Volume 72, Issue 08 by The Highlander- UCR

THE HIGHLANDER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2023

VOL. 72, ISSUE 08

est. 1954

JOSEPH RODARTE / THE HIGHLANDER

NEWS

RADAR STUDENTS GATHER TO PROTEST BASSAM EID’S PRESENCE ON CAMPUS.

SJP Protest moves downtown

Homecoming Odyssey 2023’s performers shook the ground KIMBERLY BEJEC Assistant Radar Editor

SENNA OMAR Managing Editor

UCR’S ANNUAL EDM CONCERT’S LOUD ELECTRONIC BEATS HAD THE CROWD JUMPING WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE AIR.

was invited by UCR Hillel to speak” and that they were “protesting his presence and his message.” The protest was supposed to begin at 4:30 p.m., but organizers were made aware that the Hillel event was moved offcampus. Organizers discovered the event’s new location was the Riverside Convention Center and around 4:45 p.m.; they announced the change in location to the crowd and proceeded with the rally at Hinderaker Hall. Multiple SJP speakers led the crowd in protest chants and told stories of their loved ones currently living in Gaza. The last person to address the crowd was introduced as, “anti-zionist Jewish solidarity speaker” Linton Freund, a UCR Ph.D. Student. When asked why they were protesting, Freund responded, “I was protesting because I am a Jew that believes in a free Palestine. The Israeli occupation is wrong, we need a ceaseﬁre now.” his time at UCR, including popular things like the Big C and the term Highlanders. A ► SEE PROTEST PAGE 5

Hours before start time, students typically start to line up to get in early and get the free merchandise that comes with these events such as hoodies, shirts and hats. For Homecoming Odyssey, which started at 6:00 p.m., students started lining up at 2:00 p.m. and the line stretched far back as the start time approached. Once the doors officially opened at 6:10 p.m. students ran straight to the merch booth to snag themselves a hoodie or trucker hat. Both free merch options were modeled in a lookbook for students to see on an ASPB’s Instagram post. This got students excited and eager to get their hands on one of the promo items. As a result of this first-come, first-served deal, students did not want to miss the opportunity to get these items. The line situation is a major issue that ASPB continues to deal with because of the overwhelming number of students who cut lines or wait hours simply to get in. For the first people in line hours ► SEE ODYSSEY PAGE 14

@thehighlanderucr @HighlanderUCR UCRHighlander NEWS 3

OPINIONS 7

FEATURES 10

RADAR 14

SPORTS 18

KUCR 88.3 FM

2 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Education Abroad Boba Hour 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Skye 334

Softball vs. CSU San Marcos 1 p.m. Amy S. Harrison Softball Field

Tuesday

Wednesday

Youth Zen Studio 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. SRC MPR D

Campus Closed for Thanksgiving

Thursday

Campus Closed for Thanksgiving

Friday

Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart 3 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. SRC Mac Gym Lobby

Men’s Basketball vs. Bethesda 2 p.m. SRC Arena

Monday Carillon Recitals 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. UCR Bell Tower

Saturday

NEORAH DAVIS / THE HIGHLANDER

Sunday

HIGHLANDER STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Senna Omar

Brenda Jovel

editorinchief @highlandernews.org

managingeditor @highlandernews.org

NEWS EDITOR

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Emyr Ortiz

Mata Elangovan

news@highlandernews.org OPINIONS EDITOR Ysabel Nakasone opinions@highlandernews.org FEATURES EDITOR

eorti082@ucr.edu ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Cecile Diroll cdiro001@ucr.edu ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

Natalie Dahl

features@highlandernews.org

Maribel Gamez-Reyes mgame016@ucr.edu

RADAR EDITOR Brendan Vo radar@highlandernews.org

ASST. RADAR EDITOR Kimberly Bejec kbeje001@ucr.edu

SPORTS EDITOR Hansel Chu sports@highlandernews.org

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Kia Nooshi knoos001@ucr.edu

PRODUCTION MANAGER

ART DIRECTOR

Aedan Ferrara

productionmanager @highlandernews.org PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Peroshat Saeidi psaei001@ucr.edu

Sophie Hall-Schorn shall033@ucr.edu

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

photo@highlandernews.org COPY EDITOR

Evelyn Homan copyeditor.highlander@gmail.com VIDEO EDITOR

Alexander Lopez

ASST. VIDEO EDITOR

video.highlander@gmail.com BUSINESS MANAGER

Emily Manus

highlanderads@gmail.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Kali Truong

marketing.highlander@gmail.com TECH DIRECTOR Michael Tin mtin002@ucr.edu

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

Business Office: (951) 827-3457

Classifieds & Billing: (951) 827-5039

Fax: (951) 827-7049

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor Amaray Alvarez at opinions@highlandernews.org by Wednesday if interested in writing a letter and submit the completed letter by Saturday at noon. Letters can and will be rejected if it does not meet requirements. LEGAL

Kelley Manzo

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org

ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER Lizbeth Martos lmart227@ucr.edu ASST. MARKETING

Carlie Servando cserv004@ucr.edu

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Tomas Alves

talve004@ucr.edu

The Highlander is published and copyrighted by the Highlander for the students, faculty and staff of UCR. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Highlander is strictly prohibited. Readers are allowed one free copy of the newspaper. For additional copies or for subscription information, please contact the Highlander. The Highlander fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The Highlander has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against it. All inserts that are printed in the Highlander are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the staff or The University of California or the Associated Students of UCR.

Monday

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

GradSuccess Stargazing Night 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. UCR Bell Tower

MULTIMEDIA THEHIGHLANDERUCR

f THE HIGHLANDER @HIGHLANDERUCR UCRHighlander KUCR 88.3 FM

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

Senate Meeting #6

CONCERNS RAISED OVER MEETING MINUTES AND NEW GREEN GRANT PROPOSED.

MATA ELANGOVAN News Editor

The sixth Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) Senate meeting took place on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. All senators were present, excluding Senators Teesha Sreeram, Alex Lu, Rayhan Khan, Kevin Nguyen, Anjana Narasimhan and Naia Pizzaro, who were excused. The meeting began with a land acknowledgment to the local indigenous tribes who lived on the land before and was called to order at 7:04 p.m. The first item covered on the agenda was approving the previous meeting minutes for Senate Meeting Minutes #5. The meeting minutes were approved 12-0-0. Public Forum began with the Vice President of External Affairs Angel Renteria on the podium. He congratulated Senator Sreeram for going as a student advocate for the University of California Student Association (UCSA) conference and voicing out the issues that UC students are facing. Next, a Vice President Candidate for the 2024 Presidential Elections came to the podium. He explained that he had come to ASUCR and to the board of supervisors earlier to present some information that he had found regarding corruption in the music and media industry. He explained that if he were to become VP, he would ensure that this would not happen and that he would put a stop to it. Last on Public Forum was Mata Elangovan, the Lead News Editor at the Highlander. She stated that the meeting minutes that were being approved were approved with errors to the names of individuals as well as missing information about their affiliations which is important for the context of the meeting. She noted the ASUCR page was not updated with those elected during special elections and missing contact information for various individuals and missing meeting minutes for the meetings approved the week prior. She explained that this is an issue for those who are unable to attend ASUCR meetings and read the minutes to catch up on what has occurred and for those seeking to contact their representatives and are unable to find their contact information. Executive Vice President Victoria Nguyen responded that the meeting minutes are sent beforehand to the Highlander for their activities and that the Senate approves the meeting minutes the week

after the meeting. News Editor Elangovan responded that this was not the issue that was brought up and that the issue was students are unable to read the meeting minutes which have incomplete information and that the minutes are not available on the website. EVP Nguyen responded that updating the website is not ASUCR’s responsibility but that of Pro Staff. Nothing was reported during Ex-Officio Reports. Nothing was reported during New Business. During Committee Reports, Green Campus Action Plan (GCAP) proposed a new grant. Green Grant #6 Food Waste Tracking and Green Grant #6: Food Waste Tracking Budget, as Senator Grace Su explained, would implement a food-based tracking system at the Glasgow and Lothian Dining Halls as there is no way to track how much food waste is being produced daily. The current system makes it difficult to track how much food waste is generated as unwanted food goes on a conveyor belt and goes to the back. The solution is to implement a food waste tracking system and add a scale and trashcan to dump waste to, the number on the scale would then be noted down by student workers by scanning a QR code reporting how much food waste there was. President Pro Tempore Abby Choy asked if there were plans for composting. Senator Su responded that as for now, all the food waste goes to the R’Garden and that they compost it. A motion to approve the Green Grant was made by PPT Choy and seconded by Senator Crystal Toral and passed 12-0-0. During Public Comment, VPEA Renteria asked News Editor Elangovan if the statements said during Public Forum were said in reference to last week’s meeting where a student came to the podium and had their full name and affiliation reported on without them wanting it to be reported, as it made them feel unsafe. News Editor Elangovan responded that she only reports on what is stated during the meeting and that the individual mentioned had introduced themself by name and affiliation and that is something that has to be reported. VPEA Renteria then asked if it would be helpful if ASUCR had a disclaimer for individuals going up to the podium that they do not have to give their name for any reason. News Editor Elangovan

responded that it would be beneﬁcial. During Senator Reports, Senator Amariah Peedikayil reported she has been working with the Highlander Action Committee and worked on creating posters for the protests for the Homeland Security and CIA presence event. She also stated that there is a Starbucks Boycott on Nov. 16, where they are going to be boycotting because Starbucks sued their workers union for standing in solidarity with Palestinians, and that the event is happening in Glen Mor from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Senator Crystal Toral reported that she has been working on the Legislative Review Committee as well as the Community Service Committee. There will be a canned food drive going on until week 8 and that the club who donates the most cans will receive a reward and there will also be a Town Hall on Nov. 16 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. During Roundtable and Announcements, PPT Choy announced to the Senate that LRC Meetings are happening this week and to submit legislation. VPEA Renteria announced that like Senator Peedikayil said, Red Cup Day is happening at Glen Mor and that next Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, there will be a banking and email banking event to support Armenian and Palestinian students. EVP Nguyen announced that there will be no Senate Meeting the next week as they are observing the mini fall break and that she hoped that everyone will have a restful and enjoyable break. The meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m. Disclaimer: The Highlander Newspaper did not receive Meeting Minutes #6 from ASUCR to fact check information before publication this week. If there is any information missing, it will be amended after those minutes H are received. ■

MATA ELANGOVAN / THE HIGHLANDER

4 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/news

School of Public Policy hosts Student Spotlight SITDOWN WITH CEO JOHN GABLES AND PRESENTATION BY THREE STUDENT RESEARCH ASSISTANTS AT UCR AS THEY DELVE INTO THEIR ROLES AND WORK AT ALLSIDES. BRENDA JOVEL Editor-in-Chief

The University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) School of Public Policy (SPP) hosted an event in its Student Spotlight series, titled Creating Common Ground and Breaking Filter Bubbles, on Thursday Nov. 16. SPP’s Student Spotlight series aims to highlight students’ work. UCR students Divya Bharadwaj, Andrew Shannon and Samuel Shroff presented on the various tasks and responsibilities they took on as research assistants at AllSides Technologies as well as the company in general. AllSides shows what content is left-leaning, rightleaning, or center. On the AllSides website, they are described as a company that “expose[s] people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world.” Miriam Fadel, an incoming Dean’s Vice Chief Ambassador of SPP, served as the event’s host and introduced John Gabel, the CEO and co-founder of AllSides, as the night’s first speaker. “The stuff we’re doing together at UCR really is unique…but we’re really doing something that can have a serious impact in society longer term,” Gable said. Gable began with his experience at Netscape, “the first popular internet browser,” saying how the internet allowed people to find a multitude of information from across the world.” He went on to say, “We have a worldwide crisis [in] credibility. We don’t know what to believe anymore … And [we’re so] overwhelmed by a pure group that believes in one thing [and is] manipulated by [another] group.” Gable discussed his inspiration for AllSides and its mission to display whether content is left-leaning, center, or right-leaning. Working in the early stages of the internet, Gable found that the internet was not enabling individuals to make better decisions, but rather “It’s making it harder for us to connect and harder for us to understand each other. I frequently describe it [as] making us confidently ignorant, because we see one point of view … [which] the algorithms think that I’ll be most likely to click on … And we see that one point of view 1000 times and so we’re absolutely positive it’s correct.” For UCR students, Gable believes that they have the opportunity to avoid looking at one take on an issue “because you have a diversity of people here.” He further explained, “I’m finding that in the last two, three years, [students] are more concerned about the internet or even Wikipedia results misleading them or trying to get them to believe one thing over the other … I think you all are more set to be media literate than frankly just graduates three years ago.” Touching upon the role that the UCR research assistants play, Gable explained how with the help of

AllSides CEO, John Gables, speaking at the Creating Common Ground and Breaking Filter Bubbles event.

technology, assistants manually research an issue’s main arguments and the different points of view people believe in. Once these arguments are collected, the assistants can include the various stances an issue has and leave it up to the audience to decide for themselves what they think about that issue. This draws upon the company’s use of Media Bias Ratings that Henry A. Brechter, Editor-in-Chief of AllSides, spoke about. “Basically, these allow you or anyone to easily identify different perspectives so you can get the full picture of issues and think for yourself,” Brechter said. A recorded video showed how AllSides uses an editorial team, third-party data and surveys to determine whether a form of media is left, center, or right. Andrew Shannon, a second-year majoring in public policy, discussed AllSide’s focus on media filter bubbles and their mission to break them apart. “We seek out information that reaffirms our pre-existing beliefs.” Shannon believes that if individuals were to sit down with someone with opposing views and converse, it can “create impactful changes in our society.” “We need to be comfortable with our differences,” said Gable on how these conversations could benefit the public. He then explained that by viewing different perspectives about the same news story, readers would be growing their media literacy on their own. “We want to enable people to decide for themselves. So that means we all need to have media literacy and by giving information to people in that way, they accidentally discover and grow their own critical thinking [and] their own media literacy skills,” Gable expanded. Samuel Shroff, a second-year majoring in public policy, wrote that he focuses his research on “translating complicated policy issues into something that people can understand without having the same background or putting in the same effort as I did.” During his presentation, Shroff spoke about AllStances, articles written by the research assistants, and their approaches when creating such content such as “demystifying current issues” and “[getting] all sides of an argument. With regard to their technological tools, “AllStances was built with artificial intelligence (AI) very much in mind,” said Shroff. He continued by saying that AllSides uses AI “as a very basic research tool.” When doing research on topics, the AI provides the team with various articles as sources. These sources are later verified as Shroff states that “It’s our job to go back and find the person who said that and make sure that they’re properly credited. That’s also another good vetting procedure because we can also catalog potential biases while we’re doing that.”

Shroff described the process behind AllStances writing, including finding what issues are important to the general public, finding the biased groups of such issues when doing research, discussing arguments in an unbiased manner when creating the content and having those with opposing views look at the content to determine the issues’ facts. Divya Bharadwaj, a second-year majoring in public policy, spoke about the four AllStances articles the research assistants have created, all looking into political topics such as gun control, abortion regulation, Supreme Court Justice term limits and assault weapons. Bharadwaj also discussed her role in exploring AllSides’ methods of connecting to its audience, including through surveys. “We ask if we missed anything in said AllStances and for our audience members to look into more detail and provide us more feedback; as well as how we can move forward in improving our work.” AllSides also uses social media to connect with its audiences, Bharadwaj explains. “I’ve been working on developing Instagram reels for this project in order to provide our audience with definitions of key terms; as well as a summary of each of AllStances’ core arguments.” Attendees from the event expressed various views on the presentation. Tiffany Trieu, second-year political science major, said, “It’s just really nice to see that they’re [research assistants] trying to deal with issues in media and everything that’s kind of creating biases that are making our society more polarized” when commenting their thoughts on the presentation. Pratika Prasad, a second-year majoring in political science, commented, “This is my first time at a public policy event … It is so inspiring to see your own peers go above and beyond your research, working with actual companies to put out non-biased information.” Prasad further said how beneficial it was for her to learn about the different perspectives the research team has. An anonymous attendee shared their concerns regarding what was presented. “I was concerned with, ironically, the bias, and how the information about the company was presented in that it felt like they were trying to sell me a program or a product of some kind rather than explain to me how it works.” Ethan Tallent, a fifth-year majoring in creative writing, commented on how he perceived the ratings AllSides had presented. “When you’re putting Fox News and AP News on equal footing, it seems a little disingenuous to be doing it for the sake of having all sides … certain sides are putting out information in good faith, others are doing it to further an agenda.” ■ H

Student spotlight speaker, Samuel Schroff, speaking at the Creating Common Ground and Breaking Filter Bubbles event.

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

SJP Protest moves downtown STUDENTS GATHER TO PROTEST BASSAM EID’S PRESENCE ON CAMPUS. SENNA OMAR Managing Editor

On Friday, Nov. 18, 2023, the University of California Riverside’s (UCR) chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a rally outside of Hinderaker Hall to protest the presence of Bassam Eid on UCR campus, who SJP has characterized as a “genocide supporter.” Hillel, a club promoting ”Jewish cultural, social, educational and religious organization,” invited Bassam Eid, a Palestinian, human rights activist, to speak at their Shabbat dinner, which was supposed to take place in the Student Success Center at 5:00 p.m. In an Instagram post on Nov. 18, UCR Hillel described Eid as “an insightful speaker with a pragmatic and somewhat optimistic vision for the future of [the] middle east” and that “conversations like the one with Bassem Eid provide an important opportunity for our students to hear a critical perspective.” Linton Freund, who spoke later in the event, characterized Eid as, “...a Palestinian Zionist who was invited by UCR Hillel to speak” and that they were “protesting his presence and his message.” The protest was supposed to begin at 4:30 p.m., but organizers were made aware that the Hillel event was moved off-campus. Organizers discovered the event’s new location was the Riverside Convention Center and around 4:45 p.m.; they announced the change in location to the crowd and proceeded with the rally at Hinderaker Hall. Multiple SJP speakers led the crowd in protest chants and told stories of their loved ones currently living in Gaza. The last person to address the crowd was introduced as, “anti-zionist Jewish solidarity speaker” Linton Freund, a UCR Ph.D. Student. When asked why they were protesting, Freund responded, “I was protesting because I am a Jew that believes in a free Palestine. The Israeli occupation is wrong, we need a ceaseﬁre now.” Freund believes “Palestinian liberation means a single state that gives Palestinians freedom, equity, resources and the control of those resources. Palestinian liberation means allowing Palestinians to return to their homes, without fear. Palestinian liberation means ending the Israeli occupation & upending the systemic racism that harms Palestinians.” Following the remarks to the crowd, organizers announced that since the event had moved, so would the protest, and so at 5:02 p.m. protesters left UCR to head to the Riverside Convention Center. An anonymous protester stated, “The protest that occurred was in response to an organization on campus who was going to bring a speaker, Baseem Eid, who was made multiple false claims and justiﬁes genocide. And as a student at UCR I don’t think speakers like that should be welcomed on campus. However a couple hours before they were supposed to have their event, they moved it off campus. So I would say the protest was successful.” “The event was moved off campus, which I would call a success,” Freund stated. They further elaborated their perspective, “The event did still take place off campus, but I think our presence and message was clear — we do not welcome anyone who supports genocide. I am not only a Jew but I’m a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. My family did not survive a genocide because of who we are for me to be silent as my people enact a genocide against an entire people. Zionism and Israel do not speak for all Jews, and do not care about the safety of Jews let alone anyone. H I know what genocide looks like and I will never be silent in the face of genocide.” ■

IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER

SENNA OMAR / THE HIGHLANDER

6 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

NEWS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/news

New Student Health and Counseling Center opened on Linden St.

HOPES FOR THE NEW STUDENT HEALTH BUILDING ON CAMPUS TO BE A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL STUDENT WELLNESS NEEDS. MATA ELANGOVAN News Editor

On Sept. 22, 2023, the University of California, Riverside (UCR), celebrated the completion of its new Student Health and Counseling Center (SHC). According to an article by InsideUCR, the completed building is 39,450-square-foot and two stories tall. The official website for the new SHC displays a variety of information about the services that they offer, immunization requirements, insurance details, as well as an about us page. Their mission, as stated on the welcome page is to “promote academic excellence, enrich the student experience, and support retention by providing high-quality, accessible, and comprehensive medical care to students with a focus on multidisciplinary services, health education, and prevention.” Denise Woods, the Vice Chancellor for Health, Well-being & Safety expanded more on the planning and construction process for the new SHC, stating that “the building has been in the works since about 2019. I arrived in 2019, and as soon as I got here, we were having conversations about the building, and what we wanted included in the building.” With the new Student Health Center up and running, there are a number of changes to the facilities and services offered that differ from the old building. Woods explains how there are now nine departments operating within the building including: 1. Basic Needs, a program to help with “food and housing insecurity.” 2. Student Health, the “primary care facility” and “primary clinic on campus.” 3. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a “direct one-on-one therapy service for students.” 4. Case Management, a “campus navigator for those experiencing challenges on a variety of issues. [If] they don’t know where to start, [or] they don’t know where to go, they can reach out to a case manager.” 5. Student Disability Resource Center, which “provides students with physical, psychological, and learning accommodations.” 6. The Well, a “health education and promotion department.” 7. Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE), a “department that has programs and resources related

to healthy relationships and also provide[s] support to students who have experienced sexual assault.” 8. University of California Police Department (UCPD), which includes “campus safety and police services.” 9. And the newest department, Student Well-Being Intervention & Follow-Up Team (SWIFT), the “crisis response and intervention team.” Of these departments, there are a few which have locations on campus as well, such as Basic Needs and the Well. Woods explained that “those locations are their permanent locations on main campus, and then here, we have satellite spaces. We’re in the process of trying to identify the best times for the Well to be here and have programming or resources available for students related to health education and promotion … We want to use this building as a one stop shop for students... “We’re trying to figure out the best ways to provide resources for a slew of challenges that students face, and we’re trying to make it as accessible as possible. A lot of our departments are already doing really great work, but if the students don’t know about it, or they don’t know how to access the services, then that is something we want to try to address in an efficient way and really in a more holistic way.” These were values that were taken into consideration when the size and location of the building were determined, according to Woods. “We knew that it had to grow beyond just providing primary care services and counseling services, because health care, holistic health care and well-being has evolved from 40 years ago. We wanted to address issues on a wide range for our students… They [should not] feel like they have to run all over campus to get what they need. And so that was kind of the vision for this place. “It’s a place where you can come [and] it’s peaceful. We have the views of the mountains, very beautiful views. The colors [inside] are calming, we tried to make it so that it’s very welcoming when you come in. We have several spaces where students can just hang out or study or meet up with other classmates. We have [an] outdoor space where they can sit too.” In terms of insurance, Woods states that any student can come to the SHC and have access to the services

provided, but that there is a difference in cost depending on whether a student has UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UCSHIP) or not. CAPS is a service that any student has access to and can get an appointment for whether they have the school insurance or not. And that “similarly, for [the SHC’s] satellite spaces, for the Well, for Basic Needs, for Case Management, for SWIFT, that’s available to all students.” Students who do not know about which service to go to upon arrival at the SHC have a few different ways to identify which resource would best suit them. The front desk has staff on hand to help answer questions and direct students to the appropriate location. Various student peers are stationed throughout the building to assist students that come in and also help answer their questions. If a student wants to schedule a checkup, consultation, or appointment, Woods suggests that students go to their website and then click on the patient portal, which is accessible for all students, and then go there to make an appointment. Woods expands stating that “the online portal is available 24/7… They can go online and book an appointment at any time.” The hours for the SHC are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the last appointment being at 4:15 p.m. In the case that a student has an emergency and is unable to make it at that time, Woods explains that “we do have a 24/7 nurse line so they can talk to someone there. The nurse can triage and recommend that they go to urgent care right away or to emergency services nearby. Or they may say if it’s not urgent that we open up tomorrow at eight and suggest you go first thing in the morning.” For the future, there are plans on expanding services that are offered as well as extending hours. Woods states that “ We’re also talking about potentially having some hours on the weekends because we’ve heard from students that it’s hard to get here before five o’clock if they’re working on campus or [if] they’re a grad student. And so we’re trying to first address some of those concerns and see how we can rectify that before we bring in others.” ■ H

MATA ELANGOVAN / THE HIGHLANDER

Opinions

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL

Ableism is one of the hallmarks of higher education, and UC Riverside is no exception AFTER SEVERE STAFFING SHORTAGES AT VARIOUS UC CAMPUSES CAME TO LIGHT, IT’S CLEAR THAT GREATER RECOGNITION AND ACTION HAVE LONG SINCE BEEN REQUIRED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF DISABLED STUDENTS. The Highlander editorials reflect the majority view of the Highlander Editorial Board. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Associated Students of UCR or the University of California system.

This past spring, University of California students voiced their concerns about the UC system’s shortcomings related to disability services. The UC Student Association has put out statements showing the need to spend exponentially more on university disability services as students face unreasonable wait times and their accommodations go unmet. At UC Riverside, the problem expands beyond the capabilities of the Student Disability Resource Center as ableism has permeated everything from the university’s architecture and housing to classroom accommodations. In the UC system, there is a widespread staff shortage at student disability resource centers. This can’t be blamed on the SDRC staff as they, like specialists at many higher education institutions, try to meet a growing amount of accommodations without the funding they need to do it. At UCR, the disabled st udent-to -specialist ratio is higher than in any other recorded UC, with a ratio of 600 students to 1 specialist. UCR, like most other UCs, runs on the quarter system, which puts students in 10-week courses and severely limits the time frame to get accommodations approved. With this quick period of time, in addition to the lack of staffing, there is an unreasonable demand put on SDRC employees. UCR’s physical campus also fails to meet the needs of disabled students. When it comes to older buildings on campus, accessibility is a joke. Accessing lecture halls and classrooms should not be the hassle that it is, and students who need to use those entrances should not have to take a roundabout route simply to attend class. Accessible entrances should be the standard, and there needs to be serious and widespread revamping in order to accommodate this. UCR Housing also offers limited options for accessibility needs. While the dormitory living communities, including Lothian, Dundee, Aberdeen-Inverness and Pentland Hills, have accessible

entrances and elevators, the other oncampus housing options fail to meet the same standard. On-campus apartment options for disabled students are extremely limited to a blatantly unfair degree. Bannockburn, Plaza, Falkirk and Oban living communities all contain stairs and unleveled pavement, making it impossible to house disabled students. The Glen Mor Housing community is the only non-third-party housing community offering accessible apartments on campus. Unfortunately, of the three most disabilityaccessible buildings in Glen Mor, the first floors of those buildings are allocated to

honors and transfer students. Students who need disability-friendly living spaces are also often housed in old Glen Mor, the portion of the apartment complexes that can only be accessed through a series of hills and windy roads. As UC schools grapple with the need to meet mental health and disability accommodations, there are questions as to why certain elements of online education that were prioritized during the height of the pandemic have not been incorporated into current curricula. COVID-19 demanded the introduction of an online learning

model that became a hybrid learning plan, one that gave disabled students flexibility with their needs. While the return of inperson learning was something to be celebrated, it meant universities went back to ignoring the problems faced by students in need of accommodations. Approximately one in eight American college students have a disability. A huge portion of colleges, and post-pandemic students and universities are seeing an uptick in the number of students who need accommodations, academic or otherwise, and it is stretching staff and students thin. The developments made with online learning during the spread of COVID-19 need to be made available to the students who need them. Closed captioning for lectures, being able to watch recorded lectures and not having to traipse all over campus should be the norm. Universities have the tools to do better for their campus communities, and they are deliberately choosing not to. The UC system is also creating campuses where targeted populations are made to feel as though they do not belong. The UC’s own 2020 Undergraduate Experience Survey found a shocking disparity between disabled and able students. While 86% of students without a disability found that they felt they belonged on their UC campus, only 74% of disabled students could say the same. It is the responsibility of universities to ensure their campuses facilitate equity and inclusion, and this survey clearly indicates that they haven’t. The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 demand that universities create an environment that offers equal opportunities to all of its students, regardless of whether they are disabled or not. It is not just the moral responsibility of higher education institutions to do so; it is a legal one. This is the obligation of universities, or it would be plainly inaccurate to call themselves an educational institution. ■ H

IMAGE VIA IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

OPINIONS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions

For the good of everyone, stop experimenting on Thanksgiving YSABEL NAKASONE Opinions Editor

As families try to spice up their Thanksgiving meals, this is a reminder to stick to what you know. Thanksgiving is days away, and as people head home for the holidays, they’ll ﬁnd themselves in the kitchen cooking a family meal. Thanksgiving meals are a pretty set menu with turkey, stufﬁng, mashed potatoes and other staples. To some, this may be repetitive and boring. However, there are ways to have unique dishes without experimenting and going off the rails, cutting out the only actually valid part of the Thanksgiving holiday: eating. For many people, Thanksgiving is an excuse to take off work, spend time with family

and eat more than what might be socially acceptable. One would hope that no one is celebrating the theft of land and the genocide of indigenous people. The only thing that really makes this holiday enjoyable, tolerable and worthy of a spot on the calendar is the food. Every family has their own traditions and includes their own special staples. Sticking to tradition does not have to mean eating turkey and mashed potatoes. People simply shouldn’t try to do kitschy and trendy things on Thanksgiving primarily because the people you spend Thanksgiving with are close enough not to lie to you when you accidentally put beef in a traditional English triﬂe. The one Thanksgiving that so and so tried to do a taco bar and didn’t have pumpkin pie for dessert will be brought up

until the end of time at every family gathering. This is not to say that people shouldn’t include dishes that aren’t technically Thanksgiving dishes; they just shouldn’t be testing out new recipes for the ﬁrst time. Bringing family favorites or cultural dishes is a great way to add variety without forcing everyone to eat something gross. Asking family members to contribute to the dinner in a potluck style can be especially risky, but suggesting dishes that one knows the host can cook or has cooked for others before can minimize the chance of sending home leftovers that everyone will throw away secretly. As a rule, no one should ever test out a new dish, even if it is a classic, during the holidays. Someone who has never been responsible for cooking the turkey shouldn’t be the one doing it on Thanksgiving. While

there’s no hard and fast rule about what foods should be eaten at any holiday celebration, everyone should do their loved ones a favor by not giving them food poisoning. Thanksgiving should be when everyone ﬁnds common ground with their loved ones, though it’s far more normal for family feuds to pop up or political arguments. While not much can be done about that, people can at least eat good food while screaming at each other. ■ H

