Volume 7, Issue 23

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Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara Volume 7, Issue 23 | May 15 - May 22, 2013

BOTTOM LINE

Divestment Resolution Heard Again by Senate,

Ultimately Fails 12-11-1

Violent Altercation Breaks Out in IV, Provoked By Homophobic Remarks

by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer Violence broke out in Isla Vista on Trigo Road Friday, April 26, following one student directing homophobic comments toward another, reminding the campus community of the importance of creating a safe climate in and around campus.

Noor Aljawad, a fourth-year double major in Middle Eastern studies and feminist studies, and Clarissa Bitar, a secondyear ethnomusicology major, both witnessed the incident.

Aljawad explained that the altercation began when a man she described as “white, cis-gendered, and non-queer” began directing homophobic comments and slurs towards a friend of hers, a queer man of color, and telling them to “get off of his street.” The man also made derogatory comments toward the women of the group.

Aljawad, Bitar, and friends continued down the street in an effort to avoid the individual, but he pursued, persisting in shouting comments in slurs and stepping in to “get in the faces” of members of their group, said Bitar. The violence began when Photo by John Clow | The Bottom Line one of the students being provoked took a swing at the student who was making comments.

Third-year Middle Eastern studies major Hani Tajsar voices his support for the resolution at the last AS Senate meeting.

In the ensuing altercation, the student who threw the first on her math education. punch was knocked unconscious and the student who had made

by LILY CAIN “Like I said initially, I would’ve rounded up, and it wasn’t the homophobic comments began “kicking his head repeatedly AS Beat Reporter until I felt that people were lobbying or telling me differently and started stomping on him,” said Aljawad. “I just wanted him After approximately five hours of public forum and discus- that I would think to change my decision,” said Segovia. “I’m to not kill the guy, so we called the cops.” sion the Associated Students resolution, “A Resolution to Divest sorry for anyone that this has hurt, but it would’ve needed 13 The individual who had been using slurs fled after he realfrom Companies that Profit from the Military Occupation of yesses but that’s not what happened. So I’m sorry, and it fails ized the cops had been called. When the police arrived, Bitar Palestine” failed early in the morning on Thursday, May 9, in and that is my final interpretation, and I hope that you all still said they were unresponsive to their concerns. a contentious vote that required a majority of 50 percent plus 1. can see us as students.”

“I went up to him to try and tell him about the comments The resolution, authored by University of California, Prior to her final decision was an aspect of the discussion the guy was making, he didn’t even write it down, he didn’t seem Santa Barbara AS Sens. Miya Sommers and Genesis Herrera, that made it more questionable: Sen. Lauren Moissiy referenced to think it was relevant. I felt like we weren’t being taken seriwas revised twice after an early resolution of similar nature en- the 8-7 vote which removed the resolution from the agenda last ously,” said Aljawad. “We tried to tell him it was a hate crime and titled “A Resolution to Divest from Companies that Profit from week. Since that was out of 15 votes, if they had been going by a provoked attack and he started talking to the friend of the guy Apartheid” failed during the second week of spring quarter, and the same way of counting and rounding up, it would’ve required [who had been making homophobic comments] instead, he was a resolution under the same name was taken off the agenda on 9 votes (50 percent of 15 is 7.5; 7.5 rounded up is 8, plus 1 is 9), a white male talking to another white male.”

Wednesday, May 1, in a vote of 8-7. but instead Segovia rounded down and thus the motion passed.

Aljawad also spoke further about the issues of police reThe contentious aspect of the vote did not come from the “Seeing this [12-11-1] vote in front of me and not having sponsiveness to people of color and the queer community. way in which people were voting, but rather from which way done that [rounded up] to take it off the agenda, that was my “Whenever you talk about an emergency, what to do in this the vote leaned. There were 24 senators and proxies voting, so fault, and I realize that,” said Segovia. “I make mistakes, people kind of situation, they tell you to call the cops, but that doesn’t normally it would need 13 favoring votes to pass. make mistakes.” really take into account certain communities,” said Aljawad.

However, according to AS Legal Code, abstentions are not Segovia was forced to interpret how the vote turned out “That’s not a group that keeps us safe, it’s obvious that cops counted in the total number of voters, so the vote was out of 23. because the AS Legal Code was not clear in regard to what con- prefer to protect certain communities over those like people of Fifty percent of 23, 11.5, plus one is 12.5. Because 12.5 is not a stitutes a majority in a case like that. Moissiy spoke about how color and the queer community. It just gets more complicated in whole number, and there cannot be partial votes, it was up to she disagreed with the decision based on the confusion. situations like this, just because someone being threatened threw Internal Vice President Mayra Segovia, who does not partake in “I respect the fact that legal code is sometimes up to inter- the first punch doesn’t mean it’s not a hate crime.” voting except in cases of a tie, to figure out whether to round pretation, because we’re all human and we make mistakes someRJ Thomsen, a fourth-year sociology and feminist studies 12.5 up to 13 or down to 12, and whichever she decided was the times in how we write things in not making things clear,” said double major and co-chair of Associated Students Queer Comnumber of votes in favor the resolution needed to pass.

Moissiy. “Personally, I would’ve made an objection at the time, mission, voiced further concern.

If she rounded up, the resolution would fail, and if she but it got kind of crazy in terms of where we were and it was “From my personal experience and from a lot of discussion rounded down, the resolution would pass. Because this was such very emotional. I don’t know if it’s still open to possibly object- with queer students at [the University of California, Santa Bara controversial vote, she felt pressured on both sides to choose in ing to the position but I just wanted to put that out there. And bara], our campus does feel like a fairly safe place...IV is comtheir favor. However, she ultimately decided to round up based see HOMOPHOBIA | page 8 see SENATE | page 8

Law suit Filed

by SHOSHANA COHEN Staff Writer

nt e d pse u a t l l S o SB yC C n o U c f l O Ba f l a i a p h e to On B d By Del e Injur

The balcony of 6643 Del Playa — senior house of Beta Theta Pi fraternity—collapsed during Deltopia on April 6, sending Stephanie Grace and three others to the hospital.

After four students were sent to the hospital when a 6643 Del Playa balcony collapsed during the Deltopia festivities on April 6, a lawsuit was filed by Stephanie Grace, a fourth-year sociology major at University of California, Santa Barbara, against Ronald Wolfe and Associates, the property manager, and the Elliott Family Trust, the owner of the building, citing the failure to properly take care of the building.

Robert Clayton, part of the Los Angeles based firm Taylor and Ring, picked up her case. His firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury due to dangerous conditions on private or public property.

“She was part of Deltopia, she felt some rubble fall on her head and the next thing she knew the balcony fell on her,” Clayton said.

In addition to a bump on the head, Grace sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured pelvis and bruising over the entire left side of her body, and it will take a few months for the bones

UCSB Age Diversity see page 3

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Photo Courtesy of | Robert R. Clayton to re-fuse, said Clayton.

Since the incident, Grace has been unable to return to her job as a lifeguard.

“She cannot be active and has to use her crutches,” Clayton said. “She also has to be careful while her bones are healing.”

Currently, Grace has filed a lawsuit “suing the managers and owners of the property for the dangerous condition of the property itself [and] seeking money damages for injuries resulting from the dangerous condition of the property itself,” Clayton said. They are waiting for the defendants to answer their questions within in the next 30 days. Additionally, Clayton is working on a second lawsuit against the same property managers and owners. The second lawsuit was filed by a University of California, Riverside student who also sustained injuries due to the collapse of the balcony. As a result, these two cases will be consolidated.

The lawsuit has yet to be resolved.

5 Questions with Avery Voos

‘The Great Gatsby’ Review

see page 3

see page 4

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Best Coast Concert Review see page 5

]

Hana Kitchen Review see page 5

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22

page 2 | News

Bike Committee to Install More, Better Bike Racks on Campus

Because students struggle to find bike parking in front of the music building, AS Bike Committee is planning a revamp of the parking lot in this area.

Photo by Mark Brocher | The Bottom Line

by JENNY HONG Staff Writer The average biker on campus understands the frustration of parking bikes during peak hours and fortunately, Associated Students Bike Committee is always working to improve the campus.

Currently, the committee is working on a new project to revamp the parking lots near University Center (UCEN) and the west Music Building. This project was specifically chosen because of feedback from students.

“Another problem is being late to class, having to go somewhere else to find bike racks,” said Brian Depalma, a fourth-year history major. “I was at Ellison Hall, and there’s really nothing close to there. You go to the bike racks, the closest ones, and they’re usually full. You gotta ride around and it’s kind of like parking, in a way.”

Depalma is not the only one who thinks this way. Many students have sent feedback to the Bike Committee, complaining about problems ranging from protruding tree stumps on the road to the dire need of new bike racks.

“If it’s like the ones that I’m thinking of, it will be quicker because the bike racks at [the De La Guerra dining commons] you just put the tire up, and it’s faster. You don’t have to bend down and lock it from the bottom , so it would be faster, and so that that would be more convenient for people,” said Arianna Phillips, a first-year pre-biology major.

After hearing all of these types of complaints from students, AS Bike Committee has developed some project ideas to ameliorate the situation. In fact, the Bike Committee does intend to

replace the older bike racks with the newer versions, the peak bike racks, that can also be found outside of the DLG dining commons. These racks seem to be preferred by students and members of the Bike Committee.

“We are trying to make the shift to peak racks on campus because they are easier to park in and create tidier layouts in the parking lots,” said Janice Lee, fourth-year communications and Asian-American studies double major and Vice Chair of AS Bike Committee. “Students trying to lock their bikes and go to class won’t be bogged down with the hassle of trying to jam their way through a haphazard pile of other people’s locked, leaning bikes.”

The committee is constantly watching the condition of the bike paths to repair them whenever necessary. In fact, they recently fixed the bike path on Ocean Road leading up north of Pardall.

In addition to maintaining the bike paths, they also work on at least one large project every year.

For the 2012-2013 year, they worked on the parking lot at Kerr Hall. During peak hours, the demand for the bike racks were too much for the 180 parking spots that were available at that time.

Therefore, the committee worked on moving the racks to the North side of South Hall building to expand the bike racks. In the previous years before this, the committee fixed the library roundabout and the Storke Tower roundabout.

“One of the great things about the committee is that our work is easily felt and very visible, as we are constantly working to improve the bicycle system through maintenance and repairs,” said Lee. AS Bike Committee hopes that the average biker on campus will feel the impact that the committee makes on the school campus.

TBL 2012-2013 Staff Executive Managing Editor | Annalise Domenighini Executive Content Editor | Kelsey Gripenstraw Copy Editor | Parisa Mirzadegan News Editor | Isabel Atkinson Features Editor | Anjali Shastry Opinions Editor | Camila Martinez-Granata Arts & Entertainment Editor | Elysia Cook Health & Lifestyles Editor | Karolina Zydziak Technology Editor | Ashley Golden Photography & Multimedia Editor | Tori Yonker Senior Layout Editor | Haley Paul Layout Editor | Magali Gauthier Layout Editor |Rachel Joyce AS Beat Reporter | Lily Cain National Beat Reporter | Julian Moore Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Thomas Alexander Distribution Director | Brenda Ramirez Advertising Director | Brandon Pineira Promotions Director | Audrey Ronningen Staff Adviser | Monica Lopez Writers: this issue Shoshana Cohen, Lily Cain, Marissa Perez, Jenny Hong, Taylor Griffith, Cheyenne Johnson, Andrea Vallone, Anjali Shastry, Grethel Vega, Audrey Ronningen, Deanna Kim, Janani, Jordan Wolff, Yuen Sin, Anis Vijay Modi, Matt Mersel, Lauren Menzer

Photographers: this issue John Clow, Mark Brocher, Caitlin Griffin, Deanna Kim

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

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national

Obama Administration Under Fire for Probes

by JULIAN MOORE National Beat Reporter President Obama has been on the defensive this past week against two separate reports of misconduct by the Justice and Treasury Departments. Three months after Obama deemed his administration “the most transparent ever,” the Justice Department admitted that it had secretly gained access to the phone records of reporters at the Associated Press. The Obama administration has also come under fire after reports surfaced that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative political groups who were organizing against Obama and other Democrats in 2011 and 2012.

Attorney General Eric Holder has announced an investigation in the IRS case, but has recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into who tapped the phone of AP reporters.

The Associated Press reported earlier this week that officials in the Obama Justice Department began tracking at least 20 personal and work phones of AP reporters starting last year. While the Justice Department has admitted to monitoring the reporters’ phones, it has offered no explanation as to why it began the investigation, nor what exactly was obtained from the phone records. In its report earlier this week, the Associated Press suggested that the Justice Department was tracking down sources for a story AP ran earlier this year about a foiled bomb plot against Americans in Yemen.

While the details of the case remain unclear, the Justice Department has said that Attorney General Eric Holder recused himself from the investigations last year. Holder said earlier this week that the approval of subpoenas to legally search the reporters’ phones fell to Deputy Attorney General James Cole last June. Holder said that after he was questioned by the FBI last year, he removed himself from the case in order to avoid a “conflict of interest.”

The White House has said that it had no knowledge of the investigation, and that the matter is entirely the business of the Justice Department. In the past four years, however, the Obama Administration has demonstrated a firm stance toward intelligence leaks. Since 2009, the administration has prosecuted a record six government officials for allegedly disseminating classified information.

Obama has also responded to reports that the IRS targeted conservative political groups prior to the 2012 national campaigns this week. Attorney General Holder has announced that he will lead an investigation into how and why groups linked to the Tea Party were targeted. According to reports, Tea Party-affiliated groups in areas such as Cincinnati were subject to repeated questionnaires, audits, and intensified scrutiny into their accounting practices by IRS officials in Ohio and in Washington.

Past presidents have used tax investigations as a means to target political opponents. According to Time Magazine, President Kennedy established an “Ideological Organizations Project” to look into conservative groups and alleged communist sympathizers. President Nixon, infamous for his administration’s many intrusions against political opponents, authorized a “Special Services Staff ” to relentlessly audit Democratic organizations. These abuses resulted in a law that prevents the president from contacting the IRS about any and all tax matters concerning private groups and citizens.

Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have come down against the reports of IRS abuses by offering investigations of their own. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced that the House Oversight Committee would immediately look into what happened, echoing comments by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) that the Senate Finance Committee would do the same.

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5

Questions With

Avery Voos

page 3 | Features/Opinions

UCSB’s Koegel Autism Center Researcher and Dennis Weatherstone Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Recipient

by TAYLOR GRIFFITH Staff Writer

Q: How did you become interested in autism research?

A: I worked with adults with autism in high school, and I had that interest because my mom worked with adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. It was a group home for adults with autism and it was really an amazing experience. I worked with a man who was around 60 years old who was deaf and mute, so we used sign language and worked on basic skills. It got to the point where he would get excited to see me, and seeing him smile and go through changes was really rewarding. I started my undergrad in psychology and didn’t have too much autism experience, but I worked in a developmental lab which was important because knowing about typical development is really important for seeing atypical development. Then I worked at Yale, in the neuroimaging lab, with kids with autism, and that’s where I got most of my experience.

Photo by John Clow | The Bottom Line Q: What is your specific area of interest in autism research?

A: I have two areas of interest: treatment and therapy, and being able to better understand treatment—which is where fMRI comes in. Why do some treatments work and why do others not work, and knowing more about Pivotal Response Treatment is what I am looking at with the grant—how it works and if it works differently for different people. It will really help us to better fit a child with a treatment and make faster progress. I am also really interested in early intervention because I think it is really important that we are able to intervene early and change the way kids are processing social stimuli.

Q: Why did you choose to pursue graduate studies at UCSB’s Koegel Autism Center?

A: This is where PRT started. I was exposed to PRT back at Yale and I really liked it because it is a behavior study, but it is one that is less restrictive than some other behavioral treatments for autism—it is based on child choice. It’s fun using play opportunities to help them work on different skills!

That is important if you are working with young kids because these kids with autism already feel really different than everyone around them. They enjoy it and we have a good time. That “fun” aspect is so valuable when you are working with young kids with ASD. Intervention should not feel like more work for them. The fact that I saw amazing changes in the kids I worked with there really made me want to keep using PRT, so coming here where PRT started made sense for me.

Q: How will the Dennis Weatherstone Pre-Doctoral Fellowship [awarded by Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to funding and facilitating autism research] allow you to achieve your goals?

A: It is letting me continue the study from Yale, except we are now doing wait-list control, which is really exciting because it is important to make sure that the changes we are seeing are due to the treatment. One of the studies I did at Yale used one of the paradigms in our neural mechanisms paper and looked at the way that kids with autism and their unaffected siblings process the same social stimuli set, and the coolest thing for me was the unaffected siblings had been ruled out for broader autism phenotypes. So, behaviorally they looked exactly the same as their typically developing peers, but their brain was doing something different. In some ways, they looked more similar to their siblings. That was first time where I was like: “Whoa, this is so cool!” There’s this whole other level that we can learn about using fMRI. Q: What do you foresee in the future of autism research and how will your specific research contribute?

A: I was just at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Spain and a lot of it now is looking at genetics and starting to use these different modalities—so starting to use eye-tracking and fMRI to look at a disorder that is defined behaviorally. There have been some really cool research studies using eye tracking—so eye-gaze patterns—to predict future diagnoses of autism in high-risk infants. That type of research and the research I will be doing with this grant is helpful in moving the field forward from only thinking of autism as a behaviorally defined disorder—this is going to help us learn about the underlying mechanisms of autism. We still know so little about what causes autism so taking these different perspectives and using multiple modalities like this is going to help push the field forward and hopefully gain some more insight into some of the causes.

Opinions

Old Folks Rock

Grasping UCSB’s Age Diversity

by ANJALI SHASTRY Features Editor So bear with me for a moment while I tell you a story: this one time, I was sitting in class, and this older woman walks into the room. It is the first day of the quarter, and having never seen the professor before, I assume that she is the professor. Instead, she walks over to where I’m sitting and plops herself down into the seat one over from mine. I smile and nod at her, assuming that she is just sitting there until she is prepared to start class. A few moments later, another older woman walks into the room and sets up shop in the front of the classroom, and is flanked by her army of TAs. Well, okay then.

Fresh out of high school, it was hard for me to adjust to the fact that many of the people on campus were not just older than me, but a lot older than me. I was living in a world where students were grouped by age rather than ability, and there was never more than a one year difference between classmates. Suddenly, I was in a world where people the age of the average undergraduates could be TAs, and where people the age of professors could be undergraduates, even though those people do not number many on our campus.

Actually, let’s break it down. According to the UCSB Budget and Planning Campus Profile for 2012-2013, students aged 30 and over make up less than 1 percent of the undergraduates, and they make up 28 percent of graduates. Graduate students only make up 13.4 percent of the entire campus population. There are fewer graduate students altogether than in the freshman class. So this population is a rather small one, yet their smallness makes their presence on campus the more noticeable.

UCSB is a university that prides itself on its dedication to undergraduate stusee AGE | page 8

by GRETHEL VEGA University of Southern California Graduate Student and UCSB Alumni

Anti-Racism Inc. Reframes the Dialogue with Poetry Workshop

by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer Anti-Racism Inc. is a year-long program that seeks to explore the meanings and language of antiracism. On Saturday, May 11, it did so through the lens of poetry.

Anti-Racism Inc. is the work of the American Cultures and Global Contexts Center, which is part of the University of California Santa Barbara’s English department. According to the website, it “seeks to broaden the cultural study of the United States” and offer work in interdisciplinary studies. Anti-Racism Inc., which is their latest effort, seeks to “consider the need to rethink the meaning of antiracism in light of contemporary shifts in global political discourses on race and racism.”

Poetic Interventions, a day-long poetry workshop and performance, brought together an intersection of community, staff, and students, as well as a variety of invited poets and spoken word artists from various backgrounds, many of whom are New York and Bay Area based.

The workshop began with an introduction by Professor Felice Blake of the English department, who worked to organize the event with graduate fellow of the program, Alison Reed. “I’m just so happy to be here today with everyone,” said Blake. In explaining the purpose of the workshop, Blake said, “We wanted to think about the language surrounding anti-racism. We wanted to think about how it’s been stolen and how we can create new ways to talk about these issues. We’ve been exploring this all year as part of Anti-Racism Inc.” She also addressed the power of poetry being what brings “our best intellectual capabilities to our best creative sensibilities.”

The workshop was structured around activities lead by some of the invited poets.

It began with a meditation lead by Gregory Mitchell, a spoken word artist from the Bay Area who works with youth in prisons, detention centers, and continuation schools.

The workshop also included a recitation of his work by Dubian Campbell, another spoken word artist and student at Ithaca College in Rochester, New York.

Campbell then invited the group to tell their stories about how they got where they are today in the tradition of African storytelling, with each member of the workshop reading out a single line from what they wrote to the beat of an improvised drum, a table pulled the front of the room. see POETRY | page 8

Op-Ed

We the Women of the United States The Fight for Unrestricted Reproductive Rights

The recent F.D.A. announcement of new guidelines concerning the decrease of age from 17 to 15 for females seeking to obtain emergency contraception or Plan B can’t be completely dismissed. It is a step, a small minuscule step, but a step nonetheless in the right direction. And yes, the new guidelines continue to be restrictive, but they’re a little less restrictive. What else could we ask for? I mean, the government finds it acceptable for a 5-year-old to possess a rifle, but “irresponsible” for women to have unrestricted access to the health care needs that should be lawfully theirs. Besides, what’s another restriction to the already hundreds of limiting legislations that are already in place? Take the example of H.R. 23, The Sanctity of Human Life Act, better known as the Personhood Bill. Essentially, the bill seeks to reverse the infamous Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade, sending women all the way back into the hanger ages by criminalizing abortion all together. I don’t think it can get any more restrictive than that.

Although H.R. 23 only has a 2 percent chance of being enacted, the issue goes beyond this. The fact that this type of legislation continues to be created and the ideologies behind it perpetuated is the issue at hand. The fact that a man, Congressman Paul Broun Jr. of Georgia, along with 34 other men are behind this legislation is the problem. A bigger problem yet is the fact that two women are also supporting the bill. The blatant disregard for the reproductive rights of women is the biggest problem here. The decisions currently being made on behalf of the women of this country are not being made with their best interest in mind. The impact that the rhetoric found in H.R. 23 has on low social economic status communities can be devastating in particular because as Guttmacher Institute on Reproductive Health research indicates, 40 percent of the women obtaining abortions are below the poverty line. Completely preventing women the right to choose will not only overwhelm numerous social systems but it will create a public health crisis equal to the ones that got Roe v. Wade passed in see WOMEN | page 8

the question of our identity GENERATION Y

by ANDREA VALLONE Staff Writer

“Millennials,” “Generation 9/11,” “Generation me,” “Generation we,” “generation flux,” “trophy generation,” “net generation,” “Echo boomers,” and “peter pan generation”: these variations for those born between 19802000 are meant to blanket label us University of California, Santa Barbara students and our counterparts all around the world. You may notice some of these bynames compliment one another while some contradict one another— but which is more accurate? Are we only one of these pseudonyms or are we a set? Who is Generation Y and why do we matter?

Most people agree that in the United States Generation Y is comprised of roughly 80 million 13-33 year olds - but that seems to be all that they agree on. The first book published about our generation made us all blush; Milennials Rising by Neil Howe and William Strauss depicted us as “conformist, socially conservative, and highly involved in the community

with a strong interest in government”. Unfortunately, these studies were done in 2000 when the oldest Y’s were just 18, and if we’re being honest here, you might already see some of the study’s inaccuracies.

In 2006, a book by Jean Twenge booted the “generation we” theory out the window. In Generation Me, “I presented data showing generational increases in self-esteem, assertiveness, self-importance, narcissism, and high expectations” writes Twenge in an article in The Atlantic.

Ouch. But let’s see where this goes.

As the title of “Millennials” or “net generation” implies, we are a generation that has grown up with the Internet and all of its fruits. This, we can’t deny. The Pew Research Center 2010 report published that 75% of Millenials have created a profile on a social networking site and that 1 and 5 Millenials have posted a video of themselves online. So maybe the assertions of an increase in selfesteem and narcissism have some roots in reality.

We did grow up with AOL and MySpace, and we did create Facebook. Most of us do have cell phones with cameras, making selfie shots pretty

convenient.

Joe Stein in Time presented a scathing article and multimedia piece that encompassed our generation as narcissists who send 88 texts a day, use their parent’s credit card, crave reality TV, and feel entitled to everything because our teachers, parents, and AYSO soccer coaches coddled us with participation trophies. Thanks Stein, way to kick us while we’re down.

But what about the other side of the coin?

Surely we can’t be this bad. “Generation Flux” was conceived through the observations and predictions that Generation Y will switch jobs very frequently due to our supposed high expectations.

Pew published in that same report that 6 out of 10 employed Millenials have reported they have already switched careers at least once, that 60% of younger workers say it is not likely that they will remain with their current employer for the remainder of their working life, and that only 1/3 of Millenials say their current job is their career.

Alright, alright, we get the picture, but what about this? 37% of 18-29 year olds have been underemployed or unemployed dur-

ing the recession. In April 2012 it was reported that 1 in 2 new college graduates in the US would either be unemployed or underemployed. Now, wait, is this because we’re irresponsible, uneducated, or unambitious? Or because we’ve been brought up in a declining job market, with a simultaneously an increasingly competitive academic atmosphere? Increased public debt has led to higher taxes, less infrastructure and social spending, and painstakingly slow growth. The Heldrich Center for Workfore Development published that over 43% of recent graduates now working are employed for jobs that don’t require a college education. 16% of bartenders and parking attendants have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s more than a little unnerving.

And as for the assertions of the “peter pan generation” that delays adulthood by financial dependency on our parents, living at home post college graduation, delaying marriage or having a baby – ever think this may be born our of necessity? We live at home see IDENTITY | page 8

page 4 | Arts & Entertainment

Khmer Culture Night Brings Traditional Cambodian Performance to UCSB, Raises Funds for Nonprofit

by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer

Students from the Khmer Student Association hosted their 8th annual Khmer Culture Night on May 11 to spread cultural awareness and raise funds for the Somaly Mam Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to ending human trafficking and empowering its survivors.

This year’s Khmer Culture Night revolved around the Cambodian epic poem called “Reamker,” which finds its origins in the Ramayana epic. The story follows Prince Ream, Prince Leak, and Princess Seda, who venture reclaim their kingdom after Prince Ream’s wicked stepmother frames him for his father’s poisoning. Their journey has all the familiar components of traditional legends, such as magic, epic battles, and mythical creatures. A beautiful giantess who feeds on human energy leads Prince Leak astray, giants kidnap the Princess of famed beauty, and the heroic team joins forces with the mermaid queen and the monkey king in order to rescue her.

