The Bottom Line UCSB by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

Puppets Come to UCSB

Pack a Bowl with the Buddha

Features / 3

A&E/ 6

THE

@tblucsb / thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara | Volume 8, Issue 6 | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19, 2013 Stanley wants to know: Is the United States obligated to care for the global community in times of need?

Submit your answers to bottomlineucsb@gmail.com

AS BEAT REPORT

Photo by Margarita Baliyan | Staff Photographer

Senate applauds after Sen. Marvin Ramirez discusses the “Directional Resolution to explore possible of funding for Undocumented Student Scholarships.”

AS Senate Resolves SOCC Issues and Discusses New Solutions for Undocumented Students by Kelsey Knorp AS Beat Reporter

Photo by Diane Ng | The Bottom Line ChillING out: UCSB water polo players encourage their teammates in the pool during a team talk. Check out page four for full photo coverage of their game against University of the Pacific on Sunday, Nov. 10. ONLINE UPDATES: For breaking news and updates on the UC Regents in San Francisco, visit our website at thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu today, Nov. 13, and tomorrow, Nov. 14.

SPECIAL IV BEAT REPORT

Isla Vista Protest Movement ‘Year of Rebellion’ Recalls Local Activism, Draws Comparisons to Present Day Photo and Story by Giuseppe Ricapito IV Beat Reporter

A student views archival footage of the 1970 riots at the UCSB Art, Design and Architecture Museum.

“Y

ear of Rebellion: The 1970 Isla Vista Riots,” featuring vintage photographs from Joe Melchione, is a featured exhibition at the Art, Design and Architecture Museum at University of California, Santa Barbara. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, UCSB alumni, former faculty, community members, and students congregated at the Little Old Theatre for a panel discussion on the legacy of Isla Vista’s seminal militant social-activist movement. A short film featuring Joe Melchione, who passed away in 2012, preceded the discussion. While presenting an overview of his photography, which charts the 1970 movement from the burning of the Bank of America building to the incursion of the National Guard, Melchione offered both facts and insight on turbulent social protest. “I really want people to see a part of Santa Barbara’s history that I think has been lost or shrouded in myth,” said Melchione, the photo editor for the 1970 UCSB newspaper, El Gaucho. “I want people to understand that group action, collective action, does work, and if you say something long enough and loud enough people will finally listen,” said Melchione. “Hopefully this show will start some thinking, some dialoging, about the ability to bring about change.” Melchione’s snapshots, taken on a fully manual film camera,

capture moments of violence, unrest, and demonstration, charting the shifting chronology of outbursting rebellion to peaceful, sit-in protests. Richard Flacks, the panel moderator, was a UCSB sociology professor in 1970 and active in the burgeoning student movement. “University authoritarianism united a lot of students and alienated them from the status quo,” Flacks said. “There was more freedom in people’s lives [back then] for figuring out what to do in terms of social issues.” Melchione noted that the major riots occurred from late February through June of 1970, but many events led to the culmination of mass protest. “In 1969, 1970, a lot of events kind of coalesced: ongoing protests by minority students with respect to the universities minority policy, big complaints about absentee landlords in Isla Vista, disputes with the Sheriff ’s department about drug enforcement policies, liquor enforcement policies in Isla Vista, and—obviously and also very importantly—the growing, growing opposition to the Vietnam War,” Melchione said. The photographs range from symbolic images to portraits of human sentiment. Some highlights are a burning, overturned

See PROTEST | Page 2

‘Take Back UC’ Campaign Calls for UC Reform by Judy Lau

coalition of elected officials, students, workers, and community members announced a new campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 6, that is dedicated to reforming the University of California at a press conference in Sacramento. This group, known as “Take Back UC,” has set their goal on refocusing the university system back to its original plan of providing education and patient care, serving as an engine for economic growth, and conducting ground-breaking research. According to the official website for the organization, “the UC has been a path to the middle class for millions of Californians who were able to gain world-class education regardless of their family’s economic status. Many graduates from the UCs have gone on to shape society for the better and transform California into one of the largest economies worldwide. However, in today’s generation, tuition has more than tripled since 2002 and many do not apply because

it is too expensive. According to a study done by the Public Policy Institute of California, the University of California is on track to become the most expensive university system in the United States within the next five years. Those who are willing to take on the financial burden find themselves swamped in debt when they graduate. In addition, the economy had been down, thus making it harder for students to pay off their loans. Although UC hospitals generate millions in profit annually, many of these resources have not been invested into patient care. Rather, the profit has been used to pay for higher salaries and top-notch retirement plans for top executives, according to the University of California Annual Wage website within University of California Office of the President. Despite the quality care that the medical centers provide already, there have been complaints. According to the Sacramento Bee, in

See REFORM | Page 2

Associated Students Senate passed two significant pieces of legislation regarding “A Directional Resolution to Explore Possible Funding for Undocumented Student Scholarships” as well as the upcoming 25th annual Student of Color Conference at its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6. “A Directional Resolution to Explore Possible Funding for Undocumented Student Scholarships,” authored by Collegiate Sen. Marvin Ramirez, calls for the formation of a group dedicated to pursuing various means of funding for the undocumented student population. An important postulate of the legislation calls for a self-sustaining endowment, created through donations, that would eventually become large enough to fund scholarships for incoming undocumented students. By implementing the program through Associated Students, the group would obtain status as a non-profit organization and therefore avoid taxation that could detract from its larger fundraising goals. The first piece of legislation to pass regarding the Students of Color Conference (SOCC) was a request of $332 from Finance Board’s BCC fund by Off-Campus Sen. Andre Theus, to be added to the existing AS Senate travel and conference budget. The original travel budget had been set at $150, and Theus proposed allocating these as well as the requested funds to eight senators who had previously been rejected from the SOCC upon application. This action would allow these senators to attend the Los Angeles conference from Nov. 15 to 17 using the Senate’s own budget rather than that delegated to the designated pool of accepted applicants. The second piece of legislation related to SOCC also sought to address the rejection of these senators, as well as that of other elected officials. Authored by Off-Campus Sens. Jimmy Villarreal and Jake Orens, “A Resolution Regarding Students of Color Conference” mandates that 15 elected student officials who had purposely been excluded from the SOCC application process be added to an existing wait list of around 30 other applicants. These officials would then be considered for acceptance using the same criteria applied to other wait list members. The resolution is based on an agreement between Villarreal, Orens, co-chairs of the Student Commission On Racial Equality Angelica Cano and Hani

