Volume 8, Issue 22

UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

Volume 8, Issue 22 | May 14 - May 20, 2014

@tblucsb / thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

RELIGION

PATCHETT

UNREAL

What about separation of chuch and state? A look at prayer sessions in town board meetings.

Award-winning author Ann Patchett came to UCSB May 6 to discuss her career.

Unreal Engine 4 epitomizes recent advances in videogame technology.

OPINIONS / 3

A&E / 6

PRIDE WEEK

SCI&TECH / 7

AS BEAT REPORT AS Senate Approves 2014-2015 Budget, Faces Backlash from BCCs

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer

PHOTO / 4 Photo by Madison King | Staff Photographer PRIDE: A couple kisses at the end of the aisle after exchanging flowers on Friday, May 9. Check out our photo coverage of Pride Week events including the student and professional drag shows, queer dog therapy and more.

A

do to make sure these people’s voices get heard.”

The tour began in front of the Coral Tree Café, where tour guides Ahuja, Vasquez, and HRB Publicity Coordinator Ansel Lundberg signaled toward the pervasive history of Cheadle Hall in on-campus protests.

Cheadle Hall has long been known as a symbol of the university administration, the guides noted, prompting demonstrations such as the 1981 sit-in protest of the UC’s affiliation with nuclear weapons facilities Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though 25 people were arrested in Cheadle Hall for trespassing, and the UC’s association with the nuclear facilities remains intact today, the HRB guides attested to the broadened awareness and opposition to the UC’s unscrupulous management decisions.

Lundberg also spoke of “a revival of anti-war protests” a decade later, in which “two separate rallies against the Persian Gulf Wars,” made up of 2,500 and 4,000 students, spoke out against the United States’ military involvement overseas.

The walking tour chronicled campus activism in reaction to national politics, but also reflected on protests surrounding social inequity and racial marginalization.

The tour group took a few short steps toward North Hall, and the guides motioned toward a plaque commemorating the 1968 take-over of the building by 12 African-American UCSB students. These members of the Black Student Union, responding to on-campus racism and a lack of representation, renamed the building “Malcolm X Hall” and submitted a list of demands to the Chancellor. Their efforts led to the creation of the Department of Black Studies and The Center for Black Studies on campus.

“There have been efforts previously to kind of further en-

See RIGHTS | Page 2

See SENATE | Page 2

by Maria Nguyen a place like Del Playa, and it feels comparatively safer to have fun at a place accommodating to the queer community.

Martinez brought up the commonly used phrase, “is there a queer party tonight?” This reinforced the idea of comfort within the community, and that get-togethers are more enjoyable when there is a level of trust put in.

The idea of going out in places separate from queer parties, where the hook-ups are mostly between opposite genders, created a discussion of hate crimes, discrimination, problems of consent, and general mistreatment.

In the rowdier places of IV, a lot of derogatory, homophobic slurs may be thrown around.

“It’s hard to be in IV because there is a lot of anger built up from this, and it triggers us badly,” Piña said.

A question arose about the stereotype of queer individuals, which led to the discussion of corporations like Absolut Vodka that fund gay pride festivals. There is a stereotype of a token, fun, gay character, which goes hand-in-hand with the kind of thinking that the corporations have that fund these events.

The direct topic of substance abuse was discussed throughout, in the context of drugs and alcohol as a means of entertainment, pleasure, and/or coping. While a few of the panelists disclosed their struggles with queer identity causing a turn to substances, the importance of a balance of work and play was stressed.

Among the panelists, the general consensus was that the tight bond of the queer community within UCSB was a huge resource and help to them. Different campus resources had their own effects, but the comfort of being with an understanding community was the best resource.

IV BEAT REPORT Humyn Rights Board Walking Tour Marches Through Activist History to Present Day

H

by Giuseppe Ricapito IV BEAT REPORTER

umyn Rights Board (HRB) organized the first University of California, Santa Barbara Activist Walking Tour throughout the university on Thursday, May 8, guiding attendees through the rich tapestry of sociopolitical advocacy both native to campus and in relation to international issues.

“I think in this age of disillusionment, I think we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping these stories alive,” said HRB Outreach Coordinator Mario Vasquez, a fourth-year history major.

Though a group of only 12 students was present for the outing, there are plans for future walking tours, the HRB representatives said. They also reminded attendees of the significance of their presence, signaling that greater student involvement in the cultural history of the community allows campus activism to remain persistent even today.

“There is a lot of stuff going on and we do need to value the marginalized students that are doing a lot of work on this campus,” said HRB chair Anisha Ahuja, a third-year political science and feminist studies double major. “It’s still really cool what we are doing now in keeping stuff alive in the midst of all the activist suppression that is there.”

Student attendees were offered an event beyond a traditional tour experience—the activist march offered a mobile forum for discussion rather than a prototypical history lesson.

Steven Kwok, first-year economics/accounting major and On-Campus Senator-Elect for the Democratic Process Party, walked his bike through the whole tour, engaging with the group on the various issues.

“I think activism still is crucial nowadays,” Kwok said, alluding to Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement as seminal in protest history. “Activism is something that I do have to

by Kelsey Knorp AS BEAT REPORTER Associated Students Senate approved the 2014-2015 AS budget and discussed a list of demands put forth by various AS boards, committees, and commissions (BCCs) at its meeting on Wednesday, May 7.

Co-chair of the AS Student Commission on Racial Equality (SCORE) Hani Tajsar read a letter, signed by the chairs and commissioners of nine different BCCs, to the Senate during that evening’s public forum. The letter cited several demands, including the rescindment of the recently passed AS restructure bills, the delegation of more decision-making power to BCCs, and budgetary revisions that would give BCCs the ability to approve staff salaries and remove a recharge increase that allocates a portion of these BCCs’ lock-in fees to the recently established AS Pardall Center.

“Despite the presence of Senate Liaisons in every BCC, Senate has continuously showed no real effort to understand, respect, and support how the BCCs function,” the letter reads. “This highlights the lack of decision making power BCCs have in relation to their own autonomy as well as the extreme lack of respect exhibited by the Executive and Legislative branches towards the BCCs.” Tajsar said that decisions such as the recent passing of the AS restructure are representative of elected officials’ disregard for BCC opinions, as many were opposed to the implementation of the restructure altogether.

“I don’t think that the sentiment that BCCs put out [about the restructure] was fully expressed on the Senate floor,” Tajsar said. “As of right now, the problem is it doesn’t matter what the BCCs say.

And that’s been evident.”

