Introduction

IVCRC is an Associated Students committee that works to promote and educate the Isla Vista community as a whole by nurturing the relationships between the long-term and short-term residents. In addition, IVCRC administers the IV Improvements Lock-in funds and funds on-campus and off-campus groups that work to improve the community. IVCRC is a committee filled with active and passionate students who wish to bring the Isla Vista Community as a whole together.

The committee addresses local issues, including safety, police/community relations, landlord/tenant relations, emergency and other vehicle access in Isla Vista, parking, and County and University funding for programs and services in Isla Vista. IVCRC often collaborates with the Office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA).

The Isla Vista Improvements lock-In funds are used to facilitate community programs, which seek to better the living environment of the students, families and residents of Isla Vista by providing financial, technical and administrative support for student initiated and/or non-profit community improvement services and projects.

Native Talent Facebook Page

This year IVCRC created a new Facebook page to showcase the talents of local photographers. The page entitled Native Talent is hosting monthly competitions for student-shot photos of the UCSB and Isla Vista communities.

 According to the Daily Nexus, “the page was created by the Special Projects Coordinator of the Isla Vista Community Relations Committee (IVCRC) Nicolai Safai, a fourth-year biopsychology major, and IVCRC Co-Chair Elizabeth Akman, a fourth-year financial math and statistics major. Native Talent accepts photos taken through any method — whether by a professional camera or a smart phone — and the top three winners are determined by how many “Likes” the photo receives. Each winner is awarded a gift card prize to a local business of their choice, with second and third place winners receiving $50 gift cards and first place winners receiving $200 gift cards.” To check out the photos or enter the contest, click here.

Chilla Vista

IVCRC’s biggest public event is the annual Chilla Vista festival in Anisq ‘Oyo’ Park. The festival is a celebration of all things IV. Over 20 campus and local organizations staffed information tables and there was music all day.

L.A. based Radical Something headlined, while Adventure Dogs and Ultraviolet also gave the event a rockin’ groove playing on the solar powered stage, with Program Board Special Events Assistant  Chris Cubbison manning the mixing board .

The IV Food Coop gave out free fresh produce and scoops of Luna & Larry’s Organic Bliss Vanilla ice-cream, but only if attendees participated in games at the various information tables.

In the words of IVCRC External Chair and event organizer Elizabeth Akman, as quoted in the Daily Nexus, “It was a great turnout. All the bands were really great. We started out a little late, but it wasn’t really an issue. Most of the day went pretty smoothly.” Smooth indeed and very very chill!

Isla Vista GIVE Drive

As a fitting end to a year of serving the IV community, several A.S. groups, including IVCRC, CAB and CAB Foundation, Business Services Committee, Finance Board, and IVTU, participated in the annual IV GIVE drive.

The event, which is also sponsored by GIVE Isla Vista, Housing & Residential Services, Office of Student Life, Marborg Disposal, Inc., Goodwill Industries, and The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), is the culmination of a week of collecting items ranging from furniture to non-perishable foods from students moving out at the end of the year. These items are sold and all proceeds benefit local community service agencies. Items left over from the sale are donated to local community service organizations.

The food goes to stock the shelves of the A.S. Food Bank. This year GIVE raised $37,260.24. 138 volunteers worked 1,314.5 hours collecting about 30 tons of student donations.

This included over 1289 pounds of food for the A.S. Food Bank, and hundreds of pounds of E-waste for A.S. Recycling. 100% of the proceeds were distributed to 14 IV community non-profits, including:

Adopt-a-Block Program: Isla Vista Recreation & Park District

Associated Students Food Bank

Breakfast Optimist Club of Goleta

Isla Vista Elementary School Science Camp Scholarship Fund

Isla Vista Initiatives Fund, i.e. Isla Vista Community Network

Isla Vista Teen Center

Isla Vista/UCSB Liaison Scholarship Fund at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara

Isla Vista Youth Projects

Optimist Club @ UCSB

St. Brigid Outreach Program

Santa Barbara Student Housing Coop

St. Michael and All Angels Church

THRIVE Isla Vista

Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara/Isla Vista