Volume 69 Issue 18 by The Highlander- UCR

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Monday, March 1, 2021

VOL. 69, ISSUE 18

est. 1954

NEWS

UCR Academic Senate strikes down proposal to convert the business administration major from a two-year upper division major to a four-year major

NEWS

CHASS to sustain 11% budget cut that will result in less student support, less staff and less funding for research and graduate students

THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS’ PROPOSAL TO DEPART THE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MAJOR FROM BEING HOUSED UNDER THE COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ULTIMATELY FAILED AFTER A VOTE IN THE ACADEMIC SENATE.

DEPARTMENT HEADS SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE SYSTEMATIC UNDERFUNDING OF UCR AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS.

AMANI MAHMOUD Editor-in-Chief

On Feb. 23, UCR’s Academic Senate struck down a proposal to convert the business administration major from a two-year upper division major to a fouryear major. UCR’s School of Business drafted a proposal to convert the business administration major at UCR to a four-year major by allowing applicants to UCR to apply directly to the business administration major. The pre-business administration major at UCR is currently housed under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) and serves as the primary entry to the business administration major in the School of Business. This proposal would have allowed students to apply for direct admission into the business major as freshmen, instead of applying first to CHASS. The official proposal states that since 2009, the School of Business has conferred the undergraduate degrees in business administration. The proposal aimed to complete the process started in 2009 by bringing the entire business administration major under the School of Business. In converting the business administration major to a four-year degree, in which students begin their college experience as School of Business students, the School of Business claimed that they would improve the student experience in key areas including recruitment and admission, academic advising, studentship and career preparation. The proposal states that by converting the business administration major from a two-year major to a four-year major under the School of Business, the program would be able to grow in numbers and in reputation. In an interview with The Highlander, Subramanian Balachander, the academic chair of the School of Business and a professor of marketing discipline, stated that he felt the School of Business presented a compelling case for the proposal. “The four-year major would have provided for superior advising and co-curricular experiences to undergraduate

COURTESY OF AMERIQUE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UNDER CC BY-SA 3.0

business students from day one of the freshman year. It would have also made our program more in line with the majority of competing programs who provide such a superior experience to students,” stated Balachander. He claimed that in particular, the School of Business’s benchmarking studies revealed that 73 out of 87 competing undergraduate programs offered a four-year business administration major. UC Irvine is one of the 73 schools in their benchmark study. The School of Business’s proposal presented survey data that illustrated that a substantial majority of UCR undergraduate business students agreed that a four-year major would enhance their undergraduate experience. According to Balachander, the School of Business has made significant changes to the curriculum in recent years, including offering new electives. Another opportunity the School of Business has recently offered is allowing students in their sophomore year to take a core business course in order to ready them for internships early in their studies. “The improvement in the advising and co-curricular experience was the one remaining piece that would have made this a truly great program all around,” stated Balachander. While students would be directly admitted to the four-year business major under this proposal and would be advised by the School of Business from day one of their freshman year, students who were unsure about their plans to study ► SEE BUSINESS PAGE 3

SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

“What matters more is … making sure UCLA is funded at 11,500 bucks a year (per student), making sure that Berkeley has its funding untouched. Instead, we’re going to cut the most racially diverse campuses, we’re going to cut Riverside, we’re going to cut the brown campus. It is absolutely and clearly a way of saying, ‘Whatever it is you’re teaching matters less than what is being taught at UC Berkeley. And the people that you’re teaching matter less than people being taught at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz,’” said UCR Department Chair of Hispanic Studies Jacques Lezra of the budget cuts the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) can expect for the following two years. The department heads and program directors of CHASS are anticipating faculty shortages and a reduction in resources for undergraduates and graduate students alike in the face of a permanent 11% budget cut. An open letter to UC President Michael Drake and the UC Board of Regents signed by department chairs across the college states that “this abandonment by the president’s office and the Board of Regents is a demoralizing example of structural racism.” Financial Planning & Analysis released the Final Budget Reduction Decisions that will be in effect during a two-year period, from fall 2020-21 to fall 2021-22. Although

the budget cut of 11% is unilateral across several different organizations, CHASS is incurring one of the largest diminutions in dollar amount. CHASS currently has an adjusted core base of $93,920,172 and will incur a budget cut dollar amount of $10,331,219. It comes second only to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), which has a budget cut amount of $11,506,122 in comparison to a core base budget of $104,601,112. However, while CNAS has 6,173 undergraduate students, CHASS is the biggest college in UCR, boasting a selection of over 60 majors and more than 10,000 students. The open letter states that 98% of CHASS’s overall budget is composed of salaries and benefits. In an interview with The Highlander, Melissa Wilcox, professor and department chair of religious studies, stated that an 11% budget cut will result in an inevitable reduction of staff and teaching assistants as CHASS will no longer have the budget to sustain people on payroll. CHASS is only able to guarantee three years of graduate funding, so graduate students must rely on teaching assistantships for the remainder of their graduate schooling, which can range anywhere from four to eight years. “There are no contracts in place … This is direct financial impact now, not next year, not in the future. People will have to take out loans or leave their graduate program altogether.” She went on to state that, “What led to this letter is all of us, looking around at each other thinking about all the people that we work with, whose paychecks CHASS pays, and thinking, 1 in 11. One in 11 of those people is gone.” According to Steven Helfand, professor and chair of economics, this could mean that the number of lecturers is reduced and the size of sections is increased. However, department chairs have been asked to plan for different size budget cuts. He added that as the size of the budget cut rises, more lecturers will lose work and some graduate students won’t find work as TAs. ► SEE CHASS PAGE 3

f UCR Highlander Newspaper @UCRHighlander HighlanderTV NEWS 3

OPINIONS 6

FEATURES 9

RADAR 12

SPORTS 13

KUCR 88.3 FM

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Upcoming Events: Week 9

Humans of UCR LAMA YASSINE | BIOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS | FOURTH-YEAR

COMPILED BY THE HIGHLANDER STAFF

Monday

CHASS Transfers F1RST: Internship Workshop 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Virtual Event

Tiendita Peligrosa 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Virtual Event

Chat with the Attorney 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

Stress Management 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Virtual Event

Promoting Health Literacy Global Webinar #2 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Virtual Event

Tomás Rivera Conference 2021 – Roberto Lovato: A Reading and Conversation 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

Performance Management in Action 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Event

Disability Network Meet & Greet 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

Bee Your Own Boo: Self Love and Reflection With CARE 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual Event

ISS Town Hall Discussion 9 a.m. Virtual Event

2021 Structural Competency Conference, How We Heal: Confronting Racism in Medicine 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Virtual Event

Tuesday

Wednesday

“I wanted to keep myself busy and make the best of all of the remaining opportunities left at UCR in my time here before I graduate, especially since I’m in quarantine. Staying busy helps me forget about the fact that I can’t see my friends and being

Thursday

productive always makes me feel good about myself – which is why I’ve been taking extra classes each quarter and every opportunity that I see to be involved on campus. I’d rather be busy all day than not doing anything at all. Being busy relaxes me. If I’m not working, I get worried that I should be and that I’m not doing enough. I love it because it regulates me and how I manage my responsibilities.”

Friday

Saturday

HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Silvia Ferrer

Amani Mahmoud

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

editorinchief @highlandernews.org

Asst. News Editor Davina Garcia dgarc084@ucr.edu

News Editor

Laura Anaya-Morga

news@highlandernews.org Opinions editor Madison Rheins opinions@highlandernews.org

Asst. Opinions Editor Evelyn Homan ehauthor19@gmail.com

Features Editor

Adriana Mandujano Angel

features@highlandernews.org A&E Editor

Colin Carney

radar@highlandernews.org Sports Editor

Production Manager

Amanda Joy Teano

productionmanager @highlandernews.org

Asst. Features Editor Alexandria Estaban aeste005@ucr.edu Asst. Features Editor Kevin Sanchez Neri ksanc034@ucr.edu Asst. Sports Editor Kevin Contreras kcont012@ucr.edu Art Director Celine Hoang artdirector. highlander@gmail.com

Production Assistants

Kathy Garcia Brinly Den Photography Editor

Ryan Poon

photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers

Isuru Karunatillaka Llyod Kao Video Editor

Rodolfo Andres Valdivia rvald015@ucr.edu

Business Manager

Arshneel Kaur

highlanderads@gmail.com Marketing Coordinator

Hannah Chung

marketing.highlander@gmail.com

Asst. Photo Editor Leo Yue lyue003@ucr.edu

Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details. Editorial Office: (951) 827-3617

Business Office: (951) 827-3457

Classifieds & Billing: (951) 827-5039

Fax: (951) 827-7049

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Samuel Harrison at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements. LEGAL The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

Sunday

Multimedia

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Advertising Information Please submit Classifed ads by calling 951-827-3457 or by emailing Highlanderads@ucr.edu Payment Visa and Mastercard Make checks payable to The Highlander Newspaper No refunds Rates Classified: $2 per line; 17 characters (spaces, dashes, etc.)

THEHIGHLANDERUCR

THE HIGHLANDER @HIGHLANDERUCR HighlanderTV KUCR 88.3 FM

News

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

► FROM BUSINESS

business as a major could still choose to follow the traditional route by choosing to be admitted to CHASS to explore other options before deciding to transfer to the School of Business in their junior year. If the proposal were implemented, it would have retained the transfer route to the business major from junior colleges and other four-year universities. Balanchander stated that in his opinion, as an administrative matter, the conversion to a four-year major was going to be implemented in a way that would not adversely affect the budget of CHASS, to which UCR business majors are currently admitted as pre-business students. “Unfortunately, despite the compelling case offered by the proposal, many of my esteemed colleagues (mainly from CHASS), spoke against the proposal, even though some acknowledged the benefits to students from this conversion,” stated Balachander. In their latest rounds of the Academic Senate review of the School of Business’s proposal, the Committee on Educational Policy was concerned with the School of Business’ proposal to encourage students to participate in study abroad programs and internships. The Committee on Educational Policy claimed that this could present a challenge for students that concurrently hold a paying job with the additional recommendation to hold an internship. The committee recommended that unpaid internships have a similar workload to the course(s) they will receive credit for, to ensure that they are not providing work for no compensation. In response, the School of ► FROM CHASS

For the remaining faculty, Wilcox explained it was a possibility that they’d be forced to undertake the services usually reserved for staff, which would mean less time for students and less time for research. Lezra added that faculty would feel an immediate effect on their research, as they would not have funding to travel to conferences, buy books or invite guest speakers. In addition, both Lezra and Wilcox mentioned that they expect to see top faculty leave their positions to pursue employment in other universities. She stated that for tenured professors or highly lauded professors, it will be discouraging for UCR to continue to be underfunded, calling it “disillusioning” and an “ongoing disinvestment” from the university. Wilcox added that it is “constant increasing pressure” as they are forced to do things they were not hired to do. “I know of people in my department, who say, ‘Well, I’m going to start looking for jobs at universities where they’re not doing this, at universities where they’re not putting the burden of the structural cuts on the weakest,’” said Lezra. Faculty and TAs will not be the only ones to feel the blow of

NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Business maintained that an internship is not a requirement for graduation but would be strongly encouraged. The School of Business would also work to ensure that unpaid internships arranged through the school’s career center have a workload similar to a course that they will receive credit for and will not impose undue demands on outof-pocket expenses for students. The CHASS Executive Committee expressed that at a time when UCR is awaiting a new provost and executive vice chancellor (EVC) to assume office and when challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic result in financial, pedagogical and administrative uncertainties, “a decision about such an important program should be postponed.” The School of Business indicated that it is important to approve the proposal now and have the program ready to launch as the pandemic recedes. They claimed that post-pandemic, “Students are likely to benefit from having graduated from a strong program,” such as the proposed fouryear major. The CHASS Executive Committee also questioned whether the School of Business could hire the necessary instructors and academic advisors needed for this increased student population. The School of Business stressed that there is only a need for three additional staff members in advising, as the business content in the curriculum is not affected by this transfer. They wrote, “Thus, the resource demands placed by this transfer are not beyond the means of the School of Business, considering that this change will lead to a superior undergraduate experience, stronger job placement, and a more competitive program.”

