University of California, Santa Barbara || Volume XIII, Issue XII || Feb. 6, 2019 || BottomLineUCSB.com
NEWS
FEATURES
OPINIONS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SCIENCE & TECH
PHOTO
VIDEO
REVERI
ICE CREAM
FEATURES
Page 5
Photo Courtesy of Reveri Ice Cream
IVCSD Hopes to Extend Voting Rights
Must-See Santa Barbara Locations
Following the passage of an A.S. resolution, IVCSD hopes that the state will grant the Board power to extend I.V. voting rights to non-citizens.
TBL shares a list of the top must-see locations around Santa Barbara.
NEWS
Page 2
OPINIONS
Page 10
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
2 | NEWS
EXTENDING
VOTING RIGHTS ALONDRA SIERRA Isla Vista Beat Reporter Earlier this January, the Associated Students (A.S.) Senate passed a resolution to support extending voter rights to non-citizens in Isla Vista. The voting extension would allow undocumented, permanent residents, and visa holders an opportunity to participate in local elections. Authored by On-Campus Senator Melissa Perez and Off-Campus Senator Rafael Cornejo, the resolution seeks to provide representation to all Isla Vistans who pay property taxes to fund local government agencies, regardless of citizenship. According to a 2017 U.S. Census Bureau estimate of Isla Vista’s population, 13 percent of residents identify as noncitizens. With the resolution now passed, the question lies on how such an extension of voting rights can be implemented. Currently, the Isla Vista Community Service District (IVCSD) — Isla Vista’s local government representing the unincorporated territory in Santa Barbara County — does not have the power to implement voting for non-citizen residents. State lawmakers would need to enact
a law to allow IVCSD power over voting rights, according to IVCSD Board President Spencer Brandt. Brandt stated he was unaware of the resolution at the time it was presented, but told The Bottom Line that he fully supports allowing non-citizen voting in local government. “Inclusivity is a core value of our community,” said Brandt. “It’s hard not to see the injustice in residents who are paying taxes without representation.” In 2016, Proposition N was passed to extend voting for non-citizens in San Francisco, allowing residents — regardless of legal status — to vote in local school board elections if they have children in the school district. San Francisco’s move to extend voting rights was cited in the A.S. resolution as precedent, however, Senators explicitly outline their support with one exception: the personal information of non-citizen voters will not be accessible to Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) or similar agencies. The emphasis on nonthird party compliance is in an effort to “not have a negative impact on a UCSB community member,” as the resolution states, a consideration that was not provided for non-citizens in San Francisco’s voting
extension. Similar state law changes are not unlikely. Some, in fact, have occurred in Isla Vista, like the formation of Isla Vista’s self-governancing Isla Vista Community Service District (IVCSD), a product of a community’s driven efforts. In 2015, Assembly Bill 3 (AB 3) was signed by Governor Jerry Brown after dozens of Isla Vistans gathered for “42 weekly meetings” exhaustively drafting the bill, as reported by The Santa Barbara Independent, undergoing numerous revisions. The passing of AB 3 allowed residents to vote for a CSD on the November 2016 ballot. Much like previous community efforts, Brandt is hopeful that Isla Vista’s young local government can help provide non-citizen residents a voice in the democratic process of Isla Vista. “The Isla Vista community has changed state law before, and I believe that as the part of the right coalition of engaged residents, we could help do it again,” said Brandt. To determine the next steps towards expanding representation for non-citizens, Senators Perez and Cornejo will be meeting with Brandt later this week.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia
TBL 2018-2019 STAFF
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
Editor-in-Chief | Alex Yam
Features Editor | Victoria Penate
Sports Editors | Juan Gonzalez and
Web Editor | Docean Park
Managing Editor | Mable Truong
Arts & Entertainment Editor | Addison Morris
Jacob Wong
Layout Editor | Natalie Dye
Executive Content Editor | Lauren Marnel
Science & Tech Editor | Hannah Maerowitz
Photo Editor | Juan Gonzalez
PAGES: 4, 5, 6
Shores
Opinions Editor | Jessica Gang
Campus Beat Reporter | Minh Hua
Layout Editor | Chrissy Cho
Senior Layout Editor | Mikaela Pham
Video Editor | Fabiola Esqueda
Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Alondra Sierra
PAGES: 7,8,9
Senior Copy Editor | Spencer Wu
Advertising Director | Tanya Gosselin
National Beat Reporter | Jacob Wong
Layout Editor | Vivianna Shields
Co-News Editor | Arturo Samaniego
Marketing Director | Erica Kaplan
Copy Editor | Sheila Tran
PAGES: 10,11
Co-News Editor | Annette Ding
Copy Editor | McKinsey FIdellow
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
3 | NEWS
creative collaboration XANDER APICELLA
Last week, UCSB Graduate Division welcomed Mary Robson, a creative facilitator from Durham University, to lead a series of workshops for students and faculty on interdisciplinary collaboration. Interdisciplinary work can be laborious and timeconsuming as researchers strive to understand each other’s respective fields. Through Robson’s creative expertise, the Graduate Division sought to “lessen the learning curve” on interdisciplinary collaboration, explain how it could be better understood, and facilitated to the benefit of all academic fields. At Durham University’s Institute for Medical Humanities, Robson constructs teams for longterm research projects — like Hearing the Voice and The Life of Breath — that approach problems from interdisciplinary angles. In her workshops, Robson often referred to Hearing the Voice, which examined the phenomenon of hearing a voice when there’s no one there. The project viewed the experience as a cultural, biological, anthropological, and psychological one, instead of having any one root or cause, such as schizophrenia. UCSB has been increasingly engaging in similar projects, and it was these interdisciplinary possibilities that attracted faculty like Professor Joel Rothman to the university 22 years ago. “I direct a program called Biomolecular Science and Engineering, a very interdisciplinary program that trains PhD students.”
Rothman said. “The faculty in that program are from biology departments and chemistry and physics and...engineering and computer science...it’s truly interdisciplinary, and it is just a gas top to be a part of that mixture of communities.” One of the numerous projects that Rothman’s lab group is working on is sending C. Elegans (small but complex worms) to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. This will be done in collaboration with Professor Philip Lubin’s astrophysics group, and will tell us what happens to life at near-lightspeed. Beyond faculty collaborations like Rothman’s, UCSB also provides opportunities for its students to engage in interdisciplinary work. Undergraduates can pursue an interdisciplinary major and graduate students have several interdisciplinary emphasis options. Taking interdisciplinary education one step further, the Graduate Division also created the UCSB Crossroads program in 2013. Initially launched as a three-year trial run, the program was officially re-introduced into the curriculum in 2018. UCSB Crossroads is an interdisciplinary fellowship program for doctoral students. Three to five of these graduates are selected per quarter to collaborate with professors on research projects and classes of their own design. Undergraduates can then take these classes to gain interdisciplinary experience. “This is a way in which the graduate division really supports interdisciplinary education. The [UCSB] Crossroads program is a way that we actually fund interdisciplinary education,
” said Associate Dean of the Graduate Division, Mary Hegarty. In an email statement to The Bottom Line, Dr. Sowon Park, an English professor at UCSB and key organizer of the workshop series, spoke of her Crossroads endeavor, The Unconscious Memory project. The project brings together the topic of human memory in neuroscience with the concept of the unconscious in world literature and the cognitive models from the field of artificial intelligence. “Modern emphasis is falling increasingly on neurobiological algorithms and big data sets,” Park said. “The very meaning of the mind, free will and human values are undergoing deep alteration.” Within her program, neuroscientists, psychologists, computer scientists, and humanists learn from each other in order to provide a broader framework for understanding human behavior. Dr. Park’s project has both a graduate course (winter 2019) and an undergraduate
course (winter 2020) planned. These courses are opened to all disciplines and will focus on introducing students to interdisciplinary possibilities with fields outside of their academic background. UCSB’s continual support of interdisciplinarity makes it a flagship for other universities to follow, as well as a site of unique research and learning opportunities as programs like UCSB Crossroads gain more attention and funds. Robson believes that interdisciplinary studies will open up new avenues as they continue to grow. “Single discipline research is crucial, and vital,” stated Robson. “In plumbing the depths of whatever the subject is, I think the added benefit of interdisciplinarity is ... it takes you to places you never thought you could go.”
Photo by Sam Yang | The Bottom Line
4 | FEATURES
POET E T A E R U A L TRACY K. SMITH BRINGS MOVING POETRY TO L L E B P M A C HALL
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
Photo by Kaylin Cole | The Bottom Line
Tracy K. Smith writes a note in her book for a UCSB student.
Tracy K. Smith enraptured Campbell Hall by demonstrating how poetry can be used to understand others. SANDRA LEE Tracy K. Smith, the current United States poet laureate, stopped by Campbell Hall on the evening of Jan. 31 as part of her ongoing campaign to bring poetry and its messages across the nation. Her audience, consisting of tired yet eager college students as well as adults of a more advanced age, represented a diversity in backgrounds. Though this group of people seemed to have little in common, they all came together that night to listen to poetry. The poems read that night consisted of both Smith’s own creations and those of other poets. Everyone in the audience sat still in their seats, paying rapt attention as Smith read line after line. Her voice was smooth, calming, and did not waver even when the words she delivered were related to uncontained grief and loss. The topics of poetry showed vast range — from hate crimes towards different ethnic groups and attitudes on immigration in
the United States, to dealing with the death of a close loved one. Even throughout the changing themes, Smith’s talent for narration never failed, consistently bringing to life the story behind each one. For one of the poems that night, Smith read aloud “The United States Welcomes You,” which discussed an anti-immigration perspective. Before the reading, she said to the audience, “I wondered […] what it felt like to belong to a country that doesn’t fully claim you … [this poem] unsettled me, because it was written from the perspective of not a person who is seeking to be embraced, but from a person who is pushing that away.” “To find that those words could fit in my mouth was uncomfortable,” Smith said. The evening ended with a short, 25-minute Q&A between Smith and the audience. Questions mirrored the preceding poetry in covering a multitude of subjects — what her source of inspiration was, of which there were many, and how she has experienced being labeled as a “black poet”
instead of simply a “poet.” However, one of the most powerful questions of the night was in regards to Smith’s voice and how she decides the way she presents a given poem. She explained that there wasn’t a complicated process to it. Smith then further clarified to say, “I’m just trying to give each word its own space.” Tracy K. Smith is currently a professor and Director of Creative Studies at Princeton University, and is serving her second term as the United States Poet Laureate. She has published four books of poetry: Wade in the Water, Life on Mars, Duende, and The Body’s Question. Alongside her awardwinning poetry collections, Smith has also published a memoir titled Ordinary Light. As poet laureate, Smith recently toured in many rural areas around the country as part of her “American Conversations” initiative to spread poetry to diverse communities. To follow her chronicles of her experiences on the road, visit her "American Conversations" website.
5 | FEATURES
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
Here’s the Scoop: UCSB Alumna Creates Tasty VeganFriendly Ice Cream Photo Courtesy of Reveri Ice Cream
HANNAH MAEROWITZ Science & Tech Editor All entrepreneurs have formative influences. For Karen Waddell, a UCSB alumna and the founder of an ethics-driven vegan ice cream company, one of her most significant influences was her college education. Waddell originally entered UCSB as an English major, eventually deciding to double major in English and economics after taking an economics class for a general education requirement. “My time at UCSB taught me how to problem solve and think rigorously,” said Waddell in an interview with The Bottom Line. “My experience there had a very direct influence on what I do now. Business involves writing persuasive letters, coming up with creative strategies for addressing problems, and running the numbers, which were all skills I learned from my undergraduate education.” While at UCSB, Waddell won a fellowship to work with the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce
on producing an economic forecast for all Santa Barbara businesses. She attributes this opportunity and success as being related to her ability to both write and analyze well — two abilities that have also helped her in the business world. After graduating from UCSB, Waddell received an offer to return to UCSB to complete a Ph.D in econometrics. However, before enrolling in graduate school, Waddell decided to travel to Asia instead — leaving with just a backpack and a ticket. She ended up in Bali after seven months on the road, intending to visit a friend. While she did indeed visit that friend, she stayed in Bali for another 28 years. It was in Bali that Waddell met her husband, who suggested that she found a restaurant there. In response, she founded The Bali Food Group, a healthy restaurant with roots originating in her husband’s family recipes. Waddell’s time in Bali was filled with many successes. She catered the film “Eat, Pray, Love” when it was in Bali and expanded her
restaurant business into multiple locations. However, she always wanted to make a product that aligned with her values of creating healthy, tasty, and enjoyable vegan and vegetarian food, which is where the idea for her current ice cream company, Reveri, was formed. “A lot of vegan ice cream tastes bad,” said Waddell. “I always say that it may be nice to the animals, but it’s not nice to the humans. It always felt too sugary and fatty to me.” Waddell developed the recipes for Reveri in a friend’s garage. In alignment with her goal of creating a healthy dessert that leads with taste, Waddell included whole fruits, vegetables, and natural flavors in her recipes. Although Reveri began small, Waddell quickly experienced success. According to Waddell, Reveri just landed a nationwide account with a large fitness chain across the country. With Reveri sales currently concentrated in Southern California, Waddell plans to expand her reach to
Northern California before going completely nationwide. Waddell believes in running her business with a higher purpose because it makes her work more meaningful. “You have to be relentless in your energy in business and sometimes it’s hard,” said Waddell. “But what grounds me is realizing that what I’m doing might actually have an impact on human health ... I’ve done the numbers and if the ice cream industry converts from dairy to plant-based ingredients, a ton of animals can be saved and carbon dioxide levels can be reduced.” Although Waddell’s product may have positive implications for social change, she believes that the best way to convince people to eat healthier is to make healthy products that taste good. Reveri currently has four flavors: Vanilla Almond Blossom, Purple Mint Chip, Chocolate Forest, and Strawberry Patch. They are available for purchase in the Isla Vista Food Cooperative.
KAREN
“
But what grounds me is realizing that what I’m doing might actually have an impact on human health.
”
WADDELL
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SCOTT KNELL
J.I.D'S LYRICISM
CAN'T BE CAUGHT AS HE PERFORMS IN THE HUB Photo by Fabiola Esqueda | Video Editor
On Wednesday night, Jan. 30, J.I.D took over The Hub and showed UCSB what he’s all about. Put on by the A.S. Program Board, this sold-out concert brought even more attention to the young rapper who is already quite famous among college kids. His confidence, lyrical prowess, and all around stage presence cemented him as a force to be reckoned with. J.I.D. is a 28-year-old rapper from East Atlanta who is known for his incredible lyrical ability. He made a splash after singing with J. Cole’s record label, Dreamville, and impressed people with his debut album, The Never Story in 2017. He followed up strongly in 2018 with his mixtape Dicaprio 2 and is promoting that project with the “Catch Me if You Can Tour.” The anxious crowd was let in at 8:30 p.m., and soon after Los Angeles DJ Andre Power came out to warm up the crowd. His set was short and sweet, which was the perfect for the crowd who was antsy to see J.I.D. J.I.D. came out at around 10
p.m. and the place erupted. He started with a few songs from The Never Story and it became apparent that most of the crowd was not simply checking J.I.D. out — most members were already fans. The concert started to build momentum when J.I.D performed “Slick Talk” and immediately after, “WestBrook (with A$AP Ferg).” The crowd went wild and swayed back and forth. He then slowed it down with his song “Workin Out,” which demonstrated the more relaxed side of him. The core of the fans pushed up to the front of the venue as everyone continuously tried to get closer. His stage presence was that of a veteran, moving around the whole stage so everyone could get a chance to get up close to him. While his vocals were a tad bit low, maybe at the fault of the small venue, everyone could still hear him hitting every single word during his songs. The concert came to a tumultuous peak when he reached “Off Deez,” a song off “Dicaprio 2” with J. Cole. People from the back ran forward and everyone
knew every word. The most impressive song he performed was “NEVER,” a quick and lyrically dense song, but he didn’t miss a beat. The only disappointing aspect of the “Catch Me if You Can” tour was the merchandise. The black hoodies just had his album cover on them and the shirts had the tour logo on them with the dates. Hopefully he will improve on his merch for future tours. Overall, the concert was highenergy and showcased J.I.D’s high level of skill. Seeing what J.I.D. was able to do with the small stage in The Hub shows his impressive prowess as an artist and demonstrates what may be possible with his future concerts. The newcomer is targeting smaller audiences and college towns on the first leg of the tour, which shows that he cares about all of his fans. If you are interested in his music, keep an eye out for the second leg of his tour which will target bigger markets. If you like A.S. Program Board’s events, be sure to check out Battle of the DJs 2019 on Feb. 13 in The Hub.
7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
Improvability
Provides Eccentric and Unique Comedy in Isla Vista
RAYMOND MATTHEWS UCSB’s Improvability is a well-known performance group that has become a staple for entertainment in Isla Vista. Its most recent show on Friday night, Improvability: The Musical Show, incorporated both improv comedy and improvised music, challenging the performers to create a story, contrive jokes, and compose music all on the spot. This obstacle put performers into an awkward position, but instead of resisting this challenge, they leaned into it, making awkwardness the star of the show. Improvability is a comedy troupe of UCSB students that performs every Friday at 8 p.m. in Embarcadero Hall. They have been performing in Isla Vista for over seven years. Their unconventional comedy style
coupled with their unique ability to engage with their audience has made them a go-to for UCSB students in need of a laugh. At the beginning of the show on Friday, Improvability’s emcee Milan Granillo grabbed the audience’s attention with rapid fire jokes that set the tone for the rest of the night. One of the most important parts of any comedy show, particularly improv, is to make sure that the audience is always engaged and eager to participate in the performance. The audience was anxious to participate from the getgo, with nearly every audience member frantically shouting suggestions for the stories that the performers were about to create. The performers — Andrew Ramirez, Milan Granillo, Nathan Kruse, Paige Stoveland, Duncan Bardeau,
Quique Hernandez, and Annie Keys — each accepted the audience’s suggestions with admirable confidence and enthusiasm. Each of Improvability’s performers integrated their unique sense of humor into the changing musical scores, storylines, and audience prompts, and did it all while playing off each other’s improvisations. At times, each story took new, creative twists, and while each of these plot twists were hilarious, they challenged performers to keep up and keep the storyline going. This process was not always smooth, causing performers to pause in somewhat awkward silences, but it was their creativity that transformed the awkwardness into humor. Each pause was met with a new, even more random plot twist than the one before, putting the
audience on a comedic thrill ride that none of us wanted to end. Improvability’s performers understand that their strength lies in their off-the-cuff style, recognizing that not every segment will be perfectly smooth, and that it doesn’t need to be. This performance proved that, while many expect comedy to flow smoothly with a cohesive story, improv comedy shines through eclectic storylines that entertain audiences and performers alike. If you’re in need of a laugh, you can catch an Improvability show every Friday night at 8 p.m. in Embarcadero Hall for an entry fee of $3.
Photo by Austin Janisch | Improvability
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
8 | SCIENCE & TECH
Smartphone Review Sam sung
Apple
Hua wei
Illustration by Chrissy Cho | Layout Editor
STEVEN JIN With a new iPhone and dozens of new Samsung Galaxy models being released every year, choosing a device out of the myriad of options can be daunting. About ten years ago, Nokia was the dominant phone distributor, accounting for about 38 percent of the market. More recently, Samsung (20.9 percent), Apple (12.1 percent), and Huawei (15.8 percent) combined to hold the majority shares in the fourth quarter of 2018. In the U.S. specifically, Apple and Samsung dominate, commanding 40 percent and 20 percent of shares respectively. With recent controversy over planned obsolescence, a policy of producing goods that require frequent updating and replacing, consumers may think twice about buying a particular phone, especially from the main culprits Apple and Samsung, who were recently fined for this business practice. However, despite shady business practices, the attractive features of an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy often outweigh the negatives for many consumers. The original iPhone (also known as iPhone 2G), the first of its kind, sported a 620 MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, up to 16GB of storage space, and a two megapixel rear camera. It has since evolved into the most recent iPhone rendition, the iPhone XR, which has a 2.49 GHz processor, 3 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM), up to 256 GB of storage space, and a 12 megapixel rear
camera. Unlike its predecessors, the iPhone XR potentially, through specific carriers such as Verizon, drops to nearly half the price of the iPhone XS ($749 to $1449). From an economic perspective, the iPhone XR may be the most “bang for buck” name brand smartphone on the market because it offers most of the features of previous iPhones at a fraction of the price. In this sense, the XR is the more affordable variant to the XS, but “definitely feels consistent with the quality Apple has had over the years,” said Davis Kelly, a third year Slavic studies major. Samsung’s equivalent to the iPhone XR, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, features relatively similar performance specs. Both devices have similar central processing units (CPU), camera pixel size, and storage specs, with the Galaxy Note 9 just barely beating out the XR in RAM (carrying both 6 and 8 GB variants, offering flexibility for power users and casual users). “It’s basically another computer, but in the size of an even smaller tablet,” said Alexandra Larionova, a third year mechanical engineering major. However, one drawback to the Note 9 is that it is expensive, with prices starting at wallet-flattening $1000 for the base model. Comparing the two, the iPhone XR floats around the range of a mid tier phone, characterized by its affordability paired with its decent performance. In contrast, the
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 feels more like a luxury phone, with marginal benefits for a higher premium. However, the average consumer may hesitate to spend $750 on a smartphone, especially with the previously mentioned planned obsolescence at play. Although many consumers choose to purchase devices from dominant companies like Apple and Samsung, straying from the mainstream may have financial benefits. Huawei, a 30-year-old company from China is surging to compete with Apple and Samsung. Their phones, on paper, surprisingly bring the same, if not better, performance to the iPhone and Samsung Galaxies (such as equivalent levels of RAM, and even better camera megapixels). Huawei also brings in high quality materials to their phone build. The most surprising aspect, however, is their price range, with equivalent phones costing between $200-$300. The only thing they do lack is the established reputation of an Apple or a Samsung, being an overseas company that lacks exposure in the United States. Samsung and Apple both have tried and true reputations based on quality. Huawei is an up and coming competitor, producing quality products at a fraction of the cost. Whether it’s time to upgrade or replace a broken phone, there are a variety of options to fit your budget and technological perferences.
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
9 | OPINIONS
A.S. Employees Deserve a Living Wage
Illustration by Alyssa Long | The Bottom Line
RAYMOND MATTHEWS In a bold new resolution, UCSB’s Associated Students (A.S.) Senate is setting a new standard by demanding a “minimum living wage” for all Associated Students employees. Considering that A.S. employs 322 students, and only 33 career employees, this resolution clearly focuses on students’ financial needs that the UC itself has failed to address. This resolution was written by Off-Campus Senators Dallin Mello and Christian Ornelas in an effort to change the university’s controversial stance on minimum wage. As of 2013, no student employee can actually earn minimum wage per UCSB policy, making this resolution a radical step for the university. UCSB policy states that employees only qualify for a $15 minimum wage if they work 20 hours per week, suggesting that student employees receive lower wages by design. According to the resolution, multiple UC campuses don’t allow student employees to
work “more than 19 hours per week, thereby systematically preventing them from qualifying for a raise under this policy.” It’s hard to say why UCSB adopted this policy — ideally one would think that UCs cap student employees’ hours so they can focus on academics and avoid unneeded stress. However, this doesn’t explain why the university would deliberately deny students a minimum living wage, regardless of how many hours they work for the school. Perhaps the university assumes that students can fall back on financial aid programs, scholarships, or rely on their parents to compensate for their lackluster wages, whereas career employees may completely depend on their A.S. salary. This might be true, but if students put in the same quality of work as career employees only to receive lower wages, it easily qualifies as an ethics violation. To rectify this issue, the Associated Students Senate proposed that all A.S. employees receive a $15
per hour minimum wage, regardless of the number of hours they work. However, in its current state this resolution only addresses A.S. employees. This has sparked debate amongst Senators and student employees alike, but it was implied that this resolution was meant to set a standard for all student employees, not just those who work for Associated Students. This leads me to believe that the Associated Students Senate hopes that other on-campus organizations follow their example and advocate for living wages in the way that the A.S. department has done. Second-year On-Campus Senator Zion Solomon abstained from the vote because they work for the A.S. Ticket Office. However, in an interview with The Bottom Line, the Senator stated that “As a student worker, [they] recognize the importance of a living minimum wage,” and hope that this resolution’s policies “can be extended to all student workers.” Solomon also stated that even
though student workers are currently exempt from receiving the “current $15 minimum wage because they’re ... barred from working over 20 hours. But any student who works for the university knows that policy is rarely enforced.” If the UC system justifies their students’ wages with a 19-hourper-week limit, but allows students to exceed this limit without paying them accordingly, they have violated their own code of ethics, cheating students out of the wages they were promised per university policy. This resolution forces UCSB to rethink student wages, and consider that many students see these wages as a main source of income, not just a supplementary benefit. The fact remains that if student employees provide the same quality of service as career employees, they are entitled to the same minimum living wage that career employees receive. Anything less belittles the work that student employees do, marking them as supplementary rather than truly valuable.
10 | OPINIONS
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
Arigato Sushi
Must-See Spots in Santa Barbara Hendry’s Beach
MEGAN HALPIN While abroad in Spain, I had a conversation with another tourist in which they asked, “So, you go to UCSB, huh? Is Santa Barbara worth the trip if I’ll be in California in the next six months?” I resisted the urge to scream “YES!” and instead calmly answered, “If you have some time it’s a cool place to check out,” not wanting to sound like an insane American. The truth is, I’m obsessed with Santa Barbara. Ever since I was a little girl coming to visit my cousins in the hills of Santa Barbara every Thanksgiving, I have always thought of this place as paradise. It has everything you could ever want in one place: the beach, mountains, great food, and even better weather, all without the crowding and rushed feeling of a big city. Since I have family in the area and am now a local as a UCSB student, I feel qualified to list my favorite spots for newcomers to hit up if they want to get a real feel for what Santa Barbara is all about: The first checklist spot is Arroyo Burro Beach, (or Hendry’s Beach as the locals call it), with the Boat-
Zaytoon
Loquita
Leadbetter Beach
house restaurant right on the edge of the sand; there’s great seafood — and you can’t do much better than spending a day at the beach with fresh seafood to top it off. This beach is also a dog-friendly beach, so there are lots of dog watching and walking for those dog lovers out there. Another must-see beach spot is Leadbetter Beach, a long expanse of glittering Santa Barbara coastline with a cute beach restaurant called Shoreline Cafe that has tables right on the sand. There’s a good chance you’ll see surfers competing to catch the best wave, and this beach is close to downtown State Street. As for hiking, Santa Barbara has some of the best day hikes out there. Inspiration Point is a classic one that really brings you to some of the best views of Santa Barbara. It’s about 3.5 miles round trip, so you can fit this into a half day and still have time to do plenty more sightseeing. Another option for a breathtaking view of the mountains down to the ocean is La Cumbre Peak, and this spot is especially popular if you’d rather drive to a view than hike.
But my personal favorite outdoor activity that Santa Barbara has to offer is visiting the local Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coastline. These make for a great day of island hopping. You can take a ferry out to each island and kayak, hike, snorkel, camp, or whatever else floats your adventure boat. In terms of restaurants, I have too many favorites to list them all, but a few deserve special recognition. These restaurants are known for their yummy cuisine from different cultures: Zaytoon for the best Lebanese food, Loquita for unforgettable Spanish tapas, and Arigato Sushi for some amazing fresh fish and sushi options. Finally, if you’re looking to experience a typical day in the life of a UCSB student, pick up some Freebirds Mexican food, picnic along the ocean cliffs, hang a hammock at Sands Beach, and walk along Del Playa Drive. These are my personal favorites, but they in no way encompass everything there is to see and eat and do within the Santa Barbara area. That’s the beauty of our home!
Map courtesy of Google Maps
11 | OPINIONS
TBL | Feb. 6, 2019
Lunar New Year
Photos by Samuel Yang | The Bottom Line Members of Seoul’d Out celebrate the New Year by enjoying a traditional meal of Tteoguk. JUNGAH SON
After a delicious meal, everyone participates in a Jegichagi tournament -a game similar to hacky sackto get their blood flowing. (In picture: Linda Wang 1st year)
It has been a month since New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, yet the real New Year starts now for some people. The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year, is celebrated on Feb. 5 this year. As the name suggests, it is a major holiday in China, as well as many other countries including Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet. The Bottom Line interviewed some of the graduate students on campus who plan on celebrating. Mengye Liu, a first year statistics graduate student, explains that Chinese people celebrate Lunar New Year for 15 days. Each day has different meanings. She always enjoys eating dumplings and fried meatballs during this holiday. Although Liu stated that it is annoying to hear firecracker noises in the late night and early morning, she enjoys celebrating the holiday at home. She explained that celebrating at school in the U.S. is very different than celebrating in her hometown of Xi’an, China. At home, everyone is on vacation, while at school, students sometimes do not have enough time to celebrate. She added that “my grandmother, grandfather, and most of my relatives live in Xi’an. We have a lot of things to do together in Xi’an.” Joonho Back, a fifth year graduate student in electrical engineering, says that he typically goes back to his hometown, Seoul, two or three days before the Lunar New Year begins. Back stated, “my holiday begins with myself clicking on the ticket website as fast as the speed of light on the day tickets are being released.” What Back likes most about this holiday is having a bite while his mother cooking fried foods. His grandmother also prepares pork and his family has Korean barbeque together. There are many Korean traditional sweets and cookies as well. He also likes to drink together with
his uncles since alcohol helps them feel more comfortable with each other. Although Back enjoys staying in his grandmother’s house, he often feels too lazy to visit other relatives. He stated “I want to stay in grandma’s house and do nothing during the holiday.” Anzu Kawazoe, a Japanese second year graduate student in Media Arts and Technology, has no experience with celebrating the Lunar New Year. Japan stopped using the lunar calendar in 1873 and switched to using the solar calendar. Setsubun, a holiday closely in associated with the Lunar New Year, was previously thought of as a sort of New Year’s Eve. Kawazoe explained that Japanese people try to remove Oni (Japanese demons) from their house during this time. The way they do this is by throwing beans. They will eat the leftover beans, but they can only eat as many beans as their age. Although she has never celebrated the Lunar New Year, Kawazoe is very interested to know how Chinese people do so. She has only seen this on Japanese TV shows. She is hoping someone will invite her to the festival. Since getting together with family is an essential part of this holiday, for these students it is not easy to celebrate the same way as they do in their hometown. To remedy this, some organizations on campus — including Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA), Chinese Student & Scholars Association (CSSA), and the Asian Resource Center — are holding large events to celebrate the Lunar New Year, in order to compensate for the lack of familial atmosphere. By going to these events, international students, as well as students simply hoping to learn more about the holiday, will be able to explore new traditions by gathering together with friends and meeting new people.
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OF PRIMAVERA
PREVIEW
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1 1 A playful husky takes a break from playing with her mother at the dog park located on the 66 block of Sueno Rd. 2 A happy dog awaits his mother’s next move while playing fetch.
2 I.V. PARKS n’ RECREATION
3 On Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil predicted the early arrival of Spring, and with over a dozen parks, Isla Vista is the perfect place to spend time in the sun. The dog park at 6650 Sueno Road offers free dog training throughout the quarter. The Window to the Sea provides a pleasant view of the ocean as well as picnic benches suitable for dates and casual hangouts. The open and scenic Pescadero Park offers a variety of scenery interwoven with paths to the ocean or benches facing the Pacific.
BLUE SKIES, SUNSHINE, AND GOOD DOGGIES
4 3 Two friends share the beautiful view from the swinging bench at the Window to the Sea park. 4 The Window to the Sea sign invites Isla Vista residents to enter the park. 5 A photographer snaps pictures of the ocean while a couple soaks in the romantic atmosphere at Camino Pescadero Park.
Photos by Charles Stock | Staff Photographer
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