Mustang News June 11, 2019

C A L P O LY S A N LU I S O B I S P O ’ S N E W S S O U R C E

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ATHLETICS BEGINS APPEALS TO OVERTURN NCAA SANCTIONS

Austin Linthicum

President & Editor in Chief Quinn Fish Print Managing Editor

Lauren Arendt Social Media Managing Editor

Rachel Marquardt Digital Director & PR Manager

Rachel Showalter Video Managing Editor

NEWS Cassandra Garibay Editor Ashley Ladin Emily Quesada Isabella Paoletto Hailey Nagma Lauren Kozicki Lauryn Luescher Maureen McNamara Roselyn Romero Sabrina Pascua Samantha Spitz Aidan McGloin

V I D EO Connor McCarthy Chief Anchor Justin Garrido Video Editor Sawyer Milam Sports Video Director Reid Fuhr Sports Video Producer Sydney Brandt Video Producer Kallyn Hobmann Kayla Berenson Jared Smith Emi Powers Intern Lily Dallow Intern

ARTS Emily Merten Editor Sabrina Thompson Michael Barros Caitlin Scott Grant Anderson Kiana Meagher Sydney Sherman OPINION Olivia Peluso Editor Hanah Wyman Abdullah Sulaiman Yervant Malkhassian Lilly Leif Jaxon Silva SPORTS Brian Truong Editor Francisco Martinez Sophia Crolla Garrett Brown Kylie Smith Sydney Finkel Naythan Bryant Prerna Aneja Kyle Har PHOTO Zachary Donnenfield Editor Carolyne Sysmans Kylie Kowalske Alison Chavez Diego Rivera Connor Frost Kyle Calzia Sofia Clark Luke Deal

COPY Amanda Simonich Copy Chief Kelly Martinez Jarod Urrutia D ES I GN Calista Lam Director Michelle Cao Solena Aguilar Julia Jackson-Clark D I V ERS I TY Monique Ejenuko Editor SOCIAL Hanna Crowley Kelsey Luvisa Danielle Lee Candace Lee Kelsey Parmenter

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BY F RA N C I S CO M A RT I N E Z

PR Alyssa Wilson Dominique Morales Kaitlyn Hoyer Mikaela Lincoln Tess Loarie Intern Christina Arthur Intern S PEC I A L S ECT I O N S Isabel Hughes Editor Ava Fry Sophia Lincoln Lauren Walike Samuel Serra A DV ERT I S I NG DE S IG N Keilani Waxdeck Lauren Marshall Steven Nguyen Von Balanon Kendra Oliver

Bianka Pantoja Advertising Manager

Shea Irwin Advertising Design Manager

BJ Drye Advertising Manager

Jasen Journeycake Distribution Manager

Kylie Goldfarb Advertising Manager

IN THIS ISSUE

TUESDAY • JUNE 11, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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On June 2, Cal Poly was supposed to indicate which sports were affected by the NCAA’s ruling that the university gave student-athletes too much money for textbooks. That did not happen, as Cal Poly began the appeals process to overturn the NCAA decision.

“The university has filed an intent to appeal with the NCAA,” Cal Poly Athletics said in a May 3 press release.

“That gives the university 30 days to file an appeal. However, the university is still reviewing its options on how it will proceed, and we won’t have any additional details to provide until that decision is made.”

Because the university is appealing the decision to the NCAA’s Infractions Appeal Committee (IAC), Cal Poly will not lose any wins or records for the time being, according to the NCAA. “If a school or involved individual appeals a penalty, it is stayed until the IAC issues its decision,” NCAA associ-

ate director of public and media relations Emily James said in an email to Mustang News on June 4.

However, appealing is not an opportunity for Cal Poly to reargue the case.

Instead, the IAC will reexamine the facts that were presented originally to the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions panel.

Cal Poly was punished by the NCAA on April 18 for giving extra book scholarship money to student-athletes. A total of 72 student-athletes across 18 of 22 sports received an average of $225 in extra stipends. The NCAA’s original ruling required Cal Poly to vacate the wins and records of any team or student-athlete affected, serve a two-year probation and pay a self-imposed fine of $5,000 fine.

In order for Cal Poly to have its punishment overturned, the IAC must find one of four qualifying criteria to do so.

The decision could be overturned if the IAC finds information that is contrary to the original investigation or

that Cal Poly did not violate the NCAA’s rules.

Cal Poly’s decision can also be overturned if the IAC finds that a procedural error took place during the investigation that lead to the current ruling.

The last way in which the NCAA’s decision can be overturned is if the IAC finds that the Committee on Infractions panel abused its discretion when penalizing the university.

This intent to appeal is the first step in the appeals process. The five-person panel includes people involved in college athletics, such as associate commissioner of the American Athletic Conference Ellen Farris, and people outside of college athletics, such as lawyer W. Anthony Jenkins.

Between 2017-2018, the IAC reviewed 36 appeals for penalties and violations. Of the 36 appeals, only six violations and penalties were overturned.

The average length of a case seen by the IAC is eight weeks.

COVER

ART WITH AI

ALMUNA WINS SHARK TANK

INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT ARMSTRONG

MEN’S BASKETBALL’S DONOVAN FIELDS

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A LOOK BACK AT THE TOP STORIES OF THE YEAR

BILL TO FREEZE PRESIDENT’S SALARIES DURING TUITION INCREASES

BY H AIL E Y N AG M A

Z AC H DONNENFIELD | MUSTA N G N EWS

CSU policy now requires universities to provide justification forms for all new administrative positions.

BY A I DAN MCGLOIN Cal Poly’s administrative growth is at its lowest since 2012. Cal Poly created five new administrator positions between 2017 and 2018, compared to one in 2012, 16 in 2013, 41 in 2014 and 20 in 2015.

The five new positions were a Library Facilities Manager, which was formerly a staff position; Director of Academic Affairs for Technical Services in Academic Affairs, which was a staff position; Environmental Health & Safety Director in Admin & Finance; Project/Change Manager in Admin & Finance; and an Associate Vice President of the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion, according to a recently released administration report.

Cal Poly and the CSU system has grown administrators more than faculty and staff for years.

Between 2007 and 2016, administrators across the CSUs grew by 15 percent, while faculty grew by 6 percent and staff by 7 percent.

At Cal Poly, administrators grew by 50 percent in that same time frame.

“It’s a matter of misplaced priorities,” history professor and faculty union president Lewis Call said.

He would like more spending on faculty salaries and professor hires, he said.

Administration agrees there should be more spending on faculty, but says it is more difficult than it sounds.

Cal Poly Provost Kathleen Enz Finken said she hires professors when she can, but there must be a “critical need” and more funds from the California budget. A lot of what the university does is paid

for by one-time dollars, which are not guaranteed the following year, and Enz Finken said it does not make fiscal sense to hire people on tenure lines without knowing they will have money secured to pay their salary. Instead, she has hired temporary lecturers.

She kept the university at a 20:1 student to faculty ratio, which she said she is proud of. She said the increase in administrative positions is due to students expecting more support services.

“We are trying to provide tremendous service to students. We are trying to run a very complex organization. And, more importantly, we are trying to meet the requirements and the expectations of the United States people.”

Demands from students and parents, ranging from sexual assault support, to diversity initiatives, to student counseling, have caused an increase in hiring administrators, Enz Finken said. A support network is now required at universities, a difference from 20 years ago, when universities just provided an education, she said.

The services provided at Cal Poly, many run by an administrator, were not provided when Enz Finken went to college.

“It’s really a catch-22, because we really need those things, nobody wants to send their child to a university if they don’t feel like they will have the support they need to be successful,” Enz Finken said. “On the other hand, everybody complains about the cost of higher education. And, this is one piece of it. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

The rate of administrative hires over full-time staff has raised

concerns in the past. Cal Poly received criticism from a 2016 CSUwide audit which claimed 23 new administrative positions at Cal Poly between 2007 and 2016 were made without “adequate justification.”

The audit asked for each campus to use a “numeric or ratio-based approach to determine staffing levels,” instead of making individual hiring decisions over time. The auditor asked the forms to include a workload staffing analysis, and the number of people supervised.

The analyses, outlined in CSU policy, are supposed to include the skills required, the number of supervised employees, the hours worked, the decision making authority of the employee and a range of other factors. The three examples provided by the CSU included a comparison to workloads at 15 other universities, a comparison to best practices at 725 public four-year public universities and a performance review conducted by independent representatives from universities outside the CSU system.

Mustang News obtained three of the position justifications for the five new created positions at Cal Poly. One position did not require a form because it was a reclassification, another did not require a form because it is a temporary position, according to Lazier.

Each form is made up of two pages, one labeled “Recruitment Data Form,” with an executive summary, and “Position Data,” which details the proposed pay for each administrator. None of the forms included management to staff ratios or specified how many people the administrator

would be supervising.

“It looks like the policy is calling for comprehensive justifications.

The examples they give in the policy, I see they’re listing specific numbers of people that the person would be supervising, they list specific universities that have similar positions. I don’t see that here,” Call said.

Despite more administrative hires, Enz Finken said Cal Poly has been able to keep class sizes low, even with an increase in students, by hiring lecturers, teachers who are not on track to tenure and are hired on a quarter-by-quarter basis The student success fee, which brought in $11 million to spend on faculty, and the opportunity grant and fee passed last year are securing income for professors, she said.

The difference between professors and lecturers? Job security, university involvement and pay.

Call said it is difficult for some faculty members to work at Cal Poly because of the high cost of living in the county. Faculty who are paid less, without the guarantee of work each quarter, are less likely to stay at Cal Poly regardless of how well they teach. Professors also take part in developing curriculum, doing research and serving on committees for the university, so the fewer there are relative to the total faculty, the harder it is for each professor.

Cal Poly has the second highest percentage of professors per instructors in the CSU system, behind Cal Maritime, but both Call and Enz Finken both said they would like to increase the number of professors at Cal Poly.

The California State University (CSU) system now prohibits raises in university presidents’ salaries in the same year that the tuition of a university increases.

Assembly Bill 930, authored by Assemblymember Todd Gloria of San Diego, was amended on May 16, 2019. The bill requires each university’s chancellor’s office to provide annual reports of the campus budget in comparison to actual spending, as well as the usage of state funding received per academic year to the Legislature and Department of Finance. Supporters of the bill include the California Faculty Association, the Cal State Students Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

The primary opponent of the bill is the CSU system itself. According to Toni Molle, the director of public affairs for the CSU Office of the Chancellor, this stance is due to the fact that, prior to the bill, CSU’s were already required to submit upwards of 20 annual financial reports to the Legislature.

“The California State University (CSU) has an oppose position on AB 930 because the bill would restrict and undermine the authority of the Board of Trustees and their ability to manage the operation of the CSU,” Molle wrote in an email statement to Mustang News. “The bill also establishes unnecessary and duplicative reporting requirements.”

A financial transparency portal was recently released by the CSU in order to provide public and university stakeholders with access to how the resources given to the universities are being used.

In July 2018, President Armstrong received a $12,500 raise in salary after a budget increase in CSU funding. Total spending for chancellors and campus presidents rose by $38,813 after accounting for inflation, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ calculations and information from a Board of Trustees agenda.

According to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier, Cal Poly has no comment on the bill.

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FIVE ADMINISTRATORS ADDED, FIRST-TIME POSITION JUSTIFICATIONS RELEASED

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STUDENT USING AI TO CREATE NEW ART FROM PAST WORK

KAT HIR GOUND ER | COURT ESY

These landscape pictures were made by artificial intelligence, which took inspiration from many different artistic styles.

BY GRANT AN DERSON Computer science sophomore Kathir Gounder spends much of his time in his office in the Engineering East building (Bldg. 20), completing schoolwork and pondering the technicalities of artificial intelligence (AI).

Gounder is enrolled in a graduate level course called Intelligent Agents (CSC 580), and he is inter-

ested in creating art using machines called artificial neuron networks, which loosely resemble the computational powers of our own brain’s neurons.

Gounder gave an example of seeing a cat on the street — the brain’s neurons process the visual image and give an instinctual understanding of what we are seeing. But, we cannot explain how the neurons achieved that recognition on the

most basic microscopic level.

This is where AI comes into the picture. It possesses the capabilities to give us more insight into how exactly our brains abstract an image from visual stimuli. There is also the potential for AI to produce original images of its own — some machines going so far as to mimic the styles of famous artists.

Using artificial neuron networks to carry out tasks that would other-

wise be too dangerous for humans to perform is a central goal of the AI community; there is also an opportunity to create new art through artificial intelligence analyzing other artists’ styles and then using it to create new original images of its own.

Gounder used AI this past quarter to generate original landscape pictures, a result of pitting two types of artificial neuron networks together — the generator and the classifier.

The generator takes in millions of inputs from data collected over time and makes outputs that share the same characteristics of that data. In Gounder’s case, this data is hundreds of landscape pictures found on the Internet.

Gounder’s generator makes images meant to resemble landscapes, and the classifier inspects them to make sure they do, in fact, look like the real thing. “[The generator] takes in like a random probability vector and outputs an image, and its job is to generate, say, faces of cats that are so good that it tricks the [classifier] into thinking those are real images,” Gounder said. “You basically put these two networks into like a fight.”

Computer science professor chrFranz Kurfess and software engineering, said he believes that while artificial intelligence machines are highly capable learners, their processes are still limited when compared to the learning capabilities of humans.

“The basic principle here is that you give those neural networks a set of examples where you have inputs and the expected outputs,”

Kurfess said. “Based on these examples, they learn how to behave in situations that are covered by the range of inputs that you give it.”

While humans are still more adaptable learners when placed in new, unfamiliar situations, there is still the risk of making human errors, and this can be especially costly while driving on the road.

In this situation, Kurfess believes AI would be perfectly suitable to take humans out of the tedious position of driving, with intelligent agents controlling the wheel.

AI can also come to the rescue during periods of creative block.

Computer science graduate student Megan Washburn is interested in using artificial intelligence to generate music in video games, but even then, this generation can also be used to come up with new melodies for composers who are stuck on a song.

“AI in music can definitely boost creators’ work,” Washburn said.

“For example, we can create an algorithm … like say I wanna stay in this key and in this time signature; we can create an algorithm to search that space and find something we might not have, as a composer, thought of previously.”

Washburn likes to think of AI in music as a co-writer, and indeed the same can be said of artificial intelligence in other situations where humans are standing right beside it, assisting with its functionality.

It is uncertain if AI will ever become completely autonomous in the future, but if it does, humans will have to learn to adapt to living around machines that think just as much themselves.”

A NEW PROGRAM IS ATTEMPTING TO HELP

BY A SH LEY LAD IN Approximately 20 percent of the trash Cal Poly sends to landfill is food waste. In an audit of trash from Poly Canyon Village, the heaviest weight came from half-eaten burritos and pasta jars half full of sauce.

A new composting program on campus is attempting to change that. When food is composted, it can be turned into energy and soil amendments.

According to California senate bill 1383, in two years Cal Poly will need to have a composting bin next to every recycling bin on campus. Previous attempts to start composting on campus have failed.

Composting facilities can only handle minimal contamination from non-compostable products, and previous trial bins on campus had too many contaminants to be processed. For example, Starbucks cups are often thrown into compost bins on campus, but plastic lining inside the cup makes it non-compostable.

To prevent contamination from non-compostable paper products,

the new composting program is collecting food waste only. Cal Poly dining services already composts back of house organics, and collected 230 tons of compostable waste last year. Zero Waste coordinator Anastasia Nicole said she hopes the new program will double that number for total compost.

Since winter quarter, food waste only bins have been popping up around campus, including in the University Union, Poly Canyon Village, Cerro Vista, Food Processing Unit and ASI Children’s Center. So far, 10 departments have reached out to the zero waste office to request compost bins. Estimates on how much compost has been collected from the new program are not yet available.

The food waste only program is sending compost to a recently opened dry anaerobic composting facility in San Luis Obispo, which only accepts green and food waste.

Compost from this facility goes toward local energy and fertilizer.

Nicole said she plans to expand the program to more locations around campus in fall.

HA NNA CR O WLE Y | MUSTANG NEW S

A new composting program aims to get Cal Poly to have less contamination of recycling.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TIEDYE CLAD STUDENT JUGGLER WHO UNICYCLES TO CLASS What’s up with the tie-dye?

Strassberg-Phillips said he wears his colorful designs not only to honor nostalgic memories of tie-dying with his family but also as an expression of his philosophical ideas. “[It] represents my view of the world — of it being this kind of union of chaos and order,” Strassberg-Phillips said. “When you make tie-dye, you take a shirt, a blank canvas, and you wrap it up in all of these constraints — rubber bands — and tie it all together and create this beautiful order out of it.”

When people see him juggling and cycling on-campus and in the world at large, Strassberg-Phillips looks forward to not only the looks of awe and wonder but also “everybody’s reaction” — even strange the looks.

“Everybody takes things differently,” Strassberg-Phillips said.

Strassberg-Phillips said he wants to break the norm of how people go about going through the world and “inspire a different way of thinking.”

“Part of why I unicycle and jugSYD NEY SH ER MA N | MUSTA N G N EWS gle is to represent, ‘Oh, there’s difStrassberg-Phillips founded the Unicycle Club to help beginners learn to cycle. ferent ways of living life,’” StrassBY SYD N E Y S HE RM A N while walking somewhere be- berg-Phillips said. “You don’t have cause you’re walking and you’re to always just walk with your Helmet strapped and clothes moving up and down, up and head down, on your iPhone or tie-dyed, it is hard to miss archi- down,” Strassberg-Phillips said. whatever, to class.” tecture sophomore Zach StrassSoon, Strassberg-Phillips tranAs for his future, he plans to foberg-Phillips on his iconic unicy- sitioned to using a scooter to get cus on architecture, although his cle as he rolls through campus, around, juggling with his hands dreams of joining the circus are juggling as he goes. and using his hips to maneuver not too far gone.

Strassberg-Phillips, otherwise his movements.

“I think I plan to have a mid-life known as “TDZ — because of the “I would pedal super hard and crisis and join the circus then,” tie-dye,” has been unicycling I would get up on the scooter, Strassberg-Phillips said. since his sophomore year of high and then put my hips on like the Strassberg-Phillips recently school. scooter controls and move around started the Unicycle Club on cam“I actually started juggling be- like that,” Strassberg-Phillips pus to give people the mentorship fore I started unicycling,” Strass- said. “My parents saw that and he wished he had had when he berg-Phillips said. they were like, okay, we gotta get first started cycling. He said the Matt Hall, a Japanese language him a unicycle.” club is designed for people who teacher at his high school who has Unlike with juggling, Strass- know nothing about unicycling. had experience with circus show berg-Phillips said he did not have Physics and aerospace engineerCirque du Soleil, became his men- a mentor to learn unicycling, so ing freshman Theresa Sandborn tor for juggling, which would get he turned to Youtube to teach him joined the club four weeks ago the ball rolling so to speak toward the foundational skills. He also and she is already traversing the his other endeavors. went to a tennis court with his dad entire basketball court.

“I got really inspired from several times a week.

“It’s not something that I did behim, just as a freshman,” Strass“I basically just got up on it, held fore I came here,” Sandborn said. berg-Phillips said. on for dear life and went about “I showed up and it looked cool Strassberg-Phillips described 100 times back and forth on this and I tried it — and it’s really fun.” himself as a “pretty studious” wall for like an hour,” StrassThe Unicycle Club meets on person, so he said his devotion to berg-Phillips said. “After four days Mondays at 6:30 p.m. on the juggling was restricted to the time of doing this for one hour a piece, basketball courts between Sierra between classes.

I was able to get off the wall and Madre and Yosemite Residence “It’s interesting trying to juggle start flying.”

Halls.

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IN TWO YEARS, CAL POLY WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPOST

TUESDAY • JUNE 11, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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CAL POLY ALUMNA’S “SHARK TANK” DEAL WILL FUND 3D PRINTED TOYS FOR CHILDREN

ABC /ERIC MCC AND L ESS | COURT ESY

Alumna Jenn Chin struck a deal with Kevin O’Leary for her company Toybox.

BY KAIL EY O’CON N ELL Some people joke that Jenn Chin’s job is to play with toys all day.

In truth, the Cal Poly alumna is the chief product officer and co-founder of Toybox, a company that allows children to 3D print their own toys. With Toybox CEO and Co-founder Ben Baltes by her side, Chin even struck a $150,000 deal on “Shark Tank” in March 2019 to expand the company’s vision.

After graduating in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic communication and a minor in computer science, Chin met Baltes and three other Toybox co-founders in 2016. Baltes owned a 3D printer, which they used to test different printing ideas, from shoes to lampshades.

“With most of the things we were printing, I felt like I was a kid playing with toys again,” Chin said. “We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be so inspiring to help the next generation feel like they could do anything?’”

Through the Toybox app, children can choose from more than 750 designs to print on their Toybox 3D printer, or they can create their own design. Marketed as “the last toy you ever need to buy” on the Toybox website, the printer itself sells for $299.

Chin said that because children are the future, it is important to start inspiring them at a young age to think outside the box.

“It’s so empowering to see how easy it is to make them happy,” Chin said. “Their smiles are infectious.”

The “Shark Tank” episode took months of preparation for Chin and the other Toybox co-founders. After starting the 50-page application process in March 2018, followed by video applications and multiple rounds of interviews, Chin and Baltes were among the less than one percent of applicants to pitch their idea to the

sharks. They filmed the episode in June 2018. They asked for a $150,000 investment for 5 percent equity in Toybox.

“It was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my life,” Chin said. “It felt like you had zero control the whole time.”

Chin and Baltes negotiated a deal with Kevin O’Leary, who offered to invest the full $150,000 and settled on a 13 percent equity with 2 percent in advisory shares, according to Business 2 Community.

Baltes said Chin brought a unique eye for design to the Toybox team. In the company’s early stages, before there even was a product to sell, he said they were still able to secure deals due to Chin’s strong design abilities.

“When developing the Toybox idea, she brought the face of the company,” Baltes said. “Anything you see on our platform — all the toys to the actual 3D printer packaging — it’s all Jenn.”

During her four years at Cal Poly, Chin said she had always been interested in making technology accessible and enhancing the user experience. To do this, she said she wanted to gain further knowledge from outside the Graphic Communication Department.

Adding a computer science minor as a female arts major, she said, was challenging. However, a source of inspiration came from Hasmik Gharibyan, a computer science professor who taught her in 2013.

“I just hope there are more people like Jenn ­— so determined and so not afraid of hard work,” Gharibyan said. “Without that, she wouldn’t be where she is.”

Chin said that although creating a startup turned her life upside down, it was worthwhile to see Toybox come to life.

“It’s really rewarding because I feel like I’m actually contributing to something,” Chin said. “I’m achieving my dreams while allowing kids to achieve theirs.”

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A CHANGE OF PACE

A GROUP OF RETIRED ADMINISTRATORS AND PROFESSORS HAVE BEEN EXERCISING ABOUT CAL POLY FOR DECADES C A SS A N DRA GA R I B AY | MUSTA N G N EWS

Myron Hood, Bob Detweiler, Willem van Wyngaarden, Paul Murphy, Reg Gooden and Phil Bailey have ran and walked throughout campus together for decades.

BY CA SSA NDRA GARIBAY Nearly five days a week when the sun is out, students can see a group of older men walking their way around campus around 11 a.m.

In the 1970s, Cal Poly students saw some of that same group, running past buildings and on the paths behind Cal Poly.

The group has no official title, but is filled with recognizable names and faces.

Among them is Frost Fund Coordinator Phil Bailey, the former College of Science and Mathematics dean; former Interim Provost and Interim Dean of Education Bob Detweiler; retired mathematics professors Paul Murphy and Myron Hood; retired political science professor Reg Gooden and retired physics professor Willem van Wyngaarden.

As the years went on, professors and administrators came and went. The group, that would occasionally run through the train tunnels behind Cal Poly, got wiser and decided to stick to safer routes.

Eventually their pace changed from a run to a walk.

“Some of them called it running, but their walking was actually faster,” Detweiler, who joined the group after they switched to running said with a laugh.

Despite their slowed gait, the quick-witted conversations remained.

“In the old gym, in Mott, that’s where we used to run from, but they ousted us,” Gooden said. “It was just despicable, the whole administration.”

“Even the dean couldn’t help us out,” van Wyngaarden said, in reference to Bailey.

“They still blame me,” Bailey said. “They remodeled [the gym].

I thought we were pretty good in there.”

Laughs followed.

According to Bailey, they walk approximately four miles throughout campus every weekday, weather permitting. The group used to run eight to 10 miles through Poly Canyon, encountering everything from bobcats and rattlesnakes to running cows and rabid squirrels.

“We were always running at noon, there was a group of us, it varied over the years, but there was a core that always ran at noon and as we got older we quit running and started walking,” Hood said.

According to Bailey, since they first started running together, “everything has changed.” In an email to Mustang News, Bailey wrote that when he first arrived at the university, the University Union was just being completed.

The group saw the days when the Dexter Building served as both the library and the bookstore.

They saw the Cal Poly most students know today being built be-

fore them. Over the decades on their daily route, the group saw Cerro Vista, Polly Canyon Village, and yakʔitʸutʸu living community come to be. Bailey said the group remembers a time before there was Fisher Hall, Baker, the Recreation Center, and the original Vista Grande.

When asked why the group began running to begin with Detweiler, who joined the group after the pace slowed, quickly responded.

“I never had that problem,” Detweiler said.

Everyone else laughed.

Detweiler was a first-generation college student. Before working at Cal Poly, he was a history professor and later a college dean at San Diego State, the Vice President at CSU San Bernardino, and the university president of CSU Dominguez Hills.

At Cal Poly, Detwieler said he worked a number of “odd jobs.”

Bailey clarified Detweiler’s odd jobs included serving as the vice president of student affairs, the university provost and dean of the school of education.

Bailey, however, came from a very different upbringing. Bailey was raised in Texas and attended segregated schools, because that is what they had at the time, he said.

Growing up, he said the only Black person he knew was his family’s maid. It was not until he went off to college did he realize his privi-

lege he said.

“Eventually all those things drove me into, I don’t know what you’d call it, an advocate for people without the same opportunities I had,” Bailey said.

At Cal Poly, Bailey helped undocumented students advocate for their rights on campus and helped fund several sponsorship for undocumented students. He was also influential in establishing the DREAM center.

“Nobody, and I mean that sincerely, nobody did more to promote diversity and opportunities for underrepresented students, first-in-family and nonwhite and legal and undocumented immigrants than Phil and his wife, Tina,” Detweiler said.

Goodwin, another group member, also had a very different upbringing. Goodwin said he and his family moved from Cuba to the Panama Canal region in 1945.

From there, he attended college at UCLA. “My Spanish background afforded me an opportunity to research the politics of Latin America and that’s where I started as an undergraduate degree in philosophy at UCLA, and then I moved into political theory,” Goodwin said.

After getting his master’s at UC Santa Barabara, he began teaching at Cal Poly in 1970. Both he and Hood served on the Academic Senate during their careers at Cal Poly.

Another long-time frequent walker, van Wyngaarden was raised in the Netherlands. He came to Cal Poly in 1964 to teach physics after earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Canada. He said he wanted to contribute to a culture where students can engage with professors, something he felt was missing from his college experience.

The 14-time marathon runner said he joined the group because of his love for running and exercise.

“With this beautiful campus, you know, it would be silly not to run here,” van Wyngaarden said.

But he stayed for the camaraderie. And Murphy shared that sentiment.

“I‘ve been very fortunate, I’m lucky to be here and be in this town, it’s just been a wonderful existence, [and] the camaraderie within the Math Department and the school of science was really important,” Murphy, who began running after he came to Cal Poly in 1970, said.

Despite their diverse backgrounds and fields of interest, they each found a home at Cal Poly, one that even after retirement they visit nearly every weekday.

When asked what their favorite aspect of their daily walk is, Detweiler quipped, “When it’s over.”

ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS DELIVERED THEIR VISION FOR THE TOWN FOLLOWING DESTRUCTION FROM THE FIRE

BY K E LSE Y PRINS At 8:03 a.m. Nov. 8, 2018 the Butte County Sheriff tweeted the first evacuation order for the town of Paradise, the Camp Fire, would develop into the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history.

Cal Poly students were touched by these tragedies even in San Luis Obispo, and a group of architecture students set out to aid in the efforts of rebuilding Paradise.

A group of architecture juniors just completed a six-month project creating models for potential buildings in Paradise. Classes

were broken up into teams and paired with a professional firm that offered guidance.

Small-scale models and drawings for a town hall, recreation center, entrepreneurship center, mixed-use housing and healthcare facilities were built.

According to the California Insurance Commissioner’s Office, the Camp Fire alone caused $7 billion worth of devastation, destroying nearly 14,000 homes, damaging another 5,000 structures and killed 86 people.

Long time firefighter, fire ecologist and Natural Resource Management Professor Christopher Dicus

said architecture can help mitigate fire damage.

“Architecture is one of the key stakeholders that can reduce wildfire losses,” Dicus said. “Only when we take such holistic looks at this worldwide problem will we see measurable changes.”

The team was led by Architecture Professors Stacey White and Kent Macdonald, who took the students on three trips to Paradise to meet with residents and learn what community members hope the town will look like in the future.

“That first trip was very sobering, you just can’t understand how vast the damage was, but we’ve worked

“We will rebuild stronger and more fire resilient. Our citizens are grateful for the time Cal Poly students have dedicated to this project,” Zuccolillo said.

Students presented their work in Paradise June 2-3 in the form of posters, 3D models and large-scale models, with a virtual reality walkthrough of the town rebuilt.

The San Luis Obispo and campus community are invited to attend the student showcase and barbecue from 12- 3 p.m. in Engineering West, Room 249 and Room 105.

The student team will also travel to the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada to speak about their work on June 6.

“I think in a world with so much cynicism it’s important to see the good work students are putting out there and how they’re changing things for the better,” White said.

23 YEARS LATER, HER CASE IS STILL OPEN: KRISTIN SMART PODCAST SET TO RELEASE THIS SUMMER

CHR I S LA M B E RT | COURT ESY

Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing in 1996. Her case is still open.

BY SY D NEY B RA NDT It happened in 1996 -- a Cal Poly freshman went missing. Her investigation has been ongoing for the past 23 years. To this day, it is unreported what happened to Kristin Smart, though she was pronounced dead in 2002.

Orcutt resident Chris Lambert has lived on the Central Coast his entire life. His interest in Kristen’s case was sparked at a young age.

“I was 8-years-old when Kristen disappeared,” Lambert said. “I knew at the time she went missing, kind of scared me as a little kid to hear that somebody locally had disappeared and they didn’t know what happened to her.”

The Kristen Smart case has been in and out of the news since she disappeared. The most recent ev-

idence was in Fall 2016 when San Luis Obispo Sheriff ’s Office found remains at the hillside near the “P.” “I realized, wow, a lot of people don’t know this ever happened and it’s probably because there was no resolution,” Lambert said. “It was never conclusively solved and they never found her body and so, as a result, I don’t think it gets talked about much anymore.”

Lambert found an article from the Los Angeles Times that went into great detail on the case, inspiring Lambert to want to tell Kristin’s story.

Lambert started a podcast based on Kristin’s case, starting back from the night she disappeared.

“There’s no documentaries on the case, there’s no podcasts on

the case, so I thought I’d give it a shot,” Lambert said.

Set to release this summer, “Your Own Backyard” features five episodes depicting different chapters of the case, from who Kristin was as a person, what her life was like, and the incidents leading up to her disappearance.

“I’m calling the podcast ‘Your Own Backyard’ because there are so many missing people and taken in total it can make you feel sort of helpless,” Lambert said. “When it happens in your own backyard I guess there’s a slightly better chance that you might actually be able to do something.”

While creating the podcast, Lambert said he has talked to people who attended the party Kristin was at the night of her disappearance. Lambert said he has also talked to many people who knew the main suspect of the case, several women admitting they had creepy experiences with him, prior to Kristen disappearing.

“Whether he was the one who did something to Kristen or not, he was certainly at the wrong place at the wrong time and he had a history of being inappropriate towards women,” he said.

Through all of this, Lambert has developed his own insight on to the case and the mystery of Kristin’s missing body.

“I think Kristin was killed the night that she disappeared,” Lambert said. “I think she died

the night she disappeared and I think that between the time that she died and the morning hours

much public attention to Kristin’s case as possible, with his number one goal being someone coming

C H R I S LA MB ERT | COU RT ESY

Chris Lambert was always interested in knowing more about what happened to Smart, so he started a podcast series.

C H R I S LA MB ERT | COU RT ESY

The five-part podcast series “Your Own Backyard” will be released Summer 2019.

of that same day, she was buried somewhere, and I have a couple pretty good ideas of where that could have been.”

At the end of the day, Lambert said his biggest goal is to gain as

forward with information about where her body is.

“I would be happy if the police solved it,” he said. “I would much rather they solve it, than me tell a great story.”

9 TUESDAY • JUNE 11 , 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

A NEW PARADISE

on the this project for about three seasons now and we’re starting to see the greenery and life grow back in,” White said.

Paradise Councilman Michael Zuccolillo said students really took the time to understand the town’s needs and how to help them best move forward.

“I think these models give our residents an opportunity to see other options in how we rebuild the town. Paradise will never be the same, and we can never put things back to exactly how they were,” Zuccolillo said. “[But] this gives us an opportunity to be a model city in moving forward and will allow others to learn from us.”

The work created by students will be released online for free use by the public. These models and drawings will also function as a tool for community leaders like Zuccolillo to present to potential investors and secure potential funding.

TUESDAY • JUNE 11, 2019 | FEATURES | MUSTANG NEWS

10

REFLECTING ON THE YEAR S OF I A C LA R K | MUSTA N G N EWS

Armstrong’s has lived in his on-campus home for the eight years he has served as university president.

BY S AB RINA THOMPSON Students have seen his emails, heard his name spoken in the halls and the not-so-rare occasions, spoken with him as he walks around campus. Jeffrey Armstrong is known on campus for his work as University’s President, but how much do students really know about him.

Sitting on the couch in his living room in a gray suit with little symbols of Cal Poly on his tie and his lapel Armstrong shared his thoughts on his journey to the university, what he has done since starting here eight years ago and what the future holds.

What was the journey like to this position?

I grew up on a farm in Kentucky.

Our family, a few generations before, were immigrants from Europe, Germany, Ireland, Scotland.

My father didn’t finish high school.

My mother went back and got her high school degree while my older brothers were going to school.

They jokingly told me it was very cool to have your mom on the school bus with you. I have two older brothers. One went to college, one did not, that are nine and 11 years older than me. I was the second in our family to go to college.

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. I knew that, my teacher who was [Future Farmers of America] (FFA) vocational agriculture was a real role model and a veterinarian.

So I wanted to be a veterinarian or an [agriculture] teacher.

I ended up going to Murray State in Western Kentucky so I could come home and work. I got a scholarship, not because I finished in the top five or six in my class, but because of FFA — I was a state officer. It was only a 45 minutes and I could still come home and work.

How did you go from wanting to work with animals to wanting to be a University President?

Like a lot of students, it’s an experience or a class that really transforms and you. I took a horse reproduction course and I just became excited about reproductive physiology endocrinology. I ended up going to graduate school at North Carolina State. Just so happened my brother — the one that went to college ahead of me — was on the faculty there. So I’m not sure if he had anything to do with me getting into grad school or not, but it worked out really well.

Then, I met my wife to be. We were both in greek organizations at Murray State. She’s first-generation from New Jersey. It was cheaper for Sharon to go to Murray State and pay out-of-state [tuition] than to go to Rutgers in New Jersey. So we got married right out of undergraduate and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina for graduate

school. I got my Master’s and Ph.D. in five years and then spent another 11 years at North Carolina state.

I was a faculty member, advisor to clubs and I taught.

I taught students how to use computers. Today’s students teach us how to use computers, right?

That was back in the day when they were still two floppy drives.

One student came in and said, “The dog ate my homework,” and he had a disc. It was ripped apart and it had canine bite marks in it.

And I said, “That either really happened or you’re totally creative.

Either way, I’m buying it.”

What would you say stresses you out about your job and how do you handle those stresses and criticism?

I’ll say, given the past few years, three points. One is the diversity, the climate, the issues we have on campus. It’s not just compositional diversity, but it’s who we are. And

it’s also connected with our community.

Second, it’s the pay of our faculty and staff. I’ve been saying that for many years. A few years ago, we put in a $3.5 million equity program, and we want to do it again, and we will as soon as we can.

The third thing is then having funding to be able to do some of those things. And funding that’s beyond what the majority of funders provide, that is students, parents, whether it’s parents pay for it, or like when I was in school, I paid for it. Sharon and I paid off our last school loans 10 years after I finished my Ph.D. My nature is I want everybody to feel good. I want everybody to get along. So it does bother me when people that don’t know me say that I don’t care, say that I’ve done nothing to help students. But that goes with the turf. I know it’s not, I have to look at it that, hey, I’m in that position. It goes with the turf,

but it’s still, it still hurts from time to time.

What some of our students, especially students of color, students that are different, what they have to deal with. I mean, I’m a white, straight male, live in a university house. I’m one of the most privileged people around. So I want to put that in the proper context.

What I have to deal with is nothing compared to what some of the students.

One of the really difficult decisions was last year. It wasn’t a difficult decision on whether we expel a student or not, but how we were dealing with everything around that.

Milo Yiannopoulos coming back for the second time, that was really difficult. We considered not letting Milo come, we considered shutting down all events. And the third option was, do it. Make sure everybody’s safe, do the best we can do, ignore him and let him come back.

I think we made the right decision because of the principle of free speech that our students had invited. That was the overriding principle that won out. But I just didn’t want the guy on our campus.

What are the best moments or experiences you’ve had?

I have a lot of things come to mind, but probably the biggest thing was actually getting the Cal Poly Scholars started. When we got our first students started and then that was kind of a chain. We learned that once we acquired the advising, that our first generation students were performing equal or better than non-first generation students.

Getting the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee approved too — not so much as it’s a policy victory, but it’s more of we have 301 students coming in this fall and they’re majority minority. They’re amazing high-per-

11

And are you confident in the trajectory that we’re heading?

I am very confident, there’s so much more that we can do. I mean, think about the 301 Cal Poly Scholars this fall. Look at the impact now, multiply that times ten, three thousand total Cal Poly Scholars in five years with a lot of donations supporting that and leveraging it.

And we’ve got to continue to have open discussion on our campus.

I mean, if we can’t have open discussion and talk about Chick-fil-A or talk about the issues of the day, where else is it going to happen?

I really appreciate that about our campus. We’ve had some tense times, but compared to what’s happened in a lot of other places, we’ve had some really civil open discussions. I learned that in my career in the food industry, activists have a key role in our society and are extremely important.

Do you have any advice for those graduating?

I go back to the advice my father gave me. Treat people well.

Be honest and work hard. I mean, that’s a pretty good recipe. And that’s what I like about Cal Poly students.

It’s an exciting time. It is really exciting. One of the things that motivates me is, I want to make sure that what has happened over the past many years continues to happen, and that is your degrees appreciate over time.

Is there anything else you want our readers to know?

I just want our students, faculty, and staff to know that I care and we’re always open to ideas. And we want to work together. We have the same goals, let’s talk and argue about the means. Argue is not a bad word.

SO FI A CLA R K | MUSTANG NEW S

President Armstrong and his wife were both first-generation college students.

S OF I A C LA R K | MUSTA N G N EWS

Katie Whelan is sensitive to sound, similarly to the other 200 students who are registered with the DRC for being on the autism spectrum.

BEING AUTISTIC ON CAMPUS

BY S O PHI A C A RN E VA L E When Katie Whelan sits down with other students in her lecture classes, she leaves her headphones on the whole time. Whelan is on the autism spectrum.

Like the other 200 students, according to Disability Resource Center (DRC) staff, who are registered with the Disability Resource Center as autistic, she is highly sensitive to sound and the headphones keep her from getting a headache in class.

“I don’t really talk about [being autistic] just because there’s sort of a fear that if people know that you’re autistic that they’re going to treat you different than before,” mechanical engineering junior Whelan said.

According to the Center for Disease Control, one in 59 children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This statistic does not account for the adults that get diagnosed or those who have autism, but have never been formally tested.

“The misconception there is that it’s less of an issue when you’re an adult which is a shame because even though I like to think that I’m pretty independent, there are still some things that I need help with,” Whelan said. “I sometimes feel like its not socially acceptable for me to ask for that help.”

Whelan said being diagnosed with Autism is a fundamental and

positive part of her identity.

“There are groups out that are trying to find a cure [to autism] and I personally don’t think it would be a great idea. I think that being autistic is part of who I am,” said Whelan. “I don’t think I would even be here at Cal Poly studying my major if I wasn’t autistic.”

Being on the spectrum can pose a unique set of difficulties that neuro-typical students, who represent the way of thinking experienced by the majority of our population, might not struggle with. Autistic people are often not privy to the same social cues others pick up on.

Jenny Peterson graduated from Cal Poly last year with a degree in English and now works as a connections coordinator for the DRC. She is also on the autism spectrum.

“I’ve been here and I know what it’s like being a DRC student. I know how much this place matters,” Peterson said. “On top of the general challenges of being an adult for the first time you have some sort of disability, it can make it really hard to create connections.”

Peterson describes her experience of being on the spectrum as not so different from the majority of other people’s experiences.

“Everyone is different. Whether you’re on the spectrum or not,” Peterson said. “It’s just that being on it means you don’t think or

process information quite like the majority of people do.”

Like many people with autism, stimulation helps Peterson concentrate by keeping her mind occupied.

“Everyone fidgets. Everyone plays with their hair or chews on a pen or picks at their nails or something,” said Peterson.

“It just helps you focus and for autistic people, that’s more frequently true. I have so much more trouble focusing if I’m not moving a little bit.”

Pediatric Neurologist and Board President of the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center Dr. Debra Balke said individuals with Autism tend to be able to fixate and focus on things more intensely than those without Autism.

“It’s almost like being from a foreign country. You don’t quite speak the same language and sometimes can’t read the social cues you are getting,” Balke said.

The idea that neurodiversity is desirable for companies is growing in the workplace. Microsoft now has an Autism Hiring Program to increase the diversity of their staff, and they now score a 100% on the Disability Equality Index for their inclusive hiring practices.

At Cal Poly, Balke hopes to see neurodiversity encompassed in the new Diversity and Inclusivity initiatives being implemented in the coming years.

TUESDAY • JUNE 11 , 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

What has been one of the hardest decisions you’ve had to make in your role as president?

forming students that without that scholarship, many of them would have said no to Cal Poly. So that’s really cool.

TUESDAY • JUNE 11, 2019 | YEAR REWIND | MUSTANG NEWS

12

YEAR REWIND

Look back at the biggest stories from the school year

CAROLYNE SYSMANS | MUSTANG NEWS

CONNOR F ROST | MUSTAN G N EW S

Mustangs victorious in UCSB Men’s Soccer rivalry A hush fell over the usually boisterous crowd as junior midfielder Diego Alonso’s shot flew through the air.

When Alonso’s shot made its way into the net in the 64th minute, Alex G. Spanos Stadium went into a full frenzy, complete with flying tortillas. It was the decisive goal in Cal Poly’s 1-0 win over UC Santa Barbara Sunday night.

AUST IN LINT H ICU M | MUSTAN G N EW S

New residence halls open to students The $198 million yakʔitʸutʸu residence halls opened to students just in time for move in this year. Cal Poly worked with the Northern Chumash to create the community, which includes seven residence halls ranging from three to five stories. Each building includes, double and quad rooms with a community center. The buildings also include a communal all-gender bathroom. yakitutu is the first dorm-style community built since Sierra Madre opened in 1973.

CO N N O R F RO ST | M USTA N G N EWS

Fires, power outages and protests kick off WOW 2018 The 2018 move in weekend gave incoming students more than they expected from brush fires to a power outage. The Reservoir Fire, which consisted of two brush fires, burned north of Cal Poly and the smoke from the fires were seen by students during grouping for Week of Welcome. The two fires burned about 51 acres according to Cal Fire, but were about 90 percent contained within six hours.

On the same day, a power outage left Cal Poly and the surrounding area dark, according to PG&E. While the power was restored to customers within two hours, power to Cal Poly was restored incrementally and took an additional two hours to be fully restored due to the campus size. PG&E Spokesperson Karley Hernandez said an “equipment issue” on Cal Poly’s end may have been involved in the power outage.

OL IVIA PELUSO | MUSTAN G N EW S

Fighting to close El Campo in the wake of Jordan Grant’s death

Wild turkeys on the attack

On October 7, 2018, computer science freshman Jordan Grant was traveling south on Highway 101 to watch a launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base when a driver crossing at El Campo Road hit his motorcycle. The driver, Cal Poly alumnus Richard Giuli, was charged with a single count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence April 25.

If convicted, Giuli faces a fine of $1,000 and a maximum of six months in County jail.

Jordan’s family and friends advocated for the removal of left turns on Highway 101 near El Campo since the crash. The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments board voted Work to restrict left-hand turns at El Campo Road and three other Highway 101 crossings will move forward after a Sacramento Superior Court judge lifted a temporary stay on the project Thursday, May 16, according to Caltrans Public Information Officer Jim Shivers.

Caltrans will start restricting the medians at intersections between Los Berros Road in Nipomo and Traffic Way near Arroyo Grande May 13, according to Caltrans Public Information Officer Jim Shivers. The project cost approximately $250,000.

Wild turkeys are ruffling feathers both around campus and on social media this month.

On Feb. 3, a video with more than 25,000 views posted on Barstool Cal Poly’s Instagram showed three turkeys chasing a student up Grand Avenue toward the Yosemite and Sierra Madre residence halls. The 25-second video shows the student fleeing with the turkeys hot on their heels.

The birds even followed the student up the stairs leading to the dorms.

Robert J. Spiller, a professor and poultry specialist for the animal science department, said the bird’s hormonal system peaks at the start of Spring as days get longer.

KY L I E KO WA LSK E | M USTA N G N EWS

Heidi Harmon wins second term as San Luis Obispo mayor Heidi Harmon will be the mayor of San Luis Obispo for a second term, beating out challengers Keith Gurnee and Donald Hedrick. Harmon won with 59.73 percent of votes, according to the San Luis Obispo County’s final unofficial report. Harmon’s second campaign was “Promises Made, Promises Kept.”

“A more forward thinking view of San Luis Obispo is winning, so I think that’s a win for the city and that’s definitely a win for the campus and the students,” Harmon said from her election night party. “We’re all excited about the future of San Luis Obispo.”

Harmon, who said students contributed to her 2016 win, said she believes in more relationships and less ordinances. She said she is proud of her work toward better relationships so far, including her council making the party registration program permanent and voting against an expansion of the safety enhancement zone around St. Patrick’s Day.

CAROLYNE SYSMANS | MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly officially broke ground on the new $125 million interdisciplinary research building Friday, May 3. Previously referred to as the Science and Agriculture Teaching and Research Center (SATRC), University President Jeffrey Armstrong announced the building will be named the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation.

William and Linda Frost are credited for their historic $110 million donation to Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics in 2017. The Frost’s contributed $30 million to the new building’s $125 million price tag, according to Armstrong.

RYA N PAVONE | MUSTAN G N EW S

Student attacked by shark at MDO Wapner was surfing the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 8 at Montaña de Oro State Park off Sandspit Beach. As his friends moved further down the beach to surf, Wapner continued to surf alone in the same area.

Wapner said a great white shark struck from underneath him at about 10 a.m. as he was lying on his board outside the surf line, waiting to catch another wave.

“I got knocked up in the air and all of a sudden I feel this great pressure clamping down on my legs. I turned around and there it was,” Wapner said.

Wapner was able to get one leg free and kick the shark until it eventually let go and submerged itself underwater as a wave came. Wapner said he caught the wave back to shore, belly boarding all the way to the beach.

Once on shore, Wapner recalled screaming to his friends, “I just got attacked by a shark!”

Wapner made the walk back to the car with his friends who transported him to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo. He received 50 stitches before he was released from the medical center that day.

Cal Poly partners with Damon Williams to improve climate University President Jeffrey Armstrong and Cal Poly administrators have said increasing diversity has always been a part of Cal Poly’s long-term goal. After the blackface incident in April 2018, however, Cal Poly’s struggle with diversity and inclusion came to the forefront of campus conversation once again.

With the help of diversity specialist Damon Williams and his Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation team, Cal Poly released their Cal Poly Experience (CPX) campaign Feb. 28.

Prior to Cal Poly’s $243,000 partnership with Williams, which was announced Jan. 24, Cal Poly administration attended Williams’ National Inclusive Excellence Leadership Academy and began building a relationship with him.

Williams spoke at Cal Poly in Oct. 2018 and again in late January. The next time he visits campus, from March 12 to 14, the first phase of the CPX plan will begin.

Williams previously used his survey and assessment methods at the University of Michigan and other universities nationwide.

New Men’s Basketball Head Coach

CAL POLY ATHL ETICS | COU RTESY

On Thursday, March 28, Cal Poly named Cal State Fullerton associate head coach John Smith as Cal Poly’s next Men’s Basketball head coach.

The announcement was made by President Jeffrey Armstrong and Athletic Director Don Oberhelman inside the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

As previously reported, Smith will replace former head coach Joe Callero, who was let go after ten years with the Mustangs.

Smith spent the last six seasons with CSU Fullerton during the program’s most successful period in recent history. Over the last three seasons, the Titans made back-to-back Big West Championship appearances, an NCAA Tournament appearance and averaged 18 wins per year. Credited for his recruiting efforts, Smith helped build a program that produced three AllBig West honorees in 2017.

NCAA puts Cal Poly on two year probation for scholarship violations Cal Poly Athletics failed to monitor its book scholarship program from the 2012-13 year to Fall 2015, as announced by the NCAA Thursday, April 18. As a result, records broken by student-athletes that received improper stipends will be vacated and no longer considered an official record holder.

According to the NCAA, Cal Poly Athletics provided student-athletes with an $800 stipend for course books, which did not total to the actual cost of course books. In total, 72 student-athletes across 18 of Cal Poly’s 22 athletics programs received an average of $225 in extra stipends.

The smallest of these overages was $5. The largest was $734.

“Cal Poly has cooperated in every way with the NCAA throughout this process that began in 2015,” Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman said in a press release. “There was never an intent to violate NCAA rules, and when we discovered the issue, we self reported it to the NCAA.”

AUSTI N L I N TH I CU M | M USTA N G N EWS

Students fight back against the new Cal Poly logo After Cal Poly spent $340,000 and more than a year developing a reimagined brand for the university, students want a do-over.

Biological sciences senior Drake Murphy created a petition on Change. org to “stop the rebrand” and new logo, accumulating almost 5,000 online signatures in 24 hours.

The new institutional brand is rooted in research, with 40 focus groups, thousands of surveys and extensive creative testing, according to University Marketing Senior Storyteller Robyn Kontra Tanner.

University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said anytime there is a change, they expect some people will be opposed.

“The university is proud of the work that has gone into this branding initiative and proud of the results,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

The most diverse incoming class A total of 16,910 undergraduate students (freshmen and new transfers) were accepted to Cal Poly for Fall 2019 and a preliminary number of 5,769 — 908 transfers and 4,861 first-time freshmen — committed to enroll.

Of the 65,182 applications, 40,259 of those applications were by minorities, that includes undocumented students, Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian American, Native American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Multi-Racial. A total of 9,276 were admitted, and 2,609 enrolled in Cal Poly for Fall 2019. To compare, 24,923 non-minorities (white and other/unknown ethnicities) applied, 7,634 were accepted, and 3,160 enrolled.

Numbers are subject to change throughout the summer.

ZAC H DO N N EN F I EL D | M USTA N G N EWS

The resolution to kick Chick-fil-A off campus passed A resolution urging Cal Poly to kick Chick-fil-A off campus passed with overwhelming support at the Academic Senate meeting on May 7, but Cal Poly has no plans to remove the fast-food chain.

Academic Senate Vice Chair Thomas Gutierrez argued the franchise’s donations to anti-LGBTQ groups does not align with Cal Poly’s values. The Chick-fil-A Foundation donated more than $1.8 million to groups with a history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in 2017, according to ThinkProgress.

In response, University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said while Cal Poly disagrees with the values Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy has chosen to make donations to, they have no plans to sever ties with the organization.

“It is the right of each campus member to make their own decisions about supporting – or not supporting – a given business at Cal Poly,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

13 TUESDAY • JUNE 11 , 2019 | YEAR REWIND | MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly breaks ground on new interdisciplinary research center

15

OPINION

BY L I L LY L E IF Lilly Leif is an English sophomore.

The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

During this past Winter quarter, I had a period of time in which I suffered such intense panic attacks, I could not leave my apartment. I repeatedly called counseling services with the health center and was told to call back day after day until, finally, I was able to schedule an appointment for the following week. From the period of time I was experiencing horrible bouts of anxiety until my counseling appointment, about two and a half weeks had passed, during which I struggled immensely.

The inaccessibility of mental health counseling at the health center is a major issue. To schedule an appointment, you must continuously call the counseling center until an opening appears. You’re more likely to get an appointment if you call in the morning, but for the most part, availability is scarce. The only exception to this is if you are experiencing a “crisis,” which the health center describes as one of the following:

• You are planning on seriously injuring yourself or someone else (or both) • You recently made an attempt to seriously injure yourself or someone else (or both)

• You do not feel safe because someone else is stalking you, abusing you, assaulting you and/or seriously threatening to do any of those behaviors • You are unable to bathe, feed or otherwise care for yourself due to a mental health concern (including substance use) This brings to light the problem of what actually qualifies as a crisis. While, of course, the above definition of “crises” counts as one and should be dealt with immediately, these reasons neglect other serious mental health issues. When I had my severe panic attacks, I felt totally helpless and my daily functioning was impacted. While it did not reach the point where I couldn’t feed myself or drink water, I reached an incredibly low point and could do nothing to help myself. However, because I did not fit into one of the narrowly defined categories at the counseling center, I waited

two weeks to be seen without any treatment in the meantime. This policy invalidates various mental health issues and has the person question the severity of their struggles. I for one asked myself whether I was simply being dramatic, even when I knew this was an actual issue as someone who’s struggled with anxiety for a significant portion of my life.

The inflexibility of the health center is shockingly inconvenient and there needs to be alternatives.

Other schools have drop-ins.

Though PULSE offers these, they only allow one to talk to a peer counselor-- a fellow student. That can be very uncomfortable, especially if a student is coming with a pressing or personal matter.

There is something a little awkward about telling your innermost thought to someone you can run into at Starbucks in the UU. Imagine seeing them on campus and thinking, “oh, that guy ordering the iced caramel macchiato knows that I use self-depreciative humor to cope with trauma stemming from middle school.” As someone who obviously overshares, I can recognize that PULSE is a decent option if you don’t mind the lack of discretion. With that being said, I don’t think it would be unreasonable for the Health Center

to have counselors perhaps take hour shifts to accommodate fifteen-minute drop ins. These could serve to simply provide struggling students with the piece of mind and reassurance needed. Knowing you can’t get help if you need it immediately puts an enormous amount of strain on a person, especially if they’re already suffering. Personally, I felt suffocated and bore the burden that my issue was not serious, and that I should simply tough it out until then. Unfortunately, mental health isn’t always a wound that goes away on its own, and it is not better left untreated. Further, the counseling center cannot do any form of long-term treatment, which I do understand to a certain extent.

There are 20,000 students here, and people need to be seen.

However, when I finally did go to my appointment, within the first twenty minutes I was told I should probably seek off-campus treatment (which was true--there’s a lot to unpack here). It really only made me feel unwelcome. I felt I was being turned away after waiting two and a half weeks. I think the counseling services here do a good job if you’re stressed or overwhelmed with school but, if there are more pressing matters, you’ll probably need to seek help

off campus, which is inconvenient and usually expensive. For low income students such as myself, this only adds to how overwhelming everything is. I’d rather have financial means be the least of my concerns, not another stressor.

I work two jobs and don’t have a car, so it’s difficult to find the time and means to go off campus for treatment, and I know I’m not the only one in this situation. I acknowledge it is difficult to provide adequate mental health services for thousands of students who are all experiencing varying degrees of stress. However, the health center on campus definitely has room for improvement, starting with providing walk-ins for those who need them. My advice to those who feel as though they are struggling is to recognize that your mental health issues are not invalid. There is no hierarchy of mental illness, and you should be able to feel as though there is a place on campus to go when you’re experiencing a particularly rough time. I hope to see Health Services begin to take the strides to make mental health services more accessible for all students campus-wide.

or maybe even two extra hours every day.”

Students are guaranteed to see longer exit times at tops of the hours throughout the entire evening. These are among the first efforts from Parking Services to extend students on-campus time.

With more on-campus time, students are encouraged to just stay longer and enjoy the many amenities offered by a modern state university. The Director says, “Our dining corporation is absolutely stellar, if students are on-campus more throughout the day, they might as well utilize our high-end dining options. Oh and more time for the learn by reading or something.”

Lines of cars often reach all the

way to the baseball fields and horse stables. Parking Services aims to stretch this line of cars all the way through PCV. The Parking Director says “If we hit our goal of stretching the line of cars all the way to PCV, we may even need to install more stop signs and intersections, which is great news for everyone involved.”

There are concerns about the numerous and massive on-campus events that take place throughout the year, but Parking & Transportation has assured these events will cause an even larger blockup and exiting campus on those days could take up to three hours, ensuring out-of-town visitors a seemingly never-ending on-campus experience.

SATIRE | THE HOOF

PARKING SERVICES ADDS 4 MORE

STOP SIGNS ON CALIFORNIA

BY I Z A AC TOMP K INS Izaac Tompkins is an Environmental Protection and Management junior and satire columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

In an effort to raise the maximum time to exit campus during peak hours, Transportation & Parking Services have elected to add four more stop signs along California Boulevard. The first of these new signs will be strategically placed

to cause the largest buildup of cars. This sign will be positioned approximately five feet from the existing traffic light at Spanos Stadium in order to give each student an equal opportunity to see where the majority of their tuition goes, but they themselves do not. The railings under the stadium will also be removed so students can essentially walk across the street at any point along California Boulevard. Additionally, the entirety of the road under Spanos Stadium will be covered with rumble strips

to avoid speeding. New signs are positioned at the most effective spots to have students crossing sporadically, with no pedestrian lights. As of now, it can take up to 45 minutes to leave campus in a vehicle during peak hours. Parking Services’ new plan hopes to double this time.

Cal Poly’s Director of Transportation & Parking Services says, “We absolutely love seeing our students here on campus, so we’re hoping this initiative will keep them here upwards of one

TUESDAY • JUNE 11 , 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS

INACCESSIBILITY TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING ON CAMPUS

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JUNE SUPERFOOD It’s almost summer, and berries are everywhere! Don’t let their small size fool you, these powerful little fruits are some of the most nutritious snacks around. They vary in color, taste, and shape, including the lesser known orange-colored cloudberry (yep, it’s shaped like a cloud). Look for berries all month at one of Campus Dining’s many salad bars, or smoothie shops!

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SAVE THE DATES! This is your last chance for Campus Market’s Farm to Fork dinners, Monday - Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. Choose from locally sourced filet mignon or a sustainably harvested salmon filet. Both come with roasted cauliflower, Yukon gold truffle mashed potatoes, Meyer lemon roasted asparagus and a seasonal salad.

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PUZZLES

CLUES ACROSS 1. Mathematical term (abbr.)

4. Seaport (abbr.)

7. “Unforgettable” singer 10. The GOAT 11. Used to harvest agave cactus 12. Luke’s mentor __-Wan 13. Muses 15. IBM operating system 16. Hungarian village 19. Popular conversation topic 21. N. Atlantic island 23. Fail to discern correctly 24. The President has one 25. Irish Gaelic language 26. Gasteyer and Ivanovic are 2 27. Garnished 30. National capital 34. Basics 35. Initial public offering 36. Winged horse 41. English synthpop duo 45. Mars crater 46. A lot 47. Small organelles 50. By reason of 54. “Growing Pains” actor Kirk 55. Free from contamination 56. Genus in the mahogany family 57. Body part 59. A belief in a supreme being

60. Talk a lot 61. Actors’ group 62. Unit of measurement 63. Slick 64. No seats available 65. A way to change color

38. Persian jurisdiction 39. Freshwater mussel genus 40. Opposite of happiness 41. Ban on trade 42. Bitterly regrets 43. Assented 44. Well-proportioned CLUES DOWN 47. Part of (abbr.)

1. Belongs to the daughter 48. Indigenous people of of Chaos Thailand 2. Wardrobe 49. A man of your stature 3. Derek and Jeff are two (abbr.)

4. Disfigured 51. Advantageous 5. Hawaiian dish 52. Female sibling 6. What a hack drives 53. Electronic 7. Horse gear countermeasures 8. Do away with 58. Swiss river 9. Narrow straits between 40. Type of cup Sinai and Arabian peninsulas 41. Poisonous Eurasian 13. Corrie plant 14. Hawaiian flower 42. An alternative necklace 44. Belongs to he 17. Midway between 45. Bond actor’s real name northeast and east 46. Ring-shaped objects 18. Insecticide 47. One who reads in a 20. Comfort church service 22. Town in Galilee 48. Conceive 27. Informal greeting 50. One educated in Japan 28. Relative biological 51. Rural delivery effectiveness (abbr.)

52. Robot smarts (abbr.)

29. Used to check the heart 54. Women 31. Western India island 55. German river 32. Credit card term 57. Delaware 33. Female deer 61. Automaker 37. British football team 62. Mystic syllable

*See answers at mustangnews.net/games-answers/

HOROSCOPES ARIES – March 21/April 20 Start sorting through things, Aries. You have many irons in the fire and not much time to get things done. You might have to call in a backup team to help out.

LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 You are doling out tons of advice lately, and it suits you, Libra. Others want to know your opinion on many different things, and you are ready and willing to offer it to them.

TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Relationships take work, Taurus. You have to put in the effort if you want to see yours blossom to its full potential. Schedule some time to spend with your sweetheart.

SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Why not turn it into lemon meringue pie instead, Scorpio? Really put a positive spin on the situation, and you’ll feel better.

GEMINI – May 22/June 21 Gemini, everyone at work needs to pitch in to get a job done. If you feel like you are putting in more of the effort than others, you may need to speak up.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 Investigate some travel options that can get you away for a little bit, Sagittarius. A change of scenery can do you good, and you will feel reinvigorated after your trip.

CANCER – June 22/July 22 Put a strong face on if upsetting news comes your way, Cancer. You’re tough enough to get through it, and you may need to take a leadership role.

CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 After a bumpy start, the week will smooth out quite nicely and can prove very enjoyable for you, Capricorn. Invite some friends over or go out for happy hour.

LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 Leo, don’t throw in the towel when things do not go your way. Simply find another workaround or tactic that may prove a path to success. Keep trying.

AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 It is time to put yourself first, Aquarius, even though that’s not always your style. Find some interests and let work slide for a little while so you can recharge.

VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 A few things are coming up that will be completely out of your control, Virgo. Letting go of the reins can be good for you once in a while.

And you may learn a thing or two.

PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 Be sure to periodically check your on your finances, Pisces. If much has been flowing out, you may have to curb spending for a little bit.

TUESDAY • JUNE 11, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

24

Z AC H DON N EN F I ELD | MUSTA N G N EWS

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND FORMER POINT GUARD DONOVAN FIELDS TALKS HIS BEGINNINGS AND CAL POLY CAREER

BY B R I AN T RUONG & SO PHI A CR OLLA There is New York in everything Donovan Fields does.

For the former Cal Poly point guard, his home is ingrained in him. Fields’ roots, formed through a childhood where toughness was a necessity, are apparent on the court, in his look and his mannerisms.

Fields has made the most of his three years with the Cal Poly Men’s Basketball team. As a Mustang, he has been an essential player, as both the team captain and starting point guard. However, when the Newburgh, New York native arrived at Cal Poly in 2016, he was surprised by the friendly environment.

“In New York, everybody’s going somewhere,” Fields said.

“We don’t really stop to say ‘hi’ or conversate with people all the time.”

“I remember walking through campus and I’d see administrators,” Fields said. “I’d just be like ‘what’s up,’ and I’d keep it moving. And they’d still be convers-

ing with me, and I would be so uncomfortable because I’d have somewhere to be.”

This was one of the many adjustments Fields had to make at the beginning of his record-breaking Cal Poly career. Fields is the only player in program history to score more than 1,000 career points, distribute 300-plus assists and record at least 100 steals. These impressive numbers are emphasized by the fact that Fields did it in just three years.

Learning toughness

Fields recalled growing up in Newburgh— a life that was not always easy.

“Living in Newburgh, you just never know what could happen,” Fields said. “Every single day, you never take it for granted.”

Newburgh, a small city about an hour’s drive north of New York City, was called the “Murder Capital of New York” by New York Magazine in 2011 due to its gang violence and high crime rate.

“I had friends that grew up seeing stuff they shouldn’t have been seeing,” Fields said.

Through growing up in a city that was ranked as the ninth most dangerous U.S. city in 2012, Fields learned the importance of being resilient, even when playing basketball.

“If you wasn’t tough, you wasn’t going to play — you’d be kicked off the court,” Fields said. “I was always the smallest guy ... so I had to work that much harder to play and to prove that I was able to play.”

Fields began playing basketball at the gym of Saint Mary’s Church. It was a small neighborhood basketball court, barely big enough to fit a team around its edges. But it is where Fields first stepped onto the court, played his first games and made his first 3-pointer.

One time, Fields took an elbow to the face during a game. While his nose was bleeding, Fields saw it as an opportunity. “[That was] my moment to show them I’m not going to give up,” Fields said. “I got hit in my face, I got blood everywhere, but I’m not going to back down.’”

That gym brings many memo-

ries to Fields’ mind— the many shots, games and friends made on that basketball court brought Fields to where he stands today.

“I have to go to Mount Saint Mary’s gym when I go back, I have to,” Fields said. “Back home, they always joke with me, saying that I was born in that gym.”

Fields said his father was an important mentor for him, both on and off the court. He has a special appreciation for their relationship, having grown up around others who were not as lucky.

“A lot of kids growing up, they didn’t really have a father figure in their life,” Fields said. “Having my father around, being able to teach me right from wrong, and being able to discipline me, I know that is what helped me make the right decisions in life.”

Fields also looks up to his older brother, who got him into basketball, and his mother — a cancer survivor — whose strength greatly resonates with him.

“That’s my biggest motivation,” Fields said. “I remember seeing her go through the whole process. Her not ever having a doubt

in her mind that she wouldn’t beat it … that made me feel like I’m invincible. I can do anything I put my mind to.”

No matter what Fields had to endure during childhood, he found an escape in basketball.

“I feel like every time I’m on the court, it’s like like my sanctuary,” Fields said. “All my worries ... I just forget all about it. I’m all into basketball anytime I’m touching a basketball or I’m on the court.”

Leading the way

That love for basketball brought Fields to Cal Poly, after a brief one year stint at Odessa College, a community college in Texas.

When he joined the Mustangs as a sophomore, Fields was not quite ready to become the leader of the team. His quietness on the court caused Fields to receive a quick lecture from head coach Joe Callero for not calling out a play during practice.

“He said ‘open your f-ing mouth.

You’ve got to talk. You’re my point guard. You can’t be out here not saying anything.’” Fields said.

It was an important lesson for

Fields, who played a full 31 game season to start his Cal Poly career.

“Now, I understand that he was trying to groom me to be a better leader,” Fields said. “They have to follow my lead and not just the coaches lead.”

Fields knew that becoming a team captain required hard work and growth. At Odessa College, he became the leader of the team in just eight months. He achieved the same at Cal Poly, as Callero made him the team captain.

“After my sophomore year ... that’s when he told me he’s go-

ing to need me to step up, be more of a leader, be more vocal,” Fields said.

This led to a successful junior year, as Fields started in 30 of the 31 games he played in. He finished third among NCAA Division I players with a 92.6 free throw percentage, which also set Cal Poly’s single season program record.

After a full season as the starting point guard, Fields had the experience and confidence he needed to elevate his game even further.

“His third year, you could tell he was a complete leader on the floor,” former Cal Poly guard Vic-

tor Joseph said. “Running the plays, running the show, encouraging his teammates.”

In January, Fields hit the 1,000 career points milestone. He finished out his final season as a Mustang by adding 245 more points, putting him at ninth in program history. However, scoring is not the main job of a point guard.

While running the team’s plays, Fields dished out an average of 4.1 assists per game, always looking out for his teammates.

“If you miss a shot, he just comes up to you and says ‘hit the next one’,” Niziol said. “He’s always

When you get a genuine captain, who’s really positive and really wants to see people succeed.

over taller opponents. Fields calls this New York style basketball.

“It’s real flashy, real fast-paced.”

Fields said. “It’s the way I like to play. Being flashy with ball-handling, using different dribble moves to throw your defender off.”

Making highlight reel moves, while also running the team’s plays, helped Fields earn the 2019 Big West Hustle Player of the Year award. He is the first Mustang to receive the honor.

“He’s got the handle and everything, a little shimmey too,” Garrick said. “I think all of that originates from the East Coast, especially New York.”

Deep roots

Z AC H DONNENFIEL D | MUSTANG NEW S

Fields grew up in Newburgh, a small city that was once called the “Murder Capital of New York.”

Garrick said. “He’ll even wear Timbs in the summer. Who does that?”

According to Fields, Timberland boots, a staple item in his closet, can also be found in most New Yorker’s wardrobes as well.

“If I see someone with Timbs on, there’s probably a good chance they’re from New York,” Fields said. “Every time I pull them out, everyone goes ‘oh, Don has his Timbs on’ and everyone’s talking crap or whatever. But that’s definitely the most New York thing about my style.”

Other items that complete Fields’ Newburgh look include a white t-shirt, chains and, most importantly, a grey-brimmed New York Yankees hat.

“I kind of try to stick to my own New York style,” Fields said. “Especially, when I’m out here, because I like to show it off.”

Although Fields’ has maintained his New York origins through his clothing, some of his mannerisms have changed over time.

“I don’t know if this is a west coast thing or a SLO thing,” Fields

Fields fashion style is also a reflection of his New York roots. It is easy to spot, wearing a pair Timberlands or Jordans almost every day of the week.

“There are times when you can tell he’s from New York,” Niziol said. “Sometimes he’ll be wearing his Timberlands … He’ll be wearing his Yankees hat so you can for sure tell.”

“He’s always wearing Timbs,”

said. “When you see people, they actually stop to say hi to you, and I kind of grew to like it too.”

When Fields first arrived at Cal Poly, these interactions had made him uncomfortable. Now, he has embraced the habit.

“When I go back home, I’m just like ‘what’s up’ and just walk by,” Fields said. “And it’s like, ‘damn I barely got to speak to that person.’”

“I try to actually say, ‘what’s up’ and conversate,” Fields said.

“Like, ‘how you doing, how’s your day going?’ Simple things, it doesn’t have to be too long.”

In just three years, Fields has left his mark on San Luis Obispo, which he calls his second home.

But nothing will ever replace Newburgh. Wherever Fields goes, whether he is gracing a basketball court with his quick moves or simply walking around in his Timberlands, the influence of growing up in New York will be with him.

“For me to get the opportunity to make it out, and for everybody from Newburgh to be able to see me ... I have to take pride in that.”

Fields said. “Breaking the cycle, that’s what it’s all about.”

25 TUESDAY • JUNE 11 , 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

Z AC H DONNENFIEL D | MUSTANG NEW S

Fields is the only Mustang in program history to reach at least 1,000 points, 300 assists and 100 steals in his career.

positive, always trying to encourage the teammates.”

“When you get a genuine captain, who’s really positive and really wants to see people succeed, you kinda attach on to that,” Marcellus Garrick said. “He’s just a stand up guy. Just a good dude off and on the court. You don’t find that in a lot of people.”

Still, Fields tends to be on the quiet side. However, it is also part of his leadership style.

“I’m not the loudest guy,” Fields said. “Everybody knows, if something has to get done, I’m going to show you … rather than being the guy that’s just going to tell you.”

Fields’ usual quiet demeanor contrasts with his style of play.

When on the court, the New York influence comes out with a flash.

“He’s fun to watch — a lot of exciting plays, a lot of acrobatic layups,” Joseph said.

Fields makes the most of the little advantages that being an undersized player provides. He uses his quickness to breeze by defenders, either driving to the hoop for a creative layup or arcing a shot

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