Although students were active on many fronts this year, perhaps the biggest changes in A.S. were on the career staff side of the house. Several new staff members were welcomed aboard and with the growth of A.S. there have been changes in the work done by existing staff.

Associate Director for Media Elizabeth Robinson Retires

The year came to a close with the retirement of Associate Director for Media Elizabeth Robinson after over twenty years of service to A.S. as Director of the campus radio station KCSB FM 91.9.

Elizabeth’s vision of community radio defined KCSB’s unique blend of programming by both students and community members. Under her guidance the station became a model of programming freedom and a place that gave voice to the widest possible range of artists, activists, and other alternative voices. Her departure coincided with KCSB’s 50th anniversary, a year long celebration punctuated by events ranging from musical performances to film screenings. The KCSB community has been immeasurably enriched by Elizabeth’s principled and thoughtful leadership and wishes her all the best in her upcoming endeavors, which include her continued presence at KCSB as cohost of the long running shows No Alibis and Third World News Review.

KCSB Engineer Bryan Brown Goes East

KCSB’s year began with the departure of long time station engineer and general technical wizard Bryan Brown.

He has literally been irreplaceable as the station continues to search for a qualified full-time replacement. The position requires a unique skill set, including both technical and computer know how, and the ability to work with a wide range of student and community volunteers.

When it comes to new staff, A.S. has been fortunate indeed!

Early in the year the new A.S. Recycling Staff Advisor Sarah Siedschlag hit the ground running and is helping students expand recycling services and awareness both on-campus and in the Isla Vista community.

 

 

In Spring quarter A.S. welcomed a new Assistant Director of Government Affairs, Florence Raven Nocar. She also needed to jump in with both feet to advise students during the final weeks of the year—the most active of the entire year since they include campus elections, a host of student activities, and typically the negotiation and passage of numerous and sometimes contenitous bills by the Legislative Council.

 

The Web Development team has a new member. Matthew McClintock joined A.S. as Web Development and Desktop Support. With the continual expansion of A.S., his services are much in demand.

 

 

Legislative Council Becomes Senate

On the legislative front, students passed legislation to rename the Legislative Council the Senate. It will be comprised of on-campus, off-campus, university-owned housing, and at-large  Senators, each representing about 1,000 students. The name change became official upon swearing in of the new Senators at the end of Spring quarter 2012.

A.S. Hosts Olympics

The first ever A.S. Olympics were hosted by Committee on Committees and the Office of the Internal VP this year with competitions in both individual and team events. Teams were fielded by the External VP for Statewide Affairs Office (EVPSA), Elections Committee, The Bottom Line, Student Initiated Recruitment and Retention Committee (SIRRC), AS Program Board, Academic Affairs Board, Business Services Committee, IV Community Relations Committee (IVCRC), Community Affairs Board (CAB), Environmental Affairs Board (EAB), and Legislative Council. Needless to say, competition was fierce as can be seen in the photos below!

Academic Affairs Board Hosts Last Lecture Series

This year the Academic Affairs Board hosted the inaugural edition of the Last Lecture Series, which it hopes will become an annual event. The series was inspired by a lecture delivered by Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pauch when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer entitled “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.”

For this year’s event a UCSB professor was invited to give a pseudo-last lecture. Students chose popular Introduction to Psychology professor Alan Fridlund to deliver the lecture. Fridlund was quoted in the Daily Nexus where he talked about the intent of his lecture, “I wrote the talk for my son as well as the students at UCSB,” Fridlund said. “The talk made me contemplate my life in the context of my upcoming death, and it made me think about what I might share to guide the students, to ease their pains and to help them make a better world than our generation has given them.” To see the lecture in it’s entirety, click here.

 Campus Point Stairs Ribbon Cutting

One of Coastal Fund’s biggest projects this year was completion of the Campus Point stairs. The stairs opened to the public in Spring quarter. They are the product of a collaboration with the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration (CCBER), the Office of Administrative Services, Campus Design and Facilities, Housing & Residential Services, and the State Coastal Conservancy.

The official ribbon cutting was a well-attended celebration. Attendees included  Senior Associate Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Marc Fisher, CCBER Director Jennifer Torsch, CCBER Director Ecosystems Management Lisa Stratton, A.S. Environmental Programs Advisor Scott Bull, and Coastal Fund Members Tanya Jones, Alex Tamura, and Julianna Trowbridge, pictured here.

The stairs are part of the CCBER’s larger Campus Point restoration program, a multi-year Coastal Fund supported effort to restore the native habitat of the point, which will result in significantly increased biodiversity and a more balanced self-sustaining ecosystem.

Program Board Brings the Mirazozo Luminarium to the UCSB Campus

As one of this year’s highlights, A.S. Program Board ( ASPB) brought something truly unusual to campus. For four days in April ASPB invited students, faculty, staff, and the general public to experience the wonderful Mirazozo Luminarium for free with a suggested donation of food to the A.S Foodbank or a pair of gently worn shoes to the Soles4Souls shoe drive. Several thousand people came to the party!

Created by the artist/sculptor Alan Parkinson and toured by the UK company Architects of Air, the Luminarium once inflated covered a substantial portion of the Faculty Club lawn.

A luminarium is a sculpture made of inflatable plastic that people enter to be moved to a sense of wonder at the beauty of light and color.

Although it looks like a giant bouncy structure people are asked to move through it at a leisurely pace, sit or lie down, open their eyes to the color and relax to the soothing music that fills the atmosphere created by the structure.

 Community Financial Fund

This year the Business Services Committee assisted with the implementation of the UCSB Community Financial Fund. The Community Financial Fund assists students by providing more access to grants and low interest student loans year-round. It helps supplement the current Associated Students emergency loans and it funds a credit builder program, regular financial literacy workshops, and general financial guidance for students. It includes a new requirement for recipients of AS short-term emergency loans, who must now attend a financial management workshop.

Recycling

Recycling initiated a campus-wide collection system for compostable waste. Bins are set about around campus to accept both food waste and compostable packaging.

Although the launch in the Arbor was greeted by rain, spirits were high and passersby were able to get information about the new program.