University of California, Santa Barbara || Volume XIII, Issue XI || Jan. 30, 2019 || BottomLineUCSB.com
NEWS
FEATURES
OPINIONS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SCIENCE & TECH
SPORTS
VIDEO
Sustainability
at ucsb
S&T
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Photo Courtesy of George Foulsham | UCSB Digital Asset Library
Productivity Apps to Help Make Your Daily Life Easier
Improving Women’s Lives with Accessible Birth Control
Use your phone to enhance your productivity with these five apps.
As a female founded company, Pandia Health offers women free and convenient birth control options.
S&T
FEATURES
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TBL | Jan. 30, 2019
2 | NEWS
A.S. Judicial Council Elects Chair, Ending 225-Day Hiatus MINH HUA Campus Beat Reporter Associated Students (A.S.) Senate approved the appointment of Raymond Alonso as Chair of the A.S. Judicial Council during its third meeting of the winter quarter, ending the 225-day hiatus that saw a nonfunctional judicial body without a Chair. Alonso is currently a secondyear political science and history of public policy double major, and he, along with his fellow Council members, will be serving on Judicial Council (JC) as Chair until they graduate or resign as per Article VIII, Section 3 of A.S. Legal Code. Alonso was unanimously appointed by the Council, a decision informed by Alonso’s past experience of service, according to fellow Council member Justin Nilsen. Nilsen recounts that many of the other Council members looked to Alonso for guidance on procedure, so his appointment to Chair was “the natural choice.” Under his leadership, Alonso hopes to hold the Council’s administrative, procedural and legal levels to a higher standard of accountability and equity. “Every UCSB student should care about Judicial Council
because of the role it plays in ensuring that the substantial money that goes to student fees every year is handled appropriately, both in how it is spent and in the people who are entrusted to spend it,” said Alonso. During public forum, Alonso presented ideas and initiatives that culminated from the Council’s internal discussions and collaboration, particularly on improvements for how the Council operates. In regards to procedural changes, Alonso stated that the newly updated JC website will have a more accessible platform for hosting briefs, emphasizing that Council will be conducted in such a way that is inclusive to all students on campus. “It is important that petitions from people of all backgrounds, all political leanings, and people with all different kinds of understandings of the world that we live in, to be able to represent themselves in JC so long that there is a legal code violation present,” said Alonso. Alonso stated that in the past, it was easy for the Council to exhibit implicit bias by dismissing matters and had in fact considered dismissing a previous petition on the grounds that it seemed
TBL 2018-2019 STAFF
“ridiculous.” “There is a reason for people to submit these petitions,” said Alonso, “I think that our system should be one that is not beholden to individual biases.” Consequently, Alonso stated that in order to extinguish individual biases, he will be asking Council members to disclose any conflicts of interest and to recuse him or herself if necessary before moving forward with a case. Alonso recounted that in the past, he has had to recuse himself from a case concerning political campaigning because he was affiliated with one of the parties involved in the case. As a result, Alonso stressed the importance of objectivity and equity in his legal interpretation of Legal Code. “I want to foster a Legal Code interpretation that fosters equity and the equality of opportunity to guarantee the equality of outcomes for all,” said Alonso. “It is important for all students and people within the association to feel safe and comfortable with the fact that the Legal Code has their back.” In addition, Alonso pointed out how, in the past, the Council has been slow to respond to emails and did not clarify the nuances of
Photo by Doshen Park | Web Editor Photo by Docean Park | Web Editor
the petitioning process. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Nilsen also touched on the fact that the petition process isn’t explained very clearly, which can sometimes intimidate students looking to make a petition. Alonso stated that the petition submission process is one of the Council’s biggest problems. Every petition in the past has missed some element that was necessary to be considered complete and sufficient to render a preliminary hearing in a timely fashion. As a solution, Alonso proposed that petitions be submitted through Google Forms, which would require petitioners to completely supply the necessary information before submission. Presently, students are submitting petitions via email, using a form accessible on the Council’s website. “Responding to emails was not the reason I joined Judicial Council. However, upon joining the Council in April, I learned immediately how important it was [that] those emails were responded to,” said Alonso. He also stated that the Council will be submitting a resolution to Senate that holds Council members accountable for responding to emails in a timely
fashion. Under Alonso’s leadership, the new Council will be working on upgrading its regular office location to be accommodating enough to hold cases. Alonso explained that the Council’s budget is very small and, in the past, they’ve had to request money to rent spaces to hear cases. Consequently, Alonso brought up improving the Council’s outreach, specifically updating its three-year-old website, making pamphlets, and educating the student population, Boards, Commissions, and Units (BCU’s) about the Council and Legal Code. Both Alonso and Nilsen described the environment within the Council as productive, optimistic, and collaborative. “What people don’t often realize about Associated Students is just how big it is. If you’re a student, a lot of the organizations that you interact with are the ones that it’s our job to ensure are keeping their integrity,” said Nilsen. Gauchos who need to visit the Council’s office can find them located at Associated Students 2535 or on their website at https:// judicial.as.ucsb.edu/.
Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff or UCSB. All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to editors@bottomlineucsb.com
Editor-in-Chief | Alex Yam
Features Editor | Victoria Penate
Mutlimedia Beat | Dominick Ojeda
Web Editor | Docean Park
Managing Editor | Mable Truong
Arts & Entertainment Editor | Addison Morris
Photo Editor | Juan Gonzalez
Layout Editor | Elaine Chen
Executive Content Editor| Lauren Marnel
Science & Tech Editor | Hannah Maerowitz
Campus Beat Reporter | Minh Hua
PAGES: 4, 5, 6
Shores
Opinions Editor | Jessica Gang
Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Alondra Sierra
Layout Editor | Chrissy Cho
Senior Layout Editor | Mikaela Pham
Video Editor | Fabiola Esqueda
National Beat Reporter | Jacob Wong
PAGES: 7,8,9
Senior Copy Editor | Spencer Wu
Advertising Director | Tanya Gosselin
Copy Editor | Sheila Tran
Layout Editor | Vivianna Shields
Co-News Editor | Arturo Samaniego
Marketing Director | Erica Kaplan
Copy Editor | McKinsey FIdellow
PAGES: 10,11,12
Co-News Editor | Annette Ding
TBL | Jan. 30, 2019
3 | NEWS
CALFRESH BENEFIT ALLOCATIONS ON
TRACK TO RESUME IN MARCH Illustration by Shiloh Kluding | Staff Illustrator
SABRINA BUI Staff Writer Last week, UCSB students receiving benefits from CalFresh, a federal program that provides food aid to low-income students, received their February benefits early. An email sent out on Jan. 16 on behalf of the university’s CalFresh Team stated that the early distribution was due to the government shutdown. The email also advised students to budget accordingly as CalFresh funds could be suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing disagreement over the federal budget. But with the government’s reopening last Friday, students can expect to receive benefits again in March. “Now that the government is no longer shut down, [CalFresh] benefit allocations should be on
track for March,” wrote Melissa Fontaine, UCSB’s food security coordinator, in an email to The Bottom Line. “We anticipate some students will be affected by the government shutdown, but we are trying to be as proactive as possible to avoid hardships.” Though CalFresh is anticipated to resume as scheduled in March, students were informed they would not be receiving any more benefits for the month of February after the early distribution. In anticipation of the possibility of future complications because of the early allocation, food security resources on campus such as the Associated Students (A.S.) Food Bank have made preparations. “The food bank is trying to buy more food to account for the lack of CalFresh benefits right now,” said Katherine McGuire, the publicity chair for the A.S. Food Bank.
CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides monthly food stipends to individuals or families in need. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, over 42 million people across the nation received benefits in 2017, making it the largest program in the country to combat food insecurity. According to Fontaine, nearly 50 percent of the university’s undergraduate population (approximately 22,000 students) has experienced very low to low food security, meaning individuals are choosing less nutritious, lower quality meals or skipping meals altogether due to a lack of resources. Students like Hilary, a junior at UCSB who asked to remain anonymous, have come to rely on their CalFresh benefits to remain
food secure. “It’s given me the opportunity to have a balanced diet,” she said. “I used to only eat once or twice a day but now I can have more.” But CalFresh assistance is not always enough to sustain a person for the month, according to Hilary. She still utilizes other on-campus resources such as food pantries in order to meet her daily nutritional needs. According to Danielle Kemp, the dietitian, purchasing, and systems manager for UCSB’s Housing, Dining, and Auxiliary Enterprises (HDAE), the types of food offered at the university’s food banks and pantries, such as the newly opened Miramar Food Pantry at the Sierra Madre Villages, are intended to allow students to create snacks or complete meals. While the multiple food banks and pantries along with
financial assistance are able to help cope with food insecurity on campus, Fontaine notes that they do not address the issue directly, something she wishes to do in the future. “These programs meet today’s need but do not necessarily decrease the need of students moving forward,” she wrote. “Through education and structural solutions, we hope to reduce the number of insecure students in the future.” For now, students are encouraged to do their research about food security resources and utilize all that is available to them. “A lot of people don’t know that the food bank is open on Fridays so a lot of people aren’t getting access to that,” McGuire said. “Any resource that’s available should be taken advantage of.”
