Vol. 71, Issue 23

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ASUCR’s second meeting of the Spring Quarter notably sees the passage of three Green Grants

ABHIJIT REGE News Editor

The Associated Students of UCR’s second meeting of the Spring Quarter was called to order by Executive Vice President Myra Usmani on Wednesday, Apr. 19th, 2023 in the ASUCR Senate Chamber at 7:03 p.m. All senators were present, excluding CNAS senator Kyle Cheng, CHASS senator Andrew Bui, and BCOE senator Chloe Au as well as CNAS senator Shukan Shah who arrived late. In addition to the senators, members of the Executive Cabinet were present as well.

During the Public Forum, Russ Garcia, a United States Marine Corps veteran, spoke on behalf of the Student Veteran Organization to draw attention to the issue of inaccessibility of required course materials, specifically textbooks, for veterans and athletes. SPP Sen. Sean Nguyen pledged to address the issue while EVP Usmani also expressed the desire to help with the cause.

The Vice President of External Affairs

RADAR

Amina Hearns also spoke during the Public Forum and discussed the recent issue of a UCR Vice Chancellor that demanded a local street vendor to vacate the campus. Hearns’ team went to Chicano Student Programs to ensure street vendors are protected and called out the hypocrisy of how the Chancellor chose to draw the line on street vending. In between the Public Forum and Committee Reports were a brief Approval of the ECAB Meeting Minutes for the meeting which was held on April 4th, 2023 and Ex-Officio Reports. Chief Justice of the Judicial Council Alexandria Arias discussed Law Week, which was described as an amazing success due surpassing last law week’s numbers. Furthermore in regards to the ASUCR Elections, Arias explained that if someone sees a violation occur, they should notify Judicial via email. EVP Usmani also spoke to recognize SOE Sen.

THE STRING OF DECISIONS MADE UNDER DAVID ZASLAV SEEMS GEARED TOWARD A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE.

HBO Max-Discovery merger will have huge implications for the future of the streaming service

RAMITA SETTY Staff Writer

On May 23, Warner Bros. will merge their two streaming services: HBO Max and Discovery Plus under a new service simply titled Max. The vast collection of media on both sites — shows like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “The White Lotus” and more will now appear next to Discovery Plus shows such as “90-day Fiance” and “MILF Manor.” Max will have two tiers: an ad-free one costing $16.99 and a tier with ads costing $9.99. This is the same price HBO Max subscribers currently pay, but it will be a price hike to Discovery Plus subscribers, who paid just $6.99 for an adfree subscription and $4.99 for a subscription with ads. Warner Bros. has reported that current Discovery Plus subscribers will be grandfathered into the New Max subscription at the price they currently pay — temporarily.

It is a move indicative of the new regime at Warner Bros. as David Zaslav, the new CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery has already become an unpopular figure due to his decisions to end finished projects such as “Batgirl” and ”Minx” seemingly

for tax write-offs. Several other titles simply vanished, which created a firestorm of reactions on social media. Teams of people involved in kids, unscripted, family and international content were laid off. Former HBO Max executives revealed that this corporate reshuffling left behind few creatives of color and was part of Warner Bros’ efforts to “court Middle America.”

A closer look at the demographics of the two subscription services discloses how the merger fits into Warner Bros.’ new ideology for Max. HBO Max subscribers are reportedly made up of more diverse groups,

IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER

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ASUCR’s second meeting of the Spring Quarter notably sees the passage of three Green Grants

ABHIJIT REGE News Editor

The Associated Students of UCR’s second meeting of the Spring Quarter was called to order by Executive Vice President Myra Usmani on Wednesday, Apr. 19th, 2023 in the ASUCR Senate Chamber at 7:03 P.M. All senators were present, excluding CNAS senator Kyle Cheng, CHASS senator Andrew Bui, and BCOE senator Chloe Au as well as CNAS senator Shukan Shah who arrived late. In addition to the senators, members of the Executive Cabinet were present as well.

During the Public Forum, Russ Garcia, a United States Marine Corps veteran, spoke on behalf of the Student Veteran Organization to draw attention to the issue of inaccessibility of required course materials, specifically textbooks, for veterans and athletes. SPP Sen. Sean Nguyen pledged to address the issue while EVP Usmani also expressed the desire to help with the cause.

The Vice President of External Affairs Amina Hearns also spoke during the Public Forum and discussed the recent issue of a UCR Vice Chancellor that demanded a local street vendor to vacate the campus. Hearns’ team went to Chicano Student Programs to ensure street vendors are protected and called out the hypocrisy of how the Chancellor chose to draw the line on street vending.

In between the Public Forum and Committee Reports were a brief Approval of the ECAB Meeting Minutes for the meeting which was held on April 4th, 2023 and ExOfficio Reports. Chief Justice of the Judicial Council Alexandria Arias discussed Law Week, which was described as an amazing success due surpassing last law week’s numbers. Furthermore in regards to the ASUCR Elections, Arias explained that if someone sees a violation occur, they should notify Judicial via email. EVP Usmani also spoke to recognize SOE Sen. Leyan Elkatat as the Senator of the Month.

Committee Reports notably saw the passage of the three Green Grants from GCAP. Green Grant #31 saw $4,000 being allocated to Highlander Racing, for their efforts to design and build a high-performance electric vehicle to race in the Formula SAE competition. Following this, Green Grant #33 was reviewed and passed. This grant of $655.66 was given to the Alpha Kappa Alpha African American sorority for their Toteally Destress event. Lastly, Green Grant #35, was reviewed which saw BioHack UCR request $4,000 for BioHack 2023. All three grants were passed with a vote count of 14-0-0.

One piece of legislation was also reviewed from the Legislative Review Committee. Senate Bill SB-S23-001 VPEA Civic Engagement Director Term Amendment serves to amend and update Chapter XII of the ASUCR Bylaws: Office of the Vice President of External Affairs, which will, in turn, extend the duration of the term of Civic Engagement Director. VPEA Hearns and Government Relations Director Angel Renteria gave a presentation that broke down the Civic Engagement Term of nine months versus twelve months, and elaborated on why twelve months is justified. After some questions, a motion was made to approve the piece of legislation and passed 13-0-1.

Finance Hearing Minutes #2 were reviewed with a motion to open them by CHASS Sen. Ruhi Barman and CNAS Sen. Abby Choy. Chief of Staff under the Office of the President, Cooper Proulx, elaborated on how Greek organizations Delta Gamma and Psi Chi requested funds for their respective events. The meeting minutes were approved by the senate 14-0-0.

The meeting concluded with reports from senators. During the reports for Winter quarter, CHASS Sen. Ahman Greene discussed how the Finance Committee allocated $4,464 to six student organizations, including $1,500 to the Biomedical Engineering Society. The committee also discussed holding a tailgate event for a baseball game and passed legislation. CHASS Sen. Alex Lu reported on how the Campus Safety Alliance addressed difficulties in speaking with the UCPD, while Sen. Cano from LRC passed seven pieces of legislation and began planning a CNAS town hall for the spring.

For reports for the Spring Quarter, Sen. Choy began detailing how she worked with Sen. Nguyen and Sen. Brandon Huang on a CalFresh event and the CNAS town hall. Sen. Barman discussed how the LRC passed one piece of legislation and how she worked on the PPT bylaws, while BCOE Sen. Alexander Hunt, and Sen. Shah discussed the GCAP Earth Week event that included a touchable aquarium as well as free vegan sushi and pizza. VPEA Hearns discussed the Highlander Action Committee’s webinar and painting pots to learn more about the Mauna Kea telescope while EVP Usmani congratulated the recently elected Marketing and Promotions Director, Katelyn Nguyen. The meeting was adjourned at 7:49 P.M.

Spring 2023 Neuroscience Seminar: Processing Goal Directed Behavior

ALEXANDRA ARCENAS

Contributing Writer

Edward Zagha, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, presents his team’s findings on the “Neural Mechanisms of Sensory Information” at the UCR Neuroscience Graduate Programs Spring 2023 Neuroscience Seminar that took place on April 18 at 4pm in the Genomic auditorium. The Zagha Lab opened 6 years ago with the goal to understand the biological mechanisms underlying sensory and motor processing within the cortex. He has since been using a mouse whisker model to track brain activity when a target and distractor stimulus is presented to uncover the neurobiology of goal directed behavior.

Zagha opens his discussion by stating that there is a problem with viewing “higher order thinking” in the same scope as the “reflex arc”: the nervous system being at rest, experiencing sensory input, activating motor neurons, then going back to rest. The reflex arc was used to “work out the basic neurophysiology”; however, the model is “not at all how the nervous system works” during higher levels of neural processing and “gives a false impression” of the algorithm. His claim is rooted in selective attention, stating that people interact with and interpret the world differently because of goals that are individually set.

Thus, the large fundamental difference between reflex thinking and higher order thinking propelled Zagha to investigate the flow of information through the cortical areas and determine at what point suppression is taking place or where modulation is occurring.

His team trained mice to respond, lick, when they felt the stimulus from one whisker area, but not from the other. Therefore, the stimulus from the unwanted whisker area was the distractor stimulus and the stimulus from the opposite side was the target stimulus. The mice he used were highly motivated to earn reward, thus able to recreate a goal

oriented task for the mouse models.

According to his research, there is a “striatal bottleneck for sensory detection” which helps to distinguish stimuli that are goal relevant or not. There is more data to support the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) triggering the Go Pathway, for a response, than the motor cortex when a target stimulus is encountered. Although, Zagha did find the motor cortex contributes to distractor suppression instead of triggering a response from the stimulus. When the motor cortex was inactivated by certain light exposure or lesionings the false alarm rate increased a considerable amount. Therefore, it is implied that the motor cortex deactivation leads to increased impulsiveness.

Zagha commented that the relation between motor cortex and impulsivity was “not expected”. Yet, the data concludes the motor cortex changes how the distactors signals spread through the cortical areas. He presented brain images that clearly illustrated when the motor cortex was suppressed the distractor information leaks out and triggers false alarms, exhibiting impulsiveness. This suggested that the motor cortex is a filter of information, not just a control center for movement.

The research may have found contributing triggers and filters of sensory input and motor control within the cortex which allows people to perceive and interact with the world uniquely. His team of researchers are starting to map out pathways of information based on what is determined to be relevant or irrelevant to an assigned goal. Moving forward, the researchers hope to identify the components of the pathway on a cellular level, investigate and characterize mice with neuropsychiatric disorders, and develop a full neural circuit. ■ H

An amendment to the Civic Engagement Director’s Term was also passed.

Build your own babesia parasites

HARU CHANG Assistant News Editor

Karine Le Roch, professor of molecular, cell and systems biology at UC Riverside, and Choukri Ben Mamoun, a professor of medicine at Yale University, are co leading a study that offers the first completed nuclear genome sequence, assembly, threedimensional structure and transcriptional annotations of the parasite Babesia duncani.

Incidences of tick-borne bacterial, parasitic and viral infections worldwide increased due to changes in environmental factors: several of which carry multiple diseases that can infect humans. Babesia parasites are one of these pathogens, considered a serious threat to both humans and animals. According to the report, all cases of human babesiosis reported in the United States have been linked to either Babesia microti, B.duncani or a species similar to B. divergens.

Although there are large causes of concern, there is very little information about the parasite’s biology, evolution, and how it transmits diseases. By mapping the biological structures of the parasite, the study builds insight for further research and the development of effective treatments.

A comprehensive analysis into the biology of B. duncani reveals the species has evolved new classes of multigene families which allows the parasite to avoid the host immune

response. It further examines the B. duncani genome sequence to determine the mechanisms that allow the resistance of known and newly developed drugs used to treat babesiosis. They completed the assembly of its nuclear genome and analyzed its life cycle in human erythrocytes. They identified harmful factors of the genome, antigens that would be useful for diagnosis of active infection, and several possible drug targets. By understanding parasite metabolism, the study identified antifolates, pyrimethamine and WR-99210 as effective inhibitors of B. duncani which can lead to the development of effective treatment of human babesiosis.

They anticipate that this research would help develop reliable diagnostic tools as well as treatment strategies to address human babesiosis. Given the similarity of B. duncani and other haemoparasites, the research hopes its information would help future efforts to structure research to understand the evolution of virulence in other parasitic genomes.

FIRST COMPLETED NUCLEAR GENOME SEQUENCE OF THE PARASITE BABESIA DUNCANI GIVES RESEARCHERS INVALUABLE INSIGHTS.

OpiniOns

LAUSD’s incorporation of four extra supplemental days show how out of touch the administration is to their students’ educational needs

In an effort to assist students who are struggling, or who are at risk of failing core curriculum classes, LAUSD middle and high schools implemented four “acceleration days” this school year to help supplement time lost during the academic day. With many students still falling behind after the pandemic disrupted their educational journeys, these acceleration days were a last minute effort to spend COVID-19 relief money and aid the district’s most vulnerable students. The acceleration days, while met with mixed feedback from the students and staff who participated in them, are gaining attention from the community who are questioning the large, and inconsistent, cost of these four days.

The four acceleration days, coordinated by the district, were spread out during students’ winter and spring breaks with two days per vacation. Students who could benefit from extra curriculum support were invited to participate and go to school on their days off. During the acceleration day, students were able to meet with teachers in a smaller classroom environment and engage in other extracurricular activities. While the extra academic time sounds beneficial, students and teachers who participated in the accelerations days told the LA Times that the extra time was used more for tutoring or other activities instead of actually focusing on core concepts the students were struggling with. Furthermore, the small class sizes seen during these days, that are instrumental in helping students not fall between the cracks, were unintentional and caused by poor attendance from students who were invited.

Along with mixed reviews from students and staff, LAUSD has been inconsistent in how much money was allocated for the four extra curriculum days. The district used COVID-relief money that must be spent by September 2024 to fund the days. During a January board meeting, school officials said the first

two days had cost $36 million. Later LAUSD Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, announced that the cost was actually $11.6 million instead. There has been no documentation released to show how much money was actually spent and what the funds were used for. With LA’s teacher union striking just months earlier for better wages and other negotiations, it is unclear why this money was spent in a way that did not prove to be beneficial for the majority of students who either didn’t show up, or did, and received minimal educational support. Students who had positive remarks to say about the acceleration days highlighted the smaller class sizes and extracurricular activities, like gardening. Taking the time to find ways that will improve the education of these students during the typical school day is needed to prevent them from falling behind in the first place. Being able to feel more comfortable around teachers and feel that they are approachable is necessary for a healthy learning environment. Breaks throughout the day are also important to not make them seem like they are dragging on and having students lose focus.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding the funds of the acceleration days, it is apparent that four extra supplemental days are not going to fully aid students who are on the brink of failing. Instead of trying to create more work for them on vacation days, where they would rather be resting or spending time with friends and family, a larger institutional change is needed. Educational systems are rapidly developing after most students struggled during COVID-19 online learning and school districts are trying to see how they can best help their students. Reaching positive negotiations with school staff and teachers unions is key to making changes that will actually aid the wellfare of the students instead of bandaid solutions like these.

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.

