Thursday, August 24, 2023

A Summer in UC Student News

Accused Davis serial killer confesses at hearing, deemed mentally incompetent

During a June 20 hearing to discuss the results of his psychiatric evaluation, former UC Davis student and accused killer Carlos Dominguez claimed he was guilty and apologized during a June 20 hearing. He was deemed not mentally competent shortly thereafter.

According to a KCRA Channel 3 article, Judge Samuel McAdam announced that Dominguez’s doctor concluded the results of the subject’s psychiatric evaluation, saying that Dominguez is not mentally competent enough to understand what is happening in court. Thus, his confession can not be used against him at trial.

Dominguez is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the series of April stabbings that killed Davis resident David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm, and severely injured Kimberlee Guillory.

The prosecution disputed the doctor’s conclusion, prompting a jury to be selected to determine Dominguez’s competency. The selected jury later agreed with the doctor’s conclusion, confirming that Dominguez is not competent to stand trial.

“We disagreed with the initial doctor’s report and how she reached her conclusions regarding competency. We stand by that decision to challenge the findings,” a statement from the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office read. “However, based on the information that came out in trial and the recently initiated involuntary medication proceedings, we are now in agreement that Mr. Dominguez is presently not competent to stand trial.”

The district attorney said Dominguez will be sent to a state hospital until his competency is restored, after

Learning to serve my two identities through journalism

which he will return to Davis to stand trial.

Berkeley hosts panel discussion exploring Oppenheimer’s legacy at the campus UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Sciences hosted a panel discussion event on July 28 to remember J. Robert Oppenheimer’s impact on the University, The Daily Californian reported.

Berkeley presented the event after the film from Director Christopher Nolan garnered widespread popularity.

The panel was moderated by Berkeley history professor Cathryn Carson, who specializes in nuclear history and 20th century physics, according to The Daily Californian article. Other panelists included professor emeritus of journalism and Academy Award nominated Director Jon Else, physics professor Yasunori Nomura, nuclear engineering professor Karl van Bibber and Mark Chadwick, the chief scientist and chief operating officer for weapons physics at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“During that decade or so in Berkeley, you see that transformation of this fellow into a gentleman who would become this extraordinary administrator, who was the conductor of the orchestra at Los Alamos and produced the atomic bomb,” Else said.

Audience member Dillon Hudson, an intern at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, spoke about his experience at the event, emphasizing the complexity of the conversations surrounding Oppenheimer’s work at UC Berkeley.

“[It’s] not really something you get to experience every day,” Hudson told The Daily Californian. “It really makes you appreciate the history of Berkeley.”

UCLA chancellor announces retirement following 2023-24 academic year

UC Los Angeles Chancellor Gene Block announced on Aug. 3 that he plans to retire after the 2023-24 school

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year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Block will return to his position at UCLA as a faculty researcher in sleep cycles and circadian rhythms.

“I’m going to miss all of the people that I work with ... that level of excitement of being at the helm of a great institution,” Block said in an interview with the LA Times. “But you can’t do this forever. It just seemed like a good time to leave the ship when the ship was sailing.”

Block’s announcement comes less than two months after UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ announced her retirement in a June 14 statement.

Leonardo DiCaprio to fund UCLA Lab School scholarships, climate education

Actor and UC Los Angeles Lab School alum Leonardo DiCaprio will work with the school to fund a scholarship providing tuition support to families, as well as a climate education program.

The school, located on the east side of the UCLA campus and serving students from kindergarten through sixth grade, announced in a July 11 press release that it will introduce the Leonardo DiCaprio Scholarship Fund.

“We are honored to partner with Leonardo DiCaprio in support of UCLA Lab School,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in the press release. “Expanding access to highquality education and helping young people recognize the need to protect our planet are critical goals for our institution. We are deeply grateful to Mr. DiCaprio for giving back to the Lab School in this way.”

DiCaprio spoke to why he’s funding the scholarship, stating in the press release that the UCLA Lab School “transformed [his] worldview.”

“I am proud to have the chance to pass on my experience to those who might otherwise miss out on this opportunity, and to help create a program that will help guide the next generation of climate warriors,” DiCaprio said.

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I will never forget the day that someone pointed out that my Spanish sounds a little funny when I speak. I was a freshman in high school at a summer camp geared toward serving minority students. We were sitting on a bunk talking and I tried to make a joke in Spanish, only to be met with, “you sound hella whitewashed.”

A slap in the face. So hard it brought tears to my eyes, but I had to quickly brush it off.

I had been told before that I was like a coconut — brown on the outside but white on the inside. And now, I was being told that I sounded weird speaking the language of my family and ancestors.

The comment haunted me throughout high school. Truthfully, I was more embarrassed than anything. In Mexico we have this saying, “Tienes el nopal en la frente,” which translates to “You have a cactus on your forehead.” What this really implies is “You look Mexican, don’t try and hide it. We know you can speak Spanish.” My mom would always tell us that whenever we spoke English to them at home, scolding us that in their house we speak Spanish.

So there I was, going through an identity crisis without telling anyone because I was already so ashamed I did not seem to fit in anywhere.

I was teetering between the culture of Zacatecas, where my parents are from, and the culture of the suburbs in California. Shamefully, I teetered more toward the latter.

I always classified myself as bilingual, but when it came to reading and writing, I chose to be monolingual. It’s not that I couldn’t but rather that I didn’t nurture it the same way.

And as my prefrontal lobe matured, I started to realize my place in society as a bilingual Mexican woman. For many, I am merely a translator. And for a long time, I hated having that role. I mean, come on, I was 10 trying to decipher government documents for my parents.

It wasn’t until I moved to Santa Barbara that I realized my role was more complex,

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and I defined my role as being a bridge.

Throughout my three years in Isla Vista, I found myself finding pockets of Mexico and home all around. Whether it be the man on the corner selling fresh fruit, the father and son duo that would go up and down my street on Picasso Road offering elotes and chips drenched in Valentina hot sauce or how Children’s Park would be a haven for carne asadas on the weekends, with Mexican oldies blaring through someone’s speaker. And it didn’t stop there. On campus, the janitorial staff would smile at me and often tell to “hercharle ganas” (give it your all).

There was a part of me here, one that I did not expect to find. And instead of pushing and stomping it away like I have in the past, I uncovered it and nurtured it, despite all fears of never being enough.

At first, it felt like a baby giraffe learning to walk, having to dust off the cobwebs of my vocabulary.

From here came the birth of La Vista, the Spanish sister of the Daily Nexus.

Since its inception, I vowed to make space for both of my identities and to be loud and proud about it.

And while I am still learning and I sometimes still cringe when I trip over my words, becoming a bilingual writer, thinker, reader and speaker has opened a door to connect with a whole community of people in a new light.

I became the bridge between the media and themselves. From having accessible news to representing Latine and Hispanic success, I vowed to make space for all of us.

And now, as your editor-inchief, I continue to uphold that vow to continue making space for the voices that might have also been stomped down in the past, by choice or not.

Xoxo,

Pricila Flores

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Ananthavel

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The Daily Nexus is an independent, student-run newspaper, published on Thursdays during the academic year, with articles published online daily. Opinions expressed in the editorial pages, News and other pages do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Nexus, UC Santa Barbara, its faculty or student body. Advertising printed herein is solely for informational purposes. Such printing is not to be construed as a written or implied

Corrections Policy: To call an error to the attention of the editor in chief, send a written statement detailing the correct information to eic@dailynexus.com. The Daily Nexus publishes all corrections of errors. Readers interested in submitting a piece to the opinion section should do so by emailing opinion@ dailynexus.com with the subject line “Article for Outside Opinions.” All op-ed submissions are subject to edits by the editorial staff. Articles should be between 800-1200 words. The Daily Nexus will not publish press releases or pieces that solely serve to advertise an event or organization, or any submissions from those outside of the UCSB and Isla Vista residential communities. The Daily Nexus

follows the University of California’s antidiscrimination codes. Inquiries about these policies may be directed to Ricardo Alcaíno, director and affirmative action officer at UCSB’s Office of Equal Opportunity & Discrimination Prevention, via phone at (805) 893-2701. Printed at the Santa Barbara News-Press printing facility in Goleta.

“Should we Dora this shit?”

Contact Us News Office:

Alex Levin Asst. News Editor

Dear Incoming Students,

Welcome to the 2023 - 24 academic year! We are overjoyed to have you with us. As first - year and transfer students, you are embarking on an exciting journey at UC Santa Barbara, where opportunities abound for you to participate in all aspects of campus life. Our entire university community is eager to meet you, to experience your intellectual and creative vitality, and to help nurture your academic strengths, talents , aspirations , and passions

At UC Santa Bar bara, you – our students – are our highest priority, and we are dedicated to both your academic and personal growth. As you familiarize yourself with our campus, we hope you will feel the strong sense of community that is at our core. We are not only passi onate about education, but care deeply about our neighbors, our environment, and each other. This attitude of sensitivity and support informs our approach to daily campus life.

We work collaboratively to foster a campus culture that is compassionate, inclu sive , supportive, and safe . This is a place where we celebrate our differences, and learn from the variety of perspectives represented in our vibrant community. By honoring and respecting each other, we create a living and learning environment where we can all pursue our dreams and reach our highest potential.

This is also a place of high ambition and broad impact You will find that a cademic excellence and diversity are central t o UC Santa Barbara’s mission, as demonstrated by our campus’s exceptional nati onal and international rankings. To share just a few examples, the 2022 - 23 U.S. News & World Report ranks UC Santa Barbara No. 7 among the country’s top public universities, and also ranks us among institutions with the seventh highest diversity index rati ng. We are ranked No. 9 worldwide for producing Nobel laureates in this century, according to Times Higher Education in London. UC Santa Barbara is a Minority - Serving Institution as well as the first member of the Association of American Universities to be recognized as a Hispanic - Serving Institution. Newsweek has ranked us the No. 1 Hispanic - Serving Institution in the country, and the New York Times College Access Index ranks us No. 2 among the nation’s top colleges most committed to economic diversity.

Of course it is our people who continue to make UC Santa Barbara shine especially our students. My wife, Dilling, and I wish you the best for an academic year full of learning, discovery, and the joy of new friendships. We are proud and honored to have you at UC Santa Barbara , and we cannot wait to greet you during our daily walks on our beautiful campus Welcome to our university family!

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang Chancellor

Dear Gauchos,

Welcome to all of you, both new and returning students! We are excited to welcome you to campus. At this time of transition, it feels particularly important to reaffirm our campus values and expectations of you as a student and scholar at UCSB.

We are committed to a campus that is free of sexual violence and sexual harassment. We have zero tolerance for sexual violence or assault of any kind, including sexual activity without fully informed and conscious consent, dating or domestic violence, and stalking. These actions, whether committed on or off campus, are violations of UC policy, campus regulations, and the law. If you are the victim of or become aware of such an incident, please make a report and/or seek assistance from one of the following resources:

● CARE Advocate Office for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence or Misconduct, a confidential resource and information on reporting options for sexual violence, sexual assault, abusive relationships, and stalking, Student Resource Building, 805-893-4613 (24-hour advocacy line) or http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu/CARE

● Title IX/Sexual Harassment Policy Compliance Office to officially report incidents of sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, or stalking to the University, 805-893-2701 or https://titleix.ucsb.edu/

● Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and 24/7 Counseling, 805-893-4411 or https://caps.sa.ucsb.edu/

One of our highest priorities at UCSB is to promote inclusion and belonging for all students. We value civility, dignity, and differences of opinion that help us to learn and grow. We uphold freedom of expression, and we respect academic and personal freedoms. We condemn behaviors that are exclusionary or that create harm among our community. You may find, however, that there are times when your free expression offends or causes discomfort in others, just as there may be times when you become offended or uncomfortable after hearing someone else’s thoughts or opinions. It is in these times that we ask you to take a moment to listen and express your views empathetically, keeping in mind our Principles of Community

Undoubtedly, free expression nurtures innovative thinking and the creation of new knowledge. However, free speech is not unconditional. Speech that harrasses a particular individual or in which a direct threat is made is not protected speech; it is a violation of our Student Conduct Code. Additionally, our Campus Regulations have time, place, and manner restrictions that ensure that free expression does not disrupt classes or the orderly operation of the campus. To make a report regarding a bias issue, please visit https://studentlife.sa.ucsb.edu/bias, and to make an individual or organizational conduct report, please go to https://studentconduct.sa.ucsb.edu/

Resources to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and campus climate are available from many Student Affairs Departments as well as the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (https://diversity.ucsb.edu/). A complete directory of Student Affairs departments and their contact information is available at www.sa.ucsb.edu. Each department listed offers student support and involvement opportunities. We look forward to working with you as we lead the way together in making sure our campus is a safe and welcoming place for all.

Sincerely,

Margaret Klawunn, Ph.D.

Katya Armistead, Ed.D.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Assistant Vice Chancellor/Dean of Student Life

Isla Vista law enforcement response from June to August, summarized

Asumi Shuda Deputy News Editor

The Nexus summarized UC Santa Barbara Police Department’s and Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s responses to crime and fire reports in Isla Vista between June 9 and Aug. 9.

The UC Santa Barbara Police Department (UCPD) is one of the arresting agencies that have Isla Vista and UCSB campus

areas under their jurisdictions. UCPD did not respond to requests for comment.

The Nexus found that 215 crimes were reported to the UCPD from June 9 to Aug. 9. The most frequent type of reported crime was theft, making up 28.74% of total crime reports.

Other frequently reported crimes were categorized as “alcohol,” “other,” “drugs” and “vandalism.”

Of the 215 crimes reported,

41.4% of them resulted in an arrest, citation or conduct referral, with 20% leading to arrest and 19.07% a citation. The remaining 56.28% of crime reports did not result in a report filing. UCPD crime reports were largely located between Camino Pescadero and Ocean Road, with the largest cluster — 45 crime reports — occurring between Cordoba Road and Del Playa Drive. The second largest cluster of 17 crime reports occurred near the intersection of Camino Del Sur and El Colegio Road — near Los Carneros Road, a frequent route taken to exit Isla Vista and enter the neighboring Goleta area. Other notable locations of crime reports include in the 6600 and 6700 block of Del Playa Drive, along West Campus Point

Lane and near the intersection of Abrego Road and Camino Pescadero.

There was a general decline in UCPD crime reports in July — with an average of 2.68 crimes reported per day — following a spike in June of five crime reports per day on average.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBC Fire) is the law enforcement agency that responds to fire reports in Isla Vista and UCSB’s campus area. There were 11 fires reported in June and July 2023, with eight fires reported during the night and six fires in the last weeks of UCSB’s Spring Quarter 2023. Of the 11, there were four intentional furniture fires, two rubbish fires, one grass fire from fireworks and four unintentional fires from cooking

and other causes.

SBC Fire Public Information Officer Scott Safechuck noted that this number of fire reports is not out of the ordinary and that there’s been an improvement in decreasing intentionally set fire incidents from setting furniture ablaze or from fireworks. Regardless, he advised students of the dangers of setting fires regardless of size. “A fire can cause severe burn injuries to an individual, and it can get out of control very fast and cause more damage to structures, as well as threatening human life,” Safechuck said. “If students are going to be getting rid of their furniture, it should not be through burning it, and they should be donating it to some of the nonprofit organizations in the county.”

