THE HIGHLANDER UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
est. 1954
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
VOL. 66, ISSUE 20
IF YOU HAD $35,000 TO IMPROVE UCR WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON? a
CLASS MATERIALS
(TEXTBOOKS, LAB COATS, ACCESS CODES, CLICKERS) b
FOOD INSECURITY
62% OF UCR STUDENTS REPORTED BEING FOOD INESECURE c
IMPROVING PARKING
ACCORDING TO STUDENT LIFE, MORE THAN 4,600 STUDENTS COMMUTE TO UCR d
SWEATSHIRTS
YOU WOULD GET 4,040 FOR OUR 20,069 UNDERGRADUATES e
OTHER
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
Over the past four years, R’Gear has been a tense and divisive topic on campus. This year, $35,000 of student money may be spent on 4,040 UCR-themed sweatshirts to be distributed to some freshmen if a veto on the project is overturned. A few ASUCR senators and students have raised other issues at UCR where this money could be better spent. So we’re curious, what would you spend $35,000 on?
ASUCR cabinet members veto $35,000 R’Gear expense
EDITORIAL:
R’Gear is a waste of students’ money and must be discontinued
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HUMANS OF UCR
UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 10
STEVE STAGGS, UCR EXTENSION CENTER
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Walk and Talk with Aram Ayra, ASUCR President 12:15 p.m.–12:45 p.m. Scotty the Bear Statue at the HUB
Are We Alone? Craters, Collisions, and Cosmic Catastrophes 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Palm Desert Center, Auditorium 75080 Frank Sinatra Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92211
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Stress Busters 1 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Orbach Library (Science Library)
Pie Day 3:14 p.m. UCR Libraries, Rivera & Orbach Libraries
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Therapy Fluffies 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. UCR Libraries
Goody Bags 4:00 p.m. UCR Libraries
A Wrinkle in Slime: Make Your Own Slime 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Rivera Library
Zapatista Moon 7:00 p.m. ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501
Tuesday
COMPILED BY JIMMY LAI
Wednesday
Thursday
“I have a passion for crime scene investigations. It’s one of my favorite things
16 Friday
in law enforcement. I was a police officer for 32 years, but the part I like the most was photography and teaching. I was at UC Davis for 10 years as the crime scene investigator in the detective unit. That’s where I learned about crime scene investigations. Then I started teaching it at Cal State Long Beach and when I retired, I started teaching at University Extension.”
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Saturday
The Square 3:00 p.m. ARTSblock 3824 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501
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R’Finals Study Jam 4:00 p.m.-8 p.m. Orbach Library (Science Library)
O.C. Alumni Chapter: UCR Alumni Night at Anaheim Ducks Game 6:00 p.m.- 8 p.m. Honda Center 2695 E. Katella, Anaheim, CA
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Chicken Soup for the Soul 2:00 p.m. UCR Library Rivera & Orbach
Snack Attack: Pizza 7:00 p.m. Orbach Library (Science Library)
Sunday
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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
News ASUCR
ASUCR cabinet members veto $35,000 R’Gear expense
EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer
Beginning a tense meeting, ASUCR President Aram Ayra announced that he and two other Executive Cabinet (ECAB) members, Vice President of External Affairs Johnathan Li and Executive Vice President Carisha Moore, vetoed the finance allocation of $35,000 to the R’Gear program, an initiative to distribute sweatshirts to freshmen. “We don’t think at this time committing $35,000 to R’Gear is something that’s in the best interest of students,” said Ayra to the senate during public forum. He explained that the ECAB veto is permitted through the ASUCR constitution, specifically Article IV Section F as well as Chapter XIX of the ASUCR bylaws. Article IV Section F states that ECAB has the authority to “Veto legislation passed by the Senate, provided the legislation did not pass with a unanimous vote of all Senators present.” It also stipulates that the veto must be issued no more than seven days after the vote. The senate vote on R’Gear was split 9-31 during the Feb. 28 meeting and the veto was signed by Ayra, Moore and Li within the seven-day time limit. Chapter XIX also outlines similar requirements to veto a bill. It additionally states that the senate has 14 business days to override the veto and that all members who voted on the legislation must be present during the override discussion and voting. Ayra reminded the senate that they need a unanimous vote to override an ECAB veto and encouraged them to “look into that.” He reassured the senate that this is “not a personal attack, this is not an agenda” and stated that he believes there are many other better ways to spend the money rather than “dropping it on sweatshirts at the start of the warm season.” He later said that there are plenty of areas where that money could go, citing examples of a struggling R’Pantry, the R’Garden which is losing funding in June and a student kitchen that needs part-time staff. After nearly 40 minutes of explaining his rationale to the senate, Ayra stated that he felt it was “ridiculous that I have to stand here and lecture everybody on why … for example, working with the bookstore to lower the prices on the sweaters we have there is a better idea.” Once Moore opened up the speaker’s list, CHASS Senator Solomon Demeku was the first to speak, initially inquiring about the process of overriding the vote. Ayra replied that since finance allocations were voted on by the senate, they have the power to veto it. Demeku stated that he understood every point Ayra made but disliked how Ayra went about vetoing the vote, raising that Ayra did not consult all of the Executive Cabinet or call a meeting to vote on the veto. “I find it a little problematic that not all members of the ECAB were invited to the meeting and secondly, I find it a little problematic that the senate can vote on things and then the ECAB can just go ahead and override it,” stated Demeku. Demeku believed Ayra’s intentions were in the right place, but explained that it would have been “wiser” and “more democratic” to involve the senate in decision-making. Demeku began to raise his voice, confront-
ing Ayra on what he perceived as an abuse of power on the part of ECAB. “The point that I am trying to make, and I think that’s actually pissing me off, is the fact that you’re pretty much coming up here and telling me how you have this opinion and how you acted the right way and how it’s in your position to vote this way without regard to the senate,” stated Demeku, noting that the senators have “independent minds” and were elected without political parties. He chastised Ayra for not going about the entire situation differently and promised to revise the bylaws. The Highlander reached out to Demeku for an interview but he was unable to respond due to an illness. Shortly after this exchange, Vice President of Finance Jose Cortez-Hernandez argued that Ayra had no authority to veto the R’Gear expense because it was a finance allocation, not a piece of legislation as stated in the constitution. “The measures that they’re using to try and veto this aren’t exactly stated in our constitution,” said Cortez-Hernandez, who filed for a review of the veto by the ASUCR Judicial Council, which was heard on Monday, March 12 at 8 p.m. in the senate chambers. Cortez-Hernandez mentioned similar concerns in an interview on Friday, stating that no one in the senate or on ECAB knew of the veto until Ayra announced it at the meeting. Additionally, Cortez-Hernandez provided The Highlander with a 12-page document consisting of a timeline of events leading up to the meeting. The document states that ECAB met at 5 p.m., the hour before the Feb. 28 meeting, where Cortez-Hernandez and Vice Chair of Personnel Andrea Cuevas presented the R’Gear proposal, with Ayra and Moore in attendance. During this meeting, no issues were raised regarding the project, says Cortez-Hernandez. On March 1, UCR’s purchasing and procurement department sent out the purchase order which was accepted by the supplier, CBL, creating a contractual agreement. By March 7, no ECAB meeting was called and, according to the document, seven out of 10 ECAB members, including professional staff members, were not notified of any meeting. After the veto on Wednesday, ASUCR Executive Director Laurie Sinclair informed Cortez-Hernandez that CBL would charge a $6,000 cancellation fee, per the document, and spoke with Vice President of External Affairs Johnathan Li, who said he was not aware of a cancellation fee and would urge Ayra to reconsider. Shortly thereafter, on March 8, Cortez-Hernandez filed his case with the judicial council. In the document, Cortez-Hernandez writes, “Their experience, privilege, and position of power gives their opinion on R’Gear a lot of weight and would have been heard during the presentation during the Senate meeting.” The document continues, “Their decision to remain silent for 1 week creates not just internal suspicions on their politics, but it now puts our very organization at financial and legal risk.” He also wrote that this undermines the integrity of ASUCR saying, “what we cannot accept nor tolerate is a vote carried out in secrecy that violates all standards of transparency and honesty to the student body.”
JORDAN HOM / HIGHLANDER ASUCR President Aram Ayra (above, far left) announced an Executive Cabinet veto on the $35,000 R’Gear expense last Wednesday, igniting a nearly 40-minute debate on the legitimacy of the veto.
Vice President of Internal Affairs Semi Cole, a vocal proponent for R’Gear, expressed his dismay at the veto during the meeting, echoing some of the concerns Cortez-Hernandez outlined above, chiefly those regarding the length of time Ayra and other ECAB members could have raised their concerns and a lack of consultation on the veto. However, Cole did mention that he was “not sold either way” and believes that there is fiscal room for both R’Gear and other projects to happen, even though he said that R’Gear was a “divisive issue.” His disappointment was primarily with the secrecy of the veto, calling it a disrespect of ASUCR’s democracy and that it was “problematic” that they could not gather to discuss the issue “as adults.” Cole later told the senate, “look at the way things are being done, look at the way people are operating, we could have discussed this and had a democratic conversation about this ... it’s sad that it has to come to this.” One of the ECAB members that participated in the veto was Executive Vice President Carisha Moore, who expressed her rationale in an interview. “R’Gear is not the best use of student funds so I decided to stand with Aram and J Li (Johnathan Li) because we’ve been here the longest and seen that there are better uses for $35,000,” stated Moore, “I know there are more pressing issues on campus and I would love to see our senators put more effort towards those issues.” In regard to the democratic legitimacy of the veto, Moore thinks the veto was completely valid. “I can understand how it may seem shady ... but considering that it may not have been a piece of legislation and a finance allocation instead, honestly I have no right to define what the constitution means, so I’m waiting for what judicial has to say,” said Moore, continuing, “I find it to be democratic because we did have three-fifths of ECAB agree to stop R’Gear.” One senator that has been a vocal critic of R’Gear, CHASS Senator Roy Tongilava, said he did not expect the allocation to be vetoed and was just as surprised as his colleagues in the senate. Tongilava wrote in an email that “Despite contrary belief, this veto is supported by our constitution. I think moving forward, it’s important that ASUCR members are now cognizant of the president’s power to veto and moreso the power of threatening to veto.” He also expressed his support for the challenging of the veto saying that, “I think it’s great that my counterparts are choosing to challenge the veto through judicial, and I am hoping that everyone can receive answers soon.” Overdrawn reserves? A central point of the meeting was the question of overdrawn reserves, posed by Ayra, because of past allocations for the R’Gear program. Early in the meeting, Ayra stated, “our reserves have been destroyed over the last few years because of exactly this initiative because we pulled so much money.” CortezHernandez dispelled this assertion in the document described above, giving detailed copies and descriptions of ASUCR’s budgets, some of which are not available to the public. On the fourth page, it provides a breakdown of the contingency budget allocations and states that there is between a $800,000 and $1,000,000 estimated balance in the contingency reserves. “But our reserves as of right now are at the minimum of $800,000,” said Cortez-Hernandez in an interview. “I wanted to highlight that because a lot of students were very concerned that this is such a huge amount,” he said speaking of the $35,000 allocation. “The contingency reserve, that balance is just if anything were to happen, like if ASUCR stopped getting funding, but us having that ridiculous amount in our reserves, and continuing to add onto it, does nothing for the students,” said Cortez-Hernandez. A mystery Twitter account The controversy surrounding R’Gear was furthered by the emergence of a Twitter account on Thursday, March 7 that has since gone private. Operating under the handle @
JORDAN HOM / HIGHLANDER VP of Internal Affairs Semi Cole (above) has been a vocal proponent of R’Gear and doubled down on his support for the program last Wednesday.
