Spring 2019, Issue 5 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

MAY 8, 2019

HATS PHOTOSTORY PAGE 12 BottomLineUCSB.com

VOLUME VIII, ISSUE XXI

OFF to PCN Photo by JUAN GONZALEZ | Photo Editor

MAY DAY CELEBRATION Students, workers, and leftist groups gathered in People's Park last Saturday to celebrate Isla Vista's history of activism.

NEWS | PAGE 2

STILL WOOZY Still Woozy delivers on his debut EP "Lately," alluring bedroom pop fans with his messages of troubled romance.

A&E | PAGE 6

MAY DAY

CELEBRATION A REMINDER OF ISLA VISTA'S RADICAL HISTORY KYLE DENT

he 2019 May Day festival in People’s Park on Saturday May 4 celebrated Isla Vista’s history of radicalism and revolt with performances, art, and talks from organizations around Santa Barbara. The event featured booths from several different leftist groups from on or surrounding campus, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their youth chapter, the Central Coast chapter of the Sunrise Movement, the UCSB Human Rights Board, and Bonfire Books — the organization that started the festival. “You could say this was Bonfire’s idea, but this was really a coalition between all the groups. We couldn’t have done it without

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them,” said a representative (who wished to remain anonymous to avoid potential doxxing) from Bonfire Books, in an interview with The Bottom Line. Each booth was based on this year’s theme: “Countdown to Revolt: Workers and Students Unite!” The Democratic Socialists of America booth had templates to send letters to queer prisioners, a group that, according to the DSA, is disproportionately targeted by the prison system. They also had postcard templates to send to state legislators to stop them from building more oil rigs on shores. This, the DSA hopes, will stop the destruction of Isla Vista and Santa Barbara’s coasts. Bonfire Books, which has sold books on radicalism and radical

movements in the past nationally and worldwide, distributed pamphlets in both English and Spanish for undocumented citizens on how to respond to potential ICE interventions. AFSCME 3299, the largest union for UC workers, was also present, handing out buttons, promoting meetings, and discussing a strike they are planning. Finally, Clementine Creatives, an organization that seeks to “create a safer space for historically marginalized folks to create radical performance art” performed and offered “revolution trivia.” May Day (May 1) has deep roots in radicalism, socialism, and revolt. It is internationally recognized as Worker’s Day, equivalent to America’s Labor Day. This label came about in 1886 after a

bomb was used against a peaceful march of Chicago socialists advocating for the 40-hour work week we now recognize as standard. Past recognition of May Day has included the Occupy Wall Street marches in May 2012, as well as nationwide marches against Donald Trump and for immigration reform in May 2017. Isla Vista itself has strong ties to May Day and radicalism. “Isla Vista now has a strong reputation for being … a party hub, but it hasn’t always been this way. It used to be considered a hotspot for revolution,” said the representative from Bonfire Books. “There was the … North Hall takeover, but also the BSU submitting and getting their demands, the establishment of a

Chicano/a studies program not only here but nationwide, the bank burning. At a time, the protests got so bad that the National Guard had to come in to stop them. Isla Vista has always revolted,” they added. Organizations at the May Day Festival want to continue Isla Vista’s radical legacy. The Youth Democratic Socialists of America always welcomes new members or interested people to their meeting this week (with the time and place to be determined later). AFSCME 3299 also has a strike planned for May 16, and all are welcomed to march with them.