CONTROVERSY AND CONCERN SURROUND LAUSD OVER THE COST AND EDUCATIONAL PAYOFF OF THESE FOUR ACCELERATION DAYS.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis has dug a hole in his career with Disney

BRENDAN VO

Contributing Writer

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been recently outmaneuvered by Disney in a legal battle over the entertainment giant’s self-governing. This battle is one of many in the year-long war between DeSantis and Mickey Mouse, first instigated by Disney’s opposition towards DeSantis’ controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Since Disney’s recent legal victory, which nullified DeSantis’ takeover attempt, the governor has called for further inspection into how it happened, claiming the entertainment company’s actions as “collusive” and “defying the wills of Floridians.” In response, CEO Bob Iger claimed Disney’s actions were legitimate and opposition against him as “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.” All in all, DeSantis’ efforts to take action against Disney are met with opposition from fellow Republicans and Disney’s formidable legal system. DeSantis’ efforts to take action against Disney have been opposed by those on both sides of the aisle and will be a blow to his political standing.

DeSantis’ intense intent to strip the pop culture

juggernaut of its special privileges is foolish. The current dilemma he faces is not only opposition from liberal activists for his “Don’t Say Gay” bill but now has been exposed to criticism by his fellow Republicans. Despite DeSantis’ portrayal of Disney as a “woke” and politically left-aligned company, Republicans have instead taken to the public to condemn him. While DeSantis pushes and advocates for a thorough review and inspection of the legal dynamic shift, Disney enjoys holding its first-ever Pride Night, rallying potential political support from the LGBTQIA+ community. The loss of DeSantis is also a victory for the queer community since his signing of the “Don’t Say Gay’’ bill will now be completely undermined by this sequence of events.

Allies of DeSantis argue against Disney, labeling its dominion over its lands as an evasion of Florida laws. While it does not appeal to a Republican ideal of giving businesses more freedom and limiting governing powers against it, it does bring into discourse the idea of limiting the playing ground for

big corporations. This is also reinforced as Disney’s legal sway in the battle resulted from a last-minute agreement with Reedy Creek Improvement District granting the company developmental authority over the theme park.

However, it is better for Mickey Mouse to take the win over the Florida senator. Since the bitter feud started from Disney choosing to speak out over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the implications of the legal battle includes the sentiment for free speech to corporations. Corporate speech, as long as it is lawful and not misleading, can serve as information that allows consumers to judge and critique businesses through moral and ethical means.

Overall, the actions taken against Disney have backfired for the Florida Governor. With his presidential campaign undermined by fellow Republicans and a rallied LGBTQIA+ community opposing him, DeSantis has dug his own grave for his political career. ■ H

The leak of Pentagon documents by a member of the National Guard is not an honorable show of patriotism

CHIRAYU KOHLI

Contributing

Writer

Last week, a New York Times report about the discovery of classified documents, pertaining to the war in Ukraine, and other national security concerns, sent the intelligence community into a frenzy. This week, a 21 year-old member of the Massachusetts National Guard, named John Texiera, was arrested in connection with the leak. Just as quickly as he was brought into federal custody, suddenly there were swarms of commentators and actors on the right seeking to defend his status as a “whistle blower:” despite the piles of evidence indicating he was anything but. This pattern of glorification of otherwise troubled individuals by major conservative figures is emblematic of the perversion of “patriotism” that has become embedded into conservative politics.

Representative Majorie Taylor Green took to Twitter to claim Texiera was a victim of the Biden Administration’s weak “national security policies,” as he was attempting to pull back the “flimsy transparent curtain.” This portrayal conveniently omits initial reporting that members of Texeira’s Discord group categorically denied any intent to expose the conduct of the US government, instead claiming Teixeria’s goal was “to inform some of his friends about what’s going

on”.

Similarly, Tucker Carlson asserted on his nightly show Tucker Carlson Tonight that the news media was treating Texiera “like Osama Bin Laden, maybe even a little worse” and came to his defense that he was simply “exposing the truth” about Ukraine. This is, of course, coming from the same reporter who just last week called for the pardoning of a convicted felon Daniel Perry, on the grounds that he was seeking to defend himself from a “violent mob” despite having sent outwardly racist messages to his friend about his intentions to instigate violence in Austin in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests. Both Carlson and Greene were also ardent supporters of another “conservative hero,” Kyle Rittenhouse, who in 2020 traveled across state lines from Illinois to Washington in order to “defend property,” killing 2 people in the process but was eventually acquitted of all charges and is now being pursued in civil court by the family of one of the victims. These three men have all become celebrated figures of the conservative movement as a direct result of the crimes they are accused of committing. These actions are easily exploitable as political capital by the increasingly

extreme Republican party.

The framing of the innocence of these men fundamentally misunderstands what it means to be a patriot, and more importantly illustrates that the conservative movement of today is exclusively concerned with a perverted sense of patriotism. Before John Texiera had even been arraigned Greene tweeted her defense of his actions, and Kevin McCarthy began his congressional inquiry — and in doing so, fundamentally ignored their obligation to the institutions of our country. These individuals have repeatedly failed to respect the institutions put in place specifically to assess an individual’s guilt or innocence, instead favoring the usage of political capital and media hysterics to assuage the public of the men’s innocence and assign the blame for their actions onto the democratic party. Furthermore, Texiera avoided all available protections for whistleblowers and instead chose Discord to publish classified information. If a man like that is called a “patriot” by today’s conservative media, maybe it’s time to question what that word really means. ■ H

DESANTIS IS HAVING TROUBLE TRYING TO STRIP DISNEY OF ITS LANDS AND IS FACING CRITICISM FROM FRIENDS AND FOES ALIKE.

THE GLORIFICATION OF ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR BY CONSERVATIVE POLITICIANS IS INCREDIBLY CONCERNING.

Spring fever is in the air…

YSABEL NAKASONE Assistant Opinions Editor

Pisces(February19 -March20):Hermit

Unsurprisingly,the Hermitcardpredicts thatyouwillbe alonethisSpring. Whiletheremaybe noromanticpartner doesn’tinyourlife,thatmeanyouareisolated.You’re still nectionsearchingforcon-andromance, it’sjustnotthetime for a committed relationship.

Aquarius(January20-February18): HangedManSpringwillbeaboutgivingup,Aquarius. It’stimeto surrender totheuniverse’sjudgmentandlearntoletgo.You’rejustleavingarelationshipthatmayhaveseemed goodforyouatthetime,butcomingoutofitwillshowyoujust howmanypiecesof yourselfitcost.

Capricorn (December 22January 19): King of pentacles The King of Pentacles promises security for you and speaks of stability. Spring will be a season of consistency for you, whether it be a stable relationship or stable single-ness. Things will mostly remain the same throughout this period for you.

Courtesy of Pexels

Sagittarius(November 22December 21): King of Wands Spring will be about moving forward with honor, Sagittarius. You’ve been making choices based on what feels good, but now is the time to consider what is fundamentallyright. You have to take a hard look at your relationship and decide if it truly facilitates the best version of yourself.

-23(OctoberScorpioNovember ofNine21):PentaclestoyoufortimeaisThisfocus individualityonAciency.self-suffiandromantic isn’tconnectionjustyouforcardstheinyet, needYouScorpio.rstfiupyourselfbuildtobeingliketolearnandalone yourself.with

Earth Signs

CourtesyofPexels

23(SeptemberLibraofTen22):October Pentacles This season will be one andsuccesslong-termof mightYoujoy.lastingalready ancelebratingbeimportant relationship begin-justormilestonening relationshipnewathat profoundlywillaffect life.your

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

Taurus(April20-May 20):Judgement

TheJudgementcardindiSpringcatesaperiodofrebirth. willbeatimefor wakeyoutostartoverinthe ofamajorrelationandshipchange.Perhapsyou shiftedyourpartnerhavejust relationshiptoalong-distance ordecidedto taketimeapart.Whatever willwayyou’regoing,this beatimetogrow contextonyourownwithoutthe ofarelationship.

AprilAries(March21Pentacles19):SixofofSpringwillbeatime givingandreceivingcomingforyou,Aries.Giftsare yourway,butPerhapsforwhatcannotbesaid. thesegiftsareareincelebrationorthey anapology.Beonthelookoutforflowers, butdon’ttakethemat facevalue.

glow of new love.

action, you’ll remain alone.

and without proactive

of Swords bringwillSpringThis Ayou.forghtfibiga romantic connection will be the face of a itandict,conflmajor yourdecimatemay destroyorrelationship more.forpotentialthe You’ll both be so winningonfocused Justright.beingand maycostthethatknow be each other.

ensconced in the fresh

You will spend spring

and new relationships.

Cups represents love

Gemini. The Ace of

to hit you like a train,

Cups Spring fever is going

tions can have an impact,

this moment, your ac-

out into the universe. At

result of what you put

You are experiencing the

is a re ection of yourself.

Your love life right now

refers to manifestation.

August-23(JulyLeo WandsofTwo22):Youtime.decisionIt’spo-orpartneryourandfacewillpartnertential seasonthisdecisionabreakormakewillthatrelation-romanticyour planningWhileship.willitfuture,thefor yourthatclearbecomeveryunderalignpathscircumstances.cspecifi

Virgo(August2322):SeptemberFive

What does Spring have in store for your love life?

June 20): Ace of

Gemini (May 21

e Ace of Pentacles

22): Ace of Pentacles

Cancer (June 21July

Saying goodbye to the place I could call home

Abhi is the greatest, sexiest News Editor to have ever joined HN, prove me wrong.

Coming to UC Riverside, I had no expectation of being a part of Journalism in any way, shape or form.

To be quite frank, everyone in my close friend group in high school was a part of the school paper except me. But the thought of being a part of the newspaper team and having an outlet for my creativity intrigued me. Transitioning to college provided the opportunity to truly delve into exploring my passions and interests, which led me to get more involved on campus. My goal, oddly enough, was initially to expand on my passion for stand-up comedy and performing arts.

Our campus is known for hosting a vast variety of clubs and organizations, but approaching any was a challenge for an anxiety-riddled, freshman engineering student. Some clubs were too niche with their focus, others required tryouts and practices, and most simply did not appeal to my interests. But the urge to overcome the common UCR stereotypes meant that I had to explore. Through looking at club catalogs and the magic of tabling, I was made aware of the Highlander Newspaper.

Increasing my involvement meant taking whatever opportunities would arise for me. And in regards to journalism, I was still inspired by my high school peers to pursue this route and follow in their footsteps. And the Highlander being one of the most established clubs meant more stable opportunities. Knowing this made me decide on attending my first writers meeting but I didn’t know what to expect.

I still wanted to explore and hone my comic talents and wished to write satirical articles. While this idea was rejected (for logistical reasons I understand now), I was introduced to the Opinions section. My love for politics and history flourished as I would write a multitude of pieces detailing my thoughts and concerns on recent events and notable figures. When the pandemic came, one of the positive outcomes was the increase in time I could dedicate towards writing. Being promoted to a Staff Writer only gave me more motivation to write and expand my range to other sections.

However, a particular thought would constantly inhabit the back of my mind. “I’m a Mechanical Engineering major! I need to get more involved in engineering clubs.” My drive to write articles every other week was starting to dwindle as the prospect of returning to in-person instruction arose. In hopes of bolstering my resume, I had resolved to stop writing and join an engineering-related club which could have marked the end of my journalism career. But then, the opportunity of leading the News section was presented to me with the blessing of the Editor-in-Chief, who served as the opinions editor I wrote under.

Even prior to knowing about the office and other perks of the position, I decided to take the job as I had hoped this would be a step in the right direction in finding a place on campus and achieving peace of mind. The pandemic presented numerous struggles

and harsh realities, and for many, was a time period characterized by loneliness through isolation. But it presented the chance to reflect and my desires were reshaped to find a community and a place to call home on my university campus.

Oftentimes, articles would be pushed as writers needed time for their personal reasons, for interviews being rescheduled, or vice versa. Working with administrators and student body government had also certainly led to its fair share of drama. But all in all, being hired onto this position is truly a priceless gift that I would not trade for anything.

I have been given privileges and opportunities that other students on this campus can only dream of. From shaking hands with Chancellor Kim Wilcox to standing directly in front of renowned artists at school-sponsored concerts, these are moments that I will cherish for a lifetime. And that’s in conjunction with the countless hours I have honestly spent napping on the couch, focusing on homework at my desk, or gossiping with the rest of the staff.

I was nervous at first, feeling like an outsider due to my starkly different major compared to my peers and unfamiliarity with working in a News office. But I did whatever it took to excel in the role I was tasked with filling. One of my fondest memories as an undergraduate was my first ASUCR senate meeting. I remember, vividly, pacing back and forth outside the senate chambers. I was timid, getting used to meeting people face-to-face, yet eager to take notes on a lengthy, bureaucratic meeting. But I was riddled with anxiety over the notion of dealing with the student body government; some would become future politicians, others would remain popular. But there was a drive in me that pushed me out of my comfort zone and necessitated that I find my voice. I recall taking a deep breath and formally greeting the first set of AS officials and eventually, taking the podium for the first time and presenting in front of the whole Senate, representing Highlander News officially.

From that point onward, I gained the confidence and ability to utilize my voice effectively and eloquently. I adapted into a more extroverted individual, and felt reassured thanks to the positivity and support I received from both the Highlander News community and ASUCR. With my experiences conducting interviews of notable students and faculty, as well as presenting in front of the Senate and the Editorial Board, I gained a professional outlet that allowed me to express myself creatively, use my voice and feel heard, and work closely with a number of passionate individuals.

The role was not without its challenges and stresses. Ensuring that my section’s writers were accounted for and the rapid deadlines were met proved to be a daunting task during certain weeks.

Orange- ya- glad for this sweet spread?

NATALIE DAHL Staff Writer

This tangerine marmalade only takes two ingredients and makes a great, cheap, and homemade gift!

Ingredients:

14-16 tangerines (can swap with 5 oranges)

1.5 cups sugar

Gather approximately 3-4 empty, clean jars. If you reuse old jars (from pasta sauce, jam, etc.), make sure to really clean them out by letting them soak in a bath of vinegar and thoroughly washing them.

Put a plate in the freezer (to use later on in the process). Wash your produce thoroughly (as you will be using both the insides and the peels) and remove any leaves or stems. Boil a pot of water and drop the tangerines in. Let come to a boil again and cook for 30 minutes. Drain the tangerines and let fully cool.

The journey of becoming an editor had many unexpected challenges and rewarding experiences. My aim with my time at UCR was to develop into a well-rounded individual and create life-long memories with like-minded individuals. I achieved this through my position as a lead editor, which gave me the opportunity to exercise leadership and improve my interpersonal skills through managing a section and delegating responsibilities to my writers. Each and every day was a moment where bonds amongst the Highlander family were strengthened and laughter echoed throughout the office walls.

My journey will now take me to graduate school at the University of Southern California to further my academic career in Mechanical Engineering. Being admitted in the first place was quite jaw-dropping and surreal. I have so many individuals to thank for providing me opportunities and experiences that allowed me to earn the honor of being able to attend such a prestigious university.

I wanted to give a special thanks to the Editor-inChief I primarily worked for, Madison Rheins, for hiring me onto the Lead News Editor role despite my odd qualifications and ultimately giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you to my fellow staff at the Highlander, past and present, for the memories that we’ve made and the growth we’ve experienced together. Thank you to my fellow UCR peers, especially those in renowned Engineering organizations, for the inspiration and support that I personally have treasured and appreciate heavily. Lastly, thank you to all the readers for continuing the Highlander’s mission of keeping you informed!

Thank you to all of you for giving me the motivation and inspiration to have made the most out of my college experience in the Inland Empire. Thank you to Highlander News for giving me a place on campus where I could belong, a place that I could call home.■ H

Cut each tangerine into 6-8 slices and remove any seeds. The fruit will be mushy, so make sure you use a sharp enough knife. Do not remove the peels. Use either a stand mixer or blender to puree the tangerines to your desired consistency. I would recommend a coarse, but uniform, grain.

Transfer into a saucepan and mix in the sugar. Cook on medium heat for 40-50 while stirring constantly; otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. When the marmalade begins to thicken, perform the marmalade test. Drop a teaspoon of the marmalade onto your cold plate and tilt it to the side; if the marmalade stays put or slides slowly, it is ready, but if it slides quickly, it needs more time to cook.

While the marmalade is still hot, fill up your jars. Flip them upside down and let them cool overnight. Once opened, store in the fridge. The marmalade will last for up to 3 months.■ H

The contagious spring quarter slumps

ALEXANDRIA LACHMAN Staff Writer

We’re already in week four of the spring quarter and it can be hard finding the energy to keep up with any busy schedule. For graduating seniors, this is the last quarter before the real world comes knocking on your door. Seniors especially know when senioritis starts creeping in, it’s even more difficult to try and finish these last few weeks strong. The weight of making sure everything for graduation is handled and making as many memories with friends can make those assignments feel even more exhausting. Trying to find that balance between classes and social events is hard for everyone.

Try switching up your routine, the same habits that have followed you all school year can make the quarter feel longer and leave you pushing work aside. Find a new place to study. A new location can make this quarter feel different than the past two. Check out the many coffee shops off campus and invite friends along with you. Combining study time with social outings with friends can give you the best of both worlds. Also keeping an organized schedule will help with midterms that are fast approaching. Focusing on classes is key but allowing nothing else in the daily routine can make the obligation of classes seem more of a heavy burden.

At the end of the day, just remember that everyone is feeling the spring quarter slump and it’s totally normal to feel the pressure. Push yourself to keep on a routine and stay organized with school and social obligations. It’s okay to take a break every once in a while, just don’t stick to any habits that will make you fall behind in the long run. Remember as well that ditching classes is a gateway drug that can have an affect on your total grade in the end. ■ H

Surviving the spring quarter slump

Specialty Coffee and Refreshers: a Student’s Review (Part 1)

I tried all the specialty drinks found on campus and ranked them according to taste, aesthetic and price.

AYLIN MORENO

Contributing Writer

We are at the beginning of Spring quarter here at UCR. The orange blossoms are in full bloom, the trees are lightly fruiting along Aberdeen, and our mornings consist of ghostly mists as some of us wake up early for those 8am classes. On every checklist is a class we want to add, a textbook we need to buy, and a string of miscellaneous tasks to get ready for another quarter. On that already heavy checklist, I recommend adding another reminder of the Spring season, drinks. While that may not be the first thing that comes to mind when gathering up plans for campus; it is, in my opinion, a necessary incentive for getting through the day. Every campus sports a different class of caffeine, but if that’s not your thing, sweet or refreshing beverages are also available. I made a point of going to the three most visited, beverage supplying, commercial areas on campus. Considering coffee and its importance to the college ecosystem I venture to mainly ascertain who makes what, and is it worth it? I rank each of these drinks relative from best to worst with a brief description of each.

#1 The Cardamom Cold brew with a Cream Cap

Beyond The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf counter sits all the ingredients for a potentially great drink, as per the rules of spring at this establishment I ordered one of their specials. The Cardamom cold brew with a cream cap. I paid $5.75 and you have to order a regular size or bigger in order to make room for that white cap. Upon picking it up I first noticed how beautiful the drink itself was. There is nothing more satisfying than

a swirling milky haze in a cold brew; it’s one of those simple pleasures that makes you feel put together and ready for the day ahead. After all, if the drink is fancy then you’re fancy. I wanted to take a moment as well to really appreciate the cream cap on a foggy Tuesday morning. It feels cyclical and in sync with how spring manifests here on campus. The cold brew itself held the cardamom flavor advertised. It was a warm taste, which is saying something, considering it’s a cold drink. As these cold embers settled in my mouth, the taste of the cream cap started coming through. It gave the drink a softness that rounded out the cold spice and bitterness of coffee. If you are partial to that bitterness then I would forgo the cap and drink the cold brew straight. Now I ask, is the cardamom cold brew worth it? I’d like to think so, but having to pay almost $6 dollars for a drink is steep for a college student with limited income.

#2 The Honey Cinnamon Latte

This drink had such a nostalgic taste and texture, especially for those that celebrate the cold weather with abuelita hot chocolate or champurrado. It’s not as thick in texture, but the soft kick of cinnamon and the sweet taste of honey is enough to kiss an old heart wound if you’re homesick for something familiar and warming. Some of my only complaints in regards to the look of the drink are the cups. On first impression, I was a bit disappointed in the Christmas cup with the coffee conglomerate mermaid plastered on the front. I longed for something reminiscent of their brand; however, from an ecological standpoint, it only makes sense they’d use

up cups that are not otherwise usable. The drink comes to about $5.35, somewhat cheaper than the Cardamom cold brew.

#3 The Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

Think honey cinnamon latte, but cold. The description is very similar if not a bit watered down in its cold rendition. I enjoyed this drink and as the warmer months begin to loom over campus; this drink will be a much more welcome addition to my weekly purchases. Similar to #1, this drink comes to $5.75.

#4 The Mango Ice Blended

I found the choice of mango interesting, considering its tropical base. This sweet drink was $5.25. In a small survey among some students on campus I found that, out of all the seasonal drinks I cover in this article, the mango Ice blend was the most popular. It’s a white drink with a deep orange syrup that lines the cup and whipped cream. The closest thing I could relate this to was probably a mangonada with lechera, or for those less familiar with Mexican desserts, imagine a piña colada but with mango instead of pineapple. The creamy texture with the tropical fruit reminded me more of summer than what I would have expected to find in Spring. Overall, it was a deliciously sweet drink, however in the future, to subside the sweetness I will leave out the whipped cream. Like the previous drinks this one comes out to $5.75 as well. ■ H

COURTESY

‘Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies’ is an overburden of its ambitious yet promising spin-off

The OG Pink Ladies clan together ensuing a chaotic student council election assembly, circulating rumors and taking on being misfits in their individual lives.

MARIBEL GAMEZ-REYES Contributing Writer

The anticipated Grease prequel series released its pilot episode, “We’re Gonna Rule the School,” on April 6th. The series endured pressure from reviving esteemed material from its forerunner film. While keeping the spirit of the original intact through its scenery, costumes, and choreography, there is a distinct progressive take in which creator and showrunner, Annabel Oakes, addresses issues including racism, gender inequality, stereotypes, sexuality and female friendships.

It has been over 40 years since the release of the original 1978 musical “Grease,” The prequel series takes place four years before the original film and delves into the origin story of the pink ladies, the renowned girl gang. Tackling so much at once, the chaotic and overstimulating nature of the pilot episode halts her efforts to stand out, yet there is much potential for the characters of the show.

The opening shot of two Rydell High School students hooking up in a car introduces us to Jane Facciano (Marisa Davila) a half-Italian and half-Puerto Rican — the former new girl and spectacled bookworm who has spent the summer of 1954 in a secret relationship with Buddy (Jason Schmidt), the most sought handsome quarterback who seems genuinely in love with her. While Jane assumes that it is the end of their summer fling, to her surprise Buddy takes the initiative to ask her to go steady and public with their relationship. Paying homage to an original line between characters Sandy and Danny from the 1978 film, Jane asks Buddy, “This isn’t the end?” to which he replies, “Of course not, it’s only the beginning.”

This sets up the dramatic spark which baffles and brings commotion to Rydell High. In the next shot, Jane is seen walking into the drive-in wearing Buddy’s red-and-white Rydell Ranger jacket. Nostalgia comes rushing once the first musical number hits with the iconic song “Grease”.Throughout the performance, the switchoff in lyrics and camera work follows characters that will come to form the original girl gang, “The Pink Ladies.”

Further, Jane’s fleeting happiness is briefly dismissed when she begins dealing

with the ramifications of false rumors of that night spread by a friend of Susan (Madison Thompson), Buddy’s ex-girlfriend. Without a mutual camaraderie, we are also introduced to other outcast members with diverse storylines such as Nancy Nakagawa (Tricia Fukuhara), a Japanese American student who aspires to be a fashion designer and whose best friends are in relationships that exclude her from being heard. Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells), a confident Mexican American student whose alleged past romantic dalliance with her teacher has brought hardships at school and Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso), a gender non-conforming “tomboy” who’s passionate about wanting to join the T-birds, a greaser gang run by Olivia’s brother, Richie (Jonothan Nieves).

All of these transpired storylines buildup to the topic of the student council elections and the visions that students have for the future of Rydell High. Early on it was expressed that Buddy desired to campaign for president and Jane for student council. This is why he and Jane tried to exonerate themselves by combating false rumors and redeeming their reputation. Even then, the sexism and misogyny are quite clear as Buddy is congratulated for having been intimate with Jane when she only receives shame. Later on, coming to hear from Buddy himself that he started the rumor, Jane breaks up with him.

The pilot episode chronicles and explores these four characters individually but eventually comes together when Jane announces that she will be running against Buddy for the presidential position and Nancy, Cynthia and Olivia come to her defense.

Exemplifying self-worth and self-love, it is reasonably assumed that the remaining nine episodes won’t focus on a complicated romance but on the selfempowerment of these diverse outcasts and the confidence they have in their identities and experiences that won’t succumb to societal norms. ■ H

VERDICT: THE SPIN-OFF’S AMBITIOUS TAKE CAN BE OVERSTIMULATING IN THE SENSE OF THE FILMING FEELING OVERPACKED WITH CHARACTERS ON SCREEN, THE MEDIOCRE AND SLIGHTLY OFF-TRACK AMBIANCE OF MUSICAL NUMBERS AT TIMES AND UNIMAGINATIVE DIALOGUE. REDEEMING FACTORS THAT HOLD PROMISE ARE THE ENSEMBLE CAST OF THE PINK LADIES THEMSELVES.

HBO Max-Discovery merger will have huge implications for the future of the streaming service

The string of decisions made under David Zaslav seems geared toward a different audience.

RAMITA SETTY Staff Writer

On May 23, Warner Bros. will merge their two streaming services: HBO Max and Discovery Plus under a new service simply titled Max. The vast collection of media on both sites — shows like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “The White Lotus” and more will now appear next to Discovery Plus shows such as “90-day Fiance” and “MILF Manor.” Max will have two tiers: an ad-free one costing $16.99 and a tier with ads costing $9.99. This is the same price HBO Max subscribers currently pay, but it will be a price hike to Discovery Plus subscribers, who paid just $6.99 for an ad-free subscription and $4.99 for a subscription with ads. Warner Bros. has reported that current Discovery Plus subscribers will be grandfathered into the New Max subscription at the price they currently pay — temporarily.

It is a move indicative of the new regime at Warner Bros. as David Zaslav, the new CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery has already become an unpopular figure due to his decisions to end finished projects such as “Batgirl” and ”Minx” seemingly for tax write-offs. Several other titles simply vanished, which created a firestorm of reactions on social media. Teams of people involved in kids, unscripted, family and international content were laid off. Former HBO Max executives revealed that this corporate reshuffling left behind few creatives of color and was part of Warner Bros’ efforts to “court Middle America.”

A closer look at the demographics of the two subscription services discloses how the merger fits into Warner Bros.’ new ideology for Max. HBO Max subscribers are reportedly made up of more diverse groups, while Discovery Plus is more popular with older white people. Discovery Plus, a recent executive said, was aimed towards a “general audience” while HBO Max was created with more “specificity.” The recent cullings at HBO Max could be viewed as an attempt to make HBO Max more

“palatable” before it joins Discovery Plus, to appeal to the demographic Warner Bros. is attempting to pursue.

The decision to name the new subscription service Max has come as a baffling business decision to many, especially the decision to drop “HBO” from the title of this new subscription service. Over the past two decades, the name HBO has slowly begun to be associated in people’s minds with prestige television, from classics such as “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” to newer award-winning shows such as “Succession” and more. As a matter of fact, every show that has been predicted to be a frontrunner in the Drama category at the Emmys by various awards pundits have been HBO Max shows. To throw away a title that has garnered so much cultural capital and respect from the entertainment industry and the world appears like a puzzling move.

While no future prize hikes for the Max subscription have been announced yet, it is difficult to imagine they won’t happen, given the financial needs this merger is bound to create. If this happens, how will consumers feel about it, given the endless number of subscription services in existence? Most people don’t necessarily want or can afford more than one or two streaming subscriptions. And it is not as if there is a huge demand for access to Discovery Plus amongst current HBO Max subscribers. Most might not appreciate being forced to pay extra to access a library of media they never wanted, and could wind up canceling their subscription altogether. Although that may not be a problem for Warner Bros. The bigger question is if Discovery Plus subscribers, made up of the demographic they appear to have decided to appeal the most to, will they still decide to tune in?

is Afraid’: A maelstrom of paranoia and mommy issues

LUKE LIAO

Contributing Writer

With “Beau is Afraid,” writerdirector Ari Aster returns to vetting relational trauma, something he did novelly in both “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” Only this time, the story and themes unfold in the most exhaustive, extreme and tragic of proportions in his latest project. Aster’s third outing follows Beau (Joaquin Phoenix), a pitiable middle-aged man who journeys to his mother. The supposedly simple trip is hindered by Beau’s fear of essentially everything — as per the title — and guilt, a detour that takes him across hellscapes, dreams and memories of the past.

In a runtime of a minute shy of three hours, Aster never misses a moment to put Beau through the wringer. Nothing seems to go right for the poor phobic whether it’s his birth, a twenty-second walk to the store, or revelations about his childhood. The consistently emotionally exhausting content of Aster’s film has demanded skillful performances and with the addition of “Beau is Afraid,” the trend aptly continues. As each misfortune and roadblock is introduced, Phoenix is there each step of the way. He portrays Beau with a helpless trepidation embodying restless eyes and perpetual quivering — it’s impossible to not feel for Beau as his

world teeters on the edge of collapse.

Beau’s mother, Mona (Patti LuPone), is the only remedy to his neuroticism and becomes the marrow of the film. “Beau is Afraid” can be unofficially divided into four parts and shares the common theme of Mona’s domineering, Oedipal relationship to the unknowing Beau. Despite four tonally distinct and uniquely presented chapters, her presence can be felt through ingenious production design, props and foreshadowing. Frames are overflowing with details to the point where one can only accept that they will not understand everything, or will require another watch.

An obvious standout section is a live-action animated sequence that marks a new high of Aster’s creative storytelling, representing Beau’s heartbreakingly romantic dreams of a better, independent life. When he awakes from the fantasy, the storybook animation and color wash away from the screen and Beau is back in his cruel reality.

Another portion of the film involves Beau’s stay at couples Roger’s (Nathan Lane) and Grace’s (Amy Ryan) house is the most curious of all four parts. While the purpose of this bit nudges into spoilers, it finds Aster deconstructing the suburban utopia and nuclear family, all while

delving into trauma. Its ambiguity and restraint are purposeful, something which pays off greatly in the final act.

Despite these two sequences being personal favorites and skilfully crafted, it’s hard to deny that the lengths at which they draw out are arbitrary. The indulgent baggage of “Beau is Afraid” carries some repetitive spans of ideas and a general sense of exasperation knowing a scene could have been truncated in the editing room. The initially somber home stretch is especially telling of this, sacrificing sentiment for some frankly cheap shock value. It brings the tragedy full circle but doesn’t resonate as powerfully as it could have.

Aster has created a maddening film with “Beau is Afraid.” Runtime aside, it’s impossible to not appreciate the lengths to which he has constructed a beguiling world. While there is a rational reading of Beau’s journey, possibilities such as ego, death and drug-induced delusion are always on the table. To wrap one’s head around and try to make sense of the many rabbit holes and peculiarities of the film is thought-provoking as it is frustrating. ■ H

VERDICT: THE OVERLONG, YET WHOLLY ORIGINAL EPIC UNRAVELS A MAN’S IDENTITY OR HIS LACK OF ONE.

Despite Nicolas Cage’s performance, ‘Renfield’ falls short of expectations

Standout performances by both Cage and Hoult get muddled by additional storylines in this journey.

THRISTINE M. MAGALLANES

Contributing Writer

Released April 14th, “Renfield” follows the story of Robert Montague Renfield, played by Nicholas Hoult, who has been Dracula’s esteemed servant for centuries. After all these years, Renfield decides it’s time to see if there’s life outside of his boss’s shadow. One of the first things to notice about this film is the chemistry between Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Renfield. From their early days of companionship, Renfield does anything in his power to serve his master and bring him bodies to feed on.

Cage’s delivery of his lines as Dracula is as expected for the Dark Lord himself. With such a prominent figure like Dracula being placed in a modern setting, he still maintains his regal and elegant way of speaking. It is a highlight of the film as even Renfield finds himself speaking with the same eloquence that Dracula speaks as if he had just been relocated to the modern world from his original time.

While those may have been the highlights of the film, there were a few pieces where “Renfield” does disappoint. The main focus of this film was the relationship between the two titular characters and having Renfield break free of Dracula’s narcissism. However, we rarely see the two of them aside from early in the film. The majority of the movie takes place in modern times,

and which would have been nice to see the connection between the different periods Dracula and Renfield have lived throughout.

Within the film, there is a support group for those in codependent relationships. Renfield attends this support group as a means to find common ground amongst those who may share the same experience. The relationships between all these members and the reflection their stories tell influence Renfield throughout the movie. It is also a chance for the audience to empathize further with his true feelings about doing Dracula’s bidding. It also has viewers rooting for him as he progresses and the character develops further upon realizing that happiness is possible. Throughout the film, we can hear Renfield’s inner thoughts occasionally being voiced in the form of a voice-over, allowing us to go even further into his head and his character’s internal struggles.

Another titular character within this movie is Officer Rebecca Quincy, played by Akwafina. Known as the legacy child within the New Orleans Police Department, she tries to prove herself as more than a low-level cop working the drunk driver stops. She constantly shoots for the bigger fish in the Lobos Crime Family — the most feared crime

family in all of New Orleans, and was responsible for the death of Rebecca’s father. Awkwafina’s character does serve as sort of a romantic interest, but not much happens between them except for advice that she gives to Renfield for him to go about life and try to break free of the control Dracula has on him. There is a whole separate storyline about the corruption within the law enforcement division, and the crime family is centered around the whole city of New Orleans. It draws away from the advertised plot of exploring Renfield and Dracula’s rocky relationship and guidance through this modern world after being alive for centuries.

This film leans heavily on gore and blood-spilling. It has a slapstick amount of gore, blood and dismemberment. There are also a lot of bones that will be cracking, so you’ve been forewarned ahead of time.

The costumes are another focal point as we see Dracula rocking the classic Count Dracula look with his cape, the star medal necklace and even the makeup. The effects used by the makeup department to enhance the ghastly and frightening look of Dracula add more to the performance put on by Nicholas Cage. ■ H

VERDICT:

“RENFIELD” IS A FRIGHTENINGLY GOOD TIME, DESPITE THE LACK OF A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE ADVERTISED RELATIONSHIP. THE MUDDLED STORYLINES DRAW AWAY FROM THE TALENTS OF NICOLAS CAGE AND NICHOLAS HOULT.

‘Beau

Radar Replay: ‘Hud’: an underseen classic revisionist

Western, still holds its fervor 60 years later

MAX BRIGGS Staff Writer

“It don’t take long to kill things. Not like it does to grow.” These are the words that Homer Bannon (Melvyn Douglas) utters after he witnesses a brutal execution of his hard-earned livestock in the 1963 film “Hud.” Life is slow on his Texan ranch, with work and casual leisure being all the surrounding town and its inhabitants have to offer. Hud Bannon, however, cannot let his environment dictate him; he gets what he wants, letting nothing, especially his father, stand in his way. Homer’s grandson Lonnie (Brandon deWilde) takes a liking to his Uncle Hud, and it soon becomes apparent that the barrenness of the countryside will prove a fitting setting for the titular character. Familial, moral and economic strife are juxtaposed without awkwardness, culminating in a tale run by an unbounded sense of grounded realism.

Based on the prolific author Larry McMurtry’s first novel “Horseman, Pass By,” director Martin Ritt captures the naturalistic ethos of his prose. However, Ritt changes quite an important detail from the book, making the protagonist Hud, not Lonnie. A stark contrast to the traditional, simple duality of man in conventional Westerns, Hud’s character distinctly blurs these lines, affirming his status as an antihero. Being a charismatic and suave individual, the common mistake of assuming him to be the “handsome leading man” throws an atypical spin on the narrative. The audience grasps for reasons to understand Hud’s destructive behavior, but his pretty boy persona can only mask his malice temporarily. It becomes harder to forgive Hud’s trespasses, as he begins to prey on the innocent.

Screenwriters Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. use Hud’s interactions with Lonnie to enrich the characters and force the audience to experience the events through the latter’s perspective, a choice that calls back to the source material. The pacing is executed in a refined and dignified manner, taking its time to flesh out the subtlest of interactions. Picking up a deserved seven Academy Award nominations and eventually winning three, the components of the work ebb and flow with grace, resulting in a masterpiece on all fronts.

Dubbed “the man with the barbed wire soul” from the film’s tagline, Newman delivers an electrifying, confrontational performance as Hud that riffs off the rest of the cast. His ruthlessness and complete incapacity for empathy are best displayed through his pursuit of Alma (Patricia Neal). His heinous acts toward her are byproducts of his skewed lack of morality, while his relationship with

Homer depicts the outwardly cruel yet calculated disregard for respect or responsibility. By not depicting Hud as a onedimensional person driven only by evil, seeds of doubt are simultaneously sewn into the viewer and Lonnie’s mind. Newman’s expressions begin to force the truth out of those around him, making way for a wide range of complex emotions to be communicated across the board.

Each actor demonstrates a varied component of the effects our interactions have on one another. Impressionable and idealistic at first, Lonnie represents the optimistic new generation, eager to fight for what’s right. Homer’s wisdom is incomplete without learning from the many painful failures undergone in life. This generational gap provides us with the different philosophies each character holds, with their eventual unraveling leading them on the same path.

