By Oxana Ermolova,
Distribution Manager

Photo Courtesy UCSB Arts & Lectures

Manipulation, mechanized motion, multimedia and musicians…oh my! The lovely La La La Human Steps dance company delivered a creative and memorable performance at the Granada Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 28. On top of giving an outstanding show, La La La Step’s dancers also made a trip to University of California Santa Barbara, visiting several UCSB dance lecture classes and teaching a piece of the choreography to a master class for dance majors.

La La La Human Steps is a Canadian contemporary dance company based in Montréal. As its quirky name suggests, the company presents works that are unconventional and tantalizingly thrilling in nature.

Ninotchka Bennahum, a professor in the department of theater and dance at UCSB, aptly described the company’s style as “sexy, urban chic.” The dancers’ movement was definitely exuberantly physical and sensual. In fact, one of the company’s first pieces was titled, quite memorably, “Human Sex.”

The piece La La La Human Steps performed on Saturday had a more conservative, straightforward title: “New Work.” The performance consisted of a deconstructed narrative inspired by two operas. “New Work” explores power in relationships, providing artistic commentary on the male gaze, as well as gender relations. The dancers’ movement often seemed mechanized, at parts repetitive, with the men frequently manipulating their female partners’ motions.

Many unique and varied elements put this company in a genre of their own. Throughout the performance, a live band played onstage, and multimedia film sequences played in the background, synchronized to the dancer’s movements. Most notable, however, was the lightning speed and clarity with which the dancers executed their movements. At times, it seemed as though one was watching a dance film on fast-forward.

The company currently employs dancers from all over the world, including China, Canada, Austria, America, Colombia and Brazil. These dancers all have strong ballet backgrounds, which give them the technical skill required to perform the lighting-fast choreography. The female dancers wore pointe shoes and sleeveless black leotards, while the men donned black suits. It was interesting to see both very tall and somewhat shorter women onstage together.

The “New Work” piece featured dramatic lighting design, alternating between illuminating a sequence of movement with a bright beam, then plunging the dancers abruptly into darkness. Edouard Lock, La La La Human Dance Steps’s artistic director and choreographer, said he was interested in exploring the ambiguity of the obscured and the unknown.

The dance was created completely separate from the musical score. This is a rather unconventional approach to choreography, for dance is usually seen as being intrinsically linked to music from its inception. However, Lock said he believes that the audience inevitably makes its own connections between the two, and rejects the notion that movement must be dominated by music.

Lock’s choreography challenges the viewer to be an active participant, ask questions, make connections, and create their own interpretation for what is happening onstage. Since there is no clear storyline, each audience member may create a completely unique perceptual vision of the dance, thereby establishing a personal connection to the piece.

“We end up understanding better when we are given partial information,” said Lock. “It is okay not to have a specific clear meaning all the time.”

He seemed to suggest that this philosophy applies to both life and the stage. It is evident in his dramatic lighting design, as well as the show’s abstracted plotline.

“I thought that the performance today was really innovative and creative,” said Aditi Trivedi, a second-year biology major. “Lighting was a big part of it, [the artistic director] played with black and white, he used all these elements to bring out different meanings about the mystery in life.”

“The dancers were very accomplished and it was visually appealing,” said Trivedi, lauding the overall impressive performance.

Irene Wang,
Writer

Photo by Irene Wang

Apart from the dubstep and dance music that can be heard blasting all over campus, University of California Santa Barbara is also home to talented and original songwriters who had an opportunity to show off their work to their fellow students last Wednesday night. On Feb. 15, the Hub hosted the “Singer Songwriter Showcase,” which featured five selected songwriters, as well as a special guest, Rachel Platten. The showcase was very laid-back and low-key, with each songwriter performing three of their own pieces or covers.

Mikey Simeone, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major, started off the night with a cover of “A Day In The Life” by the Beatles. Simeone demonstrated his guitar skills with catchy intros into two of his original songs, one of which was written for his fiancé, Emma. He ended his set by demonstrating a short and skillful guitar riff that he composed.

The next performer, Kate Beck, a third-year religious studies major and music minor, also brought her guitar on stage. She began her set with a song she wrote called “Rain and Shine,” followed by a cover of “Sweet Pea” by Amos Lee. To wrap up, she sang one more original piece, “Swing By,” and walked off the stage to loud shout-outs from friends in the audience.

A keyboard was brought out for the third performer of the night, Phoebe Light, a third-year linguistics major, who began by telling jokes about finally finishing midterms. She explained that she would not be performing a cover like the other students. Instead, she performed all original songs, which included “Face of Stone,” “Color Wheel” and “My Mistake to Make.”

The next songwriter to perform was Aleena Bissett, who sang two original acoustic songs that created a very calm and melodious atmosphere for the audience. Bissett then sang a slowed-down version of “You Really Got A Hold On Me” by the Beatles.

The very last student performer of the night was Sean Patrick Malone, a second-year math major, who fascinated the audience with his very powerful and dynamic guitar playing. He started off his set with two original songs, “Not in the Game” and “Fighting for Sunrise,” then ended the set with a cover of the Paramore song “Misery Business.” Though Malone told the audience that he was sick and was not performing at his best, he still impressed the audience with his songwriting and acoustic skills.

After a solid set of student performers, the special artist of the night, Rachel Platten, was brought onstage. Platten is a pop artist well known for her song “1000 Ships.” Akin to the other student singers that night, Platten is also a songwriter and performed a few of her original songs including “Nothing Ever Happens” and “53 Steps,” using only a keyboard to accompany herself. She also performed “Work of Art,” which is a theme song she was asked to write for the new ABC Family series “Jane By Design.”

Platten entertained the audience with stories of being on tour and jokes about how being a “rock star” isn’t as cool as people think. Her very upbeat and energetic persona roused up the audience as she spiced up her set with some popular 90s raps, beat boxing and covers of songs such as “Price Tag,” which she asked everyone to sing along to. After her set, Platten further indulged the audience with an encore and stayed after the showcase to sign autographs.

Overall, the showcase turned out to be a great break from the typical sounds one might hear elsewhere in Isla Vista. A night filled with talented and original musicians was definitely a nice way to spend an evening.

Christie Margaris
Writer

Photo by Napatr Pat Pumhiran

The social networking world is embracing the emergence of the most popular application of 2011: “Angry Birds.” As of last Tuesday, Facebook users were given an exclusive glimpse into the game, which has been newly adapted for online use. For those who are unfamiliar to the application, the objective of the game is quite simple. Birds are flung into the air by use of slingshot with the sole purpose of attacking pigs fortresses and reclaiming their stolen eggs.

The online application store features multiple versions of the game, including shortened versions free to smartphone users. It is also said to feature newer, advanced levels and never before seen interactive features. Facebook friends can now compete with each other for high scores, as opposed to the limited man versus computer option on mobile phones.

The app was created by Rovio Entertainment, a company that was virtually unknown before the “Angry Birds” took the mobile gaming network by storm. It was originally designed in 2009 and has since been downloaded over 700 million times. The popularity of the game continues worldwide, as more than 50 countries across the globe promote it as their number one paid application, which may explain the recent cross over to the popular social networking site.

According to Rovio Asia Senior Vice President Henri Holm, “…the company developed Angry Birds on Facebook to reach more than 800 million Facebook users worldwide” he said. The company has high aspirations for the online version, which includes attaining a total of one billion users. The possibility is highly likely, seeing as Facebook is home to over 845 million members to date.

The game is particularly popular in nations such as India and Indonesia, where 43.5 million and 43.1 million citizens are Facebook users, respectively. Since becoming an international phenomenon, the company has expanded to selling various types of merchandise in malls everywhere.

Users on campus have admitted to their devotion to the game, some noting it as their favorite application available.

“It’s my favorite app hands down. I’m excited to play it on Facebook, even though I’m a little worried about how much time I’m putting into it,” said second-year English major Kyra Klopp.

It is difficult to say what exactly makes the game so much more popular than the thousands of other applications available to smartphone users. Perhaps it is the simplicity of it and easiness to comprehend what needs to be done to win. The ongoing levels make it addictive for many and build determination to continue. And the high level of accessibility on a mobile phone makes it a prime activity for anyone on the go.

There is some speculation as to whether or not the app will have similar success on Facebook, a site designated primarily for online communication, where online games such as “Farm Town” seem to have gone downhill in recent years. In spite of this fact, there is little doubt that a game, which has garnered so much positive feedback and high levels of interest globally, will thrive on the social networking site.

“Whether it be on a phone or online, I’m sure it will continue to be a big hit and attract even more users,” said second-year mechanical engineer major Robert Neal.

Cheyenne Johnson,
Staff Writer

Illustration by Luis Bondoc

Interest rates on subsidized Stafford Loans, estimated to account for almost half of all federal student loans, are scheduled to double on July 1 unless Congress intervenes. The interest rates will rise from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent and will cause an estimated $5,000 increase in loan payments for students.

The increase comes at a time when the cost of college is having an increased effect on students. Two thirds of college students took out loans to help fund their education this year and the average graduate loan debt is $25,000. State aid is also shrinking as 43 states experienced reduced funding for public colleges this year with more cuts expected in the future. Last year, the amount of money Americans owed on student loans exceeded the nation’s credit card debt and is steadily increasing.

Subsidized Stafford Loans are currently held at a 3.4 percent interest rate due to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act passed in 2007. The restriction comes to a close on July 1 and Congress is faced with the decision of whether or not to maintain the lower rate. As the deadline approaches, the President, members of Congress, students and others have presented various plans to address the increasing cost of a college education.

Representative Joe Courtney (D- Conn.) and Senator Jack Reed (D- R.I.) have introduced legislation to prevent the interest rates on these loans from increasing. The legislation also includes a movement to permanently cap Stafford student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent for low and moderate income students. The bills, titled H.R. 3826 S.B. 2051 respectively, call for the striking of “before July 1, 2012” to the Higher Education Act of 1965, thereby extending the reduced interest rate indefinitely.

“Student loans should be an investment that pays off, and can be reasonably paid off,” said Reed and Courtney in a joint statement. “Failing to pass this legislation will make it harder for smart, hard-working Americans to join and stay in the middle-class.”

President Obama presented his own proposal for 2013 with a $70 billion increase in education spending, up 2.5 percent from last year. The proposal involves a three-year, $8 billion plan to improve career programs at community colleges and would keep federal Stafford loans interest rates from doubling for college students.

“Education and lifelong learning will be critical for anyone trying to compete for the jobs of the future,” Obama said in the released budget documents. “That is why I will continue to make education a national mission.”

Students from the University of California Riverside have created their own plan where students would pay no upfront cost for their education and would instead agree to pay five percent of their income for the next 20 years after graduation. The plan, entitled UC Student Investment Proposal, is presented as a way to address the unpredictable decreases in state funding and the exponential increases in tuition costs.

“Rather than dealing with short-term issues, we wanted to develop a long-term fix for the system,” said Chris LoCascio, third-year English and political science double major and president of the group Fix UC, an organization of 13 UCR students looking for a way to reduce the impact of tuition on students, that came up with the proposal. “Right now UC is living paycheck to paycheck with an unreliable donor.”

The plan has received criticism and interest from the UC system with University of California President Mark Yudof stating that “in its current form, it’s frankly unworkable.”

Despite his concerns, Yudof has stated that he believes the plan has potential.

“We think the ideas are constructive,” Yudof said at the Board of Regents meeting Jan. 18.

The debate still continues in Congress with no definitive path forward, and unless a change is made, college students should expect to see a doubling of their Stafford Loan interest rates for the 2013 school year.

By Isabel Atkinson
Staff writer

Photo also by Isabel Atkinson

Upon entering the yoga studio, the dim light and soft hum of music radiate a relaxing vibe. Over the course of an hour and a half, Yanoula Athanassakis, College of Creative Studies Literature professor and yoga instructor at Yoga Soup in downtown Santa Barbara, guides the class through a formulated series of body movements harmonized with habitual deep breaths. The practice culminates with a resting period, where the students end supine with eyes closed in order to achieve the full benefit of the lesson.

Considering that many University of California Santa Barbara students juggle loaded schedules full of classes, work and extracurricular activities, it’s not surprising that many of them choose yoga as a way to exercise and relieve stress. According to ancient Hindu texts, the term ‘yoga’ is defined as an “evenness” of the mind. Even today, this important concept comes into play as the discipline of yoga requires physical balance as well as a focus on the relaxation of one’s thoughts.

For some, the practice transcends physicality and also stimulates a sense of spirituality. William Barnes, a UCSB geology graduate, says that he uses yoga as a supplement to loosen tight muscles that result from his other physical activities. He notes that the stretching done in a yoga practice can be an important aspect of physical well-being as long as a person doesn’t stretch beyond their own limits. Although Barnes has attended a few yoga classes offered on-campus, he prefers Yoga Soup for the more rigorous practices.

“They’re relaxing but not so physical,” Barnes said of the UCSB-sponsored yoga classes.

Depending on a variety of factors, relaxation may be exactly what some students look for. Regardless of preference, Athanassakis says that yoga attracts all types of people because of its variety of forms and applications. Many attendees of her class are recovering from injuries, dealing with anxiety disorders or are using yoga to maintain overall good health. Additionally, some look to many forms of yoga as a way to stay connected to the body, because of its intensive focus on deep breathing.

“A lot of people are searching for meaning in what they do with their time,” said Athanassakis.

In her class, she teaches a type of yoga called Vinyasa, meaning “flow,” because throughout the practice the body is constantly moving as opposed to some forms of yoga where positions are held for a longer period of time. No matter what type of yoga is intriguing to an individual, the practice can be beneficial to anyone who makes the effort.

Members of Athanassakis’ class range from ages 16 to 70 on any given day, which includes a good number of UCSB and Santa Barbara City College students. Derek Stettler, a SBCC film major, has worked at the front desk at Yoga Soup for three years, and reports a steady level of student attendees. He says that Brett Land, a yoga instructor at Yoga Soup and in Isla Vista, originally took up yoga as a UCSB student to battle the pressures of college. He personally believes yoga can assist with any ailment- physical or mental.

“I do yoga to focus and for the centeredness and sense of balance that comes afterwards,” said Stettler. He feels that practicing yoga reminds him to breathe deeply and remember the truth of what’s around him.

No matter what encourages someone to try yoga, the practice can be beneficial in all sorts of ways. Whether in pursuit of calming the mind, maintaining physical health, or simply learning something new, college students are one of the many demographics of people who practice yoga both in Santa Barbara and in Isla Vista . As a student at UCSB, the relaxation of yoga can alleviate stress and be a very satisfying hobby to use as a retreat from an incredibly busy schedule.

Tim Fucci
AS Beat Reporter

Associated Students Elections Code stipulations that prevent current elected officials from using their title to endorse other candidates and restrictions on campaigning have prompted debate over the legality of such rules and will most likely be revised by the Legislative Council in the Feb. 22 meeting.

Red flags concerning the elections rules were raised after AS President Harrison Weber vetoed the elections code citing that the rules could inflict legal harm against the Association for violating First Amendment rights to free speech.

“To allow the bill and Elections Code to remain as is leaves the Association- and myself personally, as Chief Executive Office- open to possible legal challenge for suppression of First Amendment rights to free speech,” Weber wrote in his veto rationale.

Weber and opponents to the elections rules argued in the Feb. 15 Legislative Council meeting that the AS Elections Code was inconsistent with state and federal elections procedures and that the University of California Santa Barbara’s elections rules should be more in tune with the elections codes of other UCs. Currently, there is no uniformity amongst UCs concerning elections rules, but when compared to other universities in the system, UCSB is the only UC that restricts endorsements from elected officials.

With each member of the Legislative Council voting along party lines, in an 11-to-9 decision, the council accepted the President’s veto and then ran the remainder of the meeting in a breakout session in which the council scrutinized the elections regulations line-by-line. AS Director Marisela Marquez said Friday that she believed that the Legislative Council would revise the elections code during the Feb. 22 meeting, but she said she was unsure of the magnitude of these changes.

According to Marquez, UC legal counsel has reviewed UCSB’s elections procedures and said that the rules are legal so long as they serve an educational purpose and are applicable to every student.

Never before has the Associated Students of UCSB or its President been sued over elections rules. Furthermore, a decision made by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals entitled Flint v. Dennison exempts university elections from following the constitution so long as the rules serve a distinct purpose.

Robin Unander, an attorney with the AS Legal Resource Center who provided legal advice to Weber, said the Association is indeed vulnerable to legal recourse, but the only possible scenario she envisioned was a student taking action against the Association. Unander said it would be difficult to predict how the case would play out.

But as director of the Association, Marquez said that it is her duty to protect students against legal repercussions resulting from the legal code.

“I think the fear is that our students that are in a decision making power, could personally be liable if someone sued them,” Marquez said. “As long as students are operating under their power and their responsibility, the university and AS would protect them and have a defense for them.”

If the Legislative Council can reach a solution on the election rules by the end of the Feb. 22 meeting, the changes will go in effect for this year’s AS elections. However, Weber has said he would continue to veto an elections bill he believed violated the First Amendment.

Cheyenne Johnson
Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy impawards.com

“The Blair Witch Project” started it. “Paranormal Activity” brought it into the home. “Cloverfield” used it to make entire audiences motion-sick and wish the directors never did it. Found footage film is the new crutch of Hollywood, employed mostly to add a once original twist to movies that lately, like 3-D, has become so overly used (and badly so) that most audiences instinctively shy away from it. “Chronicle,” a found-footage style movie about three high-school boys who obtain telekinetic powers, is the shining light in this genre, rejuvenating it with an intelligent script, honest acting and a complete reworking of the term, “a steady hand.”

The film focuses on Andrew, his cousin Matt and their classmate Steve, who, after crawling into a mysterious hole outside of a party, find themselves graced with telekinesis. The only unpleasant side effect is the occasional nose bleed. The initial premise isn’t particularly original, especially with the swarm of superhero origin stories flooding the silver screen lately, but after a predictable beginning, “Chronicle” does something unheard of in the fantasy power genre. The characters don’t become superheroes.

This drastic shift away from the norms of Spiderman and Green Lantern films gives “Chronicle” its true life and appeal. The characters themselves are relatable, sympathetic and down-to-earth. They truly are quintessential high-school boys that lack visions of grandeur. The trio uses their abilities for their personal gain and enjoyment, rather than epic feats.
They play pranks at a grocery store, move a woman’s car across a parking lot and, in a spectacularly filmed scene that makes you want to join them, figure out how to fly and then play football miles above the ground. Rather than making the characters appear arrogant or immature, this light-heartedness reinforces that the characters are, in fact, human. When faced with the decision of if they should fly to Tibet for fun or fight off bad guys, they take the choice the majority of us would.
The audience’s sympathy for these characters owes a great deal of credit to the actors. The characters themselves hold a strong weight in the film, keeping it grounded and emotional as the audience watches their powers change them, particularly Andrew, who is played by Dane DeHaan. Andrew, who has an abusive father and dying mother, is the main focus of the film, as well as the guider of the camera. Andrew successfully balances his personality, ensuring that even as he becomes absorbed by his new-found powers and behaves erratically, occasionally violently, the audience can’t simply brush him off as psychotic or unjust.

Through Andrew, “Chronicle” finds a clever way to avoid the cliché angles and shots routinely applied in found footage films. Using his telekinetic powers, he floats the camera around himself and others, removing, with the exception of a slight wave motion, the tendency for the “shaky hands” effect.

Making a not-so-subtle comment on our reliance on technology, the director extends the found footage to include not only Andrew’s own recordings, but those from devices he and the other characters interact with. Street cameras, personal phones, security cameras and other recording devices combine to fill in the blanks where the boys aren’t filming themselves, reminding the audience that no matter where they go, they’re never really that far from a camera.
“Chronicle” had everything running against its success, with its placement in the over-used found footage genre, and its initial unoriginal premise of high-school boys finding they have superpowers. Most would have predicted it would be an awful movie, but it isn’t.

It’s characters are complex, relatable and, more importantly, perfectly human. And its found-footage style is used to add a connection to the audience, and allow them to experience the scenes in a new way, rather than as an excuse to not hire a cameraman. Finally, Andrew, simultaneously the hero and the villain of the film, is complex, intricate and well-executed, no easy task considering the intimate nature of the found footage style. “Chronicle” is a surprisingly original sleeper film. After making twice its production budget at the box office opening weekend, it is likely to be getting more well-deserved attention in the coming weeks.

By Sarah Good
Staff Writer

Illustration by Luis Bondoc

Controversy continues to surround the contraception provisions in the Obama health care plan.

The plan, which is part of the President’s Affordable Care Act, allows women to obtain birth control and contraception without co-payments or deductibles from their health care providers. After many complaints surrounding the implications on religious freedom from this measure, a compromise was recently made that exempts any woman’s employer from providing free birth control to her if they have conflicting religious or moral beliefs. In those cases, insurance companies must provide these types of care directly.

“No woman’s health should depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes,” said President Obama in a statement.

According to the Center of American Progress, while the majority of women of child-bearing age have private insurance, “they still have had to pay a significant portion of contraceptive costs on their own.” Women on average pay 68 percent more than men on out-of-pocket health care costs partially because of birth control costs. In some cases, women have chosen not to use their preferred method or defer to less effective methods of birth control in order to save money.

The new plan, consequently, affects students who are on the University of California Student Health Care Plan.

“We will be changing the UC SHIP to comply with the Affordable Care Act,” said Mary Ferris, M.D. and director of UCSB Student Health. “Beginning in the fall, students will have birth control covered without co-pay, including contraceptive devices like intrauterine devices.”

“I think it’s a really good idea since birth control is very expensive,” Virginia Morales, a fourth-year double major in chicano/a studies and feminist studies, said. “Unfortunately, I won’t be here next fall to realize how that works out, but I think future UC SHIP members will benefit from it.”

The law has the support of liberal and women’s groups, including Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. Some religious groups, including the Catholic Health Association and Catholics United, initially disagreed with the law but changed their opinions after the religious exception was added.

“The Catholic Health Association is very pleased with the White House announcement that a resolution has been reached that protects the religious liberty and conscience rights of Catholic institutions,” Sister Carol Keehan, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, said in a statement issued on Feb. 10.

“I think it’s unfair for women to bear the cost of birth control when there’s not a corresponding cost for men.” said Kegan M. Alle, Ph.D., advocacy support specialist at the Women’s Center and part of the Rape Prevention Education Program. “It’s not asking for society to pay, it’s asking for insurance companies to pay for preventative medicine. It’s a health issue. It shouldn’t be tainted by political beliefs.”

Despite the revision to the plan, some religious groups and Republicans do not agree with the measure, including presidential hopefuls Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

“This is simply someone trying to impose their values on somebody else with the arm of the government,” Santorum stated after the plan was announced.

Regardless of how the plan has been received, it is a clear demonstration of the political tug-of-war for reproductive rights, where control over birth control is the true issue.

Kiara Jackson
Staff Writer

Photo by Haley Paul

Want a crepe that will have you wanting more? Or a crepe that is cooked to perfection? Café Equilibrium seems to be the new place to go for great crepes. Crepe eatery Café Equilibrium had its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 11 in its brand new location on Pardall next to IV Deli.

It was essential to try the café’s main fare: a crepe, in order to give the place a proper culinary rating. So I tried the Nutella crepe with bananas.

The artistic design of the crepe first caught my eye. It was drizzled with chocolate and lightly sprinkled with powered sugar, with a slice of banana to add the finishing touch. It certainly looked like a masterpiece, but did it taste like one?

As I took a bite of my Nutella crepe, its texture was amazing, not over or under-cooked. It was just right. Also, the Nutella did not overpower the entire taste of the crepe. There were banana slices throughout the crepe, which were able to balance out the Nutella spread. In each bite, the Nutella oozed in my mouth, mixing perfectly with both the texture of the crepe and the slices of fresh banana. The entire concoction was delicious and fulfilling.

I was also pleased that I was able to cut the crepe with ease. The crepe kept its consistency and shape, as it should, instead of falling apart in a soggy mess.

Besides the Nutella crepe, Café Equilibrium houses a wide variety of crepes and other items. Its crepes are categorized into two sections. One section is comprised of sweet crepes. This means you can get plain crepes with toppings of sugar, lemon, honey or cinnamon, Nutella crepes with bananas or strawberries or peanut butter crepes with bananas, honey and ice cream. The other section is savory crepes. Toppings include chicken, pesto, salmon, hummus and more.

“The savory crepes are really good,” said Michael Gillooly, a fourth-year political science major. “I had the chicken and pesto crepe.”

Other items on the menu include milk shakes, ice cream, iced drinks and coffees.

Café Equilibrium’s reasonable prices should be pleasing to a college student living on a tight budget. My Nutella crepe with bananas was $3.99 and the chicken pesto crepe was $5.99. The majority of the sweet crepes are $3.99 and most savory crepes are $4.99. Their crepes are deliciously meal-sized, so students will also definitely get their money’s worth.

One thing to note is that Café Equilibrium’s atmosphere could be considered cozy by some, yet crowded by others. When I walked into the café, immediately I felt a little constrained. With less than 20 people in the café, the café was packed. There were three sitting areas in the café, which took up a large portion of the building. The rest of the building was occupied by the refrigerator, ice cream stand and employee work station.

However, the café’s vibrant decor made up for its lack of space. The walls were painted bright orange, which was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and made up for the small space to eat.

The Nutella crepe I tried from Café Equilibrium was fantastic, so I imagine that the other crepes and other items on the menu are equally as good. I will definitely be back to try the other items on the menu.

Irene Wang
Videographer

On Wednesday February 15th, AS Program Board held a Singer Songwriter Showcase at the HUB. Five UC Santa Barbara students along with special guest Rachel Platten performed at the showcase