Volume 9, Issue 9 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

Volume 9, Issue 9 | Jan 14 - Jan 20, 2015

@tblucsb / thebottomlineucsb.com

MURDER

SPACE

TELEVISON

A look at a lesbian love affair gone wrong; plus an interview with the author.

SpaceX tested out its Falcon 9 rocket, designed to be the first resuable spacecraft.

Read up on some of the most exciting television premieres of the winter season.

FEATURES / 3

SCI & TECH / 5

A&E / 6&7

Womyn’s Commission Hosts Block Party in Isla Vista

Photo by Hitashi Bansal I The Bottom Line Third year Huicho Mata man spray paints a piece of art Friday night Lexi Weyrick STAFF WRITER On Jan. 9, the Associated Students Womyn’s Commission hosted Block Party, an event sponsored by Isla Vista First Fridays and KCSB, at Perfect Park in Isla Vista. Block Party served as the third in a series of First Friday events held in Isla Vista. The most recent First Friday was held on Dec. 5 and was sponsored by IV Open Lab, IV Parks and Recreation, and the Excursion Club. “Womyn’s Commission wanted to create a social space that was not predatory, appropriative, or alienating,” said Cassie Rubio, Co-Chair of Womyn’s Commission and a third-year comparative literature and global studies double major. “We still wanted everyone to have fun

but feel safe and welcomed at the same time,” said Danielle Maldonado, also a co-chair of Womyn’s Commission and third-year comparative literature and global studies double major. “It was also really important to empower women, especially women of color, at our event. UCSB/IV has a diverse community but you often only see one portion of that population represented.” Block Party featured a variety of different performances by female artists. The musical guests included Clarissa Bitar, Merylynn Valencia, Otis, Laura Lora, and ALAS. There was also a spoken word performance. “This event was created to showcase the talented female performers we have here in IV… Isla Vista desperately needs more spaces for female performers and artists who have a strong voice and vision,” said Rubio. “The most rewarding part of the event for

me was watching the camaraderie between the female performers and DJs. Although they had never met each other prior to the event, it was a joy to watch them introduce themselves to each other, swap stage tips/ experiences, and share future project ideas.” “Half of our performers were booked because of word of mouth from students who had talented friends that would fit the venue’s mission,” Rubio said, indicating the events’ success in supporting local talent. “It was a privilege to be surrounded by so much talent and community for an entire night.” Beyond musical performances, there were many things to keep event attendees entertained. An artists sponsored by Gusto Supply Company put on a live graffiti art show while the company sold its apparel. There was also a performance by UCSBreakin’ and a DJ set put on by Radio Xicana.

“The most rewarding part for me was creating an inviting and warm atmosphere that lifted up groups of people usually pushed to the background,” said Maldonado. “I saw people meeting each other for the first time and forming community–enjoying the music together, dancing, eating and having fun.” Event attendees were also able to enjoy a hot chocolate station and free photo booth that was provided. Food trucks were also present, as well as a table full of publications provided by community activists. Beginning at 12 AM, in order to comply with Isla Vista’s noise ordinances, there was a silent disco put on by event organizers. “We worked on this event during fall quarter and over winter break and I’m extremely proud of all the hard work Womyn’s Commission put into this,” Maldonado said.

NATIONAL BEAT REPORT

GOP Takes On Affordable Care Act Gilberto Flores NATIONAL BEAT REPORTER

The 114th United States Congress convened for the first time on Jan. 3, 2015, featuring a brand new Republican majority in both the House and the Senate. The new Congress will convene from now until Jan. 3, 2017, essentially the final two years of President Obama’s second term in office. The 2014 midterm elections were historic for many reasons: Republicans have gained their largest majority in the entire country since the late 1920s (54 Senate seats, 247 House seats, 31 governorships, and 68 state legislative chambers), total spending reached $3.7 billion resulting in the most expensive midterm election in U.S. history, and voter turnout reached a historic low as only 36.4% of all eligible voters went to the polls, the lowest voter turnout since 1942, when the United States was still fighting World War II. On the top of the GOP’s agenda for 2015 appears to be

deciding on how to scale back the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” Republican leaders are facing pressure from grassroots groups to reverse the law (either parts of it or in its entirety), while also facing added pressure to demonstrate that it can govern productively in preparation for a 2016 White House bid. While hard-line Republicans approve of repealing the law entirely, House Republicans are merely taking steps to change parts of the ACA. Focusing on a part of the law that requires employers to provide health insurance to all full-time workers, the House passed a bill to change the ACA’s definition of full-time work on Thursday, Jan. 8th. Currently, the ACA defines full-time work as 30 hours a week, but the bill would raise that definition to 40 hours. Conservatives argue that a low definition of full-time work would lead to reduced workers’ hours because employers would have an incentive to reduce work hours to under 30 in order to avoid providing coverage or paying a fine. According to Republicans, raising fulltime work to 40 hours a week would allow employers to maintain hours near full-time, up to 39 hours, and avoid

having to pay for health insurance for their employees. They argue that their bill is a response to employers’ desires for less government involvement in how a business handles its workforce. Opponents of the bill argue that it would make it easier for employers to avoid having to pay for health insurance for full-time workers simply by lowering their hours by one hour below a 40-hour threshold, whereas reducing a worker’s hours to 29 hours is much more difficult. Ultimately, the bill mostly affects low-wage hourly workers in the retail and restaurant sectors. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would increase the deficit by $53 billion over the next ten years because the government would have to provide health insurance to those who become eligible for Medicaid and other government benefits after losing their employer-provided health insurance. The bill is likely to see a vote in the Senate, but President Obama has threatened to veto the bill should it reach his desk.

2 | NEWS

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015 ISLA VISTA BEAT REPORT

Isla Vista Foot Patrol to Begin Wearing Body Cameras on Duty

Photo by Benjamin Hurst | Photo Editor

A police car sits outside the Isla Vista Foot Patrol oﬃce

“Discussion on the use of these cameras began in January of last year, but IVFP did not initially have the funds to support such a project. After the riots and general violence that ensued Deltopia weekend, the discussion was reopened and became an even higher priority in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in May.” Kelsey Knorp ISLA VISTA BEAT REPORTER Isla Vista Foot Patrol (IVFP) has recently purchased bodyworn cameras for its officers, after several months of discussion that predated the recent presidential recommendation of such technology to all police departments. The department is almost ready to implement its new surveillance program, pending the integration of compatible download capabilities to its servers. According to IVFP Lieutenant Rob Plastino, the footage from the cameras could serve as more reliable evidence to present to a jury, as well as protect the integrity of IVFP by increasing transparency. “As we all know, fictions can be written, but video typically doesn’t lie,” Plastino said. Discussion on the use of these cameras began in January of last year, but IVFP did not initially have the funds to support such a project. After the riots and general violence that ensued Deltopia weekend, the discussion was reopened and became an even higher priority in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in May. “That was really the catalyst for a lot of change in Isla Vista,” Plastino said. Plastino also noted that the precedent left by the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri last August served as a final push in procuring funds for the body cameras. In lieu of a department program, one IVFP deputy purchased his own VidMic camera and has been wearing it on the job for a little over a year. His device, which contains both a camera and a speaker microphone, is roughly the size of a toy walkie-talkie and can be clipped to an officer’s uniform. Evidence from this pilot camera has already been used in sev-

eral misdemeanor cases, such as those involving drunk in public charges. In these cases, relevant footage was sent with the traditional written police report to a jury for consideration. “The [District Attorney]’s office will typically not want to prosecute drunk in public [cases] because it’s one of those things that’s hard to explain to a jury,” Plastino said. “But if they have video footage of it, then it’s pretty clear-cut that this person could have maybe even died from drinking too much.” Once the program is fully implemented, every IVFP officer will be outfitted with either one of these VidMic models or another model from the brand BodyCam. The Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Department has funded the purchase of the cameras, but plans to eventually seek out grant money to for ongoing costs such as storage of the footage. One issue addressed during discussions about the cameras was the potential for an invasion of privacy should a citizen submit a public records request for a portion of the footage, which could include recordings of another citizen’s private property. Plastino said that the official policy to accompany the implementation of the cameras will state that all instances of officer contact will be recorded and that public records requests for video will be fulfilled, with the stipulation that IVFP maintain confidentiality with regard to victims and their property. Associated Students External Vice President of Local Affairs (EVPLA) Cameron Schunk feels that though the use of body cameras will not be an instant fix for police-community relations, it is certainly a step toward improving them. “There’s a lot of ambiguity around situations involving police interaction because there is often a lot of tension involved in those kinds of interactions,” Schunk said. “So really what I think one of the primary [benefits] of this will be is in clearing up some of that

ambiguity in those interactions of who said what when, what actions were taken, [and] who took what actions.” According to Schunk, the office of the EVPLA is also working to establish a “Police Collaborative Board,” which would offer a forum for community members to express their concerns regarding local law enforcement and make public recommendations. Legal Resource Center attorney Robin Unander supports the implementation of the cameras, provided that they are switched on for a sufficient amount of time before and after instances of citation. She said that oftentimes with dashboard cameras in patrol cars, an officer will not begin recording until the interaction is already in progress, which can be misleading. “You don’t see what led up to it; you see the aftermath, when now everything is escalating, and that doesn’t help clarify,” Unander said. Third-year psychology major Kevin Romero feels that police use of body-worn cameras might have altered an incident that occurred at his apartment last year, when a party he and his housemates had thrown was infiltrated by several undercover officers. Though the undercover operation itself was officially sanctioned, he said he felt uneasy about the way the officers conducted themselves once inside the premises. Romero, who was holding an open bottle of alcohol, recalled being grabbed roughly after a man in a hooded sweatshirt asked his age, but said that the man did not identify himself as an officer prior to touching him. “Knowing they’re cops would have made me realize ‘oh, I’m actually doing something wrong,’ but not knowing who’s grabbing me or why I’m being questioned… I could have reacted differently,” Romero said. Currently, Plastino predicts that the last technical adjustments will be finished and the cameras in use by the end of February.

TBL 2014-2015 STAFF

WRITERS THIS ISSUE: Parisa Mirzadegan, Lexi Weyrick, Gilberto Flores, Kelsey Knorp, Neha Pearce, Lyndsi Ibarra, Janani Ravikumar, Vall Vinai, Peter Crump, Gwen Wu, Shomik Mukherjee, Maddy Kirsch, Matt Mersel, Kyle Roe, Rebecca Ou ILLUSTRATORS THIS ISSUE: April Gau, Amy Chase PHOTOGRAPHERS THIS ISSUE: Hitashi Bansal, Benjamin Hurst

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.

3 | FEATURES

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015

‘Alice + Freda Forever’ Brings Historical Love Affair to Life

PLUS

A Q&A with Author Alexis Coe

Photo Courtesy of Zest Books

A portrait of author Alexis Coe . Parisa Mirzadegan ADVERTISING DIRECTOR When I first heard about Alice + Freda Forever, I was immediately intrigued. A historical account of an illicit lesbian love affair that turned murderous? Sign me up! The book, which details the 1892 murder of 17-year-old Freda Ward by her 19-year-old fiancée Alice Mitchell, was a fascinating read that left me wanting to know more. The author, Alexis Coe, crafted an incredibly well-researched piece of literature. A historian and a University of California, Santa Barbara alum, Coe managed to bring this historical occurrence to life without resorting to spinning facts or dishonestly representing the women she features in this novel. With an appendix, bibliography, and more than a dozen pages of notes, this book presents an incredibly detailed picture of the murder as well as the circumstances surrounding it. Coe’s exhaustive research shows in her work; although the story can feel a bit dry at times, the inclusion of primary sources, such as some of the letters exchanged between Alice and Freda, helps to bring the women’s vibrant romance to life. Readers of historical fiction may find that in comparison to fictionalized works, Alice + Freda Forever provides less character interiority than is satisfying, but that’s only because Coe tries to preserve the integrity of their respective stories. Despite the absence of fictionalized character drama, readers will find themselves drawn

Photo Courtesy of Zest Books

into the narrative by the quick pace of the writing and action, Alice Mitchell’s haunting anger at her circumstances, as well as the dark illustrations done by Sally Klann. After the elaborate set-up of the murder, the book dives into the aftermath of the crime, pulling the eager reading along for the ride. Especially interesting is Coe’s apt analysis of the influence that local newspapers had on people’s perception of the crime. Coe also lays out perceptions of gender, sexuality, and race at the time of the murder and trial. Near the close of the book, she sums up the difficulty of dealing with a case revolving around a lesbian love affair with: “How does one speak of the existence of that which does not exist?” I found this historical context to be one of the most fascinating components of the story of this romance, which is inexorably tied to the limitations imposed upon it by the society these women lived in. Alice + Freda Forever provides a page-turning story and left me feeling like I’d learned something important about the struggles its characters face. Although it can be frustrating to read Alice + Freda Forever and see how challenging life was for these women, after reading this book, you’ll want to keep an eye out for any of Coe’s future projects. In addition to reviewing the book, I was also lucky enough to get a chance to interview Alexis Coe: How did you first hear of Alice and Freda’s case, and what made you decide to investigate and write their story?

I focused on early twentieth century political history in graduate school, but I still read around topics and took seminars on other time periods. We all make different choices with the material we research and write about—how many books do we have on Lincoln?—but the Mitchell-Ward case was competing with other cases, and easily lost or overshadowed in the name of intersectionality, or presented in an academic style of writing as a kind of conduit for bigger concepts. I wasn’t just a historian who stumbled upon a provocative, forgotten piece of history. Alice and Freda became people I cared about, and I was upset over the injustice both faced. Obviously Alice committed an unconscionable crime, but both of the young women died when they were so young, and had so little control over their lives and their legacy. By not telling their story, I almost felt complicit in silencing them. How did you balance the desire to give these women a voice and the necessity to maintain a historically accurate narrative? From my perspective, it was quite easy. The desire to give Alice and Freda a voice was never hampered by my dedication to a historically accurate narrative. I think my undergraduate and graduate school training in history departments ensured I prioritized one over the other, while certainly allowing context and interpretations to fill in the blanks. Now, I wasn’t the only one casting an eye on the manuscript.

The editor certainly wanted me to go much further. An author has to choose her battles, and historical accuracy and, frankly, collective memory, was one I took very seriously—along with the cover! Don’t get me wrong: editors are essential. So are second readers. A writer can quickly tell which recommendations are well thought out, both in suggestion and with regard to the integrity of the discipline and work, as well as a basic understanding of history and narrative structure. The other stuff needs to be considered and discussed, and that’s not the easiest thing to do as a first time author—especially one like me, who really does love feedback. Luckily, I enlisted four brilliant second readers, all friends and trusted writers, historians, and editors in their own right. I am eternally grateful for the contributions of Mary Klann, Daniel Jacobson, Emily Clement, and Avi Steinberg. Do you have any advice for college students looking to begin a career in writing? I do, but I’m afraid it is deceptively simple: write. Do it often, and ask for feedback. I would also say that dedication asks you whether or not this is the right job for you, not only in lifestyle, but by cultivating the determination one must have to survive. Can you see rejection as beneficial, and criticism as necessary? On a more practical note, you don’t have to move to New York, but I would consider spending a summer there. Internships are the best way to learn, and develop contacts

you’ll need when you move back to the best coast. I’d recommend publishing houses, newspapers, literary journals, etc. Pacific Standard: The Science of Society didn’t exist when I lived in Santa Barbara, but if it did, I assure you I would have been there, ASAP. On that note, I always wished I’d written for campus publications where I could get into the repetition of writing. That being said, I took the only creative writing class offered at UCSB at the time, one that had a rare application process, and it was the worst class I ever took. The professor was a bit bitter about the writing game himself, and the small gathering of students weren’t basing their criticisms on the work itself. It took me, and a couple of others I know, years to recover. As a UCSB alum, how would you say your undergraduate education influenced your career? In the acknowledgements to Alice + Freda Forever, I thank UCSB’s honors program, where I had the opportunity to take one-on-one tutorials with professors in the History Department, including Nancy Gallagher and, most often, Francis Dutra. Prof. Dutra made a historian out of me. I also majored in English, and I’m indebted to the late Richard Helgerson, as well as Enda Duffy and Mark Maslin. All three provided criticism and encouragement, and above all, pushed me and supported my rather lofty goals. Good work was always recognized and rewarded. Nothing was impossible. Everything was an opportunity.

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015

4 | FEATURES

Mother Nature Takes Over ‘Nature Show’ Lyndsi Ibarra On the wet and cloudy afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 10, music lovers of all ages gathered for the sweet sounds of an acoustic “Nature Show.” Put on by Isla Vista’s own cooperative house BIKO, the event initially strived to combine the art of music with the natural beauty of Goleta’s Coronado Butterfly Preserve and Ellwood Bluffs. However, the downpour of rain caused for a last minute change in location to the BIKO garage. The Sueño Co-Op welcomed students, residents, young children, and even dogs into their safe space to enjoy performances by local musicians, including bands touring from afar. “I wanted to see the butterflies, but the show is still cool,” said Brenda Morales, a third-year art and psychology double major. She added, “At least they didn’t cancel it.” Beyond the picket fence and passed the orange and blue trimmed house, the performances took place outback in the garageturned-small-venue. Inside of the brightly painted garage, inspirational quotes and different pieces of artwork filled the walls; selfexpression radiated through the room. Participants gathered inside the confined walls of the small room to enjoy the music. Dressed in their warmest attire of hoodies, scarves, and boots, people swayed and bobbed their heads to the rhythm of each

“

Dressed in their warmest attire of hoodies, scarves, and boots, people swayed and bobbed their heads to the rhythm of each song, some with warm beverages in hand.

song, some with warm beverages in hand. After the rain had settled a bit, everyone stepped right out of the garage and formed a semicircle around the singer Katie Murray. The Santa Barbara based artist took advantage of the dry time and made a good effort to still make it a nature show by taking the scene outside for a short while. The singer serenaded everyone out in the fresh air with the simple instruments of her angelic voice and

”

acoustic guitar. In between each set, everyone dispersed throughout the property and conversed with one another in anticipation of the next performance. Once it was time, musicians and audience members all squeezed back into the tiny garage to enjoy the intimate performance of Stephen Steinbrink, a touring performer from Olympia, Wash. The 26 year-old put on a beautiful set as the relaxing sounds of his

acoustic melodies matched the ambiance of the dim room and gray cloudy skies outside. Fourth-year CCS literature student Madison Tang, who was also one of the performers, said that the show was completely acoustic, perfect for a rainy day. “It’s nice to play an all acoustic show in the day time that is all ages,” she said. “It’s also nice to be around a substance free environment.” The show also included performances by artists such as Moonwatcher, Honey Maid, Hot Compost, Oree Oldsmobile, and Otis, as well as readings by Chase Kamp. There was even a small table where some of the artists sold their own CD’s and vinyls, or had flyers available promoting future performances and shows. Despite the unfortunate unpredictable weather, “Nature Show” was a wonderful success even in its substitute BIKO location. Locals were still able to keep cozy and listen to cool jams right here in IV. In the near future springtime, there is hope for another attempt at a nature show out its original location. “I thought [the show] was really nice. I was just sad that we got rained out on and couldn’t go to the butterfly preserve and the bluffs,” said Josh Redman, a University of California, Santa Barbara alumni and “Nature Show” organizer. Although nothing is set for sure yet, he said, “We’ll probably try again in the Spring.”

Photojournalist Paul Nicklen Captures the Spirit of the Wild Neha Pearce STAFF WRITER “I’m so happy to see it packed; I was told it might not be packed because you’ve been braving some tropical winter storms,” joked decorated National Geographic photojournalist and marine biologist Paul Nicklen with the audience in Campbell Hall on Sunday, Jan. 11. Entitled “Spirit of the Wild,” the event was the third part of four National Geographic Live series put on by Arts & Lectures and sponsored in part by Shiela and Michael Bonsignore. Nicklen launched into anecdotes of encounters with incredible animals such as narwhals, beluga whales, polar bears, leopard seals, and emperor penguins while displaying breathtaking photographs that captivated the audience. “The ice and snow were my sandbox; the Inuit were my teachers,” he explains of his childhood in a small Innuit Community in British Columbia. “Negative 45 degrees Celsius with 60/70 mph winds. This is my comfort zone; this is where I’m happy.” Nicklen impressed the audience with many awe-inspiring stories of his calm interactions with the wilderness and then delved into the one encounter he said he would never forget: spending time with a leopard seal. He acknowledged the bad reputation and terror of the animal that “eats Happy Feet” and has “black soulless eyes and a wry smile like it knows something.” It was his desire to give every animal a fair shake that placed him in Antarctica, right next to a leopard seal feeding on emperor penguins. Before he got into freezing water that was so cold he had to keep checking that his numb fingers were

pressing down on the shutter release, his captain gave him some words of advice: “if you get scared, you close your eyes and she’ll go away, eh.” “I got into the water and she dropped her penguin and rushed over to me right away,” Nicklen tells the audience, who were already riveted by the photo of a seal ripping apart a penguin on display. He immediately describes how he looked straight down the seal’s throat and clicked away, keeping still, until she left to grab a penguin. “She lined it right up with me and let it go, then caught it again and repeated the process, and I’m thinking she is trying to feed me this penguin. Now I’m not taking the penguin so she

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flips upside down and bobs slowly to me until the penguin is really close and lets it go.” The seal attempted a variety of ways to force the large useless predator she saw in her feeding ground to eat to no avail. “At one point I had five dead penguins floating around me but I just really did not want a dead penguin. She was giving me this dejected look, trying to get me to eat. Finally she gets so frustrated she flops one onto my head, and I’m just giggling and clicking away absolutely overjoyed.” He explains his deep love for creatures such as the leopard seal, emperor penguins, and polar pears, and that ice is like soil in a garden; the vast ecosystem he photographs

As a photographer, as a journalist, as a conservationist, I’m always trying to reach people.

Photo Courtesy of National Geographic Photographer Paol Nicklen

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so brilliantly cannot survive without it. After obtaining a B.S. in marine biology, he focused on the polar bears and wrote articles for National Geographic, but he said he was frustrated when his data was shut down by politicians and was unable to bridge the gap between the scientists and the public. Shifting to photography, Nicklen saw the power of creating an emotional connection between people and the polar landscapes, and he found that he was able to provide the visual proof of the melting ice caps many people demanded. The photographs have to be arresting enough to stop a reader long enough to look at the story. “As a photographer, as a journalist, as a conservationist, I’m always trying to reach people,” Nicklen said. “If I’m out there shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of other photographers, I know I’m not in the right place. When I’m out there all alone, and I am responsible for my own life, I know I’m being effective and getting shots no one else has.” Nicklen urged the audience to drop the attitudes ‘Not In My Backyard’ (NIMBY) and ‘Somebody Else is Likely Going To Fix It Eh’ (SELFIE). He explained that these acronyms, the latter invented by his partner and him, aren’t acceptable attitudes; everyone needs to engage in the issue of climate change and work to create the change he pursues to inspire every day with his amazing photography. “We have to get informed and involved. Get rid of NIMBY and SELFIE. For ten years I used to spend all my time convincing people about climate change. Now everyone is starting to get it. We need to get it faster,” Nicklen said. “Because I don’t want to live in a world without polar bears.”

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015

5 | SCIENCE & TECH

SpaceX Launches Resuable Rocket Photo Courtesy of SpaceX Janani Ravikumar STAFF WRITER On Jan. 10, the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets on a routine cargo run to the International Space Station, according to The New York Times. Unlike with most cargo runs, however, this rocket is designed to land back on Earth, in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., in hopes of being used again. Rockets are typically designed to fall back to Earth after separating from the spacecraft they lifted, ac-

cording to CNN. Then, the rockets burn upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere or crash into the ocean, along with the millions of dollars that had been invested in their production. SpaceX seeks to revolutionize rocket design so that rockets can withstand re-entry and return to the launch pad for a vertical landing, according to the official website. This way, such rockets can be reused much like commercial airliners, as new planes can fly multiple times per day and conduct tens of thousands of flights during their lifetime. “If one can figure out how to effectively reuse rockets just like airplanes, the cost of access to space will

be reduced by as much as a factor of a hundred,” said Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX. “A fully reusable vehicle has never been done before. That really is the fundamental breakthrough needed to revolutionize access to space.” In March 2014, SpaceX began testing an advanced prototype for the world’s first reusable rocket, according to the official website. Since then, SpaceX has successfully landed their Falcon 9 rockets in the Atlantic Ocean twice; however, the rockets could only slow to a hover before splashing into the water, and they deployed landing legs to aid their descent.

“We’ve been able to soft-land the rocket booster in the ocean twice so far,” said Musk, according to The New York Times. “Unfortunately, it sort of sat there for several seconds, then tipped over and exploded. It’s quite difficult to reuse at that point.” To rectify this, SpaceX built a floating platform on which the rocket stage could land, as well as a set of “grid fins” that will fold out after separation in order to steer the rocket toward the platform, according to The New York Times. This cargo mission, SpaceX’s fifth, carried more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment. For four weeks, the SpaceX cargo capsule will

exchange an IMAX movie camera, a laboratory habitat for studying fruit flies, and an instrument to measure the distribution of clouds and particles of dust, smoke, and air pollution for the experiments, trash, and other items it will carry back to Earth. Although the first stage ultimately made it to the spaceport drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, it landed hard, according to the official website. Still, Musk remains optimistic for one of the many flights scheduled for later this year. “I think it’s quite likely, 80 to 90 percent likely,” said Musk, “that one of those flights will be able to land and refly.”

New GMO Tech Loopholes Found Peter Crump STAFF WRITER

Recent advancements in genetically engineered organism (GMO) technology has allowed researchers at companies to circumvent now obsolete GM regulations, opening up the area of study to new and groundbreaking possibilities, as well as harsh criticism. Genetically engineered crops contain genes from other organisms, typically bacteria, which have been inserted into their DNA for the purpose of preventing disease, resisting pests, or even improving nutritional value. According to The New York Times, GMO oversight is shared by the Agriculture Department, the EPA, and the FDA under a framework established in 1986. For example, the Agriculture Department, which approves the growing of commercial crops, is responsible for protecting these crops from pests, like insects or pathogens. Because many GMOs are created through the introduction of foreign genes from bacteria, the Agriculture Department has oversight over their production. Some twenty years later however, new developments have allowed crop producers to effectively work around these sorts of regulations. To illustrate, some companies are using methods like “genetic editing,” the process of manipulating an organism’s DNA rather than introducing foreign genetic material to it, in order to modify the organism and avoid GMO oversight. Others, like The Scotts Miracle Gro Company, take genetic material from other plants and put it into their crops using

Illustration by Amy Chase | Staff Illustrator a gene gun, not a bacterium, again skirting any sort of regulation. “If you take genetic material from a plant and not considered a pest, and you don’t use a transformation technology that would sort of violate the rules, there’s a bunch of stuff you can do that at least technically is unregulated,” said Jim Hagedorn, chief executive of Scotts to The New York Times. These new methods aren’t without their critics however, even within the scientific community. Some claim that gene editing crops could have a significant effect on the environment and unintended consequences in the long run. There is speculation as to how genetically

edited cells would grow into full plants without mutations, since many of these experiments are performed on a small scale with plant cells or tissues in a dish. Many scientists point to the problem that regulation is focused more on the process of producing GMOs and not the GMOs themselves, which is how many of these new techniques have slipped under the radar, according to the Genetic Literacy Project. Proponents, however, would claim that there is little danger to these new unregulated methods and that they could bring genetic engineering to new heights. Neal Gutterson, vice president for agricul-

tural biotechnology at DuPont Pioneer, a seed company, described gene editing as “basically comparable to what you get from conventional breeding,” with the exception that the process is expedited. He continued, “We certainly hope that the regulatory agencies recognize that and treat the products accordingly.” Another one of these new nonconventional methods involves cisgenic crops, in which a crop is inserted with the genes of another crop of the same species. Recently, the J.R. Simplot Company has developed a cisgenic potato that is less prone to bruising and makes a less unhealthy french fry by producing less of a chemical called acrylamide, which has been linked to causing cancer. Not only that, but the Agriculture Department approved the potato for commercial planting last November, according to The New York Times. Scotts has also been working on a genetically modified grass called tall fescue, which would be “heartier, need less mowing, and grow greener than grasses currently on the market,” as reported by Sputnik News. With nearly twenty years since its establishment, many claim that the GMO oversight model is due for an overhaul. “This technology is always one step ahead of the regulators,” said Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, head of biotechnology research at the agricultural company Syngenta. Unless regulators begin focusing on GMOs themselves and not the process of creating them, expect a plethora of developments in this field in the coming years.

Finding the Missing Link: Connecting Apps

Vall Vinai STAFF WRITER We often take the internet’s universal accessibility for granted; within seconds, we can send friends and family important links. The World Wide Web is made up of four billion different but interconnected web pages, each identified with a URL. This URL lets us to link a Web page to anyone—so long as they have the Internet. However, today’s flourishing app market can’t boast the same ease and accessibility as the Internet. Unlike web pages, mobile apps don’t have links. For example, if you were using the TripAdvisor app to scope out potential vacation sites

for a trip, you’d be unable to link the find to a friend from within the app. Similarly, if you were using the Target app to browse for furniture, you wouldn’t be able to link what you’ve found to your roommate. That’s why tech companies—from industry giants to start-ups—are working to bring the concept of links into today’s mobile apps. These tech companies are hoping that apps can be more interconnected in the future, much like the way web pages are. “Google’s whole concept is we’re going to index the world’s information, but they’ve left out a whole lot of stuff: all the stuff that is inside apps,” said Alex Austin, chief of Branch Metrics, a start-up tech company in California. This is a concept called deep-linking. Deeplinking allows mobile apps to be interconnect-

ed in a similar way to the linking feature on the Internet. Currently, the linking option in apps is very limited. There are only two options: linking from a webpage to the app store to download the app, and linking a webpage URL to open an already-installed app. This restricts the capability of users to link others to relevant content. The solution to this problem is to assign apps with some sort of identifiable link. Both start-ups and tech-giants such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, are racing to find a solution. Overcoming this hurdle would be a huge achievement, which is why start-ups are competing to solve the problem before tech-giants. “Whoever gets the best database will win the game,” Austin said. However, the fast-paced competition is be-

coming a problem. The most efficient way to link apps is to have one generic, widely-functional standard to have app developers adopt to. Competing companies are introducing too many deep-linking standards. “Once we’re all using the same plumbing, everyone can go and build businesses and interesting experiences on top of that,” said Eddie O’Neil, a Facebook product manager working on App Links, Facebook’s deep-linking program. Regardless, with all of these companies working for the same outcome, the app market will eventually become interconnected. “People will lose a bit of their stronghold, but it will be unstoppable,” Sam Altman, president of Y Incubator said.

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015

Archer’s Back, Baby!

Photo Courtesy of flickr user Ian Muttoo Kyle Roe STAFF WRITER The last season of FX’s hit TV show Archer was, for lack of a better word, wily. Wily even for Archer. Instead of focusing on the usual violent international antics of Sterling Archer and his deadly co-workers in ISIS (don’t worry; not that I.S.I.S.), causing a ruckus worthy of an international incident almost every episode, the series painted the portrait of a spy agency in the throes of poverty after being disgracefully shut down by the U.S. government. Normally this, coupled with narrowly avoiding multiple treason charges, would be more than enough to convince any spy to find a new, simpler day job. Or at least take some time off for some serious self-evaluation. Not Archer and the gang. Instead, the recently disbanded gang of spies banded together and turned to the literal metric ton of cocaine locked away in Mallory Archer’s office in a last ditch attempt to walk away with some serious cash. The season even took on a new name: Archer Vice. Unfortunately, due to ISIS’s incompetence and Pam’s Cookie Monster-like affinity for cocaine, most of the product ends up lost, stolen, or eaten (yes, eaten). However, the whole fiasco is ultimately revealed as a plan concocted

by the CIA to liquidate the cocaine and use the profits to buy weapons to arm a rebel group fighting the government of San Marcos. By some act of God the CIA allows ISIS to reform at the end of the season, but as a branch of the CIA instead of an independent agency. Also, guess who’s the surrogate father of Lana’s baby? If you guessed Cyril… you literally (“is it literally or the other one?”) guessed the exactly opposite person. It’s Sterling Archer. In typical Sterling Archer fashion, season 6 begins with the protagonist shirking his newfound responsibility in a horrifically trashed hotel room in Thailand. He summarily receives a call from his mother-boss Mallory Archer, who assigns him a new CIA freelance mission in Borneo. The mission marks another 180-degree turn in the series’ premise, away from the organized crime of the last season and back towards the spy agency adventures of seasons past. The one key difference in the new season is ISIS is an affiliate organization of the CIA, meaning they have to work directly with the government on every operation. Their collaboration is bound to amuse and entertain. Can ISIS handle that extra layer of oversight? Do they possess the willpower to keep their nose clean? Were the hookers in Archer’s hotel room ladies or lady

boys? Only time will tell. For now, the first episode of season 6 marks a crude and hilarious return to the show’s incessantly awesome humor by capitalizing on opportunities for cruel practical jokes and over the top action sequences in exotic locations. By slightly tweaking the premise of

the series, the fifth season proved that Archer’s brand of humor and storytelling can avoid stagnation and remain in sight of the media’s ever shifting attention. With inevitable clashes with the CIA and Archer’s struggles with fatherhood approaching, I would not write this season off by a long shot.

‘The Bachelor’++ Turns Nineteen: How the Most Lightweight, Mindless Show Remains on TV Rebecca Ou STAFF WRITER Nineteen season premieres ago, The Bachelor handed out its first roses to a handful of lucky, swooning, crying women searching for love (yes, it has been that long since the first rose ceremony and since that very first episode). And ever since, The Bachelor has been a staple of mindless television for millions of viewers across the world looking to watch overplayed true love in the making. Back in March of 2002, the “bachelor” was thirty-one year-old Alex Michel, a management consultant looking for the right woman. The show has come a long way since then, and contestants competing for a chance at happily-ever-after have gotten more and more outrageous with each new season. The Bachelor has survived the years because it’s the guilty pleasure of millions. The show, which revolves around an eligible, chiseled bachelor and 25 stunning women fighting for his affections, has a cult of followers. Admittedly, I watched my very first episode of The Bachelor reluctantly. A friend of mine had just recently broken up with his girlfriend and in a moment as cliché as it gets, we decided to marathon the show. I was hooked the second a cat-fight broke out in a battle of who-wore-it-better amid the backdrop of a magnificent mansion. Favorites were quickly established, and each rose ceremony was a nail biter. It is certainly no Mad Men, Breaking Bad, or The Office, and in terms of reality television, it doesn’t hold a torch to Dance Moms, but it’s

captivating in a way that those shows aren’t. The way I see it, for most of us, The Bachelor is a window into a world we will never experience, and one we would never want to experience. At the same time, it’s a love story you can emotionally invest yourself in from a safe distance. You want the bachelor to go on the right dates, choose the right girl, and live out your own fairytale fantasy. This season’s bachelor is an innocent farm boy from small town Iowa, and already I know all I want is for him to avoid the crazy onion girl and not get played by any of these big city girls. There’s a dimension of disbelief to it that allow viewers to distance themselves from the show, but still appreciate the train wreck being broadcast on television. There are at least two train wrecks per episode — during the Season 17 limo introduction, one girl walked out in a wedding dress and another unsuccessfully tried to blow the bachelor’s mind by doing back flips, but ended up sprawled on the concrete in a fulllength silver gown. It’s an indulgence that makes us feel better about ourselves, our relationships, our friendships, and our struggle to find romance; as bad as it may seem, at least it’ll never be as disastrous as the drama on The Bachelor. The Bachelor has almost no redeeming value, but that doesn’t make it any less successful in the television broadcasting business. The Bachelor is a primetime soap opera. It has all the drama we want for about 45 minutes and not a minute more. As long as there are people willing to watch other people expose their true selves and go crazy on television in the name of love, The Bachelor will go on.

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TBL | Jan 14-Jan 20, 2015

Galavant Gallops into the Hearts of Many with Premiere While Galavant is another story about a ragtag group of people who are on a mission to accomplish a morally righteous task, there is something about singing knights that draws the viewer in and makes the journey feel like one they’ve never seen before.

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Lexi Weyrick STAFF WRITER Galavant is not a show for people who dislike musicals. Galavant, however, is a show for people who like comedy, drama, and attractive people with British accents. The show premiered on Sunday, Jan. 4, with two back-to-back episodes. The first episode begins with a musical number explaining the background of the main character (and titular knight), Galavant, which brings the viewer up to date on all of the goings-on within the show’s world. The song is clever and concise, quickly going through what has happened in Galavant’s life, and giving the viewer the ability to decide if the plot sounds interesting enough to stick around for within the first few minutes. The plot centers around a knight who had his true love kidnapped from him by the king. When he goes to rescue her, however, she chooses to stay with the king, since the king can provide more financial security for her than he can. A year later, Galavant is an alcoholic shell of his former self who is sought out by a young princess trying to rescue her parents from the king. He agrees to go on the journey with her to defeat the king, his arch nemesis, after much convincing. His delightfully unintelligent squire goes along for the adventure as well. While the show is technically a filler show while ABC’s Once Upon a Time is on its midseason break, the writers of the show gave it their full talent. The dialogue is quick and witty, though sometimes predictable, and there are a few plot holes, especially surrounding Galavant and how he manages to regain his abs after one night of intense training. In general, however, there are many moments that do not turn out the way it seems they would and the jokes are capable of actually making people laugh out loud, which is a rare occurrence on network television these days.

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The actors are all quite attractive, with the exception of the king (no offense, Timothy Omundson) and speak with British accents, in true aristocrat fashion. A bonus to all this is the cast can actually act. As cringe-worthy as the preview may have been, the cast pulls off jokes flawlessly and there is very real chemistry between the characters. While it still remains unclear what the squire’s role in Galavant’s journey will be besides providing the slapstick style humor for the ensemble, Luke Youngblood is still quite enjoyable to watch. An additional bonus of the show is seeing John Stamos, who plays a Galavant’s rival knight, walk around in tights. The musical numbers are not too frequent throughout the episodes, but when there is one it helps to move the plot forward while providing additional comedy. The singing is decent and the scores sound dramatic. While Galavant is another story about a ragtag group of people who are on a mission to accomplish a morally righteous task, there is something about singing knights that draws the viewer in and makes the journey feel like one they’ve never seen before. The show seems initially promising and it seems unfortunate that it will only air 8 episodes over 4 weeks for its first season. Galavant is one of those shows that, for weeks to come, will have people saying, “Huh, it’s not bad for a musical.” To watch Galavant, tune into ABC on Sundays at 8pm.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

IFC’s ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!’ Returns With a… Bang Matt Mersel EXECUTIVE CONTENT EDITOR On Jan. 9, 2015, the Independent Film Channel (IFC) began airing the fourth season of their cult hit, Comedy Bang! Bang!, based on a podcast of the same name started in May of 2009. The brainchild of comedian, sketchcomedy writer, and host Scott Aukerman, IFC optioned the popular semi-scripted pseudo-talk show for a TV series, which began its run on June 8, 2012. Comedy Bang! Bang! is one strange TV program–ostensibly a talk show, Aukerman brings a slate of special guests in every week, but things rarely stay in the realm of logic or reason. This is no Tonight Show; episodes of Comedy Bang! Bang! essentially boil down to a series of skits with a distinct avant-garde flavor, and helmed by the wacky Aukerman and famously disorienting cult music producer Reggie Watts as the show’s one-man “band” leader, every 22-minute episode is sure to surprise, confuse, and delight you. Over the years, Comedy Bang! Bang! has become popular not only with fans, but also within the entertainment industry itself. As a result, the show is able to fill its guest spots, of which there are multiple each episode, with a bevy of famous names and faces. Longtime contributors, such as comedians Chris Hardwick (Web Soup, The Nerdist) and Paul F. Tompkins (Best Week Ever, BoJack Horseman), routinely make appearances and play pretend as “guests” like the Cake Boss, Gary Busey, and Gordon Ramsay. However, most viewers will make note of the caliber of featured guests that the show has been able to accrue over the years. For example, past appearances have included the likes of Amy Poehler, Jon Hamm, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Zoe Sal-

Photo Courtesy of IFC dana, Andy Samberg, Rainn Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Jenna Fischer, Nick Offerman, David Cross, and several appearances by Zach Galifianakis, to name a very paltry few. However, these are not serious interviews that are taking place. The hilarious and usually awkward conversations are often times broken up by such diversions as a nuclear apocalypse taking place outside the studio, medical-doctors-turned-action-heroes shrinking down to microscopic size in order to defeat a cold virus in Aukerman’s body, or Anna Kendrick going back in time and preventing the Big Bang, erasing the entire universe in the process. These skits are often confusing, rarely come to any sort of conclu-

sion, and break every law of physics and reason. They are also almost unanimously brilliant. Take for instance this season’s premiere, featuring Modern Family’s Ty Burrell. The episode is for apparently no reason framed as an odd parody of The Princess Bride, and some sketches include looking at the world through Burrell’s eyeballs (which were, according to him, “upsidedown” at birth), a faux-primetime procedural featuring Aukerman as detective Dane Looker, and an appearance by comedian Nick Kroll (The League, Kroll Show) as Comedy Bang! Bang! Craft Services Coordinator and spoken word poet, Fabrice Fabrice. It’s nonsensical, perplexing, and hysterically funny.

Simply talking about Comedy Bang! Bang! doesn’t do the show justice. To really understand the madness on display here, you really have to just sit down and watch. And with the new season just beginning and the first three seasons available on Netflix, there’s no better time to do so. There’s an abundance of creativity on display here, and Aukerman and Watts have proven to be masters of modern comedy, exploring a breadth of different styles and cleverly satirizing whatever topic they have chosen to tackle on any given week. While it’s not for everyone, anyone looking for something new and exciting should not pass this show up. There frankly just isn’t anything like it on TV.

TBL || Jan Dec14-Jan 3-Dec20, 9, 2014 TBL 2015

88||OPINIONS OPINIONS

An (Un)documented Controversy About News Bias Gwen Wu STAFF WRITER On Jan. 3, the Santa Barbara News-Press ran a front page story with the headline “Illegals line up for driver’s licenses.” The headline and accompanying story garnered a great deal of controversy, resulting in public outcry from other media sources such as Cosmopolitan and The Santa Barbara Independent. Community members rallied together on Jan. 8 in front of the newspaper’s offices in downtown Santa Barbara to protest what they called “biased and irresponsible journalism.” The controversial practice of using “illegals” or “illegal aliens” to refer to immigrants working and living in the United States without a proper work visa or citizenship is not unique to the News-Press. Popular news sources like Reuters and

The Wall Street Journal often use the term in their pieces when referring to these individuals. However, this is improper journalistic practice according to Associated Press (AP) style, which is generally regarded as the standard for syntax in journalistic writing. The AP Stylebook stopped supporting the use of “illegal immigrant” in 2013; the reason cited for the change was that the term “illegal” should only be used to describe an action, rather than the state of someone’s residency. Additionally, the AP rejects “undocumented” as a description of these individuals, as many have documents–just not the ones required to live in the U.S. Using “illegals” carries a stigma of being a criminal, which is obviously regarded as something bad, and reinforcing this stigma only adds to the alienation and marginalization these people face. How-

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‘Illegals’ is a term that creates bias against individuals who don’t hold proper residency, interfering with an unbiased view of the situation at hand.

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ever, being in the U.S. without a valid work visa or citizenship is not a criminal offense, but rather, a civil offense. It is vital that the language of these pieces delivers the news in a fair and accurate way, and using language that carries a stigma and triggers readers to view it with a certain bias affects how they receive news. Delivering news objectively sheds light on injustices in the community, which is crucial to critical thinking and allowing readers to make an informed opinion. The language that the media uses in addressing controversial and sensitive topics such as immigration, abortion, and civil rights profoundly influences what a reader may think of them. Personal objections or advocacy for should be avoided. And while it may be okay on occasion to infuse a story with a little bias (and often unavoidable for many reporters, as common language can be inherently biased against a subject), when it interferes with presenting the truth and factual evidence to readers, then it has to go. The use of “illegals” brings a question of ethics into the spotlight: where is the line between news-writing and editorializing/ op-ed drawn? “Illegals” is a term that creates bias against individuals who don’t hold proper residency, interfering with an unbiased view of the situation at hand. In recent years, a number of newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal have come under fire for writing to the owner’s agenda, as more print sources are bought out to prevent going out of business. Whether for only writing

Illustration by April Gau | Staff Illustrator news pieces slanted towards a conservative bias or an owner demanding to personally review every article a financial partner is mentioned in for any demeaning portrayals, members of the community are quick to notice when news pieces take an editorialized position. If an opinion on “illegal aliens” begins to bleed into what should be a presentation of cold, hard facts, then perhaps the newsroom walls are a little too thin. By this point, news reporting is no longer news reporting; the language used conveys messages that turns news into propaganda used to instill a certain belief or indoctrinate individuals

without allowing for any independent thought on the matter. Many news sources out there still use “illegals” to refer to migrant workers, but hopefully, with a little work, the use of biased language in journalism will diminish. Editors and reporters should take care to report in a straightforward and factual manner; strictly adhering to a standard of writing, such as AP style, would eliminate part of the problem. After all, it’s important that we present the news as what it really is: the facts.

College Football is Booming, But Players Can’t Touch the Money Bowl Shomik Mukherjee STAFF WRITER Though most Americans vow to bring about change in their lives at the start of a new year, there are some traditions in American culture that invariably are here to stay: the ironic abandonment of many of the fleeting resolutions made during New Years’ eve parties, the sobering realization that one still has months of winter to endure (and now without the warming comfort of a holiday season), and the season’s end of what has become the nation’s most celebrated corporate scam: college football. For the third, it’s difficult to blame people for enthusiastically participating in the exploitation of college students across the country. After all, the suspense and excitement of football, particularly on the college level, is hard to mimic in other televised mediums. Even professional football at times struggles to match

the entertainment value of its college counterpart, whose free-flowing nature and emotionally-charged matchups are complemented breathtakingly by its passionate fan support. Indeed, the newly instated playoff system at the college level is stealing much of the thunder away from this year’s NFL playoffs, as football fans rejoice in finally being able to crown one school as having the undeniably best football team in the country. But in the shadows of all this newfound joy, the players making the magic— and money—happen are being cheated more than ever. Each year, fans cling to their school’s football teams as they would to their own flesh: reveling in victories, shedding tears in losses, and sparking fierce debates with other fans. Even those who don’t have a dog in the race, so to speak, love to watch such a complex, strategic sport be played at a high level by some of

the nation’s top athletes. The players are at the heart of it all, their value scrutinized on every play. Such is the nature of the game, but the fun ends when one then considers their value as commodities. College football is a billion-dollar industry, garnering incredible sums of money from such sources as television deals, ticket sales, and merchandising, to name a few. These players work for hours a day to prepare for and produce the content that is so irresistibly exciting, and indeed profitable, on Saturday afternoons. The burden to deliver only increases when a top school’s hopes of appearing in a championship game—and thus guarantee even more lucrative cash returns—rest on the players’ ability to advance in the newly added playoff tournament. The stakes are incredibly high, and the pressure on these players not just to perform on the field and win their school an

extra game, but also to serve as sparkling representations of their respective universities, should be enough to warrant sizable compensation. Yet, all that is afforded to each college football player is a scholarship, which on average is between $30,000 and $60,000 each year, depending on the institution. If there is a winner in college football, it certainly isn’t the players. While it could be argued that a free education is a stepping stone to a better future, one doesn’t need an economics major to explain the disparity between value and return in this bargain. These young men dedicate their lives to playing football for schools that do not allow them to realize their own value. Such schools then turn around and make money on their players’ likenesses, soaking in millions of dollars under the blanket excuse of giving them a free college education. They are brought to these

schools to deliver victories and improve the schools’ athletic prestige, which severely undermines the academic pretense of their reward. Usually in a situation like this, the proper course of action would be for players to unionize. Instead, they are told to leave it all on the field, sacrificing their bodies in the name of sport while everyone consumes the fruits of their labor. The process is sickening, and the playoff system only exacerbates the issue, moving college football a step closer to a professional sport while insisting that the workers are simply students. For most who geared up for the National Championship game this past Monday, there is likely not a more festive event than college football in the month of January. To the players, however, the game must be a glaring reminder that a fair compensation is still far from the reach of the end zone.

Why Society Is No Better Off with the BlackLivesMatter vs. BlueLivesMatter Competition Maddy Kirsch STAFF WRITER On Saturday, Dec. 20, Ismaaiyl Brinsley killed two New York City police officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, in an ambush shooting in Brooklyn. Brinsley, thought to have been motivated by revenge against the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in Staten Island at the hands of police earlier in 2014, had expressed anti-government sentiments on his Instagram account and had a history of mental illness, according to the New York Times. The murder of these officers, although certainly tragic and unnerving, is a violent anomaly amidst what have been largely peaceful protests in the wake of the events in Ferguson. The media, however, has not been shy about connecting the two tragedies and pitting communities of color against law enforcement. Where Ferguson protesters have been using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to discuss vestigial racism in Amer-

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Those who have enjoyed centuries of privilege do not need any special recognition that their lives are important; our culture automatically acknowledges so.

ican society on social media, a new cohort of activists have adopted the hashtag #BlueLivesMatter to express their support for police forces. Although many posts are well-intentioned, #BlueLivesMatter undermines #BlackLivesMatter and the whole message of the Ferguson protesters. Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and a whole host of innocent black men died because our culture is still sick with racism, and black males are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement. #BlackLivesMatter is therefore protesting an unhealthy pattern

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of discrimination. The murder of the officers, although equally appalling, does not represent any such pattern. It is instead a freak accident of our country’s lax regulations on firearms that allow far too often for criminals and the mentally unstable to shoot up schools or movie theaters or, in this case, cop cars. Discrimination against people of color remains rampant and systemic in American society; therefore, declaring #BlackLivesMatter is a way of giving voice to the powerless and fighting against the status quo. On the contrary, there is

no need for a hashtag that gives an even greater voice to the powerful and reinforces the status quo. And since #BlueLivesMatter is so blatantly ripped off of #BlackLivesMatter, it comes off as reactionary and defensive. It’s sort of the same idea as changing feminism to humanism or suggesting that we need a white history month in addition to a black history month. Those who have enjoyed centuries of privilege do not need any special recognition that their lives are important; our culture automatically acknowledges so. I want to emphasize that we can grieve for the fallen officers and feel sad for their families on a human level while also still fighting against the larger pattern of police brutality and discrimination against people of color–the two are not mutually exclusive. The critical difference is that the murder of an officer does not require a social movement to be experienced by people nationwide as a tragedy, but the murder of an innocent black man still might.