Elmer Bernstein’s repetitive guitar-led soundtrack insistently rings in our ears, serving as a harsh reminder of how some are destined to never change. This musical presence combined with the conclusion of a dialogue-driven scene is commonly used as a transition throughout. The contemplative nature of this pairing is notably used in works that employ a similar template, with British auteur Mike Leigh’s 1993 film “Naked” starring a similar anti-hero-like, intensely distinct performance from David Thewlis.

James Wong Howe’s cinematography is mainly responsible for the creating atmospheric dichotomy that parallels the muddled disposition of dreariness to Hud’s identity. Shadows are utilized specifically to create the sense of impending doom that presents itself where he goes. This is complemented by the calculated contrast created by black and white photography, which ultimately acts to showcase the ambivalence of human nature.

Our species is driven by demand, and command must be exerted above all those inferior. In Hud’s case, the gifts of intelligence bestowed upon us should only be used for personal gain — only the strong deserve to survive, even if it means being alone. As he says: “Well, I’ve always thought the law was meant to be interpreted in a lenient manner. Sometimes I lean one way and sometimes I lean the other.” It is up to the audiences to decide what we believe is right and to set our standards. The inevitably of sticking to our principles comes with its consequences, proving that the fundamental complexions of our souls ultimately remain undiluted by external forces, no matter how powerful. ■ H

Featuring a tour-deforce performance from Paul Newman and a stellar supporting cast, this remarkable adaptation of McMurtry’s “Horseman, Pass By” remains one of the finest depictions of a decaying American landscape.

Highlander Hot Take: Don’t like sports? Try hockey.

EVELYN HOMAN Managing Editor

Despite the love the wide world of sports gets from Americans of all backgrounds, there are still many people who also don’t understand what the appeal is about sports. For some fans, the statistics, the playoffs, and the drafts are immensely exciting; for those who are on the “outside”, so to speak, those don’t make much sense at all. There’s no denying, however, that most people can go to a game in-person and enjoy it: the atmosphere, the food, the nosebleed seats that let you see for miles if you’re outdoors. But even this environment might feel too same-same for people who just are not jazzed about sporting events.

Enter hockey. The sport commonly associated with Canadians and actually originating from England, it is one of the only sports besides figure skating that takes place on an ice rink or curling here in the United States. Similar to sports like soccer, there is a fast-paced action to the sport, with the added rapidity that ice and skates offer the players. The action is never centralized in just one place in the way that it is in baseball, and rather than simply a back-and-forth that American football often has. The action is chaotic, all over the ice at any given time. This makes for an incredibly engaging experience, even for spectators who aren’t invested in the world of ice hockey.

Hockey has gained a reputation for its fights as well; fights are not allowed according to the rules of the sport, but they are allowed all the same and do not result in extended removal from the rink the way that fighting is in other sports. It’s certainly a bit animalistic to say so, but it’s hard to deny that there’s some excitement that arises when players break out into a scuffle for seemingly no reason at all. It’s almost like modern gladiation, minus the intense amount of blood. And even despite the fights, players will hug their teammates to break up the fighting. The fact that it is present breaks this taboo of no-fighting that is so present in the sports world may make it a welcome surprise for people outside of the sports world of knowledge.

There’s something to be said about the atmosphere of a hockey rink as well when spectating. No matter the temperature outside, a jacket is necessary for most within the walls of the rink. There’s an electric excitement that might not always be present at other sporting events, if only because everyone is focusing on keeping their hands warm while players shoot back and forth beneath. And there’s also the music at live events. Many sports teams adopt a goal song that they use when the home team scores, and the list is absolutely amazing (the Chicago

Blackhawks use The Fratellis “Chelsea Dagger”; the Vegas Golden Knights use Panic! At The Disco’s “Vegas Lights”, etc.). And that’s just the goal songs. The music played at Anaheim Ducks games, for instance, ranged from Rammstein to Beastie Boys to Flo Rida a few years ago. The playlists are incredible, especially for alternative music fans.

Hockey is also quite enjoyable in that even minor league games are exciting and keep up with the fast pace expected of the major league. While minor league sports often get the flack of not being as exciting as major league sports, minor league hockey still manages to deliver on the excitement and thrill all the same.

When one isn’t aware of what live sporting events have to offer, it can feel daunting to just go to one without knowing what to expect. And although all live sporting events are far more fun than just watching them on television, hockey has every other sport beat in terms of atmosphere, and has a bonus of being a bit unique from other sports in that it’s inside, on ice, ridiculously fast-paced and full of good music. For those who are wanting to better understand sports, hockey might be a good way to ease in; if not for the love of the sport, then for the pleasure of the zamboni breaks.

Leaked NBA script reveals the Celtics to be the future NBA champions

KIANOOSH NOOSHI Assistant Sports Editor

The NBA playoffs have already provided fans with intriguing drama early into the first round. It feels like any of the remaining 16 teams can win on any given night and the injuries to some big stars have brought some matchups closer than previously anticipated. At the time of writing, it is only midway through the first round and already you can see which teams have begun to separate themselves from the rest as the real title contenders. The standout teams have been the Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics who have so far made easy work of their matchups with little to no trouble from their opponents thus far.

Of the three aforementioned teams, the Boston Celtics have the best odds of winning the NBA finals. Their roster is among the best in the league in all aspects. Their team is led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a two headed monster of superstars that are great on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The rest of their starting lineup is rounded out with Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White. While all three of those players can knock down a shot they are mainly known for their superb work on the defensive side. The rest of the lineup is filled with guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams and Robert Williams who in tandem with Boston’s other role players comprise one of the deepest rosters in the league.

The Celtics boast a top ten ranking in points, rebounds, assists, turnovers and blocks while also being top ten in free throw and three point percentage. All this has caused the Celtics to be number one in the entire NBA in net rating which bodes well for the rest of the Playoffs. TD Garden is also one of the most difficult venues to play in the entire NBA, proven by the Celtics having the 4th best home record in the league. While statistics are a nice way to quantify a team’s performance another aspect of the NBA playoffs is the narrative that unfolds.

The Celtics are tied with the Lakers as the most successful franchise in NBA history with 17 championships a piece. They also have not won a title since 2008 making it nearly 15 years to the date since an NBA championship was won in Boston. A narrative with the Celtics at the center for these playoffs would be great for the NBA and something that definitely brings added pressure and excitement to the

staff and roster in Boston. With the Celtics it’s a matter of if the pressure can make diamonds and it definitely looks as though that will be the case with the team going within two games of winning it all last season. They’ve managed to improve their roster on last season by adding the aforementioned Brogdon while also not losing any key players in their rotation.

It looks as the time is now for the Celtics and their championship window could be all but closed after this season with teams like the Suns and their ridiculous core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton who will most definitely improve as a unit next season having played more games together and putting together solid teammate chemistry. The Nuggets, Cavaliers, and Grizzlies are also sure to improve around their young core, making the chance at winning a championship all the slimmer in the near future for the Celtics.

With that being said, the current route to the finals for the Celtics is shaping up to be the Hawks, 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks, the latter two boasting MVP candidates Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That run in is definitely going to be difficult for the Celtics who will have to be able to be on their A games as neither Brown or Tatum can go toe to toe with Embiid or Giannis. The depth, and determination of the Celtics propels them to Vegas’ top odds as winners of these NBA playoffs and for good reason as they have what it takes to bring an Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Boston. ■ H

HOCKEY IS THE BEST AMERICAN SPORT OUT THERE - EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT DISLIKE SPORTS ACROSS THE BOARD.