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THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

#sayR’names #sayR’names #sayR’names #sayR’names FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

VOL. 68, ISSUE 06

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UCR students hold protest over proposed commencement changes AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staﬀ Writer

On Monday Oct. 21, MeChA De UCR, a community organization on campus, organized a protest to voice their opposition to the announcement by UCR administration that commencement would be relocated from UCR’s campus to the Toyota Center of Ontario and that names would not be called during the ceremonies in order to shorten their duration. In an ASUCR meeting held on Oct. 16, Christine Mata, the dean of students and associate vice chancellor of student affairs and Jorge Ancona, assistant vice chancellor of alumni and constituent relations, stated that while commencement usually takes place on Pierce Lawn, uneven ground and obstructed sight lines makes crowd management difﬁcult. He said that holding

commencement ceremonies outdoors in the summer time presented issues, as it is often too hot for guests. Ancona added that with UCR’s growing number of students, the length of commencement ceremonies was also presenting issues. In order to address these issues, Ancona and Mata announced that the ceremony would be moved from UCR’s campus to the Toyota Arena in Ontario. The names of graduating students would be ﬂashed on a banner-like screen as they walk across the stage instead of being announced. After ASUCR members and students expressed their opposition to this plan, ASUCR President Julian Gonzalez released an ofﬁcial statement opposing this plan while also creating a petition on change.org that, at the time of writing has approximately 31,000 signatures. On Oct. 18, MeChA De UCR posted a

flier on Instagram organizing and promoting a UCR commencement protest. The flier asked students to join them in protesting the relocation of commencement to the Toyota Arena and to demand administration say student names during commencement. Approximately 50 students gathered by the Bell Tower with most students wearing all black in solidarity. The protest officially began at approximately 9:30 a.m. Students then marched from the Bell Tower to Hinderaker Hall while chanting things such as “say our names.” After chanting outside of Hinderaker Hall, protestors then began to march into Hinderaker Hall and up the stairs to Chancellor Wilcox’s office. Thomas M. Smith, interim provost and executive vice chancellor, was there to greet students and address their concerns. ► SEE COMMENCEMENT PAGE 4

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

HUMANS OF UCR

UPCOMING EVENTS: WEEK 5

FATIMA VERDI | BIOLOGY | THIRD-YEAR COMPILED BY MARTIN LOPEZ

Build Your Own Budget (B.Y.O.B) 12:30pm to 1:30pm HUB 265

Center for Ideas & Society 30th Anniversary Celebration 5:00pm College Building South, 114

Día de los Muertos Nooner 11:30am to 2:00pm UCR Bell Tower

A Book Talk by Dr. Emir Estrada 1:00pm to 3:00pm CHASS Interdisciplinary South, 1111

Spooky Cupcakes 1:00pm to 4:30pm HUB (Highlander Union Building), 355

Challenge Course Freak Show 7:00pm to 9:00pm Student Recreation Center (SRC), Challenge Course

Embracing Tradition for UCR Commencement Focus Group 12:00pm to 2:00pm HUB, 355

Film: The Souvenir 7:00pm to 8:30pm UCR ARTS, Culver Center of the Arts

Discover UCR Day 8:00am to 2:00pm University of California Riverside

Camp Creative: A Gathering For Women 8:30am to 3:00pm Palm Desert Center, Auditorium

Boundaries 101 11:00am to 12:00pm HUB 367

Interviewing for Introverts 11:00am to 12:30pm HUB 268

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

“My life builds meaning as I fill it with beautiful moments and when I share those beautiful moments with others. I strive to stay unapologetically myself while also becoming what other people need in their lives at that moment,

Friday

whether it be a friend, a competitor or a listener. I feel that my life builds the most meaning when I carry on without worrying about the destination and just focus on being happy.”

Saturday

Sunday

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UCR students hold protest over proposed commencement changes ► FROM COMMENCEMENT

Students then began expressing their concerns to Smith. Samia Alkam, president of the Middle Eastern Student Assembly and third-year education and political science double major, expressed her concerns with the administration’s decision to not announce student names at commencement. Alkam stated, “I feel like it is tokenization … You guys say that you are diverse, you say that you support first-generation students and students of color. As someone who is on brochures for the university you cannot say that you want to use us in your publications and not support our demands.” Students then demanded to speak to Chancellor Wilcox but were informed that he was in a meeting off-campus at the time. After more students expressed their concerns, Smith stated, “We hear you, particularly around the issue regarding names. We are going to be working over the next couple of weeks to try to make sure that it can happen.” When students also began to demand that commencement also be brought back to campus, Smith responded by stating, “Part of the issue is that we got lots of feedback from last years graduates and how graduation did not work for them or their families. We do need to balance the voices of all students who are graduating.” After asking if any other students would like to voice their thoughts, Smith stated, “I can guarantee to all of you that we will announce names. We have lots of discussions that we need to continue having regarding the venue because we got a lot of feedback regarding the heat,

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the inability of families to see students walk across the stage, the unevenness of the field which causes challenges for those with mobility issues, particularly older people. We are trying to balance out all of those concerns. I am hearing your voice on this and we will be back with ASUCR and other groups for more discussions.” Amy Ramirez, a fourth-year psychology major and a member of MeChA de UCR responded to Smith stating, “We counter your proposal with recommending floors to put on the grass

… We can rent tents. There are other things we can do as a university where a lot of us pay upwards of $30,000 a year to be here only for you to not give us a graduation on campus.” Toward the end of the protest, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Brian Haynes made an appearance and stated, “Moving forward we will make sure that student voices are heard on this issue. We are committed to moving forward … when we were trying to ensure that we have a venue that would meet the needs of students, families and others, we made

a decision to look at Ontario.” Haynes went on to state, “I have said it before and I will say it again. We apologize for this but we are glad that you brought it to our attention.” The protest concluded at approximately 10:30 a.m. After the protest, on Oct. 22, ASUCR posted a video on their Instagram page of ASUCR President Julian Gonzalez announcing, “After conversations with campus leadership they have made a commitment to say our names at commencement … but we still have a lot of work to do.” ■H

Citizens United Committee hosts their monthly breakfast and discusses STEM high school

COURTESY OF RUHNAU CLARKE ARCHITECTS

LIZBETH MARQUEZ TORRES Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, Oct. 23 beginning at 7 a.m., the Citizens United Committee (CUC) of UCR had their monthly breakfast at the Alumni and Visitors Center. The breakfast began with a presentation from Lynn Carmen Day, the current chief academic officer for the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD). Day began by providing an overview of a potential project between

UCR and the RUSD of building a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) high school on university grounds. Day explained that the goals of this project are to promote, foster and enrich an early college environment for high school students while stimulating a greater student interest in STEM. The district also hopes to collaborate with a research and science based institution, which, Day stated, makes UCR a perfect candidate for their project. Day mentioned that there are already universities participating in projects

like this and presented a chart with model STEM high schools across California. UCLA, UC San Diego, CSU Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona are amongst the universities who have a STEM high school on campus and their enrollment ranges from 300 to about 900 high school students, depending on the campus. The site which was originally proposed to be on Watkins Drive is located close to the Glen Mor apartments. Day mentioned that she received many complaints from the community in

response to the proposal of this site. She explained that this project is to serve the community, not anger them and thus they have decided to propose that the site be moved to Blaine Street towards the north side of campus. The $64 million project will include 30 learning spaces, a discovery center and an exhibition space modeled after a 21st century design. The proposed STEM high school will allow an enrollment of 800 students and will have sufficient staff, student and visitor parking. The high school hopes to have adequate outdoor learning spaces and appropriate guidance found in administration offices. Day stated that half of the funding will derive from Measure O, a $392 million fund that was raised in the 2016 election. Dale Kinnear, a member of CUC and a retired school principal, interrupted Day to ask why those funds were not being used to restore existing educational facilities as it was originally advertised by RUSD. Day did not directly answer Mr. Kinnear’s question but did state the the funds were being appropriately used to improve all schools under the RUSD. The other half of the funding will come from California state funds, grants and UCR donations. Day concluded her presentation by reiterating the points mentioned above, hoping that this project will bond UCR and RUSD. ■H

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

ASUCR

Chancellor Wilcox and VCSA Haynes address concerns over commencement changes at ASUCR meeting

AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer

On Oct. 23, ASUCR held their fourth meeting of the quarter. Chancellor Kim Wilcox and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs (VCSA) Brian Haynes addressed the concerns many students had regarding the proposed commencement changes that the Dean of Students Christine Mata and the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Alumni and Constituent Relations Jorge Ancona proposed during the Oct. 16 ASUCR meeting. The proposed changes would move commencement from campus to the Toyota Arena of Ontario. The changes would also mean that the names of graduating students would not be called as they walk across the stage; instead, their names would be flashed on a banner-like screen. After listening to students’ concerns during a protest held on Oct. 21, Thomas M. Smith, interim provost and executive vice chancellor, stated, “I can guarantee to all of you that we will announce names. We have lots of discussions that we need to continue having regarding the venue because we got a lot of feedback regarding the heat, the inability of families to see students walk across the stage, the unevenness of the field which causes challenges for those with mobility issues, particularly older people.” In order to accommodate the large number of students in attendance for the ASUCR meeting on Oct. 23, the meeting was moved from the ASUCR Senate Chambers to the Tartan and Tweed Room located in the Student Services Building. ASUCR Parliamentarian Avi Idea announced that a 20 minute question and answer session would occur between students, ASUCR and Chancellor Wilcox and VCSA Haynes. Wilcox began by thanking students and ASUCR for their time. Wilcox stated, “We have gotten to a point … where our graduation rate is at about 75% which means we have half again as many students graduating than we did just a few years ago.” Wilcox then went on to explain that UCR has increased its number of transfer students and that they graduate in two years instead of four. In order to address the concerns that many people had over how commencement was run, Wilcox stated that many things were discussed and options are still being considered. Wilcox then stated, “Nothing has been decided, no contracts have been signed, no money has been transferred, nothing has been done in that regard. We will have to at some point.” Wilcox went on to state, “We have already heard from lots of people that reading names is important so reading names is fine, but I can tell you from talking to people over the years that reading names is great, but it makes the ceremonies longer so that is part of the trade-off in all of this.” During the question and answer portion, CHASS Senator Angel Cuevas asked what alternatives there are to holding commencement at the Toyota Arena. In response, Wilcox stated, “We have been doing most of our commencements on Pierce Lawn but not all. We do medical school in the SRC as well as the doctoral hooding ceremony.

MARTIN LOPEZ /HIGHLANDER UCR CHANCELLOR KIM WILCOX ADDRESSES STUDENTS ABOUT ONGOING CONCERNS REGARDING THE 2020 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES.