The recharge on certain groups’ lock-in fees will increase under the presidential budget from three percent to three and a half percent in order to fund the recently opened Pardall Center. This increase was a primary source of contention for BCCs such as AS Program Board and KCSB, who both had representatives speak against it at public forum.

Program Board Commissioner Amalia Gudino and Special Events Coordinator Aditya Sharma proposed their own alternate budget to the Senate, with various reallocations that they felt could fund the center without the recharge increase.

“We weren’t even brought into the negotiations of the terms, so… there’s no reason for BCCs to be charged for the operating costs of something that we don’t even use, that we weren’t even consulted [on], that we had no sort of say in, and now [is] getting taken out of our budget,” Gudino said.

During his report, AS President Jonathan Abboud said that though he has never supported the creation of the Pardall Center, he found the increased recharge to be the most practical way to fund it.

“It’s not my fault that [former President Sophia Armen] and [former External Vice President of Local Affairs Rhandy Siordia] dumped this burden on me,” Abboud said. “They basically set this whole thing up without figuring out a way to pay for it. That’s what fiscal irresponsibility is.”

Abboud also responded to the BCCs’ demand calling for increased authority on the allocation of staff salaries.

“In terms of staff salaries, the people who are upset and complaining—the students and the BCCs who signed that letter— frankly aren’t qualified to comment on staff salaries,” Abboud said.

Collegiate Sen. and President-elect Ali Guthy agreed with Abboud’s sentiments in her response to the BCCs’ demand for increased decision-making power.

“I don’t think we should vest decision-making power in appointed positions [over those] who were elected by the student body,” Guthy said. “I think it’s extremely undemocratic.”

Guthy also said that though she respects the individual functions of the BCCs, she feels it is important to establish unity within AS as a whole.

“Autonomy [of the BCCs] is on a daily level, and unity is on a more macro level,” Guthy said.

Many BCC members feel this autonomy has been threatened by the organization-wide restructure that will be fully implemented by next school year. Co-chair of Take Back the Night Tara Atrian specifically objects to the presidential appointment of BCC chairs and commissioners.

“Take Back the Night is specifically affected by these changes because it makes our appointment process and our meeting process especially difficult and contentious,” she said. “As an organization that serves as a voice and a healing space for survivors, we have to make sure that the people involved in our organization are understanding of survivor issues and supportive of survivors.”

Humyn Rights Board chair Anisha Ahuja also disagrees with the terms of the recently passed restructure.

“These are UCSB funded [organizations] that provide spaces for

Student Panelists Discuss Queer Identity and Substance Abuse panel of students answered questions involving queer identity, substance abuse, and the Isla Vista party culture at “Untold Queerstory: How Substance Abuse Affected Me,” held in the Loma Pelona Center on Thursday, May 8, as part of this year’s Pride Week. University of California, Santa Barbara Residence Halls Association and UCSB’s Life of the Party sponsored the event.

This event was created as a way to give a voice to the statistic that LGBTQ youth are at a significantly higher risk of abusing substances than heterosexual youth.

The panel consisted of four students: second-year Black studies major Ernie Piña, third-year sociology major Brandon Pineda, third-year feminist studies and Chican@ studies double major Melba Martinez, and second-year global studies major Crystal Long. They each shared their own experiences as queer students living in Isla Vista. The individuals in the group discussed their positive and negative stories about substance abuse relating to the UCSB scene and to the struggles as LGBTQ students.

All four of the students provided a range of experiences in regard to their initial reactions to UCSB’s party scene. As a collective group, the students agreed that they did not expect it. Long did not expect herself to be a part of it, and Martinez expressed that she was afraid of the scene.

“I feel safe with queer people of color because there is a lot of trust put in,” Long said on the topic of late night partying.

Each of the panelists spoke about their own experience with substance abuse in correlation with partying and queer identity. There was a mutual agreement and iterance that, as a queer individual, it was harder to feel comfortable going out in

Josh Plotke speaks about turning IV into a Community Service District during last Wednesday’s Senate meeting on May 7, 2014.

2 | NEWS

TBL | May 14-May 20, 2014

Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Gives Civics Lecture at UCSB

by Brett Debbold STAFF WRITER

A panel of students answered questions involving queer identity, substance abuse, and the Isla Vista party culture at “Untold Queerstory: How Substance Abused Affected Me,” held in the Loma Pelona Center on Thursday, May 8, as part of this year’s Pride Week. University of California, Santa Barbara Residence Halls Association and UCSB’s Life of the Party sponsored the event.

This event was created as a way to give a voice to the statistic that LGBTQ youth are at a significantly higher risk of abusing substances than heterosexual youth.

The panel consisted of four students: second-year Black studies major Ernie Piña, third-year sociology major Brandon Pineda, third-year feminist studies and Chican@ studies double major Melba Martinez, and second-year global studies major Crystal Long. They each shared their own experiences as queer students living in Isla Vista. The individuals in the group discussed their positive and negative stories about substance abuse relating to the UCSB scene and to the struggles as LGBTQ students.

All four of the students provided a range of experiences in regard to their initial reactions

–SENATE

to UCSB’s party scene. As a collective group, the students agreed that they did not expect it.

Long did not expect herself to be a part of it, and Martinez expressed that she was afraid of the scene.

“I feel safe with queer people of color because there is a lot of trust put in,” Long said on the topic of late night partying.

Each of the panelists spoke about their own experience with substance abuse in correlation with partying and queer identity. There was a mutual agreement and iterance that, as a queer individual, it was harder to feel comfortable going out in a place like Del Playa, and it feels comparatively safer to have fun at a place accommodating to the queer community.

Martinez brought up the commonly used phrase, “is there a queer party tonight?” This reinforced the idea of comfort within the community, and that get-togethers are more enjoyable when there is a level of trust put in.

The idea of going out in places separate from queer parties, where the hook-ups are mostly between opposite genders, created a discussion of hate crimes, discrimination, problems of consent, and general mistreatment.

In the rowdier places of IV, a lot of

Continued from page 1

derogatory, homophobic slurs may be thrown around.

“It’s hard to be in IV because there is a lot of anger built up from this, and it triggers us badly,” Piña said.

A question arose about the stereotype of queer individuals, which led to the discussion of corporations like Absolut Vodka that fund gay pride festivals. There is a stereotype of a token, fun, gay character, which goes handin-hand with the kind of thinking that the corporations have that fund these events.

The direct topic of substance abuse was discussed throughout, in the context of drugs and alcohol as a means of entertainment, pleasure, and/or coping. While a few of the panelists disclosed their struggles with queer identity causing a turn to substances, the importance of a balance of work and play was stressed.

Among the panelists, the general consensus was that the tight bond of the queer community within UCSB was a huge resource and help to them. Different campus resources had their own effects, but the comfort of being with an understanding community was the best resource.

–RIGHTS

Continued from page 1

shrine the history of North Hall by providing a display that is more than there is now, which is just a plaque,” said Vasquez.

“It’s been a struggle to codify and institutionalize the history.

But its still happening.”

Next, looping toward El Centro, or Arnulfo Casillas Building, the tour reflected on the advocacy of UCSB’s Latino community. Describing the building as “a stronghold for Chican@ organizations on campus,” the tour discussed the 1994 Hunger Strike Movement, which led to the establishment of the ethnic and gender studies undergraduate requirement. El Centro still serves as a resource for students today.

“A lot of folks meet here and organize here, and it’s a really important safe space for students as well,” said Ahuja. “There’s not many spaces on campus for students of color to come and organize and just study and stuff.”

While ambling through campus, the group also discussed civil unrest in 1970s Isla Vista, focusing specifically on the Bank of America building burning and the shooting of a UCSB student.

After making stops at the MultiCultural Center, Corwin Pavilion, and the UCSB Lagoon–reflecting on topics ranging from Israel divestment, South African apartheid, and Vietnamera demonstrations–the group reached the Faculty Club with a reminder that the activist culture is not yet extinct on campus.

Earlier this year, hundreds of students gathered at the Faculty Club to protest the appointment of UC President Janet

Photos by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer Senators (Above) and Members of AS Program Board (Below) listen to Hani Tajsar discuss BCCs’ lack of power at last Wednesday’s Senate meeting. students of color, queer students, survivors, workers, and active students that are losing their autonomy to bureaucratic power plays,” she said.

Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) co-chair Kai Wilmsen also expressed concerns that student fees, when allocated to projects such as the Pardall Center, are not being used in a manner the student body would approve of. “[I] would like to make sure our lock-in fees aren’t touched by other branches of AS,” Wilmsen said. “Our fees were voted on by the student to be used for, in EAB’s case, sustainability projects and other issues surrounding environmentalism.”

During discussion of the AS budget, Off-Campus Sen. Andre Theus addressed some of the BCC concerns as well.

“I do agree with people who came in public forum and talked about our Senate liaison-ship [in] that a lot of us are not doing our job duties fully,” Theus said.

Theus also referenced the unallocated fund provided by the AS budget for requests made by student groups throughout the academic year, noting that it could be beneficial for BCCs to scrutinize the use of their budgets and reduce their reliance on this fund in the future.

“Essentially, if BCCs don’t think that they can put on as many costly events or costly conferences, then maybe they should look at their own legal code and think of what… they want to prioritize that can affect students on this campus now, and maybe dwindle down some of the things that are in their code,” Theus said.

Ultimately, the presidential budget passed 11-7 with the stipulation that $3,000 be reallocated from the Senate unallocated fund to technical support, upon recommendation from Abboud.

Other legislation passed that evening included “A Resolution in Support of Internet Neutrality,” which establishes a stance against proposed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations that would allow Internet service providers to charge content providers different rates for different speeds of data delivery.

“

Photo Courtesy | Library of Congress

Napolitano, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, during her visit to the university.

“The fact that there’s so much organizing and concern that happens when one of these high level administrators comes around, I feel like it’s a bad sign of an unhealthy institution overall,” said Lundberg.

After handing out an MCC Zine, “What the F*ck UCSB?” the tour concluded at the Student Resource Building; but even there, the dialogue continued. Members of HRB reflected on the evolving, but oftentimes diminishing, role of community activism on campus.

“There’s a strong history of activism at UCSB and there still is currently,” said Mahader Tesfai, whose extensive campus involvement includes his roles as faculty adviser for HRB, Associated Students UCSB Living History Project Coordinator and former AS President. Noting a demographic change to more “middle-class” student admissions, Tesfai suggested, “there is a shift in the corporatization and privatization of the university…

I think the university is shifting a lot more than the activism.”

The topic of student activism gave HRB an opportunity to be a mouthpiece for persistent UC issues, engaging students with locational histories rather than chronological ones. The group reflected their motivation for alleviating sociopolitical ills, attesting to the fact that the walking tour was not just an exercise in the history of community activism, but a reflection of its perseverance in the future.

THE WALKING TOUR WAS NOT JUST AN EXERCISE IN THE HISTORY OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, BUT A REFLECTION OF ITS PERSEVERANCE IN THE FUTURE.

”

Photo Courtesy | Kyron Covington Humyn Rights Board members lead students on a walking tour of historical spots of activism on the UCSB campus.

TBL 2013-2014 STAFF Executive Managing Editor | Cheyenne Johnson Executive Content Editor | Parisa Mirzadegan Copy Editor | Camila Martinez-Granata News Editor | Lily Cain Features Editor | Katana Dumont Opinions Editor | Anjali Shastry Arts & Entertainment Editor | Deanna Kim Science & Technology Editor | Matt Mersel Photography Editor | Magali Gauthier Senior Layout Editor | Haley Paul

Senior Layout Editor | Robert Wojtkiewicz Layout Editor | Beth Askins Layout Editor | Morey Spellman Multimedia Editor | Brenda Ramirez Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Giuseppe Ricapito Associated Students Beat Reporter | Kelsey Knorp Promotion Director | Audrey Ronningen Advertising Director | Marissa Perez Staff Adviser | Monica Lopez

WRITERS THIS ISSUE: Giuseppe Ricapito, Kelsey Knorp, Maria Nguyen, Brett Debbold, Sam Goldman, Isabelle Geczy, Lexi Weyrick, Gilberto Flores, Ashkan Karimloo, Madison Donahue-Wolfe, Judy Lau, Prof. Emilie Wood

PHOTOGRAPHERS THIS ISSUE: Lorenzo Basilio, Madison King, Benjamin Hurst, Matthew Burciaga, John Clow, Kana Ebiko

The Bottom Line provides a printed and online space for student investigative journalism, culturally and socially aware commentary, and engaging reporting that addresses the diverse concerns of our readership and community. This is your community to build, share ideas, and publicize your issues and events. We welcome your questions, comments, or concerns at bottomlineucsb@gmail.com, or call our office phone at 805-893-2440.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

ILLUSTRATORS THIS ISSUE: Hector Lizarraga

The Bottom Line is sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff, AS, or UCSB. Published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (genprogress.org). All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to bottomlineucsb@gmail.com or content.tbl@gmail.com.

