Volume 70 Issue 08

The Highlander

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

For the week of Tuesday, November 23, 2021

VOL. 70, ISSUE 08

est. 1954

Homecoming Bonfire 2021

read more on page 12 & 13 RYAN POON / THE HIGHLANDER

@thehighlanderucr @HighlanderUCR UCRHighlander NEWS 4

OPINIONS 6

FEATURES 10

RADAR 14

SPORTS 16

KUCR 88.3 FM

2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

Humans of UCR

Upcoming Events:

AARAV SANE | COMPUTER SCIENCE 1ST YEAR COMPILED BY RYAN POON

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Japanese Taiko Drumming Demonstration 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

ARTS Building, Amphitheatre Steps

Beyond Black Friday 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Virtual Event

24

Turkey Trot 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Veterans Resource Center, Costo Hall 125

The Well’s Well-being Wednesday 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Virtual Event

25

Trans Group Meeting 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Virtual Event

Spanish Language Circle 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.

Virtual Event

26

InBody Composition Analysis 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

SRC, Personal Training Office

ZUMBA® 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

SRC, MPR A

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

“I don’thave any plans for Thanksgiving this week because I’m an international student. I’m going to my cousin’s palce in Irvine though so I’ll get to spend time with family there. It’s my first year on campus and despite covid, its been a lot fun.”

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Saturday

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Auditions: THE BOX | TFDP’s 2022 Winter Film written by Richard Gonzales 9:00 p.m.

Virtual Event

Sunday

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29 Monday

SAVE THE DATE: 4th annual Ultimate Biomed Retreat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Passionate about music and culture?

Do you listen to your favorite artists' favorite artists?

KUCR 88.3FM is accepting applications!

We are especially looking for int'l music, jazz, classical, etc. to complement our diverse programming.

Come by the radio station to pick up an application.

All genres and styles are welcomed.

No experience necessary.

Must be a UCR student.

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4 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

News

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

Removal of halal food in the HUB sparks concern

FATEMA SHALABI Managing Editor

In the winter quarter of 2020, the UCR Dining Services made an unprecedented effort to implement halal food in the Highlander Union Building by incorporating it into the Chronic Tacos menu. Though limited and only including halal chicken, it was met with celebration and appreciation by the Muslim population at UCR and was available for all students to purchase upon request. However, a little over a year later and following the return to in-person classes, Muslim students were met with the withdrawal of this availability, causing many to express dissatisfaction and feelings of exclusion.

Halal food refers to what is deemed religiously permissible for Muslims to eat. Though there are specific meats that are inherently impermissible, such as pork, the distinction of what is halal is also determined by the means taken to slaughtering the animals. A more humane method of slaughter and humane treatment prior to it, both in contrast to the mainstream methods used in most slaughterhouses, are what designate the meats as being halal/ permissible to eat.

There are currently food options that do fall under Islamic guidelines, such as seafood, vegetarian or vegan choices, but these choices tend to be limited and often costly. Fourth-year political science major, Maher Oueida, explains the financial disadvantage that this often poses. “It limits my availability to eat on campus … There are increased prices for alternatives to beef and chicken in places like Panda Express, which has shrimp as the only halal protein

and costs extra.”

For students unwilling to pay the extra price, many express the inconvenience of either having to prepare food at home or suffer the consequences. Awad Hani, a fourth-year biology major, stresses, “I am left most days without a meal to eat as I spend full days on campus.”

Another common complaint by Muslim students is the feeling of social exclusion that this can create. Students sometimes resort to leaving campus to get food, as there are numerous restaurants around UCR that do provide halal meat. “If Muslims are uncomfortable with eating on campus, it becomes hard to arrange meals with friends.

Some of us miss out on social gatherings and have to worry about leaving campus to get food instead,” Maimoona Naveed, a third-year psychology student, explains.

Naveed is also a board member for the Muslim Student Association at UCR and a community outreach intern for the Middle Eastern Student Center.

In response to these concerns, students representing the Middle Eastern Student Assembly are currently drafting a piece of legislation to reflect the demand for halal options on campus. “This conversation has been on the table since 2017, and little to no progress has been made. As a campus that prides itself on holding the most diverse student body population, the lack of food diversity to fit the needs of the student body is disappointing to say the least,” states Jeanine Nassar, a second-year political science and administrative studies major and president of the Students for Justice in Palestine club.

To be discussed in the resolution is the idea of implementing a restaurant that exclusively serves halal and vegan options

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

UC Students petition against 95% in-person winter program UCR STUDENTS REMAIN VOCAL ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE ONLINE OPTIONS FOR THE WINTER QUARTER.

HARU CHANG Contributing Writer

During the Associated Students of UCR’s seventh meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2021, CHASS Senator Victoria Nguyen announced that she, along with First Time College Student Director Lily Romero and CNAS Senator Rachel Paredes, is working on a petition for hybrid classes in the winter quarter. Director Romero followed up with the announcement that students will be demonstrating their support in a walkout on Thursday, Nov. 18 from 12-5 p.m. The low physical turnout to the Thursday walkout was speculated to be the result of its rushed organization.

Senator Nguyen and Director Romero set up their table in front of the Belltower around 11:50 a.m. to prepare to gather support for the online petition in order to make more remote learning options available for UCR students. Senator Paredes joined later in the day to help. They opted to use this time as an opportunity to gather more support for the petition.

“I think what inspired us most was our own undergraduate student body. Listening to our peers, we realize a lot of them have concerns about returning for an in-person and on-campus environment,” CHASS Sen. Victoria Nguyen told The Highlander.

“We do need to recognize that there

in place of the MOD Pizza that has closed.

Alaa Mido, who is a third-year business analytics and economics double major, an outreach intern for the MESC and the president of the MESA, discusses this idea.

She states, “The inclusion of a halal menu would greatly serve the Muslim population and make them feel represented on campus.

Having halal meat is not hard or costly, and expanding halal options would make us feel included.”

“There’s a lack of vegan, gluten and halal food on campus, and UCR should have a restaurant that supports students’ dietary needs,” she emphasizes. Among the restaurants to be mentioned in the proposal for consideration are The Halal Guys and

FOLLOWING CHRONIC TACOS’ REMOVAL OF HALAL OPTIONS, MUSLIM STUDENTS VOICE CONCERN OVER THE LACK OF INCLUSIVITY. The Halal Shack, the latter being specifically designed to be on college campuses, as Mido explains.

The resolution aims to amend SRS21-010, Proposition to Diversify Food Options for Various Dietary Needs. It will be proposed in the senate in the weeks to H come. ■

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

are students of smaller communities, such as those who are immunocompromised, that still don’t feel safe returning because of the risk of catching a virus. It’s also flu season, and so we are all very nervous about returning. We also need to account for students that can’t commute to school... It’s important to include these hybrid options for those that may not feel comfortable returning while also listening to the student body that is anxious to return and that are transitioning to the in-person capabilities of this school,” she explained.

Provost Watkins announced that 95% of classes in the winter quarter will be held in person. However, during a prior ASUCR meeting, she and Chancellor Wilcox voiced their support for hybrid classes that allowed for both in-person and online attendance.

According to Director Romero, Chancellor Wilcox went to the senate meeting a couple of weeks ago where he and Provost Watkins both discussed that the decision for remote or hybrid options was up to faculty only. Dir. Romero noted, “Faculty are required to have a valid excuse for having a remote option. So even if they are uncomfortable coming on campus, without a valid excuse, they still have to come on campus and conduct an in-person class.”

During the ASUCR meeting, CHASS Senator Helen Chu noted concerns shared by the teaching faculty about the difficulties with implementing a hybrid system that would affect the quality of education and the burden that would be placed on professors and teaching assistants who will have to balance the two schedules.

“I think that Sen. Helen Chu has very valid points. It is hard for a professor to

plan for in-person classes and online classes but I do think that we have the capability to expand our learning options,” stated Nguyen.“The university has invested in developing technology for these reasons such as the R.I.S.E. and XCITE classes that have a camera installed in them. The university does pay for Zoom, for faculty and staff ... I think that at the very least having a live streamed or recorded class for those hybrid options is optimal.”

Emily Thomson, a fourth-year public policy major, stood in support of the petition on Thursday. Thomson shared many of the concerns that Nguyen mentioned, especially on the pandemic and how it may incapacitate even the vaccinated population as well as those that have not or cannot receive the vaccine.