IMAGES COURTESY OF FREEPIK

Tipping is just the tip of the iceberg SPANDANA JANAPATI Contributing Writer

The demand for higher tips at every business increases the pressure placed on consumers to bridge the minimum wage gap for service industry workers. The state of tipping in the United States has become a recent issue, with many customers complaining about higher demands to tip. According to new data from the Pew Research Center, 72% of consumers oppose the added service fees tacked on by businesses, which are being used to substitute higher labor costs. Dubbed “tipflation,” this phenomenon ultimately increases the pressures on consumers to pay greater gratuity for smaller exchanges while ignoring the adverse effects of tipped wages on minority groups. One of the most common methods businesses, especially food venues, have used to receive greater gratuity is digital tipping requests. Digital tipping in places like coffee shops puts consumers in a challenging situation, as their tipping decisions are visible to the cashier and other customers. Leaving a tip for every purchase and service can create financial debt, regardless of how small or large, good or bad. Research conducted by PYMNTS found that two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, which is expected to worsen. The lingering effects of inflation in a post-COVID economy are still present, with the Federal Reserve concluding that American household debt has increased by $2.7 trillion from 2019 to 2022. Outside of the United States, tipping is not even close to being a significant factor of consideration for consumers. In Japan, leaving a tip can offend locals and be seen

as awkward, if not worthy of ridicule. For countries in Scandinavia, such as Denmark, leaving a tip in a restaurant is equated to rounding up the bill; a larger percentage of gratuity is only expected and given to above and beyond service. In the United States, however, tipping is being used to fill the gap in livable salaries for minimum-wage workers. The federal tipped minimum wage in the U.S. has been $2.13 since 1991, even though the federal minimum wage without tip and consumer activity has risen 70.6% and 90.24%. With the present stagnation of tipped minimum wage, workers within the food or service industry depend on tip earnings as a supplemental source of income. Just because the adverse effects of tipping are not obvious to the average consumer doesn’t mean they don’t exist. According to gender economist Katica Roy, women of color face significantly harder challenges at the hands of the tipped minimum wage. Black women working tipped jobs have experienced a significantly higher poverty rate of 27.5% compared to states that do not follow the federal wage of $2.13. Outside of discrimination toward people of color, women specifically face higher risks of sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of their employers while working jobs where they earn tips. Considering that almost 40% of the service industry is made up of Black, Latino, or Asian male and female workers,

the unchanging tipped minimum wage cannot be seen as equitable. Despite workers receiving generous tips for their service, minimum wage violations ultimately result in a reduction of their earnings. An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor found that 84% of restaurants had violated at least one minimum wage law, leading to the loss of $15 billion in worker’s wages. Even if customers were to provide tips for exchange, there is no guarantee that the worker is actually reaping these beneﬁts. Such worker rights violations are unsurprising as the United States has fostered an antagonistic relationship between laborers and employers. At the state level, California is already quite progressive in accommodating this disparity by requiring its employers to pay the full state minimum wage without tips, making California a One Fair Wage state. Whilst this is one of the few steps that need to be taken to improve employee-employer relationships, it is intended to remove the pressure of unnecessary tipping and not leave workers dependent on an unreliable form of income. However, we see the opposite effect today because of the structural injustices within service industries. Ultimately, generous tips should be given for generous service. And while restaurants can request gratuity from their customers, perhaps it should be done in a way that doesn’t cause stress at the sight of an iPad

being turned around. The public demand for a decrease in tipping is a manifestation of deep-rooted transparency issues within the working industry and is, at the end of the day, a call to give workers more stability H than tips can. ■

COURTESY OF FREEPIK

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

Alternative medicine needs more publicity SONALI WHITTLE Staff Writer

THE MEDIA HAS MADE US BELIEVE WESTERN MEDICINE IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE HEALTH GOALS, WHEN THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Western medicine can be understood as the traditional health care that is received in the U.S. Whether a visit to urgent care due to a fever or a yearly wellness check, almost everyone in the U.S. has come in contact with Western medicine. The techniques are based on empirical scientific work, and thus, there is a major emphasis placed on Western medicine as the golden standard of care. Although Western medicine helps many, there should be alternative healthcare methods such as holistic, herbal and complementary medicine instead of letting people think that they do not have options beyond traditional Western treatments. The basis of Western medicine is rooted in scientific evidence. American society greatly values science and often uses it to justify what is considered right. One major category of Western medicine includes pharmaceuticals. A significant downside of using prescription drugs to treat medical issues is that the body relies on human-made drugs and can develop a dependency on them. The effect these kinds of drugs have on organs in the body can be detrimental if abused. Over the past decade, “abuse of several categories of prescription drugs has increased markedly in the U.S.”

Western medicine is creating more health problems, such as addiction and drug abuse. The issue is a vicious cycle for patients as they risk becoming addicted to the drug helping them. This is where alternative medicine can play a part in bettering peoples’ lives.

Alternative medicine emphasizes personal responsibility, which can facilitate adherence. Using these unconventional methods in conjunction with Western medicine or by itself can decrease patients’ symptoms and further negate the risks that come with solely relying on prescribed drugs or other harmful substances. Those practicing unconventional medicine are often not bound by scientific objectivity, allowing alternative medicine to be more optimistic and positive than Western medicine. These characteristics set alternative medicine apart from other methods of healing patients by enhancing the placebo effect and putting more belief and power in the capabilities of the human body.

An example of the success of alternative medicine is the concept of biofeedback, a type of mind-body therapy. A biofeedback specialist tries to teach you to control involuntary movements like brain activity, blood pressure, muscle tension and heart rate. Research on alternative healthcare indicates that, “Biofeedback has been shown to be helpful in treating medical conditions including asthma, Raynaud’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, incontinence, headaches, cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, epilepsy, etc.” Another alternative method is the use of herbal

medicines that can be used to treat various problems, from fatigue to immune system dysfunctions and more. Herbal medicines possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which can protect against infections and be applied to cancer and antidiabetic therapy. In addition to the health risks of Western medicine, affordability is another issue. The United States has one of the

most expensive healthcare systems in the world. Healthcare has become more of a business than a means to help people with their health, making it more unreliable. This economic structure that Western medicine follows and capitalizes on is not built to benefit the patient. The prescribed drugs and medications given to people are purchased through this system and used for profit with little regard to the negative effects, such as addiction or internal damage. Big Pharma companies are the ones profiting as health is treated like a commodity. David Badcott, an honorary research fellow working in the pharmaceutical industry, says, “Big Pharma companies seek to maximize sales of a product through advertising and employing representatives who visit general medical practitioners and hospital doctors and pharmacists.” Advertising through doctors and other health professionals is unacceptable and makes people pawns of the healthcare system. Expanding alternative medicine awareness through the media and healthcare workers is vital. Patients should be educated on all options H available, including alternative medicine. ■

Employees are being cut out of the equation ALISON WHITESIDE Contributing Writer

SLOW PROGRESS INDICATES A DYING LABOR MOVEMENT THAT CAN’T GET THE FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK OFF THE GROUND.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, another company’s trial run of the four-day workweek was reported to be successful. Advanced RV, a motorhome manufacturer, participated in a six-month trial led by 4-Day Week Global. The idea of a fourday workweek is not new but has gained more traction since the pandemic, which changed the way people view how work is structured. The organization, 4 Day Week Global, has led 33 companies in trials thus far. The concept is simple; work hours are reduced while pay remains unchanged. Of those 33 companies, 27 participated in a final survey about the study, with all 27 participants reporting that they were not planning to discontinue. It is important not to forget that because businesses require their workers to run, employees IMAGES COURTESY OF FREEPIK

have and should be able to exercise control over their work week, especially if productivity isn’t taking a hit. Given the four-day week’s success thus far, it would seem to be the next big task on various unions’ agenda. However, any whisperings of efforts have, for the most part, stagnated. Much of the rhetoric around the four-day week frames the choice as something that rests on employers. A recent Financial Post headline reads: “Your boss may not be able to resist the 4-day workweek for much longer.” While evidence may be adding up in favor of a four-day work week, there still isn’t incentive or pressure for employers to be proactive. Workers would need to organize and use their collective power to make this plan a reality. The labor movement in America dates back to the late 1800s, with the push for more leisure time being a consistent demand. In the 1880s, most workers labored 60-hour weeks. By 1920, the average worker had a 48-hour week. Between this time and 1950, workers switched from six days to five days a week, with the average worker totaling a 40-hour week. Labor unions were key in implementing more reasonable work hours. Aside from more leisure time, there are many ways that unions have played a large part in creating the improved work

environment of today. Employer-based healthcare and the end of child labor represent workplace progress thanks to unions. This raises the question of what is holding up the implementation of a four-day workweek. In 1983, 20.1% of wage-salary workers were in unions. Now, only 10.1% are in unions. While globalization and new technologies are often cited for lower numbers, other Western countries have not seen the same dip in US involvement. Many economists point to many forces in the US, such as right-to-work laws, less enforcement of

labor laws and great efforts on the end of corporations to prevent unionization. Companies spend $433 million annually on union avoidance law firms. Whatever the reasons may be, the fact remains that Americans are losing their class consciousness. Time is required to assess how useful old forms of worker organization can be in the modern age. However, no newer, more effective organization can come to be if the idea of fighting for a better quality of life is not even on the public’s H mind.■

FEATURES 10 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

Diverging paths emerge… Every sign is finding itself on oppositional paths. Ysabel Nakasone, Opinions Editor

Aries (March 21 - April 19) Three of Swords The Three of Swords is a card rife with heartbreak and grief. This week is going to be one of emotional hardship, Aries. I can’t promise any blue skies or silver linings other than the reminder that this pain is temporary. You should be aware that the hateful words being aimed at you are absolutely baseless and are only the result of projection. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Six of Cups Reversed You’re taking adulthood too seriously, Cancer. You’re refusing to give in to things for the sheer joy of them. You think growing up means being boring. By doing this, you’re going to lose friends and create a horrible reputation for yourself.

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) Seven of Swords You’re in the midst of planning something absolutely devious, Libra. Your careful decisions are going to pay off and allow you to get away with your scheme. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and someone is going to pay for this.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Justice You have royally messed up. You have done something you knew to be wrong and you’ve been caught red-handed. These are the consequences of your actions and while you feel tricked, this was a decision you made on your own. You made bad choices you didn’t need to make and were not forced to make. The only way out now is to accept responsibility.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Two of Swords You’re avoiding an important decision, Taurus. This choice is near impossible, but you won’t be able to put it off much longer. Either you make the decision, or someone else will make it for you. If you choose to hide, you will carry regrets for far longer than a week.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) Ten of Cups Reversed Your relationships are struggling and you feel disconnected from the people most important to you. You’re ﬁnding that the people around you are showing behaviors and values that you cannot support. The decisions they are making are not just questionable, they are dangerous.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Emperor Reversed Someone in your life is trying to control you. They want you to follow a speciﬁc path and are manipulating you into following it. They won’t give you an inch and you need to ﬁnd a way around it before you’re truly trapped.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Seven of Wands You’re playing the long game. Short-term rewards are not in the cards for you this week, but you’ve made a commitment to this path and will continue to follow it. This week you will choose to focus on perseverance, and you will prioritize the protection of your secret goals.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22) High Priestess You see yourself as silly. You don’t take yourself seriously, but you expect everyone else to. Everyone will continue to question you and doubt you because you will continue to fail to have faith in yourself.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Four of Pentacles Reversed You have been making poor ﬁnancial decisions lately and the bills have come due – literally. You got greedy and were thoughtless. This may not have been your intention, but that is exactly the problem. You’re running out of time to get it together, Sagittarius.

Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) Queen of Cups Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Four of Wands This week is about returning to the places and people that feel like home. You will be going somewhere that you hold in high regard and comfort. After weeks of stress and pressure, you will ﬁnally be allowed to take a moment for yourself. Despite your worries, you will make it through this journey unscathed.

You need to trust your intuition, Pisces. You have a feeling about something, despite all evidence to the contrary. You need to trust yourself. Despite this, don’t think with wariness, go forward with compassion despite all the drawbacks. This is the beginning of something great. ■H

11 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

FEATURES

Trivia Night at The Barn:

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

A Competition of Academia and Amusements ROUND UP YOUR BEST TEAMMATES FOR A NIGHT OF FRIENDLY FIRE.

NATALIE DAHL Features Editor

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of attending Trivia Night, which was hosted by The Barn. From the start to the finish, the evening was a delightful blend of delicious drinks, engaging questions and lots of laughter with friends. Run through the company Pub Trivia Nerds, and hosted by comedian Ace Guillen, these Trivia Nights have been every Tuesday night since Oct. 17 and will continue to run until Dec. 12. The game began at 5:30 p.m., but my posse and I arrived at 5:00 p.m. to secure our seats because we were a larger group. The event was hosted at The Barn Stable, the conference room more elevated than the regular Barn food court. Servers come to your table with menus; it’s one of the few places on campus that serves alcohol and it isn’t too loud or crowded like The Barn sometimes is. At first my group and I were nervous that there weren’t going to be enough people to compete against, but as 5:30 p.m. approached, the crowd quickly started filling in and three-fourths of the tables were filled. The room was mainly students, some undergrad and some graduate, with the special addition of a family of five sitting perched near a front table. Through banter with the host, it was revealed that the family members are the reigning champions and I assume they have been going to this trivia night or others for a long time. Spoiler alert: they won bragging rights again this night, along with the grand prize of a $50 Starbucks gift card. Luckily, two new student teams were also able to win the second and third place prizes. The competition was composed of seven rounds.The trivia categories were diverse, ranging from pop culture and history to

science and geography. I appreciated this as it ensured that everyone had a chance to shine, regardless of their area of expertise. The questions themselves were thoughtfully crafted, striking a perfect balance between challenging and entertaining. Though none of my group had been to a trivia night before, we were not stumped by every question — nor did we immediately get every one! The host managed to keep the pace engaging, preventing any lulls that can sometimes occur in trivia events. The incorporation of multimedia elements, including a picture round, added an extra layer of excitement and kept participants on their toes. Something I particularly appreciated was how welcoming the space was. Even though my group were newcomers, there was a place for us at the table. The event attracted a diverse crowd of trivia enthusiasts, creating an inclusive and friendly environment. Whether your group was seasoned trivia pros or first-timers, the teams huddled together in the exact same way, exchanging laughs and brainstorming answers, creating a sense of community that added immeasurable value to the overall experience. Overall, the night was one of entertainment and intellect. It’s the perfect outing for groups of friends, colleagues, or anyone looking for a night of lighthearted fun and mental stimulation. I can’t wait to return next week with the same group and try our luck out on the night’s Thanksgiving-themed “bird” questions, and get in the holiday spirit while doing so! ■ H

NATALIE DAHL / THE HIGHLANDER

Ten hours in Orbach

A FOUL SELF-INFLICTED CHALLENGE IN UCR’S PREMIER SCIENCE LIBRARY.

ZACHARY HANSON Contributing Writer

Extended stays in libraries have never been an activity to which I am particularly inclined to — stuffy, dimly lit, sonically displeasing, these places of communal study are typically places I avoid. It was with this predisposition that I decided to take on the assignment of enduring ten hours in UCR’s Orbach Science Library. What I sought in this endeavor was a place to immerse myself in my work and completely focus on my studies. Instead I found madness and anxiety within the claustrophobic walls and shelves and nooks of Orbach which I should have fled from immediately upon my arrival.

Arrival — 8:12 a.m. — Zero hours elapsed Despite my aversion, I have remained optimistic upon my beginning of this unrighteous journey, headstrong in the face of my discomforts. Walking through Orbach’s automatic doors, I was prepared to face this collegiate demon of mine. Upon a quick survey, I came across adequate seating on the third floor of the library near a large window, which came to be a beacon of hope in this long expedition. Determined and ambitious, the soul of this journey is alive and well in these early, fleeting moments of my extended stay.

Spiral — 10:31 a.m. — Two hours elapsed Already these beige walls and clinical white lights have begun to pull the life and energy from my being. My breath is being stolen from my lungs by the thick air that inhabits this strange unworldly zone. I want to focus on my essay. I want to go to Homecoming Odyssey tonight, but alas, I have eight hours left to go. My laptop’s artificial display darkens my vision as I focus ever more into its precious reprieve from these dull surroundings. This location is truly beckoning dark and maddening energies into my deteriorating soul.

Sloth — 12:07 p.m. — Four hours elapsed As high-strung stress fizzles into numbing defocus, my surroundings seems to simplify. The sounds around me have become quieter, the walls and lights less unnatural and the chair less uncomfortable; but this escape is not peace. Rather, my soul writhes unbearably, unable to force my fingers upon this accursed keyboard. I am unable to hear my consciousness speak, a deafening silence in my head. A morbid energy spills from these shelves around me, emptying the thoughts of my mind. My writer’s block is amplified by some dark, malevolent force.

Repetition Compulsion — 2:21 p.m. — Six hours elapsed Throat dry, hands shaky, head spinning: I feel as if I am glued to the reel of a slot machine, bound to the hapless, impulsive will of a gambler pulling the lever. Incognito apparitions appear within the tunnels of my eyes as I gaze into this evil box of a screen which I write this very text on. Sitting in this library, my ambitions of a well-conducted study melt away before my eyes, inducing an inescapable nausea which serves to intellectually disable me. I want to leave this place, escape this pedagogical penitentiary which has so far bound me from efficient work.

Equilibrium — 4:03 p.m. — Eight hours elapsed From numbness to a sort of mental equilibrium, this library has proven to be a valuable location of study. I have come to a runner’s high of sorts, a clear rhythm developing as the clockless inescapable walls of my esteemed institution surround me; this academic casino has brought me homeostasis, a perfect prosaic flow state. I have become unaware and uncaring of my surroundings, only focused on the pursuits for which I came. The outside world has left my mind.

Expiration — 5:44 p.m. — Ten hours elapsed With only fifteen minutes left until my journey ends, I am left to reflect upon my experiences in this foul study. Although I eventually found focus here, I will never return to this library to study alone; this place has drained the life from me. As I write this, I feel no motivation any longer. Even thinking seems too high a task at this moment. No matter how loud I play techno music in my headphones, my will to keep writing and thinking steadily declines. I will say goodbye to Orbach, never to return — a doomed affair over in only ten hours. ■ H IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER

12 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

What is the Highlander Ys ab

I’m thankful for my 529 accounts. And shoutout to my grandparents and parents. I miss you all a lot, but I’m so grateful for all that you’ve done to get me here!

r, managin a g Om E

r to di

Vo, Radar E n di a d to en

I’m thankful for a scooter not hitting me when I walk on campus.

r ito Ed

f ie

asone, Opin k a i

, Editor ovel -in J a -C d h en

I am thankful for the Highlander, it is nice to have a place on campus to call home.

I’m thankful for my room temperature butter container; the accessibility to readily applicable butter is paramount to my need to breathe.

s, Business

Em il

Cec i

itor Ed I am grateful for Taylor Swift’s “folklore” and “evermore” albums at the moment because that is all I listen to when I study or read.

u an

er ag

sistant O s A pin , ll io

I am thankful for all the walking trails near my house because going on a walk always makes me feel better.

■H

FEATURES

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

Staff thankful for? by: the Highlander Staff

I’m thankful for the collection of water bottles I have on my nightstand. They’ve kept me so hydrated in the middle of the night!

hM a

er ag

Aed a

a, Product r io ra n r e F

OR IT

nag

itor Ed

I’m thankful for the gym. Initially, I thought I was lifting the weights, but then I realized that the weights were lifting me.

I am thankful for my local Chinese food chain, Golden Chopsticks! Y’all have been providing amazing food for me and my family for decades now and it is my favorite local restaurant here in Eastvale! Sweet and Sour Pork with Orange Chicken … Oh my …

Lizbet

LOPEZ, VIDE R O DE

s o rt

ssistant Bus A , i

Kim be rl

I’m thankful for my cat Queso because he’s the best boy ever. He gives the best cuddles on earth and stays up late with me when I have work to do. Queso, if you’re reading this, I love you!

I’m thankful for Pedro Pascal because *chef’s kiss*

DI T

, Assistant c e R j

Y LE

KE L

NZO, PHOTO A M E

AB G

A GALVAN, AD L E RE RI

I am thankful for the community I have found and made here at UCR.