That works but it does not work for all commencements, it is not quite big enough.” Wilcox went on to state that Pierce Lawn holds about 7,000 people and commencements have somewhere between 700 to 1,000 students with the rest of the space being occupied by guests and family members. Wilcox stated that relocating to the Toyota Arena and holding three or six commencements would determine how many tickets each student could have for guests. If they were to do three commencements that would reserve four tickets per person and if they were to do six that would increase the number to eight guest tickets per student. On Pierce Lawn last year, the minimum number of seats for some commencements was four guests. When GSOE Senator Evelyn Castaneda asked Wilcox if the track field or the Glen Mor fields have been considered as possible commencement locations, Wilcox stated, “Both of those locations have a couple of challenges. One is that they don’t have trees for shade. The turf gets really hot … these locations are also not close to restrooms.” Personnel Director Luna Sebastian then asked what issues or problems would arise from dividing up the ceremonies. Wilcox answered by stating that what they try to do is keep schools and colleges together. He said that part of the challenge is that they are already holding commencements from Friday to Monday and when they add more ceremonies, they start to have to hold some commencements on Tuesday or Wednesday which is a week after final exams. He stated, “Many students have left by then ... moving to Tuesday and Wednesday is also difficult for families who need to take time off work.” Transfer/Non-Traditional Director Eric Calderon addressed Wilcox and Haynes and stated, “I think that a big issue is the lack of transparency. You finally sent out an email today and in that email you referenced an email that you sent out to students but no one knew about it. I think it is unfair that we are just now barely finding out. A big concern for

all of us is the lack of transparency and disconnection with the administration and with students.” Wilcox responded by stating, “I meant to start today by apologizing. The letter I referenced in my email went out on June 28 and it was addressed to the campus community but it went to the staff and faculty but was never sent out to students. That is totally on me.” He also stated that Ancona and Mata attended the ASUCR meeting on Oct. 16 to develop ideas rather than start from scratch. “They attended because it was the beginning of the quarter and we have yet to make any decisions. It was not intentional to leave students out and I am sorry about that.” Haynes also stated, “I appreciate your commentary. I want to apologize. As VCSA, my job is to ensure that student voices are on the table. I am committed to do a better job to make sure that student voices are heard at the table.” When a student from the public asked if there would be a plan to keep commencement on campus next year, Wilcox stated that they can certainly keep commencement on campus but that he is almost certain that it would mean fewer and fewer tickets for guests. “If we think location is more important than guest tickets then we can certainly work that plan out, but I can tell you that to date for nearly every year that I have been here we have more students raising concerns over the number of tickets than almost anything else,” stated Wilcox. Another student also asked how much more would be spent having commencement at the Toyota Arena versus having it on Pierce Lawn. Ancona replied that if they were to host the same ceremonies this year that were hosted on Pierce Lawn for 2019’s commencement, it would cost approximately $430,000. Part of the reason for the price increase compared to last year, stated Ancona, is that Facilities Services is charging them but did not charge them last year. To do the ceremonies at the Toyota Arena for the one day and three ceremony plan, they are looking at an expense of about $230,000. If they move to a two-day and six ceremony plan at the Toyota

Arena, the price would increase by about $130,000, stated Ancona. After the conclusion of the Q&A portion with Wilcox and Haynes, the meeting moved back to the ASUCR Senate Chambers. During committee reports, Carolyn Chang presented the finance allocations for Oct. 21 and Oct. 23. During the Oct. 23 finance meeting, the finance committees opening balance was $4,337 which is the remaining balance for the rest of the school year. In their first Finance Budget Hearing on Sept. 30, the organization contingency’s opening balance was $116,682. Chang noted that ASUCR has two kinds of checking balances. One for ASUCR to function and one for clubs to get funded. She stated that they have a savings account for club funding. The total organization allocation at the end of the meeting was $14,980. The finance committee voted to allocate $100,000 from the reserves to help fund clubs and organizations. The motion to approve both meeting minutes passed 17-0-0. During the LRC reports, the senate passed SB-F19-013: Chapter VIII LRD Stipend Revision which would create a $990 stipend for a new position titled the Labor Relations Director. The bill was passed 17-0-0. The meeting then moved on to officer reports. During Officer Reports, the members of the Executive Branch all updated the senate on the work they have done so far this quarter and the work that they plan to do. During Public Comment, Gabe Pineda a second-year double major in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Media and Cultural Studies expressed their concern with a video posted on ASUCR’s Instagram page of ASUCR President Julian Gonzalez announcing that the administration agreed that names would be said at commencement. Pineda believed that this video presented Gonzalez as a savior of the student body and took credit for the work that other students did. The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m. ■H

6 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

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CARE and Title IX pilot their new series focused on sexual harassment policy, prevention and response

COURTESY OF UCR CARE

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Dean of Students office, CARE and Title IX piloted their conversation series focused on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) policy, prevention, response and student support at UCR. It was a space for students to come in and get to know the people behind the policy set in

place to keep them safe on campus. This talk focused on prevention education and served as a place for students to learn more about the resources that are available to them if they are ever victims of sexual violence, harrassment or if they ever need to report to Title IX. In an interview with The Highlander, CARE Director Karla Aguilar said the purpose of this conversation

series was for “students to engage in conversations around what’s happening with policy and also ask questions around what it is and how it works.” Typically, students receive this type of presentation during their freshman orientation but Aguilar stated that she wanted to create a community space for students to talk to pro-staff on campus “in a way that doesnt feel so formal.” Aguilar hopes that through this series, students are empowered to ask questions about policy changes on sexual violence and harrasment matters that affect UCR. Aguilar stated that CARE’s mission “is really to educate, advocate and empower on campus.” During the presentation, Dawnita Franklin, assistant coordinator and senior Title IX investigator, spoke to the group about what her office does as well as some of the changes that were recently made to the Title IX policy this year. According to Franklin, Title IX is “a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. It prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harrasment and sexual violence.” Franklin informed the group that her office is committed to fostering a campus climate in which all members are protected from all forms of sexual violence and

harrassment. This year, some of the changes made to the Title IX policy include: changes of prohibited conduct which now includes sexual assault, relationship violence and retaliation, a more detailed description of a party’s rights in the Alternative Resolution process, extension of the timeframe for the formal investigation process from 60 to 90 days and provision for the Title IX offcier to intitiate investigation under certain circumstances despite the absence of an identifiable complainant. Franklin stated that “You never know when you will be a part of an SVSH matter, so having the knowledge and understanding what the process is important.” At the end of the presentation, attendees were encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback on how they can make these discussions better. Dr. Christine Mata, the dean of students, told The Highlander that “these are difficult areas to soften the image because they are so policy and process heavy,” but they are working towards demystifying these processes through these conversations. CARE, the Dean of Students office and Title IX are piloting the series during the fall and hope that with a positive response from student feedback, they will be able to continue having these conversations more frequently. ■H

UCR biochemist receives grant to develop a novel lead compound to treat breast cancer

LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Contributing Writer

In early September, Dr. John Jefferson Perry, assistant professor of biochemistry and fragmentbased and rational-based lead discovery researcher at UCR, received a grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs of the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a novel lead compound to treat breast cancer. In an interview with The Highlander, Dr. Perry stated that his lab focuses on an area called structural biology. They look at proteins and uncover their architecture and their three-dimensional shapes, which is useful for two things: academic research to understand how the proteins in our bodies work and drug discovery to potentially create new medicines. This grant is a three-year collaboration with the City of Hope Medical Center’s Dr. Robert Hickey and Dr. Linda Malkas. Dr. Perry stated, “(City of Hope) have discovered a new compound that binds to a specific protein that seems to be overexpressed in breast cancer cells. (This compound) is looking very potent, it will selectively kill breast cancer cells which is fantastic because a lot of treatments are not that selective at killing rapidly dividing cells.” In his lab, Dr. Perry and his researchers are studying how that compound binds to the proteins found in breast cancer cells and then they deliver those findings back to City of Hope. Hopefully, “we can improve this compound so it can be more likely to get it into the clinic,” stated Dr. Perry. According to Dr. Perry, this research is important because one in eight women in the U.S. will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. It is the second leading cause of cancer in women (second to skin cancer) and it is also the second leading cause of death by cancer in women (second to lung cancer). “It’s dramatic

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and drastic and so new therapies are needed, that’s why we’re studying this small molecule which is a very unique and novel target” stated Dr. Perry. UCR and City of Hope were chosen to receive this grant because reviewers were confident in both labs’ ability to work together. Dr. Perry stated “we’ve got a lot of great resources in structural biology here at UCR and we can give

that info back to City of Hope” who are focused in studying cell biology and cancer cells. Dr. Perry is working with post-doctoral research fellow Nikols Kenjic and UCR graduate student Jennifer Jossart as well as 10 UCR undergrads on this research. Together, they hope to “develop new novel breast cancer therapies that could be less toxic than the current ones,” stated Dr. Perry. ■H

Opinions

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Choosing morality over convenience: consumers cannot be allowed to forget that corporations aren’t looking out for them

mazon customers have had reason to rejoice as of late. Whereas up until very recently the company required Prime members to spend at least $25 when purchasing small items in order to qualify for free one-day shipping, buyers can now receive the same benefits without the monetary requirement. The requirement change seems to be Amazon’s most recent attempt at edging out local retail stores, and it might just work. The convenience is too great to pass up. Unfortunately, that convenience comes at a steep price. While the removal of the one-day shipping restrictions sounds incredibly convenient when taken at face value, there are a number of frightening repercussions that the average consumer might not be taking into consideration. First and foremost, this rule change is sure to drive up purchase rates through the Amazon website. Buyers are shopping online more than ever before, which will lead to more trucks on the road for longer periods of time. While more trucks on the road will surely mean more people will be receiving their packages, it also means more carbon emissions will be pumped into the atmosphere. It takes a particularly savvy

COURTESY OF FLICKR

consumer to recognize the potential side-effects of a change such as this one. Most people who make frequent purchases on the shipping site are already incredibly detached from the process. Their purchase is one click away, and very few people are liable to consider what all that click entails, and that’s exactly what Amazon wants. Amazon supporters are quick to mention the electric truck fleets Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, has committed to purchasing as part of the company’s open pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, and it’s easy to see why. For all intents and purposes, 100,000 new electric delivery vehicles would be a huge leap in terms of making the company more sustainable. That being said, the electric truck fleet won’t be put into use until 2024, and while the use of said truck fleet is a nice gesture, the issue at hand extends beyond environmental impact. Even if the carbon emissions were significantly reduced with the introduction of the electric fleet, one must not forget that said fleet still requires drivers, and the working-class employees at Amazon are the ones who are already being affected the most by the recent changes. Amazon workers are well known for being

drastically mistreated, and the revised shipping strategy will ensure that they’ll be worked even harder than they were before. Just this past week, Amazon employee Billy Foister died of a heart attack while at work after complaining of chest pains. It took supervisors 20 minutes to notice his lifeless body on the warehouse floor. The well-being of company employees has always been secondary to the administration in Amazon, and an uptick in consumerism is only going to exacerbate the issue. If change is to be made then consumers must be the ones to initiate it. This means educating others on the cascading repercussions decisions such as this one can have on the world around them. It’s all too easy to choose convenience over morality, but the health of the planet and the underprivileged working class rely on somebody taking notice. Consumers can show their disapproval of the company by voting with their dollars. Amazon is a corporation and corporations are interested in one thing only: money. They will continue doing whatever turns them a profit. Refusing to take part in Amazon’s game is the best form of protest, and that means buying one’s products from local

businesses. If a person were to find themselves in need of a book, they could turn to local bookstores before using Amazon’s service as a last resort. With a little more effort society could choose to support local businesses which will always be the more admirable option when the alternative is lining the pockets of greedy corporations. Services like Amazon’s next day free shipping are not always necessary, and because of the undue burden they put on the working class, they should be avoided whenever possible. That is not to say the burden falls squarely on the shoulders of the consumer. That would be both unfair and unrealistic. It is important to acknowledge the fact that the government must play a role in checking the power of these large companies. Corporations like Amazon are able to abuse consumer and worker alike because too few laws exist that prevent such abuse. The consumer must advocate for change so that the government is moved to take action. Neither the consumers nor the government can be expected to address the situation alone, and the only way to ensure that these changes occur is if people vote to make sure their elected officials are supportive of their

