Volume 8, Issue 9

UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

Volume 8, Issue 9 | Jan. 15-21, 2014

@tblucsb / thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

GET JUICED

TRASHED

SELFIE GAME

Santa Barbara locals The Trashberries brought instrumental rock to IV Theater on Jan. 10.

Juice is not just for kids anymore. We checked out the newly-opened Juice Ranch in IV.

Last year was the “Year of the Selfie”—are we really that egotistical? Read one writer’s thoughts.

Features / 4

A&E / 5

Opinions / 8

ASSOCIATED STUDENTS Bike Committee Makes Getting Around on Two Wheels Easier

IV BEAT REPORT Proposed IV Parking Ordinance Set to Contribute to Infrastructure Projects

by Giuseppe Ricapito IV Beat Reporter

A UCSB student waits for the bike path to clear up in the new bike Y-intersection.

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer

by Steven Villamizar

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new Y-intersection has been added to the system of bike paths because of an effort by the Associated Students Bike Committee to bring all of campus within easier reach of bicycling Gauchos.

The new intersection linking the primary bike path (between Pardall Tunnel and Davidson Library) to the road adjacent to parking lot 29 and the AS Bike Shop can be found between the HSSB and Counseling and Career Services.

Vice Chair of the Bike Committee Mac Kennedy was enthusiastic about the process that led to the intersection becoming a reality.

“The funny thing about this project is how quickly it actually got done,” Kennedy said. “Me and our Bike Committee Program Coordinator Zac Armour decided to organize a bike-around-meeting with Marc Fisher, the Senior Associated Vice Chancellor. We charted out our proposed improvements for the year and tried to identify more problems with the campus biking experience.”

The HSSB location was decided based on the difficulty of getting to and from the building to the bike path, and because of the ease of fixing that problem.

“When we reached HSSB [we] stood looking at the spot where the intersection is now and we all just realized how simple and inexpensive it would be to connect the path to the service road,” Kennedy said. “Previous discussions within our committee had halted at proposing a roundabout and hav-

ing to go through the challenges of that; this was much more simple. A roundabout would have cost a few million dollars.

This cost a few thousand.”

Previously, merging onto the main bike path coming from the HSSB required balance, a cool head, and a trusty bike, as the often-slippery grassy knoll put many Gauchos’ biking skills to the test. Now the thrills of extreme sport amid chaotic traffic have been tamed, replaced instead by the steady beat of sensibly controlled traffic.

That is not to say that merging into and out of the main bike path won’t demand full attention. The flow of traffic at the intersection is controlled by four yield signs, meaning the biker is responsible for other fellow bikers reaching their destinations in time, and in one piece. Kennedy is optimistic about the success this intersection will have in the hands of Gauchos.

“The intersection will hopefully stop accidents and smoothen the flow of traffic,” Kennedy said. “Bikers should always yield to oncoming traffic in this instance. We have the yield signage on the pavement there, so hopefully people learn quickly, which we think they will.”

And, according to Kennedy, they have plenty to look forward to in the coming months.

“We currently have about 16 projects in the pipeline,” Kennedy said. “We’re very excited about the rest of this academic year, it’s now just a matter of executing these projects; this will require further negotiation with administration and using our funds as effectively as possible.”

The Isla Vista Recreation and Parks Board of Directors convened at their monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9, to review a new plan of internal improvements. Standing out among the evening’s business was a draft review of Ordinance No. 77-01, a new set of regulations governing parking policy for all Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District (IVRPD) property.

A motion to adopt the first draft passed with a unanimous vote.

After a second reading, which will take place at the next scheduled meeting on Feb. 13, the board can approve the ordinance and pursue measures to implement policy.

According to the ordinance, no one can park on IVRPD property “except in areas specifically designated and conspicuously marked as parking areas.” These “restricted parking areas” will be marked with signs denoting “2 Hour Parking” or “Permit Parking Only,” and will be “strictly enforced by ticketing or towing.”

Though the draft’s wording suggests an extensive regulation of Isla Vista parking due to there being over a dozen IVRPD parks and open spaces, the intention of the ordinance is, in fact, much more limited.

IVRPD General Manager Rodney Gould indicated that the board was considering “a specific amount of parking spots in two IVRPD lots.”

“Street parking is not IVRPD property and would not be affected by the ordinance,” he continued.

Perfect Park is currently closed to the public, but six of the 12 parking lot spots will fall under the ordinance if and when it goes into effect. Six spots at Estero Park will also be affected—two will have a two-hour time limit, two will require a permit (for purchase from the IVRPD office), and two will be offered to Isla Vista Teen Center staff at a discounted rate.

Gould acknowledged that the Estero spots were traditionally free, but also contended, “the current reality is there are rarely any spots available for park users or the Teen Center due to long term parking by local residents.”

Karen and Robert McLangston, IV residents, penned an opinion letter titled “Wal-Mart Next” to the Santa Barbara Independent, citing their objections to the proposed ordinance.

“The last thing Isla Vista needs is to pay for what is now free parking,” the short piece reads. “Parking permits lead to parking meters and to Walmart, etc… The ugly gentrification of Isla Vista must end now and permanently.”

The letter also noted that the California Coastal Commission (CCC) had historically blocked passage of “this type of proposal.” A representative from the CCC could not be reached for comment.

For now, the ordinance only calls for permits and time restrictions on parking. Permits would be provided on a first-come, firstserve basis, with stickers indicating a chosen a fee scale of Daily (15$), Weekly ($40), and Monthly (100$).

“Monthly will be the longest term available in IVRPD lots so the District has the flexibility of modifying or discontinuing the program if there are unforeseen impacts,” said Gould.

All branches of local police, including the IV Foot Patrol, California Highway Patrol, Campus Police, and the Santa Barbara Sher-

See PARKING | Page 2

Amid Political Tension in Russia, Napolitano Will Lead Olympic Delegation AS BEAT REPORT AS Senate Approves UCSA spectators are safe.”

by Evelin Lopez The various acts of terrorism prompted the U.S. State DeStaff Writer Budget at First Meeting partment to issue a travel advisory on Friday, cautioning Amerin less than a month, University of California President Ja- cans who plan to attend the Games next month. The advisory is of 2014 net Napolitano will be leading the United States Olympic based solely on “short-term conditions” which the government

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delegation to Sochi, Russia, under demanding conditions.

Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security will guide the delegation through a delicate state in Russia due to the recent terrorist attacks and anti-gay law that will be enforced at all times throughout the Games.

Russia is a country that has been familiar with terrorist organizations and their attacks for many years. One in particular, the Caucasus Emirate, a group associated with Al-Qaeda, has committed various acts of violence, leaving several dead. The Caucasus Emirate leader, Doku Umarov, has threatened to attack the Olympic Games next month and the civilians who will be attending.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made security stricter after the bombing occurred, but it is still unsure as to whether civilians will be safe outside of the venue when they use various transportation networks. Recently, there were three terrorist attacks in Volgograd, Russia, 600 miles from the region where the Games will be held next month. One of the incidents occurred at a rail station and the other on a trolley bus. In total, 34 people died. This caused the reexamination of security protocols the athletes and citizens will face during the Winter Games.

“Once the athletes start going down the runs and doing the skating and the first women’s team member to be ski jumping, the attention will turn,” Napolitano said in an interview on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ “But in the meantime, yes, everybody will be conscious of security and making sure that athletes and

OLYMPIC TENSION

IN SOCHI

Between terrorist attacks and civil unrest, there is plenty going on in Sochi, Russia, before the Winter Olympic Games. Here is how it breaks down:

Three terroritst attacks in Volgograd, Russia

considers may “pose significant risks to the security U.S. citizens.” If the situation begins to look worse, the State Department will issue “travel warnings” which advise Americans to reevaluate their plans. Although President Barack Obama has placed two openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation, the advisory warns Americans about publicly advocating gay rights.

