A survey conducted by teenage students shows that many I.V. residents believe noise, drugs and alcohol are problems in Isla Vista. Effie Sklavenitis / Daily Nexus
Middle school and high school students convened Tuesday in Isla Vista, asking community leaders to acknowledge the need for a safe, peaceful community conducive to their busy schedules.
About 35 teenage students from schools throughout Santa Barbara County presented findings from their survey of 200 I.V. residents indicating that Isla Vistans are overwhelmingly concerned about alcohol, drugs and noise in the community.
For several weeks, the students split into groups and canvassed I.V., asking 200 residents — almost half of which were college students — what they found problematic in the area.
Of the 200 residents surveyed, 88.5 percent said alcohol is a problem in I.V., 84 percent said drugs are a problem and 85 percent said noise is an issue on the weekends.
“Some of my nights when I’m in Isla Vista doing my homework, it can be really noisy,” said one 15-year-old who presented some of the findings Tuesday. “I am a student, too.”
Named “I’m a Student, Too!,” the event sought to remind UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students that there are younger students in I.V. who attend middle schools and high schools in the county.
In addition to the 200 residents surveyed, the students also asked 100 locals for their favorite thing about I.V., recording responses including the beach, the warm weather, Freebirds and the Children’s Park. Nearly 80 percent of participants said they love living in I.V.
The students spoke to a crowd of about 45 in the St. George Family Youth Center (formerly the I.V. Teen Center), which co-hosted the event with Future Leaders of America (FLA), a local nonprofit that works with low-income Latino/a youth.
“As youth, we want to reduce drugs and alcohol and drug consumption in I.V.,” said Oscar Rojas, 16, a sophomore at Dos Pueblos High School and a member of FLA. “We believe that the best way to deal with these issues is to work as a collaborative team with UCSB, SBCC, the County of [Santa Barbara] and community nonprofits and our families.”
More than 30 students from schools around Santa Barbara County presented findings from their survey of Isla Vista on Tuesday. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs / Daily Nexus
Leonor Reyes, director of the St. George Family Youth Center, said the “general party culture” blinds some students to the families living in I.V.
“I work with a lot of college students who come in [the center] and it’s the first time they realize there are students and teens in Isla Vista,” Reyes said.
The student group recommended three means by which to alleviate the party culture that, at times, hinders students from focusing on homework or falling asleep.
First, make I.V. residents aware of children and teens who live and study within the community; second, increase the media coverage of positive I.V. activities; and third, add classes or programs to UCSB’s curriculum that educate students on the composition and history of the area.
Eder Gaona-Macedo, the executive director of FLA, proposed the creation of “cultural sensitivity training” for UCSB students during freshman orientation, telling them that there are families in I.V. and that “the party isn’t conducive to everyone, especially the young kids.”
Nicole, 15, was born and raised in I.V. and now attends Dos Pueblos High School. She said the noise is the most difficult part of living in I.V., adding that she often sees people smoking and drinking at a park near her house, although the problem is improving.
“Sometimes I’m not able to go outside to enjoy the park,” she said. “I hope it gets better. It’s gotten way better in the last few years.”
Maria, a 13-year-old student at Goleta Valley Junior High, said she enjoys the beaches and getting food with friends in I.V., but gets annoyed by the noise from parties.
“On weekends or holidays — Halloween or Deltopia — it gets really loud, but other days I like living here,” she said, adding that the noise “is frustrating and sometimes keeps me from sleeping.”
A version of this story appeared on p. 1 of the Thursday, April 28, 2016 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
I wonder what percentage of the people who feel that alcohol, drugs, and noise are an issue spend their weekends partying with alcohol, drugs, and noise? This reminds me of Yogi Berra’s quote nobody goes there anymore it’s too crowded. Or how in the US the approval rating for congress is under 30%, but incumbents get reelected about 85% of the time. Just a real disconnect.
While on one hand I want to be empathetic to these teens because they have no control over where they live, I want to tell them it could be worse: they could live in a boring ass town not near the beach, or they could also be living in Manhattan where it’s even louder. Another thing I would suggest to them, which is something I learned in IV was this about the noise: when it’s light out, study. When it’s dark out, party. If you can’t do your work during all the daylight hours you’ve got a time management issue.… Read more »
Omg your comment is so disgusting, how can you say they have a time management issue if they can’t study in the day? They have every right to be able to study at any time they want with no noise. I’m pretty sure they have been living here way longer than you have so what gives you the right to come into their town and demand anything. Check your privilege. Your not entitled to anything.
OMG yourself. If you get out of school and study for 4 hours you’re done at 7, you can have dinner and have a life. Secondly you have zero clue who has lived where and for how long, which, OMG, is inconsequential. I want those kids to study too. But I also live on planet Earth along with them and whining that OMG Isla Vista is too loud isn’t going to solve anything. What will solve it is either studying immediately after school for a few hours or waking up early and studying then. Sorry to be OMG rational.
Right… Because no High School students, particularly those who actually want to study, are participating in any clubs/volunteer efforts/extra-curricular activities that will help strengthen transcripts.
As a personal anecdote I know when I was in high school I often didn’t get home until 5:30 or 6 after practice, at which point I ate dinner and then it’s 7. Time to start studying.
Study during the week, volunteer on the weekends. If a student’s after school activities are negatively affecting their grades, that’s not really the fault of Isla Vista, that is the fault of the student’s time management. Put down the volleyball, Junior, and study after school. IT ISN’T THAT HARD.
Why are you whining about their so called whining?
Relatively certain 100% of these teenagers spend there day in school (they don’t really have an option in that) and I don’t think the University Library is really where middle school students are supposed to be studying.
Their day is something you are not relatively certain about. Neither is how to spell “their”. Neither is your knowledge about where the public can study. Did you pay someone off to get into UCSB?
The period goes inside the quotation mark. Everybody can play the edit online comments game. Absolutely correct. It was a highly sarcastic use of relatively certain. Federal law mandates how teenagers spend the day. You and I both know exactly where they are during your preferred study hours. They are in school. Of course people CAN study in the library; I never said anyone was barred from entering. But the University library was built for University use. That’s why you need an active Access Card to check out a book. It’s not really open to the public like the actual… Read more »
It’s not really open to the public? Do you really want to stick to that answer?
Wow, you have a lot of nerve to post this comment. First of all, who are you to tell them when to study? If you have nothing else going on in your life that you can study during the day, then good for you. However, these kids are involved in various activities OUTSIDE of school, making it difficult to study on a strict schedule. If they must find a “quiet place” they should be able to go home (LIKE EVERY OTHER KID IN MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL) and do so. These kids are not as privileged as you are, and most of… Read more »
If you live in a town of FuckBoys – guess What?! You gonna get fucked?! Complaining about IV is like complaining that the Las Vegas Strip is too drunk, loud, and noisy?! Hey, you know – it’s cheeper to live in Vegas or Texas than Cali – how about packing and moving to a nicer area – and let IV be its Sodom and Gomorrah that it always has been. Or buy some noise canceling headphones…. besides who studies on Halloween or FRAT Day anyway?! IDIOT.
I feel like the issue is more with the UC system or whoever decided to create IV and have housing available that does not separate families and college students. I’m sympathetic that kids cannot study or have issues studying due to the noise, or being exposed to things they do not want to see yet if they choose to walk around IV for food. Not sure what the solution is, but you can’t necessarily place the entire blame on college kids for wanting to do things college kids at other universities have been doing for decades.
Why wouldn’t you blame the parents of these children instead of the UC system? UCSB is much older than 17 years old. Yet these parents made an adult decision to raise their family in Isla Vista, which for decades has been known as a party town and the opposite of quiet. Living in Goleta would be quieter and cheaper and would be a far more family-friendly area than IV.
Perhaps the parents work at the University or at Devereaux and do not own a car so need to live very close to both the workplace and an elementary school for their kids?
Perhaps that very small percentage of employees should, again, move to Goleta and take the bus to campus. The rent in Goleta is so much cheaper than IV that it would pay for the bus. WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SOLVE TODAY?
Dear Tony, In case you are unaware of the facts. IV does not belong and is not owned by UCSB. IV is part of the unincorporated area of SB County. There are actually a range of different communities living within IV: the eldery at Friendship Manor, there are permanent long term resident home owners, their are families that rent and work in IV(there are also county and non-profit affordable housing complex units in IV) and then there are UCSB and SBCC students. Once again, IV does not belong to UCSB. It is a beautiful beach town that should be appreciated… Read more »
You are ignorant to the nth power. Students originally didn’t live in IV; it was all families and non-student residents between 1925 and 1965. Students only tipped the balance around 2005. Your comments prove that I have to up the homework I assign in my courses and advise other faculty to do so too. Anyone who has free time on any other night than Friday and Saturday needs a lot more homework and projects… UC is not supposed to be a degree factory. Anyone who parties from 7pm to bedtime on a weeknight deserves a life with out a UC… Read more »
Oh wah. Cry me a river.
Hahahahaha
I remember these kids, they interviewed my roommate and I. I agree that there’s a noise issue.
Isla Vista is a college town, yes, but this town is neighboring a world-class university with students in very demanding majors. Party noise on weekends? Yes that’s fair. But what about when it goes to 2:00am? There needs to be a line for students that can’t afford to loose a night’s sleep, and these families that share our space with their children.
This is total BS and a waste of time. If the students making noise are violating any laws, by all means call the cops. Otherwise (which I think is the case), they are not breaking any laws and nothing can be done about it. Complaining will accomplish nothing. Sure, these kids were dealt a bad hand in life and don’t have it easy like most kids at UCSB, but make due with what you have and try your best to succeed. Quit bitching about something that will never change and you can do nothing about and bust your ass to… Read more »
Becoming active in your community and trying to make the world or your neighborhood a better or healthier place is NOT a waste of time. Its not “bitching” . IF that were the case in life…..NOTHING or NOONE would ever change.
You are an ignorant prick, shut up.
This whole article is so stupid. I was at this event and the person who wrote was either not listening or clueless. Context MOFO do you speak it??? Their was so much more covered by these teens. Including how much they and the rest of the community love living in Isla Vista. What I got out of it was that they want to be acknowledged as students also. Just as student life shifts during finals and midterms were you can almost hear a pin drop. They would also appreciate some of that same courtesy on school nights. In no way… Read more »
Ahaha a bit ironic that you talk about misreadings. Yes the reporter chose to discuss an issue pertaining to the demographic of its readers. (what a crime) Secondly, no one is talking about banning party life so you can continue to do whatever you want, and if that’s all you got from reading this than you are doing this article an injustice. I think the writer did his job, brought attention to something not everyone may know, that there are youngsters here too.
Also I’m not going to post this anonymously like you bruh.
Lol it made it annonymous wtf lol
Exactly bruh..
Idiot