■H

Radar 14 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

RADAR

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

Homecoming Odyssey 2023’s performers shook the ground UCR’s annual EDM concert’s loud electronic beats had the crowd jumping with their hands in the air. KIMBERLY BEJEC Assistant Radar Editor

Homecoming Odyssey is UCR’s annual EDM (electronic dance music) concert featuring live performances, a laser show, attractions and food trucks. Presented by ASPB, Odyssey is a major event for students to come to and enjoy. Located at Lot 19, the event allowed students to celebrate their Highlander Pride. Although Odyssey is known to be one of the campus’s smaller concerts, the event was electric and filled with many positives. In the weeks leading up to the event, ASPB’s marketing team utilized lightning bolts and punk rock lettering, highlighting the electric vibe of EDM. The white and purple electricity stands out with the black lettering and gray background – strong aesthetic designs. Although the lineup announcement did not grab much attention, it still had promises that manifested with the performances. Homecoming Odyssey had brought plenty of hype that overshadowed the small crowd and lack of attractions Hours before start time, students typically start to line up to get in early and get the free merchandise that comes with these events such as hoodies, shirts and hats. For Homecoming Odyssey, which started at 6:00 p.m., students started lining up at 2:00 p.m. and the line stretched far back as the start time approached. Once the doors officially opened at 6:10 p.m. students ran straight to the merch booth to snag themselves a hoodie or trucker hat. Both free merch options were modeled in a lookbook for students to see on an ASPB’s Instagram post. This got students excited and eager to get their hands on one of the promo items. As a result of this first-come, first-served deal, students did not want to miss the opportunity to get these items. The line situation is a major issue that ASPB continues to deal with because of the overwhelming number of students who cut lines or wait hours simply to get in. For the first people in line hours before the event, they watched as select students were able to cut into the line and go unnoticed by ASPB members covering the event. Understandably, since this event was smaller, there weren’t as many security guards watching the line compared to Block Party. However, this still frustrates students who had this experience as the line got wider and more congested with people who did not appropriately wait. As suggested by a student in line, “I think they should implement a ticket system to prove they were actually in line and didn’t cut later on when security isn’t looking. I feel like this would be more fair to those who waited in line.” Once students got into the event, they were able to enjoy themselves with free promotional items from select sponsorships such as Amazon Prime Student, Adobe Stock and Rockstar. Additionally, thanks to donations, students could help themselves to free Bundt cakes, cookies and donuts. As always with the ASPB live concerts, there was an array of food trucks. These included Burning Buns, with their variety of hamburgers; The Sweet Stop, with mouth-watering desserts; El Ojo de Aqua, whose scent had people craving tacos; and The Tropic Truck, with its Cali-Carribean food. Each food truck had students glancing their way and tempted to buy from its menus. Compared to past Homecoming Odyssey events, the attractions felt lacking this particular year. Last year, there were more attractions such as the Ferris wheel, a caricature artist, Ballistic swings and Euro bungee. However, all these attractions were missing this year, and instead only kept the 360 photo booth, and the regular photo booth along with adding the LED horns for decorations.

JOSEPH RODARTE / THE HIGHLANDER

Opening Homecoming Odyssey was OsamaSon, who built the crowd’s hype and energy for the rest of the event. Despite the low energy and lack of crowd due to people still filing in and enjoying other features of the event, OsamaSon kept a high energy that continued to build as his set went on. Although his set was more rap than EDM, he still managed to get the crowd jumping. The artist sang “Trenches,” “Lil O,” “Cts-v” and “Werkin” among many other songs of his. As OsamaSon jumped from one side of the stage to the other and rapped toward the crowd, he got the audience moving, even going so far as to call them out for their lack of energy to get them jumping. FrostTop had a strong opening that gathered the crowd toward the stage and got them excited for what was to come. FrostTop’s DJ set was exactly what EDM fans were looking for when attending this event. In addition to performing his songs such as “Gemini” and “Vega,” he also played other popular EDM songs such as “dontstopme!” by ISOxo and “Dashstar* (VIP)” by Knock2. Also, he mixed in remixed songs such as “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert, “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada and “Day ‘N’ Night (nightmare)” by Kid Cudi. Throughout his set, he included plenty of build-ups that made it worth the beat drops of heavy thumps and earth-shattering electronic sounds. Between FrostTop and Juelz’s set, UCR’s Pipe Band came out to celebrate Scotty’s 69th birthday. Introduced by the women’s basketball team, the Pipe Band played their bagpipes for the crowd in honor of Scotty. After they played, Scotty the Bear and Norm the Navel came out along with a few ASPB representatives throwing shirts to the crowd to get the crowd hyped again for Juelz’s set. Juelz’s set ended the event with a bang as it continued the hyped vibes for the crowd and never had a dull moment. Continuing with the EDM elements, Juelz starts his set with his song, “High Octane” and continues to remix a variety of other songs such as “In Your Head” by G Jones & RL Grime, “SkeeYee” by Sexxy Red, “MONTERO” by Lil Nas X and “Plain Jane” by A$AP Ferg. By including these famous songs, the DJ got the crowd jumping and singing along to the songs. Typical of a rave, the crowd was jumping around with their hands in the air and even headbanging toward the beat. Juelz even called out to the crowd, “Hey where my UC Ravers at? Make some f*cking noise,” to which the crowd went crazy. As his set went on, some people started to crowd surf and mosh, to which even Scotty the Bear joined in with the students. Following the event, students had plenty of positive things to say about Homecoming Odyssey. When asked about her thoughts on Odyssey, third-year Vanessa Sosa said “I think lowkey a big upgrade from last year. It was more lively [and] overall it was really good.” Additionally, graduate student Jericho shared his thoughts that “the energy of the crowd was really good especially when Juelz came out. … FrostTop was really good too, he played a lot of music that would hype the crowd up.” Homecoming Odyssey was a huge success for ASPB as the energy of the crowd remained electric throughout the event. Additionally, the performances catered to that energy and ensured that the crowd was having a good time vibing and head-banging to their EDM sets. ■ H

JOSEPH RODARTE / THE HIGHLANDER

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

RADAR

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

A ranking of the best ‘Friends’ Thanksgiving episodes

Watch all the iconic ‘Friends’ Thanksgiving episodes to celebrate Friendsgiving! NOLA PERIFEL Contributing Writer

“Friends” is a popular TV show and what makes it more iconic are its famous Thanksgiving episodes. Here is a ranking of the ten fan-favorite Thanksgiving specials, along with one of their famous one-liners! 10. “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” – Season 7, Episode 8 Phoebe sneaks a dog into the apartment, leading to Chandler getting nervous before falsely declaring that he is allergic. Meanwhile, Rachel tries to get together with her assistant, Tag, while Ross tries to name the 50 U.S. states for a game. This episode presents Rachel’s desperate advances towards her assistant Tag, leading to one of Joey Tribianni’s most iconic lines. “[about Rachel’s assistant, Tag] If he doesn’t like you, then this is all just a moo point.” Joey Tribianni 9. “The One With The List” – Season 2, Episode 8 After kissing Rachel, Ross makes a list with Joey and Chandler to decide whether or not to pursue a relationship with Rachel or to stay with his current girlfriend, Julie. After fi nding the list, Rachel is hurt and decides that she cannot continue her relationship with Ross. This episode introduces the possibility of Ross and Rachel’s long-awaited relationship and the tension builds up because of the lengthy letter keeps viewers on their toes. “Oh, I know, this must be so hard. ‘Oh no, two women love me. They’re both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet’s too small for my fi fties and my diamond shoes are too tight’!” Chandler Bing 8. “The One Where The Underdog Gets Away” – Season 1, Episode 9 For the fi rst time, Monica cooks Thanksgiving dinner for the gang and accommodates the dinner to each of her friends’ preference — but they end up getting locked out of the apartment while the turkey is cooking. The dinner ends up ruined, but the group are able to enjoy Thanksgiving nonetheless. Although this episode is the fi rst Thanksgiving, it marks the beginning of the traditional Thanksgiving episodes seen throughout the series. “Ew…Ugly Naked Guy’s taking his turkey out of the oven!” Phoebe Buffay 7. “The One With The Late Thanksgiving” – Season 10, Episode 8 After some convincing, the friends get Monica to host and cook Thanksgiving dinner but fail to arrive on time as they set different priorities, resulting in Monica and Chandler locking them out. The episode, however, ends with a lovely ending after Monica hears happy news from the adoption agency. Loved by viewers, this fi nal Thanksgiving episode introduces parenthood in Monica and Chandler’s lives as it marks the growth of the group and the beginning of the new lives they embark on. “Don’t put words in people’s mouths. You put turkey in people’s mouths.” Joey Tribianni 6. “The One With Chandler In A Box” – Season 4, Episode 8 After falling in love and kissing Joey’s girlfriend, Chandler lies down in a box as he begs for Joey’s forgiveness during Thanksgiving. In the B-plot, Monica gets ice in her eye and goes to the eye doctor who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend Richard’s son, whom she invites to the Thanksgiving dinner. This episode is loved by many fans because of the situation in which Chandler fi nds himself to prove his loyalty to his friendship with Joey. “Fine, judge all you want, but married a lesbian, left a guy standing at the altar, fell in love with a gay ice dancer, threw a girl’s wooden leg in a fire, lives in a box.” Monica Geller

5. “The One With The Football” – Season 3, Episode 9 The friends decide to play a game of football on Thanksgiving day, delaying the dinner they had planned. This episode raises sibling competition between Ross and Monica when both fight to win the game. This episode speaks greatly to watchers because of this theme of sibling rivalry to which many can relate to. “Are we playing football or what? Come on you hairy-backed Marys!” Monica Geller 4. “The One With Rachel’s Other Sister” – Season 9, Episode 8 Rachel’s self-centered and insensitive other sister, Amy Green (Christina Applegate), shows up at the gang’s Thanksgiving dinner and begins to ruin everyone’s mood by making unfiltered comments, turning the friends against each other. Amy builds tension within the storyline and creates depth in the character development of Chandler Bing as he proves to the audience his newfound capability of becoming a father. “Aw, isn’t that sweet? Rachel, she has your original nose.” Amy Green 3. “The One With The Rumor” – Season 8, Episode 9 This episode features Brad Pitt as a guest actor playing Will Colbert, a high school friend of Monica and Ross. This episode, like all episodes from this TV show, was very comedy-filled after Rachel fi nds out about Will and Ross’ “I Hate Rachel” club. Rachel, a character used to popularity and admiration, is shocked to fi nd out about embarrassing rumors concerning her. The comedic dialogue creates a hilarious dynamic between characters and makes this episode one the funniest in the series. “Look at her holding those yams. Those are our two worst enemies, Ross, Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates.” Will Colbert 2. “The One With All The Thanksgivings” – Season 5, Episode 8 In this episode, each friend tells a story of their worst Thanksgiving dinner. It is an episode filled with drama and love and ends with a bittersweet ending. It is a fan favorite because it shows the friends’ lives before the show started giving more depth to the characters. “More turkey, Mr. Chandler?” Houseboy 1. “The One Where Ross Got High” – Season 6, Episode 9 This episode is filled with comedy, laughter and confessions. Monica and Ross’ parents come to visit the gang for Thanksgiving dinner but Monica and Chandler have to hide their relationship from them as they seem to hate him. The dinner escalates after the friends (especially the Gellers) all confess some secrets of theirs. In the 30 seconds of these confessions, the audience enjoys sibling betrayal and misplaced comments to fill this episode with laughter. “That’s a lot of information to get in thirty seconds…” Judy Geller ■ H

COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS

16 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

RADAR

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

Music recommendations for this fall STELA NOELLE ABASTA Contributing Writer

Get into your fall feels with some folky faves from various artists! With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, you’re likely to change the music you listen to accordingly. The change in season must perfectly reflect what’s playing through your headphones to fully immerse yourself as you walk, bike or scooter past the golds and reds of the trees on campus. However, it may be difficult perusing through your playlists trying to fi nd the song that perfectly fits your fall vibe after all the warm weather as of late. Well, what better genre to listen to than folk? Look no further for here are some autumnal folk music recommendations to put on your rotation this season!