In 2013, Putin passed a law that denounces people who openly identify as queer and also bans giving children any information about homosexuality. The Russian bill that bans the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” was originally passed to conserve and promote traditional Russian values and to prevent Western liberalism from spreading. The bill is another risk many LGBT Americans have to consider while traveling abroad.

If an organization wants to have a political protest, they must obtain special permits from the authorities. Once the permit is obtained, the demonstrations cannot occur near the Olympic sites; they must take place in Khost, a village that is roughly seven miles from Sochi. Foreigners who are caught breaking the law can face fines of up to $3,100 and 14 days in jail.

“What we would like to do is demonstrate that the United States is a very free and open and tolerant society,” Napolitano said. “I’m going to represent my country, to support our team.

And you know what, partially to represent the University of California, which is the largest public research university in the world.”

U.S. State Dept. has issued a travel advisory

The attacks left 34 dead.

Law breakers face fines and jail time

Protests must be held seven miles from Sochi

Photo by Diane Ng | Staff Photographer

Corey Lau and Scott O’Halloran listens to presenters.

by Kelsey Knorp AS Beat Reporter Associated Students Senate approved the new University of California Student Association (UCSA) budget and received an important update on containment of the meningitis spread among University of California, Santa Barbara students at its first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

The UCSA budget dictates the specific allocation of approximately $140,000 in student fees presently allotted to the association. During Wednesday’s public forum, External Vice President of Statewide Affairs Alex Choate answered questions from the senators pertaining to the budget, which would be voted on later in the meeting. Collegiate Sen. Amir Khazaieli raised concerns about the budget’s lack of specificity.

“Oversight is going to be very hard on this budget because the line items are very vague,” Khazaieli. “They’re very vague in relation and proportion to the amount of money that’s being allocated.”

Other senators expressed concerns regarding the allocation of stipends to UCSA board members as well as the designated conference budget. During this question-and-answer session, Choate clarified that in order to have UCSA reconfigure the current allocations, one-third of the involved associations would need to

See SENATE | Page 2

The Bottom Line | Jan. 15 - 21

News UCSB Responds to ASA Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions

The American Studies Association (ASA) created a whirlwind of contention on Wednesday, Dec. 4, when it announced a formal boycott of Israeli academic institutions. Just before the New Year, on Monday, Dec. 30, recently elected University of California President Janet Napolitano released a statement repudiating the boycott stating that it “goes against the spirit of the University of California.”

Although the ASA consists of fewer than 5,000 members, Napolitano is not the first university president to respond to the ASA boycott, and it doesn’t appear as though she will be the last. Middlebury College, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, the University of Chicago, and New York University, along with a wealth of other universities and colleges, have denounced the ASA’s decision, and a number of others have cancelled their

institutional membership.

According to its website, the ASA is an academic association that is “devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history.”

Founded in 1951, the association sponsors about half a dozen publica-

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by Andrea Vallone Staff Writer

of illegal settlements and the Wall in violation of international law,” the resolution states.

With respect to academics, the association stated “there is no effective or substantive academic freedom for Palestinian students and scholars under conditions of Israeli occupation.”

The ASA observes Israeli academic institutions as part and parcel to a system that denies Palestinians their basic rights.

The solution is not black and white…boycott movements that perpetuate the same decade-long blame game do not belong at UCSB.

— Ned Tannenbaum, third-year economics major

tions and membership is open to both institutions and individuals.

The ASA released its resolution on the academic boycott of Israel with justifications primarily concerned with viewing the United States as a facilitator in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

“The United States plays a significant role in enabling the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the expansion

The ASA arrived at this resolution after roughly seven years of discussion and debate in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza in 2006.

Last year the Executive Committee of the ASA was asked to consider the call from Palestinian civil society to support the academic boycott of Israel. The Council proceeded to ask ASA members to endorse the resolution by a vote, and the results were

unanimously in favor of the academic boycott.

First-year biology major Karen Kaur Sidhu voiced her support of the ASA’s boycott.

“The impact of Israeli propaganda hurts Palestinian students, and it is our duty as American scholars to stop injustice,” Sidhu said. Campus group Students for Justice in Palestine was unavailable for comment about the boycott as of press time.

Third-year political science and religious studies double major Kevin Rudolph disagrees with the boycott.

“The ASA boycott neglects to realize that Israeli academics lead the way for peaceful solutions,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph is an active member of the UC Santa Barbara Jewish community and, during his time as an Associated Students senator, dealt with “A Resolution To Divest From Companies that Profit From Apartheid,” which proposed the campus’ divestment from Israeli companies last spring.

“I would say that boycotting is a negative option…invest in the Palestinians, don’t divest from Israel,” Rudolph said.

Referencing his anti-divestment campaign last spring, Rudolph said

that he saw it as “putting students against each other in the most hostile manner I have ever witnessed.”

Third-year economics major Ned Tannenbaum, also an avid member of the Jewish community on campus, said that despite the ASA’s mission to further discussion in the American academic community, this boycott effectively increases polarity between the two communities and “stagnates discussion.”

“The solution is not black and white…boycott movements that perpetuate the same decade-long blame game do not belong at UCSB,” said Tannenbaum In response to the boycott, UCSB’s Chancellor Henry Yang stated that the UCSB community is “committed to maintaining a free and open academic environment,” and that as a member of the Association of American Universities, he strongly opposes the boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

“I join with President Napolitano, our AAU colleagues, and other academic leaders around the world in strongly supporting academic freedom and opposing academic boycotts,” said Yang.

Associate Dean of Student Life and Activities Katya Armistead gave an update on containment of the recent meningitis B outbreak that has afflicted several UCSB students. She reported that there have been no new cases since the fourth was discovered in November, and that after a series of evaluations, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has decided to submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration that will expedite school-wide access to the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine Bexsero, currently licensed for use in Europe, Australia, and Canada.

The vaccine was approved for use at Princeton University to control the spread of the same strain of meningitis there. It has not yet been decided what proportion of the UCSB student body will qualify as recipients of the vaccine. Armistead

warns students to remain cautious despite the absence of new cases, as such outbreaks are known to persist for several months after their initial appearance.

“We continue to urge students and the campus community to be alert for symptoms of the disease and mindful of healthy habits that can help limit its spread,” Armistead said.

Other presentations that evening included police chief Dustin Olson, Chancellor Henryw Yang’s executive assistant Diane O’Brien, and Associated Students Publications Coordinator Andrew Doerr.

Additionally, Senate passed a handful of new bills and resolutions in support of endeavors such as the establishment of an Isla Vista community center and the development of the Student-Initiated Democratic Education program.

iffs Department, have the authority to enforce the ordinance. The board is considering submitting the license plate numbers of permitted parkers to the IV Foot Patrol to ensure the safety of vehicles and the efficacy of the program.

A first violation of the parking ordinance will carry with it a $37.50 fine, the same as a standard parking ticket in Isla Vista. The text of the ordinance notes, “repeat offenders, cars blocking right-of-ways, or violations that pose a safety hazard” will be subject to towing “at the owners expense.”

The revenue created from the permits will contribute to upcoming Isla Vista infrastructure projects.

“The bottom line is the IVRPD infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate to a really serious condi-

tion over the years and there are no funds to make needed repairs,” said Gould. “We are trying to be creative in both cost cutting measures in virtually every aspect of the operations and to generate funds from existing resources to enhance and maintain the parks and their facilities for the community. The parking program is a very small component of this overall effort.”

Though Gould acknowledged, “the amount raised will not come close to meeting the need”; 20 percent of the money “will go into a fund to build a new skate park in IV.” The Anisq’Oyo Park bathrooms, set for demolition in the coming weeks, will also be renovated by funds partially generated from the parking program.

–SENATE

Executive Managing Editor | Cheyenne Johnson Executive Content Editor | Parisa Mirzadegan Copy Editor | Camila Martinez-Granata News Editor | Lily Cain Features Editor | Katana Dumont Opinions Editor | Anjali Shastry Arts & Entertainment Editor | Deanna Kim Science & Technology Editor | Matt Mersel Photography Editor | Magali Gauthier Senior Layout Editor | Haley Paul Senior Layout Editor | Robert Wojtkiewicz Layout Editor | Beth Askins Layout Editor | Morey Spellman Multimedia Editor | Brenda Ramirez National Beat Reporter | Allyson Werner Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Giuseppe Ricapito Associated Students Beat Reporter | Kelsey Knorp Promotion and Distribution Director | Jordan Wolff Advertising Director | Marissa Perez Staff Adviser | Monica Lopez Writers this issue: Guiseppe Ricapito, Kelsey Knorp, Madison Donahue-Wolfe, Steven Villamizar, Evelin Lopez, Andrea Vallone, Allyson Werner, Ivy Kuo, Dasha Sadovnikova, Anjali Shastry, Cindy Chan, Devin Martens-Olzman, Pragya Parmita, Chloe Babauta, Coleman Gray, Sam Goldman Photographers this issue: Lorenzo Basilio, Magali Gauthier, Deanna Kim, John Clow, Diane Ng, Kat Mozolyuk, Mark Brocher, Ivy Kuo Illustrators this issue: Hector Lizarraga, Amanda Excell The Bottom Line is sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff, AS, or UCSB. Published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (genprogress.org). All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to bottomlineucsb@gmail.com or content.tbl@gmail.com.

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

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...the current reality is there are rarely any spots available for park users or the Teen Center due to long term parking by local residents.

— IVRPD General Manager Rodney Gould

NATIONAL BEAT REPORT

Former Israeli Prime Minister Dies, US and Palestine Continue Diplomatic Efforts

by Allyson Werner NATIONAL BEAT REPORTER

a centrist movement called Kadima, which focused on further withdrawal of Israeli troops from disputed territoPalestinian President Mahmoud ries and the formation of a Palestinian Abbas announced on Saturday, Jan. state.

11, that the Palestinian people would In addition to supporting the withnot back down from their goal to esdrawal of Israeli troops from disputed tablish a capital in east Jerusalem. territories, Sharon also completed Secretary of State John Kerry has part of a 450-mile barrier along and been working diligently to forge a through parts of the West Bank. Shadeal between Abbas and Israeli Prime ron had long opposed the construcMinister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pretion of the security or separation wall, sumably, the peace deal would dictate as the barrier is often referred to. the future of Jerusalem; however, NeSharon’s change-of-heart went betanyahu has previously rejected this yond military tactics. Sharon had long demand. been against any form of diplomacy Netanyahu condemned the Palwith the Palestinians, arguing that estinian National AuPalestinian political auThis is not mission impossible...The time is soon ar- thorities were neither thority and Kerry, indirectly, on Thursday, Jan. riving where leaders are going to have to make difficult capable of nor willing 2, for their diplomatic decisions. We are close to that time, if not at it. to compromise. Howefforts. ever, after Palestinian — Secretary of State John Kerry leader Yasir Arafat died “There’s growing doubt in Israel that the in 2004, Sharon built Palestinians are committed to peace,” cal center announced that heart fail- a relatively cordial relationship with said Netanyahu. ure was the immediate cause of death; Abbas.

The Prime Minister’s anger was however, Sharon’s organs had been After Sharon was incapacitated in largely due to a series of attacks that deteriorating for several days.

January of 2006, the new Kadima parhave plagued Israel the last few weeks.

For most of his career, Sharon ty still won the majority of the votes.

Israeli officials said that one of the championed harsh Zionist and ex- It was not until 2009 that the Likud bomb-makers behind a foiled attack pansionist policies, pushing for Israeli party regained political power under on an Israeli bus in Tel Aviv was a Pal- settlements in occupied lands, pri- Netanyahu. estinian police cadet in Bethlehem. marily the Gaza Strip and the West Sharon’s political inconsistencies Secretary of State John Kerry de- Bank. As a result, Sharon developed a reflect the current political dilemfended diplomacy. reputation for his harsh treatment of mas facing Israelis. While some more “This is not mission impossible,” Palestinians over whom Israel ruled. moderate Israelis support peace negosaid Kerry. “The time is soon arrivHowever, in 2005, Sharon shocked tiations, other more militant Israelis, ing where leaders are going to have to the world when he withdrew Israeli including Netanyahu, support more make difficult decisions. We are close troops from the Gaza Strip, aban- extreme militant policies toward their to that time, if not at it.” doned his Likud party, and formed Palestinian neighbors.

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This harsh rhetoric from both parties as well as the death of Ariel Sharon, former Israeli political leader and military commander, sheds light on the rocky road toward diplomacy.

Sharon died on Jan. 11 after spending eight years in a state of minimal consciousness in Sheba Medical Center just outside of Tel Aviv, the nation’s financial center. Visitation had been restricted to Sharon’s sterile suite due to a fear of infection. Nevertheless, Gilad Sharon, one of Ariel Sharon’s two surviving sons, told reporters that his father “went when he decided to go.”

Professor Shlomo Nov of the medi-

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TBL 2013-2014 Staff

–PARKING

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Photo by Diane Ng | Staff Photographer

Beatrice Contreras asks the UCPD questions about this year’s upcoming events.

Continued from page 1

vote against it. The total fees being allocated, however, would remain the same either way.

On-Campus Sen. Kimia Hashemian felt that the Senate should pass the budget, noting that the fees would be spent regardless of the vote’s outcome.

“The $140,000 is already going to be spent, no matter what,” Hashemian said. “This is just a formality to get our approval for it. If we choose not to pass it, it means we’re choosing to allow them to do whatever with our $140,000.”

Collegiate Sen. Ali Guthy spoke on behalf of an ad hoc committee that she hopes will be able to compose a referendum that would alter the amount of student fees allocated to UCSA next year. She then put forth a motion to approve the current budget, which passed with a 15-3-2 vote.

The Bottom Line | Jan. 15 - 21

Features

UCSB’s Little-Known Spirit Squad

by Dasha Sadovnikova

The cheerleaders separate into four evenly spaced clusters, each composed of four girls facing inward and surrounding a fifth, who is hidden from view. That is until, perfectly timed to create a ripple effect across the gym floor beginning with the leftmost cluster, each center girl is propelled into the air, where she performs a backwards rotation and then safely lands in the arms of her respective group of four.

Watching this impressive feat executed by the University of California, Santa Barbara Cheerleading team on a YouTube video of their 2013 King of the Bleachers competition routine, for which they were awarded the Grand Champions title, I was rather ignorantly reminded of the graceful synchronization of dolphins; a glossary of cheerleading terms just a Google search away told me that these were actually a series of back tuck basket tosses. Though a highly demanding

Photo by Kat Mozolyuk | The Bottom Line

Fourth-year Ashlyn Kokes, during TBL interview.

stunt, the back tuck basket toss was just one of many moves of its caliber incorporated into the performance. I mean, our cheer team is good— undefeated in the year 2013. So why don’t most UCSB students even know that it exists?

Fourth-year Ashlyn Kokes might be able to shed some light on this. Going on her fourth year as a UCSB cheerleader, Kokes is one of the two most senior members on the team. As I took the seat across from her at our table by the Arbor, her dedication to her sport became immediately apparent; along with her UCSB Cheerleading sweatshirt, she sported a golden bow on her blue UCSB Cheerleading backpack.

“For identification,” she told me, because all the cheerleaders have the same kind of backpack.

The distinctively cheer-related golden marker appeared to me an emblem of pride as well.

A relatively new athletic organization, the UCSB Cheer team has been around for less than 10 years and is entirely self-sufficient. The two captains, currently juniors Kana Horie and Clarissa Contreras, are voted into their positions each year. They provide internal leadership, bearing all the usual responsibilities of a coach, such as training, scheduling, and tryouts. While the team does hire a choreographer to orchestrate the routines, this is paid for out of its members’ own pockets—as are the rest of their expenses, including their elaborate uniforms and transportation to the competitions, which can be as far away as Nationals in Las Vegas.

To make ends meet, the team hosts numerous bake sales—look out for one sometime this quarter in front of the Student Resource Building—and profits from selling tank tops. Still, so far, they have received little funding from the school athletic department.

“I’ve spent thousands of dollars on cheer at UCSB over the years,” Kokes admitted.

Money, however, is far from the only resource that these girls invest in their sport. Cheerleading, like any athletic activity, requires copious

Photo by Magali Gauthier | Photo Editor

Gaucho cheerleaders perform during a basketball game last year in the Thunderdome. amounts of time and energy, which is why the team holds tri-weekly practices during the winter quarter to prepare for basketball games on Thursdays and Saturdays, as well as the three or four competitions they participate in per quarter.

For practice, they book the gymnastics space at the Rob Gym, which includes a spring floor that was recently renovated—a big improvement, according to Ashlyn, since the previously shoddy floor had caused serious injuries to cheerleaders in the past.

Risk of bodily harm is another sacrifice that the girls make for their team; one member, Arriana Rabago, broke her wrist during a competition performance but completed the routine nonetheless. Kokes herself suffers from chronic wrist problems, and once competed with a thoroughly wrapped and braced hyperextended knee, which in non-competition hours had mandated the use of crutches and extensive physical therapy.

Magic Lantern Hosts Local Duo,

And yet, participating in UCSB Cheer has been more than worth the pain and cost for Kokes, who spoke for all of her team members when she told me how rewarding belonging to a group of equally dedicated and passionate athletes can be, despite the marginalization of their team in the hierarchy of school sports. Fortunately, they have been steadily moving toward the UCSB athletic mainstream—recently, the school rewarded them with Nike Pros, and they hope there is more recognition to come.

For those of you who were pleasantly surprised to learn that UCSB has a cheer squad and are interested in joining, tryouts are held every Memorial Day weekend in May. Otherwise, keep an eye out for their upcoming halftime performance at the men’s home basketball game versus Cal State Northridge on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.

Prepare to be amazed—despite their low profile, these girls mean business.

The Trashberries

by Ivy Kuo

Heavy guitar riffs, intricate drumming, and clashing cymbals reverberated throughout IV Theater on Jan. 10, 2014, as The Trashberries played to an intimate group of students and locals.

The event was hosted by Magic Lantern and Cool Summer Records, and started off with Dub Thompson, the impressionist rock band from Agoura Hills, opening for a crowd that gathered in front of the stage.

They played their “punky,” ear-splittingly loud tunes for half an hour, which was the perfect welcome for an equally raucous main show.

The Trashberries duo, both Santa Barbara locals, opened up with their original, “Rebecca,” which, like the rest of their songs, was solely composed of thunderous, hectic drumwork and frenzied guitar riffs.

“Neither of us wants to sing,” said guitarist, Chad Arnett. “So we just decided to not have vocals and make up for it with a lot of reverb, drum hits, and cymbals.”

Despite the lack of vocals, The Trashberries pumped up the crowd with cacophonous, thrashing melodies and skillful rhythms. They completed their set with their original

song, “Gueuze Partyy,” named after the duo’s favorite Belgian beer.

When asked what genres their music falls under, the duo could only describe it as “yé-yé violence— surf-y, but aggressive.”

“We have a song called ‘Blood and Puke and Shit (How Can I Dance to This),’” said Arnett. “I think that describes us pretty well.

We’re not kidding, by the way.”

“Our music is like really cute but really awful at the same time,” added drummer, Paul Rey. Arnett and Rey first met as employees of Telegraph Brewing, a brewery in Santa Barbara, and formed the band, Hesse, with two other musicians. When their bandmates moved away, Arnett and Rey continued practicing together after work; and thus, The Trashberries was born. The duo performed their first show over a year ago in December of 2012.

The Trashberries’ music is largely influenced by their favorite artists: Damn Laser Vampires, The Mummies, Trash Kit, and Ghost Ease.

The duo is constantly drawing inspiration from different aspects of each band’s work, including the passion and enthusiasm evident in their music.

“These bands, whatever direction or focus they’re into, they’re passionate and really into it,” said Rey. Arnett and Rey’s loud, zealous performances can be partially attributed to the fact that they’ve both grown up in Santa Barbara.

“There’s a lot of frustration in our music that has to do with our surrounding cultural environment in Santa Barbara,” said Rey. “The culture here feels lacking sometimes,” added Arnett.

The Trashberries have already accomplished much in the music industry, having collaborated with Brian Burge, a sound and tech engineer, as well as Cool Summer Records. They’ve even met Jonathan Rado of Foxygen, a well-known indie rock band. The duo said the most exciting thing that’s happened so far was when their favorite band, Damn Laser Vampires, liked and commented on one of their songs on SoundCloud. When asked about their future aspirations, The Trashberries responded optimistically.

“We want to play with cool bands and drink as much Gueuze as possible,” said Arnett.

“We like what we do,” said Rey. “It’s been fun.”

Photos by Lorenzo Basilio| Staff Photographer

Drummer Paul Rey and guitarist Chad Arnett combined frenzied guitar riffs and intricate drumming at IV Theater on Jan. 10.

Left to right: Jonathan Rado, Evan Laffer, Matt Pulos, and Andrew Nisenberg keep the crowd entertained as they opened for The Trashberries.

Meet Lois Capps Anjali Shastry Opinions Editor Lois Capps can be described in many ways: caring, kind, determined, and smart as a whip.

But don’t call her nice. Though deemed the “nicest woman in Washington” by the Washingtonian in 2006, she maintains that isn’t her legacy.

“I don’t hold it up on a pedestal,” she insists.

“It makes me uncomfortable!”

Capps never meant to get into politics. For most of her adult life, she was a school nurse, but she took over her husband’s spot in 1998 after his untimely death. Former University of California, Santa Barbara religious studies professor Walter Capps was in the middle of his first term in the House of Representatives when he died; a special election was held and Lois Capps won it.

“I have to acknowledge that it was a little bit by accident,” she says, laughing. “I just felt that was the honest thing to do for people, and also for myself. I didn’t make any promises. I thought, I’ve had a career. I know how to be a nurse. But I also had this feeling that a nurse could bring a lot of skills to Congress. I had to test that out, but I actually found that it can have some value.”

As a nurse by profession, it’s funny to think that she may be just what the doctor ordered: a medical professional coming in to heal our gov-

ernment. Fittingly, she considers “Obamacare” to be a part of her rubber stamp on Congress. The Affordable Care Act has been an incredibly controversial health care reform bill, spawning many debates and inspiring many late night television sketches, but Capps is not worried about the backlash and thinks people will come around.

She understands the initial response to it, saying, “It takes a long time to pass major reform.

That happened with Social Security, and in the last part of the century, it happened with Medicare, and now it is happening with the Affordable Care Act. And in each of those instances, it’s not a piece of cake. It’s a major overhaul.”

But now, Social Security and Medicare are just a part of life, and she believes the ACA will soon be accepted the same way. In her eyes, it’s already begun.

“We passed the law, but it was designed to be implemented by states–in other words, not a national Affordable Care Act, but a national law that would be regulated and implemented by states,” she says. “In fact, I’m very proud of California–they really took it and made it their own, and we are one of the handful of states–maybe a dozen–that took that mandate and said it’s now called Covered California, it’s not really the Affordable Care Act. Some would say it’s too early to tell if it’s going to work...

Read the full story at http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/

3

Photography

The Bottom Line | Jan. 15 - 21

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer (Above) Physical Sciences North on a warm winter day. (Below) Students speeding past the new bike triangle.

(Right) Fourth-year East Asian Studies major Ren Tan reads a book in Davidson Library.

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer

Photo by Mark Brocher | Staff Photographer

(Above) The Davidson Library undergoing construction.

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer

Back to School Kicking off winter quarter in flip flops and shorts, Gauchos have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and sunshine this January. New additions to the campus, like the bike intersection by the HSSB and the ongoing Davidson Library construction, greeted students returning from a fall quarter abroad.

Photo by Kat Mozolyuk | Staff Photographer

(Left) UCSB seniors Shane Stringfellow and Xanth El-Sayed talk about their winter break and weekend plans.

Photo by Mark Brocher | Staff Photographer First-year biopsychology major Jessica Marroquin searches for a textbook in the UCSB Bookstore.

4

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer

Photo by Mark Brocher | Staff Photographer First-year psychology major Stephanie Phi studies at Davidson Library.

Arts & Entertainment

The Bottom Line Line | Nov. 27 - 15 Dec. 3 The Bottom | Jan. - 21

Makes Isla Vista its Home

by Dasha Sadovnikova Photos by Mark Brocher | Staff Photographer If you venture into Crushcakes & Café on Trigo Road and turn to the left, you will notice that a section of it has been transformed into an unimposing booth under the label Juice Ranch. Peruse the menu and you will be greeted by quirky juice names like “Dandy Liver” and “Love Potion,” each followed by an uncommonly minimal list of ingredients.

Not entirely confident in my knowledge of unconventional juices, and this being my first visit, I opted for the cashier’s recommendation of “Johnny 5 Alive” (apple, lemon, ginger, and cayenne). The drink cost $8, along with a $2 deposit–for its glass bottle container–that will be reimbursed on my second visit, as long as I bring the bottle.

I sipped on my concoction while waiting at a table for Juice Ranch co-owner Scott Walker, who had graciously agreed to meet me for an interview. The drink tasted pleasantly explosive; the spicy cayenne asserted its presence, but not excessively so, collaborating with the other three ingredients to create a harmonious sensory experience. The glass bottle somehow added a certain authenticity; this, I felt, was how juice should always be consumed. As I was about to find out from Walker, glass bottles actually play a highly specific role in the Juice

Ranch creative structure, and, like every other aspect of the company, hold implications that extend beyond the refreshing taste of their contents.

Soon after my first sip, Walker took the seat across from me and eagerly dived into discussing his business, a word that, judging by the enthusiasm with which he relayed to me all things Juice Ranch related, does not accurately convey his feelings for it–“lifestyle” would be more fitting. He began with the company’s history, which is rather romantic. An avid environmental activist, Scott experienced an “ahha!” moment when his girlfriend and fellow Gaucho alumni Erin Gomez introduced him to the concept of cleansing the body. Out of this “perfect synergy” of passions, Juice Ranch was born, producing tasty drinks for the Santa Barbara community out of carefully balanced ingredients in a maximally nutritious and environmentally conscious fashion.

Walker and Gomez celebrated their brainchild’s one-year anniversary on Jan. 2, a year that witnessed Juice Ranch’s expansion from the original Santa Barbara location into Isla Vista and Westlake Village. However, Juice Ranch is committed to remaining small–a unique aspect of a truly sustainable business.

The company strives to sustain the local food scene in Santa Barbara, which begins with the neighboring farmers, who provide 90 percent of Juice Ranch ingredients (as Walker noted matter-of-factly, you just can’t cultivate coconuts in California).

These ingredients, unlike those that comprise wholesale products, are not subjected to high pressure or pasteurization. These processes, while extending a product’s shelf life, eliminate its “good” bacteria along with the “bad,” the former of which plays a vital role in rejuvenating our bodies. Furthermore, a detox diet, as Walker explained, purges the dangerous toxins that accumulate internally in the industrial food consumer. It also reserves the energy normally spent on digestion for our immune systems and other important bodily functions.

Walker noted that these cleanses are especially important in an alcohol-fueled community like Isla Vista’s–a community he admitted he was once very much a part of, having lived on Del Playa for four years.

“We think we’re invincible, but at some point the luxury of youth fades and we need to start to care about the nutritional fuel we consume. Better to start now so we don’t have to pay for it later,” said Walker.

We continued to discuss everything from Juice Ranch’s indulgence in “potty talk” (see Squatty Potty on YouTube), to coffee enemas administered by Walker’s friend Ninaya Strandberg’s company Healing Journeys, to the multiple advantages of the glass bottle. The advantages of a glass bottle include sustainability, a lack of toxins to leak into its contents (as opposed to its plastic counterpart), and its contribution to taste.

Following the interview, Walker lead me outside to show me what he calls the future of Juice Ranch—Aquaponics, a mini aquarium-greenhouse on display in the Crushcakes wall. The process is simple: through a system of tubes, nitrate from the fish waste nourishes the plants, which return bacteria-free water to the aquarium, another neat example of cyclical sustainability.

Check it out if you get the chance—not that you’ll need external motivation to visit Juice Ranch once you’ve tasted their product.

The juice possesses a vital, real-food quality that can only be attributed to their conscious conduction of business. Incorporating something as tasty as, say, “Johnny 5 Alive” into my nutritional fuel doesn’t seem too demanding.

I’m already craving a refill.

(Left) 17oz glass bottle from the Juice Ranch.

(Right) UCSB environmental studies alumni (‘02) Scott Walker discusses the Juice Ranch’s business model.

January’s Cinematic Vortex

by Madison Donahue-Wolfe STAFF WRITER If box office sales indicate a movie’s merit, year after year those released in January would fail to impress. Indeed, January’s monthly box office sales don’t hold a candle to the sales of the summer and year-end months.

With an opening weekend of $43.7 million, ”Cloverfield” (2008), the highest grossing movie released in January, made a fraction of May’s highest grossing film, “The Avengers” (2012) with $207.4 million, July’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2012) with $169.2 million, and November’s “Catching Fire” (2013) with $158 million in their opening weekends.

But do box office sales predict the success a movie will have?

In the past five years, the movies that won the Academy Awards for Best Picture prove this is not the case. Last year’s Best Picture winner, “Argo,” took home a mere $19.5 million in its opening weekend, which is a minuscule amount when compared with blockbusters such as “The Avengers” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.” None of the other four winners in the past five years, “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008), “The Hurt Locker” (2009), “The King’s Speech” (2010), and “The Artist” (2011), broke $400,000 in their opening weekends. So if a movie’s sales have little to no relation to its quality, at least in terms of the Academy Awards, why are low-grossing January movies still forgotten?

One explanation is the number of movies actually released in January is very small when compared with other months. Many blockbusters released in year-end months roll over into January, which perhaps discourages studios from having their movies compete with these already proven successes. A recent example is “Frozen” (2013), which experienced an opening weekend suc-

cess of $63.4 million in November and continues to climb in sales through January.

This isn’t to say that January never experiences good movies.

“Taken” (2009), “Haywire”(2012), and “The Impossible” (2013) were all released in January and experienced box office success as well as favorable reviews. The problem is that movies released later in the year usually overshadow those released in January.

At the end of 2013, who was talking about “The Impossible”–a movie about a family that falls victim to the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, in case you forgot–when movies released later in the year, such as “Catching Fire” and “The Hobbit Part 2 were fresh in movie-goers’ minds?

This raises the question of what causes a movie to gain popularity and success in the first place. Most “blockbusters” are sequels that many will go to see even if the reviews aren’t good.

Indeed, the highest grossing films for 2013, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and “Catching Fire,” were highlyanticipated sequels with high-caliber actors based on beloved book series with massive fan followings. It was inevitable these movies would be successful, regardless of whether they were good or not.

From time to time, good movies are released in January, such as those mentioned above, but when looking at January’s other highest grossing movies, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009), “Big Mama’s House 2 (2006), and “Are We There Yet?” (2005) to name a few, one wonders whether the first month of the year will ever experience a string of acceptable films. Since most blockbusters are saved for the summer or late in the year, January is eternally doomed to present its movie-goers with subpar movies that, since they have no chance against the summer and year-end blockbusters, try to glean as much money as they can in a month they know will suck otherwise.

HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS

In January...

(by opening weekend)

Cloverfield: $43.7 million Later in the year...

The Avengers:

$207.4 million

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:

$169.2 million

Catching Fire:

$158 million

5

Arts & Entertainment

The Bottom Line Line | Nov. 27 - 15 Dec. 3 The Bottom | Jan. - 21

Mary Lambert Fills The Hub with Love, Sorrow, and Self-Acceptance

Photo by Ivy Kuo | Staff Photographer

by Cindy Chan STAFF WRITER The Hub was abuzz with show-goers braving the night chill on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 9, in anticipation of the soulful voice that anchored the 2013 gay rights anthem “Same Love,� by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. With her delicately crafted words and melodies, the stunning, red-lipped singer-songwriter and spoken word artist Mary Lambert left audience members entranced and emotionally excavated.

6FDOH The show was put on by University of California, Santa Barbara’s Women, Gender & Sexual Equity Department (WGSE); Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE); and Associated Student Queer Commission.

The night was a showcase of songs from Lambert’s latest extended play, “Welcome to the Age of my Body,� released this past December

by Capital Records, as well as her self-released 2012 EP “Letters Don’t Talk.�

The artist captivated the crowd with her deeply personal material, inviting listeners to explore their vulnerability alongside hers. There was no shortage of tear-brimmed eyes and solemn expressions as Lambert dished out some

pretty heavy material, most notably on her spoken word pieces “Bodylove� and “Girl with the Purple Hair.� Set to the steadily crescendoing chords of a keyboard, her poetry projected personal experiences, including the topics of rape, molestation, self-harm, and body image. The pain dripped heavily from her music and lyrics, as the songstress retold and relived her harrowing stories. Audience members were visibly moved, having entered a place of hurt and sorrow that Lambert’s work so frequently visits. “To her, the show is more than just her job,� said second-year economics major Lilia Yuan. “It’s a way for her to connect with everyone and express herself as someone other than just another simple performer.�

Lambert had a wicked ability to evoke both tears and laughter within seconds, and the show mirrored the artist’s struggles. In the touching song “Born Sad,� Lambert shared her experiences with bipolarity, and the gloomy “Sarasavarti� touched upon suicide. Lambert’s honestly painful lyrics, in conjunction with her bluesy angelic voice, shined during “Forget Me� and “Beautiful Bird.� Lambert’s touching lyrics, soft yet growly vocals, and folksy, slightly jazzy keyboard combined to produce an authentically stunning sound.

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Lambert sprinkled humorous anecdotes throughout the show, which balanced out the overall sense of sadness. Laughter erupted as she candidly described her grandmother’s adoration of a 7-year-old mandolin player from the ’90s rather than of her own granddaughter, a successful musician. The singer also shared a Video Music Award story, entertainingly describing a post-performance harassment she received from a security guard, in which a Glee cast heroically defended the singer’s honor.

The night was embellished with some lighter tunes, inducing some serious musical feels in the form of head-bobbing. “I Could Be� described the saccharine innocence of pursuing love, “Red Lipstick� belted about a stoner ex-girlfriend, and a cover Wheatus’s “Teenage Dirtbag� provided some tuneful nostalgic refrain.

Lambert’s quirky charm was undeniably key to the show’s success. Although the emotional intensity of the night was probably unexpected by most, audience members gushed about the show by the end of the night. People were able to genuinely connect to the painfully relatable content in the pieces; Lambert ascribed words and melodies to otherwise inexpressible feelings. Through her unrestrained honesty about

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experience, Lambert was able to foster a sense of love and understanding among listeners. “A big portion of being a good performer is being a good storyteller,� said second-year mechanical engineering major Wilson Liang. “Mary’s poems capture the struggles within teenage hearts, her voice reveals the scars on you, yet encourages you to appreciate life and be unapologetically yourself.�

The night closed with an encore performance of “She Keeps Me Warm,� a song grown from the roots of the hook Lambert wrote for “Same Love.� In this epic performance, audience members sang along to the celebrated chorus and the night was sealed with advocating self-love and acceptance.

Lambertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show delivered a message: stop 'N %OXH seeking& 0 < . validation within social pressures that force us to depict skewed versions of faultless human beings. We should instead choose to admit perfection in our faults, welcoming authenticity and self-renewal. Through the potent artistic display of complete vulnerability, another well-needed message was reinforced thoroughly. That is, it is acceptable to expe/W %OXH rience sorrow, and admitting the experience & 0 < . can be as beautifully courageous as Lambertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music.

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UC Santa Barbara Starting January 2014, the entire University of California system is smoke/tobacco-free. All UCSB-managed properties (facilities, buildings, grounds, athletics properties) are smoke-free and tobacco-free, regardless of whether or not notices are posted.

The UC Santa Barbara policy prohibits the following: â&#x20AC;˘ Smoking (tobacco or tobacco-free products, that might be smoked via cigarettes, pipes, water pipes, and hookahs) â&#x20AC;˘ Smokeless tobacco (including snuff, snus, and chew) )25 $'',7,21$/ '(7$,/6 â&#x20AC;˘ Unregulated nicotine products (such as cigarettes)

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A smoke-free and tobacco-free environment will save lives 6PRNH )UHH &DPSXV and improve the health of our community.

6

http://tobaccofree.ucsb.edu/

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Science & Tech

The Bottom Line | Jan. 15 - 21

The NFL’s War On Injury

by Devin Martens-Olzman

For nearly a year, the body of former NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher rested in the ground; that is, until it was exhumed last month to perform tests on Belcher’s brain. Belcher shot and killed his longtime girlfriend before committing suicide last year, and his family is hoping to find evidence of brain injury to explain his behavior.

This story harkens back to similar tragedies. Junior Seau, Ray Easterling, Andre Water, and Terry Long were all former NFL players who committed suicide. Also included in this list is Dave Deurson, who shot himself in 2011 with the note: “Please, see that my brain is given to the NFL’s brain bank,” according to Alan Schwartz of the New York Times.

Despite all of this, the NFL has been reluctant to take responsibility for these situations. In 2007, the chair of the NFL’s Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee, Dr. Casson, vehemently denied any evidence of links between head injuries in NFL with any long-term brain problems. This is despite many leading scientist affirming the opposite; Dr. Ann McKee, according to PBS Frontline, has found chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, in “45 of the 46 former NFL players she’s examined.”

The NFL has made many rule changes in regard to tackling in an attempt to lower concussion rates and injuries, and is aware of the links between concussions and brain damage that leads to diseases like dementia, CTE, and depression. These rules include penalizing hits on areas like the head and neck and imposing tighter restrictions on allowing possibly concussed players back into the

Illustration by Amanda Excell | Staff Illustrator

game.

In August 2011, Easterling filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming the league “engaged in a ‘concerted effort of deception and denial’ in its handling of the science of concussions and brain trauma,” according to PBS Frontline. This was a year before he committed suicide, and in August 2013 the NFL agreed to pay $765 million to retired NFL players.

In an effort to reduce injuries, the NFL has reduced its concussions per season from 171 concussions in 2012 to 147 this year, according to PBS Frontline. Though this decrease shows promise, serious injuries are still on the rise.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the number of knee injuries has been increasing since the NFL changed its rules on concussion-causing hits. Through Week 15 of the 2012-2013 NFL season, there were 99 knee injuries in which players were placed on the Injured Reserve list. This season, that number was at 110.

This increase could be a result of mentalities like that of Chargers linebacker Brandon Meriweather, who said, according to ESPN 980s Chris Russell, “You gotta end people’s careers…You gotta tear people’s ACLs. Mess up people’s knees. You can’t hit them high anymore. You’ve just got to go low.”

Big hits make crowds roar. They rattle the opposing team. Just one big hit at the right time can invert the momentum completely. The football mentality can’t be reshaped simply by some rule changes. It will take a concerted effort by medical authorities, the NFL, political entities, and even the American people. More and more parents are steering their children away from football for fear of injuries. As Dr. McKee stated in 2011, addressing Congress: “We really have to address the way sports are played.”

Toyota Announces Fuel-Cell Powered Vehicles, Declares 2015 Release

Illustration by Hector Lizarraga | Staff Illustrator

by Pragya Parmita Staff Writer “We didn’t reinvent the wheel; we just reinvented everything that turns it,” says Robert Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota.

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas served as a platform for the introduction of the upcoming hydrogen fuel cellpowered Toyota FCV in United States. While the car made its

debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, last Monday was the first time it was formally announced to the American public.

As other car manufacturers continue to pursue all-electric cars, Toyota instead pushes toward fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) technology that has been in development since 1996, when it developed the FCEV, or the fuel-cell electric vehicle. According to the company’s website, the FCEV is “equipped with a proprietary fuel cell stack and a hydrogen-absorbing alloy tank.”

Almost two decades later, Toyota claims that the hydrogen fuelcell car will finally be made available to the public. The company advertises that the car employs the “same hybrid technology at the heart of a Prius but with hydrogen and fuel-cell stack” and would provide a “driving experience that’s on par with a gasoline engine,” but without any carbon emissions.

The fuel-cell technology will combine oxygen and hydrogen to create water and electricity, emitting only water vapor. The car would run on the produced electricity that will be channeled to a drive motor by fuel-cell channels. It will also be able to store about 100 kilowatts of power with zero emissions. According to CNET, “The FCV’s propulsion system is small enough to fit beneath the seats, and two high-pressure hydrogen tanks save space and lower costs.”

Carter announced that the vehicle can run for about 310 miles on one fill-up, which would take less than five minutes. It can also

go up to 100 miles per hour, and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds. What more could a car provide?

Well, this one might be able to power your house for up to a week. According to Taylor Soper of GeekWire, “Toyota’s engineers are developing an adapter that will connect its fuel-cell car into the electrical grid of a home which can provide enough power for one whole week in emergency situations.”

There are still a few complications before FCV can be offered to the general public, however. The primary two include the cost of the vehicle and the need to construct hydrogen-refueling stations. To tackle these obstacles, Toyota is working on improving the technology and its production efficiency. While the price has not been announced yet, it is estimated around $50,000, although the company claims that it is striving for lower prices.

Furthermore, according to Richard Nieva of CNET, the California government has already approved “$200 million in funding to build about 20 stations by 2015, and a total of 40 by the year after that.” Toyota is also working with UC Irvine to determine the best-suited locations for these hydrogen refueling stations.

The car is set to be introduced in Southern California by 2015.

The company has already conducted multiple safety tests on a test vehicle and has driven a camouflaged FCV around North America for thousands of miles.

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Positions Open Across the Company

Technology Symposium & Career Fair Thursday, January 23 ∙ 3 - 6 pm ∙ 6500 Hollister Ave., Goleta A global leader in networking and data center solutions, Network Hardware Resale (NHR) offers great career opportunities, exciting perks and a dynamic work environment for its employees. NHR is experiencing record growth and needs qualified professionals to join our team.

Bring your resume! NHR management will be available to answer questions and conduct interviews onsite. We’re looking for talented individuals to join our fast-paced company in Client Services, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Marketing, Operations, Product Marketing and Sales.

Highlight: Leading California economist Mark Schniepp will deliver an insightful presentation and lead a discussion about the growing Central Coast technology sector.

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Technology Symposium & Career Fair: January 23, 3-6 pm ∙ Mark Schniepp speaks at 4pm

7

2013: Opinions

The Bottom Line | Jan. 15 - 21

The Year

of the

Selfie

by Chloe Babauta

Last November, the Oxford English Dictionary named “selfie” the word the year. For anyone living under a rock, the OED defines “selfie” as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.”

Many news sources like CNN and USA Today among others, have also named 2013 the year of the selfie because of the surge in popularity of the word, as well as the phenomenon of people all over the world taking massive amounts of pictures of themselves daily. With a spike in the popularity of social media apps that thrive on shamelessness and narcissism like Snapchat and Instagram, 2013 brought a widespread indulgence in self-absorption. At the height of this narcissism is the Selfie Olympics: a trend in which people go to drastic lengths to take mirror selfies in ridiculous, physically challenging positions. My personal favorite in the Selfie Olympics is a girl doing the splits with one leg vertically against the bathroom door and the other leg standing straight, holding her phone by her lifted foot to take the picture.

Totally casual.

What makes this phenomenon even more interesting is that anyone can do it--and everyone does. From celebrities like Kim Kardashian (notoriously the world’s selfie queen), to President Barack Obama, to the average teen, everyone takes selfies. Many smartphones now come with frontfacing cameras that make it easier for everyone to take these self-portraits.

CNN sums up the irony of having “selfie” as the word of the year: “the most esteemed guardian of the English language has bestowed a prestigious honor upon debatably the most embarrassing phenomenon of the digital age: the selfie.” This trend is undoubtedly embarrassing for our generation. What will future generations think about our current obsession with taking pictures of ourselves constantly? Although I love taking selfies as much as any other millennial, I’m not sure I’d want my future grandchildren to find my incredibly awkward selfies or flattering cleavage selfies, any more than I’d want to see the same type of pictures of my own grandparents.

But who knows? Maybe the selfie trend will continue and become the societal norm for photography. Com-

Illustration by Amanda Excell | Staff Illustrator panies are constantly improving the quality of smartphone cameras so it makes instant photography more accessible to anyone. We now have the technology to take photos of beautiful landscapes or monuments, but it’s always more fun to throw your own face in there--I have a few selfies with the Statue of Liberty over my shoulder and dozens with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Portrait styles have evolved from cave drawings to oil paintings--even Van Gogh did selfies!--to studio portraits to selfies. Maybe this photography style will stick around and teens in the year 2046 or 3005 will take their own version of selfies.

I’d like to think that I’m proselfie. I use Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram daily, as do a majority of my

friends. Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, also a self-proclaimed selfie fan, makes a strong defense of the selfie: how it promotes good selfesteem levels and how it keeps us connected. In a Rolling Stones article, he says, “I could Google image search ‘the sky’ and I would probably see beautiful images to knock my socks off. But I can’t Google, [...] ‘What does my friend look like today?’ For you to be able to take a picture of yourself that you feel good enough about to share with the world – I think that’s a great thing.”

I don’t see any of my friends from my hometown while I’m at school every day--I don’t even see all of my University of California, Santa Barbara friends daily. Using social media platforms to look at my friends’ self-

ies sometimes makes me feel closer to home, just being able to see my friends’ faces--just as long as they don’t get too vain and post multiple selfies a day. At a time when the norm of social interaction is becoming increasingly less personal, with texts replacing phone calls, it makes me happy to see my friend’s faces more often through selfies. The effect of a comically hideous GPOY (gratuitous picture of yourself ) sent from your best friend is exponentially more entertaining and gratifying than that of an unemotional text.

There will likely be some future negative repercussions for this trend, but as a person in her 20s who tries to maintain a YOLO lifestyle, I’ll throw caution to the wind and continue to take my #shamelessselfies and share them with the world.

A Call For A Change In The News We Choose Sam Goldman STAFF WRITER How many college students do you think can recount the events of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster? Back in March of that year, news media were relentlessly covering the huge earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent failure of the power plant. Once all the details and facts were established, the media, at least in the United States, more or less forgot about the meltdown and whatever ongoing concerns it created. Only recently have we gotten a small update in the form of reports telling us how duct tape was being used to prevent the leakage of radioactive water. Because we so often don’t keep in at least occasional touch with these significant issues that have severe ongoing and potential human consequences, many college students are likely uninformed about developments in global issues such as this one.

Despite the widely acknowledged problems of the media’s coverage of tragedies like Fukushima, nothing is ever done about them. These issues range from effectively harassing victims in order to get their teary input on camera to overly speculative and sloppy reporting. CNN, now notorious for their stupendously reckless coverage of tragedies, is the poster child for this latter issue; during their coverage of the Washington Naval Yard shooting, Wolf Blitzer wondered aloud what, as the Los Angeles Times reported, “the shooter’s allblack ensemble might say about his possible motive.” In their effort to be the very first to break every morsel of news to us, CNN and Fox erroneously and prematurely reported that the Affordable Care Act had been overturned by the Supreme Court (which, for the most part, never happened) and both them and the Associated Press proclaimed a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing was

in custody when no such thing had yet happened.

A huge reason behind these abysmal coverage issues lies in our never ending, 24/7 news cycle that, between television and the Internet, provides us with more content than we could ever hope to consume. In such a media, the only way for competing news sources to get the highest ratings and the most attention is to be the first to break the shocking and momentous aspects of a developing story. To do that, they’re willing to cross certain lines in their various reporting practices and compromise some of their integrity.

People crave various forms of instant gratification, from a quick dose of others’ new photos on Facebook to finding out the details of celebrities’ latest scandal. They will bestow the best ratings and the most attention on news media that fulfill these desires and report what will most surprise, excite, and directly affect

them as well as what they can most easily relate to. Are Japan’s efforts to improve its nuclear power infrastructure significant? Yes, but not terribly exciting nor too relatable. Was Aaron Alexis’ all-black ensemble particularly significant? It could be if it can be tied arbitrarily into his intriguing background. CNN president Jeff Zucker helped prove all this when he noted that his network’s ratings leapt up to their highest in years right after misreporting the Boston arrest, despite the ding to their credibility.

We are much more likely to hear about stories that are in some way relatable to us, and these stories are more often than not domestic. The Sandy Hook shooting was much more relatable to the American people than displaced Japanese tsunami survivors, so we saw extensive coverage of only the former’s one year anniversary.

Despite the devastating effect of both cases, one has an element of incredible human brutality that can better

catch our attention. More Americans can relate to gun violence than being displaced by combined natural and man-made disaster.

While going after the best ratings and most attention is fine, news media should be expected to do so with integrity and with the fundamental ideal of properly informing viewers and readers of significant events. And while people are welcome to their quest for instant gratification, we should all make an effort to recognize and care about the significant issues at home and abroad that carry considerable human consequences. The world is now more interconnected than ever, and the effects of tragedy and disaster anywhere can come back to affect us in ways such as new policy or better awareness of preventable suffering. As college students and the future of this country, we certainly owe it to ourselves and others to be informed and caring, and thus able to influence and change the current media paradigm.

ICE BREAKERS A Freezing Cold Start To The Quarter

by Coleman Gray STAFF WRITER Well, it’s the first week back at school, and we all know what that means! Getting to know all our new classmates! I’m sure we’re excited for that…right? No? Okay, maybe not. Actually, not at all, because let’s be honest, we all know just how terrible that is. And the first week is easily the worst. We don’t have any sort of connection with this random group of individuals outside of a common string of five numbers on GOLD, and “did you get the syllabus?” is not a great way to start a friendship. But even more awkward than the barely passable small talk is that oftentimes these bonds are thrust upon us. Nearly every TA I’ve ever had has tried to form (or rather, force), a connection with and among the students with those silly forms of shallow, annoying, and completely terrible conversation starters known as “icebreakers.”

Now, I absolutely hate these. You know icebreakers, those little clumsy forms of coerced interaction that spread through sections like an immunity-defying infectious disease during the first class of the quarter. With each passing year they seem to become more and more prevalent, and they now border on school-wide danger. I keep expecting Student Health to begin sending me emails keeping me posted on the Icebreaker Epidemic that say, “the only cure is staying home during your first section.”

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Call me anti-social, call me an introvert, call me a coward, I don’t care. I think icebreakers are worse than ants at a picnic--and I love picnics. That awkward first section in which the TA tries to figure out everyone’s name is maybe the worst part of the class, if not the entire quarter.

Some call them “introduction games,” some call them “section bonding,” but let’s just agree to call it what it really is: torture. Even though most veteran section-attendees can tell just when an icebreaker is coming, it still doesn’t make it any easier. Then you hear your TA announce what we’re going to do after reviewing the syllabus, and all your hopes of a harmless escape and a quarter with an absentee TA are dashed. But once it starts, it gets even worse. You try to count ahead, and figure out if maybe the class will be over before you have to reveal your name, major, and favorite food, but as each successive classmate takes their own turn in the hot seat, that clock only goes slower and your heart only beats faster.

Finally the TA gives you that look. It’s some grotesque cross between an encouraging head nod, an empathetic eyebrow raise, and a we’re-both-in-this-together look of apology. Now it’s your turn, and as you stammer your way through the lines you have been rehearsing all class, and continuously scan the room never knowing exactly where to look, your fellow classmates stare with both judging and sympathetic eyes. But then it’s over. All that working of oneself up into a tizzy disappears as you end with an

apologetic, “so…yeah.”

It may be over, but has your terrible minute of being in the section spotlight done any good? Actually, has any icebreaker ever worked? It’s not like anyone has ever really made friends with a stranger after meeting them in a section through a silly introduction ritual. Even if you ever do remember that cute girl’s name, you cannot possibly ever say it because then you would just look like a creep. Frankly, I’m not even entirely sure the TAs pay much attention. I mean why would my Communications TA ever possibly need to know what my favorite magical creature is anyway?

They’re annoying, terrifying, and a tiny bit insulting (I am more than just a name, hometown, and major!). They take up valuable class time--and, worse yet, take up what could have been your valuable free time--and turn students against their fellow classmates rather than toward them.

Therefore, I propose that all forms of icebreakers should not just be ended, but downright banned from this school. This heinous policy needs to be done away with for once and for all.

I know for some, especially English TAs, this may sound like some sort of collegiate “Modest Proposal”; but we must be swift about this, for the next round of icebreakers are in just 11 short weeks. And, in case anyone was wondering about me: I’m Coleman Gray, I’m a staff writer for The Bottom Line, and I hate icebreakers.