Winter 2020, Issue 5 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

VOLUME XIV, ISSUE XIV

Lights. Camera.

ELECTION. NEWS

PAGES 2, 3, 4

Photo by GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS TBL sits down with the candidates for third district supervisor to learn more about their plans for the future of Isla Vista. NEWS | PAGES 2-4

THE FRESHEST SALAD Copy editor Linda Chong takes us on a leafy journey through IV on her quest to find the best salad. FEATURES | PAGE 6

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH A PROFESSOR This week, the science and tech section sits down with Dr. Mavel Marina to learn about what it takes to pursue a career in education, and her own journey towards becoming a specialist in immigration regulation in higher education. S&T | PAGE 9

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A Look Into

Joan Hartmann's Third District Supervisor of Santa Barbara County EDWARD COLMENARES | I.V. Beat Reporter

arch 3 will mark the date of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors' primary election, with candidates Joan Hartmann, Bruce Porter, and Karen Jones running for office in the Third District — a sector which encompasses both UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Isla Vista. In a joint interview conducted by the Bottom Line and KCSB, current Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann gave an insight into her policies that specifically affect the students of UCSB, as well as the residents of Guadalupe, Santa Ynez Valley, western Goleta, the Gaviota Coast, and other unincorporated territories. According to Hartmann, her top political priorities are: focusing on the transition to a “low carbon green economy,” the environmental protection of the sprawling beauty and vastness of the county, and maintaining a “responsive, transparent, effective, and inclusive” local government. Her current green objective aims to virtually remove the widespread use of fossil fuels in the county. She’s already begun implementing a few programs which include the wider use of “solar batteries, electric vehicle fleets, [and] recharging stations” for public use. “A year from now you’re gonna be able to plug in your electri-

2 | NEWS

cal device or turn on a light, and that will be 100% fossil free,” said Hartmann. Furthermore, Hartmann regularly works with the Santa Barbara parks and recreation department to keep the county looking beautiful and expand recreational opportunities for residents, especially those of low-income households. Hartmann also wishes to keep cultural diversity and inclusiveness as an integral part of the county programs, specifically mentioning the importance of the county emergency notification system, government websites, and board meetings being translated into Spanish. “Government needs to look like the people it serves … it needs to be accessible to the people it serves in greater cultural sensitivities,” commented Hartmann. In regards to her more local policies, which aﬀect the inhabitants of Isla Vista and the students at UCSB, Hartmann mentioned that she was an instrumental part in helping Isla Vista gain an independent government and actively advocated for the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) when it came to gaining a larger presence in the community. Now, the IVCSD department houses a survivor resource center, a homelessness aid program, and bi-weekly board meetings where Isla Vista politics

are discussed. Tackling student food insecurity is another priority for Hartmann’s campaign. With the national costs of university going up eight times faster than the cost of living and housing costs in Santa Barbara County going up three times faster, it’s common for students to skip meals as a result. Hartmann promotes CalFresh at UCSB, a food assistance program which allocates funds for groceries and prepared foods to students via Electronic Balance Transfer (EBT) card. Currently, there are over 3,000 UCSB students enrolled in CalFresh, and Hartmann hopes to raise that number to 5,000 by training “over 40 diﬀerent people at UCSB to help students” apply for CalFresh. In response to a question about safety concerns in Isla Vista, Hartmann said that “public safety is job number one for local government.” Her aim is to establish more didactical training methods within the Isla Vista Foot Patrol program, which would implement training exercises that would concentrate on less “heavy” means and more on safety instruction. Along with this, a planned restorative justice program for misdemeanors which entails a mandatory instructional class instead of a fine or court presence would be further developed. When asked about partying in

I.V., Hartmann says she supports a call for party registration to take place more frequently along with less random police interventions. Meaning, a resident can register their event with the I.V. Foot Patrol and would receive a text message warning instead of a citation, in the case of the event being too rowdy past noise ordinance. Another one of Hartmann’s campaign plans includes a countywide focus regarding the homelessness crisis and homeless youth. California houses onefourth of the nation’s homeless population, which means that issue is particularly prevalent in Santa Barbara county. Under Supervisor Hartmann’s present term, transitional housing is made available for foster youth where crucial adult life and professional skills are taught. Those not fortunate enough to find these houses are aimed to be helped with the further implementation of a program called the coordinated entry system, a database where the location of homelessness victims can be traced, and they may be aided. Hartmann also explained how the county budgeting will allocate over “three million dollars” to the homelessness crisis over the course of the next four years and will be partially distributed to mental health and drug abuse institutions. An additional concern of Hartmann relates to the eroding

cliffs of Del Playa. Only a couple years ago a complete bluff collapse occurred at a Del Playa home, which urged the revision of land policies and forced landlords to hire civil engineers to survey the safety of particular bluffs. “We revamped our bluff policy and there was some consternation by some of the homeowners … [but] the responsibility of the landowner is to have these engineering studies done,” said Hartmann about the bluffs. Along with these eroding cliffs, the natural threat of wildfires is another critical task dealt with by the county supervisor. According to Hartmann, during her first term, the county accrued new funds to invest in a firefighter black hawk helicopter which can combat wildfires at night. Hartmann also claimed that “a new borderless dispatch system” is in development, and would allow all the fire departments in the county to immediately respond to any threat according to distance. A “countywide fuel management plan” is also in the works, and would complement this system of efficient responding. Video coming soon! Check the QR code for our video archive. Want to make sure your voice is heard when it comes to Isla Vista affairs? Be sure to show up to the polls this March 3. Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