See SENATE | Page 2

ONE’s ‘Dining in the Dark’ Raises Awareness About Energy Poverty by Julia Frazer STAFF WRITER ONE at University of California, Santa Barbara, a campus organization working to end extreme poverty, held an event on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the Student Resource Building. The event focused on increasing student awareness about energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. “We wanted to create a similar environment as that in third world countries when electricity cuts off basically after sunset,” said Miranda Zora, fourth-year global studies and French double major and co-president of ONE. “We wanted to show people how it would be to have to eat and write in the dark.” All the curtains of the Multi-Purpose Room were closed and the lights turned off. Students dined on meals made from non-perishable foods, including tuna casserole, rice, and macaroni and cheese. Zora’s co-president, Christy Mota, a fourth-year statistical science major, spoke to students on the issues and handed out promotional materials and petitions. The event, which attracted approximately 50 students and other members of the community, succeeded in its goals of increasing awareness. “[The lack of electricity] is only something I’ve heard of before but didn’t know anything specific about,” said third-year economics-accounting major David Phan. “I guess I didn’t really imagine or ever think about how they’d have to eat or the environment they’d have to live in when they’re forced to look towards non-sustainable foods.” Prospective graduate student at UCSB Ngalula Kela, an immigrant from the Congo, was excited about the event’s potential to bring awareness of poverty in Africa. As she entered the event, Kela asked the organizers about why the room was dark. As the reasons were explained, Kela said, “the darkness we have in our hearts is the worst darkness.” Kela wants to further her education to serve as a voice for her community. According to ONE’s promotional materials, seven out of 10 SubSaharan Africans do not have access to electricity. The lack of electricity has extremely wide implications for the health and well being

See ONE | Page 2

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

News

–PROTEST

Continued from page 1 student by a Sherriff ’s Deputy, the calling in of the National Guard, and the partial closure of I-101 by over 5,000 student demonstrators. Of the 50 total people at the forum, only about one-fifth were actually students. The majority of the attendees were about 60 to 80 years old, and had personal memories of participating or observing elements of the rebellion. The presentation then shifted gears to a panel

–ONE

Continued from page 1

of people in Africa, including the lack of ability to preserve nutritious foods. “One of the biggest problems with having no electricity, other than food storage, is healthcare,” said Zora. Thirty percent of health care facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa lack electricity. ONE, in its third year on the UCSB campus, is currently working on its campaign to electrify Africa. On campus, its main objective is to mobilize students and provide them with the facts they need to become more informed to make a

difference, rather than fundraising. “Knowledge and education are our main goals,” said Zora, “and after that comes our political actions, which are things such as signing petitions, sending letters, and making phone calls to hold political leaders accountable for their promises to help third-world counties and make them aware that we support foreign aid.” For more information, go to ONE’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ONE. UCSB.

–REFORM 2012, a federal investigation found that UC Davis Medical Center “lacks the capacity to render adequate care to patients.” Due to lack of funding, patient care has been deteriorating lately, making those in need suffer and pay the price. Furthermore, Take Back UC wants to fix the misguided financial priorities. UC schools were meant to be a public benefit and are provided with about $3 billion annually in funding. However, the University of California has been shifting toward becoming a more for-profit enterprise, in that it cuts corners on academic and health care spending while increasing salaries

Continued from page 1

and benefits of top administrators. According to SFGate, current UC executives receive pension payouts as high as $5.3 million individually. In 2010, 36 UC executives threatened to sue the UC regents if they were not given annual pensions of about $800,000 per year. Take Back UC is an organization dedicated to gearing the UC system more toward the students and workers rather than the executives. There is currently a petition to support fair pension reform at UC and another to support safe staffing by the UC.

–SENATE

Continued from page 1

Tajsar, and AS Attorney General Sawyeh Maghsoodloo, who came to the collective conclusion that the rejection of these officials was unjust and discriminatory. “This is the first year that a specific group has been explicitly stated to be excluded, making it the first year that it has explicitly been not open to all students,” Maghsoodloo said. Villarreal saw the resolution’s victory not only as a triumph for himself and his fellow senators

but also as a testament to the power of collaboration between student groups. “Something I think is really important is that this resolution was agreed to by both the SCORE co-chairs and the Attorney General,” Villarreal said. “That’s something of value, that we were all able to come together, and even though there were disagreements, we’re able to pass something that everyone can get behind.”

STANLEY SAYS Hey everyone. Ever wondered why I’m here every week, talking about whatever mildly entertaining anecdote comes to mind? I mean, apart from the fact that I enjoy ranting about stuff, because life as a stork can be pretty difficult in a small town with a mostly-human population. Not to mention I only recently figured out how to use a keyboard and I’m pretty excited about it. The lack of opposable thumbs kind of made that one difficult. See, much as I love updating you on my various storkly escapades, this wasn’t meant to be a column. It was meant to be a place where you can flaunt your opinions on whatever question we asked last week. So help me out! It gets lonely up here on the soapbox. Send your thoughts regarding my front page question to our email, and we’ll stick those thoughts right here, next to my face, in next week’s issue. Do it for me. And for you. Just do it. Illustration by Beth Askins | Layout Editor

TBL 2013-2014 Staff

Writers this issue: Julia Frazer, Giuseppe Ricapito, Kelsey Knorp, Allyson Werner, Judy Lau, Bailee Abell, Lexi Weyrick, Evelin Lopez, Madison Donahue-Wolfe, Chris Ortega, Sam Goldman, Peter Crump, Ben Fan, Andrea Webber Photographers this issue: Margarita Baliyan, John Clow, Giuseppe Ricapito, Magali Gauthier, Benjamin Hurst, Lorenzo Basilio, Diane Ng, Nick Hong Illustrators this issue: Beth Askins, 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 805893-2440.

consisting of Becca Wilson, former editor of edented event in Isla Vista history, but in the El Gaucho; Mick Kronman, an active social minds of present day students, its legacy is dissident in 1970; Doris Brigante, married to nebulous at best. The few student attendees at demonized local Sheriff George Brigante; and the panel expressed disappointment that few of Yonie Harris, a founding member of the Isla their peers had come out to learn a crucial eleVista Food Co-op. Though the photographs ment in Isla Vista history. and memorabilia were the impetus for the panel Flacks suggested that revolutionary elements discussion, their personal testimonials broad- were still present in modern day Isla Vista, but ened the scope of the history and illustrated key insisted that the 1970s rebellion was not a perelements of the rebellion’s story. fect comparison. Wilson remembered vehement criticism from “I actually think there’s a lot of student activboth school administrators and right wing activism now and a lot of it is creative—one differists, but like many of her peers, she perceived in- ence is [that] there isn’t necessarily one unifying justice in the treatment of university youth. tremendously threatening matter that a lot of “I felt a moral obligation to champion the students need to know,” Flacks said. “So I would movements that were going on,” Wilson said. rather people didn’t compare so much why did “We have a rethey do all this sponsibility to tell then, you just do The El Gaucho was the heart- what’s creative the other side of the story. It was a makes sense beat of that movement... That’s and difficult position at the time.” to be in.” The prolifreally the role of journalism, not Kronman, eration of social between his (dis- necessarily be biased one way media has uninputed) memories or another, but be integrated tentionally inunof Molotov cockdated a student’s tails, weaponized with community interests and to sphere of interest, bricks, and the factional be a mouthpiece for community creating presence of fireand focused activarms, also attested interests. — Mick Kronman ism. If it remains to the distinct devoid of national social role of the and local crises, school newspaper throughout the year of pro- modern Isla Vista does not have the same potential test. to catalyze a nearly universal protest move“The El Gaucho was the heartbeat of that ment. movement,” Kronman said. “That’s really the Moizes Ponce-Zepeda, a fourth-year history role of journalism, not necessarily be biased one major, stressed that the knowledge of “economic way or another, but be integrated with commu- decisions” and “houselessness” can guide a stunity interests and to be a mouthpiece for com- dent’s conscience on issues of social justice. munity interests.” “In the back of a lot of students minds, in The panel also recalled leaflets and pamphlets the back of a lot of individuals minds, whether emblazoned with closed fists of solidarity— you’re working or your learning, you always have printed at a moment’s notice at the original to keep that consciousnesses in mind,” PonzeKinko’s copy store in downtown Isla Vista— Zepeda said. “I think that’s something that which dictated attitudes such as “WE ARE ALL brings the spirit of rebellion to the circle.” YOUNG. WE ALL WANT CHANGE.” The Occupy movement was a recent manifesThe role of journalism and dissemination of tation of a global protest coming to bear in Isla information were crucial organizational tools in Vista. But in the modern environment of polarthe 1970s, and student attendees were keen on ized political opinion, according to The Santa finding a modern comparison to contextualize Barbara Independent, it not only failed to generthese endeavors. ate widespread support, but was also hampered “Social media … seems to be the modern day by police intervention. way of community, of networking and creating a Flacks, though disavowing of a direct comcohesive movement,” said Kronman, referencing parison between the past and today, expressed the social unrest of the Arab Spring. positivity for modern day Isla Vista. In response to Kronman, a crowd comment “Student activists now may hear what happostulated that modern social media might pro- pened then and say ‘well, we’re still fighting those duce the same effect of insularity that hampered battles,’” Flacks said. “Even though it seems very the 1970s movement. different, still there are issues.” “The social media now … it is so easy to just Looking outward from the dais to the group get locked into a little network of shared beliefs of students huddled in the rear on the theatre, without cross checking, without being open to he finished, “The potential power of students the other side,” said an attendee. now is far greater than it was then, in certain The 1970 “Year of Rebellion” is an unprec- respects.”

“

Sheriff ’s car; a razed Bank of America sign; a disillusioned young police officer; and a crowd of students listening to a speech by protestor Jerry Rubin. Overall, the exhibit and panel discussion touched on many complex topics surrounding the upheaval: the denial of tenure to UCSB professor Bill Allen, the demonstration and storming of the Administration Building (now Cheadle Hall), the accidental shooting of a UCSB

NATIONAL BEAT REPORT

US Sends Aid to the Philippines After Devastating Typhoon by Allyson Werner NATIONAL BEAT REPORTER

United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sent U.S. troops into the Philippines on Sunday, Nov. 10 to help with post-typhoon humanitarian efforts. Typhoon Haiyan, also called Typhoon Yolanda, hit the island nation on Friday, and, according to Fox News, has affected roughly 4.6 million people. The storm’s official death toll has reached 1,000; however, projections predict closer to 10,000 deaths. Filipino officials say they will have better estimates once communication and transportation technologies are repaired. According to CBS News, Leyte Island suffered the worst. Officials say that as many as 10,000 people have died just in Tacloban, the provincial capital of the island province. Tacloban city administrator Tecson John Lim told reporters that survivors are looting stores and markets. “They are taking everything, even appliances like TV sets,” he said. “These will be traded later on for food.” He continued, “We don’t have enough manpower. We have 2,000 employees but only about 100 are reporting for work. Everyone is attending to their families.” The Philippine National Red Cross said that looters have hampered the large majority of their efforts to transport supplies and food into Tacloban. The United Nations has also initiated relief efforts; however, many areas of the region are still cut off. The Philippine government was not afraid to ask for help. According to Colonel Brad Bartlett of the Marine Corps, the Philippines requested aid from the U.S. military. According to Fox News, the U.S. effort is expected to include 90 Marines and focus primarily on search-and-rescue and airlift support.

Furthermore, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on Saturday that it would pledge $100,000 for health care, clean water and sanitation in areas devastated by the storm. President Barack Obama expressed his sympathy for people in the Philippines. “Michelle and I are deeply saddened by the loss of life and extensive damage done by Super Typhoon Yolanda,” he said. “But I know the incredible resiliency of the Philippine people, and I am confident that the spirit of Bayanihan will see you through this tragedy.” The word “Bayanihan” is the Filipino word for community spirit. The president continued, “The United States is already providing significant humanitarian assistance, and we stand ready to further assist the Government’s relief and recovery efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by this devastating storm.” The Philippines is no stranger to severe tropical storms. Since 1990, the region has experienced more than 40 natural disasters, including typhoons, volcanic eruptions, drought, and population displacement. According to meteorologists, the Philippines lies right in the path of the world’s primary typhoon generator; however, even by Filipino standards, typhoon Haiyan is catastrophic. The United States continuously supports its long-time ally during times of need. According to CNN, the United States and the Philippines have remained politically, economically, and culturally close since the island nation’s independence following World War II. As if the wreckage in the Philippines wasn’t enough, on Sunday, Typhoon Haiyan reached the coast of Vietnam, where, according to CBS news, 600,000 people have been evacuated. Fortunately, Vietnam has escaped the worst of the damages. The death toll is still unknown but expected to be small.

T H E B OTTO M L I NE I S A P RO U D M E M B ER OF

Our web magazine offers hard-hitting journalism, analysis, and multimedia on issues of the greatest concern to young people; gives young writers, reporters, artists, and others the chance to publish nationally; and builds a community of progressives interested in issues, ideas, and activism.

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

Features

A (Hardly) Blind Show: How One Puppet Can Spark a Multitude of Curiosities by Bailee Abell

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Staff Photographer

Blind Summit Theatre’s “Moses the puppet” comes to life with the help of three puppeteers at Campbell Hall on Nov. 6, 2013.

I sat down in Campbell Hall, ticket stub in one hand and silenced phone in the other, with a newfound enthusiasm for puppets rarely found in college students like myself. Honoring this unique and perplexing feeling, I sat down in the third row – as close as I could possibly get to the stage – and waited for what I didn’t know would be the most hilarious, unparalleled, and quirky performance I had ever seen on stage. An original show from the UK, “The Table” “puppet-ception” of sorts about a snarky puppet who performs a Bible story – has been performed 175 times before Blind Summit Theatre came to the United States, according to the puppetry’s producer Stephanie Hay. Lucky for those of us at University of California, Santa Barbara, the company performed their renowned show for three nights, Nov. 6 to 8, thanks to UCSB’s Arts Lectures. The positive energy was prevalent among every audience member. It was clear that many people had not expected this pintsized puppet named Moses – with a cloth body, cardboard cranium, and enough “interchangeable parts” to go around – to be as cynical as he was. But there was definitely enough sarcasm emitted from Moses’ mouth to fill the theater. The snarky puppet said at the beginning of the show that he would perform Moses’ death scene from Deuteronomy, in which the prophet is on a mountain speaking to God for 12 hours, after which he is killed with a kiss. As serious as this scene is, the “actor” performed it in an unconventional way: while moving about a wooden table, approximately five feet long. The notion of a prop-less performance is

