Hot Off The Pod

This week we explore the UCSB Library program UCSB Reads, the annual bookclub ran by and for students. Talking with Lupita Barragan, a group leader for the program and UCSB alumnus, we unpack this year’s book selection, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Cullors and asha bandele. From reflections on identity to in-depth literary analysis, we discuss the importance of UCSB Reads' role in facilitating student-led spaces for vulnerable conversations sparked by this incredible book. To virtually attend the program’s author talk with Patrisse Cullors, reserve a free ticket at artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.

For more hot headlines, check out the links below:

For local film fanatics, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is simply the most wonderful time of the year. During the 11-day festival, which has taken place annually since 1986, State Street rolls out the red carpet for screenings, panels and events featuring awards season’s buzziest and brightest stars. Faced with the daunting prospect of putting on a major festival amidst the pandemic, Executive Director Roger Durling and his team were undeterred. At the tail end of this year’s festivities, we chat with Roger about adapting to a “hybrid” approach; his unconventional career path; and why film education and accessibility are at the heart of SBIFF’s mission.

For more hot headlines, check out the links below:

The intersection of recent Black Lives Matter protests and the impact of the pandemic as a whole has brought focus to the many inequities that exist in systems across our country. The juvenile justice system is no exception. This week we talk with Professor Miroslava Chávez-Garcia of UCSB’s History Department about the impacts and organization of this institution in California. Listen for a guide through the past, present and future of juvenile justice including how the pandemic is negatively affecting the incarcerated population.

For more hot headlines, check out the links below:

Content warning: the following description and episode contain discussions about sexual violence.

In the past decade, sexual assault on college campuses has emerged as one of the most talked-about issues in the national discourse. Activists have succeeded in pressuring institutions on every level – from the White House to individual universities – to institute policies aimed at education and prevention.

But the ever-alarming statistics and survivors’ experiences demonstrate that the problem is too pervasive for institutions to fix on their own. That’s why students, such as the UCSB-founded organization Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA) are taking matters into their own hands.

Today on the pod, SASA president Deborah Williams joins us for a wide-ranging discussion about the current status of the fight to end sexual violence and the many forms that advocacy can take. Where do universities continue to fall short in supporting survivors? What are some alternatives to reporting to the police? How can we practice better allyship? Listen to hear us tackle these topics and more.

For more hot headlines, check out the links below:

In a normal year, finding housing in Isla Vista can be a huge hassle, but factor in Covid-19 and things get a lot messier. This week, we’re sitting down with Isla Vista Tenants Union Outreach Director Maia Surendra to discuss how UCSB students are adjusting to the new housing landscape. We talk about the prickly problems that arise from tenant-landlord relations, before diving into what happened when classes went online and how the pandemic is changing student’s housing plans for the future. Listen to learn about the unique ups and downs of beachside living.

Learn more about this subject:

According to legend, this is what Winston Churchill replied when asked to slash funding for the arts during WWII. On today’s episode of Hot Off The Pod, Caitlin O’Hara of UCSB Arts & Lectures echoes Churchill in the midst of contemporary global crisis: the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 1959, Arts & Lectures has drawn hundreds of world-renowned artists and speakers to Santa Barbara venues, including the UCSB campus, each year. When the world shut down, A&L staff had to think outside the box in order to relocate its program from the stage to the screens. Reflecting on the past year and the present moment, O’Hara chats with us about creative problem-solving, the comeback of drive-in movies, and the vital relationship between art and technology.

For more hot headlines, check out the links below:

As COVID-19 cases are hitting new highs across our country, it has never been more important to highlight the work of those fighting this pandemic in our community. In today’s episode we specifically focus on the new California COVID Notify program, an opt-in mobile phone setting that allows users to report and track positive cases. The program, which is being piloted at several UCs including UCSB, has sparked privacy concerns amongst students but may prove integral to containing the virus.

Today, Hot Off The Pod sits down with Dr. Ali Javanbakht, who serves as the Medical Director at UCSB Student Health. Among other topics, we discuss the challenges of fighting an unprecedented virus, where the government has fallen short and Thanksgiving’s potential impact on case numbers.

As the dust settles and the last votes are being counted, many are reflecting on what has changed between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The true MVP, and the most consistent presence of the last four years is not a politician or an ideology: it’s social media.

In today’s episode of Hot Off The Pod, we speak with Melissa Barthelemy, a doctoral candidate in UCSB’s history department, about the complicated and often hypocritical relationship between social media, free speech and activism. Barthelemy created a toolkit to help universities navigate these issues for her fellowship with the UC Free Speech Center.

With Barthelemy as our guide, we dive into topics like free speech versus hate speech; the way algorithms shape our political views; how movements like Black Lives Matter and COLA are using social media to mobilize activism; and how we can make the internet a better place for democracy.

Check out the links below for more hot headlines:

Though universities are considered hotbeds of political activism, college students have long voted at significantly lower rates than other Americans. But in 2018, student voter turnout skyrocketed, with numbers doubling nationwide and tripling among UC students. With a few days left to go, the 2020 election is already making history. For the first time, the number of eligible Gen Z and Millennial voters is equal to that of older generations. More people are voting early and by mail than ever before. And of course, this is the first election to take place during the coronavirus pandemic.

This week, in a special edition of “Hot Off The Pod,” Leilanie Rubinstein explains why getting out the student vote has never been more important. The president of UC Santa Barbara Campus Democrats chats with us about virtual campaigning; local races that students should care about; whether or not the Democratic Party is keeping up with younger voters; and what on Earth to do if someone else’s ballot shows up at your doorstep.

Check out the links below for more hot headlines:

Spanning six states, eight years and 50+ indictments, “Operation Varsity Blues” was one of 2019’s most talked-about scandals. The FBI investigation exposed a scheme in which CEOs, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy parents conspired to bribe students’ ways into top universities, revealing an admissions system rife with corruption and inequality.

After UCLA and UC Berkeley were named in the indictment, the California State Auditor launched a review into the UC’s admissions practices. UC Santa Barbara was one of four campuses found to have inappropriately admitted students – including 22 applicants who posed as student athletes with the help of coaches and campus personnel.

For today’s episode, we’re joined by Jorge Mercado, a tech editor at the Pacific Coast Business Times who served as the editor in chief of the Daily Nexus from 2018-2019. The former sports editor helps us break down the audit, the relationship between donors and athletic programs, and how the UC can improve going forward.

Read more about the state audit at the links below:

In 2009, a cluster of academic institutions led by the University of California announced plans to go where no one had ever gone before: 13 billion years into the past. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) was to be the most powerful visible light telescope ever built, opening up an unprecedented pathway to outer space. The project captured the imaginations – and wallets – of philanthropists, scientists and researchers around the world.

But not everyone was smitten with the TMT. When Mauna Kea, the most sacred mountain in Native Hawaiian culture was announced as its location, Native Hawaiians protested. Students joined them upon discovering the UC’s involvement – especially that of UCSB’s chancellor, Henry Yang.

Nearly 15 years later, where does the TMT stand? The Daily Nexus’ lead news editor, Max Abrams, joins us on the inaugural episode of “Hot Off The Pod” to discuss.

Read some of Max’s reporting on the TMT at the links below: