Issuu

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

est. 1954

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

VOL. 67, ISSUE 26

ASUCR President Semi Cole issues executive order to extend elections for two additional days

ASUCR elections struggle with low voter turnout

ANDY LI Contributing Writer

and Executive Director Laurie Sinclair addressed the issues students faced when attempting to vote online. Sinclair addressed concerns that the WiFi went down when many students attempted to vote online. When they attempt to vote again, the website says that they have already voted or have already cast a ballot despite the fact that they have yet to actually vote.

The 2019 ASUCR elections, which officially began on Monday, April 22 and were supposed to end on Friday, April 26, currently stand with approximately 15 percent voter turnout as of Sunday, April 28, lower than the 20 percent target set by the elections committee. However, an emergency vote was called on Saturday, April 27 at 6:15 p.m. to extend the deadline for elections by two days due to technical difficulties with the voting system, according to ASUCR’s Instagram account. A day after this emergency vote was scheduled, ASUCR President Semi Cole issued an executive order to extend elections by two days; the emergency meeting was therefore cancelled. In addition to senate candidates for each of the colleges on campus (CHASS, BCOE and CNAS), the elections feature candidates for president, vice president and various other referenda and constitutional amendments.

► SEE ELECTION PAGE 4

► SEE VOTER TURNOUT PAGE 4

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

Due to reports of technical difficulties with their voting system, the Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) announced on Thursday night, April 25 via an Instagram story that the Senate would hold an emergency vote on Saturday, April 27 at 6:15 p.m. to extend the deadline of elections

by one day. A day after this announcement on Friday afternoon, April 26, ASUCR President Semi Cole sent out a mass email to students in which he announced that he had issued an executive order that would extend voting by two additional days due to the campus-wide WiFi outage that occurred on Monday, April 22. The meeting scheduled for Saturday has since been cancelled. During the ASUCR meeting held on April 24, Elections Director Laura Pullen

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UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 5

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Tuesday

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Wednesday

Career Panel & Networking in the Social Media Industry 1:00pm to 2:30pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), 260

Tuesday Talk - Let’s Talk About Partying Safe for Pride 5:00pm to 6:00pm Costo Hall , 245

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Thursday

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common, but many people have it and don’t even know they have it. Because I’ve had the painful experiences myself, I want to help others with my condition. Since 8th grade I’ve worked towards becoming an Immunologist doctor and raising awareness for immune deficiences. I want to return and work at the Children’s Hospital in LA. If you’re faced

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ASUCR

ASUCR President Semi Cole issues executive order to extend the election for two

► FROM ELECTION

In response, Sinclair stated that if this issue occurred for a student, they should supply Pullen with their student NetID and their ballot could be reset. Vice President of Internal Affairs Jose CortezHernandez stated at ASUCR’s meeting Wednesday night that he believes these technical difficulties are playing a role in low voter turnout and voter apathy. “A lot of people were discouraged to vote because of connectivity issues,” stated

Cortez-Hernandez. Cole’s executive order preempted the senate’s Saturday vote. The executive order stated, “due to the campus-wide wifi outage that occurred on Monday, April 22, 2019, we have come to understand that some students have had trouble accessing the official ballot for the ASUCR Election. Also, we understand that there have been issues with the voting site itself.” Cole stated that he issued the executive order in order to ensure that the elections are fair and accessible to all students. Cole

stated that his power to issue an executive order is outlined in the ASUCR bylaws, Chapter IX, section two, subsection B. Cole stated that the decision “was made after much deliberation by the ASUCR Office of the President, the ASUCR Elections Director and Committee, the ASUCR Senate and in consultation with the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.” Online voting will be accessible again on Monday, April 29 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m. The additional voting

JORDAN HUANG / HIGHLANDER

days will be conducted strictly online, with no physical polling sites. Candidates and pro groups were permitted to continue campaigning on Monday and Tuesday. At the end of the executive order, Cole stated, “it is crucial that all students participate in the process of electing not only their future student representatives, but also in deciding on the critical referenda and constitutional amendments that are on the ballot.” Students can vote at elections.ucr. edu. ■H

ASUCR elections struggle with low voter turnout

► FROM VOTER TURNOUT

According to Elections Director Laura Pullen in an email with the Highlander, “the Elections Committee is disappointed and surprised at the low voter turnout, especially considering the increased competitiveness of the elections this year (over 50 candidates running, 5 referenda and multiple constitutional amendments), the $100 campaign reimbursement for all candidates who are running, food and raffle incentives for voters and our advertising around campus and on social media.” Pullen also stated that over 200 students were affected by technical issues when attempting to vote; in response to this issue, President Cole issued an executive order based on the evidence of two technical outages by campus IT services on Monday and Friday. Pullen stated that the extension of voting by two extra days will increase voter turn-out. However, the amount by which it increases is dependent upon the UCR community, stated Pullen. “It will take the efforts of all students across our campus, including ASUCR student leaders, referenda pro-group student leaders, and ASUCR candidates to spread the word about voting and give students a reason to care about voting in our campus elections and meeting a 20% (or higher) voter-turn out,” Pullen claimed. Low voter turnout, Pullen believes, lies in the lack of student engagement. “Although there have been roadblocks with our online voting system, there are over 50 candidates and 5 referenda pro-

groups and I have only seen a handful out campaigning and encouraging students to vote,” claimed Pullen. Pullen noted, “It is not enough to run pretty social media campaigns or sit behind a table with your friends; face-to-face interaction with students outside of your social bubble is the best way to engage voters.” Some of the incentives used to motivate voters included free Jamba Juice and tacos for students at the Bell Tower polling stations. In addition to polling stations, students were also provided with online voting forms as well. The ballot for the ASUCR elections featured a choice for president, executive vice president, vice president of external affairs, vice president of internal affairs, outreach director, transfer director, personnel director and green campus director. Students had the choice to select up to nine candidates for CHASS senator, five candidates for CNAS senator and two candidates for BCOE senator. Referenda include the Cortez Basic Needs and Aid Referendum, which would increase quarterly fees by $5 to help tackle food insecurity, the Green Campus Action Referendum, which would return 25 percent of the quarterly GCAP fee to students in the form of financial aid, the Highlander Empowerment Student Services Referendum (HESSR), which would increase current HESSR quarterly fees from $14 to $16, the Highlander News Referendum, which would increase current quarterly fees by $1.50 to expand resources for the Highlander Newspaper and the Highlander Abroad Referendum,

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

which would increase current quarterly fees by $2 to support the Education Abroad office. Constitutional amendments include Amendment No. 1, which would change the ASUCR outreach director position from an ASUCR executive cabinet member to a chair position within the vice president of finance office; Amendment No. 2, which adds the committee description for the transfer student director on the executive committee and Amendment

No. 3, which would add two additional senators to compensate for the School of Public Policy and the Graduate School of Education. With the exception of WiFi difficulties and glitches in the voting website on IT Service’s end, logisticswise the election process has not faced any additional challenges. Throughout this process, over 60 volunteers have provided coordination for managing the polling booths. Election results will be posted in the coming weeks. ■H

NEWS

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TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

Outreach efforts dominate discussion during ASUCR meeting Elections director expresses disappointment with low voter turnout

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

The fourth ASUCR meeting of the quarter took place on Wednesday, April 24. The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. The meeting then moved on to officer reports. Connie Wi, the marketing director reported that she has been working closely with Elections Director Laura Pullen to market for voting week. She also stated that her committee recently conducted a Hydro Flask giveaway. Personnel Director Nataly Morales stated that her committee is working on planning a campus safety event to inform students about safety on campus. They hope to provide students with tips on how to walk around campus safely and create a map of all the blue emergency call boxes and emergency phones. Morales also stated that her committee is working to find a space on campus for international students because international students have expressed that they do not feel as if they have a space for them on campus. They have been working with the extension center to create a yearround space for them. Outreach Director Carolyn Chang stated that her committee attended two Moreno Valley high schools — Canyon Springs High School and Valley View High School. Chang stated that her committee presented to a number of high schools about UCR. When presenting at Canyon Springs High School, the Outreach Committee spoke to students who have already signed their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) and discussed crucial deadlines with students. In response, CHASS Senator Mehvish Ali then asked Chang if her committee goes through undergraduate admissions prior to going to presentations at high schools as a precaution. Ali noted that there are crucial deadlines for incoming freshman students that she does not want misconstrued. Chang then stated that her and her committee do not meet with undergraduate admissions prior to their presentations. Ali then stated, “I do recommend meeting with undergraduate admissions to ensure that the information you are presenting to high school students is correct.” Chang then replied, “I will make sure to inform the new Outreach Director.” Pullen then updated the Senate on the current state of elections and voter turnout. By the end voting on Wednesday, voter turnout was at approximately eight percent

(as of Friday, April 26, voter turnout was at approximately 14.7 percent). The low voter turnout, stated Pullen, is incredibly disappointing and concerning especially considering all of the food and raffle incentives her committee has been working on as well as all of the advertising they have been promoting. She also stated that her committee was running into multiple issues with IT Services and their elections website. Pullen stated that they have had several glitches in the system but stated that, “we luckily able to fix them but, we are going to look more into glitches in the system.” Vice President of Internal Affairs Jose Cortez-Hernandez stated that his committee saved a lot of excess funding from the Beyond R’Margins Conference and encouraged senators who may need funding for any projects that they wished to immediately begin working on to speak to him because he has extra funds. During her committee report, Executive Vice President (EVP) Andrea Cuevas stated that her office tried to reach out to political science professors at UCR to discuss ASUCR and the importance of voting. Cuevas claimed that she only received two responses out of all the emails she sent out and one of the responses she received was negative. Cuevas stated, “That was really disheartening. I thought that the political science department would care more about civic engagement even at the university level.” During public comment, Ali approached the podium and expressed her concerns with disrespectful and negative comments made about candidates running in this years elections. Ali stated, “in the elections code it is illegal to slander candidates. It will get you a strike. When you talk negative about other candidates, it sheds a negative light on ASUCR and discourages future candidates from running and getting involved.” Joel Sanchez, a second-year computer engineering major and former BCOE senator expressed concerns he had with ASUCR during public forum as well. Sanchez stated that he feels as if only a few candidates have been campaigning and tabling which he believes is a large contribution the the low voter turnout. Sanchez also expressed his concern with how quickly most ASUCR meetings tend to proceed. He stated, “it seems to have become a trend in these meetings that you guys are just simply passing legislation unanimously when I know you guys may

have different stances on issues.” He claimed that the meetings feel stagnant and stale. He then addressed Cuevas and stated, “I feel as if Cuevas, you are the conductor of this train. You just pass through the agenda so quickly and no one objects or stops for a minute or has anything to say.” Sanchez also expressed his concerns with the amount of excused absences at ASUCR meetings. He again directly addressed Cuevas and stated, “You excuse so many absences that the word ‘excused’ no longer holds meaning.” Justin Domecillo, a fourth-year English major, also addressed the senate during public comment. Domecillo addressed what he felt were four important issues: the hostility between ASUCR and the student body, hiring and firing procedures, tabling and the use of Chick-fil-A as an incentive during elections week. Domecillo noted that ASUCR needs to be more open and honest with each other in order to improve their relationship with the student body. Referencing the recent dismissal of former Parliamentarian Jose Rodriguez, Domecillo suggested that the firing of any executive cabinet members be voted on by the senate in order to remain transparent and fair. In order to address ASUCR’s failure to meet their tabling bylaw that is required by the Senate Accessibility and Transparency Act, Domecillo suggested that ASUCR elect at least one or two people who have the time to table on Wednesdays. He also then urged ASUCR to remove Chick-fil-A from their pre-approved list of vendors because he believes that the company does not support the LGBTQ community. BCOE Senator Sarah Al-Khalili then addressed the Senate during public comment

JORDAN HUANG / HIGHLANDER

and claimed that she wrote a senate bill a few weeks ago however it has yet to be discussed. She stated that her bill specifically targets the issue of transparency and expressed her concerns that it has yet to be discussed or put on the agenda. Her bill proposes that anything that is discussed during ASUCR meetings must be sent to students in order to keep them informed and aware of what is occuring during their meetings. In response to her concerns, Gonzalez stated that Legislative Review Committee (LRC) was reading over her legislation and determined that parts of the legislation involved changing roles of the EVP and decided to table the legislation in order to first initiate a conversation between the author of the legislation and the EVP in order to “avoid a heated discussion on the horseshoe.” CHASS Senator Chelsea Davenport then questioned whether the LRC tabled the amendment at the last LRC meeting because she was not made aware of it. In response, Gonzalez stated, “Yes, but you were absent at the meeting. I was not informed from you that you were going to be absent.” At the conclusion of the meeting, ASUCR President Semi Cole addressed the senate and stated, “As we are drawing to the conclusion of the quarter and the end of your terms, I think it’s really important that you guys use the time that you have left to really get things done.” Cole also stated, “resolutions are powerful but they are more powerful when they have actual strategic action plans … it is not enough to just write legislation. You have to write legislation that is actually impactful.” The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. ASUCR meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in HUB 221. ■H

NEWS IN BRIEF:

Additional charge for suite-style residence halls to be eliminated starting next year AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

JORDAN HUANG / HIGHLANDER

In an interview with the Highlander, Andy Plumley, the assistant vice chancellor of auxiliary services, stated that beginning next school year the extra charge for suite-style residence halls such as Pentland Hills will be eliminated and they will instead only have price differences based on room occupancy and dining plans. Plumley stated that currently for residence halls, price differs based on room occupancy — meaning if it is a single, double or triple room — the dining plan and the hall type. Hall type refers to whether it is a traditional residence hall such as Aberdeen & Inverness and Lothian, or suite-style such as Pentland Hills. For next year, Plumley stated that they have eliminated the suite charge as they have moved many of their learning communities there and did not want to place an additional financial burden. When the Dundee Residence Hall opens, Plumley stated that they will continue the practice of having price differentials on room occupancy and the dining plan. The main reason for

this, stated Plumley, is that “all of our buildings, no matter the age, basically provide the same program, amenities and services. This is very common for residence hall housing at universities nationally.” Housing requests are generally based on a first come, first served basis, stated Plumley. He continued, “we recently have gone to a new housing management system, where residents select their buildings, room and roommates. Last year almost all of our residents satisfactorily placed themselves.” Housing Services operate housing and residential dining solely from room and board fees. They set pricing to cover all operational expenses, all debt and all renovations, according to Plumley. “For the Residence Halls, we benchmark our rates to other UC campus residence halls,” according to Plumley. In order to account for the elimination of the extra suite charge, Plumley stated that Housing Services made several changes to residence hall rates for the 20192020 school year that resulted in an overall weighted average increase of approximately 1.16 percent. ■H

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

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Highlander Abroad Referendum appears on ballot despite absence from official elections guide

LUKAS MASSEY Contributing Writer

During Elections Week at UCR this year, there was an issue with the ballot as the Highlander Abroad Referendum appeared on it despite not appearing on the elections guide sent out by the Elections Committee and Chancellor Kim Wilcox. This referendum, if passed, will give more funding to the Education Abroad Office in the form of $2 in student fees. In an interview with the Highlander, Elections Director Laura Pullen explained why the Highlander Abroad Referendum failed to be included in the original elections guide. The guide has since been updated online to include the referendum. Pullen explained that, “UCOP sent us back the approved Highlander Abroad Referendum later than the rest of the referenda. As a result, the HAR (Highlander Abroad Referendum) was not yet included on the original voter’s guide. I, and

JORDAN HUANG / HIGHLANDER

pro staff, both failed to recognize the missing referendum when the voter’s guide was requested by and sent to the Chancellor.” UCOP stands for University of California Office of the President. ASUCR President Semi Cole did not respond to questions from the Highlander about the situation, however Pullen does not believe this to be a significant problem. A corrected elections guide has been sent to the student body by ASUCR, and every polling location now has a complete election’s guide for students to view. “This was a regrettable error on the part of the ASUCR Elections Committee. At this point, this is an insignificant error,” said Pullen. In an executive order issued by Cole on April 26, voting was extended to Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30 in light of technical issues. The results from the elections are set to be announced on Wednesday, May 1 but may be delayed due to the extended timeline. ■H

