Mustang News March 21, 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

MUSTANG NEWS

UCs PROVIDE HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

WHY DOESN’T CAL POLY? PAGE 6 MAY 21, 2019

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MUS TA NGNE WS.NET

Austin Linthicum

President & Editor in Chief Quinn Fish Print Managing Editor

Lauren Arendt Social Media Managing Editor

Rachel Marquardt Digital Managing Editor

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 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

Claire Blachowski PR Director

IN THIS ISSUE

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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SEVEN NEW START-UPS JOIN SUMMER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

BY HA I L E Y N AG M A Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) introduced the newest students accepted into their 13-week Summer Accelerator program in the HotHouse at its annual Spring Entrepreneurship Forum Tuesday, May 14.

Students pitched business ideas ranging from medicinal makeup to a transportable water filter for travelers.

Seven potential businesses — Armadillo Designs, Tulum Cosmetics, Ethic Marketplace, Ropegun, Totem, Tunmi Da Silva Designs and Wayve Filtration — were accepted into the Accelerator program for Summer 2019.

Who they are and what they do?

Armadillo Designs is working to create the “All-Access Camper” — a customizable shell with convertible roof built for truck beds. Armadillo Designs was created by manufacturing engineering sophomore Samuel Hunt and business administration sophomore Bradley Bowman.

Tulum Cosmetics seeks to create products that integrate makeup with medical treatment to “heal and conceal” one’s skin. Tulum is an FDA-approved matte liquid lipstick that assists in healing and concealing cold sores. It was created by business administration senior Emily Penuen and art and design sophomore Megan Steiger.

Ethic Marketplace is an online sustainable marketplace platform that aims to encourage conscious con-

sumerism. It was created by liberal arts and engineering studies senior Garrett Perkins and architecture sophomore Jess Corr.

Ropegun tracks and guides routes for climbers, and also doubles as a social media platform for the climbing community. It was created by graphic communications senior Joseph Sobrero and mechanical engineering senior Nathaniel Furbeyre.

Totem aims to produce an “augmented reality festival experience” platform to elevate the festival experience for both attendees and festival organizers. Totem was created by business administration seniors Tal Kornfeld and Remi Crosetti, computer engineering senior James Plasko and mechanical engineering senior Morgan Buss.

Tunmi Da Silva Designs features custom furniture created by architecture graduate Tunmi Da Silva.

These pieces seek to enable conversation rather than just provide functionality.

Wayve Filtration is a portable water filter, attachable to any sink or faucet, created as a solution for obtaining clean water on the go. It was created by business administration senior Sierra Scolaro, mechanical engineering junior Zachary Pollatsek and industrial engineering senior Jonah Heath.

What’s next for these start-ups?

The teams will receive $10,000 in seed funding to help them get started, work with specialized mentors and attend weekly workshops. “[The goal is] hopefully creating a

company that provides customers with a catalog of additional parts they can build off of their camper shell and just trying to create a more complete aftermarket truck accessory,” co-founder of Armadillo Designs Samuel Hunt said.

Each company participated in a Pitches, Exhibits, Networking (P.E.N.) portion of the event, allowing them to introduce themselves and their missions before competing to collect the most business cards from attendees.

Cal Poly alumnus and two-time pole vault Olympian for Australia Simon Arkell spoke at the forum. As the president and co-founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) company Deep Lens, Arkell spoke to attendees about the event’s theme, “Artificial Intelligence is the Future.” “’AI’ is the biggest buzz word that we’ve seen in years,” Arkell said.

“Before that it was ‘Big Data’ and before that it was ‘Dot Com,’ maybe.

You can basically have a computer do anything and you could call it AI ... so really understanding what AI truly is and what it is not I think is important.”

Deep Lens seeks to find solutions to cancer through AI. The mission of the company resonates personally with the co-founders of the company, each having their lives touched by cancer in some way, Arkell said.

According to CIE communications and marketing director Candice Conti, the theme for the forum was chosen based on what the CIE found to be most relevant for young innovators.

COVER

MeChA PROPOSES MORE INCLUSIVE NAME CHANGE

CONTROVERSIAL ASI BILL TO BAN DISCRIMINATION

BELLY DANCING WORKSHOP

BASEBALL CLUBHOUSE OPEN DATE PUSHED BACK

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FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS: HEALTHCARE IS FAR FROM GUARANTEED DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS

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KYL IE KOW ALS K E | MUSTA N G N EWS

About 35 students protested in front of the Administration building to rally for demands by Students for Quality Education.

“UNIVERSITY LEADERS ARE LISTENING” STUDENTS RALLY FOR DEMANDS

BY MAUREEN MC NAMARA Roughly 35 students from clubs and organizations across campus gathered in front of Administration (building 1) May 16 to rally behind demands aimed at Cal Poly administration.

The protesters supported providing an additional $141,000 for the Black Academic Excellence Center, the Dream Center, the MultiCultural Center, the Gender Equity Center, the Pride Center, the Ethnic Studies Department and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. They are also campaigning to provide at

least two more full-time advocates for Safer.

“All of those are places marginalized students rely on, and they’re some of the only places we feel safe here,” electrical engineering senior and Students for Quality Education (SQE) intern Alejandro Bupara said.

“Also, more Safer advocates would make a difference in people’s lives immediately.”

The two demands from this rally have roots in the list of demands put forth in Spring 2018 by the Drylongso Collective, a group of student organizations that joined together after the blackface incident,

according to Bupara.

The demands released in 2018 were more comprehensive, but this year, Bupara said, SQE is only focusing on their two highest priority demands.

“It’s going to be very uncomfortable for [administration] to keep denying us,” Bupara said.

University spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News that the university has taken steps to increase resources for diversity and inclusivity programs.

In addition, Cal Poly recently hired one Safer advocate, increased Title IX funding and increased education

on prevention in New Student Orientation Programs.

The $141,000 demanded by SQE is intended to be similar to the total amount of money the university spent on security when alt-right guest speaker Milo Yiannopoulos visited campus in 2017 and 2018, according to Bupara. In 2018, Yiannopoulos security cost Cal Poly and the California State University (CSU) systeman estimated total of $86,200. In 2017, the UPD spent nearly $16,000.

Their demand amounts to approximately0.4 percent of Cal Poly’s total operating budgetfor 2018-

EL CAMPO CLOSURE TO PROCEED JUDGE LIFTS TEMPORARY STAY ON HIGHWAY 101 CROSSING

BY AUST I N L I N T HI CU M

J A M E S G RA NT | COURT ESY

Progress toward restricting left-hand turns at El Campo Road can move forward.

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.

This ruling follows a legal challenge brought in a Sacramento County against Caltrans to stop the project. The judge ruled yesterday that Caltrans can move forward with the closures on intersections along Highway 101 between Los Berros Road near Nipomo and Traffic Way near Arroyo Grande.

Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) will

likely continue the lawsuit to ensure Caltrans acts on traffic safety problems along the Highway 101 corridor between Los Berros Road near Nipomo and Traffic Way near Arroyo Grande, according to James Grant.

“The purpose of the lawsuit was to shine a light on the bigger traffic safety problems along the corridor,” President of VWE Terry Wheatley wrote in an email to Mustang News.

“We collectively want Caltrans and the local governing agencies to consider additional solutions rather than implement a stop-gap plan.”

Caltrans will announce a construction schedule when the details are certain. Most of this roadwork is also dependent on weather condi-

19, not including the cost of hiring two Safer advocates.

Lazier said while the university budget takes several different priorities into consideration, “university leaders are listening” and are open to a constructive dialogue on how to improve the university.

Students of SQE said they will continue to rally in solidarity until their demands are met.

“We will continue to lobby [for the demands] and to put pressure on [administration],” Bupara said.

“We will ask the university to commit to funding our centers and to providing the additional full-time advocate for Safer … if they don’t respond, we will continue to pressure into the fall as well.”

SQE was formed in 2007 by students in the California State University (CSU) system seekingto bring “educational justice” by emphasizing the concerns of marginalized students.

The rally was organized in partnership with English senior Amelia Meyerhoff, whose senior project, “The Clapback,”investigated the extent of sexual assault and violence on Cal Poly campus. tions, according to Shrivers.

Caltrans was originally set to begin closures at the four crossings Monday, May 13, six months after computer engineering freshman Jordan Grant was killed at the El Campo Road crossing. The project is expected to cost $250,000.

Sacramento Superior Court documents show VWE filed a temporary restraining order and injunction to stop the project Tuesday, May 7.

Jordan’s father James Grant started a change.org petition to boycott the winery with more than 2,700 signatures. He met with Wheatley earlier this week.

“As the safety improvements move forward on El Campo we remain committed to working with Vintage Wine Estates and the local neighborhood leaders in finding a solution to the community need for an overpass in this area in the next five years and a more fair treatment of Laetitia Winery’s access needs,” James wrote in a letter.

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

KY LI E KOWA LS K E | MUSTA N G N EWS

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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MECHA’S PROPOSED NAME CHANGE AND WHY IT MATTERS

MEXA | COURT ESY

The national organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán has had its name for 50 years, but a recent proposal wanted to change it.

BY IS AB EL LA PAOLETTO For the first time in 50 years, students proposed that the nation-wide student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA), known as MEXA at Cal Poly, change its name.

The proposal to change the name from “Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán” to “Movimiento Estudiantil” was ultimately not approved. However, it sparked conversation about what MEChA is and how it has evolved over the decades to be more inclusive.

What is MEChA? MEChA, or MEXA, is an acronym for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán and was founded at the University of California Santa

Barbara (UCSB) at the end of the 1960s as a way to unite Chicanos and encourage higher education.

In the 1960s, second- and third-generation Mexican Americans began to identify as Chicano and Chicana. The Chicanx identity not only separated this generation from those before them, but also held social and political significance as it coincided with the civil rights and social justice movements.

In the same way that groups like The Black Panther Party and others fought to create opportunity and equality for their communities, the Chicano movement began as a way of resilience and rejection of structures and roles that had kept generations before them suppressed.

PORTABLE SANTA MARIA-STYLE GRILL

A CAL POLY SENIOR PROJECT

BY SY DNE Y SHER MAN Cal Poly industrial technology and packaging seniors Sydney Goodbody, Reid Fuhr, Sean Wolfe, Ian Coleman, Matt Isaak, Jordan Tomooka, Nicole Trahan, Isaac Stoll, Alexa Petri, Tanner Smith, Rachel Whalen, and Vance Perkins have come together for their senior capstone course to create the Pitmaster, a portable Santa Maria-style grill. Think of it as a mini version of the grill outside of Campus Market.

A traditional Santa Maria-style grill has a grate that allows the user to maneuver the food up and down, in or out of the fire.

“It’s traditionally used for tri-tip, because that’s kind of what you want,” Goodbody said. “You want

that sear and then you want to bake it, so as the fire dies down you lower the grate down with it and you get that cook.”

However, these grills are typically “ginormous” and either permanent or feature wheels.

“Santa Maria grills can be pretty expensive, and there is such a draw within this area to have the Santa Maria-style grill because that’s such a big kind of cultural point around this area,” Goodbody said.

The Pitmaster is a smaller, portable version of the traditional grill weighing about 30 to 35 pounds.

“You can take out the tray and put it over an open fire, so that’s kind of what separates it from other Santa Maria style grills,” Wolfe said.

The team must complete 140

An important part of the Chicano movement is also the concept of Aztlán, the mythical Aztec homeland. Aztlán includes the Southwest United States and supports the movement’s argument that Chicanos cannot be immigrants because their homeland is in the U.S. In 1969 MEChA arose from the Chicano movement, with a focus on education being a major component in the fight for social justice and equality. Students, activists and professors came together at UCSB to draft the Plan de Santa Barbara, which became a catalyst for Chicano studies and ethnic studies at universities across the country.

While the name MEChA holds significance, it also evokes memories of sexism and exclusion tied to the history of the movement, according to Remezcla.

“Now we have a required position called the Gender and Sexuality Chair,” sociology junior and cochair of MEChA’s National Board Gabriela Guillén said. “It is in our history that women and queer, trans people of color have consistently been pushed out because a lot of times people chose to weaponize race over actually hearing their own voices.”

Why the name change matters The proposal to drop the words “Aztlán” and “Chicanx” was a way to not only be more inclusive of

units of the grills by June 6, when they will showcase all of the grills on Dexter Lawn at 10 a.m. to be picked up by buyers.

From start to finish, the team has done every step of the process on campus.

“We’re doing everything there, basically,” Wolfe said. “No outsourcing.”

Sometimes, it comes in handy that their project is a grill.

“I mean, sometimes we’re putting in ten-hour days, so it’s nice to be able to flip some burgers when need be,” Goodbody said.

The project is completely self-funded within the group. Each member contributed $150 to kickstart the process. Now, the group is looking to local businesses such as Old San Luis BBQ Company and Guys Being Dudes to sponsor their endeavors.

Currently, the grills can be purchased on their website Pitmaster. live for $199.99, or for $249.99 to customize it.

other people in the Latinx community who might not identify with Aztec history, but also to be more inclusive of groups who felt excluded from the movement in the past.

“We dealt with a lot of problems, not only in MEXA, but as a nation,” history senior and MEXA member Brian Gounod said. “While we are still dealing with those problems, now there is definitely more of an acknowledgement of those kind of issues — sexism, racism, colonialism … That is really shown by the proposal of the name change that our club is trying to sort of evolve going into the future and be more inclusive to all peoples.”

However, given the history and significance of the name, not everyone was on board with changing it.

“To change the name means a lot, because it kind of re-identifies the organization that you are part of as serving one group less, one group more,” Gounod said. “There are a lot of people who are passionate about the name and what that sort of signifies.”

MEXA at Cal Poly At a university where Hispanic and Latino students make up about 17 percent of the population, MEXA also provides a community for students of color at Cal Poly.

“It is definitely a culture shock coming here,” Gounod said.

“MEXA in many ways provides a family for a lot of folks.”

MEXA also offers mentorship programs, academic support and community outreach, Guillén said. “[MEXA’s] main purpose is to do student retention, and I think it holds true to those values,” Guillén said. “I feel that MEXA provides that space that a lot of students do not get in other places and other clubs.”

But Gounod said there has been misunderstanding on campus surrounding what exactly MEXA is and what its purpose is.

“We are activists who believe in cultural expression, cultural changes,” Gounod said. “In some ways we are radical in terms of challenging what Cal Poly, what the broader university campus, sort of offers …

It is important to understand that we are a student organization, who is sort of rooted in activism, but we are not as radical as some people would say.”

Moving forward, Guillén said she hopes MEXA continues to be a resource and educational tool for marginalized students, but also continues to address difficult issues in the organization and political climate.

“We still do need to do the work to educate ourselves all the time, every single day,” Guillén said. “I hope the chapters do force their members to have these tough conversations.”

R EI D F U H R | COU RT ESY

A group of seniors created a portable Santa Maria-style grill for their senior project.

SOME SAY IT COULD HALT THE PRO-PALESTINIAN BOYCOTT, DIVEST AND SANCTIONS MOVEMENT

HANNA C ROW L EY | MUSTANG NEW S

Associated Students, Inc. passed a recent bill to institutionalize free speach and anti-discrimination on campus, however some say it may discriminate against the pro -Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

BY NAYT H AN BRYANT An Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) bill that was recently passed is receiving mixed feedback in relation to the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The “Freedom of Speech and Anti-Discrimination” bylaws amendment does not allow ASI to engage in discriminatory practices related to a number of protected categories, including race, religion and national origin or ancestry.

The ASI bill was designed to “help institutionalize diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on Cal Poly’s campus,” according to sociology senior and co-author of the bill Noah Krigel.

ASI Board of Directors President and environmental management junior Mark Borges said the bill was drafted because the authors are passionate about representing traditionally underrepresented students. Borges said the language in the bill is already within CSU policy for student-body organizations.

“The bill itself is really more of a symbolic gesture saying we stand with our marginalized communities and we want to protect all social

identities from any kind of discrimination,” Borges said. “By putting it into our bylaws, we’re saying we’re committed to those values.”

Shortly after the bill’s release, Mustang News published a student’s letter to the editor that included interviews from Krigel and ASI board member and anthropology and geography senior Aliza Herzberg. The letter praises the bill for its potential to halt the BDS movement from coming to Cal Poly’s campus. The BDS movement began in 2005 as a form of non-violent pressure against Israel lead by Palestinian supporters, according to the BDS National Committee.

In the letter, Krigel and Herzberg explain that BDS, “would be categorized as a form of discrimination [they] are intending to protect against with this bill.”

Krigel attempted to clarify the bill in a follow-up letter to the editor.

“This is an all encompassing anti-discrimination bill,” Krigel wrote.

“It is not an anti-BDS bill, nor is it a pro-Zionist endorsement (though I proudly identify as Zionist and do not support the BDS movement).”

However, in an interview with Mustang News, Borges did not confirm or deny whether the bill can

be used to halt BDS from Cal Poly’s campus.

“I don’t think that any one person can technically answer that question,” Borges said. “It’s not necessarily a yes or no question.”

Borges said he alone or any one person cannot determine whether BDS is a form of discrimination under the new bill because of the many conversations and dialogue that go into such a decision.

Opponents of BDS claim the movement is anti-semitic because it focuses solely on Israel’s alleged abuse while ignoring countless other abuses, placing the Jewish state in a unique standard. Opponents also claim the movement calls for an end to the Jewish state by including in its goals the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the homes they lived in prior to Israel’s establishment.

Proponents of BDS staunchly deny the claim of anti-semitism and argue their movement is focused on getting Israel to comply with international law. They said Israel’s policies and actions, not identity, are the reasons for protest. Proponents also point out the movement’s Jewish supporters as evidence that it is not rooted in anti-semitism.

laws.

Several student governments across the United States have already began this conversation. For example, the student governments of New York University (NYU) and the University of Oregon (UO) have passed resolutions endorsing the BDS movement. Columbia University and Cornell University, however, recently denied BDS resolutions.

Recent data shows a nearly even divide when it comes to the passing of divestment resolutions by student governments of U.S. campuses. Since 2015, more than 48 percent of proposed divestment resolutions have been passed by student governments while 51 percent have failed, according to the AMCHA Initiative.

Long Beach State, San Jose State and Cal State East Bay are the only California State Universities (CSU) whose student governments voted on the issue. All passed divestment resolutions. Out of the five student governments across Universities of California (UC) to make a vote on divestment resolutions, three passed and two failed.

According to Borges, the conversation of the bill’s potential impact on BDS never once came up in debate, workshops or board meetings. Borges said the student’s editorial represented the bill in a very different light than how it was passed on the board.

“I would say it’s definitely something that we need to work on as a student government on campus, making sure that we’re communicating the work we’re doing,” Borges said. “We need to do everything we possibly can to be viewed as that area of positive change on campus.”

H A N N A C R OWLEY | MUSTA N G N EWS

Future ASI President Mark Borges said the BDS movement was not even considered until after the bill was passed.

5 TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

ASI BILL RECEIVES MIXED FEEDBACK

One such supporter, Ethan Stan, will be attending Cal Poly next fall as a graduate student. Stan, who identifies as Jewish and pro-BDS, used to live in Israel.

“It’s tough to talk about BDS because … all the stuff that you hear about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all of the discussion and the arguing, so much of that for me was crystallized into a different perspective once I started visiting Israel myself,” Stan said. “Just to be there, it’s almost like you have to relearn everything you thought you knew.”

As someone who has experienced “passing through one-too-many checkpoints” in Palestine, Stan said he thinks the anger toward Israel is justified.

“To imply that BDS is some racist, anti-semitic plot to create hate against Jewish students, to me, is patently false because I know countless people who are pro-BDS or BDS activists that I don’t feel hated [around] for being a Jew,” Stan said. “I think what the Israeli government is doing to Palestinian people is atrocious and is worthy of sanctions and boycotts and divestment.”

Stan said he would still like to get involved with the Jewish community at Cal Poly and in San Luis Obispo. However, he said he hopes they will be accepting despite their beliefs about BDS and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“I am Jewish, I am going to be a Cal Poly student and I certainly do not feel represented by any attempts to squash BDS from Cal Poly’s campus,” Stan said.

Borges said if BDS ever comes to Cal Poly’s campus, the conversation would start with a written resolution to either endorse or condemn the movement. ASI would then have to decide whether the resolution fits within its current by-

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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UCs PROVIDE HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

WHY DOESN’T CAL POLY?

DI EGO R I VERA | MUSTA N G N EWS

Universities of California campuses typically cover both Hormone Replacement Therapy and Gender Affirmative Surgeries. The California State University, however, does not.

BY MIC H AE L BAR R OS During her sophomore year at Cal Poly, environmental management and protection junior Autumn Ford came out as transgender non-binary and was ready to begin her physical transition with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

“I had known from a fairly moderate age that I wanted to be seen as androgynous, and I hated my body,” Ford said. “Everything about it was wrong. My voice was wrong, my hair was wrong, my skin was wrong. Everything was just wrong.”

Ford scheduled an appointment with the Health Center’s Counseling Services and said she expected a campus physician to write an HRT prescription. HRT can be taken in the form of a pill, injection or gel and significantly changes certain physical features. Instead,

she was referred off-campus and waited more than three months to begin treatment. She also was responsible for treatment payment, whereas most on-campus health services are free or at a lower cost.

The California State University (CSU) system, including Cal Poly, does not provide HRT in any of its 23 health centers across the state, according to CSU spokesperson Elizabeth Chapin.

According to Chapin, HRT is not considered a basic healthcare service, and it is not included in Executive Order 943. Doctors are not permitted to provide HRT unless it is authorized by CSU administration as an “augmented service,” meaning it must meet six requirements: The service must be provided consistent with CSU policy and in a manner that does not divert resources or staff from the adequate provision of basic student health services, the Health

Center or contracted provider is equipped to provide the service and the medical qualification and specializations of the staff must be sufficient to provide the service.

Justification of student need or demand for the service also must be met. The method for providing the service must be the most effective in terms of both treatment and cost, and proposed services have to be submitted for consideration to the student health advisory committee prior to review by the campus president or designee.

So when students request HRT, they are referred out to a doctor in the county. For Cal Poly students, that doctor is Denise Taylor.

To her patients, Taylor is in the business of saving lives. With pills and needles, mostly.

Taylor is a correctional health professional at the California Men’s Colony (CMC) four days a week.

Her patients are often human im-

munodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, which is her primary practice.

But on Thursdays, Taylor writes new prescriptions for HRT. Taylor is the only doctor in San Luis Obispo County known for writing new prescriptions. She said many of her patients who seek HRT are college students from Cal Poly.

Taylor has met with doctors at the Health Center three times in the past 10 years asking them to offer HRT treatment. She said she felt she had gotten somewhere.

“I don’t think [HRT] would be any different than someone coming in who has diabetes or has to take blood pressure medicine or has to take birth control pills,” Taylor said. “It’s all kind of the same stuff.”

Taylor said the treatment is simple — routine lab tests and the hormones are the only required services.

“The medications themselves are quite inexpensive,” Taylor said.

Taylor said estrogen costs approximately $30 monthly. Ford said the doctor’s appointments themselves were the most expensive aspect of treatment.

Health Center doctors were unable to comment, but they cannot legally begin treatment without approval, according to CSU policies.

“CSU’s campus health centers provide basic healthcare services (as outlined in the policy). They may provide referrals to connect students with services not offered on campus, such as hormone therapy,” Chapin wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Universities of California (UCs), however, typically cover both Hormone Replacement Therapy and Gender Affirmative Surgeries.

“I think the student Health Center should be pretty well-primed to take care of the average young,

Ford said. “Because if I kept going like this [without treatment], I know two years, five years down the line, I would hate myself so much that, yeah, suicide seemed like a likely option.”

Forestry and natural resources freshman Jesse Declan O’Brien said his insurance is located in the Bay Area, so he would be unable to pay for his treatment in San Luis Obispo. On top of that, he is a freshman and does not have access to a car to travel to treatments.

“If Cal Poly provided HRT services, it would make it a whole lot easier for me to access them, and I would not need to go all the way back home to visit an endocrinologist for [testosterone] level checkups,” Declan O’Brien said.

The CSU system has little demographic data on the transgender and gender nonconforming student population. Every CSU separates gender data by men and women. Diversity and Inclusion Vice President Jozi De Leon said Cal Poly does not track the number of gender non-conforming students.

Two years ago, the UC system added gender-variant options to their college applications, but they

have yet to release the data.

“That’s equivalent to erasing us,” Ford said. “They’re still fitting us into these very restrictive boxes and then not understanding why there is pushback from students.”

Although all 23 CSUs have some sort of resource for the LGBTQIA+ community in the form of pride centers and safe spaces, the system has no mandated systemwide policy that requires universities to even provide resources at all, according to Chapin.

Ford said she does not advocate for HRT on campus for herself, but for other transgender students who are unable to make the drive to an off-campus provider.

“If just one individual gets helped at the Health Center, then that’s one more individual that doesn’t have to suffer,” Ford said.

Ford teared up as she said her treatment saved her life.

“It’s not a miracle drug, of course,” Ford said. “But when your body is operating on the right hormones, the depression starts to fade, the anxiety is less than present in your mind a lot of the time, and your body starts to look like what you wanted to see.”

“REDEFINING SUCCESS IN A WAY THAT SERVES THEIR COMMUNITY” THROUGH SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

IVONNE GUZ MAN-L EMUZ | COURT ESY

Cal Poly students are building free software for nonprrofits through Hack4Impact.

BY S A B R INA PAS CUA Cal Poly students are building free software for nonprofits with the hope of recentering the technology community around social impact.

Hack4Impact is a national organization that connects students with nonprofits through software development. Students identify and create software solutions, such as cre-

ating a website, for nonprofits who may not have sufficient resources to do so. The software is meant to further nonprofits’ ability to engage with the communities they serve.

Computer science senior and Hack4Impact Co-Director Ivonne Guzman-Lemuz said the mission of the club is to show students how their software skills can be used to help better the community.

“There is a big culture [around] getting to the biggest startup, making all this money and buying a mansion in San Francisco, and those things are fine,” Guzman-Lemuz said. “I think this [ideal] gives students a narrow view of what their skills can actually do.”

Part of the organization’s goal is to also push students to redefine what it means to be a software develop-

7 TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

healthy transgender person,” Taylor said.

Chapin did not respond to additional emails asking why HRT is not considered a basic healthcare service. For Ford, she said HRT was life-saving. She said she felt isolated and trapped in a downward spiral prior to HRT. “I personally felt unlovable due to what my body was like,” Ford said. “To be able to have this space on campus to get hormones and to get treatment and to just learn what it is to be yourself, without those constraints of your previous hormonal balance, is more than vital. It’s lifesaving.”

A 2014 study by the American Foundation for Suicide Preventionfound that transgender and gender non-conforming individuals reported an increased number of lifetime suicide attempts compared to cisgender individuals.

The article authors suggested that wanting but not having access to transition-related healthcare services and procedures may increase suicide attempts.

Ford said if she had to wait any longer for HRT, she might have had suicidal thoughts.

“This is why HRT is needed,”

DI EGO R I VERA | MUSTA N G N EWS

Cal Poly students who request HRT are referred to local doctor Denise Taylor.

er, according to computer science sophomore and other Hack4Impact Co-Director Eric Newcomer.

“It’s like the ‘golden path’ is to do your computer science degree and then become a software engineer at Google or Facebook,” Newcomer said. “I think people can redefine success in a way that serves their community and serves society in a beneficial way.”

Newcomer and Guzman-Lemuz founded the Cal Poly chapter of Hack4Impact in Spring 2018. The club has about 20 members and is mostly composed of computer science and software engineering students. However, the club is open to all majors in hopes of getting people from different backgrounds to engage with technology.

“I think Cal Poly glorifies engineering [majors] so much,” Guzman-Lemuz said. “But hopefully our club can encourage people from different majors to come together and to be more interdisciplinary.”

Before starting a project, the students first contact various nonprofit organizations. Once an organization expresses interest to work with the students, the students then determine what services the nonprofit needs through direct discussion with that organization.

By the end of Spring 2019, the students will have completed three

separate projects. Although the students mainly work with local nonprofits, such as the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center, they have also worked with organizations outside of San Luis Obispo. Their first project was developed for Carelink, a mental health awareness nonprofit based in Pennsylvania.

Locally, the group has also worked with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Luis Obispo. Newcomer said the online tracking form used by CASA volunteers to record and submit their volunteer hours was complicated and time-consuming. Their solution was an improved web interface that streamlines the form submission process.

“The people we talked to at CASA don’t have a background in technology, but we both worked together to do this one thing for a big organization like CASA,” Newcomer said.

Guzman-Lemuz said she hopes their work for Hack4Impact will start a conversation about how big technology companies can also use their resources to help nonprofits and benefit their communities.

“We’re a small club and we’re helping small organizations, and I think that big companies have the potential to do great things,” Guzman-Lemuz said. “If they see us doing that, I think it’ll spark more conversation.”

CAL POLY CHOIRS

Choirs

‘FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH’

SPRING CONCERT WITH GUEST ARTIST

LAURA M. KRAMER

Works about — and inspired by — S P R Ithe N natural G C Oworld NCERT

Gustav Holst: “Second Suite in F” James Stephenson: “Möbius Trip” David Maslanka: “Symphony No. 4” As well as compositions by Alex Shapiro, Steven Bryant and Eric Whitacre

POLYPHONICS • UNIVERSITY SINGERS CHAMBER CHOIR • ADVANCED WOMEN’S CHORUS

JUNE 2, 2019 3 P.M. SUNDAY

Christopher J. Woodruff, conductor

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

There will be a post-concert $9 AND $12 STUDENTS reception for Jacalyn Kreitzer $12 AND $14 GENERAL — voice teacher and student opera theatre founder — who’s CAL POLY TICKET OFFICE: retiring from Cal Poly after 805-756-4849 nearly 25 years!

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JUNE 9, 2019 SCOTT GLYSSON,

3 P.M. SUNDAY $9/$12 STUDENTS $12/$14 GENERAL PERFORMING ARTS Cal Poly Ticket Office: CENTER

CONDUCTOR PAUL WOODRING, ACCOMPANIST

805-756-4849, tickets.calpoly.edu.

Sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and IRA program.

For more information, call 805-756-2406 or visit music.calpoly.edu/calendar/

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TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | ARTS | MUSTANG NEWS

10

CULTURAL SUSTAINABILTY THROUGH BELLY DANCE

AL IS ON C HAVEZ | MUSTANG NEW S

The Recreation Center hosts a quarterly belly dancing workshop, which is free for full-time students.

BY K IANA MEAGHER Fitted in traditional skirts with gold coins, students and community members shuffled into the Recreation Center dance studio.

Amid the weights, treadmills and ab machines, they shimmied their hips and immersed themselves in the traditional dances of the Arab world.

On Saturday, May 11, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) hosted their quarterly belly dancing workshop.

Known by the term “belly dancing” in many western contexts,

Arabic Dance is an expressive art form that emphasizes complex torso movement. Originating in Egypt, the dance form has existed for hundreds of years and has been adopted by many different cultures around the world.

The two-hour workshop was led by instructor Sandra Sarrouf, who has not only been practicing the art of belly dancing, but also a diverse range of dance styles, for her whole life.

Sarrouf started dancing at 7 years old when she enrolled in ballet, jazz and tap classes. In college, she

was a part of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Middle Eastern Ensemble company.

Wanting to share the culture and music with the San Luis Obispo community, Sarrouf said she started teaching belly dancing after moving from Santa Barbara, when she got her undergraduate degree.

For the past 20 years, Sarrouf has intensely studied culturally specific art forms and techniques, and now applies what she has learned into her teachings.

“Teaching is a great way to open people’s hearts and minds around

Middle Eastern culture,” Sarrouf said. “It’s one very small entrypoint to the vast culture.”

Sarrouf holds a master’s degree in cultural sustainability from Goucher College, which allows her to bring her own heritage of music and dance with her immigration experience.

“It’s a way of doing community work that reflects the diversity of our community in a way that’s embraced,” Sarrouf said.

She regularly immerses herself in many other culturally specific dance and art forms as a “bridge to cross-cultural engagement,” Sarrouf said.

Sociology senior Noah Krigel said he decided to finally try the belly dancing class his last quarter of college after having it on his bucket list for so long. Krigel, a runner and swimmer, was able to pick up the dance style, but noticed some differences in the body’s impact.

“The way you move the muscles is very different from how I’ve been trained to move them in other sports,” Krigel said.

However, Krigel said he got much more out of the belly dance workshop than a good sweat.

“I really didn’t know how rich

belly dancing was of a culture,” Krigel said. “I had no idea how much significance was embedded within this style of dance. It just showed how limited my understanding was of not only belly dancing, but of Arab cultures.”

The belly dancing class is just one vessel to learn about different cultures at Cal Poly.

Sarrouf was involved in the Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble, which focuses on many traditional folk dances from different cultures, including Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian dances, as well as dance styles from North Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt.

As for adding more cultural dance classes and resources on campus, Sarrouf said Eric Alexander, fitness director at the Recreation Center, is open to more cultural dance and fitness classes at the Rec. “For me, belly dance is one genre,” Sarrouf said. “Really, the big picture is Arab music and dance, and that could be even integrated into other departments in the university to learn about cultural sustainability and cultural diversity.”

BRINGING BACK BARBERSHOP MUSIC WITH SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

BY AL EGRA ZU CHOW ICZ What is professional barbershop entertainment?

“Think about four dudes wearing bowties and straw hats,” business administration sophomore Joey Lombardi said.

Simple Harmonic Motion is a barbershop quartet made up of four Cal Poly students: Lombardi (bass), industrial engineering sophomore Dylan Moreland (second tenor), computer science and mathematics sophomore Justin Privitera (tenor 1) and physics sophomore Jacob Siderman (baritone). They perform barbershop music around San Luis Obispo and occasionally travel around California for performances.

Barbershop music is a style of music known for its simple melodies sung in four-part harmonies, without any instruments. While barbershop music is typically associated with 20th century white American culture, research found

the tradition emerged from African American communities in New Orleans in the 19th century, according to the Barbershop Harmony Society.

“It’s a pretty American art form I would say, and as America’s culture has changed over the last hundred years, the barbershop has also changed,” Siderman said.

“Like the people that can be involved. It used to be exclusively for men. Now Barbershop Harmony Society — very, very recently — it just allowed women to become involved on a meaningful level.”

Privitera came to Cal Poly determined to find three group members to create a barbershop entertainment group. Moreland and Privitera met in an elevator and Moreland saved him in his phone as “Justin Elevator.” Lombardi and Siderman came into the group through shared classes, and since then, the group has expanded and grown closer to one another.

“I think what makes us spe-

cial is the fact that we’re all close friends,” Privitera said.

Simple Harmonic Motion does not limit themselves to barbershop music. They also do renditions of pop, jazz and even contemporary barbershop. Each member plays a pivotal role in the group’s sound.

“If you’re in a hundred-person choir or whatever, and one person doesn’t have it together, it’s like not the end of the world,” Moreland said. “But when you have a four-person group, and one person’s not on their A-Game, then you’re missing 25 percent of everything. You’re missing 25 percent of your song.”

The group’s most recent performance was at the San Luis Obispo Farmer’s Market. They also have performed at Musica Marin in the San Francisco Bay Area and will return to perform next year as well.

“Just seeing the smiles on people’s faces, and most of them had no idea who we were,” Moreland said. “They were there because

A LI S ON C H AVEZ | MUSTA N G N EWS

Simple Harmonic Motion is a barbershop quartet made of four Cal Poly students.

they enjoyed what they were doing, and it made them happy.”

Simple Harmonic Motion is highly focused on creating the best music they can, especially as a music group for a less prevalent genre in modern music scenes. Privitera said he enjoys the challenge of keeping the music quality high.

“This is a unique type of music,” Siderman said. “It’s not done a lot, especially not by young people. So come listen to something new. Listen to a different style that you’ve never heard of.”

Simple Harmonic Motion can be found online at shmmusic.org, or at their Instagram, @calpolyshm.

AMPSURF SENIOR PROJECT HELPS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SURF

A MPS U R F | COU RT ESY

The AmpSurf team works to construct the surfboard with a budget of $5,000.

BY LAU R EN KOZIC K I An interdisciplinary senior project class (ENGR 459) is working with a national non-profit to help people with disabilities surf.

AmpSurf is a non-profit national organization headquartered in Pismo Beach “established to Promote, Inspire, Educate and Rehabilitate (PIER) all people with disabilities and their families through adaptive surfing and other outdoor activities,” according to their website. The AmpSurf senior project team was assigned to create a modified surfboard that could aid with these goals for the organization.

The team’s overall goal was to create a surfboard that can be used

by AmpSurf participants both with and without an instructor, using a wireless remote control that can transmit signals to the motor that will power the board.

“One of the goals is also to teach

the rider how to surf and be able to teach them how to use the system and make it as simple as possible, so then they can also go out and surf and have that feeling to do it themselves and enjoy being out in the water,” mechanical engineering senior Victor Joaquin said.

When two people are on about 11

chanical Engineering Department Chair Jim Widmann said the point of a senior project is for students to gain new skills and knowledge while designing their projects.

“It’s not about the project, it’s about the process,” Widmann said.

The teams were presented with about 20-25 options for projects

One of the goals is also to teach the rider how to surf and be able to teach them how to use the system and make it as simple as possible. foot-long surfboard, it can be difficult for an instructor to paddle fast enough to catch a wave. The motor within the board will assist by powering it to move at a minimum speed of about 5 mph.

Seniors are given an industry with an engineering problem and are required to create a solution over a nine-month process. Me-

and ranked them 1-5 on what they would prefer. The members of the AmpSurf team included general engineering seniors Jojo Fleischman and Michael Beard, mechanical engineering seniors Lauren Jensen and Joaquin and electrical engineering senior Spencer Esparza.

Joaquin said their surfboard uses

electric batteries to power up an electric motorized propulsion system and a jet pump.

“That jump pump is going to pull in the water from the ocean and then start accelerating it, start creating pressure and then shooting out a jet which will propel this board from the back of it,” Joaquin said.

Although the team said most of the parts are understood to be waterproof or water-resistant, they ordered a waterproof hatch for all of the mechanisms to go in.

“We are going on the basis that nothing is waterproof, so we are trying to make this hatch that is covering all of our components completely waterproof,” Jensen said. “If water were to get in this cavity it would be really bad.”

Jensen said the team will give AmpSurf all the “means to repair the board if they need to or if something stops working or they

need to get into the board to fix it.”

Some senior projects within the interdisciplinary class are sponsored financially by different companies, but in this case, because AmpSurf is a non-profit organization, the team applied for a grant in the fall through Cal Poly’s CPConnect.

“It’s very [common] to not get it the first time, so we [were] very fortunate to do it the first quarter and start working on it as soon as we could,” Joaquin said.

The budget for the team was about $5,000. The surfboard itself, costing about $1,200, was passed down to the AmpSurf team by a previous senior project team attempting the same goal. The team began by repairing a hole the previous group had left and then started on their own work.

As of May 9, Jensen said the team has spent about $3,500-$4,000 and that they should be able to finish it without going over their budget.

“The motor and the jet pump were the most expensive parts by far,” Jensen said. “We ordered them from a company in Germany that specializes in watercraft-powered equipment, but we’ve also spent money on surfboard repair.”

Over the last nine months, the students went through different stages of designing and development to finally progress to where they are today. Esparza estimated they have spent a couple hundred hours over the three-quarter-long process.

“So far it’s been one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve had at Cal Poly, being able to do this all hands on,” Joaquin said. “It’s a lot of Learn by Doing, which is Cal Poly’s motto.”

The team spends at least three hours twice a week during designated class time. Jensen said they also take turns working on it outside of class and get together during the weekend.

“I think the big thing overall that we struggled with was coming to concrete decisions and making moves forward, but we’re past that,” Jensen said. “At this point we’re just doing all that we can to make a final product.”

The new surfboard will be shown at the College of Engineering Project Expo May 31 in the Engineering Plaza.

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | STUDENT LIFE | MUSTANG NEWS

NO WAVE TOO BIG TO OVERCOME

11

distinguish an appetite for both — we feel when our body or mind needs something. Similarly, our bodies also have a spiritual appetite.

Spirituality can be defined as the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. I believe this can be exercised in many forms, including the want for meaning in our actions, mediation, reflection on our place in the this world or acknowledgement of a higher power and what that means as a result. I believe these exercises are metaphysical in nature. Thus, in the case of mediation, it is not simply the act of sitting still and breathing, but where those actions take your mind and body.

For as long as humans have been around, religion has been the main mode of spiritual feed-

OPINION

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS

12

professor Matthew Hedstrom at University of Virginia said. Since the 2000s, there has been a steep drop-off which he in part attributes to the debate on gay marriage.

He also mentions that spirituality is what consumer capitalism does to religion. Consumer capitalism is defined by choice: you choose what you consume and it becomes part of your identity.

Many aspects of our social interactions and values are formed on these consumptions. Advertising through ads or integrated in multiple media forms has told millennials, from birth, that these are things that matter and will give you fulfillment and satisfaction.

I make the claim that religion (in my case, Islam) has more benefits for your spirit on the basis that religion provides an essential component to life — namely,

For as long as humans have been around, religion has been the main mode of spiritual feeding.

JUL IA JAC KS ON-C LARK | MUSTANG NEW S

MILLENNIAL SPIRITUALITY WHERE DO CAPITALISM AND SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT COLLIDE?

BY AB D UL LAH SU LAIMAN Abdullah Sulaiman is a civil engineering senior and Mustang News opinion columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

What makes up a human?

We can easily say the mind and

body are the most distinctive features of a human being. However, I believe there are three components of a human: the mind, body and spirit.

The mind controls the body and analyzes the world around us.

The body is the vessel that makes this possible. The spirit can be described as our conscience, the

part of our mind that forms judgements from the sensations it perceives and feels.

To keep a healthy and functional body, we have to give it what it needs in the form of food, rest and exercise by pushing it past its comfortable limits. The mind must be exercised through learning and complex thought. We can

ing. However, recently, the idea of being spiritual-but-not-religious is an increasing trend in millennials.

What does this mean, and why is this happening? I seek to answer these questions and posit why I think religion, or as I understand religion as a Muslim, can be more beneficial to feeding your spiritual appetite.

Research from the Pew Research Center revealed millennials are less attached to organized religion than their parents or grandparents were at the same age, with only about 40 percent saying religion is very important in their lives. However, the same survey revealed that about 80 percent of millennials believe in God, and increasing numbers identify with statements like “I feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing” or “I experience a deep sense of wonder about the universe.”

So what explains the decline in religious affiliation? According to San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, there is a cultural shift in America from the baby boomers era and before. Currently, individualism is the cultural system of America, which places more emphasis on the self and less on social values.

Individualism can conflict with religion, as religion usually contains certain rules and is inherently built around individual AND communal care. Furthermore, a lot of it might have to do with the perceived political entanglement of religion, especially Christianity, associate religious studies

a philosophy of life, e.g. rituals that feed the spirit and an ethical framework. The philosophy of life outlines all components of what any person would agree to be good and just. It is also very important to not conflate how humans may use religion as a platform for injustice with what the religion actually preaches. This individualistic, consumer society tells us to do as we desire, and we equate that to freedom. However, the reality is we don’t always have the self control and will power that we think we have, and when fulfillment of our desires is left unchecked, we can become enslaved to them. I have found that my religious beliefs give me more freedom as I am pushed toward higher self control and rational strength.

I don’t mean to downplay a person’s pursuit for spiritual fulfillment, as it is important and essential. I merely seek to point out that this process is not comprehensive, whereas a religion is a package deal. You get all the goodies for your spirit, mind and body. Religion ideally unifies a community because of the common moral and ethical philosophy. It also pushes for its followers to uphold social justice, were someone who is spiritual may have some or all of the aforementioned. Of course you have to jump through hoops to find a religion that makes sense, but that outcome will lead to a source of unlimited fulfillment and satisfaction.

13

OPINION

CA RO LY NE SYSM A NS | MUSTANG NEW S

BY JAC K S EMANC IK Jack Semancik is a political science sophomore and KCPR DJ. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

One would think that Jeffrey Arm-

strong – who earned a doctorate from North Carolina State University in 1986 – would make some attempt to avoid logical fallacies. Unfortunately, his role as University President did not prevent him from committing a slippery slope fallacy in his remarks about the Academic

Senate’s resolution urging the Cal Poly Corporation to remove Chickfil-A from campus. Perhaps logic is not a required course in Raleigh.

Armstrong’s love affair with homophobic chicken signals his willful ignorance towards issues that matter to the campus community. While Armstrong may not see this as a prescient issue facing our campus, the Academic Senate sure does. The proposed resolution passed with four opposed and one abstention.

I write to you, dear reader, in support of removing Chick-fil-A from our campus. Their history of anti-LGBTQ+ positions should not reflect the promoted values of our university. Our money should not be going towards a corporation whose President and Chief Operating Officer who, when asked about his opposition to marriage equality, once remarked, “As it relates to society in general, I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’ I pray

God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we would have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is all about.”

The presence of a Chick-fil-A does two things: Firstly, it signals that Cal Poly does not respect its LGBTQ+ students and, secondly, it signals that Cal Poly is a fan of mediocre chicken. Cal Poly, although it continues to have its struggles in areas of equality, should work towards being a welcoming and inclusive campus – and we should certainly be more discerning than to allow for a company as cruel and tasteless as Chick-fil-A. Ultimately, the reason for the administration’s refusal to act on the Chick-fil-A issue comes down to those fat stacks of cash that rack up in Cal Poly Corporation bank accounts. In the nine months for which Chick-fil-A was open in 2018, it brought in about $2.2 million in revenue. Chick-fil-A is the most popular restaurant under Campus Dining’s purview, and it is obvious we have an administration reluc-

tant to lose these funds.

So, what can we do? Aside from hoping, by some act of divine grace, that Armstrong stumbles upon a burning bush that causes him to reverse his position, we can act directly by boycotting Chick-fil-A in the meantime. However, we should not relent to Armstrong’s fallaciousness and resort to boycotting solely. Rather, we need to continue to let President Armstrong and the Cal Poly Corporation know that we will not let a company so unaligned with the values of equality and openness to continue to operate on our campus.

Author of the resolution Dr. Thomas Gutierrez remarked, “We are not under any obligation to do business with Chick-fil-A.” It is high time we replace Chick-fil-A with something more reflective of our values (personally, I’m partial to the idea of a campus Panda Express).

As for Armstrong, he should stick to building fences to divide the campus — at least we can make memes out of that.

wanted the rest of us to get in on it?” a member of the administration said. “Anyway, I noticed red strings attached across a massive map of the greater San Luis Obispo area. The map was labeled ‘Find the Sauce Thief ’ with circles around the words, ‘Academic Senate.’ That’s not in our contract to find the sauce thief, so I reported it to my bosses.”

If she really wanted to be sneaky about her plans, Betsy would have

made a grand statement about the large number of donations she would contribute to the university if the alleged “Sauce Thief ” was turned in. Too bad for Betsy, the Cal Poly student body has values including no snitching on this campus.

The administration is now looking to find a replacement for Betsy’s position. The front runner is a from an even larger corporation than Besty’s. He’s a clown.

SATIRE | THE HOOF

BIG MOOOOOVES ALERT! NEW HIRE TO THE ADMINISTRATION IS A DAIRY COW

BY H A NNAH BENS ON Hannah Benson is a journalism junior and Mustang News satire columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

This past week, a position on the Cal Poly administration was filled

by Betsy the dairy cow.

“Naturally, it was time to hire a fresh face — the moon is in Cancer, after all,” a member of the administration said in an official statement. The statement was recorded and will be kept for historians to remember for the rest of time.

Daisy comes from a high-level job at an undisclosed company where she travelled (first class ONLY), filed papers, shook hooves and carried out some deeper political agenda.

“I’m here to eat all the grass on Dext– I mean, collect moooore revenue for the school,” Daisy said seven minutes after we

asked the question — cud is gross.

“I’ve coined it as ‘The first step is mooooving the concrete.’”

When asked to elaborate on where the concrete will be transferred, Betsy laughed and mumbled something that sounded like “Wouldn’t you like to know?” and gave me a pen labeled “Synergy” that tuition dollars definitely paid for.

Betsy also plans to revamp existing Campus Dining resources.

She is increasing the price of milk by 700 percent and taking away beef products from all the dining establishments. This is not meant to ally with those of animal-conscious diets, but to supplement those specific products with waffle fries. The Cal Poly student body may be young and impressionable, Betsy, but fun-shaped potatoes do not conceal weird business tactics.

Unless they are dinosaur-shaped.

After two days on the job and eating all the grass on Mott Lawn, investigations made by members of

the administration discovered that Betsy’s sole purpose to working at Cal Poly was paranoia concerning a stolen sauce recipe.

“I just walked by her desk — we don’t have cubicles in our department, it’s all open, maybe she

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS

WHICH CAME FIRST: THE CHICK-FIL-A OR THE EGGHEAD?

PUZZLES Sudoku Fun by the Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku.

This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To

solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box.

Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CLUES ACROSS

Guess Who? I am a singer/songwriter born in Michigan on May 13, 1950. As a youngster, I suffered vision loss due to retinopathy of prematurity. But that didn’t stop me from becoming one of the biggest Motown sensations of all time.

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

Word Scramble Rearrange the letters to spell something pertaining to meditation.

E R A H T B

1. Maintains possession of 4. Other side 10. Comedienne Gasteyer 11. Lawn buildup 12. Southeast 14. Negative 15. Greek temple pillar 16. Blue 18. Pointless 22. Complete 23. Supervisor 24. Where kids bathe 26. Radio frequency 27. Cruel Roman emperor 28. Young woman (French) 30. Within 31. Civil Service Commission 34. Sarongs 36. Father 37. It grows on heads 39. A Spanish river 40. Boundary 41. Contains music 42. Causes to feel sorrow 48. Used to restrain 50. Fictional kids character 51. South American country 52. Devote resources to 53. Beginner 54. Everyone has one 55. University worker (abbr.)

56. Resist an attack 58. Unifying Chinese dynasty 59. Blood-sucking African fly 60. CNN’s founder

CLUES DOWN

1. __and her sisters 2. Smear or rub with oil 3. Holy places 4. Indicates position 5. Drives around 6. Price 7. Semiaquatic mammal 8. With three uneven sides 9. Sacrifice hit 12. Covers a wound 13. Jaguarundi 17. Works produced by skill and imagination 19. A way to improve 20. River along India and Nepal border 21. Hairnet 25. DePaul University athletes 29. Bachelor of Laws 31. Game of skill 32. Holy man 33. Cylinder of tobacco 35. Most ingratiating 38. Repeats aloud 41. Red wine 43. Debilitating tropical disease 44. Entirely lacking 45. Female sheep 46. Where a bird lives 47. Stalk that supports the capsule 49. Cutlery 56. Symptom of withdrawal (abbr.)

57. Delaware

ARIES – March 21/April 20 Aries, you are a terrific planner, but something is getting in the way of plans to socialize in the days ahead. Commit to seeing friends regardless of the obstacles in your way.

LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 Sometimes the key to success is to know when to step back and take a break, Libra. Periodic respites from the daily grind can help you recharge and refocus.

TAURUS – April 21/May 21 You can handle difficult situations with ease, Taurus. Others may think that you are uncaring, but you focus on the facts and not the emotions of the situation.

SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Scorpio, you may be looking for something new to keep yourself occupied. Try learning a new sport or a language. This is a fun way to meet new people and stay busy.

GEMINI – May 22/June 21 Others look to you for guidance this week, Gemini. Try to lead them in the right direction. If you do not have all of the answers, try to find them.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 Sagittarius, if you have been procrastinating of late, keep in mind that you will ultimately need to get things done. Better to get back on track sooner rather than later.

CANCER – June 22/July 22 Take some time to sort through personal issues that may be holding your career back, Cancer.

Once you clear your mind, you can focus fully on your career.

CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 Capricorn, support a reputable cause or charity. Doing so sets a positive example, and you will feel better for having done so. Even small efforts can make a profound impact.

LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 If you find yourself spending more time with your social circle rather than family, you may have to reassess your priorities, Leo. Don’t let responsibilities slide.

AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 It isn’t enough to simply get the job done, Aquarius. You need to do everything to the best of your ability. If you do, you will have a sense of accomplishment and pride.

VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Direct your energy toward work in the days ahead, Virgo. There is a possible promotion in the works, so now is a great time to put your nose to the grindstone.

PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 Pisces, ask others for help if you are having any difficulties in your personal life. They can bring a new perspective to the situation.

C A L P OLY AT H LET I CS | COU RT ESY

The Dignity Health Baseball Clubhouse was scheduled to be completed April 2019.

BY S A M A N T HA S P ITZ The Cal Poly Baseball team is getting a new state-of-the-art facility. The question now is a matter of when it will open.

The new Dignity Health Baseball Clubhouse was originally scheduled to be completed by April 2019, but design complications have pushed the deadline back.

“We haven’t committed nor has the contractor committed to an absolute deadline because that’s still in negotiation as far as how they’re going to fulfill getting this project done in a timely manner,” Deputy Athletics Director Nick Pettit said.

The old baseball clubhouse was torn down in June 2018 after 17 years of use.

The new 10,000-square-foot clubhouse will include a study and lounge area, a kitchen, a training room, coaches’ offices, a new locker room and a therapeutic cold plunge pool.

“I think it’ll get the guys a lot closer together just because it’s going to be a big area where everyone can hang

out,” first baseman and sociology sophomore Tate Samuelson said.

The $9.3 million project is completely donor-funded with more than 70 donors in total— 30 of which have donated $100,000 or more.

“It’s going to probably be one of the nicest college baseball clubhouses in the country,” Pettit said.

Pettit said he hopes it will be completed before the start of Fall quarter 2019.

“What I’m most excited about is seeing the coaches walk in for the first time and the student-athletes walk in for the first time,” Pettit said.

At the beginning of the 2018 season, new backstop safety netting and more seating was installed in Baggett Stadium, increasing its capacity to 3,138.

Athletics also added a video board, replacing an older scoreboard.

For now, the baseball team uses the old weight room and storage facility in Baggett Stadium.

“Right now we share one big locker, so I’m looking forward to having my own locker and all my stuff in one area,” Samuelson said.

15 TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

HOROSCOPES

NEW DIGNITY HEALTH BASEBALL CLUBHOUSE COMPLETION DELAYED

TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

16

DI EGO R I VERA | MUSTA N G N EWS

As Cal Poly’s Saturday starting pitcher, Bobby Ay has a 3.56 ERA and an 8-1 record. This is the first season Ay has been a consistent starter.

HOW BOBBY AY’S SEASON-ENDING INJURY LEAD HIM TO BECOME CAL POLY’S BEST STARTING PITCHER

BY KY L IE S M ITH After a shoulder injury cut his 2018 season down to just one game, junior right hander Bobby Ay has returned to become Cal Poly Baseball’s best starting pitcher.

“Before, I would have to gain confidence by getting guys out,” Ay said. “Now, I just start the game with the confidence that I am better than any of the guys out there.”

As Cal Poly’s Saturday starting pitcher, Ay has a 3.56 ERA and an 8-1 record. A loss to UC Irvine on May 11 broke his seven-game winning streak. This is the first season in his four years at Cal Poly that Ay has been a consistent starter.

Ay pitched in seven games during the 2016 season as a true freshman. Against Santa Clara, he al-

lowed just one unearned run, five hits and recorded four strikeouts for his first victory as a Mustang.

“As a freshman, I was just pretty scared honestly going in because I didn’t know what to expect, but it was helpful to have the older guys there,” Ay said. “Those guys they helped me a ton just kind of getting the ropes and finding where I belonged in the program.”

His 2017 season showed some improvements, with 11 starts and 25 strikeouts.

“I’ve been hard on him throughout his career to try to get the most out of him,” head coach Larry Lee said.

In the 2018 season, was slated to be the Sunday starter for the Mustangs. However, Ay ended up pitching a total of 2 2/3 innings. In

the season-opening series against Oregon, he gave up five runs and three hits before leaving the game due to a shoulder injury. Ay did not return for the rest of the season.

“I just felt like it wouldn’t get loose when I was playing catch, and then while I was throwing on the mound, it just felt like I was getting punched in the shoulder every throw,“ Ay said.

After receiving a medical redshirt, Ay slowly, but surely started getting back into the swing of things. He took many steps towards a long recovery process.

Every two weeks, Ay attempted to throw on the mound.

“I think it was a huge year off for me, because one I got to learn a lot from just sitting on the bench, talking to the coaches, so I was

able to learn so much off the field,” Ay said.

Ay was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement, a common injury among baseball players. After he finished six weeks of physical therapy, Ay said he felt prepared to step back onto the mound.

“The first three starts of mine weren’t the best, and definitely not up to my level, so I knew I had to make a change,“ Ay said.

Through his first nine innings pitched this season, Ay allowed 11 hits and eight earned runs. On March 8, his start against Columbia in the weekend series was when Lee saw his confidence make a come back.

“Now, when he takes the mound, he’s confident,” Lee said. “He can get quality hitters out. He’s hands

down been our best starting pitcher and he’s stayed healthy the entire season.”

In the second game of the Columbia series, Ay threw seven strong innings. He only allowed one run, five hits, two walks and recorded five strikeouts. The team came out with a 2-1 win.

“That Columbia series, that was it for me,” Ay said. “I was either gonna make it or break it. I decided I wasn’t gonna let myself fail.”

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the third game of the series, Ay tossed another impressive seven innings. He allowed one run, five hits, two walks and five strikeouts.The Mustangs won 13-6 to clinch the series.

Ay has since started in seven more games and suffered only one loss in eight total games. He accumulated a 3.77 ERA. On Saturday, May 11, Cal Poly fell 8-0 to UC Irvine. Ay said his first loss this season was a learning experience.

“Overall, I can learn a lot on how to throw on different counts, what they saw and what they took advantage of,” Ay said. “ I can take that into my next start and not let it happen again.”

The team is in second place and just three games back from the first place UC Santa Barbara. Ay is hopeful they will grab the Big West Title at the end of the season. “[I’m] treating every start like it’s just another start and then whatever happens after that, happens, you can’t really control the wins and the losses,” Ay said. “But I can control the effort that I put in.”

17 TUESDAY • MAY 21, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

KY LE CA LZI A | MUSTANG NEW S

Cabrera gets to play baseball in his hometown every other year, when Cal Poly plays the University of Hawai’i.

COLE CABRERA FINDS A NEW HOME

BY KYL E S MIT H San Luis Obispo’s weather is a welcome environment for most students, but for sophomore left fielder Cole Cabrera, it was difficult to adjust to.

“I can’t handle this weather,” Cabrera, a Honolulu, Hawai’i native, said. “I’m so used to sunshine and 80-degree weather ... but I love San Luis Obispo. It is my second home.”

Cabrera has played in 51 total games in his two seasons as a Mustang. Over the course of his two seasons, Cabrera has hit a .242 batting average while recording 19 runs batted in. While batting in the No. 8 spot for the Mustangs, Cabrera has had some clutch moments.

On March 8, Cabrera hit a walk-off single against Columbia in a 3-2 victory. Against UC Riverside on May 17, Cabrera lead the game with 3 RBI off of two hits.

Playing in the Big West Conference, Cabrera also gets to play baseball in his hometown every other year, when Cal Poly plays the University of Hawai’i.

“I definitely star it on my calendar,” Cabrera said.

Last year, when the Mustangs traveled to Honolulu to face Hawai’i in a three-game series, it was a homecoming for Cabrera. With family and friends in the stands, Cabrera recorded two hits in what he called his two “most nervous” at-bats in his baseball career. As a true freshman, Cabrera hit a RBI double to cap off a 16-0 Cal Poly win on May 4, 2018.

“That was probably one of my best moments playing baseball,” Cabrera said. “Growing up playing there in high school and going to the games as a fan, and coming back as a player and getting the series win at Hawai’i was incredible.”

“When somebody goes back to their hometown and they get to play in front of their family and friends then it is always a good feeling,” head coach Larry Lee said.

Although Cabrera grew up as a fan of the University of Hawai’i and his mother is an alumnus of the university, Cabrera was never recruited or offered by Hawai’i. But Cal Poly brought him in.

“It kind of motivated me to definitely work harder and prove my coaches right,” Cabrera said.

Although Cabrera’s family lives 2,441 miles away from San Luis Obispo, at least one family member tries to get out to Cal Poly home series, whether it is his dad or grandma. This season, when the Mustangs hosted Hawai’i from May 3-5, Cabrera’s “whole family” came out to support him.

“It is really nice to have all my family here and I am just really lucky,” Cabrera said. “They have followed my whole baseball career.”

Despite Cabrera’s family coming up every weekend, he has also found a second family within his team.

“Everyone is part of my big family,” Cabrera said. “I have had teams where I felt really close, but this is probably one of the closest teams I have ever been on.”

And this Cal Poly baseball team has a shot at winning the Big West Conference this season.

Currently, UC Santa Barbara is sitting atop the Big West with a conference record of 18-3. Cal Poly is three games back and sitting in second place. The Mustangs and Gauchos will clash in the season finale starting Friday, May 25.

“We use UCSB as motivation to stay in it,” Cabrera said. “We are grinding and we are in it until the last series.”

DI EGO R I VERA | MUSTA N G N EWS

After starting 16 games in his sophomore season, Myles Emmerson took over as the starting catcher for the 2019 season.

THE TURNAROUND SEASON OF CATCHER MYLES EMMERSON

BY GA RRE T T B RO WN Junior catcher Myles Emmerson had a dramatic turn around from his early season struggles. At the beginning of the year, he seemed lost at bat. Now, Emmerson is Cal Poly’s best batter in Big West Conference play.

After starting just 16 games in his sophomore season, Emmerson took over as the starting catcher for the 2019 season. While starting at any position carries a lot of pressure, being a catcher carries extra responsibility. On top of being defensively sound and productive at the plate, Emmerson must know each individual pitcher’s play style in and out.

“I definitely was feeling some pressure early on to deliver,” Emmerson said. “I don’t really know, it just sort of got to me ... I was probably making things harder than they needed to be.”

While it is common to see players struggle at bat early in the season, Emmerson seemed cursed at the start, only mustering three hits in the first 14 games. At one point, Emmerson’s batting aver-

age dipped all the way down to .082. Emmerson was moved toward the back end of the batting lineup, and it seemed that Cal Poly was going to start exploring other options behind the plate.

However, as the Mustangs began the second half of their schedule, Emmerson started seeing results and has stayed hot since. By collecting 31 hits in his last 68 at bats and hitting .455, he has worked his way back to being a key-contributor role in Cal Poly’s offense.

From the No. 5 spot in the Mustangs’ batting order, Emmerson has recorded seven extra base hits and 16 RBI. Emmerson’s best performance of the season came on May 3 against Hawai’i, when he connected on four hits through four appearances at the plate for four RBI. “I never really changed my approach at the plate or made anything different,” Emmerson said.

“It was just about having my head in the right place as a hitter.”

Emmerson ranks No. 10 in the Big West with a .352 batting average in conference games. Along with his success behind the plate,

Emmerson has also masterfully handled the pitching staff, only allowing two passed balls all year.

“He’s a tireless worker back there,” pitching coach Chal Fanning said. “He cares a lot about the pitchers and takes a lot of pride in his craft.”

A key part of the success of any pitcher-catcher battery is trust between the two and Emmerson.

“They trust throwing to him, that’s the key,” Fanning said. “If you want to throw a breaking ball in the dirt, he’s got it.”

“I feel like I work really well with [Bobby Ay] and all the other guys as well … I try to settle them down so they can do what we need them to do,” Emmerson said.

While pressure might have had an effect on Emmerson early on, he said he is not feeling pressured going into Cal Poly’s most important series of the season: A battle for first place in the Big West against UC Santa Barbara.

“We’ve proven that we have a good team this year,” Emmerson said. “Now we just have to go and play good, winning baseball ... it will be a good series.”

IT’S TACO TUESDAY AT yakʔitʸutʸu!

Grab some tacos this Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at yakʔitʸutʸu! You can enjoy three street tacos, full salsa bar, desert, and a drink, for only two meal credits! Is it Tuesday yet?

TOO MANY MEALS? DONATE SOME! Did you know that the Mustang Meal Share Program supports students on campus who experience food insecurity? Now you can help by donating up to 10 meals per academic quarter.

This program aims to address student hunger, so everyone can stay focused on their success.

Visit bit.ly/mustangmealshare to donate.

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Add whole-grain ingredients to your diet when possible to reap the slew of benefits that come with it, from fiber to antioxidants to vitamins and minerals.

SAVE THE DATES! Campus Market is the place to be on Wednesday between 11 a.m – 1 p.m. Starbucks will be handing out free samples of their Blonde Espresso. While you’re getting your caffeine fix, grab a tri-tip sandwich or chicken lunch fresh off the grill. Visit our Facebook event page for more information.

GET THE DISH DELIVERED HOT TO YOUR INBOX WEEKLY. SUBSCRIBE AT CALPOLYDINING.COM/ THEDISH

SPRI N G

CO N CE RT

Music of lovely spring days, moonlit nights and a bit of rain.

Guest artists: F A I S A L Z E D A N , P E R C U S S I O N FAT H I A L - J A R R A H , V I O L I N Acting director: S A M U E L S H A L H O U B

M A Y 2 5 , 8 P. M . S A T U R D A Y S P A N O S T H E AT R E , C A L P O LY $9 STUDENTS $14 GENERAL C A L P O LY T I C K E T O F F I C E : 805-756-4849 For more information, call the Cal Poly Music Department: 805-756-2406, or visit music.calpoly.edu/calendar.

SPEND YOUR SUMMER

HITTING THE TRAILS,

not HUNTING FOR HOUSES. Need a place to live next year?

We’ve got your spot.

CERRO SAN LUIS @EXPLORATIONTONY