Additionally, the CHASS Executive Committee remarked that “that there is no substantive value added in the academic curriculum of the pre-business students as the current academic structure of courses will remain in place, with most of the courses taken in CHASS.” The School of Business, however, asserted that the proposal to move to a four-year major is prompted by student interest and feedback, and competitive offerings which show that only 14 out of 87 similar or higher-ranked programs that offer an undergraduate business 321 program offer a two-year major. The School of Business wrote that “this move is designed to offer a superior undergraduate experience with the business major, as improvements in the academic curriculum have already been instituted to a significant extent in the past several years through addition of more electives, and by providing the option of taking one or more core business courses in the first two years.” The CHASS Executive Committee encapsulated their argument against the proposal stating that they believe that this proposal should be carefully deliberated by CHASS and the School of Business with the incoming EVC and relevant senate committees. They also stated that CHASS and the School of Business should collaborate with the Office of the Vice Provost and the dean for undergraduate education to add value to the existing structure where the pre-business program remains a CHASS program. With respect to these concerns, the School of Business stated that there is already a wealth of benchmarking, survey and other data, as well as input from outside consultants, that have supported

the recommendation for converting the undergraduate business major to a four-year major. In addition, the School of Business maintained that a special review committee appointed by the Committee on Committees vetted their proposal which included both CHASS and School of Business representatives. The School of Business argued that “the proposal has been vetted through the approval process by various university committees that are external to the business school. Thus, we would like to respectfully submit that additional deliberation of this issue at this stage is not warranted and that the proposal be presented at the upcoming Winter 2021 divisional meeting.” To the disappointment of the School of Business, the Academic Senate ultimately struck down the proposal to convert the business administration major from a twoyear upper division major to a fouryear major. Balachander told The Highlander that by striking down the proposal, “The recommendation of these esteemed colleagues appears to disregard the wealth of benchmarking and survey data collected by the proposal in favor of maintaining the current process while inexplicably expecting different results.” Despite the fact that the proposal failed, Balachander maintained that the business administration major is still a strong program with a solid curriculum. He stated that the improved advising and other co-curricular piece that would have come with a four-year major was intended to make the experience even better, filling a gap where many competing schools have moved ahead with their adoption of a fouryear major. “Going forward, we will evaluate our options on how to strengthen these aspects of the

program under the constraints that we have been put under as a result of this recent vote,” stated Balachander. While they are still in the early stages of exploring their next steps, improving the experience and success of their undergraduate business majors will always be their priority, explained Balachander. He encouraged students who feel strongly about the four-year major to let their voices be heard by petitioning the Academic Senate and asking to speak to the senate and its committees. He stated, “History has shown that it is the students and the younger generation who have been instrumental in bringing about meaningful change, which is often resisted by established players and institutions.” In an interview with The Highlander, the School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang stated that the School of Business faculty, staff and many students are very disappointed by this outcome. He emphasized that faculty and staff have worked tirelessly, drawing upon internal and external expertise and resources, to design and plan for the proposed four-year major that they believe will deliver a much improved educational and professional experience that business students and their parents are demanding. He concluded, “We struggle to understand why the benefits to our students, in terms of academic success and career outcomes, are not recognized and supported by some of our colleagues. Disappointed, but not discouraged, we will continue and redouble our efforts to help business students, including those in their transitional pre-business stage. Our students will always be the priority in choosing where to put our resources and efforts.” ■ H

a lighter pocket — the impact will reverberate across the undergraduate student body. Lezra stated that the department has been asked to map out a 5% and 10% cut to the teaching budget — according to him, introductory language classes, which are a requirement to graduate, will most likely be cut first. “It builds up a huge pile of students who cannot get into classes and what will they do? It is not clear. What it is is a clear way of marginalizing our students.” Yunhee Min, who is the chair of the Art Department, had similar sentiments. According to her, the cut will impact the classes offered not only for art majors, but for students across campus. And the lack of student support wouldn’t stop there. Lezra, Min and Wilcox stated that undergraduate students can expect to see a drastic decrease of resources for students. In addition to undertaking services usually handled by staff, Wilcox said that faculty may have to teach more classes, which would drastically decrease the individual time professors have for students. Min also said that class support structures and resources, such as studio access and lab assistance, would be harder to access. Lezra stated that guest speakers, undergraduate forums and undergraduate scholarships will

most likely disappear. “Section sizes will rise, and this will affect the quality of undergraduate education,” said Helfand. He said that for his department specifically, numbers for sections are higher than they are in other social sciences; his department’s multi-year effort to bring section sizes in line with other departments may be reversed. The open letter states that UCR has made a step toward progress with the recent re-benching decision that will bring the funding of UCR and other underfunded campuses to within 95% of the systemwide per-student average by 2024. According to a 2017 Accountability Report release by the University of California, “rebenching distributes state funds on an equal per-weighted-student basis across the campuses and ensures that students are supported equally by the state regardless of campus.” “But as with redlined neighborhoods, the damage to UCR’s resources from decades of neglect cannot be reversed simply by bringing our support from the system up to an amount that is only slightly below average rather than grossly below average, nor will the phased-in implementation of this plan help us avoid devastation in the present moment,” states the

open letter. Lezra stated that the university distributes state funds to its campuses, allocating $8,500 per UCR student, whereas UCLA gets a student allocation of $11,500 per student. The open letter states that despite the disparity in funding allocation, UCR’s student to faculty ratio is higher than the UC system average, and the student to staff ratio is 38% higher. “Re-benching is spread out over four years, and it is not complete equity, it’s a 95% average. Instead of total inequity, it is just a little inequity. It is too little and way too late,” said Wilcox. This history of systematic underfunding is registered in that buildings at UCR aren’t as good as UCLA’s buildings and laboratory facilities for faculty aren’t as good, said Lezra. During her interview, Wilcox stated that the only way to resolve these disparities is to restore CHASS’s budget, and hope that President Drake and the UC Board of Regents will consider funding different UC campuses, as campuses like UCR are sustaining 20% budget cuts in some departments while other UC campuses are only experiencing a 2% cut. “You would need to be doing reparations, you need to be bringing us not just level two,

but substantially increasing the investment above and beyond what UCLA, Berkeley and other campuses are getting in order to make up for the history of structural racism that has gone into the exclusion of UCR,” said Lezra. “It will take years for that kind of reparative funding to bring us to where we should be. Years of overinvesting in UCR to bring us to the kind of funding that the state gives campuses with primarily white student bodies, or primarily student bodies that are from families that are already college educated.” Wilcox encouraged undergraduates to show support for their professors by adding their name to the petition if they felt comfortable and Lezra stated in his individual interview that students should make their voices heard because anything that impacted professors extended to them. “We are shoulder to shoulder with you. When our numbers are cut, it affects you when your education is diminished, or deprecated, or devalued. Yes, UCR is a great engine of social mobility … (but this is) a catastrophe for the state that the researchers and faculty in this situation would have to be leaving to go to other places. And that fact would absolutely put a brake on social mobility,” he H concluded.■

4 MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

ASUCR SOME UCR STUDENTS EXPRESS THEIR FEAR AND CONCERN FOLLOWING A STRING OF ANTI-ASIAN ATTACKS.

ASUCR passes resolution condemning violence against the Asian community in the U.S. LAURA ANAYA-MORGA News Editor

ASUCR Parliamentarian Andrew Leon-Bercovich began the eighth ASUCR meeting of the quarter on Feb. 24 by addressing an issue that arose regarding senators’ ability to vote on current ASUCR legislation while also filing for candidacy in the upcoming ASUCR elections. Chapter 7 of the Elections Code states, “ASUCR Senators, Directors or Executive Cabinet members who have filed to run in ASUCR Elections or are planning to run, must recuse themselves from voting on any bylaw changes, resolutions, or new bylaw additions, or all affairs regarding elections after candidacy has been filed. Failure to do so may count towards election strikes, the assigning of which shall be determined by the Judicial Council.” This means that any member of ASUCR who has filed for candidacy will be unable to vote on any piece of legislation up until the ASUCR elections on April 23. Executive Vice President Natalie Hernandez further explained that the issue they are facing is that 9 of 18 members of quorum have filed, leaving only nine members of the senate the opportunity to vote, However since most legislation requires a two-thirds majority vote from the senate, that means that at least 10 people would need to vote in favor of any piece of legislation. In order to rectify this error, EVP Hernandez and Parliamentarian Leon-Bercovich suggested adding a standing rule that

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

would be in place until after the elections on April 23. Per Robert’s Rules of Order, a standing rule is a temporary rule which concerns the administration of the organization and is adopted by a majority vote of the senate. The standing rule would only allow members of the senate that are running to abstain on any bill, having their vote go towards the majority and dismissing any conflict of interest. Members of the senate agreed that the best way to move forward would be to put the standing rule in order until April 23 and another senator will work on legislation for the upcoming meeting to rectify the issue in the ASUCR Constitution for future years. The standing rule was approved by the senate. During Public Forum, Chief of Staff

for the Office of Internal Affairs Preeti Juturu stated that they are in opposition to members running in the election voting on changes to the elections bylaw. They stated that there is a major conflict of interest involved and they may be self motivated to make certain changes. They also encouraged the senate to vote unanimously to pass SR-W21009 Condemnation of Violence Against Asian Communities in the United States. The senate resolution, which was primarily authored by Juturu, President Pro Tempore Orlando Cabalo and Personnel Director Sean Nguyen condemns the violence against Asian communities in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic but even more recently as violent hate crimes against the asian

community have been on the rise. The resolution also addressed transformative justice as a key tenet in addressing violent transgressions against individuals and/or groups in society without the creation of additional harm. The resolution will support collaboration with the City of Riverside and the greater Riverside community to ensure that there are resources available that promote Asian wellbeing and communityengagement. ASUCR will also work with several organization and departments on campus including Asian Pacific Student Programs, the Middle Eastern Student Center, the UCR Sociology Department and the UCR Asian American Studies Program “to discuss ways in which students, faculty and staff can establish an Asian focus group that discusses Asian identities, experiences and hate crimes through a critical race framework.” “I asked for your wholehearted, genuine and truly supportive ‘I’ vote for this bill,” stated Juturu, urging the senate to take the resolution seriously and mobilize to create real change. The senate resolution was passed with a vote of 9-0-8 since current candidates were only able to abstain from voting. During senator reports, CHASS Senator Juan Morales updated the senate on a resolution that was passed through last week in support of a four-year major program for the UCR School of Business. Morales stated that the resolution did not pass through the academic senate. H The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 p.m.■

International students now free to vote in student elections and participate in ASUCR CATHERINE DRISCOLL Contributing Writer

International students are now allowed to vote and participate in ASUCR elections after the approval of an amendment to Chapter VII of the ASUCR bylaws. The amendment was introduced on Feb. 5 and was authored by CNAS Senator Barry Liu, Elections Director Lama Yassine and International Student Committee Chair Cristina Chen, alongside CNAS Senator Lina Nguy. Chapter VII of the ASUCR bylaws regards polling places, voting, regulations and procedures. The bill was changed from “Voting is not open to international students as they do not pay the ASUCR fee and are not considered valid members of the Associated Students” to “Voting is available to all matriculated, undergraduate international students as they pay the ASUCR fee and are considered members of the Associated Students.” Previously, international students were not able to participate in campus elections at UCR as there was a misconception that they did not pay the ASUCR fee

that all undergraduate students are required to pay. After discovering that international students do in fact pay the fee, the amendment was introduced to rectify the error. CNAS Senator Barry Liu, one of the primary authors on the amendment, explained the reasoning behind this amendment. He stated, “I am standing on the International Student Committee this year, and they brought up to me that international students were not able to vote, and (I) thought that that was extremely messed up. They pay more tuition than regular students, have many special circumstances that need representation and are a huge community on campus that have been severely underrepresented.” He went on to state that, “In addition, I have many friends and colleagues that are international students, so I have a true passion and connection to international students, so when I heard that international students were not able to vote, I was very adamant about changing that.” Alongside voting, international students are now able to run to hold office in ASUCR. Senator

Barry Liu hopes that in the future, this will motivate international students to get involved in ASUCR. “I have introduced a new director position called the International Student Director, which will oversee all international student activities and represent international students in ASUCR. This position will be voted on by students in this coming election and will be in effect by next school year if it is passed,” stated Liu. He added that this will encourage international students to be more active in ASUCR, realize all the tools and resources that they have in ASUCR and increase overall representation in ASUCR for the international student community, a community that he finds has been underrepresented in the past. Now that international students are able to participate and vote in ASUCR elections, they will receive a forum to address their own specific needs. Liu added that this amendment will hopefully encourage greater student engagement at UCR, moving UCR’s campus towards a more positive H experience for all.■

ASUCR PASSES AN AMENDMENT TO PERMIT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO VOTE AND HOLD OFFICE IN ASUCR.

RYAN POON / THE HIGHLANDER

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

The University of California aims to completely overhaul standardized testing requirements for freshmen THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM AIMS TO CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW STANDARDIZED TEST FOR FRESHMEN ADMISSION OR GET RID OF THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS ENTIRELY. DAVINA GARCIA Assistant News Editor

In March of last year and largely due to the hardships brought about by the global pandemic, the University of California (UC) announced that they were going to suspend the standardized testing component of the application process for every campus. They stipulated that the SAT and ACT could be submitted as part of an applicant’s profile if they so chose, but otherwise the test portion was made entirely optional. Emily Engelshcall, the interim associate vice chancellor of Enrollment Services at UCR, credits this decision to the substantial increase in freshman application and admission numbers. UCR has admitted a groundbreaking number of freshmen for fall 2020, as compared to years past. At

32,522, the number of admitted first-year students rose from over 16% from the previous year. Engelschall affirmed that the removal of standardized tests created “a space of perceived greater access for admission,” which naturally increased the number of applications. However, despite the significant rise in admissions, she stated that undergraduate enrollment numbers are not projected to increase all that much in comparison to the year prior. In May of last year, the UC system made the decision to completely alter the standardized testing portion of the university application. This action was influenced by the pandemic, but also by a two-year research effort from 2018 in which UC President Janet Napolitano asked the Academic Senate to evaluate and consider whether or not the UC system and its students reap any real benefits from current standardized testing. The new initiative proposed by the UC system involves phasing out the traditional SAT and ACT requirement and creating a more appropriate test

COURTESY OF PEXELS

in order to demonstrate incoming students’ preparedness for higher education. However, it was stated that if a new exam does not readily meet specified standards before fall 2025, the UC system will eliminate the standardized testing portion entirely for all California students. For those applying for fall 2021 admission and onward, the UC will not require the writing portion of the SAT and ACT, and those scores will not be utilized at all. Additionally, fall 2021 and 2022 applicants may submit

their other SAT and ACT scores, but the tests will ultimately not be considered when making admissions decisions or awarding the Regents and Chancellor’s scholarships. Rather, those test scores will be used to determine eligibility for the California statewide admissions guarantee as a different way of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility, or for course placement after enrollment. As for fall 2023 and 2024, those applicants will undergo the “test-blind” admissions

practice, in which the UCs will not consider test scores for those coming from native Californian public and independent high schools. Though like the years before, test scores may still be used for other purposes like determining course placement, as well as certain scholarships and eligibility for the statewide admissions guarantee. The official status of standardized testing for fall of 2025 and onward will be H determined in the near future.■

Double the Pell campaign unites students across the nation in an effort to increase higher education accessibility STUDENTS SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING PELL GRANT AND CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM OF THE MOVEMENT. SILVIA FERRER Managing Editor

UCR enrolls more Pell Grant recipients than nearly every university in the country and more than all Ivy League universities combined; to address the staggering difference between the cost of education and financial aid, UCR participated in the Double the Pell campaign, which began with a national press conference hosted by the University of California (UC), the University of California Student Association (UCSA), the Cal State Student Association, the Student Senator for California Community Colleges, Students United in Minnesota, the Oregon Student Association, the State University of New York Student Assembly and the Washington Student Association. UCSA President Aidan Arasasingham launched the national press conference by explaining that, “Over the past few decades the sum total of the Pell Grant potential to improve student access and affordability has declined. In 1980 the Pell Grant covered more than 75% of the students four-year public college cost and today, the maximum Pell Grant only covers 28% of that four-year public college cost.” He also included that the Pell

Grant has become the foundation for affordable access to higher education and social mobility, as within five years of graduation, the medium income of Pell grant recipients exceeds that of their families when they entered the UC system. “More than 1 in 3 UC alumni from families in the bottom 20% of income earners rise to the top 20% of income earners,” he stated. In December of 2020, UCR was named the No. 1 university in the nation in terms of social mobility by U.S. News & World Report, which the report defines as a measure of the degree to which universities lift graduates into higher income brackets. In an interview with The Highlander, Vincent Rasso, vice president of external affairs and fourth-year political science major stated that, “Double the Pell would massively impact UCR, which is a Hispanic-serving institution, has the largest share of Pell recipients and first generation college students than most (if not all) UC campuses, and continues making strides and breaking barriers in educational attainment for marginalized communities by being recognized as a national leader in social mobility.” He went on to state that the Pell Grant has been a key financial support for student communities who come from low-income families, many of whom happen to be students of color, first generation, transfers, or have other nontraditional and underrepresented student backgrounds. Rasso

noted that doubling the Pell Grant would “not only impact the lives of our students, but also their families and future generations of underserved communities.” Ana Valdez, third-year political science major and UCR’s Fund the UC coordinator said in an interview with The Highlander, “If the Pell was doubled during my time in college, I would have gotten better test scores or GPA and been able to participate in organizations, clubs and other opportunities … Being lowincome can affect our health, sleep, memory in different ways that impacts our potential to academically perform to the best of our ability. If I had my grant doubled, I would have definitely been able to prepare myself more for post-graduation.” After brief explanations about the importance of increasing the Pell Grant, the panelists answered questions from the public. Met with skepticism about achieving the increase by 2024, Josh Lewis, UCSA’s government relations chair and third-year political science and public policy major at UC Berkeley stated, “We’re exploring all possible methods, including budget reconciliation, ongoing conversations about higher education, but realistically, this is an ongoing campaign beyond this year.” This week of action is only the first step for UCR — according to Valdez this point in the campaign has been made possible by prior presentations and panels of UCR Pell Grant recipients facilitated

by Aya Serhan, the 2019-2020 Fund the UC Coordinator, the Civic Engagement Committee and Rasso. According to Angel Renteria, a first year pre-business major, ASUCR is currently working with UCSA to pressure elected officials in Washington D.C. to push for to double the Pell Grant. “As their constituents, we call upon our elected officials to be there for us and invest in the future generations of this country. This is done through lobby visits and various meetings between students, organizations and our representatives,” he stated. Valdez added that, “weekly meetings, good energy and a good attitude,” is just one of the many things student leaders have utilized to continue the momentum. They were able to host bi-weekly meetings with Fund the UC coordinators via Zoom from every UC campus and create and organize ideas for each of them to do on our own campus to promote their campaign. “Each coordinator hosted insightful, fantastic student panels on their campuses on different weeks leading up to the national campaign launch. Online organizing definitely means connecting and networking across GroupMe, Instagram and Zoom chats in class to promote virtual events directed for students,” she stated. Rasso added that this campaign is a multi-year effort, and the UCSA hopes to roll out support through congressional

representatives. He added that by working hard to build a strong coalition nationally, they will be able to secure this request by either this Congress session or the next. Zoom made it possible for the UC system to collaborate with other student associations in and outside the state, plus higher education advocacy nonprofits, said Rasso. Valdez stated, “It was definitely a fun experience for me! I got to meet amazing people and it was a good feel of unity as UC students to be doing work on our own campuses with the same goal and vision. Knowing we were all doing a part to target a huge population was empowering.” Renteria concluded that there are various ways to continue to push for the federal Pell Grant to be increased. “One of the most effective ways to keep the momentum going is by spreading the word. Tell your friends about this campaign and how it may not only benefit them but various students at other UC’s and universities across the country. The more people that are aware of this campaign, the higher outreach we can have.” He added that ASUCR’s Office of External Affairs currently has a petition on their Instagram page that will help to achieve collective support. “Together we can make college affordable, and make sure that no student faces a financial burden for wanting to attain a higher level education,” H Renteria stated. ■

Opinions

6 MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL PUTTING A STOP TO FRACKING AND CLIMATE CHANGE NEEDS BE ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES IN THE POSTPANDEMIC PERIOD.

Paving the way for renewable energy in California

alifornia has been trying to make small steps toward reducing its carbon footprint amidst the chaos brought by COVID-19. As a result of these steps, legislation has recently been introduced to ban fracking by the year 2027. If passed, this will greatly impact climate change and the environment in California. But while this legislation may seem to carry promise, it is unlikely that much will be accomplished due to the current state of the pandemic. Nevertheless, citizens should still remain optimistic and encourage lawmakers to prioritize banning fracking once we enter the post-pandemic period. For the time being, California is severely divided. Since banning fracking would involve a lot of financial changes, it is very unlikely that with all of the turmoil of the pandemic, lawmakers will see eye-to-eye on key issues such as this one. And though Governor Newsom’s heart may be in the right place when it comes to progressive policies, he does not possess the momentum to deal with major policy unrelated to COVID-19 relief and recovery. Despite all of this, the public should not lose hope. Banning fracking is still achievable, and while timing is not the best, this does not mean we should ignore this opportunity altogether. It should be safe to assume that this measure may not get passed by 2027. As of right now, COVID-19 is the main

priority, and as a result, this fracking bill will face a lot of opposition if proposed too soon. Nonetheless, this legislation is a great step, but it must endure further edits before anything is set in stone. Regardless, this piece of legislation may be the perfect talking point for people to finally get serious about climate change. One of the main— and most obvious — opponents to this proposal would be those who deny the mere existence of climate change. The likelihood of many changing minds is abysmally low, and a lot of people are highly opinionated regarding this issue. And if this turbulent political climate has taught anything, it’s that a mind is hard to change when it has already been made up. Before any change occurs, people must realize that climate change is not a hoax, and that this legislation will only be taken seriously if the dangers of global warming are taken seriously as well. Outside of the argument that global warming is a conspiracy, people may also be hesitant to support something that puts their jobs at risk. But while this argument seems reasonable on the surface, there are still solutions to help these people who worry over their finances. If the state is proactive in reassuring these people that their jobs and financial security are not at risk, then support for this proposal may increase come post-pandemic period. However, these solutions must be introduced early on in order to garner enough enthusiasm for when the time

is right. Pro-fracking individuals will not shake their opinions unless the government is responsible for providing job relief and a concrete plan for how we will shift to cleaner energy sources. First and foremost, state and federal governments must commit to a greener agenda and stick to it. It is one thing to propose a piece of legislation, but we need to invest and make substantial changes towards renewable energy projects. With this comes retraining previously oil and gas workers to operate in new sectors. So if there is something put in place that these people can move toward, then there’d be less job insecurity. While there may be higher educational barriers, the government has the responsibility to provide adequate relief to the workers of the oil and gas industry if banning fracking is ever going to happen. Another way governments can prepare for a shift toward cleaner energy is to make electric cars more accessible. Newsom signed an order to ban gas cars by 2035, but electric cars often come with large price tags which discourages the general public from making the change. But if necessities such as electric cars were made more affordable, this may push people to start shifting toward more environmental modes of transportation. Consequently, this will also cause the oil and gas industry to become more obsolete. Not only is the accessibility of electric vehicles important in passing this

legislation, but there are other alternatives to fracking that are less harmful to the environment that are worth a try. Places such as Sweden use ground source heat pumps so that houses can be warmed, and solar energy is also being utilized in California for newer homes. Even better, windmill farms are also important forms of clean energy that can also take up the space where fracking used to occur so as to not leave vacant lots everywhere. There are so many safer alternatives for the environment than fracking and it’s time Californians start noticing so that climate change can slowly be resolved. Finding greener energy alternatives must be the greatest priority for California since it is one of the one of the states hit hard by climate change. If we wait too long to take any step toward mitigating global warming, we may never have a chance to recover. California must prioritize the end of fracking as soon as we enter the post-COVID-19 period so that we can heal not only from the pandemic, but also from the effects of H global warming. ■

The Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of The Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Self-care is all inclusive, and advertisements should reflect this

MADISON RHEINS Opinions Editor

All too often, self-care products for men are advertised with a sense of rigid masculinity. From product names to commercial concepts, male selfcare products hail the same theme: it’s okay to be clean and feel beautiful, as long as it is done in a “manly” way. On the opposite side of this, women’s products are often advertised as being delicate, sexy or overly feminine. However, while these products are advertised in polar ways, they all serve the same purpose: self-care and wellness. In order to break down gender norms and stereotypes, manufacturers must stop gendering self-care products and instead opt for a neutral aesthetic that can include everyone on the gender spectrum. Feeling beautiful and taking care of oneself should not be something that is exclusive to just women. However, the enforcement of gender norms in childhood prevents this from being a reality. From a young age, boys and girls are taught to comply with their respective gender norms through experiences as simple as toy commercials. Girls are taught to play quietly with dolls, toy salons and makeup while boys are taught to roughly play outside with toy guns, trucks or action figures. It is no wonder that by the time men reach adulthood,

they are stuck with the ridiculous belief that products intended for beauty and upkeep are too feminine for them to partake in. Thus, fragile masculinity promotes hypermasculine advertising for male self-care products so as not to emasculate the man who uses them. Fragile masculinity has so heavily influenced the scope of male selfcare that even the names of certain products must reflect some overly masculine characteristic in order to coddle the male ego. People need to wake up and realize that feeling beautiful and clean is something that is normal for any gender. Fragile masculinity is outdated, and in a time where it has been normalized for men to shed traditional gender stereotypes, self-care products should also undergo heavy revision. Breaking down gender norms is important to cultivate a safer environment for those who do not identify with binary genders. As such, heavily gendered beauty products or advertisements are more harmful than they appear. To say the least, they are non-inclusive and enforce stereotypes that reflect male aggression. Much worse, they also could reinforce the alienation of nonbinary individuals if not revised. Society has progressed past the need for frigid gender norms and

BEAUTY PRODUCTS SHOULD NOT BE GENDERED AND THE IDEAS OF SELF-CARE AND FEMININITY SHOULD NO LONGER BE INTERTWINED.

stereotypes. After all, people are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that gender is not so black and white. In order to support this growing understanding, self-care products should become more gender neutral in order to keep up with the times. As people become more educated on the ideas of gender and sexuality, more people are also starting to become aware of where they stand on the gender spectrum. After all, gender is a social construct, and if self-care products were made gender neutral, many individuals who identify as nonbinary will feel more included in the process of feeling beautiful. Even better, if self-care products begin advertising themselves as gender neutral, it is likely that many more facets of the growing beauty industry may follow suit. As a result, this will surely benefit many individuals and help them feel comfortable taking care of themselves. In truth, the biggest reason why beauty products are so heavily divided when it comes to gender is because of outdated concepts of gender expression. However, in a fast changing society with people becoming more aware of who they are and the social construct that is gender, it is time for the beauty industry to reflect these changes. Selfcare should be all-inclusive and not H made for just one gender to enjoy. ■

COURESTY OF PEXELS

No need to fear Shakespeare — just the medium his work is presented in EVELYN HOMAN Assistant Opinions Editor

IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT THE UNITED STATES EDUCATION SYSTEM DIVERSIFIED READING LISTS, BUT SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS SHOULD STAY, IN THE WAY THEY WERE MEANT TO BE ENJOYED.

COURTESY OF PEXELS

One of the best aspects of diversity awareness in recent years is that it has called into question what we are having children read in English class. The majority of high school reading lists consist of primarily white, male, Anglo-Saxon authors, with the odd Toni Morrison book thrown in for the sake of “diversity.” Now, these white authors are being replaced in favor of Black and Indigenous books to be read in the classroom — one of these white authors being William Shakespeare. A staple in classrooms for decades, there are many valid reasons to want his works removed from the curriculum, but to eliminate Shakespeare is to omit what could be another chance to help diversify the English classroom in what mediums are utilized. The old adage of “Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not read” has been used both by people justifying their hatred of reading 15th century prose and by English

teachers who then forget to broadcast the plays in the classroom. I was lucky enough to watch snippets of the 1996 “Romeo + Juliet” in my high school English class alongside one or two key scenes of the book. We also got to watch larger chunks of Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet,” which made the reading experience so much more enjoyable. We should not axe Shakespeare from the curriculum; we just need to revise the way in which we present his work. Showing the films and recordings of plays that perform Shakespeare’s work would make reading the material more engaging for students. Instead of slogging through pages of old grammar and stage directions, students can witness how these lines and directions might actively be performed. This enriches the learning experience and could give students a better advantage to know not just how to analyze texts, but films as well. While the concept that some books are “important to read” no matter how

much students dislike them is outdated, Shakespeare’s plays should still remain on the list, if not for their literary merit, then for their entertainment value. Offering more diverse literature to students is beneficial, but removing Shakespeare’s interestingly old-time humor and stories that have enriched the English language would be the greatest disservice. There is a reason why his sonnets are still recited by lovers, and the title of “Shakespearean actor” is one of the most revered titles in modern theatre. His work is timeless, but it is only engaging as long as it is in the form it was meant to be enjoyed. Keeping this shift toward sharing Shakespearean recordings rather than just writings, we should take this medium diversification and spread it to other books by authors of color. About 65% of people are visual learners, after all, so instead of just having the class read Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give,” show the movie as well and ask students to reflect

on the realities of police brutality in the United States. Reading words on a page can distance the reader from what’s actually happening in the piece; to watch it play out on the screen in well-made adaptations may prove to be more beneficial to students in the long run. To keep Shakespeare in the curriculum shouldn’t mean a dead white author is getting preference in the classroom above an author of color. What it should mean instead is that schools must change the way that we analyze his works in an English class. By incorporating recordings of plays, or showing films of Shakespearean works and the works of diverse authors that are going to be brought into the classroom, students will get a more visceral analytical experience. The combination of classic theatre mixed with modern-day discussions of race and sexuality will make them more wellrounded critical thinkers that are better suited for H today’s society. ■

8 MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Ted Cruz is an embarrassment to the Senate and should resign

COURTEY OF JOHN BRIGHENTI VIA FLICKR UNDER CC BY 2.0

ABHIJIT REGE Staff Writer

Ted Cruz is a disgrace to Texas and to the U.S. Senate. As the Texas power crisis shows how quickly poorly maintained infrastructure can crumble at the hands of intense weather and climate change, Cruz has made his latest mistake in a too-long list of blunders. Despite the crisis having already led to several deaths, Senator Ted Cruz chose to abandon and ignore his state. As a result, Texas Democrats are now calling on the senator to resign, a notion that has passed around many times. Cruz chose to travel to Cancun, Mexico while millions of his constituents were freezing at home without power, water or food. Unfortunately, about 180,000 Texans were still without power on Feb. 19, but it was still a number significantly lower than the 4 million earlier that week. But problems have still persisted, including access to clean drinking water after pipes had burst due to the frigid temperatures. Multiple deaths have already occurred due to electric and gas bills skyrocketing as high as $15,000 for a single week. This exhibits the favoritism towards profits for energy companies as Texas’ deregulated market allows supply and demand to be easier to manipulate with no federal laws protecting consumers and the power grid.

Of course, it is quite ironic for the whole matter to occur given prior tweets claiming the success of Texas’ power structure while mocking California’s. His hypocrisy, however, lies with his choice to travel during a crisis when Cruz and many other Republicans used to disparage former President Obama for the same action. But Cruz has shown his lack of integrity and compassion with his actions throughout his political career. Cruz has been part of the Senate as a Texas representative since 2013 and even ran for presidential office in 2016 before even finishing his first term. As a firm Republican, he is a favorite of many conservatives and “proConstitution” Republicans, having backed his loyalty to Trump despite everything. Cruz still chose to endorse Trump despite him viciously insulting his wife and accusing his father of assassinating John F. Kennedy. The senator has continued to act spineless when it came to Trump’s obstruction of justice that led to his first impeachment and his inciting of an insurrection which left five people dead and led to his second impeachment. In fact, he has even gone as far as to acquit Trump and assert the former president’s false claim of election fraud. Many other actions have led to stark criticism, such as in 2013 when he forced a government shutdown in an effort to derail the Affordable Care Act,

or Obamacare. However, a true assessment of his character can be represented by his time as a solicitor general of Texas, the top lawyer in charge of major appellate cases. In 1997, Michael Wayne Haley was arrested for stealing a calculator from a Walmart, a nonviolent crime that would have merited a two-year prison term. However, during the trial, prosecutors made the error of applying repeat offender laws, thereby increasing the sentence to a maximum of 16 years even though it was only Haley’s second offense rather than his third. After serving seven years, the mistake was finally caught and presented to Cruz. If he was sensible, he would have let Haley go for the time he has served, but instead, Cruz went as far as to take the case to the Supreme Court to argue that Haley should serve his full 16-year term for a crime he was not even guilty of. This truly exemplifies and illustrates the senator’s lack of mercy and heartlessness in his willingness to “uphold” the law, despite the ethical cost and the violation of justice. With his total disregard for his voters, his spinelessness and his hypocrisy, Ted Cruz has truly earned his spot as one of the most unpopular senators in the country. He still remains an elected member of the Senate, though the arrival of a new administration and shifting opinions could H allow for Cruz to be replaced in the future. ■

THE TEXAS POWER CRISIS HAS ADDED TO THE LONG LIST OF REASONS FOR TED CRUZ TO STEP DOWN FROM OFFICE.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE CC BY-SA 2.0

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Features

FEATURES

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Michael Dante DiMartino shares the secret tunnels of the ‘Avatar the Last Airbender’ Universe MICHAEL DANTE DIMARTINO, THE CO-CREATOR OF ‘AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER’ AND ‘THE LEGEND OF KORRA,’ GIVES A VIRTUAL LECTURE ON THE ART OF ANIMATION. ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN Assistant Features Editor

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the Associated Student Programs Board (ASPB) presented a virtual lecture hosted by Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creator of “Avatar the Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra.” DiMartino is best known for his work in animation, writing and directing. Ever since “Avatar the Last Airbender” received numerous praise from audiences around the world, DiMartino has helped publish books and graphic novels about its universe. Outside of the “Avatar the Last Airbender” universe, DiMartino has also written the “Geniuses” series, fantasy novels that explore the power of artists. Before the lecture, DiMartino announced on his social media pages that he and Bryan Konietzko are returning to Nickelodeon “as co-chief creative officers of Avatar Studios to develop new animated projects in the Avatarverse and

oversee the franchise.” The promise of more Avatarverse content was great news for fans of the show. During the lecture, DiMartino expressed his excitement about working on more “Avatar the Last Airbender” projects before moving onto the presentation he created for the night. DiMartino’s presentation illustrated the process of creating an animated scene. For the lecture, he chose a short clip from Season two Episode 10 “Legend of Korra” where the characters traveled to the spirit world. “When I started in animation, storyboarding was the first job I got,” stated DiMartino. Throughout his presentation, he taught the audience that storyboarding consisted of rough sketches of an episode to show the general movements of the characters and the angles of each shot. Every minute of an animated episode was the result of a lot of time and work put in by the animation team. After DiMartino’s breakdown of the animation process, he began to answer questions that students asked on social media. In this portion, he revealed that he was always interested in animation growing up. He recalled a time when his teacher caught him drawing in class. Instead of being reprimanded, the teacher

COURTESY OF PIXY UNDER CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

encouraged him to make stories for the characters he drew. Some of his biggest inspirations for his work came from Hayao Miyazaki’s films. DiMartino stated that “there was something about the way (Miyazaki) does movement and these little moments of nature” that helped develop the art style that was used for “Avatar the Last Airbender.” The lecture then shifted to the live Q&A session where students who attended the event could have a one-onone conversation with DiMartino. In this session, DiMartino revealed that Toph was one of his favorite characters to draw. He liked the way a lot of her character was revealed through her stance and the way she styled her hair to fall over her eyes. Maya Currie asked him, “If you could put yourself as a character in the Avatar universe, who would you be?” DiMartino said that he would like to be a monk in the air temples or a cabbage merchant if he entered the universe as a nonbender. The last question was asked by Jade de Perio who wanted to know what animal

in the Avatarverse DiMartino would like to own as a pet. DiMartino stated that he would probably choose Pabu, a fire ferret from “Legend of Korra” that had features resembling a red panda and a ferret. DiMartino stated that the most meaningful moment of working on the Avatarverse was seeing “the way the show has touched people in different ways.” Throughout his involvement in the creation of the Avatarverse, DiMartino and his colleagues have worked to be respectful of all the different cultures they drew inspiration from. The wide support the show still maintains is a testimony to their amazing work. The event included giveaways for various “Avatar the Last Airbender” themed prizes, such as an Appa plushie and a graphic T-shirt. The ASPB also gave away an iPad, Apple Pencil and a Procreate subscription as part of a social media drawing contest. The ASPB is holding their 35th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, March 5. Mark your calendars because you H don’t want to miss it!■

Here’s your host — the SRC uses trivia to excite UCR students STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF COMPETED FOR PRIZES IN A VIRTUAL TRIVIA GAME FEATURING TRIVIA HOST MATT EICKHOFF.

COURTESY OF MATT EICKOFF VIA HERESYOURHOST

ALEXANDRIA ESTEBAN Assistant Features Editor

On Monday, Feb. 22, the Student Recreation Center (SRC) hosted “Relax With Rec Trivia Night.” Students, faculty and staff were invited to compete for some prizes. There were three $25 Amazon gift cards to give away. The gift cards were awarded to the two players with the most points and another player chosen at random. The event was hosted on Zoom and was accessible for anyone that pre-registered. It was a small event that boasted a little under twenty people, which helped make the virtual environment feel more relaxing. There was no pressure for attendees to turn on their cameras, but it was encouraged. Frances Caron, the assistant director of recreation, introduced the host for the evening, Matt Eickhoff. Eickhoff is a professional trivia host who is best known for “Tuesday Trivia With Matt,” a free weekly game show that he hosts on Zoom. His weekly game show is open to anyone,

and people are able to compete with other players from the comfort of their homes. Contestants were asked to fill out their answers on Google Forms. There was no way to ensure that people were not using the internet to cheat, but everyone was held under the honor system. All forms were manually scored by Eickhoff’s husband. No points were deducted for wrong answers, so guessing was encouraged. The trivia questions centered around the theme of recreation. During Round 1, contestants were given a list of activities, and they had to decipher which activity would burn more calories. It was surprising to learn that horseback riding essentially burns more calories than golfing. During Round 2, Eickhoff played a series of clips from different songs, and players had to guess the title and artists. Some of the songs he chose were “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, “Pump It” by The Black Eyed Peas and “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” by Destiny’s Child. During Round 3, players had to sort

different sporting equipment from smallest to largest. After that round, Eickhoff took a moment to reveal the answers to the first three rounds before moving on to Round 4. In honor of UCR’s tradition to hike up to the letter “C,” Round 4 asked questions related to hiking, and all answers began with the letter “C.” Round 5 was called “Don’t Skip Leg Day,” and it challenged players to identify animated characters by an image of their legs. Some characters that appeared were Spongebob Squarepants, Mickey Mouse and Mike Wazowski. Overall, the event was fun and interactive. It was a great experience being able to play a simple game with other students, especially as finals approach and downtime decreases. If you’re interested in participating in one of Eickhoff’s trivia games, check out his website. The SRC boasts a variety of programs to help people stay healthy mentally and physically. Keep an eye out for any SRC events H that might be coming up.■

10 MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

FEATURES

Going

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0

higher, further and faster at

SoundClash

with special guest,

ASPB’S ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION GOES VIRTUAL THIS YEAR.

Brie Larson

By: Adriana Mandujano Angel, Features Editor and Alexandria Esteban, Assistant Features Editor

oundclash, an exhilarating and lively music competition, was hosted by the Associated Student Programs Board (ASPB) on Feb. 22 to Feb. 25. The event was held virtually with all performances available on ASPB’s Instagram for all to see. Unlike previous years, this year’s Soundclash accepted online votes. Every student was allowed to vote twice under each contestant’s Instagram posts. Students could vote by liking and commenting on a post. Voting opened up on Feb. 22, and the artist or group with the most votes by the end of Soundclash received $200 and a performance slot in ASPB’s “Spring Nooners” 2021. Voting lasted approximately three days and closed early Thursday morning. First to perform was Pooja Kylasa, a second-year psychology major who performed Alicia Keys’ hit song, “Falling.” Kylasa’s performance was very powerful, and her vocal skills shined. Kylasa also provided a piano accompaniment which allowed her to have fun with her performance. There were a few instances where I felt goosebumps just by listening to Kylasa hit some pretty impressive high notes, and I was stunned at how easily she was able to change her pitch.

“Home” and “Vivid,” both available on Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud. I couldn’t help but be completely engrossed by this performance. His voice, the lyrics and the beat all blended together beautifully. Delfino Squared followed Aine’s performance with music that they described as “a bunch of boys playing songs about their feelings.” They performed three songs and gave the audience a snippet of their upcoming single, “CA 5(1)5(0).” This band’s music was cozy, relaxing and made you feel at home. The video that played alongside their set showed the band members going out thrifting and hanging out at the park. Seeing the band partake in relatable activities personally made me feel comforted. Strawberry Piano’s performance began with more comforting tunes. Strawberry Piano, also known as Alex Chen, is a fourth-year computer science major with “too much time on (his) hands.” He performed “Itsumo Nando Demo” from the famous Studio Ghibli film “Spirited Away.” Watching his hands fly over the piano keys, was awe-inspiring. Shifting away from the calming sounds of the previous performances was Boloor, a rapper who gave an explosive show. He rapped a few songs that showcased

COURTESY OF POOJA KYLASA VIA YOUTUBE

Viewers were then met with a dreamy and beautiful performance by Kieran Aine. Aine performed two original songs,

his lyricism and skill. Boloor surprised me with the words he would incorporate into his music. With every song he wrote,

he attempted to make his audience feel something through his art. Needless to say, he successfully achieved this with his Soundclash performance. Boloor was followed by Lawn Darts. This student band sang songs, such as “Indacouch” and “Your Name,” which are available on all streaming platforms. They draw inspiration from 1980’s new wave, alternative music and their Southern California roots. In their Instagram video, the three of them are seen performing in a backyard area. Their songs made me want to get up and move along to the beat and enjoy myself. The string of performances concluded with rapper and R&B artist Jaystrange who performed three songs. One was unreleased, and two are available on Spotify. His unreleased song “Take Time” was followed by “Out of Touch” and “Rosemarry.” Overall, his music was fun to listen to, and the beats were contagious. Even after listening to his set, I could still hear the lo-fi chill beats playing in my head. Many comments expressed how much they loved the music and every performer received a virtual round of applause. On Feb. 25, the winner was announced via the Soundclash lecture featuring Brie Larson. Larson is an Academy Award-winning actress who is most notable for her roles in films such as “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “Room” and “Captain Marvel.” Aside from her acting career, Larson has also dabbled in the music industry and has recently begun a YouTube channel. The event was moderated by Adam Daniels, UCR’s interim senior coordinator for UCR’s Student Life. For the first half of the lecture, Daniels asked Larson a series of questions that he had on hand. In this section, Larson opened up about her movie career. She described her experience working on “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” as “surreal” because it was one of the first big roles she was entrusted with. She’s currently focused on preparing for her role in the upcoming sequel to “Captain Marvel.” When prompted for information about the sequel, however, she said, “I can dish nothing. I can dish that it’s going to be rad.” She joked that the Marvel police will knock on her door

COURTESY OF LAWNDARTSMUSIC VIA INSTAGRAM

if she shared any spoilers. Instead of a live Q&A, Daniels began to ask students’ questions that were submitted to ASPB’s Instagram. In this portion, Larson revealed more about her involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She claimed that playing a hero has helped her gain more confidence in her life. One question asked Larson to describe the inclusivity on movie sets. Larson expressed, “In my corner, I don’t feel like I have to constantly bring it up and fight for it.” However, she also addressed that there is more diversity in front of the camera than behind the scenes. She hopes that this will someday be amended, and she wants to help push for diversity when she can. She complimented our generation for taking strides toward a better future. “The youth have been the ones that have been inspiring me the most,” stated Larson. At the end of the event, Larson announced that the winner of this year’s Soundclash was Lawn Darts. Larson expressed her joy at watching many of the Soundclash performances, and she exclaimed that everyone’s “musical abilities were off the charts.” All performances were special and lively. One could easily see how dedicated to their art each and every contestant was. Despite there only being one winner, these artists were able to expand their following and make a few new fans. If you want to rewatch some of the performances, visit ASPB’s Instagram page, and be sure to check out all the amazing artists H Soundclash 2021 had to offer. ■

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Semana de la Mujer:

COURESTY OF PEXELS

Creating community and love online By: Adriana Mandujano Angel, Features Editor

SEMANA DE LA MUJER CELEBRATED AND HONORED THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHICANA WOMEN.

n an inspiring and uplifting weeklong event, Semana de la Mujer 2021 took place from Feb. 20 to Feb. 26 and celebrated Chicana women’s contributions during Women’s History Month. Hosted in collaboration with the Semana de la Mujer Planning Committee, Teatro Quinto Sol, Writer’s Building Blocks, Mujeres Unidas, Native American Student Programs and Chicano Student Programs, these events created an inspiring and safe environment for all. This year, Semana de la Mujer was themed after the saying, “Ella es tierna como una mariposa bailando en el cielo. Pero si te atreves a meterte en su vuelo, con la fuerza del fuego, su flama te quema con un solo aleteo,” which roughly translates to, “She is as delicate as a butterfly dancing in the sky. But if you dare cross her, with all the force of fire, her flame will burn you with a single flutter of her wings.” This theme was clearly reflected in the events and workshops held during the weeklong event. The Mujer Conference hosted by Mujeres Unidas (MU) kicked off the weeklong event. The event took place on Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This year’s Mujer Conference marked the 26th annual conference where members of the MU gathered to discuss the empowerment of women. Julia Lemus, a fourth-year liberal studies major and co-president of MU, stated that they offered different workshops that relate to the theme of Semana de la Mujer. According to Lemus, one of the speakers held a self-love workshop where attendees wrote about things they loved about themselves. “People have told me they enjoyed themselves, and that’s honestly what matters,” stated Lemus. Semana de la Mujer kicked off its second event on Feb. 22 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with “Tiendita Peligrosa.” The event was hosted by Teatro Quinto Sol (TQS) and is a new addition to Semana de la Mujer. TQS aims to promote social and cultural awareness in addition to the critical consciousness of the lived experience of students via creative outlets. According to Juan Soria, a fourth-year double major in Spanish and business administration, “TQS creates a supportive environment for students navigating an educational institution that allows progressive thinking and collaborative efforts amongst our members.” As a result of the campus closure, Soria stated that traditionally, TQS would host the annual Poesia Peligrosa, an open mic night where vendors would also sell their products. Instead of hosting vendors and an open mic, Soria stated, “We tried to recreate the same

event virtually, but it took a toll on our TQS members and community to host a three hour event via Zoom. So this quarter we decided to give the vendors their own event and hence Tiendita Peligrosa was born.” “Las Profes Panel” was yet another newly added event held on Feb. 23 featuring keynote speakers Diamond Bravo, Lorena Gutierrez and Loralee Larios. Bravo is an assistant professor in psychology at UCR, Gutierrez is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at UCR and Larios is an assistant professor and plant ecologist in botany and plant sciences at UCR. This event was very inspiring as these women discussed their backgrounds and educational journey as first generation Chicana women. What stood out to me was the recurring theme of navigating

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

spaces from a young age. Gutierrez recalled that she grew up translating for her parents, which gave her the skills necessary to communicate with people at a very young age. As a result, she was able to navigate difficult spaces at a young age, which has been a useful skill for her during her educational journey. She stated that being able to navigate these spaces at a young age gave her the ability to navigate the logistics of higher education, a sentiment also shared by Larios. It was very interesting and overwhelming to listen to stories of first generation women of color who have been able to accomplish their goals. Two events took place the following day on Feb. 24: “Karla Cordero’s Writing Workshop” and “Susan

Lopez’s Healing Circle.” Cordero is a Chicana poet, educator, artist and activist. She began the event with a three minute free write to “ground the spirit and the mind” before beginning the workshop. Throughout her workshop, Cordero gave attendees prompts to write about and created a safe space for attendees to share their work. It was stunning to see how Cordero was able to get everyone’s creative juices flowing and inspired me to write poetry myself. In collaboration with UCR’s Chicano Student Programs (CSP) and Native American Student Programs (NASP), Susan Lopez hosted ”Healing Circle.” This event aimed to provide attendees with an opportunity to explore different healing processes with “la fuerza del fuego.” Lopez herself is a psychotherapist whose work aims to help strengthen people’s resilience and to address personal and systemic trauma. On Feb. 25, Codero returned as the keynote speaker for Poesia Peligrosa. The event took place between 6 to 8 p.m., and Codero read a few poems from her book “How To Pull Apart The Earth” and even shared some background information that inspired her to write it in the first place. One poem that resonated with me was Cordero’s “Abuela is a Machete Wrapped In Her Favorite Apron” that explored Cordero’s grandmother being diagnosed with dementia. Cordero recalled the need to document her grandmother’s sharpness in order to remind her of her life. Hearing Cordero’s voice made this poem all the more powerful, and many people in the Zoom chat were complimenting and cheering on Cordero. What followed after was an open mic that touched upon topics such as immigration, the Black Lives Matter movement, the importance of family and the land we live on. Due to the intimate nature of these performances, hosts called for confidentiality regarding the poems read and the people reading them. Overall, this event was the highlight of the week for me as it exemplified unity and community. Semana de la Mujer officially concluded with another newly added event, “La Mujer Vencera” that was held on Feb. 26. This event was an art workshop with coloring pages created by TQS member Veronica Sanchez that were available for attendees to print. This event was dedicated to celebrating body positivity through art. Semana de La Mujer was an incredible week of events. Partaking in the week’s events and workshops allowed me and other attendees to go back to our roots and celebrate not only the contributions of Chicana H women, but also our own. ■

12 MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Radar

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Disney’s ‘Flora and Ulysses’ is a directionless tale that fails its superhero JASHANPREET MALHI Staff Writer

Superheros are often revered by audiences for providing a beacon of hope when the entire universe seems to be engulfed in darkness. The DC and Marvel universes are well known for their myriad of superheroes, and Disney adds “Flora and Ulysses” to the superhero list. Based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, the film brings a new member to the superhero medium with a not so tragic backstory: a squirrel. Despite having great performances, the film is an altogether disarray, suggesting Disney’s running out of ideas. With a dad (Ben Schwartz) struggling to write his next hit superhero comic book and dealing with her parents’ separation, Flora (Matilda Lawler) adopts a pessimistic nature and loses hope. She begins to find that spark again when she meets Ulysses, a squirrel with superpowers, and develops a

newfound mission to help Ulysses find his path as a superhero. Ulysses is threatened by Officer Miller (Danny Pudi), an animal control officer who believes the squirrel has rabies and seeks to eliminate him. To safeguard Ulysses, Flora unites with her father, George Buckman, and her friend (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), in an effort that also guides her to bolster relationships with loved ones. The film attempts to appeal to the audience with childlike aspects that only work to an extent. It transitions from reality to showcasing comic book pages as Flora narrates the story, which works to create a fun experience. CGI is also effectively used to create realistic, goofy animals, such as Ulysses, and isn’t over the top. However, the dry humor and terrible jokes make for a less entertaining experience and do not mix well with Flora’s tragic life. You’d expect the film to be a fun-filled journey, considering there’s a superhero, but a depressing aura looms from the struggles Flora’s parents undergo. Other Disney superhero movies, such as “The Incredibles,’’ offer a more thrilling experience with a balance between family and heroism, but “Flora and

COURTESY OF DISNEY PLUS

Ulysses” is quite the opposite and ultimately falls short. “Flora and Ulysses” embodies a storyline that hangs by a thread. The main aspect of the film is portraying Ulysses as a superhero, but his abilities are hardly explored. For example, there are several scenes of Ulysses merely getting himself into trouble and eating. This forces Flora to regularly come to Ulysses’ rescue and save him from Officer Miller and her disapproving mother, Phyllis (Alyson Hannigan). The film incorporates the typical tragic backstory of superheroes through Flora’s family struggles, which would work only if she was the hero rather than Ulysses. Thus, the film seems to forget who the superhero actually is. There are not many heroic acts going on until the very end when the film transitions to display comic book pages of Ulysses performing good deeds. As if it wasn’t already in shambles, the story goes off on several tangents as it explores a dysfunctional family without even fleshing out its main heroic aspect. “Flora and Ulysses” also has pockets of ambiguity as it rushes to implement themes in its story. For example, Flora is upset by her parents who are clearly struggling throughout the film, but her feelings don’t have much of an effect on their relationship. It is obvious the film fails at creating a balanced structure to succeed in its endeavors. Despite the feeble storyline, some

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

THE ECCENTRIC STORYLINE IN ‘FLORA AND ULYSSES’ SUGGESTS DISNEY CAN DO MUCH BETTER.

performances are notable. Lawler effectively depicts the emotional toll parental separation can have on a child by delivering emotionally compelling lines. Burdened by family troubles, she is seen shedding tears and expressing her hopelessness, thus developing empathy in the audience. Flora also envelopes decent character development as she transforms from a cynic to regaining excitement upon encountering Ulysses. Though there isn’t much chemistry between Schwartz and Hannigan, Schwartz and Lawler work seamlessly together and possess a warm connection that radiates on screen. Pudi as the villain is a great comedic addition to the cast as his character always finds himself in some sort of trouble and gets into amusing fights with animals. “Flora and Ulysses” bounces between multiple topics, neglecting to concentrate on the superhero of the story. There are a few good performances, but they’re not worth sitting through a plot that leads the audience in too many different directions. The childlike aspects applied are not sufficient to recover the largely H disorganized storyline. ■

VERDICT:

“Flora and Ulysses” is a disappointing watch that fails to appeal to a larger audience, as most Disney movies do. The unorganized storyline and the ignoring of its superhero arc make it a difficult film to get through.

‘Killing Is Easy’ illustrates the volatile nature of authenticity THE COMEDY CENTRAL DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATES THE CAREER OF LATE COMEDIAN, PATRICE O’NEAL. KEVIN SANCHEZ Assistant Radar Editor

It is no secret that Patrice O’Neal was not exactly a universally beloved comedian, like George Carlin or Dave Chappelle. In fact, during a roundtable discussion about the public reaction to his untimely death in 2011, radio personality Jim Norton (“The Opie and Anthony Show”) playfully described it as having “a lot of tears and a lot of balloons.” It is these candid discussions that make the new Comedy Central stand-up documentary a profoundly entertaining and thoughtprovoking watch. Despite the aura of controversy that seemed to be the focal point of Patrice O’Neal’s comedy, there is little room for doubt that he is revered among comics. Guests on the documentary included the likes of Kevin Hart, Dennis Leary, Bill Burr and Sue Costella, each telling their own hilarious stories about the late comic. The documentary cleverly incorporates animated sequences that are interwoven with certain personal anecdotes, some of which capture O’Neal’s unique perspective on the pursuit of fame. Growing up in a small town in Boston, it did not take long for O’Neal to learn the realities of race relations. Several clips throughout the documentary demonstrate the comedian’s conversational approach to the topic of race, which would quickly

turn the touchy subject into an outrageous punchline. The documentary references the Charles Stuart incident in 1989 as fuel for O’Neal’s commentary on race relations. Footage from his hour-long comedy special “Elephant in the Room” (2011) reveal his innate understanding of racism in America and his impressive ability to get large audiences to see and immersify themselves in his hilarious perspective. Some footage also reveals his lack of patience when it came to hecklers, sometimes even paying guests to leave his shows. The documentary also delves deep into O’Neals take on relationships. It is in this area that he receives most of his pushback, with some guests like Bonnie McFarlane expressing their own annoyance with his seemingly one-dimensional model for relationships. Blanket statements like “a happy man is a happy relationship, a happy woman is an unhappy relationship” come off as brash and, at first glance, as an overly simplistic view on the complexities of a romantic relationship. However, the documentary curates a series of clips, which provide more context as O’Neal examines the “ugliness of relationships,” essentially advocating against a man sacrificing too much of himself in a relationship for fear of being alone. The devil is in the details, but O’Neal, at one point, was making a living on giving relationship advice by starting his own talk radio show “The Black Phillip Show,” which was inspired by fans who began to refer to O’Neal as the “Black Dr. Phil.” However, the comedian’s fraught relationship with show business is an especially salient feature here, with his

provocateur personality often clashing with network executives and preventing him from having any kind of foothold in show business. “Be the truth at all costs,” the same philosophy that propelled him to stardom was perhaps also responsible for periods of stagnation in his career. The documentary depicts a personality who battles with the allure of “making it to the top” and the importance of staying true to yourself. Patrice O’Neal, the comedian, may not have maximized his potential, but what the documentary tells us is that in the end, the essence of who he was remained utterly implacable no matter how much H fame he received. ■

VERDICT: “Patrice O’Neal: Killing Is Easy” is an endearing love letter to what could have been a momentous career. The documentary is filled with personal anecdotes that are both funny and revealing in a heartwarming way.

COURTESY OF PATRICEONEALOFFICAL VIA INSTAGRAM

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR men’s golf returns to the green for a tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

UCR’s men’s basketball team lose in a thriller match against UC Santa Barbara

AFTER 11 MONTHS AWAY FROM THE SPORT, THE UCR MEN’S GOLF TEAM IS GRATEFUL TO BE BACK.

THE HIGHLANDERS COULD NOT COMPLETE THE UPSET IN DRAMATIC FASHION.

KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

On Feb. 19 to Feb. 21, the UCR’s men’s golf team participated in a 54-hole intercollegiate tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming. The Classic Club in Palm Desert hosted the three-day tournament. The team had not played in 11 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s just nice to be back at it. I know the guys miss being around each other and competing. They’re just thankful that we can play this weekend, as am I,” said Head Men’s Golf Coach Rick Todd in a UCR press release. The tournament hosted 21 teams, and UCR was paired with Seattle University, Southern Utah University and California State University, Northridge. The Highlander lineup included Taiga Iwasa, Eric Cho, Jun Seung Yi, Matthew Huo and Sam He. Despite not having any scheduled tournaments for many months, the team kept in contact with each other. Coach Todd made sure to keep in touch with the team and ensured that they were aware of the resources available to them. Health guidelines including testing and masks were put in place for the tournament to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Before playing for the tournament, each player had to test negative for COVID-19, and players had to wear masks. “I was very excited about the season starting and immediately created a plan to get myself ready for the first tournament. Nerves might’ve been present, but the overwhelming excitement took over for the most part. Everything felt pretty normal as soon as I started preparing for the tournament. I didn’t really feel any difference when I was at the tournament besides wearing a mask,” said He in an interview with UCR Athletics. He placed highest out of the UCR lineup, placing T36. At the end of the tournament, UCR finished in 20th place. The Highlanders have another event scheduled for March 1 to March 2, the Sacramento State Invitational which takes place at the Valley H Hi Country Club. ■

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

HANSEL CHU Senior Staff Writer

The UCR’s men’s basketball team lost in dramatic fashion against the top seeded UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) 68-72. Going into the game, UCSB and UCR were ranked No.1 and No. 2 in defense in the Big West Conference. The Highlanders looked to complete an upset and improve their standings for the Big West Conference playoffs. Both teams showed why they were the top ranked defenses to open up the game, as both teams stifled each other’s offense to open up the game. By the halfway point in the first half, the score was only 7-11, with UCSB on top. A steal and score from redshirt freshman power forward Oliver HayesBrown inched the score 9-11. A couple of possessions later, a layup from redshirt senior center Jock Perry cut the Highlander deficit 1315. However, UCSB tried to pull away, as a dunk from UCSB’s freshman forward Amadou Sow extended their

lead 13-19, forcing Head Coach Mike Magpayo to call a timeout. The Highlanders would claw their way back into the game, bringing the game back within 2 points, 1921, thanks to a layup from redshirt senior forward Arinze Chidom. However, the Gauchos tried to pull away once again, as backto-back triples from forward Miles Norris would give UCSB the largest lead of the half 21-29 with 3:34 left in the first half. UCR ended the half strong, as a fadeaway jumper from sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin helped the Highlanders close the deficit 29-31 going into halftime. Chidom led the way for the Highlanders with 9 points and 4 rebounds, while Perry chipped in with 8 points and 3 rebounds. In the second half, UCR came out strong, as a 3-pointer from redshirt senior guard Dominick Pickett gave the Highlanders the lead 34-33. The lead was shortlived for the Highlanders, as UCSB snatched the lead back 34-37 a couple possessions

later. UCR did not give up as an and-one layup from Hayes-Brown regave the Highlanders the lead 38-37. However, every time the Highlanders seemed to pull closer, the Gauchos would pull away. UCSB went on a quick 6-0 run to lead 38-44, forcing Coach Magpayo to call a timeout. With 10:34 left in the game, UCR found themselves down by double digits, 46-57, as UCSB’s guard Devearl Ramsey sank a 3-pointer. The Highlanders would rally and go on a critical 11-0 run to tie the game up 57-57 thanks to a 3-pointer from senior guard George Willborn III, a layup from junior point guard Flynn Cameron and a layup from Perry. With under two minutes to go, a hook shot from Chidom cut the UCR deficit 63-65. UCSB responded with a jumper from freshman guard Sekou Tour to extend the lead 63-67, but a corner triple from Cameron pulled the Highlanders back 66-67 with 1:15 left in the game. With 46 seconds to go, Ramsey found Norris for a critical 3-pointer

to expand the Gauchos lead 66-70. However, Pullin was fouled with 40 seconds left, in which he sank two big free throws to bring the Highlanders down by 2 points, 68-70. In the ensuing play, UCR forced a 3-point miss from UCSB, and with nine seconds left in the game, Pullin drove to the basket but missed a wide open layup to tie the game, which sealed the game for the Highlanders as they lost 68-72. “We have to defend, rebound and get those 50-50 balls ... Still proud of the guys for battling back but those are crucial possessions that all turned to points for them,” said Magpayo after the loss. Chidom led the Highlanders with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Perry contributed with 14 points and 3 rebounds and Pullin chipped in with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The Highlanders dropped to 10-7 (6-5) and will look to end their regular season on a high note against Cal State Northridge next Friday, March 5 and next Saturday, H March 6, both at 4 p.m. ■

UCR women’s basketball team lose to UC Santa Barbara AN EARLY LEAD FROM THE GAUCHOS COST THE HIGHLANDERS THE GAME. KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

On Feb. 26, the UCR women’s basketball team started their last series of the Big West 2020-21 season. The series took place in Santa Barbara, the home of the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gauchos. The UCSB team managed to break away for an early lead, which led UCR to lose the game. UCR opened up the quarter with a jumper from sophomore guard Jada Holland. UCSB replied by going on a run, gaining 8 points before UCR could score another jumper. The Highlanders and the Gauchos traded points, while UCR tried to lessen the deficit until UCSB was awarded two free throws. Freshman guard Anya Choice managed to sink both free throws. The Highlanders managed to gain another 2 points while UCSB gained 4 before the

end of the quarter, 8-18. Going into the second quarter, UCR went on a 6-0 run in an attempt to close the gap in points. UCSB replied with 4 points of their own. Both teams traded shots, each gaining 4 points. The Gauchos then went on a brief 6-0 run which put them up 32-18, with 1:37 left in the half. The Highlanders fought to cut the deficit, but UCSB fought to stay in the lead. Both teams gained 5 points before closing out the second quarter 37-23. “We just didn’t have a very good start. We have to have a better sense of urgency and intensity at the beginning of the game. Defensively, we are giving up the three-ball way too easily. They wound up shooting around 50% from distance. It isn’t a great formula for success to let your opponent shoot from the arc like that,” stated Head Coach Nicole Powell when asked about the first half. Going into the second half, the Highlanders tried increased their intensity in an attempt to make a comeback. UCSB

opened up the half with two successful throws. UCR was also awarded two free throws but only sank one. The Gauchos replied by going on a 10-0 run which put them up 49-24. UCR replied with a 7-0 run of their own, leaving the scoreboard 3149. The Highlanders found themselves in a push and pull for the rest of the quarter, managing to make small runs in between UCSB’s advances. UCR earned 10 more points while UCSB gained only 7 points. The quarter ended 41-56 with UCSB still in the lead. Despite the deficit in points they found themselves in, the Highlanders did not give in and kept attacking. They opened up the last 10 minutes of the game with a 7-0 run. UCSB managed to go on a 10-0 run of their own, 5 of those points from awarded free throws, essentially closing out the game. UCR managed to earn 4 more points while UCSB earned 2. The game ended 52-68. The Highlanders were down in free throws and 3-pointers. UCR made 7 and 3 respectively while UCSB made 14 and

8. UCR did play a more intense game, shooting more field goals and giving up the ball less. The Highlanders only had 13 turnovers while UCSB had 20. Junior guard Lauryn Pointer led the charge with 15 points, and freshman forward Suzan Kinran was close behind with 8 points. “We really just need to get out there and play harder and tougher. We can’t give up threes like that. We are excited to come back and make some adjustments tomorrow,” said Powell. UCR faced UCSB again on Feb. 27. Coach Powell noticed some strong players coming off the bend and hopes to split the weekend with a win in Game 2. “I’m really proud of and encouraged by our second unit. We had some people who came in off the bench who played some great minutes, really played hard. Although the start of the game wasn’t great, we played a really hard and strong H back half,” stated Coach Powell. ■

Sports

SPORTS

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UCR men’s basketball bounces back after a close Game 1 loss to defeat conference leader UC Santa Barbara

KYLE PENIX Contributing Writer

Sitting atop the Big West conference standings at number one, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) has been one of the toughest teams to beat in the 2020-21 basketball season. The Gauchos (17-4, 11-3) boasted a school record with a 13 game win-streak and were one win away from clinching the No. 1 seed for the Big West Tournament. However, the UCR men’s basketball team (11-7, 6-4) denied UCSB in a dominating performance to win, 68-52 on Saturday, Feb. 27. Unlike the previous game, UCR jumped ahead early and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the majority of the contest. Both teams are conference leaders in defense and therefore it was a low-scoring affair in the first half. However, it was a particularly tough night offensively for UCSB, as they uncharacteristically struggled to find a rhythm. Sophomore point guard Zyon Pullin got the momentum going in UCR’s favor by scoring the first 2 points of the game within one minute. UCSB’s freshman forward Amadou Sow scored their first 2 points at the 15:22 mark in the first half from a rebound. It remained close in

“THIS IS A VERY GOOD WIN FOR THE PROGRAM AND FOR OUR TEAM. WIRE TO WIRE AGAINST THE 1ST PLACE TEAM AFTER A CLOSE LOSS LAST NIGHT SHOWS THAT OUR GROUP HAS HEART AND CHARACTER.”

scoring within the first 10 minutes, but UCR began to pull away as they continued to capitalize on UCSB fouls and turnovers. Nearing the end of the half with 4:16 left to go, Pullin was fouled by sophomore guard JaQuori McLaughlin, which allowed him to score two free throws to increase UCR’s lead by at least 10 for the first time. Concluding the first half of scoring for UCR was a 3-pointer by junior point guard Flynn Cameron, increasing the team lead to 34-20. The game remained out of reach for USCB, as the Highlanders kept the momentum going strong into the second half. UCR’s offense was clicking on all cylinders as every player scored at least 1 point. The rebounding efforts led by redshirt freshman power forward Oliver HayesBrown with 11 total rebounds also contributed to the team’s success. Despite an 8-0 run by the Gauchos with 12:03 remaining,

UCR remained dominant and responded with a 9-2 run of their own. Unfortunately, redshirt senior position forward Arinze Chidom got hurt and was taken out of the game near the end. He was seen on crutches at the end of the game. The Gauchos finished at 36.5% of their shots and a season low of 52 points. Pullin led the way with 21 points, redshirt senior center Jock Perry 11 points, Cameron 8 points, Chidom 8 points and Hayes-Brown with 11 rebounds. The UCR men’s basketball team has overcome a lot of adversity this season. In response to the huge team win over the No. 1 team in the conference, Head Coach Mike Magpayo responded, “This is a very good win for the program and for our team. Wire to wire against the first place team after a close loss last night shows that our group has heart and character. I’m not surprised by the resiliency

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

because they have done it before, just proud.” Magpayo expressed excitement about the team’s momentum moving forward. “The win to me officially establishes us in the Big West. UCSB was as hot as any in the country (with a 13 game winstreak) and to end it took a high level performance, the kind we hope to keep putting out as we close the regular season and into the Big West tournament,” he said. Understanding that the future of the athletics program is currently hanging in the balance, Coach Mike Magpayo replied, “I think our AD Wes Mallette is doing a great job putting our program in front of a national TV

audience and for UCR basketball to perform like that really both nights on ESPN says to the university, ‘Are you nuts?!’” He continued, “To think about getting rid of such a promising athletic program that helps so many young student-athletes accomplish a dream of going to college is something I cannot fathom. To be the only UC without an athletic program just doesn’t even cross my mind.” UCR will conclude its regular season facing Big West opponent Cal State Northridge in another weekend series in Northridge, California through March 5 to March 6. The win over UCSB moved the Highlanders into a third-place tie in conference H standings.■

UCR women’s basketball lose their second game against UC Santa Barbara despite their best efforts KEVIN CONTRERAS Assistant Sports Editor

“WE SHOWED GREAT FIGHT AND RESILIENCE TONIGHT AT TIMES. I LOVED SEEING HOW WE BATTLED BACK.”

The UCR women’s basketball team faced off against UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) for a second time on Feb. 27. Despite their best efforts, the Highlanders could not close out the game with a win. This was the last game of the season for the women’s basketball team. “It was a challenging weekend. Hats off to Santa Barbara. I thought they played really well. But again, we have to have a better start. We dug ourselves in a hole again and then spent a ton of energy trying to flip that,” said Head Coach Nicole Powell. UCR opened up the scoreboard with a solid jumper but quickly

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

found themselves trying to stop the charge from the Gauchos. UCSB went on a 10-0 run, and UCR replied by going on a 4-0 run of their own. The Gauchos kept pressing on, gaining 3 more points before junior Lauryn Pointer could score a 3-pointer for UCR. UCSB managed to gain another 6 points, four of those from free throws. UCR managed to squeeze in another layup before UCSB shot and sank three more free throws. The scoreboard was 11-22 with 2:43 left on the timer. UCSB sank a jumper before the Highlanders made a push to close the distance in the final minutes of the quarter by going on a 7-2 run, closing out the quarter 20-26. “We are searching and figuring out how to have a better start to the games, how to execute the game plan defensively, and we just haven’t quite been on point the way we need especially down the stretch. On the other hand, we showed great fight and resilience tonight at times. I loved seeing how we battled back,” stated Powell. UCSB opened up the second quarter with a 5-0 run, prompting UCR to go on a 5-0 run of their own, two of those points from free throws. Both teams traded points for the following minutes. The Gauchos drove in a layup before sending UCR to the charity stripe to

sink a free throw. UCSB managed to gain another 2 points, prompting the Highlanders to make a 4-point run. In an effort to stay ahead, UCSB drove in another layup and then sent UCR to the free-throw line again; both shot successfully. The score was 32-37 with under five minutes left in the half. UCSB made another push, going on a 9-2 run and closing out the half 34-46. UCR came into the second half trying to close the gap. UCSB opened up the second half with a jumper, to which UCR replied with a 3-pointer of their own. The Gauchos were then awarded two free throws, both shot successfully. UCR was awarded two free throws of their own but only managed to make one. In the following minutes, both teams managed to gain 6 points, leaving the scoreboard 4456 with a little over five minutes left in the third quarter. In the final stretch of the quarter, UCR managed to gain the upper hand, gaining 10 more points while UCSB gained 8. The Highlanders headed into the final quarter of the game, 54-64. Going into the final 10 minutes of the game, the Highlanders made another effort to cut the deficit. UCR opened up the quarter with a jumper, to which UCSB replied by scoring twice, earning them 4 points. The Highlanders managed

to drive in another layup, and the Gauchos replied with another 4 points, 58-72. Both teams traded layups before UCR could sink a solid 3-pointer. Both teams traded shots, each gaining 2 more points, 65-76. With a little over three minutes left in the game, UCR earned 11 more points while UCSB only gained 7. Despite winning the quarter, UCR lost Game 2, 76-83. “No one enjoys losing. I certainly don’t, but there were some positives to this game. We will continue to build on these highs as we prepare for the tournament,” stated Powell. UCR played a much better Game 2. They shot more field goals than their opponents but just could not find the back of the net, scoring 26-66 as opposed to UCSB’s 2854. They also did better from the 3-point range, shooting 43% while UCSB shot at 21%. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to win the game. UCR will have some time off before the Big West Post Season Tournament. “Right now, we have some bumps and bruises. We need to take some time to recover this week. We’re a little beat up, so looking forward to resting and recuperating and focus, as always, on getting better, especially as we look ahead to the tournament,” H stated Powell. ■