COURTESY OF PEXELS

ADRIAN CRUZ / HIGHLANDER

Opinions

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

The 2020 Democratic primary: the best option is compromise

he running pool of candidates on the Democratic ticket reflects the fracturization within the American left. It may feel to many like a race between progressives and moderates, identity and policy and even rhetoric and action. It is clear that in order to secure the nomination, Democrats must find a voice based on practical solutions to current issues as opposed to running on an anything-is-betterthan-Trump platform. There are many factors pulling voters’ attention in directions, not the least of which is the role of farleft progressivism given rise through Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-NH) 2016 campaign. Many on the left felt disenchanted by Hillary Clinton, who is often viewed as an establishment politician beholden to her biggest Super PAC donors and more concerned with politics than with actually

serving the common good. This time around, however, Sanders is back in the race, along with other notable progressives like Peter Buttigieg, a young gay intellectual midwestern mayor who, along with touting his identity, has addressed many of the same issues that Trump did on the campaign trail like job loss in the rust belt and family values. However, there is a disconnect between Buttigieg’s words and actions, and many feel as though he lacks the necessary experience given his age and the fact that he has never received more than 11,000 votes while running for public office. While his candidacy may spark hope in some, the left as a whole will likely need someone who does more than just ‘sound good’ to people; perhaps someone with a notable record and extensive experience. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his

candidacy this past week, and based on recent polling information he is currently favored with 28 percent of votes from those polled. He is a moderate from the midwest with no shortage of political know-how, and had many years of experience, although it is a somewhat checkered history. In light of his announcement to run he has come under fire from the left for his aggressive questioning of Anita Hill in 1991 when he chaired the Clarence Thomas hearings. He called to apologize, but Hill was unsatisfied, and this could be a factor for many in the #MeToo era. He does still carry with him a large proportion of midwestern fanfare, as he is popular among old school blue collar Democrats, who largely went for Trump in 2016. Other candidates are polling far lower than some of the aforementioned candidates, and several are facing a policy battle when they expected an

“IT IS CLEAR THAT IN ORDER TO SECURE THE NOMINATION, DEMOCRATS MUST FIND A VOICE BASED ON PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO CURRENT ISSUES AS OPPOSED TO RUNNING ON AN ANYTHINGIS-BETTER-THAN-TRUMP PLATFORM.”

identity battle. California Senator Kamala Harris (DCA) has touted her racial heritage and her gender in an effort to appeal to coastal progressives. The plan has faced several hitches, including a concurrent run by Cory Booker and a prosecutorial record that sits poorly with the very progressives she is attempting to appeal to. Booker, too, talks a big progressive game, but his past reveals a fondness for big pharmaceutical companies and other corporate giants. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has appealed to certain sects of the Democratic party given her history of going against the grain and establishing herself as someone who won’t always choose what is popular just because the establishment wants it. She also served in the military during the war in Iraq. It is still unclear, however, if her name is recognizable enough to carry her to the nomination. Andrew Yang is another such candidate without much recognition, but his platform is radical, not in terms of politics, but in terms of content. While many are focusing on identity and experience, Yang is speaking to issues like technology and automation. Believing that the future is closer than we know, Yang has spoken extensively about the potential pitfalls of

an increasingly automated world. He has even advocated for universal basic income as a way to combat joblessness when automation renders large parts of the population unemployed. While there is no clear frontrunner, it is still early, and the playing field has yet to settle. Bernie Sanders might have the best shot at winning, considering his campaign in 2016 and current outlook. However, the democratic party will need to realize Clinton’s mistakes and reconcile not just because they feel the vote was stolen from Bernie, but because he has the platform and integrity necessary to beat out Trump at the polls. Trump sits, on any given day, at just over 40 percent popularity, a figure that will likely be reflected in his vote share. The Democrats are drowning out their messages amidst a conflicted base whose voice lacks unity. In order to beat Trump they need to stand unified on a platform, and choose a candidate who best encapsulates that platform. Unless they can do that, Trump will likely be reelected. ■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 30, 2019

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OPINION POLL Compiled by Thomas Holguin Staff Photographer

“Did you vote in the ASUCR Election?

Alyssa Tocker Sustainability Fourth-year

Carlo Paez Political Science Fourth-year

ConnieWi Media&CulturalStudies Fourth-year

Julian Gonzalez Political Science Third-year

Kenneth Vongdi Biology Fourth-year

Maurice Armstrong EnvironmentalEngineering Third-year

“Of course, I voted! Actually I tried to vote today and the server was down…. The first time I tried to vote, it said that I already voted. The second time it said the proxy was down. ”

“I did vote! I voted. It was a long experience and tiring, but we are helping the future students and UCR to become a more tight-nit community.”

“I did vote! I voted for Julian Gonzalez who I know will inflict positive change in UCR and the Riverside community.”

“I voted for myself, and also the student leaders I believed would be the best representatives for the student body at UCR so they can represent our school and student government in the right direction both locally and nationally.”

“I am voting to pass the referendumforHighlander Empowerment.I personally believe that diversity is very important and hope that we do reach the 20% percent we do need this year.”

“I actually have voted! I am actually running! You gotta do it if you run!”

Climate change catastrophe is imminent, but time remains to reverse course

SAMUEL HARRISON Contributing Writer

Climate change is the most important issue of our time. This is a fact that is becoming more and more difficult to ignore every year. California, in particular, has been plagued by droughts and frequent wildfires recently. If society hopes to stop the worst impacts of climate change, people need to take strong action today. That means making the switch from traditional energy, like coal and oil, towards clean sources like wind and solar. Our situation is dire. The impacts of climate change have been accelerating at a rate even the wealthy can no longer ignore. Miami Beach took out $162 million in loans last week, and they want their investors to understand that, while they are trying to manage the effects of climate change, the rising sea levels pose a serious threat to the city, and by extension real estate projects. The wealthy elite have not always felt this way, however. Miami Beach’s recent statement is a far cry from the comments Miami Beach developer Jose Isaac Peres made earlier this year in January. At the time, Peres seemed unconvinced that climate change posed any real threat to his line of work, going so far as to invest several million dollars in the building of residential areas in the city. “You see a ghost, and you run after it as if it were real,” Peres explained. That ghost now seems all too real for some investors. Investors are so concerned about climate

TAYLOR GONZALEZ Contributing Writer

As you enter the HUB area, you are presented with many different dining choices. There’s Panda Express, Chronic Taco, Hibachi-San, MOD Pizza and, not too far away, you can find Subway and the Habit. The fast food restaurants offer a number of different choices but lack healthy options. As a UCR student, the predicament of not knowing what to get, simply because we are tired of constantly choosing between the different unhealthy fast food options in the HUB, is an unfortunately familiar experience. The average student spends anywhere from $5 to $13 per on-campus meal, and for many students who live in campus housing with no way to get to a grocery store, it triples for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Upon first coming to the school it might have been exciting to see fast food restaurants right on campus, as many young visitors do, but the reality of being limited to almost only unhealthy options is a nightmare. I feel as if I’ve recently gained another “freshman 15” and I’m

change, in fact, that several ranking sites have cropped up in an effort to highlight companies that dedicate resources to clean energy. Carbon Clean 200 is one such ranking, updating every six months and featuring companies that meet a number of criteria, including whether or not they incorporate dirty energy into their power grids. The need for these ranking systems suggests that climate change is at the forefront of many business people’s minds. It has been argued that the effects of climate change aren’t drastic enough to warrant extreme action. Switching to a U.S. energy grid based on 100 percent renewable energy will prove difficult. This is a valid concern. In the short term, making the switch from coal and oil power to clean renewable sources may be costly. That being said, if there is any hope in saving the planet, it is embedded in the process of making the switch to cleaner energy sources. There is no sense in postponing the switch any longer. It is inevitable. Society’s inaction has already done irreparable damage to the Earth and it would be nothing short of foolish to postpone the switch to renewable energy any further. Our recent past should be enough to prove to investors that we should be worried. As mentioned before, California wildfires have been increasing in both intensity and regularity in recent years, and the occurrence of natural disasters such as Florida’s Hurricane Michael and Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria is becoming far

COURTESY OF PXHERE

too regular. All of these extreme weather events pose a serious threat to our infrastructure. The situation is dire, but we still have time to fight climate change, dwindling though that time may be. The good news is that renewable energy is becoming more cost-effective than fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels runs between $0.05 $0.17 per kilowatt hour in countries like the U.S., while, by next year, renewables are expected to only run us $0.03 - $0.10 per kilowatt hour. This cost efficiency is making them more accessible to the general public. It is also worth noting that the societal shift towards a cleaner energy future

Do U.C. healthy options?

a third-year. Scotty’s isn’t much of an improvement; although it offers a variety of snacks as well as prepackaged salads, sushi and sandwiches, these smaller portions, though slightly healthier, can be just as expensive as the freshly made fast food, adding confliction to your lunch decision. BestValueSchools.com came out with a list of the “50 Best Colleges with The Best Food 2019” and, unsurprisingly, UCR was not on it. Colleges who did make the list however, include some familiar faces, with UC Davis at 35th, UC San Diego at 33rd, UC Berkeley at 26th and UCLA in third place. The list also describes why the colleges placed, and each of the four highest UCs are listed for things such as: “Healthy College Food, Best Food for College Students on the Go, Organic and Local Ingredients, Culturally-Diverse Cuisine, Kosher-Certified and Vegan/ Vegetarian Options” and, for some, the “Community dining plan lets everyone, residential or not, enjoy the school’s healthy college food.” Frankly, none of these really describe UCR’s dining options

has already begun in California. Last September, former California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 100, a California bill that commits the state to clean, renewable electricity by 2045, effectively taking the first step in the long battle against climate change. Shortly after, the UC system made a similar commitment to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. We have the tools to fight climate change, and the issue is hotter today than it has ever been. Perhaps, as more wealthy members of society begin to recognize the importance of taking action in the fight to slow the effects of climate change, we will see faster progress. ■H

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

There are options like the AI dining hall, Lothian Restaurant and Glen Mor Market that offer healthier and freshly made options but require the time to walk, wait in line and then sit down and eat, making going in between classes impractical. We need a healthier alternative to break up a long week of fast food options, and spending $10 on a coffee and pastry from The Coffee Bean

should not be the unfortunate choice UCR students have to make. UCR prides itself on helping its students succeed by providing diverse programs that support students both educationally and mentally so I would think that more food choices that promote healthier lifestyles would also exist. The campus needs a healthy restaurant alternative that’s enjoyable and won’t break our college budgets. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

To defeat Trump, Democrats must nominate a grassroots progressive rather than another centrist career politician

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ANDY LI Contributing Writer

Ever since former Vice President Joe Biden’s entrance into the 2020 Democratic primaries on April 25, the field has broken historical records, featuring the largest amount of candidates in American history, the greatest number of women candidates and non-white candidates and the first openly gay candidate as well. Democrats now face the daunting task of choosing between a whopping 21 contenders, ranging between 37 and 88 years old. It is clear that poll after poll demonstrate that Democrats’ biggest priority for 2020 is to get rid of incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. In 2016, despite the majority of polls showing a Clinton victory, Trump was able to win the Electoral College by over 300 electoral votes. The important lesson to learn from the horrors of the 2016 campaign, especially for Democrats, is that voters are repulsed by identity politics as well as establishment politics. They don’t actually care that much whether the candidate is female, a minority or a member of the LGBT community. They certainly don’t appreciate being told that their vote doesn’t really count because party leaders already have “favorites” whom they aggressively market to voters in collusion with the mainstream media. So if Democrats are truly finding the Trump presidency excruciatingly unbearable, it is time for them to put sanity first again, and nominate a strong, grassroots progressive candidate who is actually

capable of defeating Donald Trump. The best indicator of what makes a candidate “progressive” is to carefully study their voting record. According to this methodology, three candidates immediately stand out in terms of their “progressive” bonafides. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is the longest serving Independent politician in American history, has a healthy track record of over three decades of constantly emulating progressive policies, whether that be opposing endless interventionist wars, supporting higher taxes on the wealthy, advocating for universal healthcare as a right and championing tuition-free public college for all. Another candidate is Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. While Warren certainly hasn’t been in Congress as long as Sanders, she makes up for this through her laudable work as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she successfully defended millions of middle and working class Americans from fraudulent and predatory behavior from corporate and financial giants. Finally, there is Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who honorably served in the Iraq War and came home promising to put an end to our disastrous and inhumane foreign policy that prioritizes defense industry profits and geopolitical games over human lives and American values. Gabbard courageously refused to bow to the Democratic establishment pressure to endorse Clinton in 2016, choosing to resign her position as Vice President of the DNC and instead sticking with

Sanders because she appreciated his idealism and integrity. Gabbard hasn’t been afraid to take unpopular positions, whether that be her willingness to meet diplomatically with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or defend WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s civil liberties in the wake of the Russia investigation. All three candidates - Sanders, Warren and Gabbard - have something in common. That is the important fact that they refuse to take any campaign contributions from SuperPACs and other big-money donors. This shows that their motivations for running for president are pure - that their ideas and policies are germane and authentic, not being puppeteered by the highest bidder. Most importantly, all three candidates have been relentlessly and unfairly attacked by the mainstream corporate media because they aren’t afraid to take unpopular positions for the greater good. In other words, they’re willing to sacrifice their image and their reputation because they actually believe in what they stand for. Beto O’Rourke, who famously lost a close race against incumbent Senator Ted Cruz in Texas, arrogantly thinks he will become the next Abraham Lincoln, the only president in American history who entered the White House after similarly losing a Senate race. Pete Buttigieg, who has received plenty of traction lately, seems to get nothing but glowing reviews from the media, and yet, when grilled on progressive priorities such as tuition-free college, Medicare-forAll or the Israel-Palestine conflict, he refuses to commit to a single position. Finally, Joe Biden, the former Vice President, who not only voted in favor of the Iraq War, but repeatedly supported racist crime bills that targeted African Americans, opposed school integration in the 1980s and threw his support behind a plethora of job-killing international free trade deals that devastated the manufacturing industry in America - a key reason why Trump dominated in the Midwest. Biden is so “non-progressive” that Starbucks CEO and billionaire Howard Schultz has repeatedly threatened to run as an Independent third-party candidate in the event that Biden

doesn’t win the nomination - an act that Sanders described as “political blackmail.” Schultz’s arrogance and entitlement are examples of the utter contempt the powerful donor class has over concepts such as democracy and grassroots organizing. We already know from 2016 that running a centrist candidate who is beloved by the establishment and the media doesn’t work. It provides the perfect foil for Trump - who can then capitalize off of the image that he is defending normal, working class Americans from another elitist stooge of the rich and the powerful. Trump won in 2016 because he was so successful in being able to tap into the disgruntled feelings of alienation and exclusion in vast swaths of middle America - places were people are not as socially liberal as the coasts and economically well-off as Los Angeles or New York. According to almost every single poll, Bernie Sanders performs extremely well against Trump in the Midwest. A newly released poll just last week had him trouncing the President by double digits in the crucial three battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania - the linchpin to 270 electoral votes. According to public polling on the actual issues that voters care about, a vast majority of Americans side with the progressive grassroots on virtually every position that Sanders, Warren or Gabbard take - whether that be tuition-free college, Medicare for All, an assault weapons ban, cutting defense spending, ending the interventionist wars, a Green New Deal or decriminalizing medical cannabis. It’s time for Democratic voters to wake up and realize that they have the power to shift the debate in 2020. They have the power to finally nominate someone who has broad appeal across the American electorate and doesn’t give off a patronizing image as a member of the elite. Most importantly, that bold policy positions, not the color of your skin or how many celebrity endorsements you receive, is by far the most important characteristic defining a good future president. ■H

Biting the hands you feed: Disney’s $5 million slap in the face

VICTORIA DAVY Contributing Writer

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France suffered damage to its roof and spire as well as water damage to the inside of the cathedral after a recent fire during some renovations. There was an outpouring of love, support and money that came along with this mishap. Donations came in from everywhere; however the most substantial donations came from many big name companies and billionaires. The most controversial donation, however, comes from The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company pledged to donate $5 million to help rebuild the damaged parts of Notre Dame. Although this is an admirable gesture, it is very misguided. Disney should not donate this money when they could instead use it to better the lives of their employees. It is no secret that Disney does not pay their employees a living wage.

Just last year Disney agreed to raise the minimum wage for their employees from $11 to $15 an hour. Before this pay increase many employees could not provide for themselves or their families and some employees could not afford to pay rent so they lived out of their cars. There was even a Disney California Adventures employee who, before her death of a heart attack, lived in her car because she could not afford adequate housing on her minimal salary. The donation to the reconstruction of Notre Dame is a slap in the face to all hardworking Disney employees. They had to fight hard to get a $4 raise, yet the company they work for is willing to give that money away to a cause that is already attracting significant contributions. It is Disney’s responsibility to take care of the people that are the lifeblood and driving engine of the company. Disney does have significant ties

COURTESY OF PIXABAY

to France, and the donation could just be something that comes from the kindness of their hearts. The company has produced multiple films set in France, as well as the opening first European Disney Park in Paris. It’s very likely that this donation is simply a gesture of caring and empathy towards the French people and culture which has inspired many

a Disney work. However, if Disney has money to give they should be giving it to the people who work day in and day out to keep the company running and put smiles on their guests’ faces. If The Walt Disney Company is going to pay to get anything fixed, it should be their employees’ financial situations. ■H

Features TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Students dance away midterm stress at ASPB’s fourth annual

Silent

D i s G lo

Ashley Perez, Contributing Writer

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

It was week four and students, escaping the stress of midterms, lined up at the HUB Plaza on Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. The thing that stood out the most was the long line of UCR students lining up for Silent DisGlo. Silent DisGlo was an event where students could go into a makeshift dance floor and pick up wireless headphones that were connected to three different stations. The first station played electronic dance music while the second station played requested songs and the third station played pop songs. Organized by ASPB’s Special Events Division, Silent DisGlo emerged when a past event director drew inspiration from similar events hosted by outside companies at offcampus venues. Yashasvi Chandrabhatta, a third-year business major and one of the event’s directors, was rotating around distinct stations, making sure that everything ran smoothly. “About 400 students came to the event, but we’re hoping that more people come through,” Chandrabhatta commented. He explained that Silent DisGlo, “..started around 2015, so it’s been four years since the event has been going on. It’s one of those events that people love and we see that more and more people attend. They (students) ask about it every year.” There were a little over 400 wireless headphones for students, which meant there weren’t enough for every student that attended the event. Although there might not have been enough headphones for everyone, there was more than plenty for students to do. When students wanted to get out of the dance floor, ASPB volunteers clean the headphones with disinfecting wipes. A majority of the students went straight to the food truck, located by The Coffee Bean, which served tacos with some chips. For students that had more of a sweet tooth, there was a booth that was giving away ice cream, which had various options, from classic vanilla to cookies ‘n cream. There were five stations in the main area of the HUB Plaza, offering T-shirt printing, glow-in-thedark face painting, spray-on tattoos, caricatures and a photo booth. The T-shirt printing station had around five different colors to choose from with the logo of the event. There were a bit over 200 T-shirts for students, according to ASPB staff, meaning many first comers rushed to this station in particular. Everyone talked with each other as they waited in line and seemed to enjoy themselves. The dance floor itself slowly started gathering students. First, it was a small group of friends but steadily more people joined in until it was packed. Although there was no music blasting from the speakers, students didn’t let this stop them from singing along with the various stations and sometimes dancing in synch when a popular song came on. The event lasted from 7-10 p.m. and people stayed until the last song played. Upcoming events that ASPB will host will be Arts Walk 2019, which will be hosted May 1 at 4 p.m., Spring Splash which will be held May 4 at 2 p.m. and Laugh Out Loud with Wildin’ Out which will be in the HUB Plaza May 7 at 7 p.m. ■H

JIMMY LAI / HIGHLANDER

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

An interview with UCR professor Dr. Reza Aslan on his religious endeavors

COURTESY OF REZA ASLAN

ANDY LI Contributing Writer CAMERON SADEGHI Contributing Writer

Dr. Reza Aslan, a professor of creative writing at UC Riverside, sat down with the Highlander to discuss his 2017 book, “God: A Human History,” which was printed in paperback form on April 9. Aslan is an internationally acclaimed religious commentator who famously hosted a show on CNN called “Believer,” which analyzed faith across the world. Throughout the text, Aslan explores the complex relationship between humanity and divinity. According to Aslan, he argues that God is merely a divine version of human beings. “God: A Human History” will be Aslan’s fourth and last book on religion. In an interview with the Highlander, Aslan stated that religion is intertwined with every aspect of the human psyche, saying, “As a matter of identity, your religion is inextricably wrapped up in all the other aspects of your identity.” Aslan specifically points to race, gender, nationality and ethnicity directly impacting the evolution of religious dogma, and explained, “In many ways, while the Christian Bible speaks of humans being created in the image of God, the reality is very much the opposite — that God is created in the image of humanity.” Aslan’s Iranian identity also plays a significant role in his view of religion, specifically Islam. Currently, Aslan identifies with the Sufi tradition of Islam, but hails from a Shia background. “Those aspects of the Shia identity are so deeply embedded in my identity that I carry them with me regardless of the religion I pursue. These things are fundamentally a part of who I am and color how I see the world,” said Aslan. While Sunni Muslims comprise about 85 percent of the Muslim world, 15 percent of the Muslim world consists of Shia Muslims. Iran is one of the few countries in the Middle East that has a Shia majority. According to Aslan, there is a key difference between “God: A Human History” and his past works. “It’s the only book you really get to hear what I personally believe, which is something I try to avoid with my other books,” said Aslan. He also emphasized that the innate desire to humanize God is hardwired in our brains, making it a central feature of nearly every religious tradition. However, this also means that we “project our negative tendencies onto a divine figure as well, whether that be vengeance, greed, arrogance, bigotry or violence.” Another goal that Aslan attempted to tackle with his newest work is to dispel misunderstandings that people commonly have about certain religions, especially Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As someone who was raised Muslim, converted to Christianity, and converted back to Islam, Aslan explained, “It’s not (that) I think Islam is correct

and Christianity is incorrect. It’s that all religions are nothing more than a language made up of symbols and metaphors to help an individual explain faith.” Speaking on his motivation behind writing this specific book, Aslan stated,“In many ways, this was a natural culmination of my work as a scholar and as a part of my personal journey as a man of faith. Occasionally, I do face some pushback from political and religious figures, but I’m always willing to listen to constructive criticism.” Aslan also expressed appreciation for the academic freedom that UC Riverside has provided him, specifically mentioning the fact that the faculty and staff on campus have actively “encouraged the breaking of barriers to explore previously uncomfortable truths.” This liberty has allowed him to pursue

far more fascinating topics outside of the traditional university setting. “I love being able to have a stronger connection with my students, which is something I haven’t been able to sustain at other colleges,” Aslan said. According to Aslan, writing “God: A Human History” has been a uniquely challenging yet satisfying experience, because this is the ﬁrst book in which he describes, in great detail, his personal beliefs. “As an academic and a scholar, I am trained to generally keep my personal views out of my work, which is correct. However, in this new book, I have the ability to delve deeply into the heart of what drives my religious worldview. That has had a profound impact on my life,” Aslan said. “God: A Human History” is out in paperback and available on Amazon and at local bookstores. ■H

COURTESY OF REZA ASLAN

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

RADAR

AV ENGERS: ENDGAME:

the decisive end fans wanted Adam Alvernaz, contributing writer COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

“Avengers: Endgame” is an epic finale to the 11-year, 22-movie saga that started an $18.9 billion franchise. A successor to 2018’s “Infinity War,” this film showcases the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by portraying some of the best moments in the franchise’s history. Building on the gigantic universe with engaging characters that Marvel has been trying to push since the inception of “Iron Man” in 2008, “Endgame” offers viewers closure by tying together various threads and plot arcs in a satisfying and cinematically artful way. With great execution and amazing delivery, “Endgame” is a fitting finale to a successful and highly-rated cinematic endeavor. “Endgame” picks up where “Infinity War” left off, with the aftermath of Thanos’ snap and how it affects our remaining heroes. This theme of recovery sets a tone for the rest of the film, as we follow our heroes trying to tie up loose ends and find a solution to Thanos’ decision. With various callbacks and cameos from the past, “Endgame” builds its foundation upon every film that’s come before it. However, this doesn’t mean that the casual fan needs to have an advanced degree in MCU history to understand or make sense of this film’s plot. Interestingly, the film weaves a clever tale of suspense that keeps viewers on edge throughout the entire duration, with only minor moments giving me a head scratch as to what their purpose was in the film as a whole. Amazingly, the film showcases some of Marvel’s best when it comes to character development and conclusions. Much of this all feels very deserved and definitive, giving fans some of the best scenes in the franchise history since “The Avengers”. Towards the end of the film I felt something I had never felt before when watching a Marvel film. In the past it always felt like there was something to be desired or something to look forward to in the next Marvel film that would build upon the series. The art speaks for itself as Marvel Studios has done everything to finish this saga as strongly as possible. For the most part, all of the actors do a great job delivering lines and giving solid performances all around. Many actors in the MCU portray a larger-than-life personality that fully envelopes viewers in their performances. At times, it did feel like the humor was misplaced in some of the more serious scenes. This is nothing new, as Marvel movies have a habit of making their characters say quips that get a laugh out of the audience. On the whole, however, the writing is good and doesn’t inject awkward humor too often. With no joke overstaying its welcome or feeling out of place, the humor stays fresh and hits the mark that it wants to with appropriate responses and deliveries. The honor of most impressive performances goes to Chris Evans (Captain America) and Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), as both of them

