CAMPUS
GOLD, MyCLAS, My Aid Status, Disabled Students Program online services, and other Student Affairs and Graduate Division websites supported by Student Information Systems and Technology (SIS&T) will be down for maintenance from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, SIS&T announced in an email this week. Gauchospace, however, should remain accessible. Students with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact SIS&T at support@sa.ucsb.edu.
The University of California, Santa Barbara recently released a campaign to raise environmental awareness and educate the community about how to eliminate waste, the UCSB Current reports. The campaign — called #MyLastTrash — coincides with the UC’s effort to achieve zero waste by 2020. UCSB will host monthly zero-waste events, including the recent Zero Waste Festival, to show students how they can help eliminate waste in their everyday lives.
ISLA VISTA
The Isla Vista Community Relations Committee (IVCRC) held Chilla Vista x Lite the Nite on Saturday in People’s and Perfect Parks in Isla Vista. The annual Isla Vista celebration was hosted in collaboration with Blunite’s memorial Light Carnival, an event that featured LED games and live music. Hundreds of residents attended, and many received henna tattoos, free shirts, and photo booth souvenirs. Isla Vista’s beloved elote man, Hijinio Camacho, was also present and sold his much sought after snacks to students and locals.
I.V. resident Daniel Joseph Garcia, 19, was arrested on Friday for an alleged hate crime last month near Refugio State Beach, KEYT reports. Garcia reportedly attacked a 63-year-old Santa Paula resident with a guitar because he allegedly believed the victim to be homosexual. Garcia allegedly shouted a homophobic slur while attacking the victim, who sustained a traumatic injury.
The Community Housing Office and I.V. Tenants Union are hosting the Our House, Our Home Spring Fest this Saturday at noon in Anisq’oyo’ Park to celebrate community. Showcasing IVTU programs and sustainable living practices, the event will feature student organizations and property providers who will provide free prizes and educate attendees about how to be “the best member of the community you can be,” the Facebook event reads.
COUNTY
The 90-year-old Goleta Valley Community Center is set to receive “long overdue” repairs in the coming years, the Independent reports. The building in its current condition is in need of renovations and T.L.C., as evidenced by cracks in the walls, sticking windows, unusable sewer lines, and crumbling roof. Though originally constructed to be a school in the 1930s, the building closed due to seismic conditions years later and has been inconsistently used ever since. Advocates and locals hope that these repairs and discussions surrounding the building will help it achieve historic status.
NATIONAL
Last week, Rep. Salud Carbajal and Sen. Martin Heinrich introduced an act to increase the maximum award amount for Pell Grants and restore year-round Pell Grant access, according to a May 2 press release. This legislation would make obtaining a college education more accessible and affordable for incoming students of all backgrounds, as it addresses the loss in Pell Grant value in the past few years. Carbajal stated that this act ensures a “more even playing field” for students from all economic backgrounds to succeed. The act is also a response to the millions of students who rely on Pell Grant access in order to attend and graduate from college.