Volume 7, Issue 10 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

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THE

Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara Volume 7, Issue 10 | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22, 2013

BOTTOM LINE

Isla Vista Food Co-op Closes Escrow, Successfully Completes Project We Own It Fall 1970

February 1970

Students and community members excited about taking back Isla Vista from the grip of “the man” come together to form The Whole Wheat Buying Club. Membership costs only $5 and a weekly trip to Anis q’Oyo Park to exchange foodstuffs.

The Isla Vista branch of Bank of America is burned down as part of ongoing protests about bureaucracy within the university administration. More generally, students feel disempowered in the wake of an increasingly corporate and capitalistic national culture.

January 1972

Fall 2012

A UCSB student opens a store front food Co-op in Isla Vista as part of an independent study project within the sociology department. The store is community owned and non-proﬁt, but catalyzed by a $13,000 loan from Associated Students.

After operating out its Seville Road location for 32 years, the Co-op is alerted to the impending sale of its property. Amidst fears that the next generation of landlords may not be interested in continuing the Co-op as their tenant, Co-op members launch a campaign to raise the $400,000 necessary to buy the property for themselves. Come winter, they reach their fundraising goal.

Before Isla Vista was speckled with NATIONAL BUSINESS CHAINS and iPhones and Solo cups littered our apartments, an ANTICORPORATE and ANTICONSUMERIST movement was alive and strong in our community. The IV OF 2013 has evolved to support the needs of a modern, world class university in the INFORMATION AGE, but traditions from the SOCIAL MOVEMENTS that arose yesteryear continue at the FOOD CO-OP. Here is

BRIEF HISTORY. by CHEYENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer The Isla Vista Food Cooperative, better known as the IV Food Coop, raised enough to purchase and continue existing in its current location on Seville road. The Co-op, upon learning of the impending sale of its property, began Project We Own It in an attempt to raise the amount they could not find ways to cover themselves, roughly $200,000. The Co-op recently raised this amount, ensuring they will remain in the building they’ve occupied since 1972. Hannah Pierce, a fourth-year psychology major, became involved with the Project We Own It in October and quickly brought it to the attention of Associated Students. “Everyone was really excited

about it,” said Pierce, “and the idea evolved into a partnership as opposed to a donation or AS becoming a part owner. AS External Vice President for Local Affairs Rhandy Siordia took the reins from there in terms of organizing the partnership while I attended the PWOI meetings, had posters and fliers distributed to the residence halls and local businesses, tabled at the Coop and got as many people to pledge and informed about the project as I could.” Pierce said the local movement to preserve the Co-op was a unique experience for her. “I had never been a part of a grassroots campaign before or any campaign for that matter,” said Pierce, “and I was so moved by the passion and dedication of all of the volunteers and people involved. So meeting our

Santa Barbara Administration and is currently being reviewed by UC Office of the President. I’m eagerly awaiting a response and am remaining positive.” According to Siordia, the partnership would include the some Associated Students Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCCs) including the Isla Vista Tenants Union, IV Community Relations Committee, Community Affairs Board and the Environmental Affairs Board as they each have a mission statement which aligns with the mission of the Coop. The BCCs have also expressed an interest in supporting the Co-op in exchange for support in the future, potentially in the form of educational workshops for the community, food sponsorships and a potential discount program for UCSB students.

goal was extremely gratifying and inspiring.” Rhandy Siordia said he’s excited for the future of the Co-op. “I’m very pleased and excited that the IV Food Cooperative property has successfully been purchased,” said Siordia. “The community has demonstrated an unprecedented outpouring of energy and support towards making Project We Own It a success, and it has become just that.” Siordia said that though Associated Students helped fund Project We Own It, the final details concerning their relationship have not been defined. “In terms of the Associated Students-Isla Vista Food Cooperative Partnership,” said Siordia, “the agreement document has made its way up through University of California

Melissa Cohen, the General Manager of the Co-op, said that while she’s thrilled Project We Own It was a success, the future of the Co-op is still in the hands of the local community. “Even though Project We Own It is over in some ways, now the real work does begin,” said Cohen, “because we need the community people that support us to come shopping here. That’s really the critical thing so if you haven’t been to the Co-op or you’ve been thinking of coming to the Co-op or even switching more of your grocery dollars over to the Coop, now is a critical time to do that. We have 1.4 million dollars in loans that we have to pay back and the only way that’s going to work is if while you guys are students here, you use us as a resource...The Co-op is only as strong as the community that it serves.”

Davidson to Undergo Renovation, UCSB Research Provides Insight Increase Sustainability and Study Space in Quantum Spin by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer Quantum physics is the realm of the very small—and the very strange. University of California Santa Barbara researchers Leon Balents, Hong-Chen Jiang and Zhenghan Wang made strides in the field with their recent publication in Nature Physics on a method of identifying whether or not a material is a quantum spin liquid. Notable contributors to the field include some very familiar names like Albert Eienstein, Erwin Schrodinger and Niels Bohr— but some of the concepts of quantum physics are perhaps less familiar, despite the frequent news buzz. Quantum physicists deal with physical action at very small scales—smaller, in fact, than an atom (the diameter of which is usually in the order of around 10-10), closer to the scale of the essential Planck’s constant (given by 6.26 x 10-34 joules*seconds), a mind bogglingly minute number. One core principle of the field is the idea of quantum entanglement—the idea that two particles can have correlated properties. Entanglement is a form of quantum superposition—the idea that a system such as an electron exists in all possible states until its state is measured. Professor Leon Balents, senior author of the paper and permanent member of UCSB’s Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, gave a simplified example—consider the spin state of two entangled particles. One could be on earth and the other the moon—if the particle on the earth is measured to have a clockwise spin, the particle on the moon will have a counterclockwise spin. Other properties, such as momentum, position and polarization, can similarly be defined thanks to quantum entanglement. In fact, findings in recent years have indicated that solids display some degree of entanglement between their electrons. A quantum spin liquid is simply a more extreme version of that idea; it is a material composed entirely of these entangled particles—that is, each particle in the material is entangled with every other particle in the material. Quantum spin liquids are difficult to imagine, perhaps, but as Balents explained, they have some interesting potential applications. When a traditional information storage device like a hard drive is damaged, whatever information that was stored in the part that sustains that damage is lost. If information were stored in a material that was a quantum spin liquid, it would be distributed throughout such that even if the material sustained damage, the information would not be lost. The work of Balents and co-authors Jiang, a postdoctoral fellow with KITP, and Wang, a researcher with Microsoft Station Q at UCSB, provides an answer to a key question regarding these quantum spin liquids—how to calculate which materials actually exhibit these properties. Their research has shown that a precise measure of entanglement can, in fact, be calculated using realistic models of quantum spin liquids and provides a clear signature that the special kind of entanglement that creates quantum spin liquids is present.

AS Discusses Shorter Senate Meetings see page 2

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photo by John Clow | The Bottom Line

Renovations on Davidson Library will begin in the spring of this year. by FAISAL AJAM Staff Writer The Davidson Library, University of California Santa Barbara’s main library, is about to get an extreme makeover. Starting in the spring of 2013 a massive undertaking will begin which will add 60,000 square feet to the library and renovate 92,000 square feet of already existing floor space. Four main foci of the project, according to the online report, are the addition of a three-story building adjacent to the side of the Library closest to Ellison Hall, the renovation of the old two story Library into an Arts Library, a new Paseo to connect the Library and campus, and an overhaul of the eight story tower. “The new image, along with a reorganized entry sequence, soaring Paseo lobby, and new enhanced internal circulation, will create a much improved library while adding even greater vitality to the already vibrant Library Mall,” said Marc Fisher, the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services. The additions and renovations have a budget of 71.4 million dollarsnone of which is coming from the students’ pockets but rather from bond sales and private fundraising. The company being contracted to level-up our library is C.W. Driver. Davidson Library hasn’t undergone renovation in thirty five years. Since then, enrollment has spiked and significant leaps have been made in technology. The way we use information has been redefined; therefore UCSB has also deemed it fit that the technology in the library is upgraded. More power outlets will be added, wireless access will be expanded and a new state-of-the-art facility for the Department of Special Col-

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5 Questions with Should we Use the a Student Advisor Serial Comma? see page 3

see page 4

lections will open. The facility will be used for the preservation and restoral of valuable primary and secondary sources. The demand by students for quiet study space is not lost on the University; as 20 percent more study space will be available to students post-construction. Several group study and collaboration areas (for students and faculty) will also be added in. “A library is far more than a repository of books. It is a meeting place or commons for the exchange of inquiry, were curiosity can be satisfied using various existing and emerging technologies,” University Librarian Denise Stephens said. The very green-minded community of UCSB need not have any concerns. The building will aim for a gold LEED rating. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, according to the website is one which uses the measurements of sustainability, water efficiency, energy usage, materials used, and the indoor quality of the building to provide a grade. The grades a building can achieve are Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. According to the press release, UCSB is the university with the highest number of LEED certified buildings in the country. Also, the trees stand in the way of the expansion will be either relocated or turned into furniture. In addition, forty-two trees will be planted. The renovations aim to take advantage of the beautiful climate here on the Pacific coast. Four naturally-lit reading galleries will be opened and more seating will be implemented outdoors. The Arts Library’s collection will be moved into the main building once the construction is complete and given a dedicated viewing space. In the short term, the two-story building is going to be see DAVIDSON, page 8

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Zero Dark Thirty Movie Review see page 5

Gun Violence: A Rising Public Health Concern see page 6

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

page 2 | News

Campus News

AS Senate Discusses Shorter Meeting Length For Increased Productivity by LILY CAIN AS Beat Reporter The Associated Students Senate tabled a bill last Wednesday, Jan. 9, that would create a time limit on their weekly meetings. The meetings, which have lasted until 4 a.m., would have to stop at 9:45 p.m. and all unfinished business would be postponed until the next meeting. The writers of the bill, second-year On-Campus Senator Patrick “Mac” Kennedy and Off-Campus Senator Taquan “Taco” Harrison, believed that the length of the meetings decreased productivity. “We need to change the culture of the Senate and to help spur a culture of productivity and be aware of what we are doing and try to maximize our productivity and what we can do for this campus,” said Kennedy. “I don’t think this bill that we wrote is end-all, be-all, but I think it’s a really good start to get us in the right direction in having a positive, modest change to make the Senate more productive and more accountable to the students.” Much of the opposition of the bill came from students

in the audience of the meeting and AS President Sophia Armen. Their opinions were that a time limit would decrease the time allotted for students to speak at the meetings. “In my opinion, the most people we should be listening to is ultimately the people who walk in this room,” said Armen. “If they wanted to take two hours, honestly, as a senator, I would motion to them. Because we’re not here for our personal agenda, we’re here to listen to what they have to say and to be a channel for that, for that change and to make decisions on behalf of that.” Kennedy, however, believes that shorter meetings will actually be better for students overall. “We’re doing a disservice to the student body by not having productive meetings,” said Kennedy. “I think having some kind of pressure will help stimulate a more productive culture.” Although the writers believe that the time limit must be implemented first and productivity will come after, others think the opposite is true. “The main issue that I have with this bill is that it does not seem to address the root problems,” External Co-Chair

of Academic Affairs Board third-year Adeel Lakhani said. “I agree that time is not the relevant factor, it’s just an extra correlate when people are arguing or people don’t understand something. A lot of times there was a lot of personal stuff going on behind questions.” Although a final decision was not reached, the Senate said they would continue discussing it and hopefully come to some decision regarding productivity. AS Internal Vice President Mayra Segovia said she recently had meetings with leaders of Senates of other schools such as University of California Irvine, UC Berkeley and Stanford. According to Segovia, none of the other schools’ meetings go on as long as UCSB’s, and none of them have had as many resignations as UCSB, something that the Senate attributes to the length of the meetings. Discussion on the length and productivity of the Senate will continue in upcoming meetings and until then there will be no limit on how long a meeting can last. “The structure doesn’t make up the Senate,” said Armen. “The Senate makes up the Senate. You all as people make up the Senate.”

