Issuu

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

est. 1954

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

VOL. 66, ISSUE 22

15th Dragalicious Drag Ball: A night of music, glamour and empowerment MARTHA DELGADO Staff Writer

A group of drag queens practice their routines on the runway in their makeup and black high-heeled knee boots. They focus on the music as they intensively land cartwheels on stage. “They’re in drag mode,” Megan Rush, the program coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center, comments. It is the night of Friday, April 6 and around 400 people are crowded outside the doors of HUB 302 waiting for the 15th annual Dragalicious Drag Ball. Once the doors open at 7:30, people fill up the seats while admiring the lights outlining the runway stage and the music provided by KUCR. A slideshow is set up against the wall at the back of the room that alternates between photos of the drag kings and queens, while also displaying various memes about tipping the drag performers. One specific meme reads, “Guac is extra/ Tip your queens.” “Drag is an expensive art form,” explains Toi Thibodeaux, the assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center. “You have to tip your kings and queens to support the art of drag in general.” Before the show and during intermission, Thibodeaux is out in the crowd with dollar bills asking attendees if they need change to tip. The origins of the Dragalicious Drag Ball stem from a queer student retreat in January 2002, when a group of students decided to create an event focused on drag. With the support of Queer Alliance, Drag Ball grew to be an event that many students look forward to every year. The first Drag Ball was held at the Barn where it could only fit up to 70 people. Since then, Drag Ball has been held at HUB 302 where it can hold up to 400 people. Ticket sales and attendance for Drag Ball have increased every year, with this year reaching 200 tickets sold through pre-sales alone. Drag Ball is also an opportunity for residents to become familiar with the resources provided by the LGBT Resource Center. “A lot of queer people at UCR don’t come to the LGBT Resource Center, so this is a nice event for everyone for be comfortable here,” states Andres Herrera, a third-year economics major who has been a volunteer at the Drag Ball for three years. Attendees were encouraged to dress in drag for the event. “By celebrating drag culture, we invite students to think more about gender in general. To think about ways we perform gender everyday,” states Nancy Tubbs, the director of the LGBT Resource Center.

DID WILCOX FAIL TO ACT ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS AT UCR? Former VCSA Sandoval was allowed to retire after multiple sexual harassment claims, sources say

Highlander Exclusive: An interview with Senator Kevin de Leon The senator speaks on police brutality, immigration policy and the UC system

MYLES ANDREWS-DUVE Senior Staff Writer

EVAN ISMAIL Senior Staff Writer

In the last week, multiple sources have told The Highlander that the sudden retirement of former UC Riverside Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs James Sandoval in January stemmed from an extensive Title IX investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against Sandoval in the early summer of 2017. The sources’ claims come in the wake of a Detroit News report that UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox may have ignored claims of sexual harassment and abuse against the former College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean William Strampel at Michigan State University (MSU), where Wilcox served as provost from August 2005 to July 2013. That report suggests that Wilcox was made aware of Strampel’s behavior as early as 2010, when a dean performance review included complaints that Strampel openly commented about women’s bodies and boasted about his sex life. Despite these complaints, Wilcox nonetheless endorsed Strampel, writing, “Our several discussions over the past several months have reinforced my commitment and that of Dean Strampel to advancing the goals of the College within the broad mission of Michigan State University.” When asked about the report, Wilcox wrote in a statement emailed to The Highlander last Wednesday, “I will not comment on any ongoing investigations or legal proceedings involving Michigan State University at this time. I join MSU in supporting efforts to provide the public and authorities with all documents and records necessary for a full and transparent investigation, including any records that involve my participation.” But revelations of Wilcox’s alleged misfeasance at MSU have led some sources at UCR to see a pattern in what they claim is a failure to act promptly on complaints made against Sandoval.

Nearly 100 students and guests packed the Alumni and Visitors Center’s Redmond Dining Room for a chance to personally interact with California State Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) in a town hallstyle event. The event, held Wednesday, April 4 and sponsored by ASUCR, the UCR School of Public Policy, UCR Governmental and Community Relations, Chicano Student Programs and Undocumented Student Programs, allowed attendees to ask de Leon questions ranging from policy issues such as immigration to more personal questions about de Leon’s background. Before visiting UCR, de Leon visited his alma mater, Pitzer College in Claremont where he graduated with honors and a degree in political studies. He attended UC Santa Barbara, but left because “I didn’t do well” and, after several quarters on academic probation, attended Pitzer. He is currently running to unseat Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for the U.S. Senate on Nov. 6, 2018. Following Wednesday’s event, The Highlander sat down with de Leon to discuss the recent shooting death of Stephon Clark by Sacramento sheriff, sanctuary policy in California and funding the UC system. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

► SEE WILCOX, PAGE 4

Evan Ismail: My ﬁrst question pertains to the killing of Stephon Clark in Sacramento last week by the Sheriff department. Is there still too much force being used and how would you suggest police handle these types of situations? Kevin de Leon: I think it’s a tragedy, the situation in Sacramento. It’s happening much too often all over the state, all over the country. I know the mayor (of Sacramento) very well; he was my predecessor, Darrell Steinberg, and I have complete faith in him doing the right thing for his constituents, for the community that feels wronged and for the Sacramento police department. There needs to be a really serious objective independent examination of the training procedures because what we’ve noticed is that this is happening much too often and a lot of needless deaths are occurring all over the country and they are happening in communities of color, not exclusively, but primarily. ► SEE DE LEON, PAGE 4

► SEE DRAGBALL, PAGE 10

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News

Did Wilcox fail to act on sexual harassment claims at UCR?

Former VCSA Sandoval was allowed to retire after multiple sexual harassment claims, sources say ► FROM WILCOX, PAGE 1

According to a source who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, an internal investigation into Sandoval’s behavior was conducted by UCR Human Resources beginning in the summer of 2017. Sandoval continued to work at the university while this investigation was ongoing, sources say. This probe eventually absolved Sandoval of wrongdoing which, according to one source, led to complaints from frustrated staff and faculty who believed he was personal friends with the person leading the investigation. Following these complaints, sources say, the university enlisted UC’s Title IX office to conduct another investigation into Sandoval’s behavior. A source claims that this outside investigation found even more instances of wrongdoing, leading officials to encourage Sandoval to take leave from the university in November.

Emails sent by The Highlander to Wilcox’s office requesting comment on these claims were not directly answered. Instead, campus spokesperson John Warren wrote in an email that he was unable to confirm whether there is an investigation at all: “University personnel matters are confidential under §6254 of the California Government Code. Disclosing any information constitutes an ‘unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.’ Even commenting on whether there is an investigation can be interpreted as a violation of the code.” AN OLD BOYS’ CLUB? For some staff and faculty with knowledge of the matter, allowing Sandoval to remain on payroll while an investigation into his alleged harassment was ongoing is very similar to what former UCR Chief Campus Counsel Michele Coyle described as “an old boys’ club mentality” in her 2013 lawsuit against former

Executive Vice Chancellor (EVC) and Provost Dallas M. Rabenstein as well as the UC Regents. In fall of 2012, Coyle made multiple demands that the UCR administration and UC Regents “make efforts to remedy the hostile work environment and discriminatory culture on UCR’s campus,” per the case pleading. However, she was repeatedly stonewalled by campus administrators, and eventually fired by then-Chancellor Timothy White after requesting funds for data showing UCR’s compliance with affirmative action. The jury found that the Regents retaliated against Coyle in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and in violation of Labor Code section 1102.5. She was awarded $2.5 million in damages. Since the publication of the Detroit News report, some staff and faculty have openly speculated how long Wilcox, 63, will remain in his post. The chancel-

lor is due for his five-year review — a performance evaluation of senior campus administrators that is conducted by a confidential review committee every five years of an administrator’s tenure — by the end of this academic year, and sources believe those conducting the review in the UCR Academic Senate are taking the allegations very seriously. However, no representatives for the senate were available to comment by time of print. Chancellor Wilcox does still have support from UC officials. In a statement released on Wednesday, UC President Napolitano said that Wilcox had proactively spoken to her about Strampel and “described the situation as best he could recall” before the publication of the Detroit News report. Napolitano also called for a “full and fair evaluation of all the facts as they pertain to Chancellor Wilcox.” The Title IX investigation into Sandoval’s alleged misconduct is still ongoing, sources say. ■H

Highlander Exclusive: An interview with Senator Kevin de Leon

The senator speaks on police brutality, immigration policy and funding the UC system

► FROM DE LEON, PAGE 1

We have some very good police officers out there without a doubt but we have to really take an objective lense and look at what kind of training helped create these situations; could it have been handled much differently, could a young 22-year old father still be alive today if the objectives of the police investigated a man who was either committing robbery or breaking into cars? I don’t know the exact reason why the police were called to the situation, but there was a clear call for police response to tend to a certain situation. So you have them doing their job and you have presumably this young man trying to open up the back door to his grandmother’s house, probably something he’s done normally many, many times and then you have this tragedy, you have to have this objective measurement and see what is going on because this is happening much too often. EI: What is the senate doing to repair these types of divisions between police and civilians in communities of color? KDL: There has to be some very serious criminal justice reforms that are taking place. We dealt with the issues of body cameras already. We’re dealing with issues of those officers who historically have a track record of abuse of citizens in California. We have much more work to do still but what is key is to have a sense of confidence in our local police officers, in our citizenry, and we have so much work to do. EI: You touched on California sanctuary policies in the Q-and-A. What is your overall comment on Orange County joining the lawsuit against California and President Trump wanting to station troops on the border with Mexico? KDL: What is happening is not a spontaneous, grassroots, organized effort — I should say organic effort — on behalf of the city council members and the mayors. This is an organized, coordinated political operation by the White House to engage like-minded politicians to rebel against the law of the State of California which is the California Values Act, Senate Bill 54. You can’t pick and choose which laws you want to follow and not follow, it doesn’t work that way, regardless of whether you like the political spectrum. Whether President Trump

likes it or not, the law of the land is Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act. He’s going to attempt to sue us. I feel good about our odds in a court of law against him and the current Department of Justice.

eration with ICE agents. It’s clearly stated there. But clarity and facts are not part of this debate when it comes to this administration. This admin-

EI: What will you continue to do for the undocumented immigrants living here? KDL: I think there needs to be sensible, comprehensible immigration reform, something that’s fair and something that’s transparent and clear. What is happening all over the country is that you have different states reacting to the issue of immigration in very different ways whether it’s Arizona, Texas or Alabama. California has gone in a different direction because we value diversity as well as inclusivity. But many states are doing this because of the lack of leadership in Washington, because we don’t have a singular, coherent immigration plan that’s fair and is transparent across the board. This is happening all over the country because of the lack of leadership, the lack of courage of Washington to do the right thing. Immigration policy is the exclusive jurisdiction of federal law and sometime folks conflate, mistakenly, or intentionally, that through Senate Bill 54, we are creating immigration law. We’re not prohibiting or stymieing federal immigration officers from doing their job. All we’re saying is that the State of California doesn’t have to contribute a single cent or lift a single finger … to help the Trump deportation machine detain innocent families, it’s that simple.

IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION TO OUR STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA THEN WE HAVE TO PONY UP THE MONEY

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DOESN’T HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE A SINGLE CENT OR LIFT A SINGLE FINGER … TO HELP THE TRUMP DEPORTATION MACHINE DETAIN INNOCENT FAMILIES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE. But also the provisions are very clear, they’re there, go read it. If you’re a serious, violent criminal felon there can be collaboration, coop-

istration has attempted to color and conflate the issue of criminality and immigrants, statewide, like I said (in the Q-and-A), Jeff Sessions would be better served focusing on his own backyard because Alabama has a higher violent crime rate than does California. EI: Governor Brown invested ambitiously in education in this recent budget, but the state has continued to divest in education. This comes as the UC has slipped in 80 subject rankings globally. Does this alarm you at all? KDL: It is alarming and I think that we (elected officials) have to have an honest conversation. If in fact the UC system is the crown jewel of public universities globally, that it is the best public university system in the nation, outpacing both the University of Michigan as well as the University of Virginia; if our top three universities, obviously UCLA, Cal (UC Berkeley) and UC San Diego with Riverside and Irvine, are really making gargantuan leaps for younger colleges and universities in comparison to UCLA and Cal, we have to put our money where our mouth is because it is accurate that over the course of the past few decades, our commitment to our students has dropped exponentially. If we are serious about providing quality education to our students in California then we have to pony up the money, it’s just that simple. We should have a really clear commitment to California’s college students and I think that it should be part of a real debate in the state capitol. If we’re serious about this, let’s do something about it because it’s very clear we have invested less money in the UC’s and we have invested more money in the prison system and it’s

quite predictable what the outcomes will be. We have actually already stopped that trend, however, we’re not where we used to be in terms of funding for the UC system. We have much more to go to close that gap. The report that came out, I didn’t read it completely and I don’t necessarily agree 100 percent. But if you say to me we’re starting to slip, then the answer’s yes and we have to stop that slipping, but the only way we can stop that slipping is we have to have servious corrective measures in making an investment and we have to be committed to California students. That commitment has to be manifested through real action which is a vote for more money for the UC. EI: Is there a concerted effort by the senate to take some of the burden off of students? KDL: The California State Senate — and you can speak with the president of the UC system as well as the many chancellors, Kim Wilcox here (UCR) or other chancellors up and down the State of California — has been the stop-gap for deeper draconian cuts to the UC system. We’ve been very clear that in the Senate we support more money into the UC system, we always have and we always will continue to support giving more money to the UC system. EI: Do you think this type of education spending on the part of Governor Brown will last after he leaves office? KDL: That’s a good question and it’s hard to tell whether a guber-

natorial candidate’s commitment is to higher education. I think they all have a serious, strong commitment to higher education but that’s where the rubber hits the road and that’s where you cut the wheat from the chaff. You can say you have a stronger commitment to higher education, OK, that’s good, but you have got to make sure that’s reflected in your budget. Your budget statement is a reflection of your values so if you have a commitment to the students of California, regardless of their socioeconomic status, regardless of where they’re from, the Inland Empire, Southern California, Northern California, Central Coast, Central Valley, that strong commitment to them has to be manifested through the budget, and that is a reflection of values. That means more money. This is a monetary issue. I think that the UC probably can be much more efficient in other ways for costsavings but we want to keep this as strong as possible and we provide as much relief as possible. I’m on the record for opposing any tax hike on UC students, and that’s manifested obviously by raising tuition which is a tax hike on the backs of the students. I don’t think that the UC should be balanced on the backs of UC students, so therefore we need ■H better efficiencies for the UC system and at the same time we need more of a stronger monetary commitment as well from the current and next governor. EI: Senator, thank you very much for speaking with us. KDL: Absolutely, thank you.

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

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“We are too scared to go to school”: UCR students and faculty discuss March For Our Lives AMANI MAHMOUD Contributing Writer

“The movement focuses on how student’s lives are affected in particular so we feel obligated to act now,” stated Leila Shiblak, a second-year Sustainability Studies major at UCR. On Saturday, March 24, students led a demonstration of around 800,000 in Washington D.C., entitled March For Our Lives, in response to the mass shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida which killed 17 people. The shooting re-sparked the debate about gun control in the United States, and how gun violence affects students. Survivors of the Parkland shooting launched and mobilized the #NeverAgain Movement and the March For Our Lives in an effort to ensure an end to gun violence in the United States. The students are specifically working toward the following: Universal and comprehensive background checks, bringing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) into the 21st century with a digitized and searchable database, acquiring funds for the Center for Disease Control to research the gun violence epidemic in America, a high-capacity magazine ban and a nationwide assault weapons ban. According to their website, “March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students of all ethnicities, religions, and sexualities across the country. We will no longer sit and wait for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass shootings.” In an interview with The Highlander, Shiblak noted that she believes the March For Our Lives is, “Giving students a way to channel their anger and frustration using effective grassroots organizing methods which in turn leads to a better understanding of how political systems work locally.” While she is unaware of any particular events or protests occurring at UCR in relation the the March For Our Lives, Shiblak finds it “interesting to think about how gun control laws are one of the top conversations we are having in our school setting.” Motivated by the countless mass shootings occurring in the United States, specifically the shooting that occurred at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Susan Straight, a distinguished professor of creative writing at UCR, began writing a short story titled “The Princess of Valencia” in the fall of 2015. This fictional short story explores the mourning of a mother who lost her daughter and only child in a school shooting. In an interview with The Highlander, Straight stated, “(This story) really resounds with present day, especially with the March For Our Lives,” said Straight, “I wrote this story because it illustrates what it feels like to be terrified all the time.” Through her short story, Straight wants people to imagine how scary it is for students who are a part of a generation of numerous mass shootings. Straight sees the March For Our Lives as the first time young people really stood up and said “We are too scared to go to school.” Straight stated that many students at UCR

have told her that they are afraid of attending class, especially large lectures. She believes that our response to these tragedies needs to result in more action, finding that, as a nation, people witness a mass shooting, say “thoughts and prayers” and move on. “The March For Our Lives and the fear students feel, such as the fear some students at UCR feel, illustrate how people easily move on from mass shootings.” Now, Straight finds that students are demanding change and that the government pass legislation that they believe will keep people safe. In an interview with The Highlander, Augustine Kposowa, a professor of sociology at UCR, wrote that the March For Our Lives movement, “shows that if students truly study the great issues of the day, discuss how to bring about change and lay out some strategy, they can have some impact, at the very least in raising awareness.” Kposowa added, “UC Riverside students ought to join other students all over the U.S. and indeed across the globe to fight against any form of injustice, regardless of the target and irrespective of the region of the world that is immediately affected.” He specifically referred to violence and oppression against displaced persons in Burma, citizens of Syria being killed by the Assad government, the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians, as pressing issues he’d like to see more widely acknowledged. Kposowa fears that UCR students could become too narrowly focused on local issues that they forget about contributing to raising awareness of global problems. In response to the debate over whether demonstrations such as the March For Our Lives enact actual change, Kposowa wrote, “The students from Florida have reached out to other groups, such as black communities that have long been at the receiving end of gun violence … By reaching out … there is real likelihood that March for Our Lives will succeed.” Kposowa believes that by reaching out to black communities and movements such as Black Lives Matter, March For Our Lives activists may succeed in voting out politicians from office who support the National Rifle Association. Kposowa believes that if March For Our Lives activists manage to visit every congressional district, call for representatives to address town halls and influence public opinion about issues, voters could remove legislators from office that, according to Kposowa, “have for years been in the pocket of the National Rifle Association and the Gun Manufacturers Association.” Straight believes that the March For Our Lives says a lot about student engagement in politics and finds it “incredible” that the demonstration was led predominantly by students. Straight imagines what the nation would be like if there were to be a mass shooting every single day, “almost in a dystopian point of view,” she stated. This dystopian outlook inspired Straight to write “The Princess of Valencia.” She asserted that the march, “beyond just gun legislation, is a way for students to not only get involved but, demand something that they feel is absolutely necessary.” ■H

Two UCR students chosen for prestigious science scholarship

AIDAN RUTTEN Contributing Writer

Two UCR students, third-year chemical engineering and physics double major Nicholas Pham and fourth-year physics major Renata Koontz, have received Goldwater scholarships, one of the country’s most prestigious undergraduate science accolades. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship, named after the former presidential candidate and 30-year Republican Arizona senator, was instituted by Congress in 1986. Awarded annually to around 300 students throughout the country, the scholarship is given to those pursuing research and careers in the natural sciences, engineering and math. Applicants must submit a research proposal identifying a current problem in their intended field to be considered. This is the second time UCR has produced two Goldwater scholars in one year, bringing the total to eight since 2013. Although UCR has previously produced Goldwater scholars, winning still came as a bit of a surprise to both Pham and Koontz. “It didn’t hit me for a while,” said Koontz, “everyone was saying ‘congratulations’ and I just went through my day but then I got home and was like ‘cool, now I can be excited.’” Both students are from Southern California, and both credit their high school experiences as catalysts for their interest in the sciences. Pham is originally from Anaheim and attended Troy High School in Fullerton where he focused on the sciences and considered engineering. He would soon discover, however, that his interests were multidimensional. “I took a lot of math and computer science classes,” said Pham, “but I also liked chemistry a lot. I came in as a chemical engineering major, but since I had all of these math classes I

added applied physics as a second major.” Koontz hails from Pasadena and attended La Canada High School. Despite initially feeling shaky about her math ability, she powered through her physics classes and had a change of heart her junior year of high school. “I read ‘QED (The Strange Theory of Light and Matter)’ by Richard Feynman,” said Koontz, “and it got me really interested. I knew it’d be hard but like anything it just takes time.” After this, she continued studying physics and math and eventually chose physics as her major in college. Once at UCR, both students navigated the many science classes offered and coincidentally discovered an interest in astrophysics. “We didn’t really know each other until the awards were announced,” said Pham. While neither student specifically majors in astrophysics, both of their research proposals involved studying large, far-away structures such as galaxies within our universe. Both students’ proposals suggest utilizing various optical means to observe the universe at the furthest distances currently imaginable. Koontz spoke about a problem that her Goldwater proposal focused on. “The models of our universe show that there should be more stuff out there than we actually observe,” she said, “but I think the models might have it wrong and there’s just a lot we can’t see or aren’t seeing right now.” Koontz’s work involves gathering data from telescopes like Caltech’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, in hopes of seeing more galaxies and galaxy clusters. New data could not only help to produce more accurate computer models of our universe but could also provide clues as to how these colossal structures evolve. Disagreement between computer models and actual observations of the universe, such as galaxies spinning faster

