Spring 2020, Issue 8

MAY 27, 2020

VOLUME XIV, ISSUE XXV

THE FUTURE OF LOCAL IV BUSINESSES NEWS | PAGE 2

"PERPETUAL FOREIGNERS": ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER REPRESENTATION IN POPULAR MEDIA A&E | PAGE 6

A BIG HIT FOR

LOCAL MUSIC A&E

PAGE 5

Photo by GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

BottomLineUCSB.com @tbl.ucsb @tblucsb

The Future of

local IV BUSINESSES LAUREN LUNA | Staff Writer

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n Thursday, May 21, Santa Barbara county released Health Officer Order 2020 8.2, which stipulates that low-risk businesses — including dine-in restaurants and retail shops — may resume business so long as they abide by proper social distancing protocol. Both incorporated and unincorporated Santa Barbara county territory fall under the grounds of this order, including Isla Vista and its many local businesses.

While the order offers some insight into what the future holds for business, its terms do come with a few caveats. The order states that higher-risk venues like bars and movie theatres are not permitted to reopen, though Study Hall in Isla Vista reopened its doors on the same day of the order’s release. Additionally, all businesses seeking to reopen must complete a self-certification form before providing services to the public once again.

The Santa Barbara community buzzed with a mix of elation and anxiety following the publicization of the order, as people on social media expressed both concerns and hopes for the future going forward with the order. Some businesses in Isla Vista like Rockfire Grill eagerly signed on to reopen its doors as soon as Friday, May 22. In downtown Santa Barbara, State Street held a no-car promenade in celebration of the order, as newly-reopened businesses, which pepper the edges of the avenue, opened their doors for the first time in over two months.

Though this announcement

2 | NEWS

seems like good news at first, it does come with a series of implications that can be easily overlooked.

Right now, the national COVID-19 curve is demonstrating a series of fluctuations which still leave the claim that we’ve “flattened the curve” questionable. While urban centers like New York and Detroit are seeing a steady decline in cases, the trajectory of cases has only moved upwards in other parts of the country, including California. This past week, Santa Barbara county has received an average of 11 new cases per day, adding up to 1,551 confirmed cases in the county at the time of writing this article.

However, this data may also be skewed by the recent outbreak in the Lompoc Prison; 971 of the confirmed cases came from the penitentiary, which accounts for about 63 percent of total cases in the county. Experts say that the true number of infected individuals remains unknown due to a lack of accessibility in testing for the virus.

The newly released Health Officer Order offers the Isla Vista business community more mobility in its transition from hard COVID-19 countermeasures to a more sustainable business model that remains cautious of the pandemic. But, this does not mean that every business will be

up and running exactly as they did before March. Governor Gavin Newsom encourages business owners to keep up contactless alternatives to service if they are able to do so. For this reason, and because businesses still need to fill out their self-certification

forms before transitioning, not many businesses in Isla Vista have given word as to whether or not they plan to reinstate in-store shopping or dining options.

Though this order signifies progress in the restoration of ordinary business, it does not mean that social distancing restrictions can be immediately eased.

By extension, it doesn’t mean that business sales will bounce back once they reopen, either.

The pandemic is still a handicap on daily life, and businesses say that our standards of normal following the pandemic may even change permanently.

Here’s what local franchises in Isla Vista have been doing through the pandemic and what their visions are for the future of their businesses.

As an essential business, the Isla Vista Food Cooperative (IV Co-op) has not witnessed a dramatic change in sales going by numbers. General manager Melissa Cohen cites that customers now come in more sporadically, often buying more goods in one trip per week rather than buying a few odd items every other day

as seen pre-pandemic.

Cohen’s greatest concern revolves around incoming Isla Vista residents that may come from places with different concentrations of the virus. Isla Vista’s streets are beginning to gradually fill up again, though some residents remain wary of the increasing volume of people outside. Cohen wants to make sure that the IV Co-op can still protect at-risk customers even through the uncertainty as to where everyone shopping in the store has been. To promote this safety, the store even created an online order experience for shoppers who may not be familiar with the stock at the store and want a focused preview before coming in to shop.

“I think that how we relate to places like businesses will change in that we’ll have to become more conscientious not just for ourselves, but also for those next to us,” said Cohen in a phone interview with The Bottom Line.

“If we’re lucky, we’ll get an awakening towards what mutual aid in the community can look like.”

The current pandemic has brought on an intense and upsetting period of uncertainty for the general economic sphere.

While large corporations suffer due to decreases in consumption and limited availability of workers, small businesses carry the same pressures that large corporations have compounded with barriers in promotion, funding, and maintaining their resources.

Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

Summer Session Tuition Fees The Implications of Transitioning to Full Online Instruction MADISON KIRKPATRICK | Campus Beat Reporter

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n May 5, an email was sent out to all students stating that both Summer sessions (A and B) would be delivered fully online. The Freshmen Summer Start Program (FSSP) will still continue as planned, but it’s unclear how this will function online. Since the email, there have been lots of contemplating on whether or not tuition will be lowered as a result of this new method of instruction. As of now, speculation suggests tuition will not be lowered, despite fully transitioning to online instruction.

In an interview with The Bottom Line, Leesa Beck, director of Summer Sessions, spoke about the reasoning behind this circumstance and how the office is adapting. “Unfortunately, our office has very limited control over the larger fees, and those are set by the UC Regents.”

Despite this, Summer Sessions controls local fees, like those for FSSP and transfer programs. The office has decided to waive the fees for these programs. “We are actively trying to make these programs more accessible/affordable to all,” said Beck.

To help with lowering problematic housing costs, the office is “expanding its summer housing incentive to all students.”

Previously, the incentive was only open to students who were

enrolled in 12 or more units, scholarship eligible, and living on campus, but now students who are living off campus or even out of the area are welcome to apply. These students qualify for up to $500 in aid.

To help with the general fees for classes, Summer Sessions is actively working with other on-campus entities in lowering the costs for summer. “We want to help new students transition successfully, so we are reimbursing unit fees for INT W20, W188C, and W188E,” Beck said.

Financial Aid is offering students need-based vouchers which can be used to get free courses. Additional student aid is also being allocated to students who need it.

Beck stated that despite predictions, summer enrollment has increased by 20 percent.

“I was expecting to see a drop, given that students may not be able to pay for online or like remote work. However, students are hoping to do other things in summer, and things are falling through so they might as well take classes. For those who don’t finish classes in the spring, now they do not have to wait for fall,” she said.

On top of this, the office is working hard to hire professors who can teach more classes, as well as offer spots in classes that are full. “Online does allow us to

TBL 2019-2020 STAFF Editor-in-Chief | Lauren Marnel Shores Managing Editor | Arturo Samaniego Executive Content Editor | Jessica Gang Senior Layout Editor | Christine Ho Senior Copy Editor | Sheila Tran News Editor | Noe Padilla Assistant News Editor | Kyle Dent Features Editor | Alondra Sierra

be flexible. Those fixed unit fees students pay go towards hiring more instructors.” Though these fees are rising, the cost ultimately ensures that there are enough courses available.

Beck spoke about the transition to online and the initial difficulty of it all. “I was a theatre major in college, so I know the importance of having certain classes in person. I pushed for session B to be in person but that didn’t happen,” she said.

With that being said, even STEM classes with labs are transitioning well to online. UCSB's Instructional Department is ensuring that all instructors are adequately prepared.

As far as FSSP, the social element and the ability to live with fellow students is a major component to freshmen transitions, and with online instruction, the social element risks becoming obsolete.

“To help with this, we have hired a number of students to plan virtual programs for freshmen, such as scavenger hunts and cooking classes. We are actively working to create the same experience. Our office does a bulk of the work, but student help is beneficial,” Beck explained.

Finally, Beck talked about the scenario of students deciding to take community college classes to save money (sometimes thousands of dollars).

“It’s great that students want to come here, and we want to bring opportunities to UCSB students. However, it’s important that students do what they need. If a student wants to take a course at a community college or another UC, I am supportive,” she said. “As a former registrar, I recommended this to students to ensure they were getting the resources they need, and finances

shouldn’t be a barrier. We want students to get through the pipeline and reach their educational goals.”

Overall, Summer Sessions is working to prepare its staff for the transition and ensure that students have equal access to summer courses, despite financial barriers that arise.

Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

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NEWS | 3

SUMMER DERAILED

COVID-19 Slashes Students’ Summer Internship Plans ANALISSA NÚÑEZ | Contributing Writer

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hile the class of 2020 graduates amid a worldwide pandemic, those who still have more time at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) can add “canceled summer opportunities” to their COVID-19 list.

For many, an internship is valuable to building one’s resume and network to get a full-time job.

Several internship programs have adjusted to remote positions or simply rescinded offers. According to a survey on the changes to college summer internships since COVID-19, 64 percent of employers who canceled internships offered no compensation.

Many students were relying on the compensation they would’ve received from their program.

Now, they are scrambling to compensate for it.

Three students from different backgrounds sat down with The Bottom Line to discuss how they are feeling after having their summer offers rescinded and their fears about their post-graduation plans.

Esther Liu, a third-year communication and music studies double major, was accepted to intern for technology company Corning Inc. as a digital communications intern at their headquarters in New York. Originally planning to be compensated for her work, Liu is now scrambling to apply for another internship.

“Overall, it’s not the

4 | FEATURES

loss of income that I’m frustrated with. Rather, I’m worried about the loss of experience,” said Liu. “As a current thirdyear, my plans were to complete an internship in a reputable company before my senior year.

This way, I would have a tangible experience to share when interviewing for full-time jobs as a senior.”

For students whose plans have been derailed, Amanda Asquith, internship and experience manager at UCSB’s Career Services offered some advice.

“I encourage all students, and especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to continue to build resiliency, recognize that everyone starts somewhere when it comes to making connections, and know that Career Services is here to help assist you,” Asquith said.

Bernie Nguyen, a third-year studying geographic information systems, was accepted to intern for the Asian Pacific Islander (API) political movement in Los Angeles. Nguyen was disappointed with the cancellation, especially considering the lengthy application process it took to get the position.

“It was all a written application process, including a letter of recommendation. I wasn’t expecting to get accepted. I remember telling the person who wrote my

letter of recommendation immediately,” he said.

Students are also concerned about the loss of research opportunities. Alexandra Wishowski, a third-year linguistics major, had already put in money to prepare for her research assistant position observing special education classrooms at UCSB’s Koegel Autism Center. That will now never happen.

“I had to complete online training while also having to pay for fingerprinting services and a background check,” said Wishowski.

With spring research suspended, students are worried they won’t have enough experience when applying to graduate or professional school. As a transfer student, Wishowski already felt disadvantaged among other applicants. She has plans to apply to graduate school for speech-language pathology but worried she “won’t have enough time on campus” to make her a competitive applicant.

Wishowski was anxious about losing her research position because of how competitive California graduate schools are.

“I’m considered an out-offield applicant because UCSB doesn’t offer the undergraduate major, so I was hoping to make up [for] my lack of prerequisites with other opportunities,” she said.

Although the light at the end of the tunnel seems distant,

there’s hope for those looking to secure a career-building opportunity.

In early May, UCSB’s Career Services announced its first-ever Virtual Career Fair that spans across the UC system, offering two different fairs: one for STEM majors and another for all majors.

Among the long list of employers attending are those looking for students for summer internships or post-graduate positions.

If you’re trying to find another internship, City Internships (CI) is currently searching for applicants to take part in their online programs. CI is a learning provider assisting students in acquiring the experience they need to start a successful career. If accepted, students will undertake a work placement with an employer in their desired field and work together with assigned mentors.

While remote placements may feel

like a lesser experience, they hold the same weight on resumes for future prospective employers.

Though the pandemic has disrupted plans, whatever the outcome, nothing can be done other than to wait on COVID-19.

