THE HIGHLANDER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
est. 1954
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16 , 2018
VOL. 67, ISSUE 04
Like sports?
THE BARN RENOVATION ON SCHEDULE FOR 2020
PG. 14, 15, 16
JAKEB TIVEY Contributing Writer
CHeck our coverage of ucr’s teams ASUCR REVIEWS MEMBERS OF STAFF AND COMMITTEES, ELECTS NEW BCOE SENATOR AND ELECTIONS DIRECTOR MARK BERTUMEN Senior Staff Writer
ASUCR held their second meeting of the fall quarter at 6:35 p.m. last Wednesday, Oct.10. The Senate discussed the appointment of a new BCOE senator and the selection of a new Elections Director for ASUCR this year. During public forum Justin Domecillo, a fourth-year English major, mentioned a bylaws workshop covering its first chapter, for the benefit of ASUCR staff and senators. The session was held in the Humanities building on
Thursday, Oct. 11. The microphone was then given to Ariel Alcon Tapia, presenting on behalf of the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). Tapia discussed the dangers of train tracks around UCR, especially to the students around Blaine and Spruce, who had to cross the train tracks to school every day. Tapia highlighted that the RCTC wants UCR to form a partnership with Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit group aiming to prevent “tragic incidents at highwayrail grade crossing intersections and trespassing at railroad rights-
On June 14 of this summer, The Barn, UCR’s iconic eatery, was closed for an 18-month renovation project aimed at modernizing and expanding the site prior to its reopening in Jan. 2020. Now that a quarter of the project’s timeline has passed, the Highlander has followed-up with Principal Architect Andrew Hecht and Campus Architect Jacqueline Norman for the full mission update, in addition to insight on new structures currently in development. ► SEE BARN, PAGE 6
of-way.” The meeting proceeded with committee reports, beginning with President Pro Tempore Julian Gonzalez listing off his choices for the Legislative Review Committee members: CHASS senator Avi Idea as vice president, CHASS senator Alyssa Tocker, CHASS senator Asia Ou, CHASS senator Chelsea Davenport, CNAS senator Abigail Cortes and CNAS senator Kenneth Vongdi. Vongdi was admitted to the vacant CNAS seat that ASUCR chose to fill last week. ► SEE ASUCR, PAGE 4
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register register to vote! vote! to
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HUMANS OF UCR
UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 3
ANGELA TRAN, PSYCHOLOGY, THIRD-YEAR COMPILED BY JORDAN HOM
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Swim to the “C” Challenge 6:00am to 11:59pm Student Recreation Center (SRC), Pool
Clothesline Project 10:00am to 4:00pm UCR Bell Tower
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Career Expo: The Diversity Job Fair 11:00am to 3:00pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), 302
R’day Giveaway! 12:00pm to 1:00pm UCR Bell Tower
APSP Open House 11:00am to 12:00pm Costo Hall, 244 - Asian Pacific Student Programs
ASPB Presents: Don’t Miss a Beat with Ian Eastwood 7:30pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), 302
Peanut Butter & Jogging 10:00am to 11:00am HUB (Highlander Union Building), HUB 248
R’Pantry General Distribution 11:00am to 1:00pm Costo Hall, 110
Botanic Gardens Fall Plant Sale 10:00am to 4:00pm Botanic Gardens 1 Botanic Gardens Drive, Riverside, CA 92507
Chancellor’s Dinner to benefit UCR students 5:30pm to 9:00pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), 302
Everest Club 6:00am to 11:59pm Student Recreation Center (SRC), Treadwall
Analogues: Paho Mann 12:00pm to 5:00pm UCR ARTS, California Museum of Photography 3824 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501
Chalk the Walk 12:00pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), Upper Plaza
LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training 10:00am to 2:00pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), HUB 260
Tuesday
Wednesday
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Thursday
“One thing that makes me really happy is when people give me
19 Friday
reassurance. Like, it might not seem like much sometimes but for me, someone who’s always been so unsure of herself and her actions, it really does mean so much when my friends tell me everything is going to be okay or that what I’m doing is fine. I’ve gotten much better of being firm with my decisions and understanding myself though. I
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Saturday
think being away from home and friends for the summer helped me with that.
21 Sunday
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ASUCR
ASUCR reviews members of staff and committees, elects new BCOE senator and elections director ► FROM ASUCR
Gonzalez then requested that all legislation for the committee meeting be turned in to all committee members 48 hours in advance (on Friday) for adequate review before in-meeting deliberation. He added that each senator needed to submit at least one piece of legislation before w i n t e r q u a r t e r. Gonzalez then mentioned the resolution of President Semi C o l e ’s “ s t u d e n t v o t e r r e g i s t r a t i o n initiative,” which had been passed the day before. After the meeting, he requested that E x e c u t i v e Vi c e P r e s i d e n t A n d r e a Cuevas discuss the resolution w i t h C h a n c e l l o r K i m Wi l c o x the following Friday to refine the initiative and magnify its effects. A vote to approve the current staff of External Affairs followed, which resulted in the selection of fourth-year political science major Annel Lopez as chief of staff, fourth-year public policy major Daniel Castaneda as civic e n g a g e m e n t d i r e c t o r, t h i r d - y e a r political science major Javier Ramos as incumbent community d i r e c t o r, a n d t h i r d - y e a r t r a n s f e r and political science major J o r d a n n a Wo n g a s e x e c u t i v e assistant. The vote of approval passed unanimously 12-0-0. The senate then turned its attention to the approval of a BCOE senator position, intended to be filled by Jonathan Thai, a third-year computer science m a j o r. A f t e r a b r i e f i n t r o d u c t i o n , Thai was admitted to the position unanimously with a vote of 120-0 and took his seat at the h o r s e s h o e s h o r t l y a f t e r. The final item of new business was the election of a new elections director for ASUCR, of which there were three candidates: fourth-year political science major Quan Nguyen, Domecillo and fourth-year economics major Laura Pullen. The first candidate at the podium was Nguyen. If elected, Nguyen wished to accomplish “two big goals,” which were to increase voter turnout to at least 20 percent, up 5.6 percent from turnout last year and to address the “uninformed false stigma that students hold concerning ASUCR and the elections procedures.” Nguyen emphasized that social media has huge potential in increasing student turnout, aiming to realize the potential in part with “visually stunning ads to invigorate students to vote” and using social media to “publicize future candidates with infographics and recorded interviews.” He also stated that the “grievances” that students have with ASUCR “stem from wrong facts and misunderstandings of what ASUCR is and is not capable of doing” and wanted to rectify s u c h b y m a k i n g A S U C R ’s a c t i o n s more transparent and available, such as the votes it carries out o n We d n e s d a y s . Domecillo was next at the podium. Domecillo highlighted the issues of online voting and laptopping that UCR experienced last year and claimed that although the former has been
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removed and the latter banned, the current elections code still discusses both matters to some extent. “The next elections d i r e c t o r, w h o e v e r t h e y s h o u l d be,” Domecillo said, “needs to work on amending the elections code as soon as possible,” calling it “tantamount for the success of the referendums.” Domecillo addressed the “incompatibility” that Costo Hall-affiliated students feel with ASUCR, stating that he could help relieve that tension since he “represents a portion of Costo Hall as a Referendum Student Advisory Committee (RSAC) member” and as elections director could become a direct line for the Hall to contact ASUCR. In general, Domecillo aimed to have all types of students and student groups on campus to be heard b y A S U C R t h i s y e a r, s o m e t h i n g UCR administrators started to h a n d l e l a s t y e a r. The last candidate at the podium was Pullen. She addressed several “key action points,” one of which was that the elections process could be enhanced. She intended to achieve this by creating “fun and informative programs” on campus that encourage students to vote, as well as by reactivating A S U C R ’s I n s t a g r a m a c c o u n t t o improve visibility and audience outreach. She also considered the advertisement of election matters on the TVs throughout the campus dorms, gym and other buildings in order to spread the w o r d a b o u t v o t i n g e v e n f u r t h e r. Pullen explained her intentions for running in an e m a i l t o t h e H i g h l a n d e r. “ I s a w areas of improvement in the elections process,” Pullen said, “that if improved upon would better accommodate the lack of political parties and laptopping … above all else, I am passionate about serving the student body and I recognize that achieving a 20% voter turnout rate is crucial
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to maintaining and improving our undergraduate student experience.” Pullen also wanted to i n c r e a s e A S U C R ’s a c t i v i t y w i t h its various committees. One committee she wanted to work w i t h m o r e w a s t h e S t u d e n t Vo i c e C o m m i t t e e ( S V C ) . To f i g u r e o u t why students did not vote last y e a r, s h e w o u l d r e q u e s t t h a t t h e SVC send out a survey regarding the issue and use the results to i n c r e a s e v o t e r t u r n o u t t h i s y e a r. She also planned to work with A S U C R ’s M a r k e t i n g C o m m i t t e e and create an elections video to further increase the chances of sufficient student voters. After Pullen finished she and all visitors were asked to leave the room for a closed election on who would be the next elections d i r e c t o r. Wi t h a v o t e o f 9 - 0 4, Pullen was voted as the new e l e c t i o n s d i r e c t o r f o r t h i s y e a r. I n r e s p o n s e t o t h e v i c t o r y, Pullen said that she is “excited to take on the position of Elections Director … I believe that my hard work within ASUCR
and on campus contributed to my appointment,” Pullen said; in the past she has served as Senate Secretary for ASUCR and delegate of the SVC. She also “encourage(s) all students who want to improve campus life to make their voice heard by voting in the upcoming ASUCR elections.” As the new elections director Pullen has taken her first steps in the position by “drafting the 2018-2019 elections timeline and revising the election bylaws that includes (sic) outdated political party and laptopping language.” S h e ’s a l s o a i m i n g t o c r e a t e a “motivated and hard-working Elections Committee team” and will send out applications during the week of Oct. 14.” Pullen is undecided on whether voting will be done online or on paper ballots, and also expects discussion on laptopping to be held in the future. The meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m. ASUCR meets every We d n e s d a y a t 6 : 3 0 p . m . i n H U B 221, the Senate Chambers. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS
TUESDAY,OCTOBER 16, 2018
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Students cautious yet motivated about midterm voting AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer
MARVIN CONTRERAS Contributing Writer
Two years after the election of President Donald Trump, the midterm elections are once again slated to take place nationally. The midterm elections, held in November every four years near the midpoint of a president’s term, is approaching. This year’s midterms take place on Nov. 6, 2018, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The deadline to register to vote in California is Oct. 22. When asked about the importance of voting as a college student, Shane Linton, a student from UCR’s African Student Programs explained that “It’s important to vote because you can’t really complain when things don’t go your way, politically at least, if you didn’t have a say to begin with. It’s important to voice your opinion and make sure that everyone is informed about what’s on the ballot and who’s running, so that people don’t vote people into office that probably shouldn’t be, like say, our current president.” According to Francisco Pedraza, an assistant professor of public policy and political science, voters under the age of 35 have historically participated much less in elections, especially
midterm elections. Pedraza wrote in an interview with the Highlander, “We want people to exercise their right to participate in elections. Policy makers are addressing a lot of issues and they often move forward with decisions without hearing from all stakeholders. For young voters that’s too bad, because when they don’t add their voice to democratic processes, then lawmakers may pass policy that is not in the best interest of younger citizens.” Pedraza believes that millennial voters, many of whom have recently come of voting age, could make a huge difference next month in the outcomes of many contests, but only if they turnout to cast votes. Some students, such as Kubrat Salaam, also from the African Student Programs, expressed her optimism about young people’s voting power, saying, “I think as a society right now, we are more empowered than ever. I feel as if young people are informed regarding [the elections]. A lot of celebrities have spoken up and stressed the importance of going down and voting which I think has really influenced young people. I feel like I am a part of a change.” Reflecting Linton’s belief that students need to be more informed about candidates and propositions, Leilani Aruizu, a
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student majoring in chemical engineering and affiliated with the Women’s Resource Center, voiced her confidence in her own knowledge of each candidate and issue on the ballots. Aruizu stated, “I think I am more conscious of who I am going to vote for, especially in this political climate … I know that the people I intend to vote for are going to help me and others.” However, some students expressed their confusion and concern at the lack of election exposure at UCR. One student who preferred to remain anonymous claimed that, “there has not been a lot of press on campus that are promoting certain props or candidates or
just encouraging students to vote in general, while I think other UC campuses are doing a better job of this. I’ve noticed that at other campuses, there are a lot more opinion-oriented students and clubs that are encouraging students to register and vote in the midterm elections.” Despite this, some students hope for middle ground in regards to candidates. Abby Kim, a student majoring in sociology and also affiliated with the Women’s Resource Center, stated, “I’m hoping that we elect candidates who are more moderate and can take into consideration both the left and right because I think we, as a society, are too polarized in regards to politics.”
For some students such as Pamela Juarez, a neurology major, the stakes of the midterms are high. Juarez stated that, “I am under the DREAM act, so (the elections) can go really well for me or (the elections) can go not so well for me. So it depends on what I have to do in terms of when my permission expires.” To register to vote online, prospective voters can visit Vote. gov and complete a quick form. After registering, local election offices will send a polling card confirming one’s enrollment and give directions to the nearest polling station. More information about the midterm congressional, state, and local elections can be found at USA.gov. ■H
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TUESDAY,OCTOBER 16, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
The Barn renovation on schedule for 2020 return ► FROM BARN
UCR architects reveal new campus projects
Three major projects were revealed by the leading architects of UCR’s Architects and Engineers department alongside a comprehensive overview of The Barn’s renovation. Architects Hecht and Norman solidified the campus’ commitment to its roots, as it looks towards the future of material and land efficiency. According to Hecht, “the progress is actually really good,” although given The Barn’s history as UCR’s first dining hall and its original 1916 construction, Norman explains further, they have unearthed some minor complications. Norman stated, “You find all of those hidden things in the ground,” and as Hecht put it, “There’s a lot of history … we keep digging up things we don’t expect to find.” They explain that a solid foundation is required, therefore these objects must be removed to renovate The Barn to be bigger and better than ever. The foundation of this project also has a nostalgic significance. Norman affirmed their commitment to preserving the cultural relevance of the dining facility which has hosted a number of notable artists, from Foster the People to BadBadNotGood: “[The Barn] was one of those bridges the university used to build partnerships and relations with the neighborhood … it was important to find a way to preserve all those different essences that was The Barn.” Hecht also stated,“A lot of the subcontractors that are on the project today used to
go to those band events … they are very proud of it.” In addition to their recent architectural success, Norman and Hecht were excited to share their projects in development, including some that are already underway: The Mobility Hub, DundeeGlasgow Residence Halls and the North District Living-Learning Communities. Hecht described the Mobility Hub as “a front-door for the campus … it’s going to be a lantern.” The HUB will be constructed near CHASS North, on top of where Lot 19 sits today, and its main purpose will be to provide a central location for transportation services both public and private. An especially notable project currently on the drawing board is the development of a “Living-Learning” community in the North District. The community would host new locations for studios in addition to providing a new epicenter for campus commerce. In order to centralize the campus, new pedestrian lanes will be constructed in high-traffic areas to aid students moving from class to class. The architect’s main point of discussion was UCR’s largest building project to date: The DundeeGlasgow Residence and Dining Halls. The massive concept designs take the expansive increase of student housing to the vertical level, as Norman explains their new push to become more land efficient, while upgrading current structures: “These residence halls will be taller than any other … we’re going to high-density
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housing,” as current concepts could add as many as 5,000 new beds. The eventual completion of these building projects will dramatically change the face of UCR’s campus, but
as UCR’s leading architects describe, the design of coming additions is intended as a model for the future while retaining H a strong connection to UCR’s past. ■
AFSCME bargaining still deadlocked, UC Patient Care Technical workers vote to strike AIDAN RUTTEN Senior Staff Writer
According to a press release from Friday, Oct. 12, “AFSCME Local 3299, announced ... that the University’s Patient Care Technical workers will be staging a 3-day walkout from Oct. 23-25 at all UC Medical Centers.” Contract negotiations between the UC and its patient care unit remain at an impasse, having exceeded the December 2017 deadline. On top of this, AFSCME and UPTE also accused the UC of bypassing collective bargaining procedure by imposing terms on the patient care unit. A letter from the Vice President of UC systemwide human resources Dwaine B. Duckett released Monday, Oct. 1 states that, “UC is increasing your wages and providing you and your patient care technical colleagues with good health and retirement benefits.” This letter comes days after AFSCME announced a vote on whether to strike in lieu of reaching a bargaining agreement. A press release from the union quotes AFSCME Local 3299 Patient Care Technical Unit Vice President Monica De Leon as saying, “... the University of California’s decision to once again subvert the collective bargaining process is disappointing ... On the one hand, UC is forcing provisions on workers that would raise healthcare premiums, lift the retirement age, flatten employee wages, and accelerate the outsourcing of jobs for thousands of frontline
workers.” The letter from UC did not address the issue of outsourcing, which is a major area of concern for the union. According to De Leon, who is quoted in the Oct. 12 press release, “The University of California has continuously ignored workers’ concerns over the outsourcing of good middle-class jobs and the inequality and insecurity that it creates for the hardworking people that run UC every day.” In an email to the Highlander, the UC Office of the President (UCOP) spokesperson Danielle Smith stated, “For the second time in five months, AFSCME leaders are putting their agenda above the needs of patients, students, employees and the public by calling for yet another strike.” The office did not address the issue of outsourcing, one of the primary concerns of the union. Concerning the implications for UC’s operation, UCOP commented that, “The university’s priority is serving its communities, patients and students. We will do everything possible to limit the negative impact of a strike — and AFSCME leaders’ predictable theatrics — on our campuses and medical centers.” The AFSCME-represented Patient Care Technical Unit workers voted to authorize the strike during Oct. 23 to 25, and nearly 10,000 Service Unit workers will join in solidarity. UPTE-CWA, which represents another 15,000 UC workers, also voted to join the strike in solidarity according to the press release. ■H
MATTHEW HUANG / HIGHLANDER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
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Opinions
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HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
