Volume 71, Issue 21

T he h ighlander

RADAR

Celebrity feuds and the fascinating thrill of it all

KIMBERLY BEJEC Staff Writer

Celebrities are typically constantly under the spotlight, especially as they are followed by paparazzi and fans. Unfortunately, this leads to constant attention to their actions and what they say. More specifically, fans and speculators can infer from body language, tone of voice and timing of actions that some celebrities may be beefing. Understandably, with the vast amount of celebrities, not all of them are meant to be best friends or get along with each other. However, whether things are taken out of context or celebrities air their feud out to the public, the media and public eat up the drama and can become invested, adding fuel to the fire.

A more recent celebrity feud that has garnered plenty of attention from the media is the Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber rivalry. This feud was first speculated by the public due to the very public relationship and breakup between Selena and Hailey’s now-husband Justin Bieber. Although Selena and Justin were on and off for years, Justin quickly became engaged to Hailey just months after

their last breakup in 2018. Although fans analyze Justin and Selena’s relationship, they have turned toward analyzing how Hailey might be shading Gomez and connecting the dots between posts that might be aimed toward the other.

Although there has been speculation of a feud between Hailey and Justin Bieber against Selena Gomez, it was not as much of a big deal in social media until recently. The feud began catching more attention after fans speculated Hailey and Kylie Jenner were making fun of Selena’s laminated eyebrows. After this, fans began to label Hailey and Kylie as ‘mean girls’ and looked deeper into Hailey’s posts that might be copying Selena or shading her. This only blossomed further as social media users began posting TikToks analyzing Hailey’s behavior.

As more and more TikToks were being posted, fans became increasingly obsessed with the drama, wanting to find out more and what was going on behind the scenes. This led speculators to take sides in the

► SEE SELENA PAGE 11

ABHIJIT REGE News Editor

The Associated Students of UC Riverside 2023-2024 Elections Convention saw many executive and legislative candidates attend, and allowed the student population to meet with them to learn more about their positions and platform. The event took place on Thursday April 6th, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Highlanders could also attend for free pizza.

Running for President in this year’s elections are Cooper Proulx, Ankita Ahluwalia, and Jules Yang. Proulx serves as the Chief of Staff under the office of the current Executive President Mufida Assaf. He aims to implement a fleet of electric vehicles that students can rent, improving access to pharmaceutical resources, adding an automated food delivery service similar to UCI and creating other programs to increase revenue to avoid raising student fees. Saving students money and “Giving back what they’re giving to us,” is the foundation of his campaign.

Ahluwalia serves currently as ASUCR’s Personnel Director. She aspires to rebuild ASUCR’s trust and communication with the student body, reducing the division

in the ASUCR offices, and establishing the campus safety escort service. Yang hopes to improve student academic experience by advocating for higher quality education, supporting student organizations on campus, and pushing for more community service and volunteering efforts as he wants students to want to give back to the campus.

The race for Executive Vice President had both candidates present at the convention. Current First Time College Student Director Victoria Nguyen elaborated on her platform, which stands on bridging the gap between students and the administration, as well as students and resources available to them. She aims to increase transparency from administration, expand basic needs resources and work towards making Highlanders feel more empowered on campus. Current International Student Director Jasmine Nguyen aims to expand on ASUCR’s outreach through increased social media usage, improve office transparency, bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion, and bring efficiency to every department in the executive and legislative branch.

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Numerous candidates present in this years ASUCR Elections Convention

ABHIJIT REGE News Editor

Learn more about who’s running for Legislative and Executive positions

The Associated Students of UC Riverside 2023-2024 Elections Convention saw many executive and legislative candidates attend, and allowed the student population to meet with them to learn more about their positions and platform. The event took place on Thursday April 6th, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Highlanders could also attend for free pizza.

Running for President in this year’s elections are Cooper Proulx, Ankita Ahluwalia, and Jules Yang. Proulx serves as the Chief of Staff under the office of the current Executive President Mufida Assaf. He aims to implement a fleet of electric vehicles that students can rent, improving access to pharmaceutical resources, adding an automated food delivery service similar to UCI and creating other programs to increase revenue to avoid raising student fees. Saving students money and “Giving back what they’re giving to us,” is the foundation of his campaign.

Ahluwalia serves currently as ASUCR’s Personnel Director. She aspires to rebuild ASUCR’s trust and communication with the student body, reducing the division in the ASUCR offices, and establishing the campus safety escort service. Yang hopes to improve student academic experience by advocating for higher quality education, supporting student organizations on campus, and pushing for more community service and volunteering efforts as he wants students to want to give back to the campus.

The race for Executive Vice President had both candidates present at the convention. Current First Time College Student Director Victoria Nguyen elaborated on her platform, which stands on bridging the gap between students and the administration, as well as students and resources available to them. She aims to increase transparency from administration, expand basic needs resources and work towards making Highlanders feel more empowered on campus. Current International Student Director Jasmine Nguyen aims to expand on ASUCR’s outreach through increased social media usage, improve office transparency, bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion, and bring efficiency to every department in the executive and legislative branch.

For the position of Vice President of Sustainability, candidate Ellen Nguyen currently serves as the current Vice Chair of GCAP and notably spearheaded Green Grant #9 that established the first shuttling programs that took students from on-campus housing to Ontario airport at no charge. She hopes to make sustainability more fun and accessible in an effort to create an open space for all in environmental justice. Opponent Jaden Victor Gee was not present at the convention.

Angel Marcelo Renteria is running for the position Vice President of External Affairs. Renteria’s platform has three primary pillars: educating students on labor rights and mobilizing them in advocacy efforts, improving government relations on a local, state, and federal level, and especially improving civic engagement on campus. Renteria has lobbied for numerous bills including AB 1746, a Cal Grant reform, AB 226, which focused on Repatriation Transparency, and SB 59, a bill for menstrual product access expansion.

The Vice President of Internal Affairs race has a tough competition with three candidates. Former BCOE senator David Kiroloss hopes to push for numerous initiatives including introducing 24/7 communal fridges with the help of R’Garden, increasing the number of sessions one can attain at CAPS for free, and creating a shuttling program for students with respect to campus safety. His campaign focuses on bolstering student rights and enhancing their quality of life with a focus on academic affairs, basic needs, sexual harassment and assault prevention, and mental heath services. Candidate Ruhi Barman currently serves as a CHASS senator. Her main platforms are to increase support and harassment prevention programs, improve accessibility and educational equity within all academic affairs, and promote mental and physical wellness services. Abinaya Perumal is running for the position as well on a platform of advocacy, transparency, and unity. Her future goals include expanding on mental health services, bringing more awareness to Costo Hall, and improving on student housing.

Brandon Huang is the sole candidate for the Vice President of Finance position. His platform is concerned with transparency and awareness of the Finance committee’s practices. Huang recognized that not many students understand how funding works or what the student government does with funding allocation, and he hopes to improve upon this and show students how funding can be utilized in various ways around campus.

Nadia Aierken is running unopposed as international students director. Aierken has much experience with traveling and was originally born in China. As such, she has a firm understanding of the struggles that International students face on a daily basis and hopes to increase inclusivity by creating more opportunities for them, establishing workshops to help them build confidence and be better prepared to navigate the community, especially with housing, and improving interactions with the campus for Internationals.

