Winter 2020, Issue 8 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

MARCH 11, 2020

VOLUME XIV, ISSUE XVII

campus shut

DOWN. NEWS PAGE 1

Photo by GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

COLA STRIKES FOR FAIR PAY Graduate students at UCSB entered their second week of striking for a fair cost-of-living adjustment, supported by thousands of undergraduates, faculty, and staff. PHOTOSTORY | PAGES 14-15

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL COMPETES IN BIG WEST CONFERENCE The Big West Conference is underway, and the UCSB's men's volleyball team is coming in hot with a current win streak of eight games. The Gauchos opened the conference on March 6 with a showstopping game against UCSD. NEWS | PAGE 4

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UCSB TO COVID-19 RESPONDS THE BOTTOM LINE STAFF REPORT

n March 10, the Office of the Chancellor sent a university-wide email informing students that, in an effort to mitigate the potential impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the UC Santa Barbara campus, the campus would move to remote instruction for the remainder of winter quarter and beginning of spring quarter. Effective beginning March 11, this transition is expected to last until at least the end of April. According to the university announcement, UC Santa Barbara’s campus will continue to remain open, and services including Housing and Dining Services will remain operational. As of yet, there are no UC system-wide restrictions on large events, though the COVID-19 Response Working Group recommends that campus groups remain cautious when deciding whether or not to host densely populated on-campus events. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Mario T. Garcia, a professor in the Chicano studies department, expressed his concern about how the announcement will affect his colleagues and students come spring quarter. “It’s unfortunate, but that means we're really entering an abnormal situation. We’ve never really been faced with this, especially on a long term [sic],” said Garcia. “I’m sure it’s going to impact everyone, like in the sciences, how do you do an online lab … I’m sure we’ll all adapt somehow and somehow we’ll be able to ride with it and I hope it just doesn’t go longer into the summer.” The chancellor’s email is the latest update in a series of an-

2 | NEWS

nouncements across the UC system. As of yesterday, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz — amongst many other campuses in California and the East Coast — have already cancelled classes. This afternoon, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Los Angeles, and UC Davis were added to the growing list of at least 48 universities that are moving to online instruction. As of now, Santa Barbara Community College’s campus will continue to resume normal operations with no current intentions of following suit in cancelling classes. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Shiloh Kluding, a fourth-year biology major, shared her concerns about how the campus’ closure will affect her job status as a Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) tutor. “I’m not sure if there are even going to be classes next quarter or if everything is going to be moved onto an online format,” said Kluding. “Since my job is kind of dependent on me being in lecture halls teaching in large groups I’m like, ‘Is my role obsolete now?’” Eden Dorra, a third-year political science student who is studying abroad from the University of Sydney, further expressed her dismay about the situation. “I have limited connections here and it really limits my social opportunities, especially now that everyone's leaving and I'm stuck here. I'm also paying thousands of dollars to come here from overseas and now classes are all online, I could have just stayed in Sydney to take these online classes,” said Dorra. “As a foreign student, a lot of services are unavailable to me

too,” continued Dorra. “It would take a lot of work for me to get a license here, so I can't really drive or get around anywhere, can't really travel — I'm a bit locked in, it's this weird limbo.” On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in response to the continued growth of the coronavirus outbreak. This formally describes COVID-19 as “an extraordinary event [that] constitute[s] a public health risk to other states through the international spread of the disease and ... potentially require[s] a coordinated international response.” On March 3, the UC Office of the President (UCOP) issued a statement that they have activated its Emergency Operations Center to “vigilantly monitor” updates regarding COVID-19. As of March 8, the only guidance UCOP has issued systemwide is for UC campuses is in regards to limiting travel for university employees, providing flexibility for employees who show risk of symptoms, and the duty to quarantine and report any possible students who may have been exposed to, or contracted, the disease. The Bottom Line reached out to UCSB’s Student Health for a comment on the situation and was redirected to the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, who have yet to respond. Noe Padilla, Lauren Marnel Shores, Kyle Dent, and Jade Martinez-Pogue contributed reporting to this article. Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