“I feel like through the pandemic, it has shown that we can do hybrid learning successfully and it has been really accommodating for students. As we know, UCR students aren’t just students they are parents, they are workers, they have lives outside of school, and their lives outside of school impact their school work. So it’s important for students to have options when returning,” she said.

“I don’t feel ready. I talked to my friends; we’re not ready to return fully on campus.

I hope that the administration prides itself on listening to students and prides itself on diversity. I hope it actually listens to the student population and does what’s best for us,” expressed Thomson.

The petition for more remote learning H options can be found at change.org. ■

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Student Researchers United continues to struggle with UC system while lecturers call off strike

YSABEL NAKASONE Contributing Writer

Student researchers are preparing for a possible strike after the UC seeks to exclude fellows and trainees from their new union, Student Researchers United, also referred to as SRU-UAW. Approximately 12,000 workers submitted authorization cards to the California Public Employment Relations Board in May, and this majority was confirmed, as well as the union’s right to be recognized.

The Public Employment Relations Board is an agency responsible for the collective bargaining rights of certain California employees. In September, PERB announced that it deemed the UC’s partial acceptance of SRU-UAW to be a complete denial of recognition for the union.

SRU-UAW recently voted to begin a strike authorization vote, which started Nov. 10 and ended Nov. 19. In order for the vote to pass, the union needed approval from two-thirds of all voting student researchers. The strike authorization vote passed with 97.5% of the more than 10,890 votes. A SRU-UAW strike would mean that student researchers halt the research work they are paid by their university to do. Strike participants cannot legally be fired or punished for their actions, but pay can be withheld.

A statement from Student

Researchers United announcing the strike authorization vote said, “After months of delays and excuses, SRs will no longer accept UC administration’s stubborn refusal to recognize our union despite a supermajority of SRs democratically choosing to form SRU-UAW. It is clear that reason alone won’t persuade them; it is time to confront them with the power of thousands of organized Student Researchers.”

This is not the first attempt to garner the UC system’s attention about the difficult working conditions of student researchers.

This past October, protests were held across all UC campuses.

Additionally, on Oct. 26, a majority of California’s Congressional delegation sent a letter strongly requesting that the UCs recognize SRU-UAW saying, “Student Researchers are essential drivers of the University of California’s research mission.

They perform experiments, write research grant proposals, and generate creative ideas that push the boundaries of their fields. Their hard work and dedication is a major reason why the school system received $3.7 billion in federal research contracts and grant revenue in fiscal year 2020.”

On the other hand, the University Council-American Federation of Teachers was able to call off their

strike on Nov. 17 when a tentative agreement was reached. Lecturers had planned to strike, along with other UC faculty in solidarity with their UC-AFT colleagues, citing bad faith negotiations on the part of the UCOP lawyers, negotiators and campus-based labor relations officers during the two and a half years of contract renegotiation.

While the agreement has yet to be ratified by union members, it is a huge win for UC-AFT as well as UC faculty and students. Dr. Christopher Simon, a lecturer in the Classics department, said to The Highlander, “The precarity of my job has been a consistent source of anxiety, all the more so as a new father. It is hard to explain how much I love and admire our campus community - a campus of diversity that serves students who work to earn their tuition, who commute daily to class, who return home to parent, who have enrolled after a break or an early career, hoping for something better - how much I love teaching them about the things I love.” He also expresses his hope to be able to focus on his students without having to worry about himself.

The new job stability provisions will be applicable as soon as July 1, 2022. The new agreement addresses not only job security, but also improved compensation, workload standards and paid family leave.

“This new contract offers our teaching faculty at UCR an unprecedented level of job security in the first 18 quarters of service to the University,” said Dr. Stephanie Ann-Wilms Simpson, the current UC-AFT Riverside Chapter Chair and UCR campus’ vice president of organizing who represents UCR as a negotiator on the table team. Dr. Simpson is a pre-continuing lecturer in the University Writing Program.

“What I hope this means for the campus is that with a stable cadre of Unit 18 teaching faculty, the campus will also see a strengthening in student performance. Our goals as teaching faculty have always centered around our ability to serve our students and our campus community. Now that we have secured an excellent contract, my hope is that we are able to share our gifts with the campus community more consistently and help to build the reputation of our great institution,” Dr. Simpson stated.

C-AFT found lots of support from other UC faculty and students.​​ More than 800 Senate faculty across all UC campuses pledged their solidarity with their nonsenate colleagues. Graduate and undergraduate students, specifically interns from Labor Studies and the members of the ASUCR Labor Commission, worked hard to support their lecturers, said Dr.

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STUDENT RESEARCHERS VOTE FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE JUST AS LECTURERS REACH ONE OF THEIR BEST CONTRACT AGREEMENTS WITH THE UC SYSTEM.

COURTESY OF UCR

Simpson. “ASUCR Senate also was one of the first student organizations to issue public support for us by passing SENATE RESOLUTION NUMBER SR-W20-005, ‘Solidarity with UC-American Federation of Teachers Act.’” Dr. Simpson highlighted the backing of the Senate Faculty, the Council of Faculty Associations, UCR’s Riverside Faculty Association and Assemblymember Jose Medina, saying, “To be honest, the support from our community has been overwhelming. We could not be more grateful for all of the H support we received.” ■

ASUCR

The eighth ASUCR meeting saw multiple public forum presentations including a discussion of the mobile app Pickup N’Park and a statement in support of KUCR ABHIJIT REGE News Editor

The Associated Students of UCR’s seventh meeting was called to order on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021 in the ASUCR Senate Chamber. All senators were present, excluding Senator Paredes. Motions to approve the current meeting’s agenda were called for by Executive Vice President Mufida Assaf and saw the movement of ex officio reports to earlier in the meeting and the replacement of Finance Hearing Minutes No. 13 with Finance Hearing Minutes No. 14. President Pro-Tempore Orlando Cabalo also motioned to add an ASUCR Supporting KUCR StudentStaff statement to the agenda while CHASS Senator Helen Chu motioned to add a CALPIRG Green Grant.

A piece of legislation, SB-F21-009, was then added as part of committee reports from the Legislative Review Committee. Motions to open and approve the previous week’s meeting minutes took place as well.

A public forum then began with an introduction of Mohamad Almouazzen, Chief Justice of ASUCR’s Judicial Branch.

Almouzzan came to represent Transfer Students and discussed Assembly Bill 928, a bill approved

by Gavin Newsom this past October, which aims to change the transfer process. The bill modifies the current two pathways for transfers by enabling students to have multiple pathways of communication and opportunities for higher education. An intersegmental

committee of representatives from UCs and CSUs will be established in hopes of creating a singular transfer pathway. However, with this reform comes a risk to students and faculty, primarily that of the communications department. Almouazzen hopes to work with the senate in order to pass a resolution to call for the safeguarding of communications courses.

Following this presentation, Bharat Rai, a former UCR student, discussed his mobile app Pickup N’ Park, which he developed on campus during his senior year. Pickup N’ Park aims to help students find parking and carpool rides within campus.

Students leaving campus can request to be picked up and taken to their car in exchange for their parking spot to students coming to campus.

Students coming to campus can offer a carpool ride to pick up students on their way, or to other locations around the schools through ridesharing. Rai noted multiple statistics, including that students often pay on average $2,500 a year on parking permits and tickets.

SPP Senator Arleth FloresAparcio received clarification that the application will include a terms and conditions agreement to cover liability.

CNAS Senator Myra Usmani and BCOE Senator David Kiroloss both expressed their concerns regarding the safety measures that would be implemented and Rai clarified that a three-step verification process would be included to ensure the app is used only by students and filter options would allow for students to better their

rideshare experiences for comfort and safety.

Another presentation was also given by CALPIRG, announcing that they had achieved one of their largest pledge goals with 1,350 new members. A seminar will be held for their 30-by-30 initiative that resolves to have 30% of land preserved by 2030 and a canned food drive will be held as part of Hunger Awareness Week.

Ethnic and Gender Liaison Jeanine Nassar delivered an ex officio detailing her work for the week.

This report included a meeting with student leaders from African Student Programs, along with Senators Do and Syed, and saw a discussion of how ASP students can be supported with input from the leaders.

