in the SRC Arena for their final matchup of the year against Cal State Fullerton H on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. ■