SUPER TUESDAY election results JADE MARTINEZ-POGUE | National Beat Reporter

housands of people crowded polling stations throughout Santa Barbara county on March 3 to cast their votes in the 2020 primary elections. California was among one of the 14 states that make up the largest primary election day known as Super Tuesday. 75,055 votes were cast in Santa Barbara county on Third District supervisor, presidential nominee, State Senate, state assembly, House of Representatives, and Proposition 13. Beginning in 2020, California implemented the policy that allows same-day registration for voters. “I think that the new policy of same-day registration was crucial for this election,” said fourth-year communication major Emily Savage. “It helped to get a lot of people to vote who may not have before.” This new policy likely contributed to the voter turnout that determined the results of the races. The race for Third District supervisor was fought hard in Isla Vista in the past few months. Isla Vista is the highest populated community in the Third District, making support from residents a critical factor in determining the results. Incumbent Joan Hartmann, Independent Bruce Porter, and Republican Karen Jones have

been active on the UC Santa Barbara campus and throughout Isla Vista to gain the trust and support of the district’s most populated community. Hartmann beat Porter with 52.26 percent of votes. “There were a lot of candidates on the ballot that I didn’t support, so I voted to do my part in helping my candidate get elected,” said fourth-year economics major Garrett Kenes, who hoped to see Hartmann’s reelection. In a phone interview with KCSB and The Bottom Line's News Editor Noe Padilla, Hartmann retrospectively looked at her journey to reelection. “I think Porter ran, quite frankly, a campaign that was very deceptive, very full of lies,” she said. “But what he didn’t know was how smart students are.” Hartmann is going to continue her tenure as supervisor by focusing on renewable energy, the housing crisis in Isla Vista, and expanding parking amongst many other projects. “UCSB is a crowned jewel for our county as a whole,” said Hartmann. “It’s really important from my perspective that we do all we can to support the university.” Santa Barbara citizens also got to cast their vote for their preferred presidential nominee. With a divided Democratic par-

TBL 2019-2020 STAFF

ty, California’s 415 delegates are an essential part of determining the validity of the candidates’ campaign. Overall, Senator Bernie Sanders took California with former Vice President Joe Biden coming in second place. The majority of California’s delegates were split between those two, with Michael Bloomberg earning a small few. The race for state senator of the 19th District was battled between Democrat Monique Limón, Republican Gary Michaels, and non-partisan candidate Anastasia Stone. The 19th District comprises the areas from Point Mugu near Ventura County up to Santa Maria. Limón took the majority of the votes with 56.14 percent, with Michaels earning 38.1 percent. The two candidates will be running against each other in the November elections to determine the winner. Seven candidates entered the race for state assembly representative for the 37th District, encompassing areas from Oxnard to Santa Barbara. Six of the running candidates are registered Democrat while only one, Charles Cole, is a registered Republican. Cole took the victory with 30.43 percent of the votes. Democrat Cathy Murillo placed second with 23.03 percent and Steve Bennett came in third with 16.85

percent. Three candidates vied after the seat for the U.S. representative for the 24th District: incumbent Democrat Salud Carbajal, Republican Andy Caldwell, and non-affiliated Kenneth Young. Carbajal and Caldwell were the top two vote-getters of the race, with 54.73 and 40.98 percent respectively. The two will face off again in the November election for final determination of the seat’s occupation. The only proposition on the Isla Vista ballots, and the only statewide ballot measure, was California Proposition 13, a $15 billion bond measure to repair and modernize aging schools. While the votes are not completely tallied for that measure, it is not predicted to pass. With over half a million more votes against than for the measure, any late ballots are not likely to sway the decision. Confusion over the measure’s name could have led to its loss. California voters have passed every construction bond for education since 1994, so this loss was a political shock. It is speculated that older voters may have experienced confusion when reading the ballot measure, associating this Proposition 13 with Proposition 13 of 1978 —a measure that was known as the grandfather of

all tax cuts. To combat this from happening again in the future, Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell of Long Beach is drafting legislation to retire the use of the number 13 on future ballot measures. “We need to retire this ballot number to ensure voters are not misled,” he said in a press release following the election. While there was a large voter turnout for this election, some expressed frustration that it was not as high as it appeared to be before the election. “I was disappointed that the younger people didn’t turn out as much as it was projected,” said Kenes. “I think the younger generation is key to modern politics and it was disappointing that they didn’t turn out.” While Super Tuesday may be over, 29 states and territories still have yet to hold their primary elections. By mid-July, the Democratic presidential nominee will be solidified and the presidential race will heat up until elections in November. On Nov. 3 the country will vote on who they want to run the United States as well as on the remaining positions that were not decided in this primary election.

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

Layout Editor | Melody Li Pages 9, 10, 11, 12 Layout Editor | Amanda Wang Pages 5, 6, 7, 8 Layout Editor | Christine Ho Pages 13, 14, 15, 16 Social Media Coordinator | Esther Liu

Marketing Director | Jonathan Chavez Advertising Director | Madeleine Korn Web Editor | Annie Huang Comic Artist | Jake Ortega

NEWS | 3

MEN'S

VOLLEYBALL goes on

WINNING STREAK SARAH RENARD | Staff Writer

4 | NEWS

he UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) men’s volleyball team is on a current win streak of eight games with a win-loss record of 14-2. Of its winning streak, four of the eight games were three-point shutouts. UCSB’s men’s volleyball team is considered one of the best college volleyball teams in the nation, ranking third following Brigham Young University and Hawaii University. The team has been able to hold its third-place ranking since the second week of the season. After their games against Pepperdine on Feb. 26 and the University of Southern California (USC) on Feb. 29, player Randy DeWeese earned two consecutive Big West Athlete of the Week titles. In both games, DeWeese saw four digs, a solo block, and 20 kills in the game against the Trojans, while he saw six kills, 15 digs, and five blocks against Pepperdine. The Gauchos defeated UC Los Angeles (UCLA) on the March 3, maintaining their undefeated status on their home court. The Bruins took the lead in the first set, however, the Gauchos played well defensively, seeing 16

team blocks and 36 digs. A series of successful attacks and defensive plays by the Gauchos led them to take the remaining three sets and earn themselves a 3-1 win. The Big West conference is officially underway. After their win on March 3 against UCLA, the Gauchos opened the Big West Conference on Friday, March 6, against No.6 UC San Diego (UCSD). The Gauchos saw a similar game against UCSD to the one against UCLA, earning another 3-1 win. Following the conference opener, the Gauchos continue to be undefeated on their home court with a win-loss record of 8-0. In their eighth win on their home court, the team battled it out with the Tritons, struggling in the first two sets. Right off the bat, the Tritons took the lead and maintained a solid five-point lead for most of the first set. UCSB saw several service errors in the first set which contributed to the Tritons maintaining their lead for the remainder of the set. The Gauchos attempted to close the gap and almost did but, in the end, they weren’t able to keep the Tritons from taking the first point of the

game. In the second and third sets, the Gauchos continued to struggle against the Tritons for the lead, but this time the battle ended in two points for the Gauchos, winning by two points in the second set (25-23) and by four in the third (25-21). The Gauchos were ultimately able to finish the game well, holding the Tritons to a single point. The team also saw an impressive performance in the fourth set, taking their first starting lead of the game. The team took the lead from the start and saw a ninepoint lead that UCSD attempted to close near the end of the set, but ultimately failed. The Gauchos won the set 25-16, earning their third and final point of the game. Next week, the Gauchos will play a series of home-and-home games against Long Beach, followed by California State University, Northridge and UC Irvine in the coming weeks before playing against No.1 Hawaii in two consecutive home games. Photo Courtesy of The Bottom Line Stock

UCSB Food Citizenship Campaign Hosts First Eco Iron Chef Cooking Competition RISA MORI | Staff Writer

n March 6, the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Food Citizenship Campaign hosted its first ever Eco Iron Chef at The United Methodist Church, an hour-long cook-off competition turning donated food into savory meals to promote the accessibility and excitement behind zero waste food options. The event was held at a Campus 880, a space utilized by the church in which tables of food, utensils and cooking equipment were laid out. Ten participants were randomly divided into four teams, and were asked to create a dish using the secret ingredient revealed in-person: corn. Teams chose from various ingredients in the categories of vegetable, grain, canned goods, and herbs to formulate their recipes. The Eco Iron Chef event was spearheaded by Jack Greenberg, a fourth-year cultural anthropol-

ogy major at UCSB and Global Food Initiative fellow under the sustainability department at UCSB. The event is just one of many in a series of consumer education workshops that address what Greenberg calls “food citizenship.” “Food citizenship is the daily actionable things that people can do in their own lives to help bring about a more just and equitable food system,” said Greenberg in an interview with The Bottom Line. “The workshop series are easy things that people can do to try to reduce the community's food waste.” After given the signal to start, participants had approximately 30 minutes to cut vegetables, cook ingredients, and present their dishes in a visually pleasing manner. Despite a minor issue with the induction cooktops, the event ran smoothly as teams

brainstormed creative ideas for the final products. With the call from the judges that time had run out, the four teams revealed their dishes — three teams had variations of a vegetarian taco, and one team made a Southwestern-style stew. In proper Iron Chef fashion, each dish was presented and critiqued by judges representing the Food Citizenship Campaign and UC Department of Health and Wellness. Each dish had its pros and cons, but at the end, it was declared that everyone was a winner. The event concluded with a potluck-style tasting session and participants were free to take home any food. The Eco Iron Chef event is a trial-run for a similar event that will be held in the Student Resource Building this upcoming April according to Mallory Russell, a health educator with

the Department of Health and Wellness focusing on food, nutrition, and basic skills. The UC Department of Health and Wellness played a role in lending equipment and funding Greenberg’s workshops. “We’re big supporters and do a lot of programming with the food bank and different sustainability groups on campus,” said Russell. “We want students to know how much power they have to think on the fly and make beautiful dishes with simple ingredients.” Greenberg highlighted four local resources that address food insecurity and help reduce food waste. Food on Wheels collects food items from residents in Isla Vista that are donated to the Associated Students Food Bank. Backyard Bounty gathers leftover produce from backyards and gardens in the Santa Barbara area.

FoodCycling at UCSB focuses on food recovery in the campus community. Lastly, Food Not Bombs is a volunteer movement that shares free vegan and vegetarian meals with the hungry. The Food Citizenship workshops are designed to impart skills and knowledge that participants can apply to their daily lives. Eco Iron Chef is one step toward the initiative’s goal of not only teaching students how to get creative with leftovers, but also raising awareness of greater initiatives to reduce the community's food waste by transporting food that isn’t going to be eaten into the hands of people who need it. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

FEATURES | 5

Meet Sophie Xu, The Businesswoman

Behind Your Favorite Local Asian Restaurants SHEILA TRAN | Senior Copy Editor

f you’re a fan of Asian food in Isla Vista and Goleta, chances are you’ve seen Sophie Xu one way or another: behind the counter, serving customers, cleaning tables, or even working in the kitchen. At only 27, Xu is the businesswoman behind local restaurants Uniboil, Phresh Teas, Su’s Bowl, Vons Chicken, and Kaiju Ramen & Curry. Xu, who attended UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) and graduated in 2019, knew there was a niche in the Santa Barbara county food scene that needed to be filled. “The reason we opened the first [restaurant] was because we couldn't find anything we [could] eat every day … every day the topic for me and my friends [was], what should we eat?” Xu shares in an interview with The Bottom Line. While Santa Barbara county certainly is home to a bustling restaurant scene, Xu recalls a time when its Asian food offerings were limited. Cravings for quality Asian food necessitated trips to Los Angeles, where through a friend’s recommendation, Xu tried a popular Taiwanese hotpot chain called Uniboil for the first time. It only took one taste of the spicy, tongue-numbing pork feet hotpot for her to get hooked. When her now-husband mentioned that his family members were looking to make American investments, Xu rose to the opportunity to franchise her first restaurant in June 2018. Uniboil, located in Goleta, was one of the first personal hotpot restaurants in the area. Xu, however, is no stranger to business management. After graduating from high school in San Jose, she returned to China to work at her family’s interna-

6 | FEATURES

tional trading business for three years prior to attending UCSB. From working assembly on the product line to communicating with vendors, Xu was exposed to nearly every facet of the business. This time in her life gave her the confidence to open her first restaurant during her last two quarters at UCSB. Regardless of prior experience, opening and managing a restaurant when you’re a student is no easy feat. As a new business owner who had never worked in a restaurant before, balancing a statistics degree course load with being a full-time manager was especially difficult for Xu. It took nearly failing exams and having to hire tutors for her to realize that she had to make a decision: commit fully to school, or to her restaurant? When Uniboil’s opening few months were marked by unprecedented success — hour-long waitlists and praise from customers — she had her answer. “At that time, I didn’t even care about my grades anymore. Because I know my future is here,” Xu shares. Despite the crowded storefronts and high Yelp reviews, however, Xu doesn’t consider her restaurants successful just yet. To her, the restaurants are “stable,” which she credits to the people who work with her. A few names come up time and time again in our conver-

sation: Samuel, the head cook; Gary, the manager-in-training; Mitchell, the cook with potential. Xu is quick to defer praise of her restaurants to her staff, whom she describes as “honest” and “responsible.” Xu describes a human-focused approach to management, which includes investing additional training into employees with potential and building close relationships with even her parttime workers. She shares that she

doesn’t just see her five restaurants as separate entities — to her, she’s running a company. And just like a CEO, she feels an obligation to invest in and provide for her employees. “My goal is not [just for] me to make money. Everyone who decided to start following me — they trust me. I don't want to let them down. I want to … help them to build the life they want,” Xu says. Xu’s hands-on approach has gained her the trust and respect of her employees. When asked

about her level of involvement, Xu simply answers: “Every bit of it. I’m always there.” From making tea drinks at Phresh Teas to cooking Northern Chinese food at Su’s Bowl to serving customers at Kaiju, Xu can fill any role at any one of her restaurants. She’s also deeply involved in the pre-opening stage of each restaurant — every new food item must first be pre-approved by her. Even at her franchises Uniboil and Vons Chicken, where recipes are provided by the chain, Xu makes adjustments for taste as needed. Dozens of Asian restaurants in the Santa Barbara county have come and gone over the years — it’s not a surprising sight to see buildings vacated after only months of ownership. Over the past two years, however, Uniboil and Phresh Teas have remained stable and bustling with customers. Between October and December 2019, Xu opened three additional restaurants: Su’s Bowl, Vons Chicken, and Kaiju Ramen & Curry. What makes Xu’s restaurants different? “We listen to the customers … I try to talk to all my customers. I try to remember all their faces,” Xu says. That close and engaging relationship with customers is what makes Xu’s restaurants unique. If

a dish isn’t up to par, for example, customers can simply text her with their suggestions. Xu sees that willingness to share complaints as a positive sign of her customers’ faith in her. “[When people] come to my restaurants … they complain sometimes because they expect more of me,” Xu tells me. Currently, Xu has no immediate plans to expand her restaurant network. If all goes well, she may apply her current business model to other college campuses. But, she shares, she’d be just as happy stepping back from her businesses to start her own family and have more time to play with her two dogs. The future is still uncertain, but Xu has one piece of advice to share with students. “I really want to encourage young people — if [there’s] something you really want to do — you should do it. Because when I was little, I always dreamed about opening a milk tea shop. It was a small dream ... I wanted to open a milk tea shop, maybe by the sea.” When I comment that she made that dream come true, Xu smiles and shares a laugh with me. “Yeah, and even better because I opened a milk tea shop and a restaurant.” Interested in trying out Xu’s food for yourself? Here are some of her favorite dishes at each restaurant: at Phresh Teas, she recommends roasted oolong milk tea with boba. At Uniboil, she’s a fan of mixing the numbing spicy and tom yum broths. At Su’s Bowl, her favorite is the Chinese burger. Keep up with Sophie’s Food Co on Instagram at instagram.com/sophiesfoodco. Photos by Felix Dong | Staff photographer

"Reconstructing Slippages in Time":

Multicultural Center Showcases Vietnamese American Photography of Ann Le RICHARD PHAM | Contributing Writer

istory often feels impersonal and distant. A list of dates and events that supposedly shaped our reality, but history is more than just dusty points in time to memorize. History is the memories of our species, and, like memories, history can be forgotten, or in this particular case, suppressed. On Jan. 6, the MultiCultural Center (MCC) lounge began hosting "Reconstructing Slippages in Time," a photo collection by Ann Le. Le, a Vietnamese American photographer based in Los Angeles, has struggled with defining what being Vietnamese American means in our contemporary age through her art. The collection contains images and pieces from Le’s past collections and documents her own personal struggle with her past, blurred by the events of the Vietnam War. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Le stated that growing up, ”my dad owned a pho restaurant and my mom did nails … to me, that was what being Viet American was: nails, pho, and the war.” According to her, her parents rarely talked about the war. Witnessing Ann’s MCC exhibition for the first time, I was captivated by the pictures of people with their faces wiped out, overlayed on a background of

particular Southeast Asian fruits. So haunting and real were they, I felt both nostalgia and sorrow. When asked why she made the images as she did, Le said,

many lives and wrought much destruction, forcing many Vietnamese to flee their home as it was crumbling around them. Often these memories are so marred

once both ally and enemy can be confusing and scary. The oldest collection on Ann’s website details her doing this very thing. Looking at Le documenting

“I wanted to allow people to see themselves in them … to ask what if it was your family.” Those pieces, and the collection they were originally from were designed to highlight an often purposefully hidden, but deeply entrenched aspect of Vietnamese American identity: the war. The Vietnam War upended

in loss and familiarity that they manifest as an apprehension with sharing Vietnamese culture, of trying to protect their children from the burden of knowing and the stigma of being different. Being Vietnamese American means grappling with what this identity entails. To be Vietnamese and to come to a nation that was

her mother recounting their journey from Vietnam to the sunny shores of San Diego felt cathartic for me. Le’s mom always seemed to be holding back tears in those photographs and it reminded me of my own dad. Whenever he talked about life back in Vietnam, it always felt like he was dreaming of a time long gone, of memories

since blurred by age and sorrow. The nostalgia of what was before the war and the pain that came after fused into a journey of rediscovery for Le and her mother in much the same way it was for me and my dad. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Rose Hoang, the MCC programming assistant most involved with the exhibition, discussed why she decided to showcase Le’s work this quarter. She shared how Vietnam at times feels out of place in both the East and Southeast Asian spheres. She wanted to uplift a people she had so rarely seen mentioned, much less in the spotlight: people of her own upbringing. Culturally East Asia, but genetically and linguistically Southeast Asia, Vietnam comes off as an outcast to both the southeast and east Asian spheres. As a Vietnamese American, I don't often see my people’s history represented so when finding out that the MCC lounge did a whole exhibition on it instilled a moment of pride in me as well as happiness for the entire Vietnamese American community here at UC Santa Barbara. Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art Director

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

Five Questions with Professor John Greathouse

on Business and Personal Development MADISON KIRKPATRICK | Campus Beat Reporter

ere at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), the Technology Management Program (TMP) is a widely popular certificate. Whether a student is interested in business or not, this certificate is something that anyone can benefit from. Professor John Greathouse is the professor for TMP 111, the introductory lecture series, as well as TMP 34, a lower division course about sales and persuasion. He is also a writer for Forbes and a former chief financial officer at several businesses. I spoke with professor Greathouse about his past as a businessman, his current work as a professor, and asked him if he had any advice for current and potential TMP students. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. You have a lot of different life experience, including chief financial officer of several organizations, certified public accountant, and Forbes contributor. What position(s) do you feel has been most beneficial to you as a businessman and your personal development in general? "I worked in startups, but more of a CLO. I had the title of finance but did more marketing and selling. Raising money and

8 | SCIENCE & TECH

being in sales is important because I can promote a business. This position taught me how to listen and speak well, and these are important skills. You need these in daily life in order to be more empathetic and supportive." Why did you decide to become a professor? "There are lots of things we end up doing in life. When I went to Wharton, I was allowed to be a teaching assistant. I was good at it and I had a talent, it was something I liked a lot. When I was 40, I took a few years off and decided to come to

UCSB; the timing was perfect. It was hard at first — I was starting a business — but I loved teaching and the rewards are great. I love seeing people succeed." Do you feel like your positions, as well as teaching, are mutually exclusive? "1. I’m an investor for small companies and I’m on the board for a lot of these companies. 2. I’ve written for Forbes and [The] Wall Street Journal. I teach. There’s only so much to write about in business before you repeat yourself, but classes and investing allow me to keep my content relevant and timely.

I learn from students and entrepreneurs and they can learn from me. They all compliment each other. Also, writing is a very important skill to have, but unfortunately, not a lot of kids have it." You mentioned in your TMP class that the two most important things for students to have are a mentor and an internship. Focusing on the mentor part, why is this so important? "Students automatically assume 'this person can help me get a job!' This may be true, but this person can help you look at yourself, self-reflect, and improve on things you need to. My advice

is to go with someone who you want to be like in 5+ years. How do you want to get there? How are they walking down this path, and how can you get there? You may learn that you don’t want to do this certain path, but if anything you get that experience. It’s also a lot cheaper than getting an extra education. You can find these anywhere, but you don’t want to push people. Just take advantage of your professors and go to office hours!" What would you suggest to students who want to be in the program but don’t know where to start, or maybe their career goals don’t align with technology? "There are misconceptions about the program, but I would recommend TMP 111 to get started. It’s one unit and late in the day, and it’s also an introductory class. I also suggest my sales class. It’s not for everyone, but there’s no other way to figure this out than to sit in the class." Photo courtesy of John Greathouse

Why Isn't

"Love, Simon" Considered

Family Friendly? LAUREN LUNA | Staff Writer

ast week, streaming service Disney+ came under fire for pulling the spinoff series of "Love, Simon" off the air. On Feb. 24, Disney+ released a statement that the series would be renamed "Love, Victor" and appear on Hulu, another Disney-owned streaming franchise. "Love, Simon," released by 20th Century Fox in 2018, is the first film ever produced by a large cinema company to focus on a homosexual character and romance. Starring Nick Robinson as the titular character, "Love, Simon" recounts the struggle of closeted gay high school student Simon Spier coming to terms with his sexuality and identity. The film received both popular and critical acclaim for its authentic narrative style and for its tender, sweet, and affecting disposition. Audiences praised the film for its simple and charming portrayal of a gay romance as nothing more than just that. The film does make minimal references to

alcohol use, teen partying, and gay sex, but there’s nothing in the movie that can’t be shown on television. As a spinoff to the original film, "Love, Victor" follows a student named Victor (Michael Cimino) who transfers to Creekwood High School — the same school Simon attends in the film. As he struggles adjusting to the city and understanding his sexual orientation, he seeks counsel from Nick Robinson as Simon, returning from the first film to narrate and produce the series. Sources claim that Disney+ moved "Love, Victor" to Hulu for its depictions of topics including alcohol use, marital issues, and sexual exploration, which would conflict with Disney+’s mission to be a “family friendly” service. Upon the release of the streaming service, Disney+ executive Kevin Mayer emphasized their mission to make Disney+ an age-appropriate place. “It’s all family friendly, but everyone can enjoy this product,” said Mayer in a briefing at Disne-

y+’s headquarters in Burbank. After Disney+’s announcement, Becky Albertalli addressed fans’ concerns over the show’s switch via Twitter. She claims that Disney did not choose to move the show for its exploration of queer identities, but for other matters relating to the show’s storyline. “I completely get why many of us are wary of phrases like 'mature content' and ‘adult themes,’” said Albertalli in her tweet. “They’re so often used as homophobic dog whistles, and these concerns are so valid.” Despite Albertalli’s support for the switch, fans still suspect that the reasons for the series’ move are still linked to homophobic anxieties. Though Disney has made progress with LGBTQ+ representation in recent years, their earlier track record with the community leaves some viewers skeptical. Many viewers took to Twitter to challenge Albertalli’s statement. “They're treating the show like it's some after dark sex soap

fit for HBO, not what it actually is,” said Twitter user @delibird444. “It's heartbreaking to be treated like we're not ‘family friendly’ again.” While sources say that Disney+ attributed the switch for the "Love, Victor" series to themes of alcohol use, marital issues, and sexual exploration, inconsistencies do remain with other content streamed on the site. The film "10 Things I Hate About You" is available on Disney+, yet it contains copious references to teen partying, alcohol, and sex. The difference between this movie and "Love, Victor" is the inclusion of a gay character. Some argue that violence is far less “family-friendly” than themes like sexual exploration or alcohol use. In this case, "Pirates of the Caribbean," the entire "Avengers" series, and the "Star Wars" chronicles would not fit the family-friendly Disney canon either. Even if the show was taken off the air solely for these reasons, the fact that the show is one of the first to center LGBTQ+ explora-

tion still stirs doubt among audiences. It could also be argued that even though sexual exploration is part of coming to terms with one’s orientation, the show most likely wouldn’t explicitly depict it. Whether or not Disney+ pulled the show off their service for concerns linking “family-friendliness” and the portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes, this matter as a whole calls for a reconciliation of “family values” with the representation of homosexual relationships on television. “Family values” should promote inclusion and openness rather than refuse to represent a certain demographic because it does not fit a status quo that describes what is “family friendly.” This incident calls not for the censorship/silencing of a minority’s narrative, but a new definition of family values. Illustration by Drew Buchanan | Staff Illustrator

OPINIONS | 9

The Truth Behind

ASTROLOGY: A DEBATE

NATHAN VIVED, GRAEME JACKSON, RAYMOND MATTHEWS | Contributing Writer, Photo Editor, Opinions Editor

Illustrations by ALYSSA LONG | Art Editor Illustrations by DREW BUCHANAN | Staff Illustrator

10 | OPINIONS

iddle of the Road: I feel I should preface this section by saying that I do not believe that astrology is real. The idea that stars and celestial bodies bear any effect on the lives and fates and destinies of the people on planet Earth is utterly bizarre to me. However, I do acknowledge that they have some effect on the people who believe they do. I see it as a self-fulfilling prophecy: believers think that Mercury’s current position in relation to Earth and the Sun will do something to their life, and their life responds accordingly. Whether or not Mercury actually had a physical effect on that person’s life is irrelevant. They believed it to be so, and so it came to be. This is not to say that I believe astrology has a massive impact on a person’s life. Unlike most things that people believe (God, gods, various deities, spirits, the flying spaghetti monster, etc.), the planets are not conscious beings that go out of their way to interact with people’s lives. Instead, the planets are more uncaring giants, forces of nature that cause an impact purely by their being. Because of the revolutions in science, we can also recognize that it is entirely impossible to have any effect on them in return. One cannot pray to Neptune to change its course to avoid a spell of bad luck the way one can pray to God or Allah for good fortune. Therefore, in my opinion, the lack of a possible dialogue between the individual and the heavens limits the footprint of the stars on the individual’s life. They become more background figures, ones that can be consulted every now and again, but not leading parts. Anti Astrology: I think I should also preface this section by saying I think astrology is hogwash, balderdash, rubbish, claptrap, and any other

18th-century synonyms for nonsense you can think of. Astrology assigns meaning to celestial bodies that are unconcerned with the daily goings-on of human life. Simply put, we believe the galaxy cares more about us than it actually does. Horoscopes are one of the most infuriating parts of astrology. The claims are written in such a vague way that they can be applied to almost anything. People have always had a tendency towards this spooky thing called confirmation bias, which is why people only tend to remember the things that align with their horoscope and blissfully forget things that don’t. Astrology has been treated as an arbiter of spiritual guidance, yet people still tend to cherry-pick their character traits from a sign determined by their birth charts. If you can read these claims that are meant to be specifically tailored to you by the positions of celestial bodies and assess that even one of them is definitely not representative of you, then how can you claim any of them are? It’s either all accurate or it’s not, right? It’s both upsetting and cringe worthy when I hear people saying things like, “Ugh, never date a Sagittarius. It is SO exhausting.” Come on now people, the planets are giant orbs of gas and rock floating around in a vacuum. They do not care about you, and they are certainly not the reason you’re experiencing conflict or hardship in life. So instead of attributing tough times to “Mercury being in retrograde,” I think we should all just own up to our character traits, tendencies, and idiosyncrasies, and stop looking to the sky for answers (or letters from Hogwarts). Pro Astrology: I get that the burden of proof is on me here, but before I make my case I want to remind everyone reading that your silly “facts” and “science” don’t matter to me because I am:

Not real. Not valid. So, I ask that you respect my right to live in magical delusions of grandeur. I think that astrology gets such a bad rap because most people have only been introduced to Instagram or Buzzfeed listicles that tell you what flavor of ice cream you are based on your sign (Lexie’s a Licorice Libra, but I’m more of a Candy Corn Cancer). Not that these aren’t fun, but they don’t really get to the heart of what Astrology is. Simply put, astrologists use planetary alignments to assign people a birth chart (a map of each planet’s position in the celestial sphere when you were born), and to make predictions about the present and the future. Each planet has its own significance (Mars is the planet of aggression and resolve, Venus is the planet of love and beauty, e.t.c.), each sign has its own traits, and the zodiac position that each planet was in when you were born can tell you a lot about yourself. So in your birth chart, you have multiple signs other than your sun sign. You also have a rising sign, a moon sign, and a sign for each planet that all work together to make sense of your personality. While there is a lot of legitimate astronomy that goes into making these charts, there isn’t any way for me to prove the spiritual, metaphysical meaning behind them. Like with any spiritual practice, it’s a matter of belief rather than hard science, so I encourage you to research your chart for yourself and see if it resonates with you. But for any non-believers, I offer the following heartfelt sentiment: I’m sorry that you didn’t get accepted into Hogwarts and have to live a basic muggle life, but some of us are simply magical and are in fact the chosen ones. I know y’all hate to see it.

OPINIONS | 11

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Illustration by MIMI PHAN | Contributing Illustrator

Along the Lines of Isla Vista

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MCKENNA WOOD | Contributing Illustrator

12 | ILLUSTRATIONS

COMIC OF THE WEEK

Comic by Jake Ortega | Comic Artist

Haikus for a Hazy Mind ILLUSTRATIONS BY ESTHER LIU | Social Media Coordinator POEMS BY LAUREN MARNEL SHORES | Editor-in-Chief

Yes I have eaten Fruit from the tree of knowledge My is it bitter

Storke’s shadow blankets Koi pond water droplets muse my thoughts This is true floating

Blurred eyes, typing fast Fast as the quarter. Submit To the siren’s song

Ladle illustration courtesy of CleanPNG

ILLUSTRATIONS | 13

1. Graduate students are holding wildcat strikes to demand a COLA, citing rent burden across all UC institutions

2. Wearing black in solidarity with the COLA movement, undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members assembled for a march through campus to Henley Gate. 3. The rally at Storke Tower saw a number of UCSB community members actively show their support 4. Graduate students on all 10 campuses have voiced their intention of continuing acts of civil disruptions until they can reach an agreement with the University of California

5. University of California Police have had an increased presence on campus as a result of the COLA movement

6. Over 1000 people stood on the side of the road by Henley Gate, reciting chants and holding signs GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor FELIX DONG | Staff Photographer

14 | PHOTOSTORY

4 5 2

3 PHOTOSTORY | 15

Candlelight Vigil GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor YASMIN GHAEMMAGHAMI| Contributing Photographer

A candle is lit in front of a board dedicated to indigenous women victims.

Students comfort each other after reading an emotional poem about femicide.

Students recited poetry in memory of victims.

A bouquet of bright sunï¬&#x201A;owers is placed during the candlelight vigil.

PHOTOSTORY | 16