Illustration by Lauren Luna | Staff Illustrator

Effect of COVID-19 on

LOCAL INDIE MUSIC ALONDRA SIERRA | Features Editor

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t was no more than a year and a half ago when current owner Jennifer Housch took over The Mercury Lounge, continuing the dive bar’s reputation as a mature place to grab a drink, hang out with friends, and listen to whatever live music the night had in store.

Behind the red door in Old Town Goleta, local and touring artists performed free of charge — be it surf rock cover bands, small-town DJs, hardcore punk groups, or international songwriters.

But like all things COVID-19 has hurt, Housch closed her doors when she was just steadying her business. “Basically we went from a steady income to nothing.

As soon as you close your doors, that’s it,” Housch said.

Music venues sit at the tail end of Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to reopen California. Left in the dark, local independent music venues are waiting for a sign of what is to come in their future.

As a bar, The Mercury Lounge doesn’t have many options to make up for its loss of income.

Housch applied to every small business and oddball loans and grants she could find, but many turned her down. Employees can’t work from home, so they were laid off; federal aid like the Payroll Protection Program was futile in her case. To get by, she’s been selling merchandise, closed bottles, and cans on the side.

Over in downtown Santa Barbara, venues like The Red Piano are trying out pay-what-you-can live stream performances while SOhO Restaurant and Music Club have set up a rewards program where people can purchase tickets and bundles that can be used once the venue opens again.

After its last show on March 13, the mid-sized venue in the heart of Santa Barbara furloughed all its employees and closed its doors following state orders. Since then, SOhO has been creating new ways to support their space, like auctioning off old instruments and memorabilia signed by artists like Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore and Jeff Bridges.

“We’re trying to take in whatever we can … whatever assets we can turn into income,” said SOhO’s floor manager Alec Beloin.

It may be months before music venues re-open, and even then it’s unclear what kind of restrictions entertainment venues must follow to prevent the spread of the virus in close spaces.

Think about it: at theaters, stadiums, or other massive venues, hundreds of guests gather and sit side by side. At standing-only venues, people dance, sweat, and breathe en masse to

the music and if it’s an intimate show, the artist will also be singing, breathing, sweating in close proximity to the crowd. It makes sense that venues are considered high-risk environments, but it also means that once music venues are back in business, they may not be entirely back in business.

A venue like SOhO with a capacity of around 400 people per night might be forced to cut down significantly on how many are allowed to be in the room at once.

“A venue like this relies on nights when there’s 300 to 400 people here eating and drinking and having a good time listening to music. It doesn’t really function on nights when there’s only 50 people here,” Beloin said. “But if there’s a situation where there’s only going to be allowed 50 people here for the next couple months, I don’t know how that will be financially viable.”

Housch, whose landowner is understanding of her situation, feels the same way. “Unless we

open up and have 100 percent capacity again, I’m not going to be able to pay my rent,” she said in an interview with The Bottom Line.

Despite the setbacks, Santa Barbara isn’t ignoring its arts and culture scene. Last week, the Santa Barbara county’s Arts Commission announced that it’ll be giving out over $75,000 in COVID-19 relief grants to nonprofit organizations that promote arts and culture. It’s a move that many counties are making to lend a hand to an industry that gives back to the local economy. But independent music venues, of course, are left out of the grant initiative.

For local artists, losing another music venue would only do more harm to Santa Barbara’s live music scene. Josh Kass, drummer for Santa Barbara band Goldy, says that it’s tough as it is for young bands and artists in the area when most venues are payto-play. He remembers the good ol’ days when FUNZONE was around, a DIY space cradled by

the East Beach Batting Cages, unrestricted by age or experience.

“Friends didn’t have to worry about affording a ticket or paying a cover or being under 21 as well, which made the shows so much more inviting and exciting,” said Kass. The space permanently closed down in 2017 (though the name continues to promote safe and inclusive DIY events in the area), leaving one less established venue in Santa Barbara.

Venues are fighting for survival everywhere. Shortly after COVID-19 closures, over a thousand independent music venues across the country — SOhO being one of them — joined arms to form The National Independent Venue Association. Together, they’re sharing modes of sustainability and urging legislators to financially assist the industry so those struggling may come to see another day.

Housch has received offers from patrons wanting to help by buying future drink tickets, but for a business whose future is up in the air, she doesn’t feel comfortable accepting.

“I know people want to help but I don’t feel right taking money for something that later on I might not be able to honor,” she said. Instead, Housch hopes people can contact local representatives to help their local venues.

It may be a while before the pit opens back up, before the buzz and clamor of music venues returns, and before audiences can cheer on their local artists in the same room. Until then, the fight continues to keep local music alive.

Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 5

"Perpetual Foreigners" Asian American & Pacific Islander Representation in Popular Media

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ETHAN YU | Contributing Writer

he year is 2010: I am 10 years old, and I am watching the second episode of "The Walking Dead" when Glenn Rhee — a Korean pizza-delivery-boy-turned-badass zombie killer played by Steven Yeun — saves the protagonist of the show, Rick Grimes, from a swarm of walkers in Atlanta. This was my first memorable experience where I felt seen and shown in mainstream culture, despite the fact that I’m Chinese, not South Korean.

Over the past 10 years, there has been a seismic shift in the tectonic plates of American culture.

With Asian Americans from a variety of backgrounds breaking the stereotype, Asian Americans have become a monolith.

In stand-up comedy, we see the likes of Hasan Minahj, Ronny Chieng, and Aziz Ansari, all of whom have Netflix shows and specials, assert their "bro-ness" with streetwear sneakers, alongside sarcastic wit, to analyze current events and issues relevant to the modern millennial.

For female comic representation, Margerto Cho and Ali Wong are both writers of the hilarious, culturally-groundbreaking show, "Fresh off the Boat." These remarkable women, alongside Awkwafina, make their voices heard by addressing struggles Asian American women everywhere deal with, by telling raunchy sex jokes and revealing their human vulnerabilities.

Other Asian American comedy shows like "Kim’s Con-

venience" and "Nora from Queens" all subvert our understandings of the Asian as a humorless, emasculated, and nerdy male or a subservient, shy, and obedient woman. Through comedy, one can scrutinize stigmas that are present in the Asian American experience and learn to laugh at them.

We also see a growing presence of films casting Asian Americans as the main stars of more serious, albeit still humorous, stories like "The Farewell" and "The Big Sick." In these films, Asian Americans are shown as vulnerable human beings who can love and suffer as much as white actors and actresses and demonstrate that there are audiences willing to watch these stories.

Of course, no review of the decade in Asian American culture could neglect the global phenomenon that was "Crazy Rich Asians" in 2018. The latest film to have come out with an all-Asian cast and an Asian female lead in over 25 years since "The Joy Luck Club" came out in 1993, "Crazy Rich Asians" was a massive step for Asian representation in Hollywood for the 2010s.

However, it was also 2010 when M. Night Shyamalan's infamous adaptation of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" came out, unashamedly whitewashing all the characters, including Aang, except for the “evil” Fire Nation which was played by mostly Middle Eastern and Indian actors.

This, along with the release of "Dragonball Evolution"’ in 2009,

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

would only be a continuation of a horrible practice of whitewashing roles (e.g. Tilda Swinton in "Doctor Strange") for a more mainstream audience. Whitewashing even persisted within adaptations of entire Japanese anime ("Ghost in the Shell," the cringeworthy "Death Note").

While we will have to wait for America to address its cultural issues when it comes to portraying art and stories from members of underrepresented and marginalized communities, we are starting to see cultures from the other side of the Pacific deeply shake Asian stereotypes in America.

The 2010s have been the decade of K-drama and K-pop.

From "My Love from the Stars" (2013) to "Itaewon Class" (2020), K-drama played a significant role in developing our relationship towards streaming platforms such as Netflix and (the now-shutdown) DramaFever who were the only ones willing to host its content.

The tidal waves K-pop made on the face of the global music industry completely astonished the world. Boy bands like BTS and girl bands such as Blackpink and TWICE consistently hit Billboard and Spotify charts, and their posters are easily found in the rooms

of teenage girls and boys everywhere. Even EXO, a popular boy band, welcomed President Trump during a visit to South Korea in 2019.

Finally, we even see in politics the voices of Asian Americans growing in both conservative and progressive spaces. Although it is argued that the Asian Americans were again “model-minoritized” in the debate against affirmative action by white Republicans, other grassroots movements on the right show that Asians will not play a passive role in this nation.

Andrew Yang, on the other hand, will be an unforgettable moment in American politics, being the first Asian American presidential candidate to have stayed in the race so far on a progressive platform.

It was only a year ago when I attended one of Yang’s rallies that I felt I too could become president one day, and that maybe America was starting to change its view of me as the model minority, the awkward nerd, the relegated third sex that could never be the man I was supposed to be.

A particularly ugly video I remember watching in the middle of the 2010s was a Fox News clip of Jesse Watters going into New

York's Chinatown, interviewing people who didn’t speak English about the 2016 election while splicing racist clips from old movies to make fun of their ignorance and apparent stupidity. Moments like these remind me of how most Americans still see me.

With COVID-19 escalating relations between the U.S. and China, and racism and xenophobia towards anyone that looks or sounds somewhat Asian, I am disheartened that despite all the progress made for Asian Americans of all ethnicities and backgrounds in TV, film, music (hiphop and pop), art, and politics, the Asian American movement for authentic visibility has been set back by what I can only imagine to be decades.

If anything, this world-changing event only shows that Asian Americans have been and will be considered “perpetual foreigners” by our country for a long time to come. I hope that the 2020s will be a time where Asian Americans everywhere will continue to speak up and make their truths heard loud and clear, crying, “We stand united!”

Illustration by Echo Dieu | Staff Illustrator

AS Presents:

Social Distancing with David A Virtual Q&A with TV Personality David Dobrik JONATHAN CHAVEZ | Marketing Director

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n May 19, the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Associated Students (AS) Program Board hosted “Distancing with Dobrik,” a virtual Q&A event featuring social media star and TV personality David Dobrik.

With more than 500 attendees, the YouTube star, accompanied by his friends, Ilya Fedorovich and Natalie Mariduena, discussed his path to fame and answered students’ questions.

Dobrik admitted his large social media following took longer to develop than most people think. When he first started making YouTube videos, he didn’t have as many views and his career initially moved slowly. “Every day felt like 48 hours,” he said.

When asked how he stayed creative and came up with new ideas, Dobrik responded that stress had been the biggest help in producing viral content.

According to the YouTube star, the best moments in life happen when you love what you are doing and do it under pressure.

During the event, the chat overflowed with messages and requests from students. The most common requests mentioned Dobrik’s flamethrower, which we’ve seen him scare and prank his friends with on his YouTube channel.

After multiple requests,

Dobrik brought out his flamethrower and all the attendees got to see it in action. The audience bombarded the chat with excitement and laughter as Mariduena and Fedorovich, on both sides of Dobrik, tried to get away from it.

Recognizing the massive fanbase on the chat, the interviewer asked Dobrik if he had experienced any uncomfortable encounters with “creepy fans.”

“There’s always those people that show up to my house and think they’re the exception,” Dobrik said.

Dobrik then told the story of when a fan showed up to his house and showed him a video of how he followed Dobrik on his way home and used Google Maps to track him down. The fan asked if he could post the video on YouTube, but Dobrik denied his request.

Other common and uncomfortable encounters happened when moms showed up at Dobrik's home, begging him to meet their daughters, saying that they had recently gone through chemotherapy and wished to meet him.

These scenarios make it particularly difficult for Dobrik to turn his fans down, especially when fans explain the long drive they made to get to his house.

“Those situations are pretty sad and scary,” Dobrik admitted.

As the event continued, Dobrik was asked about a 2018 visit to Isla Vista, where he partied with UCSB students. He said what he enjoyed the most was being turned down at the frat parties because it reminded him of stereotypical college party movies.

Dobrik was also asked which school is better between UCSB and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

He was quick to respond with, “UCSB, duh,” making students go crazy in the chat once more.

Although Dobrik is known for his funny and playful personality, he also empathizes with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients. He finds himself connecting with them on a personal level and hopes they get the help they deserve.

“It’s crazy to think that

people every day are not viewed as equal. I have high hopes that they will get help,” said Dobrik.

One of the most pleasant experiences he had with fans was meeting a group of DACA students in Texas. He was impressed by their positive attitude despite their situation and recalled the experience as “heartwarming.”

Towards the end of the event, Dobrik continued recalling some of his most memorable stories and student engagement became more prevalent. An attendee even flashed Dobrik, which caught him and the audience by surprise.

In light of the situation that UCSB’s graduating class is experiencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dobrik was asked to share some words of encouragement to conclude

the event.

Prefacing it as the “worst speech ever,” Dobrik ended the event with a final message to the graduating class.

“To the UCSB class of 2020: I want to say it's been a remarkable ride watching all you guys grow and get older and get stronger. In life, there are going to be a lot of obstacles, but there is nothing better than taking naps in between difficult times, and I know that with quarantine we’ve learned that more than anything. Do not underestimate the power of a nap and I want to say one more time … congratulations to the class of 2020.”

Interested in attending more UCSB-exclusive virtual events?

Keep up with the AS Program Board through Facebook and Instagram.

Illustration by Grace Park | Staff Illustrator

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

Five Questions with Dr. Simon Thornton Art in the Age of COVID-19 ETHAN YU | Contributing Writer

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r. Simon Thornton is a postdoctoral scholar and lecturer in the Humanities and Social Change Center and religious studies department at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). Last fall, he taught a course on Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, and Heidegger in relation to moral theory. He is currently teaching a class on the philosophy of art. He specializes in ethics and phenomenology and how the two can help us understand human powerlessness and finitude. In an interview with The Bottom Line conducted over email, Dr. Thornton answered a few questions about art in the age of a global pandemic through a philosophical lens.

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

1. What are your current research projects/interests and how have they been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

“Recently I have been studying the works of two (fairly) contemporary American philosophers, Johnathan Lear and Stanley Cavell. Both of these thinkers seek to question the power we typically accord to our human capacity for reflection (note that

8 | SCIENCE & TECH

they have philosophers in mind in particular). It is natural to suppose that it is possible for us to, say, get our contemporary situation in perspective by ‘stepping back’ and rationally reflecting on it. In this connection, it is often thought that philosophy and the humanities in general are valuable because they can help us gain self-knowledge and find a more profound connection with the world and others. In short, philosophical reflection [provides] us with a clear-sighted view of ourselves, the world, and others.

Lear and Cavell, however — each in their own way — challenge the extent to which reflection can afford us with a clear-sighted view of the facts of our situation. Rather, rational reflection can easily put in the service of non-rational ends; we have a tremendous capacity to unconsciously rationalize and justify beliefs and courses of action that sustain illusions we hold about ourselves, the world, and others.

As Lear puts it, rational reflection can and often is “used as a defense, blocking the self-understanding it purports to deliver.”

I think, generally speaking, that acknowledging the limits of ra-

tional reflection is more important now than ever.

But in addition to this I would like to note, during this pandemic, I have witnessed instances of the apparent failure of deep humanistic learning to provide the therapeutic benefits it is often said to provide. I know people who have devoted years to understanding and embracing the facts of human finitude; although theoretically, they become as good as paralyzed in the face of the current crisis. I have been tempted to ask, what good is philosophical and humanistic reflection if it cannot afford us with genuine clarity and insight about ourselves and our situation? I would like to respond: the very raising of the question constitutes its own answer.”

2. “Art is truth setting itself to work,” said German philosopher, Martin Heidegger, in his essay, “On the Origin of the Work of Art." Do you have a certain work of art, book, movie, painting, etc., that you have been thinking about lately that reveals something about the present age?

“Heidegger believes that great artworks can help establish and

reveal the implicit sense of reality, and the ethos through which a historical community understands itself and its world. Art, that is to say, has a creative function as much as it can work to set up a world of meaning … it also has a disclosive function … as it can “hold the age in thought.”

In his essay, “The Origin of the Work of Art,” Heidegger appeals to the example of a Greek temple in order to illustrate this point.

The temple sets up (or, at least, helps to set up) a cosmos (the totality and significance of human exigency): the temple houses the Olympian gods … and the temple also provides a ‘site’ or a focal point which discloses or renders intelligible the cycles of life and death within a community.

For Heidegger, the way we experience art today differs markedly from the way he imagined the ancient Greeks experienced the temple. For a start, Heidegger believes modernity, in art and in life, to be much more focused on the individual subject than the ancient Greek world was. To this extent, Heidegger believes modernity to be comparatively impoverished.

In this respect, Heidegger’s

views on art fall into broad agreement with those of another famous German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. In his first book, “The Birth of Tragedy,” Nietzsche celebrates ancient Greek tragedy, as represented in the work of Sophocles and Aeschylus, while lamenting the rise of what he sees as a technocratic and moralistic modernity. Modernity, on Nietzsche’s analysis, believes that the world can be accessed and known through reason, and it is optimistic; modern subjects believe that life is fair (if it is not, then it can be fixed) … it pays to be good and … doing the right thing will make you happy. But Nietzsche believes that these modern beliefs sustain a potentially disastrous illusion about the nature of human life. And he thinks that we must re-invent tragic drama in order to disabuse ourselves of this illusion.

I believe that Nietzsche’s discussion of tragic drama is particularly relevant amidst the contemporary crisis. Mass unemployment, untimely death, isolation, and the many other terrible consequences of the [COVID-19] pandemic must challenge our sense that the world is (or could be) just. And the difficulties we

have experienced in responding to the pandemic must challenge our faith in the power of science (to find cures and to make accurate predictions). In other words, the current crisis may be confronting us forcefully with a sense of our own limitations and relative powerlessness. Tragic drama, on Nietzsche’s view, contains the resources to help us come to terms with this sense of powerlessness. Although I do not fully agree with Nietzsche’s harsh and pessimistic world-view on the whole, I do agree that tragic drama still has important lessons to teach us today.”

3. In an essay titled, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin writes, “the adjustment of reality to the masses and of the masses to reality is a process of unlimited scope, as much for thinking as for perception.”

Many of us are now stuck at home reading books, streaming movies and TV, and listening to music mostly through digital means. Meanwhile, art museums, theaters, and concerts are being closed or canceled everywhere. What does this all say about the nature of art and how we consume it?

“In the essay you mention, which was written in 1936, Walter Benjamin considers the impact of the development of photography and film on the way we experience art. In one section, he interestingly compares the experience of seeing an actor on stage to seeing an actor on screen. In contrast to plays, in movies all evidence of the way the action is produced (technical equipment, for instance) is concealed. The spectators are ‘forced’ to concentrate on what the director (via the cameraman) wants you to concentrate on … and the screen actor is ‘cut off’ from direct access to the spectators, and so cannot respond to their mood.

These observations, it seems to me, are strikingly relevant to the experience of the exponentially increased use of video-conferenc-

ing apps, like Zoom, that many of us are going through. Through Zoom, we can curate how we look and want to be seen in ways that were not possible before (for instance, by using different backgrounds or deciding whether to turn on our camera or not).

And it is much more difficult to gauge the mood of the group participating in a Zoom call. As many people have observed, this has given rise to a strange form of “Zoom fatigue.” Benjamin might be thought to offer an interesting diagnosis of this fatigue when he observes that: ‘While facing the camera [the screen actor] knows that ultimately he will face the public, the consumers who constitute the market. This market, where he offers not only his labor but also his whole self, his heart, and soul is beyond his reach. During the shooting he has as little contact with it as any article made in a factory. This may contribute to that oppression, that new anxiety which … grips the actor before the camera.’

There is an anxiety, that is to say, associated with the new, unbridgeable gap that has opened up between, say, teacher and student over Zoom. Uncannily, it feels as if we are learning both how easy it is to move many of our everyday activities online — and also how much is lost in the process.”

4. There’s a famous saying by philosopher, Theodor Adorno, that has somewhat gained a life of its own: "To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric. And this corrodes even the knowledge of why it has become impossible to write poetry today."

Is there something abhorrent about the idea of creating art during a time of unspeakable crisis? Is consuming art a kind of mass escapism in this day and age? Is it even productive to be contemplating on art right now? Or is Adorno wrong?

“Theodor Adorno held a famously austere view of art, and he was, with equal infamy, relentlessly pessimistic about the state

of the world. In connection with the passage you quoted, Adorno asserts that: ‘After Auschwitz, our feelings resist any claim of the positivity of existence as sanctimonious, as wronging the victims; they balk at squeezing any kind of sense, however bleached, out of the victim’s fate.’

His comments on poetry have the force of imagining a murderer fleeing the scene, but stopping on the way to remark on the cuteness of a baby to its mother. It is not so much obscene as disorienting: how can this cold-blooded murderer be awed by the innocence of new life? For Adorno, Auschwitz signaled a qualitative change in the nature of what it means to be human. How can humanity, which commits genocide with technical precision, celebrate beauty? Notably, though, Adorno compares the case of Auschwitz, a manmade atrocity, with the experience of natural disaster: ‘The earthquake of Lisbon sufficed to cure Voltaire of the theodicy of Leibniz, and the visible disaster of first nature was insignificant in comparison with the second, social one, which defies human imagination as it distills a real hell from human evil.’

To simplify, a natural disaster may shake one’s belief in, for instance, divine providence, but a manmade atrocity such as Auschwitz may cause one to lose faith in humanity.

Here’s a relevant question in this connection: is what is happening now a disaster, a manmade atrocity, or both? It can be argued (putting certain conspiracy theories to one side) that the COVID-19 is a natural phenomenon, and so should be treated as such. But one may also wonder whether the conditions that made it possible for the virus to spread as ferociously as it has and the way in which we have responded to its spreading at various levels makes the matter less clear-cut.

The extent to which Adorno’s harsh dictum on poetry holds for us now rests on working out this question. I won’t presume to

make that judgment here.

Nonetheless, I do want to register a relevant experience I had recently. I was with my housemates watching some music-based TV fundraiser for the Coronavirus relief effort. At some point, amongst the performances of famous pop stars, there was a montage of really shocking footage of those working on the frontline, in hospitals. At that point, we all fell silent, and the mood changed. It felt as though it were somehow wrong of us to be enjoying the music, safe at home while so many are suffering and others are making sacrifices. But what can you do?”

5. What is the role of art during the COVID-19 crisis or crises in general?

“This is obviously a very big question, and I can’t hope to answer it here. But I will add a small comment — or, rather, a challenge. Crudely, we might think of two roles for art in crises: the first is to edify, the second is to distract. In response to your first question, I poured some cold water on the idea that art, broadly construed (to include philosophical and humanistic reflection), might have an edifying effect. It might be the case that even our most earnest and genuine attempts to make sense of ourselves and our situation through philosophical and humanistic reflection will be just as ensnared by unconscious motives and biases as our most superficial reactions. In response to your fourth question, I suggested, a propos Adorno, that there is something obscene in letting oneself be distracted by art in a time of crisis. Clearly, both of these responses are overly crude. But I think that they nonetheless both contain germs of truth that we must confront theoretically in order to understand what role art may play during crises.

Notwithstanding these critical questions, however, I must report that in my experience art in some cases does seem to set truth to work, as

Heidegger might put it. In this connection, and in relation to the contemporary crisis, I would recommend the following poem

by Seamus Heaney (originally written in response to 9-11) for your reader’s consideration (Cf. Søren Kierkegaard’s “God is that anything is possible”): Anything Can Happen Anything can happen. You know how Jupiter Will mostly wait for clouds to gather head Before he hurls the lightning?

Well, just now He galloped his thunder cart and his horses Across a clear blue sky. It shook the earth And the clogged underearth, the River Styx, The winding streams, the Atlantic shore itself.

Anything can happen, the tallest towers Be overturned, those in high places daunted, Those overlooked regarded.

Stropped-beak Fortune Swoops, making the air gasp, tearing the crest off one, Setting it down bleeding on the next.

Ground gives. The heaven’s weight Lifts up off Atlas like a kettle-lid.

Capstones shift, nothing resettles right.

Telluric ask and fire-spores boil away.

Photo Courtesy of UCSB

SCIENCE & TECH | 9

Appetizers &

Appropriation Chrissy Teigen vs. Alison Roman KAYLA CURTIS-EVANS | Staff Writer

I

think everyone can agree that Twitter drama is like a car wreck: horrible to look at, but at the same time we can’t help but to sneak a peek. I first came across Alison Roman’s controversial interview on Twitter, and although her commentary had a condescending and elitist tone to it, I just couldn’t stop reading.

She made some judgemental comments about other successful women and the whole fiasco blew up on social media as fans quickly assembled to Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo’s defense. But this celebrity chef “feud” is more than just petty drama; Alison Roman made condescending and derogatory comments towards two hardworking women within the Asian community. Given Roman’s history of discrediting ethnic cultures, this is a bigger

10 | OPINIONS

issue of cultural appropriation along with blatant discrimination.

Who is Alison Roman? That is exactly the question I asked myself when I saw her interview making headlines everywhere.

She is a very successful American cookbook author as well as a bi-weekly columnist for the New York Times and Bon Appetit.

Her wide acclaim stems from her savvy use of social media in order to share recipes — in fact, she has written many recipes that have gone viral on Instagram. She has been praised for her ability to create innovative and fresh recipes that cater to young audiences, but she has also been criticized for some of her recipes as well.

Roman has been previously accused of creating watered down versions of ethnic recipes

and taking recipes from Asian Pacific cultures without properly acknowledging their origin.

These allegations were made in her comments in a recent The New Consumer interview, in which she expresses her disapproval of how Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo have branded themselves — even more problematic. Many believe that her criticisms of Teigen and Kondo were more than just throw-away comments, but truly anti-Asian sentiments.

In the interview, Roman conveyed her disdain for the way Kondo has built her career, candidly stating, “Like the idea that when Marie Kondo decided to capitalize on her fame and make stuff that you can buy, that is completely antithetical to everything she’s ever taught you …”

She went on to bring in a fellow celebrity chef personality, Chrissy Teigen: “Like, what Chrissy Teigen has done is so crazy to me. She had a successful cookbook. And then it

was like: Boom, line at Target.

Boom, now she has an Instagram page that has over a million followers where it’s just, like, people running a content farm for her. That horrifies me and it’s not something that I ever want to do. I don’t aspire to that. But like, who’s laughing now? Because she’s making a ton of fucking money.”

Alison said it best herself: Chrissy Teigen is making a ton of money. She is an American model, TV personality, and author with a net worth of $11.5 million. In more recent years, she has stepped back from modeling to cook and write cookbooks. “Cravings,” her debut cookbook, made the New York Times bestseller list and was named second best cookbook of the year in 2016. All of her achievements are well deserved, as she has built her brand solely on her own and utilizes her Thai origins to create tasty twists on traditional recipes.

Marie Kondo has also made a huge name for herself. She is a Japanese organizing consultant, author, TV host, and founder of her own company KonMari Media Inc. Kondo has written four books about organizing that have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” was also nominated for an Emmy. Both Teigen and Kondo are shining examples of women from the Asian community making a name for themselves and building huge businesses

from the ground up; this deserves recognition and praise, not bitter criticism.

Whether or not Alison Roman intended to make arguments that were racially motivated, her words still hurt.

Celebrities should be increasingly aware of not just their intentions when they speak, but also the ways in which their words can be understood by others. At the end of the day, if a celebrity does not want their “criticism” of others to be twisted, then maybe they shouldn’t bring others up in their interviews unnecessarily.

As far as her recipes, I believe all credit should be given where it is due. Cooking is an industry in which people’s ideas are meant to be improved and constantly built upon, but claiming something that does not belong to you is not acceptable.

Roman did later apologize for any negative connotations that her words could have carried. But her apology seemed to be fueled by obligation after social media users attacked her for her insensitivity. I believe that Teigen and Kondo, as well as the Asian/Asian Pacific community at large, is due for a sincere apology from Roman that truly comes from the heart.

Illustration by Echo Dieu | Staff Illustrator

Romanticize Your Life SOFIA LYON | Layout Editor

T

he modern world finds countless ways to devalue the dreamer. We tell pre-teens who admire the starry-eyed protagonists of coming-of-age films that they are simply pretentious, and attack those with unique quirks or interests with condescending labels like “snowflake.” It seems embedded into the modern West’s social code that those who dwell on their emotions, take pride in themselves, or get overly sentimental ought to be pulled back down to “reality.”

But this baseless cultural cynicism deprives us of experiencing the simple joys of existence for the limited time we are here. No culture, social contract, or individual has the authority to dictate the extent to which you are allowed to enjoy your life.

It is difficult to discern at what point cynicism bred this false belief that to be in love with life is a sign of self-absorption, immaturity, or an inflated sense of self-importance. The term romanticism — its capital “r” distinguishing its denotation from the traditional love-oriented associations of romance — seriously entered the common vernacular of human beings as a result of the romantic literary movement in the early 19th century.

This movement was characterized by its emphasis on the natural world as well as spir-

ituality. Romantics sought to unite the intellectual and the emotional; it was a response to the often overly-intellectual paradigms of the Scientific Revolution.

The disappearance of a cultural movement as impactful and popular as romanticism presents a troubling reality about human life. While I am no historian, I imagine the idyllic values of individualism and unadulterated love espoused by romantics eventually surrendered to the rigid and scheduled world created by the Industrial Revolution. Along with developing novel technology which would forever alter human life and communication, the Industrial Revolution also established the regimented aspects of which modern humans are familiar with, namely the five-day work week and eight-hour school days.

Focus on quick, cheap, and effective labor coupled with the necessity for work and the long days likely discouraged any dreaming and heavy emotions.

While it is easy to antagonize this cultural shift as dampening the joyful human spirit, it is important to note the relevance of such a transition in creating the efficient lives modern humans get to experience. Of course, there are setbacks and tensions within our current society, but it is certainly easier to navigate than it was in the past.

Though the necessary evils of the Industrial Revolution left permanent impacts on our world today, it is time to recognize the danger of that success-oriented mindset. It is perhaps time to return to a more innocent, honest appreciation for life. I believe the following lines from romantic poet William Wordsworth’s poem, “Lines Written in Early Spring,” perfectly epitomize the spirit of romanticizing one’s own life: “And ‘tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes.” How simple yet wonderful it would be to find pleasure in the experience of being alive.

I am no stranger to hyper-romanticizing my own life.

And while there are dangers of disillusionment in this practice, I have found that allowing myself such small joys has tangibly, improved the quality of my life.

However, I dislike the term “romanticization,” in referring to the practice of sensationalizing smaller or “trivial” moments of life, as it seems to only be used to belittle those who choose to do so. The word has morphed into an insult under the lie that those who are unwittingly enveloped in the pleasures of life are somehow incapable of realism or hard work.

Perhaps in choosing to unapologetically embrace life, we may redefine and bring respect back to that word. So, one way

I romanticize my life is by reading poetry amongst nature. The experience offers the perfect amount of external stimuli to internal mental activity and is a direct way of connecting back to historical romanticism. I think that statement may open me up for criticisms of pretension, an insult that feels fairly empty. In fact, calling someone “pretentious” feels more like a projection of some internal discontent than a true statement about another person.

Is it not strange that we feel ashamed to love the things they love without limitation? To those who fear the “pretentious” label as a result of feeling their emotions to their entire extent or deeply immersing themselves in their interests, I tell you this: memento mori. Remember that life is fleeting. Simply because others are too afraid to allow themselves to take pride in existence should not interfere with your own pleasure.

If you are interested in a more embodied experience of personal romanticization, I would suggest dancing alone in your bedroom or an otherwise semi-private space. If nothing else, doing this reminds me that I have a body and that I am a physical thing alive on Earth.

How wonderful is that! What excites me the most about these exercises is their ability to disassociate one from the complications of human life.

Despite the chaos and issues of the world, for a moment you are allowed to remove yourself and just be. Somehow, having even just a few moments like this throughout the day makes dealing with all the overwhelming facets of being a human feel slightly more manageable, even interesting perhaps.

Our consciousness and existence are the great mysteries of the universe. Why we have such capacities for emotions and abstract thought will likely remain unknowable throughout our species’ duration on planet Earth. So jump outside in the pouring rain with your friends, wander around your town with a wide gaze focused on the clouds above you, read poetry under that great tree in the park, and call yourself the “main character” if that is how you embrace life.

You will be grateful you immersed yourself in those moments as they happened. I leave you with the words of Charles Bukowski, not a romantic, but another human whose poetry encapsulates the spirit of romanticizing one’s own life: “Your life is your life. Know it while you have it. You are marvelous.”

Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art Director

OPINIONS | 11

REOPENING 1

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3

4 12 | PHOTOSTORY

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Santa Barbara Photos by GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

1:

As phase two of reopening has begun in California, Isla Vista restaurant staples like Woodstocks and Rockfire have begun hosting masked patrons for dine-in with distanced seating.

2:

Memorial Day weekend saw Santa Barbara county residents flock to State Street to support small businesses. Vehicular traffic was blocked on State Street for the weekend, allowing citizens to walk and bike down the lively artery.

3:

Goleta’s West Wind Drive-In theater has reopened by public demand. The inherent socially distant nature of the drive-in movie experience has made it the perfect candidate for operating during phase two of Governor Newsom’s plan to reopen the state.

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4: With dine-in options in place at certain loca-

tions, restaurants saw a spike in business at their locations on State Street while continuing to adhere to safety guidelines.

5:

Without federal assistance, Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) would experience a multi-million dollar budget gap in airport operations. SBA’s acceptance of the funding requires it to preserve at least 90 percent of essential airport jobs through the end of 2020.

6: The Habit has continued to serve takeout only, along with the majority of Isla Vista businesses.

7:

Santa Barbara Airport is set to receive $9,555,321 in CARES Act Funding, part of the $10 billion appropriated by Congress to save airport jobs, preserve credit ratings, and ensure improvement projects continue.

7 PHOTOSTORY | 13

AAPI Portrait Illustration by SOPHIA ZHOU | Staff Illustrator

"I write because I know that one day I will die, and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs."

Amy Tan

Comic of the Week

14 | ILLUSTRATION

Comic by JAKE ORTEGA | Comic Artist

The Bottom adle Illustration by SOPHIA ZHOU | Staff Illustrator Recipe by MELODY LI | Layout Editor

INGREDIENTS

a large skillet, fry ground 1. In pork in cooking oil until dark brown.

1 block soft tofu (cubed)

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

the peppercorns, garlic, 2.Add and ginger. Fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

2 tbsp ginger (finely minced)

1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (powdered or ground)

in the Douban Jiang. Fry 3. Stir for about 1 minute until oil becomes red.

2 tbsp cooking oil Âź lb ground pork chicken broth, soy sauce, 4.Add and sugar. Bring to a boil.

1 tbsp chili oil (optional)

2 tbsp Douban Jiang (Spicy/Fermented Bean Paste)

tofu evenly and simmer 5. Spread for 3-5 minutes over low heat.

2 cups chicken broth Add the cornstarch slurry and

6. simmer until the sauce thick-

1 tbsp soy sauce

ens. Gently toss tofu in sauce.

½ tsp sugar

Cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water)

with scallions and chili 7. Finish oil.

2 scallions (finely chopped)

ILLUSTRATION | 15