As a teacher at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, I taught an incredibly talented, intelligent group of ninth graders. But when they entered my classroom on the first day of school, they were, on average, reading at a fifth-grade level. Of the 2,000 students at West Charlotte High — almost all of whom who were African American and facing the additional challenges that come along with growing up in poverty — more than half were freshman because so many had been held back. Just down the road, less than 10 miles away, was one of the highest performing schools in the state, where students saw college as the inevitable next step after graduation. For most of my students, college was a luxury they had never considered.

As an undergrad at UCSB, I was very involved in the effort to expand access to the UC system for low-income students. As a first-generation college student myself, I felt strongly that affordability should never be an impediment to college attainment. But when I joined the community at West Charlotte High School, I discovered that college access is more than affordability. College access also requires college readiness built through an education that prepares students for the rigors of college-level work. My students were being shortchanged by a system that wasn’t giving them the kind of education that would put them on a path to and through college.

Continue reading...

I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to Nicholas Winger, Nico Cervantes and the unidentified others who came to my aid when I crashed my bicycle during my (successful) attempt to avoid impact with a vehicle driven by someone who apparently did not notice a cyclist in the bike lane.

I’m grateful beyond words to live in a community where people care, and I’m also glad to be alive. Several onlookers shared with me the opinion that the driver of the vehicle simply failed to see me, even though it was a clear, sunny Santa Barbara afternoon. If by any chance you are the person who was heading south on Patterson Avenue a little after 3 p.m. on Jan. 31 and turned right onto Overpass Road, I’d like to talk with you. And for everyone: Cyclists help keep the price of gasoline low, we share the road with you and we are your friends. Please be ours.

I enjoy the crude humor and candid tone of the Wednesday Hump just as much as any Gaucho. However, what strikes me most about this column is its sense of exclusivity. It’s about one thing and one thing only: heterosexuals. Heterosexual intercourse is literally only the half of sexuality. How can a column that prides itself on innovative sexual topics focus so largely on only one aspect of the trade? It is discouraging as a queer person to be continually overlooked, week after week, quarter after quarter. Granted, Elizabeth Brooks may or may not lack experience in this field, but there sure as hell are thousands of other Gauchos who could speak to homosexuality in the bedroom today. I don’t mean to degrade Brooks in any manner — she is very witty and comical in all of her publications. However, it would appear that the column has no acknowledgement or respect for homosexuality. The Nexus has never been one to ignore taboo topics. What are we so afraid of? People being “disgusted” by seeing gay sex in the Nexus? This type of bigotry and small-mindedness is hypocritical. Gay people read the vivid (yet still interesting) details of heterosexual eroticism … so why can’t the same depth be seen for homosexuals? The gay community has always struggled with visibility, and the heteronormative agenda of the Wednesday Hump continues to put us in the shadows of sexuality. I thank Brooks for all the insight she has endowed on readers each week, and I now challenge her to tackle a topic often overlooked: homosexuality. Again, it is a column I enjoy thumbing through each Wednesday, and my only wish is that it be more open to engaging a larger population of the student body.

Last Friday started off great. After waking up at 8 a.m. to no alarm on a clear, sunny day, I threw on some workout clothes, grabbed my bike and headed out the door toward the Rec Cen. A typical ride through I.V. with few people around, considering most are either asleep or in class at 8:15 a.m. on weekdays. Not much for a cop to do right about now, you’d think.

Aside: If you saw sense in the previous statement, I want you to go find a mirror, look into it and slap that naivety off your face. Do it. Right now. Remember the grimace you make at that point in time, and let it be a reminder to never allow such ignorance back into your head.

As I reached the end of El Colegio Road, I turned left at the crosswalk, about to make a right across Stadium Road. I rode around the bike loop at a good pace and turned toward campus. I looked left, right and left again just as is instructed in both driver’s ed and motorcycle safety courses. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blue uniform, but it was too late; my front tire was only a matter of inches from the stop sign, and I passed it without having a chance to brake. Knowing there was no way he could have missed my mistake, I rode over to the cop where he stopped me on the side of the bike path.

Continue reading...

Perception. It’s a hard word to define, especially from an individual standpoint. How one person perceives things is different from how another person does. The only fact about perception is that we all have our own views on everything: our surroundings, our interests, our loves, our lives. To say my perception on anything is right and another’s is wrong is merely subjective. No one can understand another’s viewpoint. Until someone has walked in another’s shoes, they can never truly understand another person’s reality.

The fact is we live in a world where we can shape anyone’s perceptions of ourselves, of others and pretty much the world. We live in an age of digital second-hand information. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, shitty blogs or television, we all have the ability to find out anything we want with just one click of a button or flip of a switch. These devices were meant to free humanity; unlimited knowledge on a mass scale seems like a wonderful concept on paper. But the reality of the matter is we have taken these tools and done something quite contradictory to our original intentions. Instead of utilizing this technology to educate the masses, we have instead decided to squander this gift for the sake of nonsensical bullshit.

Continue reading...

Most college students are pretty unhappy with Congress right about now and rightfully so. With huge cuts to education and high unemployment especially among recent college graduates, the Republican majority in Congress is focused more on cutting taxes for millionaires on the backs of the 99% as opposed to job creation and economic recovery. They’ve taken a lot of heat for their actions with the Congressional approval rating in the teens.

It’s important to let our elected officials know when they’re not representing us properly, but it’s equally important to let them know when they do something right.

A couple weeks ago, Congresswoman Lois Capps came to a Campus Democrats meeting and spoke about recent events in Congress and what to expect from Washington in the next year. She spoke about President Obama’s student loan package as well as other efforts to create jobs and relieve economic tension on those of us that are hurting the most.

The most interesting part of the meeting however wasn’t hearing her speak, it was watching her listen. After she finished her speech, she took questions from students in the audience. One student activist asked her opinion on SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act.

Continue reading...

I don’t consider myself to be an overly or outwardly judgmental person. However, there are certain occasions where I condone judging. The first is reality television. Whenever I find myself watching “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette” (more often than I care to admit), I can’t believe the things that pop into my head. My thoughts swirl with, “Why is she on this show? She’s ugly,” or “Ugh, he is so dumb, I can’t believe he said that.” At first I feel ashamed for my blatant disrespect for these strangers. But then I realize that every person on these “reality” shows is an educated adult, perfectly aware they are completely opening their lives to millions. They signed up for this! And many of the contestants seem to participate only to gain popularity or celebrity.

The second place I allow myself to freely judge people is in politics. The current Republican race for a 2012 presidential candidate has already included numerous media events where judgment of the candidates is imminent (and imperative in our democratic society). As Americans, we have the luxury of choosing who our president will be and, much like with Spider-Man, this great power comes with great responsibility. We must question, probe and critically assess these politicians in order to choose the most reliable, moral and capable person to lead our country. The media (and our increasing access to and reliance on it) has played a major role in disseminating information about what issues these politicians stand for and allowing a glimpse into their personal character.

Continue reading...

Reading last Thursday’s “Ask an Atheist” column was saddening for me as a Christian who knows the writers of both columns and knows they are consciously writing lies about the Christian faith with the express intent of intellectually coercing skeptics who are on the fence about whether to start accepting God’s free gift of grace. I have intense respect for the atheists and skeptics from SURE [a group for UCSB atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and secularists], primarily because — as I have told their membership before — if it weren’t a historical fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion, after which He appeared to hundreds of eye witnesses, I would be an atheist. I’m not a Christian because it makes me feel good, or helps me get through problems (as it happens, God helps me with both), but because the resurrection is true — Jesus openly demonstrated Himself to be God. But my respect for them is severely diminished when they accuse Christians of “ritualistically hack[ing] off parts of a little … girl’s genitals.”

Continue reading...

One night at a party in Isla Vista I came upon a scene in which some asshole was threatening a seemingly innocent girl and consequently pissing off the wrong people. Needless to say, he got punched in the face. While he was down, a spectator with apparent ties to the situation felt the need to add to this guy’s punishment by “kicking” him. Only instead of just kicking him, he managed to stomp his face straight into the curb. Imagine a UFC fighter, with all his strength, slamming your face between his shoe and the concrete.

After the blow, the guy twitched for a second as if trying to fight the pain, then lay completely still. No one is quite sure how injured he was — if he broke his jaw or if he has permanent brain damage — but this much is positive: he was unconscious but he wasn’t dead.

Does this story seem a bit excessive? Yes, I think so too. Nonetheless, it is not a fictional one. Fighting is a common occurrence among an inebriated community. From death and bloody massacres to play fighting in your living room, I would be willing to bet a solid sum that at least 80 percent of the male population and 25 percent of the female population in Isla Vista has been in a fight. I am positive that every single person living in Isla Vista has witnessed one.

Continue reading...

You have an hour between classes. It’s a slightly awkward period of time and you’ve got a decision to make: You can either return home briefly, only to rush back to school, or stick around and find a way to occupy the time constructively on campus. For many students, the University Center serves as an ideal solution to this undergraduate quandary. Until quite recently, it was the case that you could seat yourself on the couches by Nicoletti’s, stretch your weary limbs and catch up on reading, complete an assignment or nap during these brief reprieves from class or work.

If you happen to fall under the impression that such is still the case today, you are sadly and grossly mistaken. Now we are all blessed with the presence of large, flat screen televisions that blast Top 40 tunes to the accompaniment of flashy music videos. And why would you want to study or sleep when you can subject yourself to such vital, unknown pleasures?

Continue reading...

This letter is going to be about a fictional character, who shall be given the arbitrary name of Aspen Shorelion. Young Aspen is a freshman at UCSB, and he’s feeling a bit lost. It so happens that he doesn’t know what he wants to major in and isn’t particularly excited about any of the classes he’s taking. He got good grades and test scores in high school because everybody said it was important to do so, and he didn’t want people to think he wasn’t smart. Genuinely learning something interesting that he would be able to make use of throughout his life was never much of a concern, the A’s were what mattered.

He decided to go to UCSB because it was close to the beach and he liked singing the “Ole … Gauchos” chant. When he gave this explanation to his parents and other adults they thought it was odd, but no one ever really explained why it was important to have a really good reason for going to college, just like no one had ever explained why it was essential that he take trigonometry and chemistry and history in high school. No one had ever mentioned that there was any other option after high school besides college, so off Aspen went, content to let the crowd do all his thinking for him.

Continue reading...

Over the past few weeks many Americans have displayed their outspoken opposition against the Protect Intellectual Property Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act. According to CNNMoney, SOPA would prevent U.S. companies from providing access to international sites that pirate material, making it more difficult for American users to access these sites.

Wikipedia and Google both recently limited content on their websites in protest of these bills. On an online petition, Google describes the bill as potentially censoring the Web and placing “harmful regulations” on American businesses. Google’s tagline for their petition sums up their sentiments: End Piracy, Not Liberty.

I agree with Wikipedia, Google and others that PIPA and SOPA would be a massive overstep of governmental powers. I worry that these acts will result in censorship. However, I have a question for many of those against these acts: “Where was this concern for liberty in recent years?” I am naturally worried when Congress passes any bill that it may curtail freedoms. I have questioned what the National Defense Authorization Act would mean for our liberties as I questioned what the Affordable Care Act would do to my autonomy to make choices regarding my health.

Continue reading...

Gauchos, throughout the first quarter of the school year many of you have undoubtedly had, seen or heard of run-ins with the law while out and about in Isla Vista. The morning after a big night on the town can be rough in itself, and only worsens when you sift through your pockets and find a yellow piece of paper with a court date. So, your friends at the Office of the Student Advocate offer some helpful tips and tricks to avoid trouble and get you and your friends through the weekends without a scratch (save for that pesky hangover and freshly-bruised dignity).

Keep It Inside. THIS IS THE #1 RULE IN ISLA VISTA — Don’t walk outside with anything even resembling alcohol or a red cup! Police enforce a zero-tolerance policy in Isla Vista during Halloween weekend and if you are seen with alcohol and are under 21, you will receive a Minor in Possession ticket. This will set you back around $500 and you’ll have to enroll in C.A.S.E. (or worse, have you license suspended). If you’re over 21, you’ll receive an open container ticket.

Continue reading...

On occasion, I enjoy reading the Daily Nexus. I did so today.

And even as old as I am (I qualify for codger status) I am still amazed at how youngsters ascend to the tops of their Ivory Towers with a combination of energy and flexibility to oversee the Kingdom from afar.

Such were my thoughts as I read the Opinion piece on page six of the January 13, 2012 issue. You see, as I read this piece, I viewed life from another perspective — from ground level.

The initial theme of this piece, worded different ways, was that water is “the world’s most precious resource …” I immediately smiled and thought, “No, our life is.”

We agree that water is an essential part of life. However, one can forego water for days, but one cannot forego life for a second. Well, actually, that’s not true, but if that occurs, it makes this conversation impossible.

I did wonder what it would be like if life had begun on a waterless planet. Ah, but be silent old man, for youth is trying to make a point.

Continue reading...

Few government policies are more counterproductive than affirmative action. Its origins trace back to the presidential terms of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, both of whom sought to curb discrimination and improve the lives of, namely, impoverished blacks. At the time, affirmative action served its purpose. Today, however, affirmative action is outdated and detrimental; it perpetuates a colorized America, an America of the past.

Most importantly, affirmative action discourages accountability among blacks. Proponents utilize blacks’ failures as a justification to increase our affirmative action efforts. And, black Americans’ successes are too often attributed not to one’s work ethic or ingenuity, but to affirmative action. Thus, it categorizes the black man as either a victim of societal racism or a product of this victimhood scheme. Either way, it classifies him firstly as the member of a race and a policy, and secondly, as a member of society.

Favoring color over competence is counterproductive, regardless of the intended beneficiaries’ race. Consider the following role‐reversed example: similar to other industries, the National Basketball Association is an industry in which capability supersedes color. It’s no secret that, generally, the NBA’s most talented players are African‐American. Why? It’s because coaches seek to assemble championship‐caliber teams, and therefore select players based on nothing more than talent.

Continue reading...