Quarantine Yearbook (Spring 2021)

YEARBOOK

BottomLineUCSB.com

@tbl.ucsb @tblucsb @thebottomlineucsb Illustration by ALYSSA LONG | Art & Creative Director

Photo by SAMMY MUNOZ | Photo Editor

QUARANTINE

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Ilustration By ALICIA LEUNG | TBL 2020 Sticker Contest Winner

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he Bottom Line was founded as an alternative source of news for the UCSB campus in 2006, after a series of tenant evictions in Isla Vista weren’t being covered by any of the current publications. Since then, we have strived to bring investigative, relevant coverage of news as well as campus culture to the UCSB student body, through print, online, and video content. This year, things have looked a bit different, and we have had to adapt the way that we deliver content to our readers. We have expanded our online presence, utilized social media as a way to improve accessibility and share content in real time, and even created a Tik Tok to keep up with the rapidly changing current events and reports from UCSB. We’ve grown and changed, as have you, and we hope to take the things we have learned in this chapter into the next.

We wanted to bring you this special edition Quarantine Yearbook to commemorate the year we have all spent physically apart, but still together in community. It features photos of I.V. surfers, a remote learning coloring page, coverage of Indigenous land sovereignty, the nostalgia trap of COVID-19, and much more. We hope that you enjoy our wrap-up of the past year as a tribute to our community’s resiliency and dedication to caring for ourselves and one another. TBL has missed you all on campus this year and we look forward to seeing you when things return to normal.

THE BOTTOM LINE | 2021

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Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff or UCSB. All questions or comments may be directed to editors@bottomlineucsb.com.

THE BOTTOM LINE | 2021

Students & Native Hawaiians Fight to Protect Mauna Kea LAUREN LUNA | Campus Beat Reporter

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ince 2014, UC Regents has been an instrumental benefactor in funding the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on Hawaii Island.

The project’s website states that the venture will “solidify the position of Hawaii as a World leader in research in astronomy and astrophysics,” as a sustainable advancement in science. According to the website, the project does not intrude on any archaeological sites or endangered wildlife on the island.

In November, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) organization by the name of Mauna Kea Protectors (MKP) held a workshop for their #UCDivestTMT campaign, which calls for funds for the project to be withdrawn. The workshop capped off the campaign’s week of action, calling for Chancellor Yang, the chairman of the project, to divest money from the TMT Project in accordance with Native Hawaiian students’ judgement and their UCSB supporters.

The TMT project supporters have been pushing for the telescope’s completion in order to further study the space phenomenon of quasars. According to the online SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy (COSMOS), quasars are celestial bodies that garner a tremendous amount of pure energy, theorized to be powered by immense black holes. Some astronomers believe the phenomenon represents a stage in the life of a galaxy, expanding outwards yet pulling

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old matter within.

“Through University of California Observatories, we have privileged access to the Keck telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea, which allowed us to obtain high-quality data on this object shortly after it was discovered using the Gemini telescope,” commented physics professor Joe Hennawi in an interview with UCSB’s official news site, The Current.

Members of the Hawaiian diaspora, as well as natives of the island itself, have demonstrated dissatisfaction with the venture. The summit is one of the most sacred places in Hawaiian cosmology, analogous to the “Garden of Eden” in Abrahamic religions. According to Trisha Kehualani, writer for Vox Magazine, Mauna Kea not only houses fragile natural resourc-

es, but also numerous cultural resources and “historic burial sites.”

TMT’s construction atop Mauna Kea has also promoted civil unrest within the Hawaiian community, as law enforcement has reportedly taken the opportunity to have native Hawaiian officers regulate the site without popular consent.

“The use of Native Hawaiian law enforcement has been met with harsh criticism,” reports Kehualani. “Many consider it an intentional decision by government leaders, who are primarily non-Hawaiian, to create division and trauma within the Hawaiian community.”

Native Hawaiians who want to preserve Mauna Kea do not agree that their fight is a conflict between science and culture.

On the contrary, they are strong

proponents for advancements in science, but simply believe the telescope does not belong on Mauna Kea. Earlier this May, the Daily Californian, a student-run newspaper at UC Berkeley, reported that the UC System newly invested a whopping $68 million into the Thirty-Meter Telescope project. Thus, the Mauna Kea Protectors at UCSB have led a student-backed resistance against the continuation of the project.

The Mauna Kea Protectors’ workshop kicked off with a brief introduction to the history of Mauna Kea, prefacing its significance to native Hawaiians.

The presentation then explained UCSB’s involvement in the Mauna Kea project, specifically citing Yang’s public endorsement and leadership within the

project, which extends back to before 2009.

Along with being regarded as a violation of Mauna Kea’s spiritual significance, this project has also garnered further controversy as it led to the arrests of Hawaiian elders who peacefully protested on the Mauna Kea site in the summer of 2019. According to New York Times, authorities did not provide numbers of arrests and the charges, which the elders would anticipate, but witnesses described the scene as “emotional, but peaceful.”

Many UCSB students, even those outside of the Hawaiian community, feel strongly opposed to this issue. Student Jeike Meijer, who is a part of the Taino indigenous community from the Caribbean, aired her opinions on the Mauna Kea venture in a Q&A session following the presentation.

“My experience with Chancellor Yang has not felt reciprocal,” explained Meijer. “I have not felt listened to in the conversations, and I have not been taken seriously.”

This experience is not unique, as other UCSB students have taken to communicating with Yang over the phone, email, or social media to urge him and UC Regents to divest from the project. Yang has stated that he is in support of the Hawaiian community but has not expressed any intention to withdraw funds from the TMT project.

Photo Courtesy of Paxton Tomko on Unsplash

Pandemic Parties:

Are Landlords Responsible?

ALEXANDRA WISHOWSKI | Isla Vista Beat Reporter

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s COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Isla Vista, many students have continued hosting large gatherings and parties, ignoring county health ordinances. To the community’s dismay, party hosts have gone largely unpunished.

In response, students have complained about the lack of accountability placed on neighbors who continue to host large gatherings while putting the community at risk. Complaints have been mainly directed towards law enforcement, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) administrators, Isla Vista landlords, and leasing companies.

In an interview with The Bottom Line, Riley, a representative of the property management company, Playa Life IV, explained the procedure for dealing with residents who have violated county health ordinances, along with legal limitations the company faces.

The company collects information from law enforcement, the college the tenant may be enrolled in, and the tenant themselves in order to gather all

sides of the story before issuing a warning letter to the property.

“We provide them with a formal written notice that this is an issue that can’t continue. If it does continue, we’ll have to take further action,” said Riley.

According to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department’s (SBCPHD) health officer order made effective in October of last year, large house parties fall under gatherings which incur fines of $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $500 for any following offense within the same year.

However, Riley confirmed that landlords do not have the legal power to impose these fines on tenants throwing parties. Law enforcement officers and health representatives designated by the county are responsible for issuing citations and civil fines.

Although the goal is to avoid evictions during the COVID-19 crisis, tenants may be subject to the eviction process if they pose a severe risk. While most residents usually comply after receiving warning notices, Pla-

ya Life IV has moved forward with one eviction during the pandemic.

“If we think it’s severe enough, if we deem it enough of a health risk, and if our attorneys can actually agree that we have a legal basis for eviction based on the actions of the tenants, then we will go through with that,” Riley explained.

A residence that has reportedly faced eviction for several large parties is one of the units at the “Ganja Baby” house on Del Playa Drive, which is managed by Playa Life IV as well. A fourth-year student in a neighboring residence — who asked to remain anonymous — described the ways in which some tenants have deliberately disregarded the county health ordinance.

“For their normal parties, I’d say around 30 to 50 people would go since there’d be a crowd in front of the house,” said the student. “The last gathering with the bouncy house had over 200 people on the balcony, from what I heard.”

Additionally, the party hosts can find ways to cover the coun-

ty fines after being reported.

“Cops wouldn’t do much other than warn them that they couldn’t party or else they’d get fined,” added the student. “Even if they did, they could just charge guests an entry fee to avoid it.”

The Instagram account, @ucsb.party, has been publicly posting photos and videos of partiers in order to hold them accountable. According to one of their posts featuring the bouncy house at the “Ganja Baby” residence, two older, male UCSB alumni have allegedly paid student party fines and supplied alcohol for residences throwing the parties.

Due to the extremely strict laws regarding eviction in California and the abundant loopholes for county fines, many students have attempted to put pressure on UCSB administrators to follow the lead of other universities holding students and organizations accountable for attending large gatherings.

Tulane University threatened to suspend and expel students who violate their COVID-19 policy by hosting gatherings of over 15 people. Six sororities

and fraternities have already been suspended for gathering at bars and off-campus parties.

UC Berkeley also implemented a campus lockdown for their residence halls due to increasing case numbers. Undergraduate students were required to self-sequester in their dorms until Feb. 8 and only were permitted to leave to seek medical care, testing, emergency help, or food.

UCSB students may report their complaints about large gatherings to the Registered Campus Organizations Conduct Board, which investigates violations against the student code of conduct for students, campus activities, and campus organizations.

Scan the QR Code below to view @ucsb.party on Instagram.

Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art & Creative Director

NEWS | 5

Indigenous Protestors Arrested for Defending Sacred Chumash Land DANIELA SCHWARTZ | Staff Writer

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n Feb. 28, protesters stood at the entrance of the San Marcos Foothills Preserve to prevent new construction of a proposed luxury home development site on sacred Chumash land. Eight people were arrested that morning, six of which were indigenous Chumash women.

The protest was organized by the Save the San Marcos Foothills group, which publicized the sit-in on their Instagram page.

The protestors circled in front of the foothill gates, singing Chumash chants and words of encouragement. Two of the protestors tied themselves to a pole that stood in the idling bulldozer’s way. They were later arrested by the Santa Barbara County police for refusing the order to move aside, according to a bystander at the event.

By 9 a.m., the police had blocked off the entrance to the San Marcos Foothill Preserve parking lot claiming that there was “a crime scene.” However, other deputies stated that they were blocking the entrance to keep the protest peaceful. The blockage prevented many protesters from joining the event, which caused some of them to worry whether or not food and water could be brought uphill to the event to aid the protesters. Eventually, protestors found other entrance routes through footpaths.

Many participants reported that they were unsure of what would come of the protest, as the bulldozers and construction workers stood by waiting for orders and police cars lined the parking lot. By 11 a.m., the advocacy group leaders and developers had come to an agreement to pause the construction for the day, partially due to the impressive turnout and community support displayed at the event, noted Sam Kita, a founder of the Save the San Marcos Foothills advocacy group.

The event gained traction and over 100 people were there to protest and show support. Lynch reinstated the importance

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of being at the event to pause the development.

“We are just asking the developers and contractors to pause and give us more time.

We are so close,” Lynch said.

According to Lynch, the community is raising funds to buy the property from the developers. However, according to John Davies, PR consultant and political strategist for the Chadmar Group, $19 million is the cost of the property. So far, the advocacy group has fundraised just over three million.

One protestor at the event said they needed a few miracle donations to buy out the land, however other citizens remained optimistic that with time, they’ll be able to buy the

property. Despite the significant amount of money needed, community supporters reinforced the importance of preserving the last sacred Chumash land.

Lynch also noted that it’s nesting season for many birds within the preserve, another reason as to why it’s important not to remove the grassland.

“We will be here until the developers agree to pause construction,” shouted one protestor — a declaration that many other protesters shared. Until the money is raised, community members appear committed to showing up and sharing how important it is to them to preserve the land for the Chumash people, the ecosystem, and the community.

Save the San Marcos Foot-

hills said that the primary objective now is to raise the required money to buy the land from the Chadmar Group. Chadmar Group has offered Save San Marcos Foothills a 90 day window to purchase the West Mesa of the San Marcos Foothills for $18 million — as of now they’ve raised $5.5 million of that goal.

“We are still coming to an agreement about the cost of the land,” Lynch said. “But after Thursday’s protest, we are feeling really hopeful.” Real-time updates on the topic can be found on the Instagram page, @savethesanmarcosfoothills.

More information on the development plans can be found on the Chadmar website.

Photos by Sammy Muñoz | Photo Editor

NEWS | 7

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uring the COV I D -19 pandemic our computers have unfortunately become our reality, which makes nature all the more fantastical — and Isla Vista boasts some of SoCal’s best scenery right in our backyard. Here is a list of trails near the Isla Vista (I.V.) community that you may have never explored before. While some of the trails are secluded, definitely make sure to bring a mask in the event that paths are popping with people.

1. Trails to Sand Beach: 7/10 This is a classic. If you’ve never walked this path, the trail from the end of I.V. to Sands Beach is absolutely beautiful.

Not only is the journey alongside the ocean bluffs, but the cliff of Sands Beach is the ideal location for watching the sunset dive down into the ocean.

Considering this is one of the more popular trails in I.V., you’re likely to bump into friends or other people you know.

2. Campus Point: 7/10 For those living on campus, any of the Campus Point trails are beautiful to walk through.

Considering the direction Campus Point faces, it is the ideal destination for watching an early sunrise. The upper bluffs are positioned perfectly for a portrait of the sun rising up above the ocean. Even for students not living on campus, the excursion is worth making the next time you find yourself visiting campus.

3. Phelps Creek Trailhead: 7/10 If you’ve already explored both Campus Point and Sands Beach, definitely check out the North Campus Open Space.

Because the space is reserved by the University of California, Santa Barbara as a researched region, ecosystem, and habitat restoration site, it is untouched and the landscape remains seriously protected. The map above is located past the Phelps

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Trailhead and down the trail in the direction of the ocean bluffs, eventually leading to the butterfly preserve.

4. Wells-Elings Marsh Trail: 8/10

This walk is a great space to be alone and internally reflect while walking across the bridges that overpass the marsh lagoons. The open space allows an amazingly clear view of the stunning sky while timing a sunset walk through the marshland. The pebbly terrain is a little bumpy, but certainly bikeable.