4 | FEATURES
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STEVEN SHI Staff Writer Like the protagonist of Bennett Miller’s widely acclaimed, 2011 baseball movie titled Moneyball, Dan Cervone, a Senior Analyst in Research and Development with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is an expert in baseball data analytics. He spoke at UCSB’s Data Science Club meeting on Jan. 23 to discuss the implications of data science in Major League Baseball. Since the inception of data analytics in baseball, many franchises have raced against each other to develop cutting-edge analytic techniques and models in order to optimize player and team performance. According to Cervone, data science is “kind of like a Moneyball thing.” “Data is one of the ways teams can differentiate themselves from each other,” said Cervone. Indeed, for many baseball franchises, data science plays a defining role in determining team rosters and strategies. Using different data sources such as tracking data, play-by-play data, and hand charted data, Cervone’s analytics team helps the
Dodgers break down each player’s performance into categories of “skill, luck, and circumstance,” allowing them to form in-game strategies.. “The most successful thing I had a big role in is our defensive positioning,” Cervone said, recalling his proudest accomplishment in baseball analytics. “It was a problem that we really had almost nothing when I came in, and there were many levels to the problem.” Cervone helped create algorithms and models to map out and optimize defensive strategies. “It was a really fun accomplishment because the impact on the field was very direct and immediate,” continued Cervone. “It is a really good example of modeling that is done to stitch together different ingredients to optimize the problem.” Yet, Cervone also notes that his team faces a unique set of challenges when applying or discussing their work. They communicate with a diverse set of people — many of whom do not have data science backgrounds — and must clearly explain the meaning and applications of the
data Furthermore, unlike other organizations that utilize and share new data science technologies, baseball franchises often isolate themselves to protect proprietary strategies. Indeed, Cervone notes that because “30 teams are competing against each other, [they] are more siloed than other industries.” Cervone, a graduate of Harvard University’s Doctoral program in statistics, joined the L.A. Dodgers Analytics team in December of 2016 after the Dodgers came under new ownership. Cervone’s graduate work in sports analytics, along with his experience in modeling basketball and soccer, attracted the attention of the team’s front office. Addressing students who are interested in sports analytics, Cervone advised, “I think the best way to get into the sport analytics field is to do some sort of research project in sports data, whether its a class project or creating a poster at a talk. We are constantly looking at Twitter, Reddit, and blogs for this kind of stuff. We definitely find it and it definitely helps people stand out.”
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5 | FEATURES
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
Pandia Health: Improving Women’s Lives Through Accessible Birth Control SUN
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Illustration by Elaine Chen | Layout Editor
CARMIYA BASKIN Staff Writer According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, more than 19 million women in the U.S. aged 13 to 44 lack access to a clinic or pharmacy with a full range of contraceptive methods. For those who are on the birth control pill, patch, or ring, financial and transportation impediments may make it difficult to get to the pharmacy every month to pick up medication. One company striving to eliminate these obstacles is Pandia Health, the only practicing reproductive health physician company founded and led by women in the birth control delivery space. Dr. Sophia Yen, the CEO and Co-Founder of Pandia, started the company to reduce the financial, economic, and social barriers that women face when accessing birth control. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Dr. Yen said that Pandia, which launched in 2015, is all about “convenience, care, and confidentiality… and making women’s lives easier.” Dr. Yen went on to say that the primary reason “women don’t use birth control is because they
don’t have it on hand.” Pandia solves this by providing a year’s supply of birth control at a time, free delivery to one’s mailbox, and automatic renewal, allowing women to get what Dr. Yen called “Pandia Peace of Mind.” Pandia offers various options for getting contraception. If one has an existing prescription, or if one is referred by one’s doctor, the delivery service is free. If one needs a prescription, Pandia can provide a telemedicine consult for a fee. The company also accepts almost all insurances except for Kaiser and TRICARE, as well as accepting cash payment. Pandia seeks to provide easier access to contraception for those who wish to be on it. While birth control offers several benefits, it is the individual’s choice whether she would like to use it. Be sure to check with a medical professional first before making any decisions related to birth control. According to Dr. Yen, Pandia offers a safe, affordable, and quick alternative for students who are not insured with their university’s student health. She said, “universities need to realize that it’s a barrier and it’s stressful to get to the pharmacy at the last minute.” For students who are insured with
student health, doctors can write prescriptions and transfer them to Pandia for free. Pandia differs from other pharmacies in that, as of this moment, it exclusively offers birth control (including emergency contraception). However, the company plans to supply other prescriptions in the future. In addition, because the telemedicine consult is completed online, customers are able to access Pandia’s services anytime and anywhere. The company also publicizes a large amount of educational content about Pandia, women’s reproductive health, and birth control on social media and on their blog. Addressing those who are hesitant about starting birth control, Dr. Yen stated that only about “5-10 percent of women experience adverse reactions” and that the benefits outweigh the risks even if one is not sexually active. She mentioned that it’s important to recognize the realities of birth control and debunk myths such as the idea that hormones invade the body when one uses birth control; hormones may come into play depending on the method of birth control one is using, but they are not harmful to the body.
Furthermore, according to Dr. Yen, women are having more periods today than they were centuries ago which “is not natural… and can lead to increased risks of ovarian and endometrial cancer.” She described Pandia as the “end to end solution for birth control,” saying that she loves sharing information about contraception and #PeriodsOptional, a campaign that normalizes and promotes safely skipping one’s period while on birth control. One way to become more involved with Pandia is through
the Campus Rep Program. Angela Tolentino, the Pandia Health Campus Coordinator, told The Bottom Line that the Campus Rep program is for those who are passionate about “advocating for their peers, impacting their community, and educating people on women’s reproductive health.” If you are interested in becoming a Campus Rep, contact Angela at angela@pandiahealth.com. Dr. Yen concluded by saying, “Join Pandia and never run out of birth control again!”
$5 OFF
A TELEMEDICINE VISIT CODE: UCSB2018
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Beatlemania Abound at “Let It Be” Documentary Showing Photo by Noe Padilla Professor David Novak and producer Alan Parsons talk with the audience after the screening.
Beatlemania fans buzzed when producer Alan Parsons spoke on his experiences with the Beatles. NOE PADILLA Last Thursday, Jan. 24, Pollock Theater was full of Beatlemania as students and community members came to watch a showing of the Beatles documentary “Let It Be” at 7 p.m. and stayed to listen to musician and producer Alan Parsons talk about his experience with the band. The event was an entertaining experience for both Beatles fans and music enthusiasts. The “Let It Be” event is a part of the “Beatles Revolutions” winter 2019 film series that the Carsey-Wolf Center is hosting. The series showcases the band at various points in its career and brings in individuals who were involved with the Beatles to talk about their experiences with the band. The guest for this event was Alan Parsons, the assistant
engineer at the Abbey Road Studio in 1967, and the engineer for the Beatles Abbey Road album. He was also the sound engineer for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album. David Novak, an associate professor of music at UCSB, was moderating the post-screening discussion with Parsons. The excitement for the event was palpable from the beginning of the night. Outside of Pollock Theater was a line full of guests hoping to get into the show — a line which started at the doors of the theater and ended in the street. “Let It Be” followed the band as it was in the process of recording its last published album. The first half of the film shows Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr working on music, joking, and arguing with each other. The second half is full of music videos
and ends with the band’s famous rooftop concert. As the film played, everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen in awe of the band. Throughout the screening, one could hear a roar of laughter whenever Paul made a joke, and see heads bobbing along whenever music played. Once the Beatles finished their show on the rooftop, the audience gave a hearty round of applause. After the film, Novak and Parson came to the stage and began discussing the documentary and Parson’s history with the band. Parson reflected on how he was only able to work with the Beatles on their Let It Be album for a week. Most of the time he spent with the band was during the recording of the Abbey Road album. “One of the things that I feel like would have came out of the Apple session was how depressed
they were. They were really not enjoying themselves,” remarked Parson when talking about the band and their record label, Apple Corps Studio, at the time. “And the Abbey Road became really an album of solo efforts.” But the night wasn’t full of sad memories from Parson. “Suddenly they’re the Beatles again,” said Parson with a grin on his face, referring to the energy of the band when playing on the rooftop. The event ended with a Q&A between Parson and the audience. The topics of the questions ranged from his time collaborating with the Beatles and Pink Floyd to his work on the Alan Parson Project, the band that Parson created with Eric Woolfson. The band is most well known for the song, “Eye in the Sky.” Parson told the audience, “If we had played live, we would have
been big,” reflecting on the Alan Parson Project. Novak closed the event by repeating John’s famous last line from the “Let It Be” documentary: “Thank you for coming and I hope we passed the audition.” The Carsey-Wolf Center has given UCSB a rare and exciting opportunity to witness the Beatles on the big screen as well as a chance to speak to acclaimed artists, writers, and producers. The Pollock Theater will continue to hold three other free events within the series. The next event is on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. when they will be showing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” This film will show the Beatles in the early half of their career, and will have actress Nancy Allen and co-writer Bob Gale as the guest and speakers of the event.
7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
Wright plays for the crowd.
Luttrell plays with passion.
NOON STORKE SHOW
ODD ARMY
Photos by Scott Knell
Luttrell and Mitchell shred together.
On Wednesday, Jan. 23, A.S. Program Board hosted its first Noon Storke show of the year featuring Odd Army, a San Jose based rock trio. Despite the absence of bassist Cameron Kao, the Odd Army duo filled Storke Plaza with powerful guitar riffs, heavy rhythmic patterns transforming the usually empty courtyard into a miniature rock show. In addition to putting on a high energy show for passing students, the more devoted audience had the pleasure of listening to Odd Army’s newest singles “Thugs of Calcutta” and “We Had a Ball.”
Mitchell Wright playing the drums.
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
8 | SCIENCE & TECH
Sustainability at UCSB XANDER APICELLA In the Princeton Review’s 2015 ranking of Green Universities, UCSB was declared first out of public universities and third out of all universities. Green Universities are those considered to be environmentally aware, conscious, and active. Since then, UCSB has consistently been within the top 25, cementing itself as a university that values sustainability and environmentalism. From past awards to future projects, UCSB has long been driven for a greener tomorrow. The Santa Barbara Channel oil spill of 1969 was a catalyst for UCSB’s journey toward sustainability. In response to the spill, a faculty group called The Friends of the Human Habitat formed to combat the damage being done to the ocean by such catastrophes. From then on, UCSB has been advocating for the environment. The undergraduate environmental studies program at UCSB was formed in 1970, shortly after the oil spill. Today, the program has more than 850 students and 7,200 alumni — powerful numbers for an undergraduate program of this type. Bren Hall, the site of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, was designed by students and faculty to be a structure optimized for sustainability. It achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum LEED score for its sustainability, not once, but three separate times. In 2017, it became the first laboratory building to receive this level of recognition three times, contributing to its certification as the nation’s greenest laboratory. Markers of UCSB’s sustainability are not just limited to the academic sphere — they’re everywhere. Almost half of UCSB’s students bike for their
daily commutes, a transportation method enabled by 10 miles of bike paths on campus. Many students who don’t bike often use the bus system, which reaches most student residences and housing complexes. There are also a variety of other options for students seeking a greener commute that may not be able to take the bus, such as carpooling or walking. UCSB’s transportation services use alternative fueling in about 40 percent of their vehicles — including electric, hybrid, and compressed natural gas methods — and that number is projected to increase with time. UCSB’s commitment to sustainable transportation is vital to the environmentalist cause. According to the EPA, transportation makes up 28 percent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Their data also shows that electricity is an impactful GHG producer, accounting for 28 percent of our total emissions. From 1999 to 2014, UCSB has lowered its electricity and natural gas use per square foot by 30 percent and 17 percent, respectively. In 2014, UCSB had 10 operational solar panel arrays, and more are in the works today to further the goal of lowering emissions. All these projects support the UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative, which promises that all UC infrastructure will emit net zero GHG emissions by 2025. UCSB has reduced GHG emissions by 19 percent since 1990, despite construction doubling its area. Some of UCSB’s other sustainability objectives, like Zero Waste by 2020, aim to divert waste from landfills. Groups like A.S. Recycling and the Refuse and Recycling Research Center have been pushing forward projects to improve campus waste management since 2004. They have approached this goal, with a 50 percent waste reduction by 2008 and nearly a 75 percent
reduction by 2012. Meaningful environmental initiatives assisted in this journey. The Compost Pilot Project, for example, is responsible for the compost bins scattered around campus today. The subject of sustainability is not a common consideration when students think about choosing a university, but it is becoming more important in political and public spheres. For students, the choice of school can be political as well as economic; it can be the first step of becoming who they want to be. Issues they care about — whether they are local, national, or global — should not be ignored. The strides UCSB have taken are important, but more action is needed. Despite offering 4,867 courses, under six percent include sustainability as a topic. The fight for the environment is the fight of today, and it will affect all people, regardless of their careers. The school’s curriculum could reflect this awareness in the way its sustainable infrastructure already has. UCSB students will be out in the world before long, armed with the capability to change the world. The more education on sustainability they have, the more sustainable the world’s future will be.
Photo Courtesy of George Foulsham | UCSB Digital Asset Library
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
9 | SCIENCE & TECH
Productivity Apps With smartphones by our sides nearly 24/7, it is our social and personal responsibility to be productive, mindful, and concious of ourselves. To complement work and productivity applications many users may already have, we have compiled a list of five apps that may make life a little easier. STEVEN JIN
Loop: Habit Tracker
Mindly (Mind Mapping)
As the end of January approaches, many people are attempting to keep up their New Year’s resolutions. However, the reality for most university students can be filled with unexpected detours, which can lead to people losing sight of their goals. Many people rely on spur of the moment inspiration to accomplish a goal, only to fall short because inspiration is an unreliable and finite resource. However, habit is a more reliable motivator because once habits are cemented, they become second nature. Loop: Habit Tracker, an Android application, channels the power of habit to keep users motivated. Loop is free, with a minimalistic interface and no ads. The app allows users to graph their habit progression, providing a way for them to analyze their habits. It also has more advanced features, such as the ability to incorporate more complex habits that occur in nondaily intervals and a reminder function to help users through the initial stages of habit formation. With Loop: Habit Tracker, students and professionals alike can be supported in forming good habits while juggling the responsibilities of everyday life.
Society is becoming more and more digitized, contributing to information overload. This overstimulation can make it difficult to juggle all the thoughts that come to mind. However, Mindly aims to alleviate this overstimulation by providing a space where thoughts can be expressed, connected, and detangled. Many people have the capacity to be innovative, but moments of potential greatness tend to be disguised by a flurry of other thoughts. With Mindly, users can quickly jot down brainstorms, allowing them to notice connections they would not have otherwise seen. These connections are all visualized in a spiderweb. Mindly has uses that are applicable to daily life, especially for university students. For instance, it can be used to map out the various social networks a student has. Additionally, students can use Mindly to visualize any overlap in their classes, potentially enhancing learning. Mindly doesn’t form great ideas, but it enables its users to see connections between their thoughts they may have never otherwise noticed.
Forest - Stay Focused
TickTick: To Do List with Reminder, Day Planner
Inspired by the Pomodoro Technique, which was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, Forest - Stay Focused (for Android and iOS) is an app that incentivizes users to put down their phone and focus. The premise of the app is that users will be incentivized to complete tasks if a virtual sapling grows proportionally to the amount of time they spend on it without distraction. This can help users complete tasks of varying lengths, which can range from spending two hours studying for a chemistry midterm to setting aside 15 minutes for mindfulness meditation. If users manage to stay focused for the designated amount of time, the sapling will grow into a tree — a symbol of dedication. However, if users give into temptation to spend time texting or on social media, the sapling will die. If there is a need to use certain apps for the task, they can be whitelisted to not interrupt a sapling’s growth. One less known feature of Forest is that every time a tree is successfully planted, virtual currency is earned, which can be used to plant a tree in real life or to buy different tree styles for the application. With this feature, users can use their productivity to make the world a greener place.
TickTick: To Do List with Reminder, Day Planner acts as a to-do list with a built-in reminder function, providing busy people with an all-in-one package. Checking tasks on a to-do list is often a formality for busy individuals, however, studies show that people experience gratification from seeing their daily tasks checked off. Unlike many other to-do list apps, TickTick has the capability to sync your agendas on multiple devices ranging from your smartphone to your personal computer. It also incorporates a social environment where you can collaborate and communicate with others about your goals. The ability to collaborate may incentivize users to commit to their tasks due to a desire to meet others’ expectations. As our society becomes more saturated with tasks, having a convenient and reliable way to keep track of daily and weekly agendas is becoming more important. Using your device to help you stay on track is an efficient way of doing so.
Image Courtesy of TheGreatApps.com
LifeRPG LifeRPG combines the characteristics of a typical agenda planner with a retro style role playing game. Users have high levels of customizability in regards to their tasks and rewards. Additionally, almost all aspects of a user’s life can be accounted for, from personal hygiene to academic investment. This app tends to appeals to users who find satisfaction from the ability to tinker and manage various aspects of their life. The emphasis on a high level of user control encourages users to self reflect and weigh the value of their responsibilities and tasks in order to reallocate how many experience points (which serve as a reward) are appropriate for a given task. For example, a student may propose that studying for an upcoming organic chemistry midterm will be much more difficult than going to the Recreation Center for an hour of exercise. In this scenario, they might set the difficulty meter for the midterm to be 100 percent while setting the difficulty of the trip to the gym at 33 percent. This concept compels users to evaluate different aspects of their lives and allocate appropriate effort to accomplish tasks. LifeRPG can empower users to create meaningful adjustments to make their lives however they want them to be..
“Champions don’t do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things, but they do them without thinking, too fast for the other team to react. They follow the habits they’ve learned.” - Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit
10 | OPINIONS
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
IV Infrastructure
Photos by Katie Michel | The Bottom Line A home on 67 block of Trigo Rd. undergoing construction on their driveway and the surrounding sidewalk.
JADE MARTINEZ-POGUE I came home from class, drenched in rare Santa Barbara rain because I had to make the 20 minute walk across campus because the bike paths were flooded — again. I made the mistake of wearing jeans and a sweatshirt to class, two clothing items that seem to take centuries to dry. I thought to myself, “something has to change.” Rainy day experiences like these are what made me realize that action needs to be taken in order to protect and preserve infrastructure in the Isla Vista community and on the UC Santa Barbara campus. While thousands of people are attracted to Santa Barbara because
of its mild and temperate climate, this 24/7 breezy weather is also accompanied by a large number of seasonal torms and heavy rainfall. As a third-year Isla Vista resident, I have observed countless angry storms and the damage that they bring. During winter quarter in 2017, my dorm room got so much rain damage from a passing storm that our ceiling started peeling away. On top of that, the windows weren’t secure enough to keep out the heavy rain, causing my bed, which faced the window, to be drenched. Flash forward to just two weeks ago when a storm rampaged through Isla Vista for days. The bike paths were flooded once again, as they are every time rain
hits. To top it off, I walked all the way home from class to see a sealike puddle in the middle of my living room floor. Looking up, I saw my apartment ceiling sinking in and letting raindrops fall from outside into the comfort and warmth of my own home. According to the Public Works Department, Santa Barbara storms have been hitting the community harder in recent years, and the amount of rainfall is on the rise. Both UCSB’s administration and the landlords of Isla Vista need to accommodate and adapt to the changing weather patterns in order for students to feel safe and secure in their “home away from home.” Adjustments made to fix this
problem don’t have to be drastic, in fact they can be quite simple. For example, the university can allocate funding to repave the bike paths to promote better drainage, giving the water an area to collect instead of allowing rainfall to pool up in the middle of the lane. This quick fix would make transportation to and from class easier in times of rain, enabling students to feel more comfortable and motivated to go to class. Outside of the university, the landlords of Isla Vista can also take yearly precautions that ensure to the homes of thousands of students are safe and durable during harsh weather. While asking landlords to completely reconstruct Isla Vista apartments is an understandably
large burden, there are smaller solutions that would be almost as effective. A yearly maintenance check in between leases for water damage on ceilings and roofs would be more than adequate. On top of that, fixing any damage that they find would benefit residents immensely. Every time rain hits Isla Vista I find myself worried not only about how I will get to and from class, but also whether my apartment will survive the storm without any damage. Due to the countless inconveniences of rain in Isla Vista, I urge on and off campus representatives to find a solution to these threatening problems.
11 | OPINIONS
TBL | Jan. 30 2019
How does the Government Shutdown Affect Students? SABRINA BUI Staff Writer Last week, UCSB students receiving benefits from CalFresh, a federal program that provides food aid to low-income students, received their February benefits early. An email sent out on Jan. 16 on behalf of the university’s CalFresh Team stated that the early distribution was due to the government shutdown. The email also advised students to budget accordingly as CalFresh funds could be suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing disagreement over the federal budget. But with the government’s reopening last Friday, students can expect to receive benefits again in March. “Now that the government is no longer shut down, [CalFresh] benefit allocations should be on track for March,” wrote Melissa Fontaine, UCSB’s food security coordinator, in an email to The Bottom Line. “We anticipate some students will be affected by the government shutdown, but we are trying to be as proactive as possible to avoid hardships.” Though CalFresh is anticipated to resume as scheduled in March, students were informed they would not be receiving any more benefits for the month of February after the early distribution. In anticipation of the possibility of future
complications because of the early allocation, food security resources on campus such as the Associated Students (A.S.) Food Bank have made preparations. “The food bank is trying to buy more food to account for the lack of CalFresh benefits right now,” said Katherine McGuire, the publicity chair for the A.S. Food Bank. CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides monthly food stipends to individuals or families in need. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, over 42 million people across the nation received benefits in 2017, making it the largest program in the country to combat food insecurity. According to Fontaine, nearly 50 percent of the university’s undergraduate population (approximately 22,000 students) has experienced very low to low food security, meaning individuals are choosing less nutritious, lower quality meals or skipping meals altogether due to a lack of resources. Students like Hilary, a junior at UCSB who asked to remain anonymous, have come to rely on
Illustration by Elaine Chen | Layout Editor
their CalFresh benefits to remain food secure. “It’s given me the opportunity to have a balanced diet,” she said. “I used to only eat once or twice a day but now I can have more.” But CalFresh assistance is not always enough to sustain a person for the month, according to Hilary. She still utilizes other on-campus resources such as food pantries in order to meet her daily nutritional needs. According to Danielle Kemp, the dietitian, purchasing, and systems manager for UCSB’s Housing, Dining, and Auxiliary Enterprises (HDAE), the types
of food offered at the university’s food banks and pantries, such as the newly opened Miramar Food Pantry at the Sierra Madre Villages, are intended to allow students to create snacks or complete meals. While the multiple food banks and pantries along with financial assistance are able to help cope with food insecurity on campus, Fontaine notes that they do not address the issue directly, something she wishes to do in the future. “These programs meet today’s need but do not necessarily
decrease the need of students moving forward,” she wrote. “Through education and structural solutions, we hope to reduce the number of insecure students in the future.” For now, students are encouraged to do their research about food security resources and utilize all that is available to them. “A lot of people don’t know that the food bank is open on Fridays so a lot of people aren’t getting access to that,” McGuire said. “Any resource that’s available should be taken advantage of.”.
12 | SPORTS 1 Senior outside hitter Corey Chavers led the Gauchos to an upset victory with 20 kills on a season-high .475 hitting percentage. 2 Freshman middle blocker Brandon Hicks starts off the play with a serve.
GAUCHOS
DETHRONE
LOYOLA CHICAGO Photos by Docean Park | Web Editor
2
1
3
SCORE BOARD: GAUCHOS 33 - 31 25 - 16 25 - 22
4
RAMBLERS 23 - 25
FINAL SCORE: 3-1
5
3 The Gauchos celebrate its 3-1 win over Loyola Chicago on Saturday night. 4 Freshmen Haotian Xia and Brandon Hicks, along with senior Corey Chavers shut down the Loyola attack with a solid triple block. 5 Junior setter Ryan DeWeese had a strong, all-around night, recording a double-double with 33 assists and a new career-high of 14 digs.
MEN WIN IN UPSET
The No. 10-ranked UCSB men’s volleyball team pulled off an upset victory over No. 5 Loyola Chicago on Sunday night, winning 3-1 (23-25, 33-31, 25-16, 2522) at Robertson Gym. After dropping the first set to Loyola Chicago (6-2), the (7-3) Gauchos survived a back-and-forth second set and rallied for wins in the next two sets to secure the victory. Senior outside hitter Corey Chavers led the team with 20 kills and junior setter Randy Deweese chipped in a career-high 14 digs along with 33 assists.