Daily Bruin – Page 75

Art to Heart: Galleries offer opportunity for students to experience art outside comfort zone

Art, the universal language, can transcend space and time to reach a diverse audience. We hear this all the time, but do we truly feel the weight of these words? A cloud of elitism envelops the “art world,” alienating the perspectives of some while glorifying those of others. In efforts to challenge ideas that reinforce the intrinsic validity of one individual’s take on art over another’s, columnist Lisa Aubry will explore different creative spaces and outlooks on art and reconcile the fields of arts and sciences through discussions.

I left the wind and the traffic outside, slipping through sleek glass doors into a spotlit interior.

As an art history student trying to break into the Los Angeles art scene this year, I’ve wandered into many a gallery – clumsily, sheepishly and without the slightest intention of purchasing a single thousand-dollar sculpture. Visiting a fine art gallery can be jarring and intimidating, but as with most challenges, the rewards are priceless.

Galleries and museum spaces display pieces in similar formats, yet their divergent agendas affect perception of the art, said Alisun Woolery, director at Marc Selwyn Fine Art. While museums aim to educate, galleries are primarily concerned with selling artworks, Woolery said. Additionally, museums provide thorough textual explanations and helpful museum docents. But the limited intervention in the visitor’s gallery experience could actually make for a more raw and direct perception of the artwork.

Besides, visiting galleries is a cost-free experience. The same free entry is not necessarily a standard for museums. Woolery suggested attending openings as a helpful way to dip one’s toes in the network of galleries while also avoiding the more intimidating aspects. Public openings allow artists to provide gallerygoers with big reveals, Woolery said. Such events are prime opportunities to visit with friends and explore new artworks alongside other attendees in a stress-free way, since it is the gallery that’s trying to make an impression rather than the viewer.

Come to think of it, visiting galleries on regular days can provide entertaining experiences as well. I was doing precisely that when I met Susan Given and Lee Herschler, two visitors at the Lora Schlesinger Gallery – one of around 30 galleries clustered in a complex called Bergamot Station. The duo explained that, as animal and art lovers, they were enthralled by artist Adonna Khare’s whimsical stagings of intricately rendered wild animals. While they said they were at ease at the “rEVOLVEd” exhibition, both women admitted not all their gallery experiences have been so carefree. Even though she visits galleries a few times per year, Herschler said she still sometimes feels intimidated when observing artworks.

“Sometimes I worry that if I don’t know what good art is I’m going to be judged, instead of thinking, ‘Hey, I like what I like,’” Given said. “Whatever speaks to me speaks to me, and it doesn’t matter what somebody else thinks because there’s no right or wrong in these cases.”

web.a&e.art2heart.7.picB.LA.jpg — Given purchased a work titled “Chimp and Rocking Horse” because she recalled personal memories when she looked at it. (Lisa Aubry/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Given said she enjoyed the artworks so much that she purchased one of the pencil-on-paper works titled, “Chimp and Rocking Horse,” for their home. She said she enjoyed the drawing because the animals stir up both cherished and challenging memories. She went traveling last summer and recalls the surreal experience of encountering wild chimpanzees, yet solemnly confessed that she recently broke her tibia in a horseback riding accident. Galleries, in particular, allow people to bring captured memories home with them.

Despite her many expeditions in LA, Herschler mentioned she is still more likely to wander into art galleries when on vacation abroad, because she’s already removed from her comfort zone and in the mindset to discover. The truth is, a 12-hour flight to another country and a short trek to a nearby gallery boil down to the same effect when it comes to removing oneself from one’s comfort zone. One need not go far to seek and overcome a challenge that blossoms into a newfound experience.

Santa Monica Cultural Affairs and its arts commission, which are divisions of the city that aim to serve the community through arts and culture, have played key roles in the development and policymaking concerning Bergamot Station. Shannon Daut, the cultural affairs manager, said the cultural campus is currently in a state of transition as longtime galleries leave the space and create vacancies full of possibilities.

Daut proposed a number of ways to tap into the space’s fullest potential for lively activity, such as encouraging on-site artmaking through artist residencies and fostering short-term pop-up displays. Both of these methods leverage the power of cyclical change to continuously refresh a static site like Bergamot Station with new exhibits, people and ideas.

“Art can inspire us, challenge us and surprise us,” Daut said. “ Walking through (a gallery) and seeing all kinds of different art can really be an enriching experience for everyone, whether they be a collector or just the average Joe that’s not trying to buy anything.”

While my ultimate quest remains the endorsement of avenues for inclusivity in the world of art, it’s only natural that places like galleries attract an affluent clientele. Yet, as I explored the galleries near Westwood, I realized there’s nothing discouraging college students from benefiting from the artworks. Rather, organizations like SMCA actively strive to engage with the community via arts. Unlike familiar museum-offered guidance, gallerygoing demands that you meet the artwork halfway and shape your own experience.

If there’s anything art has taught us, it’s that nothing is impossible. The seemingly haughty disposition and inaccessibility of spaces like galleries melt away with the first step into a well-ventilated space. The glass swivel door shuts slowly behind you, and the gallery is perhaps a refuge from the outside, yet still an invitation to ditch the comfort zone. Galleries present unfamiliar, enticing terrain for guests to navigate and grapple with atmosphere and art alike.

Student-directed film considers awkward aspects of college sex life

Watching sex scenes in films can be uncomfortable. Yet Jordan Barger and Anali Cabrera want to highlight all the awkward and cringeworthy aspects of intimacy.

First-year film students Barger and Cabrera wrote and directed their film “Let’s Talk About ‘It'” for the UCLA Film and Photography Society. The film, which was finished Sunday, follows students Yesenia and Aurora as they navigate new sexual encounters upon entering college. Cabrera said she didn’t want to include cheesy romance, and instead intended to focus on the confusing aspects of the college sex landscape.

“(Barger) and I realized that there aren’t enough films that show the gray areas of sex in college,” Cabrera said. “In media, whether it be in TV shows or films, they depict sex in a very beautiful, polished, perfect way … when in reality, it’s not like that.”

In the film, the characters step into college with high expectations for their sex lives. However, they come to realize that sex in college does not always meet the standards they’ve become so used to hearing about, and that there is no need to force anything.

“Some people might be having a lot of sex, and that’s great, as long as they’re the ones in control of that,” Barger said. “There are also people who might not be having sex at all, and that’s also up to them. … Being autonomous and in control is the most important thing when it comes to college sex life.”

One of the main inspirations for “Let’s Talk About ‘It'” was Netflix show “Sex Education,” which debuted early this year, Cabrera said. The show is set in high school and depicts how awkward sex can be. However, Barger and Cabrera felt there were still topics that weren’t addressed thoroughly in the series, especially for college students, who are in a completely different setting.

“We thought ‘Sex Education’ addressed everything it should’ve; however, it took place in high school rather than college,” Cabrera said. “(Barger) and I both felt that when we were entering college as first-years, we didn’t know what to expect in terms of the college sex scene, … and our film tries to communicate that.”

The two protagonists’ arcs in “Let’s Talk About ‘It’” are based on Cabrera and Barger’s lives. Though the students were initially unsure about including their personal narratives, they became more comfortable with sharing their own experiences over the course of making the film, Cabrera said.

“It’s really nerve-wracking – especially in this kind of situation – to base the characters solely on yourself, but we thought that was the best way to make it authentic,” Barger said.

When they first began to write the film, Barger and Cabrera were in a lecture hall, and Cabrera was reminiscing about her hookup with a boy from the night before. While Barger was jotting down notes from the professor, Cabrera began writing Yesenia’s story.

Cabrera wanted to include not just her life experiences, but also her culture. One of the only criteria during casting was that the character Yesenia be Hispanic, as she said the Latinx community continues to be underrepresented in film. In addition, Cabrera said she believes culture plays a big part in sexual experiences.

“In Hispanic culture, for example, there’s the idea of not having sex until marriage and the idea that sex is sinful,” Cabrera said. “Although sex is really big in college, culture plays a significant role in what we choose to do and why many people can feel hesitant.”

Actress Lauren Renee, who portrays Yesenia in the film, said she personally connected to the character not only because she is Mexican American, but also because she is still learning to navigate the dating world. Renee said she believes the film can be reassuring for many college students who find themselves in confusing sexual situations.

“I liked the nitty-gritty aspect of the script and how it portrayed ways that sex could be awkward, weird and funny,” Renee said. “I also liked how the script showed that women can like sex as well, and women can be just as bold and brave towards sex as a man can be.”

One of the first female NASA astronauts to be 2019 college commencement speaker

One of NASA’s first female astronauts will speak at UCLA’s commencement ceremony June 14.

Anna Lee Fisher, a three-time UCLA graduate, was part of NASA’s first astronaut class to include women, as well as the first mother in space. Fisher joined NASA in 1978 and embarked on a flight on the space shuttle Discovery in 1984 when her daughter was 14 months old.

Fisher was also the chief of the Astronaut Office’s Space Station at NASA, where she helped create the foundation for the International Space Station and served as a lead communicator with the space station in the mission control center.

The UCLA alumna also worked on display development for the Orion spacecraft, a human spacecraft designed for deep-space missions, before she retired in 2017.

Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA in 1971, a medical degree in 1976 and a master’s in chemistry in 1987. She will be speaking at both commencement ceremonies at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.

The Quad: SB 24 would require UC, CSU campus health centers offer nonsurgical abortions

Anyone who’s taken a U.S. history class can tell you how integral Roe v. Wade was in setting the tone of the modern abortion debate.

Yet, despite the fact Roe v. Wade determined abortion is a constitutional right, abortion rights are still being restricted at the state level to varying, increasingly polarized degrees.

Senate Bill 24, which would require that student health care clinics at all 34 California public colleges and universities offer abortion by medication techniques, is currently taking its turns through the California legislative process to become a law, and marks California’s ongoing efforts to widen abortion accessibility throughout the state.

The state of Alabama recently passed the country’s most restrictive abortion policy, which outlawed abortion at every stage of pregnancy, with the exception of cases where the life of the mother is in extreme peril. On the other end of the spectrum, the state of California has historically held looser abortion restrictions.

Paula Tavrow, associate adjunct professor of community health sciences and director of the Bixby Program in Population and Reproductive Health at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said it is important to recognize that California has always been a leader in the nation in terms of thinking about how to improve abortion access.

Before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, California passed the Therapeutic Abortion Act in 1967 and became the first state in the country to formally legalize abortion – but under strict regulations that required a hospital committee first determine the pregnancy would severely harm the woman’s mental or physical health.

“Despite the restrictions that came with this act, we think of it as a large step forward, especially in the context of a time during which the rest of the country still deemed it illegal,” Tavrow said.

Years after the Roe v. Wade decision – in 2002 – California proceeded to pass the Reproductive Privacy Act, which permitted any authorized health care provider to provide medical abortion, establishing the first state law to affirm the right of nonphysicians to provide abortion care.

Tavrow said this act was one of several protections California put in place to make sure Californians would still have access to safe abortion care even if the Supreme Court ever decided to overturn Roe v. Wade.

While California has not faced the same number of abortion restrictions as its southern and Midwestern counterparts, it is still fighting for statewide abortion access – particularly on university campuses.

Medical abortions are covered by the UC Student Health Insurance Plan, but are not actually administered at any University of California or California State University campus.

This reality places additional barriers for female students to receive an abortion, forcing them to go off campus and see an outside provider. The commute time for the procedure and follow-up appointments can take time away from class, internships and other commitments on campus.

Taking these impediments into consideration, California State Sen. Connie Leyva introduced Senate Bill 320 in February 2017, which required that on and after Jan. 1, 2022, each California public university student health center that receives state funding must offer abortion by medication.

While the bill passed through both houses of the state Legislature, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 320 in September, stating that the 5-7 mile average distance to abortion providers in campus communities, was “not an unreasonable distance.”

The veto by the self-proclaimed pro-choice governor came as a shock to many Californians. However, it is evident the veto was a pragmatic stance rather than a moral one: Implementing Senate Bill 320 would have been no small feat, either fiscally or operationally.

According to a report from the state Assembly Higher Education Committee, implementation of this bill was contingent upon a total of at least $9.6 million in private funds.

In addition to the funding, each health center had to have been made “medication abortion ready” by purchasing equipment, making facility improvements, establishing clinical protocols, creating patient educational materials and training staff.

“Because the services required by this bill are widely available off-campus, this bill is not necessary,” Brown wrote in his veto message.

Every month, around 500 students at the 34 UC and CSU campuses seek medication abortions at off-site health care facilities.

More than half of the students are low-income and do not have cars. Some students must travel up to four hours to receive abortion care.

Senate Bill 24, also known as the “College Student Right to Access Act,” comprises similar provisions to its predecessor, Senate Bill 320.

Senate Bill 24 delineates that, starting in January 2023, student health centers on all UC and CSU campuses would offer medication abortions to students up to 10 weeks into pregnancy.

The measure also allocates $200,000 in grant money to each of California’s public university student health centers, to cover anything the facility thinks it needs to be ready to provide medication abortion. These costs may include faculty training, equipment purchases, and facility and security upgrades.

Senate Bill 24 marks a second attempt to provide medication abortion to students at California public universities. This time, current California Gov. Gavin Newsom has indicated he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The bill has so far been approved by the Senate Education and Health committees, and was recently placed in the suspense file at its hearing Monday. Any bill with a fiscal effect in any fiscal year of $150,000 or more will, by a majority vote, be moved to the suspense file. A follow-up hearing will occur in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

“Once the bill is implemented and becomes another service that the health center is able to offer, it will change the approach to women’s health services and hopefully also help to destigmatize abortion,” Tavrow said.

How Katelyn Ohashi became the star of a sport she nearly despised

Joy.

That is on senior Katelyn Ohashi’s face as she grins and dances throughout her floor routine. Her teammates beam as she tumbles through the air and the crowd cheers with every completed skill. Ohashi’s smile only widens once she finishes.

“(Ohashi) just has so much joy and love when she competes,” said junior Felicia Hano, a teammate of Ohashi’s. “I don’t think anyone else could have portrayed that the way she did and I don’t think the audience would have received it in the way that (they did when) she performed.”

But it was not always that way.

Before Ohashi came to UCLA, she was well-known in the gymnastics community as the all-around champion at the 2013 American Cup and the last gymnast to beat Simone Biles in the event.

However, Ohashi had two torn shoulders and a fractured back, even while competing. The then-15-year-old gymnast also faced pressure and body shaming from fans, which Ohashi shared in a video by The Players’ Tribune. This culminated in Ohashi retiring from elite level gymnastics and deciding to pursue something different: collegiate gymnastics.

“If I would’ve left at my all-time high after winning 2013 American Cup, I would’ve looked back at the sport and absolutely despised it,” Ohashi said. “When people are like ‘Oh, is it worth it to be at the top? Is the Olympics worth it? The medals worth it?’ No, because I would’ve absolutely hated it.”

Ohashi said that switching to the collegiate level allowed her to gain a new perspective on gymnastics over time, and that she now knows her past struggles were worth it as she was able to rekindle her love for the sport.

But starting at UCLA, Ohashi was not the viral star she is in 2019. It took over a year before she could find solace in the sport.

“I had been broken when I was at the top of the world and considered great, so I just didn’t want to go back to that place,” Ohashi said. “I would say (it) probably (took until) my sophomore year of college. Being able to look at the audience and just really feel at home (was) really cool.”

That second year, during a team meeting, Ohashi told her team that she did not want to be great again – something that shocked her coach.

“What went through my head was an out-of-state scholarship’s about $60,000 a year, so the first thing I thought was ‘What am I paying you $60,000 a year for?’” said coach Valorie Kondos Field. “I’ve always felt like a lot of student-athletes don’t realize this is a job and you’re getting paid to do a job. So my thought was, ‘If I’m getting 50 or 60% – it was probably like 60% of her ability – why was I paying her 100% of her contract?’”

But Kondos Field let Ohashi’s words settle in. The coach said she knew she had to help the gymnast mend her relationship with the sport that had interwoven so much pain with success.

“She explained that she didn’t want to be great because everything associated with being great was miserable for her, and at that moment I got it,” Kondos Field said. “I needed to help her find her ‘why’ because her ‘why’ previously was she was super talented, she was expected to learn the hardest skills in the world, she was expected to compete with near perfection, and she was expected to win. Well, that made her miserable, so let’s find a new ‘why.’ Her ‘why’ became just loving the sport.”

Kondos Field said it took about a year and a half for her to find that trust with Ohashi. As the season progressed, the coach began to nudge the gymnast toward a leadership role on the team.

Kondos Field added that was one of the toughest personal moments she had with Ohashi. The coach saw something in Ohashi the gymnast could not.

“I say (to her), ‘You are a leader because people naturally follow your lead,’” Kondos Field said. “‘You’re extremely charismatic. People like being around you, they want to hang out with you (and) they want to be like you, so they’re gonna do what you do.”

Ohashi did eventually step into that role, which she said prepared her for the world outside of gymnastics.

web.sp.Ohashi.picB.NT.jpg — Once she arrived at UCLA, Ohashi rediscovered her joy for the sport of gymnastics. Over the past year, she has become one of the most well-known collegiate gymnasts in the country. (Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)

The gymnast began her rise to stardom after her floor routine went viral at last year’s 2018 NCAA championships. The routine garnered a 9.950 and over 90 million views on social media as well as the NCAA floor exercise co-champion title.

This year, Ohashi’s floor routine during UCLA’s second meet went viral after Ohashi posted a perfect 10, becoming the most-watched sports video so far this year over 117 million views. In total, the senior captured a total of six perfect 10s on floor in 2019.

As her fame grew, Ohashi utilized it to spread awareness about mental health, body shaming and sexual assault, among other topics. Ohashi discusses these topics on her blog, “Behind the Madness,” which she started her sophomore year.

“I started to write (it) with one of my friends, a manager on the team, and we were just looking around and there was so much negativity around us that it was kind of just like, there’s so much to be grateful for that we take advantage of,” Ohashi said. “So we started writing it and my favorite parts (are that) none of it started like ‘Oh, this is gonna help people,’ like we were just talking and hearing all the feedback that I’ve gotten, just really positive things.”

Ohashi said she plans to continue blogging after graduating and hopes to expand her platform to different mediums to reach more people, such as through a YouTube channel and a book.

Because the blog is tied in so closely with Ohashi’s experiences as an athlete, she said the lessons she has learned from the sport will continue to be influential even though her gymnastics career has ended. Ohashi added that the takeaways from being a competitive athlete go beyond gymnastics as well.

“There’s two takeaways,” Ohashi said. “Discipline, because I think any sport gives you discipline and knows how to teach you how to keep pushing through adversity and hardships. Another thing would be is using my voice. I think (gymnastics) really stifled it for awhile and then coming out on the other side and being able to use my voice has taught me to take ownership of my life.”

Hano said that Ohashi’s guidance has inspired her, especially because the junior is set to take on a leadership role next season.

“One of (Ohashi’s leadership tactics) is speaking her mind even when things are a little bit uncomfortable,” Hano said. “That’s something I’m learning to do especially now being a senior and I think that’s something (I’ll carry) with me for the rest of my life.”

Kondos Field, who is leaving UCLA alongside Ohashi, said Ohashi’s legacy goes beyond gymnastics.

“Her platform now isn’t about gymnastics,” Kondos Field said. “Gymnastics has given her the platform to speak out about anti-bullying, about the effects of body-shaming, about why people choose to stay in abusive relationships. She single-handedly has brought more joy to this sport probably than any other gymnast.”

Even with earliest exit in years, young men’s tennis team optimistic for future

The Bruins’ young lineup gained valuable experience this season.

No. 11 UCLA men’s tennis (19-6, 8-0 Pac-12) finished the season with a 15-2 stretch after opening the season 4-4. The Bruins finished undefeated in conference play, notching an 8-0 record to win the regular season title for the 37th time in program history.

However, they were unable to secure the Pac-12 tournament title after getting upset by California in the semifinals.

The Bruins dealt with multiple bumps in the road this season. Five of UCLA’s first eight matches were postponed and ultimately cancelled. The Bruins also faced multiple injuries to lineup mainstays, including sophomore Connor Hance, who missed the entire season after getting hurt in the opening match.

UCLA had little college tennis experience on its roster to start the season, returning only two starters. The roster boasted five sophomores and seven freshmen. Coach Billy Martin said the circumstances were tough, but that they will help create an even better team next season.

“Even though we lose a senior like Max (Cressy), we’re going to be a strong team,” Martin said. “With what these kids have gone through this season, they’ll be back out ready to fight again next season.”

Cressy and sophomore Keegan Smith both earned a spot in the NCAA singles championship, as well as the No. 2 seed in the NCAA doubles championship as a partnership. Freshman Govind Nanda was selected as an alternate for the singles championships.

Nanda was the only Bruin to participate in all 25 matches in both the singles and doubles lineups. Junior Ben Goldberg also played in all 25 matches, 24 of them in singles and an overlapping eight in doubles.

Goldberg said his game had improved with increased playing time this season.

“We played hard every match throughout the season,” Goldberg said. “I’ve been focusing and learning to build my mental game so I can come out strong for every match.”

Cressy was the only senior on the Bruins’ roster, and his undefeated season at doubles and a 15-3 record at No. 1 singles will leave UCLA with significant production to replace. However, the Bruins will return multiple freshmen – Patrick Zahraj, Mathew Tsolakyan and Eric Hahn – who received significant time at the bottom half of the lineup this season.

Cressy said he’s happy with his senior season and is looking forward to the opportunities he has ahead of him.

“It’s been great to fight and work hard for the team this season,” Cressy said. “I’m really excited to play the individual and doubles tournament before my season comes to an end, and the team has really been behind me in working toward that goal”

Smith, who was half of the Bruins undefeated No. 1 doubles team and a 15-2 record-holder at No. 2 singles, may or may not return to school. After a similarly successful season during the 2017-2018 campaign, sophomore Evan Zhu decided to leave UCLA early to pursue a professional career.

To end their season, the Bruins lost to No. 6 Baylor in the round of 16 in the NCAA team championships – their earliest tournament exit since 2015.

Women’s tennis gains confidence with three sweeps at start of NCAA tournament

The Bruins have not dropped a single point in the tournament.

No. 7 seed UCLA women’s tennis (21-7, 8-2 Pac-12) has won its first three matches of the NCAA championship by a combined score of 12-0. The Bruins posted a similar record last year, winning their first three duals 12-1 before falling to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Elite Eight.

UCLA swept 32% of its opponents in the regular season – an 18% drop after sweeping 50% of regular season opponents in 2018. Nine of the Bruins’ 11 sweeps this season have come against teams with winning records.

The last time the Bruins notched three sweeps to start their NCAA campaign, they emerged victorious to claim the 2014 national title.

“We could be a Final Four team,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “When you play in the NCAA, you just got to get a couple players hot and anything can happen.”

UCLA’s latest sweep over Washington sent the Bruins through to the Elite Eight. UCLA competed against Washington twice this season before meeting again in the tournament, yet did not post a sweep in either of the previous matches.

Sophomore Abi Altick said a sweep over a high-caliber opponent boosts the team’s confidence.

“It’s huge for us to keep getting better,” Altick said. “It shows us that anything is possible.”

Redshirt junior Jada Hart said the string of results may motivate the team, but the Bruins will be put to the test against a Tar Heels squad that has only lost one game.

“Everyone is in a better space now, both mentally and physically, now that we got those three sweeps,” Hart said. “We’re feeling great about going to Orlando and we’re looking to give it everything we have.”

Hart said the team is ready to bounce back despite dropping its first matchup of the season to North Carolina.

“Everybody is feeling really good about their game now,” Hart said. “This is the moment where we all want to peak, so this was a match where we wanted to handle (Washington) with ease going into the Elite Eight.”

Sampras Webster said the sweeps have been a testament to the skill of her players and their ability to beat any team moving forward.

“We just played a really high level of tennis,” Sampras Webster said. “It’s pretty impressive the way we got four points in a row, so it was a good day to be a Bruin.”