Current CHASS senator, Hemant Hari is running for Personnel Director. With his experience working in the committee of the Personnel Director, Hari aims to improve transparency and ensure that ASUCR personnel are managed effectively, especially with respect to deadlines.

Candidates for the positions of First-Time College Students Director, Marketing and Promotions Director, Transfer Director, and SPP senator were not present at the convention.

The convention was able to successfully provide an introduction of this year’s elections to students on campus and we at the Highlander hope our coverage will allow students to be more informed when they fill out their ballots.

Find the complete article that includes senator candidates on our website!

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Science Ambassadors host UC Riverside’s first ever Science Olympiad Invitational

The nation’s largest science competition returns to UC Riverside for the first time in over 10 years.

MICHAEL TIN Tech Director

For the first time in over 10 years, the K-12 Science Olympiad competition returned to the University of California, Riverside. The tournament, dubbed “Highlander Invitational,” was part of the national track-meet style competition where middle and high school students competed in 36 events surrounding all areas of science, including biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, engineering, and more. While UC Riverside has hosted the Inland Empire regional tournament before, the institution has never organized an invitational tournament, which is more of a practice tournament for students to gain experience before their respective regional qualifiers. Highlander Invitational was created by Change in Scientific Importance for Youth (Delta SIFY), one of the five projects within the UCR Science Ambassadors organization.

In just 90 days, project leaders Sonali Bhakta, Jennalyn Resendez, and Michael Tin organized the competition. As this is the inaugural year for the tournament, the 2023 Highlander Invitational was done in the form of an online (“satellite”) competition, where students competed from their schools. Over 900 students and 50 teams from all over the country signed up to participate. On Saturday, January 28, 2023, more than 1,000 tests were taken by students on an online platform as schools challenged each other to see who would place high in the rankings and what team would ultimately win the first ever Highlander Invitational.

The feedback to the tournament was exceedingly positive from teachers across the country. Joanne M. Trombley, a teacher at J.R. Fugett Middle School in Pennsylvania, stated that her students really enjoyed the invitational experience, and gained a lot of experience from being able to work together in their respective events. She remarked that the online tournament helped to “bridge the gap between the haves and have nots in society,” adding that her school district has a significant low income student population that do not have the funding for in-person competition travel. Kevin Postma, an AP Environmental Science teacher at Manistee High School in Michigan, reported that his students had a great time during the invitational, and appreciates all the effort that the Science Ambassadors put into making this event a possibility. Feedback was also overwhelmingly positive from Science Ambassadors who had helped run the event.

Ambassador Linlin Liu wrote challenging tests for five events, stating that this was “the perfect opportunity for (her) to experience (the Science Olympiad) in college.” She added that she was very impressed by the capability of the students to answer topics that were not necessarily covered in traditional coursework. Another ambassador, Nathaniel Co, had participated in Science Olympiad before and wanted to get the experience of being on the other side of the events. He added that “writing the Codebusters exam was a lot of fun…and (being able to) provide feedback/questions through the chat while proctoring was incredibly rewarding.”

Overall, the Highlander Invitational was a great experience for middle and high school students across the nation. The event demonstrated the outreach capabilities of the Science Ambassadors Program, as well as the extensive work the Ambassadors put into turning this event from an idea into a reality within 3 months. Delta SIFY hopes to expand on the success of this invitational, with plans to bring the Highlander Invitational on-campus next year, and to also bring back the Inland Empire Regional tournament to UC Riverside. The group also plans to continue with their other efforts in STEM outreach, which includes Science Olympiad coaching, math tutoring sessions, and co-curriculum based lesson plans. Additionally, Delta SIFY is also planning an “Ag-Ops field trip” for the Spring Quarter, where students from surrounding schools will have the opportunity to come and explore UC Riverside. You can find the Awards Ceremony for Highlander Invitational at the following link: https://youtu.be/-gSDdFgMSTY.

About UC Riverside Science Ambassadors

The Science Ambassador Program is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to represent UC Riverside’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences Undergraduate Programs to internal and external constituents. The Science Ambassadors are the face of the college and assist the school as a host during official functions, make presentations, and act as a student liaison with the various communities that CNAS serves both on and off-campus, with a particular emphasis on recruiting events and activities.

Ambassadors are knowledgeable about their majors and UCR, and are easily able to communicate their passion for both to prospective students and their families. Ambassadors are highly involved in activities outside of the classroom, including undergraduate research, student life, athletics, etc. Each Ambassador has a distinct voice and a unique story which all contribute to a rich diverse representation for the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UC Riverside. CNAS Science Ambassadors adhere to the highest standards of student conduct and academic integrity.

About Delta SIFY

Change in Scientific Importance for Youth, also known as “Delta SIFY,” is a project within the UCR CNAS Science Ambassadors Program intended to demonstrate the importance of STEM in daily lives, nurture interest and confidence for students interested in science, and ultimately provide an opportunity for students to explore the process of getting into college and working in the STEM fields. We accomplish this by partnering with the 7th and 8th grade students of the Riverside STEM Academy.

About Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through the Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal.

Updating water management in California and Australia

HARU CHANG Assistant News Editor

Precipitation provides most of California’s supply of water. Tracking the changes in amount and whether precipitation happens in the form of rain or snow give critical information to properly mitigating multiple water management operations in reservoirs, including storage and flood protection. Changes in precipitation can also affect the natural environment and manifest in various ways. With climate change, fewer but heavier rainstorms are becoming more regular occurrences in both Southern California and southeast Australia.

UC Riverside public policy professor Kurt Schwabe was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair Fellowship to collaborate with Australian scientists to improve methods of capturing and storing water in response to climate change. The researchers will be working with policy experts in Australia and California to prepare for and reduce the impacts of climate change: recharging aquifers, establishing groundwater banks, and creating water markets.

The Fulbright Fellowship is awarded by the U.S. Department of State to aid distinguished scholars whose work play an important role in diplomacy through the sharing of knowledge production between the U.S. and its allied nations. The fellowship provides stipends to cover travel, living and research expenses.

Schwabe will be returning to the Murray-Darling basin, where he has worked as an environmental economist, in order to look for more sustainable methods of water capture and storage. The effort to build more effective water management and adjust relevant institutional systems requires a diverse coalition of partners. He will be working with various academics, government officials, and non-governmental organization officials to build more effective strategies to capture, store, and distribute stormwater runoff to make it accessible for farms and municipalities.

Schwabe’s work is expected to benefit areas within the Central Valley of both Australia and California where aquifers have been significantly depleted. The project will be using the information gathered about California’s groundwater banks and recent experiments examining aquifer recharge while also incorporating Australia’s expertise in developing a more mature global water market.

UCR and Pell Grant retention

MATA ELANGOVAN Staff Writer

How UCR supports its student body.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the University of California, Riverside enrolled over 26,000 students for the fall quarter. Including just its freshmen admits, they had an overall admission rate of 68.1%. Out of all the admitted students, UCR has 47% of its student population receiving a Pell Grant.

According to the official website, “The Pell Grant is a federal need-based grant that’s awarded to undergraduate students in exceptional financial need.” In most cases the Pell Grant is awarded mainly for undergraduate studies, while exceptions have been made in a few cases for certification programs, and it can be used to cover costs such as tuition, housing, food, and other costs.

There are a few requirements to be considered for a Pell Grant, which include displaying exceptional financial need, enrollment in an undergraduate program, not having earned any preexisting degrees, and completion of the FAFSA for the needed school year. Since the Pell Grant is need-based, students are not required to display exemplary academic achievements in order to receive aid, and due to its status as a grant and not a loan, the Pell Grant will not have to be repaid, unless a student changes their enrollment status after the grant has been disbursed.

The establishment of the Pell Grant in 1965 helped reduce student loan debt nationally. As of now, “student loan debt in America stands at a whopping $1.757 trillion” and for the average person, they hold about $37,000 of debt. Which is not only an issue for individuals, but also an issue for the national economy. Statistics show that Pell Grant recipients also have a higher chance of doing well academically, and holding a higher graduation retention rate.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, UCR is ranked number 1 in the nation for freshmen retention rates, and is ranked with 24 other campuses across the nation in serving low-income students. After considering how many students from low-income families returned to UCR for their second year, they declared the UCR is number 1 in the nation as a public university for retaining Pell Grant freshmen. Though it is to be noted that the list provided by the site is nuanced, and may not accurately reflect all the colleges in the nation.

As noted by Emily Engelschall, the associate vice chancellor for enrollment services at UCR, “This is a meaningful ranking in that it not only acknowledges universities that both serve low-income students and give them the tools they need to succeed in their first year of college, but also recognizes the grit and determination of the excellent students we are privileged to teach.”

In addition to that, UCR is classified as an Minority Serving Institution (MSI), which basically means that UCR is a university that enrolls a significant portion of their student body from minority groups. They often serve low-income students, first generation, and students of color; as well as having diverse faculty to support their programs. A lot of MSIs often provide unique opportunities to students by having outside programs provide scholarships, grants, and fellowships to help them pay for school, and in hopes of eventually calling time to join that particular workforce. MSIs are also eligible for federal and private funding based on their eligibility requirements .

UCR professor receives the Fulbright Fellowship to help California and Australia improve water capture and storage.

OpiniOns

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

U.S. journalist, Evan Gershkovich, was simply doing his job and should be released by Russia

Wall Street Journalist, Evan Gershkovich, was arrested in Russia on March 30 with charges of espionage. Gershkovich was on assignment through The Journal and denies the implications that simply claim he was, “caught red-handed.” Gershkovich previously lived in Russia and has reported on the country for several years without incident, and is accredited with the Russian Foreign Ministry, making this arrest further unjustified. In a country controlled by an authoritarian regime that is also anti-press, suppression of the media through the use of false narratives is dangerous for ongoing relations of diplomacy.

Since the start of the Ukraine and Russia war, the Kremlin has imposed strict restrictions on journalists in the country reporting on the news in a way to bolster and somewhat uphold their image. Those reporting on the war are not allowed to use the phrase “war” and are instead prompted to refer to it as a “special military operation.” While these tactics were done to stifle the voices of journalists, most have still fought back with articles critical of Russia that are being published outside of the country to avoid following these absurd rules.

The current arrest of Gershkovich, a U.S. journalist who is also an American citizen, on false charges, threatens the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. With the recent exchange of prisoners between WNBA player Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, it appears that Russia is using Gershkovich as a bargaining piece to secure more of their citizens who are being kept in the U.S. The exchange for Griner was the second Russian exchange to take place within a span of eight months showing that this method

of imprisoning American citizens appears to be successful in releasing their prisoners.

The Journal, along with other news outlets, are in support of Gershkovich. More than 30 press freedom groups and news organizations, including the Journal, The New York Times, BBC, The Associated Press, The New Yorker, Time and The Washington Post, signed a letter under The Committee to Protect Journalists. The letter was sent to Anatoly I. Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

In the letter, the news outlets call the arrest “unwarranted and unjust” citing that Gershkovich was in the country on assignment unrelated to classified information and was taken for purely political reasons. Journalists are already targeted around the world by governments and groups who oppose their views and wish to keep the truth from coming out. Gershkovich was simply in Russia doing his job and should not be punished for being in a profession that the Kremlin fears.

With the Ukraine and Russian war ongoing, Putin seems desperate to change the country’s negative image and gain an upper hand in a war that he previously thought would be easy to win. Punishing and limiting the voices of journalists will not help him. If journalists do become suppressed, more will return to criticize Putin’s regime and the inhumane actions taking place in and by Russia. Gershkovich did not break the law or commit espionage and should be released without any conditions. He should not be used to make an example of or benefit the Russian government.

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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.

RUSSIAN OFFICIALS HAVE UNFAIRLY IMPRISONED GERSHKOVICH ON SUSPICION OF ESPIONAGE WHILE HE WAS IN THE COUNTRY ON ASSIGNMENT BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

OpiniOns

Disciplinary transfers are a silent plague infecting K-12

YSABEL NAKASONE Assistant Opinions Editor

A recent Hechinger analysis of reports from California’s largest school district illuminates a problem as the number of students affected by disciplinary transfers or hidden expulsions was revealed. Practices that remove students from their schools for offenses that don’t meet the level of expulsion have gone largely unnoticed by the public as there is little oversight, and policies help facilitate these actions.

The analysis looked at five consecutive academic years, adding up to 5,800 recorded transfers, which cited “specific discipline reasons.” The report suggests that up to 3,700 of these transfers may have more accurately been expulsions. Included in this report were 23 schools from Bakersfield City School District to Irvine Unified. Coming in third with 2,798 disciplinary transfers was Riverside Unified School District. Many of the schools included in this analysis are frequently sending their students to schools with poorer academic standards.

While some disciplinary transfers may be in the best interest of the student by ensuring they attend a school with greater flexibility or more resources, a lack of clarity in district records indicates that these transfers are being used to siphon out specific demographics. Schools have been silently pushing students out of school and labeling them as problem children.

NATO is getting stronger, not weaker, because of Russian aggression

In early March, state education officials introduced a hotline meant to be an outlet for reporting excessive discipline, specifically exclusionary discipline, in California schools. They accused school districts of covering up official expulsion or suspension numbers. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond made a statement connecting exclusionary discipline with pushing children toward the criminal justice system.

L.A. Unified’s policies present another issue with internally recorded “opportunity transfers.” These transfers have been inaccurately labeled as “voluntary” as students are moved to a different school “to address student misconduct after prior interventions have failed.”

The entirety of this situation was allowed to devolve further as oversight is all but nonexistent. A 2021 civil suit filed by parents asserted that Black and Latino students have been disproportionately affected by these disciplinary practices. The lack of state intervention as school districts work to hide the degree to which students are struggling and further impede their education is abysmal. Schools are not required to report transfers as they do expulsions and suspensions, which is what has allowed this problem to flourish.

A report from the National Education Policy Center unambiguously states that research indicates “changing schools can harm normal child and adolescent development by disrupting relationships with peers and teachers as well as altering a student’s educational program.” Also cited were negative effects on test scores and graduation rates.

These schools have failed their students and aim to make these children, many of whom are struggling even more after the effects of the pandemic, someone else’s problem. The State of California and all participating school districts are effectively taking a blowtorch to their students’ right to an equal education.

The world’s most powerful military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO, just welcomed another member to its ranks, a move that Russia had hoped to prevent with its “special military operation” in Ukraine. On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Finland officially broke their security policy of neutrality dating back to the end of World War II, to join NATO as its 31st Member State. In a stark contrast to the security landscape of Europe just two years ago, NATO has added over 800 miles to its border with Russia, a development that Russia desperately tried to avoid.