fPFE6yY9QFX0nVS, the anonymous user posted image macros shaming the ECAB members that vetoed the allocation with the earliest post shared around 4 a.m. Thursday morning. One tweet, referencing Ayra, Moore and Li’s support of R’Gear last year said, “The 3 ECAB members who (unconstitutionally) tried to SECRETLY violate senates authority to allocate $ for RGear were the ACTUALLY the leading supporters of RGear about a year ago,” the tweet reads, “& ALL 3 voted to spend $50,000 on Rgear about a year ago, but now says $35k is too much?!?” Another tweet also shames Ayra, stating “Prez Ayra asks for $40 polos per person & spends $10 per person on Food for ONE meeting but can’t spare $7 for students now?!?” Moore thinks that the account is “extremely petty and ridiculous.” She stated that as she “grows as a student leader,” her opinions have changed for the better over the past three years. “What separates me and some of the other elected officials in ASUCR is that I have listened to the students and I’ve learned from what the students have to say,” said Moore. “I can agree that I was wrong my freshman and sophomore year in ASUCR that I thought R’Gear was cool but I got into an ECAB position and realized that R’Gear is not helping us, it’s diminishing us.” In regards to who she thinks the user behind the account was, Moore thinks there is only one person possible, but did not reveal their name. “I know who may have made the account because the financial documents presented were only available to one student that I know of and that person works in finance,” said Moore. Cortez-Hernandez denied knowledge of the account, expressing surprise when he was informed of the account during the interview. “I had no idea of that Twitter account,” said Cortez-Hernandez, expressing his concern that some of the documents shown on the account are not accessible to the public. In a follow-up interview, Cortez-Hernandez did admit to having taken at least one of the pictures posted on the Twitter account. Though, he claimed that the image, which showed a $60 lunch reimbursement request from Ayra, was only shared with members of his finance committee and must have been leaked by someone else. He also admitted to having prior knowledge of the existence of memes related to these images before being asked by The Highlander, seemingly a contradiction of his previous expression of shock when initially asked about the Twitter account. The Highlander is still awaiting confirmation of these claims. Ayra did not respond to questions regarding the issues raised in this story. This was the last ASUCR meeting of the quarter and the senate will resume meeting week one of spring quarter on Wednesday, H April 4 in the senate chambers (HUB 221). ■
NEWS
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
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Mental health at risk? UC Counseling contract dispute remains unresolved ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer
The long-standing collective bargaining dispute between UC-wide counseling staff and the UC Office of the President (UCOP) continues as UCOP representatives refuse to consider union demands. The University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union, which represents counseling staff from across the UC including UC Riverside’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), is currently at an impasse in negotiations across from UC officials over issues of wage increases and fair compensation. In a meeting held Jan. 12, UPTE representatives sat across from UCOP negotiators and demanded larger wage increases. According to Andrea Saavedra, a counselor within CAPS, the demands were countered with an offer of a 3 percent annual wage increase, which left counseling employees demanding larger concessions. Saavedra added that the wage increase frustrates employees, who view the raise as long overdue, not having received it “since the last review” in 2017. The 3 percent increase would be equivalent to a cost-of-living raise, but result in
less take-home pay for employees, for whom the rising cost of benefits and the persistent union dues remain a significant but necessary financial burden. According to Saavedra, UCOP “didn’t seem to understand this concept” during negotiations, as “they kept saying, ‘There’s money to take home,’ when there really isn’t.” UPTE has presented UCOP with two different pay scales, the first being rejected outright and the second denied by the UC in favor of the aforementioned 3 percent increase. The concerns on CAPS and UPTE’s part arise from a shortage of qualified counseling staff, with UCR having seven unfilled positions and being unable to attract replacements. Saavedra commented that low wages plague all UC counseling departments, and in Southern California, UCR struggles to compete with UC Irvine and UCLA’s higher-paying positions. Until the wage issues are resolved and UCR becomes an attractive posting for counseling staff, Saavedra lamented, UCR will be at risk of failing to adequately provide mental health services to the surrounding community. As of the time of publication, UCOP and UPTE are at an impasse in negotiations. Mediation is slated to re-
sume in April, most likely at UPTE headquarters in Sacramento. ■H
MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER
“The future seems very bright”: New CFO Bomotti reveals vision for UCR AMANI MAHMOUD Contributing Writer
On Feb. 1, Gerry Bomotti was officially appointed by UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox as chief financial officer (CFO) and vice chancellor for planning and budget. Bomotti has spent more than 30 years in senior executive roles at public universities across the United States. Most recently, Bomotti was the senior vice president for finance and business at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a position he held since 2004. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Bomotti oversaw many of the same tasks he will oversee at UCR as CFO and vice chancellor for planning and budget. In an email interview with The Highlander, Bomotti stated that he believes his past experience will help him understand the functional areas of UCR. Bomotti wrote that, as CFO and vice chancellor for planning and budget his “first goal is to make sure and fully understand the culture, policies and priorities of UCR, so that (he) can focus on supporting them.” Bomotti noted that while he has significant experience working in public higher education at other institutions, and knows the functional areas under his purview well, he does not yet know UCR and believes that he needs to take some time to focus on the unique aspects of the campus. Bomotti wants to address improvements in facilities support for the campus and has advocated for improved campus lighting. He also expressed a
desire to develop a strong administrative sustainability office that can coordinate with different academic units, including the Office of the Provost, and specifically with UCR students. Bomotti wishes to support the new campus budget model by looking at adjustments that will allow it to better support the needs of the campus. He wrote, “I hope to look at existing policies and especially process steps to determine if there are more efficient and/or effective options available.” He also wishes to make himself open to anyone or any group that he can assist on campus whose issues or concerns are relative to areas of his responsibility. A total of five offices at UCR (Financial Planning and Analysis, Facilities Services, Capital Assets Strategies, Architects and Engineers, Institutional Research and the Strategic Project Management Offices) will report to Bomotti. The Capital Assets Strategies office helps UCR plan to include land use and new facilities in the future and also includes real estate support and space management for the campus. The Architects and Engineers is a group that supports the design and delivery of new campus facilities, campus renovations, and almost all campus facilities projects that are over $50,00 in total cost. The Institutional Research office supports the campus with data and information on enrollments and other campus statistics fed into national and state databases. This office also manages data used and needed by the campus to understand UCR and help
plan for the future. The Strategic Project Management is a relatively small office that helps support individual management projects, such as the new budget model that was rolled out in the recent past, and other areas where change management is occurring with new process steps and often with new automated administrative system implementations. Bomotti earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Oregon State University and a master of arts in mathematics from Washington State University. He completed doctoral-level coursework in higher education administration at the University of Michigan. Bomotti has worked at land grant
institutions (institutions that focus on the teachings of agriculture, science, military science and engineering) for most of his career and stated that he is very happy to be working at UCR, which is also a land grant institution. He believes that UCR has a very strong agricultural operation and is learning about the vast aspects of it and how it provides critical support for food production and other related activities to the state and well beyond. He wrote, “I am very impressed with the campus, its students, its faculty and its staff. The future seems very bright for UCR, from my perspective, and I am excited about being part of (a) campus that is growing and serving this region and state.” ■H
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
UCR School of Medicine makes strides in cancer research VASKEN NAJARIAN Contributing Writer
UCR Professor Dr. Maurizio Pellecchia and his research team have discovered a way of tracking cancer cells with the chemotherapy drug Paclitaxel. The drug tracks cells that cause tumor metastases when secondary malignant growths form at a location separate from a primary site of cancer. Paclitaxel is typically used to locate rapidly dividing cancer cells in order to target tumor growth. It is a wellknown cytotoxic (toxic to living cells) drug that effectively stops cellular division. Because it is not selective to cancer cells, it causes severe side effects, killing normal cells that divide at a fast pace, such as hair follicles or mucosal membranes. Cytotoxic drugs target cells in two different ways; by attacking cancer cells or by suppressing tumor cell growth signals. Dr. Pellecchia explained the significance of his discovery in an interview with The Highlander. “Our work focuses on an oncogene (named EphA2) that confers cancer cells the ability to migrate form the primary tumor, enter blood circulation and eventually adhere to other tissues and forms metastases,” wrote Pellecchia. His research focuses on targeting the receptor on the surface of the cancer cells and he explained that there are two primary traits they look out for. The first of these two is that it allows cancer cells to enter blood circulation, which contributes to metastases. The second characteristic is when the EphA2 targeting agent binds to the receptor, the receptor recoils inside the cancer cell where the proteolytic enzymes destroy it. The agents that target
the EphA2 receptor cause its disruption within the cancer cell, and Dr. Pellecchia’s team took this property of agents a step further. He explained that they did so by “chemically linking a potent cytotoxic agent to 123B9, cancer cells that are rich in EphA2 would transport the toxic agent inside the cell, like a Trojan horse, hence effectively killing it.” Dr. Pellecchia claims that the ultimate aim behind this research is to lead to better cancer treatments. The main contribution this research would make is allowing for the agent to capture and kill circulating tumor cells before they cause metastases. He also hopes the agents they work with will spare normal cells, as these do not present the EphA2 receptor. This could prevent cancer treatment from leading to hair loss. Pellecchia wrote, “We anticipate a significant reduction of the common side effects of chemotherapy.” However, Dr. Pellecchia still sees a long road to therapeutic trials for humans. A lot of the cause is simply that it takes a significant amount of time before an experimental drug reaches the clinics due to manufacturing and safety testing. He also pointed to the lack of resources allocated to academic institutions. “Many promising therapeutics often never reach the patients, due to lack of funding to support these activities,” said Dr. Pellecchia. On average, a minimum of $2 to 3 million is needed to file an investigational new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration and start a clinical trial in oncology. Dr. Pellecchia received his bachelors of science in organic chemistry at the University of Naples Federico II in Naples, Italy before receiving his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry at the same institution. His laboratory focuses on pharmacological tools in the areas of cancer,