not revolutionary, and yet the three puppeteers were able to convey the show refreshingly. They drew laughter from the audience with each of Moses’ (possibly) unintentional stumbles, which, rather unexpectedly, were improvised by the puppeteers: Mark Down, Sean Garratt, and Irena Stratieva. Along with these improvisations comes an entirely new show; each piece of dialogue, while partially rehearsed, was thought up on the spot based both on audience reactions and previous performances. “Blind Summit’s work is created with and by the puppets – we follow the puppets and allow them to tell the stories they want to tell,” said Hay. “We don’t create a show and then make puppets for it. Maybe partly as a result of this, our shows are self-conscious puppetry – the very process of puppetry is laid bare to our audiences.” A fresh item this show brings to the table (pun intended), in addition to a sarcastic little man, is a plethora of opportunities for viewers to use their imaginations. It was almost required to tap into one’s youth in order to enjoy the performance. The show was void of props, so when Moses “introduced” them on several occasions, it was imperative to picture that a record player, tea kettle, and bountiful garden were actually there, on the table. And I am proud to admit that the “blood” spouting from Moses’ arm, after an innocent audience member accidentally removed his hand, seemed so real to me that I cringed in horror. “We want to make theatre shows that everyone wants to see, whether they are puppet connoisseurs or completely new to the art-form,” said Hay. Blind Summit Theatre was successful at doing just that.

William T. Vollmann – Forever a Suspect by Lexi Weyrick STAFF WRITER The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center put on an event in their current series, “The Value of Care,” on Wednesday, Nov. 6. his particular event centered around William T. Vollmann, a journalist and novelist who discovered that he was suspect S-2047 in the Unabomber case in the 90s. Vollmann has conducted research in other parts of the world and has written over 20 books on his experiences, with another one currently in the works. He has spent a lot of time in the Middle East and, as such, has been marked by the FBI as someone to keep an eye on. At the event, Vollmann shared parts of his article in Harper’s Magazine about his experiences being detained on three separate occasions by the FBI, and he talked about receiving his abridged FBI file and finding out he was a suspect in the Unabomber case and in the anthrax poisonings that took place after 9/11. “I could not have foreseen my own emotions,” Vollmann said about his past. Vollmann spoke to raise awareness of the faulty system of FBI surveillance. He described a potential future where everyone’s actions are closely monitored in order to avoid any forms of terrorism. “I myself would rather become a terrorist victim than live under such a system,” Vollmann said. He feels that “surveillance creates a power differential” where those being surveilled have no idea who their watcher is, while those watching know everything about who they are surveilling. While certainly critical of the FBI, Vollmann was sure to state that he does not think FBI surveillance is inherently bad. “I cherish the sense, however illusory, that my government remains accountable to me,” he said. He also commented on the fact that the FBI could be using their funds for more reliable reconnaissance. “Investigations can be absurdly off base,” Vollmann said before addressing his guess that the FBI has probably spent around $100,000 in their pursuit of intelligence on him. He closed his initial speech by talking about how the FBI messed up the spelling of his name, which led to misinformation. He felt this is especially problematic because “what if they mixed up one Muhammad with another and nobody cared?” Despite his past experiences, Vollmann was very willing to talk with audience members. Though he tries to avoid the Internet and refuses to use e-mail, Vollmann has managed to stay up to date in political affairs. When one student asked what Vollmann thought of Janet Napolitano, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, as the new UC President, he simply replied, “She certainly has to prove herself.”

Photo by Diane Ng | The Bottom Line

Vollmann shares the unfortunate events he experiences at his talk, “My Life as a Terrorist: The FBI and Me.” Vollmann is still under surveillance—he still receives already opened mail and luggage that has been pried open at the airport—but his experiences do not discourage Vollmann from making his voice heard. In fact, Vollmann is still a very public figure. His most recent publication—a picture book of himself dressed as a woman named Dolores—was an attempt by Vollmann to gain greater insight into the female perspective. Understanding those different from himself is something Vollmann strives for in his work. “I think the best thing I can do,” he said, “is try to understand people who are nothing like me.”

CALPIRG’S Clean Car Show

Photos by Nick Hong | The Bottom Line

CALPIRG displayed eco-friendly cars by Storke Tower on Nov. 6 in support of Gov. Jerry Brown’s initiative to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. by Evelin Lopez

Lined up in front of Storke Tower last week were six eco-friendly cars, brought onto campus by the California Public Interest Research Group, or CALPIRG. The cars ranged from an electric Smart Car to an Audi A6 that runs electrically or on diesel fuel, which burns more efficiently than gasoline and thus emits less pollutants into the air we breathe. This event is part of CALPIRG’s Million Cars Global Warming Campaign, intended to show Gov. Jerry Brown that many students support him statewide in passing the million car legislation. “This legislature would make zero-emission vehicles and higher miles per gallon vehicles more affordable and more available for low-income families,” said Lia Nelson, second-year environmental studies major and co-coordinator of the Million Cars Global Warming Campaign. “It would also create a rebate program that would be tax-deductible.” CALPIRG is a statewide student-run nonprofit group. There are a total of 10 chapters of CALPIRG inside the University of California system. This organization is a public group that surveys what UC students find important, so that they can act on those issues. “Last year we actually increased student federal financial aid by $36 billion statewide and we registered 40,000 students to vote statewide,” said Nelson. The organization takes on about eight to 10 different campaigns every year. At the moment they have six different campaigns, involving causes that range from protecting the oceans to ending hunger

and homelessness. The Million Cars Global Warming Campaign was one of the concerns brought forth by the students of California. CALPIRG organized the clean car show in order to have an eye-catching event where people could go and learn about fuel-efficient vehicles and get visibility for their organization. The money CALPIRG obtains from pledges goes to events such as these. “This money is then used to hire professional staff to lobby for us in Sacramento and Washington D.C. on public issues that students want,” stated Elijah Baker, a first-year political science major. By presenting these clean cars, members of CALPIRG were able to explain how they hope to flood Brown with petitions showing that students support clean energy and reducing California’s carbon pollution. The cars that were showcased run on cleaner gas and are 100 percent electric, and are thus used mostly for in-town traveling. “The main reason to consider one of the eco-friendly cars would be to save money,” said Baker. “Yes, it costs a little to charge your vehicle, but it’s estimated that each car will save about $11,000 on gas yearly.” The Million Cars Global Warming Campaign was originally brought forth because members discovered that California is the 12th largest emitter of carbon pollution in the world. “[CALPIRG] works hard so in the future, we can use California as a model to show states and countries across the globe what measures can and need to be taken in order to lower their carbon footprints,” said Baker.

Photography

Above: UCSB’s Eric Van De Mortel passes the ball as a Pacific defender tries to block him.

Tigers Maul G

Above: UCSB Water Polo player Kevin Cappon attempts to score a goal against University of the Pacific. Top Left: Gauchos boo the opposing University of the Pacific water polo team. Top Right: The Pacific Tigers have a pep talk in a team huddle before the game starts.

Strategy, brute force, and luck met under and above water as the UCSB men’s water polo team lost 11-9 to University of the Pacific on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. Photos by Diane Ng | The Bottom Line

Above: UCSB’s

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

Above: Coach Wolf Wigo and UCSB water polo players watch their teammates play.

Above: UCSB water polo team in a group huddle, listening to what the coaches have to say during halftime.

Gauchos, 11-9

s Jake Miller passes the ball to a teammate.

Arts & Entertainment

Buddha Bowls: by Madison Donahue-Wolfe STAFF WRITER

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

FRESH, LOCAL, AND

AFFORDABLE

Buddha Bowls, the latest restaurant to open its doors to the residents of Isla Vista, offers a unique option for those craving fresh, local ingredients. Located near the corner of Embarcadero del Mar and Pardall, Buddha Bowls features organic whole wheat and sourdough bread bowls and a diverse menu of ingredients to choose from. Meat lovers will enjoy the BBQ and Shwarma Bowls, which each feature seasoned chicken served with fresh veggies. Vegetarians or those simply seeking a meat-free alternative have a variety of bowls to choose from, as five out of the seven Buddha Bowls are meatless. The Pizza, Greens, Shroom, and Mellow Bowls all highlight fresh fruits and veggies produced from local Santa Barbara distributors. In addition, those wanting to cut the carbs have the option of going breadless for any bowl. A perfect option for this is the Mellow Bowl, which serves fresh Photos by John Clow | Staff Photographer fruit, yogurt, and granola in a half melon. The Greens Bowl at Buddha Bowls. I chose what currently seems to be the most popular option, the Pizza Bowl. About 10 minutes after I placed my order, the warm and toasted Pizza Bowl arrived at my table. Melted mozzarella cheese layered the top of the bowl, with tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, and spinach lying underneath. All of the food, including the vegetables, were warm, and remained warm the entire time I ate. The mix of the vegetables made a good sauce in which to dip the crunchy sourdough bread. The freshness of the vegetables also stood out to me, as each bite was juicy and flavorful. The Pizza Bowl itself was a good size, about 6 inches in diameter, and after I was finished I didn’t feel too full or starved—it was the perfect amount. What really stood out to me was the restaurant’s commitment to local, sustainable ingredients. Owner Daniel Dunietz stresses the importance of not serving food he wouldn’t eat himself. “My goal is to do purely sustainable, local food,” said Dunietz. “All of the food is from distributors around here, and my ultimate goal is to go straight to farms myself.” Buddha Bowls gets its produce from The Berry Man, a local distributor centered in downtown Santa Barbara. The whole wheat and sourdough bread arrives fresh daily from Our Daily Bread, a bakery that has been operating in Santa Barbara since 1981. Buddha Bowls’ commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients makes the bowls themselves that much more flavorful and enjoyable. I have few negative things to say about Buddha Bowls, but these following comments are just slight inconveniences. The music, although it added well to the laidback atmosphere of the restaurant, was a tad too loud The Mellow Bowl, one of the breadless bowls. and made it a little difficult to hear numbered orders, and there were a couple times when orders were given to the wrong person, although the friendly staff corrected their errors very quickly. The price is a sticky subject, as everyone has their own opinion on how much food in Isla Vista should cost. My Pizza Bowl cost $7.50, including tax. Other bowls that contain meat, such as the BBQ and Shwarma Bowls, go for a little more—$7.95, not including tax. That may seem a little pricey for some, considering the bowl is 6 inches wide, but taking into account the high quality of the ingredients, I personally found the price reasonable. So, is Buddha Bowls worth a visit? Definitely. The friendly staff and good food will leave you feeling satisfied, and considering the ingredients are fresh and local, the bowls are reasonably priced. The healthy options offered won’t fill you with regret afterwards either. I fully enjoyed my Buddha Bowls experience.

ALBUM REVIEWS: Eminem’s Latest LP an Emotional, Compelling Triumph

Photo Courtesy | www.spin.com by Julia Frazer STAFF WRITER “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” is a hypnotic offering that is classic Eminem. With his trademark slick rhymes and powerful rhythms, Eminem deftly balances moments of comedy with lyricism. This latest album, which is Eminem’s eighth, is a sequel to his third studio album, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” and it has been one of the most anticipated albums of 2013. Marshall Mathers III, better known by his stage name Eminem and his alter ego Slim Shady, is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Eminem, who exploded into popularity in the early 2000s, was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as 82nd on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time; the magazine also declared him the King of Hip Hop. With “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” Eminem continues his legacy. The songs on this album feature artists Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, fun.’s Nate Ruess, and frequent collaborator Skylar Grey in his songs. Themes similar to those found in previous albums, such as family and heartbreak, resonate throughout the LP. In “Bad Guy,” Eminem opens his album with a continuation of the compelling tale begun with his hit “Stan.” This time, Eminem raps about Stan’s bitter brother, Matthew Mitchell. He skillfully shifts his pitch and cadence from perspective to perspective, creating a compelling song that is one of the best of the album. “Survival” is currently a top 20 single on the Hot 100. Punctuated by electric guitar riffs, the song is a brashly confident assessment of Eminem’s abilities. “They said I was washed up and got a blood bath / I’m not a rapper; I’m an adapter / I can adjust / Plus I can just walk up to a mic and just bust,” he boasts in the catchy single...

The Bottom Line: 8/10 The Growlers’ ‘Gilded Pleasures’ is Sonic Bullion

Bank Burner Records’ and Dante Elephante’s First Record Release Party a Success by Chris Ortega Aimed at promoting and releasing music by local talent, University of California, Santa Barbara’s campus radio station 91.9 KCSB-FM has expanded its brand with the start of its very own record label, Bank Burner Records. The label held a free, allages record release party and fundraiser for the debut of Dante Elephante’s first 7-inch record this past Saturday, Nov. 9, at Del Pueblo Café. The night was significant for both parties involved, as it was the announcement of Bank Burner Records and the debut of Dante Elephante. The event originally had the band That Ghost planned to open the night in support of Dante Elephante, but for unstated reasons, the band had to cancel and was replaced by groups Cave Babies and Remambran. The two acts, whose members are affiliated with KCSB, played two short, minimal sets and were followed by the Sun Daes. Cave Babies is the solo project of Joshua Redman, a KCSB DJ, who played short quirky songs on a ukulele. He strummed along and sang some tongue-in-cheek songs about partying and “being green” while the crowd sat on the floor to watch him up close. He played around 10 songs, each about two minutes in length. Composed of clever and touching lyrics, the set was an intimate start to the night. Remambran, made up of KCSB DJ Mallory Watje leading on guitar and UCSB’s Paul Ray backing on drums, followed Cave Babies with another short set. The rock duo played dark and moody songs, which contrasted the music before and thereafter. The dissonant sounding guitar parts and thumping drums accompanied the crooning vocals of singer Watje. The third band, Sun Daes, is a four-piece surf rock band composed of JD Severino on bass, Jared Payzant on drums, Gabe Poissant on guitar and vocals, and Max Goldenstein on guitar and vocals. Featuring lead and backup guitars, heavy bass lines, vocals, and backbeats of the drum, the band picked up the pace with their fast and cheery songs. While most of the songs had an overall sunny disposition, the songs varied in composition and feeling. Some were mellow

Photo Courtesy | uclaradio.com by Giuseppe Ricapito IV BEAT REPORTER

Photos by Margarita Baliyan | Staff Photographer From left: Ruben Zarate, Chris Lopez, Kevin Boutin, and Tommy Devoy, of Dante Elephante. and others loud and frenetic, and the variety made the set a pleasure to watch. The guitars were a standout of the group, as they played very melodic lines that nicely accompanied each other throughout the set. Similar in theory, Sun Daes provided a good preview of what was to come. Headliner Dante Elephante arrived to an eager crowd that seemed to be very familiar with them, as the crowd became ecstatic once they began to play. Dante Elephante consists of Tommy Devoy on drums, Chris Lopez on bass, Ruben Zarate on guitar and vocals, and Kevin Boutin on guitar and vocals. The band’s indie, surf, pop rock music immersed the venue with energy, playing a number of jovial, up-tempo songs. Made up of jangly and glittering guitars, their music brought the crowd so much excitement that hardly anyone was standing still. The four-piece band played the two songs off of their newly released vinyl, along with some older songs, much to the delight of the crowd. Many, in fact, were dancing in union to the fast pace of the music, throwing balloons in the air, and two revelers even crowd surfed. The band rocked the place with wonderful tunes and sent everyone home happily. The concert and fundraiser was a success, giving away a total of 20 records to those that donated $15 or more. “We accepted a $40 donation from a

community member who had read about it in the paper and who dropped by the cafe just to show support for our initiative. She didn’t stay for the live set,” said KCSB’s Development Coordinator Ted Coe. “She was an elder member of our community, so that was a treat!” If this show was any indication of what Bank Burner Records is going to deliver, then the label certainly has a bright future ahead of it.

The Growlers’ new EP, “Gilded Pleasures/Not Psych,” is a nine-song compilation of intoxicating, laid-back surf rock—a perfect accompaniment to the nighttime lapping of ocean waves. From the caterwauling, reverb-soaked opener, “Dogheart II,” to the introverted tidal glimmer of “Nobody Owns You,” “Gilded Pleasures” hovers around your head like a shimmering, but ultimately transient, hallucination. The Growlers roll in like a coral-crusted Merry Pranksters from the first echoing chord. But their dazzling sonic veneer disguises an opaque and no-bullshit lyrical abstraction that is rife with aphorisms, testaments to love, and lessons of living well. On the traipsing luau groove of “Tell It How It Is,” singer Brooks Nielsen speaks to the internal absolution of an outcast—“Its alright, tell ‘em how it is / Even though it don’t make you popular / Sometimes you gotta be a dick / You don’t have to roll over…” The Growlers’ greatest strength in this EP is their undeniable authenticity. Each song encapsulates a personality that a listener can project into reality. The kaleidoscopic range of songs, even those telling stories of fictional characters, conveys prescient and genuine themes. The EP’s alternate title, “Not Psych,” may also be a comment on the persistent categorization of The Growlers’ sound as psychedelic. This attribution is difficult to ignore, but to the band’s eclectic credit, they continue an exploration into the sounds of outlaw country as well as rhythm and blues. Nielsen and lead guitarist Matt Taylor are like the bohemian heritage of Robert Gordon and Link Wray. The vocals of both musical pairs complement the music and vice versa, but unlike the 1970s rockabilly duo, The Growlers are a band...

The Bottom Line: 8/10 UCSB alum and Isla Vistan Remambran performed first, getting the crowd in the perfect mood for the rest of the show.

Want to read the full reviews? Check them out at thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu.

Science & Tech

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

UCSB Professor Develops New Generation of Space Cameras Superconductors Pave the Way for More Accurate Images of Our Galaxy and the Universe Beyond by Sam Goldman STAFF WRITER Benjamin Mazin, an assistant professor in the University of California, Santa Barbara physics department, has developed an array of detectors for capturing new frequencies of electromagnetic radiation from space with superconductors. The detectors, which are an improvement on microwave kinetic inductance detectors, or MKIDs, that first began to be developed around 13 years ago, refine superconductivity’s sensitivity for collecting photons. Super-cooled to temperatures a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, Mazin’s detectors can eliminate much of the thermal background noise that produces a margin of error in the detection of radiation and broadens the range of MKIDs into the more energetic wavelengths that our eyes work at. Previously, astronomers created images of the universe with chargedcoupled device detectors (CCDs) that used semiconductors. Imaging objects in space is not as easy as taking a picture; many cosmic objects do not emit light that can be seen by the naked eye, and so images are built using readings from radiation detectors. In CCDs, an incoming photon knocks an election out of its orbital and the detector measures that particular electron. Detectors utilizing semiconductors can only operate at

longer wavelengths; however, Mazin’s MKIDs work in the optical range because of their unprecedented sensitivity. “In a superconductor, when that photon comes in, it disturbs the equivalent of thousands of these electrons that were originally in Cooper pairs, and then they end up in these free electrons,” Mazin said. “So it makes a lot more excitations that you can measure.” “It has more to do with the operating temperature and what the thermal noise background is and taking advantage of the lower thermal noise at low temperatures to learn more about every individual photon,” he added, referring to how the vibration of particles above extremely low temperatures can somewhat obscure the incoming radiation’s footprint on the detector. Though there are different phenomena that these detectors can study depending on technology’s specific application, Mazin is currently using them to observe objects that emit radiation at sub-millimeter wavelengths: object such as white dwarfs, black holes, and neutron stars. One area that Mazin is using the detectors for is the search and study of exoplanets; because the detectors can narrow its focus down to the optical range, it can block out, with the help of an instrument called a coronagraph, the light of exoplanets’ stars and find and focus on the planets themselves.

Photo by John Clow | Staff Photographer

Professor Ben Mazin working on the Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors. The detector itself, known specifically as the Array Camera for Optical to Near-infrared Spectrophotometry (ARCONS), has a 20-by-20-inch field of view for observations, according to RedOrbit. Mazin, an astrophysicist, predominantly builds detectors for instruments in telescopes. After making subsequent observations with the telescopes, he writes up papers and goes back to repeat and refine the process. His graduate thesis was some of the original work done with MKIDs. “The technology’s been under development since about 2000,” Mazin

8.8 Billion Planets could Potentially Support Life, Scientists Say by Peter Crump Forget about hyper-drive and phasers for moment, and let’s just figure out if there is indeed life—or the potential for it to develop—on other planets for us to explore at all. Thankfully, astronomers from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Hawaii have come one step closer to answering this question using NASA data: are we alone in the universe? In our galaxy alone, about 8.8 billion planets could potentially prove otherwise. According to USnews.com, scientists used data from 42,000 stars that NASA’s Kepler spacecraft observed to estimate the existence of billions of earth like planets within “habitable” or “Goldilocks zones.” These zones are specific areas around a star where climate and temperature on a planet’s surface are optimal to keep water in its liquid state, thereby providing the means to sustain life. Of those 42,000 stars, 603 had planets orbiting them, though only 10 of those planets appeared to be earth-like in size and distance away from a star, but not necessarily similar in composition, according to the Atlantic Wire. While 10 planets may not seem promising, the observation was only from a sample of 42,000 stars in the Milky Way. There are about 20 billion sun-like stars in our galaxy alone, about one in five stars altogether, and an estimated 8.8 billion planets that could potential support life. That’s not to mention that there are billions of separate galaxies,

each with billions of more stars. “With tens of billions of these water-laden Earth-size planets, surely some of them have all the necessary attributes of life,” Geoffrey Marcy of UCB, one of the lead scientists in the research, told Bloomberg.com. “Just in our…galaxy alone, that’s 8.8 billion throws of the biological dice.” Despite the immensity of our galaxy, don’t think this doesn’t hit close to home. “The nearest Sun-like star with an Earth-size planet in its habitable zone is probably only 12 light years away and can be seen with the naked eye,” said Erick Petigura, a graduate student at the UCB involved in the research. According to USnews.com, this is still an astronomical distance away by today’s standards, but minuscule considering the vastness of space. So what’s the next step for scientists? The Kepler space telescope has just recently been retired, but scientists are now aiming to have successor space telescopes take photographs of individual planets located within these “habitable zones” and to analyze their atmosphere to determine whether or not they can harbor life, according to the Atlantic Wire. But in the meantime, scientists still have a years’ worth of Kepler data to study and analyze. While this discovery certainly sheds new light on the existence of life in the universe, we’re still far from anything concrete.

PLANETS ALIGNED Kepler’s sample size included 42,000 stars

42K

608 of those had planets orbiting them

608

10 were Earth-like in size and distance

With 20 billion sun-like stars in the Milky Way, there could be up to 8.8 billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy.

said. “I did my thesis on the basis of the technology and then I came to UCSB in 2008 and have been working steadily since to get it to this point. And we had our first light in the telescope about two years ago. It takes a long time to go from the very basic paper concept to ironing out all the wrinkles and getting the thing on the sky and taking science data. So it took about a decade to do all that.” Though the new detectors are a considerable improvement on already well-established technology, Mazin asserts that they are still too cuttingedge for anything other than strict

research. However, they may become available for broader scientific applications in the future. “I think it could be a technology that’s present at every observatory in 10 or 15 years,” Mazin said. “It’s sort of at the place now where CCDs were in the late 70s, where there are one or two around the world and people are just learning about how to use them and how powerful they can be. But I can see them spreading very quickly because they offer significant advantages for a lot of different kinds of observations.”

Prison Break: Jailbreaking an iPhone

Illustration by Amanda Excell | The Bottom Line by Ben Fan Since the advent of the iOS on handheld devices like the iPod touch and the iPhone, technologically adept users have found a way to get around the stock operating system, enhancing the quality of their products through a method known as jailbreaking. However, few are aware of exactly what it takes to circumvent the locks placed on these products. According to David Wang, a developer from the jailbreaking team “evad3rs,” it’s a multiple-step process. First, the team of developers essentially impersonates iTunes in order to be able to communicate with devices that use iOS. They are allowed to access control settings that users normally would not be able to access—most notably a file that has to do with the time zone of the device. From here, a “symbolic link” is inserted that allows the developers to use a program called Launch Daemon, or “launchd,” for short, to cut in front of the standard iOS boot up and use applications that require “root” priorities. Generally speaking, root access is the term for being able to modify and change any part of the operating system. After this is done, developers subvert another iOS safeguard called code-signing, which requires an unforgeable signature on code that is running in the operating system. Developers create applications that basically have no visible code, signed or unsigned, and instead use a Unix technique called “shebang” that uses code from an already existing, signed application. It uses the aforementioned “launchd” to create a remount command that, simply put, allows the jailbroken app to work on the device. Finally, a “launchd.conf ” file is made to configure the launchd command, making it a repeatable procedure, and thus rendering the jailbreak constantly in effect, regardless of whether the

device is restarted or not. From here, adding the finishing touch of the Apple Mobile File Integrity Daemon (AMFID) allows the unapproved apps to return an “approved” answer to the Apple signature checks. As for the actual pros and cons of jailbreaking, most users see the pros outweighing the cons by far. The pros include having access to a trove of new apps that are not offered in the App Store, free tethering—allowing the user to use his or her phone as a modem to connect to the Internet with a laptop or a computer—and access to a slew of customizations that normal iPhone users would never be able to use. Also, people who jailbreak their iPhones can go from carrier to carrier, as long as they switch over to the SIM card of that service provider. The cons, however, involve compromising the security of the iPhone and running the risk of bricking, or rendering the iPhone completely useless. Also, if the jailbreaking application is not made well, system instability may occur, causing the phone to malfunction. Terrance Chang, a second-year actuarial science major who has used an iPhone for two years, said that he has not jailbroken his iPhones in the past and does not plan to do it in the future. “There is no benefit for me to jailbreak my iPhone due to the fact that I use my iPhone solely for the purpose of calling and texting,” said Chang. “I am content with what I have, so there is no incentive for me to go through the hassle of jailbreaking.” As for the future of jailbreaking, it does not seem like the new iOS is stopping hackers and developers from figuring out ways of bypassing Apple’s measures of security. Currently, it appears that jailbreaking iPhones holds the greatest—and most convenient—reward for the user.

Opinions

The Bottom Line | Nov. 13 - Nov. 19

Is Anti-Rape Wear Empowering or a Little Backward? Lexi Weyrick Staff Writer It’s no secret that rape culture has been around since the dawn of patriarchal societies. In recent times, more attention has been brought to the hugely problematic views on what constitutes rape and how victims are seen in society. Statistics, however, have not changed, and there is still a massive problem with rape internationally as well as in the United States. Women are constantly blamed for being raped by both men and women. The fact that rape jokes are even a thing such as one that has recently gone viral on Twitter, “Why are girls so scared of rape? Y’all should feel pride that a guy risked his life in jail just to f**k you,” is a mark of how far we are from being a society that supports victims and survivors of rape. Very few women report their attacks as a result of the dissemination of the idea that women lie about trauma for attention—since all women and feminists are just hysterical, right? In response to the very real issue of women’s safety, AR Wear has come out with anti-rape underwear. The user has a combination to release the waist band, and the thigh bands lock in place after being set by the wearer. The underwear cannot be torn or cut with either scissors or a knife, nor can the bands be shifted aside to grant any kind of access, making the underwear

a fortress for genitals. At first, this product seems like a great idea. Women do have to fear being assaulted, and how great would it be to be able to walk around Isla Vista at night, possibly intoxicated, and not fear for your own sexual safety? On second thought, however, the underwear is absolutely terrifying. The message AR Wear is sending is that women need to be so afraid of assault that they need to wear combinationlocked underwear. Furthermore, the designers cite a study done on behalf of American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology that indicates women who put up a struggle are less likely to endure a completed rape while not increasing the violence of the attack. The study also mentions that this does not mean there is not a violent attack still occurring; it simply states the violence of the already occurring attack will not be increased by women putting up a physical fight. The message is also faulty in that, according to PBS.org, struggling only decreases the chance of a completed rape by 50 percent. As such, women who do not put up a physical fight in a terrifying situation should not be told they should have fought back, because the avoidance strategy does not guarantee an incomplete rape attempt. Now there is something to be said for the fact that women can feel safe from a completed rape in the under-

wear. There is an element of empowerment for women wearing the garment, as well as clearly defining that women are not “asking for it.” Again, though, it’s almost as if it is solely the victim’s responsibility to not be raped, rather than the attacker’s responsibility to not rape. Finally, while extremely effective in making sure there is not a completed rape, the only way for an attacker to be deterred from raping the wearer is to assault them, render them powerless, and then realize their underwear is locked. The user is still undergoing the trauma of being seen as an object, of being humiliated in an incredibly personal way, and losing their power over their own body. In order to truly stop rape culture in America, and everywhere for that matter, there needs to be a massive paradigm shift in society. Education is at the core of changing what is acceptable. Instead of funding anti-rape wear and seminars that ineffectively teach women how not to be raped, that money should be going toward educating children on what consent is—and what it means—at their first sex-education class in elementary school with continued education on the subject throughout health classes. AR Wear itself describes the underwear as a temporary fix; however, instead of putting Band-Aids on a deep societal wound, we need to start stitching together the torn fragments of female sexuality.

Illustration by Amanda Excell | The Bottom Line

Advertisements for Agriculture:

Illustration by Beth Askins | The Bottom Line

Welcome Back To The Mainstream, Pastoral America by Andrea Webber The average individual is exposed to about 5,000 advertisements a day, according to Jay Walker- Smith, president of the Marketing Firm Yankelovich. Services and producers are in a brutal war for our attention, and broccoli now wants a piece of it as well. This classic vegetable is partnering with advertising firm Victor Spoils in an attempt to revamp its image and reappear on American dinner plates in a big way. With such a large campaign underway for the humble vegetable, as consumers, should we be embarrassed? Broccoli, or any vegetable for that matter, is nothing new. Has our modern American diet become so poor and lacking in these staples that vegetable producers are desperate to remind us of their existence? There is little hope in sugar coating it—the answer seems to be yes. As reported by the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, only 5 percent of Americans younger than 50 are consuming the recommended amount of vegetables established by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and those 50 years and older are only getting 10 to 25 percent. The majority of Americans are eating less than half of the number of vegetables

as they should and reception to fruit is not much better. Over half of the fruit consumed is not from the fiber-based fruit but from its juice, which is often categorized with soda due to its high calorie and sugar content. Sadly our neglect has caught up to us. Three years ago, diet topped smoking as the number one threat for disease and death in the United States according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It appears that broccoli’s anticipated comeback is long overdue, but has Victor Spoils bitten off more than they can chew? Is it really possible for advertising campaigns to reintroduce the long lost vegetables into our fat and sugar laden diets? Let’s be honest, health messages are always outdone by junk food ads. We are not a society of idiots, just addicts. We may know that produce is beneficial for our health, but the sheer number of messages that we get on a daily basis tends to lean us in the wrong direction. However, there are signs that change may be on its way. At the first White House conference on marketing food to children this last September, Michelle Obama stated, “The average child watches thousands of food advertisements each year, and 86 percent of these ads are for products loaded with sugar, fat, salt.” Our first lady commended efforts by fruit and vegetable

companies to mimic the processed-food industry’s advertising strategies such as using popular characters and celebrities to advocate and promote their products and there are positive results. Last year, Birds Eye began a marketing campaign using the characters from the popular children’s show “iCarly,” and in turn within two months sales jumped 20 percent. Similar results were seen when Sesame Street conducted a study on children where stickers with Sesame Street characters were placed on apples. Consumption was 27 percent higher on those apples with stickers than the same apples without the stickers. With these types of results occurring with small scale efforts, a large campaign like the one Victor Spoils intends to take on is hopeful. Change may indeed be on its way and embracement is strongly encouraged. Last year the University of California, Santa Barbara students shared a proud moment when we were announced the 15th healthiest college nationwide by web-based health resource Greatist. However, that ranking was short lived. This year the same list of the top 25 healthiest college campuses was released, and we failed to make the cut. So as the broccoli crusade sweeps the nation, don’t ignore it. We have a lot of room improvement, and even more potential. Be healthy and eat your veggies, my fellow Gauchos.

‘Humans of New York’: Changing Perceptions of Crowds One Face At A Time by Judy Lau

Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York (HONY), began taking and posting pictures of various New Yorkers in the summer of 2010. Although his website has only been around for three years, Stanton has outdone himself in revealing the vulnerable nature of his subjects. With the world around us moving so quickly, it is easy to forget that there are real people out there with real problems. Stanton states in an interview with ABC News that many people are more willing to open up and talk to a kind stranger about their lives and struggles than to someone close to them. That statement alone shows that although we are well informed members of society, people often forget about individual issues. However, Stanton believes that “if you break

the crowd into pieces and break the armor that is hidden on the outside until the honesty spills out, the city softens,” showing that there is a kinder side to people. Just last week, Stanton had set up a campaign for a local New York family to bring home a boy named Richard from an orphanage in Ethiopia. The family needed $26,000 to bring him home; within an hour, over 1,000 strangers had donated enough money to help meet the family’s goal. The fact that so many people poured in money for a family they did not know is a personal reminder of the kindness that people are capable of giving to others—even complete strangers. This is just one example of the kind acts that strangers provide to those in need. It shows that people are seeing strangers in a new light, and that HONY appeals to the emotional and empathetic side of humans. People want to make

a difference, no matter how small, in someone else’s life. This serves as a reminder that there are good people in the world—people who care. Thousands look at Stanton’s photos and blogs on a daily basis to see the latest story and photo. HONY, as stated by one man lounging on a park bench, “is one of the only things keeping people from getting lost in the matrix.” Originally, Stanton had planned to end his project once he had reached 10,000 photographs. However, as he continued, as stated in an interview with the Daily Beast, he found that having thousands of conversations with people in the street about their lives has evolved him because he’s absorbed their experiences and learned from them. As viewers increase and word of the project becomes stronger, it can be seen that there is slow but steady shift in the mindset of society. Although many of the portraits are from

people based in New York, in an interview with Glasscord Magazine, Stanton states that he’s “done these portraits in several cities, and does not find New Yorkers as a whole to be different from any other populace.” With this in mind, it can be shown that despite New Yorkers being the main focus, there are people who are kind and care on a global level. New Yorkers, and people in general, are seen as abrasive and uninterested on the surface. Stanton’s photos do not make people suddenly become kinder; rather, he brings out a side of them that has been hidden from those outside their immediate circle of relations. Stanton’s HONY project is more than just a fad. It serves as a reminder to people of New York and all across America that despite the seemingly distant, cold, and unfriendly environment of a big city, people all over the world are honest and kind by nature.