The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Tuesday, December 5, 2023
VOL. 72, ISSUE 10
OPINIONS
IT’S SHOWTIME! THE PETTY DEBATE BETWEEN BLUE-STATE GOV. NEWSOM AND REDSTATE GOV. RON DESANTIS REPRESENTS A CONCERNING DIRECTION FOR AMERICAN POLITICS.
Newsom and DeSantis debate: bring your hair product of choice CECILE DIROLL Assistant Opinions Editor
Shouting matches, arrogant smirks, namecalling and lots of hair products characterized the Nov. 30 political debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Broadcast on Fox News, the event billed as the “The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate” was set up like a presidential contest. However, this was no ordinary debate as the two governors, one running a presidential campaign and the other a “shadow” campaign, represent two of the nation’s largest and most influential states. Covering topics from abortion to homelessness, book bans, immigration and the growing trend of California residents moving to Florida, the governors took every opportunity to jab at each other’s political records. By the end, no love was lost between the governors, nor was there a winner. The spectacle was a grim reminder of politicians’ meaningless political posturing and political egos. From the start, the debate was produced as political entertainment, conceived from Gov.
Newsom’s “bromance” with conservative Fox News anchor Sean Hannity. Quickly accepting the challenge, the California governor posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day.” Indeed, he did bring his Pat Riley hair. Yet, Newsom needed more than his hair gel for this debate. He wanted a national stage to set up his future presidential campaign. The governor has denied he’s running in the 2024 Presidential Election multiple times, going so far as to say during the debate, “... one thing [DeSantis and I] have in common is neither of us will be the nominee of our party in 2024.” While this may be true for Newsom, the California governor is playing the long game, and this showy debate, along with the China-US Summit meeting in San Francisco, is just another step in his strategy to gain broader attention. His methods seem to work to some
NEWS
est. 1954
AFTER A ONE-WEEK CEASEFIRE, VIOLENCE HAS RESUMED IN GAZA..
Israel-Hamas humanitarian pause ends SENNA OMAR Managing Editor
Following a seven-day humanitarian pause, which began on Nov.24 between Israel and Hamas, bombing re-ensued in the Gaza Strip and parts of Israel. According to an Al Jazeera article, the truce was initially supposed to be four days and was extended twice before ending on Friday, Dec. 1. Under the terms of the truce, humanitarian aid was allowed to enter Gaza, fighting was paused, and hostage and prisoner exchanges took place between the two sides. According to CBS News, Israel said it is expanding its ground offense to every part of Gaza, vowing that operations there would carry “no less strength” than their operations in the North. Reuters reported that Deputy Hamas Chief Salah Al-Arouri stated on Saturday that prisoner exchanges will not
resume until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Since Oct. 7, according to the Associated Press (AP), following Israel’s bombardment and ground campaign, over three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced into the South of Gaza and are currently in a humanitarian crisis. According to UN News, United Nations (UN) human rights chief Volker Türk stated, “as a result of Israel’s conduct of hostilities and its orders for people to leave the north and parts of the south, hundreds of thousands are being confined into ever smaller areas in southern Gaza without proper sanitation, access to sufficient food, water and health supplies, even as bombs rain down around them … there is no safe place in Gaza.” the actual complexities of human relationships. There is no issue ► SEE CEASEFIRE PAGE 4
► SEE DEBATE PAGE 7
COURTESY OF RONALD DEL CID
@thehighlanderucr @HighlanderUCR UCRHighlander NEWS 4
OPINIONS 5
FEATURES 8
RADAR 11
SPORTS 16
KUCR 88.3 FM
2 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org
Upcoming Events:
5
Finals Week Stress Relief Orbach and Rivera Libraries
SHS Flu Vaccine CLinic 8 a.m. SHCC Conference Room
ASP Field Trip: Riverside Art Museum 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. ASP Lobby
Holiday Treats - Dessert Making Activity 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. SRC Classroom Kitchen
Surprise Snack Giveaway Orbach and Rivera Libraries
Therapy Fluffies 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orbach and Rivera Libraries
8
Auditions: VIETGONE 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ARTS Studio Theater
UCR Night at Festival of Lights 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown Riverside by UCR ARTS
9
Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart 3 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. SRC Mac Gym Lobby
Tuesday
6
Wednesday
7
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER
10
R’Finals Study Jam with the ARC 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Orbach Library
11
CSES and WRC Safety Walks 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 260 Costo Hall
Sunday
HIGHLANDER STAFF Editor-in-Chief
CONTACT US
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
Photography Editor
Kelley Manzo
photo@highlandernews.org Staff Photographers
Sophie Hall-Schorn shall033@ucr.edu
Asst. Photo Editor Irene Tu ytu021@ucr.edu 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
Asst. Business Manager Lizbeth Martos lmart227@ucr.edu Asst. Marketing
Carlie Servando cserv004@ucr.edu
Distribution Manager
Tomas Alves
talve004@ucr.edu
Highlander 101 Highlander Union Building Riverside, CA 92521 www.highlandernews.org editorinchief@highlandernews.org TIP LINE: (951) 827-2105 Help the Highlander stay on top of what is happening on campus and in the general UCR community. Call this number and leave a message for the Editorial Board with your tip. Be sure to include your full name, relation to UCR, and a number or email address where you can be reached for more details. Editorial Office: (951) 827-3617
Business Office: (951) 827-3457
Classifieds & Billing: (951) 827-5039
Fax: (951) 827-7049
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Highlander accepts letters from the campus community. They must be 600-800 words at length and include the author’s name and contact information. Topics should be UCR-centric and/or pertain to our generation of students. Contact Opinions Editor 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 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.)
Pizza Giveaway with ASPB 2 p.m. Rivera Library
Multimedia THEHIGHLANDERUCR
f THE HIGHLANDER @HIGHLANDERUCR UCRHighlander KUCR 88.3 FM
News
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/news
NEWS
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
3
ASUCR senate meeting number seven UCSA UPDATE AND ELECTIONS TIMELINE. MATA ELANGOVAN News Editor
The seventh Associated Students of UCR (ASUCR) Senate meeting took place on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. All senators were present, excluding Senators Alex Lu and Kevin Nguyen, 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 7:06 p.m. The first item covered on the agenda was approving the previous meeting minutes for Senate Meeting Minutes #6. The meeting minutes were approved 16-0-0. Public Forum began with the External Affairs Department’s head of staff delivering a message on behalf of the Vice President of External Affairs. Here they announced to the UCR community that UCR will no longer be participating in the University of California Student Association (UCSA) due to what they characterized as moments of racial violence at the UC board meeting. They claimed that UC Berkeley External Vice President caused immense harm to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and called for the Associated Students of the University of California, Berkeley’s (ASUCB) Vice President of External Affairs to be removed from UCSA, stating that students leaders should not promote values of anti-blackness and racism, and called out the association as a whole for turning a blind eye to moments of racism and racial violence. While External Affairs will not work with UCSA during this time, they state that their campus coordinators will assist with different needs and priorities on campus in the meantime. Next on the Public Forum was a representative from Hillel, a Jewish student organization. He delivered a statement explaining that the reaction of the UCR administration “and ASUCR to Oct. 7” has made him and fellow Jewish students feel unwelcome in the community.He said that the use of slogans going around, which he claimed called for the destruction of the state of Israel, walkouts, and disruptions to cultural events made many students feel unwelcome coming to school. He said that the alleged intimidation that students are facing is causing harm to the community and that “there is a sentiment that we [Hillel] do not wish to communicate and do not care enough to deescalate.” He claimed that this sentiment is “not true” and that Hillel had reached out to various individuals in ASUCR and that only one senator had responded or tried to help. He ended his statement by saying that ASUCR serves all students, including Jewish students, and should be working to moderate the situation and ensure that misinformation is corrected. At the end of this statement, both Executive Vice President (EVP) Victoria Nguyen and Senator Viraj Ala thanked the representative for coming to the forum and shared their contact information with him so that he could reach out. Last on the Public Forum was Highlander News Editor Mamata Elangovan. She said that as of week nine of the fall quarter, the ASUCR website had not been updated with this quarter’s meeting minutes, and other updates to ASUCR were also unavailable on the website. Elangovan claimed that this lack of information could prove “discouraging” to students interested in ASUCR who cannot attend the meetings in person. Next for the meeting was Ex-Officio Reports, during which the head of staff for the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (VPDEI), representing the VPDEI, asked the Senate to ratify the appointment of Rachel Lu to the vacant position of Ethnic and Gender Liaison. Lu was said to have previous experience with outreach and was