Khmer Student Association presented the epic tale in the form of a play at Girvetz Hall, drawing on the support of other student organizations like the Thai Student Union and the After Dark program. The KSA began with a video montage showing the work that went into making the show possible, featuring members of the cast rehearsing and preparing costumes that followed the Khmer tradition as well as creating props and other elements they’d need for the play. The play also featured performances of song and dance in the Cambodian tradition, choreographed by members of the KSA.

“I think Khmer Culture Night [KCN] is important to the campus because a lot of people are unaware of the Cambodian

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22 Photo Courtesy of | Pat Pumhiran

or Khmer culture, especially within the Santa Barbara community. KCN therefore allows us to establish a unique identity for ourselves within this community,” said Christin Nolasco, one of the co-directors of Khmer Culture Night and a third-year art major.

The process of putting on Khmer Culture Night wasn’t a brief one, said Nolasco. “The co-directors work on the script together and then we begin casting people at the end of fall quarter or the beginning of winter quarter,” she said. “Our cast members are dedicated to working on the production for nearly the entire school year.”

Though the performance was not devoid of mistakes, an enthusiastic crowd of students, family members, and community members eager to enjoy some of the Khmer culture flocked to the theater to watch it and received it with enthusiasm. Authentic, home-cooked dishes provided by the parents of one of the performers gave the show’s intermission a touch of intimacy and flavor while the KSA collected donations for the Somaly Mam Foundation.

The KSA concluded the night by thanking those who donated their time, money, and effort to the pro- Christin Nolasco is one of the co-directors of Khmer Culture Night. duction, as well as those who donated to the Somaly Mam Foundation.

“I am not Khmer, but I was honored to be part of a group that embraced their roots and heritage,” said Charissa Suantawee, a second-year global and religious studies double major who participated in the event.

“Everyone was very enthusiastic to share their knowledge that stemmed from their cultural backgrounds, making my experience superbly dynamic”

‘The Great Gatsby’ Refocuses Fitzgerald’s Classic Themes in Newest Film Adaptation

by Audrey Ronningen Promotions Director

Isla Vista Chills Out, Promotes Community and Sustainability

by CHEYENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer

Isla Vista residents and enthusiasts celebrated the community’s annual music and arts festival, Chilla Vista, on May 11 as local bands, clubs, organizations, and businesses filled Anisq’Oyo’ Park. The festival encouraged people to come together in celebration of IV’s unique style and culture while also supporting Chilla Vista’s core ideas of sustainability and recyclability.

“Chilla Vista’s grown over the past few years,” said Elizabeth Ackman, the external chair of the Isla Vista Community Relations Committee. “In the beginning, it was supposed to be just a space for people to sort of stray from the norm of the binge drinking, of the couch burning, and all the crazy stuff that happens on DP. It’s supposed to just be a space for art and music and sustainability.”

Ackman said that version of Chilla Vista is what she wanted the 2013 event to be.

“It’s grown and evolved over the years and this year,” said Ackman. “I just really wanted to bring it back to its roots, bring it back to a celebration of all things Isla Vista.”

Part of this homage included ensuring the involvement of the community. Four local bands took over the Chilla Vista stage; the Isla Vista Food Co-op donated ice cream, dried fruit, and other food that was distributed to attendees for free; and local organizations and committees tabled at the event, distributing information about their groups and entertaining patrons with games and activities.

The IVRC promoted the Native Talent project, which initially got its start as

a calendar but is now switching to an online photo competition.

“This is our revamped version,” said Nicolai Safai, a member of the IVCRC. “We still get the students to submit pictures and the community get to enjoy them, and the best part about this that we really love is that everybody gets to see all the pictures and not just the 12 pictures that a committee decided on [for the calendar]. So that’s Native Talent.”

Each organization presented their own version of the sustainability theme. One table taught Isla Vistans how to make thread bracelets; another taught them how to grow their own plants. Still others, like the local restaurant Silvergreens, promoted healthy eating and healthy living. Carla Ni, one of Silvergreens’ marketing directors, said she enjoyed the inclusion of the community both within and beyond just University of California, Santa Barbara students.

“There are all ages; a lot of parents came for Mother’s Day weekend,” said Ni. “Little kids are here. It’s just a really great experience and atmosphere.”

General member and volunteer at the IV Food Co-op William Easlea said that the

Co-op was there to help UCSB students make better and healthier good choices.

“The reason why the IV Co-op is here at Chilla Vista,” said Easlea, “is to cater to these youths who need to eat fresh and healthy food for their own well-being and the planet’s.”

The UCSB Associated Students Food Bank also carried out the theme of healthy eating, and distributed bags of vegetables to patrons who stopped by.

“I’m enjoying Chilla Vista,” said Desirée Poland, a fourth-year biology and psychology major who took advantage of the complimentary food. “I got all this free stuff. I got some vegetables, a shirt, water bottle...It’s nice outside and sunny...I like how it’s a community event.

There are all these tables from different organizations.”

With activities and projects covering all aspects of IV life, Chilla Vista succeeded in bringing together the community.

“Our mission as IVCRC is to enrich and to educate all of the Isla Vista community,” Ackman said, “and I think that this festival really does all of that in one.”

Photos by Caitlin Griffin | The Bottom Line

Even before Baz Luhrmann’s take on “The Great Gatsby” opened on May 10, skeptics feared that, like its predecessors, the film would fail to capture F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beautifully written, cynical account of the Jazz Age. I, too, wondered whether Luhrmann could meet Fitzgerald’s standards, only to realize that, in this film, exact imitation is impossible.

What this new version does have, however, is a mix of solid entertainment and definite flaws. Baz Luhrmann’s decadent, romantic style is suited to the opulent lifestyles portrayed in the novel, as well as its tragic love story. These successes are only two-thirds of Fitzgerald’s thematic formula, though, and the film overlooks his warning of disillusionment behind the American dream.

Part of what makes Fitzgerald’s novel a classic is the descriptive language, some of which is retained in an unexpected framing device. Many of the book’s best lines are from Nick Carraway’s inner observations, and voiceover restores some of their magic. Tobey Maguire is a good fit for this character, literature’s innocent third wheel who sees the wonderland of 1920s New York as a dream that is slightly too vibrant to be reality.

The film’s many party scenes are amazing to watch, and recreate the hedonistic era of bootlegging and flappers. Bold settings are one of Luhrmann’s strengths, and shortly into the film it becomes clear why he is known as a visually creative director.

The first booze-soaked celebration is where we first meet the eponymous anti-hero, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who expertly portrays the character in all his charm, optimism, and masked insecurity. Nick, who lives next door to the self-made millionaire, eventually agrees to re-introduce him to his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), with whom Gatsby has an unresolved past.

Daisy lives the unhappy life of a woman who resents her status as a trophy wife and hates her arrogant and entitled husband, Tom Buchanan, yet stays with him out of her own dependency on class norms. However, she takes a risk when she meets Gatsby again, and their affair turns into a plan to officially start over in his palace-like mansion.

Anyone who’s completed high school knows that this last half of the book is where things turn sour.

Upon hearing the truth about the affair, Tom, played

by Joel Edgerton, retorts that Gatsby made his fortune through bootlegging. The ensuing tragedy results from Daisy’s frantic state of mind, yet Gatsby takes the blame, destroying his life and proving how far he will go for someone who perhaps doesn’t deserve his loyalty.

The romance of the story is convincing, but Lurhmann’s focus on personal relationships pushes another of Fitzgerald’s themes to the side. “The Great Gatsby” is about flaws within high society, and how a lifestyle based on money will never be meaningful. Although Gatsby is arguably the most obsessed with his wealth, this is all to win back the materialistic Daisy, and DiCaprio’s skilled acting coveys this blind devotion. Instead, some of the blame falls on the film’s interpretation of its female lead. Mulligan is a fine actress, but here Daisy’s unhappiness only stems from her faulty marriage. The character is more jaded in the novel, and you get the sense that while she relies on wealth to form an identity, she also hates the shallowness of it.

Another reason “Gatsby” fails as a cautionary tale is a result of what is lost in translation. Fitzgerald’s messages about wealth and class are sometimes subtle, and can take form in his description of a character’s voice, or the words used to introduce a particular setting. This is better fitted for a novel, making adaptation a difficult feat in itself. On top of that, Luhrmann’s priorities seem to be with visuals and romance instead, which turns Fitzgerald’s conclusion into a secondary theme.

The best way to enjoy this “Gatsby” is to accept that it has a different focus than the original. If you try and compare it with Fitzgerald’s, this version will fall short in terms of depth; separately, though, it is an inventive romantic drama that merits its own recognition.

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22

page 5 | Arts & Entertainment

‘Best Coast’ Graces the West Coast at UCSB Hub

by DEANNA KIM Staff Writer

Photo by Deanna Kim | The Bottom Line

Phoenix Cashes In On Commercial Success with ‘Bankrupt!’

by JANANI RAVIKUMAR Staff Writer

Complemented by their ongoing tour, the popularity of French indie rock band Phoenix has soared in recent weeks with the release of their fifth studio album, “Bankrupt!,” which dropped on April 19.

Phoenix started out as a simple garage band in the suburbs of Paris, France, composed of vocalist Thomas Mars, bassist d’Arcy, and guitarist Chris Mazzalai. Mazzalai’s older brother, guitarist Laurent Brancowitz, permanently joined the band in 1995. Following two singles, “If I Ever Feel Better” and “Too Young,” which was featured in the movie “Lost in Translation,” Phoenix released their first album in 2000, titled “United.” The album “Alphabetical,” along with two singles “Ever ything is Everything” and “Run Run Run,” were released in 2004, augmenting the band’s success. Their next album was a live one, titled “Live!

Thirty Days Ago,” following a worldwide tour. Next came “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” released on May 25, 2009, which featured singles “1901” and “Lisztomania.”

“Bankrupt!” begins with the Oriental-nuanced single “Entertainment,” a catchy song that is supplemented by a flashy music video depicting various loosely connected scenes reminiscent of Korean dramas. “Entertainment” isn’t a song that becomes old and tired the more you listen to it; rather, it grows on you like mold on rotten fruit. True to Phoenix fash-

ion, the full meaning of the song can’t be obtained from a cursory glance at the lyrics. On one hand, it can be interpreted as a jab at the entertainment industry, as it comments on how difficult the life of an entertainer is. Another interpretation is that the narrator’s significant other is being too vague about what she or he wants from the relationship, but the narrator is willing to stay with his partner regardless of the possibility that his lover doesn’t share requited sentiments.

Compared to “Entertainment,” the rest of the tracks on the album pale in comparison, though they are nice to listen to more as background noise. They’re not quite on par with elevator music, but they’re not really tracks that necessitate constant attention from listeners. Some songs in the album, such as “Drakkar Noir,” sound very much like older Phoenix singles, like “1901.” Those that stand out, in addition to “Entertainment,” include “Bourgeois” and “Chloroform,” two songs that deviate Photo Courtesy of | pitchfork.com slightly from Phoenix’s typical formula, yet stay true to the band’s style. “Bourgeois” starts with a fairly simple tune, and steadily builds upon it for a more emphatic ending. This is further exemplified by the lyrics, which start off as broken, seemingly nonsensical fragments and eventually come together. Though the lyrics are repeated throughout the song, they flow more easily with each repetition. “Chloroform” is another song that utilizes repetition to strengthen its message. The main draw to this song is see PHOENIX | page 8

Photo Courtesy of | pitchfork.com

Girls clad in the latest styles from Urban Outfitters and boys sporting pompadours gathered at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Hub on May 9 to vibe out with surf pop and indie-garage rock duo Best Coast.

Hailing from Los Angeles, Best Coast consists of Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno. Cosentino is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and rhythm guitar player, and Bobb Bruno, who has been described as the creative mastermind, plays the lead guitar, bass and drums. Although regarded as a duo, Best Coast now tours with two more musicians, allowing Bruno to concentrate solely on the guitar rather than jump from instrument to instrument when on stage. Best Coast is noted for their upbeat, surf pop-rock sounds that are reminiscent of The Beach Boys; however, Best Coast dives into low-fidelity noise and garage rock sounds, with a splash of 60s R&B and soul. These distorted, upbeat sounds by Bruno complement Cosentino’s sunny but husky voice full of angst, producing music a heartbroken teenager can dance to.

The four person boy band, The Sundays, opened the show and set the mood for Best Coast with danceable indie pop and rock beats.

Best Coast performed songs from both of their studio albums, “Crazy for You,” released in 2010, and “The Only Place,” released in 2012. Their debut album takes us through what seems like a joyous union to an emotionally rough break up. It was ranked at number 36 on Billboard 200 and 39 on Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Albums of 2010,” garnering much fame and internet buzz for the duo. The second album has a tighter, cleaner dream pop sound, as it was a step back from the lo-fi noises that rendered Bruno as musically charming and dynamic. Content wise, Cosentino still displays that her heart is throbbing with want and loneliness, but she has slowly matured emotionally and lyrically.

Among the praise, Best Coast’s lyrical content caused controversy and backlash by many, who claim Cosentino’s lyrics about wanting her lover back (regardless of the way he treats her) are anti-feminist. At first, I too could not help but regard Cosentino’s songs and lyrics as desperate overall. Her second album showed more insight as to why she acts the way she does, but despite the growth in Cosentino’s libretto, I still found myself unable to fully embrace Best Coast because of its lyrical simplicity.

However, my initial bitterness and bias was dissolved the see BEST COAST | page 8

‘One Drop of Love’ Creates Ripple Effect at UCSB

by YUEN SIN Staff Writer The personal is very much the political, as actress-playwright Fanshen Cox Giovanni illustrated through her solo show “One Drop of Love: A Daughter’s Search for her Father’s Racial Approval.” The show premiered at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Multicultural Center on May 8.

First formulated as a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis project, “One Drop of Love” began as Giovanni’s personal attempt to revive her estranged relationship with her Jamaica-born father, who failed to show up at her wedding years before.

What ensued was a powerful multimedia, one-woman play laced with wit, warmth, and depth that fused her fragmented experiences with racial and cultural dispossession into a coherent narrative. The multidimensional show traversed back into the years of Giovanni’s family history to untangle the weight of the socio-political events that have inevitably contributed to a crucial part of her identity and self-perceptions today.

Part of the beauty of Giovanni’s play was the way in which she refused to pigeonhole any particular attitude or phenomenon into a specific binary or category, which produced an arresting quality

of ambivalence that refused to define or limit conversation.

An issue that she continually grappled with was the extent to which her personal and conversational experiences should be racially-charged. The simple act of marrying a dashing Italian man was one fraught with a multitude of unspeakable dilemmas, for she was inexplicably wWorried about what her Jamaican father might think of her marrying a European.

In a cuttingly satirical and memorable sequence, Giovanni played out her “daymare” of her wedding ceremony in Jamaica, where she imagined herself walking down the aisle as Thomas Jefferson’s slave daughter with her husband in tow, pompously dressed in a British imperialist uniform. As a carefully put-together multimedia sequence at the end of the show revealed, however, her father’s reason for skipping her wedding was not the issue of post-colonial rage against the slave-owning Europeans, but rather his own ambivalence about returning back to Jamaica.

Giovanni slipped in and out of multiple roles with dexterity, first imperiously bearing down at the audience as an anonymous U.S. Census Bureau officer, and then staggering affectionately across the stage with a lilting accent as her grandmother, revealing through her impressions the fluid and ultimately arbitrary nature

of identity labels.

Her personal trajectory of “placelessness”—not seeing herself as “black” enough to join the Black Students Union, and yet having candy vendors in Sudan come up to her (while on a pilgrimage of sorts to trace back her African roots and understand her father’s pan-African attitudes) to ask her why she was so “white”—was interspersed with scenes that traced the evolution of the practice of racial categorization by the U.S. Census Bureau. The contrast brought to the forefront her sense of frustration from continually being racially defined by others, and the puzzling practice of placing someone in the category of “black” as long as they possessed even “one drop” of Negro blood—hence the play’s title.

At the post-show dialogue with UCSB’s professor of sociology G. Reginald Daniel, Giovanni reiterated the importance of engaging in “scary conversations about race and racism,” reflecting that her work producing and performing “One Drop of Love” completely transformed the nature of her family relations after their involvement in her show.

Giovanni will perform “One Drop of Love” again at California State University, Los Angeles on May 22, and at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June.

Food Enthusiast Finds Heaven on Earth at Hana Kitchen

by JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer Like all good things, Hana Kitchen was worth the wait. I’d indulged in its great tasting, $6.50 chicken rice bowls many a time during the fall when the restaurant originally opened; however, its aesthetics weren’t nearly as grand and glamorous (for Isla Vista’s standards) back then as it is now.

Nonetheless, I was still dismayed when it closed, and subsequent bike rides past the restaurant’s locked doors were painful reminders of happier times and chicken bowls of past days. “When?” was the only question on my mind; I waited anxiously for the day when the flavors of precious chicken rice bowls would grace my palette once again. Now, I’m thrilled to say that May 13 marks that day.

Plush, contemporary outdoor seating invited me into the restaurant, and upon my entrance, four fierce looking Bruce Lee visages hung on the wall greeted me. The sounds of “Paint It Black”

by The Rolling Stones echoed in my ears, and my growling stomach, which seemed to understand that we were home again, accompanied the music with its own song. A friendly staff complemented the atmosphere, although the initially thin-looking menu contrasted.

I, like any courageous and experimental college student, decided to order—what else?—my friend, the chicken rice bowl. It was a whopping helping of rice, a good amount of chicken smothered with teriyaki sauce, and the traditional veggies that one would associate with a solid, well-

rounded rice bowl. As I ordered my healthy chicken rice bowl, I caught sight of the official menu and noted how short it was. It only offers two types of bowls—chicken or vegan, either of which can be supersized for an extra $2.00; vegan tacos for $2.50, with the choice of teriyaki mango sauce or spicy sweet and sour; and then the boba menu, which is a must-have.

Hana Kitchen offers boba milk tea in the two traditional varieties, “ice milk” or “slush.” Besides offering the traditional black or green tea flavors, they also offer mango, passion fruit, peach, lychee, and yogurt flavors for the more selective customer. Every order comes standard with boba, the black tapioca balls first popularized in Taiwan. My friend ordered a peach flavored “slush,” and it was served full to the brim in a positively massive 25 ounce cup. The ice was ground to a consistency reminiscent of a 7-11 slushie, not too fine and not too coarse. He reported that the peach flavor tasted fresh and pleasant, and it was not too overpowering like other boba tea drinks. His only complaint was that his drink was a bit too sweet, and that the boba pearls became frozen after sitting in the ice for too long. Two of my other friends and Hana Kitchen converts raved about the vegan bowl, and added that they believe the service at Hana Kitchen is some of the best they have seen in IV. All in all, my experience at Hana Kitchen exceeded my original expectations. Granted, their menu isn’t enormous and the food is probably not the finest dining you’ll ever come across. But for the price and the vibes, Hana Kitchen is a godsend jewel of scrumptious, health-conscious Asian/ vegan cuisine. Welcome back, Hana Kitchen.

Photos by Mark Brocher | The Bottom Line

page 6 | Health & Lifestyles

Munchin’ on the Sustainable Goods

Photo Courtesy of | Emily Lam

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22

IV Co-op Celebrates 40th Anniversary

by LAUREN MENZER Outreach/Special Events, AS Recycling The sun was a-shining, the sunscreen was being arubbed-in, and the Isla-Vistans were a-munching—munching sustainable food, that is. The Isla Vista Food Co-op celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 4, complete with a street fair, organic food vendors, and a Grateful Dead cover band.

The Isla Vista Food Co-op is known for providing nutritious, local, organic, and sustainably-grown food products to the local community, mostly composed of the college students that attend the University of California, Santa Barbara.

This past fall they fought to buy and save their “co-op by the sea,” raising over $200,000 in one month. This weekend was a cheer to the heritage and growth of the last 40 years, and a hurrah to the years to come.

Vendors ranged from in-house and home-made peanut, almond, and cashew butter creations; cork-succulent plant containers; vegan treats; tie-dye made from beets; and much more!

Additionally, multiple environmentally-focused clubs participated at the street fair celebration, including but not limited to Environmental Affairs Board, AS Recycling, and the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District. AS Recycling received great feedback on their game, which includes taking items that are either composted, recycled, or thrown in the landfill and having participants determine which items go where. The most surprising find for students is that red cups are recyclable in the Santa Barbara area. They also brought along their handy dandy at-home worm composting bin that can be made with two plastic bins, two wood blocks, some soil, food scraps, newspaper, worms, and TLC to create concentrated, nutritious soil for plants. People stopped and looked in awe as the red critters wriggled in their palms.

Overall, the weekend at the Co-op provided good vibes and great jams in the world of conservation, sustainability, and good food.

by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer

Though the University of California, Santa Barbara’s campus is miles from anywhere that sees snow, students on the Ski and Snowboarding Team aren’t letting the distance stop them.

The team’s season spans “as long as there’s snow on the mountain”—usually from December until May—and they make trips up to Mammoth to hit the slopes, says snowboarding captain and fourth-year aquatic biology major Dylan Brady.

“This year we got a lease on a condo up in Mammoth for six months,” Brady added.

“It’s like a giant sleepover,” said third-year environmental studies major Emily Lam. “You get to go from one beautiful place to another. You get a chance to do something that’s athletic and outdoors all year round. I know a lot of people are dreading winter quarter, but I can’t wait.”

The Ski and Snowboarding Team competes in a wide variety of events in both racing and freestyle categories, including giant slalom, half-pipe, slopestyle, and border cross. They compete in a league that is composed of a variety of other Southern California schools, including the University of California, Los Angeles; University of Southern California; San Diego State University; and University of California, San Diego.

UCSB’s Ski and Snowboard Team Keeps It Cool

“There’s a broad range of skill levels, so it’s a really good way to get better,” said fourth-year history and environmentally studies double major Mikey Muraki. “You improve a lot over four years.”

UCSB’s Ski and Snow Team is one of campus’s many clubs offered through Recreational Sports on campus, welcoming students from all skill levels and backgrounds.

“We do pretty well, but competition is entirely voluntary,” said second-year biology major and ski captain Andrew Peterson.

The group doesn’t require any prior experience for students to join, but still offers opportunities for those with previous skiing and snowboarding experience.

The group doesn’t require any prior experience for students to join, but still offers opportunities for those with previous skiing and snowboarding experience.

“There’s a broad range of skill levels, so it’s a really good way to get better,” said Muraki.

The Ski and Snowboarding Team does most of their recruiting immediately preceding their season, including tabling at the annual Fun and Fitness Festival, but students can also get involved by joining their mailing list by emailing sbalpine@gmail.com.

Happy Food, Happy People: A Tour Inside The Isla Vista Food Co-op

Andrew Seber and Melissa Cohen, employee and general manager of the Isla Vista Food Co-op, respectively, discuss the benefits of shopping local.

Photos by John Clow | The Bottom Line

by ANIS VIJAY MODI Staff Writer Honey coconut almonds, banana chips, and “hippie” popcorn—the Isla Vista Food Coop has it all. A simple walk through the store’s aisles can be quite dazzling. A quick glance to the right, and one might find nuts imported directly from Sudan. Look to the left, and you’ll find produce fresh out of the farms and lands of Santa Barbara County. What exactly is the point of this 40-year-old grassroots market?

“We believe that it is important to have access to high quality food,” said Melissa Cohen, the Co-op’s general manager and a University of California, Santa Barbara alum herself.

Guiding a group of students through a comprehensive Co-op tour last Friday, Cohen tried to explain the unique quality that drives the store: “Isla Vista has a very dynamic food

market. We see ourselves as part of a hub of great food culture, which supplies students with a better opportunity to live an educated and healthy lifestyle.”

That same spirit the general manager was talking about is oozing from every shelf, as most products are either locally grown, organic, free trade certified, or a combination of the three.

The vibrant produce section, for example, contains produce that is mostly grown in Santa Barbara. It is now stocked with some of the spring season’s favorite crops, such as asparagus and, above all, succulent cherries which drew every shopper’s attention.

“Eating with season is the best way to go as far as health is concerned. In addition to the shot of health your body gets thanks to the variety of foods, it also makes shoppers think more about their next meal. [This] results in individuals who are more active and educated about what they eat,” said Cohen. “It just re-

quires getting out of the mindset that is used to just going to the giant supermarket and getting your regular favorites.”

As the group walked towards the back of the store, they were able to enjoy some of the all natural popcorn from the store’s new popcorn machine and a taste of locally grown oranges.

Midway through one of Cohen’s explanations, Andrew Seber, a third-year linguistics and art history double major at UCSB, explained why he loves working at the Co-op so much.

“I just started working here. This is my least paid job, but I am the happiest I have ever been. What makes me so happy is the fact that, every Monday, we see how much of our profit goes back into this community through our business with local farmers.” This week, the sign reads, 52 percent of the Co-op’s profits went back into our community.

Other than being able to purchase the higher quality food, any shopper that walks

into the Co-op would be quick to notice another sign of the food’s superiority: the price.

Prices do vary between products, but it is easy to notice that some of them have an extra couple of dollars tacked onto the bottom line.

“Some things must cost a bit more here, but we believe that it is worth it. We do not have a big boss sitting in a back office, just waiting for the money to come in. Every dollar that you invest in this place comes back to the community,” Cohen explained. “It comes back to the people who nurtured and brought you these great products and, eventually, the food that you eat.”

The trifecta of healthy mind-body-spirit seems to take great importance at the Co-op, as it aims to rely on responsible suppliers, provide people with healthy food choices, and educate them as well. It is about quality food and healthiness, but, above all, the Isla Vista Food Co-op is about one thing: the IV community.

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22

Child Abuse Awareness Campaign Features Innovative Public Advertisements

by MATT MERSEL Staff Writer

Spain’s ANAR (Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk) Foundation has created a new public advertisement for an anti-child abuse campaign that has been making quite the buzz over the past couple of weeks. The poster features the image of a child and a message to adults, declaring, “Sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it.” However, that’s not all. Visible only to children aged 10 and under, there is a hidden message that reads, “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you,” shows the child with a bruised face and includes the number of ANAR Foundation’s hotline.

So what’s the story behind this unique advertisement?

ANAR’s ad features a technology knows as lenticular printing. If you’ve ever held one of those holographic trading cards that changes images depending on which angle you view it at, then you’ve encountered the technology before. As Christopher MacManus of CNET explains, “The lenticular printing technique combines two images and utilizes lenticular (biconvex) lenses that can display, depending on the observer’s viewing angle, a single picture.” For example, imagine looking at a cylinder. You can only see so much of its surface area at a time, and this is more or less the idea behind the technology. Lenticular printing is the fastening of a set of these lenses to a screen, which produces the full, changing images.

The ad utilizes the lenticular printing process in an interesting way. Rather than changing the image on the poster based on where the viewer is standing horizontally, these

lenses are based on height. The lenses are positioned so that anyone under a roughly average height for a 10-year-old (4-foot-5) will see the message intended for children, while anyone taller will see the generic message. Chris Welch of The Verge discusses the significance of this advertisement: “The benefits of the lenticular approach are two-fold; it allows the nonprofit to effectively deliver two messages to the public using a single advertisement. Even more important, exposing the hotline number only to children was an intentional choice meant to target kids that may be in the presence of an abuser.”

The ANAR Foundation began in 1970 and has worked continuously. According to their mission statement, “Our mission is to serve children and adolescents who call us through telephone lines, to help with their problems or concerns, protect, and empower them in a comprehensive way in all their needs, involving them in the solution to their own problems…through [existing technological means] and new communication systems [that] are developed and implemented in society.” Their programs include email and telephone services that are accessible to both children adults, homes for minors without a stable living environment, and training activities at various universities and institutions. In addition, they have now expanded into Latin America, with branches in Peru, Columbia, and Mexico.

Child abuse is a very serious matter, but innovative ideas like those at the ANAR Foundation can display how creative uses of technology can be useful in ameliorating hardships for many.

‘Here’s To (All) The Moms’ Google Includes Same-Sex Couple in Their Annual Mother’s Day Video

by AUDREY RONNINGEN Promotions Director In a clip from Google’s 2013 Mother’s Day video, a set of parents smile and eagerly cradle their infant daughter, happy to start their collective lives together. The thrilled expression on their faces is universal, and the only noticeable difference is that there is not one, but two mothers to this family.

Although this touching scene is only one out of the dozens in Google’s aptly titled “Here’s to the Moms,” it nevertheless encourages its viewers to take a more inclusive approach to the upcoming celebration of motherhood and family. Although it’s easy to write this off as part of a self-interested marketing scheme that is intended to portray Google as friendly and progressive and will undoubtedly resonate with younger, more liberal Googlers, the company has been a long-time advocate for gay rights and has made contributions to the movement that are far more serious and outspoken. A look into their past reveals efforts such as a public statement against Proposition 8, their international “Legalize Love” campaign, and more recently, membership in a group brief to the Supreme Court that declared marriage discrimination as harmful for business.

In 2008, when Proposition 8 was introduced to California, Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin came forth with a public statement on behalf of the entire company.

“Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions…we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues,” he began. “However, while there are many objections to this proposition—further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text—it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8.”

“We see this as an issue of equality,” Brin said in conclusion to the Google blog entry.

The company’s “Legalize Love” campaign branched out beyond the U.S., to countries with stricter discrimination laws.

A Washington Post article clarified the common misconception that Google was trying to promote gay marriage in particular on an international level. ‘‘‘Legalize Love’ is a campaign to promote safer conditions for gay and lesbian people inside and outside the office in coun-

tries with anti-gay laws on the books,” said a Google spokesperson in a statement.

The report delved into specifics, citing countries such as Poland, which has no legal recognition for same-sex couples, and Singapore, where all homosexual activity is illegal.

Google’s next major push banded together with other progressive companies such as Apple and Facebook, in a February 2013 Supreme Court brief that anti-gay policies are bad for big businesses. As far as workplace relations go, this form of discrimination requires that employers deny homosexual employees and their spouses the same benefits that their heterosexual married counterparts would receive, because only one of these marriages is recognized under federal law. One article from the Washington Times cites text directly from the brief. “‘In the modern workplace, the employer becomes the face of DOMA’s discriminatory treatment, and is placed in the role of intrusive inquisitor, imputer of taxable income, and withholder of benefits,’” it states.

Looking back, it becomes clear that the lesbian couple of the 2013 Mother’s Day video is one small, yet thoughtful, gesture in the tech company’s entire history of support for gay rights. As long as DOMA and other discriminatory laws remain in effect, it’s likely that we’ll be seeing more from this tech giant with an activist backbone.

page 7 | Technology

Samsung Breaking Free of Google’s Android, Adding Tizen Operating System to Future Devices

by ANIS VIJAY MODI Staff Writer Leading phone manufacturer Samsung is setting its sights on the release of new cellular devices free of Google’s Android operating systems. Tizen, an open source operating system, is expected to be integrated into the company’s high-end device.

Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile division, told Bloomberg that “the Tizen phone will be out in August or September, and this will be in the high-end category,” adding that “it will be the best product equipped with the best specifications.” The attempt to decrease dependency on Google’s operating system comes at a time when Samsung is seeing record-level profits. According to Samsung’s quarterly reports, the company’s net profit for months January to May rose 42 percent to over $6.5 billion. One of the main reasons for the increased profits is the success Samsung’s Galaxy mobile devices series has been enjoying, including the recently released Galaxy IV and Note devices.

“We like Android and we plan to continue our good relations with Google. Our strategy has always been to work with multiple operating software companies,” said J.K Shin, head of Samsung’s mobile division, to the Wall Street Journal. “There are simply a number different needs from our customers and the market for third-party operating systems.” Therefore, it is possible to see that the introduction of Tizen-operated phones into Samsung’s line of phones is not intended to drive out the use of Android completely.

Up until now, the Android operating system has been blanketed by the TouchWiz user interface on all of Samsung’s devices. This means that the transition to Tizen should not be too dramatic, as TouchWiz will remain the main end-component of the operating system. As a result, regular users will not notice too many drastic changes. OS News reports that many applications developed for Android could easily be transformed over to Tizen, owing to the fact that it is an open source system.

According to the Tizen’s official site, many known brands from the tech industry, such as Asus, Acer, Intel, and Samsung itself, have been involved in the Tizen initiative.

Its goal is to replace the Linux-based MeeGo project. The Linux Foundation, as well as other supporters of the Meego and Tizen intiatives, have announced as soon as 2011 that the MeeGo basis was outdated and slated Tizen to replace it with time. Other companies such as HTC and Fujitsu are also expected to join the Tizen initiative in the near future, according to the project’s website. The industry-wide push toward high-end Tizen phones seems to come as a reaction to the stranglehold of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS system over the mobile operation systems field. CNET reports that Tizen-based phones could be more enticing toward service carriers. This probability flows from the fact that service carriers will have more control over the operating system’s settings, thus giving carriers the ability to have more control over their subscribers.

Photo Courtesy of | Google.com

Syria Goes Offline for 19 Hours Raises Questions About the Internet as a Political Weapon

by TAYLOR GRIFFITH

The Internet in Syria came to an abrupt halt on May 7, 2013, and sustained a blackout that lasted 19 hours.

“On closer inspection it seems Syria has largely disappeared from the Internet,” said Umbrella Security Labs, a branch of the enterprise security firm OpenDNS. The cause of the blackout has been largely presumed to be the government’s attempt at suppressing activists in the country that oppose the leadership of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Given the political upheaval that has been occurring in Syria, this explanation certainly seems plausible.

According to BBC, the local Syrian state-run media stated the blackout was a result of a “fault in optical fibre cables.” However, David Belson of Akamai Technologies, Inc., an Internet content delivery network, stated: “Our monitoring shows that

Syria’s international internet connectivity is through at least four providers, and published submarine cable maps show connectivity through three active cables. As such, the failure of a single optical cable is unlikely to cause a complete internet outage for the country.”

This is not the first time that Syria’s citizens have lost access to the Internet.

“Syria last experienced a shutdown for three days last November,” the BBC stated. “Activists suggested at the time of the previous internet shutdown that the regime might have been planning a major offensive, or that it might have been attempting to prevent rebels from using the internet to co-ordinate themselves and communicate with the wider world.”

Al-Assad appears to be quite strident in his battle with Syrian rebels.

“The Assad regime seems ready to escalate in any way it can

to either preserve power or effectively divide the country,” said Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This suggests, as the Syrian activists and Internet experts have asserted, that al-Assad and the Syrian authorities are utilizing the Internet as a political weapon.

Although the cause of the Internet black-out in Syria cannot be known for certain, the event is not a rarity. According to John D. Sutter of CNN, the Internet has been disconnected in Egypt, Myanmar, and Nepal as well as filtered in Iran and China.

Could it happen in the U.S.? Not likely, said Sutter.

“The internet in the U.S. is bigger,” he said. “There are more companies involved, more data at play and more locations where the internet comes in and out of the country.” Furthermore, “U.S. law would prevent such an authoritarian shutdown.”

The recent events in Syria is a reminder of the Internet’s see SYRIA | page 8

Photo Courtesy of | BBC News/Akamai

page 8 | Continuations

POETRY continued from page 3 The second workshop was led by spoken word artist Colin Masashi Ehara, who detailed the work of a scholar whose study had found that black victims of violent crime were perceived by their attackers as somehow “culturally dysfunctional,” and that the likelihood of being a victim of violent crime increased as perceived levels of cultural dysfunction did. He added that violence against Asian Americans fell on another false binary: American vs. foreign, where victims were more likely to be attacked if they were perceived as foreign. The group was asked to reflect on where they felt others perceived them on the resulting graph (with culturally functional/dysfunction on the horizontal axis and American/foreign on the vertical) as to compared to how they perceived themselves.

The final workshop was led by poet Daniel “Fritz” Silber-Baker, whose interest was specifically in directly addressing the realm of language and the connotations of language. He asked members of the workshop to create a word for the relationships and human interactions that there weren’t simple names for. They also discussed, in Baker’s words, “language that has been given to us,” “language that has been taken from us,” and “language we have created” in the struggle against racism and racist speech and thought.

Immediately following the workshop, the group moved into the MCC Theater to perform a mix of pieces created in the workshop and prior works. Several students read their own pieces or works that had resonated with them that related to the issues of the day, along with the visiting poets from the workshop, community members, and staff.

The space welcomed contributions from whoever was interested in speaking for as many pieces as they’d like to read, including one of the members of the film crew that was recording the workshop. Fourth-year English major Marlene Moreno shared that she was “coming away from the space with a renewed energy to write.” Gregory Mitchell said that his takeaway was that, “you can find or create these people and these spaces anywhere, to talk about these issues and to do these things.”

AGE

continued from page 3

dents because our graduate programs are very small. So when I came here, I was expecting the population that we see in every college movie: all the young’uns getting wild on Del Playa every weekend. Of course, the vast majority of the students on this campus are young, with the average age of undergraduates being 20, and the average age of graduate students being 29. Yet, I was a little hesitant about the older folk on campus and in my classes. Narrow-minded as I was coming out of high school, it was weird to me. It felt like going to school with my mom.

But then I realized, my mother went back to school to get her master’s degree when I was in the ninth grade. She had two kids, was already working as a teacher’s aide in a middle school special education program, but decided that she was ready to take on the more serious role of being a certified teacher. She already had an undergraduate degree, but wanted to get another degree. She was going to make something of herself on her own terms.

Would I feel weird if my mother was in one of my classes? Probably, because she’s my mother. But I would have nothing but the utmost respect for her for going back to school—as I do already—for taking her fate into her own hands, for refusing to accept her life as it was, and for constantly striving to improve and change herself.

When I see older students, I think about how great it is that they are going to school. They have an incredible wealth of information about the real world. I’ve had a history TA who decided to come back to school and get a PhD after her youngest son went off to college, and was in fact older than my professor.

Older students shouldn’t be an anomaly, and even if they are, we certainly shouldn’t treat them as such. It’s sometimes hard to relate to them on a personal level, because they are at a different place in their lives than us. It’s easy to isolate them, to ignore them and hang out with people our own age. I’ve also heard of students putting down older students, saying that they weren’t good enough to get into university when they were young. That cuts me to the core; even if that were true, older students should be given even more respect for working hard to make it. That drive and determination is sometimes what sets them apart from us.

Yes, it can seem odd to see older students toting backpacks around campus, riding their bikes next to you, and raising their hands in lecture. But rather than ignore, or point and laugh, we should listen all the more closely.

WOMEN

continued from page 3

the first place.

Luckily, we live in a state that has gotten an A+ on the NARAL’s National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League grading on choice related laws. But even then, 22 percent of the counties in California have no abortion providers. California also upholds laws restricting young women access to an abortion by requiring parental consent for minors under the age of 18.

Additionally, California’s law on Refusal to Provide Medical Services Abortion Refusal Clause has made it possible for Orange County’s Hoag Memorial to ban elective abortion earlier this week after finalizing its affiliation with a Catholic hospital group. And just like that, California becomes a little more restricted right under our noses.

It cannot be enough to allow for these less restrictive guidelines, laws, and legislations to continue just being less restrictive. Not only is it time for government officials to begin empathizing with the women in this country who are being affected by their decision making, it is also time for all the women in this country to be concerned with their rights. Without these voices, there is no chance of protection against the looming threats and infringements on the reproductive rights of women. Being informed of these threats to our health care can be the first step. Becoming involved and not only advocating for ourselves but for the disadvantaged women that are suffering the negative consequences needs to be the second step to obliterating the harmful rhetoric that allows for these restrictions to uphold in a country that prides itself on autonomy.

IDENTITY

The Bottom Line | May 15 - May 22

HOMOPHOBIA continued from page 1

pletely different as I have experienced many hate crimes in IV just in the last two years I have attended this school. For myself and many others who have been the victim of hate crimes in IV and for many fearful queer students this has changed the way we live our lives,” said Thomsen. “[Isla Vista Foot Patrol] seems to value what non-queer white men say over just about anyone else and non-queer white men also happen to perpetrate a majority of hate crimes in IV.” Peterson Pham, a fourth-year sociology major, and internal coordinator for AS Queer Commission, also expressed concerns about safety of the queer community in IV. “As a queer genderfluid person of color, I do not feel safe anywhere,” said Pham. “I try to avoid law enforcement as much as possible because I feel that they are not here to serve me.”

Both QCom officers also spoke about the continuing efforts and importance of working on the issues of homophobia in IV. “Any discussion about issues affecting my community’s safety should not ever be questioned in its authenticity nor its importance,” said Pham. “There needs to be a push from beyond the people within my communities to provide a safer climate...Everyone needs be doing their part to make everyone feel safe and to continue this dialogue.”

PHOENIX continued from page 5

the instrumentals, as the vocals seem to fade into a deceptively calm, soothing background.

Despite its more lackluster songs, “Bankrupt!” will probably still satisfy avid Phoenix fans.

Though the album isn’t right on the money, it’s worth a listen nonetheless.

Senate

continued from page 1

we should also change legal code; maybe someone can work on re-writing that.”

Despite a motion at the beginning of the meeting to only allow one representative from each side of the resolution to speak before moving into discussion, which many considered to be silencing student voices, nobody spoke afterward about the Senate’s decision made regarding the resolution, which could have stemmed from speeches made prior to Segovia’s decision by AS Executive Director Marisela Márquez, Associate Director for Community Affairs Aaron Jones, and AS President Sophia Armen.

“This is a time for leadership for all of us; this is a hard moment,” said Armen. “We have folks that are obviously very emotionally invested, but this is our moment to be a campus, to prove ourselves as UCSB students. No matter what people say about you, you have your dignity here, so let’s respect this. This is a moment where we define ourselves as people.”

The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing the budget for 2013-2014, but they decided to table it for a week to allow for Board, Committee or Commissions (BCCs) to speak to Senate and have all the senators there. The budget should be finalized Wednesday, May 15, but if it is not, the president’s budget will be the default and final budget for next year.

SYRIA continued from page 7

importance in ensuring civil rights on a global scale. Rapid communication is essential in maintaining the stability of global relations. If this primary avenue for efficient mass communication is severed in a specific geographic location, then it is disconnected not only from a source of covert communication within the political boundaries, but from external assistance as well. Unfortunately, oppressive regimes and political turmoil are all-too-familiar in history and current events. Since the lives of millions of people are in the hands of a country’s leaders and their relationship with the rest of the world, it is essential for the citizens of a country to have the ability to correct any injustices that have been committed by their leaders. The Internet can help overcome oppression through the instantaneous and anonymous link with the global community, and when that connection is deliberately blocked to prevent citizens from voicing civil rights concerns, a political act of aggression and a subsequent injustice has occurred.

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continued from page 3

because we’re so entrenched in student debt that our unemployment despite a bachelor’s degree, unfortunately cannot pay rent. We delay marriage and having a baby because half of us can’t even get permanent careers by age 30.

So, excuse us for our “narcissism” and “high expectations”. Isn’t the most common taboo that the seemingly full-of-herself girl is actually the most insecure? Think about it, we may be online on average an hour a day, but we also will be sweeping the floors of fast food restaurants ruminating over Marx, Kant, differential equations, or contemplating Dutch art in the age of Vermeer amongst other things we learned in our futile higher education. Alphabetically speaking we are the penultimate generation, but realistically speaking we seem like the royally screwed generation.

Call us what you like, Generation X and Baby Bloomers, but maybe you’re to blame for some of our unfortunate traits.

BEST COAST continued from page 5

moment Cosentino’s lips touched the microphone. Through her reverb-drenched voice and chic stage presence, I no longer just heard her words, but felt them. Even if her emotions about the guy may raise an eyebrow, she means what she says, and she is not apologetic for being honest.

She loved this man, and she is sharing her journey and realizations to the world, while rocking out on her guitar.Other listeners appeared to share my sentiments. Couples slow danced to songs like “No One Like You,” holding each other tight, letting Bethany’s words of loss and love guide their feet. The pace quickened as Best Coast performed songs from their upcoming EP, such as “Who Have I Become,” which displays higher pitches and riffs from the electric guitar. Throughout the concert, the variety of style of music by Best Coast was represented by the movement of the crowd, as some couples slow danced, friends boogied, others rhythmically bobbed their heads, and some just stood and watched..

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