Campus
Kevin Allred, a Rutgers University lecturer, gave a talk titled “Politicizing Beyoncé” on Wednesday, May 25 at Embarcadero Hall. Originally teaching the subject as a class, Allred has morphed his teaching material into a lecture, traveling across the U.S. to talk about black feminism and Beyoncé’s influence on race culture.
Students participated in a class walk-out on Thursday, May 26 aimed at making University of California Regent Richard Sherman “accountable to his support for divestment [from fossil fuels],” according to the page’s Facebook Page. The march originated at Isla Vista Theater and ended at Storke Tower.
Associated Students President-elect Austin Hechler and External Vice President for Local Affairs-elect Ashcon Minoiefar hosted a public forum to discuss their proposed medical amnesty implementation at UCSB. Their plan aims at protecting students that consumed illegal substances from being reprimanded by the university after calling emergency personnel. Currently, no protection exists for students that call 911 on campus property.
The UC Police Department took a male subject into custody on Friday at approximately 2 p.m. on suspicion of lewd behavior. The subject reportedly took pictures of females in the UCSB Library’s women’s bathroom on Saturday, May 14. The subject, described as an adult Asian male, was last seen heading west toward I.V. on the night of May 14. Library cameras caught footage of the subject. He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail and the investigation is ongoing, according to UCPD.
A second annual town hall on sexual assault policies, hosted by Chancellor Henry Yang and the Office of the Chancellor, was held on Thursday, May 26, in the University Center State Street Room. Attendees, including the original student organizer Alejandra Melgoza whose experience sparked last year’s meeting, revisited the list of 13 demands presented to Yang at the close of the 2014-2015 school year. Though UCSB administration has achieved certain goals, like increasing staff numbers as well as staff diversity at CARE and CAPS, certain UC wide policies enacted within the last year do not allow for the immediate suspension of accused perpetrators. Students also voiced their concerns with the rhetoric of UC sexual assault policies, pointing towards the lack of inclusion of LGBTQ indicators.
State/Local/National
The Obama administration will allow offshore fracking to continue in the Santa Barbara Channel, according to the San Diego Free Press. The decision comes after officials concluded that fracking presents “no significant impact” to the environment.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders made an appearance at Santa Barbara City College on Saturday, May 28 for a rally. Sanders drew a crowd of over 6,000 people, speaking on issues in healthcare, income inequality and the accessibility of higher education. Celebrities Dick Van Dyke and Justin Long made stump speeches for Sanders that morning. Two days prior, he spoke to a crowd of over 9,000 at Ventura College.