than the laws of physics suggest they should, could potentially be explained by dark matter. “Dark matter makes up about 85 percent of our universe,” said Dr. Hai-bo Yu, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and faculty mentor to Koontz, “but we do not know what its properties are. We can assume the mass of the particles and create simulations, then compare those with our observations to test our theories of dark matter.” While still a burgeoning area of physics, dark matter is a theoretical component of our universe which may account for the large amount of mass that remains unaccounted for by current models. Pham essentially wants to take a photo of our universe at large, a task much more easily said than done. “We can really only observe what’s out there in one dimension,” he said, “it’s like looking at a city from one side, you can’t gauge the true dimensions of the buildings or the city as a whole.” To accomplish this, Pham proposed pasting these one dimensional profiles of galaxies and other distant phenomena, such as the gases which make up the interstellar medium, together to create a more accurate, multidimensional model of the large structures in our universe. “We look at how galaxies are made, how they interact with and shape their environment and how these structures evolve,” said Dr. George Becker, faculty mentor to Pham. Both Pham and Koontz plan on pursuing graduate education, likely in applied physics or possibly engineering. They intend to use their scholarships to fund their research, largely by accessing the advanced telescopic equipment they both require to observe the universe at great distances. “To study things that far away you need a camera that can detect narrow wavelengths, has a big lens, and a very H wide field of view,” said Dr. Becker. ■

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Lift-ed out of homelessness

Ambitious Riverside coffee shop franchise partners with city to fight homelessness ANDREAS RAUCH Senior Staff Writer VIVIAN LEE Staff Writer

Combating homelessness has occupied an important place in the city of Riverside’s recent history. Since 2003, various city agencies have established an array of programs to address the causes of homelessness, often in conjunction with the community. Now, a new initiative partnering the city’s Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD) with local businesses aims to reduce homelessness through local employment opportunities. Lift Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop franchise founded and headquartered in Riverside, is one of the first such businesses to collaborate with the city to resolve homelessness. The project began under the initiative of Emilio Ramirez, the development director of community and economic development for the city of Riverside and a UCR alumnus. Starting in June of 2017 with his appointment to the statewide Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) by Governor Jerry Brown, Ramirez sought to use his expertise and 18 years of experience with the CEDD to help solve homelessness-related issues around the state. Riverside County has approximately 2,413 homeless individuals as of the latest available data, an 11.45 percent increase between 2016 and 2017, the last period for which statistics are available. Speaking with The Highlander, Gio Alonso, coowner of Lift, shared some of the goals that Ramirez wanted to facilitate. The initiative hopes to employ some people from the homeless population in Riverside in their shops in hopes of “turning their lives around” by “hiring the homeless, mentoring them and giving them skills,” according to Alonso. With Lift’s three different Riverside locations, Alonso hopes to better integrate the company’s efforts into their community and encourages other local businesses to be a part of this initiative. According to Alonso, there are currently “about four or five (businesses) that are pioneering (in this initiative), one franchise being McDonald’s.” Alonso explained the goals that the city is planning to achieve through their franchise partners, an important one being that “(the city is) trying to build homes in Riverside and create enough homes to house eight homeless (occupants) every month … that’s what they’re aspiring to do.” By being more aware of citywide issues and being involved to reduce rates of homelessness, Lift aims to establish themselves as an important part of the community. “Respecting the history and the community and really paying attention to what makes the community special, is, I think, what best represents our culture,” said Alonso. “So we got into the coffee industry because it’s a people business.” Alonso encourages UCR students to spread the word in order to give positive attention to this initiative, where he recommended flyers and using social media to put the program in the spotlight as well as increase awareness of the programs currently aimed at reducing homelessness in Riverside county. Lift Coffee Roasters operate four locations across Southern California, with three stores serving Riverside and one in Whittier. Lift currently has no plans to expand, and seeks to focus its efforts on the Riverside area. According to Alonso, more information on their philanthropic activities will be on their website in the coming weeks. The CEDD office did not reply to The Highlander’s requests for comment. ■H

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

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ASUCR

Free lab coats and no more week 10 finals? ASUCR debates spring agenda

MARK BERTUMEN Contributing Writer

ASUCR held their first senate meeting of spring quarter on Wednesday, April 4, beginning at 6:38 p.m. The Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) led the meeting’s order of business, as board leadership Amanda Sanchez, Avit Patel and Ivy Son presented recent amendments to their constitution. Once the ratifications were covered, the members went on to announce that their new leaders had been selected and are awaiting approval, which will be voted on by the senate in next week’s meeting. Following ASPB, the Student Voice Committee, represented by Committee Chair Jeffrey Ramos, Operations Director Malcolm Tran and Personnel Director Denis Turan, took the podium to present their progress with student opinion research. Having first been created in the spring of 2016, the committee is relatively new, but currently consists of 12 members and has the goal of using the data from both conducted and in-progress student surveys for campus applications. The three reported on four surveys carried out during winter quarter of this year. One, which concerned students’ eating habits and opinions on campus food, surveyed 237 students and found that only 27 percent of those students believed they made healthy eating choices. The committee determined expensive prices attached to healthier food options to be one cause. Tran supported this point when he referenced a visit to Scotty’s that same day, where he bought a banana and “The banana (cost) three dollars, and a bag of chips (was only one) dollar.” Another survey examined campus safety, where 68 percent of 142 students found

the campus was safe, even though 89 percent had never used safety services. Another looked into textbook prices and found that 77 percent of 116 students believed them to be overpriced and 21 percent paid more than $200 a quarter for them. Academic advisors were the subject of the last survey, where 242 students collectively complained about low availability, time delays to the point of missed deadlines and no email responses. Currently, the committee is conducting a survey about student opinions on ASUCR. During the presentation, the group was interrupted when California Senate Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon entered the room to give a few words of appreciation to the senate for planning out his meetand-greet with students at the Alumni and Visitors Center, which ended up being a fullhouse event. “(There were) incredible questions from the students, on all kinds of issues, as related to the American body of politics, what’s happening today and other issues,” Leon said, “whether it’s energy, whether it’s environment, whether it’s climate, whether it’s an issue of immigration.” After the committee’s presentation, the senate went on to discuss their plans for the quarter and their progress in current projects. Notable points of discussion included CHASS Senator Mariam Alkhalili’s proposition of a “Dead Week,” where finals and exams cannot be issued during week 10 and Patrick Le’s idea of a free lab coat giveaway during the currently postponed CNAS Research Expo, initially brought up by Alkhalili in meetings last quarter. In an email, Alkhalili elaborated on the origins of her Dead Week proposal but also pointed out that implementing it may not be entirely beneficial. “The idea of incorporat-

ing a dead week at UCR came from a friend that attends UCSB. It’s commonplace, however most dead weeks are not limited to normal class meetings and cause extreme levels of stress for some students,” Alkhalili explained. “This idea was not one that I officially decided to pursue because I believe that there could be logistical issues that may impact some students.” Alkhalili went on to conclude that implementing a Dead Week will require thorough discussion among the senate. “This will be a difficult idea to incorporate, but I will only move forward with it if I believe that it will generally be helpful to the majority of students. As of now, I hope to continue conversations with other Senators to fully weigh the pros and cons of this idea,” wrote Alkhalili. Concerning the lab coat

giveaway, Senator Le elaborated on the source and amount of funding the coats would need in an email interview. “Jose (VP of finance) and I have agreed to use the contingency funds as our source of funding. We shall be investing roughly $3.5K to $5K for the lab coats.” ASUCR’s contingency funds refer to money that has not yet been allocated in a particular budget. During the meeting, Le announced that the senate will hold a vote on purchasing 250300 lab coats, but in the email stated that he doesn’t plan to give them out all at once. “We plan on purchasing 250 - 300 lab coats in total,” Le responded. “Although, I plan to only give out 150 coats for the CNAS research expo.” The CNAS Research Expo will be Monday, May 21 in HUB 302 beginning at 10 a.m. Le went on to say that a

graduation gown giveaway is also in the works and that he also plans on instituting a “Highlander Pride Scholarship,” with further information on both to be released at a later date. In the meeting, Orozco raised a counter argument to Le’s proposal, stating that because it is already spring quarter, a majority of students have already purchased lab coats due to labs from the previous quarters. CNAS Senator Matt Shashaty brought up a potential unintended consequence of the giveaway, citing the possibility of lab coat winners scalping their coats for profit in the following quarters. The date of the vote for the proposal and the giveaway is to be announced. ASUCR’s next senate meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 11 in HUB 221 beginning at 6:30 p.m. ■H

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

CE-CERT prepares climate and air quality training program for summer launch VASKEN NAJARIAN Contributing Writer

Just around a year ago, the South Coast Air Quality Management District donated $1 million to fund the Air Quality and Climate Change Training program (ACT) at UCR’s Center of Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT). CE-CERT Director Nicole Davis explained the nature of the program in an interview with The Highlander. “It is for people who are coming into the Inland Empire with an interest in new technologies and the climate change industry,” she said. She stated that the program will include a diverse group of participants including graduate students, undergraduates and community college students. Davis added, “What we are building is a training program on particular topics so some of the technical work can be done by engineers and so the technicians would go to another portion.” The program aims to introduce people from a wide range of industries and experience levels to new climate change technologies as they come out and hopes to have them take an interest in the field and continue to work with it in the future. Its brochure contains an extensive list of industries from which the program aims to recruit its participants. Davis stated that some

of the individuals conducting the training have sponsored undergraduate students to take classes on air quality and climate change and then aim to have them intern at the companies the professors work for. This is the first program of its kind, and is modeled similarly to UCR’s week-long coding camp and other two-week summer extension programs. Davis explained that the program is designed in line with California’s ultimate aim of becoming a net zero state, meaning the total amount of energy the state uses must equal the total amount of reusable energy it creates. “To help California reach its energy requirements, we need to roll out a lot of new technologies. The problem is that we need more technicians who understand how to use them so they don’t get wasted,” said Davis. She cited the extensive solar technologies that are currently available which she believes need to be coupled with interest in working with them. According to the program’s website, it will include courses specializing in topics such as emissions and air quality and air pollution health impacts. CE-CERT held a conference from March 22-23 during which they gave an hour-long teaser that introduced attendees to the overall content of the program. There were 150 people in attendance and Davis felt it was wellreceived. “One of the good points here

is that in general, Riverside is growing in terms of high tech jobs and this program is going to prepare residents

for these jobs and contribute to that trend,” he said. The program aims to launch this July. ■H

COURTESY OF UCR TODAY

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Opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Teachers’ walkouts in Oklahoma should inspire more education investment across the US

he recent teachers’ walkout in Oklahoma, which follows a series of teacher protests and walkouts in other states in past months, has highlighted yet another example of how some schools in this country receive inadequate funding and how their teachers receive inadequate pay, resulting in conditions that stifle students’ education. It would seem obvious that something as valuable as K-12 education should be highly invested in as a means of educating and preparing the country’s future leaders, yet per the Washington Post, when adjusting for inflation, Oklahoma’s spending per student has fallen by nearly 30 percent in the past decade. These funding cuts have directly resulted in fewer overall resources for students and educators and have restricted teachers’ ability to ensure the quality of education for their students — in some places, schools have even been forced to cut school weeks from five days to four. Though some might be concerned about how the walkouts have resulted in many schools in Oklahoma being closed and how that naturally takes away time from students’ education, this is ultimately a smaller concern in comparison to the more pressing issue of the current dearth of funding that is plaguing these schools. All of these recent walkouts are necessary for calling attention to the current inadequacies in education funding and on the value that is being placed on education. In the case of Oklahoma, these teachers simply can’t be expected to teach while also dealing with a lack of

JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER

school supplies, overly-packed class- by the Oklahoma Education Associarooms due to staff reductions and, in tion in early March, this seems to be some cases, leaking roofs — not to a start toward raising the funds necesmention having low salaries. These sary for fixing the lack of funding for extra factors are unnecessary burdens these schools in coming years. Though that hamper the new tax increases can educational process be unwelcome changfor both teachers es for some, early and students alike education is much too and must be fully important to neglect, addressed by the BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE and if taxes are what it state before edutakes to help maintain cators can reason- CONCERNS OF MAKING SURE schools, then they are ably be expected SCHOOLS IN OKLAHOMA worth the cost. to resume their Beyond the imteaching. mediate concerns of ARE PROPERLY FUNDED, It’s clear that making sure schools schools in Okla- THE OKLAHOMA TEACHERS’ in Oklahoma are prophoma (and in other WALKOUT SHOULD ALSO erly funded, the Oklaplaces in the U.S. homa teachers’ walkas well) aren’t SERVE AS A CALL FOR out should also serve properly funded, as a call for schools but that begs the SCHOOLS IN OTHER STATES in other states to take question of where stock of their funding the money to keep TO TAKE STOCK OF THEIR needs, see if they are them function- FUNDING NEEDS, SEE IF THEY being met and take acing properly is to tion if they are not. come from. One ARE BEING MET AND TAKE California, for exthing to note is ample, has had issues that the walkouts ACTION IF THEY ARE NOT. of its own in fundcome in the wake ing education in past of Oklahoma lawyears. This has gradumakers passing around $400 million ally improved in recent time, but the in tax increases in late March, which past difficulties still serve as an exwill raise tens of millions of dollars ample of why it’s necessary to keep for textbooks and school funding and paying attention to whether schools fund a pay increase for teachers of, on are being funded. The value of a average, about $6,100 a year. Though well-rounded education can hardly be these taxes have been met with some overstated. Yet, years of school budcontention, such as on the grounds that gets being slashed and the struggle of they ultimately fall short of the $800 teachers to receive adequate funding million increase in funding demanded for education and pay in places like

Oklahoma can leave one wondering if education is actually being treated with the respect and importance that it deserves in every state. Preparing future generations to lead the United States requires, among other things, a total commitment to investing in their educational opportunities. If we don’t make that commitment, we risk undermining tomorrow’s leaders. It is unfortunate that these walkouts have resulted in schools closing, taking away days from students’ learning experiences. Yet, the walkouts were ultimately necessary for bringing attention to long-standing issues with education funding in Oklahoma. Perhaps more unfortunate than a few days not spent in the classroom is the reality that these teachers have had to work despite operating with thin budgets, inadequate supplies, out-of-date textbooks and countless other problems that have risen precisely as a result of these schools not receiving the funding they need, to say nothing of inadequate wages. Perhaps the changes that these walkouts have accomplished so far are not enough to completely meet the state’s needs, but hopefully more improvements will come. If there are other states that have been dealing with budgetary insufficiencies like these, then one can hope that this recent series of walkouts will inspire more in those states. ■H Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

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OPINION POLL Compiled by Bri Chew, Staff Photographer

“What are your tips for saving money as a student?”

Lesly Monsalve English Second-year

Ethan Macalino Accounting Third-year

Haad Arif Biochemistry Second-year

Bharat Rai Biochemistry Second-year

Andy Nguyen Mathematics Third-year

Ellie Wrinkle Biochemistry Third-year

“Shopping the deals, especially using the Cartwheel app from Target!”

“Pack a lunch, get a bike, walk to school and be aware of what you buy.”

“Download the McDonald’s app and use all their deals! Go out of your way to find the deals for food. If you find deals for survival, that’s the key to life.”

“Get a sugar mama or a sugar daddy.”

“Making sure you don’t eat out too much. Making food at home is healthier and cheaper!”

“I live with my parents, so that’s convenient. I do meal prep so I don’t buy food throughout the week. I also make my own coffee so I don’t have to buy any.”

Canada’s limits on free speech must be clarif ied

ELAINE CHEN Contributing Writer

In an effort to prevent the agenda of the far right from spreading, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created a national financial budget specifically targeted toward combating racism. The prominence of the far right isn’t new to Canada’s society: Exactly a day after Justin Trudeau tweeted his support for making Canada a haven for refugees escaping war in response to President Trump’s infamous “travel ban” proposal, a mosque in Quebec was the site of a mass shooting that killed six people. In Canada, there are already limits on free speech with laws that make hate speech, such as threats, illegal. Canada’s step in funding toward establishing more “multicultural programs and cross-country consultations on racism” is more or less headed in the right direction to prevent far-right extremism from becoming normalized. Consider, for one, the risks of violence and acts of hate that usually accompany the promotion of far-right ideas — one key component of some far-right ideas is spreading or believing in propaganda that asserts that all Muslims are to blame for terrorist attacks involving Islamic

extremists. In 2016, the Washington Post reported that a Muslim woman and her child were attacked in a supermarket in Canada, first verbally, then physically as the attacker attempted to rip off the Muslim woman’s hijab and began tearing at her hair. In the same report, another hate crime was documented a day before the supermarket incident in which a carefully wrapped pig’s head was left at a Quebec City mosque, a direct insult to Muslims, who are not allowed to consume pork as part of their religion. The rationale behind the budget dedicated to stomping out hate groups and crimes seems plausible: It has a direct goal of mitigating racism and the violence the far right tends to incite, compared to the current legislation that allows free speech but as long as it falls within “reasonable limits.” Section 1 of Canada’s Constitution Act of 1982 can, despite there being guidelines on its use, allow for something offensive to lead someone being prosecuted, but this law is entirely subjective — who gets to decide what is offensive and what is not? People won’t have a hard time recognizing hate speech when they hear it, but there are flaws in unclarified “reasonable limits,”

leaving little to the imagination about how such legislation can be

CANADA’S STEP IN FUNDING TOWARD ESTABLISHING MORE “MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS AND CROSS-COUNTRY CONSULTATIONS ON RACISM” IS MORE OR LESS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO PREVENT FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM FROM BECOMING NORMALIZED. abused: Getting someone expelled in school for cracking a joke that was found “offensive,” for example. For this, because Section 1 seems to fail in terms of clarification over what can be said and what cannot, Canada’s new budget seems to

have more potential at advertising acceptance of diversity and peace. At the same time, when looking at the intentions behind Section 1, it can’t be denied that there’s a clear correlation between hate speech and hate crimes. However, despite the fact that hate speech clearly doesn’t fall within “reasonable limits” of Canada’s moderately free speech laws, the legislation still didn’t have an effect on stopping the attack on the Quebec mosque, further bringing into question whether or not any law can really prevent hate crimes altogether. It can be drawn from this that declaring hate speech as not free speech still isn’t an exact fix to the problem of violence being perpetrated by the far right. Consider another piece of legislation that prosecuted beyond necessity: Section 5 from the United Kingdom’s Public Order Act 1986, a law that ultimately was reformed with the help of a campaign titled “Reform Section 5,” by a group that believed there shouldn’t be a law present to illegalize insults. The statistics behind the number of people that were prosecuted between 2001 and 2003 under violation of Section 5 also prove that change was needed, especially due to the fact that nearly 8,489 minors, some falling as young as

10 years old, were found guilty under Section 5. The rationale behind having to hold a child as accountable as an adult for offensive language doesn’t seem reasonable, as children are still in the process of learning how to develop their own morals and only should be chastised by parents when having committed offensive acts. Essentially, Canadian legislation, alongside spreading and hoping to normalize a sense of diversity in Canadian society, still needs to clarify Section 1 of the Constitution Act because it’s a loopholed law that harbors the potential to be abused despite its good intentions of trying to moralize society. Perhaps warping limitations of free speech shouldn’t even be a law in the first place due to the varying levels of sensitivity and “offensiveness” each individual in society possesses. In the context of the UK’s reform of Section 5, a reformation of Section 1 makes all the more sense, especially because the laws are, for the most part, synonymous. Still, compared to the confusion of Section 1, Trudeau’s wish to counter anti-immigrant and Islamophobic ideas by exposing more of Canada to diversity causes is nonetheless progress to ensuring the peaceful democracy he stands for. ■H

The “Peace Olympics” and the possibility of diplomacy SHYAM RAJAN Contributing Writer

The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics are now over. Clouding the atmosphere of the games were the tense relations between North Korea and the United States, a staple of media broadcasts since the election of President Donald Trump over a year ago. Regardless of any political disputes, North Korea was encouraged to participate in the Winter Olympics. Many feared that their participation would impel a repetition of the events that ensued during the 1988 Summer Olympics, which were also hosted by South Korea. North Korea boycotted the 1988 event, and was also suspected of being responsible for a related terrorist attack. Consequently, many feared the nation’s involvement in the 2018 games. However, what actually occurred was a surprising display of peace. When the Opening Ceremonies commenced, North and South Korea marched together under a Unification Flag. Although North Korea

had no participating athletes, the country joined together with South Korea to produce a unified female ice hockey team. The South Korean president even termed the Games the “Peace Olympics,” acknowledging that the tense relations between North Korea and other nations, including the U.S., would be salient. Although South Korean citizens remained polarized over the Unification Flag, it marked the first time representatives from the two nations had spoken in approximately two years. As a result, the decision to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea became an opportunity to mitigate antagonistic relations between the U.S. and North Korea. The American position toward North Korea mandates disarmament of the latter’s weapons of mass destruction; the U.S. has reserved a military option if diplomacy does not materialize. South Korea has been a close ally of the U.S. since the end of the Korean War, and the U.S. has kept a large military presence there ever since. North Korea has criticized the joint