Newly enforced UC transfer mandate needs more local flexibility
U
C Riverside offered transfer admission to 8,225 students beginning in the Fall of 2018, up 1,065, or 18 percent, from last year’s numbers of 7,070. The increase in transfer admissions is the result of a frantic mobilization of the university, its donors and support base to increase the number of transfer students enrolled after Governor Jerry Brown and state legislators threatened to withhold $50 million in state funding from UC Riverside and UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) if they did not meet the current state target of enrolling one transfer student for every two new freshman students annually. UCR has shown a remarkable ability to tackle the seemingly insurmountable challenge over the past year; however, the state-mandated 2:1 goal is a bureaucratic overreach that UCR may not be positioned to fully overcome at this time without sacrificing other critical priorities. The two-to-one freshman to transfer ratio is embedded in California’s central 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, which set the goal relating all three tiers of California’s Higher Education systems, the UC’s, CSU’s and CCC’s. The benchmark was largely ignored since its initial creation; however, Governor Jerry Brown has begun pushing it more vigorously in recent years and has found support from statewide representatives in the effort. Since the campaign has begun, UCR has made tremendous progress in enrolling transfer students. Since enrolling one transfer student for every 4.46 freshmen in 2015, UCR rounded out the ratio to 2.58 freshmen per transfer to begin this current fall quarter, and is expected to bring the ratio down further to 2.25 beginning in winter 2019. The State of California gave UCR and UCSC what Provost Cynthia K. Larive called “tough but good medicine,” with the initially adamant demand that the two campuses meet the rigid transfer mandate. After all, the fact that the university was able to improve the ratio from 4.46 to 2.58 and soon 2.25 in just three years, shows just how much untapped potential there truly was for the university to expand its transfer outreach and enrollment efforts. The ratio improvement did not come easily, however. Director of Undergraduate Admissions at UCR, Emily D. Engelschall, said “This was a very aggressive goal. At the outset, many felt it was insurmountable.” UCR News author J.D. Warren described early 2017, the time when UCR was pressured to meet the transfer target or risk losing critical state funding, as “a nervous time on the UC Riverside Campus.” Engelschall, again, called the prospect of losing that funding as “the mother of all unintended consequences,” as it would have meant a 20 percent reduction in freshman admissions to UCR, and a loss of over $500 million in rev-
JUSTUS ROSS / HIGHLANDER
enue over 10 years. Ultimately, the governor’s office was assuaged by UCR’s efforts and progress towards reaching the 2:1 mandate, and released the $50 million for the past year. UCR undergraduate admissions had an incredibly difficult goal ahead of them at the time, and the fact that they brought the ratio down as much as they did is a testament to the savviness, efficiency and sheer scale of the admissions office’s efforts to increase transfer enrollment, rather than the discovery of easy fixes that were waiting to be found. UCR entirely overhauled its transfer recruitment from the previous year, dean of the Graduate School of Education Thomas Smith chaired a new task force on tackling the transfer problem, which included representatives from the Admissions Office, Financial Aid, the Career Center, the Academic Resource Center, current and prospective UCR transfer students, Student Affairs Marketing and Communications, the University Honors Program, each of the individual colleges and the Academic Senate. A secondary task force was created for more direct outreach efforts. This task force developed 19 separate action plans and visited all 114 California community colleges to build relationships with students and between the institutions, double the amount UCR staff visited the previous year. A new university recruiter was hired full time in residence in Sacramento, and the campus began offering significantly more campus tours designed specifically for prospective transfer students. Additionally, the campus redoubled efforts to assist transfer students and improve success on campus with the creation of a new transferspecific support system. This came, in largest form with the new Transfer Student Success Zone, located in the Academic Resource Center, which opened in Jan. 2018. This variety of efforts, ranging from creating an inclusive physical space to visiting every community college in California, was a massive effort that brought UCR much closer to meeting the state’s transfer goal. The effect is also twodimensional: while outreach efforts increased admission rates by 18 percent over the previous year, the bulk of the change clearly comes from the fact that transfer enrollment increased 42.5 percent over the same period, meaning a significantly higher volume of students that were admitted chose to ultimately enroll at UC Riverside than previous years. According to Engelschall, transfers that have chosen to enroll have cited the variety of transfer-specific resources as the primary factor that influenced their decisions. Specifically, she referred to services like in-person visits and a transfer student-tailored experience of the campus. The fact that UCR’s freshman to transfer admission ratio is now at 2.58 is great news, but also has an uglier side. To put it candidly,
how much further can the campus realistically go without sacrificing some of its core values? After this year, there is question as to whether UCR will be able to continue to make meaningful gains on the ratio into the future. Engelschall has said that the “challenge in the coming years will be to keep the momentum going.” Building on this momentum, and getting over the hurdle is likely to be even more difficult than discovering it in the first place. UC Riverside is characterized by a unique set of circumstances that differentiate it from other UC campuses, and make it less conducive to attracting and enrolling as many transfers. While UCR had 12,291 transfer applicants in the last year, after undertaking the massive outreach effort, the closest UC campus, UCLA had 23,741 transfer applicants, nearly double. UCR still lags behind a number of UC campuses in initial preferences for students, and it is largely overshadowed in the region by the nearby UCLA, an effect that is even greater on community college students, which tend to stay within local regions at higher rates than freshman admits. Additionally, UCR News noted that UCR faces an additional systemic challenge; Riverside County community colleges tend to have more adult learners or vocational students that aren’t looking to attend a 4-year research university. These challenges are worrisome given that UCR is still expected to reach the 2:1 freshman to transfer ratio as soon as possible. Outreach and marketing can always improve, and are likely to attract some more students that wouldn’t apply or enroll otherwise, but that isn’t likely to be enough to balance the ratio, especially when the amount of freshman applicants to UCR has been and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. The likely inability of past and current tactics to bring UCR over the benchmark is troubling, because it essentially leaves the campus with two unsavory options as it lacks the ability to simply pick up new applicants like it did last year. Either the admissions office will have to increase the already relatively high transfer admission rate of 67 percent, or reduce new freshman enrollment to bring the campus to the demanding 2:1 threshold. Both options have significant downsides. Increasing the acceptance rate further for transfer students risks entering territory where first-year admits and transfer students have to deal with fundamentally different paths and standards to ultimately reaching the same, or at least a functionally identical outcome. Gaining admission to the UCs while in high school requires the highest level of academic performance, paired with exemplary extracurricular achievement, captivating essay submissions and superior standardized test scores. Transfer students, of course, should be held to different standards, especially considering
the increased rigor of their curriculum in comparison to high school students; however, they rely much more on solely academic record, and the differences in required GPA for transfer students are pretty significant compared to high school students. While high school seniors need a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to gain admission and likely need much closer to a 4.0 to actually be accepted, CCC transfers only need a minimum 2.0 GPA. Very few, if any, transfers are actually accepted with a 2.0 of course; however, the initial difference points to a larger disparity. Transfer admission is, statistically, far less competitive than first-year admission at UC campuses. Increasing the transfer acceptance rate any further than it already is would be fundamentally unfair to students that joined the university as freshmen, had to pay tuition for a longer time and compete in a more exclusive admission process. Decreasing the rate of new freshman enrollment is obviously undesirable, especially when the university does have predesignated room for such students; enrolling them is an important part of UCR’s commitment to the State of California, not to mention the revenue from their tuition is clearly important to the university’s growth. Another issue that UCR continues to ignore as it grows is the university’s utterly insufficient lack of resources for the rapidly growing number of students. Assuming the ratio is not met by decreasing freshman enrollment, the higher transfer numbers will place even more pressure on the already overcrowded dining services, lecture halls and general public space on or around campus. Additionally, most transfer students end up living off campus, meaning many will drive cars to campus, placing even more stress on the school’s miserable shortage of parking spaces. Including and promoting the success of transfer students is an undeniable, fundamental tenet of the University of California that UCR certainly has an obligation to uphold to the best of its ability. The efforts of undergraduate admissions and its partners last year to increase transfer enrollment are inspiring examples of the progress that is possible and what UCR can do to make a difference for communities across the entire state. The state’s superimposed blanket goal of one transfer for every two freshman, however, represents a deliberately inflexible bureaucratic standard that places excessive and erroneous pressures on UCR that it may not be able to meet without sacrificing some of its other more important priorities. ■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.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
COMICS LIFE OF THE M BY: MOISES BAUTISTA
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions
OPINION POLL Compiled by Erica Haas, Contributing Photographer
“Do you think UCR is a transfer friendly school?
Joey Herrera TFDP Fourth-year
Jei Raby Linguistics Fourth-year
Alex Zak Political Science Second-year
“I’ve heard it’s kinda weird and hard for them to get the classes they want and need.”
“I acclimated well as a transfer, it seemed average.”
“I think it’s transfer friendly because I’ve seen UCR being very accommodating in general, like to individuals with disabilities”
Anthony Nazaryan Neuroscience Fourth-year “Yes.”
Matthew Tae Neuroscience Fourth-year
Haley Schlott History Second-year
“I’ve found while tabling that there were a lot of transfer students who said they felt intertwined with the UCR community and that they didn’t feel new.”
“In Honors, UCR is extremely welcoming to transfer students.”
In the name of diversity – except Asian-Americans
ELAINE CHEN Contributing Writer
In an effort to further combat college applicant processing based on race, the Trump administration is investigating Yale University, which has received accusations of discrimination against Asian-American applicants. Around a month ago, the Justice Department faced a similar case of AsianAmericans accusing Harvard University for using race as a factor in admissions. In that investigation, the DOJ sided with the Asian-American students after finding evidence that proves Harvard University directly controlled the diversity of their incoming classes, and an official for admissions stated in a deposition that race played a factor in admissions, although never fully specifying in what way. The current investigation into Yale was based on a 2016 accusation from the Asian-American Coalition for Education that also included Brown and Dartmouth, but the education department only had enough information to look into Yale. Peter Salovey, the president of Yale, has denied these claims so far, citing that the Asian-American population in the class of 2022 is 27.1 percent, a high point in the steady increase they’ve seen in the past 15 years. Stories like these typically bring up the longstanding question of whether or not affirmative action policies should be done away with. It’s already banned in eight states right now, with those
COURTESY OF MAX PIXEL
should uphold race as a factor in the college admissions process, but these eight states are exemplifying that there are better ways to achieve diversity if people really believe it’s a necessity in a thriving student body. These strategies are ways to gain a sense of context about the student’s background
“SOLVING THE PRESSING ISSUE OF HOW THOSE USUALLY FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE SHOULD COME IN OTHER FORMS OF AID BESIDES ASSUMPTIONS THAT CERTAIN MINORITIES ARE LACKING IN SCORES AND GRADES FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS.” areas using different strategies to increase diversity, such as University of Washington and the University of California system giving applicants the opportunity to explain any hardships they faced growing up and how they coped in the face of such challenges. Promoting an atmosphere of diversity is the main argument as to why schools
(i.e. whether they came from a low-resource high school or a nontraditional family upbringing), which allows the universities the ability to remain accessible to those who come from disadvantaged communities. The eight states that currently ban affirmative action policies also try to introduce new forms of
financial aid as one of their new methods of increasing diversity without explicitly looking at race alone. These race-neutral methods also have proven to be just as successful in producing ethnic diversity. Additionally, while most organizations advocating for “color-blind” admission processes are labeled as conservative, this issue isn’t as divided of a topic as it often appears. The amount of Americans who disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling that race can be a part of the admissions process was 65 percent. The case itself, Fisher v. University of Texas, essentially continued to protect the notion that considering race in a college admissions was constitutional. However, this victory to supporters of affirmative action policies came unexpectedly, as many of us believe in a process where students should be evaluated solely on merit. It’s also noteworthy that the alternative methods that are currently being enacted in universities that don’t abide by affirmative action policies are creating better outlets for students to
express their own personal situations and circumstances, while managing to still build a diverse community at their schools. This isn’t to say that affirmative action policies were never needed, because in a time where the Civil Rights Act was on the the brink of being passed, affirmative action policies gave minorities the extra push they needed and was implemented with the intentions of lessening systematic racism when applying for jobs or educational opportunities. However, affirmative action policies are starting to become more of a penalizing factor, especially for AsianAmericans – in the 2009 book “No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal,” Thomas Espenshade and Alexandra Radford examined how well one would have to do on their SAT in order to have an equal chance of admission as a competing applicant of a different race. Data gathered from seven highly selective universities, while also factoring in other features of the application, showed that against a white
applicant, Asian-Americans got a 140 point penalty, while Hispanics got a bonus of 130 points, and African Americans got a 310 point bonus. It’s important to recognize that students don’t always have the same starting point when it comes to education, but to keep a system that has become outdated and flawed isn’t the solution. Solving the pressing issue of how those usually from low-income backgrounds are at a disadvantage should come in other forms of aid besides assumptions that certain minorities are lacking in scores and grades for college applications. On the contrary, affirmative action policies now seem to be degrading the successes of those minorities who were admitted based on their merit. Instead of trying to invalidate the achievements of those who were able to access resources to boost their chances of getting into the college of their choice, it’s necessary to emphasize how people of all races aren’t immune to a lack of the means to achieve academically, and that’s where the problem solving should begin. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features
FEATURES
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
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APSP engages students with Fall Welcome CHRISTINE TRAN Contributing Writer
On Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 6-8 p.m., Asian Pacific Islander Student Programs (APSP) livened up the area surrounding the Bell Tower with their Fall Welcome. Fall Welcome is APSP’s kickoff event for the school year and is an opportunity for students to meet a variety of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) organizations that fall under APSP. “I really enjoyed the vibe of Fall Welcome and checking out the different clubs. I didn’t participate in many clubs in high school, so I’m excited to start getting involved,” said first-year psychology major Jessica Pham. Students were able to wander down the row of tables and if they were dedicated enough to visit every clubs’ table, they were rewarded with free food. Nearby, hip-hop and pop music flowed from a stage decorated with leaves and lit with purple and red lights. Throughout the course of the event, there were student performers entertained the crowd and received cheers of support from the audience. The clubs that came out to Fall Welcome were Oceania Dance of UCR, Chinese Student Association (CSA), Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Katipunan and the Nikkei Student Union (NSU). Students can get involved with different types of Asian and Pacific Islander clubs on campus, such as a social and cultural club like VSA or a dance club like Oceania Dance of UCR. Each club promotes a different perspective on the rich history of what it means to be an Asian Pacific Islander. Along with that, these organizations strive to provide a safe space where everyone can come in and learn about API culture. In between work and learning, they often hold socials to give students the chance to form connections and feel like they are part of a family.
“I hope that they find a home here in the club, anybody can come and find an escape from daily life and relieve stress and hopefully they learn a couple of dances along the way,” said Rume Diamreyan, President of Oceania Dance of UCR. Fall Welcome is the first of many events and programs hosted throughout the year by APSP. According to the APSP website, they are “a community of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, staff, interns and peer mentors dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich cultural fabric of diversity at UCR.” Located at 244 Costo Hall, APSP offers benefits like ten free pages of printing a day or a place for students to hang out and relax with their friends. APSP also runs a peer mentor program, a round table where people can discuss sensitive topics, and their most recent addition, the Narrative Project, where they show off the unique culture of each individual Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnicity. “We want students to meet all the different organizations that fall under our office. And even though we are different ethnicities and have different backgrounds, we can still all come together and celebrate the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community and make our campus a more welcoming environment for everyone regardless if they are API or not,” commented Robbie Jiao, a second-year who is undeclared within CNAS and an APSP student coordinator. Students who may have missed the Fall Welcome can look forward to, APSP’s numerous events and programs throughout the year. On Thursday, Oct. 18, APSP will be hosting an open house where students can meet APSP student coordinators and staff, learn about their programs and enjoy free food. This event will be happening at 244 Costo Hall from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ■H
THOMAS HOLGUIN / HIGHLANDER
Chicano Student Programs welcomes new and returning students with music, food and opportunity MARTHA DELGADO Senior Staff Writer
T h i s p a s t T h u r s d a y, t h e B e l l To w e r s a w a c h a n g e i n p a c e f r o m its usual quiet ambience, which was lit up with Latin music and the smell of tacos as Chicano Student Programs (CSP) held their annual Chicano/Latino B i e n v e n i d a o n O c t . 11 . F r o m 4 - 8 p.m., various organizations and resource centers tabled around the area while CSP held a screen
printing station and handed out traditional ice pops known as paletas. After visiting seven organizations, students would get tacos catered by El Ojo de Agua. The Bienvenida is an annual e v e n t t h a t i s a p a r t o f C S P ’s orientation week, which welcomes new and returning students among staff and faculty t o U C R . “ We w a n t t o c e l e b r a t e their existence on this campus and honor who they are, their h e r i t a g e , a n d t h e i r i d e n t i t y, ”
THOMAS HOLGUIN / HIGHLANDER
explained Arlene Cano, the a s s i s t a n t d i r e c t o r f o r C S P. Different student resource centers like African Student Programs and the Wo m e n ’s Resource C e n t e r, and Raza organizations like Latino Union and Mujeres Unidas also table a t t h e e v e n t . “ We b r i n g a l l o u r orgs, friends, and co-sponsors t o g e t h e r, s o t h e y c a n a l l s h a r e i n the fun. This way they can feel comfortable, and they can know that they can always come to our r e s o u r c e c e n t e r, ” a d d e d A l i c e Chavez, the budget, personal and p r o g r a m a s s i s t a n t f o r C S P. Throughout the evening, students would dance to songs by Te j a n o m u s i c s t a r S e l e n a b l a s t i n g from the speakers and watch the live performances of Ballet Folklorico and a banda. After the sun went down, Banda Nueva Generacion began performing as s t u d e n t s f i l l e d u p t h e B e l l To w e r square and danced until closing. According to Cano, a banda performance is a significant aspect of the Bienvenida, as it represents traditional Chicano/Latino entertainment. Many students who attended the Bienvenida for the first time were not aware of the banda performance, but, many returning students agreed that watching the banda has become an event that they look forward t o e v e r y y e a r. P a t r i c i a O r t i z , a third-year Spanish major and frequent attendee, emphasized the cultural connection and fun of the event. “Everyone dancing
a t t h e B e l l To w e r w h e n t h e B a n d a comes is my favorite part,” Ortiz explained. The Chicano/Latino Bienvenida dates back into the history of UCR. Before becoming an official event, the Bienvenida would be organized informally by students. N o w, t h e B i e n v e n i d a h a s s e e n a growth in attendance each year with over 500 students attending the 2018 event. Despite the many frequent visitors, a significant proportion of students, including upperclassmen, were attending for the first time. Among these students is Esmeralda Santos, a fourth-year transfer biochemistry m a j o r, w h o h e a r d a b o u t t h e e v e n t o n l y t h i s y e a r. “ I ’ m l e a r n i n g about all these events that they have to offer and I’m kind of mad at myself that I didn’t go last y e a r, ” S a n t o s s t a t e d . S a n t o s i s one of the many student workers i n C S P ’s m e n t o r s h i p p r o g r a m who staffed the event and has enjoyed the opportunity to share her enthusiasm and experience for CSP with other students. “I’m happy I got to get more involved with (CSP),” added Santos. C S P ’s u p c o m i n g e v e n t s i n c l u d e the Adelante workshop series that offer advice and mentorship through student panels and w o r k s h o p s , s t a r t i n g o n Tu e s d a y, Oct. 16 from 12-1 p.m. at HUB 260. They will also be hosting a Dia de los Muertos Nooner on We d n e s d a y, O c t . 3 1 w h e r e t h e y will host activities celebrating Dia de los Muertos while a band performs. ■H
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HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
Radar
MOVIE REVIEW
“HELL FEST” RECYCLES OLD SCARES, BUT ADDS NOTHING TO THE SLASHER GENRE
COURTESY OF HELLFEST
SILVIA FERRER Contributing Writer
“Hell Fest” was marketed as a twist on the slasher film go-to: instead of a town or the woods, the masked killer would stalk a group of teenagers in a Halloween-themed traveling amusement park (an obvious nod to Halloween Horror Nights, Fright Fest and similar theme parks that pop-ups around this time). Although the change in scenery is new, it is about all the effort the creators of “Hell Fest” put in. The plot is yet another version of the typical slasher film — except worse. The killer is barely creepy, the characters lack personality and the scares are mediocre. Protagonist Natalie (Amy Forsyth) reluctantly joins her best friend Brooke (Reign Edwards) for a night at Hell Fest, which Natalie’s crush, Gavin, managed to snag tickets to. With the addition of Taylor, Asher and Brooke’s boyfriend, Quinn, we have our co-ed group of soon-to-be victims. There’s no story to add depth to the characters (even the protagonist) besides the fact that on this particular night, they managed to catch the attention of a masked killer. Besides a couple of sexual innuendos they direct at Gavin and Natalie, they’re unfunny and unlikeable. Although it’s mentioned several
times that Natalie has been busy — her tortured looks and Brooke’s concern imply that she went through something dark — it doesn’t add depth to her character or add any relevant detail to the storyline. Maybe it’s bad writing, or maybe it’s bad acting (the majority of the characters are newcomers, after all) but the characters are so flat that they don’t inspire any sort of emotion when their eventual end comes. Soon after the group arrives at Hell Fest, the camera pans to an anonymous male, who quickly puts on a mask (that conveniently matches the masks of the park employees) after getting through security. His first target? Two teenage girls who bumped into him. His weapon? A sno-cone knife he stole off a cart. Yeah, not exactly the most spooky murderer. He lacks any sort of origin story that may add more fright to his demeanor. He is no Michael Myers or Ghostface, just your average Joe. Although the vibe it intends to give off feels very “This could be anyone you know!”, the lack of character details create neither fright nor personality. Intrigued by Natalie, the killer focuses on her as his next victim. The next 15 minutes are pretty unmemorable: the group egg on Natalie and Gavin and the masked killer continues to stalk them. It isn’t until a third of the way into
“Although the ending tries to salvage the cliche plot, it ends up being as bland as the rest of the movie.”
the film that the masked man kills off Gavin with a supersized mallet. As if the sno-cone pick wasn’t ridiculous enough, the red toylike mallet coming down on Gavin is far from horrifying. Still, it’s probably for the best that he’s out of the picture, considering his scenes with Natalie carried little to no chemistry. He’s so forgettable that the group moves on without him, casually noting his prolonged absence every once in a while. After signing liability waivers, the group moves on to the Deadlands, a portion of Hell Fest where the employees are allowed to touch the guests. Unfortunately, the “scary” side of the park doesn’t translate into the movie: there are minimal jumpscares (one of the few is a fake spider that drops from the ceiling) and, until Asher ’s murder, very minimal gore. I was hoping that in the twenty minutes that pass until Asher is murdered, there would be something besides cliches. Comedic relief, character details, anything to make it less predictable would have pushed this movie to decent. But this must not have been included in the director ’s checklist of slasher cliches, because there are large gaps in the action that feel like the characters are killing time until they’re actually killed. After a couple more murder scenes, Brooke and Natalie finally outsmart the killer. But this is a cheesy slasher film, and the killer predictably gets away in the end. Although the ending tries to salvage the cliche plot, it ends up being as bland as the rest of the movie. There’s no following scene where the friends rejoice that they’re alive, or even one where they mourn their murdered friends and romantic interests. Just like the characters, the ending lacks any distinguishing element. ■H
Verdict:
If you’re easily scared or want to see something laughably bad with your friends (only to promptly forget about it), “Hell Fest” is the movie for you. It doesn’t reimagine the horror genre, nor will it give you nightmares, but it marks the beginning of the Halloween movie season. Let’s just hope it doesn’t exemplify the films we can hope to see this year.
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
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With a bloated tracklist “Tha Carter V” fails to make an impact IAN CHEW Contributing Writer
Once upon a time, in a seemingly alternate universe, where Bobby Shmurda freely shmoney-danced the streets of New York and the radio was actually a viable source of good music, there was a time before hip-hop fans across the nation lamented and commented, “DROP ASTROWORLD” on every Travis Scott post. This was the time in which hip-hop fans everywhere were counting down every nanosecond they got closer to the release of “Tha Carter V”. Now, the long-awaited “Tha Carter V” has finally been released, but with a gap of seven years since the last “Carter” album, and a release date nearly five years late, many questioned whether the 23-track album from Wayne would justify the wait, or leave them underwhelmed. Initiating the ending of Wayne’s five-year hiatus, is “I Love You Dwayne” – an undeniable tear-jerker that features Lil Wayne’s mother, Jacida Carter, confessing her sincere pride in Wayne’s success, explaining her excitement for the release of his album, and her gratuity for having him in her life. This will resonate with Tunechi fans everywhere who have awaited the multiple eternities for the release of “Tha Carter V,” and the preamble into an equally melancholy song in “Don’t Cry”. Despite some minor comic relief from Lil Wayne referring to XXXTENTACION as “triple-extension”, the song is a saddening ballad that focuses largely on the Lil Wayne’s own acception of mortality, which is later addressed on “Open Letter”, with both tracks featuring Wayne contemplating death, and
emphasizing the importance he places on family and leaving his mark on the world. What’s disappointing is that rather than more sincere and emotional tracks like these, “Tha Carter V” decides to fill the majority of its bulk with gloat-filled tracks. For an overall, braggadocious album where the thematic foundation is Lil Wayne patting himself on the back for his accomplishments, it’s tracks like the ones listed above that do Wayne more justice in showing humility, and not flat-out hubris. The relevance of Wayne’s extreme self-confidence within this album is one that isn’t just evident in consistently egotistical undertones, but even more so the gall to construct 23 consistently long, and harmony-lacking tracks. To exemplify this, the fact that on a 23-track project, 14 of the songs are Lil Wayne without a legitimate feature (not including samples or producers) his sort of approach is very ambitious for an artist not necessarily renowned for being consistently diverse in his musicality. Consequently, the lack of features highlights Lil Wayne’s shortcomings in this project. “Dark Side Of The Moon,” “Mona Lisa” and “Let It Fly,” which features Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott respectively, are easily Lil Wayne’s most entertaining tracks on “Tha Carter V.” Simply featuring other artists helps distract from the fact that “Tha Carter V” is a self-embellished memoir, containing subject matter that touches only on the life of rapper, Lil Wayne, and doesn’t manage to deliver any sort of shock factor going into most of these tracks’ conceptual foundation. As remarkable and admirable an autobiographical may be, it’s
very easy for somebody to drown in such singular subject matter. “Tha Carter V’s” excessive, overdone focus on Wayne could be very enjoyable and rewarding for long-awaiting Wayne fans, but it’s simply not satisfying to have an album dominated by songs that contain 2-3 dense verses, seemingly no hook and very minimal production. Due to their emotional weight, it’s no surprise that these songs will still have their place in certain listeners’ hearts, especially those who appreciate every Wayne song, bar for bar. But by the same token, 90 percent of listeners won’t even be coming back to tracks that are this densely packed and have such little focus on musicality. It just becomes confusing that tracks like these exist in the first place when listeners are aware of Lil Wayne’s true capabilities. “Uproar”, “Mona Lisa”, “What About Me” and “Dedicate”, are all so fundamentally different, but are easily some of the best tracks on “Tha Carter V”. Talk all you’d like about its lyricism, or how it has deeper subject matter than other contemporary rappers, but ultimately the telltale sign of its underwhelming listening experience is going to be that only 5-6 songs will actually retain their replay value following the initial release. To commend Lil Wayne, the overall endeavor of this oneman army in “Tha Carter V” is admirable, but the way the songs are constructed and performed causes it all to backfire. Following “What About Me” and getting closer to the second half of the album is where things go downhill very quickly, and while there are redeeming tracks, it still feels like drudgery just trying to get through the songs. There is
not a single interlude throughout the nearly 90 minute-long project, and every song is full length. Remember “Culture II,” and how everybody complained that the Migos shouldn’t be trying to make every song four minutes because it was no longer entertaining and they could only do so much even with three members? Well, solo-man Lil Wayne shouldn’t feel as bad when joining the ranks of them considering he’s doing this on his own. This isn’t to discredit the actual quality of Wayne’s tracks. In the second half, “Dope
Ni**az”, is like a breath of fresh air right as things become unbearably dry, and it’s hard to not love a song that samples Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive”. Additionally, “Dope New Gospel” and “Start This Shit Off Right” with it’s beautiful Ashanti feature, provide soulfulness and actual sonic pleasure that defeat the notion that lyrics are above everything, because the most enjoyable part of these tracks is simply that they’re sonically pleasing to listen to, and has become a staple in the debate about contemporary versus “real rap”. ■H
COURTESY OF YOUNG MONEY ENTERTAINMENT
Verdict:
Maybe it’s the high expectations caused by the five-year gap from Lil Wayne that have caused “Tha Carter V” to be somewhat underwhelming, however, with the lack of features, the mass quantity of dull tracks and the lack of attempts at anything but traditional rap. It’s a shame Wayne’s re-arrival into the music industry couldn’t have been more graceful.
COURTESY OFWIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
Women’s golf finishes 14th in Aggie Invitational JONATHAN FERNANDEZ, Senior Staff Writer
The women’s golf team headed into the Aggie Invitation with momentum after finishing second overall in the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate. That momentum came to a screeching halt once the Highlanders reached Las Cruces, NM. Riverside participated in The Aggie Invitational from Oct. 8-10. Riverside finished the first round with a collective score of 304, which placed them in 12th. On Tuesday, UCR struggled to keep up with the rest of the competition and shot one of the worst scores of the day. The Highlanders finished the round with a 315 score which was the fourth-worst round shot by any team in the
tournament. Riverside was able to bounce back in the final day with a 306 round score to finish 14th out of 16 teams in the tournament. Their highest finisher on the team was once again senior Jakeishya Le, who finished tied for seventh place in the tournament with a 218 final score. Le was also able to shoot one under par in the first and third rounds, and was tied for third overall with an average score of one under par on Par Threes. Sophomore Ping Huang and junior Hailey White swapped places in the standings from the last tournament with White finishing second-best this time around and Huang third. White finished tied for 47th place with a score of 231 while Huang finished tied for 59th with a final score of 235.
In the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate every player on the team finished within 10 strokes of the player who finished ahead of them but in the Aggie Invitational the Highlanders were unable to keep up with Le who finished 13 shots ahead of second-place White. The lack of consistency from top to bottom hurt Riverside’s performance. Head Coach Mary Ritchie who had originally predicted a one-two-three finish for her girls left Las Cruces with a different point of view. Ritchie told gohighlanders.com, “Sometimes great outcomes take longer than we want, but that’s when we need to dig in deeper and really trust that our process will produce.” UCR’s next tournament will be the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown which will take place on Oct. 21. ■H
Highlander Hot Takes: Giannis Antetokounmpo will win the NBA MVP JORDAN HOM Contributing Writer
There are many worthy candidates to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, including Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and reigning MVP James Harden. None of those players, however, will be accepting the title of MVP at the annual NBA award show. Steph and KD will split too many votes. LeBron has the narrative of going to the Lakers but he will probably take games off, whether physically or mentally, to preserve his body for the playoffs. James Harden will clash with Melo leading to a decrease in wins. AD and Russ will have the stats but not enough wins to be in true consideration. Instead, the MVP will be given to Athens, Greece native Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis, the “Greek Freak”, is coming off the 1718 season with averages of 26.9 ppg, 10 rpg and 4.8 apg. He proved to be a dominant force, and led his team in all five major statistical categories which led to him being named to the All-NBA second
team. He was even named the cover athlete for the NBA 2K19 game, becoming the first international player to achieve this honor. His team, however, finished the season in the seventh seed with a 4436 record in the Eastern Conference and lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics. But this upcoming season will be an even bigger year for Giannis. After a mediocre season with Jason Kidd in charge of the team, the Bucks went in an entirely new direction and hired Mike Budenholzer as the head coach. Budenholzer is best known for being an assistant coach under legendary coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs as well as leading the Atlanta Hawks to 60 wins back in 2014-15. Bud’s new offense will open up more spacing and ball movement which will enable Giannis and his teammates to get easier shots. The Bucks also acquired former All-Star Brook Lopez and drafted two-time NCAA champion Donte DiVincenzo from Villanova. Lopez has really expanded his offensive game over recent years, and has developed into a reliable three-point
threat. Despite making only three three-pointers in his first eight NBA seasons, he made a total of 246 three-pointers in the past two seasons. Donte also has the reputation of a three point marksman himself as he converted on 40 percent of his threepoint shots at Nova. These new teammates will give Giannis more opportunities to gather more assists and score easy buckets. The only major flaw in Giannis’ game is his inability to make threes, as he only converted on 30 percent of his triples. But with his strong work ethic and dedication to basketball, he spent countless hours at the gym improving his jump shot. Giannis was even able to spend some of those workouts training with basketball legend Kobe Bryant. With LeBron James heading to the LA Lakers, the Eastern Conference is wide open for anyone to make the finals. There is nothing stopping Giannis from putting up monster stats again, leading his Bucks to the finals and capturing the NBA’s most prestigious individual award as the league’s MVP. ■H
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
SPORTS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
15
A Deep Dive into the NBA Season
JARYD BONGCARAS Senior Staff Writer
RICARDO GARCIA Contributing Writer
A new NBA season is upon us, and that means we are in for another year of brilliant performances, Twitter beef and breakout seasons from some of the association’s up-and-coming stars. Join the Highlander’s sports section in breaking down what to expect for the 2018-2019 season.
ricardo GARCIA’S PICKS
jaryd BONGCARAS’ PICKS Markelle Fultz: After only appearing in 14 games throughout the entire 2017-2018 season, Fultz showed flashes of the potential he has as a playmaker. However, the main thing that still has to be addressed is his jump shot, which has been tweaked greatly from what I’ve seen during preseason. With Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid becoming household names, teams will often focus on those two, allowing Fultz the opportunity to really thrive as a rising thirdoption on the team. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: My only concern with picking Doncic as ROY is that he could end up being like this season’s Jayson Tatum. I mean this in the sense that Doncic is probably in the best situation amongst all rookies, and people will most likely look to his surrounding cast as the reason why he’s thriving. Personally, regardless of his situation, I think that makes him even more of a ROY candidate than anyone else since he’s performing at a high level on a playoff contending team. I think more pressure will be put on Doncic as other rookies like Ayton and Young are practically going to be succeeding during garbage time since both the Suns and Hawks will be well under .500. LeBron James, LA Lakers: Now that James is in the West, I can actually envision him trying harder in the regular season. I think it was smart of him to coast during his time in the Eastern Conference, but the West is a much different story, and he knows that. James doesn’t have the best supporting squad, but we’ve seen him maximize the potential out of teams that were less talented than this season’s roster. I also think that he went to LA to try to win in a third city, and what would also help his legacy is securing a fifth MVP award, tying him with some guys named Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. Dallas Mavericks: When I think of a sleeper team, I think of a team that really gets overlooked. If Butler stays, the Wolves are expected to make the playoffs - the same goes for the Nuggets and the Jazz. The Dallas Mavericks are not being mentioned in that same light, despite their youthful core of Dennis Smith Jr and Luka Doncic, along with veteran players in Harrison Barnes and DeAndre Jordan. The West has always been stacked and will continue to be for a while, but something about this oddly-formed Mavericks team really jumps out at me. The Pelicans don’t have Boogie or Rondo anymore, the Blazers need to blow up their back court and will probably be at the brink of playoff eligibility. I personally think not many analysts are talking about the potential the Dallas Mavericks can reach this season. I’m not saying they’ll be higher than the eighth seed, but having a young core of Dennis Smith, Jr. and Luka Doncic, combined with seasoned veterans in Barnes and Jordan really paves the way for the Mavs to make some noise for the first time in years. Though the team won’t be securing a championship in what will be Dirk Nowitzki’s final season, the team will be wellequipped for years to come in the post-Nowitzki era. Milwaukee Bucks: It seems as if people have only started raving about the Raptors now that they have Kawhi and the Sixers who have promising talent in Simmons and Embiid. But people tend to forget that the Bucks took the Celtics to seven games last postseason and the Sixers fell in a mere five games. The Bucks really should’ve secured that first round matchup, especially considering the matchup problems Antetokounmpo causes, but that’s besides the point. I see the Bucks being the No. 2 seed behind the Celtics this season because: 1) I don’t trust Kawhi to carry Toronto in the playoffs (Lowry is nonexistent in the postseason) and 2) I don’t believe the hype of the 76ers. Boston Celtics over Milwaukee Bucks: I don’t believe the 76ers hype at all, and adding Kawhi to the Raptors makes them better than last season, but doesn’t put them over the top. The Celtics will take the East most likely over the Milwaukee Bucks, who I see really elevating their team to the next level if Giannis does his fair share. like I said, the Bucks should’ve beat Boston last season and I think they know that, too. I see Giannis going on an absolute tear throughout the regular season, barring injuries, in vengeance of last year’s first round exit, and he’ll help secure the Bucks as the consistent number two team in the East. The Celtics were limping in the postseason and still came six minutes away from upsetting LeBron and clinching a Finals appearance. Now they’re actually poised to be healthy and it’s scary just thinking of the potential Brad Stevens can reach with a full lineup. Golden State Warriors over Houston Rockets: The Rockets really were a healthy Chris Paul away from knocking off the Warriors but now the Warriors got even better. I think Mike D’Antoni will actually utilize Carmelo in the same way he was used at the Olympics, playing a lot off the ball and as a spot-up shooter. The Lakers probably reach the third seed at best just because the West is stacked and LeBron doesn’t have as much talent to deal with despite the hype. Rockets beat out Lakers in seven in semi-finals then fall to Golden State in five or six games. Boston Celtics over Golden State Warriors: Call me delusional (I am a die-hard Celtics fan after all) but if anyone has a chance to knockout the Dubs in seven games, it’s the Celtics. Something about each out of bounds play mattering in the waning minutes of a Finals game screams out at me that Brad Stevens has everything under control. If the C’s stay healthy, there’s a decent shot that they’ll win in seven especially if they have home court advantage. In terms of head-to-head matchups by position, the Warriors probably are better, but you could have said the same about the Celtics when they played the Cavs in the conference finals and see how close they were to winning. I trust Kyrie in the clutch against Golden State, I trust Brad to maximize as many mismatches as possible.
