EDITORIAL BOARD

2022 - 2023

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ladann Kiassat (she/her)

English & Biology, 4th Year

I joined TBL because I wanted to better my journalism skills. I am most excited to foster a space for writers, illustrators, and the marketing team to push creative boundaries.

I like to read books particularly from the enlightenment era and my favorite writer is Thomas Paine, although Alexander Pope comes in at a close second. I love to run and surf, as well.

EXECUTIVE CONTENT EDITOR

Alexis Crisostomo (she/her)

Communication & Sociology, 3rd Year

I continue to love working for TBL because of our unique and supportive environment and insightful perspective on campus events. I am very excited to see how our newspaper grow in terms of exposure, as well as strengthen our connection with our community!

Outside of TBL, I also work at UCSB's Women's Center as a programmer. I also like beach picnics, hiking, and expanding my taste in music.

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Thao-Vy Duong

Writing & Literature, 4th Year

Excited to work with our new editorial board, especially the lovely copy team!

I'm always reading and spending an excessive time scrolling through Yelp.

COPY EDITOR

Lily Graham (she/her)

Communication & Sociology, 4th Year

I am excited for my senior year and working for such an important publication.

I really enjoy coffee and reading and a good movie.

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Melanie Martinez (she/her)

Environmental Studies, 4th Year

I joined TBL to explore an interest of mine that also coincides with the field that I’m going into.

I love to be outdoors trying new things. Whether that be learning to surf or roller skating with my friends any chance to be outside I try to take. I also like to play video games which has helped me make new friends and connect more with current ones.

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Hailey Hill

Philosophy, 4th Year

I am excited and honored to be the Science and Tech editor this year because I will be able to combine my two passions: writing and learning as much as we can about the world around us, especially the natural world!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Andy Knox

Philosophy and Chinese, 4th Year

I joined TBL because I wanted to write album reviews on a public forum and I stayed because it's a sick organization.

Aside from my album reviews for TBL (<3), I'm on the Ethics Bowl team, I play the drums in a band, and I play chess competitively. I was the UCSB team captain on Capital One College Bowl this summer! It's a trivia show hosted by Peyton Manning.

CO-ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Tia Trinh

Writing & Literature, 2nd Year

I joined TBL because I wanted to be a part of a welcoming journalistic community. I'm excited to work with others to report on the lively community inside and outside of UCSB!

Like many others, I survive off of little sleep and a bit too much coffee! In my free time, I'm struggling to catch up on tv series, listening to music, or adding to my pinterest boards.

NEWS EDITOR

Erick Aragon Alvarado (he/him)

Middle East Studies, 4th Year

I joined the TBL editorial board because I'm a perfectionist, but I stayed because the people are a great crowd to be surrounded by. This year, I'm excited to be a part of the news team and shed light on what's important to students

TBL is probably the most interesting thing I do, but I also like to read and watch Netflix and play piano and clean.

CO-NEWS EDITOR

Kate Fernandez (she/her)

English, 3rd Year

I joined TBL so that I could be surrounded by like-minded individuals while also bettering my writing and editing skills. I am most excited to see the first print edition that I will be a part of (whether that is through writing or editing, I'm excited regardless!)

I am technically a French major right now (I used to speak French fluently, but I'm a little rusty), but I am planning on switching to English. I love to run and hike while listening to podcasts, particularly true crime podcasts like "Morbid." Weird fun fact: I'm obsessed with the Sims Freeplay game for your phone, I've literally been playing for more than a year! I have like 30 sims lol.

FEATURES EDITOR

Aisha Saeed (she/her)

Sociology, 3rd Year

I’m most excited about meeting my coworkers/making more friends and building my writing portfolio.

I love to cook and I plan on studying abroad next year.

CO-FEATURES EDITOR

Minyi Jiang (she/her)

Middle East Studies, 4th year

I joined TBL this year out of my love for journalism and photography. I am excited to meet new friends and put myself in the professional journalistic writing and reporting. I am very looking forward to this new year.

I was a STEM major, but I completely changed my mind in my 3rd year, so now I am studying history, literature, and politics of the Middle East. I love reading novels and cooking, and I want to be a correspondent in war zones.

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Vivian Hsiao (VV) (she/her)

Communication, 4th Year

I joined TBL because of their dedication to serving student readers and their members. The community offers great support to help each member express their thoughts and ideas. I am most excited to work and collaborate with the talented and amazing artists in the marketing team and come up with eye-catching social media posts and flyer designs to increase TBL recognitions!!

I am very passionate about visual branding, data driven marketing strategy, and creative solutions. In my spare time, I love to explore nature, cook and draw!

LAYOUT

Stephanie Riley (she/her)

Psychological & Brain Sciences, 4th Year

I loved being on my high school yearbook staff, so I wanted to join a newspaper when I got to UCSB.

I usually spend my free time listening to musical theatre or watching movies and TV shows.

LAYOUT

Vani Tankha (she/her)

Psychological & Brain Sciences, 2nd Year

I joined TBL because I wanted an outlet at UCSB where I could express my interest in graphic and layout design.

I like playing soccer and baking for friends and family 🙂

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Shoshana Medved (she/her)

Communication, 2nd Year

I love how TBL is a place where you can blossom creatively! I'm so excited to lead a marketing team this year and boost awareness about this amazing organization!

Hi, my name is Shoshana! When I'm not gushing about TBL, I love reading fantasy novels and writing short stories. My silliest fun fact is that I have a steadily growing rubber duck collection on my desk!

MARKETING

Chloe Shack (she/her)

Communication, 3rd Year

I am excited to gain valuable experience through this role.

I enjoy going to the beach and traveling.

MARKETING INTERN

Zhiqin Wang (Go by Ashley/Ash)

Communication & Economics, 2nd Year

I'm definitely most excited about meeting new friends and amazing people with outstanding journalism and marketing skills!

I'm crazy about cats!!! I have a cat named "Dollar" back in Shanghai and I miss her so so much because I haven't seen her in almost one year 🙁

MARKETING INTERN

Kennedy Roberts (she/her)

Communication, 2nd Year

I joined TBL because I wanted to expand my skillset and learn more about marketing. I can't wait to start promoting TBL to students and gain new readers!

I am from Marin County and love cooking/baking, spending time with friends, and hiking!

ART DIRECTOR

Diane Kim (she/her)

Art, 2nd Year

This year I'm looking forward to making TBL a more creative, artsy environment:)

I love going to street markets, listening to music, and playing with my dog!

VIDEO EDITOR

Chenyue (Chen) Li (she/her)

Economics & Accounting, Film & Media Studies, and French, 4th Year

So exited to join TBL and would love to propose and make more fun videos for TBL!

Passionate traveler and film lover, with a special interest in detective/crime themes

VIDEO EDITOR

Diana Proano (she/her)

Psychological & Brain Sciences, 3rd Year

Since joining TBL I've been really excited for the opportunity to put myself out there and gain more experience in story telling, to share with others!

A little bit about me, when I have free time, I enjoy doing a variety of different things. I like anything photography and film related, gaming, reading, baking, thrifting, and staying active with different sports.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Caren Chua (she/her)

Communication with Art & Technology Minor, 2nd Year

I joined TBL to be more involved with the newspaper on campus, with a focus on student voices and collecting authentic stories. I also wanted to grow my design skills in a journalistic setting!

In my free time, I love playing games with friends (VALORANT, Stardew Valley, and basically any other co-op game), going on long walks, journaling, and watching Youtube or Twitch streams!

PHOTO EDITOR

Haorui Zhou (Go by Hally) (he/him)

Psychological & Brain Sciences and Geography, 3rd Year

I want to share my view of Isla Vista through my lenses.

I play the oboe, sing in BFOM A Cappella, and also fly airplanes.

PHOTO EDITOR

Vicente Villasenor (he/him)

Hydrologic Sciences & Policy, 4th Year

I joined TBL my first year hoping to increase my experience with photography at a professional level and find a community of students interested in journalism.

In my free time, I enjoy running, weightlifting, and discovering new music. I also love to take film photographs of my friends and family.

INVESTIGATIVE BEAT REPORTER

Lucian Scher

Environmental Studies, 3rd Year

I joined the bottom line because it is really fun and a great opportunity to get into writing, expand my horizons and go on a crazy adventure.

Well today I dislocated my collarbone going 22 miles an hour on the scooter that's my other job yesterday I wrestled the heaviest japanese-born sumo wrestler in history and tomorrow I'm going to an abandoned mine.

AS NEWS BEAT

Anne Le (she/her)

Philosophy, 3rd Year

When I wrote my first news story with Lauren Luna, I had so much fun writing the piece that I wanted to do more. Everyone was so welcoming and the ideas for TBL are creative and not just hard news all the time which was refreshing.

I enjoy listening to KPOP and Jazz lofi music when I’m studying. I only recently realized this when getting into college, but I really enjoy taking walks on the beach during the day. This sounds really cliche because UCSB is a beach school, but it’s actually stress relieving and calming.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BEAT

Avery Gunderson (she/her)

Global Studies & Spanish, 3rd Year

I am excited to relate national and international issues to the lives of student in Isla Vista, raising awareness of how the majority of issues have an international scope. I'm also looking forward to see how political issues for students abroad overlap with the issues students are concerned with in Isla Vista.

I love to cook, read, swim, and spend time with friends. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, which fostered my love for the outdoors and enjoyment in trying a range of foods and cuisines.

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