THE UCSB’s Weekly Student-Run Newspaper

PAY CUTS DIreCTlY AFFeCT UC’S loWeST PAID WorkerS

‘A View of the World from Isla Vista’

IV BEAT REPORT

CAUSe PAnel MeeTS To DISCUSS SoCIAl ChAnGe

Leaders in the fi elds of various social sciences gathered for a panel sponsored by the Central Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy in the Multicultural Center

on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to discuss social justice and change in politics on campus and in the surrounding area. Presenters on the panel discussed the importance of coali-tion building in relation to the model they have constructed in order to change how social movements coincide with politics. The model proposes the idea that social change is enacted most effectively when groups work together rather than as individu-als to push a change forward. This model has been particularly successful on campus with the voting and passage of Proposition 30. Utilizing the mod-el last year, University of California, Santa Barbara students worked together to encourage voter registration, resulting in 12,000 new student voters registered on campus. In support of the model, Daraka Larimore-Hall, a sociology PhD student, said, “What everyone says to student activists – and what every student activist hates – is, ‘You are the future.’ But we exist now.” Larimore-Hall went on to say that students are currently being affected by policies and decisions and also currently have the power to do something about the issues. The keynote speaker for the event, Manuel Pastor, the di-rector of University of Southern California’s Program for En-vironmental and Regional Equity, also discussed the idea that people have the power to turn moments into movements. By making sure as many people as possible are exercising their right to vote, he says, political change is possible. Maricela Morales, deputy executive director of the CAUSE Action Fund, pointed out that while democracy is what America prides itself on, the dream of democracy is yet to be realized. The executive director of California Calls, aid that the current main goal of the movement is to change the electorate of California in order to refl ect the diversity of its population. Other groups also used the event to present their ideas re-

garding social change, taking advantage of the model propelled by networking. Gina Fischer, Director of Policy and Community Engage-ment for Planned Parenthood, talked about mobilizing com-munities to vote for Obamacare. She said that Obamacare is an incredibly important movement for women’s health rights and that educating the public is a giant step toward enacting change. IDEAS, an organization on campus dedicated to improv-ing equality, discussed getting the TRUST Act approved among other legislative measures to give a greater voice to undocu-mented students and students from undocumented parents. Anabel Merino, organizer of the event through CAUSE, stated that reaching out to the community makes a profound difference in voter turnout and that the CAUSE Action Fund works by targeting low propensity voters. Early in the panel, Pastor made the argument that in order to truly mobilize the masses, the education and outreach needs to start at the community level. “It’s always good when your power point has power,” Pastor said. “But it’s even better when your power point has a point, and that will be for you to judge.”

Features / 4

Kings put on a show for UCSB

A&E / 5

Breaking Bad Comes to a Close

by Judy Lau

Photo by Giuseppe Ricapito | IV Beat Reporter

by Lexi Weyrick

by Giuseppe RicapitoIV BEAT REPORTER

@tblucsb / thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

Stanley wants to know: What would you like to see The Bottom Line report more on? Email your responses to bottomlineucsb@gmail.com.

Associated Students, UC Santa Barbara | Volume 8, Issue 1 | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16, 2013

For the second time this year, the University of California system has rejected the collective bargaining process and fought against the worker’s union to impose a cut in the

salaries of many longtime workers. After over a year of debates and negotiations, the administrators in the University of Cali-fornia stated that cuts in pay and health benefi ts would be cut for over 8,000 service workers in the entire UC system. Once again, budget cuts have made their way into the Uni-versity of California’s annual budget, with the target this time being the lowest paid employees of the UC system. Those af-fected include the workers that are often ignored and taken for granted, such as custodians and maintenance. Many of these workers make an average of $35,000 annually, thus qualifying them for some form of fi nancial help from the government. Overall, the cut would be about a 1.5 percent decrease on worker salary and up to $124,000 increase in health cost over the course of a worker’s life, reporters from the LA Times say. However, these cuts are not in effect for everyone. In fact, many of the higher-paid employees are receiving an increase in their salaries. According to Larry Gordon from the LA Times, “UC this week imposed terms that will require those workers to contrib-ute 6.5% of their pay to retirement plans, up from the cur-rent 5%, while the university’s contribution jumps to 12% from 10%.”

The UC system claims that these cuts are needed in order to keep the UCs running effectively given the budget cuts. How-ever, the proposed plan is very incomplete. The proposal states that there will be a four-year wage freeze on over 8,000 of the lowest paid employees. However, what is presented is not justi-fi ed by the data that is shown. “Taking from UC’s lowest paid, full time workers in order to line the pockets of UC Executives is not just an attack on collective bargaining — it’s an assault on basic morality,” said AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger. In addition, many are in favor of the union on the issue of health care because the proposal changes the eligibility require-ments of many longtime employees. It is generally believed that new plans involving health care should be effective to new and future employees rather than those currently in the system. Paul Roose, Neutral Factfi nder, says that the neutral panel chair rec-ommends the union’s positioning when bargaining over retiree health benefi ts. Although reports state that these terms are fair and necessary in guaranteeing quality benefi ts and an appealing pension, the loss of money in many of the current worker’s salary directly affects them now in that they face greater hardships in paying for present necessities, such as food, medicine, and childcare. With many of them already receiving fi nancial aid on the fed-eral level, these cuts could greatly impact their way of living for the worse.

“A View of the World from Isla Vista,” a colorful and induc-ing mural on the formerly blank Plaza Lofts wall space, was offi cially unveiled on Monday, Oct. 30, to an eager crowd of students and spectators. The latest production from the University of California, Santa Barbara Urban Art Workshop was made in conjunc-tion with the UCSB Community Housing Offi ce, the own-ers of the new Plaza Lofts, and Ann Heff erman, a local artist known for her vibrant chalk street drawings. Many of the ideas and a great portion of the involvement came from UCSB students interested in bringing public creativity to the Isla Vista community. Heff erman, beaming in front of her fi nished product, summed up the program. “In terms of process, I think one of the most wonderful parts was seeing the enjoyment that the students got out of doing this collaboration,” Heff erman said. “You can tell they were having fun.” Richard Gilman, one of the co-property owners of the new Plaza Lofts, also spoke to the opportunity that the mu-ral project off ered. “We had this giant canvas, so from the inception of the building we knew that we always wanted to make this a community art project in conjunction with the university,” Gilman said. The mural ceremony featured speeches by Roane Akchu-rin, manager of the Community Housing Offi ce, and Hef-ferman, as well as free food from Giovanni’s and Sorriso Italiano. Music by Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, and a Reggae Pandora station provided an enticing, social background beat, while groups of students — going to or from the UCSB campus, or just out on the town — fi led into the parking lot to eat, socialize, and view the mural. Akchurin related the project’s intention of develop-ing positive connections between the students and their community. “Students received credit, which was really cool,” Akchurin said. “You don’t have to be an artist. Most of the students were not art students, so we called it an Urban Art Work-shop.” The wall painting centers on IV’s Pardall Street and draws out in a broadening perspective to detail the Pacifi c Coast from Mexico and LegoLand to Washington and Canada. Santa Barbara is represented in an Old World aesthetic — lightheartedly titled “Santa Babylon,” the familiar terra cotta roofi ng of Spanish architecture gives way to Harder Stadium and Storke Tower. Los Angeles is playfully denoted as “La La Land” and even Bigfoot appears in the green woodlands of the landscape’s north. While spanning illustrious locations in California and beyond, the mural transposes humor with an eye for lush detail. “The mural is something unique. I’m from the LA area so it kind of brings me back to home,” said Juan Carlos Gomez, a third-year environmental studies major. Rafael Velazquez, a geological physics major, added, “I thought it was clever. There are a lot of awesome, little nu-ances that you need to look towards to really get. It’s really well done.” “A View of the World from Isla Vista” is based on Saul Stein-berg’s New Yorker magazine cover “The View of the World from 9 Avenue.” Stylistically, the Isla Vista mural provides a unique, local enthusiasm, culling together the mythic land-scape cartooning of Fernando Botero while tipping its hat to post-modern sensibilities. The viewer stands in the Gio-vanni’s parking lot, seeing their location illustrated on the mural — in this way, the piece projects the viewer into both existent and abstract realities. Heff erman spoke to the mounting crowd, explaining her leadership role and guidance to students — she recalled encouraging them to use a lot of color and the use of two-foot grid plan. “The students leave a little bit of legacy behind and have this wonderful work to show,” Heff erman said. “I know I learned as much from the students as I taught them, so it was defi nitely a collaborative project.” The fi nishing process of coating the work was not fi n-ished until summer, but the mural was virtually fi nished by the end of Spring 2013. The student artists were all fourth-years at the time of completion and have since graduated. Though none could attend the ceremony, the student’s names are included in the far right to publicly record their artistic contributions. The UCSB Urban Art Workshop is plan-ning on the production of two more murals in the coming year, set for spring and summer. The unveiling event ritualistically ordained the mural as a creative highlight of downtown Isla Vista — aside from its espousal of local inspiration; it affi rmed the unity of a multi-cultural population in our central, melting pot community.

A Mural Project to Keep Your Eye On

ASSoCIATeD STUDenTS SenATe MeeTInG

Photos by Lorenzo Basilio | The Bottom LineRHA President Andrew Soriano tells the Senate Board what his plans are for UCSB at the AS Senate’s fi rst meeting on Oct. 2, 2013.

AS Sen. John Soriano taking notes at the AS Senate’s fi rst meeting on Oct. 2, 2013.

AS Sen. Jack Speyer addresses his resignation from the Senate board at the AS Senate’s fi rst meeting on Oct. 2, 2013.

“A View of the World from Isla Vista” debuted on Sept. 30, 2013, featuring a portrait of the American Pacifi c Coast with our community at the forefront.

Photo by Lorenzo Basilio | The Bottom LineThe Activist Panel presented on Oct. 2, 2013.

Executive Managing Editor | Cheyenne JohnsonExecutive Content Editor | Parisa Mirzadegan

Copy Editor | Camila Martinez-GranataNews Editor |Lily Cain

Features Editor | Katana DumontOpinions Editor | Anjali Shastry

Arts & Entertainment Editor | Deanna Kim Science & Technology Editor | Matt Mersel

Photography Editor | Magali GauthierSenior Layout Editor | Robert Wojkiewicz

Layout Editor | Beth AskinsLayout Editor |Morey Spellman

Multimedia Editor | Brenda RamirezNational Beat Reporter | Allyson Werner

Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Giuseppe RicapitoPromotion and Distribution Director | Jordan Wolff

Advertising Director | Marissa PerezStaff Adviser | Monica Lopez

Writers: this issueJudy Lau, Giuseppe Ricapito, Lexi Weyrick, Travis Taborek, Julia Frazer, Allyson Werner, Cheyenne Ziermann, Madison Donahue-Wolfe, Coleman Gray, Emma

Boorman, Katie Moser, Chloe Babauta, Lena Garcia, Miranda Velasquez, Tara Ahi, Matt Mersel, Janani Ravikumar, Alexandra Idzal, Caley Seaton, Joshua Lee,

Jen Atkinson

Photographers: this issueLorenzo Basilio, Giuseppe Ricapito, Benjamin Hurst, Travis Taborek, Magali Gauthier

Illustrators: this issueBeth Askins, Silvia Quach

The Bottom Line is sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff , AS,

or UCSB. Published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (genprogress.org). All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to

bottomlineucsb@gmail.com or content.tbl@gmail.com.

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CAUSE Rallies in Support of Immigration ReformTh e Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16News

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN DUE TO SEVERE BIPARTISANSHIP

by Allyson WernerNATIONAL BEAT REPORTER

NATIONAL BEAT REPORT

TBL 2013-2014 Staff

STANLEY’S POLL REPORTTBL welcomes Stanley the Stork. He was discovered this summer on the steps of Storke Tower, lost and forlorn, with nothing but a copy of TBL in his beak. Now he has become an unoffi cial part of our family, helping deliver your news to you every week.

by Travis Taborek

2

In light of recent calls by the Demo-cratic Party for immigration reform, a Santa Barbara-based non-profi t

grassroots organization known as the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy organized a rally outside of the Santa Barbara Courthouse Saturday, Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. In preparing for the event, CAUSE worked in conjunction with other local activists and the support of the Latino communities of the Santa Barbara and Ventura county areas, taking part in one of a multitude of similar events occurring across the state and the nation in what has been termed the “National Day for Im-migrant Dignity and Respect.” “This is absolutely critical legislation that touches at our most basic fundamental values,” said Maricela Morales, the Deputy Executive Director for CAUSE. “Every day an average of 1,100 family members are deported because they’re undocu-mented. That’s 1,100 families that are split apart.” Among a number of other progressive causes and social justice issues, CAUSE also works as an advocacy group for unrep-resented and marginalized communities such as those for undocumented immigrants. “Numerous research reports have shown that our undocumented immi-grant community is absolutely vital to our economy,” Morales said. “There are an estimated 100,000 undocumented people in the two county area of Santa Barbara and Ventura county. Imagine obliterating 100,000 people. What would that do to our local economies?” On Oct. 2, Democrats in the House of Representatives proposed HR 15, a bill intended to reform national immigration laws and to facilitate the legalization of undocumented immigrants. Included in the agenda for those present at the rally was to show support for the bill and to express concern that the recent government shutdown would inhibit the bill from being passed at a crucial time for the Latino com-munity and at a necessary juncture in the history of immigration reform. “It is so important that we advocate for immigration reform today, because with

this distraction going on the House of Representatives could easily forget to move forward with this very important piece of legislation for our community,” said First District Supervisor County Supervisor Sa-lud Carbajal, a keynote speaker at the event. “The Latino community through its labor has contributed greatly towards the pros-perity of this country and we need to not let people forget that we are not a second priority, we are a priority for the Congress. Let’s keep the advocacy going forward.” Abigail Salizar, a second-year feminist studies and Chicano studies double major at University of California, Santa Barbara, is a member of IDEAS, a student-based advocacy and support group for undocu-mented students at UCSB, and was also invited to the rally as a keynote speaker. “It offers a very long time, a minimum of 13 years, into citizenship…we’re settling for something that is not truly comprehen-sive, and that is not for our community as a whole,” said Salizar. “Very few people are going to qualify. Our community deserves a fast track to citizenship because we fought for it. We work, we pay taxes, we do everything that a normal citizen does. I think that settling for immigration reform is not cutting it.” Janet Napolitano, the former Secretary of Homeland Security, was recently ap-pointed as the President of the UC system. Concern has been expressed that her in-statement as president of the University of California is not only disrespectful but even potentially threatening to Latino students and UC students of undocumented status, given the fact that due to her previous occupation she has been at least indirectly responsible for the deportation of undocu-mented immigrants and their families. “The position of IDEAS [in terms of the appointment of Napolitano] is that we are in no confi dence with her,” Salizar said. “Undocumented student groups all over California have come together and for-mulated a set of demands, and until those demands are not met we will still continue to have no confi dence stances against her.”

The United States government shut down on Monday, Sept. 30, when the Republican-controlled House and the Obama administration failed to agree on fi nancing the government, and the federal government essentially ran out of money. The stalemate occurred shortly before midnight after a long budget standoff , largely due to a long debate over the Aff ordable Care Act, known also as “Obamacare.” House Republicans have continu-ously sought to delay the implemen-tation of the health care law since it was passed almost three year ago and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012. In the hours leading up to the fi scal year deadline, House Republicans won approval, in a vote of 228-201, of a new plan to tie government spending to a one-year delay in a requirement that individuals buy health insurance. In other words, their budget plan would cut funding for the Obama administra-tion’s health care act. Only 57 minutes later, the Democrat-controlled Senate refused the House health care provisions and sent their six-week stopgap spending bill, which is largely free of policy prescriptions, right back to the House. Earlier in the day, the Senate had taken less than 25 minutes to convene and dispose of a diff erent weekend budget proposal by the House Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed his disapproval with the Republican-controlled house and the back-and-forth game playing. “They’ve lost their minds,” Reid said. “They keep trying to do the same thing over and over again.” Similarly, House GOP leaders said in a brief statement, “We will do our

job and send this bill over, and then it’s up to the Senate to pass it and stop a government shutdown.” The House’s most headstrong conservatives were persistent in seeing their eff orts through until an inevitable shutdown. The shutdown and the in-ability to compromise have tested the patience of voters and more moderate Republicans. “You have this group that keeps saying somehow if you’re not with them, you’re for Obamacare,” said Devin Nunes, a Republican from California. “If you’re not with exactly their plan, ex-actly what they want to do, then you’re somehow for Obamacare, and it’s just getting a little old.” The two bodies have come close to failing to fi nance the government several times before, but always came to a last-minute resolution. The president signed a measure late Monday that would allow mem-bers of the military to continue to be paid; however, according to the New York Times, the shutdown meant that 800,000 workers would be asked to take a temporary leave from work without pay and that more than a mil-lion workers would be asked to work without pay. USA Today cited several government functions that would likely come to a halt. These include government agen-cies that rely yearly on congressional appropriations, such as the Pentagon and the National Park Service. Fortunately, Social Security, Medi-care, Medicaid, and other programs that are funded automatically each year escaped the worst eff ects.

Photos by Travis Taborek | The Bottom Line

The crowd at the Immigration Reform Rally in front of the Santa Barbara Courthouse on Oct. 5, 2013.

Abigail Salizar, UC student and member of IDEAS, speaks at the Immigration Reform Rally in front of the Santa Barbara Courthouse on Oct. 5, 2013.

Salud Carbajal, the First District Supervisor for Santa Barbara County, speaks at the Immigration Reform Rally in front of the Santa Barbara Courthouse on Oct. 5, 2013.

Illustration by Beth Askins | Layout Editor

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Wednes-day, Sept. 25, that would increase Califor-nia’s minimum wage to $10 an hour within the next three years. The current minimum wage, $8 an hour, will be raised to $9 an hour on July 1, 2014, then to the fi nal wage of $10 an hour on January 1, 2016. This bill, the fi rst manda-tory wage increase in nearly fi ve years, comes as a welcome change for California workers. Brown commented that the hourly in-crease would help to close the space be-tween “workers at the bottom and those who occupy the commanding heights of the economy.” Increase in the California minimum wage is forecasted to benefi t at least 3 million workers in the state. Census data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute reveals that approximately 90 percent of the workers who will receive a raise are adults over the age of 20, and 81 percent have some college education. Those who opposed the bill, including Republicans and business owners, declared that raising the hourly minimum could drive up business costs unmanageably. “Small business owners will now be forced to make tough choices including re-ducing employee hours, cutting positions entirely, and for many, closing their doors altogether,” said John Kabateck, executive director of California’s branch of the Nation-al Federation of Independent Business. Since its conception in 1938 at $0.16 an hour, the minimum wage increased with infl ation until reaching its height in 1968. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer price Index infl ation calculator, the 1968 minimum wage of $1.60 an hour would be $10.56 today. This recent bill does not contain provi-sions to proportionally increase the mini-mum wage with infl ation. Instead, further action by California Legislature must be taken to increase the hourly wage. In the coming years, several other states, including Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Massa-chusetts, Minnesota, Illinois, and South Da-kota plan to follow California’s actions and raise their minimum wage.

California Minimum Wage to

Increase in 2014

SAnTA BArBArA CITY CoUnCIl BAnS PlASTIC BAGS

[“Small business own-ers will now be forced to make tough choices including reducing em-ployee hours, cutting positions entirely, and for many, closing their doors altogether.”

-John Kabateck, National Federation of Independent Business.

3

by Julia Frazer

Th e Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16News

Photo Courtesy | http://ag.ca.gov/about.php

Although opposition from groups like the Save the Plastic Bag Coali-tion was strong, councilmembers voted 6-0 to pass the ordinance and have agreed to enact it within six months. Th e fi rst stores to be aff ected will be large grocery stores and pharmacies that consist of 10,000 square feet or more; aft er another six months, smaller food-selling businesses will also be forced to comply with the new regula-tions. Overall, around 85 stores will be aff ected by the new ordinance. Th ird-year Tayler Reinman, a member of University of California, Santa Barbara’s Environmental Aff airs Board, considered the council’s decision a success. “Santa Barbara is pretty far along compared to other places, but there is still room for improvement,” Reinman said. According to Reinman, EAB and other campus organizations already encourage students to use reusable bags when shopping, which is why she is so supportive of the new measure. “It’s a big step in the right direction because it’s easy and accessible to everyone,” Reinman said. CALPIRG, another campus organization that has helped ban the use of plastic bags in over 80 cities and counties in California, spent the past three years raising awareness about the environmental hazards of using plastic bags. Working together with groups like EAB and the Coastal Commission, the organization lead citizen outreach programs and handed out petitions to UCSB students and other Santa Barbara citizens. CALPIRG delivered thousands of signed petitions to the council meet-ing on Tuesday, when the ordinance was voted on. “It’s a big deal,” said Kat Lockwood, campus organizer for UCSB’s CALPIRG chapter. “You won’t be able to get plastic bags in any grocery stores, even on campus.” Aft er receiving more than 7,000 signed petitions, Lockwood is confi dent that UCSB students will be pleased with the council’s decision to enact a ban on plastic bags. “Students are pretty excited about it, there was a ton of support on campus,” said Lockwood. “It’s exciting to see this victory actually come to fruition in real life.” Th e main argument in support of the measure was the threat plastic bags pose to our oceans and marine life. Since plastic bags are not biodegradable and are frequently thrown away aft er use, they oft en end up in the ocean, potentially harming fi sh and birds who can get caught in the bags and die as a result. Many of these plastic bags end up joining the Great Pacifi c Garbage Patch, a trash heap consisting of millions of tons of plastic that is found off the coast of the Pacifi c. According to the Community Environmental Council (CEC), Santa Barbara residents use 47 million plastic bags per year. Although plastic bags can be reused for things like lining trash bins, eliminating them altogether can signifi cantly lower the amount of plastic bags used annually. At the meeting, the CEC also noted that supermarkets in other areas where plastic bags are banned have seen a 94 percent decrease in plastic bag use. Even though plastic bags will no longer be distributed freely, they will still be available for purchase at 10 cents a bag, for customers who forget their reusable bags or are unaware of the ban. “Th at’s defi nitely an incentive for me to bring my own bags,” third-year student Paige Rutten said. “I can’t really aff ord to spend 10 cents per bag every time I get groceries.” Similar bans on plastic bags exist throughout California in cities includ-ing Los Angeles, San Jose, and Berkeley. Santa Barbara’s ordinance will go into eff ect in April 2014.

In an eff ort to promote the use of reus-able shopping bags in order to benefi t

the environment, the Santa Barbara City Council passed an ordinance on Tuesday, Oct. 1, banning the distribution of plastic bags within city limits.

Photo Courtesy | The City of Santa Barbara

]“Santa Barbara is pretty far along com-pared to other places, but there is still room for improvement... It’s a big step in the right direction because it’s easy and accessible to everyone.”]

-Tayler Reinman, UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board

BY THE NUMBERS:

47 MILLION 7,000 80 94 PERCENT

Supermarkets in other areas where plastic bags are

banned have seen a 94 percent de-crease in plastic

bag use.

CALPIRG, a cam-pus organization that has helped ban the use of plastic bags in

over 80 cities and counties in California.

CALPIRG collected more than 7,000 signed petitions to help the plas-tic bag legislation

move forward.

According to the Community Envi-ronmental Council (CEC), Santa Bar-bara residents use 47 million plastic bags per year.

]]“It’s a big deal... You won’t be able to get plastic bags... even on campus. Students are pretty excited about it... It’s exciting to see this victory actually come to fruition in real life.”

-Kat Lockwood, campus organizer for UCSB’s CALPIRG chapter

oleWAnTS YoU!Interested in working for Th e Bottom Line? Come check out our weekly staff meetings, Tuesdays at 7pm in the AS Annex building and show us what you got.

[

Gov. Jerry Brown signs bill on Sept. 25, 2013, that will increase California’s minimum wage to $10 over the next three years.

The mayor and city council of Santa Barbara passed an ordinance to ban plastic bags within city limits on Oct. 1, 2013.

by Cheyenne Ziermann

Those big brown eyes, that ador-able wagging tail, and the endless number of cuddle sessions – how could anyone possibly resist the allure of becoming a proud new owner of a soft, playful, and loving pet? However, the excessively large number of animal shelters spread throughout Santa Barbara County may provide further insight into why it’s wise to think twice before welcoming a new furry member into your home. “If you’re thinking of getting a pet, make sure you’re in a stable living situation and you’re ready for that responsibility,” said Jen-nifer Sirak, adoption attendant at DAWG animal shelter.

Santa Barbara County is home to over 20 animal shelters. On Over-pass Road in Goleta, there are five in close proximity: Animal Shelter As-sistance Program (ASAP), Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (BUNS), Dog Adoption and Welfare Group (DAWG), Santa Barbara County Animal Services, and Santa Barbara Humane Society. A large popula-tion of the animals at these shelters come from students who can no longer take care of their pets and are forced to give them away for various reasons: strict landlords, moving back home, insufficient funds, too much responsibility added to an al-ready hectic schedule, or disapprov-ing roommates. The workers and volunteers at these shelters know all too well how the impulsive decisions of students have a great impact on the animals that live here.

“A lot of time people don’t think through the decision to adopt a cat, they have a hard time finding housing that accepts cats, roommates don’t want a cat, ani-mals don’t get along with other ani-mals, and there are a lot of strays,” said Rhonda Douglas, President of ASAP. Each animal shelter on Over-pass Road has a distinct function. ASAP only takes in cats, mostly strays they find on the street in ad-dition to the ones given to them by students. ASAP takes in about 1,200 cats per year. More often than not, due to overcrowding, many shelters are forced to euthanize animals in order to make room for more; however, ASAP does not eu-thanize their cats. Eventually all the cats get adopted, and they are only put to sleep for untreatable health problems that make them unable to

be adopted. DAWG is another shelter that does not put their animals to sleep. At DAWG, they take in dogs from high kill shelters. Their main pur-pose is to eliminate the euthaniza-tion of dogs in other shelters. They also take in dogs whose owners can no longer take care of them. DAWG generally takes in an average of 7 dogs per week. “For students who already have, or are thinking of getting a pet, it’s important you keep things at home calm and maintain a safe environment for pets,” said Sirak. Party scenes are not good for them. Douglas, with a similar recom-mendation, said, “Before adopting a pet ask your landlords and room-mates to make sure you’re allowed to have them. Make sure you’re liv-ing in one place for a while, think ahead.”

The workers at each shelter expressed how hard it is to watch people adopt these animals with-out putting a lot of thought into it, because they don’t want to see these pets come back. Each worker and volunteer really wants to encourage people to make responsible deci-sions. Many students think it would be nice to have a pet in their house or apartment, and often disregard the fact that they are very busy with school and other outside activities, not to mention that some places in Isla Vista may not even allow pets. So, if you’re thinking about adopting a pet, think about if it’s the right time for you. Do you re-ally want to commit? Are you ready to handle the responsibility on top of your already stressful workload? Think about how this big step will affect not only you, but also – more importantly – the animal.

For those who tried to access the Pavilion Gym this past week and were met with yellow barricades, locked doors, and mean-looking se-curity guards, have no fear because those obstacles are now gone. How-ever, those who succeeded in getting in on Thursday, Oct. 4, got to experi-ence an exciting and classy exhibition put on by the NBA’s Sacramento Kings in order to give back to the University of California, Santa Bar-bara community that hosted them this past week. With their season opener at the end of the month and their first preseason game on Oct. 7, the Kings chose to hold their training camp at our very own facilities from Oct.

If you’re looking for a bargain on everyday odds and ends, the thrift store at Friendship Manor is an ideal place to begin your search. Started before 1970, the thrift store on the ground floor of Friendship Manor, located on El Colegio and Los Car-neros, has everything you need to update a wardrobe, furnish an apartment, or put together a Halloween costume. The man-agers of the store, June Aldecoa and Judy Martinez, will greet you with a warm smile and provide a wide array of clothes, furniture, and decorations. Most of the items for sale are donations, and over the years the store has been operating, these donations have added up to fill two large rooms. As Aldecoa, four-year resident of Friendship Manor and manager of the thrift store, explains, “We’re very inexpensive. I’ve been around to every thrift shop in Santa Barba-ra and we have the best prices, and that’s on purpose. We make them affordable.” Assistant manager Shirley Bagwell adds, “Sometimes we have exactly what they want, and sometimes they have to wait a little bit. It’s the kind of place you can’t come once and say ‘I’ve been there,’ because it’s ever constantly changing. We’re much smaller than other thrift stores, but we have bigger bargains.” “Right now we’re making about $500 a month,” Aldecoa says. “That’s down, because there was a long period of time we were drawing in $800-1000, but along with everything else in

I Wear Your Granddad’s

Clothes. I look incredible.

Kings put on Show of Gratitude for UCSB Community

the world, the economy played a part.” Aldecoa explains that the profits earned from the thrift store go directly back to Friendship Manor to fund manor-wide activities and other forms of entertainment. “One of the manor-wide activities made possible by the thrift store is a fashion show, which is put on a few times a year,” Aldecoa says. “The women come down and model our clothes and they get to keep what they pick out. The women in the show are residents here, and we have no limit on shape or size or age.”

The prices in the store range depending on what you are looking for. Tops for men and women are $2 apiece, sweaters are $3, jackets $5, dresses range from $4-$8, while shoes and purses are $2. “There’s no set price for furniture,” Aldecoa ex-plains, “but we’re very inexpensive.” Many University of Califor-nia, Santa Barbara students come through the store for different occa-sions. “Sometimes we get UCSB stu-

dents through here who are looking to make up their costumes for Halloween,” says Aldecoa. “There are also students who come through here looking to furnish their apartments, and then a lot of them have brought stuff to us when they left.” Martinez, past manager and 13-year resident of Friendship Manor, explains that many UCSB students visit the home. “Lots of UCSB students come to help out in the kitchen,” Martinez said. “We’re also having a Halloween dance – sorority kids are coming to dance with us.” When asked about her thoughts on the Isla Vista commu-

1 through Oct. 6. Throughout the week, the Kings quietly and unas-sumingly went on about their busi-ness, more focused on uniting their revamped roster and coaching staff than on reasserting their celebrity. However, when the opportunity came to demonstrate their gratitude, the team obliged by putting on a memorabilia giveaway and a star- and student-studded 3-point shoot-ing contest culminating in a half-court shot from star power forward Demarcus Cousins and a shower of applause from the roughly 100 stu-dent fans in attendance. “They didn’t have to do this for the students at all. The Kings them-selves wanted to come out here and give everyone a show,” said third-year philosophy major and 3-point contestant Garrison Nikolous En-

Features The Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16

Photo by Benjamin Hurst | The Bottom Line

by Coleman GraySTAFF WRITER

Poppin’ tags at Friendship Manor Thrift Store

by Madison Donahue-Wolfe

by Miranda Velasquez

4

nity and its residents, Martinez gave a few kind words. “They have really settled down over the years,” she explains. “When anyone comes in here from around the town, they’re very well-mannered.” The thrift store is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10-11:30 a.m. When you visit this quaint little shop, you’ll enjoy friendly company, low prices, and a wide selection of bargain goods. There is a little something for everyone, whether it be a vintage dress or a comfortable piece of furniture, and it’s also great to know that your money will help fund activities for the friendly residents of Friendship Manor. This little gem is defi-nitely worth a browse.

Think Twice Before Adopting

riquez. And what a show it was, as Garrison and another UCSB student competed with former col-legiate All-Americans Cousins, Jim-mer Fredette, and Ben McLemore, as well as a “mystery student” in the shootout. But it was the shooting prowess of the unknown contestant “Vinny,” who introduced himself as a “16th year senior studying surfboard aerodynamics,” that truly stole the show. The shooting clinic put on by this mysterious marksman (who was actually NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin), in which he made 14 of his 15 shots and reaffirmed himself as one of basketball’s all-time great shooters, even overshadowed the more than respectable nine that local favorite Enriquez made. In the end, Demarcus Cousins won the 3-point contest after mak-

Students Encouraged to Practice Responsible Pet Adoption

ing the winning half-court shot on only his second attempt, but it was not so much about the 3-point com-petition as it was about the act itself. Afterwards, Kings players made themselves available to students for autographs, meetings, and pictures; this is a now-rare phenomenon with the ever-increasing privatization and isolation in the world of professional athletes. However, by giving back, the Kings organization and their players demonstrated real class during this

very public demonstration and, I’m sure, made more than a few new fans among the student body along the way. As Garrison Nikolous Enriquez so aptly put it, “it wasn’t for them, it was for us.” The Kings organization’s professionalism and their attention to our school is commendable. They definitely did not need to put on this show, but they did it anyway, and they would be gladly welcomed back here next year.

Students wait in line and receive T-shirts before entering the Pavilion Gym at the Rec Cen on Oct. 4, 2013.

Photos by Magali Gauthier | Photo Editor

Hall of Famer Chris Mullin shoots a basket during the shootout in the Pavilion Gym at the Rec Cen on Oct. 4, 2013.

Sacramento Kings’ Ben McLemore shoots a basket during the shootout in the Pavillion Gym at the Rec Cen on Oct. 4, 2013.

Judy Martinez of the Friendship Manor thrift store in Santa Barbara poses at the front desk on Oct. 5, 2013.

5

Arts & Entertainment Th e Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16

Typically, watching a ballet comes with the expecta-tion of seeing a story. Th e most well-known ballets, such as “Swan Lake” and “Th e Nutcracker,” follow a clear sequence of events in spite of the lack of dialogue. Th is ability to tell a story through dance and music alone is already remarkable. Even more impres-sive is the potential of a dance to communicate ideas, emotions, connections between people, and anything else an audience can interpret during a two hour performance. On Oct. 2, the American contemporary ballet com-pany, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, performed at Santa Barbara’s Granada Th eatre and demonstrated instead, the transformative potential of dance.<! –more –>Rather than telling a story, the dancers in King’s company interacted with each other, the music, the set, and the audience in a way that transcended storytelling, speaking to the individual souls of audience members. Set in a dark space, the fi rst piece, “Meyer,” seemed all at once to balance the elements of natural and other-worldly, add-ing to the mystery and ambiguity of a performance that lacked a linear plot. Th e dark clouds and glowing rain in the background

suggested the dancers existed in a world with some kind of plau-sible natural cycle, while the movements and music created a dis-tance between reality and the show. Th e energy of the performers fl uctuated, eliciting a wide range of responses from the audience. Certain actions of the dancers, the way one would fall, drag an-other one across the stage, toss and lick pieces of paper, or bathe in the shining rain would make people laugh, cheer, and quietly gasp simultaneously. Th e wild gestures and evocative music allowed the audience to witness physical and emotional connections that ordi-nary experiences cannot off er. Th e second piece, “Resin,” introduced more interac-tive elements for the dancers to work with on stage. Th e dancers bathed in what looked like streams of shining sand, leaving resi-due to be kicked up and slid on throughout the rest of the perfor-mance.Th e added lyrics and spoken word also created an increased sense of purpose in the second half of the show, although that pur-pose is still ambiguous. Th e words were captivating, but the music, which King cited as “from the Jewish diaspora all over the world,” made it diffi cult to understand yet aurally pleasing. Like the fi rst

piece, “Resin” off ered no clear story but provoked a great amount of sensuality and emotion. Aft er the performance, King answered audience ques-tions, many of which pertained to the meaning and purpose be-hind his show, a show that was left entirely open to the interpreta-tion of each viewer. His answers were not helpful to those seeking clear answers; instead, he told the audience that “everyone already knows what it’s about.” He elaborated, calling the show a “soul-to-soul greeting, heart-to-heart meeting.” For those who need to look for clarity in everything, this answer could be seen as unsatis-factory. However, the ballet’s lack of a clear message was a liberat-ing and relaxing experience. King off ered a performance that did not require a critical eye; it could simply be felt and enjoyed. In the absence of clear meaning, the company visually and passionately portrayed what it feels like to be a human – more accurately than a plot-driven dance would have. King’s ballet demonstrated what it really means to be alive in a world where resolutions and purpose can be nonexistent.

Haim: ‘Days Are Gone’

When Haim’s fi rst sin-gle, “Forever,” made its round in 2012, Haim almost instantly be-came the newest dar-lings of the Internet music scene. Featur-ing a polished sound that evokes the soft-rock of the 1980s with a modern, harder sensibility, Haim released their debut album “Days Are Gone” on Sept. 27, which features their brilliant single as well as 10 other praiseworthy songs.

Dr. Dog has further em-braced their early lo-fi tones and built an en-tirely new studio within an abandoned silversmith mill for their eighth album “B-Room,” released Oct. 1. As I do with every new Dr. Dog album, I recommend

it. However, that recommendation comes with a warning: if you don’t like this album, you will probably not like much of what Dr. Dog has done in the past.

by Coleman GraySTAFF WRITER

Dr. Dog: ‘B-Room’ by Coleman Gray

STAFF WRITER

by Lena Garcia

Known as a founding father of mainstream experimental electronic music, Richard Melville Hall, better known as Moby, has 20 years of highly esteemed discog-raphy to live up to. On Oct. 1, Moby released his eleventh studio al-bum, “Innocents,” and once again transcends the label of American electronic dance music. Collaborating with international folk and soul artists, Moby creates lay-ered tracks that feature ambient, electronic, soul, and rock.

Moby: ‘Innocents’

Photo by Benjamin Hurst | Th e Bottom Line

All Bad Things Must Come To An

enD.

Warning: Th is article contains spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the “Breaking Bad” series fi nale yet, fol-low Dean Norris’ (a.k.a. “Hank”) advice and “take your spoiler like a man.” Th ey say that all bad things must come to an end, and for “Breaking Bad” and Walter White (Bryan Cranston), they did. Th e day fans across the nation anticipated came on the last Sunday of September: the “Breaking Bad” series fi nale, “Felina.” Th e show’s creator, writer, and director, Vince Gilligan, did not disappoint. Th roughout the series, Gilligan and his writing team delivered episode aft er episode of excellent storytelling. Although I’ll miss my Sunday night fi xes of the show (as Tuco would say, “it’s tight tight tight!”), I respect Break-ing Bad’s producers for ending the show at this point. In television it’s best to quit while you’re ahead rather than drag out a show for too long, to the point that a series loses much of its original spark, as with “How I Met Your Mother” or “Th e Simpsons.” However, “Breaking Bad” sustained suspense for fi ve years and ended the series at its peak. A lot of people wanted Walt to die in the fi nale because of all the horrible deeds he’s done throughout the series – some of which include poisoning a child, watching Jesse Pinkman’s (Aaron Paul) girlfriend choke to death on her own vomit, and blowing half of Gus Fring’s face off . All sins aside, I’m a huge fan of Walt – he’s incred-ibly intelligent, yet fl awed in his hubris, and is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever seen on television. All parts of the fi nale’s plot continue to prove exactly how smart Walt is – the way he can manipulate others, his ability to craft plans, and his execution of these plans to a calculated perfection. “Felina” showcases Walt’s brilliant mind and follows his fi nal master plan. He and the series go out with a bang – quite literally, as he sets off an automatic machine gun to take out the Aryan Brotherhood. Several motifs run throughout the fi nale, which USA Today highlighted concisely: revenge, redemption, and release. Th e episode not only uses these motifs for the characters, but for the audience as well. Th e fi nale’s plot structures around Wal-ter White’s process of tying loose ends for himself, for the cancer that started his life as a drug lord is back, and he knows he won’t live much longer. As Walt ties his own

loose ends, Gilligan does the same for his audience. In “Felina,” we follow Walt as he takes care of un-fi nished business: he confronts Gretchen and Elliot, and he fi gures out a way to give his money to his family; we see him fi nally use the Ricin, also killing Lydia (who had it coming); he gets his revenge on the Aryan Brother-hood who killed Hank in cold blood and stole millions of dollars from Walt’s stash; and lastly, he says goodbye to his family. One of the most satisfying scenes was when Walt fi nally admitted – to Skyler, to the audience, and to himself – that despite the many times he claimed he lived his life as Heisenberg for his family, he ultimately did it for himself. As a character who spent most of the series nearing death, he admits that his life of crime was the only thing that made him feel truly alive. As he re-solves all these external and internal confl icts, the audi-ence also gets the satisfaction of seeing these resolutions in the story. In addition to Walt’s resolutions, we also get to see Jes-se have his fair ending. My worst fear about this episode was that Jesse would be killed. Not only did Jesse live, but he also got to have his fi nal revenge on both Todd and Walt. I’ve never been as happy to see a character killed on TV as I was to see Todd die. Nobody deserved to die on this show more than his character. I can only imagine Jes-se’s thoughts as he choked Todd with the shackles Todd had used to enslave him: “payback, bitch!”. Jesse also gets to fi nally stand up to Walt, aft er all the times Walt ma-nipulated him in the past. I also hoped to see some sort of reconciliation between the pair in the fi nale, seeing as Walt and Jesse’s relationship is arguably one of the most compelling love stories on television. In the end, “Felina” delivered. Th e fi nale closes beautifully with the Badfi nger song “Baby Blue,” which encompasses Walter’s love for his craft and the unbeatable, high-quality product that made him a legend. Walter falls to the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood with his arms spread wide, embracing death and the end of his epic legacy with no regrets. Watching Walter accept his end, I too could feel the same sense of closure. Although all bad things must come to an end, I’m honored to have been able to go through this journey with Walt. As always, well played, Vince Gilligan. Very well played.

L I N E SAlonzo King’s

by Emma BoormanSTAFF WRITER

by Chloe Babauta

Bluegrass music is both the epitome and the roots of Ameri-cana. Amid the latest pop hits and R&amp;B stars, bluegrass has re-mained timeless in America for centuries. Composed of four Blue-grass Hall of Famers and two Grand Ole Opry members, the Masters of Bluegrass graced the stage of Camp-bell Hall this past Th ursday, Oct. 3. Th ese musicians include J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Jerry McCoury, Bob-by Osborne, and Del McCoury. Th e Masters of Bluegrass opened up their set with a lively ode to the “hills of old Virginia” to much applause. I was curious to see who attends bluegrass performances, and to my surprise, the audience was not made up of mostly white-haired pa-trons as I had expected. Th e demographics of the audience

by Katie Moser included a noticeably younger crowd; perhaps these students mainly attend-ed to receive credit for University of California, Santa Barbara’s Music 16 class, but they nonetheless seemed just as eager as their older peers to hear the music from the Masters. When the men came out, one stuck out in particular. Th e man-dolin player, Osborne, was decked out in an electric blue suit and a spar-kly, wide-brimmed hat, in contrast to the other members’ black suits. Th e sounds Osborne created on his man-dolin were also unique, as seen early on in the performance with old clas-sics such as “Cheyenne” and “Tearfree Lady.” He would pluck the strings in a way that had the eff ect of a clopping horse, or at times, falling leaves. In between songs the band would playfully banter and whisper, giving the eff ect I was right in the middle of their own personal

jam session. Th eir on-stage commu-nication was fun, as they recounted tales of their 50-plus years of experi-ence performing at bluegrass festivals and writing songs. At other times, the band’s whispering and laughing was a little distracting while McCoury or Osborne would be introducing the next song. Sometimes the on-stage murmurs felt as though members had forgotten what song was supposed to come next and were having a group consultation. All these distractions were soon forgotten when the Masters be-gan to play their music. Every instru-ment was able to perfectly weave into the sounds of the other musical instru-ments, and the band members looked like they were having a great time just doing their thing. Even the stoic banjo player, Crowe, cracked a smile during the gospel song “Tallyho Crossroad.” Every member of the band

had a chance to sing a song that either he had either written or which show-cased his particular instrument. While the genre of the performance was clear-ly bluegrass, there were many diff erent styles and topics for everyone in the audience to enjoy, including songs of family, love, cheating lovers, wild par-ties, spirituality, and achieving personal aspirations. However, aft er the fi rst half of the performance, it become more and more diffi cult to diff erentiate be-tween the happier songs from the sad-der ones, as almost all the songs played had an upbeat melody and rhythm. As the band attempted to play their grand fi nale “Rocky Town,” they were met with protests from the audience. Audience members familiar with the work from these famous song writers began to call out requests, and one member in particular asked that the 10-time Grammy winner Hicks be permitted to sing another song. With

some laughter and another mini-group consultation, the Masters of Bluegrass obliged, and Hicks wowed the crowd with “I’ll Love Nobody But You” and, another song request, “Take Me In Your Lifeboat.” It was clear that the band had not practiced those songs religiously, but one could only tell by sight. To my ears, the songs were perfectly executed, as the band quickly got on the same tune and timing. Th e only way I could tell the songs were not regularly prac-ticed was because the eyes of the band were on the hands of the fi ddler Hicks, as they were following his lead. Overall, the performance by the Masters of Bluegrass was anything but boring, and the energy of the audi-ence, the liveliness of the music, and the passion of the players could be felt the whole night.

Masters of Bluegrass Perform at Campbell Hall

Dancers for the Alonzo King LINES Ballet perform at Granada Theater as a part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures fall program on Oct. 2, 2013.

Photo Courtesy | quangdung_1980Photo Courtesy | www.haimtheband.com

Photo Courtesy | www.drdogmusic.com

Photo Courtesy | www.moby.com

Check out other album reviews on in the A&E section of our website at thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu

According to the SpaceX website, the latest launch implemented the use of nine proprietary Merlin engines formed in an Octoweb pat-tern. The pattern clusters the nine engines together, with eight engines surrounding a central engine. The company states that this design makes the rocket the most reliable launch vehicle in use today, since it is able to still complete its mission successfully with up to two engine shutdowns. Falcon 9 has made six launches since June of 2010, all of them suc-cessful. The most recent launch has taken the rocket one step closer to being human-rated, or certified for human transport, while also being

the first launch out of the new launch facility at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. The success of the launch also bodes well for the more immediate future of commercial satellite launches. The Falcon 9 launch rocket has helped to launch another space vehicle developed by SpaceX, the Dragon spacecraft, into orbit. Its pressurized capsule has already successfully traveled from Earth to the International Space Station with supplies and is expected to carry hu-man passengers in the future. NASA has stated that SpaceX takes a much cheaper approach to rocket design and engineering than NASA itself traditionally takes in contracting rockets. NASA has contributed to the funding of SpaceX, and due to the private partnerships that SpaceX utilizes, the idea of realistic commercial space travel is in fact tangible. The success that SpaceX is having is also paving the way for other private partnership companies to build off of what Falcon 9 has thus far been able to accomplish. The addition of more companies, such as Orbital Sciences Corporation and AERA Corporation, working to make space travel open to the public turns the idea into a more solid reality. SpaceX estimates the cost of travel to be about $1,864 per pound when the rocket is carrying its maximum cargo weight. The high cost will likely serve as a barrier to most consumers. The success of the Falcon 9 launch trials mark an advancement in the world of commercial space travel, making the future of commercial space exploration by companies such as SpaceX promising.

Science & Tech The Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16

Commercial Space Travel: The Future Is Now

by Lexi Weyrick

The new school year has begun, and with new classes and work comes the stress we’ve all become so familiar with. It can be hard to get your footing within the first couple of weeks, and so mething as small as forgetting to charge your computer can set you back. On days like this, little “life hacks” can be incredibly use-ful. Here are three easy-to-imple-ment suggestions to help you get through those stressful days. 1) Do you find yourself having to leave your laptop with the charger perpetually plugged in? Does your laptop run out of battery way too quickly? When your charger isn’t plugged in, turn your brightness down to the lowest it can possibly go (where you can still see what’s on the screen, of course). The power drain should slow down significantly. To save even more battery, turn off the backlight on your keyboard – I know it looks cool, but you’re not going to be typing in the dark for the most part, so you don’t need it. Additionally, emergency chargers can be made pretty easily on the fly, if you can get your hands on a USB charging cable, a car charger adapter, and a 9-volt battery. Place the end of the car adapter

on one node of the battery and use a coin to bridge the gap to the other. Voilà. 2) Do your cards no lon-ger swipe because too many scratches have marred the mag line? Lifehacker.com has a simple solution. Oftentimes, cashiers wrap plastic bags over cards and then swipe them, which usually works. In a similar vein, paint over the mag line with clear nail polish. Your borderline unusable card will now work like a brand new card – even in an ATM. 3) There is an art to napping, according to the Wall Street Jour-nal. Sara Mednick, an assistant psychology professor at Univer-sity of California Riverside, says that the most useful naps depend on what each individual napper needs. If you find it impossible to focus sometime in the middle of the day and all you want is to get a few minutes of shut-eye, then a 10 to 20 minute power nap should do it for you. But if you want a little extra push in remembering and memorizing things, your nap should be about an hour long. Avoid naps that are longer than 90 minutes, since you might as well just call it a day and go to bed early.

Have a safe, stress-free school year!

by Janani RavikumarSTAFF WRITER

Start the School Year Off Right With These Tech Tips

Researchers at the University of Washington are believed to have reached a technological milestone: the first human-to-human brain interface. One researcher, Rajesh Rao, sent a brain signal directly to colleague Andrea Stocco with electrical brain recordings and magnetic stimulation. This stimulation reached the left motor cortex region of Stocco’s brain through a coil he wore on his head, and caused his right index finger to move as Rao commanded. This experiment has been conducted between rats and even between a human and a rat at Duke University. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a common technol-ogy used to record brain activity, ideal as a noninvasive procedure. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used to induce a response, as is seen here on the motor cortex of Stocco’s brain. Students Matthew Bryan, Bryan Dju-naedi, Joseph Wu, Alex Dadgar, and Dev Sarma wrote computer code that translated the brain signals into a command to move Stocco’s head. “The internet was a way to connect computers, and now it can be a way to connect brains,” Stocco said. “We want to take the knowledge of a brain and transmit it directly from brain to brain.” The two researchers were in different rooms. Rao played a video game and mentally told himself to move his right hand without actually stirring. He had to train himself to transmit the brainwave for the command of moving his right finger so that the computer could

receive it. Stocco (who wore noise-canceling ear buds and did not look at a screen), across campus, almost immediately and involuntarily pressed the space bar in front of him as if to fire the cannon on Rao’s game. Chantel Prat, an assistant professor as well as Stocco’s wife and research partner, described the physics of the process. Once the precise brainwave is transmitted, it is sent to the computer connected to the transcranial magnetic stimulation device (connected to the motor cortex) via the Internet. The magnetic field change triggers the electrical current that sends a signal, which excites neurons and causes the movement. This could very well be the next step in the use of the Internet as a tool for information accessibility. This increasingly intimate interconnection between people could be used for complex cognitive skills and exercises with further research. This ties into the implications the technology has on education and training, Prat says, par-ticularly with knowledge that cannot be easily translated into words. Naturally, this spawns a large range of possibilities for usage. However, the scientists quickly assuaged worries of involuntary mind control or privacy invasion. The technology could be used to break down communica-tion barriers of all kinds, such as language or disability. It could also be used in urgent situations, as Stucco suggested, such as helping a passenger land an aircraft if the pilot is somehow indisposed. He and Rao plan to test more complex information transference on a larger pool of subjects.

UnIverSITY oF WAShInGTon AChIeveS FIrST hUMAn BrAIn-To-BrAIn InTerFACe

by Tara Ahi STAFF WRITER

Recently, the software company Valve, known for the popular “Half-Life,” “Portal,” and “Counter-Strike” game series as well as the gaming platform Steam, made a series of announcements regarding new products. Over three days, Valve announced a new series of home consoles dubbed “Steam Machines,” an operating system for the consoles called “SteamOS” and a new, innovative control-ler. These announcements have been a long time coming, and the large fan base that Valve has accrued over the years could basically ensure their financial success. However, the new products have not been met with universal praise due to some interesting design choices, especially when it comes to the controller. Chances are, if you’re a fan of Valve, you’ve already formed your own opinion of the new tech. However, for the casual game enthusiast who may not be aware of the announcements, let’s take a quick look at the most important information for each: This announcement contained the least amount of information, so we can move through it rather quickly. Important things to know are that the “Steam Machines” will come in several different varieties, they will all run SteamOS, and they will be able to be hacked/jailbroken. Not much else has been revealed about the hardware, but there is plenty to know about the software. So without further ado, let us turn to: The first of Valve’s three announcements, SteamOS will be the primary operating system for all of Steam’s future machines, and it will also available for other living room machines such as Raspberry Pi and other open-source computers. Features include the expected music and movie streaming services, family sharing for all of the Steam accounts and games in the household, and the abil-ity to stream games from the computer to the television. Also worthy of note—and the source of some con-troversy—is the decision to base SteamOS on the Linux operating system. Valve CEO Gabe Newell has frequently discussed his preference for Linux over Windows or Mac OS X, and the new operating system is the product of the extensive work he’s done with it. The issue is that very few consumers use Linux regularly, save for their Android mo-bile OS. In fact, Net Applications reports that Linux only

has a 1.66 percent share of computer operating systems. This means that many programs that would work with Windows won’t be able to with SteamOS. This caveat is much more important for gamers who also like to take control of their hardware, as the casual consumer wouldn’t probably think twice about it. However, they are an im-portant part of Valve’s user base and likely have more than a few follow-up questions. As it stands, though, SteamOS seems to hit all the expected notes while introducing some welcome features to Steam, such as game sharing and streaming capabilities. Of the three announcements, the Steam Controller certainly made the biggest splash. From the ground up, this new device is full of innovative technology, not all of which is being well received. The most controversial decision is also the most noticeable: the analog sticks are no more. Instead of the joysticks that console gamers have come to know and love, Valve has replaced them with dual trackpads that can more easily simulate mouse and keyboard configurations that PC gamers are accustomed to. In order to ease the transition, Valve has installed experimental haptic technology, which basically translates to force feedback. Traditional controllers are comfortable for many because the force feedback from joysticks and rumbling is strong and immediate. The Steam controller will have multiple touch-sensitive sensors placed under the trackpads that will ostensibly both solve the issue and present a better alternative. The structure of the controller seems to be roughly in line with the other gamepads that have been revealed for the new generation, but there are some interesting tweaks. There are 16 buttons, including the clickable trackpads and a central touchscreen, but the bindings for each can be changed, mimicking a keyboard and mouse setup. Also, the controller was designed to be hackable, so there’s no telling what interesting uses consumers will come up with. All in all, the Steam announcements paint an interest-ing picture of the future that Valve has envisioned for home gaming. It’s an immensely ambitious project, and only time will tell if the company will be able to make good on its promise of one catchall media experience. Console and PC gaming have long been separate enter-prises, but if Valve can deliver, it’s going to be an interest-ing future for the gaming industry.

PICkInG UP STeAM WITh vAlve'S neW AnnoUnCeMenTS

by Matt Mersel SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

In a pioneering step toward commercial space travel, company Space Exploration Technologies

launched a test rocket Saturday, Sept. 28, that suc-cessfully made it into orbit. The rocket, Falcon 9, was designed to allow SpaceX to eventually determine if they are ready to begin the commercial satellite launches they have projected for the end of this year.

NASA has stated that SpaceX takes a much cheaper approach to rocket design and engineering than NASA itself traditionally takes in contract-ing rockets.

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Illustration by Silvia Quach | Staff Illustrator

Photo Courtesy | Noah Dennis

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Space Exploration Technologies launches their test rocket, Falcon 9, on Sept. 28, 2013.

Neurobridge formed between two human brains through a computer.

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Opinions Th e Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16

With the rise of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, people tend to ignore the arguably outdated, less fl ashy, and more boring email. As a result, some people don’t check their emails nearly as oft en as they should. Unfortunately, I am one of these people. People come to me, telling me they sent me an email and asking why I never responded to it. Th e embarrassing part is that time and time again, I’ve lamely responded to such accusations with: “Sorry, I didn’t check my email.” And, each and every time, “I didn’t check my email” isn’t a valid enough excuse. Sometimes, I even get the response: “You’re on your laptop and phone all the time. How could you not check your email?” Th ere was a time when having an email address was one of the coolest things ever. If you wanted to sign up for anything – Amazon, EBay, iTunes, Neopets, Club Penguin – you needed an email address. Email was our primary means of communication, and large groups of people could easily keep in touch by just sending a single email to each of their friends at once. Much like Facebook’s messag-ing system, only a bit slower. Remember those

annoying chain mails that said you were going to die if you didn’t forward them to a certain number of people? Th ose wouldn’t exist with-out email either. Before long, sending emails became equivalent to physically writing and mailing letters to others, though you could also be rather informal in your emails if you so de-sired. It even had a nice little chat feature – long conversations in chat rooms with friends, of-tentimes with each person taking on a diff erent text color and font, provided legendary levels of fun. And if you had more than one email ad-dress, and on diff erent sites at that, then even better. However, thanks to an entity known as Facebook, all that has ended. With Facebook, people can communicate much more quickly and much more informally than they could in emails. It became less about com-munication and correspondence, though Face-book certainly provides the means, and more about broadcasting our lives to the world. And because all our friends are on Facebook any-way, we gradually stopped checking our emails because if we were to get anything from our friends, it wouldn’t come through email. Face-book became “cool” in the way email once was, and many college students, myself included, are guilty of neglecting their emails as a result. In

a way, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are like the latest fash-ion trends – everyone buys similar clothes and shoes and jewelry because it’s “cool” for now, completely ignoring old trends they once so strictly followed as their old clothes slowly make their way to the back of the closet. But here’s the problem – not every-one is on Facebook, and we can’t communicate with everyone that way. Our teachers, profes-sors, and TAs are much easier to contact via email than through Facebook. We all needed an email address to sign up for Facebook in the fi rst place, so everyone has one, right? But because professors primarily use email to con-tact us, their notices and messages oft entimes go completely ignored, or at least read much, much later, because college students no longer check their emails periodically. And, in extreme cases, students can even fall behind in class be-cause of a few missed emails. Since we can’t ex-pect everyone we know to be on Facebook, we should all at least check our emails periodically, because while it may not seem cool or fl ashy, email is a lot more practical and reliable than Facebook.

by Janani RavikumarSTAFF WRITER

Is 'I Didn't Check My Email' a Valid Excuse?

The willful ignorance on the part of these individuals is inexcusable. In the age of the information superhighway, there is no excuse for the lack of knowledge about Miss America’s heritage. But these comments point to a surprisingly controversial question: what does it mean to be an American? According to these tweets, it most certainly does not mean being of Indian origin. The problem with these tweets lays not so much in their blatant racism (although that is certainly a problem), but in their refusal to acknowledge that Davuluri is, in fact, Amer-ican. It is also worth noting that being of Arab descent does not make one un-American any more than being Indian does. We are a coun-try of immigrants, and all should be welcome here, no matter their country of origin. Refus-ing to accept Middle Eastern individuals as devoted and loyal citizens of our country is perpetuating a culture of fear, ignorance, and hate. Furthermore, accusing Davuluri of being a terrorist because she looks Arabic is indica-tive of a discriminatory and hateful mindset that no American should be proud of. Among the insults directed at Miss New York, there was praise for the “more American” Miss Kansas. @Kalebistoocute wrote “Man our president nor our new Miss America isn’t even American I’m sorry but Miss Kansas I salute you your [sic] the real American.” According to BuzzFeed.com, the most-shared photo of the evening was a four-frame composition of Miss Kansas, portraying her hunting and in a U.S. military uniform with the caption “real Miss America.” While it’s true that these traits do represent the average citi-zen in some parts of this country, no one per-son could equally represent all values of every part of this nation. In addition, according to the offi cial Miss America website, the winner of the Miss America is judged on how well the contestants portray “style, sophistication, and service,” not how she typifi es the average citizen. If representing the average Ameri-can were part of the criteria, the participants would certainly have to be a lot heavier. The comments and actions of these individuals have been disrespectful, not only to Davaluri but also to the judges who chose her and her fellow minority contestants. Da-vuluri has handled this mudslinging with grace and poise, proving herself to be, beyond doubt, a worthy Miss America.

NINA DAVULURI IS MISS AMERICA, AND SHE’S HERE TO STAY

by Alexandra Idzal

Photo Courtesy | stemoc

The Miss America pageant caused quite a stir this year when Miss New York,

Nina Davuluri, was crowned as the fi rst ever Miss America of Indian descent. Soon after, the Twittersphere exploded with accusations, insults, and racial slurs directed at Davuluri. JPL-man95 tweeted “Miss America? You mean Miss 7-11.” Perhaps more disturbing than the insult-ing Indian stereotypes were the accusations of Davuluri being an Arab terrorist. @SHANN_Wow asked, “Miss America right now or miss Al Qaeda?” while oth-ers, such as @jakeamick5, claim “She’s a [sic] Arab #idiots.”

Nina Davuluri, the former Miss New York and current Miss America 2014, is the fi rst Indian American to have won the pageant.

Th is response to the government shut down from Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren best captures the ever-present notion that our government has, as a whole, let the American people down. As a response to the Aff ordable Care Act being set in motion, de-spite the fact it had been signed into law way back in 2009, the Republicans in the Senate refused to fund the government until the bill was overturned. Th is last-ditch attempt to pre-vent “Obamacare” from being put into action may not currently be aff ecting the majority of the population, but could have terrible con-

sequences for the economy if not resolved in the immediate future. It is time for America, the self-proclaimed founder of democracy, to once again begin to function as one of the most powerful nations in the world, and stop this insanely inappropriate ideological warfare in a time when the future of our economy is at stake. Th e simple fact of the matter is no matter how fl awed the Aff ordable Care Act may be, it is a constitutionally sound supreme law of the land. Yet the very Republicans in the Congress who instigated the shutdown claim that the president and Democratic party are really the ones at fault for the shutdown, be-cause they refuse to negotiate. In this present situation, the term “negotiate” is a disputable one, given that the only option Republicans will accept in order to reopen the government is the defunding of Obamacare. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that sounds like a demand, not a negotiation. But the most sickening part of this whole ordeal is the down play of the severity of this shut down. Maybe to the outside world this shut down seems to constitute of a few national parks and museums closing down, but there are hard working individuals with families to sup-port that have suddenly been deprived of their jobs. What’s more, there are federally funded programs Americans desperately rely on that have closed down. As Jon Stewart quite rightly pointed out on the Daily Show, programs such as the Women, Infants, and Children food service program that provides critical supple-mental nutrition for women and children who cannot aff ord it, have closed down. Sure, the politicians who caused this whole mess may not be feeling the eff ects, and have even gone as far as referring to the shutdown as a “slimdown.”

But by no means does this underplay negate the fact that people are suff ering, and I am dis-gusted at their ignorance when it comes to the very serious ramifi cations this shutdown is hav-ing on the people who need the most help. And of course, the cherry on top of the cake is that according to a CNN article, our Congressmen are still being paid for purposely doing nothing, because the 27^th amendment in the Constitution prevents Congress from be-ing able to change its pay. And fi nally, let’s not forget the fact that we are still fi ghting our way out of a se-vere recession, and have yet to agree upon the debt ceiling. In a speech delivered the day of the shut down, President Obama reiterates the harsh truth that “one faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of gov-ernment shut down major parts of the govern-ment, all because they did not like one law.” What the Republicans should be doing is accepting that the current battle over Obamacare has been lost, but the next step is to being negotiating reforms so that it can be benefi cial and eff ective, which cannot happen until they end the shutdown. According to the Wall Street Journal, it would be perilous if the government doesn’t pull together and set a debt ceiling, because the United States would default for its loans for the fi rst time ever in his-tory. It is time for the people in charge of run-ning our country to stop acting like sore losers on the playground and get back to solving the more serious issues at hand, and for us, the peo-ple, to stop electing these ideological nut-jobs who are willing to sacrifi ce the stability of our entire economy over petty party politics.

by Caley SeatonSTAFF WRITER

Sore Losers, Serious Consequences of the Government Shutdown

“The time has come for those legisla-tors who cannot

cope with the reality of our de-mocracy to get out of the way, so that those of us in both par-ties who understand that the American people sent us here to work for them can get back to work solving real problems faced by the American people. We have real work to do, and that’s what we should be do-ing.”

Illustration by Silvia Quach | Staff Illustrator

]What the Republicans should be doing is accepting that the current battle over Obamacare has been lost, but the next step is to being negotiating reforms so that it can be benefi cial and effective, which

cannot happen until they end the shutdown]

Republicans and Democrats fi ght for dominance over the government regardless of The People’s opinions.

Opinions Th e Bottom Line | Oct. 9 - Oct. 16

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It’s that time of the year for incoming ju-niors and those overdue undeclared majors. Yes, I’m talking about choosing a major. It’s something that has been on the minds of students and parents alike since the day kids were thrown into kindergarten. It is undeniably one of the most important de-cisions a student must make while pursuing an academic career. For one, a student will invest at least a couple of years into studying that discipline, but more importantly, it can directly aff ect their future occupations. So which discipline of study seems promising for the future? Today, pursuing a practical major seems like the most practical thing to do. According to the University of Califor-nia, Santa Barbara’s Campus Profi le for the 2012-2013 school year, students who are in the humanities only account for 11 per-cent of undergraduates and 15 percent of graduate students. Th e humanities at UCSB include majors within English &amp; Lit-erature, Foreign Languages, Philosophy &amp; Religion, and Visual &amp; Per-forming Arts. It’s no surprise that the humanities are becoming overshadowed by other disci-plines because there just aren’t any practi-cal futures for them. Studying Shakespeare, learning German, contemplating the mean-ing of life, and acting all seem to produce an interesting experience but lack job security

and money. Especially in today’s economy where job opportunities can be scarce, students are opting out of studying the humanities and choosing engineering, math, the physi-cal sciences, and the social sciences. Majors within the sciences off er opportunities for licensed occupations within medicine such as nursing, counseling, and physical therapy. Students who study business and econom-ics can translate those degrees into fi nancial positions such as fi nancial analysts, sales as-sociates within fi rms, and accountants. According to Forbes, degrees with the highest starting salaries are engineering and computer science. Engineers help build in-frastructure, turn ideas into machines, and help solve solutions to a multitude of prob-lems. Computer science degrees and soft -ware engineers are also in high demand in relation to the boom in the digitalization of all aspects of business: sales, marketing, and communication. Learning these trades and skills while putting them to use in the real world to earn real salaries can pave the way for exciting careers. Th e need for creativity also doesn’t stop at the humanities. Science and technology need people who can think outside the box and ultimately push the fi eld farther than it’s gone before. Practical majors like engineer-ing and computer science give students the opportunity to create original ideas that can

revolutionize science, medicine, and tech-nology. Coming from an old fashioned Korean-American family, my parents would have been seriously concerned if I had pursued a humanities degree. Th ey wouldn’t be con-cerned about what I was studying, but as fi rst generation immigrants, they came to this country with nothing except the clothes on their backs. Th ey came from a background of necessity over interests, which grounded them in their belief that a degree needs to not only be practical in terms of securing a job, but has to make you money so you can ultimately feed yourself and your family. Ul-timately, choosing a practical major can give you the security and comfort of owning the roof over your head and not worrying about where your next meal is coming from. While the humanities do indeed help us understand the world through language, philosophy, and art, science and technology are helping us push boundaries and giving us more knowledge that the world has never seen before. Th e world has never changed so drastically in the last century than it has in the history of our planet. In the end, what you choose to do should be up to you and your interests. Choosing a practical career will not only help you put food on the table, but it allows your imagina-tion to translate into infi nite practical tools that can help the future of humankind.

Amid the continual bombardment of de-manding questions and social infl uences that circle around in a college student’s head on a regular basis, one is guaranteed its appear-ance during the fi rst week of every class and the fi rst conversation with every new friend: “What’s your major?” “Bio, pre-med.” “Mechanical engineering.” “Econ.” “Poli-sci.” Th ese are the responses that have begun to dominate the undergraduate population. Th ese are the majors that students and their parents know will set them up for profes-sional, well-paying jobs in the future. As the population of the hard science majors consis-tently increases, the percentage of social sci-ence majors has noticeably declined. And so the question arises: In today’s society, are the humanities deemed obsolete? One of the fi rst problems is that many people don’t understand what value the hu-manities hold or why they are even slightly important in the fi rst place. In a nutshell, “the humanities” as a fi eld of study attempt to explain the human experience by developing the ability to analyze and criticize informa-tion as well as to construct one’s own beliefs and thoughts into a coherent piece. Although the hard sciences provide the skills necessary to succeed in the demanding fi elds of today’s society, the humanities provide the critical

thinking and analytical skills that are neces-sary for any basic human interaction. In the words of Joshua Pederson, a lec-turer in humanities at Boston University, “Whether [students] major in business, en-gineering, biology or even English, the values the humanities promote — clear expression, deep engagement with diffi cult texts, the importance of function and aesthetics, the power of imagination — are valuable every-where.” Professors within the humanities should not be concerned with how many of their students continue on to become Eng-lish, communication, or psychology majors. Th ey should instead focus on how they can provide students with these skills that serve as a benefi t in so many aspects of a scholarly or professional life. I know plenty of biology, math, and eco-nomics majors that can solve problems that I could never solve in my life, but too many of them are not able to write a professional email, catch a grammatical error on their own résumé, or speak as articulately and coher-ently as they should be able to in an educated conversation with an interviewer. Please don’t think I am bashing any of the hard sciences. Rather, I commend them for the endless hours they spend in order to do well in their demanding classes, and for the skills they have developed by doing so. Math and science have an aspect of imagination to them, incorporating the creativity it takes

to think outside the box into fi nding a new way to solve a challenging problem. But in a completely diff erent way, the humanities cap-italize on facilitating and fostering creativity. Th is creativity that can be taught and learned emerges in more than essays; it comes through in everything from simple conversations, to relationships, to problem solving. I am also not saying that the undergradu-ate population should switch majors because there is more value in the humanities. Do something that you are passionate about—something that you will be able to love for the rest of your life. As Pederson says, “Simply put, we don’t need a few more students to be English ma-jors. We need every student to think more like a humanist.” We should not be measuring the importance of the humanities by dry-cut numbers and percentages of the currently enrolled student population, but by the basis that the humanities are founded on, which pervades each one of our daily lives. Take an English or journalism class. Take one communication or psychology class dur-ing your undergraduate career, and even get a general education requirement out of the way while doing so. Keep an open mind, as it is one of the most valuable things you can have. No, it’s not that the humanities are dead. It’s that people don’t quite realize how the little things that come from them can go a long way.

DISCUSSIon PoInT:Two writers tackle one issue: This week, the humanities are on the chopping block.

SATURDAYNIGHTSLUMP

While the ratings for the show have been slowly, yet gradually increasing since 2010, it seems the reason for this is big names rather than big laughs. Stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Justin Bieber, and Anne Hathaway (or, in other words, stars that aren’t funny) have been asked to host SNL. Th e result is increased viewership with decreased comedy. According to TVbythenumbers.com, a popular ratings website, the recent Tina Fey episode attracted the largest adult audience for a debut in three years. Unfortunately, the episode was sorely lacking in humor despite hopeful pro-mos with Fey and Kenan Th ompson. In practice, the jokes fell fl at and the sketches seemed a little sloppy from a slightly confusing cold open about Obamacare to various sketches centering Fey banking on being Tina Fey. Unlike stars like Fey, Justin Timberlake alone seems to be able to rake in mass viewership while living up to the SNL reputation of the past as be-ing fresh, funny, and one of a kind. His March 9 episode brought in 8.4 million viewers com-pared to the 6.5 million that turned up for Fey’s season premier. Th e writing of the show is still witty and humorous, but SNL needs to stop sell-ing big names for the sake of big names and start fi nding the magic combination that Timberlake represents of being both very attractive as a host and being legitimately funny. In the most recent episode, Miley Cyrus hosted. While not serving as the main source

of the humor, she did an excellent job of driving the show forward. Because of this, the jokes on the episode were actually much better than they have been lately. Instead of catering to Cyrus and being about what she could do, they wrote the sketches to include Cyrus and let other people take the spotlight for the comedy. Cyrus was also very willing to make fun of herself, which gave a fresh perspective on the singer and actress and helped the episode live up to the standard of the promos and made the opening monologue quite enjoyable. Twitter blew up in support of Cyrus’ hosting, including one tweet from @MTVUK, “See @MileyCyrus poking fun at her #VMAs performance here mtvne.ws/lbSLwy Do you like celebs who don’t take themselves too seriously?” Some of the best moments in SNL have in-cluded jokes on politics and pop culture, and the writers are beginning to realize that this is where their true comedy lies. In the past viewers saw Fey giving a spot-on impersonation of Sarah Palin and in the latest episode saw Cyrus poke fun at Michelle Bachmann and Hilary Clinton very successfully. Th e talent has always been con-sistent and now the writing is fi nally getting back on track, as well. Luckily for the loyal SNL fans out there, the defi cit of humor looks to be just a slump the show is going through, and Saturday Night Live should be back on the rise.

Photo Courtesy | diogopf

With every popular TV show, it is inevitable that the producers sell out for ratings rather than focusing on content. Th e real question is whether the show

will be able to bring back good content once they see the subpar product they’ve started infl icting on their viewership. Saturday Night Live is an example of one such show. Historically, SNL has been a great draw for audiences due to the late night airings and spot-on sketch comedy. In the last few years, however, both the content and the ratings of the show have started slipping.

by Lexi Weyrick

by Joshua lee

The Con:Studying the humanities,

What’s the Point?

by Jen AtkinsonSTAFF WRITER

The Pro:The humanities Are Far From Dead