5. The Butterfly Preserve: 10/10 If you’re looking for a longer walk, a hike through the Butterfly Preserve is ideal for you. I discovered the preserve by accident while exploring new running trails. Upon entry, I felt as if I was frolicking through some kind of heavenly paradise.

Especially in the springtime, the surrounding butterflies and blooming flowers almost recreate the beginning scene in “The Sound of Music.” On the left is a view of the ocean below the beach bluffs, and on the right is a postcard picture of the Santa Barbara mountains. Depending on where you start, the preserve is approximately two miles from the end of I.V. or a mile exactly from the North Campus Phelps Trailhead. The preserve is also a great biking trail in the event that you aren’t in the mood for a 4-6 mile walk.

How to get there: Take the

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path lining the Family Center near the I.V. elementary school.

At the end of the dirt path is the intersection light of El Colegio Road and Storke Road.

Past the Slough Trailhead is Venoco Road that leads all the way up to the entrance of the preserve. There’s also another entrance from the Phelps Trailhead that begins at the culde-sac of Atlantic Lane in the neighborhood by Girsh Park.

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6. Slough Trailhead: 7/10 Past the I.V. elementary school, there is a road that passes the gate by the intersection light of El Colegio Road and Storke Road. Right next to the West Campus Apartments is the trailhead for Devereux Slough.

This road is about half a mile long one way and eventually leads to the Butterfly Preserve.

On the left is the Coal Oil Point Reserve and on the right is the North Campus Open Space.

5 Photos by Gabrielle Courtney | Staff Photographer

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I.V.'S HOT TROT SPOTS

GABRIELLE COURTNEY | Staff Writer

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his February, Chanel Miller opened up in an exclusive virtual event hosted by UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Students Against Sexual Assault and the Associated Students (AS) Human Rights Board. A UCSB alum herself, Chanel Miller is a writer and artist recognized for her critically-acclaimed memoir, “Know My Name.”

Chanel Miller was first known to the public under the pseudonym Emily Doe in 2015 when she became part of a highprofile sexual assault case. In People v. Turner, the perpetrator, indicted with multiple charges, received an astonishingly lenient sentence of six months in prison.

The sentence brought national outrage and scrutiny to the case, and the sentencing judge was recalled — the first California judge to be recalled in over 80 years.

With “Know My Name,” Miller forged her own story with her own words. And in the virtual event, she revealed her earnest personality and thoughts — proving that she is more than just a name. Structured in a Q&A format, Miller laid bare her experience, unique insight, and abundant compassion.

A large portion of the talk revolved around her decision to write and publish the memoir. She described making the decision through a “cost-benefit” lens. Though she recalled the trial process itself as excruciating, being forced to relive the trauma and getting aggressively interrogated in court, she knew that if she didn’t tell her story, then someone else inevitably would.

To her, it wasn’t a matter of getting as many people as possible to hear her story, but more so having someone — anyone — willing to listen. In fact, she hadn’t anticipated her memoir’s success, both critically and commercially.

A large part of her decision

"KNOW MY NAME": Chanel Miller’s Story ERIC KWON | Contributing Writer

to give life to this memoir, she graduated with a literature killings, where a male student, acknowledged, was rooted in her major from UCSB herself, she evidently spurred by misogyny Asian identity. Miller recalled recalled her college years fondly and resentment over rejection, the comfort and inspiration and the warmth of the campus. killed and injured multiple she felt from listening to Asian She even mentioned applying people — many of them UCSB writers like Ocean Vuong. communication strategies she students. She mentioned the Intensely aware of Asian learned in her classes to her bizarre nature of not being able Americans consistently being court process, except with an to see one of her classmates, a “denied emotion,” and the clear audience of sober-suited lawyers victim of the incident, graduate.

In relation to both the falsehood of these stereotypes instead of a class full of students.

Having been a student at killings and her sexual assault, (a defiance she saw in her own mother), she understood the the time, Miller also opened up she recognized that these events need to push back and help about the horrific 2014 Isla Vista are not isolated. She mentioned that these events occur foster a space in which that very emotion TO HER, IT WASN’T A as a result of men is something to be MATTER OF GETTING AS being unable to cope celebrated.

MANY PEOPLE AS POSSI- with not getting what Miller also spoke BLE TO HEAR HER STORY, they want, pointing to about her UCSB BUT MORE SO HAVING SOMEONE a larger societal and experience — having — ANYONE — WILLING TO LISTEN." patriarchal issue that

haunts the country.

When asked about advice she would give to other victims, she instead wanted to shift the focus to the people around them. She said it’s crucial to be present and to be supportive for victims, to give them space and to be better equipped to receive these stories. Though not everyone will be up for the task, she told those looking for an ear that someone eventually will.

Furthermore, Miller graciously canvassed her own journey as a victim, and as a person in general, with her own inner struggles. Like anyone else, she often felt stuck in seemingly inescapable ruts; but she gave inspiration for us all to have the courage to trudge through such situations, believing that opportunities open up all the time and in the most unpredictable of places.

She is not excessively idealistic by any means; she acknowledged the persistent effects of her own trauma, and that some days are just harder than others.

She realized life is a culmination of its ebbs and flows, and if you were to ask her all those years ago, while struggling with these intense traumatic events coupled with other personal hardships, she said she would’ve never believed it if someone had told her what her life would become: living in New York City doing what she loves — writing.

Like her memoir expresses, Chanel Miller is determined to keep her name known. She mentioned two new books in the making, and at least one of them will be geared towards younger audiences. Moreover, she looks forward to visiting UCSB again in the future, hopefully in person next time.

CARE is working to foster a violence-free campus. Their survivor services are available 24/7 at (805) 893-4613. CAPS psychological and counseling services are also available 24/7 at (805) 893-4411.

FEATURES | 9

Park Maintenance

DISPLACES I.V.’s Houseless COMMUNITY ARIANNA MCDONALD | Editor-in-Chief

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sla Vista (I.V.) has had many encampments since the start of the pandemic, the largest being in Anisq’Oyo’ Park, which has housed up to 50 houseless individuals. On Dec. 9, the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District (IVRPD) notified residents that they would have to pack up and leave by Dec. 20, citing maintenance in the park that needed to be addressed.

This motion directly went against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to avoid dispersing encampments during the pandemic because of the risk of community spread, as well as the public outcry against it by I.V. residents at the IVRPD meeting on Dec. 10.

Food Not Bombs – Isla Vista, a mutual aid organization that serves hot and cold meals to residents in Isla Vista five days a week, circulated a petition defending the right of these community members to shelter in a place where they feel most safe.

“We wholeheartedly reject the argument that this park maintenance and grass upkeep is more important than people’s homes,” said Gina Sawaya, a volunteer with Food Not Bombs – Isla Vista.

Christina Lydick has been a resident for many years and has noticed an increase in I.V.’s houseless population following the start of the pandemic.

She’s disappointed in the state of Anisq’Oyo’ Park, which she considers one of the gems of

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I.V., since it was not intended to be a campground.

Lydick runs the Isla Vista Beautification Program that employs houseless individuals to address maintenance concerns and beautification of the community. She says there has been an increase in waste, mostly concerning hypodermic needles, which they have to contend with. It is believed that this safety concern was another reason to close the parks.

Under the COVID-19 Encampment Management Policy (CEMP) that IVPRD passed in August 2020, they are allowed to intervene in encampments under certain circumstances, but will make good faith offers to find other housing accommodations for the houseless community affected by the park closure.

Good Samaritan Shelter and the Isla Vista Community Center (IVCC) worked together to build and run 20 Pallet homes in the parking lot of the IVCC to shelter some of these displaced individuals. Kirsten Cahoon with Good Samaritan Shelter described how they chose the individuals who would be offered a spot in the tiny homes.

“We really collaborated with the people that have been doing outreach out here for a long time and with public health who have been boots on the ground in the parks and Anisq’Oyo’ for months during COVID,” she said. “When we talked to them, we got their priorities as far as who really needed healthcare and were really vulnerable out

there.”

Cahoon says they are a housing first model and the goal is to get these folks permanently housed by June when this project ends.

However, there were more than double the amount of people needing shelter living in Anisq’Oyo’ Park before the closure. Some of the individuals offered spots in the homes initially turned them down because of the rules associated with living in group-run shelters — which include curfews and sobriety.

The rest of the folks were moved into 12×12 chalked squares in People’s Park, a flat open field adjacent to Anisq’Oyo’ Park.

Sawaya shared in an interview that People’s Park is a floodplain during the rainy season, which is why no one had encamped there before. In Anisq’Oyo’ Park the houseless folk were able to spread out, but in People’s Park, they are densely packed together.

“That’s intentional, you know, one of my friends who is houseless constantly says that they feel like they’re in a fishbowl. They’re constantly being watched,” Sawaya said. She is frustrated with the lack of resources. “There was no investment in building community. It was just about getting them out of the park.”

Emily Allen, the program director for Homeless and Veterans Programs of United Way of Santa Barbara County, said there is a lack of community support for houseless people.

Oftentimes, community members are opposed to houseless individuals moving into their neighborhoods and will actively speak out against it. This phenomenon is known by the acronym NIMBY, which stands for Not In My Backyard. These folks don’t like low-income individuals or houseless folk living nearby because they fear declining property values, increased traffic and crime, and unfair distribution of social services as a result.

Andrea Ure, the Women’s Free Homeless Clinic Coordinator for Doctors Without Walls, a nonprofit that provides both medical and basic needs services, described in an interview with The Bottom Line the different effects of living on the street versus in a shelter.

“I think that probably the biggest effect on people who are housed in shelters is mostly just that they feel more safe,” Ure explained.

Folks living without shelter aren’t able to securely store their belongings and are constantly having to protect them from getting stolen. Ure went on to say that women are “the most vulnerable out of this already-vulnerable population.

Unfortunately, there’s so much sexual abuse and sexual harassment among homeless women.”

Although most I.V. residents support their houseless neighbors, business owners, and a few community members have been opposed to the encampment at Anisq’Oyo’ Park. There is a pe-

tition currently going around proposed by UC Santa Barbara student Keegan Canfield to relocate the tiny homes because they are in the center of I.V. The petition claims that adequate housing invites more homeless, and says that the shelters are “off-putting and not economically suitable for anyone involved.”

The petition uses rhetoric like “cleaner and safer atmosphere for students and residents,” to suggest that the houseless community poses a threat to residents if they do not get relocated.

The question is, where would they go?

A lot of the houseless community chose to live in I.V. due to the resources nearby. Food Not Bombs – Isla Vista hand delivers meals to each resident, Home for Good Santa Barbara County does outreach twice a week, St. Michael’s Showers of Blessing offers hygiene care, and Doctors Without Walls distributes supplies. Before the pandemic, these folks could go into the Pardall Center and nearby establishments to use the WiFi and outlets, seek a bit of shelter, and socialize. Sawaya observes that there has always been houseless living in I.V., but now they are just more visible because they are all congregated in one area.

Photo by Arianna McDonald | Editor-in-Chief

“Parasite” And Its Horrors of Capital ETHAN YU | Staff Writer This article contains spoilers for the movie, “Parasite.” apital is an abstract parasite … the living flesh it converts into dead labor is ours, and the zombies it makes are us,” wrote Mark Fisher in “Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?” in 2009. Within a capitalist society, who are its parasites, and who are their hosts? The poor who rely on the wealthy for their daily wage? Or the wealthy who leech off the poor and their labor?

This year, Carsey-Wolf Center at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) presented a discussion on the film “Parasite” between UC Irvine Professor of East Asian studies Kyung Hyun Kim and UCSB English Professor Sowon Park, as part of their virtual Q&A series, “Subversives.”

Bong Joon-ho’s film, which recently won Best Picture in the 2020 Academy Awards, depicts through heart-wrenching drama and black comedy, the attempts of the poor Kim family to trick the wealthy Park family into hiring them as highly-qualified private tutors, chauffeurs, and maids.

The title initially leads the viewer to view the Kims as the lying parasites who are getting the Parks’ current employees fired so they can feed off the Parks’ wealth and kindness.

However, as the story progresses we start to realize that the parasite of the aforementioned title may not be singular.

Sowon and Kyung discussed

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how neoliberal capitalism is a fraught system whose structures can be easily shaken, with disastrous effects. Sowon makes a parallel with the flood scene in the movie that cleans the nice streets of the wealthy and floods the homes of the poor with COVID-19 today.

Sowon believes that COVID-19 has revealed two worlds: the world of the rich where they are untouched by disaster and the world of the poor whose “abject misery is completely separated from the reality” of those who can afford not to look.

Kyung claims that Bong Joon-ho uses a cinematographic language of “filtering” to portray pivotal scenes through architectural frames like windows, basements, doors, and staircases that illustrate the power dynamics between the characters, and emphasize the film’s “cynical cr itique ” of capitalism.

In the end of the film, a violent clash of classes results in the renewal of the vicious capitalist cycle through the placement of a new family in the Parks’ home. The main character, Kim Ki-woo, or Kevin, disillusioned that the system is impossible to beat, dreams of getting rich and purchasing the Parks’ house to save his father. But the audience realizes this dream is not meant to be when the camera returns to Kevin and the snow descends above him through the window.

For Sowon, “there is no real villain in the story.” Rather, it is capital that is the horror of this film. But what does it mean when the horror movies we watch no longer go beyond the realm of the

possible, but into reality?

Kyung claims that “Parasite” is more than a Marxist film. It becomes a “post-Marxist” film in the sense that the “negation of negation [no longer leads] to a positive affirmation.” In other words, the antithesis of capitalism (once an antithesis to feudalism) no longer promises anything better. The message of “Parasite,” in all its pessimism is “a thwarting of utopia:” a paradise lost.

However, I am not sure whether I agree with Kyung that Bong Joon-ho’s post-Marxist pessimism offers much of a critique of capitalism rather than an affirmation of late capitalism’s logic: there is no alternative.

For thinkers like Mark Fisher, Frederic Jameson, and Slavov Žižek, we live in an age where “it is easier for us to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism.”

While I don’t think Bong Joon-ho is secretly allying with the capitalists, the real horror of “Parasite” is how critique can become a commodity of the very system it intends to critique.

Now that “Parasite” is recognized by film production companies as investable, by theaters as worthy to host, and by award organiza-

tions as important to be watched by the mass public, the system has ensured that if it must critique itself — at least it will earn a profit.

The film’s defeated willingness to accept the necropolitics of capitalism limits the human imagination for radical change.

Capitalist realism reverses the signifier of the parasite. While Bong Joon-ho attempts to show how the symbol of the parasite is capitalism, his conclusion that Kevin will only have to dream and “there is no other way” affirms a logic that supposes that capitalism is not the parasite, but in reality, the host.

The human parasite who must constantly consume the products of capitalism can die, but the host of the capital can still live on. It orients us to treat the problems of capitalism as symptoms to be regulated or reformed, instead of a problem in and of itself.

Capitalist realism no longer tries to hide the perils of neoliberal capitalism, now further unveiled by COVID-19. Mainstream media does not attempt to repress the truth, but rather subsume it. Through more digestible, commodified products, marketing and advertising sell us our own fear and anxiety over capitalism’s demise. We can only view the escape from capitalism as that of a parasite leaving its host: death. That is the horror of Capital.

Illustration by Krystal Chen | Staff Illustrator

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 11

The Black Musical Blueprint SAVANNAH LARSEN | Staff Writer

F

rom blues to jazz, rock to hip hop, and R&B to EDM, many of the music genres we enjoy today are heavily influenced by or were born entirely out of Black culture.

As we focus on and admire the strides many Black Americans have made in influencing our culture, history, and civil rights, it is important to appreciate an often overlooked contribution by Black culture. I am, of course, speaking about Black influence on American music — whether it was creating smooth jazz, bouncing ragtime, soulful blues, or even rapid rock and rap, there were incredible artists at the forefront of developing these beloved musical styles.

I will start with one of my personal favorites, ragtime, and the King of Ragtime himself, Scott Joplin. Born to former slave Giles Joplin and freeborn African American Florence Givens, Joplin is credited with creating over 100 original ragtime pieces, two operas, and even a ballet. Ragtime itself was born from merging European marching tunes with the polyrhythmic, syncopated beats of African traditions and music.

Joplin popularized the ragged, syncopated rhythm that gives ragtime its liveliness and bouncy feel, changing how people thought about piano music.

Joplin was well known for hits like “The Entertainer” and “Maple Leaf Rag,” which solidified his place as a successful ragtime composer. One branch of evolving ragtime paved the way for the styles of early jazz and swing.

Ragtime too springy for you?

Then maybe you are looking for the smoothness of jazz. Jazz is

characterized by its swing-like momentum, bent notes, and, of course, emphasis on improvisation and finding your own musical style. This improvisation makes a jazz song sound different every time you hear it played, making the same song feel brand new. Jazz developed primarily in New Orleans in the early 20th century, where African American musical rhythms mixed with European harmonic structures and took hints from blues and ragtime.

And this was not just for the musicians; even the singers followed this pattern. Ella Fitzgerald, dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” was one of most popular singers of jazz on account of her vast range and vocal flexibility.

She, along with all the greatest jazz players such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Nat King Cole, cemented the only unchanging part of jazz: the fact that jazz is always evolving. This

12 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

freedom of expression made jazz a creative birthplace for not only different kinds of jazz, but swing, rock, and bebop.

JAZZ IS CHARACTERIZED

BY ITS SWING-LIKE MOMENTUM, BENT NOTES, AND, OF COURSE, EMPHASIS ON IMPROVISATION AND FINDING YOUR OWN MUSICAL STYLE.” Too old for your young bones? Let’s talk about a more modern music genre that many younger generations are familiar with: rap. Rap primarily emerged from Black culture,

with influences taken from West African griot, or story-telling, traditions; African American poetry; and other Black musical forms, such as blues and jazz.

The modern use of rap in popular music emerged in the Bronx, New York City, alongside hip hop.

The name “rap” came from an African American dialect of English, back when it meant “to converse,” in reference to its heavy use of prose and speech.

Comedian Rudy Ray Moore, “The Godfather of Rap,” is credited with creating the more modern rap songs of the 1970s, with raunchy, crass, and sexually explicit lyrics not unlike the ones we hear today.

Rock is another modern example that has been shaped as a result of Black culture and influence. Combining blues, jazz, and other musical styles, rock music focuses on social or political problems as well as love and

fantasies.

And just like its parent jazz, rock has a lot, and I mean a lot, of various styles and subgenres.

We owe the development of the highly-beloved rock genre to people like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “The God-Mother of Rock and Roll,” and Chuck Berry, “The Father of Rock and Roll.” Through experimenting with blues, gospel, and a pinch of country and jazz, they developed the sound that would later become popularized by singers such as Elvis Presley.

All of these genres and the multitudes of musical styles they helped inspire are a result of Black and African culture and influence in American music.

Without their efforts, risks, and creative experimentation, music would certainly be much less exciting and distinct than it is now!

Photo Courtesy of Herman Leonard

THE NOSTALGIA

OF COVID-19 ETHAN YU | Staff Writer NATALIE MIFFLIN | Contributing Writer

L

et’s face it, we’ve all fallen into the nostalgia trap. Our media consumption reflects an intense longing for days that seem far away. Perhaps you’re re-reading “Hunger Games” or “Twilight” again now that you have more free time. Maybe you started binge-watching “Avatar: The Last Airbender” on Netflix recently because it was one of your favorite shows as a kid. Or maybe you’re playing the new Animal Crossing game during Zoom lectures because it reminds you of sneakily playing on your Nintendo DS under your desk in class.

Now more than ever, our favorite entertainment providers are giving us the content we deeply crave: remakes, reboots, and rewinds. Especially during quarantine, what else can you watch on a Friday night after all the forum posts are submitted?

On a normal Friday night, you might go eat with friends, party on Del Playa, or just hang out. But with our entire lifestyles and habits changing because of

the pandemic, there’s a gaping hole in the time slot where our social gatherings used to fit.

With lots of movies that were supposed to be released earlier this year being pushed back to 2021, production is at a near standstill. Instead, people are stuck at home with too much time on their hands, facing an onslaught of nostalgic media. It’s a perfect storm to ensure that the media directs our consumption to past well-loved stories that remind us of better times.

While nostalgia was first diagnosed as a mental disorder, nowadays there is nothing wrong with coping by remembering the past. Studies have shown that nostalgia can counteract loneliness, boredom, and anxiety. According to the New York Times, while it is a bittersweet feeling, it tends to make “life seem more meaningful and death less frightening.”

However, these studies also show how nostalgia can make us feel a stronger sense of belonging and home when we are

optimistic and inspired by the future. But what happens when a pandemic shuts down the entire world and it is no longer safe to see friends? Can nostalgia be dangerous and escapist once we have lost the ability to see clearly and be optimistic about the future?

Nostalgic movies give people an opportunity to relive the same experiences, but movies that market nostalgia offer people a chance to live through that time period by creating new experiences with the familiar mental images and ideals of the time.

Companies in the past decade or so have developed a strategy to target vulnerable groups of people who are uncertain of the future and want to return to simpler times called nostalgia marketing.

Nostalgic movies give people an opportunity to relive the same experiences, but movies that market nostalgia offer people a chance to live through that time period by creating new experiences with the familiar

mental images and ideals of the time. However, many reviews for remakes say that recreating the originals don’t always do justice to the original or feel like a new, different experience. And those that don’t complain about being baited into watching a bad movie are often seen as being stuck in the past without the ability to move forward.

The 2016 “Ghostbusters” movie reimagined the cult classic with the main characters as women and ultimately, the movie flopped. Despite being praised for being “daringly progressive” by BBC and “not bad at all” by Go London, its real claim to fame was the main plot remaining intact which hardly shows that the movie had anything going for it as its own entity. Many of the more favorable reviews commented on how it revitalized the franchise, but nostalgia is not enough to distinguish a movie for its merits.

During quarantine, there is a lack of new media to compete for our attention; without marketing, audiences take their

media consumption into their own hands and make do with what games and shows they have readily available. They default to things they know they like to guarantee a small degree of happiness. Rather than trying something new and being disappointed — like how life often feels during the pandemic — we manipulate the outcome of our emotions and feel a small sense of control over our lives.

Being nostalgic has its time and place, and maybe quarantine is the place for it. As long as we do not use nostalgia to forget the importance of our efforts today, it seems to serve its purpose in keeping us entertained and anchored to a reality we can hope to return to. Especially with upcoming elections, it is important that we do not spend all of our time reminiscing about the past when we can allot some time to applying ourselves to make a change we want to see today.

Illustration by Yasmin Ghaemmaghami | Staff Illustrator

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 13

PuebloConnect Brings Internet Access to Indigenous Communities ZOHA MALIK | Staff Writer

D

r. Elizabeth Belding, a computer science professor at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), was recently awarded a $2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to further develop Internet access solutions within rural Native American communities alongside the PuebloConnect team.

PuebloConnect is a research group that focuses on improving internet availability rates by encouraging consistent digital

content creation in economically marginalized communities.

Professor Belding is the primary investigator for the group, alongside co-investigators and a team of both undergraduate and graduate student researchers.

In an interview with UCSB’s Convergence Magazine, she explained how she wants to “align her work with her social consciousness,” by combining her research in wireless networking with her wish to empower groups that are economically

14 | SCIENCE & TECH

and politically disadvantaged.

Previously, Belding worked on communication technologies for development internationally, in places like Zambia, South Africa, Mongolia, and Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. Now, PuebloConnect is concentrating on bringing on such technologies to underserved Indian communities in rural America.

Ever since the United Nations declared it so in 2016, equal access to the internet and freedom to use it has been in-

THE INTERNET CAN ALSO BE VITAL TO THE INDIGENOUS RIGHTS MOVEMENTS BY ALLOWING THEM TO PARTAKE IN DISCOURSE THAT CAN SPREAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR IDENTITY." ternationally recognized as a human right, as something that is especially important when participating in a democracy.

And Native Americans, one of the most marginalized demographics in the U.S., have some of the lowest rates of internet availability. Lack of internet access significantly hinders Native American’s ability to exercise their voice as U.S. citizens.

The disadvantages include difficulty finding jobs and doing schoolwork, creating a great disconnect between these marginalized communities and the digital world. The internet can also be vital to the Indigenous rights movements by allowing them to partake in discourse that can spread a better understanding of their identity. It can be used as a tool to connect with other Indigenous groups, spread solidarity, and give them greater political clout.

The disadvantages include difficulty finding jobs and doing schoolwork, creating a great disconnect between these marginalized communities and the digital world. The internet can also be vital to the Indigenous rights movements by allowing them to partake in discourse that can spread a better understanding of their identity. It can

be used as a tool to connect with other Indigenous groups, spread solidarity, and give them greater political clout.

Throughout their time in the southwest, they’ve spoken to locals and leaders — as well as Indigenous organizations — to identify goals for internet use.

In hopes of spreading a broader knowledge of the internet, PuebloConnect has also taken part in teaching digital literacy basics and web page development to members of Native tribes.

Without the help of PeopleConnect, communities that are isolated from technological advances can become further marginalized, making it crucial to help get them connected.

Through the work of PuebloConnect and Professor Belding, regions and groups that are similar to these rural Native communities can receive the same assistance for better internet access and all the benefits that come with it.

Through the NSF grant, they have the resources to spread their resources over larger areas and bring the World Wide Web to other communities in need.

Illustration by Melody Li | Senior Layout Editor

CLUBHOUSE:

THE NEW COFFEE SHOP? RYAN MILLER | Contributing Writer

E

n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p.

Esports. Bitcoin.

Real estate. 21 Savage discussing whether or not the Nike Air Force 1 is overrated. To some, this may seem like the trending page on Twitter, but it is just a snapshot of some of the rooms available to drop in on using Clubhouse, the latest app that’s taking social media and Silicon Valley by storm.

Founded by entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Googler Rohan Seth, Clubhouse’s main draws are various “rooms” where people can drop in and listen to ongoing conversations about a number of topics. Each room has a number of moderators that run and keep the conversations going, and people can join in by tapping a button to “raise your hand” or by being asked to join by the moderators themselves. But what’s really driving Clubhouse’s ongoing popularity is its celebrity clientele — with names like Oprah, Drake, Virgil Abloh, and Kevin Hart joining the app — and its lucrative invite-only beta, with people making a small fortune selling invitations online.

One active Clubhouse user is third-year communication major Maddy Denton, who moderated a room about in-

ternships in collaboration with Santa Barbara start-up StratDev Digital Marketing, where she works as a marketing manager along with her job as marketing manager at Microsoft’s Xbox division.

During the time I spent in the room, topics such as digital marketing, applying for internships, networking, and making connections were all discussed by around 20 or so participants. The reliance on talking as opposed to texting made the room feel personal in a way, and not only did I make some new connections, but Denton made some potential new business partners.

“One of my responsibilities at StratDev is coming up with content ideas for a medical spa we work with, and lately we’ve focused heavily on TikTok. And as I was talking about my experience using TikTok for marketing, someone in the room who works in healthcare direct-messaged me because some of his colleagues are looking for help with promoting their services digitally,” Denton explained. “I’m seeing the networking benefits of Clubhouse already and I’ve experienced it for myself.”

Denton also told me that she was not expecting the room to get as many partici-

pants as it did, which shows how Clubhouse can be a great resource for networking.

“There was a ton of networking going on in the room I hosted, and I believe the hype that this can potentially be the future of networking,” she said. “In the long run, I don’t see Clubhouse as much of a social platform like Twitter or Facebook, but more hyper-specialized like Reddit, with the networking potentiality of LinkedIn.” Like all apps, Clubhouse has growing pains, especially in beta. “The app came out at a great time, where we’re all stuck inside and lack that sense of relation, but at the same time it’s very much a pre-release app,” Denton mentioned. “Their interface needs some work to be more intuitive and accessible, and more features to explore more rooms are going to be needed if the app continues to grow.”

While the app does not offer many discovery features for finding rooms to talk about particular subjects, a blog post made on Jan. 24 in light of the app’s $1 billion valuation and Series B funding round notes that the team is “heavily investing” in these features, so it is a matter of time to see how these get implemented as the user base continues to grow.

An ongoing concern I have seen in conversations online is moderation — specifically, allegations that speakers in rooms can spread misinformation and conspiracy theories unchecked. The more serious of these has to do with room set-up and potentially creating cultures of harassment, racism, or even antisemitism.

Clubhouse laid out a number of guidelines in October to curb these issues, such as scaling their trust and safety operations while including new features like allowing rooms to set their own rules and adding new moderation features such as being able to end a room instantly if things get out of hand, but it is yet to be seen if any of these will have a longterm effect on maintaining a sense of community while allowing for free and fair discussion.

More recently, the announcement that detailed the guidelines also mentioned specific efforts to “invest in advanced tools to detect and prevent abuse, and increase the features and training resources available to moderators.”

As social media platforms continue to become more commercialized, Clubhouse feels like a diamond in the rough. It evokes a feeling of idiosyncrasy

that is not seen in other platforms today, and the potential for sustaining a harmonious user base is limitless. However, as the app looks to the future, the hype has to stop somewhere.

“I think a lot of people are honestly feeling a little turned off from apps like Instagram because of how ad-oriented it’s become. Clubhouse is something different, and they need to be cognizant of not abandoning their users while not going broke,” Denton added. “I can see something like sponsored rooms down the line, but we’ll just have to see what happens.”

In an age where we can’t sit down in a coffee shop to meet with a colleague, Clubhouse is the perfect middleman to share ideas and collaborate.

The potential is there for it to evolve into a niche app for cultivated communities to network and connect, especially in a post-pandemic society with a staggering job market. Only time will tell if this app can blossom into something special or run the risk of becoming over-roasted.

Photo Courtesy of William Krause

SCIENCE & TECH | 15

The No Mask Gang GABRIELLE COURTNEY | Staff Writer

Y

ou’ve seen them around Isla Vista (I.V.), at your local grocery store, and even throwing parties at sorority and frat houses. What characterizes these types of people?

Is there something the anti-maskers know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t? Are they really wearing invisible masks that match their invisible COVID-19 force field? After extensive observation (with my own mask on), I realized that these people are special individuals with diverse beliefs, and it would be a shame for the rest of us to misunderstand them. For clarity’s sake, I’ve categorized the “no mask gang” into different types of people in order to have a more open mind as to where these individuals place their priorities followed by suggested interaction tips.

” e n k-

1. “Ma s

Mask acne, or “mask-ne,” is the condition of blocked skin pores from frequent mask usage. People with mask-ne phobia actually fear face acne more than the death-rate of COVID-19!

As opposed to washing reusable masks or replacing surgical ones, these people believe that constant exposure to airborne virus particles is the best solution to Tip: Shower them eliminating lower face acne. with face mask and cleanser recommendations.

2. Lip In j

ents pi

on Rec i t i ec

With new lip injections, these people are dying for the world to see. Considering the average procedure ranges from $500 to $1,500, recipients of the procedure are probably paying a heavier price than the cost of COVID-19 infection.

It would be a shame if their mask not only protected them from COVID-19 contamination, but also from the view others have of them.

16 | OPINIONS

Tip: Customize a special mask for them by drawing their lips onto their mask.

3. C

ID-19 V O De

Despite a v a i l a b l e international health statistics, these people live in active disbelief that COVID-19 is a legitimate condition that can be given or received. Sometimes, in conversation they will also accidentally deny a round earth.

niers

by trust l r i e l in th e Bi Rega th th tion i : p w i T a them onstr nting mask dem e s e r p ikTok Nye T . video

m er s ea

Similar but very distinct from COVID-19 deniers, dreamers are people who have failed to make the sequential connection between March 20 and the continuation of October. In their dream, every shutdown, news report, and mask mandate has all interpretively been a part of some really far-fetched narrative fabricating an existence of a pandemic.

Tip: Illustrate a presentational diagram of how a mask works with demonstrable breath work.

se w o N .“

t’s best ha

5

Tip: Show them how to lucid dream in compatibility with the world around them.

Audibly complaining about how they can’t breathe, these types of people are evidently torn between wanting to wear a mask and wanting to expose their nose. They creatively settle for an in-between-technique. Cute! During pre-COVID-19, times you’ve probably seen them shield their eyes from the sun while simultaneously wearing their baseball caps backward.

”

4

ever D F . r

Unless COVID-19 is actually an artificial creation by a foreign government, please uphold the courtesy of wearing a mask to ensure the safety of surrounding communities and to abide by national law. In all seriousness, if either your friend, housemate, or your housemate’s friend fits any of the descriptions above, I encourage you to sit them down and ask them to reconsider.

Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art & Creative Director

OPINIONS | 17

Are Missionaries

MODERN COLONIZERS? ZOHA MALIK | Staff Writer

E

very couple of months, I’ll notice a pattern of pictures on my Instagram feed. In some variation, the posts depict my white classmates posing with African children, with a caption like: “Wish I could go back to [insert developing country here],” followed by a long paragraph detailing their experience “serving” others — often in the name of Christ. While I know such posts have good intentions, I find them frustratingly tonedeaf.

It’s a growing opinion that conversion oriented mission trips are harmful. These are real people, with real problems, and a couple of Americans pulling up to work on a construction project for two weeks “to save them from hell” isn’t going to make all that big of a difference.

Afterwards, they’re back in their cushy, suburban homes, posting photos with impoverished children as props from their glorified, self-gratifying vacations.

Religious conversion missions are not new, but nowadays, the most prolific missionaries are Christians. Throughout the past few centuries, numerous European nations, and more recently, America, have attempted to encourage the love of Christ in other countries.

The problem is the blurred line between missionary work and the effort to “civilize,” because the language used to describe both aims is disturbingly similar.

Take a look at this quote from the late Belgian King Leopold II, imploring Belgian politicians to fund his charitable

18 | OPINIONS

organization for the Congo: “To open to civilization the only part of our globe which it has not yet penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples, is a crusade worthy of this century of progress.”

This spiel about saving “colored” people from their own ignorance is, at best, thinly-veiled racism — at worst, a cover for genocidal colonization. As it turns out, this was a guise for his mission to exploit Congolese workers and make a fortune off of rubber at the expense of around 10 million Congolese lives.

Colonial Europe was notorious for its treatment of nonwhite people, whether in India, numerous African nations, or North America to assimilate them into white culture.

Such ideas were the basis of developing notoriously cruel Christian boarding schools, for the indigenous peoples of America, Australia, Canada,

and other countries undergoing colonization — all while white colonialists violently seized their land.

Despite resistance from Indigenous populations, self appointed “saviors” subjugated them and dismissed their deeply rooted beliefs as primitive without bothering to understand Indigenous culture.

While perhaps not as blatantly racist as before, missionary work today is still problematic.

Recipients of missionary work have to spend time painstakingly teaching their customs and their work to people who, for the most part, aren’t planning on spending a ton of time helping out.

In general, short-term volunteer work isn’t as helpful as people think. The Guardian wrote of a scathing study on “aids orphan tourism” in South Africa that revealed how shortterm volunteer projects are quite

harmful. Wealthy “voluntourists” prevent local workers from getting jobs and force hard-pressed institutions to waste money and time looking after them while abused or abandoned children form emotional attachments to visitors who exacerbate their trauma by disappearing soon after arriving.

Another issue is how missionaries gravitate towards isolated tribes, in hopes of ingratiating them with the rest of the world — and Jesus. One particularly infamous story is that of John Chau, a 26-year-old travel vlogger and evangelical missionary. He attempted to spread the gospel to the Sentinelese, the uncontacted hunter-gathers that inhabit the North Sentinel Island — risk of spreading disease be damned.

After a few days of attempted communication, in which he preached from Genesis and sang worship songs from a distance, he was killed. Another

example is that of the Akuriyo people in Suriname — after being approached by missionaries in 1969, 40 to 50 percent of the Akuriyo population died due to respiratory diseases and the stress of culture shock. In general, isolated tribes have little resistance to common illnesses, and there are historically numerous examples of catastrophic consequences when contact is forced upon them.

I’m not saying that every person going on a missionary trip is an oblivious dolt doing more harm than good. Many liberal and younger missionaries have grappled with the “white-savior” complex and take direct action to serve communities rather than prioritizing preaching according to George Washington University professor Melani McAlister.

But good intentions aren’t always enough. The quest to “enlighten” people by spreading Christianity everywhere possible, even where people are reluctant, perpetuates white supremacy through religion.

You might think I’m being too harsh here. Missionaries have done good work — they’ve acted as doctors and aid workers, built schools, hospitals, and established other important infrastructure in communities in need. But, missionary work is still influenced by its racist, colonial legacy.

The idea that people desperately need random foreigners to save them is harmful and frankly, narcissistic. With all the credible international relief efforts out there, there are better ways to ease your conscience.

Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art & Creative Director

HARRY STYLES DID NOT "INVENT"

Queer Fashion RAYMOND MATTHEWS | Executive Content Editor

R

ecently, Harry Styles made history as the first non-woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue, sparking a larger discourse on the nature of androgyny, masculinity, and gender fluidity in fashion. The popular opinion seems to be that he’s somehow revolutionized or “invented” gender-nonconforming fashion.

While I applaud him for defying gendered fashion norms, he is not the first to do so. Queer Black people (specifically transfemmes) have been doing so for decades, Harry Styles is just the most recent white man to do it — a.k.a. the most palatable.

Centering whiteness in gender-nonconforming fashion is ahistorical and dismissive of the Black creatives who’ve spent decades being marginalized and dismissed for resisting gendered fashion norms in the same way that Harry Styles is being praised for.

There is a long, storied history of Black queer creatives pushing gendered boundaries in art, music, and fashion, only to have their legacies co-opted and popularized by white people. This leaves Black creatives to suffer the disenfranchisement that comes with queerness, without the mainstream recognition that their white counterparts get from co-opting the styles that come from Black queer culture.

This is not to say that Harry Styles has done anything wrong — he’s brought unprecedented, mainstream attention

to androgynous fashion; but with that attention, we should recognize the Black queer folk who originated and continue to innovate contemporary gender non-conforming fashion.

Modern queer fashion — specifically in America and Europe — was pioneered in ball culture as far back as the late 1800s. Balls are spaces where Black and Latine trans-femmes, nonbinary folk, and other queer people design original pieces to walk, pose, and perform in — one of the only spaces where they’ve been historically guaranteed acceptance, safety, and community. Ball culture is home to themed fashion runways, dance competitions, lip syncs, and a variety of other performances that bring queer communities together through creative expression.

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, ball cul-

mainstream.

Too often, when white celebrities wear androgynous fashion, they’re turned into the faces of gender-neutral fashion; whereas when Black people do the same, they’re critiqued for being “too much” or “too queer.”

Again, this isn’t to say that Harry Styles has done anything wrong or that he shouldn’t be celebrated, but we have to demand equal visibility for his Black contemporaries that are just as important to the fashion world.

Queer Black celebrities and designers like Lil Nas X, Indya Moore, Telfar Clemens, Billy Porter, Angelica Ross, and ture became especially import- Black ballroom culture influ- many others are all revolutionant to queer Black and Latine enced popular Black performers izing and challenging the gencommunities as they were dis- through costuming and chore- der binary in fashion, and they proportionately impacted by the ography including Prince, Lit- deserve the same mainstream HIV/AIDS epidemic, which tle Richard, Janet Jackson, and recognition that white celebrities like Styles further stigCENTERING WHITENESS IN are now getmatized queerG E N D E R - N O N C O N F O R M I N G ting. ness. During FASHION IS AHISTORICAL AND The fashion this time, mayDISMISSIVE OF THE BLACK world owes a be because of CREATIVES WHO’VE SPENT DECADES creative debt this hardship BEING MARGINALIZED AND DISMISSED FOR to nonbinathat made balls RESISTING GENDERED FASHION NORMS ry, queer, and so necessary, IN THE SAME WAY THAT HARRY STYLES IS tr ans-f emme ball culture as BEING PRAISED FOR." people of colwe know it toor who have always pushed many others — all of whom day took shape. gendered boundaries — and Ballroom performers hand- incorporated and celebrated the crafted extravagant, opulent de- queer design and performance they deserve editorials, covers, signs as a way of exploring Black styles that come directly from and recognition for their hardfought innovation. and Latine aesthetics imagina- ball culture.

Despite this, the gen- Illustration by Echo Dieu | Sotively in a space that actually celebrated their queerness — der-neutral fashion that Black cial Media Coordinator & Layescaping from a heteronorma- and Latine people pioneered out Editor tive world that stigmatized and criminalized them.

Throughout its history,

continues to be whitewashed in an attempt to make queerness more palatable, marketable, and

OPINIONS | 19

QUARANTINE ROUTINE

Comic by BRIDGET RIOS | Staff Illustrator

Go get vaccinated!

House Life: A Comic

Comic by DREW BUCHANAN | Staff Illustrator

20 | ILLUSTRATIONS

Comic by JAKE ORTEGA | Comic Artist

The Bottom adle Illustration by KIYOMI MORRISON | Staff Illustrator

ILLUSTRATIONS | 21

Working from Home: A Coloring Page

22 | ILLUSTRATIONS

Send your finished coloring page to @tbl.ucsb on Instagram to be featured on our social media!

Illustration by DREW BUCHANAN | Staff Illustrator

Our Virtual World Illustration by GRACE PARK | Staff Illustrator

WHERE'S STORKE? Illustration by BRIDGET RIOS | Staff Illustrator

ILLUSTRATIONS | 23

epic swell KICKS OFF

WINTER QUARTER

Photos by LUKAS OLESINSKI | Contributing Photographer

◀ Just as the sun sets, a surfer tucks into a barrel at a break down the coast.

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Two students take a much-needed post-surf nap after scoring at a beach some ways from campus.

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Before paddling in, two surfers gaze at the double rainbow that shines through the clearing sky.

PHOTO | 24