“Stick Season” by Noah Kahan

“Stick season” is a term used by Vermonters to describe a miserable time of year when it’s gray and cold. There’s no snow yet and the beauty of the foliage is gone. In a Genius interview, Kahan expresses, “It’s a time of year that’s very specific to where I grew up, and … I was concerned that I might alienate people … but it was cool to see it connect with people and if people have their own meanings of what ‘stick season’ might mean to them or what their hometowns mean to them.” This sentimental song speaks of the idea of having someone you love grow farther away from you both physically and emotionally, eventually forgetting about you. As the days become shorter and the nights grow longer, one can’t help but feel more melancholic this season with Kahan’s depressing lyrics and lamenting tones reflecting that. This track is completely acoustic as it begins with fi ngerpicking before going into layered strumming, which builds on the autumn vibe.

“Lake Missoula” by Richy Mitch & Th e Coal Miners

Inspired by a lake in Montana, this song uses its notable features as a metaphor for the singer’s feelings. According to Genius, the singer contemplates “the negative aspects of his personality being eroded in the same way that the land of Lake Missoula National Park was eroded.” Although it’s

folk, this song does have an indie-leaning style. This acoustic track is made greater by soothing harmonization, emphasizing the reﬂective lyrics. Although short, this song provokes so much raw emotion within the listener that one can’t help but reminisce on youthful times. This track concludes with the lyric, “Lake Missoula, I’m letting you out,” with the singer ready to burst out of his depressive and prideful state. And isn’t that the meaning of fall in its simplicity — to shed your leaves and begin anew?

“Shrike” by Hozier

Let the dulcet notes of Hozier wash over you like waves with this Irish folk-inspired number from the singer’s second album. Known for his popular tracks “Take Me to Church” from 2014 and “Would That I” from the relatively recent “Oh, how I love being a woman” audio on TikTok, Hozier knows how to make folk music and do it well. The shrike is a songbird, which Hozier compares himself to in the song. In an interview with Apple Music, Hozier recounts, “I was fascinated with the imagery of this bird — the shrike — and the relationship it has with the thornbush, which it lives in and relies upon for everything.” This song evokes the feelings of love and reliance Hozier describes as being portrayed by the titular bird and its providing thorn. Genius tells the story of this track as being “about a relationship that has been lost, and the frustration and sadness that comes with the regret of not appreciating what was had and when he had it.” The slight reverb throughout the track makes it feel especially dreamy. The percussion highlights the picks of the guitar strings, mixing beautifully with the singer’s melodic falsettos and belts. Hozier’s Irish accent is prominent in this particular song, giving the track a little something extra for your ears to catch on. Although this song is about anger and frustration, it will invoke feelings of calm and thoughts of the autumn breeze caressing your cheek H before slithering like a snake through wisps of grass.■

COURTESY OF MERCURY: REPUBLIC RECORDS

COURTESY OF RUBYWORK RECORDS

KELLEY MANZO / THE HIGHLANDER

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar

RADAR

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

UCR’s ‘Airness’ pulls its audiences into the crazy world of air guitar

‘Airness’ is a spectacle that shows everything you need to rock is already within you.

Brendan Vo, Radar Editor The world of air guitar was electrically showcased in “Airness,” a UCR play that features its main character, Nina (Emily Luong), traversing through this unfamiliar world after a nasty breakup with her fiance. As she makes friends and learns more about the fantastical landscape of air guitar, Nina goes through a series of tribulations that challenge her to grow as both an air guitarist and person. When it turns out that her former flame is the reigning air guitar champion, the line between revenge and happiness blurs as Nina takes on the persona of “The Nina” and is determined to take the crown. The Nina is surrounded by a stellar supporting cast in the form of her creative and well-studied air guitar coach “Shreddy Eddy” (Kenny Lopez-Elwell); the heart-onsleeve comedic “Facebender” (Jonathan Hatsios); the good-vibes charming “Golden Thunder” (Derrian Benoit Nash); the angsty technical-god of air guitar “Cannibal Queen” (Rachel Millar); and fiery antagonist and past lover “D-vicious” (George Shen). Each character was played with full commitment, enhancing the distinctness of each character’s personality. Whether it be the edginess of Cannibal Queen or Facebender’s hilarious antics, “Airness” was no short of personality in terms of the supporting characters. The last supporting character, the announcer (Li Devigal), is instrumental in drawing the audience into the world of “Airness,” as they set the stage by announcing the rounds of the competition and bringing characters to the fold. Most of the immersion stems from the announcer’s performance and UCR students were able to find themselves as audience members of both the play and its fictional universe. The Nina and D-vicious do unfortunately feel as though they do not get to shine as much as the play’s main protagonist and antagonist, due to their stories often being sidelined to explore supporting characters. The standout from the cast is indubitably Facebender, insofar as it felt like he was the heart of the show. His character served as a fun facet to bounce multiple kinds of jokes off of along with his lovable heart-on-sleeve personality. Hatsios nails the character with every line, capturing the humorous and emotional component of the play. The UCR performance of “Airness” can only be described as extraordinarily intimate, thrusting its audience into this fantastical rock world. The announcer rouses the crowd up for each of the character’s solo acts and proves themselves as an incredible instrument of immersion for the audience. Subsequently, the stage presence of every actor, supplemented by directional lighting, is enhanced as they cross the boundaries of the stage onto the stairs between the audience’s seats, further sucking watchers into the play’s fictional universe. Additionally, watchers were encouraged to cheer and boo at any time, replicating the feeling of live concerts. Furthermore, the set, despite never changing to any large extent, served incredibly well as both a concert venue for rockstar performances and a hangout spot for the cast. Much credit has to be given to the direction of lighting, as the ambiance can change at the drop of the hat from the warm, carefree and casual bar hangout with friends to an isolating spotlight shining on its sole air guitarist, ready to rock our world. Every member of the show steals the spotlight of the entire play at some point with their solo performances. With each character sporting their distinct style of air guitar, “Airness” treats its audience to each character’s style of air guitar, which also further highlights the characters’ personality. “Airness” has so much heart and care put into it. The play was a love letter to those who follow their passions, showing that you can find your people, no matter what. With its intimate set, wonderful characters and electric air guitar performances, “AirH ness” brought the premium air guitar experience to all that set foot into the theater. ■

G NOVYTSKYI / THE HIGHLANDER

Verdict: “Airness” is a heart-felt love letter for people that follow their passions. With themes of friendship, confidence and determination, the UCR rendition of the air guitar play leaves its audiences with an electric performance.

NASSIR WARD / THE HIGHLANDER

The play reading of ‘MC’ exposes the inner monsters of media with a contemporary portrayal of a ghost ship narrative

‘MC’ challenges the way we take in information in its energetic portrayal of how news travels.

Brendan Vo, Radar Editor Amidst the modern media landscape, the world never stays silent. Streams of information, often tailored to each person, violently flow into our lives through everyday mediums of communication such as X (formerly known as Twitter), news sites, podcasts and the like. There has never been more of a need than now to understand the implications of the vast world of media, especially considering its growing prevalence and trend of dramatization. In that sense, the stories told through public media tend to become polarized and divided. Extreme speculation is commonplace and nuance is thrown into the wind. Written and directed by Aedan Ferrara, “MC” deconstructs the contemporary media landscape through its adaptation of legal documents about the ghost ship Mary Celeste. With its discovery in 1872, the ship drew much mystery, despite its seaworthy and almost untouched state as the crew and a lifeboat went missing from the property. The subsequent mystique of the ship caught much attention from the eyes of many and, with its popularity, the information and reporting on the incident became misrepresented of what occurred. As the discourse surrounding the tale of Mary Celeste depicts how the case was ohandled, “MC” wittingly indicts the savage and tribal nature of modern communication by traversing through the vessel of the court hearings of Mary Celeste. The play exposes how dramatization displaces the truth insofar as the captain who found the abandoned ship, Captain More, is constantly scrutinized and prosecuted for the possibility that he murdered Mary Celeste’s crew to claim the sea vessel for profit. The juxtaposition of an old tale renditioned in a modern era gives the play a sense of primitive, tribal humanity, likened to their animal predecessor. At the expense of More, this can be seen multiple times such as when accusations against the Captain fly from Flood, the loud and defiant prosecuting attorney, and when More’s family faces public animosity in the form of vandalization of their house property. The mystique of the ship serves as an agitator, stirring media into becoming the primal caveman weapon to create false narratives. The line between human and animal is blurred as the play reading meticulously utilizes this theme in compelling fashion. These falsehoods also appear in another recurring motif: the Kraken. In the mystique of Mary Celeste, the public’s conjuring of a mythical beast as the root cause of the disappearance of its crew further indicts the public of barbarity, similar to the novel “Lord of the Flies.” The constant mentioning of the Kraken is incredibly humorous and allegorically telling of the extremes of public opinion and its tendencies to create monsters out of the mundane.

The electric pacing of the play reading lends itself to an energetic atmosphere akin to the frenzy of the modern news flow. The actors are constantly scribbling notes with feverish quickness, exemplifying a sort of anxiety imbued upon the play’s narrative. Silence is seldom and actors move from point to point in lightning fashion. In its hurried and rapid reading, “MC” explores the human instinct to “be in the know,” highlighting the eager nature to always join in the conversation somehow. The ending of “MC” is bittersweet. When it all feels over, it is explicitly stated that the case was never for Captain More, but for the story that would be told. Likening journalists and commentators to vultures, the violent nature of media fed off of the animosity directed toward the Captain as More was a puppet and his story was spun for those hungering for entertainment. This was made more clear as journalists would flock to More for any information they could grab onto, even if it was not relevant to the case like his religious ideology or stance in the LGBTQIA+ community. “MC” was an incredible commentary on the human condition within a world where vast amounts of knowledge travel at lightning speed. It is an awakening experience that, through showing the victims of the lies, encourages us to find the truth: the fact H that reality is often mundane and monsters are made from those seeking a story.■

COURTESY OF THOMAS MERCADO

Verdict: “MC” tackles the voracious and predatory landscape of contemporary media through the narrative of the ghost ship Mary Celeste impressively.

18 TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

SPORTS

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/sports

UC Riverside dispatched by UNC at Chapel Hill 77-52 KIANOOSH NOOSHI Assistant Sports Editor

The Highlanders were held to just 30 percent shooting from the field by a ranked and talented Tar Heel team. The UC Riverside Highlanders men’s basketball team traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to face the UNC Tar Heels this past Friday. This is part of their preseason schedule which sees them play four Power Five teams on the road as they prepare for the Big West regular season. Coming into the game the Highlanders were 1-2 with their win coming in their home opener versus UC Merced. The Highlanders only had white jerseys on hand as they dealt with “supply chain issues” with their new manufacturer, Nike, resulting in UNC wearing light blue jerseys at home for the fi rst time since they played Duke in 2020. In the early stages of the game, UC Riverside found themselves in a deadlocked battle with the nationally-ranked Tar Heels, standing at 4-4 when the fi rst media break hit. It was Ben Griscti who momentarily propelled the Highlanders ahead with a well-timed triple, fi nishing the fi rst half as the team’s leading scorer with nine points. UCR did their best in the fi rst half stifling the Tar Heels on the offensive glass, limiting them to just five offensive rebounds. Additionally, the Highlanders clamped down defensively, holding North Carolina to a mere 18 percent shooting from beyond the arc. This was especially impressive given the Tar Heels’ level of talent and late surge saw them blanking the Tar Heels in their fi nal seven attempts while converting 7 of their last 12 field goal attempts. This surge allowed the Highlanders to head into halftime with a sense of momentum despite being down 11.

Out of the break, UNC scored the fi rst 19 points of the second half but the Highlanders continued to demonstrate resilience midway through the second half, initiating an 8-0 run that saw consecutive three-pointers from Griscti and Barrington Hargress. Despite these flashes of brilliance, the North Carolina squad proved too formidable to overcome. They ultimately secured the victory behind 21 points and seven rebounds from Armando Bacot. Noteworthy performances for the Highlanders included Griscti and Hargress, who both reached double digits in scoring with 14 and 10 points, respectively. The duo combined for 9 of 25 from the field, showcasing their offensive contribution against a tough Tar Heel defense. Wil Tattersall also showcased an impressive performance, coming within one point and three rebounds of achieving his fi rst career double-double. Tattersall’s tenacity on both ends of the floor did not go unnoticed, contributing to the Highlanders’ efforts in Chapel Hill. The Highlanders now look to continue their preseason with a game at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Tuesday, Nov. 21. They are still yet to face Power Five schools UCLA and Washington State before the end of the preseason as well. They’ve done well in the face of adversity given the loss of many of their star players in the past offseason and hope to come together as a more cohesive unit going into the Big West regular season H which begins in one month. ■

COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS

UC Riverside falls short against Boise State 55-63 HANSEL CHU Sports Editor

Fourth quarter collapse led to the Highlanders losing this game. The UC Riverside women’s basketball team lost to Boise State, 55-63, in Boise, Idaho. Going into this ball game, the Highlanders had to face some tough opponents in Southern Methodist University and UCLA. UCR looked to get their fi rst win of the season against a Broncos team that was 2-0 to start their season. The offense clicked in the fi rst quarter as back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Jordan Webster and sophomore guard Makayla Jackson put UC Riverside up 8-2 early in the game. The defense was stifling early on led by redshirt senior forward Matehya Bryant, who had two steals and a block in the fi rst quarter alone. Both teams continued to go back and forth in the fi rst quarter, which was capped off by a 3-pointer from senior guard Julia Stenberg. Boise State came down the other end with a 3-pointer of their own to bring the score to 15-13 at the end of the fi rst. The Broncos took their fi rst lead of the game early in the second quarter as guard Natalie Pasco knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give Boise State a 19-17 lead. For the Highlanders, Bryant started to carry the load offensively as she scored eight straight points to keep UCR in the game. It started with a hook shot to tie the game up at 19. After getting a block on the defensive end, Bryant sank in a jumper to give UC Riverside a 22-19 lead. A couple of possessions later, Bryant fi nished another layup to maintain a three-point lead for the Highlanders. Boise State was able to take control of the lead down the stretch of the quarter but sophomore guard Zoe Tillery answered with a 3-pointer to give UCR the lead right back. With 36 seconds left until halftime, Jackson was able to get a steal and fi nished a layup to give UC Riverside a 30-28 lead at the half. The Highlanders came out aggressive to start the second half as Webster knocked down a 3-pointer and a layup to give UCR a 37-30 lead. Bryant continued her stellar defensive game by recording another steal and block to open up the third quarter. With 6:18 on the clock, Bryant stole the ball once again and fi nished the transition layup to

push the score to 39-32. However, UC Riverside seemed to become stale near the end of the quarter as they started to turn the ball over and couldn’t make baskets. After holding a six-point lead with 3:14 left in the quarter, the Broncos started to make a run to narrow the lead. Boise State was able to get to the free-throw line, which started to slow the game down and the Broncos started to catch a rhythm offensively. With under a minute left in the third quarter, guard Mary Kay Naro sunk in a jumper plus the foul to close the deficit to within two, 42-40, entering the fourth quarter. It was all Boise State in the fourth quarter as they carried their momentum from the last quarter to fi nish the game strong. A 3-pointer from guard Mya Hansen gave the Broncos the lead once again, 42-43. After a steal, Naro was able to fi nish a layup to give Boise State a three-point lead. The Highlanders responded with buckets of their own but the suffocating defense they once had seemed to have broken down. Down by five with 2:25 left in the game, fifth-year guard RyAnne Walters turned the ball over, in which Pasco knocked down a huge 3-pointer to extend the Boise State lead to eight, 47-55, with under two minutes to go. UC Riverside was unable to respond on the other end and with under one minute to go, Pasco put the game away with another 3-pointer to push the lead into the double digits. With time running out, Boise State was able to secure the win 6355 over UC Riverside. Webster led the way for the Highlanders with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Bryant had an all-around game with 14 points, nine rebounds, six blocks and five steals. UC Riverside drops down to 0-3 to start the season and will face Utah State at home H on Wed, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m. ■

THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/sports

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOV 21, 2023

Sporty Spice: Top 10 sports romance books for when your boyfriend’s not enough Romance books that mention sports. YSABEL NAKASONE Opinions Editor Sports romance literature represents a huge portion of the romance genre, so much so that there has been controversy about how fantasy bleeds into reality. After Seattle Kraken player Alex Wennenberg became the target of a content creator on Booktok, the tag given to book content on TikTok, the situation prompts a warning as to the fictional nature of these books. Wennenberg should have been protected by his team instead of allowing his discomfort to be commercialized for public relations. More importantly, the graphic language that was aimed at him publicly should never have been said. Being a public figure does not mean one’s body and personal life are up for grabs. While reading this list, please remember that these books and characters are fictional and meant for personal entertainment, whereas real-life athletes are people who should not be subjected to this treatment. Recognize the difference. With that in mind, please enjoy the creme de la creme of sports romance responsibly…

10. “The Perfect First” by Maya Hughes This cute opposites-attract romance is a great introduction to the sports romance world. As college football star Reece Michaels helps the quintessential nerdy girl Persephone Alexander get the “real” college experience after a very embarrassing online ad puts Persephone up on the chopping block. Not too scandalous for new readers, but still just spicy enough!

9. “Breakaway Hearts” by Nikki Lawson This is for lovers of a spicy friends-tolovers book. There’s no slow burn here as two best friends pretend to date in order to make our male hero’s terribly annoying ex-girlfriend jealous. These two quickly start feeling the heat, just don’t read it in public if you’ve got an expressive face.

8. “Home Game” by Odette Stone Ryan Parker meets Zoey Petrik as she’s down on her luck, offering her a place to stay and much needed friendship. This is a slow burn done right with lots of tension and emotional build up. These two start off with an antagonistic dynamic as Zoey quickly becomes the most important person in Ryan’s life, much to the chagrin of his new assistant and much to a reader’s delight.

7. “Body Check” by Maria Luis “Body Check” is a second chance romance about a divorced couple, Jackson and Holly, as they are forced to work together again after some slight manipulation on our male hero’s part. This is a book made for a little crying as these two work through what caused their divorce and ﬁ nd what will bring them back together.

6. “Throttled” by Lauren Asher Noah Slade and Maya Alatorre start off as a pair that burns too bright and too fast. At ﬁ rst, Noah can’t deal with all of his emotional baggage while at the same time falling into a friends with beneﬁts situation. Despite the fact that they’re obviously made for each other, Noah is a self-sabotaging pain to readers. This brother’s best friend romance is full of angst and smirk-worthy moments.

5. “Boyfriend Bargain” by Isla Madden-Mills This fake dating story starts off with total ‘Mastermind’ energy as Sugar Ryan drags college football star Zach Morgan into helping her achieve her law school plans. The pair almost immediately fall into something real with nothing fake about it. Unfortunately, Sugar is in for the surprise of her life when she discovers why Zach is really drawn to her…

4. “The Enforcer” by Avery Keelan “The Enforcer” is a second-chance college romance. After a heated breakup their freshman year, Nash and Violet have avoided each other religiously. Nash because he lives with the guilt of pushing away the one that got away, and Violet because he crushed her heart almost thoughtlessly. After her senior internship forces her to work with Nash, Violet is right back to falling for the one guy she shouldn’t.

2. “Blind Side” by Kandi Steiner This spicy fake dating romance starts off as Clay Johnson just got dumped by his high school sweetheart and cheerleader. In order to help him save face and make Giana’s crush jealous, Giana Jones pretends to be his girlfriend. Clay is the perfect protective and emotionally unavailable man, because ladies, you really can change him.

3. “Right Man, Right Time” by Meghan Quinn Meghan Quinn hits all the tropes with this fake-dating, age gap romance jam-packed full of jealousy, drama and open-door spice. After having a run in with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, her workplace nemesis, Ollie tells a lie to save face and claims she has a fake boyfriend. Coincidentally, the man she randomly chooses is Silas Taters: Canadian hockey legend.

1. “Coach” by Devney Perry This one hits too hard and it is not for those of you who are here for ﬂuff or cutesy moments. This is a gut-wrenching second chance romance with a single dad that has you in pain from the prologue. After missing their chance in college due to an ex’s unplanned pregnancy, Ford and Millie serendipitously start working for the same football team. Let’s just say that the desk scene is why the workplace romance genre exists. ■ H

Be thankful.

Do you have an interest in writing, photography, design or marketing? The Highlander can help you polish your skills. Come to our weekly meetings every Monday at 5:15 p.m. in HUB 101 to learn more.

HIGHLANDER

IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER