The New University

07/23/2024

The next in a line of mediocre additions to the Star Wars saga, “The Acolyte” concluded its 8-episode run on Tuesday. The series revolves around force-sensitive twins Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) and the mysterious circumstances behind their separation at a young age.

Although not as poor as the likes of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” or “The Rise of Skywalker,” “The Acolyte” leaves much to be desired.

Is “The Acolyte” the worst thing that has ever happened to Star Wars? No. In this era of franchise filmmaking, audiences have grown accustomed to the constant stream of lackluster projects. “The Acolyte” is just another to add to the list.

(Written by Drew Askeland) (Graphic by Avery Huffer / Staff)

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07/23/2024

Farmers and shoppers gather at the weekly Irvine Farmers’ Market in the parking lot of Mariners Church from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Located at 5001 Newport Coast Drive, the Irvine Farmers’ Market is a year-round, free-entry event with EBT-eligible goods available for purchase.

(Written & Photo by Alyse Billiard)

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07/23/2024

UCI launched a new campuswide Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP) to improve safety in workspaces on July 1. The launch follows the passing of California Senate Bill 553 in September 2023, which requires the implementation of workplace violence reporting systems and additional training and safety measures for California employees.

As part of the WVPP, UCI employees will undergo annual mandatory training that will teach workers how to recognize and report workplace violence without “fear of retaliation,” as outlined by UCI Division of Finance and Administration Chief Financial Officer Mary Lou Ortiz in a campuswide email on July 1. The training will also address ways to access support services. The implementation of the program will involve specific measures for corresponding work areas while adding to existing measures regarding “emergencies, evacuation plans, post-incident response and investigation procedures,” according to the WVPP page.

(Written by Inga Chilingaryan) (Photo by Mikejuinwind123 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5)

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07/22/2024

Independent and local businesses, publishers, authors and nonprofits gathered in Old Town Tustin for the OC Book Fair to promote local literary talent on July 13.

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the event featured speaker panels, community roundtables, poetry recitations, interactive activities for attendees, books and merchandise from over 40 vendors. At booths, groups conversed with attendees and displayed their work. In the middle of El Camino Real, visitors wrote the title of their favorite book on a large whiteboard. Panels and Q&A sessions at the fair included writers such as W. Bruce Cameron, author of “A Dog’s Purpose,” and T. Jefferson Parker, novelist and UCI alumni.

(Written & Photo by Mariam Farag)

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07/22/2024

Members of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) Local 4811 and allies initiated a public rally at UC San Francisco on Wednesday, demanding the UC Regents address union-sponsored Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges and grant amnesty for pro-Palestine protesters previously arrested at UC campus encampments.

The rally coincided with the on-campus UC Regents meeting, which spanned from Tuesday to Thursday. Rally attendees began picketing at Genentech Hall at 11 a.m. and marched to the Rutter Center, where the meeting was held. Participants held yellow and black signs reading “DROP ALL CHARGES” and “WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED” as they chanted demands.

(Written by Beatrice Lee) (Photo by Reed Yalisove / UAW 4811)

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07/21/2024

Kevin Costner’s earnest western revival “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” was the first entry in a planned four-film saga. The film, released on June 28, follows various characters involved in the settlement of the western United States during the American Civil War.

Although I have great respect for the artistic fervor and ambition it takes to get a film like this made in Hollywood’s current climate, I fail to see what “Horizon” brings to the table that hasn’t already been done. The movie features generic characters and cliché storylines well-trodden within the realm of the genre. Though satisfactory, these elements come together in a stale manner that leaves a tepid feeling towards the release of “Chapter 2.”

Originally marketed as a “two-part theatrical event,” “Chapter 2” was slated to release on Aug. 16, 2024. However, it seems plans have changed. As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, “Chapter 2” has been “pulled from the release calendar.”

It seems the strategy now centers on growing the audience for the next entry in the saga.

(Written by Drew Askeland) (Graphic by Wendy Wu / Staff)

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07/21/2024

Stoking the first embers in what will have to be a fully emblazoned society ready for revolution has been the new American labor movement — and this is just the beginning of the fight for liberation.

Luckily, the labor movement is alive and well after a fruitful 2023 that saw an uptick in both union activity and media coverage of workers taking action. However, the decentralized progressive movement is unsustainable as it stands.

Interconnected by the fight for higher wages and the battle for ethnic, religious and personal liberation are labor and progressive movements. As a whole, student organizers have come a long way in recognizing labor as a battle cry for progressivism. Despite the ongoing activism amongst young people, the work by leftists has been limited by individualizing each cause. Young people have not capitalized on the intersectionality of issues such as the Palestinian liberation movement, campaigns for single-payer healthcare and union organizing.

To put it in layman’s terms: All left-wing issues are connected.

(Written by Jacob Ramos) (Photo by Manny Becerra / Unsplash)

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07/18/2024

The California Senate Education Committee passed AB 2586, the Opportunity For All Act, in a 5-1 vote on July 3. If enacted into law, the bill would make it so California public universities would be able to hire students for campus jobs regardless of immigration and work authorization status, with an exception for positions where work authorization is explicitly required by federal law.

(Written by Beatrice Lee) (Photo by Radomianin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0)

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07/18/2024

The UC Regents adopted the Regents Policy on Public and Discretionary Statements by Academic Units (J2) at the Regents meeting on Wednesday on UC San Francisco’s campus. The policy will “mitigate” administrative websites from posting statements and opinions that could be “mistaken as the position of the institution itself.”

Faculty members, groups and their administrations can only express opinions and statements on separate pages of a UC website if their statements are “consistent with procedures adopted,” and include a “disclaimer that the opinions do not represent the official views of the University.”

At the policy’s adoption, the Regents stated that J2 “balances academic freedom and individuals’ freedom of speech with speech on behalf of the University.”

(Written by Skylar Paxton)

07/16/2024

In a giallo metacommentary on the glam of Hollywood, Ti West’s three-part “X” franchise was brought to a thrilling conclusion with the release of “Ma###ine” on July 5.

“Ma###ine” acts as a sequel to 2022’s “X,” the gory, x-***ed slasher that started West’s initial three-part trilogy. “X” debuted as a standout in the thriller-slasher genre, and “Pearl,” the prequel to “X,” branched out further into the character-building perspective of one of “X’s” killers. “Ma###ine” attempts to meld the two preceding works into an ’80s murder mystery.

The film bleeds camp, literally, with its tacky blood effects, black-gloved killer and satanic themes. However, the appeal of the campy gore and Hollywood glam is unable to save it from its descent into an underwhelming third act. Nevertheless, West adamantly sticks to his style; “Ma###ine” is undeniably an “X” film. With the saga having come to a close, audiences are keeping West and Goth’s future endeavors on their radar, as neither is finished with what they have in store.

(Written by Alaina Retodo) (Graphic by Wendy Wu / Staff)

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07/05/2024

In a world of mass surveillance that is increasingly becoming closer to the dystopian visions of George Orwell’s “1984,” the right to privacy is rapidly diminishing. Technological advancements have led to the collection of big data, giving governments and corporations access to unprecedented levels of personal information. From the websites we visit and the social media posts we like to the in-store purchases we make and our financial records, almost every facet of our daily lives are being monitored. Now, this surveillance extends further to one of our most intimate domains: our brains, through the collection and analysis of brain data.

As these technologies become more widespread, the balance between innovation and ethical consideration becomes integral. Cognitive liberty — the freedom of an individual to control their own thoughts and cognition — emerges as a key right that should be explicitly protected. Neuroethicist Wrye Sententia and legal theorist Richard Glen Boire coined this term in response to the growing surveillance capabilities of technology extending to the mind. The current regulatory environment is lacking to address these challenges, with the government being glaringly illiterate on technology.

(Written by Sriskandha Kandimalla) (Photo provided by Chris Yang / Unsplash)

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07/05/2024

"During finals week, all UCI faculty received email blasts from administrators prescribing action steps in the case of “student disruptions” to exams, which included recommendations to call 911 or the UCIPD on student protestors, especially if the situation could not be resolved by completely canceling class. As our campus continues to be shaped by political and institutional contestations over the exercise of free speech and student activists’ calls for the university’s financial divestments from the US-backed Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the ongoing military siege and genocide in Gaza, a sub-set of faculty, including members of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP), question the conditions under which these emails are being sent, and refuse these recommendations to all UCI faculty.

Administrative language often erases power relations embedded in the normal functioning of the university. Such administrative emails reduce student activists — and to be more specific, a particular subset of the student body who have been peacefully exercising their rights to free speech, assembly and protest — as potential disruptors, who constitute a seeming problem to be managed. This framing risks contributing to a fearful campus environment wherein faculty are encouraged to view their students through a racialized lens of suspicion, criminality, and alarm. Recommendations for de-escalation and then returning to normalcy after a “disruption” also construct student activists as irrational beings prone to violence, from whom nothing is to be learned." (if it's too long then just the first paragraph is fine)

(Written by Anneeth Kaur Hundle and Aaron Bornstein) (Photo by Mohammad Samhouri)

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06/17/2024

A fluorescent drawing of the supernatural and psychological, "I Saw the TV Glow” was released as Jane Schoenbrun’s latest cinematic work on May 17. In this emotional art-house thriller, Schoenbrun translates their own story of the transgender experience into a dark, yet colorful, picture of fandom, connection and alternate dimensions.
The film masquerades as a supernatural coming-of-age narrative, edging the borders between the tangible world, later referred to as the Midnight Realm, and the world of “the Pink Opaque.” Yet, however explicit one might find it, the film is structured around its reflection of trans youth. As Owen discovers more about himself through Maddy and “the Pink Opaque,” the lines between fiction and reality blur. When you leave the theater, you can’t help but feel as though you’re stepping back into the Midnight Realm yourself.

(Written by Alaina Retodo) (Graphic by Wendy Wu / Staff)

HomeEntertainment‘I Saw the TV Glow’: Scenes of nostalgia and the inner self June 14, 2024 ‘I Saw the TV Glow’: Scenes of nostalgia and the inner self By: Alaina Retodo Graphic by Wendy Wu / Staff FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp - advertisement - A fluorescent drawing of the supernatural an...

06/17/2024

The Orange County Q***r History Project hosted Orange County Trans + Latinx History, a collaborative event exploring the histories of LGBTQ+ communities at Humanities Gateway on May 31.
The event, held in partnership with UCI Libraries, Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive (OC&SEAA) Center and the UCI Departments of History and Gender and Sexuality Studies featured the work of the OC Q***r History Project. Established in 2023, the organization seeks to highlight q***r communities by creating a digital archive of local histories through exhibits, mapping, oration and events.

(Written by Felipe Juarez Molina) (Photo provided by Anat Schwartz)

HomeNewsCampus NewsOrange County Q***r History Project Presents Trans + Latinx History Event June 13, 2024 Orange County Q***r History Project Presents Trans + Latinx History Event By: Campus News Writer Photo provided by Anat Schwartz FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp - advertisement - The Orange Co...

06/16/2024

Biological Sciences Dean Frank Laferla announced at the UCI Biological Sciences graduation ceremony on June 15, that the school has been renamed the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences. The change comes after Orange County biotech entrepreneur Charlie Dunlop donated $50 million to the school.

Dunlop was the commencement speaker at the Biological Sciences graduation ceremony, where Laferla announced his donation and the school’s name change.

“I am thrilled to announce that our commencement speaker, Mr. Charlie Dunlop, has bestowed upon our school a gift of $50 million,” Laferla announced at the graduation ceremony. “Thanks to him, the school will now enter a new era of discovery and significance and excellence.”

(Written by Skylar Paxton & Laiyla Santillan) (Photo by Yartsun / Wikimedia Commons)

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06/13/2024

There has been recent discourse amongst the Asian American community where SoCal Asians, Asian Americans raised in Southern California, are judgemental of Asian Americans from outside of the region. This discussion began with a podcast episode by “The 949 Podcast” recently gaining traction on TikTok when a small clip from the show went viral. One of the hosts said, “There is a part of me, like if I meet Asians from the other random ass states, right? I’m like bro, you’re not from [California], bro,” casting doubt into the “Asianess” of a person.

Many Asian American users outside of the SoCal region were offended by the statement and have stitched the TikTok with their own opinions. Multiple users claimed that SoCal Asians are dismissive of other Asian Americans’ identities because they aren’t from California.

The simple answer is that there is a sense of community in Southern California amongst the large Asian American population and at times this community can act exclusionary towards Asians from outside of SoCal. However, this doesn’t define the community as a whole. People from California shouldn’t be offended by this, but rather willing to listen and put in more effort to be inclusive of those who can’t fit into the community in SoCal.

(Written by Hunter Ung) (Photo provided by inkknife_2000 / Wikimedia Commons)

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06/08/2024

UCI’s Associated Graduate Students (AGS) passed a no-confidence resolution for Chancellor Howard Gillman at the organization’s last bi-weekly council meeting on June 4. The organization passed Resolution 24-34: Vote of no Confidence in UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, with 18.5 votes in favor and one abstention, ratifying no-confidence as the official position of AGS.

The resolution holds the stance that administrative action taken by Gillman regarding UCI’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, launched on April 29, was cause for no-confidence.

AGS is the only UCI-affiliated group to pass no-confidence in Gillman as the official position of their organization.

(Written by Laiyla Santillan) (Photo by Allyunion at English Wikipedia)

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06/08/2024

An Orange County Superior Court judge ordered a temporary halt to the Union Auto Workers (UAW) Stand Up Strike across University of California (UC) campuses today. Under the order, union members will be unable to strike until June 27. The strike is currently set to end on June 30.

The court order follows UC’s May 21 request for injunctive relief to end the UAW strike with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). PERB denied this request but issued a complaint against UAW on May 23. A revised filing of UC’s request was also denied, and PERB filed a complaint against UC on June 3. UC filed a lawsuit against UAW on June 5, alleging breach of contract and violations of no-strike clauses.

UAW members at UCI were called to strike starting on June 5 due to Unfair Labor Practices charges (ULP) against UC for the university system’s response to pro-Palestine protests and encampments.

(Written by Beatrice Lee)

06/06/2024

As of May 28, 2024, New University has officially named its 2024-25 Editorial Board and Editorial Staff. This year, the publication will officially split the board and staff, signifying both seniority and positional representation for next year’s New University editorials.

Serving on the New University 2024-25 Editorial Board will be Laiyla Santillan, Jacob Ramos, Skylar Paxton, Jaheem Conley, Lillian Dunn and Trista Lara.

New University’s 2024-25 Editorial Staff will continue the publication’s mission of providing steadfast, accurate and timely coverage to the UCI community.

(Graphic by Avery Huffer)

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06/06/2024

UCI academic workers joined the United Auto Workers local 4811 (UAW) Stand Up Strike on June 5 by walking off the job. UAW announced UCI’s call to participate n the University of California (UC)-wide strike last week on May 31, following UC Santa Barbara and San Diego UAW workers, who walked off the job this past Monday.

The UAW Stand Up Strike alleges that unfair labor practices were committed related to the pro-Palestine encampments on UC campuses. Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges were made by UAW against the UC on May 3.

UCI’s picket line began at 10 a.m. with workers circling the area near the UCI flagpoles. When workers weren’t picketing, they conversed with others and drew messages on the floor with chalk. Messages included “Amnesty for Protestors,” “Cops off Campus” and “Justice for Students.”

(Written by Skylar Paxton and Victoria Le) (Photo by Skylar Paxton)

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06/05/2024

Interested in writing, editing, graphic design, video creation, or multimedia work? Need something to do with your time over the summer?

Apply to be a summer intern for the New University!

Link in bio, scan the QR code, or click: https://newuniversity.org/apply/ to apply today!

06/05/2024

Interested in writing, editing, graphic design, video creation, or multimedia work? Need something to do with your time over the summer?

Apply to be a summer intern for the New University!

Link in bio, scan the QR code, or click: https://buff.ly/3TYaf8o to apply today!

06/05/2024

I’ve been around UCI since 1996, as a grad student, TA, GSR, student government leader, conference organizer, alumnus, lecturer, interpreter, UROP mentor and judge, internship supervisor, … heck, one summer I even packed up, moved and unpacked several professors’ offices in a brand-new building.

I was arrested during the police raid on campus on May 15. You may have seen my frog-march TV interview or the May 16th LA Times front page photo, if you weren’t there watching in person. Hours later, Gillman claimed to have summarily barred all students, community members and faculty — that is, me and one professor, both quite prominently — arrested during the police action. In official terms, to bar someone summarily requires that he “reasonably find” them to be “a substantial and material threat of significant injury to persons or property.”

Except that he did NOT bar me from campus. Whether he claimed to do so but did not, or tried and failed, he falsely smeared me as a violent threat to all of my colleagues and current and former students as I went about teaching my seminars, holding office hours and other duties.

Chancellor Gillman has shown himself to be an equivocating, petty, dishonest man in this whole affair since October — to me, to my fellow arrestees and I firmly believe, to students, staff and faculty. The damage he has wrought on our campus is clear, as is his unsuitability to be the person we look to as we begin to repair it.

(Written by & Photo provided by Dr. Brook Haley)

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06/05/2024

Aspiring high school entrepreneurs presented self-designed business pitches during the final round of the Sunrise Venture Pitch Competition at UCI on May 25. Out of 14 finalists, high school freshman Zaarya Vaid won the competition for her online toy-trading platform pitch of “Shwapz,” receiving the grand prize of $800 and mentorship from professional entrepreneurs.

Northwood High School junior Ellen Wang, founder of Sunrise Venture, kick-started the organization in September 2023 to universalize entrepreneurial education. Wang assembled a panel of four judges for the competition, including patent attorney Justin Sanders, Wiz-a-Witz educational game founder Cynthia Kirkeby, USC Gould professor of business law Shaun Sanders and Executive Director of the UCI ANTrepreneur Center David Ochi.

(Written by Ethan Huizar) (Photo provided by Suran Yu)

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06/04/2024

More than a dozen cars are at a standstill, blocking Campus Dr outside of the University Town Center. The Palestinian flag can be seen held outside the windows of some vehicles. On the Watson Bridge, over Campus Dr, protesters wave flags and shout Pro-Palestine chants.

Around 1:00 p.m, the cars slowly drove towards the bridge, stopping in front of it to chant and honk. The cars have written words on the windows and banners hanging from the doors.

Protesters on Watson Bridge hang banners and wave flags.

Yesterday, the UCI Divest Coalition announced a https://www.instagram.com/p/C7xZHSNyJXg/?hl=en for today at 12:00 p.m on Instagram. At 1:00 p.m. today, they https://www.instagram.com/p/C7zm0fCSaz3/?hl=en a car caravan protest at the Watson Bridge.

Police wait behind the vehicles, directing UCI and Orange County buses to the University Town Center parking lot to evade the blocked road.

(Written by Skylar Paxton)

06/04/2024

UCI’s Associated Graduate Students (AGS) proposes legislation that, if passed, will lead AGS to formally adopt a no-confidence stance towards UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. AGS representatives will vote on the proposed legislation, Resolution 24-34: Vote of No Confidence in UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, during the AGS bi-weekly council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on June 4.

“After reviewing hours of live footage, speaking to witnesses, and observing law enforcement’s actions, AGS believes the law enforcement actions authorized by Chancellor Gillman on May 15, 2024 could have resulted in loss of life for AGS constituents,” the resolution reads. “AGS further believes the injuries and trauma experienced by AGS constituents on May 15, 2024 were a foreseeable consequence of Chancellor Gillman’s actions.”

(Written by Laiyla Santillan)

06/03/2024

The Antweavers at UCI meet every Thursday in Humanities Hall 254 from 5-7 p.m. to enjoy crafting in a social environment. The Antweavers is a club for those with a common interest in thread-based crafting, primarily engaging in crafts like crochet, knitting and embroidery.

(Written by Alyse Billiard) (Photo by Alyse Billiard/Staff)

HomeNewsCampus NewsThe Antweavers: A community of crafters June 1, 2024 The Antweavers: A community of crafters By: City News Writer Photo by Alyse Billiard / Staff FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp - advertisement - The Antweavers at UCI meet every Thursday in Humanities Hall 254 from 5-7 p.m. to en...

06/02/2024

In a February press conference, Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, responded to questions about U.S.-Mexico relations and the increase in migration. “We’re the United States, Mexico will do what we say,” Johnson said, implying Mexico to be inferior. This arrogant comment perpetuates the well established narrative that Mexico is a lesser country and should be looked down on.

A quick look at Mexico’s elections this year will convince you that Mexico is not a country to be overlooked, but rather admired for its progressive path toward change. Mexico will make history this June with the election of their first female president.

June 2, 2024 will be a historic day in Mexico, with voters electing the president, senators and local officials. The two presidential candidates in a close race for presidency are Xóchitl Gálvez — a left-leaning candidate from the PAN party — and Claudia Sheinbaum — a Morena party member. Both candidates have STEM backgrounds; Gálvez holds a degree in computer science and Sheinbaum has a doctorate in engineering, and has even spent time at a UC Berkeley lab learning about energy use in Mexico. According to recent polls, Sheinbaum is the leading candidate for this election, her progressive goals reflect Mexico’s potential and serve as a beacon of hope for the future.

(Written by Zahira Vasquez) (Photo by Ftscsp2324 / Wikimedia Commons)

HomeOC Officials Issue Warning As Second Rabid Bat Is Spotted In Orange CountyMexico's upcoming election: Don't underestimate Mexico June 2, 2024 Mexico’s upcoming election: Don’t underestimate Mexico By: Zahira Vasquez Ftscsp2324 / Wikimedia Commons FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp - advertisem...

06/01/2024

UCI graduate students and teaching assistants (TAs) organized a rally on May 31. The rally called for university administration to drop charges against students and staff who faced disciplinary action after police dismantlement of the UCI Gaza Solidarity Encampment.

The rally took place the same day United Auto Workers (UAW) announced that UCI UAW 4811 workers will be called upon to join a Stand Up Strike. UAW 4811 workers at UCI will be called to walk off the job on Wednesday, June 5. This follows strikes at UC Santa Cruz, UC Los Angeles and UC Davis. Union members at UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara will be called upon to strike starting Monday, June 3.

The University of California (UC)-wide Stand Up strike alleges unfair labor practices committed by UC universities in their response to pro-Palestine encampments set up on campuses.

(Written & Photo by Skylar Paxton)

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