Volume 7, Issue 17 by The Bottom Line (UCSB)

TBL

THE

Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara Volume 7, Issue 17 | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13, 2013

BOTTOM LINE

UCSB College Republicans Respond We Want the Phunk: Alpha Phunk Wins 2013 Negatively To AS Resolution Against ‘UCSB Battle of the Bands Confessions’ and ‘UCSB Hook Ups’ Facebook Pages LILy CAIN AS Beat Reporter

ALLySON WERNER Staff Writer

Members of the College Republicans spoke at the Associated Students Senate Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in opposition to the resolution that had been passed the week before entitled “A Resolution Condemning Social Network Pages That Misrepresent the University.” The group’s main argument against the resolution was that it prevented free speech, a right given under the First Amendment. They claimed that the resolution would cause censorship of the pages, which neither university-affiliated groups nor university officials is allowed to do. AS maintains that the pages present derogatory information, often involving race and sex, and misrepresent the university. “We are a university that cherishes freedom of speech, that cherishes various views,” said College Republicans President Chris Babadjanian. “I think that by us censoring something for ethical and moral values, even though this is a very sensitive issue here, we are sending a message to other states and all the other universities across the country, that they themselves might find ethical and moral reasons to use censorship and I just think that is wrong.” In addition, the group believes that while the some of the content on the pages is theoretically harmful, which is AS’s reason for the resolution, they disagree that censoring the pages is a good way to stop rape culture and slut shaming. “I think that we are lying to ourselves by saying that we are going to create a safer environment by taking this off the web or changing the name,” said Babadjanian. “I don’t think that censor-

ship is the way to do this. If anything, I believe the more [visibility], the better. Because like those signs on the bike path, it opened peoples’ eyes.” College Republicans’ main argument against the resolution is that there is no empirical evidence stating that people have been harmed due to the sites and their content. “If we are going to begin censorship on theoretical reasons, what’s stopping AS in the future from finding reasons to do more censorship, to block more things?” said Babadjanian. “I would completely be for censorship if there was actual empirical evidence that these types of things promote sexual violence and if there is empirical evidence that if we did change the name from “UCSB” to “Isla Vista” that we would prevent sexual, racial and abled crimes.” However, many students showed up to the meeting as well in support of the resolution, and addressed Senate saying that they were affected negatively by the content on the pages. “As a survivor of sexual assault, the things that I see on this page that come up on my feed, those are harmful to me,” said Human Rights Board Outreach Coordinator Will Ellis. “If they want empirical evidence, that is some evidence that it is harmful to me.” Ellis included that he does not “like” the pages, but that they still appear on his newsfeed due to other people “liking” them and commenting on them. College Republicans believes their stance on the resolution is bipartisan, as the First Amendment affects everyone equally. see COLLEGE REPUBLICANS | page 8

Photo by Ayeyi Aboagye | The Bottom Line by JORDAN WOLFF Staff Writer

Students expressed their opinions on the UCSB Hook-ups Facebook page to the Associated Students Senate.

Photo by Vanessa Paniagua | The Bottom Line

Music lovers got their fill of funk and other genres at the University of California, Santa Barbara Hub on Feb. 27 for this year’s Battle of the Bands, which was hosted by AS Program Board Presents. The night featured five diverse bands: Alpha Phunk, The Ole’s, Ellison Hall, Sloppy Job, and Andy Dick & The Dicks. The winner of the ultra-competitive battle was the incredibly jazzy and soulful group, Alpha Phunk. Their win secured them an opening slot at this year’s Extravaganza, which takes place every year in May. Representatives from The Daily Nexus, KCSB, and The Bottom Line made up the judging panel and picked Alpha Phunk as the winner. Despite performing first and in front of a crowd that was still filing into the Hub, Alpha Phunk was able to pull off the massive victory. Their success was underscored by the brevity of their existence—the band has only been together for a little over two months, and the night marked just their third performance together as a group. Fourth-year CCS literature major and KCSB Program Director Navid Ebrahimzadeh was one of the three judges for the battle. “The three of us [Carly, Elysia, and I] used the following five criteria for judging: cohesion, energy, level of engagement, diversity, and overall quality,” he said. “All three of us agreed on Alpha Phunk…[they] had the most potential to grow and succeed as a band due to their strong stage presence and individual style.” see PHUNK | page 8

UCSB Fights Eating Disorders with Awareness Week

Symptoms

- Excessive exercise with obsessive negative thoughts if a workout is skipped - Using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics - Unusual eating behaviors - Eating junk food, especially candy, and consuming large amounts of coffee or tea, or tobacco - Persistently feeling cold - Increased rate for heart disease - Depression, mood swings, anxiety - Potential loss of fertility and an increased rate of miscarriage and low birth weight - Loss of bone minerals in 90 percent of women - 40 percent have osteoporosis - Seizures - Disordered thinking - Numbness or odd nerve sensations in hands or feet - Organ failure

Consequences

Anorexia

EDUCATE YOURSELF

by CHEyENNE JOHNSON Staff Writer The eating disorders bulimia and anorexia were brought to students’ attention this past week as the University of California, Santa Barbara organization Active Minds coordinated the campus’ National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Active Minds handed out fliers and pamphlets about eating disorders, held a dorm night on Feb. 27, and screened the HBO documentary “Thin” to increase awareness of the illnesses’ prevalence and to help reduce the stigma surrounding the diseases. The Campus Liaison for Active Minds Lena Veronica Sok said the environment at UCSB encourages eating disorders as people strive to be physically attractive. “I think we have a beautiful campus,” said Sok. “Every-

UC Santa Barbara Drones Symposium see page 3

[

Symptoms

- Rupture of the esophagus - Increased rate of impulsive and selfdestructive behavior - Alcohol and substance abuse in 30-70 percent of patients - Addiction to laxatives causing norwmal bowel function to become dysfunctional - Electrolyte imbalance

- Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals - Intense exercise regimen - Fasting all day/obsessive dieting - Irregular heartbeats - Chronic sore throat - Tooth decay - Depression - Low self-esteem - Mood swings

body’s good looking and it adds a lot of pressure to just being here, and it can add a lot of pressure to girls, guys—anyone who doesn’t feel good about themselves. We all thought it would be important to spread awareness about this because it’s generally something that goes unspoken of.” UCSB Associated Director of Public Health Jocelyn “Betsy” Reynolds shared in the sentiment. “Our culture, as do many others, promotes the thin ideal for women and the ripped, buffed ideal for men,” said Reynolds. “The ability to lay down muscle is determined by your genetic, just as height, eye color, hair color are. In addition, students who are accepted to university are generally high achieving and stress out a lot; they have to be in order to get into college, having participated in sports, extracurricular activities, great grades, etc. to get in. Our culture encourages people to ignore their internal

]

Consequences

5 Qs with Founder of UC for Clean Energy

Why ‘Cunt’ is still Unacceptable

see page 3

see page 4

Bulimia

needs in order to achieve.” Ignoring natural needs and restrictions is one of the key indicators for eating disorders and, as evidenced by those shown in the HBO “Thin” documentary, can be one of the hardest hurdles for some to overcome. While in Florida at the Renfrew Treatment Center for women with eating disorders, anorexia sufferer Polly Williams explained the event that led her to seek treatment. “I came to Renfrew after a suicide attempt over two pieces of pizza.” said Williams. “That was obviously not the whole reason why I tried to kill myself. That was just kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back I guess...I was counting calories and counting fat by the time I was 11.” For many, the disorders become such a part of their life that it eventually takes it, as one in seven women with anorexia see EATING DISORDER | page 8

[ ] BANFF Film Festival see page 5

Humanity May be Able to Stop Future Asteroids see page 6

The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

page 2 | News

Deltopia Preparations Include EVPLA BBQ, Possible Website Sponsorship

by TOMMy ALEXANDER

by THOMAS ALEXANDER Isla Vista Beat Reporter It’s nearly springtime in Isla Vista, and with it approaches Deltopia, Isla Vista residents’ response to Foot Patrol beach blockades and nostalgic memories of Floatopia. University of California, Santa Barbara’s External Vice President of Local Affairs, Rhandy Siordia, is solidifying plans for a university-sponsored barbecue just off of Del Playa Drive. The BBQ, which is designed to provide students with a safe respite from the infamous day party, will feature traditional barbecue cuisine in addition to snow cones, music, and portable restrooms. It will take place on Saturday, April 6, from approximately 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Little Acorn Park, which lays steps away from Del Playa at the intersection of Sabado Tarde and Embarcadero Road. “I want to create a space for students to gather themselves after drinking, grab a bite to eat, and hydrate themselves,” explained Siordia. Siordia compared the event to the “hydration station” manned by the EVPLA office over this past Halloween weekend, at which volunteers provided water and portapotties for revelers in need of refreshment. The EVPLA office has never before administered such an event during Deltopia, but Siordia is optimistic. As much as the barbecue is designed to enhance student fun and safety, a corollary goal is to make the scene more convenient for law enforcement intervention. “If people do go to it,” speculated Siordia, “it’ll thin out the crowds on DP, which’ll make it easier for law enforcement to get in if need be.” In past years, the infamous Floatopia weekend brought students to Isla Vista beaches in droves bearing beers, boats, and bikinis, but the event was relatively small and primarily local. In 2009, many credited the creation of an official Floatopia Facebook page with drawing more than 12,000 revelers down the beach-access stairs, far more than the 4,000 participants estimated in 2008 and the 300 Floatopians estimated in 2007. Ever since the 2009 event ended in a drunken slew of hospitalizations, arrests, and citations, leaving Isla Vista’s beaches strewn with trash, the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department has closed down the beaches on Floatopia weekend each April. Deltopia, which sprung up in 2010 as a reaction against the beach closure, comprises a host of day parties and DJ acts as students walk the streets of Isla Vista. This year’s Deltopia is marked by a myriad of Facebook events, including one which already boasts nearly 9,000 attendees a month before the big day and purports that the day will be sponsored by electronic music websites Run the Trap, Techibeats, and Emazing. The Isla Vista Foot Patrol will patrol the streets, and in general Deltopia 2013 looks to uphold and expand upon the precedent set in the previous three years.

Photo by Rachel Joyce | The Bottom Line

Allyson Werner, Cheyenne Johnson, Julian Moore, Vijay Modi, Marissa Perez, Robyn Weatherby, Matt Mersel, Beatriz Gonzalez, Deanna Kim, Jordan Wolff, Kyle Skinner, Hari Kota, Lily Cain, Izzy Parnell-Wolfe

Photographers: this issue

Ayeyi Aboagye, Rachel Joyce, Morey Spellman, John Clow, Mark Brocher, Vanessa Paniagua The Bottom Line is sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara. All opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff, of A.S. or of UCSB. Published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress (CampusProgress.org). All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to bottomlineucsb@gmail.com.

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Obama Administration Supports Marriage Equality by JULIAN MOORE National Beat Reporter The Department of Justice offered the federal government’s first legal support for the right to gay marriage last week in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court. The document, which was crafted in part by President Obama himself, came in response to two critical marriage equality cases before the court. California’s controversial Proposition 8, which in 2008 explicitly banned gay marriages anywhere in the state, and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman for federal and interstate recognition purposes, are both under review by the court. The federal government’s reasoning in both cases centers on the fact that California and seven other states with laws similarly prohibiting gay marriage already extends all the rights and responsibilities of marriage without naming it such. United States Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, the government’s top lawyer in Supreme Court cases, noted that these circumstances “particularly undermine the justifications for Proposition 8,” according to the brief. The state of California has also submitted a brief calling on the court to uphold the decision of 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found Proposition 8 to be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. According to the SCOTUS blog, the brief outlined what is known as the “8-state solution”—states that offer all the same rights bestowed by marriage to gay couples must allow them to marry, as they would otherwise favor heterosexual couples. Over the past two years, Obama and the Department of Justice have taken numerous steps to clarify the federal government’s legal position on gay marriage. In late Feb. 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) from legal challenges.

“After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny,” said Holder in a statement. President Obama then expressed personal support for marriage equality in an interview last May, marking the first time a United States President had made such an endorsement while in office. While the government’s far-reaching opinion calls on the court to carefully reexamine both DOMA and Proposition 8, the document specifies that gay rights should be decided by the states. Obama was sure to qualify this legal position with his personal sentiments again last week, saying that while he believes any gay marriage ban should be banned across the nation, he is “not a judge,” but that “the basic principle, though, is let’s treat everybody fairly. Let’s treat everybody equally.” The government’s brief was submitted among dozens of others from civil rights groups, law organizations, and the state of California itself in support of striking down both Proposition 8 and DOMA. Any federal, state, or local government is allowed to submit an amicus curiae brief without seeking consent from either party. The briefs are rare, but allow the president and other executive officials to weigh in with an official legal position on politically sensitive cases. Also joining in the amicus brief parade was a group of corporations including Google, Apple, Starbucks, and Facebook, which stated that DOMA was hurting their businesses. According to its court filing, the group argued that the federal ban on gay marriage “requires that employers treat one employee differently from another, when each is married, and each marriage is equally lawful. DOMA thus impairs employer/employee relations and other business interests.”

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The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

page 3 | Features

An Evening Drone Symposium Tackles Unmanned Warfare Chat With Sandra Fluke

[] We found last year that men didn’t want to hear about women’s rights and the fact that we’re still battling for these things...shows we have a long way to go.

-Jane Gray, President of the SB Women’s Political Committee

by Cheyenne Johnson Staff Writer

Attorney and women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke spoke to an intimate group of students, members of Planned Parenthood, and the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee at University of California, Santa Barbara’s Campbell Hall on Feb. 28. Fluke became a political celebrity in a year ago when, after not being allowed to testify to the House about the need for insurance companies to cover birth control, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh accused Fluke of being a “slut” and a “prostitute.” Since then, she has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and other media outlets to further promote women’s rights and other issues concerning women and the young population. On Thursday night, rather than discuss her own personal life, Fluke chose to educate the audience about legislation being worked through Congress and the Senate, and the successes of some items like the Violence Against Women Act, which passed in the House the same day she gave her speech to UCSB students. Fluke said it’s important to keep in mind that women must be a part of discussions not under the cliche “women’s issues” label. “Everything our government works on,” said Fluke, “affects women, and frequently, when we section out what is exclusively women’s agenda, we forget to include what a big impact it has on so many impoverished women when we cut all these different types of government services. So the sequester has got to be a woman’s issue.” California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson spoke before Fluke and offered her own political perspective on women’s issues and how they are being addressed in the political environment. “We have to be vigilant,” said Jackson. “We have to realize that we are only 4 percent of the women in boardrooms of the major corporations in America. These are where policy is made. These are where issues that are important to us are implemented and if we aren’t there speaking up and if we’re not part of the discussion, or as we say, we don’t have a seat at the table, we are not going to be able to advance our cause.” Fluke urged her listeners to realize the severe global impact decisions made by the U.S. can have on other people, particularly in regard to its stance on the United Nations resolution “Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women” (CEDAW). The Convention, adopted by the UN in 1979, includes 30 articles which define what constitutes discrimination against women and creates an agenda to help stop such discrimination. While countries like Iraq and Kenya have ratified the Convention, the U.S. remains 1 of only 7 who have not. “It has a big impact on women around the world,” said Fluke. “Afghanistan has ratified the treaty and there was a woman activist testifying before members of their parliament there, and she was saying that you need to comply with your CEDAW obligations and these are the ways in which the country is not complying. One of the male legislatures said, ‘why should we comply with CEDAW? The U.S. has not even ratified it.’ So it matters whether or not we take a stand.” Fluke touched on multiple policy issues within the U.S. before concluding with a question and answer period. Jane Gray, the President of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, said Fluke has a strong and clear voice for women’s issues that made her an obvious choice to speak at UCSB. “She just personifies,” said Gray, “why women are critical in the [political] process and why a woman’s voice is necessary in the dialogue. We found last year that men didn’t want to hear about women’s rights and the fact that we’re still battling for these things...shows we have a long way to go.” The Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Gina Fischer handed out condoms and information about the group and said they decided to be a part of the event because of Sandra Fluke’s stand on birth control. “She’s been such an advocate for PP in such a positive way and who would have thought that something really negative and demeaning and horrible towards a young woman would turn into something so positive?” said Fischer. “The more young voices we can bring to the table, the more young women voices, the more young women feminist voices we can bring to the table is positive for all of us.”

for personal enjoyment. One user demonstrated the potential good a drone could do as his drone, which he bought at a mall, transported and delivered individual cupcakes. While drones of such individual-use design rarely, if ever, pose a threat, the speakers stressed the potential for military observation and assassination drones to be abused. Arthur Kroker said the scenes presented in movies like Terminator may not be simply fiction. “We’re increasingly living in the age of this technological realization of cinematic culture,” said Kroker. “For example, what was once visualized so brilliantly in Battlestar Galactica, with its mythic warfare between triumphant cylon drones...and a band of always beleaguered, yet highly adaptive human survivors, is for myself, in retrospect at least, a visionary experimental staging of a contemporary technological reality.” Despite the potential for concern, the rest of the speakers chose to focus on modern views and uses of drones. Independent filmmaker Casey Johnson and Nancy Mancias, the campaign organizer for CODEPINK, both individually explored the media attention toward drone use and its appearance on sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, as well as their representation in movies and video. Johnson screened three clips from his short film, “Unmanned,” which portrays a soldier who uses drone technology to fight combatants in other countries while still living comfortably in the suburbs. The film reveals that though the physical effort may be minimal, there is still great mental and psychological pressure placed on the drone operators. “I feel like some of the most profound

by Cheyenne Johnson Staff Writer

Students, community members, and professors crowded into the sixth floor of the Humanities and Social Sciences building on Feb. 26 to discuss drone warfare at the Life in the Age of Drones symposium. Speakers included the Canada Research Chair in Technology Arthur Kroker, University of California Institute for Research in the Arts Co-director Marko Pelijhan, and UC Santa Barbara Center for Information Technology and Society director Lisa Parks, among others. Drones have recently gained media attention as a result of their use in the wars in the Middle East and a recent investigation into the number of civilian deaths by drone attacks. The recent media attention has given the impression that drones are a modern invention, new to the world and its 21st century needs. However, Pelijhan said this is not the case, and that drones have been in use since before the second world war. “The Radioplane company was in Van Nuys and they built 15,000 of these unmanned aerial vehicles,” said Pelijhan. “Over from Point Mugu, there’s a graveyard of technology on the seabed...of all kinds of unmanned systems from 1945 on.” Addressing the issue takes multiple forms. In the political sphere, the Unmanned Systems Caucus recently formed in Washington and CODEPINK protested at Senators’ and Congressmens’ homes. People outside of politics are also involved in the debate. Do-it-yourself drone enthusiasts use store-bought drones similar to remote-controlled toy helicopters

war films,” said Johnson, “are those that restrain themselves from being a mouthpiece, a soapbox, and just bring you into the human experience...The New York Times came out with an article that in fact the earlier reports from the Air Force are not totally correct and that this is ‘job stress’ rather than actual PTSD. New reports have come out that drone operators are getting a much higher rate of PTSD, maybe even as much as troops that are on the ground.” The troops operating the drones, with no ability to interact with or directly observe those they watch from the drones’ camera, rely on cues and information from troops present at the site. Lisa Parks argues that this results in a targeting of specific groups of people in the Middle East and elsewhere. “That the drone is now being heralded by some as a technology of humane warfare is not only deeply troubling but perverse,” said Parks. “As drone use supplements the dark side to the war on terror...it has generated a new disenfranchised class of targeted people...simply because they live in areas where terrorists suspects may operate.” Removing humans from the battle, using joysticks and buttons similar to an Xbox controller, and having humans be nothing but dots on a computer screen questions how the U.S. and the rest of the world sees war and war casualties. “Even though drones are automated systems,” said Parks, “the aerial views they acquire and the bombs they drop are received by humans at both ends. Because of this, we can’t afford not to respond to and deliberate this new form of warfare.”

Questions with

Chellsee Lee EAB Clean Energy Chair and Founder of UC For Clean Energy

by Kyle Skinner Staff Writer

Q: What is UC For Clean Energy? A: I started a campaign team called UC For Clean Energy and we are trying to get our campus to commit to 100 percent clean energy by 2020. It’s really ambitious but we are trying to show the chancellor that there is a sense of urgency and priority among students here. Q: What was your experience like at the Climate Rally in Washington DC? A: Three students and I went to Washington DC to attend the largest climate rally ever held in U.S. history. It was really amazing. We were basically protesting the Keystone XL, which The Bottom Line did an article on a couple of weeks ago, and we wanted to put our name out there. It was crazy to be a part of this huge rally of 50,000 people all fighting for the cause and just as passionate or even more passionate than us. There were a small amount of California students out there and so we wanted to show Washington that California students support moving away from fossil fuels and transitioning towards clean energy. The reason it mean so much to us, beyond it being about clean energy, is that the pipeline will be placed between people’s houses and displacing indigenous communities, and so that really matters to us. Q: Why is it important for UCSB specifically to switch to clean energy? A: Well if you look around, you can see that UCSB is the most abundant place for natural resources, and we have the potential to transition in an easier way than other campuses. We have ideas of putting solar panels on the parking structures, which is fully funded by students who are willing to support the transition. Not only do we have the students’ support, but we have the innovation, we have the will to research, and we have people who want to do these things but may not have the funds to do it, so we are trying to get the school to reallocate those funds from investing in really bad utility companies to going towards solar, geo, or wind power. Q: What advice would you give to the average UCSB student to help the school transition into a cleaner school energy wise?

A: The thing that sticks with people is the realization that they can directly impact people with their decisions. The school is putting $8 million into a utility company that is using coal. That coal is most likely being disposed of in a low income community of color. Those children are likely to have health issue, and if you think about it like that, you can see that leaving the lights on for an extra eight hours a day could negatively impact someone. Students can try and unplug things when they aren’t using them, and try not to waste electricity. Look at the school we live at. Go outside, study outside and tan and become even more beautiful than you already are! So just stay beautiful! Q: How can someone get involved in the transition to clean energy? A: Anyone can come to EAB and join our working group, which is pretty awesome because you can come to one meeting but really be involved in two really cool causes. We are always looking for fresh faces. We have a very strong foundation of people that would love for new people to come and be a part of it. You don’t need to be really, really dedicated, you can just come check it out, that’s awesome, and we will probably persuade you to join because we are really awesome! It’s a really great cause and I’m extremely passionate and I want to get others passionate about it as well. You can totally become passionate by joining our team!

Playing in the Big League:

UCSB’s League of Legends Community Gets Competitive by Marissa Perez Staff Writer

League of Legends is an online multiplayer game (or MMO, short for massively multiplayer online game) developed by Riot Games that enjoys widespread popularity thanks, in part, to the fact that it is free to play—a popularity that extends even to the University of California, Santa Barbara campus. “I mean, all things considered, I’m fairly certain that League of Legends is the most popularly played MMO on campus, at least that I’ve seen,” said Grant Apodaca, secondyear computer science major and vice president of San Rafael’s Hall Council. He was originally planning to throw a small League of Legends tournament as one of his requisite hall programs. “I myself don’t play,” said Apodaca, but the interest of several close friends who loved the game were enough of an indication that they would be able to fill a small tournament bracket. He added that he hoped that it might

attract some of the students that weren’t normally as apt to turn out for hall social events. Apodaca recruited the help of friends Paul Hanson, a second-year political science major, and Tyler Ainsworth, another secondyear, to help him recruit people to join and organize the teams for the tournament. Both Hanson and Apodaca noted that they weren’t expecting more than 30 to 40 people, but after they had over 30 sign ups in the first week, they decided to open it up to more people to accommodate the unexpected level of interest. The group managed to secure more funding for the program and they continued to sign people up for the tournament. By the day of the tournament, over 110 people had signed up, with even more showing up on the Saturday of the event to spectate. The tournament itself had a few hiccups—mostly as a result of the strain the number of simultaneous connections seemed to put on the residence halls’ WiFi connection. Apodaca, however, already has some fixes in mind that will help the next League tournament run

more smoothly. ResNet issues aside, most people who attended the event seemed to consider it a success, even just in that it was an opportunity to bring together a group of people with a common interested. “People who play videogames tend to sit in their rooms—we really wanted to bring the League community together...You’re not just looking at a username, you can actually associate the name with face,” said Hanson. “I guess my favorite thing about the League community is that everyone that plays the game genuinely likes the game at its core. You all have a common interested instantaneously. When you actually meet the people, they’re all nice people.” Despite the technical difficulties, the event was successful and generated enough interest to give rise to the idea of forming a League of Legends club on campus. “I’m already involved in various school organizations, including Greek life,” said Andrew Lee, a second-year computer science major, of his involvement. “I thought that it is just nice to have another organized group on campus

see League of Legends | page 8

page 4 | Opinions

Why the Sequester is

The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

Don’t Call me a Cunt Unless You’re Conversing With My Vagina Why the Word ‘Cunt’ is an Unacceptable Insult

Just Another One of Voldemort’s Dementors Photo Courtesy of | Louis K.

by ROByN WEATHERBy Staff Writer If you don’t know what the “sequester” is, you’re not alone. If you don’t know what a Dementor is then you may be truly uninformed. The sequester is $85 billion that was cut from the federal budget Friday night, and is a part of a plan to further slash a total of $1.2 trillion over the next decade. The Dementor is a foul non-being, whose kiss can suck out your soul rendering you depressed and vegetative. yes, my age shows when I use a Harry Potter metaphor for an internal fiscal bomb, but maybe people would’ve paid more attention had media used narratives like this about something that, frankly, sounds like a gastrointestinal issue. Stick with me, this could be fun. To begin with, the sequester, like a Dementor, never meant to harm anyone. Supposedly it was put in place to scare Republicans into negotiating a less vicious plan to decrease bickering. While there’s no use arguing politics at this point, there’s no argument that the cuts are indeed alarming. While it may not wear a black-cloak and fly like a Dementor, the sequester is just as scary and spine-chilling. The biggest cut will be the $42.7 billion taken from the Defense Department (7.9 percent cut). Don’t cheer. It’s not the kind of money that stops wars and drones. It’s the kind that means 20 percent pay cuts at the Pentagon. Two percent cuts to Medicare will take effect in April. The White House estimated that $87.6 million will be cut from primary and secondary schooling in California alone, meaning 187,000 will cease to be served at 1,210 teachers are at risk of losing their jobs. The cuts are by no means the end of U.S. growth as we know it, but they have the potential to slow it dramatically. They are set to run through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, and the Congressional Budget Office estimated that $44 billion will immediately be cut through a furloughing, or basically telling everyone from air traffic controllers, food inspectors, prosecutors, and janitors to not go to work. Federal services like air and mail will undoubtedly slow, as lay-offs have already occurred in preparation for the cuts, and now 30-day notice of furloughs are being is-

sued to government employees. By definition, a Dementor’s job is literally to suck out one’s soul and the effects of the sequester for government employees will probably be equally psychologically damaging to those it affects. Alas, if only the effects of the sequester could be remedied by chocolate like those of the Dementor! Will the Dementors have an effect on Gringott’s Bank? Our goblins on Wall Street will most likely remain unaffected. In fact, this government shrinkage could prove favorable for the private sector, as a smaller debt makes it easier to lend, making it easier to buy. The economy may still be too weak to see interest rates rise, but it’s not unfathomable. So as the debt mercilessly shrinks in Washington, the private sector will probably suck up more of it. The big reason that no one paid attention to the sequester is that it’s but one in an army of fiscal Dementors. When the fiscal cliff talks came around on Jan. 1, 2013, both vacation time and the Mayan end-of-the-world motif made for textbook media sensationalism. But now we’ve realized that the deficit is too big, and the debt ceiling is too high to be dealt with in one fell swoop. Many have already written off the sequester and are waiting on bated breath to see if government can prevent a shutdown on March 27, 2013, when the legislation authorizing the government to spend money runs out. The problem then will be one of differentiating one Dementor from another. In this slew of budgetary soul-sucking, it’s going to be hard to point the finger at exactly which policy is responsible for the lay-offs, reduced public services, and public angst in general. To finish this whimsical, but hopefully informative, comparison, I must emphasize that I’m not saying Obama is Voldemort. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I’m going to say that Obama was Dumbledore in this situation, using ominous and threatening spells to seek protection of Hogwarts. It’s clear now that the Dementors have fallen to the dark side, and for too many souls, it’s really going to suck.

The U.S. Census Bureau Gets Some Sense Knocked into Them By ALLySON WERNER Staff Writer

In February of 2013, the United States Census Bureau voted to eliminate the term ‘negro’ from all surveys. The change will take effect next year when the annual American Community Survey will be distributed to approximately 3.5 million people. Prior to the decision, the term was listed in conjunction with the terms “black” and “African American.” When asked to write this article, I was confused. How could a government institution in the year 2013 utilize a term so outdated and derogatory? As it happens, research conducted on behalf of the Census Bureau in 2010 concluded that a small minority of the African American population in the United States, specifically the older generation residing in southern states, still identifies with the term “negro.” According to an article in the Huffington Post, in 2000, about 50,000 people specifically wrote in the word “negro” when asked how they wished to be identified. In 2010, that number dropped to 36,000. Despite the drop, it was then decided that the term would not be removed. Robert Groves, a former Census Bureau director, defended the bureau’s decision. He insisted that the goal was inclusiveness. He and his colleagues hoped that every American would be able to identify with one of the terms presented on surveys. While I do not doubt the bureau’s motives, I do feel that this was the wrong decision. Although a small minority of the African American population does identify with the term, a large majority considers the term offensive and outdated, and in the United States, majority rules. The term “negro” gained prominence when Portuguese and Spanish settlers traveled to the Americas nearly five centuries ago. The word ‘negro’ refers to the color black in both languag-

es. European settlers in what would become the United States then adopted the term, and it remained prominent during slavery, reconstruction and the Jim Crow era before losing prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1960s; however, at the time, opinions varied on the issue. After all, Martin Luther King Jr. used the term in his famous “I have a dream” speech. Nevertheless, shortly after the movement was a success, the term lost legitimacy and many came to view the word as derogatory and outdated. It was at this time, after the success of the civil rights movement, that the U.S. Census Bureau should have conducted research on the matter, but unfortunately, research was not conducted until 2010, some 50 years later. It is appalling that a term, which peaked during the Jim Crow era of segregation, still maintained official use into the 21st century. I will admit that vocabulary and popular culture is constantly changing. For example, the term “negro” was preceded by the term “colored.” However, as a government institution, it is one responsibility of the U.S. Census Bureau to remain up to date on sensitive racial vocabulary. Money for research and polls on the matter must be budgeted during every fiscal year to keep up with the pace of the English language and popular culture. Many students on campus shared my shock. A woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated, “I frankly was quite surprised that the term ‘negro’ was still being used on the Census. My understanding is that the census is asking people to specify how they would identify themselves, and I can’t recall the last time I heard anyone describe themselves as ‘negro.’” It’s about time the U.S. Census got some sense into them, and eliminated a term with such a negative connotation. Simply put, it’s better late than never.

All these words are gendered insults, but they have different meanings and intentions. Whereas “cunt” demeans the person because of its association with There are always things we rememwomen, “asshole” and “dick” are normal ber the most about award shows, and they insults because being a man is normal. aren’t necessarily the awards themselves. These words are bad not because the From terrible hosts to Kanye West inter- gender they are associated with is bad, but rupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 Video because the act they are associated with is Music Awards, our attention is always bad and taboo. And whose fault is this? grabbed by the things that happen out- Women. side of the music or films. From this year’s It’s a woman’s fault men are so horny Oscars, we will remember Jennifer Law- all the time. It’s a woman’s fault all men rence’s hilarious press conference and “The think about is sex. And it’s a woman’s Onion” tweeting, “Everyone else seems fault if she gets raped. afraid to say it, but Quvenzhané Wallis is So in the end, who’s really being kind of a cunt, right? #Oscars2013.” insulted by all types of gender insults? Following this controversial tweet Women and their fight for equality. were responses from both sides of the “The Onion” wanted to create social argument. Some said that it was social commentary by calling Quvenzhané Walcommentary on society’s obsession with lis a cunt, but they chose the wrong subcelebrities; others said that no matter the ject and they definitely chose the wrong motive, no one should say that about a word. The commentary they created was nine-year-old, especially on the biggest less based on celebrity-obsession and more day of her life thus far. on what kind of word “cunt” is and how I will go one step further to say no could someone say that about someone so one should call anyone young. that. T h e T h e p e r son By calling a woman or girl word “cunt” who wrote is technically a cunt, you are shrinking the tweet, a term for fewho is still her down to one part of male genitalia, anonybut it is widely her, the part that society mous, used regarded as an “c unt ” deems most grotesque obscene and because vulgar name and taboo it’s one of for it, and is the worst more often things you can say about someone. Callthan not used as an insult. ing someone a girl is the worst thing you Calling someone a cunt, especially can say about someone, and objectifying a woman, objectifies that person and de- him or her to a part of the female anatomy humanizes them into a cunt. As an insult, is downright abominable. this causes the word “cunt,” which is techGendered insults are not a form of nically a name for the vagina, to become a equality. Gendered insults perpetuate degrading term. sexism because a male-based insult is the Part of a woman’s anatomy, just like same as a “normal,” non-gendered insult, the word “pussy,” has become an insult. and a female-based insult is used to make That action alone is insulting to women. the receiver of the insult a lower-class citiBy calling a woman—or girl—a zen. cunt, you are shrinking her down to one If everyone were to stop using genpart of her, the part that society deems dered insults in general, it would be a step most grotesque and taboo. In addition, toward eliminating the discrimination calling a man the same thing degrades and stigma regarding women and their him in a similar way, because calling a lady parts. We would no longer be used as man something generally associated with insults to degrade and (God forbid) lower females feminizes that man; this is seen as the status of men. the worst possible insult because, as sociSo will widespread usage of gendered ety dictates, women are of a lower class insults ever stop? Probably not, at least in than men. the near future. But it’s time that people There is the argument the words in the public sphere, like those at “The “cunt” and “pussy,” do have their male Onion,” stop thinking of it as just another counterparts, such as “dick” and “asshole” insult and realize that as a result of its as(technically “asshole” is gender-neutral, sociation with women, it is intended to but it has a masculine inclination)—so by make the receiver less of a person. The using insults both male and female, we’re anatomy of a woman should never be being equal, right? used to degrade anyone. by LILy CAIN Associated Students Beat Reporter

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page 5 | Health & Lifestyles

UCSB Cycling Races for the Top

by KyLE SKINNER Staff Writer Photo by Morey Spellman | The Bottom Line

To most UCSB students, bikes are just a mode of transportation from home, to class, and back. However, to the University of California, Santa Barbara Cycling team, it is a passion. The UCSB Cycling team consists of both male and female graduate and undergraduate students, from beginning competitive cyclers to experienced. There are a total of 32 racers on the team who compete in either road or mountain races. Third-year biopsychology major and team president, Caroline Ackley, said that their road team and mountain teams compete, but there is also the club side of the team in which people can join for a discounted price. “We try to encourage new members to join and do whatever they’re comfortable with,” said Ackley, “so if someone wants to join but only wants to race for fun, we are more than happy to have them on our team.” The cycling team races under the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference (WCCC), a division of USA Cycling, which consists of 23 road teams and 14 mountain teams. The UCSB mountain team, which finished their season back in December, finished in eight place, while the road team is currently in third only behind UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz. Ackley attributes the team’s success to their hard work. “The new members who have joined have really taken off. They practice really hard and train really hard. I’m very impressed with them.” The competitive members of the team go on team rides, which consist of the team coach Cody taking everyone on a long ride. Whoever cannot keep up is usually left behind until there is a regrouping point along the course of the ride. Ackley says that membership is not only about competing, but that they also encourage members to bond with one another. “At the beginning of the year we have casual coffee rides to get to know each other and we all

ride together,” Ackley said. UCSB Cycling is sponsored by an array of businesses, such as Specialized, Bicycle Bob’s, and Spy Optics. The money that they receive from these sponsorships go toward renting vans to compete in races up and down the state against schools from all over California, as well as toward buying team bikes to provide for those who want to join the club but may not have the appropriate mountain or road bike. Abel Fernandez, a first-year cyclist on the team, has really enjoyed his time so far. “The team is really great,” Fernandez said. “They’re all great people, all knowledgeable, and all into what they do when it comes to bikes.” He also agrees with Ackley about the success of the team. “This year we have a lot of strong riders who have a lot of potential for the season.” The team has their home races around the Isla Vista/Goleta area, both for road and mountain bikes. “We’re all really lucky to have the riding we do around here, with the mountains on one side and the oceans on the other,” Fernandez said. Ackley enjoys where they race, and really tries to get people out to watch them during their local races. “It’s really fun and intense to watch!” she said. “It’s not just a bunch of people that are riding their bikes around, but the races involve a lot of technique and are very fast paced.” March 2 was their last home race for the year, but Ackley invites anyone to come join them for practices at Sisquoc, California, at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you are interested in joining the UCSB Cycling Team, log onto ucsbcycling.org for all contact information.

UCSB Scientists Aim To Destroy Asteroids With Solar Energy by MATT MERSEL Staff Writer On Feb. 14, 2013, the day before the Russian Chelyabinsk asteroid impact, University of California, Santa Barbara professor Philip M. Lubin and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo professor Gary Hughes unveiled a press release detailing a project dubbed DE-STAR, or “Directed Energy Solar Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation.” The concept would manifest itself as a construct capable of neutralizing asteroids that pose the danger of impact with our planet before they have a chance. This isn’t “Star Wars,” kids. It is a highly complex yet reasonable idea that could lead to even more technological developments than just asteroid defense. As detailed in the press release, “DE-STAR is designed to harness some of the power of the sun and convert it into a massive phased array of laser beams that can destroy, or evaporate asteroids posing a potential threat to Earth. It is equally capable of changing an asteroid’s orbit— deflecting it away from Earth, or into the Sun.” Even though this may sound hypothetical, it is, in fact, based on practical and conservative estimates regarding the state of technology in the coming years. “We advocate a phased approach starting with smaller units and not building the full system today,” says Lubin. “It’s feasible to do in the longer term. Technologically, we can now convert light into electricity very efficiently now. We’re approaching 50 percent efficiency now and we’ll probably achieve 70 percent efficiency over the next 10 to 20 years.” These are rather realistic estimates; as reported by Bill Scanlon of Phys.Org, the III-V Multijunction Photovoltaics Group of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has recorded efficiency of multi-junction solar cells at 43.5 percent and 44 percent within the last two months. In 2000, the efficiency of these cells clocked in at only slightly

over 32 percent (keep in mind, these are highend solar cells that are used for tasks like powering the International Space Station and would be utilized in DE-STAR; consumer solar cells are reaching efficiencies of close to 20 percent at this point). There has been steady progress since this time, so assuming 70 percent efficiency within the next two decades appears to be absolutely reasonable. So how does turning light into electricity fit into DE-STAR’s design? “The other piece of the puzzle that is rapidly changing is turning electricity into light…and the ability to turn electricity into laser light using a diode or fiber amplified laser has changed dramatically,” Lubin explains. “There are highpowered, high-efficiency lasers that can be phase-locked…and that is the same technology that can be applicable to a high-powered phased array of lasers that could begin the evaporation of asteroids.” In more basic terms, by converting solar energy into electricity, that electricity can then be transformed back into light that could be focused as a laser on a specific target—in this case, an asteroid. The efficiency for converting electricity back into light has, in fact, been increasing considerably. Optics.org reports that German company Jenoptik has created arrays of emitters that can reach efficiencies of 69 percent. The DE-STAR groups assumed 70 percent conversion efficiency from electricity into laser light over the next decade thus seems rather conservative. With technology currently moving in the right direction, another issue becomes relevant: how a concept like DE-STAR could actually be mechanically constructed. According to the press release, “DE-STAR 2—at 100 meters in diameter, about the size of the International Space Station—could start nudging small asteroids that pass relatively close by to Earth out of threatening orbits…But DE-STAR 4—at 10 kilometers in diameter, about 100 times the size of the ISS—could deliver 1.4 megatons of

energy per day to its target…obliterating an asteroid 500 meters across in one year or moving even larger ones well away from us.” That sounds almost unimaginable at this point, but Professor Lubin remains optimistic. “It’s a modular system, so we can begin with the smaller models and work out the bugs with each iteration,” he says. “It’s a large project, but I don’t think it’s insane on the scale of say, 50 years from now. It’s quite conceivable that we’ll learn how to build these large structures.” Asteroid impact has been responsible for some of the greatest extinction events in the history of the planet; however, the team working on DE-STAR realizes that these impacts are few and far between. As a result, they have begun thinking of other uses for the project, including photon propulsion for spacecraft. “With an ultra high-powered laser the light itself becomes a ‘photon rail gun’ that can be used as a form of propulsion,” says Lubin. “you also don’t have to carry it with you; you basically just shine it at a large reflector on the spacecraft, an extreme solar sail.” A DE-STAR 4 system can be used to accelerate interplanetary travel with a 1000 kg craft reaching Mars in about two weeks or accelerate a craft to the outer solar system at about 3 percent of the speed of light. If we can master such systems in our future we might imagine someday building a DE-STAR 6 that is capable of propelling a 10-ton spacecraft to near the speed of light. Science fiction fans rejoice, because DE-STAR may in fact be the first step toward the feasibility of interstellar travel. Professor Lubin and Professor Hughes have taken an immense task—defending the planet from asteroids—and managed to create an intricate system of doing so that could quite possibly come to life within the century. While the planet is not on the cusp of an extinction-sized impact quite yet, there is nothing wrong with looking ahead. And thanks to the DE-STAR team, Earth is approaching complete safety from total devastation. Perhaps it will even place us on the path to sending probes to nearby stars.

A 100% Commitment to 0% Waste: The Zero Waste Committee

by Izzy PARNELL-WOLFE With a student body of around 21,000, the University of California, Santa Barbara as an institution has the ability to produce a dangerously large amount of waste. With this reality in mind, the UC system adopted the goals of diverting 75 percent of municipal solid waste from landfills by 2012, and to produce zero waste by 2020. With the development of stronger recycling and composting programs and services, along with other progressive actions, UCSB continues to maintain its 2012 goal of a 75 percent waste diversion rate. While this is an accomplishment to be celebrated, we cannot forget about UCSB’s ultimate goal of zero waste by 2020. UCSB’s zero Waste Committee (zWC) was founded upon the mission of aiding UCSB in reaching this significant goal. The zWC was formed after the success of last year’s Compost Pilot Project (CPP). With the intent of further reducing UCSB’s production of waste, the CPP introduced compost bins to a variety of areas around campus where students, faculty, staff, and visitors could dispose of their food waste as a more sustainable practice. With the success of this project as its supporting base, the zWC has worked hard this year to continue to help UCSB move toward its goal of zero waste by 2020. The zWC partnered with Facilities Management and Associated Students Recycling to promote a successful zero Waste Weekend in fall 2012 at two of the men’s soccer games. At these games there was a 95 percent diversion rate, meaning only 5 percent of the waste produced went into the landfill and the rest was composted or recycled. This was accomplished with the help of stringent measures that required that all items sold in the snack booths were special-ordered to ensure that they were either compostable or recyclable.

Photo by John Clow | The Bottom Line

One target item that is without a doubt wasteful is single-use plastics. zWC paired up with UCSB’s dining services in order to help implement a transition from single-use plastics (such as utensils, togo packaging, cups, etc.) to alternative, sustainable items made of biodegradable and compostable materials. Due to the fact that compost collected on campus is treated in a commercial facility to become soil, these new items in the dining areas are compostable as well. With the support and participation of the student and faculty body, this project has the potential to divert a large amount of waste from landfills into useful compost, further reducing UCSB’s production of waste. The zWC is currently working on developing and implementing a pilot project whose purpose is to eliminate the wasteful flow of single-use paper towels into landfills and alternatively incorporate them into the school’s collection of compostable materials. Since paper towels make up approximately 10 percent of a building’s waste stream on campus, this project has the potential to significantly advance UCSB toward its zero waste goal. Starting on the sixth floor of Ellison Hall, the zWC will routinely audit the bathroom waste in order to gather information about the details of the pilot project. The eventual goal of this pilot project is to develop a successful model of paper towel composting that can be implemented in all of UCSB’s bathroom facilities. The project is set to run through the entirety of spring quarter and the zWC is optimistic that it will yield encouraging, beneficial results. While the majority of this past year’s projects have revolved around compost, the zWC is constantly open to and looking for new ideas about how to further UCSB towards its zero waste goal. Waste comes in many forms, such as electricity, water, recycling, and e-waste, and the zWC is committed to reducing waste in as many areas as possible. The work of the zWC has only just begun; zero waste, we are coming for you!

Fossil Fuel Divestment Resolution Passed by HARI KOTA Staff Writer

University of California, Santa Barbara Associated Students Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday, Feb. 14, that backed the UC Regents divestment from the fossil fuel industry. It is estimated that of the $6 billion in the pool, over $340 million is invested in coal alone. If the university decides to divest, that means money will no longer be invested in coal, oil, or natural gas, but will instead be invested in other areas, a process that will take several years. As much research has shown, fossil fuel use poses a major threat to the environment. Not only are fossil fuels non-renewable, meaning they cannot be easily replenished, but they release harmful gases into the air, which cannot escape the atmosphere and are reflected back to earth, contributing to global warming. “Climate change, whether you care about it or not, has been proven time and again; the science is sound,” said Emily Williams, Environmental Affairs Board state-wide coordinator of affairs and the leader of the campaign to have the university divest. “With a changing climate, we can expect to see more intense and frequent storms like those which killed so many in Haiti and New Orleans.” Fossil fuel use is not only an environmental problem, but a human rights one. Many people and families, most of whom are socioeconomically disadvantaged or lack the power to speak out against it, are affected severely by drilling for fossil fuels as a result of the pollution caused by the process. “Processing plants are almost always found in communities of color or low socio-economic standing. Extraction sites follow the same rule,” says Williams. “These communities experience the pollution from the extraction and processing first hand.” Many drilling and extraction sites are on the lands of indigenous people. Some of the biggest problems these communities face on account of drilling and processing are a lack of clean water. There have been complaints of water bubbling due to the methane released by drilling, and of water running brown from toxins leached into the ground from coal sites, among others. Many of these toxins are carcinogens, causing higher cancer rates among communities around processing plants. Asthma is a common ailment around those areas due to poor air quality. The bill was initially introduced on Jan. 30, but it was put on hold because of concerns about whether divesting would affect student tuition. According to the frequently asked questions section put together by Williams and the other members of the project, the divestment will have no impact on tuition. The FAQ states, “The endowment is mostly in the form of ‘restricted gifts,’ which must be spent on their particular purpose, not to help decrease fees, nor to justify an increase in fees.” Other schools that passed similar resolutions include Cornell University, Northwestern University, and University of California, Berkeley. Some schools, such as Sterling College and Hampshire College, have decided to divest completely.

The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

page 6 | Arts & Entertainment

Santa Barbara BANFF Film Festival Celebrates Souls of Adrenaline Junkies by ROByN WEATHERBy Staff Writer Sure, you can watch your fair share of actionpacked videos on youTube, but your laptop won’t send the same deep chills down your spine as those felt by crowds at the Arlington Theatre on Feb. 28. The large screen in the theater provided an element of suspense and intensity unrivaled by any Macbook as audience members viewed Swiss basejumper Géraldine Fasnacht backflip off a hot air balloon into the pearly clouds above the Alps on camera. The viewing was part of the 37th annual BANFF Mountain Film Festival, which was on Feb. 27 and 28 as part of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Arts & Lectures Series. The event, held in the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, featured an otherworldly lineup of extreme sports land films and was sold out on both nights. In its 22nd year in Santa Barbara, the BANFF festival speaks to the traveler and thrill seeker’s soul. Showing a total of 15 films ranging from two to 44 minutes long, BANFF’s lineup exceeded expectations by highlighting films that tell stories of humans carving their own paths in the wild, mountainous, and uninhabited parts of the world. More brief stories included “On Thin Sea Ice 2” on Feb. 27, which starred half-naked director and producer Tor Eckhoff. Through a mixture of vodka and lunacy, he was able to slide over, dive through, and revel in the ice-covered lakes of Norway, and his escapades had audiences roaring. Eckhoff ’s story was eclipsed by that of the two Australians whose goal was to be the first to cross the 1,140 km to the South Pole from Antarctica and back in “Crossing the Ice.” Best friends James “Cas” Castrission and Justin “Jonesey” Jones made the journey, chronicling their own intimate mental and physical struggles the whole way, including excruciating hunger, rashy genitalia, and oozing pus from their toes. The BANFF festival epitomized its international breadth with its feature of “The First Afghan Ski Challenge,” the product of importing Swiss ski instructors into the untouched mountains of Afghanistan to instigate a friendly competition. Hilarious, inspirational, and thought-provoking, the film captured both the descents of first-time Afghan skiers and unidentified army helicopters with poignant sensitivity. Night one’s closing film was “Reel Rock 7: Honnold 3.0” featuring free solo climbing phenom Alex Honnold. Honnold’s daring approach to climbing means no ropes and no safety net, which kept viewers on the edges of their seats and prompted an eruption of applause at the film’s culmination. A BANFF film fest newbie, I didn’t expect night two to be much different from the first. Missing out on a seat after arriving all of two minutes late, my skepticism clearly came back to bite me. As mentioned beforehand, “One Step Beyond” is a profound look at the journey of mountain-obsessed Fasnacht through death, injury, and doubt. No sooner is she telling you about how her boyfriend died in her arms, than she is jumping off a cliff in a body parachute. Filmed frolicking through snowpacked woods, the movie emphasized the sensitivity and unrelenting determination of a popular daredevil. Night two closed out with Mikey Schaefer and Fitz Cahall’s “The Gimp Monkeys,” an eight-minute story of three handicapped rock climbers making the ascent of yosemite’s El Capitan. In a phone interview, director Fitz Cahall said that the film “is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in all the stories I’ve filmed...their disabilities really never get in their way.” “We’re climbers first, and disabled second,” said climber Craig DeMartino, who lost his leg after a 100 foot-fall. Cahall said he aimed to capture how the nervousness and excitement of DeMartino, who climbed alongside Pete Davis (who was born without an arm) and Jarem Frye (who lost his left leg to bone cancer at 14), reminded him of the first time he himself made the El Capitan ascent. “you don’t need to be a rockclimber to be inspired by their story,” he said, adding, “I wanted to make something even my grandmother would like.” As cheers and applause reverberated off the walls of the Arlington at the film’s close, it was clear that Santa Barbara was moved and inspired. I’m sure his grandmother didn’t think it was too bad either.

Borge Ousland Brings Tales of the North Pole to the West Coast by BEATRIz GONzÁLEz Staff Writer Norwegian polar explorer Borge Ousland shared the thrill and chill of his life experiences and escapades with an enthusiastic audience at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Campbell Hall on March 3. Ousland has contributed to the documentation of the extreme nature in high latitudes over 25 years, and has embarked on 18 trips to the North Pole and six to the South Pole. Through his lecture titled “Adventures in Polar Exploration,” which was put on by UCSB’s Arts & Lectures, Ousland narrated the story of his life, his motivations, and how he managed to continue his journey under the most difficult conditions. “When I was a child, I already liked adventures and I read the book of Fridtjof Nansen, who inspired me,” Ousland said. After a period as member of the Norway’s Marinejeger—the equivalent to the U.S. Navy Seals—Ousland decided to follow the steps of Hjalmar Johansen and Nansen, who attempted to reach the geographical North Pole in 1893-1896. Using an impressive series of photographs and videos, Ousland showed the most dramatic moments as well as the wonderful nature surrounding his expeditions that stemmed from his decision to follow in Nansen’s footsteps. Throughout his life as explorer, Ousland has witnessed the challenge that have resulted from climate change. In a 2007 expedition, his team decided to change the equipment and to take kayaks due to melting ice in extended areas of the North Pole. “Conditions become dangerous in a different way. One time melting ice surprised us,” Ousland said. “We were sleeping when ice surface started to crack under our tent, and fortunately we could

handle the situation.” Ousland also noted a memorable moment when he and his team reached the Eva Liv island (the north-easternmost island in the Russian Arctic) in 2007. It was the first time someone was there after the expedition of Johansen and Nansen. “In 1895, they did not have any food and they hunted polar bears not to die. When we reached there, we found the bears’ bones as evidence of that trip,” Ousland said. While there, Ousland described the physical and mental struggles that he endured when the boat that was supposed to collect them was delayed two weeks. “Without any food, we were already feeling the hunger when we saw a boat and a helicopter approaching: they were tourists coming! We could have a shower after three months. It was heaven,” said Ousland. Ousland also touched up his solo trip to the North Pole in 1994, which marked the first time anyone had gone there alone. “I stop, and I start to look around. Then I realize that I am actually walking through the Arctic and I see how amazing it is,” Ousland recalled. He confessed that he cannot prepare mentally his trips, and was discouraged at times while he was alone. “However, you have to try to get the big perspective of it and think: I am in good shape and I have enough food. These thoughts are not rational. This is all about feelings, and feelings will pass and go over.” To close the evening, Ousland explained the deep motivations that move him to lead these risky expeditions. “Why? Why fight the cold, especially when you wake up in the morning after a wonderful dream and you find yourself in the middle of the wild? Because I like it and I relate to those surroundings in a complete new way, and to share this beautiful world with the people, with you guys.”

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Screening at UCSB by DEANNA KIM Staff Writer

The University of California, Santa Barbara’s Pollock Theater had a full house of younger and older moviegoers to watch the fully-restored “Lawrence of Arabia” on Feb. 26. The film, directed by David Lean and first screened in 1962, was restored in 4k in 2012 by Sony Pictures Entertainment for its 50th anniversary. As part of the Carsey-Wolf Center’s film series, “The Future of the Past: The Art and Philosophy of Film Preservation,” the restored and critically acclaimed “Lawrence of Arabia” made its debut with guest speaker Grover Crisp, Sony’s executive vice president for asset management and film restoration. “It’s great they’ve done this for us to see [the film] again,” said 73-year-old Dick Falt, “and it’s even better than the first time.” “Lawrence of Arabia” is based on T.E. Lawrence’s journeys and experiences in Arabia during World War I. Although long, the movie’s directing and cinematography boldly and beautifully depict Lawrence’s struggles and feats with himself and the war. The scene opens with Lawrence speeding on his motorcycle to, ultimately, his death. His accidental death is far from extraordinary—he dodged hitting cyclists with his motorcycle—and sets up the movie’s theme of irony, controversy, and Lawrence’s overdramatic entrances and exits. Following his funeral, the epic journey of Lawrence begins to unfold as the scenes take us back to Cairo in 1917. The film is engaging yet frustrating. Lawrence’s character flips from being egotistical, a narcissist, and oblivious to being humble, remorseful, and considerate. Watching anyone become conceited and consumed with his or her own presence is annoying but comically entertaining, as was the depiction of Lawrence, which is historically argued to be a false portrayal. Although Lawrence’s charming conceit and inflated ego become his downfall at times, they also help him to unite two rival Arab factions, make guerrilla attacks, and gain military advances. Lawrence is self-absorbed and daring, and seems to struggle with his identities of wanting glory and power and wanting justice and compassion. Throughout the film, Lawrence switches interchangeably from his sane self to his alter ego. Although the British epic film is controversial in historical accuracy and content, the cinematography captures the beauty of the desert and the brutal, yet heroic aspects of war. The artistically directed shots of the rising sun bleeding vivid colors over the desert, the seemingly endless mountains of sand in the Nefud desert, and the fleeting battle scenes on horseback are visually breathtaking. The art and science of this motion picture photography by Freddie young was done so with Super Panavision 70, and won

the 35th Academy Awards and 20th Golden Globe Awards for Best Cinematography, among many other awards and honors. Super Panavision 70 is a wide film gauge of 70 or 65 mm film format, compared to standard 35 mm film format, and allows for high-resolution still and motion picture photography, used more commonly between 1959 and 1983. These marvelous shots were able to remain exquisite with the restoration of the film. The film was first reconstructed in 1988, but this restoration process is seen as a “director’s cut” as it was a project where a team and Lean systematically put together and tweaked scenes. During this process, the film went through “wetgate printing,” where the print is treated with a special solution, but still contained color defects because of the deterioration of the original negatives. “We wanted to go through and fix all the problems that they couldn’t fix back then simply because the technology didn’t exist. It just couldn’t be done,” said Crisp at the showing. “What we wanted to do was fix things that were wrong and let the film be what it is… we didn’t want to denature the image in any way because it’s such a beautifully shot and directed film.” Before and after images of legendary war scenes, among others, were shown; cracks, tears, and scratches are evident in the actual frames. Crisp explained that he and his technical crew spent three months in 2009 looking at all 320,000 frames one at a time. 2009 was a photo chemical situation for the film as the crew made protective material and fixes. To fix those damages, tears, and scratches, each frame is divided into four sections and different people are assigned different sections. This took months of works in the U.S. and other countries, a process described as “punishing” by Crisp. By the beginning of 2010, the Sony crew began scanning the film, a process that takes 12 seconds per frame to scan the negatives at bright and high resolution. The machine used replicates the pixels digitally at 4,000 pixels per horizontal line, so “Lawrence of Arabia” has approximately 8.8 million pixels per frame, which are four times the 2.2 million pixels per frame of Blu-Ray Discs or High Definition broadcasts. Just to scan the entire 228 minutes of this film, it took six months. After the film was finally scanned, Crisp said that it was moved to their digital facilities called Colorworks, where they spent the next year going scene by scene to get the color correct while repairing damages. The strenuous and meticulous process of converting the damaged film negatives to 4k have given justification and fortified the title “Lawrence of Arabia” as an award-winning movie. “Lawrence of Arabia” will continue to be enjoyed, if not for its storyline, then for its visually stunning cinematography and pixelation.

PBS at UCSB: Gwen Iﬁll Talks Politics at Campbell Hall by BEATRIz GONzÁLEz Staff Writer The reality of politics from the perspective of seasoned journalist and current managing editor of PBS’s “Washington Week” Gwen Ifill was the headlining topic on March 2, when she lectured at the University of California, Santa Barbara through UCSB’s Arts & Lecture. In addition to her position at “Washington Week,” Ifill is also the senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. Nowadays, Ifill said during her talk, it seems that political news channels discourage people from paying attention because of the rough discussion between political parties. “Before it was about the fiscal cliff, now it’s time for sequestration… Any party wants to own this last decision, although both have come to an agreement in order to move ahead it,” said Ifill. She noted that the magnitude of these political problems is enlarged by the media with artificial deadlines, fake fights, and the “blame game” between parties. “Media like bad news, it gives money to corporations,” Ifill stated. According to Glen Ifill, sequestration means that thousands of employees are going to be laid off and the country is going to become less secure. As a result, Ifill questioned the audience, “Why do journalism and politics still matter?” She answered herself, saying that

both are still important because journalists are needed to ask the right questions, to push pressure and to demand the answers for the collective people. “The average American has access to more information than ever before, but we have to be critical listeners; we have to look for the answers,” she said. In the era of the digital technologies, information is more reachable and a wider variety of media are available. This facilitates the idea that people only read the news stories that they want to hear. “I am worry about the fact that people are going stop engaging [in news]; they are only going to see as far as the ends of their noses,” she said. As far as journalism is considered, according to Ifill, we are living a new age in journalism. The main characteristics of this period are a broader access to information and also an explosion of sources, which is why journalists have to pay special attention to the information that they present as true facts. However, she emphasized the near impossibility of being completely unbiased. “The key is not to be objective, it’s to be fair. There is no reason to try to separate from the way you see the world. It is not possible to be objective,” she said. Despite the dark predictions about the future of journalism, Ifill said that “it is going to be alive for many years,” and believes that its lasting existence will continue to facilitate

change in a positive direction. “I think it is possible to do it, if we are well informed and we are engaged,” she said. “One of the things that I have learned from journal-

ism is the fact that you don’t learn more from the important people. We have to listen more to the average people instead.”

Photo by Mark Brocher | The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

page 7 | Technology

Sony Looks to Reclaim its Glory with the PS4 by MATT MERSEL Staff Writer

The new generation of gaming is almost upon us. On Feb. 20, Sony held a press conference to unveil the PS4, the first truly nextgen console. While the WiiU has already seen its release, Sony’s new machine appears to be the first platform announced this time around that is truly pushing the envelope from a technical perspective (even though there is still no information on what the console itself looks like). A solid collection of games has been revealed for the new console, as well as new toys like a renovated Dualshock 4 controller with a touch screen, but a significant portion of the press conference involved Sony demonstrating that they had learned from the mistakes made with the PS3 and were ready to compete fiercely on a technical level. To understand the importance of the PS4’s new specifications, it is necessary to understand where the last PlayStation went wrong. When the PS3 was announced, Sony heavily publicized its new Cell processing system. Sparing the more technical details, instead of having one processor run the entire console, there would be a number of slightly smaller processors all feeding data to one “managing” chip. This was supposed to proffer the PS3 the best performance of the last generation, but it struggled to ever look more impressive than the Xbox 360. The PS4, however, has been completely renovated under the hood. This console is built much more like a traditional PC: it features a single chip processor with eight AMD central processing unit cores and a high-powered AMD Radeon graphics card. Sharif Sakr of Engadget reports, “AMD’s current top-end APU only delivers around 700 GFLOPs of compute power from its CPU and GPU combined. We’re told the PS4’s processor delivers nearly 2 TFLOPs from its GPU alone. In other words, we’re looking at 3X compute performance before we even get to the eight-core CPU.” If that sounds completely unintelligible, allow me to summarize. An APU is a processor that essentially combines the functions of the Central and Graphic Processing Units (CPU and GPU), and a FLOP is the unit used to measure the performance of a computer or console. AMD’s high-end PC APU can push out 700 GFLOPS (or gigaFLOPS), but the PS4’s can deliver 2 TFLOPS (or teraFLOPS) before even factoring in the performance of the eight CPUs, which doubles the number found in most gaming PCs. However, despite this apparent titanic amount of processing power, the PS4 is still a

console, and therefore it cannot run at the same intensity as a PC without completely overheating. As James Rivingston of Techradar writes, “[The PS4’s] CPU is hardly next-gen—it may have been modified for this system but the AMD Jaguar platform is by no means the fastest of its kind—indeed it’s slower than Intel’s fastest by orders of magnitude.” However, Rivingston also notes that structuring the PS4 like a PC will benefit the system in more ways than just performance. He explains, “It’s very much a PC-based system then, which is great news for developers who will find it much easier to code games for the next gen consoles and for PCs.” In the past console generation, it was difficult for some companies to develop titles on the PS3’s proprietary Cell system, and this led to delays for some huge games like “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,” “Mass Effect,” and “BioShock.” With a much friendlier interface, the PS4 can look forward to receiving full third-party support once again. The PS4’s other important announcement was its commitment to digital downloading and the cloud. Shuhei yoshida, the head of Sony’s worldwide studios, told Keith Stuart of The Guardian, “We’re shifting our platform more and more to the digital side—PS4 will be similar to PS Vita in that every game will be available as a digital download, and some will also be available as a disc.” This doesn’t only apply to PS4 games either. Sony’s aim is to have all games available on the PlayStation Network, from the very first PlayStation to games from the last console, available to download, perhaps making up for the lack of backward compatibility for PS3 discs. Another interesting use of the cloud surrounds the new “Share” button found on the PS4 controller. Dan Chiappini of Gamespot reports that the new feature will allow players to “live-stream directly from the console, sharing their session with online viewers. Players will also be able to pass control of the game over to remote friends to help navigate difficult gameplay elements. The service will also allow friends to play a Dungeon Master-style role, joining sessions and modifying the gameworld to provide virtual power-ups as required.” Sony is clearly pushing the “connectedness” of their consoles, and only time will tell if developers will find meaningful ways to implement the technology. The announcement of the PS4 has undoubtedly made a splash in the industry. Two generations ago, Sony was king of the gaming world. The PS2 is the best selling console of all time, and if the company can make good on its promise to deliver a high-performance machine with useful cloud capabilities, it will have set itself up for another run at the gaming crown.

Photo Courtesy of | Dekuwa

U.S. Department of Defense Mobile Contracts Fair Game by MARISSA PEREz Staff Writer Four months ago, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it would be dropping its exclusive contract with BlackBerry—and now, as the contracts expire, the market is open to Apple, Google, and other qualified companies. “The Department of Defense is taking a leadership role in leveraging mobile device technology by ensuring its workforce is empowered with mobile devices,” said Defense Department Chief Information Officer Teri Takai in a statement on Feb. 26. The demands of supplying the Department of Defense are fairly hefty— according to their stated Mobile Device Strategy, they call for the winning company to equip some 600,000 mobile device users with “secure classified and protected unclassified mobile solutions that leverage commercial off-the-shelf products.” While the government partnering with private companies is nothing new and is often met with varying results (think Halliburton’s role in the early 2000s), the Department of Defense seems to simply be interested in creating a kind of bidding war over securing the contract between the top mobile providers. It is still possible for BlackBerry to win the contract—but the fact that the Department of Defense did not choose to renew with the company does not spell good news for a brand that already seems to be falling behind compared to companies like Apple and Google. BlackBerry, though one of the earliest leading providers of advanced mobile technology and secure mobile communications, has not managed to enjoy the same success in recent years. In the same month that the Pentagon announced that they would be ending the exclusivity of Blackberry’s contract with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced it was dropping all of its BlackBerry devices and replacing them with Apple’s iPhone. The Department of Defense’s pick will likely be a provider that can en-

sure top-of-the-line security as well as fast browsers, enhanced application capabilities, perhaps bigger touch screens, and, most importantly, a competitive pricing—and, of course, will perhaps score either Apple or Google some reputation points above their closest competition. “ This is not simply about embracing the newest technology—it is about keeping the department’s workforce relevant in an era when information accessibility and cybersecurity play a critical role in mission success,” continued Takai. In simple terms, it seems that the D e p a r tm e n t of Defense will finally join the consumer market in a shift away from the old-fashioned BlackBerry toward the sleeker and newer touchscreens of the iPhone or one of many Android powered devices. “ This is not simply about embracing the newest

Six Strike System To Hunt Down Internet Piracy by VIJAy MODI Staff Writer Attention college students: I hope you downloaded enough movies and televisions series to last you for, well, ever. Starting last Monday, the nation’s five biggest Internet providers have a legal permission from the government to hunt you down and pick on you until you agree to stop illegally downloading copyrighted content. The Copyright Alert System was signed into law in late 2011, but thanks to numerous delays, has only started its operations this week. Under the act’s mandate, the nation’s biggest Internet Service Providers (AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Cablevision, and Time Warner) now have a free hand from the government to set their own policies against their user’s piracy. Basically, content producers (e.g. RIAA for music, or MPAA for movies, etc.) will monitor peer-to-peer networks such as BitTorrent for any of their content, and then tell on you to your service provider. In turn, the service providers have a handful of ways of making your life more and more uncomfortable as you go through your six strikes. First, they will probably issue a subtle yet clear warning saying “here’s a couple of ways to legally download what you’re looking for!”, or any “stop or we’ll tell mommy and daddy” kind of message. From there on, it’s every content provider for itself. Some companies have vowed that they will slow users’ Internet down to a stylish 1990s dial-up speed, while some companies, like Comcast, settled for making repeating offenders watch a boring educational video that will definitely make you stop downloading if you do not want to see it again. This is not going to mean that every college student downloading a Game of Thrones episode will get arrested. The Center for Copyright Information, the organization that is responsible for running the program, has made it clear that they are all about “educating consumers,” not throwing them into jail. Besides, that would be awful for business. What happens after the sixth and final strike, you ask? Well, basically nothing. Internet providers do not have permission to keep harassing you after your sixth infringement. On the other hand, content producers could, in theory, sue you, much like they have been trying to do in the past several years. Many critics of the system say that it does not bring anything new to the table, since Internet Service Providers have been operating alert systems for year. What this development amounts to, in their perspective, is a poorly coordinated effort to make some waves and get media attention in the process. In addition, the system will not cover direct downloads and web-based illegal downloading networks, two aspects that are sure to hurt its efficiency. The CCI is funded by the same guys who are producing most of the illegally downloaded content going around the Internet—the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. The organization has also created a calm-jazzy youtube video trying to explain how the system works to the broader audience. Despite being presented as a sort of educational program for small-time content-sharers, consensus around the idea of the six strike system tells of the reality of Internet piracy: it is here to stay.

technology—it is about keeping the department’s workforce relevant in an era when information accessibility and cybersecurity play a critical role in mission success,” continued Takai. In simple terms, it seems that the Depart-

ment of Defense will finally join the consumer market in a shift away from the old-fashioned BlackBerry toward the sleeker and newer touchscreens of the iPhone or one of many Android powered devices.

Photo courtesy of | Hakan Dahlstrom

page 8 | Continuations

EATING DISORDERS, continued from page 1

will die from it. Renfrew patient Alisa Williams explained how, in the midst of her bulimia, she took death as an acceptable consequence if it meant she would be at her ideal weight. “I remember,” said Williams, “at one point thinking years ago, ‘so be it.’ I mean, this is what I really want. This is the one thing that I want so bad. I just want to be thin. So if it takes dying to get there, so be it. at least I’ll get there.” While anorexia and bulimia gain the most attention, they are not, in fact, the most common. Most people with eating disorders share characteristics with anorexics and bulimics but do not have a key component, like someone who meets all the criteria for anorexia but has a regular menstrual cycles or someone who purges without binging. People with these and other symptoms fall under the category of eating disorders not otherwise specified and Reynolds states that EDNOS affect 25 percent of males and 32 percent of females. Despite the large percentage of people affected with these illnesses, many people

suffering from them do not believe they’re as serious as anorexia or bulimia. UCSB Student Health said this is not the case. “Individuals with EDNOS who are losing weight and restricting their caloric intake,” states Student Health, “often report the same fears and obsessions as patients with anorexia. They may be overly driven to be thin, have very disturbed body image, restrict their caloric intake to unnatural and unhealthy limits, and may eventually suffer the same psychological, physiological, and social consequences as those with anorexia.” For those suffering from EDNOS, anorexia, or bulimia, or who believe they know someone suffering from these diseases, Student Health has an eating disorder consulting team. There are also Social Workers and therapists at the Counseling Services who can help. For those in the dorms, Resident Assistants can be contacted for help as well. “Reach out,” said Reynolds. “you are not alone. There are many people who have completely overcome this problem. Don’t wait.”

General Meetings When: Wednesday @ 6pm Location: 2nd ﬂoor MCC

The Bottom Line | Mar. 6 - Mar. 13

COLLEGE REPUBLICANS,

continued from page 1

“This is not a College Republicans issue, we just feel like we need someone to stand up because it is setting a precedent of censorship and we don’t approve of that,” said Executive Director of College Republicans Sara Callahan, a fourth-year film and media studies major. “The point of the First Amendment is to protect unpopular speech... As a member of a club whose right to speech has been threatened before, I wanted to make the point that you can’t stifle the minority voice just because you don’t want to hear it. In fact, those are the voices the first amendment was especially written for.” However, one student, Brandon Pineda, who is the co-chair of Student Commission on Racial Equality (SCORE), believes that Senate has the right to condemn these pages because of free speech, not despite it. “We’re using our free speech to condemn this page and say that it does perpetuate the rape culture that UCSB is known for and that the perpetuation of culture and highlighting harassment does not reflect the university and community as a whole,” said Pineda. “Expressing concerns against these pages is completely justifiable considering that the privacy is violated considering that some folks can be tagged, therefore that is outing them and their experiences, so we want people to be protected and their privacy is violated in that aspect.” In addition, another student, fourth-year Tilman Hayes, voiced his support for the resolution and cited three instances at other colleges where College Republicans and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which advocates for freedom of speech in universities and wrote an article against UCSB’s resolution, made charges for free speech that many considered hate speech. One of these instances involved a student getting kicked out of dorms at the University of New Hampshire for writing “women should take the stairs to lose weight.” The UCSB College Republicans contacted FIRE regarding the debate. Shortly following, FIRE published an article condemning AS’ actions and defending students’ freedom of speech. The article explains, “The resolution does more than simply condemn the speech it finds offensive; it calls on the Senate staff and university administrators to attempt to influence Facebook to censor the pages. Censorship is not just morally wrong; at a public university like UCSB, it is unconstitutional.” Despite the large amount of support and opposition toward the resolution, Senate did not discuss or change their stance on it. Associate Director for Community Affairs Aaron Jones announced that UCSB is not pursuing action against the Facebook pages, but said that those who still feel harmed or threatened by the pages should still make an effort to change them. “Take it upon yourselves to do what you need to do,” said Jones.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS CLUB, continued form page 3 to have another organized group on campus where people of similar interest can meet each other. Not only does this increase the amount of networking one can have in the future, but also it’s meant for people to enjoy themselves.” The group is currently in the process of finalizing the formation of their club with Student Life, with meetings tentatively scheduled to be on Fridays. They plan to host both casual and competitive tournaments in the future. Updates can be found on the UCSB League of Legends Facebook group at

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/298881233478916/

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advertising.ucsb.tbl@gmail.com FOR MORE INFORMATION PHUNK, continued from page 1 Alpha Phunk demonstrated their supreme skill in the form of insanely soulful vocals from singer Sofia Melo and the equally impressive and entertaining rhymes of emcee Larcy Hall. These vocal graces soared over an underlying current of jazz, soul, and funk oozing from musicians Vincent Loris (drums), Bobby Beresford (trumpet), Blake Bennett (guitar), Miller Wrenn (bass), and Ben Pearse (keys). The strength of the band came from their fusion of styles and their ability to improvise at will with the crowd. “I came in with a music major,” said Melo, a second-year political science major. “I used to sing soprano and I just didn’t like it. That’s why I really like the band. Were just really funky and you can just kind of sing whatever you want. It’s awesome. It’s always so fun.” Even though Alpha Phunk won the battle, the other bands put up one hell of a fight. Reggae rock band The Ole’s were escorted on and off the stage with roaring chants of “Ole… Ole.” The band Ellison Hall captivated the audience with lead singer Gene Alder’s channeling of a combo of Jim Morrison’s antics and Jack White’s growling voice. Sloppy Job created the only substantial mosh pit of the night, and Andy Dick & The Dicks showcased a fresh display of uniqueness as demonstrated in their crazy throwback style, which was characterized by a cover of Tupac Shakur’s “Changes” and their incredibly gifted guitarist, Andy Lapostol, who resembled a sort of young 60s hippie/surfer form of Eric Clapton. “All the other bands are super nice,” said Bennett, a fourth-year psychology major. “Last Saturday night we played Chillapalooza with four out of five of the bands tonight. All those bands are just really awesome guys, so it just made it that much nicer to be, like, hanging out with them and playing music with them.” That being said, Alpha Phunk is stoked that they came out on top. “Come see us at Extravaganza! We’re gonna put a sick set together,” Bennett said. “It’s going to be like tonight, times 10.”