Volume 9, Issue 5

Volume 9, Issue 5 | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

@tblucsb / thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

GIANT See some photos from Halloween in IV and Young the Giant’s performance at Delerium.

PHOTO / 4

SUPER

EBOLA

It’s Marvel vs. DC in the comic book movie franchise battle. How do they compare to each other?

The Ebola hysteria continues, so we attempted to separate the facts from the fiction.

A&E / 6

SCI & TECH / 7

Rep. Lois Capps and Richard Martinez Get Out the Vote at UCSB

Photo by Mathew Burciaga | Layout Editor Richard Martinez engages with potential voters at an event with Congressperson Lois Capps.

Gilberto Flores NATIONAL BEAT REPORTER Congresswoman Lois Capps and Richard Martinez visited the University of California, Santa Barbara campus and Isla Vista on Monday, Nov. 3, the day before the Nov. 4 midterm elections, to urge students to turn out at the polls. Martinez, father of Isla Vista shooting victim Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, joined Capps in front of the University Center to talk to student voters about the important issues either on the ballot or relevant to the campus.

With the election a day away, Capps had one message for student

voters: “just do it.”

“There’s much at stake in the world, and in our nation, and in local communities,” said Capps. “I just think it’s terrific to be associated with a campus like [UCSB] where we’ve had the highest percentage of voting students of any college campus in the country… we don’t want to let that proud tradition down.”

School spirit, said Capps, should galvanize UCSB students to go out and vote in the midterms, in addition to the issues at stake.

Capps noted that Martinez, who vehemently admonished politicians and gun rights groups in the wake of his son’s death, has been campaigning with her because he sees the

value of politicians committed to passing comprehensive gun control legislation.

Although there are no major gun control initiatives on the ballot in California, Martinez’s close connection to the tragedy in May is enough of a motivator for him to talk to UCSB students about the importance of voting in an election that has been met with much apathy from the public.

“It’s been about five months since Chris died, during those five months I’ve been in 11 states and the District of Columbia, going to places where there are gun violence issues, both in terms of candidates and also in terms of initiatives,” said

NATIONAL BEAT REPORT

High School Shooting Leaves 2 Injured and 4 Dead Gilberto Flores NATIONAL BEAT REPORTER A 15-year-old high school student opened fire at his school cafeteria at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, WA, just north of Seattle, on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014.

The assailant shot at five students before turning the gun on himself. The incident left two students injured and four dead, including the shooter.

The assailant has since been identified as Jaylen Fryberg, a popular freshman at Marysville-Pilchuck and a member of the Tulalip Indian Tribe. In the aftermath of the shooting, several students belonging to the Tulalip tribe received threats. The Tulalip Tribe issued a statement condemning Fryberg’s actions but offering support for his family in their time of loss. The statement added that the shooting was “the [act] of an individual, not a family, not a tribe”.

Prior to the shooting, it was announced that Marysville School District was one of three school districts in Washington to be selected for a $10 million dollar federal grant specifically for the purpose of improving mental health services for students.

On an Oct. 26 segment of NPR’s Weekend Edition, Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring commented on the grant. “[I]t’s a coincidence, but nevertheless, it was something they were

thinking of ahead of time. And I think it speaks highly of the district that they saw that as something that they should pay attention to.”

In the upcoming Nov. 4 midterm elections, voters in the State of Washington will be deciding between two competing gun background check initiatives. One, Initiative 594, would require background checks for every gun purchase in the state, while the other, Initiative 591, would keep the state government from establishing background checks without a uniform federal standard. Polls from early October demonstrated slightly larger support for background checks, but that support has increased substantially in the wake of the Marysville shooting. A KCTS 9 Washington poll placed support for Initiative 594, mandatory background checks for gun purchases, at 64% with 31% opposed and 3% undecided.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group, as of Oct. 24 there have been 87 school shootings since the Dec. 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

See the rest of the article online at thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

Martinez.

Martinez mentioned the major gun control legislation on the ballot in Washington State, from where he had just returned from campaigning, where a high school shooting left four teenagers dead. The measure, Initiative 594, would make background check mandatory for all gun purchases in the state.

Martinez noted that legislation like the one on the ballot in Washington, or the recently passed California State Assembly Bill AB 1014, which allows a judge to temporarily revoke someone’s access to guns if they have been determined to pose an immediate threat, goes a long way towards making a difference.

“We need to elect politicians who are going to do something,” said Martinez on his support for Rep. Capps. “It’s gonna be an embarrassment to this community if [Chris Mitchum] wins. It’s gonna say to the rest of the country that people don’t care about this issue.”

When asked how he was feeling, Martinez responded by simply saying, “Well, that’s a complicated question. But we need to get the vote out because people need to understand that you all care enough about this issue to make a difference.”

After speaking with students outside the UCen, Rep. Capps took to Isla Vista to knock on doors and urge residents to vote.

AS BEAT REPORT

Dispute Over A Bill to Re-envision the OSA Bailee Abell AS BEAT REPORTER Former Student Advocate General Bailey Loverin argued against A Bill to Re-envision the Office of the Student Advocate at the Oct. 29 meeting of the Associated Students Senate at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The bill proposes that the OSA “shall have a thorough knowledge and understanding of all student issues pertaining to University policy and shall serve to advocate for the right of all students on a campus-wide level,” and the SAG will no longer conduct individual casework for students’ personal issues. Instead, the bill proposes that there shall be a unit within the OSA dedicated to meeting with individual students, in order for the SAG to be able to focus on advocating for the student body as a whole.

Loverin expressed her disagreement with the bill during public forum.

“I think that is a huge failure when you are going to write a bill that completely changes the structure of an office that you have never, ever worked in, and none of you sitting here have never once served in the Office of the Student Advocate,” said Loverin. “You have never had a student come in to you sobbing and begging for help because they are being harassed or they are being stalked or they are being thrown out of school because someone has accused them of cheating, because they failed that class,

because someone in their family died and they need someone to help them.”

Loverin stated that it is “ridiculous” for the bill to even be considered when it is written in the AS Constitution that the SAG “shall be available to provide assistance and support to any undergraduate student and student group involved in disciplinary actions of the University of California, Santa Barbara and be empowered to challenge University policies on their behalf.”

AS President Ali Guthy stated her reasons for supporting the bill during her Executive Officer Report.

“No other executive officer conducts individual casework,” said Guthy. “You don’t have an individual student coming to my office and saying ‘I have this problem and you need to provide this direct service to me.’ Our work as executives are to advocate for the entire student body as a whole. That is why we are elected by the entire student body: so that we can address these [campus-wide] issues, not case-by-case bases.”

See AS | Page 2

2 | NEWS – AS According to Guthy, advocating for individual students is a “hinderance” to the SAG, and thus supports the creation of a new advocacy unit within the OSA, which would provide casework to individual students and allow the SAG to focus on advocating for the student body as a whole.

Despite Guthy’s support of the bill, the bill requires the Constitution to be rewritten, and it is illegal to do so without a vote of the entire

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014 Continued from page 1 UCSB student body.

Attorney General Hector Contreras stated that the the passage of the bill as it is currently written is unconstitutional, as it prevents the SAG from providing oversight to their office.

College of Creative Studies senator Liam Stanton expressed his concern with the bill.

“I definitely wouldn’t support it ever, and I think most people, as it’s written, wouldn’t,” said Stanton. “I

personally am really offended by the bill…it is unnecessary and, of course, as it is written, blatantly illegal.”

Off-Campus senator Michelle Moreh also disagreed with the bill, stating that she felt that creating a separate advocacy unit would cause the role and duties of the SAG to become obsolete.

The bill was sent to Constitution and Bylaws Committee as well as University Affairs. It is unclear when it will be up for discussion again.

Photo by Veronica Arvizo | The Bottom Line Photo by Veronica Arvizo | The Bottom Line

Former SAG Bailey Loverin passionatly discusses why she opposes the new SAG bill at the Oct. 29 -AS Senate meeting.

AS President Ali Guthy discusses her reasons for supporting A Bill to ReEnvision the Office of the Student Advocate General.

Halloween Festivities Cut Short by Rain, Heightened Police Presence Kyle Roe Isla Vista Halloween 2014 was a change of pace from the tumultuous party holidays that have made the event infamous.

According to a Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s Department press release, fewer than 40 citations were issued, and less than 40 people were booked into jail. During the 2013 Halloween celebrations, about 200 citations were issued and 250 people were booked into jail. While the official numbers of attendees have yet to be released, it is estimated that fewer than half the number of non-residents travelled to Isla Vista for the weekend’s festivities than did last year.

Non-residents, or “out-of-towners” as they are collectively known by residents of Isla Vista, account for most of the arrests and outlandish behavior. According to an advertisement placed by Senior Associate Dean of Students Debbie Fleming in the Mustang News, the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo student paper, non-residents on average comprised 90% of arrests on previous Halloween weekends.

The Halloween crowds thinned out this year, coinciding with efforts by locals to limit the scope of the celebrations. These included a far-reaching “Keep IV Safe” campaign encompassing 120 campuses, an increased law enforcement presence calling in officers from precincts all over southern California, and an on-campus concert by indie rock band Young the Giant. In addition, Isla Vista experienced a heavy downpour of rain. Del Playa Drive looked very different from prior years; the throngs of people that flock to the street every weekend were reduced to bands of par-

tiers huddling under balconies to escape the downpour. Even after the rain stopped near to midnight, partiers were few and far between.

The lack of activity this Halloween was an anomaly in Isla Vista’s history. According to accounts in campus newspapers, large Halloween celebrations started taking place in Isla Vista in late 1970s, but they did not begin attracting big crowds of non-residents until the early 1980s. Since then, the festivities have attracted around 20,000-40,000 people every year.

Second-year computer science major Will Hawkins chose to stay in during the holiday weekend.

“My preference is not to have these big events,” said Hawkins. “I would prefer to have a normal weekend, personally.”

Aside from the rain and relative calm, another factor that distinguished this weekend from others in IV was the strong police presence, even for Halloween. The entrance to Trigo Road, where the IV Foot Patrol Station in located, was blockaded from traffic by police officers. The sidewalks were lined with about 20-30 ambulances and rows of police cars, while the asphalt past the sidewalk was covered by medical tents. In the station’s gated courtyard there was a large crowd of police, between 100 to 200 officers and affiliated personnel. Past the police station was an armored SWAT vehicle belonging to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s Department and adjacent to it was a group of police horses.

For further security, many apartments were temporarily fenced off. Additionally, all of the the residence halls were equipped with a checkpoint where students needed to show

their access cards to enter.

Security was undoubtedly tight, but for some, the measures the university and law enforcement took seemed extreme.

“Obviously some restrictions are necessary, but some of them, like locking out certain residence halls, are a little over the top,” fourthyear global studies major Chris Smith said.

In reference to the police restrictions,

Hawkins said that some of the police activity was unwarranted.

“I think it’s a little excessive,” said Hawkins.

“I think the horses, the cavalry, are completely unnecessary.”

Other affiliated restrictions included 6 P.M.-7 A.M. loud music curfews and required, student and staff only, parking passes for campus parking structures over the weekend.

Middletown: A PlAy written by

will eno

directed by

toM whitAker

nov 14 – 22 UCSB PerforMing ArtS theAter

Student tickets $13 A bit like a post-Beckett Our Town, Middletown looks at the accumulation and effect of the tiny moments that make up our lives - and how we are constantly vulnerable to these tiny moments, which may in fact change the angle of our entire life, or not.

Purchase tickets online at www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu, by phone at 805.893.2064 or at the Associated Students and Theater/Dance box offices.

TBL 2014-2015 STAFF Executive Managing Editor | Marissa Perez Executive Content Editor | Matt Mersel Copy Editor | Andrea Vallone News Editor | Isabelle Geczy Features Editor | Deanna Kim Opinions Editor | Sam Goldman Arts & Entertainment Editor | Coleman Gray Science & Technology Editor | Mimi Liu Photography Editor | Lorenzo Basilio Senior Layout Editor | Morey Spellman WRITERS THIS ISSUE: Carly White, Sarah Beaver, Remle Scott, Kyle Roe, Gilberto Flores, Bailee Abell, Amy Chase, Jackie Caldwell, Gwendolyn Wu, Judy Lau, Sirarpi Topchyan

Layout Editor | Madison Donahue-Wolfe Layout Editor | Mathew Burciaga Layout Editor | Maria Nguyen Multimedia Editor | Benjamin Hurst National Beat Reporter I Gilberto Flores Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Kelsey Knorp Associated Students Beat Reporter | Bailee Abell Promotions Director | Audrey Ronningen Advertising Director | Parisa Mirzadegan

CORRECTIONS There were several misspellings in the list of contributing staff members for last week’s issues. The misspelled names are those of Bailee Abell, Montana MacLachlan, Alec Killoran, Julian Levy, Diane Ng, and Julissa Chacon. Additionally, Diane’s named was incorrect in her photo credits on page 2, and Julissa’s name was incorrect in her photo credits on page 3.

ILLUSTRATORS THIS ISSUE: Amy Chase, Hector Lizarraga PHOTOGRAPHERS THIS ISSUE: Leah Armer, Lorenzo Basilio, Veronica Arvizo, Frances Castellon, Kelly Xin, Cindy Chang, Taylor Yeerong, Mathew Burciaga

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.

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

3 | FEATURES

Running and Walking for Love, Rain or Shine Remle Scott After a wet and grueling Halloween night, the morning of Saturday, Nov. 1 left a few rain puddles for Domestic Violence Solution’s first annual “5k Run/ Walk for Love.” With over 200 runners registered for the event, local businesses and community members came out to show their support and motivate participants.

Starting at 9 AM, the 5k run/ walk began at the Goleta Beach parking lot, ran parallel along the road and beach, and finished back where it began. Signifying the start and finish of the race was a balloon arch, and the cheerleaders and drum team from Dos Pueblos High School lined the sides of it.

DVS is a nonprofit organization, or “agency,” that advocates for social change on the ideas and principles of domestic violence.

The org works with Santa Barbara County and provides resources for victims, both prevention and intervention.

Personal trainer and life motivator Jenny Schatzle, a prominent leader in the community, delivered a pre-run warm up routine for the participants as well as a few words of motivation.

“A lot of the runners are survivors. There was a women who was murdered and the family and friends came out today for support,” said Associate Executive Director Marsha Marcoe. Alexandra Tang, a 24-year-old woman

native to Santa Barbara, and a recent graduate of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend at his mom’s home in Laguna Hills. In her memory, Tang’s family and friends registered for the event, continuing to bring awareness to such issues of domestic violence.

The fundraising event was set up in a way for teams or individuals to register and raise money leading up to the morning of the run.

District Attorney Joyce Dudley started the team “District Attorneys for DVSolutions” and participated in the run with her daughter. The organization and event welcomed all ages, families, and people from various backgrounds

to come together, raise awareness, and support each other. Another note-worthy team, representing the Greek community of UCSB, was “Beta Theta Pi Challenges Gamma Phi Beta,” which rose over their goal amount with $285.

“With recent issues with sports players and other high profile cases, it’s important to shed light and support on domestic violence,” said Matt Capritto, owner of Caribbean Coffee Company. Capritto’s local business came out on the morning of the event and handed out free coffee and tea for the runners and supporters of the event, but he doesn’t stop there. “We also donate 5% of our profits to philanthropy to supports organizations like DMS and Vow4mal.”

Vow4mal is a non-profit that sets out to prevent drinking and driving in the community. The local business has been around for 26 years and continues to “give back to nonprofit organizations doing wonderful work in the world locally and globally.”

In addition to Caribbean Coffee Company, many other businesses in the community sponsored the event, including Backyard Bowls, The Natural Café, and The SB Bar. With a high goal of $200,000, DVS’ 5k Run/Walk raised $65,426. The proceeds contribute to the services DVS provides for the victims of domestic violence and for the commitment of positive social change on such issues.

Active Minds: Eliminating the Stigma on Mental Illness Sarah Beaver STAFF WRITER Mental illness should never be something that is mocked or seen in a negative light. People struggle every day with mental health disorders, and it is this demeaning and destructive behavior and way of thinking that causes individuals to feel shut out.

Aiming to eliminate this recognizable stigma associated with mental health disorders is Active Minds, an Office of Student Life (OSL) registered club on campus.

The co-presidents for this year are fourth-year psychology major Lilia Goldenberg, third-year psychology major Melissa Boomer, and fourthyear psychology and communications double major Carly Chianese.

Active Minds is a national organization, now international with a chapter in Australia, that was started by Alison Malmon in 2003.

When her brother Brian took his own life, she decided to start a chapter at the University of Pennsylvania to spread awareness about mental health. There are chapters across the nation, and though it is not limited to colleges, the focus is to start these chapters on college campuses.

“I decided to be in Active Minds when I went to a Berkeley med program in high school, and a speaker told us about it,” said Goldenberg who wants to be a clinical psycholo-

Photo by Frances Castellon | The Bottom Line Co-presidents Melissa Boomer and Lilia Goldenberg jump for joy outside the SRB as they promote their Active Minds club. gist. “When I came to University of the walls that surround what is and done that proves that Active Minds California, Santa Barbara, I joined isn’t appropriate to talk about.” reduces the stigma in their memthe club, and it was everything I was The club educates their mem- bers. passionate about.” bers about mental health and enEveryone is encouraged to atOne of the main aspects of Ac- courages discussion that is gener- tend Active Minds meetings; the tive Minds is to create a safe space ally considered “unacceptable” in a club is not only geared towards for students to discuss metal health, public setting. By beginning with psychology majors. Another aspect starting with their meetings. “I college students and these small of the club is to connect students joined my freshman year and found meetings, they hope to create a with other campus organizations, people that I could really relate to discussion that goes outside of the some of which include Health and and be comfortable around,” said meeting space. Goldenberg said Wellness and Counseling and PsyBoomer. “We are breaking down that there has even been a study chological Services. The Disabled

Students Program (DSP) also consults with Active Minds as needed.

There is no reason mental illness should only be talked about in a private setting, and to push the boundaries, Active Minds will put on an event like nothing they have hosted in the past.

Held in collaboration with Associated Students and the Commission on Student Well Being, “Stigma Free UCSB” will be held in Storke Plaza on Thursday, Nov. 13 from 12 to 5 PM. There will be booths from student organizations of all backgrounds, not just psychology-based clubs, that wish to show their support of a stigmafree campus.

The first part of the event will be a mental wellness fair from 12 to 2 PM, with activities and games, such as Tai Chi and yoga. The second half will feature a TED Talk presentation and panel from community members who will share their knowledge and stories. A meditation leader will wrap up the event, so that the participants can relax and reflect.

“This event is new for us” said Boomer. “It takes us out of the quiet space we usually have, but we want it to be fun as well.”

Everyone is encouraged to attend the event, and all are welcome to join the club. Active Minds meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7 PM in the Student Resource Building in the OSL Conference Room.

Kati Marton Speaks About Holocaust Survival and ‘The Great Escape’ Carly White Corwin Pavilion was packed last Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, due to an appearance by former NPR and ABC News correspondent Kati Marton. At the event, put on by University of California, Santa Barbara’s Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, she spoke of her inspiring book “The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World.”

Marton was born in Hungary to two prominent Hungarian journalists. Her grandparents were killed in Auschwitz, but her parents were survivors of the Holocaust. Later, her parents were put in Soviet prison under false charges of spying for the U.S., leaving her and her sister in the care of strangers when they were very young. Her family fled to the U.S., where they settled in Maryland. Without speaking English, Marton left her home country at a young age and has managed to have a very meaningful life.

In her adult life, Marton has written eight bestselling novels. UCSB religious studies professor Richard Hecht, who moderated the event, said, “She can tell a story and make you feel like you are there with her and her subjects.”

Marton has also been a reporter for a long list of impressive media outlets, includ-

ing ABC News, Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio, The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and The New Republic.

When Marton is not busy being a bestselling author or an award-winning journalist, she is an international human rights advocate. Marton has worked with the International Women’s Health Coalition, Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict at the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Rescue Committee, the New America Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, P.E.N. International, the Authors Guild, and is on the board for Central European University.

Marton came to UCSB through the Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Foundation Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies to discuss her book, “The Great Escape.” Marton said to the crowd at Corwin Pavilion, “The story that I’m about to tell you is absolutely familiar to me. The lives of the men that I portray in ‘The Great Escape,’ nine extraordinary men from my home town of Budapest who in no exaggeration I can say changed our world, changed America.”

Marton’s book is allows us a glimpse into

Photo by Leah Armer | The Bottom Line Program Director Leonard Wallock introduces Kati Marton.

the lives of nine men who were born in Budapest, Hungary around 1900, a time when the city was one of the fastest growing cities in the world. This rapid growth called for human capitol, and it was one of the first times in history where Jews were able to reach their high ambitions. This generation was well aware of the rare opportunity they were receiving and took full advantage of it.

She counted 14 Nobel laureates produced in Hungary, as well as several of the most influential musicians and conductors of the 20th century.

“Like the nine men I portray, I am very aware I wasn’t born into this society,” said Marton. She says a “darkness fell” over Europe in 1920 when Hungary passed the first anti-Semitic legislation. Following the legislation, each of the nine men made their way away from the grasp of Hitler and on to America.

The grand men Marton speaks of include Leo Szilard, Edward Teller, and Eugene Wigner, scientists who enlisted the help of Albert Einstein to alert Roosevelt of Germany’s attempts to build the atomic bomb and became involved with the Manhattan Project. John von Neuman was also very involved in the Manhattan Project, and is well known for his work in developing computers. She spoke of Arthur Koestler, a promi-

nent author who wrote the book “Darkness at Noon,” which Marton describes as “tearing the face off socialism.” She mentioned Robert Capa, the first photographer ashore on D-Day, and Andre Kertesz, who were crucial in the development of photojournalism. She spoke about Alexander Korda, who made wartime propaganda for Churchill, and lastly, Michael Curtiz who made classic films such as “Casablanca.”

Just as communism had uprooted her family, fascism had uprooted the men she has chosen to commemorate in her book.

“The story of these men was really in my bloodstream,” she said. Marton was able to relate to their feeling of loneliness that can only result from exile from one’s home country. This trauma was what helped motivate these men to do great things, according to Marton. Although they may have never been truly happy, Marton says, “the gifts that they left us and the lives that they lived were absolutely breathtaking.”

Marton has lived such an involved life because she believes, “We are more or less duty bound to take part in the big issues of the day.” According to Marton, Hungary needs help accepting their history, and her book serves as a window into its past. She said, “History is who we are, and we owe it to the next generation to teach them history.”

Photo by Leah Armer | The Bottom Line Author Kati Marton recounts the lives of the nine survivors she discussed in her book.

4 | PHOTO

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

FMLYBND opens for Young the Giant at the Delirium Concert last Friday.

YOUNG

All Photos by Lorenzo Basilio | Photo Editor Jacob Tilley of Young the Giants plays the guitar dressed as a baby.

UCSB students smile on as Young the Giant performs.

THE

Sameer Gadhia sings his heart out.

GIANT

Young the Giant entertains the crowd at the Delirium Concert.

5 | PHOTO

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

HALLOWEEN 2014

Photo by Kelly Xin | The Bottom Line Seven Jabbawockeezs pose for the camera.

UCSB students, undeterred by Friday night's downpour, flooded the streets of Isla Vista in celebration of Halloween weekend.

Photo by Kelly Xin | The Bottom Line Four Tetris pieces pose for the crowds.

Photo by Kelly Xin | The Bottom Line A gorilla scares a costumed banana.

Photo by Kelly Xin | The Bottom Line Local police officers ride through Del Playa on Saturday night.

Photo by Cindy Chang | The Bottom Line Students roamed the streets of Isla Vista in various costumes.

Photo by Kelly Xin | The Bottom Line Captain America proudly shows his costume.

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

Delirium: A Good Event With Even Greater Potential Sarah Beaver STAFF WRITER The early part of Halloween night was a bit inconspicuous, as many of the Delirium and Young the Giant concert-goers had to stand in the rain for what seemed like an eternity (which in reality was probably about 10 minutes) before the doors finally opened and the line was let into the “Thunderdoom.”

For those that did get there at 8:30 P.M., there were no performers, but there were a few activities, a photo booth, and refreshments.

Once inside, at the “mocktail” bar, you could order drinks such as Bone Juice, Spider Cider, Zombie Tonic, and Batsbrew. Other booths featured tarot card and palm readers, caricature artists, and make-up artists. There was also a chance for students to enter into a drawing for free t-shirts and a free iPad. It was a cute setup, but very reminiscent of a high school dance, and it would have been nice if there was actual food, not just candy.

FMLYBND (pronounced like “family band”), opened for the main attraction, and came on at around 10 P.M. FMLYBND are a local band with an electronic sound that have played across the country, but they returned to their Isla Vista home for this Halloween event. They seemed to be having some technical difficulties at first but went on anyway, and performed admirably. The crowd seemed to enjoy them, and they did a good job getting the crowd hyped up for the main attraction.

Young the Giant came onstage scantily clad in diapers for

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | Photo Editor Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant.

Halloween. While not quite as local as their opener, Young the Giant are a very good Southern California band, originally hailing from Irvine.

Their set was rather long, which was both a good thing and a bad thing.

A lot of fan favorites were included, along with a few songs that dragged and were not quite as popular. The standouts were “I Got,” “Cough Syrup,” (which is the song that many students probably went to hear), “Apartment,” “My Body,” and their cover of R. Kelly’s “Ignition.”

Their stage presence was on point, and they played a great set.

The lead singer, Sameer Gadhia, was engaging and very talkative with the audience. It did feel as though the

set was longer than it should have been at some points, which was probably for the sake of the event, but a little bit more time could have been given to FMLYBND. When Young the Giant played “Cough Syrup,” many of the people who had been sitting in the stands ran down to the main stage to join the crowd. However, their visit to the pit was short-lived, as right when the song ended, many of those people returned to their seats, or left entirely.

Delirium is an event that I can absolutely see happening again next year, but there are some improvements that would make it more appealing. Although they

did relatively well with the venue, it could have been a little bit better.

The activities that they provided beforehand were cute, but like mentioned before, they seemed very reminiscent of a high school dance.

There were also only a few activities to choose from, which made the lines pretty long. If there were more activities or games, more people would have been able to be doing something at once, and the lines would be shorter and move quicker.

For such a lengthy event, it’s also surprising that they did not provide or sell any kind of food. If there was food provided there, it could have kept people there a lot longer. The event attracted a fair

amount of people, but it may have been partially because of the rain, and the dead-ness of I.V. that came with it. Plenty of people were there the entire time, but a lot of people were coming and going, and though there were not as many people out on the streets as usual, this was most likely due to the weather than the event itself.

I thought Delirium was a very cool even that could have attracted a lot more people if it were set up differently. Although it is understandable why they wouldn’t announce it until very close to Halloween, people have often already made plans by then.

Maybe because people will know it is happening, that there is a chance, next year, students will be less likely to make plans or invite their friends to Isla Vista for Halloween.

Again, it is understandable why they had to charge to enter the event, and because it was only five dollars, I’m sure many people probably didn’t mind, but when events like Extravaganza are free, it is hard to justify paying to go to something smaller. Perhaps next year there will be more artists performing, which would make the event longer, attract a larger crowd, and provide more entertainment.

Overall, Delirium is a really good idea to keep people from going too crazy in I.V., and I can see it improving a lot in the future.

Young the Giant attracted a pretty big crowd, and if they plan for more performances in the future, it is very likely that even more people will attend, and the event will get even better.

Marvel vs. DC: The Real Superhero Showdown Amy Chase The universe of superhero movies is always slowly expanding, but this past month, comic book titans DC and Marvel created big bangs, preparing to launch fans across the globe, the galaxy, and infinity itself.

In early October, after they kept fairly quiet at San Diego Comic Con, Warner Brothers (responsible for DC’s films) finally gave a layout of their future through the year 2020, securing their spot in the race currently dominated by Marvel Studios.

Newly announced films are set to feature such comic book staples such as Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Aquaman, who will join Batman and Superman for two Justice League films. Additionally, lesser-known characters Cyborg, Shazam, and the antihero Suicide Squad, will make their silver screen debut.

With such merits as a female-led superhero film (Gal Godot as Wonder Woman), the first openly queer actor playing a superhero (Ezra Miller as the Flash), and the first superheroof-color (Ray Fisher as Cyborg), DC Studios played a bold hand for fans wondering if they would make strides to keep up with Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, already in the second of several “phases.”

Eyes and ears turned to Marvel for their response. They too laid low at Comic Con, only confirming a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy, a film which at that time had yet to be released. But on Tuesday, Oct. 28, two weeks after DC’s announcements, Marvel held a “secret” event in Los Angeles during which they previewed footage of this May’s upcoming Avengers sequel and released the titles and dates of their next nine projects,

capping their release calendar at eleven films through 2019. Since Marvel’s heaviest hitters had their starts in earlier phases, this announcement brought a deluge of new names–Captain Marvel, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, and the half-alien Inhumans–as well as the next installments of their ongoing Avengers franchise. They too will present their first female-led film (Elektra doesn’t count), as well as a hero-of-color, diversifying their fairly white male standard.

So why do these diversified announcements seem contrived? Maybe this is because of neither studios’ prior willingness to step up to making films led by actors and characters other than their supposed staples. For ages, female characters have been denied their own films.

Now, in the heat of competition, both studios try to outdo the other, seeing who can make their list as diverse and exciting as possible in order to keep people remotely interested.

It has been over six years since comic book movies started gaining traction in cinemas thanks to Iron Man beginning Marvel’s legacy, and it will be another three years before we see the female Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel, and another four before we see the racially diverse Black Panther or Cyborg from either company. Fans have been rallying for more diversity in comic movies for many years now, and there are finally plans to deliver. But is it enough?

Since the critical success of The Avengers, Marvel has had the muscle and fan base to put out any heroes they want, such as the littleknown Guardians, and turn each movie into a hit. Instead, they have chosen Ant-Man, who raises more confusion than excitement, and have continued the franchises that gave

Illustration by Amy Chase | The Bottom Line them such acclaim without introducing other popular characters into the fold. Warner Brothers and DC, knowing they were not pulling numbers as strong at the box office, had to make waves in order for a chance to compete.

There is doubt as to whether they are actually listening to fans. If they did, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and SuperGirl would have all flown or swung onto

movie screens already, as would other heroes who garner more buzz than ones like AntMan. But, as exciting as all this news is, the mundane reality is that we have to wait a long time before we are going to see them come to fruition. It’s hard to speculate what will happen, but if these decisions are not made to placate the fans as much as for corporate one-upmanship, hopefully the companies will continue to put out some impressive films.

The Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus Take a Wrecking Ball to One of Music’s Greatest Albums Jackie Caldwell The Beatles’ 1967 transcendent album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band won four Grammy awards, spent fifteen weeks at number one in the United States, and in 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named it the Greatest Album of All Time. The Beatles set a high bar. Covering an entire Beatles album is gutsy. The Flaming Lips took on the challenge, but they probably shouldn’t have. With a Little Help From My Fwends, is, to put it politely, overwhelming.

It’s excessive. It’s cacophonous. It’s Beatles blasphemy.

This “tribute album” covers all thirteen of the songs from the original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Most of the songs sound roughly the same — well, much worse, but sometimes vaguely similar. The classic songs are embellished with the same effects, but with the exception of “Lovely Rita,” drowsy and shouting seem to be the only two singing styles.

If you enjoy screamo, the new pseudo-title song, “With a Little Help From My Friends,” is for you. “What would you do if I sang out of tune?” the singer asks, and a frightening voice bellows, “WOULD YOU STAND UP AND WALK OUT ON ME?” The original title song, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” is equally disturbing. It starts with the buzzing of bees. There’s an explosion, electronic pulsing, and then, suddenly, in comes a creepy voice muttering the lyrics.

“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” begins well, but that’s only because the intro is just like the Beatles original. As soon as Miley comes in moaning like Lana Del Rey, everything goes wrong. She slides sleepily through the lyrics with an obvious lack of effort. An organ starts playing, the word “gone” is repeated a few dozen times, and the music warps and crashes like fuzzing televisions being thrown through panes of glass. The song is a collection of those awful pet peeve sounds like

static electricity, the scraping of metal, the screeching of speakers when you test them out, and that awful humming that gets stuck in your ears when you drive up to the mountains. Torture tunes: a new genre of modern music.

The song ends with more electronic buzzing, more crashing, and a synthetic bubbling sound that obscures any musical remnants of the original Beatles tune. Did The Flaming Lips put any thought into the miscellaneous noises they layered over the classic hits?

There’s much whooshing, much high pitched white noise, much drum pounding, and the electric humming of a light saber battle, but the beautiful melodies I grew up listening to are nowhere to be found. Perhaps the smashing sound I keep hearing is the continuous destruction of one of music’s greatest albums.

“Lovely Rita,” was above average. The first “Ahhh” was painfully flat, but I enjoyed the percussion in the beginning and the chorus was light and entertaining.

Unfortunately, when no one was singing, I had to listen to the sound of a screeching monkey, someone burping, and dogs barking. A more old-fashioned listener might describe it as musical sacrilege.

I wonder what The Flaming Lips told Miley Cyrus before she went into the studio to sing “A Day in the Life.” Maybe something along the lines of “sing it like you just woke up” or “think mumbling, not music.” Perhaps could have used a little less Miley Cyrus.

I was sitting on my couch back in Irvine when I listened to “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite.” I can’t really give it an in depth review because after a few seconds of painful buzzing and hearing someone reciting (as opposed to singing) the lyrics, my dad shouted at me to “turn it off ” because he “actually likes the original of that song.”

With a Little Help From My Fwends is confusing. The Flaming Lips drenched an iconic album and I can’t understand why. Were they

trying to make a statement? Are they harbingers of a violent end to traditional music? Perhaps The Flaming Lips are just incredibly innovative, and in the future I’ll be seen as one of those ignorant critics who doesn’t appreciate revolutionary musicians. But, despite featuring the combined talents of The Flaming Lips, Foxygen, Tegan and Sara, Moby, Dr. Dog, and others, this album simply does not work.

The Beatles were once told “not even their mothers would claim that they sing well” by one Los Angeles Times critic, and journalist Paul Johnson once wrote that those who flock around the Beatles are “the least fortunate of their generation: the dull, the idle, the failures.” In retrospect, those critics didn’t know what they were talking back. Maybe I’m misjudging With a Little Help From My Fwends, in a similar manner. Oh well. I’m taking my chances, dubbing it musical mayhem, and adding it to my “Never Purchase Playlist.”

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

7 | SCIENCE & TECH

Ebola: Isolating Hysteria From Facts Gwendolyn Wu How dramatic is the fear of an Ebola epidemic in the US? The virus has killed four people outside of West Africa since March 2014, with 4,922 deaths in West Africa alone, and mainstream American media has blown the possibility of a US outbreak out of proportion.

On Oct. 24, the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, imposed mandatory quarantine on a nurse recently returned from Sierra Leone that same day.

Kaci Hickox, a nurse who worked with Doctors Without Borders in Sierra Leone, returned to the US last week and was immediately put into isolated quarantine in New Jersey. Hickox claimed to have been quarantined in a tent without a shower, in inhumane conditions. Photographs show the nurse behind the plastic window of her tent, surrounded by various medical supplies.

“I understand that she didn’t want to be there. She made that very clear from the beginning,” said Christie. “But my obligation is to all the people of New Jersey, and we’re just going to continue to do that.”

Hickox tested negative for the virus, after spending last weekend in quarantine. After her release, she was allowed to travel back to her home in Maine.

“While we certainly respect the rights of one individual, we must be vigilant in protecting 1.3 million Mainers, as well as anyone who visits,” said Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who attempted to force Hickox to isolate herself for 21 days.

On Oct. 31, a Maine judge ruled that the quarantine was unnecessary towards protecting the state. The night before, the same judge ordered Hickox to stay three feet away from others and avoid public transportation. Despite initial objections, Hickox has agreed to follow a series of daily requirements as ordered by the court.

“The court is fully aware that people are acting out of fear and that this fear is not entirely rational,” the judge wrote. “However, whether that fear is rational or not, it is present and it is real.”

California’s Department of Public Health ordered ‘risk-based quarantines’ on Oct. 30 for

Illustration by Hector Lizarraga | Staff Illustrator those who are returning from West Africa, or have had contact with travelers from West Africa.

The quarantine follows Stanford doctor Colin Hicks’ return from Liberia. Hicks immediately put himself in voluntary quarantine for the next 21 days.

Earlier this month, New Hampshire Senate candidate Scott Brown (R) suggested that an outbreak in Central or Southern America, combined with undocumented immigrants coming to the U.S., could spell trouble for the country.

“We have people coming into our country

by legal means bringing in diseases and other potential challenges,” said Brown. “Yet we have a border that’s so porous that anyone can walk across it. I think it’s naive to think that people aren’t going to be walking through here who have those types of diseases and/or other types of intent, criminal or terrorist. And yet we do nothing to secure our border.”

Meanwhile, experts are rallying against the nationwide panic regarding Ebola. Many have pointed out that Ebola is only spread through contact with the bodily fluids of a symptomatic person.

“[The hysteria is] just one more thing that’s going to slow down the science and research effort,” said Dr. John Schieffelin, an infectious diseases specialist at Tulane University.

If you’re concerned about contracting Ebola in the US, no worries — the odds are in your favor. Your chances of contracting Ebola are about one in 13.3 million, which is significantly less than your chances of dying via a lightning strike, shark attack, or car accident.

The nationwide panic over Ebola is “an overreaction to perceived risk” and “comes off as a little xenophobic,” Schieffelin concluded.

Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics Receives $65 Million Grant

Photo by Taylor Yeerong | The Bottom Line KITP brings theorists in physics and related fields together to work on topics in theoretical science.

Judy Lau STAFF WRITER Berkshire Hathaway vicechairman and billionaire Charles Munger is giving $65 million to support the department of theoretical physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The faculty at UCSB has won five STEM Nobel Prizes since 1998, three which were in the field of physics. This

generous donation will be used to help construct a visitor-housing building at the university’s Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP).

The three-story building will begin construction this month and be completed within two years, according to UCSB. The building will have a 61-bed facility that will provide housing for visitors to the institute, which attracts scientists

around the globe to stay for weeks at a time.

“The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics has been hosting thousands of the world’s top scientists since 1979. It is being emulated by numerous universities and is the envy of the physics community all over the world,” said Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “We are absolutely thrilled and honored that through Charlie’s vision,

unbelievable generosity, his love of physics, and his unique architectural and engineering genius and passion, we have been gifted such an unimaginable guesthouse for visitors of KITP to enjoy and to enable them to continue their groundbreaking research at the endless frontier of physics.”

Munger has frequently made large donations to schools, including Stanford University and the University of Michigan. One of his grandsons is an alumni of UCSB. “This residence is going to be hugely helpful to UCSB. This building will be about as good as it can get, and offer as good an experience as a physicist can have — and I don’t think you could have a better place on earth to do it,” Munger said.

Up until Munger’s contribution, the 2012 donation of $50 million

by UCSB alumnus Jeff Henley was the largest single gift in the school’s history. The donation was marked for the fields of science and engineering at the University.

“UCSB has by far the most important program for visiting physicists in the world,” Munger said. “Leading physicists routinely are coming to the school to talk to one another, create new stuff, and cross-fertilize ideas.”

To Munger, such interactions are crucial for the advancement of physics. He cited international conferences attended by famous

figures, including Einstein and Marie Curie. Although Munger did not study physics extensively, he is an avid reader of scientific biographies, where he came to appreciate the importance of physics.

Munger praised the rise of UCSB as a leading haven for physics, particularly given its relatively young status as a research institution.

While the KITP building conducts programs throughout the year for visiting scientists, it currently does not have a residence hall for them to collaborate and foster additional ideas.

Distinguished theoretical astrophysicist Lars Bildsten, director of KITP and professor of Theoretical Physics at UCSB, characterized Munger’s donation as a gamechanger for the institute, which is already a model for productive and sustained scientific collaboration.

“KITP’s mission is to bring together the world’s leading scientists to collaborate on the most challenging and exciting questions in theoretical physics and related fields,” Bildsten said.

“Charlie’s commitment to this mission is profound. Our visitors now spend their day in Kohn Hall, the center of interactions, but once the Residence is complete they will continue those interactions into the nights and weekends. I’m confident we will see an increased number of collaborations and scientific progress.”

Google Dives into Cancer Cell Research Judy Lau STAFF WRITER Google is designing tiny magnetic particles to patrol the human body for signs of cancer, providing an early warning system for diseases.

The nanoparticles are less than onethousandth the width of a red blood cell and will attach themselves to cells, proteins, or other molecules inside the body. Google is also working on a wearable device capable of generating a magnetic field, for use as a monitoring tool.

“Every test you ever go to the doctor for will be done through this system,” said molecular biologist Andrew Conrad, head of the Life Sciences team at the Google X research lab.

“That is our dream.”

Conrad announced the project on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at The Wall Street Journal’s WSJD Live Conference.

This technology is likely over five years

into the future, industry experts say, and it faces huge technical and social challenges.

Researchers must identify coatings that will help the particles bind to specific cells.

Additionally, the wearable device needs to be small enough to be unobtrusive but big enough to accommodate a battery that rarely needs charging.

Google may deliver the nanoparticles as a pill to be swallowed. This system would face “a much higher regulatory bar than conventional diagnostic tools,” said Chad A. Mirkin, director of the Internal Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University.

Google’s monitoring tools also face social concerns, including privacy. The notion of Google monitoring the human body around the clock worries critics who say the company will have too much information and access.

However, Conrad stated that Google would not collect or store medical data itself.

Instead, Google plans to license the technology to others who will handle the information and security.

“These are not consumer devices,” he said.

“They are prescriptive medical devices, and you know that doctor-patient relationships are pretty privileged and would not involve Google in any way.”

The initiative is part of Google’s broader efforts to expand into new areas. Many projects are being run by the Google X research lab, including Glass wearable computers and self-driving cars. Google has also recently purchased Lift Labs, a small company famous for developing a stabilizing spoon for those with Parkinson’s disease.

The Google X team wants to harness data to make medicine more proactive. In addition to the wrist monitoring tool, Google is also working on a smart contact lens to measure glucose in the tears of diabetes patients.

Proponents believe nanotechnology has great promise in medicine despite its few successful commercial products. Google has reported progress with the iron-oxide nanoparticles necessary for their project, and the team is currently identifying the coatings needed for nanoparticle binding. Google is hoping to paint its nanoparticles with an antibody capable of latching onto to the proteins of tumor cells.

The Google research team is currently conducting a baseline study, the goal of which is to build a detailed picture of a healthy human being by genetically screening samples from thousands of people. Although Google is at least five to seven years away from a feasible product, the current study will help create a benchmark for comparisons.

“We need to know the healthy levels of these disease-carrying molecules in the blood,” Dr. Conrad said, “and we don’t know now.”

TBL | Nov 5-Nov 11, 2014

8 | OPINIONS

What Makes ‘Journalism’ Journalism Nowadays?

Gwendolyn Wu If you’ve flipped through cable channels or looked up issues like net neutrality at any point over the past year, you’ve likely ended up watching a few clips of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. You’ve also probably gotten a lot of news from these shows, packed into those ten or so minutes you’ve been watching.

If you ask either of them if their shows are news, they would vehemently deny that their 11 PM time slots qualify as real journalism. In fact, Stewart graciously described his show by saying, “If you watch the news and don’t like it, then this is your counter program to the news.”

These claims by Stewart and Oliver bring one question to mind: what is journalism? These selfdubbed “fake news” shows claim they focus more on comedy and satire, but what can you say when The Daily Show has a Wikipedia page dedicated solely to listing all of its awards and nominations as a news source?

Merriam-Webster defines journalism as “the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio.” Pretty narrow, right? Journalism goes past simple news stories for such a limited range of mediums; nowadays, journalism is widely accessible on the Internet, and not restricted to just news. Stories can cover any genre, from fashion to entertainment. They are current events that are newsworthy, and the ways that they’re being spread on

the Internet allows them to reach a greater audience.

Journalism is broader than the confines of Merriam-Webster’s 17 word definition. Nowadays, journalism is presenting the facts and getting them across to a reader or listener through multiple forms of media in a clear and concise format with an analysis that may have a bias. Objectivity, however, is crucial for critical thinking. The delivery of these stories to the public brings awareness of injustice and gives people the tools necessary to make informed decisions.

So what about bias? Is it still journalism if it offers an opinion?

There may be some partisan bias in its presentation to an audience, but that shouldn’t matter if the unbiased facts themselves are still there. If the audience can make their own opinions concerning a topic when reading something undoubtedly opinionated, then reporters have done their job.

Bias after presenting all the facts is important when it comes to journalism — it shows an analysis of the material that demonstrates understanding of the effects of what is going on. It’s vital to differentiate between this and leaving facts out when presenting a story to an audience. When a journalist leaves facts out, they spin the story in a way that limits the audience’s understanding of a situation.

Humor is simply another form of this acceptable bias when it comes to Stewart and Oliver’s shows. The satirical ways that the two hosts present the topic reveal the startling

statistics and facts important to a comprehensive understanding of the topics they report on.

But who is a journalist nowadays? Reporters aren’t just staff writers slaving away at laptops in Starbucks or limited to TV anchors behind the news desk. With the rise of social media and the growing amount of breaking news stemming from sources like Facebook and Twitter, everyone is a journalist.

A journalist’s job is to transmit

news to someone with no prior knowledge of it, and many people do that in the 140-character confines of Twitter — even if they don’t think they’re journalists. Just tweeting or sharing a link on Facebook doesn’t make them a one, however. Journalists source their material from other media and witnesses, but what’s vital is piecing together an original analysis and presentation from those sources.

Given these definitions, what

bars Stewart and Oliver from being journalists? They may not cover all current events, but they do a thorough job as investigative journalists.

Their research and presentation covers the topic informatively, and the segments constantly grab the audience’s attention — teaching them about new current events. Perhaps they’re not journalists by their own definitions of journalism, but it certainly looks like they are, according to today’s changing standards.

Illustration by Hector Lizarraga | Staff Illustrator

Canadian Media Puts American Media to Shame and Inspires Introspection Sirarpi Topchyan If you approached any student on campus and asked them what they remember of the media coverage in IV after the tragic events in May, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has a positive thing to say. American media coverage of tragedies, specifically shootings, is flawed, and filled with fear mongering and reporting on rumors.

It’s sometimes hard to see, since we are so constantly surrounded by it, but the recent attack on the Parliamentary building in Ottawa has highlighted the difference between how Canada covers the news and how America covers the news.

American media goes for the big, dramatic headlines, the xenophobic attempts to pin the attack on some extremist Islamic group, and the angle that’ll induce the most fear.

While CNN is certainly not the only offender, nor the worst, its coverage of the shooting made me incredibly frustrated. Headlines, for example, such as, “Terrorist murdered soldier ‘in cold blood,’ Canada’s Prime Minister says” incite fear and answer no questions the public may have concerning what happened, where it happed, or how to stay safe.

“

It’s sometimes hard to see, since we are so constantly surrounded by it, but the recent attack on the Parliamentary building in Ottawa has highlighted the difference between how Canada covers the news and how America covers the news.

In comparison, the breaking news story Canada put out was titled “Soldier dies in attack on Parliament, gunman also found dead.” That answers so many questions one may have about the attack, and though it’s not flashy, it’s what news should be. It shouldn’t be about headlines or stories that resemble blockbuster flick taglines, it should be about getting as many solid facts out as soon as the news agency is capable.

Another problem with glamourous headlines is how often they misreport stories or mislead readers (often with a focus on spreading the killer’s name). For example, a story

on CNN’s site claims, “Ottawa gunman had ties to jihadist.” The headline is eye-catching no doubt, and anyone just scrolling through the site would just take that information in and move on. But if you click on the story, it literally says in the second stanza that “Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that there is ‘no evidence at this stage’ that [the shooter] was linked to a wider group, or network, of jihadists.”

So here’s my question: why even bother putting the story up? Why not change the headline to “Foreign Minister Concludes Shooter

”

Had No Extremist Ties”? That would be much more informative, less misleading, and certainly less xenophobic. Those types of headlines have made it so the first thought that runs through the minds of many American is “Were Muslims involved?” That’s just an example of how the media can influence an entire society’s way of thinking. We’ve come to focus on specific key words and topics that may not even be a part of the story at all.

I think that CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and other American news networks should use the example that Canadian media, the CBC

specifically, provide as how to properly report news. It shouldn’t be about what the American public is attracted to and how many views the story would get. Canadian media seems to want what’s best for its consumers, and perhaps it understands that during a tragedy, the last thing people needs it to be harassed, given incorrect information, or made to feel like they don’t have the time or space to heal. It understands what will be best for its citizens and gives it to them.

Just because a scary, dramatic headline garners views, doesn’t mean its topic is what the media needs to report. The job of the news is to inform, to keep the public updated on what is going on around the world, and to be thorough in their reporting. Anyone who went through the tragedy in May should appreciate how capable the Canadian media is at reporting on tragedies, and we should all expect the same from American media.

Don’t forget that we feed into the system. If we click on stories with gaudy headlines, we’re reduced to statistics for online traffic, not people who need to have an accurate story reported to them. I, for one, do not want to be a statistic some CEO shows his colleagues when reporting how successful the latest terror story was.

Meet Tor: The Misunderstood Gateway into the Dark Web Kyle Roe

In an age where governments are turning our phones and computers into tools for espionage on a scale that seems to violate our Fourth Amendment rights, sometimes it seems that nothing can limit their invasive surveillance. But not if Tor has anything to say about it.

Tor is a completely anonymous, easily downloadable web browser that protects its users’ activities and identities via “onion routing,” where information is protected by layers of encryption and sent to several random successive computers, taking off a layer of encryption with each one until it goes through the final relay, or exit node, to its destination. Originally developed by the American government, the Tor Project made the browser available to the public. Since then it has been used with both goodwill and malicious intent. Its user base includes terrorists and criminal organizations, but also those fighting censorship and escaping domestic abusers. It is a double-edged sword, but is the trade-off worth it?

On one hand, you have ISIS using Tor to hide their communications as well as criminal organizations ranging from child pornography rings to, allegedly, drug cartels who peddle their illicit products across anonymous online marketplaces. This is the dark side of Tor, a seediness that gives the “dark web” its name. However, Tor cannot cover all your tracks. ISIS and other criminal organizations are made up of individual people, and individual people make mistakes. According to Bloomberg, investigators looking to intercept ISIS’s online communications search for a “weakest link” in their computer network because, according to the spies, “a single unsecured computer can be used to open up the rest.” Investigators also enter dark net marketplaces to do reconnaissance.

For example, Brazilian authorities busted a Tor-based child pornography ring this October by entering anonymous chat rooms disguised as pedophiles and slowly gathering information on the operation. So law enforcement has had some success against Tor using outside investigative techniques. Despite this, the dark web remains a safe place

to communicate anonymously with others.

Proving this are Tor users who need anonymity to circumvent and fight government censorship and who are protesting invasive surveillance policies here in the U.S. Activists in countries like China, Iran, Russia, and Iraq have taken to Tor to voice their dissident opinions after social networking sites have been filtered by their governments.

This way they find out what is going on in the outside world, how other countries function, and what freedoms their governments are denying them. Then, if they want to make a change, they can communicate with other like-minded people and publish anything they want. Of course, the person on the other end could be a government agent, but activism in oppressive countries will always carry that risk. Tor is still the safest way to express one’s views anonymously. Additionally, Edward Snowden has endorsed Tor as a way to circumvent the NSA’s invasive cybersecurity, and the NSA itself has admitted having problems with Tor encryption, calling it, “the King of high secure, low latency Internet Anonymity” in a leaked Power-

Point presentation. Julian Assange launched WikiLeaks from documents obtained from a Chinese activist who was surprised to find his computer was an exit node for the Tor network. Tor has also been used by domestic abuse victims to escape their abusers who have access to all their passwords and online accounts.

Even though Tor has garnered a lot of negative attention, it has been on the front lines of activism against oppressive and over reaching governments for years. Tor may have some use for criminal organizations, but its greatest potential is as an actor of change.

It won’t cover your tracks completely, since activism requires you to get off the computer once in a while, but it is still the best way to stay anonymous on the internet. As university students, we have a chance to voice our political opinions for the first time and are surrounded by thousands of like-minded peers. An old Chinese proverb says, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” I hope you all build windmills, and that they tower over everyone else’s walls.