One of the major reasons behind Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin’s decision to invade Ukraine was that NATO territory was encroaching dangerously close to Russia’s border. While Putin’s advisors may have assumed that major fractures would be revealed in the alliance’s resolve, this has continued to be proven as a horrible miscalculation by Russia. As the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, resounded in Brussels at the accession of Finland, “Instead of less NATO, [Putin] has achieved the opposite. More NATO.”

Russia’s aggression in Eastern Europe has not only given ample purpose to NATO’s existence as an alliance, but has also empowered other nations in Europe to take a serious look at their own security. States like Finland and Sweden have remained neutral for decades, even through the Cold War. But, given the unpredictability of current geopolitics, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership almost a year ago, and have been officially added, or are close to being added, to the collective security alliance.

From a historic perspective, Finland was controlled by Russia from the time of the Napoleonic Wars up until the Russian Revolution of 1917 when the Bolsheviks recognized Finland as an independent state. Although this new beginning was welcomed by the Russians, over the next century, relations between Finland, and the then Soviet Union, were characterized by Finnish resistance against Russian invasion. In the period after World War II, Finnish foreign and security policy were specifically guided by one premise: the deterrence of Russian aggression and the preparation of Russian invasion.

Finland has largely achieved deterrence by maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with Russia by presenting a neutral stance in security relations dealing with Russia or NATO and the West. However, the moment that Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland soon realized its policy of neutrality as a feeble and untrustworthy guarantee of security against the backdrop of the War in Ukraine. Finland’s decision to join NATO was made out of a position of empowerment to capitalize on a newfound environment of unity among the Western powers.

Symbolically, Finland’s entrance into NATO reveals not only the miscalculation of Russian officials and Vladimir Putin in analyzing the consequences of their invasion, but it also represents the powerful scale of NATO’s influence. Article five of the NATO Treaty classifies “an attack on one [as] an attack on all”, a doctrine that is essential to the success of the alliance in continuing to rally support and aid to Ukraine against Russia. Considering the West’s response to the War in Ukraine, new reassurances and meaningful trust has rallied the allies and persuaded those on the periphery to reap the benefits of NATO.

Exclusionary discipline has been commonplace in California schools for a long time as students disproportionately suffer the consequences.

While Russia aims to prevent the expansion of NATO with its invasion of Ukraine, the accession of Finland into the military alliance signifies a major win for the West.

TOMAS ALVES

Contributing Writer

Courtesy of Pexels

Pisces(February19 -March20):Three of Wands

Aquarius(January20-February18): Strength Thisweekwill demand couragefromyouasyouareaskedtospeak outonwhat mattersto you.Beingstagnantandpassivewillnotyieldresults.Theconflictyou’recurrentlyengagedinwon’tendinsatisfactionunlessyou’reclearaboutyour concerns.

Capricorn (December 22January 19): Ten of Wands You’re beingunfairlyoverburdenedbyyourpeers.They’repushingworkonto you that isn’t your problem or your responsibility. You’re taken on the work without complaint, but it’s only going to push you toward burnout when other people should be picking up their own slack.

Sagittarius(November 22December 21): Five of Wands There’s about to be a lot of tension between you and your friends. It’ll start with something small and spiral very quickly. Problems will devolve due to a lack of listening. Try to hear what your friends are saying and what they mean too.

-23(OctoberScorpioNovember ofSix21):WandsrecogbetoaboutYou’re - interestinganfornizedaccomplishment, onebetoexpectdidn’tyounoticed Allowall.attoself-confidenceyourthisbystrengthenedbesuccess. yourselfPreparebecause loudestthemostthebewillvoices ones.critical

Earth Signs

CourtesyofPexels

You’re in a time of transitionandprogress.Currently,there areopportunitieson the horizon that are pullingyouforward. Theproblemisthat you’resofocusedon asingularfacetof thepresent,andyou neglectthenecessity ofthefuture.Maybe even certain elements orpeopleinyourlife rightnow.

Taurus(April20-May 20):PageofWands

You’refeelingtieddown somethingrightnow,lockedinto you’reunsureinterestedof.Thethingsyou’re inpursuingandhavethethingsyoubelieve currentlypotentialarenot accessibleto you.Ashardasitisto be disconnected from throughyourfreespirit,seethis andbepatientforacleanescape.

-Aries(March21 MagicianApril19):ThemanifestationThisweekisabout foryou,isAries.TheMagicianweekonyoursidethis asyouuseyourreachowninspiredpowerto yourgoals.Rightinwardnow,it’saboutlooking totheopportuni - yourselftiesyoucancreatefor insteadofdependingonoffers.

in your stance.

and remain steadfast

you can do the job

your head. Know that

let the power or the responsibility go to

need to remember your honor. Don’t

the lead now, and you

Gemini. You’re taking

This is a time of preeminence for you,

June 20): King of Wands

Gemini (May 21 -

23(SeptemberLibraofFive22):October Pentacles The Five of Pentacles lossfinancialtospeaks ofstressTheworry.andfinances and the needs ofareothersandyourself anThere’sdominating.isolation struggleyourtootherslikefeelyouascan’t Theyou.torelate trick this time is to let understand,totrythemand won’tproblemstheseonly you.tobelong

CourtesyofPexels

Earth signs are steady. They are the unmoving ground beneath your feet and the people you can count on. A person is only as good as their word, and Earth signs keep their promises in spades. Earth signs are inherently logical and goal-oriented. It can be their weakness to miss intricacies along the way because they focus on the end product. Surprisingly, earth signs are sometimes seen as materialistic. However, they also put a high value on security, whether it be financial or emotional.

Virgo(August23The22):September World meaningful,completedYou’vesomething becouldThisVirgo. rewardingincredibly or bittersweet. This ofendthesignalcould andtime-consuminga projectenergy-draining -imporanofendtheor relationship.tant

others.

aggravate yourself and

own feelings will only

Trying to reshape your

you how to feel about it.

and don’t let anyone tell

Take the time you need,

and it’s going to hurt.

silver linings this time,

over. There aren’t any

one that can be glossed

a painful ending and not

important loss. It will be

You’re about to face an

August-23(JulyLeoSwordsofFive22):theenteringYou’rethatfightaforarenaallatwintohaveyouannotisDefeatcosts.timethisyouforoptionyoursureMakearound. getdoesn’tgoalrealofmiddletheinlost battle.this

22): Ten of Swords

Cancer (June 21July

This week has every sign facing very different challenges.

Seeing the Superbloom

Where to FIND the super bloom in SoCal this year.

NATALIE DAHL Staff Writer

With the historic amount of rainfall that hit California after a three-year period of drought, flowers are springing up all over the state. Take the opportunity to see this beautiful flora either on a day trip or locally around Riverside as this phenomenon only happens once every ten years!

My top recommendation is visiting Anza Borrego State Park. Approximately two hours away from UCR, it is known to showcase beautiful blooms every year, but especially this spring season. While you’re there you can also stargaze and see its iconic 130 metal statues. Other locations I would recommend are Joshua Tree National Park (approximately 1.5 hours from UCR), Los Angeles County’s Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve (approximately 2 hours from UCR), and Chino Hills State Park (approximately 1 hour from UCR). One more thing to keep in mind; Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon is closed for this season to ensure the area’s sensitive habitat. Make sure you don’t drive the 45 minutes from UCR to go see the flowers and be disappointed when you get turned around upon arrival.