A Look Into

Karen Jones' Third District Supervisor of Santa Barbara County RAYMOND MATTHEWS | Opinions Editor

aren Jones is running for Santa Barbara County's third district supervisor as an independent candidate on a platform of personal responsibility, individual liberty, and protecting local agriculture. Jones currently serves as a Santa Ynez Community Services District board member, and she distinguishes herself from her opponents, Joan Hartmann and Bruce Porter, by focusing on issues that aﬀect Santa Barbara County’s rural character. But, unlike Hartmann or Porter, Jones doesn’t have many specific policies that would address the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) student body's concerns. One of the main issues UCSB students are concerned about in the upcoming election cycle is food insecurity. At UCSB, 48 percent of undergraduate students and 31 percent of graduate students have reported experiencing food insecurity, making this a widespread, pressing issue.

But Jones is skeptical as to whether or not UCSB students actually face food insecurity, and as of now she does not have a plan that would specifically address food insecurity among students. “Food insecurity is a great sad story. But, I just don’t think that anyone who is aﬀording this school’s tuition can really cry poor,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Bottom Line and KCSB. “When you decide to come to UCSB you might have to borrow enough to pay for a food plan. You guys have cafeterias here. You can get a job, and that’s a kind of solution. But don’t hold your hand out, and don’t use tears. Using tears is as bad as bullying.” Many UCSB students and Isla Vista residents have also voiced concerns about the climate crisis and how it has impacted the worsening fire season in Santa Barbara county. Jones believes that wildfires are a safety concern, but she does not believe that climate change has anything

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to do with it. “Public safety is the number one duty of the county, and with wildfires you need to be prepared to act with roads and access to wilderness areas, but I do not believe in the climate change crisis,” Jones said. “I think that it’s an alarmist point of view, and that’s very troubling. I would appeal to students to question climate science instead of being scared and paranoid.” Another environmental concern among voters is active cliﬀ erosion, which could cause a collapse that would devastate the ocean real estate on Del Playa Drive. Jones admitted that she was somewhat uninformed on this issue, but she believes that this issue should mostly be left up to private property owners, not local government. “I’m not an expert on cliﬀ erosion, but it doesn’t make sense to build near the ocean. I think a lot of the responsibility needs to be put on private property

owners,” she said. “I don’t think that people who aren’t subject to erosion should be responsible for paying for people that chose to live on Del Playa. I don’t know how involved the government should be; I need to know more.” When describing her platform, Jones made it clear that her main concern is preserving the integrity of rural areas in Santa Barbara county, which falls outside of UCSB and Isla Vista. “My platform is about protecting the rural character of the Third District. The main thing that I would want to talk about with students and Isla Vista residents is how corporate marijuana is having a very negative impact on the rural part of the district,” Jones said. “I’m concerned that our nice ranching area with open space is gonna be taken over by a bunch of aggressive corporate marijuana enterprises.” When asked to describe some of her specific policies designed to benefit the student community, Jones said that her philosophies

of “personal responsibility and individual liberty” would benefit students. “I believe in liberty for all people and I believe in personal responsibility,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of monolithic thinking on college campuses; students should think of themselves as free agents instead of part of a victim group.” “These ‘sad groups,’ the homeless people, the gay people, the women, are groups that people settle into, but I don’t like this victim culture we have, because victims are never victors and justice is always a consolation prize.” Video coming soon! Check the QR code for our video archive. Want to make sure your voice is heard when it comes to Isla Vista affairs? Be sure to show up to the polls this March 3. Photo by Noe Padilla | News Editor

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 1, 2, 3, 4 Layout Editor | Amanda Wang Pages 9, 10, 11, 12 Layout Editor | Christine Ho Pages 5, 6, 7, 8 Social Media Coordinator | Esther Liu

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

NEWS | 3

A Look Into

Bruce Porter's Third District Supervisor of Santa Barbara County JADE MARTINEZ-POGUE | National Beat Reporter

ndependent candidate Bruce Porter is running for the Third District supervisor seat in the 2020 primary elections, which will take place March 3. This will be his second time running for this position, and he hopes to redeem his campaign and beat incumbent Joan Hartmann. “The overarching platform that I have is that I’d like to protect and enhance the character of everyone in the 17 communities that make up the Third District,” Porter said in an interview conducted with The Bottom Line and KCSB. Porter is a West Point graduate and served in the Army Corps of Engineers for 25 years, a quality that he hopes will give him an extra edge in the upcoming election. By thinking "open-mindedly" and "independently," Porter says he is learning from the people who live in Third District communities about how he can best fulfill their needs. The 2016 election cycle was Porter’s first time running and he admitted to being a novice in the campaign game. “To be honest, I lost because of Isla Vista,” Porter said. “I did not understand the issues that were down here and I didn’t spend enough time engaging with students.” After learning from the mistakes of his last campaign, Porter says that he has spent the last four years getting to know each com-

4 | NEWS

munity better. He’s visited Isla Vista countless times to talk to the people, listen to their problems, and offer solutions. In the final leg of this year’s campaign season, however, Porter became entangled in a fraudulent voter registration organization, Rock the Vote SB. In December 2019, the organization was issued a cease-and-desist notice for encouraging members of Isla Vista and Santa Barbara to engage in illegal and false voting tactics. In January, the executive director of the organization, Robin Howe, issued a press statement which alleged that Porter was involved with the organization. While Porter did admit to The Bottom Line that he recognized the need for a true non-partisan voter registration effort in Isla Vista, he says that he found a greater passion in his effort to help connect students better to the community. Because he attached more importance to this issue, he decided to focus attention on that and step down from creating a non-partisan voter registration campaign. “I talked to Robin Howe that one time and after that I stepped away. Whatever happened after that, he would have to address,” Porter said. According to Porter, the student that exposed Rock the Vote SB’s fraudulence filed a complaint against Porter with California’s Fair Political Practices Com-

mission about the situation. The commission completed an investigation into the issue of Porter’s involvement and found that the allegations had no factual basis. Despite being embroiled in the drama that surrounded the allegation, Porter says that he has continued to observe the communities under Third County jurisdiction to understand where improvements need to be made. Commenting that Isla Vista is the largest community out of the 17, Porter claims that he wants to focus on achieving true self-governance for the area. He believes that the Isla Vista Community Services District already does many things for the community of Isla Vista, but pointed out how the larger county currently still has full governance over it. “The character of every community is diﬀerent, but the regulations that the county has for [every community] all are exactly the same,” he said. “But that makes no sense.” Noting the diﬀerences between quiet communities like Santa Ynez and the lively character of Isla Vista, he believes that rules and regulations should be tailored to the individual communities under their jurisdiction. Some main projects that Porter would focus on if elected are investing in Isla Vista to increase sidewalks, roads, and lighting within the community. Specifically, Porter would like to see

more blue safety lights spread throughout Isla Vista, not just on campus. Porter also hopes to address the issue with food insecurity within the community if elected. “I want to give a shout-out to the food bank that’s run by A.S. [Associated Students] on campus. I think they do a wonderful job,” he said. “But it doesn’t serve everybody in Isla Vista.” There is no access to a food bank for long-term Isla Vista residents or for Santa Barbara City College students, and Porter would like to fix that. He suggested using the new cannabis cultivation revenues that flooded the county this year to invest in infrastructure to build a new food bank in Isla Vista that would be accessible to all Isla Vista residents. Porter has suggestions for tackling the homelessness crisis in the community as well. He believes that the homelessness issue in Isla Vista stems from UCSB admitting more students than it can fit in the community. The number of acceptances each year keeps increasing, but the amount of living space has stayed the same. “We have to work on the demand side to make sure UCSB doesn’t grow in an unsustainable way,” said Porter. On the supply side, he believes that, simply speaking, new housing has to be built.

“We’re going to have to be innovative and thoughtful about the way we do that,” he said. In light of the multitude of blazing fires that the greater Santa Barbara area has experienced in the past few years, Porter says he wants to collaborate with the American Red Cross, the city of Goleta, and UCSB to craft a detailed plan for disaster preparedness in Isla Vista. The plan won’t focus specifically on fires, but also other natural disasters that the area is prone to. “It’s way beyond wildfires; our community here really is threatened by potential tsunamis and earthquakes,” he said. “Wildfires are what we think of first because that’s what happened most recently.” Porter hopes that his independent-leaning values and ideals will be what Isla Vista wants out of their district supervisor. By learning from the people who live here, Porter promises to stay open-minded and think directly about problem solving. “I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. I’m an engineer,” he said. Video coming soon! Check the QR code for our video archive. Want to make sure your voice is heard when it comes to Isla Vista affairs? Be sure to show up to the polls this March 3. Photo by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor

On Anger Against Injustice in America RICHARD PHAM | Contributing Writer

Sometimes forgiveness can be one of the most diﬃcult things to achieve. We often associate forgiveness with forgetting, or doing nothing in the face of injustice. On Feb. 11, Yusef Salaam, a member of the "Exonerated Five," gave a talk at Corwin Pavilion on how his battle with injustice and rage taught him to forgive, but never forget. The "Exonerated Five," more commonly known as the "Central Park Five," were a group of teenagers, four African-Americans and one Latin-American, charged with and later exonerated of the brutal rape and attempted murder of Trisha Meili, a 28-year-old white woman, on April 19, 1989. Salaam, 15 at the time, served six years and eight months in prison before Matias Reyes confessed and was linked to the crime using DNA evidence. Some attendees at the event were there for class credit, but the majority attended on their own volition. Felix Dong, a second-year communication major, spoke of justice being denied, voices being stymied, and our privilege and right to hear their story, to never forget the injustices of the past. When Salaam spoke, he did so with no vitriol, no vengeance, only disappointment and trauma: “To me, The American dream was still alive. It was still something to

attain. I had not yet truly understood this nightmare I’d been woken to.” “When you have the complexion for redemption, they tell you to stand, to put your hands behind your back,” Salaam said. “They place handcuﬀs on you. They lead you to the back, away from your family and friends. You don't even get the opportunity to give a person a hug ... And in the back, me, Raymond, and Anton held onto each other. We were all we had at that moment.” For Salaam, his trial wasn’t solely a failure of the courts, nor of the cops, but of the whole of America in keeping its promise to the world. In his talk, Salaam often connected the betrayal of his American dream to the broken promises the U.S. made to thousands of immigrants seeking a better life for their families and children. “We are the melting pot of the world. We will accept you if you are good. But yet when those people just south of the border, when those folk were coming here, we stopped.” Salaam was certainly angry. He was angry at the system, at the courts, but most of all, he was angry at the prison-industrial complex. “Many of us come from communities where we have been told that we are going to be dead or in jail before we reach the age

of 21. And more importantly, we actually believe that ... when I left prison, the officer literally said to me, ‘I’ll see you later.’” By the first half, the talk seemed to be headed towards an indictment of the American criminal justice system. Even the opening speaker, Dr. Terrence Wooten, assistant professor in the Department of Black Studies, with two separate stories about lynch mobs and sheriffs killing handcuffed black men, was critical towards the entire justice system. But then Salaam began talking about a seemingly trivial traffic incident. He was pulled over by a white cop and a black cop. At the time, Salaam didn’t have his registration or license, so he had the bright idea to say, “You remember the Central Park Jogger case? I’m Yusef Salaam, one of the guys accused of raping the Central Park jogger.” When it came time for his court appearance to contest the ticket, only the white cop showed up. In the courtroom, the officer handed the judge his report, and before Salaam could even mount a defense, the judge declared, “case dismissed.” Later, when Salaam passed by the white officer, the officer reached out his hand, shook Salaam’s and said, “I couldn’t give you back the time you didn’t

deserve to do, but this is at least my little part of what I could give you.” Salaam wasn’t interested in getting even, he wanted to better the system. He referred to Dr. Maya Angelou’s words, “You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host.” With a desire to elevate marginalized voices, UCSB MultiCultural Center Program Coordinator Abire Sabbagh invited Salaam to give the talk at UCSB. In light of last year’s Netflix series “When They See Us,” Sabbagh saw it fit to bring Salaam in order to highlight the continued struggles of African-Americans while also adding more context to the Central Park Jogger case. Hearing Salaam’s talk helped Sabbagh validate her anger and

come to terms with her own feelings of discrimination. Salaam had learned to be angry, but not bitter. He aimed his anger, not solely at the judge and jury, but at the flawed criminal justice executed on that day and the system that inches forward at a snail's pace. Many audience members might have found it natural to expect some level of resentment from Salaam. We expected to have to sieve through the pain and anger ourselves for the message but what we found was a man who had done all the filtering and analysis for us. Photo Courtesy of Yusef Salaam

FEATURES | 5

Searching for the

BEST SALAD

in Isla Vista

LINDA CHONG | Copy Editor

here’s a minor stigma that surrounds salads, which can sometimes be characterized as “bland” and “tasteless.” This can be particularly true of I.V., where the money spent on a pricey, gourmet salad could instead be put into a delicious boat of buﬀalo chicken cheese fries, with extra dollars still left over. Despite salad’s occasionally bland reputation amongst meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, I’d like to speak for all the green people in I.V. when I say a perfect bowl of salad makes me mentally and physically happy. A crisp blend of vegetables, when paired with a cohesive dressing, can not only be a symphony in your mouth but can also serve as a healthy meal that doesn’t leave you drowsy. So where in I.V. can one let themself indulge in the perfect salad? Here are all the most popular salads available in I.V., ranked according to the quality of ingredients, flavorful-ness of dressing, and price.

Photo Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons Silvergreens

South Coast Deli

Woodstock’s Pizza

Isla Vista Food Co-Op

7-Eleven

The most popular salad at Silvergreens is the Gaucho Cobb Salad, which contains crispy chicken; although the salad has been taken oﬀ the menu, it is still made upon request. Roasted corn and cheese crisps enhance the tangy jalapeño ranch dressing, which is balanced by crispy lettuce and soft tomato textures. It’s a large salad, enough to satisfy your stomach and the $10 you paid for it. The flavors and textures of the salad work well together; however, my only criticism would be the size of the ingredients. Some lettuce bits are overwhelmingly large and some cheese crisps required a bit of mouth stretching.

At South Coast Deli, the most popular salad is the Fowl Play, a Western-inspired salad made up of romaine lettuce with chipotle ranch dressing and cowboy favorites, black beans, cilantro, and bacon. The salad comes with tender slices of soft chicken breast smothered in house-made barbeque sauce, the perfect duo for a typical gaucho. Flavors of the barbeque sauce and the chipotle ranch harmonize with the help of subtle cilantro and heavenly crispy onions. The size of the meal and abundance of crispy onions soften the cost of the salad, which amounts to a rather hefty total of $11.

Known best for their pizza and beer, Woodstock's also oﬀers a variety of salads, the most popular being the Brother Tom’s Salad. With soft spring greens mixed with bulky hunks of cucumbers and thin sticks of carrots, the salad doesn’t point you to a certain theme, and instead conforms to stereotypical salad conventions. There wasn’t any meat in the salad, and if anything, it was more fitting to call it a side salad than a main salad, possibly complementing a pizza or a pasta. At the price of $8, the price is not worth the ten mouthfuls of spring greens and cucumbers you receive.

Because the Co-op is a local grocery store, it’s no surprise that its most popular salad is made from the Co-op’s very own seasonal greens. Fresh ingredients and local produce embody the $6 meal, yet it was still the most disappointing of the salads. The dressing was strangely sweet and overpowering, clashing with the flavors of arugula and raw onion. Carrot slices were more peels rather than whole pieces, and the raw onions cut through any hint of an overall scheme.

Unsurprisingly, 7-Eleven, a convenience store, has salads. 7-Eleven has chicken caesar salads on romaine lettuce, the exact same one your mom bought you in high school. Everyone knows the drill, pour the dressing, close the lid, and shake; then add croutons. The experience was nostalgic but the taste was even more familiar. The lettuce was thankfully crispy and the ingredients were fresh. This salad overcame convenience store norms of being packaged and unfresh. For exactly five dollars, you can easily enjoy a sentimental meal that will satisfy your budget and your belly.

Final verdict? Four-and-a-half out of five gauchos.

Final verdict? Two out of five pint nights.

Final verdict? Four out of five caesars.

6 | FEATURES

Final verdict? One out of five local farmers.

Final verdict? Three-and-a-half out of five high school lunches.

UCSB World Music Series PresEnts: �THE DAWN OF THE ROOSTER� RICHARD SMITH | Contributing Writer

This week’s performance of the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) World Music Series showcased "The Dawn of the Rooster," which was composed and performed by the brilliant and talented Tanyaradzwa A. Tawengwa. Tawengwa, a Ph.D. student from the University of Kentucky, was accompanied by pianist Jared Holton and joined by students from UCSB to help with narration. "The Dawn of the Rooster" is an opera that details a young woman’s involvement in Zimbabwe’s struggle for liberation. The story’s chilling resolution and the music’s emotional richness made for the most sentimental performance in this series thus far. This performance was held in the Karl Geiringer Hall rather than the usual Music Bowl, making for beautiful acoustics and an intimate environment for audience participation. Tawengwa started the performance by teaching the audience the word pamberi, which was used as a rallying cry for soldiers fighting for liberation. The phrase means something like “go” or “forward.” At times, Tawengwa would cry out this word and the audience would reply passionately in rhythm. The performance began with “Muka Iwe,” a slow and somber song about the rigors of the main character’s morning routine. The piece included Tawengwa’s beautiful soprano voice accompanied by Holton’s powerful piano performance. It concluded with a narration about the cruel regime

of Ian Smith and European infantilization of the Zimbabwean people. Next was the cheerful “Penya Penya” during which Tawengwa sang a bright and uplifting tune to greet the morning and contrast the bleak sunrise of the last song. Accompanied this time by audience snapping instead of piano, the song had an air of simplicity and individualism. The concluding narration told of a young African woman who grew up to resent her society which was even more cruel to the women than to the men. Tawengwa brought out her mbira, an African instrument, for the third song “Nehondo,” which was a tragic and dramatic retelling of major Zimbabwean figures killed during the conflict of the story. One could feel the pain

of the loss of a national hero as the mbira gave way to the piano to accompany the vocals instead. Shifting back to mbira to end the song, the mbira performance ends sharply without resolving the melody, a stark reminder of the song’s subject: death. The sound of the mbira is difficult to explain, but it could be described as a metallic percussive sound combined with a buzzing similar to when one hovers their hand too close to a ringing guitar string. The concluding narration told of segregation in Zimbabwe schools and the curriculum of European history without Zimbabwe history or science. The fourth song was “Smith Akaramba Mbuya Nehanda,” a cheerful war rally against the oppressive Ian Smith. The piece contained primarily vocals and pi-

ano, with participation from the audience in a rhythmic sound effect prompted by Tawengwa. The narration afterward told of how revolutionary songs were hidden in Methodist hymn books. One of those revolutionary songs, “Ishe Komborera Afrika,” was a patriotic and holy song singing praise to Africa, expressed through Tawengwa’s vocals and the piano with a special guest choir: the audience! Next was instrumental-heavy “Munamato,” a deliberate and meditative piece joining the mbira and piano together. The narrator also told some of her childhood stories and experiences in Zimbabwe and desire to learn more about the country’s history. This eventually led into “Rarisa Musoro Wako,” a slow and beautifully agitated piece calling for a

loved one to take some time to rest and a story of personal experience in racism and prejudice in Zimbabwe. The eighth song was then “Mufuduzi Ndiye Jehova,” a beautiful piano and vocal piece that was simultaneously sorrowful and hopeful. The narrator told of her decision to join the fight before the next song: “Famba Iwe,” a forcefully dramatic and driving war march including the mbira, voice, and piano. Finally was the heartbreaking “Hurombo Gara Wega,” with the piano only temporarily accompanying Tawengwa’s virtuosic and emotional singing. The lyrics and melody gave an air of desperation and isolation. What could this have meant? Was our narrated abandoned or captured in battle? Is it simply a cry from all the Zimbabwean people for the European oppressors to “leave us alone”? That is left up to the listener to interpret, and although the listeners might not agree what happened to our narrator, every listener’s eyes were wet by the end of the performance when even the piano had abandoned Tawengwa’s haunting singing. The World Music Series is co-presented by the UCSB MultiCultural Center and the Ethnomusicology Program in the Department of Music and is hosted in the Music Bowl on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. Photo by Richard Smith | Contributing Photographer

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

" o " JoJ BBIT RA

UCSB's Magic Lantern Films Presents:

ALYSSA TINOCO | Contributing Writer

n Feb. 7 and 10, UC Santa Barbara’s Magic Lantern Films hosted a screening of Director Taika Waititi’s sadistic yet wholesome film "Jojo Rabbit" (2019), which earned the New Zealand filmmaker and actor the award for Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s Oscars. With this dark and captivating movie, Waititi became the first indigenous New Zealander to win an Oscar. The film received backlash due to its edginess — the film centers around a fanatical, brainwashed Hitler youth named Jojo — however, Waititi remarks that critics would not be as harsh if they knew of his Jewish background. Exhibiting the horrors of Germany’s genocidal tyranny, the satirical comedy explores how the Nazis successfully utilized propaganda to manipulate and influence the naive minds of children. With this film, Waititi seems to challenge the idea of all Nazis being inherently evil. Being such a controversial challenge, the director artfully exhibits how Germany’s population had been coerced into complicity.

Acquiring his nickname from a few teenaged tormentors, Jojo Rabbit’s instilled hatred for Jews appears to be somewhat understandable and thus excusable through the exposure of powerful propaganda executed by adult exploiters. The regime manipulated the innocent minds of children like Jojo through the enforcement of genocidal ideology and practic-

8 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

es. As a result, Jojo and the other children enthusiastically anticipated being able to use weapons and make the Jews suffer. Jojo’s blind fanaticism deprived him of accepting the

concept of humanity, and thus all aspects of it. Being only ten years old in Nazi Germany, he grew up in a violent, hateful environment out of touch with compassion for one another. Having a fledgling mindset, Jojo remains incapable of thinking critically and for himself as he bases his opinions on what he hears from his country’s leading tyrants. I n one

critical scene, Jojo’s mother tells him that “love is the strongest thing in the world,” to which he responds, “I think you'll find that metal is the strongest thing in the world, followed closely by dynamite, and then muscles.” The contradiction in the mother and son’s views demonstrates the diﬀerent views in which they perceive the world. Aside from its dark humor, the film not only implements the development of a close mother-son relationship, but also the an ability to be humane. Make sure to check out Magic Lantern Films online for upcoming showings! Check out “Ford v Ferrari” on Feb. 21 and 24 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Isla Vista Theater for $4 per ticket. No I.D. is required. Photo Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

Five Questions with Dr. Mavel Marina

on Teaching and Higher Education HUIWEN JIA | Contributing Writer

r. Mavel Marina is an educational specialist at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), and runs the exchange program for International Academics and Researchers. She advises on immigration regulation and documentation, and teaches ED20i, a class for international students. The Bottom Line sat down with Dr. Marina to learn more about her teaching methods and teaching philosophy. Can international students sign up for spring quarter's ED20 (the one for local students)? "International students can sign up for ED20 courses throughout the year but there is only one ED20 course focused on the interest and needs of international students ... This course is ED20i. I teach ED20i and this course is only oﬀered in the fall quarter." Do you recommend them to do so? "I recommend international students to take any form of ED20. These courses help introduce all students to services that support student learning and academic success at UCSB. If international students are interested in the foundation of US higher education, its history, structures, and functions as a way to better learn how to navigate U.S. university systems as an international student then I recommend taking ED20i. I specifically focus on addressing common mistakes international students commit in the academic writing process, strategies

to academic success, and an introduction to on campus services that international students have greatly benefited from to achieve academic and personal growth." What (speciﬁc event or reason) lead you into the ﬁeld of education? "I come from a long line of educators in my family, but when I started my university studies in the U.S. I told myself that I didn't want to be an educator so I decided to pursue a degree in the field of medicine. I thought working as a medical doctor would make me happy and that the field would provide a good income. I was wrong. I was very unhappy in the field of medicine. I didn't want to admit that I had made a mistake. I finally got the courage to ask an academic advisor to help me on my degree choice. The

academic advisor recommended a "career path self assessment." These assessments are provided by career services on all university campuses. The assessment helped me discover my strengths and my passion. I learned that education was my strength and that my passion was to help others. The academic advisor then took the time to explain to me that the field of education is very broad and that I could chose to be an educator in many capacities beyond the classroom. I learned that the higher I went in my education the more options I could have about what kind of educator I wanted to be. This moment was the decision factor of my life-I chose to get the highest level of education to work in the field of education. So in the end I did become a doctor — a doctor in education."

Which speciﬁc area of education are you working on? "My PhD is in the field of higher education. I specifically work with topics of leadership, organization and internationalization of higher education. My students get a chance to see how I try to tie their experience to what's going on in the field of higher education world wide. I ask them to do comparative analysis of university systems in the world so that they can see how they diﬀer from one another as they attempt to achieve the same goal of producing original research and prepared citizens for the global market." How does someone prepare for a career in education? "You first have to be aware that education happens all around us and that it not only happens in the classroom or in one country

— education is a career that applies all over the world for people of all ages in all spaces. Once you become aware of that you have to ask yourself how would you like to share or teach information to others? Do you wish to do research and share information? Or do you wish to become a specialist in a particular topic and then share or teach that information to others? Do you wish to teach children, adolescents, young adults or adults? If you're having trouble answering these questions or you wish to make sure this is what you want to pursue, I recommend you go to career services and ask for a self assessment so that you discover your strengths and your passion. Have them help you determine if education is a field that fits well within your strengths and passion. I also recommend speaking to various types of educators around the world, if possible, and ask them about the practice in the field. Once you gather this information, then you can make a better decision on whether education is the field for you. If you really want to challenge yourself you may speak to me about taking a course in the fall ED120: Practicum in teaching in higher education. In this course I introduce you to practices of teaching, course organization, and learning style analysis so that you can begin to get a sense of what teaching entails." Photo courtesy of UCSB

SCIENCE & TECH | 9

The Presence of

Queer-coding in Popular Media KYLE DENT | A.S. Beat Reporter

eroes and villains have certainly changed in the last few decades — bright colorful beacons of truth and justice like Superman and Robin Hood don’t snag the same attention they used to (probably for good reason; blue-eyed boy scouts like them have all the dull charm of Tom Hanks and George Washington in a blender). Now we cheer for batmen and “punishers" dressed in black helmets and black body armor and black boots to stomp desperate citizens who’ve made a few poor life decisions into paste and — oh yeah — rehabilitation. To quote one old and ornery Batman: “You don't get it boy ... this isn't a mud hole ... it’s an operating table. [breaks bone] And I'm the surgeon.” If these damaged angry super-vigilantes like Daredevil, Blade, and Moon Knight aren’t the ultimate hetero-power fantasies, I don’t know what are — which is surprising considering how much they love leather. Dressed in one lone color that gets more and more muted with each decade’s reboot, they hunt and get revenge on their enemies, who have kept it much more consistent than their heroic rivals — the Joker had face paint and a flower charm as long ago as 1933, and seven-foot sapphic symbol Maleficent hasn’t let her posture

10 | OPINIONS

slip since the Grimm Brothers. While our heroes get to grow and change (Spider-Man’s notorious emo period, or when Snow White joined a huntsman for some mature R-rated romp across fairyland), many of these villains have been up to the same flamboyant shenanigans since World War II, their plans just getting bigger and more extravagant, going for more and more (“can’t gays ever be happy with what we’ve allowed them?”), and eventually coming back to sow more chaos. Maybe antagonists are coded so queerly because they represent the rejection of a status quo, twisting what is normal — trying to change the world into “their view” of it, and subject everyone else to their reality. They look pretty funky while doing it too — an eco-conscious lavender man who collects rainbow jewels, the carefree man in clown make up and a

purple suit, his bisexual girlfriend who’s sole desire seems to be “chaos in color,” — the list goes on. Speaking of twisting norms, villains seem to be the only one comfortable with drag— The Big Bad Wolf, Green Goblin in 2002’s "Spider-Man," the Nurse Joker in 2008’s "Dark Knight," the devil-crab-ballerina from "The PowerPuﬀ Girls;" as the

narrator’s terrified voice describes, “This is a villain so evil, so sinister ... The only safe way to refer to this king of darkness is simply … HIM!” Writers love dressing their bad guys in dresses and rainbows. Maybe it’s an easy way to identify your antagonist as a “weirdo” on the “fringes of society.” Maybe they think expressiveness in dress

and mannerisms is indicative of dark and dangerous thoughts. Maybe they secretly want to dress their good guys cuter but no one will let them. Whatever the reason, it’s pretty clear — villains are having more fun. Illustration by Drew Buchanan | Staff Illustrator

What Exactly is

"Western Culture"? SOFIA LYON & NATHAN VIVED | Staff Writer & Contributing Writer

"Western culture” is a vague term often seen in academic environments. However, it is diﬃcult even amongst scholars to identify which cultures and peoples are included within the distinction of “western.” While much of it is explainable via the rigid reality of academia, the distinction of “western” culture does speak to a greater understanding of world culture. What it ultimately speaks to are the origins of philosophies which dictate diverse ways of life across the planet. Thousands of years ago, "the West" was born in Greece with all of its advancements in culture and science. Greek plays and myths, the architecture of the great temples, and even the basic schools of thought all survived long past the fall of the ancient Greek city-states. They moved westward with the next great civilization, the Romans, and, after Rome fell, continued to move even further west until they reached America. “The West” is vague, but purposefully so. It’s impossible for a single word or term to prove description enough for content as broad as culture, architecture, basic thinking, storytelling practices, rules for law and governance, and so on and so forth. By being vague, “the West” is able to serve as the blanket term used for all of it, and provides easy distinction from the other main school of

thought in the world, “the East.” Both schools of thought have drastically diﬀerent ideas on how the world and society should be governed. "The East" is far more communal, and far more reverent of the elderly. "The West," on the other hand, is wildly individualistic, pushing for each person to carve out their own mark. Family names became less important in

the west because of this. Thus, “western culture” seems to be a somewhat arbitrary distinction used across academics to describe ideological, cultural, and ethnic uniformity amongst European and derivative nations. Of course, this distinction does not account for the entire picture of typically “western” nations, namely the problem of

Eastern European countries, who often can be seen as outliers. They are excluded from the engagements of Western Europe, and also have endured much cultural assimilation from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern states. So, we can acknowledge the shortcomings of the term pragmatically. What was also previously pointed out is its use in

separating "the East" from "the West" — a separation almost solely based on historical development of technologies and differences in major philosophical schools which govern political and cultural mentalities. Eastern philosophies focus significantly on collective good, whereas Western philosophies are centered on good for the individual. These fundamental philosophies ultimately guided variant cultural development. For instance, it would seem that the advent of the American dream is a result of "the West’s" tendency towards individualism. Similarly, cultures of vanity, celebrity, and social media spun from the same self-interested nature of Western thought. Western culture does not describe any specific group or belief, but instead it describes tendencies within cultural thought and practices, tendencies which favor the plight of the individual rather than the collective. It is a distinction which should not be given more depth than it is worth — an academic dichotomy. It speaks to greater separations in the development of world culture. Illustration by Alyssa Long | Art Director

OPINIONS | 11

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Illustrations by ALYSSA LONG | Art Director

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12 | ILLUSTRATIONS

Recipe courtesy of Noe Padilla

Comic of the Week "just another valentine's day"

Comic by Jake Ortega | Comic Artist

proper poultry Comic by Drew Buchanan | Staff Illustrator

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ILLUSTRATIONS | 13

erosion in isla vista

Photo by GRAEME JACKSON | Photo Editor

14 | PHOTOSTORY

1 Natural and manmade structures alike are falling victim to collapsing bluffs in Isla Vista. 2 After a number of housing collapses within the past few years, property owners have voiced growing concerns around the climate change issue.

3 4

3 Wooden sea breakers have been implemented in areas to combat the natural processes. 4 Large areas of real estate have been abandoned and houses have been scaled back away from the edges of cliffs as as a result of these weathering processes.

2 PHOTOSTORY | 15

1 Santa Barbara locals browse the vibrant items and pieces being sold in De la Guerra Place. 2 Artisans and makers from the surrounding areas convene on select Saturdays of the month in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

maker's

market Photo by VICENTE VILLASENOR Contributing Photographer

ILLUSTRATIONS | 16