most improved player: markelle fultz || brandon ingram
rookie of the year: luka doncic, DALLAS MAVERICKS
most valueable player: lebron james || giannis antetokounmpo, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
western conference sleeper team: dallas mavericks|| denver nuggets
eastern conference sleeper team: milwaukee bucks || indiana pacers
eastern conference champions: boston celtics over milwaukee bucks boston celtics over toronto raptors
western conference champions: golden state warriors over l.a lakers golden state warriors over houston rockets
nba champions: boston celtics over golden state warriors golden state warriors over boston celtics
COURTESY OF NBA
Brandon Ingram: The third-year swingman out of Duke has greatly improved his shooting in his sophomore season, while also adding to his scoring numbers. Playing next to seasoned veterans like Rajon Rondo and LeBron James should help Ingram’s skill-set and basketball IQ. Also, with the addition of James, Ingram will no longer need to hold the burden of carrying the Lakers offensively night in and night out. Ingram should now be able to focus on playmaking ability, and with the spacing that James’s presence brings on the court, the third-year player should be the recipient of a lot more open looks and improve his scoring numbers yet again. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: The Atlanta Hawks will regret trading away Doncic in exchange for Trae Young, as he has already shown potential of what he can do on the basketball court during his time in Europe. Already a Euroleague MVP and Champion, he will benefit from being in Rick Carlisle’s system and is surrounded by plenty of capable veteran players. In other words, he is immediately put into a situation that hinges on a high basketball IQ, and those veteran players will help him develop into an elite playmaker. He probably won’t put up the same numbers as Ben Simmons in his rookie year, but his statistics will lead to meaningful wins. If the Mavericks manage to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference, it should help Doncic’s case. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: The Greek Freak put up freakish numbers last season, and even with a new head coach to work with, he may still just be scraping the surface of his potential. It is quite certain LeBron James will not win MVP due to the fact that he is now in a situation where he may not win the “prerequisite” number of games, which is usually around 50 or so wins. Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, is now working with a system that will be built around him and if his jump shooting improves, this award is all but his. At just 23 years of age, he may be the frontrunner for this award for years to come. Denver Nuggets: The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of a standoff with Jimmy Butler. The Portland Trail Blazers did not add ample bench support to their roster. The San Antonio Spurs just lost Dejounte Murray to a torn ACL. These teams are candidates to fall out of the playoff picture and open three potential playoff spots in the West. The Lakers are sure to get one of them and the Denver Nuggets are the other team that should be able to snag a spot. The Nuggets finished last season with a 46-36 record, which would have been good enough to finish as high as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, but was only good enough for ninth in the West. A healthy season for Paul Millsap, a breakout year from Jamal Murray, and a bounceback season for former MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas should help propel this team to their first playoff appearance since 2013. Indiana Pacers: The Pacers were an underrated team last year. After trading Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder, not many analysts picked them to even make the playoffs. Their defense was ranked fourth in the league, led by rising star Myles Turner. Victor Oladipo, a key piece of the trade, had a breakout season, establishing himself as a legitimate all star while setting a career best in points per game. Another fantastic year from Oladipo, as well as LeBron James’ departure from the conference should help them attain a top four seed in the East. Boston Celtics over Toronto Raptors: The Philadelphia 76ers were good but they were almost swept by a Celtics team with no Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The two Celtics AllStars impending returns would make things more difficult for Philadelphia and therefore they will not make it past the second round. The Raptors will actually be better next season thanks to the addition of Kawhi Leonard, a former Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP to replace Demar DeRozan. DeRozan was good, but Leonard is much better as an all-around player. Unfortunately for the Raptors, the Celtics’ youthful depth and the IQ of Brad Stevens will likely be too much for them to handle, and they will bow out in seven games. Golden State Warriors over Los Angeles Lakers: The Golden State Warriors are almost a lock to reach the NBA Finals. Anything less with their current roster would mean their season is a failure. They will probably sleep-walk through the regular season once again only to show up like they did in the postseason last year. The Lakers would have to get past several juggernauts to even get to this point, but with LeBron James’s recent postseason play, they certainly can make it. However, their West Finals appearance will end in a sweep because the Warriors are too strong of a team for the Lakers to beat even once and James’s streak of consecutive NBA Finals appearances will end at eight. Golden State Warriors over Boston Celtics: These two teams are stacked with talent and this should be anything but a short series. The Celtics are the biggest threat to the Warriors’ dynasty and they may very well pass the Warriors within the next few years. However, the Dubs’ championship pedigree will likely be too much for the Celtics who have few players with any Finals experience. The only way the Celtics win this series is if they hold home-court advantage for a game seven and that may still not be enough to dethrone the Warriors. Expect the Warriors to three-peat and hold off the Celtics in six games. ■H
16
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports
SPORTS
Women’s soccer
TIES AT HOME FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE GAME JOSE FLORES Contributing Writer
In a back-and-forth match against UC Irvine (7-5-2, 3-0-1), the UCR women’s soccer team tied at home for the second time in a row. The Highlanders (10-1-3, 1-1-2) tied on Thursday, Oct. 11, after a series of double overtime; Riverside had also previously tied in double overtime against Cal Poly Pomona who UC Irvine managed to beat four days prior. After failing to get on the scoreboard in their last two home matches, the Highlanders wanted to regain their confidence in front of the goal and break their scoreless run. The streak was at last broken late into the first half when freshman midfielder Akari Shimizu was able to find senior forward, Darielle O’Brien alone on the right wing. O’Brien was then able to place the ball effortlessly into the keeper’s bottom right corner to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead two minutes before going into halftime. Despite not being able to score throughout the first half, the Anteaters were as equally aggressive as the Highlanders. Irvine took three shots and won two corner kicks in the first half. This would only intensify going into the second half, where Irvine was able to amass a remarkable total of five corner kicks. This did not go unnoticed by UCR Head Coach Nat Gonzalez who recognized his opponent’s tenacity, explaining that “They came into the first twenty minutes of the second half ready to make it happen … and it’s hard to defend an aggressive and mo-
JARYD BONGCARAS Senior Staff Writer
SOCCER
0
3
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
0
3
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
tivated group that they were.” Given the high amount of corner kicks, the visitors opted for using their aerial strength in the majority of their opportunities. It was no surprise then, that the goal would come from a ball neatly placed in the air by senior midfielder Kelsee Pottorff who found senior defender Shelby Lee and placed the ball into the back of the net. After UCI’s late stunner, the Highlanders did not stop pressing, and were able to take three more shots. This, however, was not enough and both sides would then face off in double overtime where
no team was able to score despite their best efforts. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and continues UCR’s winless run at home for the third game in a row. Despite the draw, Gonzalez was satisfied with the effort of his team. “We did everything right to win this game,”Gonzalez said. “We are still in the hunt for a conference standing and championship.” The Highlanders will continue their pursuit for a conference championship on Oct. 18 when they will face Long Beach State at home. ■H
men’s soccer
outlasts ucsb in big west clash
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS
In what turned out to be the most physical matchup for the Highlanders this season, the UC Riverside men’s soccer team (4-8-1, 2-1-0) beat UC Santa Barbara (7-6-0, 1-2-0) 1-0 on Wednesday night. Both teams were seemingly trading yellow card and eventually red cards at the end, totalling 10 cards given on the night. UCSB was issued six while UCR’s players saw four. The two teams went scoreless for the first 75 minutes of
MEN’S
play, with UCR only allowing two shots on goal throughout. In the 76th minute, the Gauchos were charged with a foul that gave UCR the opportunity to get on the board with a penalty kick. The Highlanders chose leading scorer, sophomore midfielder Daniel Aguirre, to fire away, and he was able to find the back of the net. This marks Aguirre’s fourth goal of the season, adding to what has been a stellar season for the second year.
Riverside outshot their opponent 13-5, and also had five shots on goal compared to Santa Barbara’s two. Junior Edwyn Gutierrez added two saves on the night, marking the goalkeeper ’s fourth win of the season. The victory splits the season series at 1-1, as UCSB beat the Highlanders 3-1 at Santa Barbara on Aug. 26. The Highlanders latest win places them a game above .500 in conference play, with the team now standing at 2-1 in Big West games. This positive start to the conference season was needed for the team after starting 2-7-1 in non-conference games. But Head Coach Tim Cupello wasn’t discouraged by the rocky start to the season. Via gohighlanders.com, Cupello said, “We have stayed true to who we are all season. We were able to stay poised and learn from each matchup — now we’re three games into conference and will continue to get better.” UC Riverside plays their second-to-last home game against No. 25 ranked UC Davis this Saturday, Oct. 13. The last time the two teams played was in Riverside last season where the Highlanders came H out on top with a 2-0 win. ■
Women’s golf PLACE
UC RIVERSIDE
R1
R2
R3
TOTAL
T7
JAKEISHYA LE
71
76
71
218
T47
HAILEY WHITE
75
78
78
231
T59
PING HUANG
78
79
78
235
T76
KAYLA KWONG
80
83
79
242
T78
MACEE AGUIREE
82
82
81
245
upcoming matches
men’s soccer saturday, Oct. 27 against CAL STATE FULLERTON at 7 p.m.
women’s volleyball friday Oct. 19 against HAWAII @ 7 p.m. saturday Oct. 27 against CAL STATE FULLERTON @ 4 p.m. friday nov. 2 against UC IRVINE @ 7 p.m.