SHERRIFF'S OFFICE LAUNCHES

I.V. PARTY REGISTRATION PROGRAM JESSICA REINCKE | Staff Writer

Last week, the I.V. Sheriff's Office launched its voluntary and free-to-use I.V. Party Registration Program. The program is easy to use and accessible to everyone. Those who want to register their party can go to the I.V. Foot Patrol (IVFP) website in order to designate a sober party monitor. If any noise complaints are called on a registered party, the sober party monitor will be notified and be given 20 minutes to shut the party down, as opposed to IVFP simply arriving to close down the party had it not been registered. While the Sheriff's Office has made it clear that they do not condone parties, they hope that this new program will allow the community and law enforcement to be more productive in addressing community complaints regarding disturbances that these

parties may cause. This program can be beneficial for students because it provides registered parties with a 20-minute window to shut the party down and avoid tickets being issued. If a complaint is called on an unregistered party, the hosts responsible would be given a citation. The benefits of this program also extend to the community and law enforcement since it allows a line of direct communication to exist between residents and the Sheriff's Office. Justin Schroeder, Community Resource Deputy and creator of the I.V. Party Registration Program, said that noise complaint calls can often include unpleasant confrontation and a back-andforth dialogue that keeps everyone from quickly and peacefully reaching a productive solution.

TBL 2018-2019 STAFF In edition 3, The Bottom Line incorrectly spelled Professor Diane Fujino’s last name. Also, Pan Asian was stylized incorrectly as PanAsian.

“We put the power back in the hands of the party host, instead of four cops showing up at their door they say ‘hey guys we got a complaint, let’s fix this ourselves,’” said Schroeder. Response to this program has been fairly mixed so far. According to online reactions, some people feel that this program limits residents freedom to party the way they want to in Isla Vista, while others feel this program will encourage people to be more responsible and act better as neighbors. Deputy Schroeder said that even though the program has received positive response from students, with parties having been registered on both of the weekends the program has been running so far, they have heard concerns from students who think this program is a “set-up”

so that the police can track the parties in I.V. While the program asks for the address of the party, these details are kept with dispatch and are only used when needed. “Your information is not stored anywhere, it’s shredded after your party is done. This isn’t any kind of database or anything like that, it’s simply so we can contact you if we get a complaint,” explained Schroeder. Schroeder is hopeful that the principles behind this program will encourage people to be better neighbors to each other, even if they decide not to register their party. He wants this opportunity to allow residents and the Sheriff's Office to work together in resolving community issues, saying he has been working on some other programs to help achieve this goal. One of the other programs Schroeder is working towards launching is a Sheriff’s volunteer team which will be used to form a neighborhood watch. In this program, volunteers will go doorto-door and ask if there are any safety concerns or problems community members have. During a small sample walk through the community, Schroeder said he often heard people have complaints about their neighbors. “Having these volunteers working with me, we can solve those little minor neighborhood problems before they turn into these big, huge things because

these small problems build on each other until it blows up, so if we can put out these small fires before they can become big fires that's a goal [sic],” said Schroeder. Another upcoming program called the Restorative Justice Program will work with the party registration program to facilitate collaboration between law enforcement and community members in reaching productive resolutions. This restorative justice program will allow people who receive citations that are commonly given out in I.V., such as noise ordinance or open container violations, to attend a two-hour seminar hosted by Deputy Schroeder which will bring together the offender, the victim, and law enforcement to discuss the problem and how it can be prevented in the future. Similar to the I.V. Party Registration Program, the Restorative Justice Program will be beneficial for residents since the seminar and assigned community service will replace the consequences of court appearances, citations on their record and fines. “That’s gonna bring people even closer together I think and just reduce this police stigma that we’re out here to get you because there’s no fine anymore, now we are just educating you,” explained Schroeder.

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 Features Editor | Victoria Penate Arts & Entertainment Editor | Addison Morris Science & Tech Editor | Lauren Marnel Shores Opinions Editor | Jessica Gang Video Editor | Fabiola Esqueda Advertising Director | Tanya Gosselin Marketing Director | Erica Kaplan

Web Editor | Docean Park Layout Editor | Elaine Chen Pages: 7, 8, 9

Layout Editor | Chrissy Cho Pages: 10,11,12

Layout Editor | Vivianna Shields Pages: 4, 5, 6

NEWS | 3

LEAN ON ME:

new hotline gives

struggling students

SOMEONE TO TALK TO ANNIE HUANG | Staff Writer

ast Monday, April 29, UCSB opened its own chapter of Lean On Me, a national nonprofit organization that provides anonymous student-to-student text-based peer support. Originally founded by students at MIT, the hotline facilitates convenient and accessible peer conversations in which callers can speak to another student for emotional support. The Lean On Me hotline connects students in need of support with available peer supporters via texting. Students are matched with a peer supporter generally within a few minutes of sending the request, depending on the availability of volunteers. According to the Lean On Me website, students can text about nearly anything of their choice, ranging from casual conversations to more serious topics. The UCSB chapter of Lean On Me was opened by Rushali Kothari, a third-year biological sciences major who has been working with her team on the

4 | NEWS

peer support hotline since fall quarter. When asked about the first day of Lean On Me’s public release, Kothari mentioned how “people talked to [Lean On Me] about relationships, not fitting in at UCSB, [and] stress from midterms.” Supporting Kothari’s observation, a 2018 annual report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) found that academic performance (25.2 percent), relationship problems (24.2 percent), and adjustment to a new environment (14 percent) were among 15 of the top 54 reported concerns of college students. Kothari hopes that Lean On Me can be “a more accessible way of just getting something off your chest before it turns into something larger.” In a 2015 analysis, the Student Mental Health Committee Report to the Regents documented a 54 percent increase in the utilization of counseling services in UC schools from 2006 and 2015. However, the UC Men-

tal Health Guidebook states the number of students visiting mental and psychological services on campus may actually be an underestimate of how many students actually need counseling, as “students may choose not to seek counseling at our centers because of limited staffing and increasingly lengthy non-crisis wait lists.” According to Dr. Janet Osimo, the Assistant Clinical Director of UCSB’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 13 percent to 16 percent of the campus utilizes CAPS services. If a student’s situation is not considered urgent, mental health services on campus such as CAPS and CARE can have wait times up to two months before a student can have their appointment. Lean On Me hopes to help fill that gap, letting students instantly talk to a peer about problems that don’t necessarily require professional counseling. While students seeking professional support in mental health issues are welcome to use

Lean On Me for peer support get started or for additional help, it is not a replacement for CAPS. According to Kothari, “If it’s serious, then we can refer and help people [...] find help. [But] because we’re not licensed mental health professionals ... we’re not trained in that way. “We believe that emotional support should be provided for students at all times to ensure that they are taken care of and helped accordingly,” stated Natalie Herriott, Head of Supporter Training at UCSB’s Lean On Me and first year language, culture, and society major. “Because [our volunteers are] students it can sometimes be easier [to speak to us] because we’ve been there in a lot of situations [and] might be able to relate more closely than an adult might be able to,” stated Kothari. While the hotline is open 24 hours, there may be longer wait times during late nights and early mornings due to the fact that peer supporters are also students

with their own schedules. When asked about their thoughts on Lean On Me, Dr. Osimo stated, “We are interested in learning more about their training process and their support services. In the meantime, we encourage students to reach out to campus resources including our own CAPS and MHP services.” In addition to its standard hours, CAPS also has a 24/7 hotline students can call in case of emergencies. As mental issues become more prevalent across colleges, other universities such as the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College have adopted Lean On Me into their communities in the last two years. UCSB’s chapter of Lean On Me will be the first in the University of California system. Illustration by Alyssa Long | Staff Illustrator

NEW I.V. COMMUNITY GARDEN Students and residents of Isla Vista gather to watch live music and celebrate the grand opening of Isla Vista’s newest community garden located on Camino del Sur.

AIMS TO TACKLE FOOD INSECURITY JADE MARTINEZ-POGUE | Staff Writer

his past Sunday, May 5, Isla Vista debuted its newest community project with the Community Garden Grand Opening at the University United Methodist Church building on Camino del Sur. The garden is sponsored by the UC Santa Barbara Edible Campus Program along with the Methodist Church as a way to bring the community together and help tackle the problem of food insecurity in the college population. “It’s creating a space where it’s totally open to the community and if you come and hang out in the garden, then you’ll just interact with people that you

never would’ve met otherwise in really cool and interesting ways,” said Whitner Grange, a second year environmental studies major hired to help maintain the garden. An idea that was planted last spring has blossomed this May into a community garden that grows produce such as kale, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes as “a way to beautify the area and connect the church to the community,” said Katie Maynard, the program advisor. Shortly after coming up with the idea for a community garden, the church reached out to Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) to fund an intern for the project. The Regional

Methodist Community also supplied a grant that was used for supplies and wood to create the uniting garden. “I love the idea that the university is working with a church and that the neighbors are now involved. We have homeless people who come to work, and students of course. It’s really a community builder,” said Martha Sachen, an attendee of the event. The Grand Opening event consisted of food, a live band, and sidewalk chalk that residents of Isla Vista could enjoy while learning more about composting, gardening, and food insecurity. About 50 residents showed up, ages ranging from college students to elderly people in the

community. In addition to the church’s community garden, UCSB’s Edible Campus Program has three other garden locations within the campus. The Edible Campus Program has the “initiative to help utilize under-utilized space on campus and in the campus community to help grow food specifically for food insecure students,” Maynard said. The team behind the garden has done community outreach inside of Isla Vista in order to give students and residents the knowledge on how to take advantage of this garden. “It’s here; it’s for them. It’s their garden,” said Selenia Segura-Verdin, the garden’s communi-

ty outreach coordinator. Anyone can come and take advantage of the freshly-grown produce every Sunday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. when the garden hosts weekly volunteer days. Residents of Isla Vista can come and bring their own plants to plant or just help maintain the new space. Any volunteer can leave with whatever produce they want from the garden to take home and use for fresh meals. “We’re really committed to connecting students to long-term residents of isla vista and bridging across all different communities of Isla Vista,” Maynard said. Photo by Jade Martinez - Pogue | Staff Writer

NEWS | 5

STILL WOOZY

WOOS LISTENERS WITH DEBUT EP

"LATELY" VANESSA SU | Staff Writer

s the spring season draws to an end, Bay Area musician Still Woozy has called an end to the two-year wait for his debut EP “Lately,” which was released May 3 to the delight of his fans. Containing five tracks, “Lately” maintains a theme of youthful energy that Still Woozy embodies through his soft vocals and quirky use of guitar. Still Woozy, whose real name is Sven Gamsky, graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz and started producing music in his garage in Oakland, California in 2015. He decided to pursue a music career after discovering his passion for music production and eventually

formed a band called Feed Me Jack with fellow students. His fourth single “Goodie Bag” transformed him into a onehit-wonder among bedroom pop and indie music fans in 2017, leaving them craving a full album. Thus far, “Goodie Bag” has had 32 million plays on Spotify and approximately three million views on YouTube. Despite “Lately” containing one of his pre-released singles, “Habit,” Still Woozy incorporates multiple musical and experimental elements of surprise in his other four new tracks: “Lava,” “Ipanema,” “Foolsong,” and “Maybe She.” Even with unconventional genre-mixing, Still Woozy sticks to his original style of singing to

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

help bring a sense of familiarity to his fans who are used to his songs that heavily rely on dreamy vocals and trance-like vocal layering. “Lava” starts the EP off on a soft note as Still Woozy croons about feelings of puppy love for his girlfriend, Amiya, and tells her “I’m looking up” and “I haven’t left you.” The well-planned usage of pauses and gentle guitar and drums help to convey his affection for his lover and woo listeners as well. “Ipanema” is a collaborative track that features Omar Apollo and Elujay and includes a verse from Omar Apollo solely in Spanish, which serves as an homage to his Latinx fans. Filled with tropical influences and jazzy

elements, “Ipanema” beckons to listeners with its bossa nova style, which you can almost imagine listening to in a coffee shop on a peaceful afternoon. One of his original singles, “Habit,” maintains a constant groove and funky vibe throughout the song that compels people to sway and follow the infectious beat. With its repetition of “You could be my habit,” the song describes Still Woozy’s natural attraction toward his lover and inability to leave her. Slow and subtle, “Foolsong” contains Still Woozy’s confession that he “needs [her] more than weed,” symbolizing a sense of sacrifice and level of addiction he has for his loved one. The last track on the album, “Maybe She,” helps end the album with a sense of mystery and happy confusion as Still Woozy expresses his desire to match the romantic pace of his partner by respecting her decision to take things slow. Still Woozy’s “Lately” sends a message of reassurance and comfort to young fans who struggle to understand romance.”Lately” lets his listeners know that it’s okay to not have life figured out.

His ability to convey this support through his music helps add depth to his self-produced tracks and allows his fans to look forward to the possibility of future innovative, indie tracks. A long awaited album, “Lately” is out and now available on SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube. After having performed at this year's Coachella, Still Woozy plans to take to the stage with Dingwalls at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen in London, UK on May 13. If American fans hope to catch one of his shows, he will hit the stage at Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Oct. 2. Overall, Still Woozy portrays a real, natural side of youth in America with his music and song lyrics that center on raw love and foolish mistakes. Author’s song:“Habit”

recommended

A loyal Brownies & Lemonade supporter gets a front row view of Luca Lush. Photo courtesy of Jackson Williams

BROWNIES & LEMONADE HOST FIRST EDM EVENT IN S.B.

SPENCER WU | Senior Copy Editor

rownies & Lemonade, the hosts of spontaneous and mysterious EDM events, brought their first ever show to Santa Barbara, lighting up EOS Lounge on Friday, May 3. Under the tagline “Bringing our Good Friends with Us,” the 21+ show showcased a lineup of mystery DJs only hinted at through Emojis posted on the event page. Carrying the tradition, B&L once again sold out a venue without announcing the full lineup beforehand, a testament to their following and impressive track record. The first artist brought out was Hikeii, an underground and Soundcloud based DJ who primarily makes remixes of songs. Following Hikeii was Tim Gunter, a musical artist who infused popular trap songs, classic EDM drops, and club bangers in his set. During Gunter’s performance, the dance floor at EOS was filling up as people were flooding in the doors. Both artists personify B&L’s agenda of putting on highly talented yet mostly undiscovered DJs. The main headliners of the

show included Filipino DJ Sweater Beats and New York-based Luca Lush. Sweater Beats showcased his unique blend of R&B and electronic dance music in front of a maximum-capacity crowd. Armed with his smooth transitions and wholehearted drops, Luca’s house music had the audience enraptured, encouraging them to jump and dance along to every rhythm, lyric, and beat. The last performer was Luca Lush, a longtime friend of Brownies & Lemonade. According to an article by LA Weekly, Lush was performing at the first ever Brownies show in their UCLA apartment, reflecting the motto of supporting the fraternity of DJs. Luca Lush played bass heavy music, rocking the EOS crowd with a variety of beat switches and popular club hits. Lush also captivated the audience by taking off his shirt, hyping up the entire crowd to go crazy for the second half of his performance. Aside from the music, the most compelling aspect of Brownies and Lemonade is how

connected and intimate they are with their fans. They listen to feedback to improve their current events, unearth some hidden talent in the Soundcloud world, and try to put on new shows in different locations. In a recent Instagram post, they “heard from countless [people] that they were so happy they finally didn’t have to drive 2+ hours to LA to attend one of [their] parties.” Touring primarily around California, B&L has essentially trademarked the small, underground pop-up EDM scene. Amassing a following primarily through social media and word of mouth, Brownies & Lemonade has, in a sense, revolutionized the EDM scene and provided a more convenient alternative in a time period of weekend-long festivals and raves. Combining the element of surprise with their surprisingly low ticket prices ($10 for Tier 1), the shows put on by Brownies & Lemonade will definitely satisfy a partygoers’ music-and-dance sweet tooth.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

CURIE-OSITY PROJECT Extends Membership to High School Students NOE PADILLA | Staff Writer

Girls excited about a design.

The mission of Girls Inc., a partner organization. Photos by Kevin Zeng | The Bottom Line

8 | SCIENCE & TECH

or the past three years, the Curie-osity Project has been giving young women the opportunity to visit labs at UCSB, interact with prominent women professors in the field of science, and conduct experiences with these same professors. Many of these young women are fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, but the program is now branching out to include high schoolers as well. The program was created three years ago by UCSB’s McEnroe Reading Clinic at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara. This year, the Curie-osity Project is under new leadership, and with that came the new ideas to build on the program. The new lead coordinator of the program is Stephanie Arguera, a fourth year Ph.D student in UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. Prior to becoming the new lead, she volunteered at St. George Youth Center for about two years and helped create two murals in Estero Park. Arguera has implemented a few new structural ideas to the program. In previous years, the program only gave elementary students the opportunity to visit UCSB, but now Arguera has started to bring in high schoolers to the program to teach them leadership skills. She wants to have the high schoolers learn from the undergraduate facilitators. “They’re stepping in for the undergrads. We’re giving them

the opportunity to do something that perhaps they haven’t been asked to do before — which is organize, manage, and facilitate a small group or small team,” said Arguera. “Even being provided the opportunity to be a leader can make a difference.” Another project that Arguera wants the high schoolers to get involved with is the program’s review panel for a youth scientific journal. The journal is called Frontier for Young Minds, and is an open access scientific journal written by scientists and reviewed by kids and teens. The program asks the professors involved with the program to rewrite a recent article for a younger audience so that the students can review it. “On May 29, during our big showcase, those teams will also participate in a live review of the scientist work. So the scientist will come and present their article. They’ll ask for any edits and the final work will be published in Frontier for Young Minds, listing them as the reviewers,” said Arguera. One of Arguera biggest hopes for next year’s project is to try and get a few of the school’s “rockstar scientists” involved with the program. Although she recognizes that many of them are busy with conferences, she does think it would be “fantastic” if the scientist got involved with the program. If any female-identifying student wants to get involved with the “Curie-osity Project,” they can email Stephanie Arguera.

C.S. Professor Advocates for Tutors XANDER APICELLA | Staff Writer

CSB Computer Science Undergraduate Tutor Program (UT) has been around since 2017, and Diba Mirza, an assistant teaching professor of Computer Science at UCSB, is pushing to expand it. Its main goal is to get more undergraduate students to learn and to teach. Computer science has been one of the fastest growing and in-demand majors of the last few decades. It was vital to the development of most modern electronics, shaping the world we live in today. Moving into this field can be challenging without prior experience. Unlike other subjects, it does not correspond with any standardized courses in high school. Mirza considered herself fortunate — she had computer access from a young age. “To program was a really interesting experience for me ... and a group of other young women,” she said, in an interview with The Bottom Line. “We would work on projects after school. It was just a fun group; that's how I got into CS.” Mirza went to Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) for her Bachelor's degree. There, she found that many

events were student-run, orbiting the showcasing of their projects. A fascination with these events drove her to the study of computer engineering for her undergrad. She went on to get a masters and Ph.D in the subject at UC San Diego, where she went on to work as a lecturer, post-doc, and then assistant adjunct professor. At UCSD, she worked with professors from various other universities to teach a summer program for incoming freshmen. It was designed to introduce them to the important basics of their major, culminating in a project showcase to San Diego’s CS department. While working the program at UCSD, she got exposure to an idea that would shape her future work. There, they had undergrads who had graduated from the program come back to tutor their peers. Brown University had the first well-known undergraduate tutoring program back in the 1960s. Brown’s undergrad CS tutoring program has impacted a lot of people and its alumni support have proven strong — strong enough to raise $10 million in fundraising just last year. Educators take issue with the concept’s trust in the profession-

alism and expertise of undergrads. They worry that if a tutor teaches their peers, he or she will reveal answers or give special treatment to those they know outside the classroom. Another problem brought up is that undergrads know less than graduate students and professors. They might not know the answers to as many questions or have a deep enough knowledge of the subject. “Sometimes the teachers and the graduate students ... are too far removed from the experience of a freshman.” "Good teaching can bridge this divide," she said, "but esteemed professors are not always good teachers." Brown CS’ success has driven some of Mirza’s methods. She has worked to emulate a few of the prestigious programs' aspects at UCSB. Brown’s program is student run, with affiliated professors acting as advisors rather than leaders. To replicate this, Mirza is constructing a hierarchy of tutors. She has the more experienced ones teach those starting out which methods work best for explaining subject matter and enforcing concepts for their students. New tutors, she believes, respond best to advice from their

peers. Students that have been teaching help manage the club, with Mirza providing higher level guidance. To teach interested students what the UCSB program is all about, she and Professor Phil Conrad built the Teaching Computer Science course (CMPSC 190J). It enforces practical and educational skills, offering strategies to teach with proficiency as well as outlining research based in CS education and methods of performing it. The course work focuses on hands-on experience. Students shadow experienced tutors and write about their own attempts to teach. After taking the course, students can apply to UT. They don’t let in everyone, only the best of the applicants. Mirza said the program provides a safe space, where students can learn without feeling isolated because of a gap in their understanding. “There's always somebody to help them, someone who has been in their shoes recently, and they can form a nice support system,” Mirza said. Other possible benefits, like performance in coursework, a sense of belonging in the major, and the self-perceived ability to do the task (termed in CS educa-

tion as self-efficacy), have yet to be proven. Mirza has written a paper on those very subjects, based in examples like her tutoring program. It’s currently pending for publication.Mirza said the tutors get something out of the program, too, including a stronger understanding of the content they’re teaching and a closer connection with professors. Brown's computer science program inspired UCSB’s program, and in doing so, catalyzed the various benefits that undergrads, tutors and students alike, have gained from it. Mirza believes Brown’s tutoring was important because it has been working for so long, gaining acclaim and success to the point that the benefits seem obvious. The UCSB program does not yet have that power, but Mirza hopes it can serve as an example of how to begin. “We can share all the lessons we've learned,” she said. Photos by Annie Huang | Staff Writer

SCIENCE & TECH | 9

Getting to Know Your Neighbor Nihao

jo Bon

Hej

Jambo

HoLa

Ciao

Guten Ta

Marhaba

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY Begins at Home

LAUREN ROBERTS

here’s something thrilling about traveling:going somewhere far away and meeting people with different opinions, lifestyles, and food. We live in a culture where you can get a sneak peek into what Indonesia is like by Googling it or maybe even scrolling through your Explorer feed on Instagram before class. But how often do we look for diversity in the form of new cultures, food, and lifestyles in our own community? We have over 2,500 international students at UCSB, representing more than 45 different countries. College Factual brags about how popular UCSB is with international students — how could they resist the surf, sun, mountains, and amazing academics at the fifth best public school

10 | OPINIONS

the nation has to offer? What if I told you you could experience the world without leaving the beautiful beaches and warm sand of Santa Barbara? Because you can. Make an effort to make international friends. They don’t have the same support systems us domestic students have. They often report feeling out of place — if you’ve ever traveled you can probably relate to that overwhelming feeling. Through interviews and surveys, since the International Student Advisory Board was founded in winter 2018, it continues to find the same result: international students report wanting to make longer lasting bonds with domestic students. Americans are super friendly,

but usually only extend one-time help — like answering a simple homework question — and international students find it hard to create deeper, more long lasting friendships with domestic students. However, when those relationships do form, they are so valuable. They help the domestic student expand their perspective and help the international student integrate. I am constantly impressed with how willing to try new things they are. Santa Barbara really does attract a certain kind of person. I will always be thankful for my French friend and freshman year hall mate who later became one of my best friends and go-to adventure buddies. Everything she saw was with a new perspective I hadn’t considered. For example,

I started to wonder why we said “apple” the way we do and why we would never kiss a friend of the cheek as a greeting. She opened my eyes to nuances of my own culture and then when I had the chance to meet her in Paris last year, she showed me the nuances of hers. It all started with a conversation. That’s the thing, it always starts with a conversation. Take a chance. Try something new and make friends with that international student down the hall, in your section, or in your lecture hall. At least say hi and ask where they’re from. We can only expect from others what we are willing to give. If you were taking the risk to study in another country, how would you want to be treated? International students are here

for a wide variety of reasons. Some choose to attend UCSB because they want to take advantage of unique opportunities or because they have a really compelling personal reason to study here — ask them about it! Ask them what they like to do at UCSB and then build some long lasting bonds. All of us have the potential to practice international diplomacy at home and leave international students with a positive view of our culture, lifestyles, and foods while simultaneously learning about theirs! Photo courtesy of International Student Advisory Board

STUDENT HEALTH IS CRUCIAL FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS SARAH RENARD

othing is more important for a student than being healthy. When a student is healthy, they can attend all of their lectures and labs and they can succeed in their classes. With college being an envi-

ronment that makes illness almost inevitable — with tons of people, stressful environments, and never enough sleep — keeping up with one’s health is important for students at UCSB who want to thrive in their academic and social lives.

Here at UCSB, Student Health offers a variety of services designed to help students with any health-related issue, ranging optometry to nutrition and everything in between. You can get whatever health services you need with only a few exceptions. For example, there is no audiology department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. However, you can find an audiologist at Costco on Storke and Hollister, as well as at a health center such as Kaiser, or at the local hearing center, Hearing Services of Santa Barbara. The nutrition department, located in the Granada section of Student Health, is the place I visit most as a student struggling with a protein deficiency. I meet with a specialist who gives me a high protein meal plan to follow. I follow up with her every two

weeks to check in and see how I am progressing. The nutrition department is an extremely helpful tool that helps me navigate my deficiency and prioritize my health along with my academics. Because of this service, I have learned how to make high protein meals in a matter of 15 to 30 minutes. Without a balanced protein diet, my symptoms could get out of control. But because I am regularly seeing a nutritional specialist, I am able to keep up my health and strength. The receptionists in the nutrition department are extremely friendly and are willing to help you out with whatever forms you need to fill out before your appointment. My specialist is friendly and thorough in her appointments and treatments. She set me up with a meal plan that allows me to keep my symptoms

at bay and maintain healthy habits on a daily basis. Overall, I highly recommend checking out Student Health if you need help with meal planning or nutritional advice. As time goes on, it is important that a student’s health is checked regularly. The best way to do so is by setting up an appointment with whatever department fits your health needs at the moment and making a visit to Student Health. It is easy to get started and set up an appointment, which can be done through a phone call or through the Student Health Portal online. Healthy bodies as well as healthy minds should be students’ priority. Let’s be a campus that makes health a top priority, so that we can thrive in both our academic and our social lives. Illustration by Alyssa Long | Staff Illustrator

Comic of the Week

Comic by Jake Ortega | Comic Artist

OPINIONS | 11

PILIPINO Photos by FELIX DONG | Staff Photographer JUAN GONZALEZ | Photo Editor

CULTURAL NIGHT

Kapatirang Pilipino, UCSBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Filipino club, had its 28th Annual Pilipino Cultural Night on May 4, 2019. The cultural night explores the story of the Romero family, where each family member deals with mental health issues. There were traditional Filipino dances and modern performances throughout the show. The event serves as a way for students and family members to learn more about Filipino culture and the struggles within the FilipinoAmerican community. Mental health is an issue that is not usually talked about within the Asian-American community and the event serves as a way to address problems within the Asian-American, specifically FilipinoAmerican, community and working to address it to the audience.

Ashley de Leon sings her heart out

Dancers swing their floral garlands side to side.

Male dancers line up in formation with their spears.

for her friends and family.

Seniors stand together for one of the final moments in the show.

PHOTO | 12