Winter 2020, Issue 7 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

MARCH 4, 2020

VOLUME XIV, ISSUE XVI

MARCH FOR COLA On Thursday, Feb. 27, UCSB graduate students, undergraduates, faculty members, and community members rallied in front of Storke Tower in support of a Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA). NEWS | PAGES 2-4

QUANTUM REVOLUTION A quantum revolution is coming, and UCSB faculty members are leading the charge. At an event on Thursday, Feb. 27, three professors spoke about cuttingedge quantum research that UCSB is spearheading. S&T | PAGE 9

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The Fight for COLA

UCSC to UCSB KYLE DENT | Assistant News Editor

ince September 2019, UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) graduate students have been fighting for a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in order to be able to remove the burden of high rent on their low wages. Beginning in January of this year, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) has joined the movement to demand a COLA. As Adam Parison, a UCSB graduate student and COLA organizer, summarized in comments to The Bottom Line, “For me, COLA4ALL is a way … [so that] all people who want to be graduate students can aﬀord a graduate education.” According to a website for supporters, payusmoreucsc.com, they are demanding an increase of at least $1,412. This figure was calculated using the pay rate for teaching assistants and graduate student instructors (about $2,400), compared to one-third of the average three-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz (or on campus), at about $1,211 per month. Members of the COLA coalition argue that this increase in wages will help oﬀset the large chunk of wages that paying rent takes up. Many students have recounted sacrifices they’ve had to make due to limited money, such

2 | NEWS

as having to sleep in an office and shower at the gym, or "juggling four part-time jobs." Diane Fujino, interim chair of the Asian American studies department at UCSB and faculty advocate for COLA, cited a UCSC newsletter that found that 31 percent of graduate students experience food insecurity. In September, UCSC graduate students, along with the UC Student-Workers Union UAW 2865, called for an increase in wages, and on Nov. 7, 2,000 Santa Cruz graduate students marched to their Kerr Hall and provided notice of their demands to Chancellor Cynthia Larive and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer. Almost 80 students camped out at the center of campus to make themselves visible to the administration and the visiting regents. On Dec. 5, tensions hit a breaking point. While a protest that day was cancelled, UCSC’s executive vice chancellor responded to a graduate’s email of demands with a copy of the student conduct handbook with "intimidation" — with the entire graduate student body copied in the email chain. Students soon began calling (and later voting) for a strike against the school’s intimidation

practice, and by the Dec. 9, a majority of UCSC graduate students voted to strike and withhold grades, if necessary. Many demonstrated outside UCSC’s McHenry Library, but no members of the administration agreed to an open discussion with the organizers, as stated in their demands. As promised, 85 teaching assistants and graduate student instructors withheld grades for the fall quarter, and as of print have not released them. A full strike at UCSC began on Feb. 10, and graduate student workers were joined by a number of undergraduates, faculty, and staﬀ in solidarity. Despite meetings between graduate student workers and administration, striking continued, and tensions between the UC and students escalated as the presence of police grew, with upwards of 100 officers at one time. Several student protesters were arrested or cited while demonstrating. This is not the first instance of teaching assistants at UCSC working to earn a higher wage. In 2014, graduate teaching assistants threatened to strike in an eﬀort to raise their pay and relax the constraints on the amount of time teaching assistants were supposed to spend in the classroom, versus opposed to grading papers, hold-

ing office hours, or creating lesson plans, and how pay cut oﬀ if too much time was spent in class. The website payusmoreucsc. com also has a list of demonstrations as far back as 2009 before COLA. During February, the COLA movement gained support from other UCs. On Feb. 20, UC Irvine held a rally in support of a COLA, with over 200 students participating. The administrative building was put on 24-hour lockdown, and multiple students were arrested by police. The next day, UCSB4COLA organizers orchestrated an occupation of the chancellor’s office at UCSB. In an interview with KCSBFM, Pratik Raghu, an organizer with Bonfire Media and the SB Student Activist Network and graduate student described why he is fighting for a COLA. “The university has given me … a relatively generous funding package, but despite that fact, I have skipped meals — I’ve missed the bus and debated, thought and re-thought, whether I should splurge for a Lyft. It aﬀects learning.” On Feb. 24, the UCSB chapter of COLA4ALL voted in favor of a full strike, which began on Feb. 27 with a rally beneath Storke Tower and a march to the

Mosher Alumni House. Hundreds of community members, including faculty, staﬀ, undergraduates, and graduate students alike came together in support of those striking. The strike will continue indefinitely until demands are met. UCSB4COLA also voted in favor of withholding winter quarter grades, which shortly preceded UCSC’s firing of at least 54 graduate student workers for withholding fall grades. 54 teaching assistants received an email telling them they were no longer employed at the university, and another 26 were noticed they would not be “considered for spring 2020 appointments." This stopped neither the organizers at UCSC or UCSB — demonstrations at both campuses are continuing with full force. Furthermore, almost 400 graduate students “are now committed to declining spring appointments in one form or another.” In fact, students UC-wide have stood up with those fired workers, with students at UC Davis rallying on March 2, and a sick-out held the same day at UC Irvine. Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

UCSB Graduate Students

STRIKE FOR COLA in front of Storke Tower

JESSICA GANG | Executive Content Editor

n Thursday, Feb. 27, more than 1,000 graduate students, undergraduates, and faculty members at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) rallied in front of Storke Tower at noon in support of a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for UCSB graduate students, who are currently experiencing high percentages of rent burden and housing insecurity. The rally was also held to show solidarity with striking teaching assistants at UC Santa Cruz, who have been withholding grades in an attempt to force a COLA since September 2019. Thursday’s strike came just three days after UCSB’s Graduate Student Association (GSA) voted to go on full wildcat strike; until the strike is broken, participating graduate students will cease all graduate activities. In spite of the fact that graduate students are entering uncharted territory by participating in the strike, the mood on Thursday in front of Storke Tower was defiant, stirring, and at times even

joyous. “I’m inspired that faculty are here with us today, as well as many undergrads,” sixth-year English Ph.D student Chip Badley said in an interview with The Bottom Line. “At the same time, I think that the fact that there are so many people here just speaks to how expensive it is to live [in Santa Barbara] and how urgent it is that we need reform, and how frustrated, tired, and exhausted academics are … in the public university sector, when they show time and time again that they don’t have our best interests at heart.” Badley’s sentiments were echoed by undergraduate Katelyn, a third-year transfer student majoring in communication and minoring in LGBTQ studies, who spoke to The Bottom Line about why she is choosing to support strikers. “I’m here because I think it’s really important that T.A. students or graduate students are getting paid what they need to be paid, especially considering all

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the work that they do.” Kaitlyn continued, saying that teaching assistants and grad students “obviously represent the most direct line that students have to their education, and it matters as much to them as it does to us.” As the march gained traction and supporters marched from the lawn by Storke Tower to Mosher Alumni House, the spirit seemed to move with it. Student leaders wearing shirts branded with “UAW 2865” — the UC Student-Workers Union — led chants like, “Strike with us!” and “C-O-L-A, we deserve fair pay!” heightening the sense of urgency felt by everyone present. The sheer numbers of undergraduate and faculty support were impossible to be ignored, with some faculty and undergrads even forgoing classes to participate in the walk to Mosher. Graduate students, undergraduates, and students were not the only members of the community who turned out to show their support for the COLA strike. Notable members of the

Goleta and Santa Barbara public who lent their support to strikers on Thursday included Third District county supervisor candidates Karen Jones and Joan Hartmann, along with representatives from AFSCME Local 3299, the labor union that represents UC workers. AFSCME Local 3299 has been embroiled in contract negotiations of their own with the UC system for the past two-and-ahalf years. AFSCME Local 3299 has previously spoken in support of COLA strikers, condemning the UC’s use of “intimidation tactics” in an “eﬀort to silence [student voices],” and urging the UC to negotiate a cost-of-living adjustment for graduate students. In an interview with The Bottom Line, current Third Supervisor County Supervisor Joan Hartmann also voiced her support for strikers and stressed the responsibility that the larger Santa Barbara community has to support striking UCSB students. “I thought today was enormously impressive because you had

undergrads, administrative staﬀ, faculty members, and community members saying ‘we all recognize that this is a huge problem.’” It’s clear that whatever direction the UCSB4COLA movement takes, the support of other members of the campus community is essential to the movement’s success. Speaking to The Bottom Line, GSA President Cierra Sorin, a fifth-year sociology Ph.D student, credited the success of the strike to “massive people power,” adding that the movement has “blossomed beautifully.” “We are all in this together,” Sorin stressed, adding that the UCSB4COLA Instagram account now has over 1,000 followers; a week ago, it had only 400. “[The support] is blowing our minds,” Sorin said. “More people are in this, every step of the way." Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor Sofia Lyon contributed reporting to this article.

Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff or UCSB. All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to editors@bottomlineucsb.com

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NEWS | 3

UCSB FACULTY MARCH With Graduate Students in

Support of COLA ANDREW HERNANDEZ | Investigative Beat Reporter

aculty, staﬀ, and students of UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) marched from Storke Tower Thursday afternoon, marking the first official day of a full strike on campus joining and standing in solidarity with the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) movement. UCSB is the second UC campus, following UC Santa Cruz (UCSC), where graduate students are holding wildcat strikes to demand a COLA, citing rent burden within the Santa Barbara area. According to the COLA4UCSB demand letter, the adjustments UCSB graduate students are asking administration for amount to an extra $1,807.51 per month. For comparison, UCSC graduate students demand a monthly stipend of an extra $1,412. Though primarily concerning the hundreds of teaching graduate students on campus, a significant amount of faculty came out in support of the cause both in person and through a petition. 85 UCSB faculty members demon-

4 | NEWS

strated and an unspecified number have signed a non-cooperation pledge in support of striking Gauchos. Dr. Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval, executive board member of the UCSB Faculty Association (SBFA), was admittedly a bit anxious before the march. In an interview with The Bottom Line (TBL), Armbruster-Sandoval said a number of faculty formed a steering committee early last week that wanted to take its cues from students in an eﬀort to “exercise any sort of power or authority on campus they had.” He acknowledged they could only apply as much pressure as they could, but hoped that by making themselves visible in the protest they could make a statement. A delegation of faculty was sent to administrators in Cheadle Hall to make their case in support of their graduate students before joining the march at high noon. Miya Barnett, an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the department of counseling, clinical, and school psychology at UCSB, said that she respects the

work of the teaching assistants (T.A.s) and that it's necessary that their cost-of-living adjustment needs are met. Christine Weidner, a member of the COLA Faculty Outreach Committee, is in charge of educating and explaining why COLA is an important cause for faculty to join, as the movement aims for a COLA for all rent-burdened populations on campus. Weidner, who is also a Ph.D candidate for the English department, illustrated the graduate struggle to TBL by comparing how much further her current salary would get her in her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania than it does in Santa Barbara. “I have worked every year two to three jobs on top of that, to make ends meet here. Thankfully faculty are quite supportive. If graduate students are taking on multiple jobs to make ends meet, we are not able to be the best we can for our faculty,” she said. Professor Ben Olguin of the English department and professor Constance Penley of film and media studies oﬀered advice from

their past experiences in helping the organization of UCSB's COLA strike, which Weidner described as “exceptional.” Despite the amount of support, there has been hesitancy from some faculty members. The lack of information because of the lack of a centralized channel of communication between faculty is what COLA supporters highlight as the impediment to gaining even more of their support. Armbruster-Sandoval said, “If we were unionized, we would have like an infrastructure on the ground, with fact sheets, this, that and a whole bunch of information. When a labor action like this, then we'd be ready to swing into action.” Almost none of the faculty are completely unsympathetic to the cause of the graduate students; they just want to take the course of action that is right for all. UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang issued a statement Thursday: “Our graduate students are an integral part of our UC Santa Barbara community, and their

contributions are indispensable to fulfilling our mission of teaching, research, and service,” adding later on, “We met with our graduate students earlier this week, and have been listening to our graduate and undergraduate students as well as faculty and staﬀ to better understand the living and learning environment. We are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions that address the concerns of all of our graduate and undergraduate students." After 54 to 80 grad students at UCSC last Friday who withheld grades last fall were fired, according to payusmoreucsc. com, the COLA movement up north and on campus show no sign of stopping anytime soon. Almost no one has expected COLA’s scale and spread and the speed at which it dominated the discourse across campuses statewide. UCSB’s protest on Thursday was a sign of collective people power that Armbruster-Sandoval summarized as “pretty badass.” Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

UCSB COLA Strikers SHARE INSIGHTS Under Storke Tower EDWARD COLMENARES | Isla Vista Beat Reporter

s the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) strike carries on under Storke Tower after beginning Feb. 27, some UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) undergraduates are agitated over consequences they may face if a compromise between graduate students and administration is not quickly met. The strike began at UC Santa Cruz, according to the COLA website FAQ sheet, in response to the UC system’s continued “apathy” towards providing livable wages for graduate students working as teaching assistants. Taking a direct approach, some teaching assistants have cancelled sections and stopped grading altogether to actively protest in their eﬀort to be valued as integral members of the UC system deserving of higher, livable wages. But with less than three weeks left in the quarter and no sign of strikes ending soon, UCSB students are anxiously questioning if their academic or financial status, among other things, will suﬀer as a result of the strikes. The Bottom Line attended the first day of the protest to gain first-hand insight on the doubts and hopes of teaching assistants, UCSB faculty, and undergraduates alike. Teaching Assistants (T.A.s): Although many teaching assistants are abstaining from general grading, they are not disregarding undergraduates, especially those who require special assistance. “We’re doing anything to sort of support students at risk, especially people who need their grades to keep their academic standing, so for all of those, ex-

ceptions are in place so we are really doing anything to not let this aﬀect adversely our students," said Nicholas, teaching assistant in the physics department. “I’ve personally decided to keep teaching while withholding grades, so I’m trying to impact my undergrads that I teach as little as possible … they’ve had classes cancelled because the T.A.s have refused to show up or assignments have been essentially clustered together because the T.A.s aren’t grading them,” said Joshua, teaching assistant in the chemistry department. “Ultimately, as graduate students, we don’t want to impact our undergraduates but we also have to send a message to the university … Also, it depends how long the strike goes on because if it lasts the end of the quarter, it's possible UCSB grad students won’t be submitting grades,” said Caroline, graduate researcher in molecular, cellular, and development biology (MCDB). Faculty: Many professors and faculty are working in solidarity with both striking graduate students and undergraduates. However, not all faculty may be prioritizing these interests. “We have an academic responsibility to our undergrads, but we also want to be in solidarity with graduate students … What that looks like, we don’t know yet, but we are committed to making sure that undergraduates' education is not compromised because of the strike,” said assistant professor Charmaine Chua, department of global studies. “Every faculty member is going to make arrangements. Especially thinking about critical cases, people who need to graduate,

so that they are not impacted by this,” said associate professor Juan Pablo Lupi, department of Spanish and Portuguese. “There is conspicuous absence, as far as I can tell, of faculty from the natural sciences,” said professor Wolf Kittler, German and comparative literature departments. Undergraduates: While undergraduate students worry about their classes, many are still in support of the strikes. “I’m currently on academic probation. My T.A.s informed us that they’ll be withholding grades which could affect GPAs for students like me in my position … I completely agree with the movement. I don’t think the ownness has to be on the T.A. to produce that grade if they’re not getting paid,” said Esteban, third-year undergraduate student. “I get financial aid, so if I don’t get my grades … I don’t get to go to college anymore. I kinda need them to release stuff. That’s why I’m here to support them,” said Miguel, third-year undergraduate student. “[T.A.s have] been really informative towards us … 'If you need your grades let us know in case of financial aid or graduation’ … They’re here to help us, and they don’t want to harm us in any way,” said Rebecca, second-year undergraduate student. As the protest progresses and more classes are cancelled, The Bottom Line will bring the student community regular updates on how the strike is affecting both the undergraduate and graduate students here at UCSB. Photo by Felix Dong | Staff Photographer

FEATURES | 5

Black Quare:

Creating Space for the BLACK QUEER AND TRANS Community at UCSB SHEILA TRAN | Senior Copy Editor

nastasia Veal, thirdyear sociology major and president of Black Quare, recalls her first year at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) with a simple statement: “it was really, really hard.” As someone who identifies as Black and queer, Veal’s transition from her diverse home of the Bay Area to Santa Barbara became a precarious balancing act between two identities. “If you’re around people in your cultural group, you feel like you have to pick your culture and sometimes your queerness and transness isn’t supported … If I’m in a queer community, sometimes I feel like I have to put my Blackness on the back-burner,” Veal, who uses she/they pronouns, shares in an interview with The Bottom Line. For Veal, Black Quare is a space where all facets of her identity are seen as valid. Founded in 2008, the student organization aims to “create safe spaces for Black queer students, faculty, staﬀ, and community members” as well as raise awareness of the diverse Black LGBTQ experience. The club’s programming includes events and initiatives that range anywhere from social and cultural to political.

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Veal shares her insights with me in Dwayne Moseby’s office in the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD). Moseby, RCSGD program coordinator and advisor of Black Quare, has a workspace that immediately captures your attention. The office is a sensory overload: the walls are painted bright red and carefully outfitted with a selection of posters from the 50+ events that Moseby has organized during his time at the RCSGD. The room is at once overwhelmingly loud, warm, and welcoming — and it’s here that Veal found one of her first safe spaces at UCSB. “My own relationship with the center definitely influenced [Black Quare] a lot … When I walked into the center on my first day, it was the only place on campus where I felt like I didn’t have to pick [between my Blackness and my queerness],” Veal tells me. It’s impossible to talk about Black Quare without mentioning the support of the RCSGD. Although founded nearly two decades ago, the club has experienced gaps in activity over the years due to obstacles like membership and funding. Moseby, who was an undergraduate at UCSB and a former member of

Black Quare, was instrumental in gathering students for the club’s resurgence during this academic year. But it wasn’t always smooth-sailing for the organization — last year, Black Quare was placed on suspension due to incurred debts that had been credited to its Office of Student Life financial account without the consent of its staﬀ. When the club was unable to pay its debt, it was stripped of its official club registration status. An initiative started by the RCSGD staﬀ this year generously contributed donation funds to settling club debts, which allowed previously suspended queer and trans organizations for people of color such as Black Quare and La Familia De Colores to become active again. Now, the club is finally getting back on its feet. Veal says the club’s programming includes informal meetings and hangouts where members can connect to other members of the Black queer community, as well as larger events such as an upcoming ball co-organized with the UCSB Queer Commission. Black Quare is already developing relationships with organizations and departments on

campus despite its relatively new status — event collaborations with La Familia De Colores and the RCSGD are forthcoming. “At first I just wanted to hold space. But Anastasia said, ‘Nah, we ain’t just holding space. We’re taking space,’” Moseby shares, speaking to the fact that the club’s reach and activity have expanded dramatically under Veal’s leadership. Beyond organizing larger events centered around entertainment and community building for its members, Black Quare also has its hand in a number of advocacy-centered initiatives on campus. “I've noticed that because we're such a new org, there are some conversations concerning parts of our identities — whether it's the black part or the queer and trans part — that we’re left out of. I really want to insert us into those conversations,” Veal says. Veal says there are plans to speak to UCSB’s Residential Housing Association as well as Associated Students about how best to serve the Black queer and trans community on campus. Specifically, she aims to ask questions about intersectionality: for example, while there are Black

Scholars halls in university housing, how do those spaces include and serve Black queer and trans students? The organization’s ultimate aim is to help those in the community feel supported and visible on campus, even if they aren’t part of Black Quare. There’s a lot ahead for Black Quare. Although the club is still relatively young and small, Veal and Moseby excitedly share their plans to send a delegation to a conference for queer and trans students of color, recruit more general members, and continue to carve out a space for Black queer and trans students at UCSB. “If another Black queer person comes in their freshman year, I want them to know immediately that there's someone here for you and that there's a place for you,” Veal says. “There's no other place on campus where you feel that camaraderie and have every part of your community represented.” Photo by Felix Dong | Staff Photographer

Script to Screen: The Universal Messages of

"TOY STORY 4" VANESSA SU | Arts & Entertainment Editor

n Feb. 29, UC Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) very own Pollock Theater hosted a screening of family-favorite Pixar movie "Toy Story 4" followed by a discussion featuring the movie’s co-screenwriter Stephany Folsom. Throughout the movie, the audience, which seemed to contain a plethora of eager Pixar fans, roared with laughter at the clever jokes in the dialogue and intently watched Woody struggle with his individual journey of finding where he belongs. The last part of the classic "Toy Story" movie series, "Toy Story 4" focuses more on cowboy Woody’s story arc as he faces an identity crisis as new owner Bonnie’s toy. As he tries to make her childhood as happy as possible, he battles with the struggle of accepting the idea that children eventually lose interest in toys — an idea that resonates with a bigger message related to loss and acceptance. Despite being filled with cheerful, fun toys and humorous dialogue, "Toy Story 4" contains an important message on “what do you do when society tells you [that] you don’t belong,” as emphasized by Folsom in the post-screening discussion. Eager

to answer questions and detailed in her answers, Folsom went into a tremendous amount of detail regarding her journey as a screenwriter before landing the position of co-screenwriter for the "Toy Story 4" movie. Folsom shared that before she was contacted by Pixar regarding this opportunity, she had debated on giving up her dream of screenwriting after attending film school and landing several small scriptwriting and film-related jobs. However, her light at the end of the tunnel arrived when her script "1969: A Space Odyssey: Or How Kubrick Learned to Stop Worrying and Land On the Moon" made it onto the Black List, a popular forum for filmmakers and writers to share their material. Perhaps this opportunity is what allowed Folsom to develop a creative drive that can be seen through the carefully crafted dialogue and character relations seen in "Toy Story 4." For example, Bo Peep's arc is also highlighted in the film as she finds her happiness in being a “lost” toy that gets the opportunity to explore and play with many children rather than belong to one kid. With her bright personality and sense of cheerfulness, Folsom

joyously disclosed to the audience behind-the-scene moments such as how Keanu Reeves inspired details of his character, Duke Caboom during his initial meeting with Folsom to discuss the character. She recalled, “He suddenly jumps on the table and starts posing … just like how Duke Caboom does,” to the delight of the elated audience. Notably, she mentioned that Pixar has a policy of not thinking of the audience during the production process of films, contrary to popular belief. Through this sort of mentality, the animation company’s movies tend to be able to strike the heartstrings of audiences of all ages, not just children, with their universal messages. A well-developed series still loved by many fans around the world, the "Toy Story" series has allowed audiences to experience the emotion behind the simple action of toys being given away to new owners or the idea of gratitude and companionship. The ability of Pixar to show these sentimental values in their films is commendable and shows a promising future for their upcoming animations. Illustration by Echo Dieu | Staff Illustrator

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

UCSB Gamelan Ensemble

Woos with Traditional

Indonesian Music RICHARD SMITH | Staff Writer

n the most recent performance of the World Music Series, the UCSB Gamelan Ensemble impressed listeners in the Music Bowl on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Led by Richard North, the ensemble was joined by its original founder, Don Howell, as a special treat. Gamelan is a style of music from Indonesia, more specifically Cirebon in the island of Java. All members of the ensemble played bell-like percussion instruments, save for one flute, mostly played by Howell. Most of the instruments were large apparatuses made from carved teakwood that held bronze “bells” of diﬀerent sizes playing diﬀerent tones, with variations of this making up the majority of the orchestra. The instruments had a wonderfully sparkling ringing tone, all in harmony with each other, making a mysterious sound when all combined. The audience was diverse and included students, elderly people, and children. North was especially happy that children were present, as he voiced that in Indonesia, gamelan performances often have several children present, sometimes playing near the musicians. Before playing, he stated that the pieces would be in

pelog tuning, which has no Western equivalent. Gamelan music is commonly heard in Indonesia during royal palace ceremonies, village harvest celebrations, and other similar events. The first piece, "Semerangan," was a slow and meditative piece involving all of the percussion, flute, and even some chanting vocals from all of the performers. Immediately following this piece was "Semerangan Besar," which was identical to the first except for a shift in tonal range and adjusted rhythm. North described the piece as

8 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“romantic and complex,” while the first was more “bright and sharp.” He also stated that this second piece was the favorite of the sultan in Indonesia, giving him a chance to mention that palace officials and Indonesian gamelan musicians have given praise to the UCSB Gamelan Ensemble for their outstanding musical talent and performance skills. The ensemble continued to play slow and elegant pieces that were structured to alternate between strictly composed segments and improvised segments.

Both of these styles of playing are no mean task: the composed parts are strict, must be memorized (no sheet music), and complex while the improvised portion still requires the ensemble to remain in sync. The ensemble was even skilled enough to react to specific drum beats by North to change tempo on cue — an exhibition of their passion and love for their music. Likewise, performers often switched instruments between songs, demonstrating their wide range of musical knowledge of various instruments.

Later in the show, they played "Cina Nanagi," which changed the pace from contemplative to festive, allowing for the veteran members of the ensemble to show oﬀ some serious skill. Surprisingly, according to North, these faster pieces are the much more ancient compositions, while the slower ones are fairly contemporary. In fact, despite each instrument being thousands of years old, the gamelan orchestra was only developed in the 1700s. The final piece was "Batangan," which is traditionally played for the sultan whenever he would arrive or leave the setting. Ensembles are traditionally expected to stop whatever they’re playing in order to play this if the sultan should decide to come or go. This musical event, part of a series held by the MultiCultural Center every Wednesday, was once again a stunning and virtuosic performance put on by the UCSB MultiCultural Center. Future performances of the World Music Series are showcased on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. in the Music Bowl. Photo by Richard Smith | Staff Photographer

Quantum Research

Explodes

UCSB

XANDER APICELLA | Science & Technology Editor

quantum revolution is coming, and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) is leading the charge. In a talk at the Good Space in Goleta — last Thursday, Feb. 27 — three UCSB professors, the presentation’s expert panelists, made that clear. These grandiose titles and achievements speak to the degree to which the field of quantum computing, and quantum physics in general, have benefited from the research and innovations of UCSB professors over the last decade. Dr. Zhenghan Wang is a UCSB professor on permanent leave building Microsoft’s first quantum computer as a researcher at the company’s Station Q. Dr. Ania Jayich is an active UCSB professor and a co-director of the world’s first ever Quantum Foundry, an institute funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and being built at UCSB. Dr. John M. Martinis leads a lab group that was hired by Google to develop their first quantum computer. He is now lead research scientist at Google’s Quantum AI Initiative — the leader of the

team responsible for the company’s Quantum Supremacy announcement at the end of last year. Classical computing — performed by devices like your laptop, phone, and micro-controllers in various products from cars to digital clocks used in daily life — operate by sending and receiving information in the form of bits, which can then be decided to perform the desired operation. Bits have two states, they can either be a zero or a one. Quantum computing uses entangled quantum bits, or qubits, to perform its operations. These qubits need not be only zero or one, they are probabilistic rather than defined. They are neither zero nor one, but somewhere in between. This concept is difficult to wrap one’s head around, but it can reap major benefits in certain algorithms and functions classical computers already use today. The major diﬀerence is, these operations can, in certain cases, be tried much faster. For certain searching algorithms, for example, a classi-

cal computer can only test one possibility at a time, because it represents a well-defined, single item in the search. The probabilistic, not-here-nor-there nature of qubits gives a quantum computer the ability to actually test multiple possibilities at once in a search, and in situations complex enough this drastically cuts down on the search’s runtime. This is, in essence, what quantum supremacy is — what Martinis and his team demonstrated at Google. It is not the overall superiority of quantum computing, but the ability of quantum computing to far surpass classical computing in some cases. In the team’s paper, published in the Nature journal on Oct. 23, 2019, they demonstrated this with their Sycamore processors by using it to “sample one instance of a quantum circuit a million times.” This operation took their computer, which generated quantum states on 53 qubits, approximately 200 seconds. According to their estimates, it would take a cutting-edge supercomputer around 10,000 years to perform the same task.

This increased efficiency, Martinis said, will begin to show its value in optimizing all our industries as the technology advances, talking about optimizations to products like cars, batteries, and even medicine. Wang’s team at Microsoft’s Station Q is taking a diﬀerent approach toward quantum computing, creating a topological qubit, which they believe will yield more stable and scalable quantum computers. Furthermore, they have developed useful technologies at Microsoft just by understanding how a quantum computer works. Their insights have improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — allowing them to either image in 30 percent of the original time, or get 30 percent better resolution than pre-existing technologies. Jayich also mentioned MRI in relation to her work — she has an interest in the broader applications of quantum: applying its concepts to not just computing but other fields, as well. Her work in quantum sensing could allow a quantum MRI device to pick up magnetic

fields from individual proteins, whereas the current technology requires around one quintillion conductors to get a meaningful image. This focus on the broader scope of quantum makes perfect sense for her work. As co-director of the newfound Quantum Foundry at UCSB, she will be driving toward the institution’s mission — the creation of materials for various quantum fields including sensing, computing, and communication. She will also be at the forefront of a push to create a “new quantum workforce,” a push that will begin at UCSB. She even mentioned the strong possibility of a quantum emphasis or major at the university in the near future. Jayich and the other panelists have shown how far UCSB’s experts have pushed the fields of quantum physics. The rapid creation of new jobs and research positions surrounding Goleta and Santa Barbara shows that UCSB will be an integral part of the radical change that quantum is bringing to the world. Illustration by Lauren Luna | Staff Illustrator

SCIENCE & TECH | 9

' The Gig Economy’s Impact on America’s Disparate Youth SOFIA LYON | Staff Writer

s younger generations enter the workforce, the reality of an arising “gig” economy, a job market in which careers operate on an independent-contractor basis rather than as part of a larger company, grows more apparent. What with the advent of social media and artificial intelligence (A.I.), the job market continues to expand into unprecedented territory. This is part of a trend in which young people grow more disillusioned with the world they live in — continuing the tradition of disparate, disconnected, and distressed youth. The job market, with the increasing relevance of A.I. among other things, is rapidly changing. It is difficult for us to imagine what kinds of careers will exist in

10 | OPINIONS

a decade from now. It is also rapidly evolving with the creation of industries, namely social media. Young people are able to create their own brands and businesses, often unintentionally, with major success — all without a college degree. This kind of lifestyle is becoming more and more attractive amongst young people. On the other hand, with more young people electing to pursue higher education in general, traditional stable careers tend to be more competitive. Also, since so much labor and service-related work is now automated, humans are running out of jobs to do. As a result, white-collar positions which focus on creating said technology or doing jobs automation cannot supplement are more difficult to come by because

Young people are able to create their own brands and businesses, often unintentionally, with major success; all without a college degree. This kind of lifestyle is becoming more and more attractive amongst young people.

the supply cannot match the demand. This seems to explain why so many young people are looking to make their own work, either via creating small businesses or looking to influence social media. Given this uncertainty, it’s no wonder why the younger generations are forced into a similarly uncertain fate; the quick progression of politics, technology, and culture has pushed us farther into a whirlwind of change, one we can scarcely keep up with. This move towards instability within civilization has occurred gradually, as each consecutive generation sought disruption and reform. Whether it be the move towards civil rights, freedom of identity, or a push away from capitalism, each generation of young

people grows more restless within limitations and more eager to find ways to turn conventions on their heads. However, the byproduct of such ambition is often surprise upon reaching adulthood —surprise that one’s will is determined largely by untouchable variables of society at large. What follows this realization is a scramble to subscribe; to understand the status quo of our predecessors and adapt. But the aforementioned variables working beyond our control continue to change, irrespective of each new, young generation's confusion. The instability of future job markets is no surprise to our already evident disconnection and disillusionment. Finding a traditional, “secure,” career is no lon-

ger a guarantee for anyone — regardless of a college degree. Young generations are well aware of this, as many aspects of the world we expect to inherit are unstable. The state of the physical planet, escalating political tensions, contention on issues of social justice, and economic growth or decline — the fate of the future already hangs precariously between prosperity and collapse. And we are already so spiritually removed from either of those outcomes, having resigned to the mere chaos of our current predicament. Why should our future economic interests be any diﬀerent? Illustration by Drew Buchanan | Staff Illustrator

OPINIONS | 11

Comic of the Week

Comic by Jake Ortega | Comic Artist

Illustrations by MIMI PHAN | Contributing Illustrator Illustrations by DREW BUCHANAN | Staff Illustrator

12 | ILLUSTRATIONS

The Bottom adle Illustrations by ESTHER LIU | Social Media Coordinator Recipe courtesy of Esther Liu

Ladle illustration courtesy of CleanPNG

ILLUSTRATIONS | 13

UCSB March for

COLA PHOTOS BY GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

2 1. A rally consisting of over 1,000 graduate students, undergraduate students, and faculty members at UC Santa Barbara took place on Thursday, February 27th in support of a cost-of-living adjustment for graduate students. 2. Members of campus began to congregate during rush hour as they discovered the rally beneath Storke Tower. 3. The UC Student-Workers Union UAW 2865 has not only played a supportive role in the graduate student strike at UCSB, but also has been integral in pushing COLA initiatives at other UC institutions. 4. Stopping at other heavily trafficked areas on campus, the march grew in size over the course of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey.

4 14 | PHOTOSTORY

5. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members all held the megaphone and contributed their voices to the cause throughout the rally and march.

6. Following the rally beneath Storke Tower, the coalition of students and administration members participated in a march to the Mosher Alumni House.

7 7. Arriving at the Mosher Alumni House, participants in the march looked to make a statement by dispersing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s numbers around the area and repeating COLA related chants.

8. The graduate student strike and demonstrations of this variety are intended to continue on UCSBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus as well as on other UC campuses until an agreement can be reached.

PHOTOSTORY | 15

BATTLE

of the

BANDS PHOTOS BY MCKENNA WOOD Contributing photogrpaher

3 1. Nick Sultan of Pretty Cheeky gives an electrifying solo performance during his band’s set 2. Closeout’s unique rock sound kept attendees engaged with a change of pace from other acts. 3. Andrew Zakoor of Yung Fuzz has managed to seamlessly integrate alto saxophone melodies into different songs across within their jazz aesthetic. 4. TASTEGOOD describes themselves as “IV's coolest girl band.” Their performance in The Hub yielded the most praise from members of the audience, and they went home as Battle of the Band victors.

4 PHOTOSTORY | 16

Winter 2020, Issue 7

Articles inside

The graduate student strike and demon

Undergraduate students, graduate

Arriving at the Mosher Alumni House

Following the rally beneath Storke