“ UNITED STATES CITIZENS ARE BORN INTO THIS WORLD PRIORITIZING THEMSELVES, AND REEDUCATION IS NECESSARY IF THERE’S ANY HOPE OF SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT.”

ideals. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the trouble doesn’t begin and end with Amazon. Society must not forget the fact that big corporations like Walmart are also guilty of the same sins Amazon is accused of here. As mentioned before, these corporations are only interested in money, and they’re willing to abuse their workers and trick their customers if doing so means hastening the cash flow. This is not a battle that is easily fought and won, but instead, a constant struggle that requires consumers to be ever vigilant. It’s hard to place the blame on the consumers — they’re simply doing what a capitalistic society asks them to do. United States citizens are born into this world prioritizing themselves, and reeducation is necessary if there’s any hope of saving the environment. Those consumers must be made aware of the realities of corporate greed because, whether they realize it or not, the choices big corporations make impact them directly. Those choices impact their friends and family members who work for companies like Amazon, and they impact the very world they live in. Society must be made aware. It isn’t an easy burden for consumers H to carry, but it is an important one.■ 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.

8 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

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OPINION POLL Compiled by Lydia Tsou Staff Photographer

“Do you believe that convenience can be a bad thing?”

Lyuyongkang Yuan Undeclared First-year

Vivian Le Computer Science Third-year

Noah Carrillo Liberal Studies Fourth-year

“No, it makes our daily life easier. It helps us manage our time and have more time to relax. It’s definitely great for us.”

“Yes, because people can get used to it. They can take the easy way out compared to learning to do it without the convenience. Cheating, for example, and things like that.”

“I think so. It can take away the challenges in life, and with that, bring different challenges. I think it’s a bad thing if it’s all the time. ”

Stacey Sweitzer Environmental Sciences First-year

Juliana Ramirez Sociology Second-year

Noah Charlton CMDB Fourth-year

“Yeah, because convenience doesn’t replace efficiency. ”

“I think it can provide opportunities to lack in something and not succeed. It can be a bad thing especially when it comes to school and life in general. It can put ourselves in a position where it can lead to consequences..”

“Yeah, for finding information, it makes it easier to Google it rather than think for yourself.”

Instruction function: UCR Professors are great researchers, but they could be better teachers

TIMOTHY HUGHES Contributing Writer

A student entering college needs to make a lot of choices that influence what their experience at the university will be like. They must choose what college to go to, which dorm they will live in, how they will decorate their room, what clubs to join and how they spend their free time on campus. What the student doesn’t typically have power over is who will be instructing them or the skill of the instructor they are stuck with. Tools such as ratemyprofessor.com can be helpful, but sometimes the student must take whatever time slot is available and deal with the professor that is teaching at that time. Often, the instructor in question may not be particularly skilled in the planning and execution of a course. Students commonly complain about dull, confusing lectures as well as courses that heap tons of meaningless homework and unfair tests on them. At a top-tier university, students should receive consistent, quality instruction. UCR professors need to step it up. None of this is to say that UCR professors are not amazing, awardwinning researchers and geniuses. The faculty at UCR are impressive. All this says is that professors aren’t always exerting the necessary effort and aren’t receiving the support necessary to make courses a positive learning experience, rather than a toll to pay to get a degree. This stems from the priorities of university professors and the university itself. UCR is an R1 University, which means it engages in the highest levels of research activity. There is no doubt that UCR produces groundbreaking research. This research brings in grant funding and accolades, but that prestige is often at the expense of UCR students. It is not uncommon at UCR for a faculty member, especially STEM faculty, to only teach a single course a year and spend the rest of their time conducting research. For example, the instructors who teach the BIO005 series typically only teach half of the course each year before another professor steps in to teach for the remaining five weeks of the quarter. This creates an issue where students are being taught by inexperienced professors who care little about educating students because their minds are devoted to their research.

COURTESY OF UC RIVERSIDE

According to the 2017 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report, 64% of students at community and city colleges reported satisfaction in the instruction given. At research universities, students report 55% satisfaction in the quality of instruction received. The possible answer for the 9% discrepancy is the frequency at which professors teach. At community colleges, professors are hired for the sole purpose of educating students. At universities, their priority is their research. Another factor contributing to professors’ lack of teaching skills is

that they receive no formal pedagogical training. There is an assumption that a holder of a doctorate will magically be able to effectively teach their expertise to a classroom full of 200 wide-eyed college freshmen. This assumption is simply untrue. Some possible solutions could include having prospective professors teach more often. If it isn’t feasible for existing faculty to prioritize instruction over research, then the university should hire more professors that are dedicated to instruction. Another option would be to require professors to take short, yearly crash courses on pedagogy in their field.

Following these crash courses, they should be given access to materials to refer to throughout the year to inform their instruction. UCR has an excellent Graduate School of Education, so such a program shouldn’t be difficult to organize. Students put in too much time, effort and money to be given subpar instruction. Not only is this frustrating to students, it degrades their ability to succeed in subsequent courses and possibly even their future career field. UCR has amazing faculty that produce groundbreaking research, but more can be done to ensure that the genius of the faculty can be imparted to undergraduate students. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

OPINIONS

Acknowledging the loneliness epidemic

MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

CYRUS TOSCO Contributing Writer

The advent of social media has had profound effects on our society. In a sense, humanity is now more connected than at any point in history. Yet, paradoxically, loneliness has arisen as a major mental health problem in recent years. Loneliness is a common, misunderstood issue our society needs to be addressed in the same way it addresses other mental health problems. Three out of four Americans currently

experience high to moderate levels of loneliness and the situation is so extreme that former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy describes it as an epidemic. Loneliness is a difficult subject to talk about due to its taboo cultural nature. Loneliness may be considered offensive to cultures that place a lot of value in the family unit, as loneliness seemingly implies that familial support has failed the individual. The lack of discussion about it leads most people to misunderstand the problem. Loneliness is best characterized as

a lack of meaningful relationships in one’s life. An individual may feel abused or socially isolated from their family, resulting in a lack of close family connections. In situations such as these, it is essential to remember that loneliness is a feeling everyone experiences at some point. Social media has been proven to have an adverse effect on loneliness as well. The depictions of life on social media commonly has users comparing their average days to others’ best days. Social media and loneliness are so

closely intertwined that a 10% rise in negative experience on social media resulted in a 13% increase in feelings of loneliness. Of course, hundreds of thousands of people subscribe to the incel ideology, which acknowledges the crushing feeling of loneliness as a perpetual nightmare of resentment and isolation. These pent-up feelings of rage have already manifested in one mass shooting in 2014 in Isla Vista, in which a self-described incel murdered six people and wounded 14 more. There is a light at the end of this long, melancholic tunnel, but recovery needs to start with acknowledging loneliness as an epidemic, especially considering the effects it can have on one’s health. Social isolation has proven to reduce one’s lifespan by a significant amount, and has shown to exacerbate heart disease, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24-hour helpline at 800-6624357. Simultaneously, free therapy sessions are available at Counseling and Psychological Services on campus by phone or in-person. On a more individual level, it is imperative to remember that, while some people may have unique problems in their own lives, humanity exists as a society. People are engaged in a constant collective struggle and in order to put an end to this issue, they need to accept each other as members of that society. All of humanity is struggling together, and in that sense, no one can be truly alone. All it takes is a kind understanding. ■H

Polyamory is a superior alternative to monogamy

ROBERT GOLD Contributing Writer

The destigmatization and legalization of polyamory in today’s age might provide Americans with an alternative to the more traditional monogamy. Research studies show that there are two leading causes of divorce in America today: infidelity and financial stress. Infidelity can create a stressful home environment without trust or communication and financial strain does not make for a happy household. “When a husband and wife can eliminate debt, a shift happens in their marriage. There’s a peace of mind they haven’t experienced before,” said Rachel Cruze, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and personal finance expert. In a research study performed by Ramsey Solutions in 2017, 50% of couples reported a combined total debt of over $50,000 and named it as their primary issue for arguments. Additional working spouses in the home that provide their income towards mortgages, food, car payments and other livelihoods would ease the financial burdens of a household. In Jeff Spross’ “What Polyamory Can Teach Us About the Economics of Family” he states, “The collapse of marriage for the poor and working class over the last few decades and the rise of divorce, single-parent homes, and general chaos in family structure — is well documented.” 40% of monogamous marriages end because of money-related issues while polyamorous marriages are intentionally designed to ease the financial burden of raising a family.

COURTESY OF PEXELS

Millions of American men and women have become the victims of infidelity, but this is unnecessary if trust, communication and open-mindedness are present in the relationship. Married couples do not and should not break up when polyamory is a completely healthy and viable option. With 40-50% of married women and 5060% of married men cheating, polyamory can save thousands of marriages. Critics of polyamory focus on the institutional basis of monogamy. They argue that it has existed for so long that it must be intrinsic to human nature. This is a false equivalency, as any historical precedent can take on that narrative. 19th century conservatives argued for maintaining the monarchy because of its historical prevalence, for example. As history does not reflect our modern

values, this argument does not hold water. Millions of people across America are engaged in polyamorous relationships. It is estimated that of the people living in the United States, 5% of couples are participating in polyamorous or open relationships. With a population of 327.2 million, that means that there are 16.3 million non-monogamous couples in America today. Further estimates show that 20% of Americans have at some point in their lives attempted some form of ethical non-monogamy in their relationships. This is no small percentage of the population. With nearly one in every 20 Americans engaging in polyamory, this minority group deserves its legally recognized civil rights. Just as the Supreme Court legalized samesex marriage in 2015 with Obergefell

v. Hodges in all 50 states, giving gay couples all the legal privileges of marital status including family adoption, family hospital visits, family public housing, family discounts and family tax incentives, polyamorous people deserve the same equal rights. In the United States, polyamorous marriages benefit from the fact that a single household, which would traditionally only have two incomes, now has six or seven income streams. Additionally, with so many marriages ending in divorce due to infidelity, sexual activity outside of marriage needs to be destigmatized. The destigmatization and legalization of polyamory would benefit couples across America as it may very well be a superior alternative to monogamy in the modern age. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

The violent riots in Hong Kong are motivated by a virulent strain of Sinophobia, not freedom or democracy