played their roles exceptionally and stood out from the minute they came on screen. I was happy to see this, as both actors have breathed life and likability into their respective roles through the duration of the franchise. I also didn’t expect to like Paul Rudd as much as I did in this movie, but he really delivered in his Ant-Man role and did well to bounce off of the other Avengers. Josh Brolin returning as Thanos definitely invokes the same feelings he gave us in “Infinity War.” I did want to see more out of Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), however, seeing as though the main focus is mainly on the founding six Avengers, the choice makes logical sense. Many of the decisions made with the original soundtrack (OST) were perfect and calculated arrangements that pull scenes together. Alan Silvestri once again captures the epic atmosphere of MCU right with his beautiful orchestral arrangements, willfully work the soundtrack into the scenes to add gravity and tension. Notably, the OST is extensive and a multituide of pieces play throughout the film’s duration. The use of a full orchestra accents the cinematography, as brass instruments swell to the sounds of battle, or soft woodwind melodies accentuate the most grim moments. The film’s musical choices fully color scenes and perfectly complement directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s vision. The film’s settings are all great set pieces to place our favorite heroes in. Graphically, the movie looks stunning and is probably some of the best CGI that we seeing in the entire franchise. I do agree that, at points, CGI can be overbearing and may take over an entire scene. However; the movie benefits from having these moments rather than not, as they allow for epic direction that only does the plot’s scale justice. In terms of cinematography, the film’s scenes are all well-shot and use subtle camera tricks to lead the viewer along. The camera helps us feel like part of the experience, giving us the best seats to experience each scene as if we’re there. The movie succeeds with flying colors in delivering on the satisfying fight scenes the Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for. As mentioned before, this movie is bigger and better than anything else that has come before it, and the beautiful CGI this feature boasts is an added reason as to why this movie is a visual success. Pushing beyond “Endgame,” fans know that the MCU has many more stories to tell. Introducing major characters in the last two years has left an impact on the universe as a whole. Fans know that the future for the franchise is brighter than ever with the highly anticipated “Spider-Man: Far From Home” releasing this July. With Disney pushes forward to extend the stories and keeping this lucrative universe alive, it can safely look at “Avengers: Endgame” as a model for an epic conclusion to a fan-favorite saga. ■H

Verdict:

With everything accounted for, “Avengers Endgame” fits the hole that “Infinity War” left while also leaving its own mark on the MCU. It’s a cinematic masterpiece which deserves its place as a fitting conclusion to Marvel’s 11 year-long box office success.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

“MORTAL KOMBAT 11” fumbles but still manages to deliver on a great addition to the franchise COLIN CARNEY Staff Writer

2015’s “Mortal Kombat X” was met with wide praise as it revitalized the series and brought with it meaningful changes to the combat system that add to the series’ relevance and success. NetherRealm Studios returns after the success of “MKX,” and two Injustice games, with “Mortal Kombat 11” and manages to build off of and improve the mechanics of their last addition to the series. However, questionable progression choices and annoyingly hard challenge modes muddle the overall experience. Like “Mortal Kombat X” and the two Injustices, NetherRealm Studios has proven that they are masters at crafting compelling stories to accompany their bloodsoaked combat. “MK11’”s story picks up where “MKX” left off, following the defeat of the evil elder god Shinnok. Following his defeat, his mother, the keeper of time Kronika, is angered at how Raidan has disrupted the timeline. She sets out to restart time by merging the past and present and pitting the old against the new while she gathers her strength to accomplish her goal. As such a premise would suggest, “MK11” has several callbacks to previous entries in the series that fans of the games will no doubt love. With that said, however, I never felt as if this game was too much for newcomers of the series to play and understand. The narrative does a decent job of explaining past events and bringing characters up to speed on the story leading up to “MK11” and never makes playing the previous games feel like a prerequisite. That said, the dialogue and info drops at times did become lengthy and exhausting and some familiarity of the franchise’s history does go a long way and improve the experience. Additionally, the drama and action of the story are occasionally undercut by some cheesy and cringe worthy dialogue and a few questionable voice acting performances. Overall, however, the story manages to deliver on a thrilling run down memory lane as past

friends and foes return to square off and fight for the state of the timeline. While the story is by no means the best of the series, it still manages to capture the player’s interest and deliver on emotional moments and narrative payoffs to the series. With regards to combat, NetherRealm does not disappoint. The beloved combat style that the studio is known for is at its best in “MK11,” as innovations made in the previous game return for this installment with a fair amount of improvements as well. For starters, in “MKX,” every fighter had three distinct gameplay variations players could choose from to better match their gameplay style. “MK11” uses that same system, but now allows players to custom design their own variations to better fit their playstyles. Additionally, “MK11” further integrates customization into the game by adopting the gear system of “Injustice 2.” “MK11” doesn’t outright copy Injustice’s model, however, since gear is now primarily cosmetic, albeit with a few slots for augmentations, as opposed to the stat-based gear system of “Injustice 2.” Furthermore, the gear is a lot less expensive than “Injustice,” as there are fewer pieces of gear to acquire. Going back to the fighting mechanics, “MK11” also changes how meters work. Where previously, meter would build up based on gameplay and be used to improve certain offensive or defensive moves, “MK11” now has two separate meters, two bars for defense and two for offense, that regenerate over time and can be used to improve certain moves. How players decide to utilize these meters can often make the difference in a game. The last major addition “MK11” makes to the series is the addition of Fatal Blows. These moves are violent super moves that players are given access to once their health drops below 30 percent and can only be used once per round. Their integration into the game is thrilling as fans of the series love the gore that Mortal Kombat is known for. However, close matches often

boil down to who will trigger their Fatal Blow first as they easily remove about a third of player health and can be used to easily steal a victory. With that said, the moves are well balanced in that either player is made abundantly aware when they are available and, once they are activated, it is possible to block the move. In the end, the gameplay additions and modifications introduced in “MK11” further improve the fighting style of the series and make for a more thrilling experience. Where “Mortal Kombat 11” falters, however, is with its progression system and newly added Towers of Time gamemode. “MK11” locks gear, brutalities and skins behind a gamemode called the Krypt where players take control of a random fighter and wander in third-person around the Island of Shang Tsung, which is filled with hundreds

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of chests that contain random unlockables such as gear, skins, concept art and more. These chests are only opened when the player pays to open them using one of the three different types of currency (Koins, Souls and Hearts) and there is no way to predict what you’ll get when you open them or how much you’ll get. Wandering about the island itself is interesting at first as certain items can be located that will grant you access to different areas on the map, but over time the mundane nature of opening chests with no guarantee of what you’ll get makes the entire experience tiresome and unrewarding. Additionally, “MK11” sees the return of the Klassic Towers where players can fight against a lineup of fighters and face off against a boss at the end. The new mode added to this game is the aforementioned Towers of Time, which takes the concept of the Klassic Towers

and adds modifiers to the fights to increase their difficulty. Conceptually, the modifiers are not a bad addition; however, in execution, the modifiers at launch are far too difficult and poorly paced, making the completion of a Tower excruciatingly difficult and prompting NetherRealm to decrease the spawn rate of certain modifiers. Overall, “Mortal Kombat 11” is a welcome addition to the series as alterations to existing gameplay mechanics make for thrilling moments of action. Additionally, the story mode again delivers as NetherRealm again proves that fighting games can have compelling plots and emotional payoffs. The only area where “MK11” stumbles is with its progression and gear system, as the random nature of the Krypt makes for exhausting and lengthy gameplay with little to no rewards for the effort. ■H

Verdict: “Mortal Kombat 11” delivers on a great story and adds to the gameplay that the series is known for, but falters as it adds a new and unrewarding randomized gear system.

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

“Guava Island”:

a good concept piece falls flat as Glover overextends his creative talents

COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

ANMOL PANNU Contributing Writer

This past weekend, Donald Glover released his surprise short film, “Guava Island.” This self-branded “island thriller” marked another collaboration between Glover and “Atlanta” team Hiro Murai and Stephan Glover. Premiering after his headlining Coachella set last Saturday, the film’s plot follows Glover’s character trying to keep the island’s spirit alive by organizing a music festival. Following an atmospheric introduction to the island’s beauty and carefree culture, Kofi (Rihanna) transitions from telling the island’s background story to revealing what her and Deni’s (Glover), dreams are; Kofi yearns to leave the island with Deni and start a new life, free from the chains of the island’s greed. Deni, however, wishes to write a song to reunite the island and remind the people of the magic that Guava had. The rest of the film follows Deni, whether it’s through his voice on the radio or with the camera, on the day that he is trying to set up the festival. Guava Island is run by the Red family, who are attempting to maximize the profits of the island, exploiting its residents along the way. When Red Cargo, the head exploiter, hears that Deni is trying to organize a music festival on a Saturday night, which would subsequently cause the island workers to miss work on Sunday, he becomes irate. Red decides to

bring Deni in and offer him a sum of money to leave the island forever, fulfilling Kofi’s dream, but Deni, as expected, tries to organize the festival anyways. When following Deni through the island, it seems as if the island isn’t as divided or oppressed as we were initially made to believe. The islanders seem generally happy and greet each other throughout the film. If anything, Deni’s music is already uniting the people so his festival plans seem mundane. The people who really don’t want to be on the island are trying to work and save money to leave, and when one of said people tells Deni that, he breaks into a toned-down rendition of “This is America.” This performance conveys the idea that corruption is everywhere and you can only be your own boss at a price. Ultimately, the tension between the desire for freedom from exploitation through escape and freedom through art is meant to be the driving force behind the film’s story. Unfortunately, poor execution means that this theme generally doesn’t hit as hard as intended. The plotline’s ultimate insignificance, as well as poor writing, never really allows the audience to connect with the characters. For example, when Deni decides to continue planning the festival instead of leaving the island he kills Kofi’s dream. From an audience perspective, however, it doesn’t even matter because Rihanna’s character was so underdeveloped anyways. The other big cast name is Letitia Wright, whose role is unfortunately so minor that it’s easy to forget she was in this film. A lack of relatable

or emotionally investment-worthy characters really dents the film’s ability to make the audience care. This is all very unfortunate, because “Guava Island” is a beautiful film.With filming taking place in Cuba, director Murai’s appreciation of beauty and aesthetic shines through. Having directed many of Glover’s works such as “Atlanta,” and the music videos for “3005” and “This is America,” Murai captured the beauty of Cuba and the essence of colorful island life spectacularly. The vivid cinematography, coupled with the summer-y soundtrack Gambino came out with last year, creates a bold and vibrant duo. The only drastic cutaway from this aura they created was when Deni broke out into “This is America.” This, however, was a necessary deviation in order to convey the film’s underlying message about exploitation. At its core, “Guava Island” just seems like a bunch of Childish Gambino music videos with talking in between. Glover is a man of many talents and has proved himself as such so many times, but his attempts at combining his artistic endeavors just doesn’t hit as well. If Glover had decided to forgo the poor storyline and just release the music as a series of music videos it would have been a fantastic piece. The film is still a piece of art, and as such it is meant to be interpreted differently by different viewers. As a film, however, it falls flat, failing to deliver a meaningful or engaging plot that keeps the viewer interested or invested in its narrative of art versus exploitation. ■H

Verdict “Guava Island” would have been fantastic as a series of music videos, but as a “musical film” it just doesn’t deliver. Flat characters and an underdeveloped plot leave the film’s potential unfulfilled.

COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

SPORTS

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

Highlander UCR baseball bounces back with wins against Hot Take: Bakersfield, UCSB after two-game skid

Dirk Nowitzki is an all-time, topten talent JORDAN HOM Staff Writer

Many people today only got to see Dirk Nowitzki as a goofy veteran who could barely run up and down the floor. They didn’t get to witness his greatness in his prime MVP days, where a younger Dirk was agile, athletic and ran the floor like a gazelle. Nowitzki completely redefined the big man position because of his ability to shoot from distance. Many players today, including Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns, have remodeled aspects of their game to parallel Dirk’s shooting grace. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most accomplished players to ever step foot on the hardwood. He won the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2007 when he led his team to 67 wins during the regular season. He has been named to an AllNBA team 12 times in his career, including four stints on the first team. Earlier this season, he passed Wilt Chamberlain for sole possession of sixth all-time in regular season points scored with 31,560. He was able to accomplish this feat playing for only one franchise in his illustrious 21year career, the Dallas Mavericks. Nowitzki transcended the way big men played the game of basketball. Before Dirk, big men were banging inside the post with strength and power like Karl Malone. Dirk took his game and basically created the stretch-four position. His signature move, the one-legged fadeaway jump shot, became of the most unstoppable moves in NBA history, alongside Kareem’s skyhook and Hakeem’s dream shake. It seemed unprecedented for a big man to take and make threes consistently back when Dirk was drafted. Big men were taught to bang inside and those who shied away from contact were considered soft. Dirk didn’t let those stereotypes define him though as he retired with 1,982 career threes, placing him at 11th all time. He spent countless hours in the gym refining his jump shot, shooting over and over again until his form was nearly perfect. In 2011, his jump shot and signature fadeaway made him unstoppable when he defeated the Miami Heat’s star-studded trio of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Winning the 2011 NBA Championship against the LeBron James-led Miami Heat elevated the German’s legacy into the pantheon of the all-time greats. Before the championship, he was seen as a choker because he would always collapse in the playoffs. There was also the stigma that European players were soft and couldn’t compete with their American counterparts. Nowitzki completely shed that label with one of the greatest playoff runs ever. He destroyed their defense by averaging 26 points per game and nearly 10 rebounds per game. Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t have the media presence of others like Kobe or LeBron but he is a top-ten talent due to his longevity and his revolution of the big man position. He is a major reason why European and foreign talents like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic are respected and highly sought after today. ■H

JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer

The UCR Highlander baseball team (14-25, 4-6) faced off against Cal State Bakersfield (17-26, 5-11) on Tuesday, April 23. Riverside was able to halt a two-game losing streak with a 6-3 win against the Roadrunners. Bakersfield earned their first run in the first inning courtesy of a single up the middle from Roadrunner first baseman Jesse Rowley that drove in shortstop Evan Berkey. The Highlanders responded in the fourth inning in a big way, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning. The first run scored by UCR was off a wild pitch that allowed all runners to steal, and allowed senior left fielder Matt Hardy to cross home plate and even the score. Riverside scored again off of a single from senior right fielder Dean Miller that drove sophomore shortstop Nathan Webb home. The Highlanders scored their third run of the inning off of a single from senior first baseman Yeager Taylor that drove in sophomore center fielder Dylan Orick. UCR scored their final run of the inning off of a fly out from freshman catcher Jacob Shanks that allowed Miller to cross the plate and give Riverside a 4-1 lead. The Roadrunners struck again in the fifth inning, scoring

on a ground out that allowed Bakersfield’s Alexander Gonzalez to advance home. UCR extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a double down the left field line from Shanks that allowed Miller to score. Both teams added one final run in the sixth inning to make the final score 6-3. Junior Hayden Petrovic earned the win for the Highlanders in two innings of work. Petrovic allowed zero hits and zero runs while also striking out a batter. Shanks led the team with two RBI off of only one hit. The Highlanders took on the UCSB Gauchos (31-6, 8-2) in the second game of the week on Friday, April 26. This game marked their second straight win, as they beat Santa Barbara 9-4. The Gauchos started the first inning by scoring two quick runs. Santa Barbara junior catcher Eric Yang hit an RBI single to bring the first run home, and scored the second run on a fielder’s choice. UCR responded right away, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Junior center fielder Travis Bohall crossed the plate to score the first run off of a fielder’s choice, and Junior designated hitter Connor Cannon hit a tworun home run to give UCR a 3-2 lead. UCSB scored their last two runs

RYAN POON / HIGHLANDER

of the game in the second inning on a double from the Gaucho’s senior designated hitter Thomas Rowan that drove in both runs. Riverside scored four runs in the third inning to secure the lead, and added another in the fifth and eighth innings to earn the 9-4 win. The third inning scoring stretch was capped off by Cannon’s second two-run home run of the

day. Cannon finished the game with two hits, four RBI and two home runs. Petrovick earned his second straight win, and his fourth win of the season. Petrovick pitched three innings and only allowed one hit. Up next, the Highlanders will play the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at home on Tuesday, April 30. ■H

Softball falls in close battle at Hawaii

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

RICARDO GARCIA Contributing Writer

Last weekend was a tough one for the Highlander Softball team (23-22, 5-10), having been outscored 23-7 in a threegame sweep at home against UC Davis. Looking to bounce back, they travelled to Hawaii to take on the third place Rainbow Wahine (28-13, 9-4). The game began as a pitcher’s duel, with no team scoring within the first inning, despite getting a runner on base. The Highlanders failed to get runners

on base in the second and third innings, as Hawaii’s starting redshirt senior pitcher Brittany Hitchcock induced groundouts on five of those six outs. UCR starting pitcher Melanie Olmos navigated her way through an early scoring threat in the bottom of the third inning. After loading the bases by hitting junior first baseman Callee Heen, she induced a groundout off the bat of junior shortstop Cheeks Ramos to get out of the jam and keep the game scoreless. In the top of the fourth, the Highlanders looked to turn the tables against

Hitchcock, as they put two runners on base. However, Hitchcock forced senior first basemen Amanda Lynch to ground into a double play to end the inning. It was in the fifth inning that the Rainbow Wahine were able to break through, as sophomore center fielder Brittnee Rossi homered to left field off of Olmos to give Hawaii a 1-0 lead. They added one more with a single from senior second baseman Alyssa Sojka that scored Nicole Lopez for a 2-0 lead. They looked poised to break the game open as they loaded the bases with two outs, but junior reliever Jacy Boles struck out senior left fielder Jennifer Iseri to end the inning. The Highlanders had their next chance to score in the top of the sixth inning, when they had runners at the corners with one out. However, junior third baseman Emma Ramelot fouled into a double play to kill the UCR rally. UCR had one last chance in the top of the seventh inning, as they put two runners on with the go-ahead run at the plate. Hitchcock buckled down and induced a groundout from senior pinch hitter Rebecca Faulkner to end the game 2-0, and earned her 15th win of the season. For UCR, Olmos took the loss to fall to (5-10) on the season, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk. Senior second baseman Brittany Garcia was three-for-three and those three hits accounted for all but one of the Highlanders hits in the entire game. For Hawaii, Rossi was two-for-four with a home run, and Lopez finished two-for-three with a run scored. Up next, the Highlanders conclude their weekend-trip at Hawaii and travel to UC Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos in next weekend’s series. ■H

Sports TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

men’s and women’s tennis both eliminated in quarterfinals of Big West Tournament

SOFTBALL

UCR

Hawaii

L: Jacy Boles (10-7)

Junior catcher Sarah Parten led the team with one hit and one RBI

game 2 COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

JONATHAN FERNANDEZ Senior Staff Writer

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams were scheduled to compete in the Big West Tournament on Thursday, April 25. The men’s tennis team (20-16, 1-4), who were the number five seed, faced off against the number four seed Aggies of UC Davis (12-10, 1-4) at 9 a.m. on Thursday. It looked like the Highlanders were going to go ahead early, as the team of juniors Nabil Abdullah and Gilbert Chung won their doubles match on court three. However, the Aggies won 7-5 on courts one and two to steal the doubles point and the 1-0 lead. Sophomore Vignesh Subramanyan started off singles play with a 6-0, 6-3 win to even the score at 1-1. This was as close as UCR would get in this one as Davis rallied three straight singles wins to end the match 4-1. The UCR men’s tennis team had the most successful season in program history, recording a program-record 20 wins. The 20 wins also tied the Big West Conference record for wins in a single season. The women’s tennis team (7-12, 0-7), who entered as a number nine seed, started the Big West Conference Tournament against the number eight seed UC Irvine

Anteaters (14-12, 2-6) at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The Highlanders started off slow and lost the opening doubles match, but showcased resiliency in winning the remaining two to earn the doubles point. Sophomore Tia Elpusan and junior Sarah Khattab earned a close 7-5 win on court one while freshmen Mahli Silpachai and Hahn Pham squeaked out a 6-4 win on court two. The two teams went back and forth on the singles side, alternating wins through the remaining six matches. The doubles point proved to be vital in the team’s 4-3 victory. This marked the second straight year that UCR has played UCI in the eighth-ninth seed matchup and the second time the Highlanders have upset the Anteaters. The win over UCI propelled the women’s tennis team to the quarterfinals to compete against UC Santa Barbara (14-7, 8-1) on Friday, April 26. The Gauchos put on a dominant performance in the quarterfinals, completely stifling Riverside and winning the match 5-0. No matchup between the two sides was particularly close, with the closest set score being 6-2. This match ended a season in which the UCR women’s tennis team went 7-12 overall, and 0-7 in conference matches. ■H

UCR

Hawaii

L: Jacy Boles (10-8)

Freshman right fielder Sami Demyon finished the game with a team-high three hits and one RBI

Baseball UCSB UCR

W: Abbot Haffar (3-2)

Sophomore left fielder Dylan Orick led the Highlanders with a team-high three hits and three RBI

Jakeishya Le leaves a remarkable legacy behind on the golf course JORDAN HOM Staff Writer

Senior Jakeishya Le will leave behind one of the most decorated resumes in UC Riverside history. Le was named the Co-Freshman of the year and First Team All-Conference in 2015-16. She was UC Riverside’s top finisher at the Stanford NCAA Regional, placing 15th overall. She was a key contributor in the 2016 Big West Tournament where she scored a tournament-low two-under par 70, leading the Highlanders to the conference title. Her sophomore season was even more impressive than her freshman year. Le demolished the golf program’s single season scoring average mark, with 73.59 over the span of 12 events. She was selected to compete in the Lubbock NCAA Regional as an individual, marking only the second such selection in UCR history. Le was not only named to the First Team All-Conference but also earned a spot to the Big West AllAcademic Team Honors. UCR women’s golf coach Mary Ritchie had very high praise for Le, applauding her as one of the best talents that she has ever coached, as well as one of the most hardworking and dedicated players in her sport. “She has accomplished so much here. Two college wins. She was on our winning conference team in 2016. She

advanced in NCAA regionals in 2017. Her scoring average was the lowest we have ever had in our college program,” Ritchie said. “Jakeishya has meant a tremendous amount to the golf program. She is responsible for a ton of new records for the program in the past four years. She was the first student-athlete I ever recruited since I’ve been here.” Jakeishya Le has also established many lasting memories during her time at UCR. It hasn’t always been an easy journey to accomplish all that she has, though. When she first arrived in Riverside, she was not expecting to make the golf team; her love for the sport drove her to strive for success on the golf course. Nonetheless, her passion for golf didn’t take time away from her accomplishments in the classroom as she had one of the highest GPAs and achieved multiple All-Academic honors too. “It means a lot to me that I’ve been able to leave my mark here at UCR,” Le said. “I came into this program just wanting to make the travel team not knowing what to expect. But as the years passed, I started breaking some records and it has made me and everyone else proud. Winning the conference championship my first year in Hawaii and going to regionals my sophomore year by myself are two of my biggest accomplishments.” Ritchie and Le have developed a strong bond both on and off the golf course. As a mentor, Ritchie has had a positive impact

COURTESY OF MARY RITCHIE

in shaping the person Le is today. “I learned how to really work hard. Coach really pushed us and instilled in us the mentality that the harder you work, the more it will pay off,” Le said. It remains to be seen whether or not Le will pursue a career in professional golf. She has the drive and determination to succeed as a golfer if she decides to seek a career in the pros or she can also take her talents into the coaching world, and learn from her own coach. “I really

want to try to play golf professionally because I don’t know anything else. It has always been a goal of mine ever since I was little. And I don’t want to not give it a shot because I don’t want to look back and have regrets. I’ll give it everything I can and see where it takes me,” Le said. “But if golf doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll go back to school, maybe I’ll try coaching or maybe I’ll get a big girl job. We’ll have to see what the future holds and I’m ready for any challenge.” ■H