South Korean-U.S. military drills happening on the peninsula. Accordingly, the U.S. decided to postpone its military drills until after the Olympics. As the Olympics concluded, the U.S. decided to further postpone their drills after close negotiations with allied South Korea. This decision was to serve as a stopgap until talks between North Korea and the U.S. began, but the drills have begun regardless of North Korean attitudes, although they have not been carried out in their full capacity. The active involvement of South Korea in North Korea-U.S. relations is significant because it establishes a mediator acting toward improving relations between the two conflicting nations who, declining to meet for a diplomatic solution, require of the other party appeasements to which neither can agree. Following the Olympics, North Korea has indicated that they are now willing to talk with the U.S. even though the two nations may not agree on denuclearization. South Korea has been central to this development. The resumption of communication between North

and South Korea has the potential to include the U.S. as well. In fact, North Korea has recently indicated that they are now open to talks with the U.S. even amidst disagreement on military issues. As a political middleman, South Korea insists that North Korea and the U.S. talk directly, and that each reduce their stiff bargains so that the talks can begin. This possibility of communication between the two embroiled nations began during the Winter Olympics, but without each party expressing their sentiments explicitly. Vice President Mike Pence arrived at the Opening Ceremonies with Fred Warmbier, father of Otto Warmbier, the late American student who returned to the U.S. from a North Korean jail. Concurrently, North Korea performed a military showcase on the eve of the Opening Ceremonies. It appeared as if the Olympics were to be a vacation from the hostility between the U.S. and North Korea. After the Olympics, the international focus returned to their hostile relationship. Although the U.S. and North Korea had planned

a secret meeting during the Olympics, North Korea declined to meet at the last minute. Instead, North Korea met with South Korea, and thereafter, the latter pushed for the U.S. and North Korea to speak with each other directly. The location of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang was the perfect backdrop to further peace between North Korea and the U.S. because the participation of South Korea eased tensions during a tense time. Without the involvement of South Korea, tensions between North Korea and the U.S. could have escalated. After marching under the Unification Flag, North Korea has shown its civility and played its political hand. Because of the involvement of South Korea, a long American ally, North Korea has shown that it is willing to talk. This development would have been improbable without their participation in the Olympics, and their resumed relationship with South Korea has provided a prime opportunity for the U.S. to begin diplomatic relations with a nation with whom a positive relationship H has otherwise proven difficult. ■

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Trade war, what is it good for? MICHAEL BEELI Staff Writer

In early March, President Donald Trump announced he was imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports into the United States, promising that “trade wars are good and easy” and saying, “Our factories were left to rot and rust all over the place; thriving communities turned into ghost towns, that betrayal is over.” Nearly a month after this initial announcement, the world has seen a rollercoaster of retaliation and economic aggression from both the United States and China alike as they continue to erect additional tariffs against each other in a game of chicken in which the assets just so happen to be critical and significant components of the global economy. By charging these initial tariffs, Trump and his economic team have carelessly ignited the flames of what is becoming a global trade war, which will close economic doors and leave the American people with little more than international strife, less export profit and higher consumer prices. Trump announced the initial steel and aluminium tariffs in early March and followed up with tariffs worth $60 billion on additional goods later that month, and justified the new taxes by accusing China of “dumping” steel products into the U.S. Additionally, Trump claimed that strong steel manufacturing is a necessary

arm of national security, and repeated that “We have a (trade) deficit with China of $500 billion.” China, expectedly unhappy with taxes on its goods, responded with protections of its own in April, beginning with the 15 percent tax on imports of 120 U.S. goods that are largely agricultural, and then a follow up 25 percent tax on eight additional American goods, including pork, a valuable American export. Following China’s retaliation, worth about $3 billion of U.S. exports, the United States Trade Representative’s Office released a list of proposed tariffs on an array of Chinesemade technological products worth approximately $50 billion on April 3. Guess what happened next? China announced on April 4 that it was slapping additional tariffs on approximately $50 billion worth of U.S. exports, including a 25 percent tariff on American cars, soybeans and whiskey. $100 billion worth of exports being taxed heavily in just two days? That sounds like a trade war to me. The pattern of escalating tariffs is what is referred to as a “trade war,” in which countries continuously impose fees on imports from other countries, harming foreign manufacturers and domestic consumers alike for the sake of aiding particular domestic producers. Although the intended effect of the steel tariffs, to aid our domestic steel industry, will undoubtedly see results in some capacity, these

relatively minor benefits come along with many significant, unintended consequences. Trump’s steel and aluminum tariff, absent of retaliation by China, does provide some benefits to domestic manufacturing here

BY CHARGING THESE INITIAL TARIFFS, TRUMP AND HIS ECONOMIC TEAM HAVE CARELESSLY IGNITED THE FLAMES OF WHAT IS BECOMING A GLOBAL TRADE WAR in the U.S. Special taxes on imported steel and aluminum make the price of domestically produced steel and aluminum extremely competitive, which will likely lead to an expansion of the industry and the employment of more workers by steel companies. Furthermore, an expanded steel and aluminum industry does quell some fears of a conflict in which the United States has limited ability to purchase steel and aluminum abroad. Correspondingly, however, a 25 percent and 10 percent tax on imported steel and aluminum means a 25 percent markup on prices of all imported steel in the U.S., which totals 34.6 million metric tons, or 8 percent of all imported steel globally. Until domestic steel producers expand enough to

COMICS TALL TAIL #20 BY: JUSTUS ROSS

capture that market share, the tariffs are going to mean a significant increase in the price of steel in the U.S. While most consumers may not purchase steel directly, the price increases will have a heavy toll on U.S. domestic manufacturing that uses steel in the production process, and will consequently increase the price of U.S.-made steel products, like American cars. Not only will this hurt a number of businesses in the U.S. by making their products more expensive, it will additionally hurt American consumers who wish to buy these American products and find themselves paying a larger portion of their income than they would have before. The economics of aluminum, a material used in many of our household products, military vehicles and airplanes, is no different; higher aluminum prices will lead to declining sales and force many to get less from the same resources. Seeing that the domestic trade-offs before accounting for retaliation aren’t clear, it’s also important to note that although it isn’t our government’s role to care for foreign citizens, the harmful and unnecessary effects these tariffs will place on foreign manufacturers should not be ignored. A 25 percent and 10 percent tax on one’s products is devastating and undoubtedly punishes these producers. From analyzing the basic economics of these decisions, it’s clear that before there is even retaliation, the imposition of tariffs is a zero-

sum game at best. Trump has repeatedly referenced the U.S.’s trade deficit of over $500 billion with China as a justification for the tariffs; however, he has continuously used this statistic as a club to misrepresent the nature of our trade relationship with the world. A trade deficit means that one nation exports more goods to one country than it imports from that particular country, which, given the structure of the U.S. compared to that of China, is to be expected. In other words, the United States economy has been increasingly moving toward the service, technology and financial sectors, which rely more on skills and education and less on exporting goods. These tariffs are expected to be just the beginning, especially considering that the Trump administration has just slapped additional tariffs worth about $50 billion on Chinese technological products. China’s language as well was particularly telling; the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, said “We will certainly take countermeasures of the same proportion and of the same scale, same intensity.” On Wednesday, April 4, China met its words and responded in kind with approximately $50 billion of their own tariffs. Now that China and the U.S. are both “even” in terms of self-inflicted misery, maybe they’ll come to their senses and back off, or maybe they’ll dig down and continue the trade war. ■H

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Features

15 T H D RA G A L I C I O U S

DRAG BALL:

A night of music, glamour and empowerment

by: martha delagado, contributing writer ► FROM DRAGBALL, PAGE 1

Drag Ball is not just an opportunity for students to explore and reflect on gender, but it is also a safe space for students to explore drag. “It’s very important for LGBT individuals to know that there is a safe space for them to be creative without having a target on their backs,” explains Iza DaJungle, one of the performing drag queens, as she prepares for the show. “(Drag Ball is) a place to cope, heal and, as a result, get to know each other. Drag gives a big middle finger to the gender binary.” This is the fifth year that Mayhem Miller is hosting the Drag Ball. Miller is also a current contestant on season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, for which she has been auditioning ever since the second season of the reality competition. The show begins around 8 p.m. as the announcer exclaims, “Bow down for the queen of the party, Mayhem Miller.” Mayhem performs a rendition of Robin S’ “Show Me Love,” wearing a tight sequined ruby red dress. “Y’all got money! Y’all better stop it. Give me more!” Mayhem jokes after receiving many tips. One of the early highlights of the night was Crescent Rose’s “Little Mermaid” medley. Rose came on stage with an Ariel costume, purple seashell bra, a skirt in the shape of a mermaid tail, and curled red hair. She lipsynced to “Part of Your World” while also acting out the scene

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from the movie in which Ariel’s voice is taken by the villain, Ursula. One person sitting behind me in the audience began quoting Ursula’s dialogue. After Rose’s performance, my friend whispered, “I got emotional.” Mayhem playfully commented, “It’s not a drag show until it gets gay,” referencing the use of a Disney song in the show. Drag Kings, Phantom and Mr. E stood out for their energetic performances: Phantom’s “Willy Wonka” performance and Mr. E’s Bruno Mars medley had people dancing in their seats as they excitedly waved dollar bills ready to tip the kings. Iza DaJungle (word play for “eyes of the jungle”) is a UCR alum who returned to perform at Drag Ball. DaJungle’s distinctive feature is her use of UV contact lenses. “As a boy, I’ve always been known for my green eyes,” she begins. “One thing that can help cover your identity is how you do your eyes. (When I perform with my natural eye color) I feel like the illusion is not complete because one of my most identifying features as a boy is still there with me.” For her performance of the song “She’s Like a Star” by Taio Cruz, DaJungle had pink contact lenses, a curly brown hair wig, gold hoop earrings and a glittery peach bodysuit. After the show, Thibodeaux and Rush announced that the

Drag Ball had raised over $1,700. The proceeds will go toward funding the Kalyn Smith-Tranquil’son Memorial Fund, the UCR LGBTQIA Student Leadership Scholarships and the LGBT Resource Center Student Assistance Fund. To close the show, Thibodeaux

and Rush crowned Miller for her work as the crowd stood up and chanted, “Mayhem.” Miller finished by encouraging the audience, “Keep doing what you’re doing. Do what makes you happy. Keep working hard. You’re all beautiful. Don’t you let anyone tell you differently.” ■H

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FEATURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

UNDER THE

KILT

Being a victim of a toxic relationship is hard, especially since you are oftentimes blinded by it. If I had a penny for everytime I heard someone say, “But I love them and you just don’t understand,” I would be able to pay my tuition, and maybe even yours. And I hate to admit it, but I too have been a victim of an emotionally abusive relationship. In my previous relationship, my ex-boyfriend was a negative energy who constantly brought me down. My friends and family disapproved of the way he was treating me. However, I vehemently defended my partner, which only highlighted the insecurities I had within myself. Jamie Foxx said it best: “Ladies, know your worth.” During my relationship, it was apparent I didn’t value or love myself, because I was allowing myself to be a doormat. I thought the way he spoke and treated me was normal, and soon enough, I became dependent on him. As cliche as it may sound, we accept the love we think we deserve. If you or your partner are constantly threatening to end the relationship, you might be in a toxic relationship yourself. In any type of relationship, there is a mutual commitment to one another; a romantic relationship takes this a step further. It should never be you against your significant other, rather it should always be the two of you united as a team, bonded through your mutual love against any problem. After finally realizing and acknowledging that you or a friend are in a toxic relationship, action must be taken. A common one is to end the relationship entirely. When a relationship is not making you a better person, ending the relationship will. Your significant other should be your biggest cheerleader, someone who sees the best in you and wants the best for you. Relationships shouldn’t be relentlessly draining, a romantic partner should only be an addition to your life, they should never be your whole life. You are never responsible for “fix-

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

MOVING FORWARD AFTER A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP VIVIAN KIM, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

ing” your boyfriend, which is a common misconception that even I myself had.

I knew my boyfriend was also having internal battles, and I thought I could

help him overcome his issues. However, when you try to fix someone, you can be the only one who ends up broken. In addition, your partner isn’t an object, which means they can’t be fixed. Once I ended my relationship, feelings of heartache crept up on me in my most vulnerable times, and I didn’t know what to do, so instead I suppressed those emotions. However, this had the opposite effect of what I intended — in order to overcome feelings of sadness, you have to deal with it head on. You can’t hide from yourself, which is why you can’t avoid your emotions. Thus, I decided to finally allow myself to feel whatever I was feeling. I began doing activities I had long wanted to do, which my ex used to prevent me from doing. According to Dr. Gary Lewandowski, Jr., professor of psychology at Monmouth University, self-discovery activities are critical for the coping process. This helped me better understand myself, and increased my comfortability of being alone. I finally started doing things for myself that I expected my boyfriend to do for me. Oftentimes, we are angry at other people for not doing something that we should be doing for ourselves. I wanted my boyfriend to value me as a girlfriend and as a person, but he never did because I never did. Sadly to say, an easy break up does not exist, since every failed relationship can feel like wasted time and effort. Despite how you may feel at the time, a difficult break up doesn’t mean that you are completely broken. Instead of regretting the relationship, take it as an opportunity to reflect upon it and view it as a lesson learned. Self-improvement is key. When actively looking for a good person, you’re likely to find no one, but when you begin working on yourself, people will naturally gravitate toward you. Sometimes, it is best to just let go and allow fate to do its work. So take this time to find yourself, treat yourself and most importantly, love yourself. ■H

Campus Cope How to deal with toxicity online and in gaming By: Daniel Tsai, contributing writer Trolling is unavoidable. One day, you ask the internet, “My car is messed up. What do I do?” Someone responds, “Yah! Just deflate your tires half way so you can reset the flux capacitor.” This is trolling. It’s a form of online toxicity, and whether you’re on Youtube or playing League of Legends, you’re likely to encounter it. Someone on the receiving end might be OK with a bit of trolling, but when it becomes cyberbullying, then there’s a problem. Eliott Chung, a second-year microbiology major, suggests you “Ignore the online toxicity. It doesn’t make sense for (you) to let (your) feelings be affected by a stranger.” He has a good

point: There’s no reason to waste your time arguing with someone online that you will probably never encounter in real life. However, sometimes people step over the line and ignoring it is not the answer. Sure, if someone is simply spewing misinformed political beliefs, then it’s OK to close the computer and move on. But when people step over the line and attack your personal space, then ignoring it is not the solution. For example, if I’m playing multiplayer Minecraft and someone makes inappropriate jokes about, let’s say, my mom, I can’t simply ignore their comments. Of course, many people might say “Just give them shit

back,” like Jasmine K., a thirdyear transfer computer science major. But while it may be fun to take revenge on an internet troll, sometimes fighting back creates more chaos. If you continuously feed internet trolls with blocks of text, the argument never ends. In my experience as a novice at Counter-Strike, players namecalled and insulted me. It was very frustrating, and I kept getting enraged whenever I played the game. It wasn’t fun anymore and I wasted so much time arguing back and forth with these players. As one would imagine, nothing came of it. From that experience, I learned that at the end of the day, Counter-Strike is just a game and should not affect my

emotions the way that it did. So how exactly do you deal with internet toxicity? We’ve all probably seen the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and its broadcasting of the severe consequences of cyberbullying, such as suicide. Any form of online toxicity, especially cyberbullying, can have an emotional toll on someone. Having all that negativity around someone is unhealthy and should be addressed. One might argue that you can simply ban cyber bullies from the server. Certainly, in games such as Counter-Strike or League of Legends, there are committees that survey inappropriate language and behavior. However, as nice as it is to block players, doing so

doesn’t address the problem at its core. Others may still come along and make you another victim of cyberbullying. Personally, I find that having a strong support system counteracts the emotional distress of cyberbullying. Having grown up around my friends and family has taught me to examine my limits and manage the amount of negativity entering my daily life. In order to properly respond to cyberbullying, you must do your best to be emotionally undeterred by hurtful comments. So, instead of spending all day at home and burying your head in your pillow, you should step away from social media and find something that relaxes you. ■H

R adar ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EVENTS THIS WEEK 04/10

Flรกvio Apro - Continental Dialogues on the Guitar @ ARTSblock, Culver Center of the Arts, 7:00pm

04/12

Real Life Art, Writing and Resistance: How to Make It Work featuring young Latinx Writers/Artists Eva Recinos and Star Montana @ CHASS Interdisciplinary South, New Media Lab, INTS 1109, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

04/13

Film: The Insult @ARTSblock, Culver Center of the Arts, 7:00pm to 9:00pm

BRI CHEW / HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

Radar

MOVIE REVIEWS BLOCK YOUR EYES AND EARS FROM THE TRAINWRECK THAT IS “BLOCKERS” JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

From Key Cannon, the writer of the “Pitch Perfect” series and Netflix’s immediately axed show “Girlboss,” comes “Blockers,” her directorial debut about a trio of parents on a mission to stop their daughters from having sex on prom night. It’s also about the girls oblivious to their parents’ effort to thwart their sexual agency, and the hijinks that ensue. They say the best movies arrive from the simplest concepts, the ones whose humanist narratives tap into struggles both universal and specific. “Blockers” certainly isn’t concerned with anything too unfamiliar; it sources its comedic potential from the uniquely female chapter in coming-ofage where the awkwardness of sexual discovery is compounded by parental surveillance. It’s a story whose male equivalent has been done many a times over, minus the parental involvement. So, in a way, I’m glad this movie exists. If nothing else, maybe it will trigger something in Hollywood filmmaking that gravitates toward experiences more specific to women (it helps that this film is ethnically and sexually diverse). But the movie, by its own merit, is a tremendous misstep that’s neither funny nor insightful — two things this coming-of-age comedy so desperately wants you think it is. Julie (Kathryn Newton), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Sam (Gideon Adlon) are childhood friends on the cusp of high school graduation. Prom is approaching, and Julie

declares that she is going to lose her virginity to her boyfriend, Austin (Graham Phillips). Hesitant for, like, 10 seconds, Kayla decides that she, too, is ready for her first time. Unlike Julie, who fantasizes about her first time being special, romantic and with someone she loves, Kayla just wants to get it on. Sam is reluctant, though, and while she’s going to prom with the fedora-clad Chad (Jimmy Bellinger), her eyes are dead set on her true crush, Angelica (Ramona Young). Throughout the film, Sam grapples with the question of whether or not her feelings for Angelica and, consequently, her sexuality are authentic or simply one of the many pangs of teenage angst. It’s certainly a novelty in the genre to display such empathy for a questioning character without them being the punchline of severely homophobic jokes, and one of the few things “Blockers” gets right. The trio eventually officiate their sex pact, manically texting each other in a group chat that Julie’s mom, Lisa (Leslie Mann), discovers by way of her open laptop. Kayla’s father, Mitchell (John Cena), and Sam’s father, Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) join in on Lisa’s spying. Against Hunter’s belief that their kids have a right to enjoy the best night of their lives without the interference of their overprotective and, in his case, absentee parents, the parents set off to the prom venue to stop them from acting on their pact. It’s hard to determine who the real parent-child protagonist couple is, since each of the five main characters have their own arcs that Cannon sets up from

the beginning, paying off in the film’s final hotel act. That’s not necessarily a problem in terms of protagonist identification, and it helps that the narratives are, if not enjoyable for a large duration of the time we’re with them, at least coherent and progressive. “Blockers,” for the most part, succeeds at telling a story about sexuality as explored by three different girls. Ultimately it’s less important that they have sex but more so that they display some form of sexual agency and demonstrate to their parents that they are not their property to be be controlled as they see fit. If you didn’t understand this concept, it will hit you in the head with it so hard you may actually be fooled into taking its cornball melodramatic “touching” moments as sincere emotional payoffs. Speaking to universal truths about human agency and the right to both privacy and sexual exploration may give this film a bronze star of ideological agreeableness, but it doesn’t mean anything if the film is incompetently made. Critiquing a comedy as unfunny, or a horror for a lack of scares and a romance for lack of audience attachment to a pair of on-screen lovers is purely subjective; what’s funny, scary or endearing to one person doesn’t necessarily register the same way for another. “Blockers” is, on the whole, a painfully embarrassing uncomedic flop of a comedy whose few moments of genuine humor are few, far between, and still only light in the laughs department. Hannibal Buress shows up for maybe five minutes as Sam’s stepfather and shares a darkly humorous story with her to illustrate how “the bedrock of

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all social relationships is shared experiences.” Let’s see, there’s a reference to “American Beauty” as a romantic comedy that drew one of those slight nasal huffs (didn’t do much for the audience though, understandably). Both Sam and Kayla’s dates are competently performed, each a cringe-inducing young man in their own different ways. And there’s a scene at the end where CGI tears pour down Mann’s face as she smiles and pretends nothing is wrong. There’s little moments peppered in throughout that are … almost funny, but too stupid, in an indefensible way. It’s honestly embarrassing, sitting through 40 minutes of a film where the most an audience

will laugh is for two scenes, one involving Cena’s character buttchugging a 40 oz. and the consequences that ensue, another involving a 7-person vomit domino effect in a limo. If you’re looking for legitimate jokes with setups and payoffs, “Blockers” has a pocketful of them, but they’re boringly juvenile in a way that not even I can defend.

Verdict: “Blockers” is intolerable, unfunny and horrendously pandering. All I can hope for is that its inclusivity and agreeable messages are a precursors to more diverse casts and stories in Hollywood. ■H

SHHHH… “A QUIET PLACE” IS AN EXCELLENT, STRIPPED-DOWN CREATURE FEATURE JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

What makes a good horror movie? For most people, the obvious answer is its ability to have us at the edge of our seats beset with fear, to utilize sight and sound in a way that rocks us to the core. We usually grade these movies on a curve, though, because oftentimes injecting horror in a plot comes at the expense of other factors like realism or character development. As major studios continue to pop second-rate horror flicks more bent on having startling jump scares than a fearinducing atmosphere, “A Quiet

Place” demonstrates that there are still creative ideas floating through the mainstream (on Michael Bay’s radar, no less). Based on a story conceived by longtime collaborators Bryan Woods and Scott Beck and rewritten by John Krasinski, “A Quiet Place” tells the story about a family struggling to live a life in the absence of sound. That absence is a survival mechanism, since a hypersensitive beast drawn to sound has pushed humanity to its last breath, pummeling militaries around the globe and leaving families to fend for themselves. What this creature is, exactly, is uncertain as not once in the film do characters or the numerous

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scraps of newspaper pages scattered throughout reveal to us the nature or intent of the film’s antagonist; all that is known is that it’s a blind, nearly indestructible creature that hunts its prey through echolocation. So don’t enter with an intent on probing into the “why” behind its existence, just accept it for what it is. Krasinski’s script is agile, making excellent use of its short 95-minute run time without pandering to our ignorance. We enter not with expository newsreel footage folding into each other like pages of a book we’ve all read many times over and filling us in on the state of the world, but long after the cataclysmic onset. It’s Day 89, and the Abbott family is looting the husk of an abandoned town in upstate New York. Lee, Evelyn (played by Krasinski and his wife outside of the film, Emily Blunt, in their first film together) and their children walk barefoot through paths of sand they’ve laid out to dampen their footsteps, because — as the riveting first 10 minutes shows us — the threat of death is constantly looming on their fragile shoulders. Something early on triggers an upset in the family dynamics before the film cuts to a title card and an indication that a year’s time has passed, and we’re in Day 472. Gradually, the intricacies

of the Abbott family’s silent way of life are revealed as we spend more time with them: Dinner plates are substituted with oversized lettuce leaves, utensils are a thing of the past, Monopoly pieces are toy bits of fabric and, most excitingly, they communicate entirely through American Sign Language. One of the children, Regan, is played by Millicent Simmonds, who is deaf in real life as well as in the film. When switching to her perspective, the sound design swallows what little sound would be heard, which creates tense moments that ingeniously utilize her disability in service of some good thrills. When you have a monster that hears everything and a vulnerable character who can hear nothing, the result is a caustic recipe for a horror film in the hands of a smart director (which, Krasinski proves to us, he is). In case the title wasn’t clear enough, “A Quiet Place” is comprised of a sonic palette so muted the sound of your neighbor’s popcorn munching stands out. While not completely devoid of orchestration or dialogue, it’s a legitimately refreshing style that keeps audiences on edge. It’s this level of technical finesse that makes the jump scares that permeate the film so puzzling — whether this can be chalked up to Platinum Dunes’ creative interference

or a lack of faith in audience’s willingness to engage with a hushed soundscape, it’s at odds with the film’s cunning subtlety. In the absence of jump scares and — in the case of Simmonds’ character — sound, “A Quiet Place” still manages to viciously pull viewers by the neck. There’s something primal to it that feels like an answer to the question of why “It Comes At Night” pleased critics but angered audiences. Krasinski interrogates us, asking the lengths one would go to protect their family. But beyond the easy mark of familial love in the face of adversity is a genre film that succeeds at delivering scares without foregoing the principles of good old-fashioned quality filmmaking.

Verdict: John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” is a tense tour de force that makes masterful use of its setting. It certainly relies too heavily on jump scares, which is troubling considering how excellent its brooding atmosphere instills the film with terror, but it’s directed with such fine precision to overshadow such nitpicky errors. It’s not often that a horror picture this large hits so many of the right notes, but it’s another indication that, just maybe, Hollywood is realizing the potential of the genre. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

ANIME REVIEW “VIOLET EVERGARDEN” IS AN EMOTIONAL SPECTACLE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT MARCELO GARCIA Senior Staff Writer

“I want to know what ‘I love you’ means,” are the words spoken by Violet Evergarden in the first episode of Kyoto Animation’s newest project of the same name. The 13-episode series, which was released on Netflix for U.S. audiences last Thursday, follows the story of Violet, a former child soldier living in the aftermath of a civil war, whose sole purpose is to carry out the final orders of her beloved Major Gilbert: To live and be free. Since the announcement and advanced screening of its first three episodes at Anime Expo 2017, “Violet Evergarden” had its bar set extremely high. Not only were those first three episodes highly praised, but the series was being developed by the same studio that has created some of the most critically acclaimed and beloved anime over the years, such as “K-On!,” “Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu” and, most recently, “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.” In order for “Violet Evergarden” to succeed it needed to do more than simply meet the caliber of Kyoto Animation’s previous works; it would have to surpass them. Thankfully, “Violet Evergarden” has done more than deliver on its promises and is one of Kyoto’s greatest projects to date. Being a Kyoto Animation production, the first outlying trait of this series is its animation style. “Violet Evergarden” takes more than a few pages out of Kyoto’s earlier series, “Beyond the Boundary,” in its aesthetic, however it actually improves

upon the main problem of that show’s animation. As beautifully animated as some of “Beyond the Boundary’”s sequences were, it only had one memorable and visually distinguishable character, Mirai. However, in “Violet Evergarden,” the character designs are much more unique and recognizable. A perfect example of this is Dietfried, who, despite being a copy-paste of the Major’s face and character model, still manages to come across as a foil to the Major’s kind and sympathetic demeanor through the minor changes made to his features. What’s even more impressively animated than these characters is the world that they inhabit. The environments in “Violet Evergarden” are simply breathtaking. One of the show’s first opening sequences, where we follow a letter’s journey through the wind as it tours across the landscape, ranks among the most beautifully animated scenes I have ever seen in an episodic anime. The sea is sparkling, the mountains are surprisingly detailed and the fields are vibrant and lush; all of this combined with the vibrant color palette blows these visuals out of the water. Episode 8 has a lake scene which, without delving into spoilers, is by far the highpoint of the series’ animation. But there’s more to “Violet Evergarden”’s animation than its pretty landscapes — it’s clear from the first episode that, much like our own world, there is a much uglier side that the series isn’t afraid to explore. Through the memories of Violet we catch glimpses of the countryside before the present, when what

might have been a beautiful flower field is ravaged by war. Blood, sweat, grime, it’s all here; they all have a place in this world alongside the parasols and typewriters, and the series is all the better for it. Because what this does for the show and the characters in it is create a world where the viewer can get emotionally invested. This isn’t another show about cute anime characters doing cute anime things. These characters bleed, they feel pain, they live, and that’s what establishes this world so well — it’s alive and breathing. During my time with “Violet Evergarden,” I was left teary-eyed on more than one occasion, and even broke into full-on sobbing once or twice (which the soundtrack definitely played a huge part in). By watching Violet find herself and discover her own interpretation of love, you can’t help but feel moved. Violet’s journey reminds us of what defines our own humanity and helps us realize the intricacies of the love we feel toward others. “Violet Evergarden”’s story resonates so strongly because it doesn’t romanticize this idea of love. Throughout the series we discover alongside our protagonist that love is sacrifice, that to love is to lose, that to feel love is to feel pain and, most importantly, that love is always worth it because, to quote the final words of episode 10, “Your loved ones will always watch over you.” As mentioned earlier, the soundtrack is no slouch either, with over an hour and a half of original orchestration that complements the show’s early industrial era theme and

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never falls behind the sublime landscape shots or drowns out the quieter, sadder moments. Add to this some of the best anime opening and ending themes of this season, and “Violet Evergarden” has the making of a truly magnificent series. It’s important to note that, being an anime, “Violet Evergarden” is entirely in Japanese. Yes, the English dub is available on Netflix. However, by opting out of the original Japanese version, you’re missing out on the work of some iconic Japanese voice actors, namely Takehito Koyasu, best known for voicing Dio Brando in “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure”

and Yui Ishikawa, the actress who voiced Mikasa Ackerman in “Attack on Titan.” Not to mention that a lot of the emotion and sincerity is lost when the story isn’t being told with the original cast. While I can’t speak for the dub as a whole, it’s passable but can’t compare to the original Japanese cast. Verdict: “Violet Evergarden” is one of the best shows, animated or otherwise, of the past year. Whether you’re interested in gorgeous animation, a compelling storyline or simply a 13-episode series with a ton of charm, “Violet Evergarden” is definitely worth your time. ■H

things we enjoyed “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Frankie Cosmos - “Vessel”

COURTESY OF SUB POP COURTESY OF MCCLELLAND AND STEWART

JULIAN MEDRANDA Senior Staff Writer

Hulu’s flagship program, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a 10-episode long series based on Margaret Atwood’s story of the same name. It tells the story of Offredd, whose real name is June, a servant in the dystopian Republic of Gilead, a society forged by a militant religious group who executed a coup d’etat which overthrew the United States government. Handmaids such

as Offred (“of Fred,” denoting her as property of her master, Fred) are among the few living women capable of giving birth in a near future where birth rates are astronomically low, forced into sexual labor by the Gilead elite. Elisabeth Moss is excellent in the role and carries the show on her back, though performances from Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski and others help to build engagement with the world and its characters. Season 2 is arriving April 25, so now is as good a time as any to get started.

In an interview with Pitchfork, Greta Kline, the singer-songwriter behind the twee indie pop band Frankie Cosmos, said, “Ultimately, there’s nothing that makes this album more special than any other of the albums. The idea is it’s another chapter, and there’s gonna be a million more.” Now that is how you promote an album! Jokes aside, “Vessel” is the 52nd (yeah) album under Kline’s belt, and the third “proper” album following “Zentropy” and “Next Thing,” and it sounds an awful lot like the Frankie Cosmos her fans have grown to love. She talks about dogs, her friends, death, love, all of these things

with a very matter-of-fact directness that belies how playful and simple her catalog of songs are. Older favorites are studio-ized (listening to “Duet,” years after the context under which the song was written, is among the album’s many tender spots and a tearjerking highlight), and newer songs find the band poised for wider mainstream appeal (“Accommodate” and “Being Alive” are super energetic tracks that go against the super simple schematic this project has been operating on for years). It’s a great album all around, poetically written and sonically akin to a warm blanket on a rainy day. ■H

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Highlander World Cup Halftime Group C, Part II

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.

France FIFA Ranking: 9

Peru FIFA Ranking: 11

Coach: Didier Deschamps, French (2012-present). Previously coached in his country for club- Marseille (2009-2012).

Coach: Ricardo Gareca (Argentina), Peru coach since 2015. Previously coached Palmeiras (Brazil).

Players to watch:

Raphael Varane Standing at a staggering height of 6-foot-3, Varane is a central defender who plays well in the air, boasts great speed and plays with the maturity of an older player while still being only 24 years old. Varane has played for Spanish giants Real Madrid since he was 18 years old, just one year after his debut with FC Lens back in his native country. Despite not being a starter for Real Madrid until this season, Varane has been a regular starter for France, having already played in the 2014 World Cup and EURO tournaments with his nation. Now a frequent starter for Madrid, Varane will most likely start for France in the World Cup again. This tournament should be the one in which he solidifies his spot as one of the top defenders in the world.

Raul Ruidiaz Ruidiaz, the top scorer in Liga MX for two seasons in a row, plays for humble club Monarcas Morelia of Mexico. In a league where players such as Gignac of France and Hurtado of Colombia compete with much more powerful clubs, Ruidiaz has been capable of making something out of so little. Idolized in Morelia, Ruidiaz won the league’s golden ball for best player, best striker and best goalscorer in 2017. However, for Peru, Ruidiaz has yet to leave a lasting impression. The 27-year-old is often overshadowed by fellow striker, Paolo Guerrero. Ruidiaz has the opportunity he needs to demonstrate he can be as good as he is for club for his country.

World Cup Appearances: 14 First Appearance: 1930 Last Appearance: 2014 Best result: Champions-1998

Kylian Mbappe Whenever a young player does something uncommon for his age, he will usually be lauded as the next big thing. Such is the case of many young players that showed glimpses of brightness but couldn’t handle the pressure at such a tender age. Players in the last five years such as Adnan Januzaj, Alen Halilovic and Martin Odegaard were all praised as the next big thing in soccer but slowly faded from the international spotlight. An exception to this is Kylian Mbappe, who began making headlines in 2016 with AS Monaco during their surprising run in the Champions League where he was voted onto the team when he was just 17. Today, Mbappe plays for Paris Saint Germain (PSG) where he continues to develop as a player while starting over older and more experienced players. Just like Varane, Mbappe is a player who was been in the spotlight for some time now, but has yet to prove himself on the world’s biggest stage. Should he perform well in the World Cup, Mbappe will no longer be considered a promising player but rather a real superstar.

World Cup Appearances: 4 First Appearance: 1930 Last Appearance: 1982 Best result: Quarterfinals, 1970, 1978

Christian Cueva Standing at 5 feet 6 inches, Cueva’s low center of gravity allows for him to navigate quickly through the field while also maintaining the ball close to his feet. Cueva can be described as quick and witty, with a great change of pace used to rid himself of defenders. Playing in his first World Cup, Cueva will seek to be one of the tournament’s most exciting players given that he has all the traits to be so. Not only will he look to take his team far in the tournament, but he will also try to give himself exposure to European teams which often scout during the World Cup. At just 26 years of age, Cueva is not yet past his prime which means a move to Europe is still a realistic possibility.

Potential lineup: Lloris - Digne, Varane, Koscielny, Sidibe Kante, Pogba, Lemar, Griezmann - Mbappe, Giroud Formation: 4-2-3-1

Potential lineup: Gallese - Advincula, Ramos, Santamaria, Trauco - Carrillo, Tapia, Flores, Cueva - Farfan, Ruidiaz Formation: 4-4-2

Prediction: Final, Second Place

Prediction: 3rd in Group, Group Stage Elimination

Matches: Vs. Australia, 6/16 Vs. Peru, 6/21 Vs. Denmark, 6/25

Matches: Vs. Peru, 6/16 Vs. Australia, 6/21 Vs. France, 6/26

■H

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

Sports

“It’s so empowering to play for something so much bigger than me”: Q-and-A with Quinley Quezada, UCR and Filipina soccer star DOMINIC PETRIC Contributing Writer

UCR Highlander soccer has never sent one of their players to the World Cup Qualifiers level — until now. Quinley Quezada, a junior midfielder for the women’s soccer team at UCR, has been selected to play for the Philippines’ national women’s soccer team. Quezada had an impressive year for the Highlanders; she scored nine points on the season, improving drastically from the four combined points she had in the two seasons prior. Now Quezada is in the Philippines, representing her country in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup this month, where they’re hoping they can qualify for the 2019 World Cup. The team won their first game against the number one seed Jordan on Friday, and they are ranked number two in their group behind China, whom they face Monday. The Highlander had an interview with Quinley over email where she shared her experience with the team so far and the personal significance of representing her country.

Petric: What does it mean to you to be able to represent the Philippines? Quezada: It’s so empowering to play for something so much bigger than me. When we’ve had trainings in Manila, little boys and girls would come out to watch and when we would stretch, the kids would imitate us. They were so happy to give us high fives and play with the ball after training. It was

HOT TAKES Mohamed Salah should win PFA player of the year

ZIYAYE CHONGWE Contributing Writer

The interview has been lightly edited for clarity. Dominic Petric: What influenced you to play soccer? As a youth? In college? For the Philippine National team? Quinley Quezada: I started playing soccer when I was 6 years old. My parents put my sister, Taymar, in AYSO soccer. My parents said that I would constantly beg them on the sideline to play, but at that time I was too young. The next year my parents put me on the same team as Taymar and from then on I played a year up. Throughout my youth, I’ve played other sports such as swimming, track and field and cross country, but I’ve always had a strong passion for soccer. I started playing club when I was 13 years old at the lowest level, bronze, and from then on, it was a goal to play for a (Division I) college program. Luckily, I ended up at UCR. I knew I always wanted to play professionally, but I didn’t really think of playing for a national team. The opportunity to play for the Philippines presented itself to me when the previous head coach scouted me at one of my UCR games with the help of (Head Coach) Nat (Gonzalez). I believe that every team I’ve been on and every experience has prepared me for playing with the Philippines’ national team. My family has given me the greatest support throughout my journeys, and they have been a big influence for me to keep pushing to be the best that I can be in a sport that I love.

HIGHLANDER

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

heartwarming to see the natives’ love for futbol and their support for our team. My mom and grandparents were born in the Philippines, and I love that I can play for a part of my heritage. It’s truly an honor to represent the Philippines and we hope to make them proud. Petric: How much higher of a skill level does playing for the national team require? Quezada: From playing with the national team I’ve realized that the level of play is high, but it is more about the technical side of the game, not so much the physical part of soccer. Most importantly, it requires a high level of soccer IQ. You have to think two steps ahead, know where you’re going to pass the ball before you receive it, anticipate what your teammate will do and adjust your movement. Teamwise, it is about having a plan and working as a unit to achieve it, whether it’s offensive or defensive. At the national level a team has limited substitution, so on the field, it is impossible to go 100 percent for 90-plus minutes, and so, you have

to control the game while realizing you can’t go 100 percent all the time. You must choose your moments, when to press or sit back, and wait for your opponent to make the move. Overall, playing for the national team requires a mix of physical and mental strength. It isn’t fully about how big, fast or strong someone is, it’s about how efficiently they can use their strengths against their opponent. Petric: How well have you gotten to know your Filipino teammates? Do you have a fun anecdote you’d like to share about them? Quezada: I first joined the team in late November and we’ve had camps every month leading up to the tournament, so I’ve gotten to know my teammates pretty well. They are all such great people and teammates. They have made me and all the girls feel so welcomed to the team. The girls that are native born in the Philippines are so energetic and have such positive attitudes. One of the girls is teaching me how to speak the language. I now know how to count to ten in Tagalog, haha.

If there’s anyone making a big impact in the Premier League this season, it’s Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. In his second full season with the Reds, the Egyptian forward has led this team to the top of the table. With Liverpool sitting in third place, he has placed them in position to finish in the top four at the end of the season. With his outstanding season, Salah should win this year’s Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Players’ player of the year award. Salah has excelled on the field, scoring a league-leading 29 goals to lead Liverpool to third-place standing in the Premier League and to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Like Tottenham’s Harry Kane, he has been a problem for opposing defenses because of his ability to bypass them all. Apart from scoring, Salah is impacting games in a variety of other ways. With his nine assists this season, he is one of the most productive players. With his speed, defenses are forced to pay more attention to him, which allows his teammates to find easy shots on target. At 29 goals already, Salah is on pace to go over 30 for the season, which has not happened since Barcelona’s Luis Suarez did it while playing for Liverpool in 2013. With less than a month still left in the season, Salah has the opportunity to have one of the best seasons in Premier League history. With Liverpool competing for the top four spots in the league this season, Mo Salah’s impact to this team H will lead to his first PFA win.■

Petric: What are your thoughts on the team as a whole? Quezada: Since this is a team where everyone comes from different backgrounds and hometowns, it’s great to see how much of a team we are. We’ve gone through multiple obstacles and made sacrifices, but playing for our country has united us. We have a chance to make history and inspire a nation. We have this great opportunity ahead of us, and I know for a fact that we won’t go down without a fight.

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

Petric: How does it feel to be the first UCR soccer player to play in World Cup Qualifiers for their full national team? Quezada: It’s crazy! I actually didn’t know that I was the first from UCR soccer to play in a World Cup Qualifiers until Nat said it. It’s incredible to see how UCR soccer has helped some of our alumni reach the professional stage, and now the World Cup stage. It’s exciting to see so many of us play at the next level! ■H

COURTESY OF LIVERPOOL F.C.