Our web magazine offers hard-hitting journalism, analysis, and multimedia on issues of the greatest concern to young people; gives young writers, reporters, artists, and others the chance to publish nationally; and builds a community of progressives interested in issues, ideas, and activism.

OPINIONS | 3

TBL | May 14-May 20, 2014

In the Name of Almighty Xenu, Let Us Begin This Town Board Meeting

by Sam Goldman STAFF WRITER “ We thank you, Allah, for the opportunity to be here. Okay then, first on the agenda…”

How many residents of Greece, N.Y., would feel awkward and excluded if the opening prayer to their town board meeting was routinely given by an imam? How many would claim infringement on their religious liberties and violation of the First Amendment? The Supreme Court recently ruled that the town’s legislative session’s opening prayer, which is pretty much always overtly Christian in nature, is constitutional and does not cross any lines into unacceptability. I beg to differ.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, stated that “[a]s a practice that has long endured, legislative prayer has become part of our heritage and tradition.” Regardless of how much legislative prayer is steeped in tradition, this is certainly not a reason for ruling in favor of it. Many other unwarranted practices in the United States that left others feeling excluded or actually excluded, such as segregation and barring women from voting, were a part of our heritage and tradition that were abolished without regard to this status. Tradition does not determine a practice’s acceptability.

Additionally, the conservative majority argued that ruling against the prayers would mean the government and courts would “act as supervisors and censors of religious speech.” Not quite. Individuals would still be free to express religious speech on their own behalf—just not in the capacity of a government entity. Ruling against the prayers would not entail suppression of religious freedom, but would create a neutral space where no one is subject to religious rhetoric they don’t agree with.

No single belief would be elevated or deprecated.

Another important aspect of the majority opinion is that no one is coerced into the prayer, which is technically true.

But when atheist or non-Christian attendees are encouraged to participate, even knowing that they’re not technically being coerced does not make much of a difference in the reality of their feelings. As an atheist, I can easily imagine the awkward feeling that would result: watching everyone being encouraged to bow their heads as a prayer that I don’t think reflects reality is used to open a nonreligious legislative session. People may be actively welcomed to join, but it’s not hard to imagine how some people may still feel excluded at hearing a prayer that is explicitly out of line with what they believe. It could conceivably make some people feel like they don’t belong in their own town’s legislative meeting. And a meeting as fundamental as this kind should be made to feel as inclusive and comfortable as possible for anyone who wishes to participate in their local government.

The Court’s majority opinion takes a pretty outdated view of society and religion. A couple hundred years ago, the First Amendment and separation of church and state would have referred to–in the overwhelmingly religious, Christian society–accepting whatever Christian denomination one wanted to embrace and not using the Bible as a basis for our governmental decisions. Demographics, believe it or not, have indeed changed just a tad since then. The U.S. is now a true melting pot of wildly differing religious beliefs, and it only makes sense to update our interpretation of the First Amendment and the separation of church and state to reflect this. In addition to the greater diversity in America, we are becoming more and more aware of the old social norms that have been informing opinions like the Supreme Court’s. In a country of greater multiculturalism where we realize that a homogenous, Christian society’s traditional norms are outdated, we should expand the definition of separation of church and state so that religious belief will not make others feel excluded or awkward and won’t impose its morals onto government business. A legislative session opening prayer that provides a truly neutral, inclusive atmosphere for everyone who wishes to participate—the only acceptable atmosphere—is one left unspoken.

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Illustration by Hector Lizaraga Staff Illustrator

THE U.S. IS NOW A TRUE MELTING POT OF WILDLY DIFFERING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO UPDATE OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE TO REFLECT THIS. While the University of California, Santa Barbara is a fairly inclusive, thoughtful place, we can all still benefit from learning the lessons the majority of the Supreme Court has yet to. Much of the misunderstanding that can happen between students here can be remedied by realizing that not everyone

”

embraces the same social norms. Exploring culturally diverse classes and attending multicultural events are two great ways to further open up our minds and help eliminate any feelings of exclusion in our peers so that we can create as fair a campus as possible.

It’s Only Our Future:

Why Keystone XL Pipeline Should Not Be Built

by Isabelle Geczy If you haven’t heard about the Keystone XL Pipeline yet, then you better start listening. Our collective future is at stake.

The Keystone XL Pipeline is an oil pipeline project by Trans Canada that is slated to carry crude oil from the Tar Sands of Alberta, Canada, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, three phases of the pipeline have been approved, and the first has been constructed. However, the final and largest phase is still currently waiting for approval. Keystone XL has become a highly divisive issue in the United States, thanks in part to the already polarized state of the nation.

Conservatives claim that it is a project that will stimulate the U.S. economy by creating construction jobs and promoting energy independence, while liberals claim it will only cause mass environmental degradation and further exacerbate climate change. Partisan squabbles have their unfortunate place in our country, but Keystone XL should not be one of them. Protecting the environment around us is a bipartisan issue, and stopping Keystone XL should be too. It’s not a fair deal by a long shot; the pipeline will benefit a very small percentage of people, yet it will cause a myriad of grave environmental and economic consequences.

The Tar Sands of Alberta hold some of the dirtiest crude oil on earth. This oil lies underneath old-growth arboreal forest, which will be totally decimated to extract the oil. Deforestation aside, if all the oil extracted is burned, between 50 to 60 parts per million of carbon dioxide will be added to the atmosphere.

This addition will push the parts per million of carbon dioxide

over 450–the point of no return for climate change, as this is the number at which climate scientists believe the effects of global warming will become irreversible.

Furthermore, the idea that this pipeline will bring energy independence for the U.S. is actually base and unfounded. To even use the tar sands crude, the oil will need to be refined extensively to meet environmental regulations in the U.S. Instead, the oil from the Keystone XL pipeline will most likely be sent to developing nations with less regimented environmental standards, meaning that the pollution will be effectively offshored. In addition, at home in the U.S., the pipeline cuts through a great deal of farmland and more rural but settled areas. An overland disaster would create immense issues of degradation and clean-up for many Americans. As evidenced by the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, transnational oil companies have little incentive and commitment to cleanup. Overall, Keystone XL poses a distinct threat to the climate and environment, and it would be irresponsible to move forward with construction.

Keystone XL is also far from a project that will stimulate the U.S. economy. Rather, the negative economic effects of the pipeline will be felt far sooner than any economic stimulation.

While the pipeline is touted as creating American jobs, it is only creating temporary pipefitting and construction jobs that will not give any true financial security to workers. According to the U.S. State Department, Keystone XL will create only 35 permanent jobs–a figure that speaks for itself. In addition, the pipeline will actually hurt American workers as well, for it is slated to go

through vast swaths of farmland in the middle of the country.

In states like Nebraska, farmers are facing having parts of their land seized by eminent domain laws for pipeline construction, meaning that they will lose arable land they could be profiting off of to the pipeline. Moreover, this isn’t even taking into account any of the effects that pollution or spills could cause to crops and farmland. Keystone XL is a losing proposition for the American people.

As a member of the generation that is set to inherit this earth and the climate crisis, I feel that Keystone XL is an incredibly selfish venture that will only create lasting harm. Currently, President Obama has announced that the review of the final phase of the pipeline will be stalled indefinitely. Due to his actions, the Senate in the past week has attempted to force the approval of the pipeline, without presidential approval. This selfish, shortsighted action would spell devastation for our country. For this reason, Keystone XL has become a defining issue for the climate movement, mobilizing over 60,000 people to march on Washington, D.C. in February 2013 for the largest climate rally in history. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the march, surrounded by so many different groups of people united against a singular issue. Faith-based groups, student groups, senior citizens, farmers and professors—the collective of people was absolutely staggering and spoke to the diverse nature of the American people. Together, we can defeat this project, and prove that people power is still stronger than monetary power. Together, we can ensure that our future will be a reality.

4-5 | PHOTO

PR Photo by Madison King | Staff Photographer David Griniade advertises free condoms at the Planned Parenthood ring toss booth.

Y A M

T S 8:

T N E D U

G A DR

W O SH

Photo by Mathew Burciag

From L to R: Drag queen Rudé takes center stage, backed by Molly Adderall and Heels.

by Crystal Chen

Photo by Mathew Burciaga | Staff Photographer Admirers of student drag queen Avery Daniels flock to the stage.

Photo by Mathew Burciaga | Staff Photographer Student drag queen Athena Lunar strikes a pose at the end of her act.

In an array of colorful wigs, sky high heels, and glitter, Isla Vista Theater was transformed into a drag queen extravaganza on the evening of May 9. As one of the many events for Pride Week 2014 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the annual studentrun drag show flaunted not only fierce fashion and personalities, but it also created a welcoming and safe environment where anyone’s inner diva could come out and play.

The audience was introduced to the emcee, the confident and exuberant Nick Newton (stage name Avery Daniels), with a loud blaring of “Hole Pic,” which is William Belli’s hilarious parody of the song “#Selfie.” From then on, the room was filled with nothing but laughs and love from the audience. The many acts that continued consisted of hilarious lip-synching to up-beat and female empowering songs by the drag queens from artists like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Gloria Gaynor.

However, one number in particular stood out because it was so different from the others. Alex Eisenhart (stage name Alexandra Divine) instead of lip-synching, sang a cappella about loving his life as a drag queen. His deep and resounding voice rang through the theater with great clarity. It was a moment of vulnerability and absolute fearlessness that received a standing ovation from the audience.

“I think this is an event that needs to be seen every year,” said Chris Buck, a secondyear sociology and financial mathematics and statistics double major who organized the studentrun drag show. “It’s an event where we can all be happy together and have a good time, and it really gets students involved.”

And involved they were. In between acts done by drag queens, the Diva Games were held. These consisted of male students from the audience who would volunteer to head up on stage, get adorned in everything from bright yellow dresses to red feather boas, and have a dance off with each other. There were two rounds of Diva Games, narrowing the participants from six to three, but everyone on stage truly let their inner divas shine, accompanied by some incredible dance moves.

All the volunteers received Pride t-shirts and tons of appreciation by the drag queens and audience members.

Jake Harries, a first-year undeclared major and participant of the Diva Games, said, “I got up there because I knew Athena would want me to and I was just feeling it–and why not?” Athena Lunar, or Joel Moxez, is Harries’s mentor for UCSB’s Queer Straight Union (QSU).

This event would not have been made possible without QSU, a political and social student group interested in promoting a safer and

more sup everyone i The drag q or mentor connectio this amaz welcomed QSU, whi at the UC After show, the welcomed and greet perfect fo In an int light upon for self ex well-receiv “I’ve than mos “and bein kind of lo lot of peop is one of t where I ca of me and but be exa Studen of it. “Th all the q said Win biopsycho first time g drag show pride week Now t and the w been pack from the drag show year’s, bec another h acceptanc

TBL | May 14-May 20, 2014

RIDE A dog at Queer Dog Therapy on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.

Photo by Kana Ebiko | The Bottom Line

Photo by Madison King | Staff Photographer Gold Okafor and her friend get their groove on under the balloon arch at the Queer Wedding on May 9.

ga | Staff Photographer

pportive atmosphere for in the queer community. queens are the “mothers” rs to students, and those ons were the roots of zing event. Anyone is d to get involved with ich has weekly meetings Cen. the hour and a half audience members were d on stage for a meet with the drag queens– or photo ops and selfies. terview, Newton shined n the importance of drag xpression in a fun and ved way. always been different st boys,” said Newton, ng feminine as a guy is ooked down upon by a ple, which is sad, so drag the only times in my life an express a different side d not be shamed for it, alted and praised for it.” nts loved every minute The show was great and queens were beautiful,” nnie Tsang, a third-year ology major. “It was my going to the student-run w and it really showed me k.” that the glitter has settled wigs and costumes have ked, students can smile memory of this year’s w and anticipate next cause it will surely be huge celebration of love, ce, and expression.

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer Joseph Din reads his piece, “Love is Blind”, during Open Mic Night at the Coffee Collab last Thursday, May 8, 2014.

Photo by Mathew Burciaga | Staff Photographer Supporters of QueerComm and Take Back the Night rally on the streets of Isla Vista on May 5.

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer Courtney Act flirts with a young man from the audience at the proffesional drag show on May 9.

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer Keith Mar talks about equality and identity during Open Mic Night.

TBL | May 14-May 20, 2014

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FROM SEVENTEEN TO INDIE

Ann Patchett speaks on altruism during her lecture in Campbell Hall last Tuesday, May 6.

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer

Ann Patchett shares tales of her career, from her start at Seventeen Magazine to owning an independent bookstore.

by Lexi Weyrick STAFF WRITER

Ann Patchett, an author and owner of an independent bookstore in Nashville, spoke at Campbell Hall on Tuesday, May 6, about her career and business.