neurodegeneration and potentially other disease areas. Per his website, a central theme of his research is the advancement of promising agents into potential therapeutics. ■H
COURTESY OF UCR TODAY
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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
Opinions HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
R’Gear is a waste of students’ money and must be discontinued
R
’Gear, when it began in February of 2015, was penned as an initiative to raise school spirit by distributing supposedly “free” UCR sweatshirts and crewnecks (pre-paid for, naturally, by a portion of student fees), primarily to incoming freshmen. Though fostering a sense of community and pride in one’s university is an admirable goal, the R’Gear distributions seem more like an attempt to force it into existence — and creating a lasting atmosphere of school spirit requires far more than simply distributing sweatshirts on the student body’s dime. To commit tens of thousands of dollars yearly to a program that only churns out a few thousand sweatshirts is a serious waste that will only benefit a small few. This is especially troubling when considering that those funds could instead go to addressing more pertinent financial issues on campus, such as the costs of necessary supplies like textbooks, clickers or lab coats, or the issue of food insecurity. Despite its seemingly well-meaning origins, R’Gear has always carried a high price tag — in 2015, the project cost $51,601.86, vastly exceeding then-ASUCR President Nafi Karim’s initial estimate of $43,800. ASUCR later attempted to rectify the discrepancy in October of 2015 by reducing the costs to $30,728.88. In 2016, however, ASUCR Vice President of Finance Shafi Karim tried to inflate R’Gear’s allocated funds back up to $51,000 on the grounds that they ran out of available sweatshirts under the tighter budget. During the distribu-
JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER
tions in early 2017, while Shafi was ASUCR President, the cost came out to $48,902.40, and provided a mere 6,100 sweatshirts for a population of about 20,000 undergraduates. For this year’s distributions, ASUCR voted during their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 28 to allocate $35,000 to R’Gear, but this would only provide a little over 4,000 sweatshirts. This allocation was vetoed by current ASUCR President Aram Ayra, Executive Vice President Carisha Moore and Vice President of External Affairs Jonathan Li last Wednesday, March 7 on the grounds that it isn’t “in the best interest of students,” according to Ayra. However, the veto is currently being challenged in the judicial council by Vice President of Finance Jose Cortez-Hernandez. On paper, R’Gear’s primary goal has always been to raise “school spirit,” but this is a poor justification for spending so much money on UCR apparel when not even all the students could feasibly get one of the very limited number of sweatshirts. First of all, though they are pricey, students are perfectly capable of buying their own at the campus bookstore if they choose. More importantly, whether someone feels “school spirit” is not only highly subjective, it’s much more complex than the R’Gear program assumes. You might temporarily put someone in a good mood by handing them a so-called “free” hoodie, but the novelty will eventually wear off, and if the “free” merchandise is the only thing that the student has to feel good about with regard to UCR, then they
may still be left without the sense of community and belonging that is so integral to a university experience. Genuine, lasting school spirit is absolutely valuable and worth trying to raise. However, it’s created as the result of a student feeling that their university is their home away from home. This can come about from attending events and games, building a circle of friends and acquaintances, joining clubs, interacting with students from other walks of life, creating memories, achieving well-earned academic success and seeing the university truly take care of those students who are in need. All of the aforementioned things bring students together far better than a “free” hoodie. If students don’t feel as if their university is one they can be proud of, or feel as if they have no connection to the campus culture, then a mere piece of merchandise isn’t going to magically change all of that. A more productive use of the funds that would normally go to R’Gear this year would be to address financial burdens that students find most troubling. Take food insecurity, for example. UCR Today reported in June of 2017 that “UC surveys have found that 62 percent of UCR undergraduates reported being food insecure,” — a serious issue that the R’Pantry program attempts to alleviate. Rather than spending the $35,000 on sweatshirts, perhaps that money could go to helping R’Pantry provide for the students who depend on the program for food each week. Alternatively, the money could be used to start programs that help stu-
dents pay for textbooks, lab coats, clickers, access codes for online class materials, parking passes or any other number of necessary expenses that weigh heavily on students’ minds and wallets each quarter. These are more relevant to students’ educations than sweatshirts, and if students were able to afford them without having to stress about exorbitant costs, then perhaps they would feel a little more pride in the university that helped them when they were in need. These are, of course, just a few examples, as there are many ways this money could be better spent. Rather than continue R’Gear, a wasteful program that could only feasibly serve a percentage of the campus, ASUCR ought to take the money that would go to it and use it in ways that will more tangibly help students who are struggling financially. School spirit can’t be forced into existence via the distribution of supposedly “free” sweatshirts, but it will arise if students feel that their alma mater is one in which they can take pride. This can be achieved if this money is instead used in a more sound matter that addresses the daily needs of the students, or if the student government were more responsive to students’ concerns — or if the money were simply not gouged from us in the first place. ■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.
OPINIONS
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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
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OPINION POLL Compiled by Bri Chew, Staff Photographer
“Do you feel like UCR has a strong sense of school spirit?”
Demi Garcia Business Second-year
Richard Kim Engineering Fifth-year
Yasmeen Bari Sociology Fifth-year
Hina Kahalid Political Science Fifth-year
Chris Rahal Biology First-year
Jenine Albarre Biology First-year
“Actually, not that much because this is not their number one school so a lot of people like to show off they go to UCR.”
“Probably not. If there is school spirit, it is more laxed than you would see at USC.”
“Yeah because everyone is always rocking a UCR sweater and whenever I go out to the mall, everyone is repping their school clothes. I know I do. Scotty is a big deal and our social media is always popping.”
“I definitely think UCR has a great school spirit. Scotty is really big and he’s always out supporting and meeting students. Everyone is wearing UCR attire.”
“I don’t personally see it. I genuinely don’t see much school spirit around here. Maybe it has to do with the lack of big game sports. Honestly, if we had a football team, I’d personally have a lot more school spirit.”
“I see that they’re trying, but not as much as other schools. Listening to my friends from other schools, their school spirit is crazy. It just depends on the activities that UCR has.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tests ICE — did she slip? JOSE FLORES Contributing Writer
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf made national headlines last week after warning her constituents, via Twitter, about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids taking place in the city. Since the 2018 elections are on the horizon, this all may seem like a scheme to gain votes. In reality, however, Schaaf is just trying to protect innocent, undocumented immigrants from being confused with criminals with serious offenses who are being targeted. For the most part, Schaaf’s decision has been met with criticism from people on both sides of the political spectrum. On one hand, Thomas Homan, the acting director of ICE, believes that Schaaf’s decision allowed over 800 criminals
to escape, which therefore compromises the safety of the city. On the other hand, City Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the predominantly Hispanic Fruitvale District, said,“Annoying the feds isn’t in the city’s best interest” and that there are times in which his area has needed FBI and other federal help since gang MS-13 “operates” there, meaning that ICE operations should not be vilified since they can actually be beneficial to the region. Before Schaaf’s tenure (which began in January 2015), Oakland was already a city with very few things to celebrate. High levels of poverty compared to the national average and a rising cost for housing had been looming over the city. Schaaf ran for mayor with the promise that she would help reduce crime rates and unemployment
in the city, and that is what she is doing now. To bring Schaaf’s work into perspective, let’s analyze some data: From 2015 to 2017, Oakland’s Violent Crime Index has gone down from 6,212 crimes to 5,685. Aside from crime, another issue which troubled the city was the percent of the population that was unemployed and homeless. Under Schaaf, unemployment has dropped from 6.6 percent to 3.7 percent in just two years. Therefore, in terms of meeting expectations, Schaaf has not fallen short, which means that she would not be doing this to rescue her term as mayor. Yet, coming from a county that voted 78.1 percent Democratic in the 2016 elections and is ardently liberal, it seems as if Schaaf’s actions are all a plan to gain
more votes when she faces reelection in November this year. Regardless of whether it is a scheme or not, Schaaf’s decision to disperse this information will have consequences. The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, March 6 that it would be suing the state of California over its laws meant to protect undocumented immigrants, which many claim are a protection for criminals. Schaaf responded to this through a tweet on Wednesday, March 7 by claiming to be protecting families and workers that harvest crops. Whichever way it may be seen, one thing is certain: Schaaf’s warning simply informed Oakland residents about something they are entitled to know about. Schaaf’s warning did not
include information that specifically stated where ICE would be operating, therefore anyone was susceptible to encounter ICE agents. If the real target is criminals, those criminals have charges and they can be traced. The raids are nothing more than attempts from ICE to capture anyone who is undocumented. Also, undocumented people aren’t only gang members, they are heads of families, field workers and even students in medical school. In Spanish, ICE raids are known as “Redadas,” which derives from the word “red,” meaning net. Just like a fisherman’s net may pick up unwanted catch, so do ICE raids. What Libby Schaaf did was simply an attempt to prevent innocent and honest people from getting caught in that net. ■H
R’PERSPECTIVE: From humble beginnings to new challenges — reflecting on my college career EDWARD DAVE Staff Writer
College is the best way to humble someone. I found that out the hard way upon my arrival. I wasn’t dripping in arrogance or anything, but I underestimated the leap that college is from high school. In high school, every teacher I had during my senior year would forecast a troublesome path for me if I treated my college career with the same finesse I used in high school. “You won’t be able to cram,” they said. “Your professors only view you as a statistic, unless you go to them for further guidance in office hours,” they continued. Those were scare tactics that every teacher used before any moderate jump in the education system. “I guess. I’ll adjust accordingly,” I’d mumble in retaliation. Once fall of 2014 came, I was smacked with a heavy dose of reality. It’s not as if my first year at UCR didn’t go well, it just didn’t go as smoothly as I thought it would. And that’s when I learned the first