If you don’t have the ability to travel far to see the flowers, there are some you can spot right on campus. If you visit the Box Springs Parking Structure 2 on the edge of campus, you can spot poppies on the hill facing the Glen Mor Apartments! You can even see the superbloom by peeking out of your classroom window and looking for the “C” Mountain; there are bright orange poppies sprinkled across the side of the peak.

Common flowers you will see are the yellow brittlebush and sand verbenas, orange California poppies (our state flower!) and purple lupines. The superbloom started midFebruary and will last until mid-May, so you have approximately two months left to hop on this opportunity. While you’re viewing the super bloom, make sure to keep to paths and not step on anything growing out of the ground. Also, be cognizant to stay off of “social trails,” aka non-legitimate paths made by irresponsible guests. And obviously, don’t pick any of the flowers.

I deleted TikTok… and I kind of liked it

HALLE CANON

Contributing Writer

Since the app TikTok grew to fame in 2020, I’m sure we have all heard of the different movements formed by politicians or social activists in attempts to remove it from American media. And whether it be under the precedence of data safety or misinforming the youth, the concept is still one that many have probably shaken their heads at and thought, “What a boomer.” At least I have. I thought it to be such a dystopian reality we live in, that this many people, let alone politicians, care about a downloaded feature on your phone that simply plays thirty-second videos. I’d think, “It’s just a way to entertain myself and have some mindless downtime. An app doesn’t have the power to actually affect me and even if it did, I could easily monitor myself and handle it.” And honestly, this had been my stance on TikTok and even more so, social media in general, for the 7 years of taking part in the fun.

That was until I watched Netflix’s ‘The Social Dilemma’ in late February. Throughout the film, multiple tech experts previously employed by Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, and other social media companies (yes, Google is considered a form of social media) speak on the reality of the industry, with its foundations of manipulation of our mental and social states. Getting into the details of these applications being coded to retrieve maximum human attention and therefore, income for the company, there is an emphasis on the complete absence of action towards the ethical and moral responsibilities these companies hold. The employees stress that how we interact with specific content does have the significance to control how users overall feel, learn, socialize, and “function.”

What they used to prove it (and the kicker for me): During 2010, the number of hospital admissions for non-fatal self harm had begun increasing dramatically, which correlated with the sudden availability of social media on mobile in 2009. In the 13 years since, it has increased 62% for girls aged 15-19, and 189% for girls aged 10-14. Statistics show the same pattern with suicide rates. Compared to the 2001-2009 average, U.S suicide rates are up 70% in girls aged 15-19, and 151% in girls aged 10-14.

The more I thought of my relationship to my phone, the more I realized my disregard for the effects it could possibly have on me. But I still wasn’t completely convinced. I thought, “Maybe I’m a special case.” So seeing it as a small and temporary start to test my curiosities, I saved a few drafts that I wanted to hold onto (because your drafts are deleted too, I learned that the hard way) and deleted the app. Although I was disappointed when, within the first week, I felt little change in my life. I did feel its absence for the first few days, but other than confusion over why my roommates were talking about Hailey Baldwin so much, turning on the TV more regularly, and being really, really bored on the toilet, I felt as if I was the same Halle.

Then, about halfway into the second week, my cousin passed away after being involved in a motor cycling accident. My family and I were deeply affected by the sudden change and almost instantly, I felt a shift in how I viewed the world around me. Days continued to pass, all the while I sensed what felt like every single emotion at once: pain, confusion, anger, hope, denial. As opposed to what I was boldly claiming beforehand, I wasn’t the same Halle anymore. But that had nothing to do with TikTok. Life and death continued to take place, and the presence of an app had absolutely no power against it. However, as time gave me the opportunity to fully experience my emotions and reflect, I began to consider a possible benefit to the reality of the matter

As any 21 year old has, I have and will face multitudes of challenges during my time in this world. Being turned down from jobs, attempting to create connections among peers, finding a partner, learning to accept, maybe even love, the way that I look, the passing of friends and family - these and so many more events are simply a part of life. But it is important to allow ourselves a chance to fully experience these moments, rather than giving an app the ability to either exacerbate our emotions or ignore the inevitable. There were times during this past month that I really wanted to download TikTok again, but I recognized that it was always in my lowest moments when those desires came. Because whether I was using the app to encourage my negative emotions or as a distraction from my negative emotions, neither is a healthy way to cope with an already difficult life.

Like stated before, tech-employees themselves have drawn attention to the fact that the way society interacts with their content has the potential to control how the users feel, learn, socialize, and function; but a key aspect of this is the way society interacts. It is largely up to us to understand the personal advantages and disadvantages that come with a specific app, and to interact with content accordingly. Deep down, many do recognize when an aspect of our life has become a hindrance, one that is holding us back from reaching our full potential, similar to how a vice may. Because whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or personally, TikTok - apps do have the gravity to add madness to an already hectic world. We can choose to change the narrative however by consciously deciding how and when we let these apps have that power.

Ramadan Recipes: Creamy Mushroom Pasta

SENNA OMAR Assistant Features Editor

THE PERFECT RAMADAN PASTA RECIPE.

Looking for an easy dinner or Ramadan Iftar idea? Look no further! Pasta is truly a staple meal for any college student. Not only are pasta recipes super simple, but they are also customizable; you can add anything to pasta. If you love mushrooms as much as I do, you will surely enjoy this pasta. ■ H

Ingredients:

Prep

Serving Size: 2-3

Half a box of Barilla protein spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice)

1 tbsp of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 yellow onion or 1 shallot

6 brown mushrooms

1 cup of heavy cream

Directions:

Begin by boiling salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, add pasta to the water and follow the cooking instructions on the package (usually cooks between 7-10 minutes). Drain water from pasta and toss noodles with olive oil and salt.

½ of a lemon

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of Trader Joe’s mushroom seasoning

1 tsp of red pepper flakes

1 tsp of garlic powder

Celebrity feuds and the fascinating thrill of it all

KIMBERLY BEJEC Staff Writer

Celebrity feuds such as the Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber rivalry often gain much media attention that consumes the public for weeks.

Celebrities are constantly under the spotlight, followed by paparazzi and fans. Unfortunately, this leads to constant attention to their actions and words. More specifically, fans and speculators can infer from body language, tone of voice and timing of actions that some celebrities may be beefing. Understandably, with the vast amount of celebrities, not all of them are meant to be best friends or get along with each other. However, whether things are taken out of context or celebrities air their feud out to the public, the media and public eat up the drama and can become invested, adding fuel to the fire.

A more recent celebrity feud that has garnered plenty of attention from the media is the Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber rivalry. This feud was first speculated by the public due to the very public relationship and breakup between Selena and Hailey’s now-husband Justin Bieber. Although Selena and Justin were on and off for years, Justin quickly became engaged to Hailey just months after their last breakup in 2018. Although fans analyze Justin and Selena’s relationship, they have turned toward analyzing how Hailey might be shading Gomez and connecting the dots between posts that might be aimed toward the other.

Although there has been speculation of a feud between Hailey and Justin Bieber against Selena Gomez, it was not as much of a big deal in social media until recently. The feud began catching more attention after fans speculated Hailey and Kylie Jenner were making fun of Selena’s laminated eyebrows. After this, fans began to label Hailey and Kylie as ‘mean girls’ and looked deeper into Hailey’s posts that might be copying Selena or shading her. This only blossomed further as social media users began posting TikToks analyzing Hailey’s behavior.

As more and more TikToks were being posted, fans became increasingly obsessed with the drama, wanting to find out more and what was going on behind the scenes. This led speculators to take sides in the feud, with them mostly siding with Selena. As a result, Hailey lost a lot of followers on Instagram and had an increase in negative comments and DMs. Additionally, speculators were comparing Justin and Hailey’s relationship with Justin and Selena’s relationship, analyzing the differences. This resulted in the public questioning Hailey and Justin’s marriage, as many of them were bigger fans of Justin and Selena together.

With the feud taking over social media platforms, filled with speculations and users siding with Selena, the two decided to speak up and address the public. Selena first posted on her Instagram story explaining that after Hailey has reached out to her, she is asking her fans to stop the hate and bullying and advocating for kindness. Additionally, Hailey also posted on her story thanking Selena for speaking out, berating social media for its harmful ways, and needing to be more careful of what we say or post due to things being taken out of context.

The Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber feud demonstrates how far speculation on social media can go and affect the lives of those involved. The number of people invested in the drama differs based on how deep the feud is and how big the involved celebrities’ fan bases are. Fan bases typically stay up-to-date with their favorite celebrities and any news about them. Celebrity news itself serves as a form of entertainment, especially with the fascination of celebrities living the star life. As celebrities appear as if they are on a higher level due to their status, people become increasingly interested in their lives. This is especially true when it comes to celebrity drama. The drama itself serves as a distraction that pulls audiences away from their own life problems and invests their attention in a drama they are not involved in. Once they are pulled in, they become addicted to the narrative, wanting to keep up to date with the drama. However, there are some followers of celebrity drama that do not become as invested but do keep up with any new updates.

There has been a long history of various celebrity feuds that have garnered plenty of attention from the public. This is due to the overwhelming amount of posts that are created based on the drama. As the amount of social media users is higher today than in the past, it is easier to get lost in the drama and fall into a rabbit hole filled with videos and posts focused on celebrity feuds. All it can take is a single video speculating drama that could lead to a domino effect of more people jumping on speculations that hint at a possible feud. From there, social media platforms can be filled with drama, in which people cannot help but become heavily invested, especially when it gets talked about among peers.

Despite the amount of publicity celebrities can get from being involved in a highly popular celebrity feud, it is not always beneficial for them and their mental health. While for audiences it may be entertaining to see the drama unfold, there are other audiences that take the drama seriously and start to leave hateful comments toward celebrities. Since all the public knows about celebrities are based on stories, interviews, and others’ experiences with them, they can often forget they are human beings too. As a result, hateful comments can get to them and negatively affect their mental health. Additionally, audiences run a risk of feeding into a narrative that is not really happening and making stuff up solely for entertainment purposes.

While celebrity feuds have been shown to be entertaining and fascinating in the past, it has the risk of being harmful. Although it does serve as good entertainment for audiences, it affects the lives of celebrities and their relationships with others. For example, it may be creating a rift between two celebrities due to speculation they are fighting when in reality they are acquaintances in the industry that respect each other. However, it is difficult to not give these feuds any attention, especially with the high amount of coverage they deal with on social media platforms.

“Beef,” a product of a collaboration between Netflix and A24 seemed promising with a darkly thrilling premise: two deeply unsatisfied people that get into a road rage incident with one another that brings out their worst impulses. Co-starring Ali Wong (Amy) and Steven Yeun (Danny), the chilling thrill that plays during the grotesquely gorgeous title cards throughout each episode tantalize you with this vision. The first couple of episodes deliver just this, as right after the incident Amy and Danny start an escalating series of aggressions against each other that slowly consumes them and their personal lives. But then abruptly, it stops.

Viewers may make a connection to “Changing Lanes,” the 2002 movie with a similar premise as “Beef,” touching on class differences and the lengths one will go to for revenge. Unlike “Beef,” “Changing Lanes” is a thriller that benefits from a fast, tense pace. “Beef,” however, meanders quite a bit in the middle. Instead of keeping the focus on Dan and Amy, the story expands too much to secondary characters who affect the plot too much, such as the unsatisfied housewife Naomi (Brenda Song) and Danny’s lawbreaking cousin Isaac (David Choe). They take too much of the story away from Dan and Amy’s tense rivalry, preventing the taut, dark story of two people letting their darkest impulses get the best of them that “Beef” should be.

However, there are positives as well. Ali Wong, known primarily for her comedy, shines in a dramatic role. Her tense microexpressions perfectly convey the frazzled entrepreneur who’s tired and angry with the high-stakes business world she occupies. It feels like the kind of role a man would normally play in this kind of story, but showrunner Lee Sung Jin takes the opportunity to showcase how women swallow down their rage everyday in favor of making others happy. Steven Yeun is brilliant as well as the beaten-down Danny trying his hardest to fix his mistakes, usually by making some more. Danny, along with his brother (Young Mazino) and his cousin Isaac capture a very specific subset of Asian “bros” not often seen on screen.

Amy and George’s dynamic is one of the best parts of the series. You can see that there are parts of Amy and George that desperately want their marriage to work, but they’re both too disjointed to do so. It’s one of the main sources that feeds Amy’s raging feud with Danny, and you can see why. Unfortunately, the good parts of “Beef” are drowned out by the unnecessary scenes that bloat the show, making it difficult to parse through. Had it been a movie with tighter pacing, it might have worked, but as it stands, even an explosive ending could save this series.

“Meet the f***ing Munsters”

TARA KHATIBLOU

Contributing Writer

The fourth and final season of HBO’s beloved, Emmy award-winning satirical drama, “Succession” has started. The season has been underway for a little over a year now and while the abrupt announcement that it would also be its last left some fans worried about the quality of its final run-through — the season premiere proves otherwise.

In true “Succession” fashion, the season three finale left viewers with total uncertainty about the future of every character’s life, career, and sanity. The Roy family find themselves at their mother’s wedding in Italy during a high-profile deal with a new tech company run by Lucas Mattson (Alexander Skarsgård). However, without consulting his children, Logan decides to cut them out of the deal and sell his empire to Mattson. In an attempt to stop this, the kids use their positions as board members to create a supermajority. However, when Shiv tells her husband Tom about the plan he takes it upon himself to rat the kids out to Logan, ensuring his survival within the company ranks and effectively cutting the siblings out completely.

The season four premiere opens up three months after the betrayal, at Logan’s birthday party, where we see the patriarch standing awkwardly in the room of strangers. This decision was something that immediately caught my attention. The scene is a stark contrast to the season one premiere which also happened on Logan’s birthday. However, while the season one celebration was an intimate family affair filled with personal gifts and a game of baseball, this

celebration was loud and impersonal, a cushy and ostentatious affair filled with social climbers and elitists. I found this decision to be incredibly well made, the contrast between the celebrations in season one and season four show the shift in the family dynamic as Logan’s abusive behaviors have caught up with him and caused him to become isolated from the people he loves the most, his children. This scene helped set the tone for the rest of the episode as well as the theme of the show’s final chapter: reckoning.

Immediately after this introduction, we cut to the kids, who have decided to skip out of their father’s plans, as they lounge about in their Los Angeles mansion creating their new business venture “The Hundred” or as Kendall describes it “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker.” From the minute we see them the entire mood of the episode completely changes, where Logan’s party feels tight and claustrophobic, every aspect of the kids’ scenes feels like a release of stress, playful and free. This change is highlighted by the relationships of the siblings themselves.

The Roy siblings have always been pitted against each other, usually by their father. With Logan’s absence in their lives, we see them starting to open up to each other and act out of love and kinship. But this sense of trust doesn’t come easily and that’s what I value most about their new dynamic.There are multiple parts in the episode where one or more siblings grow suspicious of the other’s intentions causing trust issues to resurface. Their dynamic as a

whole is healthier and more open but these characters have grown up in a “kill or be killed” environment and have never seen family as a safe space. This realistic take on trauma and emotional abuse is one of my favorite aspects of the show. The writing doesn’t treat characters as linear or one-dimensional and that adds a breath of humanity and genuineness to the story.

Back at Logan’s party Nero and Sporus or “the Disgusting Brothers” once again prove to audiences why “Succesion’s” comedic genius oftentimes rivals its Shakespearean plot lines. The actors who play these characters have done masterful work since the first season of the show, creating passionate energy and romantic flair to their parasitic relationship that has oftentimes left me wondering how the two have gotten through three seasons without dramatically kissing, this episode is no exception.

The standout scene and performances of the episode belong to Sarah Snook as Shiv and Matthew Macfayden as Tom. In the second to last scene of the episode, the estranged couple finds themselves in their apartment together where Shiv suggests a divorce. The couple’s complicated dynamic creates a heartbreaking realness to the characters’ relationship as two people who know the mistakes they have made will never be patched up by their love for each other. Snook in particular took me by surprise in this scene, shifting seamlessly between a vulnerable, heartbroken child to the icy, stoic woman she wants to be. ■

RAMITA SETTY Staff Writer

‘Beef’ is another example of why not everything needs to be a miniseries

Netflix’s new project creates an interesting story that tries to do too much.

VERDICT: Though it starts off promising with great performances and interesting dynamics, “Beef” suffers from too much miniseries bloat to truly stand out.

Succesion’s fourth season premiere is a beautifully crafted way to mark the beginning of the end for the Roy family empire.

SXSW exclusive: Boots Riley’s towering tale ‘I’m a Virgo’ shakes up SXSW

Boots Riley makes a remarkable return to the media festival, South by Southwest (SXSW). The first four episodes of “I’m a Virgo,” made its debut at the festival. The show follows a 13-foot-tall black man named Cootie venturing to the heart of Oakland, where he finds love and friendship. Cootie has been sheltered from civilization until he’s finally called upon to join the Oakland community. The story evolves as Cootie is exposed to his powerful idol, “The Hero.” The astonishing universe crafted by Riley provides a sci-fi base with built-in mysteries that will intrigue audiences.

The mystical world of “I’m a Virgo” has a core deeply rooted in humanity. The spark of humanity is ignited by the tremendous acting performances done by the cast. Jharrel Jerome plays Cootie with a childlike wonder that allows the audience to easily connect with him. He’s an outsider looking in, and you cannot help but root for him as he builds his life in the city. Olivia Washington plays Cootie’s love interest, who works at the local burger joint. Washington’s chemistry with Jerome is unbreakable. Their love connection feels natural as they see each other for who they truly are. A one-of-a-kind performance comes from newcomer Kara Young. She plays one of Cootie’s friends, who is crucial to dismantling the constraints of society’s rules. Young is a new actress on the television landscape who comes from Harlem. Her New York roots give her character a cool edge that dares to change the status quo. Every participating actor boosts the viability of Riley’s dialogue.

“I’m a Virgo” is fueled by its whimsical soundtrack curated by TuneYards. Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner spearhead the music venture. The duo is based in Oakland and worked with Riley on the radical film “Sorry to Bother You” in 2018. This time around, Tune-Yards created an out-ofthis-world musical symphony that plays in every episode. The sounds offer a peek into Cootie’s mind. The score is unique and bizarre, just like Cootie’s story. Tune-Yards used a modified version of percussion to produce the newfound sounds. The unorthodox use of percussion elevates the listener to a foreign dimension where a 13-foot-tall giant roams the streets of Oakland.

The costumes designed by the brilliant Deidra Elizabeth Govan catch the audience’s attention. Govan has had her hand in various Hollywood productions. Her handmade outfits are eye-catching yet eccentric. She uses bold colors to create liveliness for our characters. The costumes for every character are visually striking. Each piece created for Cootie represents a layer of his fascinating personality. The clothing allows Cootie to express himself wholeheartedly. Cootie was never molded by society for 18 years like his peers. His mind is free from the pressures of society. Every character in “I’m a Virgo” operates outside society’s rules and exudes that with their fashion. The exuberant costumes created by the brilliant Deidra Elizabeth Govan attract the viewer’s attention.

Amazon Prime Video will be the home for “I’m a Virgo” in early summer 2023. The premise alone should sell you on the show, as it’s producing something entirely original. Series with otherworldly elements need a strong heart at their center to hold up their validity.

Cootie is the heart of the show that keeps everything flowing smoothly. He is deeply rooted in humanity as he represents the viewer. Cootie strives to be accepted by the eye of humanity. Everybody craves acceptance from the outside world. “Fitting in” is an innate human trait we all share with Cootie. Society is prone to assigning individuals a label. Your perception of yourself may not line up with your given label. Cootie wants to be perceived as a kind-hearted person with an urge for adventure. However, some people only see him as a horrifying fairy tale. There is nothing inherently scary about a giant. The horrors lie within people’s assumptions when they see a 13-foot-tall young black man. Cootie is an inspiration because he subverts his label by being 100% himself, no matter what his label dictates. “I’m a Virgo” shows the audience that the human experience is defined by living your life the way you want.

The first verse transforms into short, broken lines: “In a whip (Woah) thinkin’ ‘What if (Woah) / You and this (Woah) never existed?” Labrinth creates a distressing feeling during this verse as their voice cuts in and out. The lyrics touch upon themes of loss, referring to either friendships or romantic relationships. There is a sense of desperation to be reunited with that lost connection, and Labrinth and Eilish’s voices reminisce on these emotions.

Eilish doesn’t hide her vocal range in the second verse as it extends into a smooth tune singing, “I thought you were my new best friend (My).” Her voice feels deeper and more relaxed compared to her earlier projects like “Don’t Smile at Me” and “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” where her voice was fainter.

“And I never felt so alone” repeats throughout the chorus, yet it stands as a powerful line that many listeners can relate to. The line feels personal to not only each artist but translates well to “Euphoria” as several of the characters undergo their moments of solidarity. Though the lyrics and beat are sorrowful, there is a dream-like energy to them in full “Euphoria” fashion.

Labrinth ends with, “I could never be more alone than when I ain’t got you here,” leaving listeners with an aching sensation.

The musical symphonies of “Euphoria” returns with Labrinth’s latest release, “Never Felt So Alone,” featuring Billie Eilish. Fans of the singer and show may recognize the beginning tune as it was teased during “Euphoria’s” Christmas special, “Trouble Don’t Always Last.”

“Never Felt So Alone” begins with Labrinth’s mellow voice that melts your ears. Eilish’s voice smoothly intermingles with Labrinth’s words, shifting to a delicate beat that plays throughout the song.

Labrinth and Eilish mesh effortlessly in “Never Felt So Alone” as they sing about loneliness and loss. Their smooth vocals will remain in fans’ playlists for months to come.

The series paints an outlandish portrait of a 13-foot-tall man.

MAXEN OLVERA

Contributing Writer

‘Never Felt So Alone’ is a soothing daydream

BRENDA JOVEL Radar Editor

Labrinth and Billie Eilish unite their gentle vocals in their new single from ‘Euphoria.’

Courtesy of Jae77 via Wikimedia Commons

UC Riverside women’s softball team falls to UC Davis 0-2

HANSEL CHU Sports Editor

The UC Riverside softball team fell to UC Davis 0-2 on the road Friday afternoon. This season for the Highlanders has been shaky, as they lost their last seven of nine games. Their last game was a shutout win against Cal State Fullerton 3-0 last Sunday and looked to get their second straight win. Both starting pitchers from both teams made quick work of the first inning as sophomore pitcher Maddie Heinlin and pitcher Kenedi Brown both got 1-2-3 innings. In the top of the second inning, Brown struck out junior shortstop Leah Brito and sophomore first baseman Samiya Jones to retire the inning. Heinlin responded with a three up three down inning of her own as she struck out the first two hitters and a flyout on the last batter to take the game to the third inning. Brito continued to dominate on the mound as she continued with three straight 1-2-3 innings. In the bottom of the third inning, the Aggie offense started to come to life. Junior first baseman Sarah Starks was walked by Heinlin. A sacrifice bunt advanced Starks to second base to bring up senior infielder Sommer Kisling to hit.

Kisling was able to connect a base hit with a bunt and Starks was able to reach home base with an error on second base, which gave UC Davis the first run of the game 1-0. Freshman pitcher Brooke Perez was then subbed in for Heinlin. After a couple of pitches, UC Davis found themselves with the bases loaded with infielder Rylie Costa on third, Kisling on second, and catcher Anna Dethlefson on first. Utility player Leah Polson stepped up to the plate and hit the softball downfield for a sacrifice flyout to send Costa home for another run, which brought the score to 2-0. A lineout and a ground out concluded the bottom of the third but a two-run inning from the Aggies gave them the lead.

Brown continued to control the game but let up the first hit of the game from graduate student outfielder Nadia Witt. However, the Highlander offense continued to be at a standstill as senior shortstop Marissa Burk was grounded out and Witt was tagged out as she tried to steal third base. Perez started to get into a rhythm as she got a strikeout and ground out as well as tagging outfielder Sarah Nakahara out as she tried to steal bases. In the top of the fifth inning, Brown was able to get junior utility player Kate Montuya out with a fly out. Brito was then walked by Brown but a great double play from the Aggies retired the inning and still kept the score 2-0.

Perez was able to make quick work of UC Davis in the bottom of the fifth inning as she was able to get a flyout, popout, and ground out although she gave up a hit to Kisling, her second hit of the game. Brown continued her splendid afternoon in the top of the sixth inning with another three up three down inning as she retired junior catcher Gigi Araki, freshman catcher Jackie Alday, and sophomore midfielder Taylor Burdette. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Perez continued to stifle the Aggie offense with her pitching as she let up only one hit in the inning once again.

The Highlanders found themselves with one last inning to get back into the game as they faced a 2-0 deficit. Senior midfielder Lauryn Garewal was up first to bat but her swing resulted in a pop-out for out number one. Witt was up next but took in four balls from Brown to walk her into first base. With the game-tying run on the plate, Burk had a chance to advance Witt but her swing resulted in another pop-out. With one out remaining, Montuya’s swing was lined out to the shortstop and ended the game 2-0 in favor of UC Davis.

Witt was the only player on the Highlander team to record a hit in the game. Heinlin picked up the loss in this game as in two innings pitched, she allowed one hit, one run, and had two strikeouts. Perez in four innings pitched allowed three hits, no runs, and a strikeout.

Formula 1 puts spectacle over sport yet again in hectic Australian Grand Prix

KIANOOSH NOOSHI Assistant Sports Editor

The third round of the 2023 Formula 1 season went underway on April 1st at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and unlike the previous two rounds of the current season, the Australian GP was rife with several incidents. On lap one of the 58 lap contest Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was spun onto the gravel trap and beached forcing a DNF for the Monegasque and a safety car on lap one. A few laps later on lap seven, Alex Albon’s Williams hit the wall and caused another safety car to be called. This gave race leader George Russell an advantage as he pitted for new tires while his competitors in second and third stayed out behind the safety car. This safety car was the first of the contentious decisions by race control as just one lap later a red flag was called, halting the race and removing the advantage that Russell had gained by pitting.

While this red flag was later rendered moot as Russell’s engine blew out and caught fire later in the race, many fans were left wondering how the race would have differed had he stayed in first until his engine failure. The decision to not red flag immediately, but rather a lap after Albon’s crash was baffling as the driver’s collision with the wall sprayed gravel on the track which needed to be cleared by the stewards before the cars were able to get back to racing at full speed once again.

Following the first red flag the race ran for much of the distance without any incident and it was not until lap 53 of 58 where we saw another major incident. On lap 53, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen collided with the wall spraying tire and shards of debris over the track and bringing out the red flag once again setting up a thrilling finish as all the drivers pitted once again and were congested at the restart due to a standing start. The standing start set up a potentially thrilling final five laps as the leaders could battle it out going into turn one and it was anyone’s race.

This turned out, at least for a very short time, to be true as once the race started once again as another set of collisions, left only 12 cars running in a shaken up order with midfield and back runners, Nico Hulkenberg and Yuki Tsunoda, in the top 5 and Fernando Alonso, who had spent the majority of the race in third place out of the points positions. Race control once again threw a red flag, the third of the race, and by the time the cars were all back into the pits the lap counter read 58/58.

This final red flag caused confusion as race control would have to look over the rule book to decide how to finish the race and decided upon a resumption under a safety car to take the cars over the checkered flag. As a part of this resumption the FIA also reverted the order of the cars to that of the second red flag just a few laps earlier, incredibly disappointingly for Hulkenberg and Tsunoda, who had benefited from the incidents at the restart.

In essence, Lap 57 had no impact on the final outcome of the race, aside from eliminating drivers such as Gasly and Ocon. Therefore, for those who completed the race, Lap 57 might as well have never occurred. Despite the confusion surrounding the events at the time, the FIA enforced the regulations accurately. However, whether these rules are appropriate or not is debatable. While red flags are an essential safety measure, they can also disrupt a race, as demonstrated in the Australian Grand Prix. The standing restarts, which add excitement but also raise the risk of more incidents, were also a contributing factor to the unusual nature of the race. Today’s race was a prime example of this.

Many drivers were not happy with race control’s handling of the incidents, “I just feel like restarts can easily hurt people, and you can just be so unlucky after driving 56 laps perfectly,” McLaren’s Lando Norris said. “Someone does something stupid and turn one locks up, and your race is over because [race control] just want to make the show more exciting.”

The FIA has to take a better look at and reassess its protocol in situations such as the one we saw in the Australian Grand Prix to preserve the integrity of its races rather than its spectacle. In the past few years Formula 1’s popularity globally has shot through the roof and it’s clear that the powers at be would like to maintain the spectacle for the casual viewers but doing that at the cost the sport itself will alienate the diehards that kept the brand alive through its struggles in the past few decades

The FIA received backlash over race director Niels Wittich’s handling of several incidents during the Australian GP.

2-run third inning propels the Aggies over the Highlanders.

The Highlanders drop to 15-20 (2-8) in the year and will have their series against Hawaii on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15, at 9:00 P.M.