As part of committee reports, motions were called to open Finance Hearing Minutes No. 13 for the finance meeting which took place on Nov. 17, 2021. A total of $6,758 was allocated to a variety of programs and clubs on campus, including $1,329 for Fencing at UCR and a grant of $1,098 for UNICEF at UCR. The meeting minutes were approved with a vote of 16-0-0.

Two pieces of legislation were subsequently reviewed following its approval from the Legislative Review Committee.

The first piece of legislation reviewed was Senate Resolution, SRF21-014 In Support of UAW 2865.

The resolution consists of ASUCR calling upon the University of

California, Office of the President to reverse the imposed 8.2% budget cut.

With this resolution, the senate voiced their support for UAW 2865’s AntiRedlining Campaign and will have them put out a statement in support along with spreading awareness to the campus and organizations. The resolution passed with a vote count of 16-0-0.

Senate Bill SB-F21-009 was revisited since last week’s meeting and sees the amendment of Chapter LV of the ASUCR bylaws regarding ASUCR Social Media Guidelines.

The bill adds a disclaimer to statements that ASUCR makes, as requested by the office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, and authorizes the Judicial Council’s official Instagram page. The disclaimer reads, “The views and opinions expressed by ASUCR are intended to reflect those of the undergraduate students of UCR, and not necessarily the University of California Riverside, and reflects that statements released or posted

by ASUCR reflect the views of the student population and not the faculty or administration.” The bill passed with a vote count of 17-0-0.

New Business was then reviewed and first saw ASUCR reading out their statement in support of KUCR and their situation regarding internal administrative issues. ChristianValdez, a KUCR DJ, expressed that staff at the radio station were cut without prior notice during the pandemic and with this cut, student involvement began to decrease heavily. Former staff were

SENATE BILL SB-F21-009 WAS ALSO REVISITED AND PASSED. not allowed to return in voluntary roles, and Valdez reported that management were absent when he reached out for communication. The statement by ASUCR is in support of the staff during this situation and calls for a meeting to occur between management and workers in hopes of a positive resolution. The statement was supported by a vote, with a count of 16-0-1.

Additionally, a GCAP Green Grant Application was reviewed for CALPIRG. The application saw the organization request support from ASUCR’s Green Campus Action Plan for their Bee-Friendly Campus Initiative. CALPIRG hopes to increase the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites and reducing the use of pesticides.

The meeting concluded with senator reports from Senators Garcia, Chavez, Do and Aparcio.

Announcements included detailing the time and place for the walkout in opposition of Provost Watkin’s announcement to 95% classes to be in person. In addition, a CHASS Town Hall would be held as well and would see a visit from the CHASS Dean. BCOE Senator Amy Do also announced a project she is working on to add a laundry quota for students on campus, in a similar fashion to the printing quota. The meeting was then H adjourned at 7:47 p.m. ■

6 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

It’s time to take a closer look at the Cal Grant and its systemic disadvantages THE MOST GENEROUS STATE GRANT IN AMERICA IS OUTDATED AND LEAVES MANY STUDENTS OUT IN THE COLD.

T

he longer this year goes on, the more apparent it becomes that even the most generous sources of Californian financial aid are outdated.

The Cal Grant program, which offers some of the greatest student aid in the nation, is no exception. Like many other systems in California, the financial aid packages can be quite difficult to access, especially for historically marginalized students. The system for giving Cal Grants can even be considered racist, according to Audrey Dow of Campaign for College Opportunity, because of how the current system almost seems to deliberately leave out students of color. A reform proposal for Cal Grant has been created, and it must go through in order to support the thousands of students across California who are being left out of this relief.

California as a whole has financial aid systems that are difficult to use because of how outdated government websites are, from a lack of language options to pages and pages of confusing applications. The Cal Grant is no exception to this rule. While the website itself is refined and updated, the actual application can be confusing to navigate, despite the site saying that it has advisors and workshops to assist applicants. However, the grant’s mission to provide “all Californians” with financial relief continuously leaves out students of color.

This is because family incomes are not assessed properly due in part to the complex application process. This isn’t even to mention the fact that many students of color have a high likelihood of also being first-generation students. The unfortunate reality for many first-generation

COURTESY OF PEXELS

students is that they don’t have as easy of a time applying to financial aid or navigating application processes because they don’t have an older mentor or any guidance on how to do so. To make the Cal Grant fall into this same category of being difficult to apply for is cruel to these students in particular.

Most financial relief in general also fails to take into account that many students do not have families with traditional jobs that can be easily put into the Internal Revenue Service database. When filing for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also called FAFSA, students can have the option for their parents’ tax returns to be taken directly from the IRS. However, it completely leaves out undocumented students, so they get no federal aid whatsoever simply because there’s no tax returns. Furthermore, if a student happens to be estranged from one of their parents but is in a situation where their tax returns are still required, it means that they must go on a wild goose chase to get into contact with that other parent. This causes an unnecessary amount of stress and potential trauma for the student..

Essentially, the brokenness of the Cal Grant system is a microcosm of how difficult it is to get any sort of financial aid in general. With so many hoops to jump through just for some relief, it’s no wonder so many students give up through the complicated process. Though it is understandable that the government would expect these documents, there must be reform throughout the entire system so all students get equal opportunities for relief.

Furthermore, many students get left out of financial aid like the Cal Grant because their parents make just above the threshold

for getting lots of aid, thereby losing out on plenty of money. Financial aid systems assume that just because a household makes enough money to be above the threshold, they can pay the entirety of their child’s college fund.

This does not take into account that it may be enough for them to live comfortably but not to shoulder such immense costs, or that they may be sending more than one child off to college.

This lack of care for individual situations leaves even more students out to dry when it comes to relief.

The Cal Grant reform hopes to make the process of getting aid easier for marginalized students and others. But if this reform does happen, though it is possibly shaky considering Gavin Newsom’s recent veto against expanding the Cal Grant, the reform process cannot simply stop there. Financial aid is too important to too many students for it to not be reformed nationwide so that the most amount of students can get the most amount of money. The state needs to streamline its process for accessing these resources and stop making it so difficult for those who need the aid. If the state wants to say that students are the future, they need to put their money where their mouth is and invest in H the next generation of college students. ■

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.

HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

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Religion and American politics create a dangerous partnership YSABEL NAKASONE Contributing Writer

President Biden’s recent visit with the Pope and protests over Biden’s participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist have brought religion, specifically its intersection with political action, to the forefront of public debate. President Biden is the second Roman Catholic U.S. president, a fact that has brought on concerns about Biden’s fitness as a president and as a Catholic. It’s the Biden administration’s support of a woman’s right to choose despite the church’s deeply opposing view on abortion that has prompted a debate over how religion drives politics. Religion can guide personal decisions, but policy that affects the larger population should not be solely determined by the values of any single religion. Religious values should have no place in lawmaking, and it is immoral to demand that other people live by restrictive religious beliefs that belong to those of their government leaders.

Concerns about Biden’s religious background were brought up during his campaign for president. It was the position of his campaign that Biden’s political actions were often deeply rooted in the influence of his religious upbringing. Biden was raised in an Irish Catholic community and frequently makes references based on his religious education.

It is only natural that religion would become a more prominent issue with a president whose religion is a part of his public identity. Biden’s religious beliefs appear to inform and inspire, but not dictate his political actions.

In September, Biden was visited

by religious leaders in support of the Child Tax Credit, reminding the country of the values of Catholicism they don’t often hear about: charity and generosity. Comparably, Biden has also been criticized by some U.S. conservatives due to his stance on abortion and his reversal of support for the Hyde Amendment. However, Catholics themselves have been divided on the issue of abortion, as well as contraception, despite the church’s position. In fact, 67% of U.S. Catholic adults do not believe Biden should be barred from receiving communion.

More than three-quarters, 76%, of Catholics disagree with the church on the issue of contraception. Individuals are free to disagree with their church on any number of issues. It appears that the majority of U.S. Catholics do not strictly adhere to the positions set by their church, even if they remain loyal

to their faith as a whole. Biden is no exception. There is no foolproof way to separate Biden’s religion from his political action; they are inextricably intertwined. It is becoming clear that finding an equilibrium between too religious and not religious enough will be a consistent struggle throughout Biden’s presidency.

On a whole, Americans on both sides of the aisle are coming to the conclusion that the influence of religion in the country is decreasing.

Although Americans don’t have negative attitudes toward religion in general, 63% of American adults believe religion should be kept out of politics.