[ ][ ] the ARGUMENTS

“It’s a really good start to get us in the right direction in having a positive, modest change to make the Senate more productive and more accountable to the students.” - Patrick Kennedy, On-Campus Senator

“The main issue that I have with this bill is that it does not seem to address the root problems. I agree that time is not the relevant factor, it’s just an extra correlate.” - Adeel Lakhani, External Co-Chair of Academic Affairs Board

TBL 2012-2013 Staff =

Thomas Alexander, Cheyenne Johnson, Faisal Ajam, Marissa Perez, Julian Moore, Lily Cain, Danielle Dankner, Adam Shelley, Courtney Hampton, Matt Mersel, Guiseppe Ricapito, Anjali Shastry, Parisa Mirzadegan, Alec Killoran

Photographers: this issue

Cheyenne Johnson, John Clow, Silvia Quach, Napat Pumhiran, Matt Mersel 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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UCSB Researchers Make Breakthrough in Understanding Cell Metabolism’s Role in Type 2 Diabetes by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer Thanks to grants from both the United States Army Research Office to University of California Santa Barbara’s Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, UCSB researchers have been able to conduct a unique study on the role of cell metabolism in causing disease. The new study, published in a recent issue of the peer-reviewed science journal PLOS ONE, demonstrates that changes in cellular metabolism, rather than genetic predisposition, may trigger the disease. Type 2 diabetes has long been linked to obesity—Frank Doyle, co-author of the paper as well as associate dean for research of the College of Engineering, director of UCSB’s Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, professor of chemical engineering and the Mellichamp Chair in Process Control, noted that rather than contradicting thoughts about the cause of the disease, they have “sharpened the molecular understanding of the mechanism that occurs in the pancreas for one manifestation of the disease (pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction),” a major step forward in helping better understand and treat the disease. The work draws on the previous research of Jamey Marth, a professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program and holder of the John Carbon Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Chair in Systems Biology. In 2008, when he was based in La Jolla (Marth also remains a professor with the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla), Marth identified the building blocks that form the types of macromolecules that are

present in all cells. Macromolecules include essential polymers like nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins, as well as glycans and lipids. By studying these four types of these macromolecules, Marth notes that it is possible to understand the source of Type 2 diabetes and several other diseases—in the absence of significant genetic variation, researchers have begun to investigate environmental causes as the source. In the case of Type 2 diabetes, beta cells in the pancreas that normally detect an increase in blood sugar and then produce insulin to control blood glucose levels fail to function; the researchers identified the exact metabolic threshold when these cells begin to fail. This improved understanding of when beta cells begin to fail offers great potential for further treatment of the disease. The research was done using a unique and powerful interdisciplinary approach using a computational model to better study the beta-cell glucose production. “This is really the power of UCSB’s approach—we bring biologists and engineers together to solve problems that neither one could do in isolation,” said Doyle. “This problem area is particularly exciting, as it points to the strength of UCSB in solving complex medical problems, despite the fact that we do not have a medical school. The future of medical research will require a more detailed [molecular] understanding of disease, including computer modeling of molecular networks. That’s where UCSB’s research strengths come into play.” Both the focus and the approach to Type 2 diabetes research at UCSB provide hope for the 8.3 percent of the U.S. population that, according to the American Diabetes Association, have this disease.

National News

Student Loan Help on the Way by JULIAN MOORE National News Beat Reporter During his first election campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama made numerous promises to fix an ailing economy, many of which became the focus of the last year’s election. But the promises President Obama made in 2008 to deal with ballooning student loan debt flew conspicuously under the radar. Today, despite significant legislation to expand loan forgiveness, student debt currently exceeds all credit card debts in America and in 2012, student loan debt in the United States passed the $1 trillion threshold. But Congress and the president may yet have a plan for tackling one of the nation’s most pressing economic problems. The cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the past 30 years, with the average tuition at 4-year institutions going from $3,499 in 1980 to $22,092 in 2010. So each year, thousands of college students depend upon loans from both the federal government and private lenders to achieve their college degrees. Nearly twothirds of college graduates borrow to pay for college, with an average debt upon graduation of about $26,300. But the combination of crushing debt and a lukewarm job market has compounded the effects of the economic downturn for students everywhere. Congress first took action on student loan debt in 2007 when California Rep. George Miller (CA-7) introduced the “College Cost Reduction and Access Act,” with 31 co-sponsors and strong bipartisan support. The most significant part of the bill created an alternative to standard repayment plans in which students’ payments are fixed and made for up to 10 years. The new system allowed students to pay back their loans at a rate determined by their level of income upon graduating. This income-based repayment plan (IBR) was then capped at a maximum of 15 percent of the students’ income whenever they get a job. Despite the new payment option, however, the IBR program failed to gain popular-

ity among students who need it most. But still, in 2012 the amount of defaulted student loans in the United States reached $76 billion, forcing Washington to go back to the drawing board. In response to the stagnant pace of debt reduction, Obama made a number of changes in a June 2012 memo, including a streamlined application process and the creation of integrated online and mobile resources for students and former students to use in learning about Federal student aid. Then, in March of last year, a law introduced to the House of Representatives by Hansen Clarke sought to dramatically increase the scope of debt forgiveness. The law would cap IBR repayments at 10 percent, and make the maximum period of repayment 10 years. The so-called “10-10” plan would also put a permanent cap on federal student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent. That number nearly doubled to 6.8 percent in the summer of 2012 before Congress took action at the last minute to re-instate the lower rate. A study conducted by the New America Foundation found that the 2012 bill wouldn’t mean much to undergraduates who typically pay $80 to $100 per month. Graduate students in law or business schools, however, could see a huge payoff in the new repayment structure since the high incomes in those professions will shorten the time and amount they have to pay back. The more these graduates earn, the more they have to pay back, and the difference between paying for 10 or for 15 percent is exaggerated every year. Supporters of the bill, including Obama, endeavored to persuade a notoriously unproductive 112th Congress on the issue of student loan forgiveness. But by the end of the 112th’s second session, the bill had not been voted on and died in the House. While the policy solutions may still be up in the air, it’s clear that the future of students looking to enter the job market is on the minds of people in Washington. “I’m the president of the United States,” Obama said. “We only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago.”

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page 3 | Features

UCSB Student Veterans Organization Hosts Golf Tournament at Ocean Meadows by COURTNEY HAMPTON Staff Writer

It’s not every day that you see an Army helicopter at Ocean Meadows Golf Course. On Saturday, Jan.12, the University of California Santa Barbara Student Veterans Organization (SVO) partnered with Future Leaders of America to host a golf tournament at Ocean Meadows to raise money for their respective organizations and the Project Wounded Warriors, which aids homecoming troops and their families. Current president of SVO Victor Marta said that the idea of the tournament was conceived when he and the former president of SVO, Raymond Morua, were golfing at Ocean Meadows and noticed that one of the employees was wearing an Army jacket. Simon Herrera, the Ocean Meadows general manager, offered to give the student veterans free golf lessons every Saturday. “We were talking to Simon a lot about having a fundraiser involving the community and veterans groups, and one of the ideas was to have a golf tournament,” said Marta,

a second year economics/math and political science major. “He said that if we hosted it at Ocean Meadows, he would help us out by getting players and promotions.” Paul Malone, third-year biology major at UCSB and member of SVO after service in the Army and National Guard, said that the tournament was a success and about 40 people attended. The UCSB SVO was joined by various veterans organizations, including the Santa Barbara chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Vietnam Veterans of America. “We really wanted to have older veterans as well,” said Marta. “We know they have a lot of cool knowledge and we really wanted to connect to them.” John W. Kerr II and Gerry B. Roberson from the Vietnam Veterans of America arranged the transportation of the UC1C “Huey” helicopter to the golf course. Attendees and passersby were invited to enter the helicopter and learn about its combative history. Retired Sergeant Major Jonathan Church

and acting Commander of Post #1645 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the event and arranged for VFW to donate trophies for the winners of the tournament. “Anything they [UCSB SVO] need, we’ll try to help them out,” said Church. Despite the tournament’s success, UCSB SVO may not be able to host future tournaments at Ocean Meadows Golf Course because of plans to revert the land to wetlands. In 1965, developers filled part of the Devereux Slough with dirt to create the Ocean Meadows Golf Course. Now, The Trust for Public land is working to restore the land back to its original state. If they are able to purchase this land, they hope to link over 600 acres of land to create a wildlife corridor. As a public space, the reserve will be open for mild recreational use and environmental education and research. The Bioregional Planning Associates website, bioregionalism.org, asserts that there are 290 species associated with the Devereux Slough. Michael McGinnis, the director of the UCSB Ocean and Costal Policy Center at the

Questions with

an Undergraduate Academic Adviser and Program Director Stephen Wiener

by DANIELLE DANKNER Staff Writer

Q: On the same token, what tips do you have to prevent falling behind? What time management skills do you find work best for a lot of students? A: Stay caught up on the readings and be realistic with how much you can handle. Find out the requirements for the courses before you register and be realistic with what those expectations are. Also, don’t forget to check the final exam schedule. Don’t get stuck in the positions where you have three finals scheduled within a 24-hour period. If it is too rigorous, consider a different class. Finals exam schedule are set ahead of time and you can never presume that an instructor will allow you to take the exam either early or late so plan accordingly.

Q: The quarter system can be very fast-paced and overwhelming at times. What advice do you have for someone who is beginning to fall behind and is struggling to catch up? A: Partly, it depends on how many units they are in and what they have going on outside of school. If you have a job or other commitments, don’t take as many units in the first place. If you find yourself falling behind once the quarter has already begun, the first thing you should do is talk to your TA and set up a game plan for how you can catch up on your readings. Another option would be to find a study partner that you can collaborate with. Also, take advantage of the CLAS program. If it is early enough in the quarter and you have too much on your plate, you may also consider dropping the course altogether.

Always be aware of the restrictions that exist before registering for classes.

Take a wide array of courses your freshman year to expose yourself to various different disciplines.

The major you select should be something you enjoy and that you do well in.

Q: How does one choose the right major? How do I know if a major is right for me? And what is the process of switching majors should I choose to do so? A: In terms of selecting a major, the first thing to do is to take a course. If you enjoy it and do well, then take another course. Then if you continue enjoying it and continue doing well, then take a third. The major you select should be something you enjoy and that you do well in. The bachelor degree should give you a well rounded liberal arts education. It gives you the breadth of your major with some focus. In terms of changing majors, the process is fairly simple. All you have to do is pick up a change of major form from the department you wish to switch into or the college of letters and science and look at the requirements (some will have a pre-major and others will have pre-major GPA). Go to the department and turn in the form. It is always a good idea to sit down with someone to see if you are on track when you are doing so. Then your form will be processed by the Office of the Registrar and your major change will show up on GOLD.

4 5

Be realistic with how much work you can handle prior to setting your schedule for the upcoming quarters.

If you begin to fall behind, check out CLAS and talk to your TA to get back on track.

Infographic by Danielle Dankner| The Bottom Line

Marine Science Institute, consults for BPA. “Continued residential development in the watershed may increase contamination of runoff and sediment entering the slough,” writes BPA on bioregionalism.org. “Exotic plant species are displacing native plants and altering the habitats.” Victor Marta, SVO president and Navy veteran, said that if the golf course closes, he will miss the price for the quality of Ocean Meadows and its close proximity to campus. “This has really given me a chance to improve at a golf course that is very well taken care of,” said Marta. “It’s a great course; you’ll see birds and geese and swans as you’re playing. Also, I’ll miss the friendly staff. They’re really welcoming and they want you to have a good time.” UCSB SVO hopes to host events in the future to foster more connections between the various veterans organization in the Santa Barbara area. Visit the websites of Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars to learn how to get involved or donate money to scholarships for student veterans.

Ongoing ‘UCSB Reads’ Event Promises A Uniting Experience For All by CHEYENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer Hundreds of students formed a cluttered line in the University of California Santa Barbara Davidson Library to get their hands on a free copy of Joshua Foer’s novel, “Moonwalking with Einstein.” Two thousand books were distributed for free on Jan. 10 to the students of UCSB in coalition with UCSB Reads 2013, a program designed to unite the UCSB and Santa Barbara communities in a common reading experience. “From the beginning,” Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas states on the UCSB Reads 2013 website, “the goal of UCSB Reads has been to encourage a common reading and intellectual experience for our community and to stimulate discussion of important interdisciplinary issues. It unifies the campus and provides opportunity for our faculty to go out into the community to share their knowledge and expertise.” To encourage interest in reading and author Joshua Foer’s presentation on March 4, Librarians, UCSB students, UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang and his wife, Executive Vice Chancellor Lucas and UCSB Internal Vice President Mayra Segovia handed out the novels, quickly depleting their supply. “I think it’s awesome,” said Segovia. “This is my first time ever doing this and I was telling one of the librarians that I feel like Oprah. You get a book. You get a book...I just think this is cool and it’s really awesome that our library does this.” Chancellor Yang and his wife personally handed out the novels, discussing the book and speaking to and taking photos with the students. “It’s just such a fantastic turnout,” said Yang. “I’m so glad the students are so excited...It grows more enthusiastic every year.” Sponsors from across the community and Associated Students contributed to the UCSB Reads 2013 to ensure the books could be distributed for free. Jane Faulkner, English and French librarian at Davidson, said the turnout was impressive. “It appeals to everyone,” said Fulkner. “Everyone has a memory. We can all relate on some level to the discussion of memory.” University librarian Denise Stephens helped organize and lead the event and agreed with Yang about the eager feedback. “This is a really enthusiastic response to the book selection,” said Stephens. “It’s an indicator that we’re probably going to have a really successful year this year...This topic seems to be very interesting, maybe because we all want to learn how to remember things better.” Stephens said she read the book and hopes students will enjoy it as well. “I think it’s a very approachable and fast read that really can have some practical benefit,” said Stephens. “It’s really full of good anecdotes that I think most people will identify with.” The distribution of “Moonwalking with Einstein” begins a quarter-long look into memory and the mind. The series continues with a film screening of Rain Man and a question and answer period with Screenwriter Barry Marrow on Jan. 30. Concluding the events on March 4, “Moonwalking with Einstein” author Joshua Foer will read excerpts from his novel and, if all goes according to plan, speak to an audience able to remember the finer points of his book.

Q: If you were a student, what would you do if you found yourself in a situation where you were unable to register for the classes that you needed to take every quarter? A: I would do a number of different things. First, I would check the UCSB online wait lists to see if there are any instructions that I would need to follow in terms of signing up for the course. For example, in the political science department, the wait list system is primarily informational as opposed to being used as a method for adding students to courses. The second thing I would do is to come into the advising office and see if there are any recommendations that they have for me. They might be able to offer other courses from different departments that are available. They could also run a progress check that would be helpful to see where I stand in terms of completing all the requirements. A lot depends on what year you are when asking these questions. I would also do most of this during the first and second pass times rather than waiting until the very beginning of the quarter. Often students will come in at the beginning of the quarter without having checked their options during the first and second pass times. My advice is to always be aware of what restrictions exist. Often courses are restricted to majors only during the first pass times and many classes also require students to take pre-requisites, so educating yourself on the courses you wish to take before it is time to register for classes is something I would highly encourage. Q: What is the best approach to fulfilling all of the GE and major requirements? A: Since a very high percentage of people do not know what major they are going to be when they first enter the university, it is a good idea in your first year to take a wide array of courses in various different disciplines in order to expose yourself to the humanities, sciences and fine arts to see what you are truly interested in. Take the time to talk to advisers and teaching assistants to find out why they chose their specific field of study. Transfer students have to be a little more focused, but it takes some failed attempts and that is completely ok. Some people get a little frustrated, but the reality is that in order to graduate, you need a total of 180 units and about one-third are going to be towards your major, one-third will be GEs and one-third will be anything else. So you actually have a lot of units that you don’t have to “apply to anything.” Having said that, I do realize that there are many reasons that students would like to graduate early, especially those who enter with many AP units. So this is a broad generalization seeing as some students are under more stringent time restrictions. Don’t forget, though, that opportunities go beyond the walls of the university. Take advantage of the Education Abroad Program and getting involved with the various clubs and organizations on campus.

Photo by Cheyenne Johnson | The Bottom Line Chancellor Yang handing out copies of “Moonwalking with Einstein” to students in the library.

page 4 | Opinions

Django Uncensored:

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

Quentin Tarantino and the Controversial Use of N-Word by MATT MERSEL Staff Writer The master has returned. Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, “Django Unchained,” was released to the public on Christmas Day to widespread critical acclaim, and it now boasts five Academy Award nominations. Par for the course for this storied director, known for beloved films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill” and “Inglourious Basterds.” Tarantino is no stranger to controversy either. His newest release has once again drawn the ire of figures like Spike Lee, who have criticized him for his continued use of racial slurs, specifically the “n-word.” This topic has been visited multiple times throughout Tarantino’s career, and even though people like Samuel L. Jackson (who has starred in many of his films) have defended him, it still remains a point of contention. Is it insensitive for Tarantino to use these terms so frequently and prominently in his films? I believe that the answer is “no.” In order to really examine the issue, there must first be a discussion about Tarantino’s filmmaking methods. There are some clear stylistic links between his films—quick, sharp dialogue, unusual characters, graphic violence and a strong focus on music. However, this is where the consistencies end. He does not have a “style” in the way that a director like Christopher Nolan does. Instead, Tarantino plays across many genres. He has explored Blaxploitation (“Jackie Brown”), grindhouse (“Death Proof ”), gangster (“Reservoir Dogs”) and recently western (“Inglourious,” “Django”) styles, with a different effect achieved in each film. So how does this relate to his use of racial epithets? When Tarantino spoke to The Daily Telegraph about “Django,” he said he wanted “to do movies that deal with America’s horrible past with slavery and stuff but do them like spaghetti westerns, not like big issue movies.” When he sets out to make a film, he is not trying to be overtly political. Whatever statement he is trying to make is simply set within the confines of a genre film. What this means is that the use of the “n-word” in “Jackie Brown,” for example, is a function of the genre, one

that bestows a certain level of authenticity to the film. It wouldn’t be true Blaxploitation film without it. And looking at “Pulp Fiction,” Tarantino would not have been able to create a realistic pastiche of late nineties Inglewood with the frequent use of the word “African-American.” It’s the same reason that the recently released “Lincoln” used racial slurs, and the same reason that Spike Lee did it in his own film “Do the Right Thing.” Overzealous political correctness would destroy the legitimacy of these films, and their social motivations. This brings us to “Django.” The film’s time period and subject matter basically demands the use of certain language in order to even approach authenticity. You can be sure that plantation owners didn’t call their slaves “African-Americans.” However, looking at the film objectively, it is pretty clear where Tarantino’s own allegiances lie. This is a spaghetti western; it is basically foretold that the good will triumph over the evil, and without giving too much away, that is certainly how the ending is framed. In a film that is so transparently on the side of the oppressed, is it necessary to take out uncomfortable terminology for the sake of political correctness? Not at all. A similar situation, though not as socially charged, exists in his previous film, “Inglourious Basterds.” A sister movie to “Django,” it, too, was a spaghetti western, but this time it pit the Jews against the Nazis in World War II. In the opening scene, an SS Colonel explains that Jews think like rats when they hide from Nazis, and they are referred to as swine later on in the film. I happen to be Jewish. Was I offended at the anti-Semitic language? Not in any way. Nazis believed that Jews were genetically inferior. Tarantino doesn’t believe that, and it is in the film’s best interest to display this information because it portrays the Nazis in an appropriately evil way. It is reasonable to take notice whenever a notable film uses offensive language, but it is not worth criticizing Tarantino for only using it to keep his films authentic and, in many cases, to defend the victims of said language. This is not to say that anyone has license to use racial slurs, but in making a statement on the evils of something like racism, it is necessary to be as legitimate as possible.

Courtesy of | A Band Apart Films

The True Beauty in BMI by Anjali Shastry Staff Writer I rarely peruse fashion magazines. Partly because they have inappropriate headlines splashed all over them and the prude in me insists that to read them, I should wrap up the cover with a brown paper bag the way I used to wrap my high school textbooks. The other reason is that I will spend the next couple of days sitting in front of the mirror comparing every blemish on my face to the (lack of ) blemishes on the models’ faces in the magazine. I also compare my hair, my weight, my height, my ability to pull off certain styles, my eyebrows, my lips, my ears and my everything else that comes up short against that girl on the magazine cover. I then proceed to conclude that I am utterly hideous, atrociously impoverished because I cannot spend a gazillion dollars on a pair of shoes and also forever alone. The problem is the models don’t look like their fashion magazine counterparts either. Many fashion magazines are heavily photo-shopped, according to an article on retouching in Glamour Magazine, and I have no doubt that the models also spend a fair amount of time sitting in front of mirrors comparing themselves in the magazine to themselves in real life. The supposed ideal of beauty is in that magazine, and absolutely no real person lives up to it. I can’t decide if that is hilariously ironic or deeply troubling. see BEAUTY | page 8

Ready, Debt Set, Go. by GIUSEPPE RICAPITO

The controversy over the federal debt ceiling is the most recent financial apocalypse bearing down on the American people—and depending on whom you ask, the entire institutional state structure is in mortal jeopardy. The United States is required by law to borrow money to pay for programs that Congress has passed—but this system has just allowed the government to consistently swipe a virtual credit card. With the United States government running a budget deficit at about one trillion a year, there have been bipartisan calls for reform ranging from drastic spending cuts to raising tax rates on the wealthy. United States debt has been on a steady statistical increase since the Reagan administration—at the present time it comprises almost 100 percent of gross domestic product. The inability of the United States to pay its outstanding debts would result in default, potentially crippling international markets and throwing national financial obligations into chaos. The turmoil of a United States financial collapse would be unprecedented, creating a domino effect of international depressions and potentially a capitalist end-game. According to Economics Professor Henning Bohn, Ph.D., “part of the problem is that the lawyers are not clear about what will happen, the end result is very opaque. The alternative to default is that the government doesn’t pay some bills such as Social Security, or stalls on tax returns, but the President will usually call on Congress to raise the debt limit.” The United States Congress has the ability to borrow as much money as it wants, as long as it’s under the ratified maximum debt limit, according to a World War I era revision of budget policy. Prior to this, any act of financial borrowing was decided on a case-by-case basis—but after nearly a century of augmenting spending and waning tax revenue, the national public debt has skyrocketed to above $16 trillion. The possibility of default is a problem as long as it hinders investor and creditor confidence on the solvency of American financial institutions—many readers may remember that the United States’ international credit rating was lowered by a financial services company Standard and Poor’s from Triple A to Double A earlier this year. Like many other financial institutions, the credibility of national markets is reliant on the capital provided by investors and lenders. Without see DEBT | page 8

THE SERIAL COMMA Bringing the Grammar Hammer Down on the Comma Drama

My Comma is an Honors Student at Oxford

The serial comma, or “Oxford” comma, is unnecessarily the subject of much debate among English scholars. The serial comma carries no different grammatical baggage than any other kind of comma. The entire point of grammar is to make communication in language uniform so that any idea or message can be presented in an unambiguous way. The autocratic decree of the serial comma’s usage is lazy and can inhibit the clarity of a message. The only reason any debate exists on the serial comma is the strange nature of lists of words. In some cases, adding a comma before a conjunction like “and” can provide clarity. In others it can produce unnecessary ambiguity. Take the following sentence: “I enjoy television, sports, and music.” In this sentence, the serial comma makes it explicitly clear that “music” and “sports” are not modifiers of “television,” and that they stand alone in a list. In this case, the serial comma removes a potential ambiguity. Without the serial comma, the message could be misconstrued in such a way that the reader may think the writer enjoys sports television like ESPN and music television like MTV. Conversely, look at the sentence: “I like my friend, Parisa, and Jane.” In this sentence, the serial comma provides an unnecessary ambiguity. The comma makes it unclear whether “my friend” is “Parisa,” or if “my friend” is somebody entirely separate from “Parisa.” The removal of the serial comma in this case makes the sentence uniformly clear. Accepting that the point of grammar’s existence is to clarify communication, it would be ridiculous to make the mandatory inclusion of the serial comma a grammatical standard. There isn’t anything wrong with using the serial comma. There is something wrong with insisting on its usage in every possible case. It is a comfortable rule to live by, and not many problems will generally arise with its usage. That said, to make it a set rule is a product of lazy grammar. In many sentences written, like this one, commas are used or omitted freely in order to better communicate an idea. The serial comma is just another example of a comma being used or omitted in order to maintain the integrity of a message. Just because it works out most of the time doesn’t mean it is acceptable to issue a blanket mandate on its usage. Any grammatical rule that unnecessarily creates an equivocal sentence is a rule that should not exist. Because of this, most accepted authorities on grammar have retracted their blanket support of the serial comma, instead offering a more nuanced approach to its usage. It is important to note that I am not arguing that the serial comma should be mandatorily stricken from any sentence. I am arguing that it should not be mandatorily added to any sentence. It is better to actively choose when and where a comma is appropriate than to lazily throw a comma into a sentence without evaluating its impact on the message. In my previously stated examples, it is clear that the serial comma is nothing more than any other kind of comma, and is not always needed. But hey, it’s easy to support a rule that takes all the thought out of the process of using a comma. By all means, use the serial comma every time if that makes writing a sentence easier. Just don’t expect your handle on grammar and communication to improve much. In my opinion, though, preserving the integrity of a message is much more important than a dogmatic adherence to a rule that works most of the time.

I care about grammar. Probably a little too much, but that’s a discussion for another time. I find tildes titillating, semicolons scrumptious, and dashes, well, dashing. Grammatical errors irk me, and while my writing and speech are most definitely not free of them, I have made it my job to eradicate poor grammar from the University of California Santa Barbara (but actually, that’s my job). Unfortunately, as the copy editor of The Bottom Line, I am also forced to eradicate one more thing—the serial comma. The Oxford, Harvard, or serial comma—call it what you will—is used right before the conjunction at the end of a list. The infamous example of “we invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin” illustrates the main problem with neglecting to add a serial comma to a sentence—it can transform politicians into exotic dancers. Craig Cotich, co-director of the editing minor under the Writing Program at UCSB, says, “I think the best reason to use the Oxford comma is to reduce ambiguity.” I think we can all agree with this wholeheartedly after that mental image of John Kennedy and Joseph Stalin onstage. While it is true that you can absolutely write clearly without using the serial comma, why bother with extra steps? Just stick a comma in there and eliminate the need for the unnecessary clarifying words that you’d be forced to use otherwise. That’s the point of grammar, to make things as clear as possible for the reader. That is also why most American manuals of style, such as MLA and Chicago, assert that the serial comma be used. The exception to the rule is journalistic writing, like this, which is generally written in the style of the Associated Press. The aim of AP Style is to deliver news as concisely and clearly as possible, and the ban on the serial comma is its nod to that principle. Basically, it saves room to print one fewer comma in every list. But that extra millimeter cannot possibly be as valuable as the consistency and clarity that the serial comma brings in. I know—this is blasphemy—but hang in there. So what would happen if we brought the serial comma into journalistic writing? For one thing, it would make my job easier. Removing commas and reformatting those sentences so that they convey the point unequivocally takes time away from other things I could be doing, such as checking articles for spelling errors or posting too many cat videos onto Facebook. But in all seriousness, the serial comma just makes life more pleasant. It’s not necessary, but it’s also not worth leaving out. “Overall, most sentences without the Oxford comma are perfectly clear,” says Cotich. “And in most cases, readers understand what the writer intends. There are, however, many cases where the lack of a serial comma leads to misunderstanding. For that reason, I think it’s easier to make it part of your writing practice.” With the benefit of clarity and the added bonus of more time to not be thinking about commas, there is lots to love about the serial comma. Instead of risking more accidental mental visuals of world leaders as strippers, let us all agree to adopt the serial comma into our writing style and put the issue to rest.

by ALEC KILLORAN Features Editor

by PARISA MIRZADEGAN Copy Editor

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

page 5 | Arts & Entertainment

Life is a Cabaret, Ol’ Chum, So Go to UCSB’s ‘Cabaret’

by COURTNEY HAMPTON Staff Writer

All troubles were forgotten when audience members slipped behind the curtain of the Lotte Lehmann music hall to see the Shrunken Heads Production Company’s rendition of the 1978 musical “Cabaret.” To quote a famous line from the production that I felt was aptly suited for the performance, “There, life was beautiful. The girls were beautiful. Even the orchestra was beautiful.” The Shrunken Heads Production Company is a student-run organization that puts on musicals in the Old Little Theater in the College of Creative Studies building. However, for the 8 p.m. showings of “Cabaret” on Friday, Jan. 11, and Saturday, Jan. 12, as well as on the 18th and the 19th, The Shrunken Heads transformed the backstage of the Lotte Lehmann hall into a seedy cabaret to tell the tale of the rises and falls of love and politics in Berlin on the brink of Nazi control. Charming girls with toothy smiles in lingerie ushered audience members into the building, directing them past the lines of empty seats in the lecture hall and up the stairs to the stage. Once the attendees moved past the curtains, they were transported to the Kit Kat Klub cabaret in 1931 Berlin. Audience members seated themselves at candlelit tables while the live band in swanky suits sipped amber liquid from a mug and bantered in German accents. In the musical, Kit Kat Klub dancer Sally Bowles charms her way into the life and bedroom of struggling American novelist Cliff Bradshaw. As the Nazis gain power in the city, the possibility of an endless party in Berlin fades along with the romance between the flighty singer and pragmatic novelist. Perhaps the most integral part of “Cabaret” is the emcee, played by Patrick Bailey.

Donned in woman’s lingerie and rouged cheeks, Bailey charmed the audience with his sexual innuendos, contagious energy and fearlessness. However, the emcee grows sinister by the end of the first act as the Nazi’s influence rises and transforms into a darker, subliminally political force in the second act. Bailey, as the emcee, lurked in the corners during the company reprise “Tomorrow Belongs to Me,”

[ ] There, life was beautiful. The girls were beautiful. Even the orchestra was beautiful. - line from “Cabaret”

which is overlain with Nazi doctrine. The song ended but it was the emcee who skulked out of the shadows, giving an empty, humorless laugh as he slowly turned off the lights to end the first act. Janessa Lea Puckett as Sally Bowles fantastically portrayed the whirlwind of emotions in the Kit Kat Klub’s headliningsinger. She was a physical powerhouse with charm, poise and a keen understanding of humor, but also touchingly showcased Sally Bowles’ more tender and undone moments during her solo “Maybe This Time.” Kevin Mahn, playing American Cliff Bradshaw, also took advantage of the musical’s more humorous moments, but was also spoton in the drama. Mahn made Cliff Bradshaw an endearing every-man with defining moments, such as when he yelled, “Sally, wake up! The party in Berlin is over!” when Nazi control

became inevitable. However, Mahn’s finest moment was his breakdown as Sally reveals to him that she got an abortion. Not to be forgotten are Rachel Frazin as Fräulein Schneider, the older woman who runs the boarding house where Sally and Cliff live, and Rigo Sanchez as Herr Schultz, the Jewish man who runs a fruit shop and woos Fräulein Schneider. The single most endearing number in the musical was their rendition of “It Couldn’t Please Me More” when Herr Schultz gifts a pineapple to Fräulein Schneider. However, the strongest number was Frazin’s solo “What Would You Do?” as she sang tenderly and powerfully about her debate whether to break off her engagement with Herr Schultz because of his Jewish heritage that sparks negative attention from the Nazis. A separate, smaller stage was used to show the action in the boarding house and as the plot grows darker there, so does the ambiance in the larger stage for the scenes in the Kit Kat Klub. The humor and diversion of the cabaret fades as the first act comes to a close, allowing the darkness of the beginning of the Nazi regime to settle in for the second act. By the end, the audience leaves knowing that Herr Schultz’s convictions that the Nazi regime will come to pass cannot be so, neither can the romances in the surprisingly dark musical. There was a cabaret. And there was a Master of Ceremonies. And for a moment, the audience was transported to a city called Berlin in a country called Germany and it was the end of the world. But at least it was beautiful. Additional performances will take place in the Lotte Lehmann music hall at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, and Saturday, Jan. 19. Student tickets are $7, adult tickets are $15. Arrive early and wait close to the door to claim the best seats in the Kit Kat Klub.

‘Future of the Past’ Film Series Brings Film Preservation to the Forefront by MARISSA PEREZ Staff Writer “What would life be without ‘Shawshank Redemption’ or ‘Casablanca,’ if these films simply disappeared one day?” questions Professor Ross Melnick of the Film & Media Studies department, the curator of the upcoming series “The Future of the Past: The Arts and Philosophy of Film Preservation.” Questions such as the one suggested by Melnick constitute the backbone of “Future of the Past,” which will be put on by the Carsey-Wolf Center at University of California Santa Barbara and runs from Jan. 15 through March 12. The film series, which will be held at Pollock Theater, will focus on the importance of film preservation and its unique cultural heritage. Preservation of films did not become important until very recently—before the advent of the home movie, films that were not deemed profitable enough for a re-release were destroyed so their footage could be used for other purposes, or simply to make more room in the studio vaults. To counteract this, archivists began to collect the films and salvage them to avoid their destruction. “Future of the Past” features speakers from both the Academy Film Archive (director Michael Pogorzelski) and UCLA’s Film and TV archive (director Jan-Christopher Horak), two of the nation’s largest collections. Only recently have studios begun to preserve films—Grover Crisp, the executive vice president for asset management and film restoration at Sony Pictures Entertainment, will be speaking at a screening of the studio’s new restoration of “Lawrence of Arabia” on Feb. 26. The seminal classic will be presented in the highest possible quality of digital restoration, a recent upgrade to a 4K digital print by Sony Pictures. 4K is the highest possible quality of digital restoration, a process in which the film is stored on a hard drive rather than on film stock. Editor Christel Schmidt will also be discussing her work “Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies” during a screening of “Sparrows.” The

Photo Courtesy of | Caresy Wolf Center screening will also feature live piano accompaniment by Michael Mortilla and a discussion from UCSB professors Charles Wolfe and Melnick. The discussion is not simply the “why” of film preservation, but also the “how.” In the digital era, film—a traditionally physical medium— has undergone several changes in both preservation and distribution. “You can preserve a film, but how can you make it accessible to the public?” Melnick inquired; his words reflect the importance of not just keeping copies of these films on the shelf, but making sure they are seen. “Future of the Past” is not only an conversation on the importance of saving film and its cultural legacy, but also an exploration on the changing ways film is both preserved and presented. Every film being screened in the series has been restored—some, like “Lawrence of Arabia,” are being shown in

the latest digital formats, while others like “Wild River” are in the more traditional film print format. The series also emphasizes that the purpose of preserving movies is not so they can exist on a shelf, but so they can be seen and enjoyed. East Asian language and cultural studies PhD student Yongli Li, who helped organize the event, noted that all the films that will be screened are great to view on the big screen, but are rarely shown on one. With a broad range of titles, from science fiction dystopian epic “Metropolis” to the gangster film “Hoodlum” to the moving melodrama “Sparrows,” the series promises to appeal to even the most discerning viewer. With release years spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s, the films are sure to remind audiences of the delights of cinema and the importance of upholding its origins and legacy for future generations.

Dropkick Murphys’ Eighth Album Provides Bloody Good Listening by JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer If your punk rocker friends seem a little happier this week, it’s not your imagination. It’s probably due to the fact that Dropkick Murphys—a.k.a. the Celtic gods of punk rock— have released their latest album titled “Signed and Sealed in Blood.” The album was released Jan. 8, 2013, and is the follow up album to their 2011 release, “Going Out in Style.” “Signed and Sealed in Blood” bursts with high-octane energy and insanely fast rhythms, showcasing the band’s range and musicianship. Basically, it’s a Monster energy drink for your ears. The album opens with a song aptly named “The Boys Are Back,” and it takes merely seconds for you to hear the seven-man band’s trademark sound of bagpipes, banjoes, guitars, pounding drums and gruff voices. “The Boys Are Back” supplies an ample amount of large choruses, which is distinctly tailored to the band and, in my opinion, is one of the band’s signature strengths. While many artists today sound noticeably different on recordings compared to their live performances, Dropkick Murphys

nearly always sound live on their albums. When you play their music it sounds like they’re jumping out at you, giving the music a sort of threedimensional aural element. Although I feel that any single off of “Signed and Sealed in Blood” couldn’t rival past hits such as “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” and “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya,” the album’s very polished and boasts well-balanced consistency. The single of the album seems to be “Rose Tattoo,” and rightfully so. This song encompasses most everything we love about Dropkick Murphys. It begins with a fantastic riff by either a banjo, guitar or mandolin; it’s hard to tell which instrument it is exactly, but that’s another thing you have to love about the band—there are so many instruments in play. The song highlights lead singer Alex Barr’s voice, which juxtaposes a deep rawness with a sort of fragility. Personal lyrics escalate into a powerful blend of voices that come together to form a memorable chorus. I’d say that their relentless, aggressive style is comparable to their punk rocking peers Flogging Molly and The Gaslight Anthem. Other noteworthy songs on the album

include; “The Battle Rages On,” “Don’t Tear Us Apart,” “Out Of Our Head” and “Jimmy Collins’ Wake.” The album also supplies one of the funniest and possibly coolest Christmas songs I’ve ever heard titled, “The Season’s Upon Us.” If you find the album too strong and too punk, take refuge in two relatively softer songs titled “End of The Night” and “Out On The Town.” The only reservation I have about “Signed and Sealed in Blood” is its lack in variation. I would have liked to see soft ballads; nothing too mushy, but enough of a drop in tempo to make you feel like the album is complete. Singer and bass player Ken Casey explains the band’s intentions of the new album in an interview with Billboard.com from Jan. 8, saying, “We’re not striving to be Green Day or something, but I do think, with the nature of what we do musically and what our lyrical message is all about, there’s definitely a wider portion of the population that can relate to us. It’d be nice to see people actually hear about us, and I think that will happen with this album.” Given the strikingly distinct features of the album that illuminates the band’s development, I’d say that Casey’s prediction is accurate.

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Examines the Psychological and Ethical Cost of Bringing Down Bin Laden

Photo Courtesy of | Sony Productions by AUDREY RONNINGEN Promotions Director Over the course of her career, Kathryn Bigelow has made a name for herself by directing films that manage to be both action-packed and analytical. Her newest work, the skillfully executed “Zero Dark Thirty,” which went into wide release this Friday, tells the story of the C.I.A.’s search for Osama Bin Laden following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. What stands out about the film is its ability to make a larger statement on human motivation, and the resulting mental toll when that drive turns into obsession. The story begins with a dark screen and recordings of phone calls of those affected by 9/11, directly in the aftermath of the attack. This opening is effective, setting up an air of urgency that is maintained throughout the rest of the film. Bigelow then flashes forward to 2003 Pakistan, where C.I.A. operatives Maya and Dan, played by Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke, are working to gain information about ties to the Al-Qaeda leader. The film doesn’t shy away from grisly portrayals of detainee interrogation, showing upsetting sequences of torture such as waterboarding. However, a key piece of information comes from this cruel practice: the name “Abu Ahmed,” the alias for a man who worked as a courier for Bin Laden. The film hinges on this piece of information, as Maya is adamant that finding this individual will lead to their real target. The tension builds as the main characters experience setbacks and false leads, until finally discovering “Abu Ahmed’s” true identity and tracking him to the compound where they eventually find and kill Osama Bin Laden. From an overview, it might seem like the main point of “Zero Dark Thirty” is to tell the story of Bin Laden’s capture and death. However, the broader theme takes place at a more personal level, focusing on constant dedication to a goal, and how this mentality can affect individual well-being and morality. This theme becomes evident through the character of Maya, who allows this mission to take over her life. Chastain does an excellent job at getting across the attitude of single-minded obsession. Although during a torture scene at the film’s exposition she is clearly uncomfortable, she also accepts it as a reality and continues. Later on, when she is “interrogating” prisoners herself, all traces of emotion have vanished, and it becomes clear that her goal of finding Bin Laden has clouded her moral stance on torture. The character’s fixation on Bin Laden and the links to him control her every action. She is abrupt and inexpressive around others, even when she’s not on the job. In one scene another female employee reminds her, “we’re socializing; be social,” in a tone that is outwardly joking but secretly honest. The few times that in the film where Chastain’s character is genuinely happy are linked to some new information related to the mission, implying that progress is what really matters to her. Despite this, Chastain expertly avoids playing to the “tough C.I.A. agent” stereotype, and when Maya allows it—i.e., when she’s alone and not working—we’re allowed glimpses of real emotion and fear. Although “Zero Dark Thirty” has received many positive critical reviews, it has also generated controversy, with accusations that it is “protorture” propaganda for the C.I.A. While the film does show graphic views of torture at the hands of U.S. agents, there is a distinct difference between depiction and endorsement. These characters are portrayed as brave and dedicated, but they can also be seen as decidedly flawed; it is precisely this arguably neurotic dedication that leads them to justify inhumane treatment of others. “Zero Dark Thirty” takes a realistic and sometimes brutal approach to the work that went into capturing Osama Bin Laden. It is multifaceted in its plot and characters, and is just as much a psychological character study as it is an action movie. Bin Laden’s death is acknowledged as both a victory and a moral sacrifice, posing the final question to the audience: was it all worth it?

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

page 6 | Health & Lifestyles

Author Cheryl Strayed Explores Her Wild Life by CHEYENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer Author Cheryl Strayed walked on to the stage of Campbell Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to roaring applause, an applause later concluding the tale of her trek across the Pacific Crest Trail, a 1,100-mile backpacking trip through Mexico to the Oregon-Washington border. For the present-day Cheryl Strayed, such applause and presentations have become common place. But for 22 year-old Cheryl Strayed, a recreational heroin user still reeling from the death of her mother and the end of her marriage, this future could not have seemed less likely. At the age of 22, Strayed abruptly lost her mother to cancer, an event that would forever change her life and guide many of the paths she would later take. The death was her first personal experience with human mortality and it affected her beyond what she could comprehend. “The heart of the book goes back to that life, that moment when I was 22,” said Strayed. “Essentially that was the event that split my life in two...When that person left, it was suddenly a hole that could not be filled.” The novel, “A Wild Life: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” recounts not only the death of her mother, but the end of her marriage and the drugs and sex she turned to help her cope with the circumstances she’d found herself in after healthier methods of coping did not help. “I did all kinds of things in my grief,” said Strayed. “I grieved in ways that were difficult and self-destructive.” These self-destructive behaviors, while Strayed realized their dangers, helped her to adjust to her mother’s absence and, in a way Strayed confesses is unhealthy, helped her honor her mother’s memory. “You are so important,” Strayed said of her mother, “you are so beloved, that I will not go on without you.” Amongst this blur of heroin and selfhatred, Strayed stumbled upon a guide to the Pacific Crest Trail and found in it a guiding light. She said she felt something open up inside her chest after reading the description of the trail’s beauty and natural grace. “I just had this sense in my body,” said Strayed, “that if I went to do this thing, attached myself to it in some way, that some of that might hold onto me.” Thus began Strayed’s plan to change her life and learn to live, a journey that would take her from the Mojave Desert through California, Oregon and eventually into Washington, with nothing besides her backpack and the occasional rattlesnake for company. For Strayed, the hike was more than an effort to regain her mental stability. It was a question into how she could continue forward, a question she answered by pushing herself through crippling heat and record levels of snowfall. “I headed out to get into my body and get out of my head,” said Strayed. “The one thing I had control over was if I moved forward or didn’t.” The novel asks, according to Strayed, how we manage to bear the unbearable and continue carrying the weight we have to carry. By carrying a backpack which she initially couldn’t lift from the ground across the wild wilderness of the West coast, Strayed believes she found the answers to those questions amongst the flat deserts and the tall mountains. “It’s been,” confessed Strayed, “a wild year.”

This Year’s Flu—And How to Prevent It

by BEN FAN Staff Writer At around this time every year, the orchestra of coughing, sneezing and sniffling begins. Whether it is in the classroom, on public transportation or at the marketplace, the sounds of the flu season are never a welcoming sign for the healthy. It has hit particularly hard this year, gaining national attention and harvesting rumors of a potential epidemic— approximately 2,200 (and rising) hospitalizations related to the flu have been recorded. In Massachusetts, there have already been 18 recorded deaths from the flu, and the state has issued a public health emergency, urging citizens to get the flu vaccine if they haven’t already and to stay home should they feel any flu-like symptoms. In Minnesota, Pennsylvania and in the South, the numbers of deaths from the flu have reached over 20 in each state, causing serious concern among

Americans worried for their own health, according to a CNN video report. As for why there are so many flu victims this year, the mix of the earlier flu season with the mix of holiday festivities— leading to sleep deprivation—have become a deadly duo. The partying and celebrating due to Christmas and the arrival of the new year are surefire causes behind the lack of sleep, and sleep deprivation cripples the immune system’s ability to fight off the influenza virus. As for other theories as to why the flu is spreading, J. Smith, first-year chemical engineering major, says, “Everyone’s passing red cups, ripping the bong and getting it on, so of course the flu’s going to spread.” A harsh observation of the unspoken college practices, there is some truth to what Smith says; close contact with people and bodily fluids—of all sorts—will tend to spread the

flu.

No matter how bad the flu is, there are always different ideas for how to prevent or get over it. “Prevention is better than medication,” said Brian Wan, second-year computer engineering major. This turns out to be an age old maxim as well as what doctors are urging; getting vaccines gives patients a lower chance of catching the flu, and practicing good hygiene leads to increased restriction of influenza transmission. “You gotta hydrate...” said D. Douglas, a first-year marine biology major. Drinking water is a common household cure for the flu, as it will flush out the toxins in the body that come along with it. Whether these treatments are legitimate cures, the fact remains that prevention certainly denies one the nasty privilege of getting sick—there’s no argument that a nice bowl of chicken soup would help as well.

Isla Vista Recreation ‘Big Five’ Perand Park District’s Plans sonality Theory Brought Into Kickoff the New Year by DANIELLE DANKNER Staff Writer With four newly elected members on the Isla Vista Parks and Recreation District Board of Directors, there are a lot of exciting events and projects planned for the upcoming year. University of California Santa Barbara students, Sawyeh Maghsoodloo and Alex Rodriguez, along with two Isla Vista community members outside of the student body population, Pegeen Soutar and Jeff Bessmer, campaigned on the platform of good governance, financially and environmentally sustainable parks, community building events and continuing as well as enhancing recreation programs for Isla Vista children and teens. As of Thursday, Jan. 11, Maghsoodloo and Bessmer were elected chair and vice chair of the organization respectively. The five-member board of IVRPD is comprised of elected residents of Isla Vista who assume the responsibility of managing all 23 parks within the unique Isla Vista community. The board stands as the only governing entity within Isla Vista that serves and is elected exclusively by residents of Isla Vista. Historically, the board has been responsible for overseeing the aesthetic aspects of the parks along with handling the implementation of recreational programs, such as the IV Skate Park. The Isla Vista Recreation and Park District (IVRPD) members recently passed a motion to rebuild the stage in Anisq’Oyo’ Park that was burned down several months ago. The park is located in the heart of Isla Vista and is adjacent to Embarcadero Hall. Moreover, they have decided refill the Anisq’Oyo pond. The Board Directors

are currently in the process of organizing and planning a kickoff and fundraiser concert to be held in the park the will allocate all of the proceeds towards reimbursing the cost of restoring the stage. The concert is envisaged to have booths and vendors at the park as well. More in the works for this year is a yard sale in the Anisq’Oyo’ Park. Maghsoodloo, third-year political science major and new board member, explains this event to be one where “all the residents of Isla Vista can come and sell their personal items as part of a community building day. It would be full of direct transactions between students that I think would be really great!” As per student feedback, this event is being scheduled to take place during the first week of spring quarter in order to allow students to buy and sell new items at the start of the term. The board’s biggest goal for the upcoming year is to receive a grant for rebuilding one to two of the parks in Isla Vista. Both Dinosaur and Pelican Parks, along with several others, were built on grants. The board aims to re-do either Greek Park or one of the parks located on Del Playa. However, they have not yet decided due to the fact that they are striving to not make decisions on their own this quarter and, rather, to allow the constituents the ability and opportunity to contribute opinions. IVRPD is planning to ask students and residents of Isla Vista what they would like to see, to prioritize these requests and then successfully deliver in the near future. IVRPD meetings take place on the first Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Parks and Recreation office located next to Pita Pit.

Photo by Napat Pumhiran | The Bottom Line

Question

by AUDREY RONNINGEN Promotions Director For over 20 years, professionals in psychology have been able to give a certain, specific classification to the vague concept of personality. The 1990 theory that permits this, specifically, is called the “Big Five” Personality Theory, and describes five different characteristics that every human supposedly has the potential to develop. However, a recent study on the Tsimane people, a Bolivian indigenous culture, calls into question the soundness of this theory. Up until now, the five factor model, or FFM, has been widely viewed as accurate and consistent, regardless of nationality and class. At its core, it suggests a set of personality traits that are universal, which has been a major goal for the psychological community. A study from Northwestern University gives some context for the importance of a durable personality theory, explaining that these models can be used “in the remedying of personality disorders and improving general understanding of personality.” Neuroticism is one of the main qualities that comprise the FFM, and is described in the Northwestern study as high anxiety and a lack of stability. Extroversion, or sociability and interest in others, is another key factor. Following these are the traits of openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness, which collectively make up the “Big Five” qualities of the model. Research on personality in the Tsimane people, headed by Professor Michael Gurven of University of California Santa Barbara, makes a definite departure from these distinct categories. In the group’s report on their findings, the Tsimane are described as “forager-horticulturalists of central lowland Bolivia” who are “semisedentary and live in communities ranging from 30 to 500 individuals.” Other characteristics of the people are consistent with their less developed environment, including relatively high rates in both mortality and fertility, according to an article on the study from the American Psychological Association, or APA. There has been some exposure to modernizing influences, based on the statistics that a number of Tsimane are literate and there is a part of the population that speaks Spanish, as the majority of Bolivians do. However, the study controlled for these characteristics, and results still indicated that this societal split has no impact on Tsimane personality type. see BIG FIVE | page 8

Gun Violence as a Public Safety Concern Given Increasing Attention by ELIZABETH AGUILAR

The recent fascination with gun violence appears to have reached a climactic peak in America. The issues of gun violence and public safety have become the topics of highly passionate and polarizing debates. Questions concerning public health, however, are often drowned out by a myriad of other, more sensational questions. Who are the gun owners in America and what are they using them for? Is there a correlation between gun violence and mental illness? Is the astounding level of gun violence in America linked to the fact that the country has the highest ratio of guns to people? Answering questions about public safety as well the broader questions concerning firearms has been made even more difficult by the lack of gun violence research conducted in America. According to Dr. Christine Laine, editor of the “Annals of Internal Medicine,” doctors in the healthcare community have been relatively silent regarding the public safety issues involved with gun violence and one of the reasons may be a lack of federally funded studies that research the complicated data on gun safety and gun violence. President Barack Obama recently addressed the nation, prompted by the several mass shootings in 2012, and maintained the position that gun violence is a complicated issue and one that still needs to be confronted. He also discussed the implications of cultural and political reform in an effort to protect the public welfare against the effects of gun violence. Obama, in his usual manner of careful phrasing, addressed the nation, saying, “There is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence in our society...but the fact that this issue is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing. The fact that we can’t prevent every act of violence doesn’t mean we can’t steadily reduce the violence.” Obama went on to speak about a number of topics tangential to gun violence. He cited a lack of access to mental health care as one of the issues linked to gun violence as well as “a culture that all too often glorifies guns and violence.” Indeed, Laine also expressed concern during her interview about the lack of a championed safety culture involved with gun owners and gun manufacturers. Recently, President Obama addressed the nation and authorized the formation of a team headed by Vice President Joe Biden comprised of members of the presidential cabinet as well as those from outside organizations, including gun rights activists, for the purpose of providing “concrete proposals, no later than January” to the president in an effort to deter gun violence. Obama assured that he would push for these proposals and urged Congress to be ready to vote on gun control legislation like widely supported background checks by 2014. The issue of gun politics is a complicated one with many different facets, so what Obama is asking of this new team is no modest proposal. The task force, however, provides a new space for rational, less emotionally charged debates on the issues of gun control, gun violence and public safety. It also provides an opportunity for reformists, gun control activists and gun rights advocates alike to push for comprehensive research into gun violence in America so that they may finally be able to inspire informed legislative action. It seems that aside from the safety issues posed by guns themselves, Americans must also be wary of the dangers of political stagnation and misinformation that have, for so long, made this one of the less visible national issues. Illustration by Silvia Quach | The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

Top 5 Video Games for 2013 by MATT MERSEL Staff Writer

A surprising year of video gaming has passed us by. Award season recently ended, and titles from “The Walking Dead” and “Journey” to “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” and “Far Cry 3” have taken home coveted Game of the Year awards, with barely any nods going to industry heavy-hitters like “Halo 4” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.” This is rightfully so; 2012 saw some of the best adaptations, original IPs and series reboots in gaming history. 2013 promises no less, with a slate of incredibly anticipated titles at the ready. When first attempting to compose a list of the five games that demand attention in this coming year, I hit a brick wall. I stared dumbfounded at the release calendar, as it seemed just choosing five would be impossible. So I made a decision: no ongoing franchises are included on this list. Before I begin, honorable mention must go to those ongoing franchises, whose newest installments look phenomenal: “Grand Theft Auto V,” “Bioshock: Infinite,” “Pokemon X and Y,” “God of War: Ascension,” “Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs,” the “Tomb Raider” reboot and more all had to remain off of the list, as regrettable as that may be. Now, for the countdown:

5. “Slender: The Arrival” (PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Nintendo Network) Throughout the past months, you may have heard of a little free PC and Mac game titled “Slender: The Eight Pages.” And if you heard of it, you may have played it. And if you played it, chances are you were busy cleaning the pee stains out of your bedroom or living room carpet the next day. Based on the Internet horror phenomenon Slenderman, the game put the player in the shoes of a disoriented protagonist trapped in a dark forest, tasked with gathering eight pages before the teleporting faceless horror sneaks up on you and scares you to death. “Slender: The Arrival” is the first officially published title under the “Slender” name (and therefore, I deem it fit for inclusion on the list). With more environments, gameplay improvements and a storyline to go with it, this is shaping up to be the preeminent horror gaming experience.

4. “South Park: The Stick of Truth” (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

“South Park” hasn’t had great success in the world of video gaming. A collection of games has been released in the past (unrelated, so it isn’t technically a franchise!) to mostly negative reception. However, all of that changed when THQ and developer Obsidian Entertainment (of “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II” and “Fallout: New Vegas”) revealed a new “South Park” RPG that would

consequences of their actions. This isn’t “Mass Effect,” though; these decisions will haunt you long after you turn off your console. Do not miss this one.

2. “Watch Dogs” (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

When Ubisoft Montreal (of the “Far Cry” and “Assassin’s Creed” franchises) announced “Watch Dogs” at the Ubisoft E3 press conference, no one knew what to expect. One demonstration later, and it was one of the Internet’s top trending topics. Taking home numerous awards for its appearance at the high-profile expo, this open world game made a strong impression due to its high-quality graphics, the dark, cinematic feel and innovative gameplay and setting. The game centers on information warfare in a futuristic imagining of Chicago, where the entire city is run on its own operating system, “ctOS,” which can be manipulated by the protagonist, hacker Aiden Pearce. He can hack any electronic wired to the ctOS, and the gameplay demo saw Pearce controlling photo by Matt Mersel | The Bottom Line a traffic light in order to cause be developed in close coordination with the crashes, jamming and tapping cellphones and show’s masterminds, Trey Parker and Matt retrieving data on non-player characters, all Stone. If you were not aware that you were connected by smooth parkour-style movement watching footage of the game, you would think and third-person shooting. Words do not do it was just another episode of the show. All of the game justice; it needs to be seen to be bethe characters have their original voices, the vi- lieved. Ubisoft Montreal has been on the cutsual style hasn’t changed, and Parker and Stone ting edge of gaming lately, and this creative new also penned the script. Kyle’s character class is IP shouldn’t disappoint in any way. the “High Jew Elf.” Not much has changed, right? Throw in the good pedigree of developer Obsidian and features like the ability to use the (PS3) Xbox 360’s Kinect to verbally berate Cartman, and “The Stick of Truth” looks to be not only The number one game to look forward the funniest game of 2013, but also one of the to in the new year is the newest title from absolute best. Naughty Dog, the developer responsible for the acclaimed “Uncharted” franchise. The gameplay of the series, while derivative, has (PS3) been applauded as a near-perfect collection of the best mechanics from the industry’s biggest If you have never heard of the title “Heavy games. Think the gunplay of “Gears of War” Rain” from developer Quantic Dream (of “In- with “Tomb Raider” style platforming. Other digo Prophecy” fame), then you missed out on praises have been directed toward the phenomone of the best storytelling titles the industry enal graphics and Indiana Jones-esque stories has ever seen. Featuring very little gameplay and setpiece moments. “The Last of Us” is an aside from walking around and a few quick- improvement on the award-winning formula, time events, the game wove a heartbreaking, with similar gameplay but a completely diffrightening and deeply disturbing tale about ferent feel. Taking place in a parasite-ravaged a collection of characters all tied in some way United States controlled by the vicious infectto a rising serial killer. Now, the studio behind ed and gangs of ruthless survivors, the protagothis somewhat overlooked title is gearing up nist Joel and his young companion Ellie must for the release of “Beyond: Two Souls,” a simi- fight to stay alive. Naughty Dog has been vocal lar game that explores the difficult theme of about its quest to raise the standard of video life after death. The developer’s track record game storytelling, and footage of the game has is enough for this game to warrant notice, but shown staggering production values and some the deal was sweetened when Quantic Dream of the most brutal gameplay ever produced. revealed whom their star would be: motion- Sure, Kratos from “God of War” can rip a decaptured Academy Award nominee and “Juno” mon’s head off to a gory effect, but when Joel and “Inception” star Ellen Page. Games like bludgeons a bandit that is begging for his life “Beyond: Two Souls” do not come around very with a lead pipe, that is the image that induces often. They are a different type of experience nausea. Video games have been steadily maturaltogether, ones that call the audience’s own ing, and “The Last of Us” may very well be the morals into question and force them to see the first step in a new, bolder age of gaming.

1. “The Last of Us”

3. “Beyond: Two Souls”

page 7 | Technology

Are Phablets ‘Phabulous’?

by FAISAL AJAM I’m sure you’ve seen them. Those monolithic devices some individuals opt to carry. A little too big to be a phone, but not quite the size of a tablet, these seemingly unwieldy devices have been coined with the term “phablet.” The most well-known of these devices is without a doubt the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. The device houses a crazy 5.55-inch display (up from 5.3 on the original Note), a quad core processor and storage capacity of up to 128GB. However, it certainly isn’t the first of these phablets. In the summer of 2009 Dell decided to make its foray into the world of android with the Dell Streak (renamed the Dell Streak 5 after the line expanded to include a 7-inch model). It was a strange device to many consumers. The Streak was marketed as a tablet that could make calls, as the term phablet was not in existence. It was a product catered towards a niche segment of the market, doomed to fail and fall into obscurity (despite the fairly decent reviews). Now Dell has withdrawn from the smartphone market, but it certainly left its mark. The Streak was the precursor to the first truly popular phablet: the Galaxy Note. In 2011, Samsung was flooding the market with devices for all types of consumer. There was everything from tough, waterproof phones to super-charged flagship devices. Then there was the Note. At the 2011 IFA exhibition in Berlin, Samsung would reintroduce the 5-inchplus form factor to consumers. The main problem for the Streak was that it was unwieldy, as Android was not optimized for larger devices. Samsung would solve the problem by customizing the OS and introducing a new form of interfacing with device, called the S Pen. It is essentially a smarter-than-average stylus, which brings us back to the days of old Windows Mobile 6. As the late Steve Jobs would say, “If you see a stylus or task manager, they blew it.” The Note had both. Samsung makes a good point of advertising the features its phones have that electronics in the iOS ecosystem do not (if you’ve turned on a TV in the past five months, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about). Samsung probably doesn’t think it blew it considering the Note was met with rave reviews and has sold over 10 million units to this day. Since the original Note, no one else really tried to enter the phablet market. One year later the Note 2 was revealed to the world (with an even bigger screen) and it was an even greater success, selling 5 million units in only two months. This is even before it was being offered by U.S. carriers. In fact, the Note 2 has sold so well in the United States that Samsung is expecting record profits of 8.1 billion USD in Q4 2012. A few others have recently attempted to enter the phablet market. HTC made its attempt with the Droid DNA on Verizon. It boasts a full HD screen and the best chipset of any phone in existence (it’s screaming fast). It tries to solve the usability problem by compromising and shrinking the screen down to only 5 inches. However, HTC’s sales remain in a slump. LG has attempted a few phablets, but none worth noting. The real news is, what’s going on at CES 2013 in Las Vegas? Surely manufacturers have note of the Note. They aren’t going to sit idly see PHABLETS | page 8

10 Movies to Look Forward to in 2013 The Great Gatsby: This movie version of the novel won’t be the first, but will likely offer a new, far more theatrical take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work. Director Baz Luhrmann is known for bold and flashy statements in movies such as “Romeo + Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge,” and is likely to bring that same style to “The Great Gatsby” as well, which is set to premier on March 10. Previews of the film seem to confirm just that, indicating a looser interpretation of this story of lost love and disillusionment among the upper class of the 1920s. The cast looks promising, with Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Leonardo Dicaprio as the three main characters. Although fans shouldn’t expect a strict adaptation, this combination of strong actors and an imaginative directing style should lead to an interesting and adept outcome.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Peter Jackson proved in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” that he can bring the story of the One Ring back to life after the conclusion of the Lord of the Rings, and he will continue to do so in the Desolation of Smaug. The sequel follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf companions as they make their way through Mirkwood, Lake-town and eventually into the lair of the dreaded dragon, Smaug. As “The Hobbit” made over $265 million as of Jan. 9 and with raving reviews, it’s expected Desolation of Smaug will receive similar responses when it comes out.

Anchorman 2:

by AUDREY RONNINGEN Promotions Director & CHEYENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer

Hunger Games: Catching Fire The movie series that spawned a million “that is MAHOGANY” comments returns with its second installment, and fans can expect all of the contrast between extravagance and poverty and violence from the first film to return with a vengeance come November. The movie holds relatively true to the book as far as rumors can tell, with Katniss and Peeta returning to District 12 just as rebellion begins to arise across the districts. As the two make their way across the Districts in their Victors Tour trying to convince the everyone that Katniss actually loves Peeta, President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games also known as the Quarter Quell.

Man of Steel: The Superman arch gets a much needed adjustment in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Man of Steel.” Producer Christopher Nolan appears to be adding some of his “Dark Knight” flare to the film, though the majority of the plot has been kept quiet. “Man of Steel” comes across as a darker and less “American as apple pie” wholesome “Superman,” with a more internal-torment focused Clark Kent portrayed by British actor, Henry Cavill. With the failure of previous “Superman” reboots to live up to the “Batman” and Marvel success, the future remains uncertain for “Man of Steel” and its box office livelihood.

When the original, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” came out in 2004, it received mixed critical reviews but soon became a classic with a broad fan base. Will Ferrell’s performance as the title character, an immature and egotistical head anchor of a 1970s San Diego news team, became known as one of his best to date. The movie is also incredibly quoteable, with lines like “60 percent of the time, it works every time,” or “I love lamp.” The sequel, premiering Dec. 20, follows the same news team in later years. The main actors, including Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate and Paul Rudd, will be back; there is also the new addition of Kristen Wiig as a love interest for Steve Carrell’s character, the loveable and mentally slow Brick Tambland.

Star Trek Into Darkness:

“Star Trek” fans rejoice! After a four-year hiatus, a new movie has been declared and filmed, and is now standing as a tease for all the Trekkies and the British fangirls eyeballing Benedict Cumberbatch until its release. Cumberbatch seems set to play the villain, though whether he’s portraying Khan, one of the most infamous villains in the Star Trek universe, or Gary Mitchell, a Federation member who went rogue after gaining ESP powers, is unclear. The plot itself centers around the crew of the Enterprise returning home to find the planet in chaos and Starfleet under attack. The Enterprise, more specifically Captain Kirk (who is portrayed again by Chris Pine), is tasked with finding whoever is responsible and bringing him to justice. Live long and prosper, Trekkies, because there are rumors Spock won’t.

The Place Beyond the Pines: For those of you who have seen Derek Cianfrance’s acclaimed “Blue Valentine,” it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his follow-up film promises to be just as heavy in subject, and has already been highly praised by critics. “The Place Beyond the Pines,” which comes out on March 29, features Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper as the two leads. The film tells the story of two men—one a criminal, one a cop—and how the actions they take to protect their families affect not only their own lives, but also the futures of their young sons. With themes such as sacrifice, morality and redemption, this is sure to be dramatic but definitely worth seeing.

Monsters University:

Anyone in their late teens or early twenties is likely to remember the well-loved Pixar original to this prequel. “Monsters Inc.” gave a new take on the whole “monster in the closet” story, going with the idea that they have their own world that they live in, and scare children as a way to power their city. The movie introduced what many remember as the friendliest monsters of their childhood, one-eyed Mike and towering Sully, and followed their adventures upon discovering a young human that found a way into their world. “Monsters University” will go back to when the duo first met, and should result in a wholesome, entertaining and overall hilarious rendition of the college years, monster edition.

Carrie: The 1976 classic horror movie is being remade, starring Chloe Grace Moretz as the title character. This adaptation will remain fairly true to the original, which focuses on Carrie, a high school girl who is shunned and taunted by her peers and mistreated by her fundamentalist Christian mother. As she realizes her telekinetic powers and the amount of damage that they can do, she eventually cracks from the constant torment she receives from everyone around her. The release date, Oct. 18, isn’t for a while, which only builds suspense for how this new version will compare to the original.

Iron Man 3:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe gets its newest edition since the billion dollar 2012 success, “The Avengers.” “Iron Man 3” continues the story of genius/billionaire/ playboy/philanthropist Tony Stark and his favorite accessory. This time, Tony faces the Mandarin, the leader of an international terrorist organization. However, the Mandarin, played by “Hugo” actor Ben Kingsley, is no average terrorist thanks to a serum called Extremis. It’s uncertain how director Shane Black will approach the more fantastical elements of Extremis, but with “Iron Man 2” grossing over $600 million, “Iron Man 3” is guaranteed to garner attention come spring.

The Bottom Line | Jan. 16 - Jan. 22

page 8 | Continuations

DEBT, continued from page 4

assurance that they will be fully (and profitably) re-compensated, the moneylenders run for the hills. And once the money’s gone, the primary fuel of the American economic machine, everything the state does comes to a halt. Our dramatically oppositional two party government—Democrats mostly appealing for revenue increase through taxes, and Republicans demanding deep spending cuts—has not taken the necessary steps to mediate public concern over crisis. According to the public record information on President Obama’s 2012 budget— with pork barrel spending, a bloated military industrial complex and a non-

discretionary budget (think Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, TARP payments and interest on the national debt), the government is essentially obligated to provide for much more than its physical budget allows. Professor Bohn elucidated on the political disputes that surround the issue of the debt ceiling, saying, “People that lobby for one outcome will present disaster if they don’t get their way…the government has presented default as the cause of a drastic, terrible recession. Lenders will be too scared to give money—going forward, if we keep spending, we’re in trouble. ” In order to avoid the expected

stonewalling from the Republican party, Democratic politicians and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (soon to be his successor Jack Lew) have proposed minting a trillion dollar platinum coin in order to fulfill the government’s obligations. According to the Washington Post, the Treasury can mint platinum coins at any chosen value for circulation—after this coin is deposited at the Federal Reserve, and before the debt ceiling is reached in February, the government can proceed in paying its bills. The trilliondollar coin is a political machination loop-hole, but it could provide the government with the pragmatic materials to execute payments—the plan is

weak on principle, however, and sets a precedent for the government to bail itself out while providing (possibly far too much) power to its central financial institutions. When you’re constantly renovating the roof, very often you’re left without a ceiling over your head. This is the state of America today—the contractor meant to keep our home stable and livable will over time construct a towering structure bound to on all of us. The threat of default is nebulous but undoubtedly present— though the how, the when and why all remain to be seen, its possibility is a portentous shadow looming over the Capitol. It is also common fod-

MODELS, continued from page 4 Models, as well as impressionable young girls everywhere, are affected by the terrifying epidemic of eating disorders such as anorexia, according to statistics compiled by radarprograms. com. When I found out that there were women who would literally starve to death because they wanted to be skinny, I was appalled. So when I found out that Israel passed a law saying that their models must have a Body Mass Index of 18.5 (the World Health Organization minimum BMI for malnourishment), said Anna Rogers, head Field Hockey coach at University of California Santa Barbara. I was thrilled out of my mind. This begins to combat the industry standards of impoverished-looking women being celebrated on our magazines, all bone, skin and awkwardly augmented breasts. It’s bizarre, and it’s not realistic. Israel is also passing a law that says magazine covers must also declare in noticeable fonts when an image is photo-shopped, according to New York Magazine. It’s not a perfect method of standing up to bad self-images in women everywhere, but it’s a start. There are plenty of women who are perfectly healthy and still fall under the minimum BMI. For example, I’m four foot ten, weigh eighty-five pounds, and have a BMI of 17.8. I suppose I can look a bit anorexic until you know me and my eating habits. Perhaps there will be perfectly healthy Israeli models at a loss for what to do because their BMI is too low.

BMI is the ratio of weight vs. height to measure obese or underweight people. However, BMI doesn’t take into account muscle vs. fat, and therefore athletes can often have a very high BMI despite the fact that they’re perfectly healthy, just because they have more muscle mass and it causes their BMI to read as if they are overweight, said Rogers. Models can also be very healthy, but their BMI doesn’t always reflect that, and can show them as underweight instead. It’s a genuine concern, but Israel has a very small modeling industry (only 300 professional models, according to New York Magazine), with most of their magazines and media coming in from other countries. It will be more interesting to see how this law impacts other modeling industries, and whether countries such as the USA will take a page out of Israel’s book to begin combatting poor self-image in women. It’s really an easy fix and consists of doing one thing: don’t tell people that what they look like is wrong and ugly. Body types were not made to be homogenous. I’d rather see a genuinely beautiful, healthy person on a magazine cover than some airbrushed and unrealistic ideal. In the meantime, I’m glad that Israel is taking a stand to say that “anorexic” as a look isn’t beautiful but rather horrifying and dangerous. The law may have some kinks in it, but the intention is spot on.

der for many conspiracy theorists and doomsday mongers to point to the Federal Reserve and China’s ownership of over $3.5 trillion of the U.S. debt. What sort of political influence this gives to foreign governments and financial institutions remains concealed in the dark morass of government intrigue. The online tracker for the U.S. National Debt Clock is consistently and steadily rising—when accounting for the U.S. population at more than 300 million, each individual’s share of the debt $52,310.76. Someone will eventually be asking for the bill—and I’ll be trying to pay with my credit card.

DAVIDSON, continued from page 1 closed off starting in 2014 and will not be reopening until the project is over. All library materials will still be available to the students, but some will be moved off-site. If anyone requires these resources, they can consult the catalogue and make a request for delivery. Some ﬂoors of the tower will also be closed off, but materials will still be available via library staff. Now as with any construction, noise will be a factor. The main advantage of studying in a library is the ambiance and low noise levels; therefore the Library will strive to conduct the loudest portions of the project during the summer, breaks, and nights. In fact, construction in the four story and eight story buildings will be ﬁnished exclusively in the night time. There will also be announcements on the library website regarding the noise levels. Lastly, in order to compensate for lost space tables and computers will be rearranged and moved into the main building. Construction is expected to end September 2015. “As we re-imagine the UCSB Library to stand at the intellectual and cultural crossroads of this University, we also hope to stand among the best research university libraries in the Country,” said Stephens.

PHABLETS, continued from page 7 by

as Samsung blows the market open. Many analysts are calling 2013 the year of the phablet. It certainly looks this way. The phablet market is going to become defined as devices with 5- to 6.9-inch screens. Any more than that and you’re a bona fide tablet and any less will make you just an old smartphone. Barclays predicts that the market for phablets will increase three-fold to 135 billion USD. ZTE and Huawei will capitalize in South-East Asia, as well as resell their

designs to other companies as an OEM. Huawei even showed off a ridiculous 6.1 inch device at CES. The new “one” Sony displayed the Xperia Z a 5-inch phablet with superior imaging chops (13 megapixels).It will be interesting to see if any other manufacturer can break the monopoly Samsung has on this segment of the market. I’m also anticipating Apple’s response to all of this. More to come at Mobile World Congress in late February.

BIG FIVE, continued from page 6 The report from the original study evaluated personality in the Tsimane people through the use of a FFM personality test. It stated clearly, “we administered a personality questionnaire based on the Big Five Inventory (BFI), a widelyused 44-item metric of the five-factor model.” This was followed by a similar experiment where the researchers asked Tsimane adults to evaluate their spouses, also in terms of personality. The APA article explained that the researchers were led to the conclusion of “a Tsimane ‘Big Two’: socially beneficial behavior, also known as prosociality, and industriousness.” Although these traits are distinctly different from those in the “Big Five” theory, the article does concede that there are some common links: “These Big Two combine elements of the traditional Big Five.” A likely explanation behind this new discovery is rooted in the Tsimane’s hunter-gatherer

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type of lifestyle. While the FFM has been proven to be applicable for people in places around the world, these countries share the common trait that they are all somewhat modern, educated and industrialized. The Tsimane differ in that they live in much smaller communities, rely on more of a subsistence-based lifestyle, and are generally without a Westernized education. Lead researcher Michael Gurven gave his thoughts on the link between personality traits and lifestyle. “Similar to the conscientiousness portion of the Big Five, several traits that bundle together among the Tsimane included efficiency, perseverance and thoroughness,” Gurven said in the APA report. “These traits reflect the industriousness of a society of subsistence farmers.” This breakthrough opens a whole new facet to the complexities of human personality, and is likely to inspire more research on its similarities and differences across various types of cultures.