looking forward to reaching out to contacts at Costo Hall. A motion was made to approve the ratification by Senator Anjana Narasimhan and seconded by Senator Rachit Shah and passed 16-0-0. During New Business, ASUCR’s Executive Director delivered a Quarterly Report. During this she explained changes that were to be made for student leader advising and reporting, ASUCR operations, finances, and strategic planning. For a summary: primary authors will be more engaged with ensuring that work on resolutions is followed up on post-approval, changes to the website and minute packet will be made for clarity and organization, and finances will include a budget book to explain to the everyday student how different offices got to the number they decided on for each step and what their student fees go towards, and set a long term strategic plan to better serve students. To read more about each change in depth, access this article online and click on the link on Quarterly Report. Senator Nguyen joined the meeting at 7:58 p.m. Finance delivered two different reports during committee reports. Finance Meeting Minutes #5 were motioned to approve by Senator Narasimhan and seconded by Senator Nguyen and approved 17-0-0. Next, Future Pills Exemption was brought back to the Senate table after being tabled at a prior meeting. In a statement read by EVP Nguyen, the Vice President of Finance (VPF) Brandon Huang responded to concerns raised over the amount of abstentions the exemption received when first passed by the finance committee. VPF Huang explained that “the finance specialist brought up a few things to highlight that made some of the committee members unsure on how to vote,” therefore leading to the abstentions. Senator Haidar asked if VPF Huang stated the specific reasons for which the members abstained, to which EVP Nguyen responded that ASUCR was unable to speak for those individuals. To remind the senators what the exemption was for, Senator Kaden Ho explained that the Future Pills club came to ASUCR asking for an exception on finance, mainly for transportation purposes for an event. It was explained during the meeting that if the Senate tabled the exemption back to finance, nothing could be done, and the exemption would be stuck at the Senate Table, but if it was rejected, it would be sent back to the Finance Committee and the club would have to restart the exemption process. In the end, President Pro Tempore Choy made a motion to reject the exemption which was seconded by Senator Naia Pizzaro, this passed 10-0-7. Next, on committee reports, Elections Director Alexandra Arias delivered the Elections Timeline for 2023-2024. ED Arias explained that the document presented included the timeline for elections. This included the date for filing candidacy, the date for the beginning of campaigns, the date for publishing election announcements and various other things. Some concerns were brought up as to whether or not the proposed six weeks of campaigning is too many weeks, as campaigning is normally only three weeks long. ED Arias explained that there are a lot of events going on during that time that are not just limited to ASUCR elections, such as presidential primaries in California and other states. ED Arias stated that she is planning voter outreach and registration for those elections as well. She continued by stating that the six weeks of campaigning are not required, and candidates can choose when they want to campaign. Another concern that was brought up was the timing for poll sites; places like Glasgow and the Student
Recreation Center were closed at 6:00 p.m. but had more student traffic after that time. ED Arias responded that the people working the poll sites are going to be volunteers and committee members; they do want to keep their schedules in mind, and that online voting will still be available 24/7. A few more questions were asked about the outline of the proposed presidential debates. More concerns were brought up for the length of the campaign regarding finances, campaign fatigue, student fatigue and various other things, to which ED Arias said that everything outlined took into consideration elections from previous years and that her committee set up this plan intentionally not to contribute to voter fatigue but to motivate intentional voting and to hit 25% voter turnout. In the end, after a failed motion to reject the timeline, a motion to approve the timeline was made by Senator Haidar and seconded by Senator Pizarro and passed 9-4-3. Before leaving the podium, ED Arias asked anyone who abstained or voted against the timeline in ASUCR to come to schedule a meeting with her so that they can mediate concerns and remedy anything that they are unhappy with and that if anything comes up in the future that Senate will still have the opportunity to amend the timeline. No one came to the podium during Public Comment. During Senator Reports, Senator Teesha Sreeram reported that as a CHASS and SOB senator, she has attended all her committee meetings, worked out with her Senate intern on various projects, and is beginning to plan the SOB town hall and is scheduling a meeting with the Dean of the SOB to mediate student concerns that were brought up. Senator Nadia Colon reported that as a CHASS senator, she has been part of the Legislative Review Committee (LRC), spoke with the TAPS committee on installing cameras in parking lots to deter theft and has reached out to her senate intern to update him on current projects. Senator Narasimhan reported that the Global Fair planning is still ongoing and that if any Senate members or their interns would like to help, reach out to her. First for Roundtable and Announcements was the October Senator of the Month award, which went to CHASS Senator Rayhan Khan. EVP Nguyen explained that he was selected because he had been appointed Vice Chair of the LRC, hosted the Breast Cancer Awareness Event, authored statements on the Afghanistan earthquake and a statement regarding the passing of the first ASUCR president, and was the secondary author across multiple pieces of legislation. Next, SPP Senator Pizzaro announced that she and the VPEA are hosting an event on Nov. 30 to watch the debate between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Senator Narasimhan announced that BCOE just did their Town Hall and that their Dean was excited to be working with ASUCR going forward and working on resolutions and getting student feedback with them. PPT Choy announced that LRC suggestions were due at the end of the day, Nov. 29 and that LRC meetings will take place the following day. Senator Ala announced that CHASS Town Hall will be held at HUB 221 at 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 5. Senator Ala said the Town Hall would hopefully have the Dean present, various organizations, and Subway. H The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. ■
4 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
NEWS
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/news
Israel-Hamas humanitarian pause ends AFTER A ONE-WEEK CEASEFIRE, VIOLENCE HAS RESUMED IN GAZA. SENNA OMAR Managing Editor
ITER RAN SEA EAN
MED
IMAGE COURTESY OF IRENE TU
SYRIA
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Golan Heights
Following a seven-day humanitarian pause, which in the North,” reported that since Oct.7, at least 198 head to known shelters … Anyone near terrorists or their began on Nov.24 between Israel and Hamas, bombing re- Palestinian medics, 113 UN staff have been killed, and facilities puts their life at risk, and every house used by ensued in the Gaza Strip and parts of Israel. According according to the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate, 70 terrorists will be targeted.” Saturday night and into Sunday to an Al Jazeera article, the truce was initially supposed journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza. (Gaza time), Al Jazeera reported intense bombing in to be four days and was extended twice before ending on Official Israeli sources stated that 75 Israeli soldiers have parts of Khan Younis, Rafah and some areas of Northern Friday, Dec. 1. Under the terms of the truce, humanitarian died in combat during Israeli ground operations in Gaza. Gaza by Israeli air and ground strike teams. Since Israel aid was allowed to enter Gaza, fighting resumed bombing on Friday, according to was paused, and hostage and prisoner the Director General of the Government GAZA STRIP exchanges took place between the two Media Office in Gaza’s comment to Al sides. Jazeera, over 700 Palestinians have been Built-up area According to CBS News, Israel said it killed as of Sunday, December 3. Beit is expanding its ground offense to every People sheltering in Khan Younis, a Lahia Erez Refugee Camp part of Gaza, vowing that operations there district in the south of Gaza previously would carry “no less strength” than their characterized as a safe area, according Crossing Point Jabalia operations in the North. Reuters reported to a Reuters article, on Saturday, Dec. 2, Beit Kilometres Hanoun that Deputy Hamas Chief Salah Alfaced aerial bombardment from Israel. Gaza 4 0 2 8 Arouri stated on Saturday that prisoner In recent weeks, the population of Khan exchanges will not resume until there is a Younis has swelled by several hundreds ceasefire in Gaza. of thousands of people sheltering from the Nahal Oz (closed since 2010) Since Oct. 7, according to the bombardment in Northern Gaza. Some MEDITERRANEAN Karni (closed since 2011) Associated Press (AP), following Israel’s are “camping in tents, others in schools, SEA bombardment and ground campaign, over while some are sleeping in stairwells or three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million people outside the few hospitals operating in the ISRAEL Deir have been displaced into the South of city.” al-Balah Gaza and are currently in a humanitarian In Northern Gaza, The Guardian LEBANON crisis. According to UN News, United reported that Israeli operations in alNations (UN) human rights chief Volker Shifa hospital have continued and that Türk stated, “as a result of Israel’s conduct Israel Defense Force (IDF) troops were of hostilities and its orders for people to still inside the hospital searching “in Kissufim (closed in Aug 2005) leave the north and parts of the south, a discreet, methodical and thorough hundreds of thousands are being confined manner.” IDF officials claim to have West into ever smaller areas in southern Gaza located “intelligence material, military Bank Khan Yunis without proper sanitation, access to technologies and equipment, command sufficient food, water and health supplies, and control centers and communications Abasan even as bombs rain down around them … equipment belonging to Hamas” in the al-Kabera there is no safe place in Gaza.” hospital. Hamas responded to these Rafah According to the United Nations Office allegations, stating that Israel’s claims are for the Coordination of Humanitarian “nothing but a continuation of the lies and ISRAEL Affairs (OCHA), despite the humanitarian cheap propaganda, through which [Israel] Yasser Arafat International Airport pause, on Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m. Gaza time, is trying to give justification for its crime Sufa (inoperable (closed since 2008) JORDAN since Jan 2002) Rafah Israeli troops reportedly opened fire at aimed at destroying the health sector in 105 Palestinians in Northern Gaza, killing Gaza.” Israel claims that the original raid Abu Auda EGYPT EGYPT two people. On Nov. 30, additional on the hospital was due to Hamas having Kerem Shalom shooting incidents resulting in casualties a command center under the hospital and were also reported in Gaza City. Since the tunnels holding hostages, all allegations start of hostilities, the Government Media Hamas has denied.■ H Office (GMO) in Gaza reported that “more than 15,000 According to The Guardian, Israel dropped leaflets Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including about over four towns in Khan Younis, telling civilians in Bani 6,150 children and 4,000 women.” The Gaza Ministry Shuhaila, Khuza’a, Abassan and al-Qarara to evacuate of Health (MoH), which was previously documenting and that anyone in those areas was “putting his life in casualty numbers but has since stopped due to the danger.” The leaflets read, “For your safety, you need “collapse of services and communications at hospitals to evacuate your places of residence immediately and
Opinions
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions
OPINIONS
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
5
THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL
The Riverside County Sheriff’s investigation into voter fraud is a transparent voter intimidation tactic VOTER FRAUD IS A FICTIONAL PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION ON A NATIONAL SCALE THAT SHERIFF CHAD BIANCO IS NOW FACILITATING.
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.
The 2020 Elections were surrounded by controversy after former President Donald Trump made accusations that the election was rigged. This “Big Lie” was an idea perpetuated by certain media outlets and broadcast to an unprecedented degree. It preceded the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that threatened the lives of this nation’s representatives as they worked to certify the election results. Perpetuating the threat of voter fraud is a trend that continues to persist nationally and right here in Riverside. The Riverside County Sheriff, Chad Bianco, had started investigations into voter fraud in the county in a plainly pointless overreach by a local Sheriff’s department. Fox News is responsible for some of the most egregious jou r n a l i s t ic m a lp r a c t ic e in recent memory after asserting that Dominion, a company that supplies v o t i n g machines, w a s responsible f o r widespread voter fraud. As a result of this conspiracy, voting machines in Riverside came under fire, and a petition was circulated calling for their removal. Among the signees was Bianco. These demands are based on a blatantly incorrect assertion that voter fraud is a widespread problem. A comprehensive report by the AP found less than 475 instances of voter fraud nationally. A civil probe grand jury in 2020 found no evidence of election fraud by individuals who ran polling stations and vote counters. To be clear, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and at this point, there is no grounded evidence that suggests the need for an investigation by law enforcement. Fox News paid a nearly $800 million settlement for the defamation case. Recently it was reported that the Riverside County Sheriff’s investigators have been trying to gain access to voter registration records and interviewed election workers as a part of a criminal investigation. To start, this investigation is an abnormality as no other Sheriff’s department in Southern California engages
in this kind of investigation. Experts have said that this investigation is incredibly unprecedented as these investigations are typically done by the DA’s office or the Secretary of State. While public trust in these offices might not be airtight either, they are certainly more equipped to handle the investigation. This has created concerns that their investigation will discourage Riverside residents from voting and working as elections staff. While Sheriff Bianco has claimed that this will make people feel that their votes are “safe and secure,” law enforcement typically fails in that regard. A 2020 Gallup poll found that trust in law enforcement was at an all-time low of 48%.
That number sank again to 45% in 2023. In California, 2020 polling showed that the majority of Californians favored police reform. It’s unclear how an investigation by an increasingly distrusted entity would make anyone feel safe or secure. There are concerns that this could serve as a voter intimidation tactic. Law enforcement investigations represent an aggressive approach that includes the use of guns and tasers. Having paper pushers in the District Attorney’s and Secretary of State’s offices investigate voter fraud fits the crime, while having an organization that regularly uses force, intimidation, violence and coercion to get results is a gross overreach and an abuse of power. Voter fraud is a non-violent crime that does not warrant the type of investigation tactics the Sheriff’s Department offers. It is illegal to order troops or armed forces to a polling place. It is also illegal for officers to interfere in elections through intimidation of voters. That is federal law. Law enforcement officers already need boundaries to keep them from injecting
themselves into the voting process. The government has already seen the need to protect the voting process from law enforcement, and the Riverside Sheriff’s investigation represents a violation of those concerns. Sheriff Bianco’s motivations, especially as a public official who is subject to elections, are muddled. He was a duespaying member of a militia group whose leaders were indicted for charges related to the Jan. 6 Insurrection, and during the most recent election, he defended the group. Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Department does not have the resources, skill or intelligence to carry out an investigation such as this. The concept of the private ballot and privacy is breaking down, too, as the Sheriff’s Department asked for the unredacted voter registration forms and voteby-mail ballot envelopes, which were mostly investigated since many of them were biologically related and had the same name. These forms were investigated and passed onto the DA’s office. The fact that the Sheriff’s investigative team decided to start an indiscriminate investigation that required a breach of privacy based on no tangible evidence is shocking to no one, though it is heinously reprehensible. It might interest the Sheriff’s Department to spend their time and resources investigating actual crimes and trying to solve actual problems. In the last year, there was a 15% increase in the homeless population in Riverside. In a county that is primarily composed of white residents, somehow, ethnic minorities make up almost 70% of the defendants in criminal cases. Maybe the Sheriff’s Department should consider doing their own jobs before trying and failing to do H someone else’s.■
IMAGE COURTESY OF FREEPIK
6
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
OPINIONS
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions
Happy Holidays! Electric bills are ruining lives SONALI WHITTLE Staff Writer
The cost of living with light has become an unreasonable financial burden. As homeowners decorate their houses for the holiday season, Californians may notice an unprecedented spike in their electricity bills. The cost of living is already expensive enough, with mortgages, car payments, monthly groceries and so on. Some major monthly costs can be attributed to the electricity bill. Light and electricity are basic necessities for a survivable living environment. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is a major utilities company in California responsible for electricity. Unfortunately, the company holds too much power over California residents without competitors. Those who are not financially secure and stable enough to pay the increasing electric bills will start to struggle to survive and live comfortably due to these increased rates. PG&E has become a monopoly in California and should not be able to raise its electricity bill prices with no sign of stopping or any way to ensure the cost is fair. PG&E should be held accountable for their electricity costs and increased rates. A solution to this problem is ensuring that policies are dictating a cap on electricity bill prices to prevent PG&E from taking advantage of their power. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is responsible for regulating PG&E, but it appears that their reach doesn’t extend far enough. Angelica Vasquez, a Bay Area resident,
has spoken out about how PG&E has played a part in causing financial burden and turmoil due to their unreasonable and virtually unregulated electricity bills. After PG&E shut off the power in her home, her family was forced to live the day without power, spoil-
increasingly unlivable place to live. PG&E should be taking into consideration the needs of low-income communities. In addition to the more severe and lifethreatening implications of the PG&E monopoly, there will be further consequences.
ing their family’s groceries. Vasquez and her family are only a few of California’s millions who have fallen victim to increasing electric prices. Lower-income households are already struggling to pay their overwhelming bills as is, and increasing the bills on top of already unfair prices makes California an
Simple joys that boost morale and lift spirits, such as putting up Christmas lights, are not affordable with raised electricity costs. With life’s yearly stresses and hardships, this time of the year is needed to spread joy. A big tradition for families celebrating the holiday season is putting up Christmas lights to
brighten their spirits. Raising electricity bill prices is making Christmas lights unaffordable. The Grinch isn’t the only one stealing Christmas. The reasons that PG&E uses to justify its increases are the “safety” and “reliability” of its electric services, which implies that they have been charging customers what were still astronomical prices for unsafe and unreliable electricity. Another reason they wanted to increase prices is to pay for a project to invest in underground electric lines to decrease wildfire risk. Although decreasing the risk of wildfires is important, PG&E is taking advantage of the market with these increased rates. As the leading supplier of utilities in California and a private company, they are left unchecked, able to increase the cost of utilities unfairly and with no accountability. They do not have any incentive to minimize the costs of their projects, which harms California taxpayers. Furthermore, people have no other choice but to comply with price increases. Safe, reliable and wildfire-free electricity should not be an extra feature. It should already be included in PG&E’s electricity services. PG&E is taking advantage of Californians and doing it with virtually no H pushback. There is no excuse. ■
IMAGE COURTESY OF PEXELS
California prison wages increase dramatically YSABEL NAKASONE Opinions Editor
Paying people for their work is not the American Dream. California prisons plan almost to double the exorbitant wages they pay to working prisoners. This after constant whining by progressives about prison labor. There are some objections to forcing bloodthirsty, barbaric criminals to work. This sets a dangerous precedent that may call attention to other totally legit practices like wage theft because that doesn’t even happen. This is America, and the American Dream is built on hard work. These prisoners will never achieve that, but that’s not the
IMAGE COURTESY OF FREEPIK
point, even though it was brought up in the previous sentence. Ben Dover, an unemployed bum living on his parent’s couch, spoke to The Highlander, stating, “This is simply out of the question. Now people will be saying that these criminals and low-lives have the right to vote or something!” Criminals automatically stop being humans when they are arrested; everyone knows that. Government officials are, for once, being reasonable as they fight this pointless and
extravagant wage hike. In an interview, a highly placed anonymous source inside the Sacramento statehouse asked The Highlander, “Is $1 not a living wage?” Raising wages will create an unfair burden on taxpayers when these people don’t need money or anything. It’s not like anyone expects them to leave and make a life for themselves. Clearly, there are better things that California tax dollars could be spent on than malicious and barbaric sub-humans. In a post on X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, user @ jabbathehutt999 stated: “Increasing taxpayer dollars to pay prisoners more for their labor is a waste of money when we could just use it to bomb another country of innocent civilians #bushhaditright.” Those who are crying out that prison labor amounts to modern-day slavery are missing a very important point: slavery is illegal,
and when something is illegal, the U.S. government, which has famously never violated civil rights, would never do it. In a statement by a scholar of U.S. history, Dr. Slai Vary, wildly dramatic assertions by abolitionists were succinctly brought down. Dr. Vary stated, “How is this slavery? We’re just not paying them for doing work we need them to do and wouldn’t make any other human do!” These activists are just starting drama. A vampire who was present during the French Revolution, V. Esclavage, recently spoke at a protest and stated, “I miss it when we could just behead people when they got mouthy.” When speaking with prisoners, they clarified for the press and the public that they were doing just fine. One incarcerated worker stated, “It’s better than an unpaid internship.” ■ H *This is a satirical piece and is not intended to communicate any true or factual information about the writer’s opinion except through humor and/or exaggeration. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental or is intended purely as satire, parody or spoof of such persons and is not intended to communicate any true or factual information about that person.
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/opinions
OPINIONS
Newsom and DeSantis debate: bring your hair product of choice
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
7
CECILE DIROLL Assistant Opinions Editor
IT’S SHOWTIME! THE PETTY DEBATE BETWEEN BLUE-STATE GOV. NEWSOM AND RED-STATE GOV. RON DESANTIS REPRESENTS A CONCERNING DIRECTION FOR AMERICAN POLITICS. Shouting matches, arrogant smirks, name-calling and lots of hair products characterized the Nov. 30 political debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Broadcast on Fox News, the event billed as the “The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate” was set up like a presidential contest. However, this was no ordinary debate as the two governors, one running a presidential campaign and the other a “shadow” campaign, represent two of the nation’s largest and most influential states. Covering topics from abortion to homelessness, book bans, immigration and the growing trend of California residents moving to Florida, the governors took every opportunity to jab at each other’s political records. By the end, no love was lost between the governors, nor was there a winner. The spectacle was a grim reminder of politicians’ meaningless political posturing and political egos. From the start, the debate was produced as political entertainment, conceived from Gov. Newsom’s “bromance” with conservative Fox News anchor Sean Hannity. Quickly accepting the challenge, the California governor posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day.” Indeed, he did bring his Pat Riley hair. Yet, Newsom needed more than his hair gel for this debate. He wanted a national stage to set up his future presidential campaign. The governor has denied he’s running in the 2024 Presidential Election multiple times, going so far as to say during the debate, “...one thing [DeSantis IMAGE COURTESY OF FREEPIK
IRENE TU / THE HIGHLANDER
and I] have in common is neither of us will be the nominee of our party in 2024.” While this may be true for Newsom, the California governor is playing the long game, and this showy debate, along with the China-US Summit meeting in San Francisco, is just another step in his
Conversely, Newsom performed fairly well, considering two conservative Republicans, DeSantis and Hannity, posed questions that placed him on the defensive. Gov. DeSantis, 40 points behind Trump in the 2024 election, had much more riding on the debate as time
strategy to gain broader attention. His methods seem to work to some degree as he has reportedly raised millions of dollars for Biden’s campaign, and approximately five million viewers watched the debate. Nonetheless, Gov. Newsom’s political posturing is hurting him as recent polls reveal that 49% of California voters disapprove of his performance as governor. If he’s genuinely interested in being a viable national candidate in 2028, Newsom should be focused on addressing homelessness, soaring housing prices, gun control issues and growing tensions over Israel and Palestine in California rather than debating DeSantis.
runs out for his campaign. Newsom consistently got under his skin with comments about Florida’s six-week abortion ban, tax system and restrictions on books. DeSantis also managed to raise his profile, but his campaign took a hit when Newsom provocatively claimed, “When are you going to drop out? At least give Nikki Haley a shot to take down Donald Trump as the nominee for the Republican party.” DeSantis’ attacks on California’s liberal and “woke ideology” missed the mark in making progress for his campaign. His “Trump” debate style of provoking, interrupting and name-
calling was unproductive, as viewers did not learn anything new or different about his solutions to policy issues. Even more, it was a missed opportunity to have a serious policy debate against one of the most liberal and democratic governors in the country and gain points in the polls. The highlight of the entire debate was when Gov. DeSantis held up a colorcoded map of San Francisco covered in brown spots representing human feces. Meant to call out the city for its failed homelessness problem, a city Gov. Newsom served as mayor from 2004 to 2011. The poop map was an over-the-top stunt. Neither Gov. Newsom nor Gov. DeSantis offered possible solutions or specific ideas about addressing this issue. Homelessness is a serious problem, and reducing it to a ridiculous map of human feces dehumanizes people experiencing homelessness. Ultimately, this debate was all spectacle, no substance: absolutely unnecessary and useless. The sensationalized and hostile direction in which election campaigns and debates are heading is extremely dangerous. Debates are meant for viewers to learn something new about the candidates’ position on important issues and possible policy solutions—not for politicians to attack each other and boost their political egos. Fox News’ untrustworthy and unbalanced reporting is concerning in an age when political polarization is at its worst, and if this debate is a preview of the tenor of presidential elections to come, it will be a long campaign season. ■ H
Features 8
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
FEATURES
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features
As December begins, everyone’s future hangs in the balance There is no stopping what comes next… Ysabel Nakasone, Opinions Editor
Aries (March 21 - April 19) Empress This week is time to get in touch with more creative energy. You need balance more than ever as you feel completely out of whack. There’s so much pressure and even though you expected it, it’s pulling you down. You’re going to find a new hobby that will help you get back in touch. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Seven of Cups You are making choices based on wishful thinking. You need to be thinking and making decisions based on reality instead of trying to convince yourself that the illusions you’re seeing are real. In this case, being delusional isn’t going to work out for you.
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) Two of Swords You’re avoiding an important decision. Until you do, you’re at an impasse. You have been stopped and there is no shortcut. The longer you try to take the easy way out, the longer the people you care about are forced to play a waiting game and risk what matters to them. You’re trying to protect them, but they have people they need to protect too. Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Seven of Pentacles You are thinking long-term, Capricorn. Careful planning will get you everywhere, even though it requires perseverance. Long-term plans mean no short-term gains. It requires sacrifice, and it’s unclear if you are up for that challenge.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Hanged Man Something in your life is about to come to an unexpected end. It will mean a short lull in your life. You’re going to try and push through, but it’s only going to make things worse and throw everything completely off the rails. You are only making this worse for everyone involved.
Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) Page of Pentacles You are making things happen right now, Leo. You’ve just been presented with a new idea that will further your career. It’s a lot to take on and you’re hesitating. This is an important opportunity and you are letting it slip away right in front of you when it’s entirely within your capabilities.
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Knight of Pentacles You’re being careful this week, Scorpio. Be cautious and don’t give in to the reactivity. What you’re doing now might be repetitive, but it is the right answer. Good things come to those who wait.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Two of Pentacles You’ve got a lot of priorities, Gemini. There’s a lot going on around you and you’ve made a ton of commitments. You’ve given yourself over to a lot of demands and you’re not sure how to make it work. It is something you have to figure out on your own. You’re on your own kid, you always have been. Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22) Eight of Wands Things are changing fast, Virgo. It is for the better. Fate is pushing you forward at high speed and you feel completely out of control. There’s no way around it and you need to accept it. Trying to go against fate is going to hurt you eventually, one way or the other.
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Page of Wands Reversed You’re feeling limited, Sagittarius. It’s literally all in your head and no one else understands why you’re creating your own roadblocks. You are the one saying “no” and “it’s impossible.” No one is standing in your way, you’re just looking for someone to blame.
Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) Queen of Cups Reversed Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Eight of Wands You’re going to be disappointed by someone or something this week. You’re going to try and distance yourself from your normal life as a coping mechanism. You’re feeling abandoned and have decided that the answer is to make other people feel that way too. Because that usually works.
You are really loving yourself this week, Pisces. This new self-confidence is going to be a game-changer for you. However, you have surrounded yourself with people who took advantage of you, and they aren’t going to like that they won’t be able to anymore. ■H
9
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
FEATURES
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features
A Cheesecake to End All Others UNCLE FLUFFY’S IS KEEPING IT LIGHT AND AIRY.
MATA ELANGOVAN, AEDAN FERRARA, AND KELLEY MANZO News Editor, Production Manager, and Photo Editor
After a long day of shopping and movie-watching at Tyler Mall, take a moment to sit back, relax and indulge in some dessert goodness (it’ll balance out the large bucket of popcorn that you demolished after watching “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”). A plethora of restaurants around the area offer food ranging from spicy barbecue, mouth-watering tacos or even a good ol’ burger. But none have the sweetness you desire. Fortunately as you walk around a bit more, you come face to face with Uncle Fluffy’s. Inside, you are met with a very minimalistic room – with its blindingly white walls, you might expect to be reminded of a hospital, but it is much cozier than expected thanks to the well-lit interior and yellow accents. A long table sits in the middle of the room, the perfect place to come study with your friends. And behold! At the press of a button, a charging station pops up on the table! And to top it all off, free Wi-Fi. And now, the moment we all have been waiting for. Three of the most highly accredited food critics from The Highlander Newspaper will provide their comments on three tarts, three drinks, and of course, the original Uncle Fluffy cheesecake.
TARTS
The tarts were a sight to behold, each packaged in a little box embellished with the Uncle Fluffy’s logo. The three tarts, cheese, espresso, and strawberry, all lined up like Neapolitan ice cream, perfectly circular crusts filled with creamy dollops of tart almost too delicious to take a bite. In the bright light, the pink one almost seems to sparkle, though one critic believes that it might just be a little moist and instead have perspiration. Cheese Tart: Through general consensus, we come to the conclusion that the crust is very soft, almost like a butter cookie and not at all a graham cracker consistency like other past tarts we’ve tried. The creamy consistency of the tart is very mild in comparison. There’s a good balance of flavors and depth that make it the dictionary definition of a perfect tart. The overall rating given to this tart was a 4.7/5, as one critic states that they have baked a better tart than this before. Espresso Tart: The espresso flavor in this one is very subtle, not overpowering the rest of the desert. It still manages to have that custard flavor that all the tarts have and is similar to the cheese tart in texture (which we unanimously agree is a good thing). Overall, the espresso tart was a solid 5/5 by all, and perhaps the kick of caffeine is what we needed to continue our reviewing journey onward. Strawberry Tart: The first thing of note is the fact that the strawberry tart is made out of real strawberries! One critic reminisces that it tastes more like strawberry ice cream, while another states it reminds them of licking strawberry cream cheese off of a spoon as a child. A berry special treat that we give a 4.7/5. KELLEY MANZO / THE HIGHLANDER
DRINKS
The drinks lined up one by one held a stark difference from one another. The iced toffee latte looked very much like a regular iced coffee, the peppermint tea was hidden by an opaque cup, and the mango swirl could have easily given someone a headache. It was achingly yellow with whipped cream and a drizzle, one would not be surprised if it tasted like plain sugar. Iced Toffee Latte: The latte did not disappoint; it had a strong, non-bitter coffee flavor with a hint of toffee. We stood in unity in appreciating the fact that the sweetness was more subtle and did not overpower the java at all. The overall rating for this drink was a 4/5, garnering a lower score for various reasons ranging from needing more toffee flavor to plain ol’ personal taste. Peppermint Tea: Warning: This tea was hot! But the perfect treat for a cold winter day or if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. There’s not a lot you can do with peppermint tea, so it’s good for what it is. Unfortunately, one critic just does not like peppermint in general and commented that it smells and tastes like toothpaste. Because the drink was so hot, another critic remarked that they lost some taste buds on their first sip. The overall rating for the tea was a 4/5 because, despite personal preferences, it’s a pretty solid tea. Mango Swirl: Now, this is one very, very sweet drink. It has a bit of a creamy, artificial mango taste to it and could be classified more as a fruity kids’ drink; this could be great for someone who isn’t feeling up for a coffee or tea, but it wasn’t for us. If the sugary treats that are offered aren’t enough dessert for you, then give this a try because it is hands down the sweetest thing that we tasted today! We do have to give it a 3.7/5 because no one really felt like washing down their tart with a drink sweeter than it.
ORIGINAL MR. FLUFFY’S CHEESECAKE
Last but not least, the star of the show…the original Mr. Fluffy’s Cheesecake! Upon opening the box, we were pleased with the sight before us. It was rotund, about two inches tall and looked absolutely delicious. And on the top of the little cheesecake, there was a little imprint of the Uncle Fluffy’s logo. Cheesecake: Once again, Uncle Fluffy’s is bringing the fluff. This one is a Japanese cheesecake, so it’s a lot more souffle-like than a regular custard cheesecake. It’s very airy, not overly sweet and the flavor balance is very good. We could’ve sworn that there is actual custard in the cheesecake, but turns out there is none! It’s just that soft and delectable, so we gave it an overall rating of 5/5. ■ H
KELLEY MANZO / THE HIGHLANDER
10 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
FEATURES
My Riverside Christmas
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/features
GROWING UP WITH THE MISSION INN’S FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS.
ZACHARY HANSON Contributing Writer
Every year, usually the day after Thanksgiving, Riverside comes alive with holiday spirit, its downtown lit up with millions of strung lights and Christmas regalia. From the week after Thanksgiving to about a week after the new year, downtown Riverside becomes one of the largest lighting displays in California with the Mission Inn at the center. Since 1993, this event has brought together the community to celebrate Christmas amidst the city’s most well-known historical site. For many in Riverside, the Festival of Lights lighting ceremony is the start of the Christmas season, a huge holiday party that brings together so many of the city’s families. As a lifetime Riverside resident, I have never known a white Christmas. I have never truly associated a change in weather with the beginning of the holiday season; rather, for as long as I can remember, this Festival of Lights has been the keystone of Christmas in my family’s traditions. Since I was born 21 years ago, despite a move away from Riverside, we have attended this lighting ceremony. It has always provided me with a measure of time, feeling so rare and limited but never failing to come back year after year. When I was a child, I always assumed that a lighting ceremony such as this was typical in every American city. It was not until much later in my childhood, when I began to see the Festival of Lights in national news that I began to understand the exceptional nature of Riverside’s beckoning of Christmas. At a young age, I had only visited downtown for field trips to museums, so seeing this area of the city all lit up was incredible — a place so seemingly old, made new again with the gilding of beautiful, colorful lights. This event has undeniably shaped my timeline of when Christmas should be, all the decor and gifts in stores feel like they have come early until I attend this festival. As I have grown older, this event has grown alongside me, the crowds are so large and overwhelming now in comparison to the few thousand Riverside locals in attendance when
I was young. I have seen the display go from just the block of the hotel itself out to nearly every business on the adjoining blocks. I have seen the fireworks show go from a short, twominute silent showcase to a backtracked ten-minute display (that has, on several occasions, set the Mission Inn’s rooftop ablaze). This year, the ceremony is the largest it has ever been, with over 20,000 in attendance, not an event for just Riverside residents any longer. Now, being an adult student at UCR, my relationship with this ceremony has not changed; this year’s, as every year’s, ceremony was just as dazzling as it was when I was a child. Although now overcrowded and cramped, I still felt the same sense of child-like wonder I had felt for every year before. Maybe it is the scaling number of lights that seems to one-up each previous year or maybe it is just a simple love for Christmas, but nonetheless, this event has remained magical. As I watch various Riverside staples with which I grew up close their doors (The Riverside Museum, the old Riverside public library), I often wonder if children now feel the same way I did when I was their age, enchanted by this special Riverside display which has so influenced me. The Festival of Lights is certainly a municipal pride, its glimmering lights attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, but to me it represents a treasured family tradition. In asking my friends who also have grown up in the Raincross city, I have found that many of them also share a familial tradition of attending the lighting ceremony. This Festival of Lights brings holiday joy upon all the residents of Riverside and the greater Inland Empire. If one scales any mountain in this valley during December and they get the right view, they might see the Mission Inn and all its lights — a beacon of Christmas H spirit. ■
Campus Cope: Scotty Says Stay Away
COURTESY OF FLICKR VIA CC BY-NCND 2.0
COURTESY OF FREEPIK
THE WORST PLACES TO CRY ON CAMPUS.
SENNA OMAR Managing Editor
Welcome back, cry babies! As we near finals week, crying on campus becomes a much more common occurrence. The 8:00 a.m. sob sesh in Lot 30 while you are skipping class or in the back of that lecture you really hate hits different when you don’t understand anything that is being tested for on the exam next week. If you are ever caught in a crisis on campus, stay away from the following nightmare tear zones.
Student Success Center (SSC)
Despite the weird height of the chairs and the freezing temperatures, the SSC is a mostly enjoyable building to have class in. However, the echoey environment and bright lights that shine on you like you are about to be operated on create a hostile, cold environment. Your tears are not welcome here. In fact, if a University of California Riverside employee sees you crying in the SSC, they have been instructed to put a potato sack over your head because it is bad for press. The extreme lack of privacy due to the all-glass walls in this building and the absence of divisions between study spaces make this sterile field quite simply the worst place on campus to have an emotional breakdown. Everyone will point, stare and snicker as you sob and shiver into your chemistry textbook in the see-through SSC study room.
Starbucks
If supporting the genocide of Palestinians and hating unions is not enough to dissuade you from entering the hallowed halls of Starbucks, I do not know what will. Not only should you avoid this building like the plague because Starbucks is an evil megacorp, but also, their coffee sucks, and I hate their dirty chai. I make a better one with a French press and store-bought chai mix from Trader Joe’s (that should say a lot about the quality of their coffee); anyway, I am rambling. If you have ever entered the on-campus Starbucks located in the Market at Glen Mor, you know the sound in this building echoes. If you shed a single tear or wail even the slightest, everyone studying at the tables is going to look up from their phones and stare into your soul, causing you to inconsolably combust into a ball onto the floor. Now after crying in a Starbucks, you have to transfer universities out of embarrassment. But once you get to your fancy new school, a video of you having an emotional breakdown spreads across campus, and you are now hiding in the woods, afraid to return to polite society. Have fun being one with the trees out in Appalachia, I hope that a bad latte to soothe your sadness was worth a future of isolation from everyone you love.
The Highlander Union Building (HUB)
Crying in the HUB is literally the worst thing that can happen to you; if you are ever sad, and in the HUB, literally leave and hide somewhere else. Just don’t hide in the HUB bathrooms cause everyone is going to be able to hear you sobbing
in those Wi-Fi-less prison-esque bathroom stalls. Picture this: you are having an amazing day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, then all of the sudden, out of the blue, while you are waiting in the seven-hour line for Panda Express, you get a canvas notification. The essay you submitted during week three was finally graded; blood, sweat and tears went into this paper. Misguidedly excited to see your score, you press the glowing red and white canvas button only to find out you got the lowest grade in the class. A gasp escapes your mouth as tears well into your eyes, everyone in line for Panda Express knows that your mom was right to be disappointed in your academic performance. Sobbing as the employees scoop the saddest helping of the ends of the empty chow mein tray right before they bring in a fresh one (you got the worst batch of noodles), with the entire UCR campus witnessing your mental breakdown during their lunch, you are simply contemplating your existence in this life. Look inside and ask yourself if you want to be the girl crying into her chow mein in front of the entire campus. You can do better. Have some dignity, emotional outbursts should be reserved for dark corners of the library.
Sproul Hall
If you have ever had a class in Sproul, you know that building is literally a maze. It is impossible to successfully walk through the right door, into the correct building or up the right staircase the first time and find your class on time, no matter how many times you visit. While sporadically searching for the 7:00 a.m. discussion you immediately regretted registering for, try to contain your tears. It is only a matter of time before a few slip out, and then you are sitting in the corner, sobbing into your knees like a lost child. Of course, while you are having the little outburst, not only does your TA witness this shame spiral as he walks over to begin class, but seven different members of this 12-person discussion see you embarrassing yourself before class. After crying in the hallway, you must collect yourself to enter a room full of strangers who just bore witness to your life’s lowest moment. Life is never the same again, it’s too late to drop the class, so now you have no choice but to ditch every single discussion for the rest of the quarter, and the lecture, too. Attendance and participation are 50% of the grade, so when you fail the class, the realization will come that this may not have been the best course of action. However, the damage is done, you are a pariah and are never allowed to return, or they will burn you like a witch for the crime of, dun dun dun, public displays of emotion. Now you failed a mandatory degree requirement and have flunked out of college, and the job market is tough right now, so happy searching! Happy crying campers! I hope you stay clear of these sterile, anxiety-inducing environments when you are in crisis. If you are interested in the best places to cry, H check out part one of this series, Scotty sponsored sob sesh. ■
Radar 11 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
RADAR
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar
Musician memoirs: good for the publishing industry, better for culture
As the music industry changes drastically, musician memoirs are more important than ever. EVELYN HOMAN Copy Editor
If there’s one kind of book most publishers are dying to buy up, it’s a celebrity memoir. These books routinely sell ridiculously well, whether it is because the person who wrote them is an A-Lister or a cult favorite celebrity. Among the great number of celebrity autobiographies released in a year, there is a specific subsect that is arguably the most important of all: musician memoirs. Learning about the life of a celebrity can be fascinating, but musician memoirs, especially those written by artists who started out doing little more than gigging or happened to strike gold with a record deal, can sometimes offer an even more realistic version of celebrity life. For instance, Barbra Streisand recently released a nearly 1000-page memoir on her life as a musician and actress, reflecting on her youth in Brooklyn and rise to superstar status. AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson similarly published a book in 2021, showing his humble start in post-WWII Newcastle and his climb through numerous failed bands and jobs towards becoming one of the best-known singers in classic rock. Similar to celebrity memoirs, musician memoirs serve to humanize these quasi-mythical figures that become staple names in pop culture. But often, unlike celebrity accounts, the memoirs musicians put out are not ghostwritten, but are the very words of the artists themselves. Johnson, for instance, was very proud to put the legal pad leaflets of his handwritten draft of “The Lives of Brian” as the endpapers of the published product. The beautiful element of getting a musician’s point of view in their own words is further emphasized when the musician happens to be the main lyricist of a band. The writings of Neil Peart, the drummer and main lyricist of the progressive rock band Rush, detail not only his many bike travels through numerous countries but also his time touring with the band. His stories are full of humor, philosophy and clarity that make for a joyful reading experience, working in tandem to show the inner world of this well-known artist. Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, put out his memoir “The Storyteller,” compiling his travels and tours in a very similar way which sheds light on his loving relationship with his family, his closeness to his bandmates and sharing the rollercoaster life of being a rock musician that no biographer could ever hope to catch.
Musician memoirs are further important because they can help highlight periods of the music industry that are beginning to wane. The god-like figure of the rockstar has faded in recent years and it’s safe to say that music will likely never see the culture of “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” ever again, which is likely for the better because it means keeping young people safe from the more predatory of music’s individuals. Such a potent time in history cannot be brushed aside, and hearing it in the words of the people who were there, even if they may be biased, is incredibly valuable as eyewitnesses. Having these accounts further makes it possible for analysis of a certain era’s various peaks and pits. This isn’t to say that all musicians who have been around for more than 40 years are the only ones who should be writing music. The bassist of Fall Out Boy, Joe Trohman, published a memoir in late 2022 delving into the hardcore scene he grew up in and the meteoric rise that Fall Out Boy found themselves in, all while being one of the more overlooked members of the group. He dives into the infamous Warped Tour scene, sharing how his views on life changed over time as he married and became a father and his hope for future music. The band would proceed to release an album and go on numerous tours, continuing to prove themselves an active and important part of the rock scene. Even oral histories like Chris Payne’s “Where Are Your Boys Tonight” offer a place for musicians to speak in their own words their memories of a more or less bygone era of underground/alternative music. These spaces are important for the record to be spoken on because recording valuable memories and even conflicting ones for future music fans to go back and have available to them is crucial for the culture. There is immense value in having these musician memoirs in our literary and musical spaces. The publishing industry would be wise to open up even more space for diverse voices to be heard and various aspects of the music industry to be H remembered in the public consciousness. ■
COURTESY OF DEY STREET BOOKS
COURTESY OF HARPER COLLINS
COURTESY OF HACHETTE BOOKS
12 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
RADAR
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar
In Conversation with Naethan Apollo EVER BLAINE-JOHNSON Contributing Writer
AN INTERVIEW WITH INDIE ARTIST NAETHAN APOLLO. In the heart of small town Iowa, where the cornfields stretch to the horizon, emerges an artist whose melodies resonate far beyond the boundaries of the Midwest. Naethan Apollo takes the stage, weaving together the rhythmic cadence of hip-hop with the fantastical tales inspired by roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). His recent concept album, “Tales from Cazilor,” serves as a musical odyssey that beckons listeners into a realm where melodies tell stories and scenes come alive. In this introductory interview, Apollo invites us to explore his artistic journey — a fusion of digital influence, social media dynamics and a profound passion for narrative through music. What are you most proud of artistically? When asked about his proudest artistic achievements, Apollo points to “Tales From Cazilor” as a comprehensive source of pride and singles out three favorite songs — “Lemon Lime Lips,” “You’re Not Welcome” and “Night Watch.” Notably, “You’re Not Welcome” crafts a distinctive narrative within the fantasy world of Cazilor that Apollo has meticulously woven. Another gem, “Lemon Lime Lips,” shines brightly as a personal favorite, resonating not only as a standout track but also as a piece from Apollo’s debut album, “Hello World.” These cherished songs reflect his artistic evolution, each holding a unique significance in the mosaic of his creative journey. Would you say that social media played a big role in your success as an artist? When probing into the dynamics of Apollo’s rise in the music scene, the influence of social media takes center stage. His response is direct: “My popularity is entirely due to social media.” Apollo delves into the reality of coming from a small town in Iowa, highlighting the challenge of lacking connections, especially in a genre like hip-hop. It’s a candid acknowledgment that lays bare the pivotal role the internet played in birthing Apollo and a testament to the transformative power of the digital landscape in shaping and propelling artists beyond geographical constraints. Did you have any musical role models? Inspired by artists with a wide range of musicality, Apollo found his early muse in the likes of Tyler the Creator; “I [don’t know] about role models, but I always loved artists like Tyler The Creator. Artists with such a wide range of musicality always inspire me,” he reflects. His musical journey took root in the rhythmic beats echoing throughout the gym during his teenage years, where the fast-paced lyrics of Eminem and Tech N9ne served as the soundtrack to his early artistic aspirations. “It started with rap . . . stuff like Eminem and Tech N9ne. Really fast and lyrical rap . . . Eventually I said, I could probably write my own . . . then over the years I found my
own style and sound.” This initial exposure ignited a creative spark, leading Apollo to explore his lyrical prowess and carve a unique musical path. Were you helped out at all near the start of your career? Or would you consider yourself self-made? When asked about his journey in the music scene, Apollo keeps it real about the early days. “I did a lot of it on my own, but my friends and family were always there for me,” he shares. It’s a simple truth that speaks volumes. Apollo’s self-made spirit shines, but he doesn’t downplay the importance of those around him. They celebrated his releases and showed up to his early shows — sometimes with just friends and family in the audience. It’s a reminder that even in a solo pursuit, having a team cheering you on makes all the difference. What has been the impact of music on your life? When you’re not making music what do you do? Apollo offers a glimpse into his mind outside the studio: “[Dungeons and Dragons] is all I think about outside of music.” With the album “Tales From Cazilor,” he reveals a heartfelt desire to intertwine his passion for music with fantasy storytelling. The creation of the album isn’t just about songs; it’s about crafting an entire world and narrative. In Apollo’s words, “I really think that ‘Tales From Cazilor’ will be something truly incredible when it’s all said and done.” This insight opens a portal into the depth of Apollo’s artistic vision. But music isn’t just a creative outlet for Apollo insofar as it’s his livelihood and a source of meaningful connections. He shares, “Music is basically my whole life. It pays my bills and has introduced me to incredible people I consider good friends.” In detailing his approach to songwriting, Apollo also emphasizes a commitment to positivity. Whether it’s a breakup anthem or a track tackling bullies, he aims to leave listeners with a sense of empowerment that comes from a genuine desire for his music to be a source of comfort and joy. In essence, Apollo’s musical journey is not just about crafting tunes; it’s about creating an emotional experience that resonates with the listener’s soul. As we express our appreciation for the melodies and narratives shared by Naethan H Apollo, we look forward to the continued crescendo of his musical odyssey. ■
JOSEPH RODARTE / THE HIGHLANDER
13 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
RADAR
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar
Artist Spotlight:
Ron Del Cid inspires the next generation of Inland Empire artists Del Cid calls on art to teach the youth of Riverside. MAXEN OLVERA Contributing Writer
UCR alumni Ron Del Cid serves as the lead outreach worker for Project B.R.I.D.G.E. The acronym stands for Building Resources for the Intervention Deterrence of Gang Engagement. Del Cid and his team operate outside the Cesar E. Chavez Community Center at Bobby Bonds Park. Del Cid started volunteering at the community center after he graduated from UCR with a degree in ethnic studies and would teach art to the kids who came into the center. Del Cid emerged into the art world when he was 11 years old. Friends from his neighborhood introduced him to graffiti and Del Cid would become enthralled with the art style for the majority of his youth. At the age of fifteen, Del Cid bought himself a prized airbrush. He started painting flags for his brother’s platoon. The platoon held his designed flag in every photo they took. Del Cid realized that his art could be more significant than himself and could be used to inspire others. As a teenager, Del Cid and his friends would use graffiti to make murals in tag hot spots, which are blank walls that typically surround local businesses. The young graffiti crew would craft murals outside local liquor stores and restaurants. Before he turned eighteen, Del Cid was making money and creating art with a purpose and would keep this same mentality when it came to his career. Del Cid has filled the position of the lead outreach worker for six years now. Project B.R.I.D.G.E focuses on youth from the age of 12 to 22, providing mentorship, resources and opportunities for personal growth. People are put in the project for many different reasons,
whether it be because they are on a court-mandated order or they are reeling from drug or substance abuse. Project B.R.I.D.G.E strives to guide young people onto the right path. A six-week workshop occupies the core of B.R.I.D.G.E, designed to build job experience that would look good on a resume. For kids who may not have thought much about their future careers, the workshop has the capability of helping kids find their passion. While six weeks may seem long to a younger person, after participating in the workshop, you will receive a cash prize of three hundred dollars. Del Cid enhances the project by injecting his artistic
flare. During one of the workshops, he would teach the young participants the basics of art, helping countless children connect with the art realm. He also provides them with the opportunity to contribute to community mural projects. Besides his contributions to Project B.R.I.D.G.E, Del Cid spearheads various community mural projects. The
beloved Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine on Ninth Street is home to a community mural. It is an art piece that sits on a wall in their parking lot that was constantly tagged. The art piece was a collaborative project led by Del Cid and Jesus Castañeda. They brought young and old members from the Caesar E. Chavez Community Center to help out on the expansive mural. The church commissioned the mural as a gift for their annual “Caminanta,” an annual celebration that honors the Virgin Mary with a walk from the church to the top of Mt. Rubidoux. The mural depicts various aspects of the celebration, including Mexicans, Guatemalans and other nationalities coming together for the walk. The canvas blends Latin culture with different artistic elements. It’s a beautiful piece that must be seen to be believed. Recently, Del Cid took part in a community mural project taking place in the center of the Riverside Faith Temple Garden housing plants that give off fresh produce which are available to anyone in the area. The mural was a team effort that featured kids from the youth center and Riverside Representative Clarissa Cervantes. It portrays the extensive history of the Eastside, specifically highlighting the legacies of African Americans and Latinos. The piece holds pictures of crosscountry runners, ears of corn and dancing rancheras. Each icon plastered on the mural was crafted by a member of the Eastside community. In all, the collaborative piece helps draw individuals from the community toward the treasures of the garden. Art has guided Del Cid throughout his entire life. He believes art can change people’s lives by exposing their minds to fresh material. Del Cid hopes his work with Project B.R.I.D.G.E and his murals could lead young people to discover a passion for art. ■ H
IMAGES COURTESY OF RONALD DEL CID
14 TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
RADAR
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar
In ‘May December,’ we’re all complicit in abuse and sensationalism Todd Haynes’ latest film unpacks the way we romanticize stories of trauma and the victims. RAMITA SETTY Staff Writer
TW: Sexual Abuse The general public has always had a strange, almost sick fascination with disturbing cases involving some form of rape, serial killers or both. In these cases, the victims usually have their trauma sensationalized and the people who commit these crimes become notorious figures through countless true crime podcasts and faux psychologists trying to delve deep into their minds. “May December” opens with actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) seeking answers by traveling to Savannah to shadow Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), a woman who made headlines two decades prior for raping then thirteen-year-old Joe (Charles Melton), whom she is now married to and has three children with. Preparing to play Gracie in a new movie, Elizabeth tries to understand Gracie’s perspective and relationship with Joe. At first, Gracie is presented to us as a typical suburban mother, while Joe seems to exist in the background. They’ve seemed to make peace with the turbulence of the scandalized tabloid relationship and have moved on. The film is loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle school teacher who made international headlines in the 1990s when she was caught raping her former student Vili Fualauu, who was a mere twelve years old at the time. A storm of publicity surrounded her trial as numerous tabloids published salacious stories about the case. The inappropriate probing and hounding for anything possibly scandalous is personified in Portman’s character, as Elizabeth crosses several boundaries by intrusively inserting herself into the Atherton-Yoo family dynamic all in the name of her art. In her own way, she’s as much of a predator as Gracie. There’s so much deliciously loaded dialogue between the two characters as both master manipulators attempt to outfox each other. Meanwhile, as the viewer attempts to get at Joe, he shrinks in on himself as much as possible. Through Elizabeth, the viewers’ own interest in the story is interrogated — we may want to know the truth, but is it right for us to want Joe to expose himself to us? “May December” jumps all over the place, but it never feels like the film ever loses sight of what it sets out to accomplish. It manages to effortlessly jump between
melodrama and serious tragedy without ever feeling jarring, something only director Todd Haynes could have pulled off. There are punctuated bursts of a cheesy Lifetime movie-esque soundtrack and interspersed shots of monarch eggs on milkweed and bright fat yellow caterpillars that feel lush with life in the midst of a household teeming with unsaid truths. The film feels so pointedly ironic at times that, despite being billed as a dark comedy, it feels impossible to laugh at any point during the film. This is a film made by its performances. Moore is incredible as she slyly oscillates between a projected naivete that becomes more sinister as she refuses to shed it throughout the film, culminating in a shocking final scene. Portman also projects a faux sincerity as she probes into the family’s life, pretending to care about Joe while using him to get deeper into Gracie’s psyche. But Melton is the hauntingly emotional core of the film, as Joe spends the first half of the film feeling glacial, mostly mute and deferring to Gracie. Through a slouched posture and mumbled words, Melton creates a portrait of a man-child stuck in a strange limbo between adolescence and adulthood, not quite knowing how to be any other way. It shows a visual dissonance between him and their family friends, and his father and their children as he doesn’t truly fit the roles he plays with any of them. As the film progresses, the ice cracks and Joe becomes more and more childish, showing the naivety Gracie claims to have. It’s a performance that will stick with you long after the film ends. Despite its deceptive appearance of complexity, “May December” is clear about who is the victim and who is the abuser the entire time. The film’s simple framing of a situation of an older woman grooming and abusing a young boy is refreshing in a culture that, for years, had framed situations like this as something beneficial for the victim in question. Countless pieces of media, such as “Dawson’s Creek,” “Riverdale” and more, have romanticized relationships between adult women and teenage boys, presenting harmful messages about masculinity to their young audiences. “May December” offers an opportunity for us to unpack that harmful internalized message H and perhaps create a new dialogue. ■
Verdict: ‘May December’ is a stunningly realized melodrama about the nature of abusers and the lies they tell themselves and others, supported by strong performances and unique directing.
Radar Replay:
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: Unveiling the Profound Ripple Effects of Everyday Choice A heartwarming classic turns the phrase “Be careful about what you wish” into a horrible reality for George Bailey. IAN TJAN Contributing Writer
The question of why we exist has a plethora of unreasonable answers tied to it. At the heart of the query lies the butterfly effect, the idea that a seemingly trivial action can set off a chain reaction with monumental consequences worldwide. This unique and riveting idea is presented in the 1946 Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It is a movie based on “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern that resonated with the essence of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” The film encapsulates and exhibits the Christmas spirit of tropes and cliches insofar as “It’s a Wonderful Life” doesn’t just exemplify this; it is the story of Christmas. The opening scene presents a character named George Bailey, played by James Stewart, contemplating ending his life on a bridge amidst a wintry backdrop, setting the stage for a movie of despair. However, his innate altruism intervenes when he saves another man from drowning, a gesture that unexpectedly alters his fate. George saves Clarence, portrayed by Henry Travers, who reveals himself as a second-class angel through his seemingly omnipotent powers. Clarence is the archetypal of guardian angel stories, evoking the iconic line, “Every time a bell rings, an Angel gets its wings.” This movie follows the trajectory of the Ebenezer Scrooge-type story, showing flashbacks of George Bailey’s past life. It shows that George epitomizes a life not of acclaim or riches but a life guided by a deep-seated sense of duty and morality, with his unwavering commitment to doing what he believes is right. This is an essential aspect of the story, as it doesn’t try to depict George as a sad figure teetering on edge; it portrays him as content and hopeful until he is thrust into a situation that plunges him into his nadir. “It’s a Wonderful Life” shows that no matter who it is, everyone hits a low point and that, sometimes, the people who look the happiest are suffering the most in disguise. Clarence enlightens George by revealing his loving wife, Mary Hatch, played by Donna Reed, and his children evoked a prayer to an angel to bring him home. The angel then goes on to reveal to George pivotal moments from his life where he does amazing things that change others’ lives.
James Stewart’s portrayal elevates this movie to new heights. He draws from his experiences as a recent WW2 veteran, showing almost haunting emotions. For example, the scene of George in a bar after contemplating suicide gave an artistic emotion of crying, sorrow and suffering. Moments like these led to his nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for the third time. The story truly shines at its climax when George condescendingly says, “I wish I were never born.” This moment lights a bulb in Clarence’s mind because of the famous adage, “Be careful about what you wish for.” Clarence grants his wish, and George is brought into a reality where he never existed. “It’s a Wonderful Life” demonstrates its true colors by taking a symbolic meaning into a literal one, with George seeing his wish become a horrifying reality. In a final plea, George returns to the bridge, begging for his old life, realizing his life is not forfeited. George returns and receives a book titled “No Man Is a Failure Without Friends.” With a new profound perspective, George Bailey realizes he truly has a wonderful life. The film was originally a box office failure despite its numerous Academy Awards and only gained widespread recognition in 1974 when it became public domain, allowing millions across the U.S. to watch it freely. Hundreds of references still exist in some form today when watching the movie, from the film’s production to the timeless quotes that make it an unbeatable masterpiece. “It’s a Wonderful Life” weaves a tapestry of emotions, reminding everyone that amidst despair, hope and the power to transform your reality are part of your H everyday choices to make your life wonderful. ■
COURTESY OF RKO PICTURES
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/radar
RADAR
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
The Highlander’s prediction and ranking of the nominations for The Game of the Year
15
The Game Awards features a war waged between six games with a claim for this year’s throne, with only one coming out on top.
Brendan Vo, Radar Editor The Game Awards is an annual ceremony celebrating the culmination of what constitutes gaming culture. With live performance renditions of epic soundtracks from popular games, trailers for future projects and multiple awards handed out to the best games of the year, it is arguably the biggest event for gamers. This year has been an incredible year consisting of extremely remarkable releases. At the center stage of the ceremony is the crowning of the title, “Game of the Year,” which pits six chosen games that have proven worthy. Here is The Highlander’s ranking of the nominations and our prediction for who will reign victorious as the greatest game of 2023.
6. “Resident Evil 4”
The “Resident Evil” franchise strikes again with its new fourth iteration, emerging as a well-executed survival horror game. This Capcom classic is modernized with many quality-of-life changes, giving the series a mechanical makeover that gives players an even greater experience and keeps the original spirit of the series. Although “Resident Evil 4” is a remake that deserves a nomination, it still doesn’t stand up to the giants that await ahead.
5. “Super Mario Bros. Wonder”
Returning to its 2D origins, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” comes out more bright and whimsical than ever. This new addition to the legendary Nintendo franchise still finds ways to feel fresh and new with a dazzling, expressive aesthetic along with wonderful new abilities and foes to face.
4. “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”
COURTESY OF CAPCOM
The beloved web-slinger finds his way back into gamer’s hands with PlayStationowned Insomniac Games’ next iteration of “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” The game has since proved to be everything one can ask for in a sequel. With a thrilling narrative, more creative abilities to play with and adored Spider-Man fanfare, players can not help but fall in love with “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,” happily swinging through New York in the cohesively built superhero action game.
3. “Alan Wake 2”
Remedy Entertainment’s “Alan Wake 2” emerges as an enthralling sequel to the 13-year-old cult classic “Alan Wake.” With gamers doing their best to persevere in the survival horror game, the experience brings players right to the edge of their seats until the screen explodes with a maelstrom of violence and gore. What further completes the game is its intuitive and well-structured action-filled combat system with its striking visuals, elements which only enhance its compellingly tense and suspenseful storytelling.
2. “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”
With its critically acclaimed incarnation “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” winning the Game of the Year in 2017, Nintendo’s “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” was arduously tasked with delivering a gaming experience that would rise to extremely high expectations. When the highly anticipated sequel hit the market, the game didn’t rise to expectations — it soared above it. Gamers were met with not only resolved problems from its last iterations, such as weapons that broke too soon and a somewhat flat storyline, but it also included a new building system that gave Nintendo players seemingly limitless creative freedom.
COURTESY OF NINTENDO
1. “Baldur’s Gate 3”
Despite its weirdly lukewarm release, Larian Studio’s “Baldur’s Gate 3” is a critical masterpiece, exemplifying what it means to perfect the formula of tabletop roleplaying games. This game is a dream for any “Dungeons & Dragons” fan and raises the bar for role-playing games. Extraordinarily, the game would set the standard so high that it prompted its players to attack other gaming companies for not delivering the quality that “Baldur’s Gate 3” had. The game had its players falling in love with what seemed like an infinite plethora of actions that could be achieved in this game, only limited by the scope of your imagination. Detailed customization, a beautiful extensive open world to explore along with narratives that can twist and turn with every heavy decision the player must make add up to a wildly romantic and indescribable adventure that can only be described as the ultimate replayable experience. ■ H
COURTESY OF SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
COURTESY OF EPIC GAMES PUBLISHING
COURTESY OF NINTENDO
COURTESY OF LARIAN STUDIOS
Sports
THE HIGHLANDER // highlandernews.org/category/sports
SPORTS
TUESDAY, DEC 5, 2023
16
UCR loses thriller vs UCLA via last second game-winner KIANOOSH NOOSHI Assistant Sports Editor
Dylan Andrews game-winner with 3.2 seconds left allows UCLA to edge UCR 66-65. UC Riverside’s men’s basketball team faced off against the UCLA Bruins last week in Westwood in a matchup that many thought would be a relatively easy game for the Bruins. The Highlanders came into the game with three wins and four losses, with every loss coming away from home. There was an indication early that the game might not be as close as many predicted with UCLA navigating the game without head coach Mick Cronin, who was absent due to COVID. Assistant coach Darren Savino steered the team in Cronin’s absence, but it was clear that the Bruins were not as effective without their head coach at the helm. The first half of the game was incredibly entertaining with end-to-end basketball being played by both teams. UCR’s Kyle Owens had five 3-pointers on seven attempts and played a key role in keeping the first half competitive, which concluded with a tight score of 34-32, featuring six ties and 12 lead changes. Isaiah Moses led the Highlander charge with 21 points, 16 of which came in the second half, while Kyle Owens delivered a stellar first-half performance with all 18 of his points. Pickens added 14 points, with 10 in the second half. Riverside’s proficiency from beyond the arc was noteworthy, hitting 14 of 32 attempted 3-pointers, with Owens and Moses contributing five each. During a crucial stretch, the Highlanders endured a five-and-a-half-minute field goal drought, allowing UCLA to capitalize with a 13-1 run, securing a 55-44 lead with 8:27 left. However, the Highlanders refused to go down without a fight and countered with four consecutive shots, including three consecutive 3-pointers, narrowing the gap to 5855. UCLA’s McClendon delayed any potential comeback, hitting a 3-pointer to maintain
the lead at 61-56 with four minutes remaining. The game witnessed Riverside clawing back to a tie at 63 with 1:40 left, courtesy of 3-pointers from Pickens and Moses. Despite holding an 11-point advantage with 8 1/2 minutes left, the Bruins found themselves trailing 65-63 after Nate Pickens made two crucial free throws with 48.8 seconds remaining. Aday Mara managed to convert one free throw at the 41-second mark, but a subsequent Highlanders airball and a lost rebound at 9.5 seconds set the stage for Andrews’ heroics. Taking the inbounds pass, Andrews swiftly maneuvered from coast to coast, sinking a decisive bank shot from the right edge of the lane. This last-minute play sealed the win for UCLA, as the Highlanders failed to attempt a final shot. UCLA struggled with four consecutive missed shots, but Andrews ultimately emerged as the hero, sinking the game-winner, a driving layup just 3.2 seconds before the buzzer. He had a stellar game contributing 17 points for UCLA. UCLA also witnessed contributions from Will McClendon, who added 11 points to UCLA’s tally. With this win, the Bruins’ home winning streak extended to 29 games, and the Highlanders have lost every game away from home this season. Despite the loss, they have every right to be proud of their performance and will surely take some key lessons into their next games as well as regular season Conference games. The Highlanders will now face North Dakota at home on Sunday, Dec. 3 and Wazzu H (Washington State) in Pullman on Dec. 6. ■
Highlanders smother Merrimack’s offense in 65-53 win ISAAC SOLNICK Contributing Writer
Defense and hustle plays lifts UCR to victory. After starting the season 0-3, the Highlanders concluded a successful two–game homestand with wins against Antelope Valley and Utah State. Looking to stay in the win column, the Highlanders made the long trek to North Andover, Massachusetts, to face the Merrimack Warriors on Dec. 1. Despite the lengthy travel and early tip-off, the Highlanders came out the gate faster than their opponents. This couldn’t have been truer for sophomore guard Zoe Tillery. Tillery, earning her first start of the season, waited no time to make an impact. Without hesitation, Tillery fired a 3-pointer on the very first possession. Her triple was good, and she was followed up by teammate Julia Stenberg. The senior guard knocked down two corner three-pointers before the Warriors could call a timeout. After the break, it looked like Merrimack started to find its groove. With good touch, freshman guard Paloma Garcia scored a contested layup right off the inbound. On the other end, crafty sophomore guard Lydia Melaschenko drew a charge against UCR. It appeared the Warriors had finally matched the energy of the Highlanders early on, but this was not the case. Merrimack looked to use screens and dribble handoffs to create space and mismatches for their dynamic guards. However, the Highlanders worked hard to get around screens and communicated well to make effective switches. Merrimack were forced into long possessions, and their offense stalled. The Highlanders didn’t look back. UCR’s senior guard Jordan Webster knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Highlanders up 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. UCR dialed up the defensive intensity in the second quarter. With the Highlanders on their throat, the Warriors couldn’t find their rhythm. Sophomore guard Makayla Jackson set herself up with an easy bucket from a steal in Merrimack’s backcourt. UCR’s stifling defense put the Warriors in a deep scoring slump. Adding insult to injury, Tillery sank her second three-pointer of the game with her defender on the floor. Merrimack’s scoring drought finally ended after a pair of free throws from Garcia. The freshman guard ended a scoring slump that lasted over 9 minutes. Nevertheless, the Highlanders didn’t let their foot off the gas. Stenberg replied with another corner triple while redshirt senior Mateyha Bryant got up to grab a snatch block. Without an outlet pass, Bryant took matters into her own hands. She goes coast to coast to give the
Highlanders a 30-17 halftime lead. In the second half, Tillery picked up where she left off. Back-to-back threes from the sophomore guard kept the UCR offense rolling. Merrimack head coach Kelly Morrone knew she needed to stop the bleeding. The Warriors switched from a man-to-man to a 3-2 zone defense. The zone defense allowed Merrimack to effectively use double teams against the Highlanders. The change forced a few turnovers and helped the Warriors get their offense going. Despite the large deficit, Merrimack’s Diamond Christian was determined to get her squad back in the game. The graduate guard used her speed to get open off the ball and penetrate the UCR defense. After a catch-and-shoot corner three and layup from Christian, the Highlanders entered the fourth quarter with a 48-32 lead. To start the fourth quarter, the Highlanders couldn’t find an answer for Christian’s quickness. She opened the quarter with another three-pointer and continued to aggressively drive inside. With the defense collapsing on her, she was able to find her teammates for easy buckets. After leading big the entire game, the Highlanders were on the back foot. After another long three from Christian, the UCR lead was cut to just 6 points. The Highlanders needed a big-time play, and they got it from Jordan Webster. Fouled hard on a corner three, Webster completed the four-point play to get the lead back to double-digits. Another pair of three-pointers from Diamond Christian weren’t enough to get the Warriors back in it. After several free throws, the Highlanders came away with a 65-53 win in North Andover. With the win, UCR improved to 3-3 on the season. It was a big game for sophomore guard Zoe Tillery, making her first start of the season. Her 20 points on efficient shooting alone will earn her more opportunities going forward. However, her three steals stood out on the stat sheet. Tillery has the potential to become an x-factor for the Highlanders with her two-way impact. UCR has one more game against Dartmouth on Dec. 4 before H going back west to face Juju Watkins and USC on Dec. 10.■
COURTESY OF UCR ATHLETICS