She has written several novels, including “Bel Canto,” “Run,” and “This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage.” Patchett was also on TIME Magazine’s Top 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2012. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and, before she graduated, published her first article in The Paris Review.

From there, Patchett worked at Seventeen Magazine for nine years.

During her talk, Patchett said she did not enjoy her time at Seventeen and left after an argument with an editor.

After that, she wrote for bridal magazines for a little while. Patchett commented that she was able to write articles that could stay in circulation for years and still get paid since few people subscribed to bridal magazines for very long.

She also wrote for GQ and Vogue, among others, before a friend

got a position working for The New York Times Magazine, opening the door for her to also write for the publication. From there, Patchett wrote for Harper’s, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post.

Patchett stated that every time her work was published, she would cut out the article and put it in a Tupperware container. Eventually, a close friend of hers, Niki Castle, convinced her to create a compilation of all of her articles.

“I don’t like looking back,” Patchett said. “I don’t like looking forward; I don’t like looking back.

I’m right here in the moment.”

She had a difficult time with the articles because everything she wrote encapsulated a small piece of her. She compared the anthology to wearing different dresses at different parties. One might be short but otherwise modest, and another dress could be low-cut but otherwise modest. Once you put the dresses side by side, though, it’s as if there’s very little dress there.

“I couldn’t get past the naked feeling,” Patchett said about her

Tupperware articles.

The articles did help her understand herself better, though. In late 2010, Nashville’s major bookstores both closed at the corporate level, leaving the city without a bookstore.

“If you can form the thought, ‘Who’s going to open a bookstore?’, it’s your job,” said Patchett.

Patchett and Karen Hayes teamed up to open an independent bookstore in Nashville–a partnership that has resulted in success.

Named Parnassus Books after the mountain in Greece that is sacred to Apollo, the god of poetry in Greek mythology, the store opened in November of 2011.

“The very best thing about opening a bookstore, and why I think you all should go home and open a bookstore… [is that] you know what it is to open a book and love a book,” said Patchett. “That covenant between you and the book is not complete until you can say to someone, ‘You have to read this book.’ I have been forcing my friends and family to read the books I love my entire

life, and now I own a store where a river of humans comes through every day.”

As a successful co-owner of an independent bookstore, Patchett has become a spokesperson for independent book selling. She has traveled to talk about her love of books and reach out to people to express how important it is that they support their local businesses.

“It’s as if we, as Americans, are powerless to lower prices,” Patchett said. “What we cherish in our communities need to be supported.”

Instead of getting great recommendations about books or plants or whatever product from local businesses and then going to the chain stores to buy the products at a slightly lower price, Patchett implores people to support the great recommendation by buying the product from the local business.

“You can’t take your whole family to Anthropologie after dinner,” Patchett said. Small businesses create jobs and have countless other benefits said Patchett, saying, “Whether they survive is up to you.”

Choose Your Own Adventure at Reel Loud Film Festival

by Gilberto Flores STAFF WRITER The Reel Loud Film Festival will celebrate its 23rd year as University of California, Santa Barbara’s largest student film festival on Friday, May 23, at Campbell Hall. Featuring everything from short films to student artwork to live music and dances, Reel Loud is sure to give one of the best and most unique exhibitions of student talent that UCSB has to offer.

Since 1991, the Reel Loud Film Festival has been providing a place for student filmmakers, artists, musicians, and other performers to display their incredible productions on Campbell Hall’s big screen and stage. This year is definitely no exception.

The one-night festival consists primarily of silent short films with live musical accompaniment, calling back to the days of classic silent films and Vaudeville performances.

Things kick off at 6:30 p.m. with an art show in front of Campbell Hall, where artists can display and sell their art. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Choose Your Own Adventure”–and they really mean it. For example, the art show will feature works of art with a special emphasis on genre-mixing, along with photo booths and props where guests can take pictures in the old west, the dinosaur era, or even in a sea cave. These are a few of the many ways Reel Loud will be paying homage to adventurous genres in film, ranging from the

Western, underwater sea adventure, jungle adventure, pre-historic adventure, and beyond. Their mascot is even an old-fashion deep sea diver who wears a wizard cloak.

“Our main goal is that you actually can choose your own adventure. So you can be in the Wild West and have a sword, or be in the Jurassic times and have a laser gun,” said Sam Lerner, a third-year film & media studies major and the director of the Reel Loud Film Festival.

In addition to fun short films and student artwork, attendees can look forward to seeing the Bay Area band A Yawn Worth Yelling close out the festival. A Yawn Worth Yelling is an up-and-coming indierock band from San Jose, Calif., who just came off a successful Pacific Northwest tour. Fans of alter-

native rock groups like The Dirty Projectors, Manchester Orchestra, or Vampire Weekend can look forward to this seeing this emerging band perform.

Guests should also look out for UCSB’s very own Urban Dance Company to show off their incredible moves at Reel Loud. The a cappella group Naked Voices, another UCSB favorite, will be providing some great musical entertainment as well.

“It’s a little ambiguous because adventure can be anything,” said Lerner, whose appreciation for adventure films and TV shows like “Indiana Jones” and “Adventure Time” sync perfectly with the festival’s theme. “We’re trying to do as much variety as we can.”

And with groups like A Yawn

Worth Yelling, Urban Dance Company, and Naked Voices, in addition to the many great films and performances, variety is guaranteed.

“If you’re a music fan, there’s a ton of music. If you’re an art fan, there’s art. The films are fantastic, they’re just fun to watch,” said Lerner. “There’s something for everyone at Reel Loud. It brings together all the arts.”

Tickets for the Reel Loud Film Festival are $10 and can be purchased online and printed at home from the Reel Loud website (www. reel-loud.com), or they can be purchased at the AS Cashier’s Office and at the Film & Media Studies Main Office in SSMS 2433. They will also be available at the door for $12.

Dâm-Funk Takes Funk Back to the Future

by Ashkan Karimloo STAFF WRITER

Isla Vista Theater was graced with a night of boogie and funk in celebration of Magic Lantern’s 10th anniversary this past Friday, May 9. As a part of the first season of “Something Else”–a concert series organized by Speak Volumes and Magic Lantern Film–Pasadena’s Dâm-Funk regaled the night’s audience with his unique combination of soul and funk music.

For the second concert in this three-part series, Speak Volumes and Magic Lantern once again converted IV Theater into a music venue with a professional aesthetic: the sound quality remained crisp throughout the night and a movie screen was used to project a visual accompaniment to the performances.

University of California, Santa Barbara students Alex Ho and Dylan Chase opened the night as their collaborative DJ act, Psychojohn. They played a tasteful mix of deep, tech,

and ghetto house in addition to classic funk and disco. Not only did they play a wide variety of genres, but their song selection–ranging from Whitney Houston’s “Million Dollar Bill” to Reggie B’s “Do You Wanna Ride”– also showcased Ho and Chase’s dedication to the research of old and contemporary tracks.

Around 11:15 p.m., Dâm-Funk began his set. Like Psychojohn, he displayed a great diversity in his track selection. At times Dâm would make you feel as if you were entering the Mothership with Parliament-Funkadelic, only to take you back to the mid-90s streets of South-Central Los Angeles with his G-Funk influenced melodies and bass lines. At one point, he was even able to bring the atmosphere of a Detroit nightclub to IV Theater with an acid house track crafted by Omar S. Dâm demonstrated his experience as a DJ through the small details of his performance– often flipping and twirling vinyl records between his fingertips as he alternated through them. Often, Dâm opted to comment about

many of the songs that he played as he transitioned into them, telling the audience a bit about the song’s history, stating the name of the artist that made it and where they were from.

In addition to blending vinyls together, Dâm repeatedly grabbed the microphone to sing along to his tracks. Toward the end of his performance, he began to incorporate a keyboard and synthesizer to create live beats in front of the crowd.

Dâm intended on ending his performance with the popular song “Hood Pass Intact” from his album “Toeachizown,” which was released by Stones Throw Records in October 2009. However, after realizing that no one was cutting him off, Dâm decided to keep the party going with two more songs. He played the tracks “Faden Away” and “Hit Da Pavement” from his collaborative album “7 Days of Funk” with Snoop Dogg, who re-branded himself as Snoopzilla in homage to the legendary funk-bassist Bootsy Collins, or Bootzilla

as he has been intermittently named.

After his set, Dâm-Funk complimented the efforts of Speak Volumes and Magic Lantern, stating that everything about the night was incredible, from Psychojohn’s opening act to the visuals by fourth-year computer science major Jason Worden. In an act of humility, Dâm, who had just completed an outstanding performance, praised the event’s coordinators and the crowd, stating, “Keep it up, Santa Barbara.”

The success of this concert and the first installment of “Something Else,” which brought the Los Angeles psychedelic pop duo Peaking Lights to IV Theater, indicate that Speak Volumes and Magic Lantern have devised a concert series that is well worth Isla Vista’s attention.

Be sure to catch the third and final installment of this season’s “Something Else” series on May 30, as Mndsgn offers his own interpretation of the sounds of the Los Angeles beat scene.

TBL | May 14-May 20, 2014

SCIENCE & TECH | 7

Illustration by Hector Lizarraga | Staff Illustrator

Amazing? Incredible? No, Unreal. Epic Games Releases Unreal Engine 4

by Madison Donahue-Wolfe STAFF WRITER Imagine the 64-bit world of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” brought to near photorealism through the power of a brandnew graphical engine. You can stop imagining now; it has already been done.

With Epic Games’ recent release of Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) to the public, indie and triple-A game studios alike have rushed to get their hands on the new software that can bring video games to a graphical level never seen before. According to ExtremeTech, one graphic designer and video

game devotee in particular, Michael Eurek, recreated the interior of the Temple of Time from the Nintendo 64 game “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998) with UE4, and the result looks better than many video games that are on the market today. Epic Games’ price tag for the software is a $19 per month subscription, a relatively inexpensive cost that allows professional and amateur developers alike to create game environments with stunning graphical capability.

UE4’s inclusion of advanced particle effects is part of the reason that it excels graphically. According to Gamasutra, particle effects allow for the rendering of fuzzy

or abstract phenomena that would not otherwise be replicable. Things such as fire, smoke, moving water, sparks, fog, dust, and stars all will look near photorealistic with UE4, and are sure to elicit “oohs” and “aahs” from all manner of gamers.

UE4 also features enhanced lighting effects with subsurface scattering, which, according to Renderman, allows for the realistic rendering of translucent materials such as skin, fruits, and milk, among others. It is also responsible for effects like color bleeding inside materials, or the diffusion of light across shadow boundaries. In layman’s terms, subsurface scattering would be responsible for light

filtering through a stained glass window or beaming through the collectible gems, such as those in the aforementioned reincarnation of the Temple of Time.

It is difficult to imagine video games looking even more beautiful than they do right now. Unreal Engine 3, the predecessor to UE4, spawned many visually breathtaking games, including “BioShock Infinite” (2013), while other engines such as Frostbite 3 produced their fair share of graphical marvels, such as “Battlefield 4” (2013).

But this has been the case in video gaming for decades; just when players believe games can’t look any better, they manage to improve.

Although the graphical and physical improvements Unreal Engine 4 brings to the table is exciting, Epic Games’ plans don’t stop there. According to Polygon, the company looks to finalize its initial support for Project Morpheus, Sony’s Playstation 4 virtual reality headset.

We are living in a time when video game technology advances faster than we can adapt to its current incarnation. Perhaps in the next decade or so, gamers, through virtual reality, will themselves be able to explore the Temple of Time they had only previously been able to experience on a tiny, two-dimensional screen.

MIT AND HARVARD RESEARCHERS CREATE BUILDING BLOCKS OF QUANTUM INTERNET Illustration by Hector Lizarraga | Staff Illustrator

by Judy Lau STAFF WRITER By using a laser to place individual atoms near the surface of a light, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have developed a new method for connecting particles that could lead to the development of powerful quantum computing systems.

This technique allows scientists to couple a single rubidium atom, which is a metal, and a photon, which is a single light particle. The combination of the two allows the system to switch

between the metal atom and the light particle, thus providing a mechanism where micro-level computing operations could take place, according to MIT Technology Review.

Photons have two states, meaning that interaction with the metal atom can cause the photon to switch and change between the two possible phases. Through this atomphoton coupling, a quantum switch can be formed and use to transmit information, much like a classical computing system.

A traditional digital computer creates the illusion that it is multi-

tasking by switching between two different computational states, or binary states (the series of 0s and 1s that most computer users will recognize). Quantum computers, on the other hand, have the ability to perform greater computational feats by abandoning calculative constraints and existing in two states at once. It is similar to cloning yourself and having the ability to effectively multitask, according to TIME. By increasing the number of atoms within the same field of light, a hybrid quantum system can be created where individual atoms can form microscopic devices. By placing many atoms in the same field of light, scientists are able to build networks that can process information on a microscopic level more effectively.

Other methods for producing this system have been considered before, such as dropping or trapping atoms in place. However, the use of the light particles gives researchers greater control of the particles.

“This is a major advance of this system,” says Vladan Vuletic, a professor in MIT’s Department of Physics and Research Laboratory for Electronics (RLE), and a co-author of the paper. “We have demonstrated basically an atom can switch the phase of a photon. And the photon can switch the phase of an atom.”

These first-of-their-kind switches

have the possibility of being networked to form the backbone of a “quantum Internet,” allowing perfectly secure communications.

“From a technical standpoint, it’s a remarkable accomplishment,” Professor of Physics Mikhail Lukin said at the advance. “Conceptually, the idea is very simple: Push the conventional light switch to its ultimate limit. What we’ve done here is to use a single atom as a switch that, depending on its state, can open or close the flow of photons…and it can be turned on and off using a single photon.”

The switches could be used to build a quantum computer, but it will primarily be used in quantum cryptography, a method for converting communications to allow for perfectly secure information changes. This means that operating systems running on this switch will be impossible to intercept without leaving an obvious sign of spying, since simply observing a quantum object causes it to change state.

“It’s unlikely everyone would need this type of technology,” Lukin said.

“But there are some realistic applications that could someday have transformative impact on our society.”

In theory, quantum computing could allow for huge amounts of data to be processed, far beyond the scope of today’s supercomputers. The development of this new system involv-

ing switches could one day allow for the fabrication of thousands of such switches into a single device.

Simply bringing a metal atom and a light particle together is not enough to create such breakthroughs. In order to create quantum switches that could soon be the heart of quantum networks, the researchers must bombard the atom with waves and lasers so that it enters a superposition state, a state in which it can occupy multiple quantum states, thus allowing it to switch between two phases. The superposition state is extremely delicate.

A single light particle can change the entire phase of the metal atom; the phase change is what allows the atom to act as a valve that can be turned on and off.

“For me what is still amazing, after working in this for 20 years,” Vuletic reflects, “is that we can hold onto a single atom, we can see it, we can move it around, we can prepare quantum superpositions of atoms, we can detect them one by one.”

Although it is unlikely for the quantum switches to be integrated in standard equipment for personal computers, it is possible they could appear in prototype quantum networks within a decade. Not everyone would need this type of technology, but there are some realistic applications that could one day transform our society.

Meet UCSB’s Dr. Chapman, Devotee to All Things Algal

by Prof. Emilie Wood UCSB LIVING LAB As climate change continues at an ever-increasing pace, the scientific community is racing against the clock to develop a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Dr. David Chapman, a University of California, Santa Barbara faculty member in the department of Evolution, Ecology and Marine Biology, has a particular interest in all things algal.

Algae are important for a number of uses, Chapman explains, from food products to skincare items and biofuels. Chapman is currently the Algae Curator for the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) herbarium, which manages over 8,000 specimens. A collection of species like this allows scientists and research groups to take a look back in time, analyze the common flora from the past, and compare it to the current flora. Research groups such as the Long Term Ecological Restoration (LTER) program use the herbarium to house their specimens.

Algal products are used in many household items, unbeknownst to the average consumer; carrageenan and alginic acid can be found in many toothpastes, ice creams, face lotions, and a plethora of other very common products. To keep track of the many products in our daily life that include an algae byproduct as an ingredient, Chapman maintains several binders full of labels

clipped from product packages.

When asked why he feels algae are such a critical field to study and communicate with the public, Chapman explained that their wide range of uses and applications makes them very applicable to many different fields and industries. He feels outreach is vital because “it is very important that universities don’t close themselves up behind brick walls and do only research, especially public universities, because we have an obligation, when asked, to assist in education and implementation of other programs.”

The CCBER herbarium partners with Marine Science Institute’s (MSI) educational program Oceans-to-Classroom and the Research Experience and Education Facility (REEF) Aquarium at Campus Point. This connection provides the REEF with information on the 30 most common algae in our local area, which the facility then uses to help teach ocean science to school tour groups, as well as the general Santa Barbara public. Chapman believes it is helpful and meaningful to proactively communicate algae’s role in local marine ecosystems as a key species, and he assists in facilitating the interaction with both REEF and the Coastal Marine Biolabs.

Algae as a potential biofuel is a hot topic among top researchers today. “Biofuels are becoming a very important aspect of modern algae usage,” Chapman explains. Through the process of photosynthesis, algae trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fix it into sugar molecules, which they use as energy to grow. Not

only are biofuels made out of algae renewable, they actually help to sequester excess carbon from the atmosphere.

Additionally, algae are also easy to manipulate genetically, and researchers have produce strains of algae that yield the highest possible levels of biofuel compounds. To utilize algae as a potential fuel, a compound found within the cells of the algae is isolated and refined, similar to the way corn is used to produce ethanol as an alternative fuel source.

There are some concerns and limitations to this algae use, as increased algae growth also requires a large amount of land (yes, algae need land to grow—many algal ponds are on land!). There are many ways to grow the crop, from high-tech bioreactors to large algal ponds, but all options are very expensive. Also, an alga needs a copious amount of water to grow, and water will become even more stressed as climate change continues to put pressure on our fresh water supplies. In addition, the infrastructure for oil is very ingrained in our society. It may be hard to decouple from this main contributor to the economy and to build trust among consumers and industry in a new fuel technology.

As with any new technology, there are many challenges with this growing industry. However, there is much hope for the potential of algae as a biofuel, and the pressure is on to create a feasible alternative to fossil fuels in this ever growing world. Chapman recommends that we “do not underestimate or ignore the potential use of algae.”

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EXTRAVAGANZa

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2014 MUSIC FESTIVAL MAY 18 1PM HARDER STADIUM FREE W/ VALID UCSB ACCESS CARD

NO SKATEBOARDS, BOTTLES, CANS, KNIVES, ALCOHOL, ANIMALS, ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, WALLET CHAINS, RECORDING DEVICES, BACKPACKS, LARGE BAGS, PROJECTILE ITEMS, STAGE DIVING, CROWD SURFING, OR MOSHING. ANY PERSONS ENGAGED IN VIOLENT CONDUCT OR ENDANGERING OTHERS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE VENUE. FOR MORE INFO VISIT ASPROGRAMBOARD.COM