ANDY LI Contributing Writer

For the last five months, violent riots have rocked the city of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. Despite the activists’ claims that they are fighting for democracy, the truth is actually much more sinister. Countless examples of targeted violence and bigotry suggest that the movement is powered by a venomous hatred of mainland Chinese. The protests began in June after the Hong Kong government was on the verge of passing an extradition bill that would formalize agreements with mainland China. The motive of the extradition bill was spurred by the coldblooded murder of a pregnant Taiwanese woman by her boyfriend, a resident of Hong Kong. The murderer even admitted his guilt but escaped to Hong Kong before the Taiwanese authorities could pursue him, and to this day he remains a free man. Despite the fact that the Hong Kong government compromised with the rioters and withdrew the bill, the protests became more aggressive, with regular, violent attacks on mainland citizens. In one instance, a mainland Chinese reporter was physically assaulted by a mob of native Hong Kongers, demonstrating their utter disdain for freedom of the press. In another instance, a Mandarin speaker from the mainland was again violently attacked by anti-government mobs, proving that a movement founded on the premise of equality and liberty clearly doesn’t believe those values apply to their fellow citizens across the Shenzhen River. While the rioters continue to argue that their opposition to the extradition bill is born out of a fear of the Chinese government’s separate legal system, their deafening silence regarding other current extradition crises around the world exposes their hypocrisy and double standards. The same people opposing extradition of the murderer back to Taiwan have no problem with the U.S. government forcing Canada

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

to detain Huawei executive and Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou on warrantless charges. Additionally, American politicians sympathetic to the Hong Kong rioters are currently spearheading the tyrannical extradition of Australian whistleblower, Wikileaks founder and human rights activist Julian Assange, from Ecuador to the UK simply because he released Hillary Clinton’s scandalous emails to the public in 2016. Rioters proudly waved the British colonial flag during their protests despite the fact that under British rule, Hong Kong was forced at gunpoint to import opium, never experienced democracy and police brutality was rampant. By advocating for the return of foreign imperialism, the rioters have shown their true colors. Their hatred of China is the primary cause of their activism, not universal suffrage. To this day, the Hong Kong police have killed zero people. Hong Kong’s freedom index ranks third internationally, whereas the U.S. was ranked No. 13, yet American

politicians continue to lecture Hong Kong on how they should manage their police — all while violent deaths of AfricanAmericans continue to plague the black community at home. Some protestors went so far as to put up posters at Hong Kong International University celebrating “September 18,” a horrendous event in Chinese history when Japan began its brutal invasion of Manchuria. Once again, this inexcusable display of repugnance — a sickening insult to the 20 million courageous Chinese who gave their lives resisting Japanese fascism during WWII — proves yet again that the poisonous anti-government movement in Hong Kong is riddled with Sinophobic sentiment. Facts don’t matter to the Sinophobic Western media either, which is far more focused on demonizing China than consistently standing up for human rights. On Oct. 1, the same day China celebrated its 70th anniversary, Hong Kong police shot a terrorist who attempted to murder

two police officers with a hammer, but he survived. The Western media refused to report on the mob of a dozen terrorists swarming two police officers and threatening their lives, framing the event as an act of police brutality. Fortunately, a full video recording from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) provided the proper context to the event. Attempting to murder law enforcement officers is not the same as fighting for freedom. Freedom and democracy are noble ideas, but those who advocate for them must adhere to their own principles. Political violence under any circumstances should be universally condemned as a means of promoting one’s own ideals. By repeatedly displaying Sinophobic prejudice against mainland Chinese, the Hong Kong rioters have unmasked themselves for the brazen and lawless hypocrites that they really are. Until the protesters are capable of treating Chinese with the dignity entitled to them, the world should condemn their hateful and fanatical uprising. ■H

The dark side of greek life: shedding light on the humiliations that await prospective pledges

COURTESY OF PEXELS

MADISON RHEINS Contributing Writer

On the surface, participating in Greek life seems to be an innocent and quick way to network and make lifelong friends. What people often fail to notice, however, is the dark history associated with these organizations. Everyone wants friends and some people are willing to pay for them, but all too often those people don’t realize what they’re funding. Despite the evidence presented to the public, the option of joining a chapter is still a tempting one. Popularity and a sense of belonging can be a difficult addiction to shake. Greek life chapters have been around since as early as the 1800s and some have disturbing

connections to rape. A quick Google search on the history of sexual assault within the UC system alone yields dozens of articles citing instances of assault that have occured within the last decade at almost all of the UC schools. Nationwide, “Frat brothers rape 300% more. One in five women is sexually assaulted on campus.” The very first Greek letter social society that was considered an all-male fraternity was founded in 1824. When comparing the history to the statistics, one can only imagine the number of men and women who have fallen victim to these barbaric crimes of sexual assault over the last two centuries. To make matters worse, even if one wanted to join these groups, they have to go through the grueling process of having their self-worth

measured out in front of them. “Rushing,” which is the act of putting yourself on display for a chance for these groups to “bid” on you, is especially demeaning to young women as it includes hours upon hours of interviewing just to see if these girls have the right look to be a part of the chapter. Due to this shallow ritual, many girls don’t make it to bid day, meaning all of the friendships they’ve built up to that point were meaningless because they didn’t make the cut. If these groups want ideal women, they shouldn’t judge prospective members by their appearances. Candidates should be judged based on the contents of their brain. People with their own individual personalities are forced to assimilate to the culture of the chapter, oftentimes abandoning their morals and innocence. New members are groomed each year to uphold these superficial standards of appearance and behavior, only continuing the cycle for future generations. As if tearing down someone’s self esteem was not enough, Greek life makes many young men and women pledge their loyalty in distasteful ways. The topic of hazing is a very touchy one on many college campuses, but in the world of Greek life, hazing is a mandatory rite of passage required of anyone who wants to enter the chapter of their choosing. Humiliation is Greek life’s weapon of choice when it comes to instilling loyalty in people.

Girls and boys will get down on their knees in front of everyone at a party and chug alcohol to the point of vomiting. It seems like as long as no one gets killed, anything goes. It is often assumed that excessive hazing is a thing of the past, but people fail to recognize that there have been deaths as recent as last year. In 2018, a member of UCR’s Phi Alpha Phi fell victim to hazing. Although the frat was officially dismissed from the UCR campus, they are still organized and have parties frequently, putting so many other young adults in danger of meeting the same unfortunate fate. The risks aren’t worth growing one’s social group and doing philanthropy twice a month. Many of these organizations hide behind philanthropy in order to conceal their main goal of living out their party lifestyle and maintaining a high social status. Many people will argue that Greek life is not in and of itself bad, and that it was just a few bad apples that ruined it for everyone, but the frequent accusations of sexual assault and the numerous reports of hazing casualties suggest that these issues are indeed interwoven into the fabric of Greek life. The UC system, including UCR, prides itself on being forward thinking and inclusive, but these issues are happening right under their noses. Until people learn that they do not need to pay for validation, this harmful cycle will continue for centuries to come. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

COMICS TALL TAIL #31 BY: JUSTUS ROSS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

Features TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

FEATURES

FOOD TRUCK REVIEW 2019

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

BY: HIGHLANDER STAFF

OAXACA ON WHEELS By: Samuel Harrison, Senior Staff Writer

Served in an unassuming cardboard tub, the Chicken Mole Tacos from Oaxaca on Wheels are a serviceable little snack that might be worth picking up if you like your chicken dry and your mole sauce on the sweeter side. This dish’s charm lies in its simplicity: for $11 you can get three tacos heaped with grilled chicken and doused with Oaxacan mole sauce. Unfortunately, said simplistic charm does leave something to be desired. As mentioned above, the grilled chicken was very dry, and might have been just a tad overcooked for my liking. The mole itself was serviceable. It had a gentle sweetness to it that eases into a spiciness that sneaks up on you, but it isn’t quite worth writing home about. The sauce sits too comfortably between savory and sweet, without delivering well on either flavor. The Food Truck Festival is a rare treat to see here at UCR, so if you usually enjoy mole tacos, Oaxaca’s might be worth a shot. They aren’t quite like any other taco I’ve had, and the bittersweet mole is certainly a culinary experience worth having if you’re curious. If that doesn’t immediately sound appealing to you, however, you might be better off ordering something else of the menu.

Chicken Mole Tacos $11 SARA BERNAL / HIGHLANDER

OKAMOTO KITCHEN By: Jordan Hom, Senior Staff Writer

Okamoto Kitchen features a myriad of different options to sample for those looking to delve into a taste of Japanese cuisine. The menu provides a diverse array of samplers for a relatively cheap price to go along with a mouth-watering chicken, pork or beef burger. Okamoto also offers vegan and vegetarian options so this truck has a little something for everyone. At $8, the Yanki burger featured a grilled beef patty, fried over easy egg, shredded cabbage topped with their sesame-infused teriyaki sauce over a crispy bun. While the burger was a bit on the small side, the oozing egg yolk blended perfectly over the fresh char of the beef patty. For my side dish, I ordered the $4 Japanese BBQ house fries. The fries were thin and crispy and the BBQ flavor gave them a strong and powerful taste. While they were a bit salty and dry, they were still quite good to indulge in after each crunchy bite. However, for next time, perhaps ordering a milk tea or a fruity soda on the menu can help to dilute the saltiness of the fries. Overall, I would recommend this food truck to any UCR student that enjoys Japanese cuisine or even has a remote interest in trying different cultures of food.

Yanki Burger $8 House Fries $4 MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER

MIDDLE FEAST By: Alejandro Meza-Aguilar

The Middle Feast food truck’s presentation is very calm and different from the other multicolored food trucks. The truck is designed as an eye-catching cityscape but it camouflages out in the open. The only distinctions that broke the camouflage were the accolades and images of their dishes. The images distinguish what food is vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. The staff seemed very attentive, considering my burrito came out in five minutes. The food upon first look is very Instagram worthy. The burrito was robust with quinoa, falafel, coleslaw, cucumber and tahini dressing. Unfortunately, it was dry and nearly flavorless other than the nuttiness of the falafel. The tahini sauce felt absent even if it was visible. It was a filling option but it doesn’t prove it’s $16 worth due to the flavor component of the burrito. The overall experience of the Middle Feast food truck based on appearance, customer service, food presentation and flavor execution is subpar.

Falafel Burrito $16 ALEJANDRO MEZA-AGUILAR / HIGHLANDER

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

FEATURES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

BELLY BOMBZ

By: Jamie Peterson, Contributing Writer

Spicy Garlic Parmesan Platter $14.07 SARA BERNAL / HIGHLANDER

With the name “Belly Bombz,” one expects a bomb of zesty flavor when biting into its Korean-inspired wings. Instead, the food truck is plastered with pictures of soaked wings and infamous shows such as “Food Network” and “KTLA 5” that featured the business at one time. Their successful advertising might have had students leaving with a bomb of savory flavors but also empty wallets. At a whopping $14.07 (plus an additional 50 cent card charge), the Spicy Garlic Parmesan Platter consists of eight boneless wings soaked in a tangy orange sauce topped with shredded parmesan cheese, chopped green cilantro, and cornered with a side of coleslaw. Despite drowning in sauce, the first couple of bites leave you with a satisfying crunch. Flavor wise, the spiciness of the sauce does not overwhelm the cheese but instead enhances it, resulting in a dense, almost nacho-like taste with a spicy kick. As for plating, the coleslaw cornered at the top is a failed attempt. This idea of contrasting the wings with a fresh taste of veggies is soiled by the pool of sauce that covers the entirety of the platter. As a result, the truck seems to focus heavily on their sauces to deliver the bomb of flavors it advertises, but its $14 price tag and half-hour wait line isn’t worth it. If the platter was less than half the original price or incorporated in a combo option, I would definitely recommend its fusion taste.

JOJO’S GRILL-A-DOG By: Colin Carney, Senior Staff Writer

This year’s annual UCR Food Truck Festival featured an amazing assortment of hot dogs with Jojo’s Grill-A-Dog. Jojo’s provides a variety of hot dogs and toppings as well as the ability to craft your own to satisfy your hunger. My go-to this year was the Pastrami Dog, which was prominently advertised on a sign in front of the truck. Served with your choice of dog (I chose a bratwurst), pastrami, yellow mustard, grilled onions and pickle slice for $10, the pastrami dog did not disappoint. After taking a few bites, I found myself deeply satisfied with my purchase as the brat was grilled to perfection and the accompanying pastrami and onions added to the delicious flavor. The only gripe I could find with the dog was that the pastrami wasn’t very well packed into the hot dog causing some slight spillage. Additionally, as can be the case with hot dogs with so many ingredients packed in, the bun never tore apart or became too soggy. For the duration of the meal, the bun kept its integrity and my enjoyment of the hot dog never diminished. Overall, despite being a bit pricey, the dog did not fail to satisfy my hunger. As has been the case in previous years, Jojo’s Grill-A-Dog delivers on quality hot dogs and a worthwhile food truck snack.

Pastrami Dog $10 SARA BERNAL / HIGHLANDER

KONO PIZZA

By: Adam Alvernaz, Senior Staff Writer

One of the more unique food trucks featured was Kono Pizza, which switches up traditional pizza by rolling it up into a cone and serving it like ice cream. After taking a look at their menu, I decided to go with the pepperoni cone with jalapeno for $9.75. While the treat is most certainly scrumptious, eating one is easier said than done. The hard pizza shell pushes the delicious pizza to the top when you bite into it which can make it overflow a little. However that didn’t stop me from enjoying the cone like pizza that really made every ingredient more tasty. Despite this, the portions are a little small, and $8 for a basic cheese cone is a little pricey. That said, the cone is filling enough as a small meal. Kono Pizza even makes desert cones with nutella and tiramisu. Overall, the truck is a fun unique take on italian cuisine that is sure to make you rethink how to eat pizza!

Pepperoni Cone with Jalapeno $9.75 SARA BERNAL / HIGHLANDER

COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER By: Alexandria Esteban, Contributing Writer

If you’re a fan of seafood, you probably swung by Cousins Maine Lobster Truck during the Fall Food Truck Festival. The truck was one of many that arrived on campus that day, but as soon as the windows opened, a line of people began to form. The people in the truck worked diligently to move the line along as fast as possible while still managing to be friendly to each customer. It only took me about 10 minutes to get the Connecticut Roll ($16.25). The menu items on the truck were pricier than many of the food items that were being sold at the festival, but it did not disappoint. The Connecticut Roll’s toasted slice of bread piled high with warm, buttery pieces of lobster made for a great tasting experience. However, the portion size could have been slightly bigger. While it was great that the roll was filled with as much lobster as it could carry, there was not enough of the actual roll to balance it out. Overall, Cousins Maine Lobster Truck is a little expensive but the quality of the food is unmatched. If it were cheaper or if the portion sizes were bigger, then Cousins Maine Lobster Truck would be even more enjoyable than it already is. ■H

Connecticut Roll $16.25 ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN / HIGHLANDER

FEATURES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

Spooky Season:

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B OTA N ICA L BEAUTY A N D ITS BEAST

By: Mark Bertumen, Senior Staff Writer

There’s been talk about that old dome in the Botanic Gardens. 35 years standing are those rounded wood lathes, rotting and on the brink of crashing down to dust. I hope it gets ﬁxed soon; there’s too much to lose if it all falls apart.

bone of mine froze solid when I was met with a new sound: a voice, more akin to a roar and deafening, resounding — terrifying. “RETURN TO THE EARTH.”

To get why I’m saying that, I’ll let you in on a secret: you know that bearded iris section of the Gardens, tons of ﬂowers in all sorts of colors? I planted all of them. Crazy, right? How could one gardener go about planting all of those irises? Well, I’ll tell you.

It was after this bone-chilling command that I heard a scream, more human in nature. Still under the dome, I looked to where the bearded irises would be, as they weren’t there yet, and saw what seemed to be a homeless person. How they got in, I don’t know, but the cause of their fear was well-justiﬁed.

It all started with the dome, a handful of years ago. I was doing some late night pruning then, on a cool night under a full moon. I had only just picked up the job, and I was ambitious back then. I wanted to make the Gardens beautiful. From fronds to petals, from stalks to trunks, there’s an allure in every little sprout and seedling I see, but back then I thought the Gardens were lacking. Everything just seemed so … lifeless.

He and I could only look up in shock at that golem. A behemoth creature, human in shape but ten times the size of one, composed of dirt and covered in bushes, roots and ﬂowers. Where the eyes would be was only void-like holes.

B o o m. Suddenly the ground quaked, and leaves rustled all around the dome. Pots fell over, and I almost did the same. The shaking subsided but b o o m, soon came another earthly shift. You know how when you slam a table, everyone else can feel it? That’s what this felt like; it was like a boulder thwomped itself into the ground … then somehow lifted up and thwomped again. Or maybe… stomped? Footsteps?

“KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ONE W I T H NATURE.”

B o o m. B o o m. B O O M. Whatever shook the earth was getting closer, and the earth’s strengthening tremors only intensiﬁed mine. But every shivering

into the dirt. I couldn’t hear any more screams, the earthy palm too thick to let them through. The golem bent down and pushed the helpless homeless into the dirt, almost like a seed. When the golem got back up, I couldn’t even tell there was a corpse in the soil, even with the moonlight illuminating the Gardens. But it was bright enough to see the golem turn its gaze to me. “JOIN HIM.” Before I could even process the option to run, the golem leapt for me; a t its apex the frame of its leafy body was encased within the circle of the moon, as if in the center of a lunar spotlight. Looking back, I would dare say it was a thing of beauty.

T h e golem took an enormous hand to the man, smothering his fearparalyzed b o d y

It crashed into the earth right in front of the dome, making e v e r y p l a n t i n s i d e tremble and every p o t topple. D u s t shook from the already weakened

wooden lathes of the dome. Strangely it seemed to affect the golem the same way, as it groaned and pieces of its body fell off. I fell on my butt from the point-blank seismic slam, and soon after the golem threw itself over me. My nose met with the dank moist mud and musty foliage of the golem’s body. Every orifice of my face was clogged with dirt. The world was muffled. It was dark. I was above the ground and yet six feet under, and the dirt turned my screams into nothing more than hopeless murmurs. And yet I’m alive now because of what the golem saw in me that night. Before I suffocated, the golem removed himself from me and stood outside of the dome. Once I finished coughing up dirt, It looked down at me and told a truth I’ll never forget. “You know what true beauty is.” No longer did it’s hulking voice distraught my ears. The golem understood; it saw the passion I wished to pour into the Gardens. It understood that I did not know how to express it. “I would be honored to assist you in your task.” I understood that the answer was here. If you take a seat on the bench inside the dome, you’ll be looking right at the bearded irises. Compared to the rest of the Gardens, those masterpieces of mine possess the truest of beauty. ■H

B OTAN IC GARDENS GIANT Underneath the gardens bloom, The roots grow deep. But just beneath their reach, A giant sleeps. There he’s been for a thousand years. His disturbed slumber makes for rustling bushes, Turning in his sleep, making the world above move.

By Sabrina Hunter

Escaping through the dome, Piece by piece becoming loose until now When he walks the gardens. His dark silhouette blocking the moon, Consumed in darkness. One night a year, He will stay out on campus; And the thunderous thuds that you hear at night Are the Garden Giant.

FEATURES

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

GOI NG N UTTY By: Samuel Harrison, Senior Staff Writer

This morning was a good one. The VRRRRR sound my phone made as it vibrated against my mattress pad woke me up from the last good dream I think I’m gonna have for a while. Sheepishly, as if my body knew I shouldn’t answer this call, shouldn’t put myself through the hell I was about to put myself through, I swiped the green “answer” button to the right and put the receiver to my ear. It was my editor. She had an assignment for me. Nothing big, she said. It was super short notice, so she understood if I wouldn’t be able to take the article. I was to go and interview the man behind Furry Boi. You may have heard of him. To many here at UCR, Furry Boi was a hero. He found his fame as a write-in candidate for 2018’s ASUCR elections. Despite running as a literal joke, the man behind the squirrel mask pulled in a sizeable amount of student votes, garnering support from both students who were disillusioned with the student government and students who were meme-lords. And he sent us an email saying he wanted to give a full interview today. I told my editor that I’d throw on my clothes and run there right now. I was excited to sink my teeth into journalism. How was I supposed to know the consequences? Please, dear reader, tell me — how was I supposed to know? Tagging along with me was expert photographer Martin Lopez, who was assigned to take pictures of the squirrel boy for my article. We were on our way up to the ASUCR Senate Chambers, his requested meeting location, when we first saw him, peeking over the railing of the second floor of the HUB so as to steal a glance at us. I was surprised to see him in full

squirrel costume. Watching those lifeless, devil eyes follow us as we made our way up the stairs sent shivers down my spine, but I shook them off. Steeled my nerves. He was in costume because it would make a good photo opportunity. Yes. What a guy. He pulled away from the railing as we neared the stairs, his furry visage there one moment and gone the next. At the top of the staircase, we found the doors to the ASUCR Senate Chamber open, so we stepped inside. Inside he stood at the head of the horseshoe. He was much larger in person than he had looked in the school paper. And his costume was much shabbier. His squirrel mask seemed oversized on him now, and it hung limp to the side, cocked in an indelible expression of curiosity. He began walking towards us, and I realized for the first time that this thing is not at all the mild-mannered man that charmed UCR those two years ago. It’s strange. When you’re confronted with something too horrible for your mind to comprehend your body has one of three choices. You can run, you can fight, or you can freeze. I froze. Martin didn’t. My photographer friend had the wherewithal to run, and that was the first and only mistake he’d be allowed to make that night. As he scrambled past the gallery chairs to reach the chamber doors, Furry Boi started after him at a gallop’s pace, and within seconds the floor of the senate chamber was painted various shades of red. I wish I could say I tried to help him, but I’d be a liar. You might call me a coward, or worse, a murderer, for standing there and not doing anything as a man-beast gobbled up my friend

like he was the first flesh it had laid its paws on since winter hibernation came to an end, but I would like to see you do anything else in my position. That squirrel made my blood run cold and Martin’s run red. Oh, dear reader, the scene I saw is too grotesque to describe, so for the dignity of my photographer I won’t describe it, but I won’t forget it either. I’ll never forget what that squirrel did to him. By the time it had finished its meal I was still standing there, feet glued to the floor. The wretched beast looked up from his meal with his stained mask and stared at me. Martin was a brave, brave man but now he was lying on the floor in ribbons — what does that make me? It made me able to run again, that’s for damn sure. Martin was a goner but, seeing as you’re reading this right now, I’m clearly different. The same cold blood that ran through my veins and left me frozen in place now seemed to fill my head fit to burst. I scrambled out of the room, leaped down the HUB stairs and didn’t look back until I was safe inside my apartment again. Dearest student body, expect an email from John Freese tonight. If you or your loved ones see a man in a squirrel costume, please run the other way. I don’t know what caused him to lash out like this. Nobody can say for sure. I don’t think the man I met today was the man who donned the squirrel costume during the ASUCR elections. No, I don’t think the man I met today was a man at all. I’ve never seen a man wolf down a fellow human being, handful (pawful?) of flesh after handful. If that thing was a man, well, I gotta say — that guy was nuts. ■H

CH ECK OUT MOR E

Spooky Season Stories ON LI N E AT H IGH LA N DER N EWS.ORG

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

R’Garden Festival

By: Ashley Perez and Adriana Mandujano Angel, Contributing Writers

On Saturday, Oct. 26, the R’Garden hosted the first Fall Harvest Festival. The festival was hosted in Lot 30, where UCR’s first pumpkin patch was located. The pumpkins themselves were grown by the R’Garden and sold by volunteers for $5 each. Although the event started at 11 a.m., attendees were already waiting around 10:45 a.m. Music was playing in the background as families and people walked around looking at the various displays of insects, provided by the department of entomology, who featured a live Rosy Boa named Timmy. People could actually handle the calm snake, who was very smooth and enjoyed being softly petted. There were many activities that children, teens and adults alike could enjoy. Some of the activities were pumpkin painting, face painting, rock painting, decoration making and different setups for taking photos. It was a lively atmosphere with children wearing Halloween costumes and having fun. Many organizations had candy at their tables, and children had an early trick-or-treating experience. Once everyone got settled in, the event organizer stood up to the mic and greeted the visitors. “Hey everyone! This is the R’Garden, this is a place for all students to come and hang out. The R’Garden is accessible to all students, there are community plots, open for the community of staff, students, anyone that wants to grow their own vegetables,” they said. “All we ask is for people to tend their own crops and five hours of volunteer time a quarter. We want to bring more of the

UCR community out here, since it’s free for you to use,” he mentioned. This is the first year R’Garden hosted this kind of event and made a goal was to grow around 1,000 pumpkins, a mark which they went over by “a couple hundred.” The R’Garden is also responsible for the fresh fruits and

vegetables that the R’Pantry gives to students facing food insecurity. Organizations were tabling and among them was R’Kids, who were raffling prizes and doing face painting to raise funds for their club. The mission of R’Kids is to create a safe space for students and parents in the UCR community. The club aims to have a support system composed of individuals that understand the struggles of being a parent at UCR. Yvonne Marquez, a

fourth-year history major and president of the R’Kids organization mentioned how they’re trying to become a student resource center, such as the Women’s Resource Center or the Chicano Resource Center. “The main goal of this event was mainly for awareness, we’ve struggled

“Jeopardy!” style information session to teach the audience about different aspects of sustainability. Lissete Ochoa, a third-year sustainability major, explained that they thought it “was a good opportunity to teach about sustainability in the R’Garden where people can practice using natural fertilizers or composting. Since this is a student event, we want to make students more aware about sustainability.” The office’s main goal is to reach policy goals relating to water, food waste and gas emissions. “UCR is a little off track regarding the policy reducing our carbon footprint, but we definitely improved with reducing our food waste,” said Gianna Palala, a fourth-year public policy major. Playing the trivia game was definitely a new, innovative way to help educate students and families and winners got a small thermos. The first 250 to check in also received a free vegetarian meal catered by Plant Power Fast Food. Participants had the choice of three-piece tenders or a “beefy” cheeseburger, and the line for the LLOYD KAO / HIGHLANDER food was especially long. The Kona Ice truck was in the same area for a bit to maintain the organization … to help attendees beat the heat alongside we’re ignored by the school, we don’t the Sweet Stop food truck, which sold really know how many of us (student- funnel cakes and other desserts. parents) there are,” elaborated Marquez. “We heard about the event by email,” The organization is volunteer-based and said Moraima, who did not provide self-funded, as it receives no funds from her last name. She brought her son to the school. They hope to eventually the event to enjoy the festivities. “We have drop-in child care hours located wanted him to pick a pumpkin out,” on campus for parents and their children she finished. The pumpkin patch was with multiple staff members. a popular attraction, with people of all The Office of Sustainability had a ages purchasing pumpkins or just taking different approach to tabling by hosting a pictures with them. ■H

LLOYD KAO/ HIGHLANDER

Radar 18

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

h t i W g n i v 'Li ' f l e s r u o Y shows the duality of man with Paul Rudd’s excellent performance By: Anna Baik, Contributing Writer Let’s face it: life can be rough. Careers, relationships, school — it can all appear meaningless in a blink of an eye. Why is that? Paul Rudd’s character in Netflix’s “Living with Yourself” tackles this very issue — but in an unconventional way. “Living with Yourself” focuses on Miles Elliot (Rudd), an employee at Pool Marketing who is unhappy in his work and personal life. A successful coworker tells him about Top Happy Spa, a mysterious spa run by two equally mysterious scientists, that will change him for the better. Desperate for a change, Miles gets the procedure done and he comes out feeling rejuvenated. When he returns home, his wife Kate (Aisling Bea) is surprised to see how bright he is. Miles had become a whole new person, but of course, everything is not what it seems. Miles discovers that the spa made a clone of him and planned on killing the sad, damaged version of himself. The series dives into how Miles deals with his relationship with his clone, and vice versa. While “Living with Yourself” is advertised as a comedy, it is moreso a drama focused on inner crisis. There is something inherently sad about Miles’ life that most people can relate to. Miles was once an encouraging, fun-loving man that had a good relationship with his colleagues and family. Now, he struggles to find anything worth living for and only finds happiness when writing a play, rather than being with the people around him. Burnout is something that successful, hard working people deal with on an everyday basis, leading to mental disorders like depression. This is a common, yet powerful message to be shared with audiences. Sure, there are laughs to be had around the awkward dynamic between Miles and New Miles. However, “Living With Yourself” delves deep into what makes you unique and what makes you happy. Each episode is structured in an interesting way. Initially, it takes on the perspective of Old Miles. Then, it shifts gears to see the show through the eyes of New Miles. This serves to reveal shocking discoveries and clear up any plot holes or inconsistencies in the episode. Interestingly enough, the switching of perspectives reveals that New Miles, despite being perfect in every sense on the outside, is actually very cold-hearted. Rudd’s performance in “Living with Yourself” deserves to be praised. Old Miles bares such a huge difference to New Miles despite appearing and sounding similar. It’s the little things — the unkempt hair, the frown, even some gestures — that set

him totally apart from New Miles. Rudd believably plays two contrasting characters so well that it’s difficult to tell that both Miles are played by the same actor. Bea’s performance evolves over the course of the season; she goes from being cold and distant to more accepting of New Miles. It’s apparent in the beginning of the series how her character refuses to embrace Miles but then grows closer and closer to him in other episodes. Rudd’s banter with Dan (Desmin Borges), his coworker turned enemy, is hilarious as well. The way Borges’ character transitions from looking down on Miles to being overly jealous and hateful when Miles suddenly becomes successful is representative of their whole relationship. There is a scene where Miles reveals he has a clone to his coworkers. Instead of being shocked, Dan chuckles and sips his drink, truly showcasing how his character wants to see Miles’ downfall. While her moments were brief, Miles’ eccentric younger sister Maia (Alia Shawkat) had some notable lines and words of advice to the struggling Miles. Her character was rather random with her appearance and lifestyle, but in a show about human cloning, she’s not totally out of place. Creator and showrunner Timothy Greenberg’s approach with human cloning is definitely an interesting way to make a statement about burnout. It proposes a question: what if I could just start over? And if I can start over, what would happen if I was able to meet the better version of myself? Greenberg’s message serves to answer all these hypothetical questions in a creative way. While other shows use the old meeting your clone trope for a quick gag, “Living With Yourself” takes on a much more realistic and dramatic take. The aspect of human cloning does make the show more science fiction in nature, but Rudd’s performance gives it a sense of normalcy. By setting the series in a suburb, Greenberg tries to appeal his message to everyday people with everyday problems. Initially, “Living With Yourself” seems like a fun dramedy about human cloning. However, it instead tackles many of life’s toughest issues and gives its own perspective for audiences to ponder. Yes, “Living With Yourself” is simply an eight episode series in which each episode spans about 30 minutes, but it has a lasting impact and makes for great entertainment. While there has not been an official consensus on a second season, the first season had its highlights with an interesting cast and creative storytelling. ■H COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Verdict

“Living with Yourself” is a fun, emotional and honest portrayal of a midlife crisis that’s a solid watch and easy to binge. Rudd’s performance is not to be overshadowed as he is able to believably play two separate characters. Overall, “Living with Yourself” had a great start and is worth the watch.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Season two of

‘THE HOUSE of FLOWERS’

is a worthy follow-up to the dysfunctional humor of season one By: Lizbeth Marquez Torres, Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The second season of the Spanish-language Netflix soap opera “The House of Flowers,” colloquially known as “La Casa de Las Flores” in Spanish, debuted on Friday, October 18. Since its premiere on Netflix last August, fans have been patiently awaiting part two of the hilarious telenovela. The first season of the show was an international success because of its progressive but still hilarious qualities. On magazine covers, the de la Moras might seem like the perfect family, but the show has done a fantastic job at unraveling the relatable and complicated dynamic of a truly dysfunctional family. Evidently, season two is simply an extension of the hilarious melodrama that season one is all about. Because season one was an international sensation, it’s not surprising that season two is also a hit and the rumors circulating about a potential third season have already begun to spread. Season two invites us back into the lives of the de la Mora family, whose members include the troublemaking Julian

(Dario Yazbek Bernal), the sex-addicted Elena (Aislinn Derbez) and Paulina (Cecilia Suarez), the oldest and possibly most self-destructive of the three siblings. The first season was filled with love triangles, complicated relationships and secrets, so expect more of the same in season two.

been brainwashed by a religious cult that is slowly taking what’s left of the family funds. Through the same style and tone of the first season, the siblings reunite to seek revenge on Diego (Juan Pablo Medina) and buy back the flower shop, hoping it’ll bring their dysfunctional but loving family

Although the siblings don’t agree on everything, the soap opera does a fantastic job at showing their sibling love in a way that makes the audience want to keep up with all of their shenanigans. Each sibling lives in their own world with their own problems but they collectively suffer from the loss of their family flower shop. Not only did they lose their beloved flower shop, the siblings are also mourning the death of a loved one. Although they’re in different places, the gang can easily slip back into their personalities to deal with their father, Ernesto (Arturo Rios), who has

together. As noted in season one, “The House of Flowers” is a unique show that moves between cringy musical numbers to raunchy sex scenes, but it also gives us touching moments where you truly empathize with the character’s issues. In season one, Paulina’s character revolves around her Xanax addiction and witty attacks on her siblings.

Verdict:

Season two of “The House of Flowers” paid great respect to its predecessor. At times, the show can be a little too dramatic or unrealistic but that’s what TV is for. The de la Mora family reminds us that families aren’t perfect, but that’s okay.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

However, season two really displays Paulina’s character development by showing why she’s so determined to buy the family flower shop back, a stark contrast to the decision that Paulina from season one would’ve made. Although the siblings don’t agree on everything, the soap opera does a fantastic job at showing their sibling love in a way that makes the audience want to keep up with all of their shenanigans. The de la Mora family might be the most dysfunctional and unorthodox of families, but despite all of their differences, the bond they share can get them through anything, as noted in season two. Through its scenes of twisted humor, overly sexual encounters and moving moments, the second season has made fans fall for the show all over again. Because of the heavy scenes and explicit material, I only recommend the show to mature audiences who are looking for a good laugh. ■H

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

RADAR

REPLAY Radar Replay allows the Radar writers to celebrate a certain piece of media for its impactfulness or importance. It’s here where we get the chance to discuss the significance of our favorite pop culture pieces and the value they carry today.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

DECADES AFTER ITS RELEASE, ‘GHOSTBUSTERS’ REMAINS A HALLOWEEN CLASSIC

COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES

COLIN CARNEY Senior Staff Writer

With Halloween coming this week, it’s important to look back and relive the thrills and chills of ghostly movies that make the season so special. Most often, audiences turn toward horrors and thrillers, but one spectral film stands out not for its scares but for its laughs: “Ghostbusters.” The film follows three university scientists fascinated with the paranormal who set out to start their own business capturing bothersome spooks. These scientists include the cool Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), the excitable Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and the brainiac Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). They were later joined by the

everyman Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) who was hired after seeing a help wanted ad. Together, the four ghostbusters must work together to stop an ancient Sumerian god before it kills Venkman’s love interest and destroys the world. Following its initial release, “Ghostbusters” went on to be a comedy classic which spurred an animated series in 1986, a sequel in 1989 and a reboot in 2016. The success of the original is due to several combining factors, but none more important than its iconic cast and characters. Each member of the Ghostbusters crew is unique and adds to every scene they’re in. Even though Bill Murray’s smooth-talking Peter Venkman is often treated as the lead, every other member of the team has significant time to shine and never get overshadowed by another. Ray is a child at heart and always excited when he discovers a new ghost. Egon is the loveable egghead who’s always the smartest in the room. Even Winston Zeddemore, considered by some to be the weakest or least consequential member of the team, offers the everyman viewpoint for the audience. Additionally, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts each steal the scenes they’re in despite only being supporting characters. Every member of the cast, whether it is a lead or supporting, adds to the perfection of the film. Their comedic timing and attention to detail in their performances is astounding as each member of the ensemble endears themselves to the audience by the film’s end and makes the movie a classic. Though the cast is undoubtedly the greatest part of the film, the plot and comedy is thoroughly amazing as well. The humor has stood the test of time as the film is still quoted by countless fans and the film has been rewatched endlessly. The simple story of three underappreciated university scientists starting out on their own and becoming local heroes is an inspiring and funny story that still captivates audiences today. Even the effects, often a burden to the longevity of old movies, hold up today as the film never overly relies on CGI. “Ghostbusters” is a comedy classic that has stood the test of time and is well worth a replay this Halloween. ■H

‘Luigi’s Mansion,’ the spookiest underrated classic! ADAM ALVERNAZ Senior Staff Writer

With Halloween and “Luigi’s Mansion 3” quickly approaching, it’s important to understand where Luigi started his frightening series. Releasing alongside the Gamecube, “Luigi’s Mansion” introduced players to a unique and eerie mansion full of frights. The game creates the perfect spooky atmosphere for players traversing the mansion; the music booms as ghosts appear down on top of you randomly to frighten the lights out of poor Luigi. With his new vacuum cleaner, the Poltergust 3000, he trudges through three floors of madness. Despite the terrors, many dismissed the game as it was a major departure from the regular Super Mario Bros franchise. In fact, many avoided playing it in favor of “Super Mario Sunshine,” a Mario game which would eventually release in the following nine months. Despite the fact many have forgotten about Luigi’s first main title, it proves to be one of Nintendo’s more underrated titles that spawned a series full of terrors. The main gameplay revolves around Luigi traversing the treacherous mansion, finding keys to unlock rooms and hunting down boos to eventually fight King Boo. Luigi is also tasked with cleaning, which earns him money as every inch of the deserted mansion is chock full of cash. Later the money is tallied and used to build Luigi a new mansion! While relatively simple in concept, the ghost catching mechanics throw Luigi violently around the room while the player uses the control sticks to steady the vacuum cleaner and pull the ghost in with it’s suction power! Exploring each room to face the new portrait ghost is always exciting as each are thematically appropriate. The rogues gallery is full of ghastly character types for Luigi to use his trusty vacuum to clean up. Like Chauncey the spoiled child and Shivers the wandering butler, the creative and cartoony designs make for each spirit encounter to be better than the last. While this sounds excitingly spooky, the game does run short with only about six hours of content packed in. Looking back on it, “Luigi’s Mansion” was great because of the development team’s creativity and confidence in making a cartoon horror game. It’s absurd to think that the game was originally just a tech demo to show off the Gamecube’s hardware. While the appeal of the game did not reach the mass Nintendo fanbase, the game is still a treat overall, albeit a little short. “Luigi’s Mansion” is an excellent scary game with fun mechanics, brilliant art direction and is most certainly worth a replay this spooky season. ■H

COURTESY OF NINTENDO

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/arts

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OFF

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

Record the

Angel Olsen self-reflects in new album ‘All Mirrors’ Melissa Peykani, Contributing Writer

COURTESY OF JAGJAGUWAR

Verdict:

Albums can tell stories just like cinema can, and in some ways better. Albums can offer an abundance of drama without telling a linear narrative, such as Angel Olsen’s “All Mirrors.” In Olsen’s fifth and most recent release, she employs the extensive use of strings throughout the whole album to accentuate the grandiosity of the project. For instance, the first track “Lark” feels like a slow burn as the strings slowly build to their climax in the last half of the beautiful six minute grand opening. Additionally, Olsen throws in a handful of upbeat anthems for the lovesick, such as the track “What It Is” in which she questions the difference between finding real love and finding something or someone to fill an emptiness inside oneself. Olsen ends the album with “Chance” which juxtaposes her gritty vocals with a sweeping waltz tempo and sounds like the finale to an old Hollywood musical. Similar to Bowie’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll

Suicide,” both pieces of music progress in their grandiosity to their eventual peak and end their respective albums with such satisfaction that is seldom heard elsewhere. What is truly a phenomenal feat is the fact that Olsen has two different types of singing voices: the smooth, radio-friendly one she utilizes in the titular track “All Mirrors” and the warbling, tear-soaked timbre heard in the rawest piece on the album, “Endgame.” Her vocal range is incredible as it conveys the wide array of emotions in the album such as fear, grief, regrowth and heartbreak. Furthermore, Olsen has deﬁnitely changed her style over the course of her career, going from a more “mainstream” sound with “MY WOMAN” to a more synth-heavy and intense vibe, which is more relatable to listeners. Some may not appreciate this artistic evolution, but change is inevitable as an artist and especially as a musician. ■H

“All Mirrors” drips with emotional intensity, as each song melts into the other. She encourages the listener to imagine their life as a movie with her album as the soundtrack.

Desert Daze disappoints following Shintaro’s unforeseen cancelation KOBY PARK Contributing Writer

From Friday, Oct. 10 to Sunday, Oct. 13, Lake Perris State Recreation Area transformed into the psychedelic haven of bum gypsies and groundbreaking musicians alike in an event known as Desert Daze. It was my first time experiencing the Daze so I had to go all out — full weekend passes, camping and everything. The silky smooth, folk-rock set by Faye Webster was the highlight of Friday. The day zoomed by; then, all of a sudden it was Saturday and the next thing I knew I was inhaling clouds of dust while moshing to “Whip It” by DEVO during their alleged last tour ever. While the festival and all its antics proved to be something of another world, I patiently waited for the last day which promised the arrival of Japanese psychedelic-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto, who would

be debuting in America. Come Sunday, I met up with DJ Clumsy Tung at the Block Stage and heard the news: Shintaro wasn’t performing. Shintaro was not able to make it because of a typhoon in Japan that had been forcing airlines to cancel flights all weekend. While those few moments of agony and disbelief threw off the energy for a quick second, I did my best to not let the news bog down the remainder of the festival. The replacement act, English rock band Ride, didn’t help my spirits either. Their far-too loud set didn’t even acknowledge that they were filling in for Shintaro. They simply took the stage and went on with their set, acting like nothing happened which I assume must have really upset the fans of Shintaro who had not yet heard the news. Nonetheless, the festival made for a transformative and notable weekend. ■H

COURTESY OF DESERT DAZE

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

Men’s soccer draws against CSUN, loses to Sacramento State KEVIN SANCHEZ-NERI Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, UC Riverside men’s soccer (6-7-3, 1-4-1) welcomed the CSU Northridge (CSUN) Matadors (6-7-2, 1-3-2). The Highlanders scored late in the first half and played a solid game on defense. The Matadors would eventually net the equalizer in the first half and send the game to a scoreless overtime, which resulted in a draw. UCR’s defense gave the Matadors trouble all night as CSUN accumulated only three shots in the first half. In the 42nd minute, sophomore midfielder Caio Guazzelli, scored the first and only goal thanks to junior midfielder Adrian Medina, who pushed the ball into the box to set up Guazzelli for the chip in. The Highlanders would build on the momentum in the second half, adding seven more shots, but to no success. CSUN responded with their own defensive effort and gained back their confidence due to a goal scored in the 63rd minute by junior forward Daniel Trejo. Senior goalkeeper Edwyn Gutierrrez also had a strong performance, hauling in four saves on the day. Although the game didn’t have the flashiest box score, both teams’ defense had stellar performances that led to the match resulting in a draw. Both teams combined for a total of seven saves which showcases the defensive effort on both sides. Both teams now had their lone conference draw and found themselves tied for 6th place in the Big West with the Sacramento State Hornets. All three

teams were tied with a 1-3-1 conference record before UCR took on the Hornets on senior night. On Saturday, Oct. 26 the Highlanders then hosted Sacramento State (7-8-2, 2-3-1) in their final home game of the season, looking to move out of the threeway tie in the standings. Unfortunately for the Highlanders, a second consecutive overtime contest brought a different fate this time around. Both squads drew successful penalty kicks; freshman midfielder Matt Carnefix

netted the first for Sac State in the 33rd minute of the first half and senior defender Uros Ilic scored the Highlanders’ penalty in the 53rd minute. UCR saw a handful of opportunities to take an early lead, with junior forward Roberto Garcia-Vargas and Guazelli each narrowly missing their shots and hitting the woodwork instead. Senior midfielder Ronaldo Lomeli also put up an on-target shot to the left side of the goal that was saved by freshman goalkeeper Ryan Curtis.

JOSHUA WANG / HIGHLANDER

Sacramento State would eventually score the golden goal in a short-lived overtime period. The top six teams in the conference advance to the postseason, and with the loss, the Highlanders find themselves in last place in the conference. Up next for the Highlanders is CSU Fullerton (10-6-1), owner of the sixth spot in the conference standings. This is an important match for the Highlanders, who trail the Titans by two points and will need to secure the victory to earn a trip to the tournament. ■H

Women’s soccer defeated on the road by Cal State Long Beach

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

DAMIAN GARCIA Contributing Writer

The Highlanders women’s soccer team ventured out to Long Beach on Thursday, Oct. 24, as they battled against CSU Long Beach (410, 2-3) at George Allen Field. The Highlanders (3-12-1, 1-5) came into the game looking to

establish a winning streak after their weekend win in which they shut out UC Davis (6-10, 1-5), 2-0 at home. However, Riverside was unable to capitalize on the energy from their weekend win as they were neutralized on the road. Both UC Riverside and Long Beach were looking for their second conference win, but Long Beach earned

the victory at home besting Riverside, 2-0. Long Beach was able to dictate the pace of the match with a pair of goals in the early stages of the first half. Coming at just two minutes apart, junior forward Nadiyah Siqueiros and sophomore midfielder Sierra Castles provided the goals of the match at the 21st and 23rd minute, respectively. Freshman central midfielder Angela Morales’ creativity with the ball was a large part of Long Beach’s win. Morales ended the night with two assists. In the 21st minute, Morales found the room to provide a perfectly placed ball to teammate Siqueiros as she made a run from the 18 into the box to tap in the goal. Precisely two minutes later, Morales escaped defensive pressure from the Highlanders to dish off the ball to Castles. Castles quickly adjusted the ball to fire a rocket from 20 yards out into the upper-right 90 of the Highlander ’s net. While the Highlanders displayed a strong offensive effort, it was ultimately an ineffective one as they were unable to score throughout the night. The Highlanders tested Long Beach’s sophomore keeper Ashley Seymour with four on target shots. CSU Long Beach put up a similar effort with five shots on target of their own. What made the difference in the final result of the match was a disciplined mentality to put the ball in the back of the net. The Highlanders will attempt to bounce back from a crucial loss and reassemble for their next series of back-to-back road games. UCR will end the regular season travelling to UC Santa Barbara (6-4-5, 2-1-2) on Friday, Nov. 1 and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (4-9-3, 1-2-2) on Sunday, Nov. 3. ■H

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

SPORTS

Men’s golf struggles at the Bill Cullum and Stockton Intercollegiate tournament despite Moore’s strong play

Highlander Hot Take: Rui Hachimura will take home Rookie of the Year honors JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

On Monday, Oct. 14, the UCR men’s golf team traveled to Simi Valley, California to participate in the Bill Cullum Intercollegiate Tournament. The tournament lasted for only two days, ending on Tuesday, Oct. 15. As a team, the Highlanders tied for 11th place among the 13 schools to participate in the tournament. The universities that participated in the tournament included UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, CSU Northridge, University of San Diego (USD) and Pepperdine University. The Highlanders shot 300, 293 and 293 in the three rounds for a combined total of 886, 62 shots over the first place team, the USD Toreros, who scored an 824. UCR started slow in the first round but elevated their level of play in the second and third rounds. “My goal is to get them off to better starts. We’re gonna figure that out and we got a couple of months to see what happens,” Head Coach Rick Todd said in an interview with The Highlander.

At the tournament, senior Tyler Moore was a bright spot for the Highlanders as Moore tied for 16th place, shooting a 75, 70 and 67 in the three rounds. The other Highlanders that competed in the tournament struggled. Junior Sam He placed 65th overall, shooting a 77, 74 and 73. Sophomores Eddy Yi and Matthew Huo each shot a total of 227. Freshman Jordan Sams and senior Taiga Iwasa also participated in the Bill Cullum Intercollegiate Tournament. On Monday, Oct. 21, UC Riverside took a three day trip to Stockton to compete at the Stockton Intercollegiate Tournament. The tournament lasted until Wednesday, Oct. 23. The competing schools included Cal Baptist University, Seattle University, Pacific University, San Jose State and UC Irvine. Once again, the Highlanders struggled at the start of the tournament, scoring a 300 in the first round, 18 points higher than the University of San Diego, the first place team. During the second and third rounds, the Highlanders improved their game significantly, recording 291 both times.

Moore was once again the best player for the Highlanders. Moore finished tied for 15th place overall with Tony Gill of the University of Nevada, Los Vegas, Nicklaus Chiam of Washington State and Berk Harvey of Santa Clara. Morre finished with a score of 214 after shooting a 72, 72 and 70 in the three rounds. Yi had a better outing at the Stockton Tournament as he tied for 50th place. Yi finished the tournament with a 221 score, seven points under his 227 score from the Bill Cullum tournament. Sam He scored a 225, Huo scored a 229 and Sams had a score of 230. “When these guys get off to a rough start, it’s gonna be a battle for them to bring themselves back into the match,” Todd said. “It’s frustrating for them but these guys are fighters and they are gonna find a way to get it done.” The Highlanders will have a three month break before their next tournament on Feb. 10 in Coto De Caza, California, where they will participate in the Orange County Classic.

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Volleyball falls to Cal Poly Mustangs and UCSB in eighth straight loss CALLIE LAWSON-FREEMAN Contributing Writer

UCR’s volleyball team (5-14, 1-7) played against Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo (14-6, 7-1) on Thursday, Oct. 26 in their eighth conference game of the season. The 3-0 loss is the most recent in the team’s seven-game losing streak. The Mustangs took an early lead, winning the first two sets 25-16 and 25-13 respectively. Although the Highlanders started the third set strong to claim an initial lead, they ultimately fell 25-20. Cal Poly’s performance improved their already strong record. While the Highlanders put up 29 kills, 32 points, one ace and two blocks with 14 total errors, the Mustangs secured their win with 42 kills, 53 points, seven aces and four blocks only committing nine errors. Freshman outside hitter Amarachi Osuji and junior opposite hitter Alexiz Vanlandingham led the team in scoring, both claiming 10 kills. Senior libero Renta Bath and senior setter Morgan Kline contributed team highs as well. Bath finished the match with seven digs, and Kline finished with 15 assists. The Highlanders also battled UC Santa Barbara in an attempt to win their second conference game of the season on Saturday, Oct 26. Riverside suffered

JOSHUA WANG / HIGHLANDER

their eighth straight loss against the Gauchos, failing to win a set for the eighth straight game.

UCR’s volleyball team will travel to Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 1 to take on The Beach (7-13, 3-4). ■H

Rui Hachimura made history when he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft. Hachimura was the first Japanese player ever to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft, joining Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe as the only active players from Japan. Hachimura should receive plenty of opportunities on the court to make an impact despite being a rookie. All-Star John Wall should be out for most of the 2019-20 season with a ruptured left Achilles. Hachimura can make a claim to be the Wizards second best player, only behind Bradley Beal, and will accumulate solid numbers throughout the season. With a 6-foot-9-inch frame, Hachimura has the size and strength to play both forward positions. He has similar measurements to Kawhi Leonard, giving him the physical tools to be dominant on both ends of the floor. While comparing Hachimura to a player of Leonard’s calibre is quite far-fetched, it highlights the ceiling that he can reach if he ever lives up to his potential. On the offensive side of the ball, Hachimura can be a pick and roll threat with his athleticism and physical 234-pound frame. During his junior year at Gonzaga, Hachimura averaged 19.7 points per game (ppg) and 6.5 rebounds per game (rpg) on 59% shooting. Hachimura’s ability to score from the midrange and inside will allow for easy buckets both in the half court and in transition. In addition to his tenure at Gonzaga, Hachimura also gained valuable experience competing against some NBA calibre players at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Although Japan didn’t fare that well in the tournament, Hachimura was one of the bright spots for Japan. He showed that he could be a leader and that his game from Gonzaga could translate against some of the top players in the world. Hachimura averaged 13.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 2.3 assists per game in only three appearances. While he didn’t play too many games in the tournament, Hachimura showed promise with his athleticism and his ability to score and knock down the midrange jumpshot. The competition for rookie of the year honors also just got a bit lighter because Williamson underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Sunday, Oct. 13, likely sidelining the young star for at least six to eight weeks. Barrett should have plenty of opportunities to contribute immediately but the pressure of playing the New York market might shake up some rookie nerves. Hachimura will be ready to contribute big minutes right away for the Wizards because of his three years with Gonzaga and his experience with the Japanese national team. His size, strength and athleticism should allow Hachimura to deliver a strong statline and scoop up the rookie of the year award as well. ■H

SPORTS 24

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

Tia Elpusan earns a victory at the ITA Southwest Regional Championships in San Diego

JORDAN HOM Senior Staff Writer

The UC Riverside women’s tennis team competed at the ITA Southwest Regional Championships in San Diego, California from Thursday, Oct. 17 to Monday, Oct. 21. Overall, the Highlanders had a solid performance at the tournament, earning a victory along the way. “We played pretty well even though we played some really tough players,” Head Coach Mark Henry said. “We didn’t win all of the matches that we played well in but overall, the team played as well as I expected them to play, especially this early into the season.” Junior Tia Elpusan had a strong showing on the singles side of the bracket despite losing her first set 7-5 to freshman Taylor Valenzuela of Cal State Fullerton. Elpusan would bounce back from the first set loss and go on to win her next two sets, and the match, by a score of 7-5 and 6-0. “Tia did a really good job during her three really long matches,” Henry said. “She battled a tough player that made her work really hard in the first match. It was a little rough but the fall tournament is good to

see where we are currently at and where we need to improve.” Senior Sarah Khattab battled against Arizona State senior Savannah Slaysman. Khattab lost the match 6-2, 7-6 in straight sets. Sophomore Mahli Silpachai also participated in a singles match against freshman Shakhnoza Khatamova but lost both sets 6-1. Elpusan and Khattab also competed in the doubles set against University of Hawaii freshman Madison Kim and senior Petra Melounova. However, the duo was unable to get the victory as they were defeated 8-2. “Right now, I would expect us to be a little bit better than last year,” Mark stated. “We have our starting six back from last year so just having that year of experience gives us that extra edge. The team is working hard during practice so if we stick to what we have been working on every day, we’ll get better and earn the wins that we’re supposed to get.” Up next, the Highlanders will travel to Rancho Palos Verdes, California on Thursday, Oct. 31 to compete in the Jack Kramer Club Collegiate Invitational Tournament. ■H

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

MONDAY-TUESDAY

UPCOMING GAMES

28-29

Women’s Golf

@ the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown

F R I D AY

@ the Jack Kramer Club Collegiate Invitational

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

WOMEN’S SOCCER @ UC Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA 7:00 P.M.

@ Long Beach State in Long Beach,

F R I D AY

CA 7:00 P.M.

Men’s Basketball vs Life Paciﬁc (Exhibition) in Riverside, CA 7:00 P.M.

F R I D AY

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

T H U R S D AY

WOMEN’S TENNIS

STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Tia Elpusan Women’s Tennis Earned a victory at the ITA Southwest Tournament in the singles bracket