The Nexus classified each of the 215 crime reports to the UCSB Police Department from June 9, 2023 to Aug. 9, 2023 into 14 categories, and theft-related crimes made up 28.74% of those reported. There were 25 reports with multiple crimes. “Other” represents a wide collection of crime types reported that each had a count of two or less.

Santa Barbara MTD announces changes to bus service for 2023-24 year

Alex Levin Asst. News Editor

Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District will implement a number of expansions to its bus service ahead of the 2023-24 school year, the agency announced on Aug. 10.

The bus service will increase Line 28 weekday shuttle services at UC Santa Barbara starting Sept. 25 and two bus lines that run through Western Goleta — Line 23 toward El Encanto Heights and Line 25 toward Ellwood and Winchester Canyon — will now connect across the 101 freeway.

The goal of merging the two routes is “to provide riders a one-seat ride through Western

Goleta, no matter the direction,”

Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) Planning and Marketing Manager Hillary Blackerby told the Independent.

SBMTD will offer an express Line 19x toward Carpinteria beginning Aug. 28, running three times a day directly from Milpas Street to Carpinteria and back.

Line 19x will align with Santa Barbara City College’s semester schedule, running Monday through Friday during “peak hours,” according to the Independent.

SBMTD bus service also plans to start an annual Booster Service Routes for K-12 schools in the downtown area on Aug. 21.

SBMTD will implement a number of expansions to its bus service ahead of the 2023-24 school year.

The individual locations where crimes were reported were spread throughout Isla Vista and UCSB according to data from the UCSB Police Department daily crime logs from June 9, 2023 to Aug. 9, 2023. The locations on this

SIDDHARTH CHATTORAJ / DAILY NEXUS

SIDDHARTH CHATTORAJ / DAILY NEXUS

EMMETTRHULAND

A.S. President A.S. SUMMER UPDATES

undertaking so far is planning for the upcoming Associated Students (A.S.) Orientation Networking and Empowerment (O.N.E.) Leadership retreat. The conference-style retreat is for all A.S. members, scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27, and includes mandatory training sessions along with presentations on leadership, mental health and A.S. as a whole.

Veksler said she sees the retreat as an opportunity to create a stronger association postCOVID-19, as last year’s retreat was at a smaller scale and had been previously “fundamental” to how A.S. members would bond with one another.

themselves,” Veksler said. “A big drive for me while I was planning this was making it a bonding experience for everybody to get to know each other.” Veksler also implemented legislation she introduced at the end of spring quarter, A Resolution Directing a Process for Summer Executive Officer Honoraria. The bill mandates a summer work report from each executive be given to the executive director prior to dispersal of summer honoraria to hold executives accountable.

Facilities Commissioner to assess usage and budget efficiency of A.S. facilities such as the A.S. Food Bank and a Chief Technology Officer to upgrade A.S. social media and websites.

Fourth-year

Fourth-year psychological & brain sciences major and 202324 External Vice President for Local Affairs Osaze Osayande is primarily focusing her office on investing in community resources for the upcoming academic year, as well as starting long-term initiatives she’s set since her campaign.

“During my campaign, the biggest thing I was running on was reimagining our community safety to be less punitive and investing in our community resources,” Osayande said. “So our office, in terms of the school year as it starts, is focusing on making sure that resources on campus and in Isla Vista are more well known and accessible.”

The External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA) acts as a student representative to Isla Vista

“Over the past year, a big concern that people have had with A.S. is that there isn’t a lot of communication between entities

governmental agencies and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, and an intermediary between the county and Isla Vista community.

The first upcoming event for the Office of the EVPLA is a “Know Your Resources” fair on Oct. 2 to spread awareness on campus and community resources for new and returning UCSB students through tabling.

“It’s geared toward allowing new students and returning Gauchos to become more acquainted with the resources on campus that serve them,” Osayande said.

The office also plans to create a “Know Your Resources” digital handbook for students to access and learn of said resources in one centralized location. The handbook will be available to access via QR code that will be included as part of the “welcome” items incoming UCSB students receive.

“The QR code will be in a little flier that’s going in all of the welcome bags for new student convocations and will be going to all the new students, which I’m excited about,” Osayande said. “It gives the opportunity to distribute that and for new students to have that information.”

Osayande is also planning a

EVPSA

was used last year, according to Caveroegusquiza.

“We got our audit report last year [and] even though we thought we spent so much money it was still only a third of what our budget had been at the time,” Caveroegusquiza said. “I’m going to be getting a lot of rollover I’m pretty sure, and I want to ensure that that is going to students.”

All of the positions in Veksler’s office have been filled as of the end of July, and she said she is planning to reintroduce the president’s cabinet as a regularlymeeting A.S. body that discusses campus issues. She noted hiring a

EVPLA

CalFresh enrollment workshop during the Week of Welcome in fall in collaboration with UCSB Thrive — a campus organization that focuses on campus food security and basic needs.

“We’re doing a collaboration with them because me and my security coordinator really want to emphasize CalFresh and the resource that it is and ensure that students who are eligible are aware of it and take the opportunity to sign up for it as soon as possible,” she said.

Continuing to work alongside community initiatives, the office will sponsor a mobile STI unit put on by Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics — a chain of medical clinics in Santa Barbara focused on affordable healthcare and substance abuse treatment. These units will provide free STI testing for anyone in the community and will be set up at the Isla Vista Community Center.

“The dates and times are still to be determined, but I did want to advertise that because that’s something exciting that’s in the works,” Osayande said. “We also host a UCSHIP and healthcare workshop to break that down for new students as well.”

The office also has year-long projects to tackle, one of which

on the UCSA Campus Action and Governmental Relations committees, EVPSA Organizing Director Melody Torres is an organizing director with the campus action committee and UCSB student Açucar Pinto is S.E.E.D. Campaign vice chair.

“Our social media and websites, everything is so inaccessible, and also really outdated,” Veksler said. “When [students] look up Associated Students, an accessible website should come up where they can click on anything and know exactly where they’re going and who to find and what to do … so we’re working on modernizing that.”

Along with social media, she plans to send regular newsletters to the student body by e-mail detailing resources and notable events.

On the subject of ongoing

is solidifying UCIV, a public volunteer program in Isla Vista.

To start, Osayande said the office is working to expand the shifts schedule for volunteers, changing the base for UCIV volunteers based on community needs at that moment and ensuring that the UC Santa Barbara’s presence is more prevalent in Isla Vista.

“My predecessor Hailey [Stankiewicz] got it up and running again post-COVID, which is really exciting, so we’re now solidifying it as a presence on campus and ensuring that students are aware of it,” she said.

Osayande and her office are also looking to spearhead more lighthearted events in Isla Vista to advertise the EVPLA office while bringing education and entertainment to the community. One particular event Osayande mentioned was a back-to-school night in collaboration with the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District (IVRPD).

“It’s going to be in Little Acorn Park, just a really fun ‘welcome back to the community’ event,” she said. “There’s going to be live music, food and it will be a fun way to bring the community together in an engaging way and advertise our office and the IVRPD.”

To build community

issues, Veksler plans to tackle the elimination of Saturday exams. She said that as a Shabbatobservant student that observes the day of rest on Saturday, she has the perspective to push against it.

“It’s something where I feel like I can use a part of my identity to better the student population as a whole,” Veksler said. “I know [Saturday exams] are not something that just affects me as a Shabbat-observant student, but all students that work really hard five days a week and shouldn’t have to sacrifice one of their two days off to be taking an exam.”

With a new cohort of students arriving in the fall, Veksler said her priority is making A.S., her office and herself readily available to the student population.

relationships and create a strong network, the office has met with various Isla Vista and campus organizations.

“Building those relationships will be really helpful and will give my office a good grounding to have that accessibility and relationship with these organizations,” Osayande said.

Looking forward, the office will have a long-term mission toward restorative justice in Isla Vista, with upcoming initiatives like a Halloween town hall and keeping communications with the UCSB Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies in terms of policing in the community.

“We want [law enforcement] to definitely be centered around restorative justice and have that as a focal point in conversation,” she said.

Overall, Osayande said she’s excited to see what her office can accomplish in this coming academic year.

“Get excited for a fun year,” she said. “I’m excited to see what our office can do in terms of assisting the student population in any way we can. I’m excited to see all these events come to fruition and see the impact that it can have on the student body.”

The website would create a centralized, online location for advertising upcoming campus events and general campus resources. The office is aiming to develop the website in the fall, test it in the winter and have it fully operational by spring.

2023-24 External Vice President for Statewide Affairs Vero Caveroegusquiza spoke with the Nexus about actions her office has taken over the summer, and what can be expected in the upcoming school year.

As External Vice President for Statewide Affairs (EVPSA), third-year political science major Caveroegusquiza is a member of the UC Student Association (UCSA) executive board alongside EVPs from all other UC campuses, and acts as an advocate for students on a statewide level.

As the only returning member from the previous year’s EVPSA office, Caveroegusquiza made sure to hire her core staff immediately when entering the position in June, and said the expediency of the process greatly helped with running the office smoothly.

“We had our first core staff meeting in June, and basically the week after school ended we were right back [to work],” Caveroegusquiza said.

One major step forward is the ability to grant travel funding requests, something the office was unable to officially do until previous EVPSA Marvia Cunanan authored legislation permitting so. The office has received several requests over the summer and expects to fulfill more throughout the year.

These requests are made possible by the office’s sizable budget, only one-third of which

The budget is set, Caveroegusquiza said, after the current office was able to pay off all previous debts from the past year. She hopes to make the office’s vast amount of resources available to students through the updated EVPSA website and revitalized social media accounts.

The EVPSA office’s largest endeavor this summer was the annual UCSA Student Organizing Summit (SOS), which took place this year from Aug. 4-6 and featured discussions on the coalition’s upcoming campaign goals. The UC Santa Barbara EVPSA office helped organize and also brought one of the largest delegations to the conference, which Caveroegusquiza was unable to attend but expressed pride in the success of.

“We received a lot of very thankful messages from people who went and said they really enjoyed their experience, and I genuinely don’t think SOS would have been as successful as it [was] if I didn’t have the core staff that I do,” Caveroegusquiza said.

Prior to SOS, UCSA held two orientations for their membership of EVP offices across the UC system, during which the UCSA board of directors was solidified. Caveroegusquiza is University Affairs Committee Chair, and said four other UCSB students hold UCSA positions as well:

EVPSA Internal Head of Staff

Director

As part of the board, members will act as the voice of UC students and advocate for five primary campaign goals: Racial Justice Now, which seeks to establish a permanent endowment fund for Black student retention and recruitment, Fund the UC, focused on extending Cal Grant eligibility, UC We Vote, aiming to increase UC voter turnout by 20%, Acquire, campaigning to improve student safety and wellness, and Students Enacting Environmental Defense (S.E.E.D.), advocating for sustainable transportation for all.

“I think UCSB is going to end up being pretty involved in S.E.E.D. because our vice chair for that goal is from UCSB, and public transport plays a very large part in our campus,” Caveroegusquiza said.

As far as organization within campus, Caveroegusquiza worked with External Vice President for Local Affairs Osaze Osayande to release a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s overruling of affirmative action, and said she and Osayande are planning an event together in conjunction with the MultiCultural Center for the fall.

Caveroegusquiza said she is looking forward to recruiting for the EVPSA office in the fall and hiring for all vacant positions.

“We’re hoping to [have everyone] hired by the fall,” Caveroegusquiza said. “What’s so nice about our office is being able to find students who are so passionate about the work and are looking for excuses to get it done. It’s been amazing meeting so many people and I’m excited to meet more.”

2023-24 UC Santa Barbara

Associated Students Student Advocate General Nathan Lee spoke with the Nexus about his goals for the upcoming school year and the progress he has made over summer.

After holding the position of Off-Campus Senator last year, fourth-year economics and history double major Nathan Lee stepped into the role of Student Advocate General (SAG) with plans to rebuild the office from the ground up, starting by hiring underclassmen to train and prepare for their roles.

“There are only two members from the previous SAG office committed to continue,” Lee said. “I want to see more freshmen and sophomores apply so we can hopefully have talent that remains with us … so they can be really ready not only this year but for the year afterwards.”

Lee also is looking to improve various student campus resources, including events. ucsb.edu — an online space for students to view all school events in one place.

“It’s supposed to contain most of the official events, either Associated Students related, Arts & Lectures, [Student Engagement & Leadership] S.E.A.L. organizations, department events,” Lee said. “It was supposed to include everything, a one-stop-shop for all on campus events. Maybe even some off campus events.”

Lee will also work with the Office of Student Conduct this year in his pursuit to take a restorative justice approach in non-academic matters. One specific issue Lee addressed is the uncertainty international students can face.

“International students, they’re always threatened by whether their visa is going to be revoked when they get referred to the Student Conduct Office,” Lee said. “I have an experience with someone who is an international student, their housing contract was going to get revoked when they committed some kind of misunderstanding. There is constantly that anxiety of whether I can stay in the U.S. anymore. That’s the sort of thing I really want to work more on.”

The SAG office is currently in the early stages of communication with the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor to discuss the unit cap for pass two, creating a more thorough online course catalog and expanding career services..

As the advocate for the student body, Lee expressed his openness to hearing from anyone who may need assistance addressing their concerns on campus.

“Reach out to me if there is anything you are in need of. Either general ideas about making A.S. better, whether there are issues where you feel you’re being mistreated by campus administration or anything of that nature. I am here to help you. I am very much open for concerns and for opinions.”

2023-24 UC Santa Barbara Associated Students President Tessa Veksler spoke with the Nexus on new initiatives planned for the upcoming school year and work done over the summer in the President’s office.

political science and communication double major Veksler’s biggest

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UC Board of Regents appoints 2024-25 student regent

attended two Regents meetings so far, but said he’s beginning conversations on issues he is passionate about such as mental health resources, public transportation, affordable housing, restorative justice practices and more.

“Having those conversations already within the month or so is pivotal for me because this starts the initial stages of the work that I’m going to be doing for the next two years,” Beharry said.

At UC Merced, Beharry helped develop the Gateway Scholars program to provide high school students with college-readiness advising, and said a “passion project” of his is to create a K-12 school to college pipeline.

“You see a lot of kids [and] especially kids of color ending up in the prison system and I want them to end up in college because, like [for] myself, college was the great equalizer,” Beharry said. “It was a place that I was able to grow but also the place where I was able to gain equity and gain capital in this world and that’s what we want for our kids.”

The Diversity Hire: Re-affirming the importance of diversity in higher education

Sneha Cheenath DEI Co-Chair

The Supreme Court ruled to restrict affirmative action in higher education admissions on June 29. This decision reinvigorated a debate on the importance of diversity in universities and placed these discussions on a national stage. However, these policies are not new to California. In 1996, California voted in Proposition 209, which banned race conscious admissions for the state. This decision was a massive blow to the diversity of California’s academic institutions, and they are still feeling the effects.

Sindhu Ananthavel

The University of California Board of Regents appointed UC Merced graduate student Josiah Beharry as the 202425 student regent this July. Beharry, who will be the first student regent from UC Merced, spoke with the Nexus about the significance of his appointment.

The student regent is a voting member of the UC Board of Regents, serving a one-year term and participating in all deliberations. The 202324 Student Regent is UCLA graduate student Merhawi Tesfai, and Beharry will serve as student-regent designate for this year before officially entering the role next year — participating in all deliberations, but without a vote.

Beharry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in critical race and ethnic studies and a minor in writing from UC Merced, and is currently a doctoral student in interdisciplinary humanities at the institution. He said he was inspired to apply for the student regent position to represent the Central Valley and advocate for students.

“I really felt that there was a voice that needed to come from UC Merced and needed to be represented in this long lineage of voices that had already been heard,” Beharry said.

As a first-generation student and DACA recipient, and the first Student Regent to publicly hold that status, Beharry is championing the Opportunity for All campaign that advocates for undocumented students to be hired at UC campuses.

A working group for the campaign was created in May after Regents’ approval, and Beharry said he has been meeting with students and student leaders to gauge their needs and bring their perspectives to the table. He said the Regents’ goal is to implement a plan by November for students to work on campus.

“We’re working with legal teams right now, having meetings about understanding how it affects students and what students need from this…but also [discussing] other services that undocumented students need in terms of mental health, housing, health care and other resources,” Beharry said.

Beharry has just entered the Regent-designate position and

Speaking to mental health resources specifically, Beharry said he wants to see higher staffing and better training for Counseling and Psychological Services (C.A.P.S.) across UC campuses. Having taken off a semester during his undergraduate education himself for mental health reasons, he emphasized the need for access to such resources.

“It’s a three layer thing. It’s training our staff more, it’s more funding for our C.A.P.S. and mental health services on campus and it’s also reaching out to our students to see what they need,” Beharry said.

Student outreach will be key during Beharry’s term, he said, as he is already speaking with student government representatives across UC campuses, and said he strives to serve as a voice for all students.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about all the communities and the people who are behind me and who I’ve come in with,” Beharry said. “When I sit at that table, it’s not Josiah sitting at the table, it’s all of [the students] speaking up and having [their] voices heard and having an opinion on the issues that directly impact [them].”

University of California submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, where they discussed how banning affirmative action would impact diversity in higher education. The brief mentioned how after the new admission procedure was implemented, the proportion of admitted and enrolled underrepresented minorities “declined precipitously”. It went over how, since then, the UC system has implemented measures to increase diversity which are often more involved and expensive than affirmative action, but decidedly less effective: admission of Black and Indigenous students is still lower than it was in 1996, despite California high schools becoming more diverse.

The amicus brief was also a detailed account of why diversity is important to creating a healthy campus community. It took particular issue with the case’s claim that the benefits of diversity are “amorphous and unmeasurable.” As the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) desk of the Daily Nexus, we take issue with this claim too.

In the amicus brief, the UC explained that “the knowledge that the University of California … serves all parts of the community equitably, helps sustain the social fabric of the State.” This is also very true for the Nexus. For a news organization to be effective, it needs to have the trust of its readers. And it’s far harder to gain a reader’s confidence if they don’t feel they’re represented within the newspaper. This is especially important because in many areas, school newspapers act as local newspapers. If the university has

different demographics to its surrounding area, then school newspapers will undoubtedly lose credibility. This Supreme Court ruling will worsen these inconsistencies for colleges across the country, which will be a massive hurdle for student publications looking to cover local news.

As a part of the UC system, the Daily Nexus has been struggling with that hurdle for most of its run. We hope that we, along with the other UC publications, can serve as an example to other college newspapers of how to practice inclusive reporting as their universities become less diverse.

In July, the Daily Nexus published staff survey data and recommitted to improving the diversity of our editorial and writing staff.

However, as a relatively small organization, it isn’t realistic to have a writer representing every community on campus. And even if it were, it wouldn’t be fair to expect writers of a minority group to report on every story from that community. This necessitates equipping writers to sensitively and authentically cover stories about communities they aren’t a part of. As the DEI desk, we commit to providing resources to editors to help make this possible. Preparing our staff to tackle sensitive topics is critical to making sure we don’t let important stories fall through the cracks because we’re unprepared to take them on.

Of course, it’s impossible to accomplish these goals without the support of the broader UCSB community. To present diverse perspectives, the Daily Nexus needs to source articles thoughtfully and seek a broad slate of interviewees. It also needs to pursue and carefully listen to feedback from readers, especially those from communities that have been under or misrepresented by the press in the past.

In times where the importance of diversity and inclusion is being questioned on a national stage, the Daily Nexus wants to recommit to its promise of having a diverse staff that produces authentic coverage of the UCSB community.

This article is the first installment of a new column from theDiversity,EquityandInclusion desk of the Daily Nexus. For any questions or comments, please reach out to dei@dailynexus.com.

UCSB Thrive launches iPad loaner program for students

Lizzy Rager Reporter

UC Santa Barbara Associated Students launched a new loaner program, iPads for Equity, this August, allowing eligible students to temporarily check out iPads for educational use.

The program was launched by UCSB Thrive, a basic needs resource under Associated Students (A.S.), earlier this month. To be eligible, you must be an undergraduate UCSB student, enrolled in classes at least half-time — six units — and

academic work,” UCSB Basic Needs and Rapid Rehousing Manager Rebecca Segundo said in an email statement to the Nexus. “Research suggests that using iPads in an academic setting supports their learning experience and offers another medium for students to maximize their engagement.”

Currently, there are 80 iPads available for the summer quarter, with approximately 30 checked out as of Aug. 16.

According to Segundo and Yang’s report, 200 iPads will be available for

“My note taking was a lot more efficient. And it was then that that also hit me that students would be potentially at a disadvantage if they don’t have an academic tool like this,” Yang said.

The first step for Yang and the A.S. Strategic Operations office was to prove this was a student demand to A.S. Senate. He said the project was presented at least four or five times. Before the loaner program, other basic needs technology programs extended to short-term loaner laptop devices, long-term loaner laptop devices and internet support grants.

Subsequently, in fall of 2022, the A.S. Strategic Operations office sent out a survey on student attitudes toward iPads. The results showed 92% felt iPads positively impacted their studies, and 43% agreed that not owning an iPad put them at a disadvantage.

Their research stipulated that 200 iPads would be the optimal number for students based on a total number of 400 loaner requests for other devices from the past year — a middle ground to test the program and meet student needs, Yang said. iPads specifically were chosen

as the tablet device because of Apple’s tablet market saturation, availability of various applesupported platforms, ability to sync with other devices and quick accessibility to lecture content. An iPad 6 was chosen for cost-effectiveness and its display, battery life, durability and ability to sync with styluses.

The most difficult part of launching the program was locating a place to host the iPads, Yang said. The goal was to find an entity that wouldn’t have a high turnover rate like many student-run entities through A.S. Thus, Basic Needs was a fit for the program.

Another difficulty was finding a vendor to purchase the iPads from.

A refurbished iPad 6 typically costs around $210, which would have cost $42,000 for 200 units. After negotiations, Tech to School, a vendor that specializes in bringing technology to K-12 education, offered the devices for $125 each before tax.

Overall, the program cost nearly $35,000, with the iPads making up about $27,000 of that cost. Additionally, styluses, cases and pouches for the devices made up roughly $6,000 of the total. Other costs

included stickers, Apple School Manager, which erases student data after a loan period is up and flyers.

Funding was pooled from various units of A.S. The A.S. Senate contributed a bulk $20,000, along with the Committee on Student WellBeing ($6,000), Human Rights Board ($5,000), the Public and Mental Health Commission ($2,500) and the Global Gaucho Commission ($3,500). The surplus of $2,000 in funding was redeposited to the senate account, Yang said.

This summer session acts as a test period for Basic Needs to learn how they’ll manage the loans in fall — if it will be a renewal process each quarter or dependent on a case by case basis. According to Segundo, at the end of the current term students who had received loaner iPads will have to return their devices and submit another form. She recommends students do not submit their request earlier than 10 days prior to the beginning of a term.

While there is still availability, students can request an iPad loan through this form. More information is available on the Basic Needs website.

Lead News Editor

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UC and UCSB announce, reflect on fall 2023 undergraduate admission rates

Asumi Shuda Deputy News Editor

The UC released its undergraduate freshman admission rates and statistics for the 2023-24 academic year, revealing a record number of California undergraduate freshmen and the largest class of underrepresented freshmen ever admitted.

Announced in a press release from the UC Office of the President, 88,285 California residents were admitted as freshmen for this upcoming academic year — an increase of 3.5% from fall 2022 admissions numbers. In total, the UC

accepted 129,685 freshmen and 27,761 transfer students, totaling 157,446 students admitted into its undergraduate body.

“These numbers demonstrate the continued interest undergraduate students have in attending a UC campus and their recognition of the benefits of a UC education in supporting their economic mobility,” a UC Office of the President (UCOP) press release read.

The fall 2023 freshman undergraduate class is the largest number of underrepresented students in UC history, the press release claimed. Of the admitted class, 37.6% are Chicanx/Latinx, 0.7% are American Indigenous,

5.5% are Black, 34.2% are Asian American and 19.1% are white. UCOP noted admission offers for American Indigenous students increased by 11.6% over 2022.

Regarding data of socioeconomic status, admitted undergraduates “remained relatively flat compared to 2022 admission data,” according to the press release.

In comparison, 38% of UCSB’s fall 2023 freshman class is underrepresented groups. Of the admitted class under UCSB’s classified categories, 37% are Asian American, 32% are Chicanx/Latinx, 5% are Black and 1% are American indigenous. 4% of the class declined to state their race and ethnicity.

The UC saw progress in increasing American Indigenous student admissions — historically and currently the lowest percentage of the underrepresented admitted student body — from enacting the Native American Opportunity Plan in 2022, which covers in-state tuition and Student Services fees for eligible students.

To be eligible for the program, students must be a current or newly admitted UC undergraduate or graduate student who is a California resident and is enrolled in a federally recognized Native American, American Indian and/or Alaska Native tribe. The press release stated that this increased American Indigenous admissions offers by 11.6% over 2022.

The Nexus inquired the University on what steps they’ll be taking toward Black student admission and retention, as this percentage is historically and currently the second lowest of the underrepresented student population for the UC and UCSB. UCSB was unable to provide a direct statement on

this matter.

The UC maintains a summary of undergraduate admissions data from 2014 to 2022 academic years, tracking percentages of each underrepresented group admitted from the entire admitted student population. Black and American Indigenous admission rates have remained largely flat at UCSB, with Black student admissions staying at 3% from 2014 to 2016, increasing to 4% in 2017, declining to 3% in 2018 and increasing again to 4% in 2021 onwards. American Indigenous admissions remained at 1% from 2014 to 2018, declined to 0% in 2019 and increased again to 1% in 2022.

In contrast, Asian admissions have been between 30% to 34% from 2014 to 2022, increasing and declining by 4% interchangeably between 2019 and 2022. Hispanic admissions experienced a decline from 20% to 18% between 2014 and 2020, then increased up to 23% from 2021 onward. White admissions largely declined over this time span, from 31% in 2014 to 22% in 2022. UCSB Director of Admission Lisa Przekop noted that because ethnic and gender information is blocked from the view of UCSB admission officers, UCSB Admissions has focused its growth in ethnic diversity to maintain a diverse applicant pool through outreach strategies.

Przekop said some of UCSB Admissions’ outreach efforts toward increasing the diversity of its student population include visiting over 1,000 high schools and community colleges annually, bringing schools from low-income areas of Los Angeles to UCSB’s campus, outreach to non-profit organizations and peer advising.

“Changing the demographics of a major university like UC Santa Barbara does not

happen overnight,” she said in a statement to the Nexus. “Admissions has dedicated outreach resources for many years that have allowed us to reach HSI status and to continue to grow the campus diversity.”

“Diversity does not just mean ethnic diversity. We are strategic in also trying to reach different parts of the state including rural areas and will continue these efforts moving forward.”

There also was an increase of domestic nonresidents by 3.9% and of international students by 1%. Overall, domestic nonresident admissions declined by 19% and international student admissions declined by 12.2% between 2021 and 2022.

“While the overall applicant pool dropped slightly this year due to a small decline in non-resident applicants, our pool of California applicants actually grew so we had more outstanding California students in the pool to fill our class,” Przekop said. “Again, longterm outreach strategies have maintained a strong California applicant pool.”

Cumulatively, the number of freshman admits from underrepresented groups increased by 4%, or by 1,494 students, in comparison to 2022.

“We accepted more freshmen because the transfer applicant pool was slightly lower therefore our overall enrollment targets shifted. We’re also seeing students apply to more campuses so we may have fewer admitted students actually accepting our offer because they have so many choices,” she said in the statement. “Lastly, as our more competitive sister campuses UCLA, Berkeley and UC San Diego admit more students, that will result in UC Santa Barbara taking more students off our waitlists — our models have to account for these changes.”

The proportion of admitted California freshmen students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups increased to 38% — calculated via individual group subtotal — in 2023.

SIDDHARTH CHATTORAJ / DAILY NEXUS

DATA

Changing directions: Experiences of UCSB transfer student athletes

Michelle Tekawy Staff Writer

If one were to ask an athlete what their recruitment experience was like and how they ended up choosing UC Santa Barbara, they may be able to draft a whole book on their athletic journey.

Many collegiate studentathletes have been committed to their sports as early as their preschool age, and some even knew it was their mission to play their sport at the collegiate level by then.

As high school freshmen and sophomores, these athletes can connect and communicate with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) college coaches. Sometimes college coaches can reach out to high school recruits first after studying their talents and potential, while other times recruits must make the first move. After months of talking, taking recruit trips and receiving offers, recruits

athletes, which is significantly higher than the other sports.

UCSB boasts its prestigious academics, high performing athletics team and its beautiful location — all of which draws UCSB potential transfer

“The prestige of the school academically is a big reason. The location is a big reason. When I did an unofficial visit, blown away by how beautiful the area is and how kind the team was,” Alec Mortensen, incoming junior transfer on the men’s swim team, On the other hand, UCSB outfielder and rising redshirt senior Jared Sundstrom transferred across the state for the program available.

“I chose [UCSB] because they just historically had a really good baseball program,” Sundstrom said.

The Process

While transfer athletes come from all different parts of the country, their journey starts the same: through the

transfer portal. The transfer portal is similar to getting recruited in high school in the way that athletes and coaches communicate back and forth to learn more about each other and the program. However, the transfer process delves deeper into the prospective athletes’ alignment with the school’s eligibility, academic and athletic level requirements. This is crucial for achieving acceptance and entry into the new institution while also ensuring adherence to NCAA transfer regulations.

“The differences [in high school and college transfer recruits] certainly outweigh the similarities,” UCSB’s Deputy Athletic Director Jessica Goerke said. “Transfer students have much tighter and more complicated eligibility requirements than a student who arrives at UCSB as a freshman. These requirements

my teammates were also transferring, and my team at Boston was super supportive and understood why I or anyone else was leaving.” Similarly to Carlton, Mortensen experienced complications during his transferring process. In fact, talking to UCSB was Mortensen’s third experience getting recruited to swim for a school after transferring from Grand Canyon University and West Valley College. Mortensen swam his first year at GCU until he was notified that he was cut from the program. However, he moved quickly in the recruiting process to his next stop, WVC, and his final destination, UCSB.

“Both ‘transfer portal’ experiences for me have been pretty rapid. It only took a few days before I found my next school, West Valley College — a community college — who

While non-transfer athletes dominated the student-athlete population, there was still a considerable percentage — 13% — of transfer athletes in the 2022-23 season.

MICHELLE TEKAWY / DAILY NEXUS

Out of the 10 female athletic programs that UCSB offers, the women’s tennis team had the highest proportion of transfer athletes — 38% —

MICHELLE TEKAWY / DAILY NEXUS

COURTESY OF JEFF LIANG

Division I school.

“It was already May by this point. I immediately emailed schools and got interest back quite fast. It only took about 2 weeks until I was committed to UCSB,” Mortensen said.

Academics & Environment

Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe — a recent physics graduate and UCSB women’s tennis player from Madrid, Spain who transferred to UCSB after her freshman year at North Carolina State — said she noticed that one of the most distinct differences between the two colleges was the weather.

“Every single day it’s just sunny, warm temperatures and not too cool. I just like that because I can play tennis outside every day and get that vitamin D. I love it. It makes me happy,” Gonzalez-Ballbe said.

Mikkel Vittarp Gøling - a

at WVC, but he plans to major in sociology at UCSB.

Like Mortensen, Gøling also had to change his major from business administration at YHC to economics at UCSB.

Coming from Santa Rosa Community College, Sundstrom appreciates the convenience and helpfulness of having academic advising that UCSB provides.

“We had an academic advisor at junior college, but he worked with a lot of teams. You had to have a meeting and he was super busy,” Sundstrom said. “The academic advisor for baseball [at UCSB] helps with classes and questions. She also has almost monthly meetings and check-ins to make sure our schoolwork is running smoothly.”

Moreover, Carlton brought up how priority registration for athletes helped her sign up for classes with ease. Typically, class registrations get stressful as many classes fill up quickly. With priority registrations, athletes can pick the classes need to stay on track with academics and stay eligible for athletics as a full time

“Athletes here [at UCSB] get priority registration for classes, which is something I didn’t get at Boston, and it made it very difficult to register during the season,”

Gonzalez-Ballbe described the transfer process as a “pretty simple

“Once you put your name in the portal, you’ll start receiving like a bunch of emails of coaches being interested and wanting to talk to

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originally, had a different

of interest in a short period of time even though it was an overwhelming process, but also a process that made me feel proud and happy because a lot of interest must have meant that in my 1.5 years at Young Harris, I had done something good together with my teammates and the staff around, as well as personal,” Gøling continued.

Athletes may transfer due to the intense competition for playing time, according to Gonzalez-Ballbe.

“You can transfer for so many reasons,” GonzalezBallbe said. “While I liked the school and liked the team, I was not participating as much on the team. I wanted to go somewhere else where I could represent more.”

Even though the athletes are given roster spots, they are still not guaranteed the chance to play all the time since coaches want to put their top players in the competition to win.

Similar to tennis, baseball is also a common sport where many players don’t end up as “starters,” and it puts them at risk of getting cut from the team and having to transfer to another college baseball program.

The percent comparisons between different sports are different from those in the UCSB women’s athletics program. UCSB men’s volleyball had a smaller proportion of transfers compared to the women’s team. There was also a large difference in transfer percentages for men’s soccer, which was 20 percentage points higher than transfer players on the women’s team.

is to help the athletes have a good season, so they can leave to play for a four-year college, Sundstrom said. In addition, the coaches have connections to collegiate coaches and can aid in referring current junior college players to four-year colleges.

“Everyone’s mindset going into a junior college is trying to get out,” Sundstrom said.

Most collegiate basketball players are willing to transfer

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pressure. My coaches and teammates lit the fire under me again after a discouraging start to my collegiate career,” Mortensen said.

“I miss my teammates from freshman year and a couple of friends from last year. But I’m glad that we play a lot of teams close to my home, so my mom can come watch,” Carlton expressed with gratitude.

Embarking on the journey of transferring to a new school can often evoke feelings of

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adjustments.

UCSB follows the quarter system track, where classes are taught over a 10 week span. For transfer prospects, this may be something they must get accustomed to when coming from a semester system school.

For Gonzalez-Ballbe, adjusting to a quarter system was a big change from the semester system at North Carolina State University, but she later realized the new adjustment was one worth doing.

“I’m doing physics and a minor in stats. I remember, coming into college, I was like, ‘The quarter system goes so fast!’ But, in the quarter system, you study three to four classes for 10 intense weeks and you’re done. It felt like a normal speed… so I actually really like the quarter system,” Gonzalez-Ballbe said.

Athletes also have to ensure that their coursework and major availability can transfer over to UCSB.

“No two institutions are the same, even within the UC system. This means that many transfer students lose units if a course is not transferable or if the major at their previous institution is either not offered by UCSB or is substantially different. Transfer students often need to be very strategic and intentional about their course selection to ensure they graduate in a preferred time frame,” Goerke said.

Mortensen found himself needing to change major directions since UCSB does not offer his specific major. The swimmer was originally a business administration major

“So first coming to America, most of the transfer process was through an agency called NSSA … I didn’t know anything about the process or how that worked, but the Agency is made by former college players so I felt secure

Baseball has the fourth highest proportion of transfers among the UCSB men’s Intercollegiate Athletics program, but the sport with the most transfer athletes in the collegiate spectrum is men’s basketball — a trend that

In the 2022-23 season, UCSB men’s basketball had the highest proportion of transfer athletes — 44% of the team were transfers. This is

higher than the second highest team with transfers, UCSB men’s soccer.

UCSB releases 2022-23 course grades

Siddharth Chattoraj Data Editor

58.34% of course letter grades awarded from summer 2022 through spring 2023 were A’s, according to data obtained by the Nexus from the UC Santa Barbara Office of the Registrar via a Public Records Act Request.

The data provided by the Office of the Registrar represents the original grades awarded by the instructor for each course before pass/no pass (P/NP) or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) conversions were accounted for. The P/NP and S/U grades included in the data are only from courses that do not award letter grades. If a student chooses a P/NP or S/U grading option for a course with optional grading, instructors will assign pass grades for undergraduate coursework equivalent to a C or better, according to the associate registrar for academic services, Sara Cook. Satisfactory grades will be assigned for graduate coursework equivalent to a B or better.

“For optionally graded courses, instructors do not know what grading option enrolled students have chosen. They assign a letter grade to all students and then the grade is converted to P/NP or S/U based on the grading option chosen by the student,” Cook said.

“A” grades are awarded for work deemed “excellent,” according to Section 2, Regulation 20 of the UCSB Academic Senate Regulations of the Division. “B” grades are awarded for “good” work, “C” grades for “adequate” work, “D” grades for “barely passing” work and F grades for “not passing” work. “A,” “B,” “C” and “D” grades may be modified with “+” or “-” suffixes.

The proportion of “A” grades had been generally increasing slightly from 2012 to 2019, but it rose by approximately nine percentage points during the 2019-20 school year — the spring of which was entirely remote due to COVID-19.

“Professors were more lenient during COVID with their grading across the board, so they would round up or put things a little higher during COVID,” Liz Phillips — the president of the UCSB Physics Discord server, website chair for Undergraduate Diversity in Physics and fourth-

year physics major, said. Phillips added that course grading is heavily dependent on the professor.

“I’ve heard nightmare stories about some professors that will not curve or the class average will be like a 40 before they curve, but then other professors … have a very lenient grading scale,” they said.

Dr. Kathleen Bruhn, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, concurred with the notion that professors control grades.

“We do not have a departmental policy regarding how instructors manage grades. We do review grading results and discuss with professors unusually high or unusually low grades”, she said in a statement to the Nexus.

Derek Younger — a thirdyear actuarial science major and president of the UCSB Actuarial Association — said that he has experienced multiple types of curves, including flat grade “bumpups” and curves designed to specifically help people struggling. His professor for PSTAT 8 — Transition to Data Science, Probability and Statistics — curved the class by prioritizing raising the grades of those with lower marks.

“What they did was they, I believe, square-rooted the grade and then multiplied by 10, so it looked like not a straight linear curve but more like a regression curve,” he said. “If you were say a 60%, you’d jump up a lot more compared to a 90%.”

The UCSB Jewish Studies program awarded the highest departmental proportion of A+’s — 37.5% — for its Hebrew courses. The Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology awarded the most A+’s — 2864.

Younger believes that grades do not matter much in terms of one’s chance at becoming an actuary.

“All you have to do is just pass tests and then demonstrate some sort of leadership or some initiative in pushing the actuary profession around the school,” he said.

On the other hand, Phillips said that grades are especially important for those who want to pursue graduate studies because admission to graduate school is competitive due to the limited number of spots available — especially in physics — for undergraduates.

“The physics department here

is very grad school oriented,” they added. “It’s very ‘Make sure you have your letters of rec. Make sure your grades are good.’ A lot of people just assume that you’re applying to grad school.”

However, Phillips said that a lot of physics majors at UCSB end up pursuing non-physics careers in industry rather than attending graduate school.

“I think a lot of physics majors

end up going into software engineering or finance, but if you want to specifically stay in physics, a Ph.D. is usually what people go for … I think that more than half of undergrad physics majors don’t go to grad school,” they said. With regard to potential changes Phillips and Younger would like to see in how courses are graded, both agreed that the current system did not have many issues.

Younger did recommend adding more sections and slightly increasing the weight of homework, in lieu of that of exams.

“Doing the homework and then going to the sections or the office hours — that’s what makes me learn the most, and for me, I assume that it is similar [for] other people too,” he said. “But other than that, the grading scale, I have no issues with it.”

Since the 2012-13 school year, the proportion of A’s has generally increased, while the proportions of other grades have generally decreased. 58.34% of all letter grades awarded in the 2022-23 school year were either A+’s, A’s or A-’s.

Hogar, dulce hogar: Vida en Isla Vista

Mari Villalpando-Ortega La Vista Editor

A medida que el año nuevo se cierne sobre ti y te llena de grandes expectativas, te darás cuenta de que tal vez no sea exactamente lo que pensabas. UC Santa Bárbara: el lugar ideal con clima perfecto, lejos de casa y bastante diferente. Es fácil sentirse desplazado, cuando de repente estás en un lugar donde las personas a tu alrededor no empezaron en el mismo lugar. Una de las primeras cosas de que te darás cuenta es que todos tenemos diferentes experiencias. Asistirás a clases y aprenderás las demandas de un curso y horario colegetario. Para algunos, les sale fácil, pero no a todos. Habrán estudiantes quienes trabajó solamente es ir a la escuela. Ellos tendrán más tiempo para estudiar e ir a las horas de oficina. A otros no les existe ese lujo. Algunos pagan la matrícula ellos mismos y tienen que trabajar un o dos trabajos para sobrevivir. No deja mucha energía o tiempo libre para tareas extra. Esta lucha desproporcionada sale a la luz cuanto más estás rodeado de personas que parecen tenerlo resuelto, o al menos más fácil. Te darás cuenta de que a mucha gente le gusta salir para comer y divertirse. La cantidad de dinero que las personas gastan sin pensar dos veces te hará preguntarte, ¿Qué tan mala soy con el dinero? ¿Se lo mandan sus padres? ¿Tienen que pedirles?

Antes de llegar a Santa Bárbara, nunca me dieron permiso de salir

después de anochecer. No pude ir a pijamadas o salir más de una vez a la semana. Poder salir sin pedir permiso es vivificante. Con frecuencia llegue tarde a casa o empezaba a salir durante las altas horas de la noche. Sentí como si estuviera recuperando el tiempo perdido pero también comencé a sentirme culpable. No recuerdo cuándo empezó, pero lo sentía –se siente horrible. La culpa se me hizo conocida. Nuestro encuentro previo fue cuando tuve que explicar por qué no fui a UCI o UCR o cualquier otro lugar más cercano a casa. Cuando tomé mi decisión para ir a UCSB, no pensé mucho más que “está suficientemente lejos”. Esto significaba que podía visitar a mis padres cuando quería, lo cual resultó ser cada vez menos. Pensé que extrañaría más a mis padres. El fenomena de la libertad convertida en culpa es demente. Piensas que lo estás haciendo todo bien cuando recibes una llamada de tu hermano y su voz es diferente y tu hermana está empezando su primer día de escuela y tú no estás. Duele. Duele cuando sientes que nunca te debiste irte. Duele cuando has hecho todo posible para ser mejor, para seguir adelante solamente para encontrarte con este sentimiento de remordimiento. Es aún más difícil cuando te sientes solo. ¡Eres la primera en hacerlo! Has venido tan lejos con la mano que te toca, pero tiene apariencia de ganador. Pero como juegas depende de ti. Qué temor. Por eso, es importante tener

comunidad. Como POC, suele ser una tarea espantosa. Tuvo un choque cultural cuando manejaba hacia Isla Vista. Había mucha gente blanca y la cantidad aumentó junto al tiempo que pase allí. Habian muchos profesores blancos y la mayoria de la gente de color que encontre fueron trabajadores de mantenimiento y servicios auxiliares. Casi cada calle en Isla Vista (IV) está escrita en Español, pero casi nadie lo puede decir correctamente. Así que busca a la comunidad que pueda hacerlo. Para empezar hay muchas organizaciones culturales que son profesionales o sociales, las Hermanas Unidas o Los Ingenieros para nombrar algunos. Habla con la gente en tus clases y no dudes en pedir ayuda o sembrar amistades. Busca donde te sientas cómoda. Aprenderás de que tus amistades colegiales no se mirarán como los de la preparatoria. Se juntan, viven y aprenden en espacios compartidos y encuentras más que buenos amigos pero también razones para que te guste tu nuevo hogar. Conocí a un buen amigo en mi clase de Español sobre Zoom y conocí a la primera persona quien me entendió de manera más allá de las palabras en la lavandería de los departamentos de Santa Ynez y tengo un gato con mi compañera de cuarto del segundo año. Encuentras a tu gente en lugares inesperados. Te hace sentir sano y hace tu experiencia colegial más fácil. No te iguales a los que ves a tu alrededor. O sea, los que les

permite el lujo de vivir en un cuarto singular en I.V. y no se preocupan del próximo cheque. Hay estudiantes que tienen tutor privado y padres que entienden lo que están haciendo. Los mios no saben mucho de lo que hago. En parte porque ellos no entienden el sistema escolar y parte porque yo misma lo estoy averiguando. Aunque tengas dificultades, tenlo por seguro que es posible hacer Santa Bárbara tu hogar.

A menudo programas como EOP (Education Opportunity Program) o El Congreso albergan eventos como celebraciones de Cinco de Mayo o divulgación de comida tradicional con música cultural. Se presentan bandas y equipos de baile como Raíces de Mi Tierra, el grupo folclórico de UCSB. Estos momentos juntan extranjeros quienes en común tienen la necesidad de comunidad.

¿Quién más te dará un tamal mientras vas a tu próxima clase? En estos

momentos no tienes que tener amistades con todos, pero aun sientes la presencia de la comunidad.

Lo importante es que te salgas de tu zona de confort. Prueba nuevas cosas y no dudes de lo que eres capaz de ser. En fin, estás entrando a una nueva etapa de tu vida. La independencia es algo complicado en una familia latina. En especial si eres la primera. Todo esto es nuevo para cada uno de ustedes. Están aprendiendo juntos. Ten paciencia. Con el tiempo encontrarás quien eres fuera de tus padres y de tu hogar de infancia. ¿No es emocionante?

Comidas de casa en mi dormitorio

Angelica Monroy

Copy Editor

Debo advertirte, vivir en los dormitorios es una tarea para los de corazón fuerte, especialmente des-acostumbrarse a la comida calientita y rica de tu mama o el acceso a una cocina completamente equipada para cocinar cualquier platillo. Y aunque los cuatro comedores comunes: De La Guerra (DLG ), Ortega, Carrillo y Portola tratan de incluir diferentes platillos hispanos durante la semana, va ver veces en donde se te antoja alguna comida que te lleve de regreso a casa. Vivir en un dormitorio donde las cocinas comunitarias y los refrigeradores pequeños puede que limiten tu habilidad de llevar a cabo una receta, será algo a lo que tendrás que acostumbrarte (si es que te gusta ensuciarte las manos en la cocina).

Pero no te preocupes que aquí tengo compilado una lista de comidas que sí son posibles de hacer y que algun dia me sacaron de un apuro cuando yo vivía en los dormitorios.

Torta de Jamon No hay nada mejor para recordarnos de nuestro hogar que una clásica torta de jamón inspirada en el show de televisión, El Chavo del Ocho. La pieza fundamental de una torta es el bolillo, o birote, como tu lo conozcas. Este se puede conseguir en el IV Market en Isla Vista o en Santa Cruz Market o también en Chapala Market en Goleta. Los ingredientes para completar tu deliciosa torta depende de tus gustos y que toque le quieres dar. Mayonesa, aguacate, tomate, jamón, queso, chiles en vinagre, lechuga y cualquier ingrediente que tengas disponible para tu realizar tu torta ideal. Un sandwich básico, pero perfecto de traer en tu mochila para un día ocupado no podría compararse a lo majestuoso que es una torta preparada a tu gusto.

Quesadillas Si necesitas algo un poco más rápido y sin tanto relajo, las quesadillas son perfectas para un desayuno rápido o un antojo de

medianoche. Tan solo necesitas tortillas, de harina o maíz dependiendo de tu preferencia, y algún queso que se derrita. Si quieres elevar tu quesadilla al siguiente nivel, puedes agregarle aguacate picado y jamón. O, si no tienes ingredientes extras, le puedes agregar una salsa picante al queso.

Totopos

Yo se que nunca falta el antojo de medianoche. Estás estudiando o estás relajándote en tu dormitorio triple, cuando te llega un antojo. Tener totopos en tu alacena será un salva vidas. Si tu mamá es como la mía, diría que siempre tienes que tener frijoles en tu refrigerador, y aunque técnicamente puede que tengas un mini refrigerador en tu habitación, será una lucha en hacer las 3 tazas de frijoles que tu mamá hace en casa. Así que te recomiendo que hagas trampa y consigas frijoles en bolsa (si lo se, a mis abuelos les daría algo si supieran que tengo frijoles en bolsa en mi alacena, pero era una situación de vida o muerte así que lo mejor es pedir perdón que

pedir permiso), y los calientas. Después le pones queso encima o alguna salsa y tendrás unos totopos de frijoles caseros y rápidos.

Chilaquiles Otra forma en la que puedas usar los totopos puede ser haciendo chilaquiles. No serán los más precisos a los que hace tu mamá pero al menos te quitan las ganas y el antojo de ellos.

Vas a calentar salsa de tomate en un recipiente, lo puedes sazonar al gusto con sal, pimienta, o ajo en polvo. Ya que este caliente lo vas a vertir sobre los totopos, mientras que este caliente le puedes poner queso, cilantro picado y pedacitos pequeños de cebolla encima. Y si te sientes inspirado puedes freír un huevo y ponerlo encima de tus totopos con salsa.

Antes de terminar con estos deliciosos tips te quisiera compartir un poco de la sabiduría que he aprendido durante estos últimos años que me ayudaron a sobrevivir respecto a la alimentación: Si es que calificas para recibir Calfresh, aplica lo más pronto posible. Aunque pienses que no

cocinaras tanto, ten por seguro que recibir este apoyo te hará la vida más fácil al hacer tus compras. Aprovecha el Food Bank. El food bank está en el UCen, y es un recurso que está disponible para todos los estudiantes de UCSB. Solo tienes que registrarte una vez al año y podrás entrar una vez al día a agarrar los alimentos que están en la despensa que tengan disponible. Hay muchos recursos alimenticios para estudiantes, es saber cómo encontrarlos y a quién preguntar. Si en algún momento piensas que estos recursos podrían servirte en algún momento significa que fueron creados y diseñados para ti, así que aprovéchalos. Sin pena Finalmente, quiero darte la bienvenida a nuestra escuela. Estos próximos años, vivirás las mejores experiencias de tu vida y aprenderás mucho sobre ti, disfruta cada momento que nunca sabes que se viene en el ¡Provecho!

Siete consejos para mi “Freshman Self”

Antes de empezar mis estudios en la UC Santa Bárbara estaba llena de ilusiones, pero al momento de enfrentar este nuevo desafío me llené de miedo. De ese miedo a lo desconocido al ver cientos de jóvenes con sus libros y cuadernos bajo el brazo y muchos de ellos hablando en un idioma altruista de gente adulta. También imagino que empezaron igual que yo merodeando por distintas aulas llenos de ilusiones lejos de la familia y de esa “burbuja” llena de cuidados y que todo era para mí, empezando por haber sido hija única no haber tenido un hermano o hermana mayor o un guía emocional para haberme guiado en las diferentes fases y obstáculos que vienen con empezar la adultez. Pero a la vez estaba emocionada de aprender cómo florecer en un ambiente nuevo, lleno de oportunidades y potencial para forjar mi futuro. Esta es una lista de las 7 cosas

que le diría a mi “freshman self”.

Involucrate: Siendo activo en la comunidad estudiantil te dará beneficios enormes. Puedes expandir tu círculo de amigos y ser parte de una comunidad más grande. UC Santa Bárbara tiene algo para todos, clubs de deporte, política, ciencia, arte, etc. Nunca es tarde para involucrarte en una organización. Yo empecé a escribir como reportera para El Daily Nexus en mi último año. Ser parte de un equipo con una misión más grande que yo misma me dio un propósito y me ayudó a exponerme al mundo del periodismo.

Participa en tus clases: Como freshman, tendrás que tomar muchas clases introductorias con al menos 100 otros estudiantes. Es fácil sentarse en los últimos asientos de la sala y distraerse con el celular o la computadora. Durante mis últimos años, después de la pandemia me desafié a mí misma para sentarme al frente en la clase y ser más participativa. A veces pude haber sido un poco tímida

pero al aprender a participar y a valorar lo que en las clases se aprendía fui fluyendo poco a poco y los diálogos se hacían cada vez más entretenidos entre mis profesores y compañeros.

¡Di que si!: Esta será una de las etapas más divertidas de tu vida. Di que sí a casi todo.

“¿Quieres ir a surfear de noche?

¡Sí!”, “¿Quieres subir el monte Whitney esta semana antes de los exámenes finales?, ¡Sí!”

“¿Quieres ir a mochilear en Big Sur? ¡Sí!”. Geográficamente, California es un estado increíblemente diverso, tómate el tiempo para explorarlo y ver todas sus capas. Muchos de mis momentos favoritos nacieron con él “¡Si!”.

Busca tu niche: Todos tenemos talento y propósito en la vida. Algunos de nosotros nacimos con nuestro talento, y otros tienen que encontrarlo. Haz uso de los recursos que te da la Universidad. Estos recursos pueden ayudarte a desarrollar tus intereses, talentos, y pasiones. El edificio

de Recursos Estudiantiles y Careras Profesionales siempre tienen oportunidades de trabajos y aprendizajes para todas las carreras e intereses diferentes.

Trabaja part time: Si tu calendario escolar te lo permite, consigue un trabajo durante el año escolar. Cuando empecé a trabajar, aprendí a estructurar mi tiempo de una forma más eficiente y también aprendí a valorar más el poder adquisitivo: el dinero. Mi primer trabajo fue de asistente de laboratorio en el edificio de ciencias marinas. Trabajar para la universidad tiene muchos beneficios y es muy flexible con los horarios de los estudiantes. Vive el momento: Créeme, el tiempo pasa más rápido cuando envejezcas. Disfruta ser un estudiante. Uno de mis recuerdos favoritos es atravesar toda Isla Vista y el campus en medio de una tormenta de lluvia gigante para llegar a mi examen final de oceanografía. Aunque en el momento odiaba mi vida,

mirando hacia atrás sé que fue la primera y última vez que viviré experiencias así en un lugar como Santa Bárbara. Nunca es tarde para empezar algo nuevo: Tener un escape de la vida estudiantil es muy importante para la salud mental. Mi escape fue aprender a surfear. Pasé por una etapa donde todas las tardes salía al mar con mi tabla para ver el atardecer en el agua. Aprendiendo a surfear conocí a muchas de mis mejores amigas y encontré una comunidad muy hermosa. Esto me ayudó a equilibrar mi tiempo de una forma muy saludable. Algunos de mis recuerdos más lindos han sido en la playa o en el mar al frente de UCSB. Recuerda que tu primer año es el pre-kinder de la adultez. Mi primer año no fue perfecto. Pasé por muchas etapas difíciles y me sentí sola la mayoría del tiempo. No fue hasta el semestre de la primavera que me empecé a acostumbrar. Tomate tu tiempo y no compares tus experiencias. Todo te hará crecer. <3

Chiloe Spelius Escritora para La Vista

ARTE POR KAYLEE HEARTMAN

MARI VILLALPANDO-ORTEGA / EL NEXO DIARIO

Hudson Barrett racks up end of the year awards

Isaiah Ochoa Sports Editor

The UC Santa Barbara baseball team did not have the season they desired, but nonetheless freshman pitcher Hudson Barrett shined in his first collegiate season.

The Bakersfield native quickly found himself called upon early in the season as he pitched in the opening game of the season against the University of Minnesota Gophers, going 1 ⅓ inning pitched with 1 strikeout, earning his first collegiate save.

Following that game, Barrett became the primary pitcher for any save situation. The freshman pitcher was undoubtedly dominant in 40 innings of work out of the bullpen, and he only allowed 3 runs. Barrett posted a 0.68 earned run average (ERA) when coming in for relief.

Coaches soon moved Barrett to a starting pitching role as injuries struck the Gauchos in the middle of the season. The switch proved to be no problem as Barrett worked 5 innings,

allowing no runs and 3 hits, while striking out 8. Barrett wasted no time, as he earned his first collegiate win in his first start.

With the role switch for Barrett, it brought a new change in his athletic career.

“Yeah, starters have a set routine every week, and I am a guy that likes a routine, so that transition was nice. Mentally, I still took it as coming out of the pen saving 1 inning at a time rather than ‘how long can I last’ type of mentality,” he said.

Barrett’s mentality paid off, as he earned a 2-1 record as a starter and finished with a 1.92 ERA, leading all qualified freshmen.

Barrett worked closely with head coach Andrew Checketts and pitching coach Dylan Jones before and throughout the season to continue and maintain his success.

“I mean, they are great at what they do. They have a set plan for each pitcher and put us to work immediately, so this year, in the fall and winter, working on some things really helped me stand out this season and contribute to

team success,” Barrett said. The work paid off as Barrett earned multiple awards ranging from All-American to an invite for the USA Baseball Collegiate National team tryout. Barrett earned Perfect Game and Rawlings Freshman AllAmerica First Team, Third Team All-America selection, The Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, All-Conference First Team selection, All-West Region honors, invite to USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team camp, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman All-America First Team and Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team. Looking towards next season, Barrett’s accomplishments and goals will be second, as team success will be his first priority.

“[It] Starts in the weight room, getting bigger, faster, stronger each day and perfecting my craft on the mound. Team success is what matters, so this next year, I will do what it takes to get to that next gear later in the season,” he said.

Gaucho alum Gabe Vincent joins the LA Lakers

UCSB pitcher Matt Ager represents Team USA

After a successful sophomore stint from right-handed pitcher Matt Ager, it won him numerous awards and an invitation to try out for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

Ager was not the only Gaucho to receive an invitation, as freshmen pitcher Hudson Barrett also earned a tryout.

To receive an invitation to qualify for the team, players must be non-draft eligible. From there, the selected coaches gather the top collegiate baseball players in the country to compete in the friendship series in the summer against the world’s top baseball talent.

“There were 56 of us that showed up, and we got split into two teams: stars and stripes. We scrimmaged for five days and, in the end, they picked the team. It was a lot of fun meeting and playing with some of the big names in college baseball. Once the team was picked, we all became very close, and it was apparent that these guys were great people as well as great baseball players,” Ager said about the tryout process.

After five days of scrimmaging, Ager found himself representing not only the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos but also the United States of America. As Team USA

set their roster for the summer, they played a total of 10 games, earning silver as Japan defeated them in the 44th Collegiate AllStar Championship Series.

Ager held his own, appearing in five games where he pitched 12 innings, only allowing 1 walk with 5 earned runs while maintaining a 6 K/9, and a WHIP of 0.833.

“I felt very blessed being able to wear the USA jersey, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet all the other players from Chinese Taipei [International Friendship Series] and Japan,”

Ager said.

Ager says that the national and collegiate experiences are comparable.

“To me, it felt very similar

to pitching for my school. It’s obviously an honor to pitch for my country but when I got on the mound, I was just competing and trying not to make it bigger than it was.”

Now that the national season has ended, Ager has had time to reflect.

“Personally, I’ve struggled with this in the past and I know it’s easier said than done, but I would just remind people that it’s just a game. There is no need to make it bigger than it is, and your job when playing is to focus on each pitch at a time. I still struggle with this, but if you are able to have a short memory, whether it’s good or bad, and just focus on each pitch, you set yourself up for success.”

After a superb playoff performance by Gabe Vincent, Vincent found himself in power on a decision on where to go next in free agency. Vincent averaged 12.7 points per game in the playoffs on 40.2% shooting, including 37.8% from behind the arc.

Vincent’s excellent performance made the Miami Heat realize they could lose him in free agency. Pat Riley, the Miami Heat’s owner, tried to retain him by reportedly offering a four-year, $34 million deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers swooped in with a $33 million contract for three years. The Lakers offer gave Vincent the opportunity to play for his hometown team alongside LeBron James, the player he considers basketball’s “greatest of all time.”

When Vincent was asked about returning back to Miami, he responded, “I was pretty open about willing to go back, wanting to go back and my love for the organization, and I think it was reciprocated,” Vincent said. “But when it came down to it, business got in the way, and there were certain points that the Heat could only get to and other teams were able to get more.” (Via “The Old Man and the Three” podcast.)

Vincent went undrafted after playing for UC Santa Barbara. At Santa Barbara, he played all four years averaging 12.8 points per game, 2.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds, all while shooting 41% from the field. Vincent was able to sign a two-way contract with the Heat in 2020. The Heat turned that contract into a regular one starting the 2021-22 campaign. The sharpshooter rose through the ranks of the Heat organization

and played a crucial role in their unexpected run to the NBA Finals.

The four-year guard jumps from the Eastern Conference champs with Jimmy Butler to play with “King James” and the Western Conference finalists. Besides the difference in the deal, he may believe the Lakers will give him a better chance of contending for the championship.

As for choosing the Lakers over the Heat, according to Jovan Buha’s Twitter, “Gabe Vincent says he chose the Lakers because he wanted to join a contending team and compete for championships. The Modesto, Calif., native also mentioned the advantages of being closer to home and playing for an iconic franchise.”

Vincent chose the shorter but more lucrative offer. He will have to prove himself again, as he will likely come off the bench after the Lakers bring back starting point guard D’Angelo Russell.

However, based on the last playoff’s performance, Vincent may have the inside track to get the approval of Darvin Ham. The former Gaucho showed out when it mattered, as he was exceptional in the series against the Boston Celtics and played decently versus the Denver Nuggets.

Russell, on the other hand, was nearly unplayable in the conference finals against the Nuggets. Russell’s terrible shooting and almost non-existent defense forced Ham to relegate him to the bench.

Vincent coming out of the G-league became a staple for the Heat’s coach Erik Spoelstra’s starting rotation. It should not be a shock if the Nigerian comes out as the winner against Russell in the Lakers’ starting point guard job battle.

Isaiah Ochoa Sports Editor

Isaiah Ochoa Sports Editor

Broc Mortenson, Jared Sundstrom and LeTrey McCollum running after the third out.

Gabe Vincent drives to the basket.

Matt Ager throws a fastball towards home plate.

ANIKA CHANG / DAILY NEXUS

NEXUS FILE PHOTO

ANIKA CHANG / DAILY NEXUS

OPINION

Powerhouses versus props: the “it” factor in female representation

horoscopes

The signs as songs of the summer

“Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)” - Taylor Swift

“Seven” - Jungkook ft. Latto

“Speed Drive” - Charli XCX

“Not Strong Enough” - boygenius

It has become a common scene in media. The camera pans across a bar. Men are gathered around it, drinking excessively and talking loudly to each other. There are jangling dog tags and the probability of a joke about why cockpits are called that. In their midst, a lone woman. It is never said, but it is clear to the audience that the lone woman’s ability to appeal to her male counterparts has gotten her the spot at the table. The word tomboy comes to mind, a term often used to praise women for acting more like men or a term used to tear women down for not conforming to expectations. It is a double edged sword, and whether it swings in our lone woman’s favor is yet to be seen. She will likely be the only woman on screen for more than two minutes in the entire movie.

She is, as the kids say, problematic.

The modern trend in media of women being touted as empowered when they uphold traditionally male values or roles in society is not the holy grail of representation it is presented as. It is more “not like other girls” rhetoric that perpetuates the problem of women only being deemed worthy if they are validated by their male peers. While women in media can certainly hold traditionally male roles in media and be shining beacons of empowerment, more often than not, characters end up wearing the costume of empowerment while lacking any real substance.

Take Black Widow, for example. Introduced in 2010 in “Iron Man” as the ice-cold, hyper-competent spy with a tragic past, the Black Widow character would go on to earn a spot on the 2012 Avengers team and hold the place of the only woman on the team for years. Her characterization included extreme violence, a skin-tight body suit unzipped to her cleavage and the ability to play the supporting role for the male leads.

The oversexualization of her character — both in the comics and in the movies — is a product

of the male gaze and movie bros’ inability to picture what ordinary women are like, but it is not the oversexualization of her character alone that makes the inclusion of a female hero on the team ring hollow. She is defined by what she can provide for her male counterparts. She is hinted as a romantic partner for Hawkeye in the first Avengers film before being rewritten as the romantic interest for the Hulk in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and before being sacrificed in “Avengers: Endgame” to propel her male teammates’ narratives.

Her character has no agency, little narrative presence and unless she is being sexualized, fits neatly into the boys club of characters until her character is overhauled for a more realized characterization in the 2021 movie “Black Widow.” Her character never exists outside of the male leads’ needs and becomes defined by keeping up with their expectations or proving herself through extreme violence. She is defined by male approval in the film and feeds into the problem of women only being taken seriously or treated with respect if they submit to proving themselves over and over for whoever sees fit to question them.

“Black Widow” goes on to change the hero’s story. She has a past, she has agency, she has wants and desires and connections and conversations that are not reliant on a male lead. You cannot remove or replace her in the plot without changing the entirety of the narrative. She has a presence. She has importance. She is still a fictional spy, but she fights with her family. She has regrets in her past. She is trying to reconcile with her little sister and define herself beyond what has been set out for her. She provides more meaningful representation in those two hours than in the entire decade previous.

However, she is not the only character trope that divorces real women in the name of false representation.

The “not like other girls” rhetoric has run rampant in recent years as well. The scene often follows the pattern of introducing a gleaming castle in the woods. Inside, a woman sits

on a throne. She is poised. She is elegant. She is unmistakably feminine. Our hero is loudly proclaiming that that will never be her. Perhaps she flees to race through the woods on horseback with a weapon strapped to her side. She has to prove that she is not frivolous. She is not dainty. As those things are obviously synonymous with women, she has to prove that she’s not that, either. She is different.

The audience is meant to understand that the director has taken a brave, modern stance on empowering women by having our hero reject the courtly trapping presented to her. She flees from the title of female, the wind in her hair and a single cut on her cheek to prove she means business.

Take Merida from “Brave,” for example. She spends the movie straining against her mother and chafing against dresses and crowns. Femininity in the media has often become synonymous with the weak and frivolous, the uncomplicated and vulnerable.

To be powerful, this media likes to tell us, is to reject that. It is to be loud and brash. It is to hate dresses and the color pink. While it is true that there is often power in rejecting the boundaries society lays out, it can be achieved without cutting the throat of femininity.

Merida, by the end of the movie, realizes the power her mother wields. She realizes that there is a way to operate with agency and personhood, even within the roles she has to play. “Brave” shows us the maturation of Merida from girl to woman and accomplishes what most media does not: crafting a character that can exist beyond being a caricature of gender roles or the rejection of them. Merida still likes archery and rides through the woods, but she also has stepped into womanhood and the power and agency that holds. She does not have to sacrifice femininity to the altar of male validity to be respected nor does she have to make an island of herself to show that she is different.

She is, as the kids say, iconic. That is not to say that those are the only valid forms of representation. There are

certainly characters who define themselves by violence and rough-and-tumble ways that have made a name for themselves in male spheres of power who still operate as representation.

Imperator Furiosa from “Mad Max: Fury Road” spends her time on screen being as furious as her namesake and being the best at a boys club competition. She is certainly empowered, but not because of the traditionally male role she holds.

On the far other side of the spectrum from Furiosa resides the much discussed “Barbie” movie. Barbie, and all those who reside in Barbieland, lean hard into the pink and lace and conventional trappings of femininity. The movie often pokes fun at itself, introducing Margot Robbie as stereotypical Barbie and acknowledges the conventional body ideals Barbie often represents.

Barbie isn’t defined by her looks, however.

Barbie spends the movie figuratively and literally running from the box the world has tried to place her in. She moves past needing to be pretty to hold worth and steps into herself in pink high heels as she leaves behind the passivity of her old life to take on the struggles of an undefined one. She shows a remarkable amount of grit and self-realization in the face of adversity that has resonated so powerfully with its audience.

The “it” factor in representation that makes Furiosa as empowered as Barbie or Merida, even as they operate in vastly different capacities, is that they have presence in the narrative, agency within their boundaries and the maturity to act in a way that goes beyond upholding or rejecting gender roles.

Empowerment for women in media is not defined by divorcing one’s self from other women or proving oneself endlessly to men to have a seat at the table; it is, much like real life, stepping into one’s self and holding space and power in the face of what threatens ahead.

Haley Joseph would like to know why tactical battle suits even have front facing zippers.

“Rush” - Troye Sivan

“Deli” - Ice Spice

“bad idea right” - Olivia Rodrigo

“Paint the Town Red” - Doja Cat

“Barbie World” - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice

“What Was I Made For” - Billie Eilish

“2 die 4” - Addison Rae ft. Charli XCX

“Super Shy” - NewJeans

Haley Joseph Staff Writer

STORIES FRom STorke What I wish I knew my freshman year

As you embark on your first year of university at UC Santa Barbara, you may hear a multitude of sentiments about how to have the “ideal” freshman experience. For many people, their first year of college can be incredibly transformative, a roller-coaster of encounters and emotions.

Haley Joseph Staff Writer

There are a lot of expectations that precede your first year of college. I had visions of myself sitting in lecture halls, never nervous or unsure. I thought I would step foot on campus and magically do everything right.

As with most things, reality turned out to be a little rockier than my daydreams.

If I could tell myself one thing freshman year, I would say to become OK with making mistakes. There is no right path through college — no club that is going to work for everyone, no event that is a must-attend or study plan that fits everyone’s needs. The only constant in college, and in life, is that you are, at some point, going to get it wrong. And that’s OK.

In my freshman year of college, I tried too hard on some things and didn’t try hard enough on others. Aced a test and didn’t study hard enough on the next one. I remembered to practice for my exam but went to the wrong building on finals day and had to run across campus to breathlessly recite my Italian final ten minutes late. At the time, I was pretty sure my life was over. Now, I laugh about it and know to double

check my exam locations. I spent so long fretting over my mistakes freshman year that I overlooked everything I had done right to focus on the one thing I had gotten wrong. You have to learn to take it all in stride; roll with the punches. When I started taking what I did wrong as a learning opportunity, things became a little less apocalyptic when I messed up. I stopped the mantra of “that was wrong” to ask instead, “What happened? What do I need to do next time so that it goes the way I want?”

Mistakes themselves are not character defining events, but how you handle them are.

It’s OK to answer a question wrong in class, but don’t let any embarrassment over the mistake stop you from raising your hand again. Take a deep breath, try again. It’s going to be OK.

Alice Zhang Staff Writer

Life is funny in that as children, we’re in such a rush to grow up. But as I enter my senior year, I can’t help but reminisce about my early years in college and ponder the opportunities I’ve missed and the mistakes I’ve made. So for prospective and incoming freshmen, here’s

some solid advice for a great time in college.

DO join clubs and attend social events. I remember feeling overwhelmed when I first came to UCSB due to the sheer number of people and clubs to join. I wanted to simultaneously try everything and hide away in my dorm room. In retrospect, I do regret not breaking out of my shell earlier on. You’re only in college for a few years. The experiences to be had are plentiful and will last you a lifetime. Take advantage of that.

DON’T take yourself too seriously. I’m not saying it’s bad to be focused, but I took myself way too seriously in my freshman year. I was a perfectionist and sought to get top scores in all of my classes until I burned out. The hard part is over. You got in. Explore some fun classes and go to the beach with friends. It’ll benefit your mental health.

Be patient with yourself. You WILL find your passion in college, I promise. And when you do, aspire to be excellent at it. It took me nearly two years to find my passion, and as soon as I did, I switched my major and took advantage of all the opportunities available to me. Your passion will be something worth pouring

your heart and soul into.

More than anything, be yourself. Be authentic, nerd out on your hobbies, engage in new topics and explore new places on your own. It makes you more attractive, and people will feel that.

There’s definitely more to be said, but those are my top four pieces of advice. College can feel daunting, but it truly is an amazing place where we find ourselves. I definitely have.

Bhavya Uniyal Staff Writer

If leaving your friends behind, adjusting to a foreign way of learning and confronting your newfound fears did not already account for a challenging freshman experience, then moving countries and having to adjust to an entirely new culture does not make it any easier. But the thrill of getting to start afresh in a different country with some novel independence certainly does soften the blow.

Being an international student can be a doubleedged sword. While you enjoy the privilege of moving to an entirely alien country and exploring its culture, the homesickness, internalized complexes of most natives from supposed third-world

countries and the constant pressure of keeping up with your parent’s expectations kick in.

Though it’s fine to be confused and feel out of place, don’t start getting comfortable with it. Push yourself to talk to more people, explore the beaches of Goleta, challenge yourself to try new things and let the surroundings change you for the better.

On days that you are extremely homesick, treat yourself to an overpriced meal from your native cuisine at a restaurant downtown and on those when you’re being weighed down by your parents’ inadvertent nagging, remind yourself that even the people who love you might not get your struggles and that is alright. The only thing that is not alright is you not being kind and patient with yourself on such days.

Oftentimes you would be humbled by your thick native accent not being understood in class or casual conversations, but remember that the intonation of your voice is not a confession of your merit.

Give these years the chance to be the best time of your life and just party hard, study harder and cut yourself some slack. The rest will automatically fall into place.

Before you join us on campus in September, here are some stories from our staff, offering their insights on the art of the freshman experience.

— Your Opinion Editors

SCIENCE & TECH

:

Meenakshi Manoj Science Assistant Editor

A July 17 report revealed that an alarming number of sports supplements contain incorrect amounts of ingredients, traces of prohibited compounds and missing ingredients that are reported on the labels.

Sports supplements, also known as performance dietary supplements, are heavily marketed for their abilities to enhance muscle growth, muscle strength, energy production and recovery, weight gain or loss and nutrients in an athlete.

Yet, the sports supplement industry isn’t tightly regulated like the pharmaceutical industry, meaning, supplements aren’t required to meet specific safety and effectiveness standards before entering the market.

This lack of regulation has led to a greater risk of products being contaminated, missing ingredients and even containing ingredients prohibited by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the past few months, research has shed light on these lesserknown aspects of sports supplements. The FDA states that it is unable to test all

85,000 supplements that are available in the U.S.

According to Pieter Cohen, a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, the FDA does not have the authority to approve dietary supplements before they hit the market although they are able to require companies to list the ingredients on the product labels.

Recently, however, it has been confirmed that the supplement industry is not staying true to its product labels.

In the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, an open-access biomedical sciences journal, a group with researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Mississippi and the National Science Foundation (NSF) International studied the presence of five ingredients known to be “promoted in dietary supplements for their

What’s actually in my supplements?

stimulant or anabolic effects” to find that 57 of 63 products contained at least one of these ingredients.

Nevertheless, only six of the 57 products with these ingredients had amounts that were within 10% of the label’s value, and seven of the 57 supplements contained at least one type of synthetic stimulant that is prohibited by the FDA.

These included four synthetic stimulants: 1,4-dimethylamylamine (DMAA), deterenol, octodrine, oxilofrine and omniracetam. Over the years, scientists have discovered hundreds of supplements containing traces of harmful drugs.

This is very concerning, especially during a time when more than half of the American adult population has reported taking dietary supplements.

Sports supplements are designed to enhance athletic performance, but

not all supplements are created equal.

Supplements make up a multi-billion dollar industry with a wide range of products, catering to different needs.

It is important to do your research and choose products from reputable companies, as well as understand their purpose and side effects.

When investing in overthe-counter supplements, it is important to always remain cautious and skeptical.

Cohen has said that

Looking back from Campus Point

Emma Holm-Olsen Science Editor

Binge drinking in mice:

Researchers from UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences recently published a study on the psychological effects of binge drinking in mice. The study aimed to study the interactions between age, sex and the age at which binge drinking began, and their cumulative effects on “negative affect,” or feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, as well as cognitive decline later in life.

Previous studies have shown that a history of alcohol abuse is one of the biggest risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other cognitive disorders. In addition, females have been found to be more likely, on average, to drink in order to alleviate feelings of distress, as well as are more likely to exhibit physical and psychological effects from drinking.

These experiments, which built upon prior studies of similar design, uniquely segregated males and females temporally in order to reduce potential “chemosensory social stimuli” (i.e. pheromones) and consisted of giving control mice water to drink and binge-drinking mice (of which there were 92) alcohol for two hours a day for 14 days.

Then, evaluations for anxiety symptoms were conducted on the mice, including a light-dark shuttle box test, a marble burying test and a swim test.

Additionally, evaluations of cognitive impairment were performed, including mazes and spatial recall tests. Both types of experiments were conducted on Day 1 of withdrawal and Day 70. The researchers predicted that the effects of excessive alcohol consumption would be more pronounced in females than males and that a history

of binge drinking during adolescence would have more of an effect on behavior than a history of binge drinking during adulthood. A major result of the study found that adolescents drank more alcohol overall than adults, and females drank more than males. Test-specific results included adult, female bingedrinkers in the box test going into the light less often than their male counterparts, with more time spent in the dark, implying higher anxiety levels.

Additionally, adults and females buried more marbles than adolescents and males, also implying higher stress and feelings of hopelessness, and both female and male binge-drinkers spent more time immobile in the swim test than the water drinkers — with immobility being a sign of negative affect.

Adult-onset, binge-drinking mice, especially females, were slower to find the hidden platforms and to complete the mazes in the water tests than adolescent-onset binge-drinkers. However, in a subsequent smaller-scale study just looking at Day 1 of withdrawal, the differences in effects between sex and age were less distinct, with relatively few symptoms of negative affect.

Overall, there were few effects of “robust bingedrinking” on negative affect and only slight evidence of alcohol-induced cognitive effects. The only significant evidence from the water mazes was that adolescentonset mice were slightly worse at spatial recall than adult-onset binge drinkers. The authors predict that these results may be related to a lower sensitivity of maze experiments and that two weeks of binge drinking may not be enough to cause significant cognitive effects. Similarly, 3.5 months of age might not be old enough to detect cognitive decline

in mice with a history of binge drinking. Nevertheless, despite the need for additional studies on how individual factors like age, sex and age of onset interact, this paper provides promising insight into how a history of drinking in humans could lead to higher chances of developing cognitive disorders later in life.

Gauging glacier cycles:

One of the aspects of climate change that scientists have long been interested in studying is how the planet’s climate has changed over geologic time. With global temperatures on the rise, glacial melting has been an issue of particular concern.

It has been concluded that the pattern of glacial cycles over the past 800,000 years or so are approximately 100,000 years (kyr) long, and have to do with changes in Earth’s “Milankovitch cycles.”

These three orbital cycles — eccentricity, obliquity and precession — control changes in ice sheet size as the amount of solar radiation reaching different parts of the planet shifts.

Until recently, uncertainties regarding the age of ice sheets have made it difficult to determine whether the considerable changes in size were more strongly associated with obliquity — the angle of Earth’s axis of rotation — or precession — the “wobbling” of Earth on its axis as it rotates — although there is significant statistical evidence for both having some impact.

A new study by UCSB’s Department of Earth Science, using improved age estimates, compared the impacts of 41-kyr obliquity cycles and 100-kyr eccentricity cycles on glacial cycles in order to determine which has been historically more responsible for glacial period terminations.

Many experts to date believe that cycles of eccentricity — the shape of Earth’s orbit shape

certain organizations like the NSF, the Banned Substances Control Group and the U.S. Pharmacopeia are able to help consumers with evaluating the authenticity of their supplements by providing stamps of approval to the products they evaluate as safe and effective.

What works for one athlete may not work for another, and while sports supplements can help enhance athletic performance, nutrients from whole foods are vital for a healthy lifestyle.

— modulate the amplitude of the Earth’s precession, allowing for periods of lower “insolation,” or the amount of solar radiation reaching a particular area — in this case, the ice sheets in question. Additionally, it was hypothesized that precession cycles allow for higher intensity of and changes in insolation, especially during the summer months, which could account for dramatic changes in ice sheet size.

The contrasting hypothesis maintains that glacial terminations during the Late Pleistocene Epoch occurred every two to three cycles of obliquity, which therefore must be the primary driver of ice sheet variability. The paper outlines their methodology and how they dated glacial terminations in order to quantify the effect of the various orbital cycles.

The team used records of sea level change over geologic time, alongside age estimates derived from correlating “icerafted debris” in the North Atlantic Ocean to instances of abrupt Asian monsoon variability. After extensive statistical analysis, the researchers ultimately found that while both precession and obliquity phases have statistically significant effects on glacial termination onset, the precession phase seems to be, by its forcing of summer insolation intensity, more predictive of termination onset, particularly for the largest events.

Cell stress: Many diseases and disorders result from the combination of our past experiences of stress and trauma. Lateonset health conditions, unfortunately, appear many times seemingly out of the blue, and too late to stop before they get out of hand. Our cells, however, hold memories of our past experiences, which can potentially be

used to predict and influence the way we react to future physiological stressors. A team of researchers at UCSB, led by senior author and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology assistant professor Max Wilson, recently found a way to map out our histories of cellular stress, known as a “cellular stress memory landscape,” in order to explore how stress-induced diseases occur. When our bodies encounter stressors like pathogens, toxins or experiences of trauma, something called the integrated stress response (ISR) is initiated. The ISR is a signaling pathway our cells use to adapt to negative conditions.

The stress memory landscape is a central part of the ISR mechanism and holds key information regarding our bodies’ ability to protect themselves and regenerate.

The researchers in this study developed a way to induce ISR using simulated stress, by shining light on certain lightresponsive proteins within the system.

This allowed them to observe the direct effects of stress without any permanent damage or cascading effects potentially affecting the body’s response.

They also created a model to see whether future stress responses depend on past responses. The results of this study, including that cellular stress memory is a combination of past stress and recovery time, may have significant implications for the future of disease prevention.

If ISR pathways can be manipulated in this way, as well as potentially cellular stress memory landscapes, this could one day allow the ability to identify early on, and possibly even prevent, stress-induced diseases and conditions, including those relating to the malfunctioning of stress responses.

The Nexus’s Campus Point column covers the discoveries, collaborations and publications from the scientific community at UC Santa Barbara.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Seven of 57 [tested] supplements contained at least one compound prohibited by the FDA

SCIENCE & TECH

Q&A with SB Channelkeeper’s Laura Sanchez: August is National Water Quality Month!

Santa Barbara’s beaches have historically ranked highly in terms of cleanliness and water quality. The organization Heal the Bay does annual beach assessments throughout the state of California and has once again this year scored local beaches favorably:

100% of beaches in Santa Barbara County received an A for “Summer Dry Grades” and 100% received As and Bs for “Winter Dry Grades,” with lower grades for the wet season, characteristic of Santa Barbara County.

Emma Holm-Olsen Science Editor

National Water Quality

Month was first started in 2005 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to bring awareness to the issue of water pollution, encourage appreciation of the water we do have and inspire people to take action to protect the sources of such water. While only 18 years old, the month has ties to the 1972 Clean Water Act and the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act. To celebrate and inform ourselves, the Nexus spoke with Communications Director Laura Sanchez of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, an organization devoted to protecting our water resources.

Why is protecting water quality important, both globally and locally?

Water is essential to all life on Earth. However, as populations grow and natural environments degrade worldwide, it’s becoming more challenging to ensure that people have safe and sufficient water supplies. Protecting water quality in the Santa Barbara Channel and its watersheds is essential to advance the health and sustainability of communities along the South Coast, aquatic habitats, the channel’s remarkable biodiversity and our local economy.

What kinds of work does SB Channelkeeper do?

How is SB Channelkeeper celebrating National Water Quality Month?

Channelkeeper’s vision is for clean beaches, healthy, flowing streams and a teeming, resilient ocean that support a thriving economy, offer healthy habitat for fish and wildlife and provide clean water and safe places for recreation for all people and for future generations.

Channelkeeper monitors water quality in the Santa Barbara Channel and surrounding watersheds, educates the community about the importance of keeping our water clean, advocates for protective environmental policies, investigates pollution reports and enforces environmental laws.

In honor of National Water Quality Month, throughout the month of August, we are working to inspire conversations around actions that our community can take to ensure that we all have access to safe, clean water for generations to come.

We’ll be sharing information on our social media and providing opportunities for community members to help keep our waterways clean.

How can students and other local community members get involved with organizations like Channelkeeper?

Join Channelkeeper’s Watershed Brigade, a community of volunteers dedicated to keeping our local watersheds and beaches clean.

Watershed Brigade volunteers meet for monthly cleanups to remove trash from local trails, creeks, rivers, urban areas and beaches in an effort to help reduce pollution at its source. We regularly host beach and community cleanups in Isla Vista! The next cleanup is on Sept. 23, Coastal Cleanup Day, at West Beach in downtown Santa Barbara. Find more information and sign up on their website: sbck.org

Community members can also become “Marine Project Area Watch” volunteers and help Channelkeeper monitor human activity in and around our coastal marine protected areas.

In the meantime, how can individuals help protect our water in their day to day lives?

Each of us can take action to keep local waters clean by helping keep trash out of the environment. Report possible sources of pollution and volunteer with Channelkeeper’s Watershed Brigade to remove trash from beaches, creeks, rivers and urban areas.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To read the full article, visit dailynexus.com

How to get involved:

If the issues discussed above are of interest to you, there are many additional organizations that monitor and actively work to improve water quality:

Heal The Ocean aims to improve local wastewater infrastructure

• Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation works to protect all aspects of the coastal ecosystems and communities.

If you are looking for opportunities closer to home:

• IV Surfrider Foundation regularly completes water quality reports at major surf sites.

• UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board organizes cleanups, workshops and field trips throughout the school year.

Channelkeeper Education and Outreach Director Penny Owens collects plantkon samples for analysis as part of our effort to monitor hazardous algal blooms in the Santa Barbara Channel. Courtesy of SB Channelkeeper.

SIMONE MANSELL / DAILY NEXUS

SIMONE MANSELL / DAILY NEXUS

ARTSWEEK

Chances are, as an incoming freshman, you know exactly what UC Santa Barbara is notorious for: being a party school. It may be the very reason you chose to attend. Infamous for the tales of frat parties and the iconic Deltopia weekend, Isla Vista has built up a reputation for its … lively atmosphere. Yet an often overlooked aspect of our boisterous student culture is the I.V. music scene. With dozens of student-created bands, concerts and events dedicated to music, Santa Barbara is a music hub of its own. So to all incoming students, here is Artsweek’s official guide to the I.V. music scene.

Our campus is full of talented musicians, with many being members of the UCSB Department of Music. The department puts on multiple events throughout the year, featuring a variety of genres from jazz to gospel and performances by students pursuing degrees. Even if you are not studying music, UCSB offers multiple ensembles and classes open to non-majors. A perk of being a student at UCSB is the multiple concerts put on by the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB), the most popular being our version of Coachella, Extravaganza. The spring quarter festival is open to Gauchos only, and is known for its star-studded setlists and high energy performances. And we don’t use the term “starstudded” lightly. Music industry legends such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Stevie Nicks have all performed on the Harder Stadium stage.

ASPB also hosts smaller shows throughout the year. Storke Shows are free and located at Storke Plaza. Its central location provides a live soundtrack as you walk around campus (if you stop and watch, you may get a free Yerba Mate). These shows showcase local

musicians and up-and-coming artists. Even indie-pop artist Clairo took the Storke Plaza stage back in 2018. Who knows, you might hear the music of the next big thing in between classes. Hub Shows, which are also year round and located in the University Center Hub, provide a more intimate setting. Don’t be fooled by its odd location next to the Panda Express, the UCen Hub has been the host of many electric events. Battle of the Bands and Battle of the DJs takes place in the UCen, where local musicians and DJs can compete for prized performance opportunities.

While only taking three courses that first quarter of freshman year, being in a band or just jamming with other students gives you a place to be on the quiet weekday nights that might otherwise be spent in the library or in a dorm room.

We’ve interviewed quite a few I.V. bands and the age old question always comes up. How did you guys form?

Dead Set’s original bassist, Joel Jaffe, was in a house yard with a couple friends. Trickling over from the house next door was a former I.V. band, Happy Medium,

practicing. Jaffe hopped the fence and asked to play bass. He went on to play the bass for multiple I.V. bands.

By sheer coincidence, or maybe a twist of fate, Stiles White and Nolan Guss of Big Hungry found themselves on the Isla Vista walking tour together during 2022 summer orientation. Guss heard White tell his mom he wanted to start a band and from there the two exchanged contact info. Upon arriving at school, word of mouth spread, and they collected a second guitarist, bassist and drummer.

The lead singer of nowgraduated band Lot 22 had an interesting start as well. Ema Nastic heard the band practicing atop Lot 22 (the parking structure located on campus across from the Student Resource Building) her freshman year, climbed up the stairs and sat and listened. They asked if she could sing. Of course, as all of these stories go, she could. She sang a few covers, solidifying her spot in the band and was told to come to practice the following day. Are you catching on to the theme here? You really just have to put yourself out there.

So now that you’ve started a

band, you need a space to practice and places to perform.

Lot 22 was formerly a popular spot for local bands to practice. However, in May 2023, the university barred groups from using the parking structure as a rehearsal space, citing the unofficial usage of the garage as disruptive. This was met with much pushback and confusion from the music community.

Following the practice ban, local bands have begun working together to respond to UCSB administration. Over the summer, I.V. rock band Nos Algos posted via Instagram stories that they will be “forming a coalition to fight back against administrative oppression and find [and] create new practice spaces.” If you are interested in starting a band and are looking for a place to rehearse, message @nosalgos on Instagram for more information.

Social media serves as a powerful networking and promoting tool in the band scene. While most bands have their own social media accounts, Sounds of Isla Vista (@ soundsofiv) is a popular resource for band shows’ performances. The Instagram page, which was created by UCSB alumna Alysa

Greenwale in 2021, posts graphics detailing the location and time of band performances for the upcoming weekend. With the account now having over 6,000 followers, it is the best way to promote concerts and ensure a crowd.

If you want to jump right into the band scene but don’t know exactly where to start (Sounds of I.V. can be overwhelming at times), here are the bands featured in our 2022-23 Best Of edition, which can be found in our archives on the Daily Nexus website.

Spoontime, a pop rock band, and Mindfunk, a funk and soul band, were awarded Best of Bands (students’ choice). Find more about the bands and show announcements anwd highlights at @spoontime_band and @ mindfunkiv on Instagram.

And here are our opinions, even if you don’t want them. Growing up listening to Grateful Dead music, Stella felt at home at her first (and favorite) band show - Dead Set. Dead Set attracts “deadheads” from across Isla Vista with their uniquely Americana sound. As an indie music fanatic, Lauren was immediately drawn to The Framers, an indie rock group that plays both originals and covers. Despite their different tastes in music, Stella and Lauren found common ground over Nos Algos and Big Hungry, sometimes even running into each other outside the newspaper at their shows. Nos Algos is a group not to be missed, especially with their eccentric social media presence and colorful stage appearance. Big Hungry plays a variety of rock covers and originals. They started as an all-freshman band in the 2022-23 year and are already working on an album. Find all of these unique bands on Instagram at @deadsetlive @theframers_sb @nosalgos and @bighungryband.

For more information and content regarding music, art and overall pop culture at UCSB, follow @dailynexusartsweek on Instagram. Rock on!

Stella Mullin Asst. Artsweek Editor

Lauren Chiou Asst. Artsweek Editor

CHRISTY YU / DAILY NEXUS

THE DAILY STENCH

It’s Satire, Stupid.

Freshman’s first day of school do’s and don’ts

Brace for impact! Upperclassmen fortify campus as freshmen arrive

As the end of summer rapidly approaches and the threat of being ostracized by your newfound peers looms ahead, it becomes increasingly important to craft your new College Persona. Will you be spending your Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and maybe even Sundays macking on tens on the beach? Or will you spend most of your time hiding out on the eighth floor of the library, hoping that people can’t hear you listening to Ed Sheeran blasting through your Airpods?

Whoever you choose to be, it’s imperative that you don’t make certain unforgivable mistakes on your first day of college. You may be thinking, “I’m spending like four years here, how can a silly mistake on one day dictate who I am for the rest of my time at UC Santa Barbara?” You are stupid for thinking that. Stop being so naive. To help you, we at Stench have carefully curated a divine list of Do’s and Don’ts for you to worship as a neoreligion. Print this out, laminate it and carry it around at all times for easy perusal.

1. DO bring your social security card. (YOU WILL NEED THIS!!!)

These days, many forsake bringing around their good ol’ SSC for “safety reasons.” UGH! What are you, a pussy? People love it when you whip out your social security card in the middle of a conversation and show it to them while boasting,

“I remembered all the numbers and I can prove it. Test me.” Then, you dramatically cover your eyes with your hand and start reciting it aloud. They’ll be obsessed with you!

2. DON’T wear a cuter outfit than mine. You ever heard of Hot Ticket? I have them wrapped around my pinky fucking finger, bitch. If you even THINK about wearing a maxi skirt, some arm warmers or some cool ass tiny lil’ headphones, I will personally make sure you never get featured on their page. You better show up in a polo shirt and some khakis or else. I am not above violence.

3. DO roll a large metal water bottle down the steps of your lecture hall. Students and professors alike LOVE bowling. When they see you get into a pro-bowler’s stance and launch your water bottle down the linoleum steps of the lecture hall, they cannot help but cheer raucously. Your professor may even give you extra credit if you knock over the TA! STRIIIIKE!

4. DON’T pee your pants. It’s widely frowned upon to pee directly in your pants in public. It’s pretty difficult to make friends when just moments ago, they witnessed your golden shower killing some innocent hydrangeas on the campus green. You may not be able to leave campus and change your clothes, which may result in you walking around like a soggy yellow sponge all day.

And not in the cute way.

5. DO punch the biggest guy you see. College is like a prison. Therefore, prison rules hold. To establish dominance over your peers, clock the largest, burliest guy you see and sock him right in the kisser. Do this in the Arbor, preferably during peak time; people will be falling over themselves to serve you as their new leader. You’ll be top dog in no time!

6. DON’T use ChatGPT for sex tips. This is something I, personally, have definitely never tried. Not even once, I swear. Whatever you do, don’t turn to a still-learning AI that has never felt the sweet touch of a woman for sex advice. The positions you will be told to contort into will exceed human imagination and physical capability. It will mistake pain for intimacy; mechanical stimulation for pleasure. It laughs in the face of God. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.

We hope this list has been as informative as your pants are wet. If you disobey this list, we will know, and we will find you. And when we find you, you don’t want to know what happens. Good luck, my dear freshmen, and may the next four years reward you with trauma to last a lifetime.

Miss Informed has never asked an AI language model for advice in the bedroom, ever.

Hello???? Hello!?!?! If you are getting this signal, that means you are safe … for now. There is a safe haven around Storke Tower that you need to get to, preferably before we’ve finished building the parapets. Freshmeat will be here before you know it, and as the strong, wise and mature upperclassmen, we must be ready.

Every year we battle endlessly and watch as the best library floors are stolen before our very eyes, the Starbucks line gets too long to bear and, worst of all, freakmen swarm our awesome parties. This year, things are going to be different.

“Yeah, I was assigned to this lookout last year. Let me tell you — there is nothing scarier than hearing those freshie claws scratching against the walls all night. Sometimes, I still hear their voices echoing … begging to be let in … pretending to be upperclassmen,” Private Yu said before she started shaking from fear.

Our defenses this year are well thought out by our best engineering and English majors, and with the combined knowledge of science and “The Hunger Games,” we are sure to have created a system that no freshman will be able to beat.

It starts with the moats, which are filled to the brim

with slimy eels whose electric shock causes the body to hit the Nae Nae without being able to stop. Next, the Great Wall of Storke is lined with the brave people of the water polo and volleyball teams who are all equipped with 5000-pound flaming balls that they can easily throw at 100 miles per hour down at the oncoming crowds. Though it’s impossible to break through the wall, we didn’t stop there.

“I was inspired by those raptors in Fortnite, and obviously Jurassic Park,” fourth-year anthropology major Aura Derny said. “The dinosaurs behind the wall are designed to hunt only the freshmeat. We are still working out some kinks, but there’s no need to worry.”

We have no plans to feed the raptors in the weeks before the freshman arrive, so they are sure to be extra hungry. Once in the fortress, you’ll be pleased to know that we have access to the UCen Panda Express, and some people brought their pens that you can hit. If there are any upperclassmen out there, please report to Storke Tower with urgency. Those pesky incoming freaks will be here soon and if you aren’t within our fortress by the time they’re here, it will be too late. We will see you soon, and may Yang be with you.

Faith Talamantez has opps everywhere.

Miss Informed Ex-Freshman

Faith Talamantez Dino Trainer

FAITH TALAMANTEZ / DAILY NEXUS

FAITH TALAMANTEZ / DAILY NEXUS

ON THE MENU

Ranking UCSB’s most vegetarian-friendly dining halls

/ DAILY NEXUS

Pihu Jain Staff Writer

Santa Barbara is known for its sprawling coastline, delicious seafood and Mediterranean climate. As a vegetarian, I worried about the second feature, thinking that perhaps the dining halls at UCSB would have difficulty catering to my lifestyle and diet. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this was usually not the case. While I have had my fair share of run-ins with shark and other seafood delicacies on the menu, there have also been plenty of fairly delicious vegetarian options. However, not all the dining halls I ate at were consistently vegetarian friendly. With that in mind, I created a guide for the best dining options for vegetarians at UCSB. This is not an immutable ranking, as the menus continue to change and evolve at our school but is a pretty thorough one.

Here are, in my experience, the best dining halls for vegetarians:

1. De La Guerra Dining Commons, fondly called DLG DLG offers most of what

UCSB’s other dining halls offer, with a far more extensive breakfast menu that currently includes multigrain waffles and applesauce coffee cake. You can find many cuisines at DLG, from Asian and Pacific Islander dishes to more traditional Western or Hispanic flavors. The most striking feature of DLG is the ice cream bar, which cannot be found at any of the other dining halls. It has a variety of delicious scoopable ice cream flavors, with dispensable wafer and sugar cones. DLG also contains a taqueria section where you can assemble your own tacos with a mix of rice, salsas and different types of tortillas, though typically there isn’t a vegetarian protein option. Overall, this dining hall offers the most vegetarian options for each meal, with ample seating area to boot, which is why I would rank it first on my list for vegetarians.

2. Carillo Dining

Commons As a freshman in the San Rafael Residence Hall, Carillo was the closest and thus the dining hall most frequented by me and I can confidently say that they serve the best vegetarian dinner.

The Mongolian grill always features some combination of vegetarian rice or noodles with a variety of savory and sweet flavors, and visitors are always provided with the option of dousing their dish in chili oil or peanut sauce if they please. They also have an array of delicious meatless pasta, my favorite being the pesto penne pasta, which I always sprinkle heavily with parmesan cheese. My favorite meal at Carillo is lunch when the veggie burgers are served. With a variety of patties from lentil-based to black bean that you can top with vegetables, cheeses and dressings of your own choosing, lunch at Carillo is hard to beat. I also enjoy the variety that Carillo provides, with surprise dishes presented on occasion. My favorite surprise dish on the menu is likely the cream of tomato soup, which I was lucky enough to get one day with grilled cheese from the grill section. This dining hall might be my personal favorite, but it isn’t as vegetarian friendly as DLG.

3. Ortega Dining Commons takeout

Now I know Ortega is not a dining hall in the traditional sense, but the takeout options

provided can sometimes be a great option for vegetarians. I have had some poor experiences with certain items, such as the bean burrito and veggie burger, which came out a little soggier than I would’ve liked due to the foil wrapping trapping the heat. However, if you order pasta, curry and rice or salad from Ortega, you are likely to not be disappointed. In fact, Ortega has managed to exceed my expectations at times. I would say my favorite all time Ortega order would be between the strawberry fresca salad and cheese ravioli. In general, Ortega offers substantial snack options such as celery and carrot sticks with hummus and cookies. However, in the entrée department, Ortega is not so vegetarian friendly.

4. Portola Dining

Commons

While Portola is the largest dining hall at UCSB, its offcampus location can make it inaccessible for students situated in on-campus dorms. For that reason, I have only journeyed to Portola a few times and found myself disappointed by the lack of options. The interesting dishes, such as the sushi, that make Portola so well-loved among students

are obviously inaccessible to vegetarians. One of the times I went to Portola, I found myself unable to eat most of the dishes, save for some soft, boiled vegetables. While this can be filling, it isn’t the first option I or any vegetarian, in my opinion, would choose. I’m sure Portola has its better days and features more vegetarianfriendly meals, but overall I found them unappealing. Portola doesn’t offer anything vegetarian that one couldn’t find in another dining hall, and so I would rank it last on my list. However, if you do live in the San Catalina towers, stick around and you may be surprised.

Each dining hall does offer some vegetarian meals which you can modify yourself using the provided condiments. The beauty of having four dining options is that you never have to eat at the same dining hall consistently if you don’t want to. So, mix it up! I recommend checking the menu online each week for all the dining halls, picking out which vegetarian meals you prefer best and scheduling accordingly. No matter what you choose, you won’t be left hungry. Except if you have pizza …

A third-year’s guide to the best I.V. restaurants

As a proud resident of Isla Vista for the last two years, I’m happy to say that I have consumed meals from a substantial number of restaurants in the area. What’s a student to do when they’re confined to the bounds of the city and they only have the choice to consume Carrillo’s famed stir-fry with vegetables for the 10th time that week or to refresh their palate with a classic Isla Vista delicacy?

For those post-midterm moments when your local dining hall’s menu just won’t satiate your standards for a victory meal or snack, here are some of the most delectable Isla Vista restaurants (in no particular order).

Super Cuca’s My first time trying Cuca’s was mid-way through my second year. Aside from the initial astoundment I experienced when first biting into a Cuca’s burrito, my second thought was one of bewilderment: How have I not eaten here before? Cuca’s is close to my former homeland of San Rafael Residence Hall, and yet I hadn’t checked it out until winter quarter. With their cost-efficient, large portion sizes — which are perfect for leftovers — Cuca’s became an immediate favorite. My go-to

items are the Cuca’s breakfast burrito (available all-day) and the vegetarian nachos!

Kaiju When I think of Kaiju, I recall eating lunch with one of my friends after a torturous final last December. Somehow, their curry udon managed to cure me of the post-final blues. Rather than wondering if B was the right answer for question #33, I was instead focusing on each warm and flavorful bite, all while updating my friend on some life events that were transpiring. Kaiju also holds the top spot in my ranking for best boba in I.V., and what better to wash down a hearty bowl of udon with than a mango green tea (with lychee jelly, of course)?

CAJÉ If I were vocally narrating this list, now is the point where I’d most likely break out into unintelligible screams or compose a song to express my unwavering love for CAJÉ. Dare I say … they have the best coffee and bagels in Isla Vista. On an occasional Sunday morning, I’ll execute the brunch masterplan with a friend: “The Works” bagel sandwich on jalapeño cheddar, a hot mocha (with oat milk) in a ceramic coffee mug and some intellectually stimulating conversation.

Woodstock’s At this point in the list, we may be getting a bit controversial. Woodstock’s is definitely my favorite pizza joint in I.V., but half of my reasoning is sentimental, so feel free to take this one with a grain of salt. I normally grab a slice to go when I get back late from meetings or study sessions in the library. It’s quick, delicious, and as someone who prefers her pizza with extra crust, the foldover crust is ideal. Protip: I ask for marinara sauce and ranch — dip the crust in marinara sauce and the pizza in ranch. Woodstock’s holds the title of my “Freshman Year Comfort Food” — even in the pitfalls of my first year of college, I’d grab a slice, rewatch Gilmore Girls and tune out reality.

Dank Bowls

Picture this: it’s a crisp November evening. The air is fresh, and you’re wearing your favorite sweater. There are no meetings today and no midterm in the foreseeable future — not even a paper or homework assignment looming over your head. You know exactly what needs to be done. Time to concoct the elite order for a cold day like this: the “Buff Daddy” mac and cheese, tomato basil soup and some bread on the side. As you indulge in this feast

in the comfort of your own home, you imagine you’re Adam Driver in “Girls.” Good soup, indeed.

Spudnuts I’ve indoctrinated most of my friends and acquaintances into the art of eating Spudnuts. Never in my 19 years and 11.5 months of life has anything melted in my mouth the way a Spudnuts donut has — this may be due to their magical formula that includes potatoes. I applaud them for creating the ultimate donut, which I venture to say may even be on par with the renowned Stan’s Donuts.

My favorite item is the maple bar, and if you catch me ordering two of them — no, you didn’t.

There are many more scrumptious foods in Isla Vista, but since I had to keep my list brief, here are some honorable mentions: Zócalo, Freebirds, Lao Wang (specifically their tofu buns) and Hummus Republic.

Welcome to Isla Vista! I hope you enjoy these restaurants as much as I do, and here’s to many victory meals as you embark on your first year of university!

Amitha Bhat Opinion Editor

AUDREY KENYON / DAILY NEXUS