valuable lesson of my college career: Agency. Agency is important because without it, we’re just sacks of flesh aimlessly waiting for someone to make our choices for us. I still felt as though I could passively attend class, take moderately helpful notes and study for an hour before any test or quiz in order to excel. It wasn’t until I got a C- in CS 008, one of the easiest classes on the entire class roster, that I knew I had to make a change. That class shouldn’t have been as hard as my grade reflected, and truthfully, it wasn’t. I knew I would not make it to graduation if I continued this streak of “passive productivity” that I dubbed my lazy ways. Second year came, and I thought I had been taught enough lessons from the previous year to give me a head start to excellence. And while my study habits became better, I started to bemoan my separation from my friends in the dorms we shared. They were my support system. Coming home from an arduous day of academics and ridiculous quizzes was
all worth it when I spotted a friend to break the funk of my mood. This is when I learned the next salient lesson of my college career — independence. No two people in college will ever embark on the exact same trajectories, so people have to get acclimated to a constant revolving door of people who they may only need for a very finite amount of time. My college experience for second year wasn’t as socially consistent as it had been during my first-year stay in the dorms, where it’s customary to band together in a social environment. As a second-year, I realized that taking ownership for my own successes was paramount. No one will ever know the depths of my desires and dreams except me. I had my own set of dreams and no one could endow me with a fastpass to those goals. No one can study for me or perform tests or quizzes in my stead. Conning my way through college was very possible, and as tempting as it was, I knew I could not evolve as a student until I faced challenges that broke
my comfort zone. Interestingly enough, my third year at UCR was filled with many academics highs. I managed to breach the dean’s list for my first time and give my cumulative GPA the boost it was thirsting for. But in the pursuit of academics, I begin to lose track of something important: My mental health. This year’s lesson was all about learning how to become selfish in times of need. Selflove is the best kind of selfish. It took for me to be spread too thin across my newspaper assignments, academics and the passing of my grandmother for me to realize that. I couldn’t possibly expect to do well in school when my mental wellbeing was in limbo. No matter how much I craved the vigor of success, I knew it wasn’t a sustainable goal unless my mind and body had synergy. In order to correct this, I made sure I invested in activities that would help me destress like buying slimes online for autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) therapy and reading good books. I also made it a habit to look in the
mirror daily and ask myself if I did something good for myself for that particular day. Mental health became an important thing to maintain after that. As I’m a little more than halfway through my final year at UCR, I think a lot of things have come full circle. This year is about making that dash to home base with your head held high and your GPA even higher than that. One of my fondest memories of UCR will always be the diversity and ambience on campus. There’s a certain type of life that emanates from this campus that makes me feel optimistic about the future of higher learning institutions. But above all else, I have pride in myself that I was able to conquer an institution that seemed so massive and scary when I started. Now it feels like I’ve outgrown the school and I’m looking at it on an even playing field. There is no evolution to be had with safe bets and modest hops. Sometimes it’s up to us to leap into uncharted territory and let our hearts maneuver the rest of the way. ■H
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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
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Walmart’s new f irearm policies are well-intentioned but do nothing to solve the problem of gun violence MARCELO GARCIA Senior Staff Writer
In the wake of the Florida shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead and 14 wounded, Walmart released a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 28 announcing that the age restriction on purchasing firearms has been raised from 18 to 21 in all stores. In that same statement, Walmart has also announced that items “resembling assaultstyle rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys” will be removed from their website. It is also important to note that Walmart mentioned that “modern sporting rifles, including the AR-15” have not been sold by their franchise since 2015 and that this policy change was inspired by the franchise’s desire to “be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law.” While these new policies do show that some companies are listening and actively responding to the outrage that many of their customers feel towards firearm possession and violence, these good intentions are, quite frankly, misplaced. It is important to note that while the Florida shooter did legally acquire his weapon at the age
of 19, Walmart’s change of policies would not have made a difference. For one, the firearm used was an AR-15, which, as previously stated, is no longer sold by Walmart branches. Furthermore, it was purchased from a gun shop, which, despite Walmart’s change in policy, still offer firearms to those at the age of 18. In fact, I fail to see what difference, if any, that this policy makes. It definitely won’t stop any further tragedies; James Holmes, the Aurora Theater shooter, was 24 years old when he legally acquired the firearms used in the shooting. It’s worth adding that, in more than a third of mass shootings that took place between 2009 and 2016, the shooter was prohibited from possessing firearms. So it’s safe to say that these shootings are not exclusively a result of young people legally getting their hands on guns too soon. Furthermore, the firearms currently available for purchase at Walmart don’t fit the profile of those used in mass shootings. Other than handguns, which are only available for purchase in Alaska branches, Walmart simply doesn’t offer any egregiously dangerous firearms that would be capable of carrying out the mass shootings
that concern the public, since Walmart’s inventory of guns consists of mostly bolt-action hunting rifles. What makes these weapons such a minimal threat is the fact that boltaction rifles can only fire one shot at a time before reloading, as opposed to firearms like the AR-15 which can fire multiple rounds without stopping. If Walmart was truly concerned about the firearms that they offer and the ease of accessibility to these guns, the only option that would effectively solve this problem would be to stop the sale of guns at their stores altogether. Raising the minimum age of purchase by three years won’t do much other than direct a potential shooter to a gun shop, or, in a hypothetical situation where Walmart was the only seller of firearms in the area, simply delay a potential shooter’s violent tendencies by three years. And while the argument can be made that those three years are a potential time frame for an individual’s behavior and violent tendencies to be recognized, the aforementioned Florida shooting demonstrates that even when these tendencies are recognized beforehand, authorities do not always react
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in time. Rather than pushing policies that raise the legal purchasing age or limiting access to firearms, the focus should be shifted toward mental health and offering the necessary resources to anyone who may hurt others. In 2017, a study held by Mental Health America showed that 56 percent of adults with mental health issues in the United States were left untreated. And while most of these individuals will likely never go on to become a shooter, if more is done to help the potential shooters among them get proper medical treatment, rather than focusing
on keeping guns out of their hands, then there is a chance to change this trend of annual mass shootings. For the most part, policies involving and directly affecting gun control stem from the fear and concern for the safety of the general population. And to an extent this fear is warranted; we all have a sibling, relative or close friend who attends high school or university, and we are concerned for their safety. However, when it comes to long term solutions, we must think wisely rather than quickly, and support policies that address the root of the problem, instead of the side effects. ■H
OP-ED 22-year-old governor candidate Shubham Goel on what must be changed in California Writer: Shubham Goel Email: bam4635@gmail.com My name is Shubham Goel, and I am a 22-yearold running for governor of California as an Independent (no party preference)! I am running for governor because I want to show people that you don’t need to be rich, good looking, charismatic, upper class, corrupt, a D-list celebrity or politically wellconnected (via nepotism, etc.) to make a difference. All you need is courage, hopefulness and a will to stand up for what you believe in. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in economics and film and I have gained practical experience working with software, entertainment and virtual reality companies. I am an everyday person, born and raised Californian, who passionately wants to fix the state’s problems for all Californians that our ineffective and corrupt state government will not. I believe it is tragic to the everyday California taxpayer that the five leading candidates for governor (Gavin Newsom, John Chiang, Antonio Villaraigosa, Travis Allen and Delaine Eastin) have all taken large donations (thousands to millions of dollars) from bankers, corporations and powerful people who will then control them like puppets once one of them wins. We might as well open a puppet show instead of an election. It’s just so messed up how the frontrunner, Newsom, started his campaign almost three years ago instead of doing his job, which means he will have run for governor
for just as long as he would be governor. I believe that the winner of this election will start his presidential campaign during the first 10 days of his newly elected position. People always talk about how you need political experience for office, but you really don’t. I promise you, these guys in office are far from rocket scientists and I promise to always fight for what’s right for all Californians. Some of the platforms I am passionate about implementing as governor include: 1. Board of Regret (Regents): The governor of California should no longer have the power to appoint the 18 regents for the nine UC campuses. The members of the Board of Regents will be elected by the students of the UCs. This will make the Board more accountable, transparent and representative of the UC students and campuses they reside over. This will fix disturbing issues like Janet Napolitano, the president of the UC system, hiding $175 million last April from students, the board mishandling funds and regents being financially corrupt. 2. GovBook: All office holders in California will have a transparent digital profile on the governor’s website. This will show their economic interactions for the past 10 years with regard to money and donations they have received from any sources, including the people who control them and investments they currently have. It will also include the platforms they advocated for
during their election cycle and will comment on their progress toward completing them. This will keep all of them accountable with their decisions, corruption and ineffectiveness and give the people of California a much better idea of whom they are being represented by. 3. Ax the tax and let’s relax: We are in a budget surplus of about $6 billion and now it is the time to reward the grieving Californian taxpayers. We don’t need more tax revenue but much better allocation of our budget. I will help enact huge tax cuts for California and lower regulations on small businesses to encourage economic growth. Sales tax will go from 7.25 percent to 5 percent. Top marginal income tax rate will go from 13.3 percent to 4.9 percent. Property tax rate will go from 0.75 percent to 0.5 percent. 4. Social Medusa (Media): We must dramatically improve the mental health of Californians. Social media companies have used the variable rewards effect to hook us to use their platforms (the same psychological tricks that casinos use to create addicted gamblers). As a result, everywhere you go, people are on social media sites for hours and hours. This has made people generally unhappy, and our mental health has suffered. I will ban social media usage for kids in K-12 schools across California and encourage workplaces, schools and our government to advocate for less time on these sites and more time outdoors. We
will measure happiness with quarterly happiness surveys to California residents and learn from the data what we can do to improve happiness. As governor, I will also encourage and incentivize people to spend more time outside. 5. The Great High Speed Railway Trainwreck: We must defund the high speed railway. The high speed railway train is the most inefficient project in California. I will defund and cut the project completely for California. The budget and timeline dramatically changes every couple of years. The budget was $40 billion in 2004 and now it’s reported that the budget is over $77 billion. We were assured that private investors will pay a significant part of this train, but not many private investors have stepped up, which means the burden will continue to fall on the taxpayer. I will take a fraction of that budget and build new freeways, add lanes and expand the BART line, which will actually help with the extremely long commute time for workers and with traffic mobility. 6. Venture California: We will create a venture capital fund of $100 million that will invest in California companies that help fix the water shortage problem, housing crisis and healthcare epidemic. Water has become an extremely scarce commodity that California is in desperate need of for droughts, fires and farms. We must use innovative strategies with these funded companies, such as desalination. An increased demand for housing
and outdated regulations has destroyed the housing market and made affordable housing nonexistent for Californians. We must pursue efficient building strategies with companies to effectively increase the supply of housing in California. Lastly, we must invest in companies that will develop and create the next generation of health and medical devices. This will improve health and cut health care costs. 7. Hollygood (Hollywood): Hollywood is one of the biggest and most successful industries in this world and contributes so many jobs and growth to our economy. Many film productions in Hollywood are leaving to Louisiana and Georgia and to other countries to film because of our unfriendly tax laws. The California Film Commission (CFC) has successfully granted $330 million in tax incentives per year to different film productions in California. In the first year, the CFC saw $1.5 billion of direct-in-state spending as a result of those tax incentives. The commission is obviously working at keeping productions in-state, so I would like to increase this fund to $600 million a year to double down on something that is working well for such an important state industry. I can no longer watch from the sidelines as the people of California suffer at the hands of the few in power. California means so much to me and I promise to use strength, endurance and grit to fix the state for all people. ■H
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Features aspb’s
Console yourself:
R’cade offers students rare time for leisure
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
VIVIAN KIM Contributing Writer
On Wednesday, March 7, students were given the opportunity to play a wide range of games, from timeless classics like “Pinball” and “Galaga” to popular modern games such as “Street Fighter V” and “Dragon Ball FighterZ” at the ASPB hosted event, R’Cade, which took place in HUB 302. Non-arcade games such as air hockey and giant Jenga were also available at the event and movies were played on a projector for the night’s entirety. The room was filled with laughter and enthusiasm — a liberation from the stresses of looming week 10 and finals week. With an eraspanning offering of games, students were able to experience different callbacks to their childhood in each corner of the room. I was immediately greeted by some of my favorite games such as ping-pong and giant Jenga. Despite the
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
cheery atmosphere of the event, students were engaged, trying their best to win, and screamed with overdramatic frustration when they lost. In the backdrop of this chaos, the movie “Wreck it Ralph” played as students lounged in bean bags and leisurely enjoyed the light-hearted film. The back of the room truly resembled an arcade. ASPB really outdid themselves by bringing in classics like Tetris, Pac-Man and many more. As I stood in line, hearing the light “pews” and “pings” emitting from the arcade machines reminded me of my childhood, when I would eagerly wait to show off my skills. At the event, I waited along with others for Tetris, where we all anticipated our turn to prove who the real “Tetris God” was. After a loss, each student tried to think of where they went wrong, and how they could possibly improve to secure the win in the next round. (But of course, no one could beat me in Tetris). R’Cade reminded a few college students of the importance of letting loose and having fun,
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
even if just for a few hours. It was a time where students could relive some of the more enjoyable moments of their childhood in a jovial environment, void of any stress or negativity. Each game sparked competitiveness and camaraderie, with each player holding a deep desire to win while others spectated intensely, rooting for their peers and shouting words of encouragement. This behavior shows something innate in many of us, while we have desires to be successful we also desire to support others, even if it doesn’t directly benefit us. Oftentimes, academics can remove us from this nature because we are piled with assignments, exams and problems in our personal lives. Oftentimes, we are beaten down by school and life itself, but just as the students did at R’Cade, it is important to take time to enjoy ourselves. We aren’t always going to win, but there is a lot that can be learned from simply pressing start and trying our best. ■H
JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER
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HELPING A FRIEND COPE IN AFTERMATH OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE MARTHA DELGADO, STAFF WRITER
Whether it be our friend or significant other, we always want to be able to support them through any adversity they are faced with. But when that adversity takes the form of sexual violence, it’s not uncommon to be unaware of how to handle it. When faced with this type of situation it is completely acceptable and understandable to ask for help with how to support them. The first time someone disclosed their experience to me, I did not react properly. I cared about that person, and I felt bad for not handling the situation properly. Since then, I have done research and received training on handling conversations where someone comes out as a survivor. The most important thing I learned throughout that process is that words have an impact on the person. With that in mind, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), the largest non-profit anti-sexual assault organization, offers specific phrases people can use to show support when someone is coming out as a survivor. Here are steps that you can follow to show support during and after the conversation with them. AFFIRM IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT AND BELIEVE THEM “It’s not your fault. / You didn’t do anything to deserve this./ This shouldn’t have happened to you.” “I believe you. / It took a lot of courage to tell me about this.” The first step in supporting a survivor is believing in them and making them aware that they are not to blame for what happened. Concerns survivors have include that they won’t be believed or will be blamed for what happened. By starting with phrases like these, you can show that you care about and support them. SIT AND LISTEN Oftentimes, we worry so much about
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what to say next in a conversation that we end up ignoring what the other person wants to say. In this case, do not focus a lot on having something to say right after they are done talking. It is important to watch out for the language we use, but it is more important to let them know you are listening to them and understand their feelings and emotions. Use your active listening skills. It is OK for natural silences in the conversation to occur. Let them tell you as much as they want to disclose, and don’t ask them to share more
than they are comfortable with. This includes not asking “why” questions or for specific details about the assault. Using reassuring phrases like, “It is going to be okay,” can make them feel that you are not listening to what they are sharing with you. After the conversation, it is important to know that the decision to seek legal help is up to them. You are not there to give advice, simply let them know that you will support them regardless of their decision.
BE SUPPORTIVE AND PATIENT “You are not alone. / I care about you and am here to listen or help in any way I can.” Healing takes time, and it is important to check in with them often and ask about their feelings and healing process. Regularly asking, “How are you doing?” can help show that you care about them and their journey. Communication is key when supporting them. Whether it is a friend or significant other, taking the time to ask “Is it helpful when I offer this kind of support?” can let you know their opinion and their needs. Whether it is a friend or a significant other, practicing consent is important to show that you respect them and value their comfort, such as asking for permission to hug them or permission to touch them. At any point throughout this process, do not divulge their experiences or names without their permission. The decision to seek legal help is up to them, and the decision of who they wish to share their experience with is up to them as well. Even though you can support them by listening, remember that you are not a trained mental health professional and are not meant to replace one. If you fear they are displaying suicidal signs, there are resources available, such as calling the the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.TALK (8255). Providing support can be an emotional and strenuous experience, so remember to also practice self-care. It is okay to ask for help on how to support the person. RAINN offers resources for survivors and their allies. There are also on-campus offices that can support and help people learn how to support survivors, such as the Women’s Resource Center. The CARE office offers support to survivors and creates programming to prevent sexual violence. ■H
Campus Cope DM etiquette: The Do’s and Dont’s By: Edward Dave, staff Writer You see an enticing person on the internet and you’re at a loss for words. Finding a mate in real life hasn’t been going that well so you figure a virtual courting session would be successful. But two huge hurdles separate the two of you. One is the distance and the other involves not knowing who this person is beyond their social media profile. So your options are clear but dangerous to your integrity nonetheless. You must do what many of us millennials and Generation Z’s call “sliding into their DMs.” For those unfamiliar with the concept, it’s simply a comical way of privately messaging someone, with the intention of “wooing” them. Before psyching yourself out, it’s always beneficial if you weigh your options. Should your exploits be bold and grandiose to establish intent right off the bat? Or should you slowly coast into someone’s graces by leading with passive flirtation? These are the do’s and don’ts of DM-ing.
Do ... Meme it up. Memes are the gateway to people’s hearts. Using memes will alert the person you’re trying to amuse right away by showing them that you’re well-versed in the realm of comedy. For example, I’ve known many to start a conversation by sending a gif of a notable basketball player shooting a basket. This gesture is a pun that derives from dubbing the very action of making an effort in a person’s inbox as “shooting your shot.” Whether the person receiving your attempts gawks at the action or accepts it, there’s no strings attached by trying to enter a situation through comedy. Comedy softens the blow and lessens the impact of a possible rejection. Third-year political science major Antonio Ruiz says, “When I do DM, I go for a comedic approach because everyone likes to laugh no matter who they are. It’s always nice to start an interaction off with a joke.” Keep it real. People can recognize transparency even through virtual interactions. Trying to pose as someone with the glamor of Madonna or finesse of Drake isn’t appealing to most people, not to mention that anyone can easily visit
your profile in pursuit of the truth. This is why you must be comfortable with what is viewable on your social media before making any advances towards others. Many people scroll through any given social media platform and see people act more or less the same, so honing in on what makes you unique is a good way of getting into someone’s good graces. First-year creative writing major John Gutierrez says, “Honestly, I’m a broke college student who just wants some loving. I’m not trying to hide the fact that I’m cheap or anything. So I make it clear when I’m dming someone that I’m Mr. Krabs-tier cheap. They may dislike the cheap thing, but they appreciate my honesty.”
Dont ... Be too explicit right off the bat. Asking for nudes or even mildly suggestive things automatically makes you a creep. No matter what intrinsic inhibitions are stemming from your craving to DM someone, you never want to sabotage your own integrity. That’s a very noob mistake that will have you trending the next morning with hundreds of notifications laughing at your poor attempts at communication. Be dry. Being “dry” is essentially lacking any interesting qualities or smalltalking abilities. If you’ve ever encountered someone who only texts one-word replies and responds with the same boring emojis, you know exactly who to watch out for. If you bring this type of dryness to a conversation then you will be met with the same type of energy in response. DM-ing people doesn’t have to be complicated, and although it has become a staple of social media culture, people make it harder than it needs to be. You should model your conversations online after how you’d regard someone you’ve just met in person. Think about the etiquette you have in actual conversation and reflect that in your virtual messaging. You’ll be surprised with how far you’ll be able to enter a stranger’s world with a touch of comedy and realness. ■H
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
Radar
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MOVIE REVIEW MISERY LOVES COMPANY IN GENRE-SKIRTING BLACK COMEDY “THOROUGHBREDS” JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer
In memory of Anton Yelchin, 1989-2016. Navigating the spotless, pearly interiors of the Connecticut mansion where most of “Thoroughbreds” takes place is a foreign exercise, the old-money exuberance displayed having more in common with a Giger-esque tesseract than any house most of the world is familiar with. Much of the film takes place here, though perhaps only a quarter of it is explored. If film canon has taught us
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anything about places like this, it’s that richly decorated, lavish settings flawed in no discernable regard, hide a deep-seated bed of anxieties. Be they callous classism or family drama, these anxieties usually manifest through someone (usually young) lighting the spark that sets this old world ablaze. This formula largely dictates the direction of “Thoroughbreds,” but where the film deviates from this is where it mines a well of darkly fascinating ideas. It’s a devilishly funny story that understands precisely where comedy is appropriate and how to relay the heavier ideas without screaming to the audience where they should stand. Sitting right at 90 minutes, its margin of error is slight to non-existent, a commendable feat for first-time filmmaker Cory Finley, whose history as a playwright shapes this film’s form and aesthetics marvelously. Lighting the spark to set events in motion is Amanda (Olivia Cooke, whose comic deadpan cannot be praised enough). She’s depressed, or anxious or sociopathic with schizoid tendencies — it’s unclear, she says her psychiatrist flips through pages of the DSM-5 and slaps her with a different label each visit. The point is, she’s incapable of feeling emotion in the same way her childhood friend Lily (Anya
Taylor-Joy, with the precision of a surgeon over her tightly measured performance) is. What one lacks the other has, but this isn’t to morally align one or the other; they’re two sides to the same coin, and Finely imbues the film’s morality with shades of grey. In the beginning of the film, amid shuffling and neighing, something occurs between Amanda and a thoroughbred horse. As with stage productions, what occurs is out of frame but we’re implicitly directed to store it in our memory for the duration of the film. This results in Lily — whose upbringing has placed her years beyond conventional high school education, allowing her to graduate from prep school ahead of her peers — being under the employ of Amanda’s mother to tutor her estranged friend. In the early minutes of the film, we see Lily as she’s been her whole life: Sheltered, polite and, most critically, dishonest, brimming with emotions kept at bay for so long. The observant Lily, whose entire life has been a series of obstacles she admits she’s had to work harder to overcome on account of her flat affect, naturally pierces her facade and unravels the Amanda we know for the remainder of the film: Sharp and in tune with her emotions, yet uncertain with what to do with her unlocked
volatility. The two resemble something more akin to a superorganism than a pair of foils. When the two entertain the notion of killing Lily’s stepfather (Paul Sparks), they devise a plot that requires the assistance of third-rate drug dealer Tim (the wonderful Anton Yelchin in his final film role). Unlike the girls, he’s far removed from the elitism they’ve been bred into, and Yelchin’s human touch to the film elevates the film’s comic unpredictability by a few notches. As with the cult classic the film cannot escape comparisons to, “Heathers,” their goal is less important than the obstacles in the way between them and a dead stepdad. “Thoroughbreds” circumvents problems that potentiate when penning a black comedy so reliant on deadpan from its leads through Finley’s stylish direction. Without being overly reliant on comparisons to other films, suffice to say its flatter moments near the austerity of Yorgos Lanthimos’ signature dryness without treading too deeply into familiar waters; Lily is still struggling to fit into her new skin, after all, and the humanity imbued by TaylorJoy and Yelchin level out the tone dynamics. Sonically, too, “Thoroughbreds” is exciting. Composer Erik Friedlander’s score does things difficult
to ascribe a label to, tensing up scenes with percussive explosions and electronic minefields whose punches land strong in this environment of bourgeois comfort. Perhaps a boon and a crutch to this film’s exploration of empathy and violence is Finley’s reluctance to outright condemn or acquit any of its characters of wrongdoing. The best films, of course, refuse to pave the way for one-dimensional understandings of something so complex as wealth disparities or human emotion, but they typically leave a trail both exciting to follow and crushing in its complexities. There’s a trail here, but it’s shrouded in a fog difficult to penetrate; look for it, though, and there’s a wealth of interesting ideas bouncing between one another in perpetual cynicism. Verdict: This black comedy crime thriller cuts into familiar territories that others such as Michael Haneke and Daniel Waters have tapped into, but imbues originality into its critiques by simultaneously examining the emotional grounds adjacent to them. When it wants to be, it’s downright hilarious; other times, it’s cruel. Ultimately what guides this film successes are its excellent leads and Cory Finley’s genredefying direction. ■H
Antigone: From pictures to the stage MARTHA DELGADO
Staff Writer
In Sophocles’ “Antigone,” the titular character breaks the law when she decides to give her brother — who was killed in battle — a proper burial. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, sentences her to death for defying him, claiming “Simple obedience saves the lives of hundreds of honest folk.” “But when do those laws cease to protect?” is a question that Bella Merlin asks. Merlin is the director of UCR’s production of “Antigone,” a winter production which was sponsored by the UCR Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production (TFDP) and ran from Feb. 15 through Feb. 24. The pre-production phase of “Antigone” was a several monthlong process that began in late September of 2017, but it was a cohesive coordination between Merlin, set designer Haibo Yu and costume designer Jason Estala. From the moment Merlin learned in May that she would be directing an adaptation of “Antigone,” she knew she wanted it to be set in a post-apocalyptic world as a way to make it relevant to a “21st century diverse UCR student body.” By the end of August, she shared images of war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to the designers, who would use the pictures as references when designing sets and outfits. Merlin’s pictures depicted deserted cities filled with rubble and grand buildings reduced to walls littered with bullet holes. Such details translated over to set designer Haibo Yu’s final design “to symbolize the conflict between brutality and civilization,” Yu explains. During this time of pre-produc-
tion, Merlin also collaborated with Estala on creating costumes that would blend ancient Greek style garbs with contemporary fashion to fit within Merlin’s vision. From this process, Estala came up with the “Mad Max” and “Hunger Games” aesthetic that is found in the costuming. The post-apocalyptic setting extends past the costumes and set, as Merlin worked with both her husband and stepson, Miles and Max Anderson, to compose music for the production. Power metal songs were eventually used for the chorus, which were handed over to sound designer Katie Jost. In addition to incorporating pre-existing songs into the play, Jost worked with Merlin to create the pre-show announcement that shouted at the audience, “You are now in a war zone.” The sounds of loud explosions would open the first few minutes of the play, allowing the dark setting and accompanying tone to settle in. “I wanted the audience to be plunged into darkness,” Merlin explains, “I wanted people to experience that edginess that many people on the planet are experiencing everyday of their lives.” It was this dark, gritty and violent vision that convinced Abel Valencia, a fourth-year TFDP major, to audition for “Antigone.” “Nearly all of the content I create as a filmmaker is horror and overall just dark material. My passion will always be on the other side of the camera, but there is something very fun and addictive about acting,” says Valencia. Valencia played one of the king’s guards and was in the Greek chorus. “It was a challenge to analyze the text and find ways to connect it to myself. I really had to imagine why these people say these
things, act these ways” he continues. For many actors, “Antigone” was their first experience being apart of a Greek tragedy. They analyzed their own lines, speeches and the Greek mythology references found in the text throughout the six weeks of rehearsal. “The first week of rehearsal began with us doing table reads wherein we would first speak the lines and then go back over the text to the parts that were confusing and needed clarification. We spent a large amount of time discussing the Greek mythology references and why exactly they were placed in the plot,” begins Cynthia Navarro, a second-year TFDP major who plays the lead character of Antigone, “If you don’t know what you’re saying, then you can’t act it.” This is the first production by the Department of TFDP that Navarro has been a part of. “The experience was difficult because it was my first real attempt at acting, and the text is not something easily accessible,” she explains. Yet, the experience made her a better actress in a number of ways. Before the audition, Navarro had read the play and related to the main character. “I relate to her commitment and respect she has for her family and that she wants to honor them.” Antigone’s bravery is a trait that Navarro believes makes her relatable not just to herself as an actor filling the role, but to audiences as well. “She’s just a young girl, but she stands up against the king,” states Navarro. The rehearsal process also necessitated an understanding of the text’s relevance as an exploration of obedience and defiance in today’s contemporary political
atmosphere. On the first day of rehearsal, Merlin asked Syrian Ph.D. student Leen Kawas to share her experiences from living in a war zone — which included having family members at war with each other and finding dead people in the streets on a daily basis — with the cast. “I was moved by (Kawas’) strength and resilience,” says Na-
varro. “I wanted to emulate that in Antigone, who is also a symbol of strength and resistance in the face of oppression and violence.” Although “Antigone” finished its production, war and violence still fills the news. From that stems Merlin’s final question to the audience through the play, “Why is humanity so addicted to war and violence?” ■H
COURTESY OF UCR THEATER, FILM, AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
MUSIC REVIEW “MEMORIES DON’T DIE” ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE THIS SCARRING MARCELO GARCIA
Senior Staff Writer
In 2016, Tory Lanez released his debut solo project, “I Told You,” an album that was riddled with problems from the start. It not only reflected Lanez’s lack of individuality in comparison to other Toronto rappers and R&B crooners, but was riddled with skits whose purpose didn’t amount to much other than unnecessarily extend-
ing the length of an already lengthy listen. Now, Lanez has made a return with his sophomore album, “Memories Don’t Die,” but unfortunately, rather than being the triumphant declaration of individuality he intended for this project to be, the album simply delivers more of the same. Like its predecessor, “Memories Don’t Die” has a distinct lack of originality that rings through nearly every track. And while Lanez
directly addresses these criticisms and vocalizes his frustrations with all the comparisons to other artists on verses in this album (“Give a fuck ‘bout who get pissed about by samples and skits”), I can’t help but wonder how intent he is on mending these flaws when half of this album’s tracks feel like they’re the Great Value version of Drake or PARTYNEXTDOOR. The beat on “B.B.W.W. x Fake Show’”s first half sounds
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like a less hard-hitting “Panda,” with Lanez’s flow mirroring Desiinger’s to a T. The latter half of this track slows down and turns into a more atmospheric and sadder mood that is really just an imitation of the style and sound from Drake’s ”Take Care.” Again the flow is something you’ve heard before, since Lanez’s verse here has that long-winded and talky delivery Drake is known for. But probably the most egregious offender of this unoriginality would be the track “Hypnotized,” which, from its introduction sounds like a carbon copy of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. Lanez even reflects this in his vocals, which carry that same melodic, slightly autotuned tone as Andrew Taggart’s contribution to The Chainsmokers’ track. While artists are completely free to borrow concepts and styles from their contemporaries, this instance is a little harder to defend, bordering on mimicry. As a whole, this track feels out of place in the context of this album, which, aside from this track, emulates a fusion of pop and trap rap. None of this is to say that there are no good moments on this album. The track “Benevolent,” while not offering a particularly deep or contemplative perspective, has some of the smoothest production from start to finish on the entire album. The first half of the track has a sleek, dark trap beat which Lanez match-
es with an equally smoothly paced verse that makes for an enjoyable listen. The latter half of the track transitions into what ends up being my favorite moment off the entire album, mostly because I’m a sucker for triumphant horns paired with gospel choir vocals. With a slowed down flow and braggadocious lyrics to match, Lanez really sounds like he’s coming into his own and it’s very clear that he feels confident on this track. “Benevolent” ends up serving as a display of the wasted potential of this album — if Lanez had exerted this same level of confidence on other creative decisions, “Memories Don’t Die” could have been the start of a new chapter in his career, one where he forms an identity outside the shadow of popular Toronto artists such as Drake or The Weeknd. But instead, Lanez seems to lack confidence, especially when he insists on singing or borrowing another artist’s flow instead of exercising the talented rapping he has proven capable of. Verdict: “Memories Don’t Die” is OK, but lacks anything truly noteworthy. While there are definitely some hidden standout moments, it’s imitations of other artist’s styles are not good enough to warrant attention. You’d be better off listening to the artists Tory Lanez is imitating than the album itself. ■H
HOW “ANNIHILATION” CONFRONTS GLOBAL WARMING AND SELF-DESTRUCTION
HUGO CERVANTES Contributing Writer
This article contains spoilers for the film “Annihilation.” There is a placid yet eerie scene in Alex Garland’s “Annihilation,” a film concerned with selfdestructive infinities, where Cambridge postdoctoral physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson) surrenders herself to the effects of The Shimmer, an opalescent bubble of alien origin that domes a small circumference of land on the swampy coast of Florida. Radek deciphers The Shimmer’s prismatic effects, the refracting and splicing of every organism’s DNA upon entry. Tiny plants emerge from her scars that scale her arms, emblematic of her years of self-harm, as Lena (Natalie Portman) attempts to convince her to continue the trip into the heart of The Shimmer. After two violent deaths in their cadre of female scientists, her melancholy surfaces and bleeds through, causing Radek to give into The Shimmer’s iridescence in becoming a Daphne. The camera then pans over to a landscape of human-shaped flora to suggest Radek’s fate. It’s a shot that could double as an art installation, but in the world of “Annihilation,” the bewilderment is split by beauty and horror — sublime. The inseparability of nature’s beauty and horror contours the film’s primary concerns of the conditions that drive us toward self-destruction. The iridescent landscape leans against that angst, lining for an alternative genesis. The dialectic is tattooed onto Lena, the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail. Garland isn’t interested in unraveling this cycle but instead wants to test its limits. He repeatedly places the leading scientists to confront or be consumed by it.