Additionally, a 2019 Gallup poll shows that church membership has recently declined as well as religious affiliation. This all indicates that the importance of religion in American

WITH GROWING FOCUS ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, IT’S CLEAR THAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO HONOR THE DIVIDE BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE.

politics is becoming more limited and that society is becoming more secular.

However, 52% of American adults assert that it is at least somewhat important for a president to have strong religious beliefs.

America’s own constitution strongly prohibits the enforcement of any national religion. In direct conflict with those ideals, the vestiges of religion can be found within government, such as the motto on U.S. currency, “In God We Trust,” and the use of a bible for a swearing in ceremony. Religion may become a less prominent fixture in American politics, but it is too deeply ingrained to be fully divulged.

Since religion, specifically Catholicism and Christianity, is a noticeable feature in politics, politicians cannot focus on restrictive measures. No person is going to be perfectly content living by religious standards just as no strongly religious individual would be living by entirely secular standards. It is allowing these confining values to dominate any political conversation that is, ironically, dangerous to the concept of religious freedom and the separation of H church and state. ■

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For a brighter educational future, the US must reform its centuryold schooling structure AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE LEARNING FROM A 20TH-CENTURY CURRICULUM IN OUR MODERN WORLD,

AND THEY ARE WORSE OFF FOR IT.

EVELYN HOMAN Opinions Editor

It’s almost become comedic at this point when the American public points out how behind the U.S. educational system is in comparison with other countries. Around the world, students get an active say in what they want to learn and the education they wish to receive. Meanwhile, the United States has maintained the same rigid curriculum since 1918, meaning that the way that classes are structured and taught has quite literally not been changed for over 100 years. The content of classes has, of course, expanded to include new historical events, new literature and new scientific discoveries. But the “core” structure of a history, math, English and science class has not been altered since most children’s great-grandparents were elementary students. This structure means that modern necessities are relegated to elective Information technology classes or after-school programs, and students are not developing important soft skills while they are most capable of learning them.

The U.S. education system needs to get out of the 20th century in order to benefit the coming generations of American students.

The most obvious reason to reorganize how curriculum is structured would be to focus on necessities that modern students need to learn. While schools think they’re covering all the computer skills children need by showing them

how to open a document or make a PowerPoint presentation, the reality is that the job market is now highly digitized.

Furthermore, a focus on soft skills such as teamwork, problem solving and critical, creative thinking means that students could develop necessary soft skills that will benefit them in any job and will help them for the rest of their lives. The simple truth is that students aren’t learning collaboration and teamwork in group presentations which only necessitate regurgitating what they learned in class. The national curriculum needs to centralize these core skills, and this does not necessarily mean completely throwing out history, science and other core courses. Rather, it means that these core courses need to be revamped to include these modern skills.

Furthermore, it is ironic that in a society that pushes the importance of STEM education for all children, the school system has hardly been adapted to serve this goal.

Robotics and computer science classes are being left out of school curriculums and are instead relegated to after school clubs unless the school happens to be very wealthy. It’s a terrible dichotomy to expect children to be able to go on to college with the knowledge of all these new programs and be able to operate them properly when even basic coding isn’t taught to the vast majority of children. If the U.S. expects the next generation of children to be ready for the modern job market, they need to take

the time to create curriculums that will offer students the chances to build these skills. Children can’t be expected to be the leaders of this digital age when they’re still being taught a curriculum that was created before the atom bomb was invented.

Of course, while the idea of completely redoing the entirety of the American school system and making it a paragon of modern education is ideal, the fact of the matter is that this will not happen overnight. It will likely not happen at all, because money continues to go to all the wrong places when it comes to education. As important as sports can be for students, there is so much funding that is poured into high school sports programs that education funds usually lack. However, it seems ridiculous to support these programs when there is only around a 31.25% chance that a student athlete will receive an athletic scholarship, and an even slimmer chance to go pro after college. Investing in academics means that there will be at least a little more funding to create new classes and curriculums that will actually benefit the students.

American students are missing out on numerous opportunities while they learn in this stagnant curriculum. The fact that students need to search for out-ofschool programs, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes — if they are even fortunate enough to have access to them — in order to get an education that teaches them useful skills

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for the modern world is nothing short of ridiculous. The U.S. government needs to draft a curriculum for all schools that will continue to teach important concepts while ensuring that these necessary skills and fields are also being taught. The standard should be that schools prepare students for the world that we live in, not a world that H existed a century ago. ■

8 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/opinions

Healthcare workers are demanding more and we need to listen

COURTESY OF PEXELS

DAVID MORENO Assistant Opinions Editor

Last month, healthcare workers went on strike to protest staff shortages. Due to the pandemic, hospitals across California have experienced massive spikes in terms of patient intakes. Healthcare workers have been at the front line of this deadly pandemic since the beginning, and the increase in cases due to the delta variant have pushed many to protest against poor working conditions.

Nearly a third of all hospitals across the state have reported staff shortage problems.

If hospitals want to fill the gap, they need to start listing the demands of their workforce it’s vital for the survival of millions.

In September, National Guard medics were deployed to assist hospitals in the Central Valley. This specific region in California was

hit the hardest by the delta variant surge, and hospitals in the area underwent massive staff shortages. One of the main reasons behind these shortages was that many workers experienced prolonged burnout. A greater feeling of disconnect between patients and the ones intended to look after them has been a constant battle. Healthcare workers are starting to feel helpless in their current situation. Nonetheless, burnout has been a problem in the health field long before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Since the start of the pandemic, this problem has become more apparent. A recent study done by the UC San Francisco healthcare workforce research center shows that nurses ages 55 to 64 who are planning on retiring or quitting within the next two years jumped by 14%.

Healthcare professionals are under massive

stress, and hospitals aren’t doing enough to help.

Unions are demanding that hospitals put in more effort into hiring new staff. But many hospitals are reporting it’s not that easy to hire new workers. With so many people deciding to leave the field, it’s growing harder to fill the gap. Many workers aren’t willing to put up with the risks that come along with working in a hospital during a pandemic. Others are simply tired of not being fully compensated for all the hard work that they do. Hospitals rely on historic averages to predict the need for employees.

Using this method oftentimes means that hospitals are operating with minimal staff.

Therefore, nurses and doctors are having to take on too much during their already long work shifts. Many hospitals have started to offer incentives like shift bonus and child care, but it’s not enough. Unions have been demanding a pay increase since the start of the pandemic. Travel nurses are making upwards of $10,000 per week, a pay increase that redesitant staff members have yet to see.

Hospitals need to start listening to the needs of caregivers across the state. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been cheering on our front-line workers, individuals who put their health on the line everyday to make sure others survive. With no real end in sight for this deadly pandemic, their demands should be heard. Putting the needs of our caregivers first only means better care for everyone in the state.

HEALTHCARE WORKERS ACROSS CALIFORNIA ARE GOING ON STRIKE TO PROTEST STAFF SHORTAGES. AFTER A YEAR ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE PANDEMIC, THE PUBLIC SHOULD SUPPORT THEIR CAUSE.

The development of antiviral COVID pills is a turning point in the pandemic

PFIZER JOINS MERCK IN RELEASING AN ANTIVIRAL COVID DRUG, A MOVE THAT COULD END THE PANDEMIC IF WE PLAY OUR CARDS RIGHT.

HARRY STOLTZ Contributing Writer

On Nov. 16, the Biden administration announced its plan to purchase 10 million doses of Pfizer’s new antiviral COVID pill, Paxlovid. The Food and Drug Administration, also known as the FDA, will still have to approve Pfizer’s treatment, as well as a similar pill made

by Merck. These COVID pills represent a significant development in fighting the pandemic. In the case of Pfizer’s pill, hospitalization rates for high risk groups drop by nearly 90%. This could lower death rates substantially, and even potentially eliminate the extreme levels of overcrowding that have plagued hospitals over the course of the pandemic.

Additionally, more treatment options could embolden the United States to begin exporting vaccines to countries in need.

Pfizer’s pill regimen is a five-day process meant to be taken between three to five days of becoming symptomatic with COVID. According to a study done by the company, among the 775 infected adults that were given the treatment, only 1% were hospitalized for COVID. This means that the rate of hospitalization decreased by an astonishing 89%.

Furthermore, no deaths were reported amongst the group. In contrast, the control group had roughly 7% hospitalizations, and seven deaths. These two points indicate huge potential for Paxlovid and other covid pills moving forward. If

these statistics hold for future variants, we may be able to leave the worst aspects of the pandemic in the past.

Roughly 1 ½ weeks following the public release of this information, the White House announced their $5.3 billion plan to purchase 10 million Paxlovid doses. Pfizer also submitted the drug to the FDA for review. If Paxlovid passes the FDA’s strict inspection, the agency could approve it within several weeks to months. With new outbreaks popping up across the country, time is valuable.

With pressure mounting from the Biden Administration, it is possible that the FDA could speed up approval, like it did with Pfizer’s COVID vaccine earlier this year, before later granting full approval.

Now that more options are becoming available in the fight against COVID, it is more important than ever to share these resources with the rest of the world. For months, rich countries like the United States and Canada have been hoarding millions of unused COVID vaccines.

This is a stark divergence from poorer countries in the global south. Particularly, only 8% of the African continent is currently vaccinated, despite offers from African countries to buy doses en masse.

Increases in COVID treatment could open the door to exporting vaccines, since there would be less of an incentive to hoard. Pandemics are a global crisis, so we must work with the rest of the H world, not sabotage it. ■

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THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

The Highlander

Be Curious.

9

10 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Features

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

The perfect winter ‘booketlist’ THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST NOVELS TO READ AS THE WEATHER GETS COLDER.

By: Senna Omar, Assistant Features Editor

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, the urge to roll yourself in a blanket while cuddling with a good book and having your main character moment slowly kicks in. Here are a few winter reads sure to keep you warm!

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”

by J.K. Rowling

“The Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third in the “Harry Potter” series. Now, if you have had the misfortune of never reading this series, don’t start with this book. “The Prisoner of Azkaban” is the perfect winter vibe for those looking to revisit the magic. With Harry afraid for his life as his “villainous” godfather allegedly seeks to complete The Dark Lord’s mission of ending Harry’s life, the novel perfectly encapsulates a creepy and haunted winter feeling.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen Jane Austin’s 1813 “Pride and Prejudice” is one of the most iconic romance novels of all time. The novel follows Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter of the Longbourn estate, as she is pushed into finding love for the sake of economic security. Mr. Darcy, her most fervent suitor, spends the bulk of the novel attempting to win over her love. This novel is the perfect classic to keep you warm in the winter.

“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”

by C.S. Lewis

“The Chronicles of Narnia” is quite a classic series, one that many read and revisit over and over again. This timeless novel follows four siblings embarking on a journey to the mystical city of Narnia, which they found in the back of a wardrobe during an intense game of hide-and-seek. The children embark on a magical journey to attempt to end the “always winter never Christmas” curse cast on Narnia.

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott This iconic coming-of-age novel follows the March sisters, each more different than the other. Meg, the eldest, follows a traditional path for women of her time, embodying a nearly perfect “little woman.” Jo, the novel’s primary focus, is a more “boyish” and rebellious child who wishes to work as a writer. Beth is described as the sweetest and kindest of the four sisters with extreme musical talent. Finally, the youngest, Amy, is a beautiful artist who always carries herself like a respectable young woman.

“The Shining” by Stephen King Stephen King’s 1977 “The Shining” is one of the best-known horror novels and movies. Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic and struggling writer, and his family are set to be caretakers of the Overlook Hotel during the winter months. Located high in the Rocky Mountains, the hotel has quite the haunted past, with the previous caretaker succumbing to cabin fever and murdering his entire family. This psychological thriller will have you in continued suspense. ■H

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

11

Meals that will surely impress for $10 or less!

By: Madison Rheins, Editor-in-Chief My biggest challenge as a college student has been trying to plan and cook meals for myself during the week. I was always overwhelmed with figuring how much I needed to buy at the grocery store, and I never knew what to look for. To make matters worse, everytime I would Google search for a recipe, there were so many variations of one meal to the point where I didn’t know who to trust! Thankfully, these three recipes have been tried and true for me, and they’re perfect comfort foods to make for your meals during the week or even for you and your friends to enjoy.

Ingredients: 1 package of ground beef 1 can of tomato sauce 1 onion, diced 1 potato, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 teaspoon of garlic powder ¼ teaspoon of chili powder ½ teaspoon of dried basil, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

single pan chili

Start to finish: 30-60 minutes Servings: 4

Cut all the veggies into bite size pieces and dice the onion. Leave the potatoes and carrots on the side until the end.

2 ingredient pumpkin pie cookies Start to finish: 20-25 minutes Servings: 24

Ingredients: 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree 1 box of spice cake mix Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and cake mix together until there are no lumps. Feel free to add pumpkin pie spice seasoning to taste at this point.

Drop rounded, tablespoon sized dollops

In a pan, cook the ground beef and break it up into smaller pieces along with the diced onion on medium heat with a light oil of your choice. Once the meat is cooked, add 1 can of tomato sauce, and turn the heat to low-medium.

Add the potatoes and carrots into the pan.

Stir in seasoning until desired taste.

Let the chili simmer and cover to let the potatoes and carrots cook completely. Occasionally check and stir every few minutes.

The finished product should be a thick chili that is best served alone or over rice! onto the prepared baking sheets. Place them 2 inches apart.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges start to turn golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

At this point, I usually like to frost them, but they are delicious without as well!

green bean casserole Start to finish: 40 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients: 10½-ounce can of Cambell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup ½ cup milk 4 cups green beans, cooked and chopped 1 ⅓ cups fried onions Salt and pepper to taste Heat oven to 350 F, and stir the soup, milk, green beans and ⅔ of the fried onions in a

1 ½ quart casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir the mixture and sprinkle with the remaining fried onions.

Bake for 5 more minutes until the onions are golden brown. ■H

12 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

BONFIRE 2021

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

Homecoming Bonfire 2021 celebrates the hopeful

return of in-person events BRENDA JOVEL Contributing Writer

When COVID-19 hit our lives just a mere year ago, the world was thrown into a frenzy. Schools shut down, work was being taken to the home office, and people were separated from their families. After a year of lockdown, the world started to return to what we could consider normal, yet we still had to endure specific guidelines to ensure humanity’s safety. Now with 2021 coming to an end, UCR students were able to experience their first big event hosted by ASPB: the annual Homecoming Bonfire.

This year’s theme was “Welcome to Candyland” and incorporated delicious meals such as funnel cakes from The Sweet Stop, savory tacos from El Ojo de Agua Taqueria and mouth-watering pupusas from Las Ploras. Lengthy lines formed behind these stands, with many students unaware that they could get free meals with a single ticket. Once people realized this, an even longer line formed beside the field where tickets were being dispersed to those who showed proof that they had a wristband.

The line for entry nearly wrapped around Skye Hall before stretching out beyond the wide crosswalk between the field and Lot 19. Lines of what appeared to be around one hundred people formed at individual booths, where people either pushed or collided against others to get to their destination. It was like going back and forth between the lines just to get what was needed, such as signing the waiver or waiting to grab a Bonfire 2021 hoodie.

ASPB members were often helping to guide people in line to prevent large crowds from forming under health and safety measures.

As a second year on campus for the first time, it was intriguing to see how many people had come tonight. It was the first in-person event where excitement became the night’s overwhelming feeling.

Many enjoyed spending their time on the large chair swings, getting their caricatures drawn or gliding down the high fiberglass slide while waiting for the live show to begin. The thrill of waiting to see the various performances trickled down everyone’s thoughts as the clock ticked.

People were already flooding into the stage area once it was 7:30 p.m., ready to release the energy they had been feeling ever since

the event was announced. It was clear that after a year of being in quarantine, UCR students and patrons were ready to feel alive once again.

Openers took the stage near 8 p.m. that featured student DJs Adonis, Anansi and our very own alumni, DJ Jey. Thrilling dance performances included Collective Faction and 909DT. Each performance elevated the audience’s energy, even causing one guy to get on stage until one ASPB member told him politely to get off.

He gracefully exited by jumping into the crowd that carried him before the bonfire countdown began.

“Being surrounded by my fellow peers made me realize that this was the beginning of a welcoming year.”

Loads of fireworks exploded into the air as flames overtook everyone’s sight. The fluorescent show garnered many phones to be brought out for Instagram stories and posts, with the added performance of a man playing the bagpipes on stage to showcase Highlander pride. The pounding of the fireworks collided with the beating of my heart, and I was unaware of the sound pumping in my ears. Even then, I was still mesmerized by the fact that I was standing at a live event. Flames and smoke grew bigger as the bonfire slowly incinerated our rival Bethesda University’s mascot before Cid was announced on stage. Many people watching the bonfire rushed over to the stage where a large crowd was amassed. Strobe lights and fog machines spilled into the crowd as the beats to the music pounded loudly against our chests.

Cid, originally from Queens, New York, played notable songs like “Satisfaction”

by Benny Benassi and The Biz, “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida and more. Many people sang to “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X, captivating the audience with jolts of amusement and lots of screams.

A night of dancing and food as Homecoming Bonfire returns to UCR’s campus.

The show started calmly, even with a mosh pit slowly developing in the center of the crowd. An hour into the show, people became so desperate to get toward the front of the stage that they began to push regardless of the people around them. Toes were stepped on as people linked arms to get through the rowdiness of the crowd and resulted in jumping just to get through. At first, it was overwhelming to feel bodies collide against my five-foot stature, and it soon became annoying as people squished into spaces.

Not only were people beginning to focus on the music, but they were forced to watch over their personal bubbles as more and more people merged their way into the middle of the crowd. The middle portion included the chaotic mosh pit, resulting in many getting pushed to the edge of the stage for those who wanted to release their last bits of energy by jumping and pumping fists into the air. By the last 10 minutes of Cid’s performance, it felt like a secret message had silently gone around that informed everyone to join the mosh pit. By that point, whoever was even near the middle was pulled into an arena of moshers while people on the edge peacefully watched the ruckus unfold.

The music died down by 10 p.m., as did the flames from the bonfire where ashes remained. Audience members slowly trickled down the street to walk home with sore feet, aching back pain and ears that could barely hear anything after that explosion of music. Bonfire 2021 managed to suck up all the energy that we had ever since we were locked behind our doors.

Thank you to ASPB for hosting yet another great and memorable event! It comes to show that even after a wary year, we were still able to celebrate together with a night filled with food and fun. This could perhaps be the opening of more inperson events, such as Block Party and the highly anticipated Spring Splash, an event which UCR is known for. Only time will tell as to whether or not we will be seeing H more in-person events on our campus. ■

ARCHIVE / THE HIGHLANDER

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/features

BONFIRE 2021

RYAN POON / THE HIGHLANDER

13

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

LEO YUE / THE HIGHLANDER

UCR hosts first large event in two years, the annual Bonfire It has been two years since everything went remote, but Saturday night marked the first step toward normalcy as UCR hosted its annual Bonfire event.

SAMUEL LAO Radar Editor

Over these past two years, life was really put on pause, and those who came to college to experience the everyday person-to-person interactions were robbed. Many of us were forced to do classes over a screen, and almost all of us stayed in the safety of our homes, never really coming out.

Last night, for the first time in two years, UCR was able to host their first large-scale event, with over thousands of students filing in line to get tickets to get into the annual UCR Bonfire. Around the event the school offered free giveaways, with hoodies and various items being dished out to those who were willing to line up in the cold. Aside from this, there were two large, carnival-style rides available, and some various food options available.

Those who waited to get a ticket were given a free taco platter provided by the school, while the other two food trucks, the pupusa truck and the funnel cake truck charged students.

Also next to the free giveaway table, Rockstar Energy had a booth where they lined up new flavors of their popular energy drink to give away to students along with free merchandise like lanyards.

On the far end of the event was the stage where the school had four performances lined up, starting with the two student DJs at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. and ending the night with the hired acts at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Overall, it seemed to be an event where many students showed up to finally interact with each other and have the college experience many have been craving.

Just like anything though, it seemed like the UCR

staff needed to dust off the cobwebs, as this was the first large event in a while, and there were some things that would need improvement in the future.

From the beginning, when I first walked into the event, the line was tremendously long, which may be expected. But what had me shocked was the fact that there were no designated areas for the line to corral itself, and the line eventually began wrapping around the whole CHASS building.

As there were a variety of lines, finding the one to get in was a headache in itself, and many students seemed to have wasted their time accidentally waiting in lines which they thought were meant for something else. One of the students I was able to interview in line said she “didn’t understand what some of the lines were for” and that she wished “the school would have provided signs that stated where lines began and what they were for.” Another student in a different line had a similar complaint explaining how he was “having fun with his friends” and didn’t mind the lines because he was with them, but could see how students simply coming to check it out would be turned away from going further in.

After talking to a variety of students about how they liked the event, and what UCR could do to improve future events, everything seemed to follow in a similar fashion with complaints solely being about a disorganized event that had many people confused.

Right before I left the event, I was able to talk to an ASPB staff member working, and she explained how the crowd size for the event was far larger than anything they were expecting. Many of them felt like they were understaffed and overwhelmed. She

LEO YUE / THE HIGHLANDER

explained that for what it was, she thought it was going well, but in the future, they should always plan for a bigger number of people so they could be more organized and provide more food options instead of having everyone wait hungry in long lines.

The staff too seemed overwhelmed, and I constantly saw many individuals running around attempting to control the event. On a positive note, when I was able to interview local emergency medical service workers, they seemed confident in their plan for the event, stating how everyone on the medical team was well connected and all corners of the grounds were accounted for. With the recent tragedy at Astroworld, medical staff being confident in their plan and staying alert was really nice to see, and students definitely noticed, with many claiming that they felt safe and did not worry about their H safety. ■

Verdict: In no way was the event a disaster, and students had their praises for what the event was. But moving forward, ASPB should most definitely reach out to students and listen to their concerns so that these events could only be improved in the future.

LEO YUE / THE HIGHLANDER

14

Radar TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

UCR Arts: A deep dive into the museum’s intricate exhibitions A LOOK INTO UCR ARTS AND WHAT ITS EXHIBITIONS MEAN.

BRENDA JOVEL Contributing Writer

Before UCR Arts emerged in downtown Riverside in 2010, it was initially composed of three separate museums: The Jack and Marilyn Sweeney Art Gallery (1963), the California Museum of Photography (1973) and the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts (2010). Now known as UCR Arts, the museum offers various exhibitions from UCR professors to deliver unique experiences for the public.

This week, I had the opportunity to interview third-year art major, Ester Yoon, and this is what she had to say: “I wanted to go into an entry-level, career-related field for personal and work experience.

I wanted to work here because UCR Arts seemed like an inspiring place to gain professional experience and also seemed like a refreshing work environment. After working here for several months, I feel more confident with my knowledge of exhibition management, visual arts and art history.”

Many students majoring in art history could also follow Yoon’s footsteps to explore the various opportunities their major has to offer. UCR Arts is certainly

COURTESY OF CHASS@UCR

a great step towards a future within art history.

Upon walking inside the museum, patrons will immediately see the elaborate presentation of labor and production created by UCR Arts Studio Professor, Lynne Marsh. Marsh’s exhibition “Who Raised It Up So Many Times?” is presented in the medium of television presentations and sound speakers to evoke how manual labor is represented in the cinema industry. Marsh uses various mediums such as a German TV news station, an English opera house and more to showcase the different cultural workers that work behind the scenes to create sounds and images for cinema. According to Yoon, Marsh’s work reminds her of contemporary dance combined with labor production. It is certainly a unique exhibition that offers an inside look into the people who work tirelessly to create great cinematic experiences.

Moving through the first and second floors, UCR Arts professor Brandon Lattu presents his very interactional exhibit. “Empirical, Textual, Contextual” offers a variety of works from small photographic prints, animated slide shows, to an interactive light installation.

This light installation also happens to be a fan favorite; it is a giant light bulb in the middle of an empty room that you can move in front of, allowing the light to follow your movement as it reflects off the walls. According to the UCR Arts website, Lattu is presenting his exhibition with different thematic elements to push ideas of photography to animate this medium in sensory and material forms.

As an interactive exhibition, it can enlighten patrons’ perspectives about the photography world while also showing them a fun time.

One of the newly added exhibitions is by Edward Chang who presents “Pachappa Camp.” Chang wanted to represent the first Koreatown in the United States, founded in 1905 by Dosan Ahn Chang. With printed archival photographs and newspaper articles depicting the founding, the exhibition shows the process of how Korean culture emerged in the states, particularly in the Riverside area. Chang makes sure to tell Dosan’s journey in a memorable way to honor his efforts in supporting the Korean American community. Unlike the other exhibitions that have English and Spanish options, Chang only uses English and Korean to represent the history of Pachappa Camp on the exhibition’s walls. “Pachappa Camp” is not only an interesting exhibit to view, but it is also a great way to celebrate history and highlight how Korean culture has shaped modern America.

Located on the basement level, Anna Wittenberg presents “The Ruminant.”

As a former UCR alum, Wittenberg references the class Mammalia in her piece. “The Ruminant” is presented as a floor-bound sculpture made of a tree trunk, recycled products and other disparate materials. The most interesting aspect is the sculpture’s feet which are

meant to function like cud. Cud is food brought back into the mouth from a ruminating animal for it to be chewed up again. Ruminating animals are essentially hoofed creatures that are able to ferment their plant-based food in a specialized stomach known as the rumen. In this case, the ruminating animal is the goat that is being represented in Wittenberg’s exhibition. The exhibition also provides a sensory experience through the sound of goats hitting their hooves together.

Wittenberg also provides a slide show where images are heavily focused on mammal body parts, specifically the irises of a goat. “The Ruminant” is a complex exhibition that can make many scratch their heads, but it is one worth viewing for a look into ruminating animals.

UCR Arts also offers a collection of historic photographs by Bruce Davidson.

“Lift Your Head: Bruce Davidson and the Evolution of Seeing” highlights the social justice movements that took place during the 1960s. Davidson captured the intimate realities of racism as riots were at the peak of history where freedom was desired.

These photographs are able to tell a story without any words needed; they speak for themselves. Davidson produced these photos because of his curiosity towards human connection. Whatever way these photographs are interpreted, each one delivers a deep meaning about the world and how much we have evolved within the social justice realm.

UCR Arts is currently open from Thursday’s to Sunday’s where free admission is given to anyone, from anywhere. Visit the museum today to venture around the intricate exhibitions where thoughtful perspectives are showcased. ■ H

The battle is over—Britney Spears is free at last!

MADISON RHEINS Editor-in-Chief

After a culmination of efforts involving Britney Spears herself, her lawyer and thousands of loyal fans, the conservatorship that once stripped the pop star of basic rights has finally been put to an end. Not only was this conservatorship oppressive, but it also kept Spears from having the right to manage her $60 million estate that she worked so hard to accumulate. With her newfound freedom, many are wondering what is next for Britney Spears and what is to happen with her father, Jamie Spears, and the other individuals who wrongfully put her under this conservatorship in the first place.

Under the conservatorship, Britney Spears did not have access to the same rights that any normal adult has. Her father managed to persuade court officials and various medical professionals into believing egregious lies, such as Britney having early onset dementia among other mental health problems, in order to place her under a temporary conservatorship.

However, although it was supposed to be a temporary decision made for her mental wellbeing, the conservatorship would remain imposed upon her for a majority of her adult life.

After the court case on Nov. 12, 2021, the court determined that Britney Spears

did not need to be placed under any type of conservatorship anymore and that she was mentally capable to take care of herself.

After this decision was made, hundreds of fans decked out in bright, pink and white outfits who decided to stand outside awaiting the decision erupted into celebration. Now, Britney Spears will be able to have the freedom to choose her own legal team, make her own medical decisions, sign her own contracts and most importantly, gain entitlement to her estate. Essentially, for the first time in 13 years, Spears will be able to live her life as a normal woman.

Although this victory was one for the books, the fight is not over. Britney Spears still faces lawsuits from her father and her former business manager, Lou Taylor.

These individuals are the main perpetrators responsible for enslaving Spears. Over the course of 13 years, they forced the pop star to work grueling hours, often performing back-to-back shows without any breaks as revealed in the Netflix documentary released earlier this year, which recounts the conservatorship from the perspectives of those close to the singer. Her father also refused to grant her any body autonomy — in the courtroom, Spears recalls being denied the ability to have an IUD removed.

And while all of this was happening,

these monsters were collecting millions of Britney’s hard-earned income each year. After a while, it became undoubtedly obvious that the heavy surveillance and control over Britney’s life was never about her wellbeing — it was about greed.

Lou Taylor’s company, Tri-Star, has received many subpoenas to obtain Spears’s financial records, yet they have not complied and have been ignoring the many requests submitted by Britney’s lawyer, Rosengart.

Furthermore, Jamie Spears’ lawyer has maintained that there is nothing to be pursued further in terms of Jamie’s history in surveillancing his daughter. However, it is speculated by Rosengart that this is all to avoid taking any more accountability.

While it’s amazing that Britney Spears is now free, it’s important that fans continue to support this movement because it is far from over. Britney will now be under a magnifying glass by those who are out to get her now more than ever. If at any point she acts irresponsibly, many vultures could take this as proof that she isn’t mentally sound to take care of herself. Her support system must remain vigilant in the months to come until the legal battles are over and Britney can finally walk away as a free woman.■ H

AFTER 13 LONG YEARS, THE CONSERVATORSHIP IMPOSED ON BRITNEY SPEARS HAS BEEN TERMINATED — BUT WHAT’S NEXT?

COURTESY OF JEN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS UNDER CC-BY-2.0

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/ae

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Who will go home with hardware?

2021 American Music Awards Predictions THIS YEAR’S AMAS NOMINEES INCLUDE INDUSTRY HEAVY-HITTERS OLIVIA RODRIGO, THE WEEKND, MEGAN THEE STALLION, LIL NAS X AND BTS.

By: Elias Almarez-Herrera, Contributing Writer American award shows have had to adapt and evolve to maintain relevance among music fanatics as well as to reach viewership from the general public. As the 2021 American Music Awards nears its premiere, predicting which current music icons will receive a trophy on Nov. 21 will require a deep understanding of how the show works.

On Feb. 19, 1974 the first American Music Award show aired on the ABC network.

For the first 32 years on air, music industry figures selected recipients annually, in a process similar to the way votes are cast at the Grammys. In 2006, the AMAs solidified its corner on the music award show industry market by allowing fans of nominated artists to cast votes through online polls. With the rise of “stan culture,” artists have a great incentive to create a strong following of dedicated supporters. Of the artists nominated for the 2021 American Music Awards, those who maintain a strong social media presence for constant communication with their fans have a great chance of taking home an award.

Each year, artist of the year is the prominent honor of the night. This year, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Drake, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo and The Weeknd are nominated for the prestige. From heavy hitting album release “Certified Lover Boy” to “Positions” from pop superstars Drake and Ariana Grande, it might seem these artists are slated for the win. As far as social media marketing goes, BTS and Taylor Swift have established highly-committed fanbases. Considering the deciding factor for the win is the fans themselves, these contenders have great influence through means of a mass number of votes. With the record-breaking “Blinding Lights” and chart-topping “After Hours” album, The Weeknd has undoubtedly honed in on his craft the way an artist of the year would.

The next category listed on the AMA’s official website is best new artist. While names like GIVĒON and The Kid LAROI have made exceptional impacts on the landscape of the music industry in just a few short years, none have had the ability to permeate public consciousness the way Olivia Rodrigo has.

As “drivers license” became a viral TikTok hit, with remarkable visuals for accompanying single “good 4 u” and seamless rollout of “SOUR” album, the making for a best new artist win is in the young singersongwriter’s favor.

The AMAs annually recognize best collaborations, and this year’s nominations are looking quite stacked, living up to expectations of previous years. Summer hits “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA and “Peaches” by Justin Beiber, Daniel Caesar and GIVĒON are the sure frontrunners of the nominees.

Heavy groove driven bass and the blend of vocal performances by the trio on their hit “Peaches” create

a smooth listening experience. The intoxicating guitar riff on “Kiss Me More” accompanied by stellar vocal performances by Doja Cat and SZA explains the 32 weeks the track has spent on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Both tracks occupied plenty of space on the summer playlists, but “Peaches” could take home the trophy.

The favorite music video category honors the visual media accompanying an artists’ track.

Among the nominees for this category are Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open,” “Up” by Cardi B, “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd and “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo.

If the 2021 Video Music Awards recipient of the video

of the year a w a r d reveals

a n y insight on who is currently leading, Lil Nas X may be on the receiving end once again.

The video for “MONTERO (Call Me By Yo u r

Name)”

features breathtaking visual effects.

Allusions to Greek mythology have set the tone for a variety of music videos throughout the year; namely “You Right” by Doja Cat featuring The Weeknd and “Rumors” by Lizzo featuring Cardi B. Lil Nas X also remarks that his pole dancing choreography was inspired by FKA twigs’ “cellophane” video, which

received a Grammy nod for best music video at the 2019 show.

The next categories are favorite male pop artist and favorite female pop artist. Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X are certain frontrunners in this category. The deciding factor may boil down to whether the enthusiasm of the Belieber fan base can carry Justin Bieber to claim the title. Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift are undeniable pop superstars; however, Ariana Grande’s hit “34+35” garnered extensive fan attention this year. Her recent Vevo virtual concert uploaded onto YouTube may solidify her win. The Kid LAROI may find recognition in the favorite pop album category as his 2020 fulllength album “F*CK LOVE” garnered a considerable response from general public listeners.

While Glass Animals, Silk Sonic and Maroon 5 are highly established contenders for the favorite pop duo award, the BTS Army fanbase is a highly organized network of people committed to witnessing nothing but success for the Korean pop group. BTS should definitely not be counted out for a possible win in this category.

Megan Thee Stallion and Drake are clear frontrunners for the favorite male hip-hop artist and favorite female hip-hop artist awards for their consistent chart success and dedicated followings.

Drake may take home best hip-hop album as “Certified Lover Boy” created an entire social media movement leading up to its release.

Fan favorites leading in the best R&B song category are GIVĒON’s “Heartbreak Anniversary” and “Leave the Door Open” from the Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak duo, Silk Sonic. Another stacked category is the favorite female R&B artist award, featuring nominees like Doja Cat, Jazmine Sullivan, Jhene Aiko, HER and SZA. While Doja Cat has a strong chance of winning the fan-favorite award, Jazmine Sullivan has made an unprecedented comeback to the R&B musical landscape with the release of her album “Heaux Tales.” The accompanying Tiny Desk Concert on NPR’s YouTube channel currently has 6.3 billion views and counting.

The Latin categories are dominated by acts like Bad Bunny and Kali Uchis.

Both of these artists have a strong following and are slated to win big in the favorite male and female Latin artist awards. Dreamy, Latin pop track “telepatia” by Kali Uchis was a viral hit this year, with extensive time spent on the Billboard Latin and Hot 100 charts, making it a solid contender for favorite Latin song.

ROSALÍA, Karol G and Maluma round out the nominees in the Latin categories.

The AMAs have become a staple award show in a highly saturated industry of award shows. Cardi B is set to host this year’s live show streaming on H ABC and Hulu.■ FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEFFEN RECORDS, KEMOSABE AND RCA RECORDS, EPIC/NOT SO FAST RECORDS, & XO AND REPUBLIC RECORDS

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Sports TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/sports

UC Riverside’s basketball team dominates Bethesda in the 2021 Homecoming Game HANSEL CHU Assistant Sports Editor

The UC Riverside basketball team dominated Bethesda 95-57 in a game where the Highlanders secured a schoolrecord 68 rebounds. The Homecoming Game brought many fans, parents and alumni to the stands, for many the first time since the pandemic. After a tough loss against the University of San Diego in the past week, the Highlanders got back on track with a convincing victory.

Bethesda jumped out to an early 4-2 lead, but that would be the last time the Flames had the lead in the game. The Highlanders would then go on a 25-5 run throughout the first half to take control of the game. During that run, UCR shredded Bethesda’s defense with precise ball movement and put down the Flame’s offense. Senior forward Daniel Mading led the Highlanders during that stretch with timely buckets and rebounds to increase the Riverside lead.

During the later stages of the first half, senior forward J.P. Moorman II started to get cooking as he scored UCR’s last eight points in a three-minute stretch. With 3:31 left in the first half, a 3-pointer from junior guard Flynn Cameron gave junior guard Zyon Pullin his seventh assist in the half, as well as extending the Highlander lead to 43-

26 lead. UCR continued to suffocate Bethesda’s offense and at the half, Riverside found themselves up 45-28.

Moorman II led the Highlanders with 16 points at the half, and Mading chipped in with five points and six rebounds.

In the second half, the Highlanders continued their dominance as they consistently drove to the rim and knocked down free throws. A corner triple from freshman guard Wil Tattersall gave UCR a 22-point lead, 55-33. Near the halfway point of the second half, Bethesda started to make a slight comeback on their own as a couple of UCR turnovers led to easy transition points for the Flames. A 3-pointer from junior forward Christopher Blount brought the lead down to 19, 64-45.

UCR quickly snuffed out any momentum Bethesda had as a midrange jumper from Pullin brought the Highlander lead back up to the twenties.

At the 8:24 mark in the game, a driving dunk from Moorman II ignited the home crowd from their seats before an alley-oop from Bethesda sent the crowd into a frenzy, waking them up from the blowout game. With under four minutes left in the game, Cameron drilled a 3-pointer to give UCR a 32 point lead, 82-50. The Highlanders continued to show their dominance on the glass and

on defense, and a posterizing dunk from Mading put the exclamation mark on the game as UCR secured the victory 95-57.

Moorman and Cameron both led the Highlanders with 18 points, while Mading had an impressive 11 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman center Jaylon Martinez also posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. UCR grabbed a school-record 68 rebounds in this game and although they struggled to shoot the three-ball, the Highlanders

THE HIGHLANDERS GRAB A SCHOOLRECORD 68 REBOUNDS IN A BLOWOUT VICTORY made up for it by going 17-26 from the free-throw line.

UC Riverside improves the record to 3-2 and will take on the University of Texas at El Paso on Monday, Nov. 22, H at 6 p.m. ■

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

UC Riverside’s women’s basketball defeats Cal Lutheran with a show stopping performance A CHARGE FROM THE HIGHLANDERS IN THE SECOND QUARTER LED TO A COMFORTABLE LEAD WHICH SET THE PACE FOR THE REST OF THE GAME. KEVIN CONTRERAS Sports Editor

UCR’s women’s basketball team was challenged by the California Lutheran University Regals this past Tuesday, Nov. 16. A charge in the third quarter paired with exceptional defense led to a huge win for the Highlanders. UCR ended the game ahead by 47 points, 79-36.

Early in the first quarter, both teams were evenly matched as they traded baskets back and forth.

UCR opened up the scoreboard with a jumper from senior guard Keilani Cooper. The Regals quickly responded with a shot from their lead player, junior point guard, Mackenzy Iwahashi. Cal Lutheran caught an early lead in the first four minutes of the game, 6-3. The Highlanders closed in defensively and began catching up. A layup from redshirt sophomore forward Mateyha Bryant put UCR up 7-6. For the remainder of the quarter, both teams traded the lead back and forth with each other until the end of the quarter where they tied 14-14.

The Highlanders entered the second quarter fiercely with a 4-0 run. The Regals fought back to tie the game 18-18 with just under 6 minutes left in the first half. The Highlanders did their best to keep the Regals at bay, tightening their defense to stop them from reaching the paint. Both teams traded shots, tying at 20-20 with 4:26 left. UCR then began to break away, going on a 14-0 run, before Cal Lutheran could score again. The Highlanders ended the first half ahead 34-21.

Going into the third quarter, UCR charged on

relentlessly to increase their lead. The Highlanders went on a 12-2 run, putting them comfortably ahead 46-23. Cal Lutheran did their best to respond, finding few points in between the constant Highlander onslaught. UCR went on another impressive 11-6 run, to end the third quarter ahead 57-29.

As the game reached its final stage, the UCR women’s team essentially shut down their opponents.

Their suffocating woman on woman defense blocked the Regals from reaching the net. An early 7-0 run from the Highlanders to start the fourth quarter further extended their lead. Cal Lutheran responded with a shot of their own from freshman center Aliya Dimuro, but to no avail. UCR went on another 12-0 run before the Regals could reply with a jumper of their own. With the score now 76-33 and only 2:19 left on the clock, the game was essentially over.

Both teams managed to earn three more points before closing out the game 79-36 in favor of the Highlanders.

Junior guard Jada Holland led the charge that afternoon, with a total of 18 points scored. Cooper aided Holland with 17 points of her own. Bryant also contributed with a total of 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Ultimately, the Highlander defense forced a huge number of turnovers, which led to the impressive lead with 34 points scored off of turnovers.

The Highlanders will face off in an away game against Santa Clara on Nov. 29 in Santa Clara, H California at 2 p.m. ■ COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS