When Santa Barbara’s front-page news is about an infamous party house in Isla Vista, is it a sign of decline for this generation?
Are these extreme partiers getting press because of sensationalism, or to alert us to a trend?
In the Oct. 1 issue of the Santa Barbara News-Press, Morgan Green’s article was about a landlady cracking down on her Isla Vista tenants. A new policy now allows sheriffs to contact owners and rental managers of the units where laws were broken during parties.
In addition to blow out drinking parties, pornography producers have encouraged revelers to go further. The producers make money for their flicks, but what does it cost students?
The News-Press carried Barney Brantingham’s Sept. 4 article, which exposed a practice of filming pornography at Isla Vista parties. The article included consequences for a young man’s “two minute mistake.”
According to the article, the same porn crew that filmed in Isla Vista filmed in other campus towns. Brian Buck was executive vice president of the Arizona State University student body, and he was filmed at a porn party.
The university sanctioned him severely. He got a lot of flak and resigned from his student-body office. Also, his parents cut off his tuition. That’s probably not the end of his woes.
If students are so bent on following the low road, why give them a vehicle?  If UCSB offers a course in porn, are they giving in to a trend? There are plenty of students aiming for the stars, not “stardumb.”
But don’t give up hope-there are signs of goodness.
In September, a tragedy struck down one of our international students, and our Senators responded with compassion. Student Senator Maria L. Lopez took immediate action when she attended the Board of Trustees meeting where Wai-Kwan “Penny” Au’s accident was announced.She requested funds from Ann Fryslie, Associated Student Senate advisor. Lopez also delivered flowers to Cottage Hospital, representing City College students.
Another Senator, Yee Wan Cheung “Win,” translated for Au’s parents when they arrived from Hong Kong. Cheung insisted on going to the airport at 1:30 a.m. with Derrick Banks, director of the international student support program.
Also, at the Student Senate’s October blood drive, 112 students, faculty and staff gave 84 units of blood.
When two students smoking at a table by the West Campus snack shop were asked not to smoke, the girls put out their cigarettes. Whether conscience or consequences motivated them, at least courtesy won.
Perhaps you have a moral compass, a set of standards that guides you in deciding what is fair, true and right. Where do our standards come from?
Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian standards. The Ten Commandments were basic to our culture. Our original laws and codes came from those standards. What standards does this generation follow?