Early in their mission, the scientists reach an empty base where they find a decomposed corpse that has been pinned to a wall by its host, a malignant cancerous flower. The horrific portrait edges the scientists closer to confirm the absence of an alien or beast in the traditional sense, but a threat that is all-encompassing and otherworldly. It’s the omnipresent gleam of The Shimmer that nudges them toward delirium. The raw terror rests in the environment’s wavering indifference and intentional reconfigurments. The possibility of the environment to possess a certain type of alien consciousness or indifference to humanity tilts the characters’ anthropocentric worldview on its head. The tilt enrages the scientists, driving Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez), a paramedic from Chicago, into a desperate fury that causes her to turn against her team. “Annihilation’s” anthropocentric tilt jabs at larger fear of divine purification, caused by a collective guilt of the earth’s degradation. The refractions play on the fraught assumption of the Earth’s limitless resources. Humans relentlessly test these limits, bypassing any serious markers of its irreversible effects. In 2016, a pseudo-obituary announcing the death of the coral reef circulated the internet and the sensationalized story was deemed incorrect by scientific data, but revealed a truth to the encroaching death of the coral reef. The media story spoke to the towering angst of environmental depletion as fears of global warming boomed in the 21st century. The response was a mix of awe and desperation at the creed of institutions and corporations who actively deplete one of the planet’s longest living organisms. The pseudo-obituary was a measurement of time where the anthropocene — the dictation of
global warming caused by humans — eclipses the romantic abstraction of an eternal environment. So in the filters of speculative fiction like “Annihilation” where nature is bestowed otherworldly powers by the gift of an asteroid, the environment possesses a way to fend for itself more actively. The Shimmer purges the earth, making the world anew, cleansing humanity’s original sin. A nonnegotiable return to Eden terrifies the scientists pooling around Lena, the second person ever able to return from The Shimmer. The scientists ask if it wanted anything in exchange, or if it could be bought. Lena ponders on the possibility and then affirms, “No. It didn’t want anything. It’s not destroying. It’s making something new.” The “new” she speaks of is a self-destructive, self-replicating environment capable of producing magnificent organisms both marvelous and blood-curdling. Albino deer with flowering horns graze, and carnivorous bears taunt
their victims through the grisly wails of their former victims. After all, The Shimmer is a story about human relationships and perceptions that extend and sublimate into the environment. The environment’s distortion — its new form — mirrors large cultural anxieties of the environments state that is caused and profited by humans. It’s a movie concerned with an apocalypse that forces humans to recalibrate their relationships and imagines life from a different angle. Lena enters The Shimmer to save her husband, but also to overcome the grief of wounding her marriage by cheating. The external (like the environment) and the internal (the subconscious) fold into each other and becomes the landscape in The Shimmer. It becomes the most vivid in the cinematic triptych’s final act: The Lighthouse. “Annihilation” imagines landscape where the internal and external blur and fold into another making possible a potential new world. It elucidates on a more
dominant ecology that molds the world. The enclosed terrain of “Annihilation” is an expansive one rendering the old into the new, formulated by cellular arithmetic. One cell divides and becomes another, accumulating into all life, until the cell deviates and selfdestructs. The film’s rumination of immortality and mortality rubs against grainier concepts like selfdestruction and self-creation that transgress a film concerned about relationships with all objects like people and habitats. In a flashback to a time predating Kane’s voyage into The Shimmer, Lena is reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The book is about the real life story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman from Baltimore whose cancer cells were taken, studied and profited of off during and after her life without consent. A minor detail that’s paid little attention in the film, it also situates “Annihilation’s” concerns with creation with the gross and exploitative reality of H creation’s imminent destruction. ■
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Softball continues to find ways to win
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
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Highlander World Cup Halftime Group B, Part ll 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.
Jose Flores, Contributing Writer
ZIYAYE CHONGWE Contributing Writer
UC Riverside (18-7) softball started the UCR Classic on Thursday, March 8 with a double-header against the Boise State Broncos (13-8). The starting pitchers for the game were Boise’s freshman Gianna Mancha (1-0) and UCR senior Tayler Misfeldt (11-3). The Broncos took control of the game early, scoring six runs in the first inning. Misfeldt had to be replaced by Haley Marshall, as the Broncos continued to outplay the Highlanders offensively. Despite having two home runs as a team, UCR could not match up with Boise. They gave up 15 hits and forced two errors, leading to a 18-8 loss in the first game. In the second game, the Highlanders turned things around. Freshman Hailey Dolcini (5-2) pitched a good game as she went all seven innings, gave up four hits and struck out three batters. The offense also played well as they managed to get six hits in the game, in their 3-0 win. UCR won their second straight game on March 9 against North Dakota State, 2-1. Led by Dolcini’s eight strikeouts in another complete game, the Highlanders found themselves down by one in the first inning. In the fifth inning freshman outfielder Seanna Garewal singled in freshman Raena Robinson to tie the game. In the next inning junior Jenae Lockwood put them ahead as she hit her first homerun of the season. On Saturday, March 10, Misfeldt took on Columbia’s Erin Gallo (1-3) in their fourth game of the weekend. Sophomore Britney Garcia started the scoring with a three run homerun in the first inning. Both Columbia and UCR exchanged runs until the sixth, when Jenna Curtan hit a homerun to give the Highlanders an 8-2 lead. Columbia then scored three more times, before falling short and losing by a score of 9-5. In their final game of the weekend, the Highlanders bested Colgate University 6-0 for yet another win on the year for Dolcini. The Highlanders next game is on Tuesday, March 13 against Harvard University for the first game of the UCR ■H Tournament.
Iran FIFA Ranking: 32
Morocco FIFA Ranking: 40
Coach: Carlos Queiroz, Portuguese (2011-present). Previously coached the Portuguese national team (2008-2010).
Coach: Hervé Renard (France), Morocco coach since 2016. Previously coached LOSC Lille (France).
Players to watch: Sardar Azmoun Despite being a quick and skillful striker for his Russian club Rubin Kazan, Azmoun failed to make the final squad to represent Iran in the 2014 World Cup. This motivated Azmoun to become the top-scorer for the Iranian side in the qualifiers with 11 goals. At just 23 years of age, Azmoun will seek to continue his scoring streak for his country in hopes of finally surpassing the group stage for the first time in their history in the World Cup.
Players to watch: Amine Harit When one thinks of the Bundesliga, what comes to mind is Bayern Munich’s dominance in recent years, followed by occasional triumphs from Dortmund here and there. This season, however, Schalke 04 has become the second place team, thus momentarily qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. This is partly due to Morocco’s Amine Harit, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who possesses great speed and an eye for goal. Harit is versatile and can play practically anywhere in midfield or attack. Harit’s quick dribbling ability combined with pace will make him one of the most electric young players in the World Cup. Given his set of skills, Harit could catch the eye of many scouts that could land him a move to any of Europe’s biggest clubs.
World Cup Appearances: 4 First Appearance: 1978 Last Appearance: 2014 Best result: Group Stage, 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh After playing two seasons with NEC Breda, (Netherlands) Jahanbakhsh made a silent €2m move in 2015 to fellow Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar. This season, Jahanbakhsh is his club’s top scorer with 12 goals and the second top scorer in the league behind Mexico’s Hirving Lozano. For Iran, Jahanbakhsh has represented his nation in the U-20, U-23, and senior categories and at 24 years of age, he will be playing in his second World Cup. Alongside Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh will seek to demonstrate that the Irani’s young talent is capable of beating established teams such as Portugal and Spain. Potential lineup: Beiranvand - Rezaeian, Pouraliganji, Ansari, Mohammadi - Hajsafi, Ezatolahi - Jahanbakhsh, Dejagah,Taremi Azmoun
World Cup Appearances: 4 First Appearance: 1970 Last Appearance: 1998 Best result: Round of 16, 1986
Hakim Ziyech One of the few left-footed players in the game, Ziyech is a 24-year-old center midfielder who provides magic to every team he plays for. Ziyech provides speed and creativity for his team week in and week out for his club Ajax (Netherlands). An orchestrator of the attacking midfield, Ziyech is the player that could lead the Moroccan side to a finish beyond a group stage they are not expected to come out of. Potential lineup: Bounou - Hakimi, Saïss, Benatia, Dirar - Belhanda, El Ahmadi, Harit - Amrabat, Boutaïb, Ziyech
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Formation: 4-3-3
Prediction: 4th in group, Group Stage Elimination
Prediction: 3rd in Group, Group Stage Elimination
Matches: Vs. Morocco, 6/15 Vs. Spain, 6/20 Vs. Portugal, 6/25
Matches: Vs. Morocco, 6/15 Vs. Portugal, 6/20 Vs. Spain, 6/25
■H
Baseball finds rhythm amid long homestand
JON HAMMOND
Senior Staff Writer
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
UC Riverside baseball (7-7) took on the Valparaiso Crusaders (4-9) for a two-game series on Tuesday, March 6 through Wednesday, March 7 in the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders were entering the game coming off a 2-1 series loss to San Francisco, which was the first series of the homestand. The Highlanders took care of business right away in game one, winning 4-3. Hazahel Quijada got the win for the Highlanders against Valpo’s Luke
VanLanen. Junior Dean Miller got the scoring started early with a single in the bottom of first inning to drive in junior Justin Manners. Later that inning, Miller scored on a single hit by senior AJ Sawyer to put UCR up 2-0. It was more of the same in the second inning as Manners hit a two-out single into right field, then stole second and reached third on a botched throw. Senior Colby Schultz brought Manners home on single hit to right field. Valpo managed to strike back in the top of the fifth inning, evening the score at three all. In the sixth inning, however, the
Highlanders managed to break the tie after Schultz reached second on a double then was brought home on yet another RBI single from Miller. Senior closer Jared Morton came in for the five-out save to secure the win for the Highlanders. Game two was a shootout in favor of UCR, as they hung 14 runs on Valpo to get the win 14-5. Hayden Kissee took the mound for the Crusaders against Riverside’s Jared Noonan, who got his first win of the season in the game. The Highlanders wasted no time as Miller notched another RBI single to take the early lead and
then tacked another one on after Schultz scored on a passed ball. The blue and gold bats really came alive in the fourth inning as they scored five runs thanks to a two-run single by Schultz and Connor Cannon, as well as an RBI single from Matt Hardy. The Crusaders found some life of their own in the fifth, as they scored all five of their runs in the inning. However, UCR negated that with yet another fiverun inning to seal the game. The Highlanders’ next game is the final game of their ninegame homestand against Grand Canyon University on Wednesday, March 14 at 6 p.m. ■H
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Sports
Booster Kim Devlin and other boosters losing faith in Athletic Director Tamica Smith-Jones Prominent booster Kim Devlin shares concerns about direction of UCR Athletics
JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer
“The time, place, and manner gave UCR Athletics a black eye that has complicated efforts of the boosters and alumns to raise funds for the department.” That is booster Kim Devlin’s opinion on the manner in which current UCR Athletic Director Tamica Smith Jones fired former men’s basketball Head Coach Dennis Cutts and how it will impact future spending by the boosters. The story on Cutts’ firing is that it was done in a parking lot, first thing in the morning on New Year’s Eve, which Devlin cited as just one of many instances where Smith-Jones has been unprofessional. Mrs. Devlin added that Smith-Jones treats people rudely, is chronically late to meetings and is constantly on her phone while at sporting events, which is disrespectful to the players
and coaches. This can be a bad look when games are being televised and our athletic director is buried into her phone instead of the game. Devlin also added that Jones’ “leadership or lack of leadership” led to former Associate Athletic Director John Maxwell leaving UCR’s athletic department. In June of last year, The Highlander covered the 99 for Title IX event, a community-run fundraiser attempting to raise money for women in athletics, and Tamica Smith Jones was interviewed for the event where she “got all sorts of inaccuracies and she said ‘I didn’t say that,’” Devlin said. “And we asked for the transcript for the interview and she had said that and that sort of denial makes it hard to believe what she’s saying. She didn’t understand that 99 for Title 9 is a community-run organization. She made it sound like this event was run by the UCR
Athletic Department. The UCR Athletic Department benefits from the event, but it is run independently. She didn’t understand the whole structure to the system which also makes her seem uninformed.” Kim Devlin, a former English professor who is now a dedicated booster, runs the 99 for Title IX fundraiser alongside fellow booster Amy Harrison. Devlin said she felt forced to cancel this year’s event due to an absence of faith in Smith-Jones. “It’s a huge fund for them and I feel terrible about cancelling it, but I sat down at the beginning of the year to write my donation check and I couldn’t write it, and I said if I can’t write this check because of my lack of confidence in what’s going on, how can I ask 20 other people to write a check? That was a crisis moment for me. And I said this is just a bad situation, something should be done. I don’t know what can
be done.” The shortage of accountability from Smith-Jones makes Devlin feel uneasy about writing checks for the Athletic Department going forwards as well. Devlin said her bank account will be closed to the UCR Athletic Department following this year in order to protest how the department is being run. “The only way boosters and alumni can vote or have any say is through donating or non-donating and this is our only means of protesting the way she is running the department.” This lack of professionalism and awareness has forced all boosters to take notice. The number of members in the UCR Athletic Department Supporters has dropped drastically over this past year. The department of supporters are people who give “private support” to UCR’s athletic teams. In 2015-16 the number of supporters was at 532 and actually went up to 632 in 2016-17.
However, this year the number of private supporters plummeted to 230 and Mrs. Devlin added context to those numbers saying, “several seasons ago it was at 1,116 and I find those statistics which we were given telling. I think they say something.” According to Devlin, the boosters have made efforts to contact Chancellor Kim Wilcox to ask for an accounting form that would show them how their money is being spent, but the Chancellor failed to respond. The boosters also contacted him about raising an internal vote of confidence or no confidence for Smith-Jones but again received no response. Devlin explained that “A vote of no confidence would have to come from the Chancellor...Unfortunately I think the Chancellor isn’t that interested in athletics.” As of time of writing, SmithJones has yet to respond to a request for comment. ■H
Men’s basketball falls just short of upsetting UC Davis in Big West Tournament JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer
The Highlanders men’s basketball team traveled to the Honda Center in Anaheim for their first round matchup in The Big West Tournament. Riverside faced off against number one seed UC Davis in a surprisingly close 70-66 contest. UCR started the game poorly, shooting only 36 percent from the field in the first half while also allowing the Aggies to shoot at a 52 percent clip. The mixture of anemic defense and bad shooting would put Riverside down 11 at the half. The Highlanders would flip the script in the second half by tightening up their defensive coverage, forcing Davis to shoot 37 percent in the second half. Despite being held to 37
percent the Aggies were still able to put up 35 points in the second half, scoring the same amount as they did in the first. Riverside didn’t get hot on the offensive end by any means, but their shots started falling at a more consistent 45 percent which allowed them to get within striking distance. Senior guard Chance Murray led the second half comeback, scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and also hit a jumper to tie the game at 49 with 6:43 remaining. UC Davis would take over after that jump shot, and score 13 of the next 18 points. Later down the stretch, sophomore Dikymbe Martin scored a clutch three coming out of a time out to cut the deficit back down to five points with under two minutes left to play. From that point on, the Highlanders intentionally fouled the Aggies
to send them to the line and extend the game. Murray was able to hit backto-back threes to cut UCR’s deficit down to two points with only 27 seconds left on the clock. After that possession Riverside was forced to intentionally foul Davis to put them on the line for two free throws. The Aggies were only able to convert on one of the two, leaving the door open for a comeback. UCR was unable to capitalize on the following possession and had to foul once again after Davis secured the rebound. This time the Aggies hit both free throws, putting Riverside in a tough spot, down by five with less than 25 seconds remaining. Redshirt freshman Dominick Pickett hit a three to cut it back to two with just two seconds on the clock, but it was too little, too late for the
Highlanders. Riverside finished the 201718 season with nine wins and 22 losses. UCR went 4-12 in conference with Interim Head Coach Justin Bell at the helm after the dismissal of former Head Coach Dennis Cutts. The Highlanders will be losing five seniors to graduation following this year, including leading
rebounder Alex Larsson and leading assist man Chance Murray. Athletic Director Tamica Smith-Jones will look to find the team’s permanent head coach during the offseason, with TCU assistant head coach David Patrick named as the frontrunner, according to reports. ■H
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
Women’s basketball’s Big West Tournament run ends against No. 1 UC Davis
JARYD BONGCARAS Contributing Writer
The sixth-seeded UC Riverside women’s basketball team (11-22, 6-10) opened up their Big West Tournament play with a 79-66 first-round win against seventh-seed Long Beach State (8-23, 6-10) on Tuesday, March 6. Senior guard Michelle Curry flirted with a triple-double, putting up 20 points, a postseason career-high of 12 rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Senior Lauren Holt had a game-high of 22 points herself, tying a UCR postseason record by going 5 for 9 from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Tianna Eaton had a coming out party in just her fifth career start, posting career-highs all across the board with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Eaton played the secondmost minutes out of all the Highlanders, as her 39 were second only to Holt’s 40. UC Riverside continued their highquality play in their quarterfinals matchup against No. 3 UC Irvine (18-13, 10-6) on Wednesday, March 7. The Highlanders topped the Anteaters 86-74, with Curry leading the way with a monstrous 40 points, 11 rebounds and four assists — breaking multiple records in the process. Curry became the first Highlander ever to score 40 points at the Division I level, and she also broke the tournament and UC Riverside single-game records with 18 free throws made and 21 free throws
attempted. The senior guard’s outburst was the most points ever scored by a Highlander at the Big West Tournament since Brittany Crain scored 38 points. With the Highlanders up 73-69, freshmen guards Keilanei Cooper and Tianna Eaton both came through in the clutch, knocking down a pair of contested mid-range jumpers to put their team up 77-70 with 2:03 left in regulation. Holt’s layup with 1:10 remaining gave the Highlanders a 79-72 lead, essentially icing the game. Holt shot 8 for 17 from the field for a total of 19 points, while also setting a new career-high with six assists. Eaton was selected to start for the second straight game, and put up 12 points and tied a career-high with seven rebounds. The win set up a Big West Semifinal date against conference-leading UC Davis on Friday, March 9. The last time the two teams played, which was less than a week prior, Riverside topped Davis 7662 to conclude the regular season. The Aggies would have the last laugh this time around, ending the game on a 9-1 run to take a 49-46 win. “It’s been a great journey,” Curry told gohighlanders.com after her last game in a Highlander uniform, “We fell short, but my determination never went away. Our season really didn’t reflect what this team really is, but we showed a lot today.” In what was an extremely low-scoring
game, the Highlanders entered the final period leading 33-30, and would stay ahead up until the final minute. Clutch buckets and free throws from Eaton and senior Inara Nyingifa helped maintain UCR’s slim advantage, with Nyingifa’s and-one with 2:34 left gave her team its largest lead of the fourth, 45-40. This would be the Highlanders’ last field goal of the day. The Aggies scored the next five points to even things up at 45-45, and had the ball with a chance to take its first lead of the quarter with just under 40 seconds remaining. An Aggie turnover on a steal by sophomore Jannon Otto led to a Highlander fast break, with Curry being sent to the line after a hard foul with 21 seconds left. Curry split the pair of free throws to put UCR up 46-45. Coming immediately after a timeout, UC Davis junior Morgan Bertsch quickly scored a layup with 18 seconds remaining. The Highlanders were unable to convert on their next two possessions, but the Aggies splitting two pairs of free throws left the door open for UCR. However, needing a three-pointer to tie the game with three seconds left and no timeouts, the Highlanders couldn’t get off a final shot attempt. Ending what has been a recordsetting week for the senior guard, Curry finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first Highlander ever to record either three double-doubles or
three 20-point performances in the same postseason. She ended her fourth Big West Tournament with averages of 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and 10 free throws made (83.3 percent) per game. The loss concluded a rollercoaster season for the team, who saved their best basketball for the end of the year. With four seniors leaving the team, a young but talented supporting cast must step up heading into the fall. “We’re relatively young, even now,” Coach Margaritis said as the team bid goodbye to its top-two scorers in Curry and Holt, “We need to improve in some places so that we can have a more complete approach to our game. If we do so, we can be competitive going into next year.” ■H
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS