Buy tickets for Danielle Wood on 4/22/2022 7:30 PM, CAMPBELL HALL . As the director of the cutting-edge Space Enabled research group at MIT’s Media Lab, Danielle Wood applies designs enabled by space research to projects that advance social good here on Earth. Presented by UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures.
— Read on artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/Details.aspx
LeBron James
Kenneth-Nolan Kross, from Germany,
LeBron James is one of the most famous basketball players in the world. He is 34 years old and born in Akron, Ohio. He has played for the Los Angeles Lakers since 2018. In the beginning of his career, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, from 2003 to 2010, winning in 2008 the scoring title and nominated into the All-NBA first Team twelve times. On November 14 of 2018, he scored 44 points in one match. This is the fifth highest scoring in the history of basketball. He also had one of the best averages of scoring in basketball. These are many facts, but what is the secret behind his big career?
His early life was not really easy. He and his family moved from apartment to apartment. A football coach gave James the option to play basketball when he was 9 years old. His parents realized that James didn’t want to be a normal player – he wanted to be better than the others. With an amateur team, James and his friends, enjoyed a local and national level. Then they went to a high school in Ohio. His first season was unbelievable; James had an averaged of 25.2 points per game.
Many scouts watche
d him because everyone knew he could be a star. James was named the “Ohio Mr. Basketball”. He and his team were the only high school team in Ohio that finished a season undefeated.
After a good college career, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He was the best Rookie in this year. He played in Cleveland for 7 years, but, after failing to win a championship with Cleveland, he left them and joined the Miami Heats as a free agent. With Miami he won two NBA championships. Since 2018 he has played for the LA Lakers.
The secret behind his success are his rules. He always wanted to be a professional player, but he always had 10 rules. The first one is “Never give up”. For example, he started in his own town and had no target, but he always tried his best. His second rule is, “Don’t try to be perfect because you can’t be perfect, but training hard for your dream is important.” He said “Without pain you can’t get better”. “Maximize your potential which means to try your best. You play as a team, but you have to find your play style for yourself. Are you a leader or not?”
“If you have success then share your success.” This is his fifth rule. He helped other players to get better because he didn’t just think about himself. “Ignore the haters, do what you like.” Lebron James is today the leader of the Lakers, but he isn’t a normal leader. His teammates are inspired by him. One of his rules is, “find your leadership style. For example, are you a team player or are you playing for your success?” His personally favorite rule is, “Don’t think you are the best. Train to be the best, but don’t think you are the best if you finished a good training session. “
All in all Lebron is not only a basketball player, he is a big influencer, an idol, and a great person. He changed the game of basketball in the way the game is played. As a person, he is one of the best leaders for a team. He isn’t a player who is just the symbol of a club. He manages to bring along and improve his teammates.
Losing And Finding Yourself
“As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a girl will find herself a little bit lost… she has to let go… and just keep going” – Carrie Bradshaw
Alicia Rank, Germany
Did you ever find yourself in a situation in which you didn’t feel like yourself? I think we all have. But why does this happen? Maybe, we find something in someone else that we don’t have. Maybe, because we admire someone’s style or even more simple, their way of dealing with a specific situation. The only thing we have to be careful with, is not loosing yourself while trying to make this charateristic your own.
But, if we do lose ourselves a little bit, we feel kind of lost. We don’t really know what happened and how this situation could have gone so far. We have to realize that we cannot always change who we are, even if it might be for the better. Remember, that nobody in this world is perfect in every way, so why should you? Accept your flaws. They make you beautiful and unique, so why change?
You want to find the one unique thing again which reminds you of yourself. You relate everything to this one object and without it you think it is impossilbe to go back to your usual self. But all of this isn’t quite true, maybe we feel like our personalities depend on this one thing, but let me tell you, that you have to get past projecting and relating it to that object. You can do it without it, I promise. Surround yourself with those freinds who remind you of who you really are and find the confidence again that you used to have. While trying to be something you’re not, you might lose a piece of this confidence. As soon as you realize that you’re still the same person, you get this confidence back and you will feel like yourself again. Accept that this was a lesson of life. You might feel as if you have failed, but you learned from it and that that’s what matters.
Love, Alicia
Our Past Is Who We Are
“Maybe the past is like an anchor holding us back. Maybe, you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be” – Carrie Bradshaw
Alicia Rank, Germany
For sure, our past is what shaped our personality. The decisions we made to this point and the friendships we build, define who we are. We don’t have to let go of all those memories to move forward, but that’s just what I think. We should be proud of who we have become.
The first thing to become who you will be is to accept your past. With all the mistakes you might have made, they made you who you are now. Without accepting your flaws it’s impossible to move on. Always worrying about old decisions will make you feel “stuck”. You cannot change spoken words anymore anyway, so why keep worrying about the past? Open your eyes and realize how much time has already passed by, in which you could have made decisions for the future. Don’t miss out on those opportunities; you might regret it.
Your past might have left some scars, either on your body or in your mind. Ether way, accepting them is the only way to guarantee future happiness. Trust me, once you have had your first heartbreak and you get over it, you know what I’m talking about. Life will put you in situations where you have to make choices. And you might not always make the right ones, but you will learn from them and next time you will do it better.
All of this is who you are, and you should be happy about it. Your past is a part of you that will never go away. “One moment doesn’t define you. The people around you define you. And you’re loved” – Raquel, Hit The Floor
Love, Alicia
Cast Out Caste
Enora Haugmard France
India is a booming country, rich with diversities, but its territories haven’t developed equally everywhere. Indeed, some discrimination still exits between Indian inhabitants. Hopefully, the situation is evolving positively.
In India, there is a system that makes it possible to classify the population a thousand heredity groups called “caste”. The caste system was developed many years ago and still survives today. We can notice 4 major castes : Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya, which are the upper class, and Sudra the lower one. It would be necessary to add the Untouchables (Dalits) which are left outside the other castes. Currently, the discrimination about caste is forbidden, however, it still continues to play a major role in Indian society.
Indeed, there is large-scale of abuses by the police, for example when some refused to fill a complaint or acting in collusion with the upper class. Upper class oppression lead to terrible actions, such as humiliation in public, paraded naked or raped with impunity. Dalits lives are very hard, in part of immoral actions that they have to face everyday; for example, their jobs which are unclean (cleaning latrines). Moreover, the Untouchables face lower wages and a terrible way of life.
But, the situation has been improving since XX century. An emergence of grassroots human right movements and organizations among Dalits has resulted.
People’s Watch organization by Henri Tiphagne was established on Dec. 10, 1995 in the state of Tamil Nadu. People’s Watch is at the heart of the human rights fight in India. The objective of this organization is to empower the victims of human rights violations, such as domestics violence, torture, child labor, harassment and of course, caste discrimination.
As Henri explain during an interview, People’s Watch is an association of volunteers that want to operate independently and without outside resources. According to Henri, he would like to act step by step instead of working throughout the country, because he wouldn’t possess the skills and the capacities to be able to make an entire state accountable. Thanks to their work, they provided immediate relief to 20,000 families, mostly Dalits affected by a tsunami.
On the 17th of July 2017, a man from India’s lowest caste was elected president. Ram Nath Kovind is the second president who came from Dalits.
His election as president represents a support among the Dalits community. Although, the role of the president in India lacks any real executive authority, Ram Nath Kovind has a symbolic role. Traditionally viewed as “impure,” the group continues to grapple with persecution and exclusion.
So, even though discrimination against Dalits still prevails, the situation has been improving and we can hope that it will continue in this way. But, unfortunately, the Untouchability is an entrenched and its hard to remove it. India is riddled with discrimination and prejudices, and that provokes huge consequences towards the lower class. Perhaps, we will have wait for its economic development to notice a real social evolution.
https://www.peopleswatch.org/our-work
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Nath_Kovind
https://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-tiphagne070104.htm
Minimalism
Julia Feldmann, Germany
Smalls steps to resist increasing consumption
A common misunderstanding of minimalism is that it is just all about having the smallest number of items in your life as possible. But when you take a closer look at the point of minimalism, it is actually about having items which you really appreciate and which add value to your life. Knowing that you don’t need material belongings in order to be happy and enjoy life will increase your mental health and emotional stability.
Having more and more things is not making people happier and more fulfilled. Mindless shopping has become a problematic trend. There is a risk to developing an addiction to material items, especially clothing that creates a feeling of being weighed down by clutter. Clearly, it is human nature to always long for more and to progress in life in all aspects, like experiences, careers and relationships. On the other hand, it is essential to be grateful for everything that you already have and, in general, to be grateful for being alive. The clue is to find balance between both of these things.
A good start to becoming a minimalist is to go through your home with a box and fill it with random items you find standing around with no obvious use. Put the box out of sight for 30 days. If you don’t need to open it, or if you don’t even remember what is in the box, donate or sell it. Start in one place in your home, which could be a wardrobe drawer, your desk or underneath your bed.
Another important aspect minimalism includes gratefulness. There are a lot of things people take for granted that are actually really special to others. This goes from having food on the table to simply owning a bed and a blanket. Often people forget how many people on earth don’t have access to these things that seem so natural to others.
Apart from belongings like clothing and furniture, minimalism also affects wastfulness, especially of food. It’s a fact that there’s more than enough food to feed the planet, but still large amounts of people suffer from malnutrition. As a minimalist, people can try to become aware of how much they throw away every day. Next time you are shopping for groceries, try to only buy what you will actually eat.
Most recently, the textile industry has gone crazy on their sales prices. T-shirts for less than 5$ and jeans for less than 20$ are no rarity anymore. This development is the reason why we tend to buy more and more clothes just because of the bargain price. However, the majority of people only wear a small amount of their wardrobe on a daily basis. Some pieces even end up never being worn. On the way to becoming a minimalist, you have to think logically. What do I actually need? How can I simplify my wardrobe? Which pieces are unnecessary?
4 first little steps into your minimalism journey:
- Travel lightly and focus on the things that are necessary
- Only buy new things when your old stuff is used up or broken.
- Write down your plans and your achievements in a diary
- Try to find multifunctional items
Remember that it is not a contest or a race, but about your personal comfort. There is no specific rule to start a minimalistic lifestyle, just follow what comforts you and what feels right to you.
Does the Street Art have a place in Galleries ?
Post graffiti, murals, frescoes or Urban Art, the Universe of the Street Art is known under many appelations. But where does it come from ? What were the changes ?
These different kind of appellations have evolved over time and with the artists in this movement. At the beginning the Street Art was known as “Graffiti” which was an act of vandalism during the 1960/1980s decades. 
Nowadays, this form of Art which is exhibited in the international galleries, festivals or fairs like the “Urban Art Fair” in Paris, “District13 Art Fair” in Paris [which is coming soon in September 2018], “Beyond The Streets in Los Angeles” a huge showcase of graffiti and street art or the different festival of POW ! WOW ! in Hawaii, Long Beach, Washington and many other countries in the world.
This big change about Street Art in our time period evolved the attitudes and beliefs in this Art movement. Now, this kind of Art is perceived as cool and “in”, Artists don’t really need to hide anymore. Some of them became famous and can live on the income from their Art. Companies, city halls, associations and different kind of institutions call on these artists to beautify their buildings and facades. Artists are not perceived as “delinquent” like in the past when they could be arrested and go to jail for vandalism, but this fact depends as well on many aspects (location where the artists “graff” and if it can be legal or not).
Street Artists now are reconignized and some of them have their exhibits in Galleries because they deserve to be famous and well-known and live off their passion for their art. Their passion became their profession. However, if Street Art tends to be exhibited in galleries and only in galleries the movement will lose its meaning/value. If Artists forget the space that gave them their reputation, their birth as an Artist and they will expose/exhibit in Galleries, the fact that they wanted and desired to make Art accessible to the street, to people who don’t go on or are used to going in galleries will be lost and the debate on this accessibility and about money and business can be questioned.
In other words, Artists should continue to do murals on the street and for free when they can/want and they have the right, as well if they wish to show and exhibit their Art in Galleries, Fairs, Festivals etc. Both can be combined for the well-being of each Artists.
E.F
Vegan/Veganism
by Katharina Coenen
Veganism is a type of vegetarianism diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many Vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. They also don’t wear particular types of clothing, such as leather, fur and wool.
Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating or to the diet itself. That is, the word vegan can be an adjective used to describe a food item, as in, “This curry is vegan”, or, it can be used as a noun, as in, “Vegans like cookies, too.”
But why would you choose to become a vegan ? They are many reasons. Let’s have a look.
Animals are a constant part of our lives. We share our houses with them, our beds, and we even consider them to be members of our family. While they may not be able to speak our languages, we value them highly. We interact with them and we often turn to them for emotional support. When they pass away, we mourn them.
We also believe that they enjoy being alive as much as we humans do, as they enjoy the company of others. Yet for other animals we stick forks and knives into their bodies and wear their skin as clothing. Is that morally right ? Maybe you think it is wrong to act violently against dogs or cats, but why do we think this? Animals around the world are dying just because we want to wear their skin, eat them or their products.
Some of us try to defend this by purchasing products that are marketed as “humane” or as produced “ethically.” However, these words are meaningless and actually do very little to give animals a better life. In any case, these terms comfort the public to believe it is okay to exhaust animals simply because we enjoy using them. We can change this social affliction and respect life by going vegan.
Consuming a plant-based diet also has significant benefits for our environment and health. Many studies show that eating more fruits and vegetables can dramatically change rates of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Raising animals for food is also the single greatest human-caused source of destruction to our environment. In the rain forest, areas as big as soccer fields were cut down and used for growing soy beans for industrial livestock farming. Many rare animal species are in danger of extinction.
Personally i decided to going vegan. For me, its the next logical step, after being a vegetarian for over six years, to do the best as you can to help our environment and to reduce my ecological footprint. I never felt so happy with myself. 🙂
All around the world
Dana Lazzaro
Switzerland
Traveling is a way to see new places, learn new things and different cultures. It is a way to see different points of view and to grow up as a person. Every trip changes you a little bit, and when you come back home you’re a different person in some way.
Lately, I had the chance to go to lots of places with my family because they like traveling as much as I do. Last summer we went to Florida for two weeks and we traveled around Florida so that we could see all the different cities. We saw “small” cities, like Fort Myers and Daytona, and also big cities, like Orlando and Miami. I could see the differences between those cities, the small neighborhoods with a lot of lovely houses in Fort Myers and the big ones in Miami with a lot of mansions, the small and empty beaches and the crowded ones.
I liked everything about this trip. I had the chance to see a lot and to see how real life is in the USA. I live in Switzerland and I always watch American movies or tv series, and I’ve always dreamt about going there. So this trip was a kind of dream that became true.
This year I also went to London and Amsterdam for a few days.
I had the chance to see a lot of history and museums and they were really interesting but it was also interesting to see some characteristics of the countries.
For example, did you know that in Britain all the people always stay in line on the escalators on the right side? Because in this way the people that are in a hurry can go on the left side. I was really impressed about that! I’ve also been to Italy and to the seaside of Greece, but that was more of a relaxing holiday than a real trip.
I would really like to go far away, like in Asia or Africa to see some really different cultures.
Another way to see new places and new cultures are going abroad to learn a language.
You can learn a new language and you can actually live like a native of the place. You can change your lifestyle for a period and I think that this is really a great experience!
I study a lot of languages at school, and I like to travel in the summer and improve my additional languages. I’ve already been to Germany a couple of times to study German and I really liked that. So this summer I’m in Santa Barbara for a month to work on my English.
I think that this has been a really great experience, an experience that I will remember forever!
You live for a month away from your home and you are away from your everyday problems. You live a different life and you learn new things. When you come back home you will be an improved person, and maybe you will see things in a transformed way.
In conclusion, traveling is a way to change your personality and it is an experience that you won’t live again, and you will always have it in your heart, because it’s going to become a part of you. This experience is going to become something that you’ll never forget.
Olympic Games History
Tom Lumiere , France
The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, a city of Greece. Competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic, but also combat sports, such as battle and the pankration, horse and chariot racing events. It has been generally written that during the Games, all conflicts with the participating city-states were suspended until the Games were finished. This cessation of hostilities was known as the Olympic peace or accord. This idea is a modern illusion because the Greeks never suspended their wars
The modern Olympic Games (French: Jeux olympiques) are best international sporting events presenting summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world’s principal sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are adhered every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by developing every four years but two years apart.
Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin (French) founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, principal to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
Pierre de Coubertin
The reason why I choose is that since I was young, I have been
going to every summer Olympic Games: ‘Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and I will go to Tokyo in 2020’ .
efsantabarbaranews.com 