C AL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO ’S NE WS SOURCE
MUSTANG NEWS
CAN BASEBALL GET PAST SECOND?
After three years of falling short, Cal Poly Baseball looks to take home a title
FEBRUARY 11, 2020
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Upfront
Austin Linthicum
President, Mustang Media Group & Editor in Chief, Mustang News
Cassandra Garibay
Danielle Lee
Emily Merten
Sam Spitz
NEWS Sabrina Pascua Editor Stephanie Zappelli Assistant Editor Maureen McNamara Cameryn Oakes Hailey Nagma Kylie Smith Lauren Walike Natalie Young Ethan Telles C.M. Bateman Lauren Kozicki Sadie Rhen Data Aidan McGloin Data
Sofia Silvia Grant Anderson Emi Powers
Managing Editor
Video Director
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O PI N I O N Olivia Peluso Editor Sean McDonald Musa Farah Jack Semancik Grace Kitayama Leilee Naderi Tessa Hughes Hannah Benson Kiana Meagher Alice Antony
A R TS & STU D E N T L I F E Kailey O’Connel Editor Olivia Meis Sara Pedro Olivia Monoforte Sydney Sherman Alegra Zuchowicz Kiana Hunziker Sophie Lincoln VIDEO Sam Spitz Video Manager Sydney Brandt Chief Anchor Jack Berkenfield Production Director Kallyn Hobmann Brady Caskey Lauren Brown Kiersten Stevens Lily Dallow Matthew Bornhorst Daisy Kuenstler Kelly Trinh Anya Dimaio
IN THIS ISSUE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 MUSTANG NEWS
PH OTO Carolyne Sysmans Editor Diego Rivera Kyle Calzia Alison Chavez Connor Frost Sofia Clark Kylie Kowalske Jack Sann Andy Sherar Rachel Arabia Caroline Sliva
EYE OPENER
CO P Y Amanda Simonich Francisco Martinez Eddie Railsback
SPO R TS Naythan Bryant Editor Kyle Har Adam Birder Diego Sandoval Jack Clark Garrett Brown Alyssa Tierney Jordana Ginsburg Gabriel Arditti Brian Truong Sydney Finkel
UPFRONT
Social Media Director
More than 230 couples competed in the 13th annual Mustang Ball, dancing dances like Cha-Cha, Samba and Rumba. The ball included individual events in American style, international style and nightclub dances. Events were open to all amateur and experienced competitors.
D ESI GN Solena Aguilar Director Von Balanon Samantha Shin Lucy Houghton Sophie Kroesche
KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS
CITY COUNCIL
New ordinance allows for more “Granny” flats
SO C I A L Lauryn Luescher Miranda Knight Kelsey Luvisa Cammy Okmin A DV ERT I SI N G & PR Alyssa O’Halloran Manager Victoria Cohen Assistant Manager Shannon Weiss Assistant Manager Rachel Marquardt PR Manager Steven Nguyen Design Manager Grant Mitchell Distribution Manager Max Jenkins Ad Designer Elaine Do Ad Designer Von Balanon Ad Designer Michelle Kang Ad Designer A DV I SO RS Jon Schlitt Student Media Manager Pat Howe Advisor Brady Teufel Advisor CONTACT THE NEWSROOM Email editor@mustangnews.net or call 805-756-1796 PLACE AN AD Email advertising@mustangnews. net or call 805-756-1143
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ASI
Student government filing is open
Students now have until Feb. 21 to apply to run for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) student government for the next academic year. The ASI board of directors includes a chair elected by the board and representatives from each of the six academic colleges. Filing is open for the ASI president position as well. Student government serves as the official student voice of students at a campus, city, state and federal level, according to current ASI President and environmental management and protection senior Mark Borges.
The San Luis Obispo City Council voted 5-0 to change location and size requirements for accessory dwelling units to comply with state law. The emergency ordinance will be in effect until April 27, 2020. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU), also known as a “granny flat,” is an independent living space that includes facilities for living, sleeping, eating and cooking on the same property as the primary living space, according to the city’s website. Now, ADUs can be built on multiunit properties, such as as condominiums or apartments, whereas before, they could only be built on properties with single family units, according to council documents. New accessory dwelling units can be no more than 16 feet tall, unless they are built over a garage, in which case they can be no more than 25 feet tall, according to council documents.
BLACK STUDENT UNION
‘P’ painted with PanAfrican colors
More than a dozen members of Cal Poly’s Black Student Union painted the Cal Poly P with Pan-African colors on Saturday, Feb. 8 in honor of Black History Month. The red, green, yellow and black paint will remain on the hillside throughout February. Cal Poly will host several major Black History Month events, including a discussion with actor, writer and director Spike Lee, the fourth annual Inclusion Starts with Me Teach In and the State of Blackness panel.
COVER STORY
4 Cal Poly raised $39 million in donations
6 Shabang is back at Laguna Lake with bigger bands and higher prices
7 After three years of falling short, Baseball looks to take home a title
9 Top baseball recruit Brooks Lee will miss start of 2020 campaign due to injury
11 Engineers Without Borders Club uplifts local and worldwide communities
NEW SEARCH WARRANTS IN KRISTIN SMART CASE
ANDY SHERAR | MUSTANG NEWS
FBI agents and Sheriff’s deputies were at the house of Susan Flores, the mother of a person-of-interest in the Kristin Smart case.
BY AUSTIN LINTHICUM The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff served new search warrants in the ongoing Kristin Smart case Wednesday, Feb. 5. The warrants are for specific items of evidence inside four sep-
arate locations in California and Washington, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. Two of the warrants were carried out in San Luis Obispo County, one in Los Angeles County and one in Washington State.
“The search warrants are limited in scope, and sealed by the court. As a result, we are precluded by law from disclosing any further details about them,” a news release read. FBI agents and sheriff’s deputies were seen Wednesday morning
at the home of Susan Flores, the mother of the only person-of-interest in the case, Paul Flores. Paul is believed to be the last person to see Smart before she disappeared, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Arroyo Grande house was blocked-off with red tape by agents. The Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release there will be no further information about the case at this time. Smart, a Cal Poly freshman, was last seen walking towards her Muir Hall room in 1996. While her body has not been found, Smart was declared legally dead in 2002. Last week, the Sheriff’s Office revealed they currently hold two trucks in evidence that belonged to Flores family members at the time of Smart’s disappearance. A total of $62,000 and 7,500 employee hours has been spent on the investigation by the Sheriff’s Office since 2011, according to a news release. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office said they have served 18 search warrants, re-examined every item of physical evidence seized in the case and conducted 91 interviews.
CAL POLY TO SIMPLIFY GE REQUIREMENTS Continuing students will have the choice to switch starting this summer
Changes in Area A
Students in CAED, CAFES, CSM and OCOB will have one less math class, changing the overall Area B requirements from 20 units to 16 units on the 2020-2021 catalog. CLA students will not be required to take a B1-B5 elective for four units, so the overall Area B requirements will go from 24 units to 16 units with GE 2020. Students in CENG, ARCE and BRAE will still be required to complete the eight additional units in Area B (Area B Electives).
Changes in Area C
Students in CAED, CAFES, CSM and OCOB will no longer be required to take a C1-C5 elective for four units, so the overall Area C requirements will go from 20 units to 16 units on the 2020-21 catalog. Area C1 (Literature) will now be known as Arts, which was previously Area C3. Area C2 (Philosophy) will become Humanities and include the literature courses
from C1, philosophy courses from C2, and the Cal Poly study abroad foreign language study abroad courses. There will no longer be a C3 area and Area C4 will simply be Upper-Division C. Specific comparisons between the GE courses on each catalog can be found on the GE conversion matrix. Catalog and PASS descriptions for GE courses will show both the old and new GE, so students can choose the right option. If admitted as a first-time student in Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2020 or Spring 2020, Cal Poly will automatically change these students to the GE 2020 track. Graphic communication students are the exception to this automatic change, and it is recommended that students go to the CLA Advising Center about the most beneficial course of action. For more detailed information and frequently asked questions, visit the Comprehensive Guide.
BY AUSTIN LINTHICUM After a petition circulated online, the Cal Poly Registrar’s Office has amended missing student Kristin Smart’s transcripts. The petition states Smart’s final grades reflected all “Fs” and one “Incomplete” after disappearing on May 25, 1996 and not showing up for her finals. University policy states the Registrar’s Office can make necessary changes to a student’s transcript after receiving official notice of a student’s death, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier. However, in the years immediately following her disappearance, Kristin Smart was not legally considered deceased. Once Smart was declared legally dead in 2002, Lazier said the Registrar’s Office never received an official notice. “Upon learning of this, the university’s senior leadership immediately instructed the Registrar’s Office to make the necessary changes,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News. “As of today, Kristin’s final transcripts have been changed to ‘W’s’ to reflect ‘withdrawn.’” The petition was started by Kristie Sheets after she listened to the “In Your Own Backyard” podcast by Chris Lambert. “As a mother, my heart absolutely breaks for her family and everything that they have been through,” Sheets said in an interview with Mustang News. “I felt really compelled to do something.” The Change.org petition has more than 4,000 signatures as of Feb. 10. “I believe that this will be the year the Smart family will be able to bring Kristin home, and I don’t think that’s possible without the continuing support from the community,” Sheets said.
NEWS
Students are still required to complete 12 units of coursework in Area A with a grade of C- or higher. The new catalog will change Area A1 (Expository Writing) to Area A2 (Written Communication). Area A2 (Oral Communication) will become Area A1 (still Oral Communication). A3 (Reasoning, Argumentation, and Writing) will still be referred to as A3, but will be known as Critical Thinking.
Changes in Area B
‘F’ GRADES TO BE REMOVED FROM KRISTIN SMART’S TRANSCRIPTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
The 2020-2021 catalog will feature Cal Poly’s new GE requirements, which take effect Summer 2020. Students will have the choice to stay on their current catalog or switch to the new GE 2020. GE 2020 will not change your major, support or concentration curriculum. Students who choose to stay on their current catalog from 2019-20 or earlier, will keep the same requirements. For students who plan to take GE courses during spring or summer 2020, Cal Poly administration recommends reading about all the options available. “Changes in the Cal Poly GE template and how it affects any given continuing student can be confusing if not explained properly and clearly,” University Registrar Cem Sunata wrote in an email. “To that end, we have created a specific communication strategy to the students as well as a dedicated
website that includes frequently asked questions.” The 2019-2020 and earlier catalogs had three different GE patterns, but the new catalog will only feature two. One GE pattern is designed for High-Unit programs, which consist of all programs in the College of Engineering as well as architectural engineering (ARCE) and bioresource and agricultural engineering (BRAE) majors. The other GE pattern is designed for all other students.
FILE | MUSTANG NEWS
A petition revealed Kristin Smart’s transcript was not updated to reflect why she did not show up for her finals.
MUSTANG NEWS
BY MEGHAN PICKETT
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CAL POLY WILL MARKETING TO OUT–OF– STATE STUDENTS TO MEET DEMAND The marketing initiative will contribute to the Opportunity Grant and Fee BY AIDAN MCGLOIN
more money to the California State University system since a fifty percent per student budget slash in 2011, Armstrong said, but there’s not a lot of discretion in how they spend the money. The majority goes to mandated costs, salary adjustments, energy costs and the graduation initiative. “Even with the best of budgets, where we are now, in the next four years, the state will not be able to provide the money to maintain our excellence, let alone grow it,” Armstrong said. The state provided 75 percent of the cost of education in the 1980’s, Armstrong said, but within the past four years, students and parents began providing more than 50 percent of the cost of education. Armstrong said students could reach out to political science junior and Cal Poly Foundation Student Director Rob Moore if they want to solicit donors for a project. Moore could arrange students to meet with major donors to ask for programs or equipment for their majors. He can be reached from the Associated Students Incorporated website. “We are the people that make this place possible,” Moore said. “I think there’s so many avenues for change, we just have to make sure to speak up.”
NEWS
MUSTANG NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Cal Poly is putting $400,000 toward marketing to out-of-state students to ensure demand remains present despite the continuation of the Opportunity Grant and Fee. The Opportunity Grant and Fee, passed in the 2017-2018 school year, increases fees for out-of-state students. But the fees only continue if enough non-Californian students apply to meet a non-resident population of 15 percent. The money from the grant and fee goes toward low-income California residents enrolled at Cal Poly through the Cal Poly Scholars program. Increased enrollment from outof-state students, along with the 2012 student success fee, donor campaigns and the college based fee, are what has carried Cal Poly through a 2011 $21 billion budget reduction from the state, Armstrong said in a spring quarter interview. “We’d have been a different place [if those fees were not enacted]. You may have decided not to come here,” Armstrong said. The university chose higher education marketing firm SimpsonScarborough, who worked on the new Cal Poly branding last year, to work on the campaigns. The uni-
versity has paid the firm a total of $750,000 as of spring quarter 2019, according to documents Armstrong provided to Mustang News. The Opportunity Grant and Fee, passed last year, would increase fees for out-of-state students by $2,010 per class until 2027 if the demand is present. After the $8,040 increase for outof-state students in the class of 2027, Armstrong said the university may consider raising fees for out-ofstate students again depending on demand. Out-of-state students already pay more money than California students because California residents pay toward Cal Poly in taxes, since it is a state school and part of the California State University (CSU). The CSU has lost funding over the years. California invests 26 percent less per student now than the state did in 1979 according to the California Budget Center, despite enrollment increasing by 68 percent. “What a lot of people have pointed out is that twenty years ago, the state was majority white and we paid for education,” Armstrong said. “Now, the state, the high school students are majority-minority, and yet we’re not paying as much, and the state should be investing.” The state has continued to give
AUSTIN LINTHICUM | MUSTANG NEWS
The Opportunity Grant and Fee only continue if enough non-Californian students apply to meet a non-resident population of 15 percent.
COURTESY | CAL POLY
Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong announces the ‘Power of Doing’ campaign at the 2019 Green and Gold Event.
CAL POLY RAISED $39 MILLION IN 2019 BY AIDAN MCGLOIN Cal Poly received $39 million in gifts last year through 14,000 individual donors. The majority of the donations came from foundations and corporations, which each gave approximately $11 million, while alumni donated $6.5 million. “I’m so overwhelmingly of the belief that this is evidence of how people are believing in our campuses and in our system in a way that has not preceded this moment in time,” California State University Chancellor Timothy White said. The 2018-2019 Donor Support report published by the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees Jan. 28 showed donors restricted $25 million — the majority of the funds — to projects they personally wanted to support. University President Jeffery Armstrong announced the Power of Doing fundraising campaign last year, with a goal to raise $700 million by 2021. Cal Poly’s donations included a $2 million gift from Jack and Felicia Cashin to create the Expressive Technology Studios for the Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies Program. The Resnick Foundation of JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery also gave $2.5 million to create the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture, matching Jerry Lohr who donated $1 million and promised an additional $1.5 million. One anonymous donor committed a $50 million gift to Cal Poly, in “general support of student success,” the report said. Additional donors promised to donate $117 million more in the future. The campus’ general fund is $146 million. Cal Poly reached out to 116,000
of their 202,000 alumni which they could contact, of which 6,000 donated. Cal Poly is using $8.4 million of its donations to improve buildings. The $39 million to the university is a $4 million increase from the previous year, but it matched 2016 donations. Cal Poly’s donations were 10 percent of total contributions to the 23-campus CSU system but fell behind the $53 million in donations to San Francisco and $89 million to San Diego. Across the CSU, donors gave $88 million to faculty and academics, $53 million to public service programs, $33 million to scholarships, $16 million to athletics, $5 million to equipment and facility and another $42 million to other programs for a total of $370 million. CSU Trustee and San Jose State University Professor Romey Sabalius questioned the $16 million of donations spent CSU-wide on athletics. “In the CSU, we need to ask the question if we need to be in Division I-A and whether we need to be playing the high cost sports like football and basketball,” Sabalius said. “It’s not a question of whether we should have athletics or not — I’m not against athletics — but I am wary of and question the unequal distribution of funds within athletic programs to the detriment of smaller sports.” CSU Trustee and real estate investment company CEO Jack McGrory, who played Division I sports while at San Diego State, said the investment in sports pays itself through exciting potential donors. “San Diego State would not be raising $100 million a year if it weren’t for their Division I sports,” McGrory said. “It would be a completely different number.”
A TRENDY WAY TO RELAX
Residents turn to sensory-depriving flotation therapy
COURTESY | CENTRAL COAST FLOATS
Central Coast Floats opened as a way to promote a new way of relaxation, through floating in an Epsom salt water tank.
BY OLIVIA MEIS Floating in a water-filled tank with 1,100 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt, heated to match a human’s natural body temperature is one way people are blowing off steam. Kelsey and Matt Elston are the brother-and-sister duo behind Central Coast Floats, a new floatation therapy center on Broad Street. Their mission, according to Kelsey, is to “heal and enrich the community” with a pinch of salt and a splash of water. “It’s like floating in the Dead Sea, but on crack,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey said floaters describe the experience like immersing their body in “pudding,” or “a personal water bed.” Neuroscientist and psychoanalyst John C. Lilly introduced sensory-deprivation tanks into psychology in the 1950s, according to Floatworks. Kelsey said that until recently, floating has been considered an “underground” phenomenon. Three years ago, Matt Elston began floatation therapy in Seattle. When he moved to San Luis Obispo, he decided to open one of his own. Matt and Kelsey opened their tanks’ eight months ago.
“It’s the most relaxing environment you could possibly put yourself in,” Kelsey said. Central Coast Floats has four private rooms, each with a float tank and a shower. An hour-long floating session costs $79. The tanks maximize relaxation and rest in order to “reset the body and the mind,” according to the center’s website. In 1983, J.W. Turner Jr. and TH Fine concluded that Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) decreases activity in stress-centers of the brain. According to College of Liberal Arts
political science professor and Wellness Center meditation leader Matthew Moore, floating is one of many ways students can practice mindfulness, “Students can calm their minds, focus their attention and fully be [present],” Moore said. Moore leads a nonreligious 30-minute mindfulness meditation group every Monday at Campus Health and Wellbeing. He hopes to help students find peace, he said. “Mindfulness is non-judgemental awareness of your present experience,” Moore said. “I think of it as
being a way to learn to accept those things, both inner and outer, that you cannot change.” Kelsey said she hopes students explore the benefits of floatation therapy as a tool for grounded education. “Creating a personal practice and space in students’ lives so they can have some clarity, and bring livein-the-moment energy into their lives, will help with performance in school, memory-retention and to just breathe,” Kelsey said. Kelsey said floating is empowering because its energy flows from the floater. “There are a lot of modalities in holistic wellness, where you’re receiving help from someone,” she said. “But in this case, you’re doing all the work yourself.” In addition to cleansing the mind, float therapy is said to alleviate physical pain. Osteoarthritis patients improved after over six weeks of flotation spa therapy, according to a 1999 study conducted by private practitioners and published by Harcourt Publishers. “It has been recognized that spa therapy may have the potential to encourage self-efficacy and self-advocacy and that the environmental and cultural experience can be enriching in itself,” according to the study. Floating weightless decompresses the spine and pressure from muscles and joints, according to Central Coast Floats’ website, and the anti-inflammatory epsom salts manage chronic and acute pain. “The looks on their faces are like melted butter,” Kelsey said.
Rafter KW Leather: A tooling hobby-turned-business BY KIANA HUNZIKER
CAROLYNE SYSMANS | MUSTANG NEWS
Agricultural systems management senior Wyatt Smith makes a leather collar for his dog.
STUDENT LIFE
four weeks to complete. The process can be noisy, he said, requiring a lot of stamping, carving and pounding indents into the leather, which is where the isolated nature of his work space becomes convenient. “I try to make every piece my favorite piece, because if it’s my favorite I know that I’ve done a good job,” Smith said. Smith said his future plans include taking more hands-on classes, like saddle making, to improve his skills. He even plans to combine jewelry into his leather pieces. He said he wishes to continue doing leather work after he graduates, and if his business grows enough, he hopes to do it full time. To Smith, leather tooling is more than a hobby, or even a business – it is also about carrying on an old-fashioned trade. “I love keeping this way of life alive, and this western lifestyle and western tradition alive, and I can do that through tooling leather,” Smith said.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Near Morro Bay off Highway 1 lies a studio apartment on a ranch where agricultural systems management senior Wyatt Smith spends his time carving and crafting handmade custom leather creations. What once began as a casual hobby for Smith has now matured into a business venture: Rafter KW Leather. Smith said he picked up the hobby of leather tooling in Fall 2019 as something to fill his spare time. He bought a tooling kit from Amazon and his interest grew as he practiced. “I started watching a bunch of YouTube videos and really taking pride in my work and paying attention to the little details,” Smith said. Soon, he started selling custom leather items like belts, wallets and Apple Watch bands to friends and family members. As his business picked up momentum, he started an Instagram and Facebook page, which he uses to
showcase his work and do giveaways to increase exposure. Now, he has developed a strong following of Cal Poly students, and even customers as far as Texas, who request his services. Some have discovered Rafter KW Leather through social media, and others through word of mouth, Smith said. Animal science senior Kylie Calleton ordered a customized purse strap. She said she chose to purchase the strap from Smith to support a student business, and also because of Smith’s attention to detail and creativity. “He’s really good about making what people envision and making it come to life,” Calleton said. Smith said he spends many hours making sure he crafts each product to his standards. “It’s not work if you love doing it,” Smith said. “I get home from class and I’ll sit down and spend eight, nine, 10, 12 hours just constantly going.” Each order can take up to three to
MUSTANG NEWS
STUDENT CRAFTS CUSTOM LEATHER GOODS BY HAND
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SHABANG IS BACK
With bigger bands and higher prices at Laguna Lake $65 At the door Online
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CONNOR FROST | MUSTANG NEWS
Shabang’s interactive dancers can be seen dacing with attendees and dressed up in facepaint and costumes.
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MUSTANG NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
SOLENA AGUILAR | MUSTANG NEWS
BY CASSANDRA GARIBAY
San Luis Obispo’s annual Shabang music festival is back with their biggest set list to date, with bands including Mt. Joy and SNBRN – but that comes with a ticket price increase, as well. “This Shabang is going to blow last year’s out of the water,” Greg Golf, one of the founders and owners of Shabang, said. Shabang 2020 will open at 12 p.m. on May 2 at Laguna Lake Park. Early bird tickets have already sold out, but $50 pre-sale tickets are still available on the Shabang website. Same day tickets will cost $65, up $25 from last year. Golf said last year’s popular activities, such as the silent disco, will continue into this year but will be “quintupled.” Golf also said they will bring bigger bands this year, while “staying within the genre of a surf rock, house and EDM festival.” The bands that have been announced thus far include Mt. Joy, SNBRN, No Vacation, Bay Ledges, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Boiz House,
Tino Drima, Spooky Mansion, The Bash Dogs and DJ Susan B2B Nutty. There is a public Spotify playlist called “Shabang 2020” featuring songs from the headlining bands. Shabang began as a bi-annual festival, but has since changed to an
Golf expects an increase of
6,000
attendees compared to
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annual event. Ticket prices have increased over the years in order to accommodate an increase in paid staff, more art and interactive activities, according to Golf. Golf said he expects there to be about 6,000 attendees, compared to
5,000 last year. Golf said newcomers are welcome to take part in the “transformative experience” Shabang offers. “Everytime it feels like an outpouring of love and euphoria,” Golf said. “It’s one of the biggest events that happens in San Luis Obispo, so it’s unifying in that way.” The event is for all ages, however there will be alcohol available for the 21+ crowd. There will also be food and non-alcoholic beverages for sale, which may be purchased with either cash or card. Water will be available for purchase, but attendees are encouraged to bring a water bottle and fill it at the water refill stations. A shuttle will commute from the PAC and Campus Bottle to the venue and back for $10 per person. A private shuttle is also available for $112 that will pick up event-goers from anywhere in San Luis Obispo. There is also a parking lot, which costs $10 to use. In case of emergency, medical staff and law enforcement will be on site, according to the Shabang website.
ALISON CHAVEZ | MUSTANG NEWS
Bane’s World headlined at Shabang’s Spring 2019 festival.
DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS
Art pop band, Sure Sure’s keyboardist, Chris Beachy slams his head into his keys during the set.
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caret-right BASEBALL PREVIEW
STUCK ON SECOND
Baseball seeks redemption after falling short last season
DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS
The baseball team is prepared to bounce-back and fight for first, after finishing in second place for the third time consecutive year.
BY DIEGO SANDOVAL
current roster for a variety of reasons that do not include graduation, according to head coach Larry Lee. Despite the losses, the Mustangs added seven incoming freshman who could be the difference between the team’s
Junior righthanded pitcher Taylor Dollard said about the 2019 Big West Conference Championship against Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara.
COVER STORY
fourth consecutive second-place finish and a Big West Conference title. “I think the freshmen are the difference this year,” Samuelson said. “We’ve got a really good group of guys
what bats he wants in the lineup to start the year, because we’ve got guys that are good enough to contribute.” Some of Cal Poly’s returning veterans include junior outfielder Elijah Greene, senior catcher Myles Emmerson, junior third baseman Nick DiCarlo, Beesley and Samuelson. Emmerson earned All-Big West honorable mention praise last season after leading the Mustangs in conference games with a .377 batting average, while Greene was the only Mustang to start and play in all 56 games in 2019. Cal Poly was picked to finish second-place in this year’s 2020 Big West Conference Baseball Coaches Poll and gathered two first-place votes as well. While the Mustangs have not won a Big West title since 2014, that is not stopping the players from believing they can exceed expectations and end the season on the top of their conference. “I really feel like this is the year for us to take first-place,” Beesley said. “Us having all the guys returning, plus all of the new additions … I think that it’s a good year for us to take it all the way.”
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Unfortunately, we didn’t win the series, but we gave ourselves a really good opportunity when I think a lot of people had counted us out.
and all of them are going to contribute a lot to the team. I’m pretty confident that they are going to get the job done when their name is called upon.” One freshman who the Mustangs hope to feel an immediate impact from is shortstop Brooks Lee, the son of baseball head coach Larry Lee. Brooks hit .405 during his senior year of high school and was drafted by the Giants in the 35th round of the MLB Draft, but he opted to pursue his athletic and academic career at Cal Poly. “[Brooks] knows what his dad wants out of him and what he wants out of this team,” Samuelson said. “It’s really big to have somebody of his talent level who’s dialed in enough for the team to be able to produce not only on the field but off the field.” The Mustangs are also returning 10 out of 11 position players who started at least 20 games last season. The mix of youth players and established starters has created interesting position battles to keep an eye on. “I think Coach [Lee] is [going to] have a good predicament on his hands,” Samuelson said. “He’s [going to] have to make some decisions on
MUSTANG NEWS
In its last series of the 2019 season, Cal Poly Baseball was fighting for a spot in a NCAA regional tournament against Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara. After winning the first two games of the three-day weekend series, the Mustangs had forced a must-win scenario for both squads on Sunday. Unfortunately, Cal Poly was unable to secure the sweep and the Big West Conference Championship after the Gauchos won the final game by a score of 7-0. The loss resulted in Cal Poly’s thirdstraight second-place finish in the Big West standings. However, the team said it is ready to bounce back from a tough ending to an up-and-down 2019 season. Among the returning players who took part in last year’s hard-fought series against UC Santa Barbara is junior pitcher Taylor Dollard, who pitched a career-high six innings in relief to help secure a 4-3 victory in game two. “For the most part, I just remember being able to compete and everybody on the team having each other’s back,”
Dollard said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win the series, but we gave ourselves a really good opportunity when I think a lot of people had counted us out.” While the heartbreaking season-ending may have stung at the time, this year’s squad said it is using the loss to fuel them. “Knowing we were so close has motivated us even more for this year,” senior outfielder Bradley Beesley said. “We know that the conference is up for grabs, and we’re excited to get it going.” Junior infielder Tate Samuelson is another returning Mustang who said he has not forgotten about last year’s shortcomings in Santa Barbara. Samuelson echoed Beesley and said the defeat will work in the team’s favor this season. “A lot of guys have a fire under them to get back to a game like that,” Samuelson said. Although the team still has a chip on its shoulder from the final series of 2019, the 2020 squad will look a bit different than last year’s. Seven former Mustangs are no longer on the squad’s
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caret-right BASEBALL PREVIEW
NEW PITCHING LINEUP BY BRIAN TRUONG
CAL POLY ATHLETICS | COURTESY
TAYLOR DOLLARD Junior righthander
“I’ve been working really hard to become a starter,” Dollard said. “It’s something I’ve wanted since I stepped on campus.” KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS
Cal Poly Baseball seeks to improve their offense through a cohesive combination of veteran and new players.
GETTING INTO THE SWING OF THINGS AFTER WEAKEST OFFENSIVE SEASON BY ADAM BIRDER
MUSTANG NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS
ANDREW ALVAREZ Junior lefthander
“Before, I was just a lefty specialist. One or two at bats a night,” Alvarez said. “Then, I was facing multiple hitters, multiple innings. So it’s really allowed me to grow.”
DREW THORPE
Freshman righthander “It’s what I’ve been working for since I got here,” Thorpe said. “As a freshman, that’s pretty cool to come in and be one of the weekend guys.”
DEREK TRUE
SPORTS
Freshman righthander “Coming here to play for Coach Lee, it’s just an honor,” True said. “Not too many people can say that. He’s one of the best coaches in the country, if not the best. So having that opportunity was a no-doubter for me.”
Despite finishing one game short of a Big West title in 2019, Cal Poly Baseball had its worst offensive season in 25 years of Division I baseball. This season, the team is looking to combine a group of veterans with a strong 2019 recruiting class to improve on last year’s performance. “Although there’s 10 of 11 [players who started 20 games] returning, it’s still a different team than it was last year,” junior infielder Tate Samuelson said. “So I think having new guys and having a new approach at the plate, put those two together, and I think we’ll flip things around.” In 2019, Cal Poly posted the lowest batting average (.260), on-base percentage (.341) and slugging percentage (.332) since joining Division I. The Mustangs also recorded the fewest home runs (13), runs scored (247), RBIs (217) and doubles (76) in the same time period. Head coach Larry Lee was not shy about acknowledging the team’s struggles at the plate last year and emphasized the 2019 recruiting class as a spark-plug for this year’s offense.
“We hit .260 as a team last year, and since I’ve been here it’s the weakest offense that we’ve had,” Lee said. “So we brought in a good group of young players, and those guys will play.” The 2019 recruiting class was headlined by freshman shortstop Brooks Lee, who hit .405 as a senior at San Luis Obispo High School and was named a Collegiate Baseball High School All-American. Although an injury is keeping him on the bench for the start of the season, Brooks is expected to start at shortstop upon his return. The class also includes offensive powerhouses in sophomore second baseman Taison Corio, freshman third baseman Nick Marinconz and freshman outfielder Kyle Ashworth. Together, the four players combined for a .397 batting average in their senior years of high school. Samuelson and senior outfielder Bradlee Beesley were quick to point out the young class’s potential contributions to the upcoming season. “We have a good group of freshmen who are going to come in and contribute quite a bit,” Samuelson said. “With the experience [of our veterans] and the talent level of our
freshmen, I think we’re set up for a pretty strong lineup this year.” “This year we’re going to have a dynamic offense, and we’re also adding a few key pieces, some newcomers who can really thump it,” Beesley said. While the 2019 recruiting class has talent, it remains to be seen how they are going to perform in a regular season setting. “We think with this class that we just brought in, we’re much better,” Lee said. “But in saying that, they’re young, they’re first-time players. They have the talent, now it’s just, can they mentally handle the perceived pressure that’s put on them ... you don’t know how guys are going to react when lights go on for real,” Lee added. Along with Samuelson and Beesley, other offensive contributors include junior outfielder Elijah Greene and sophomore second baseman Connor Gurnik. Samuelson led this year’s returning players in batting average, runs scored, slugging percentage and home runs in 2019. Beesley hit .283 last season, good enough for third highest on the team, while Greene followed with a .274 batting av-
erage. Among returning players, Gurnik hit a team-leading .310 in home games last season as a redshirt freshman. The veteran presence put forth by the upperclassmen will have an impact on the performance of the younger players, according to Beesley and Samuelson. “Our practices are really sharp and clean, everyone knows what’s expected of [the upperclassmen] and we come out every single day with a good mentality,” Beesley said. “And for the new guys, it’s good seeing a bunch of older guys lead the way so we can set the tone for the program for today and in the future.” While Cal Poly’s offensive performance will remain an unknown until the 2020 campaign begins, the combination of an exciting new group of position players with established leaders is a clear positive for the Mustangs. “From an offensive standpoint, we’re going to run up against some of the best pitching in the country,” Lee said. “We’ll see. You’re always cautiously optimistic … as long as we play to our capabilities, that’s all you can ask.”
9
TOP RECRUIT BROOKS LEE TO MISS FIRST GAMES BY JORDANA GINSBURG
Freshman shortstop Brooks Lee will be out for the beginning of the Mustangs’ 2020 season as he recovers from a rare hamstring injury. Despite the setback, Lee said he is about two and a half months ahead of his rehab schedule and is expected to return to the lineup before the start of the Big West Conference season. Lee’s injury occurred last October while running down the first base line, tearing his lateral collateral ligament and biceps femoris muscle. The specific injury has only been recorded 22 times since 1970, according to Lee. “I was pretty scared,” Lee said. “I’ve been injured a lot lately. My sophomore year, I had a fracture in my spine, so I know a lot about injuries. That’s probably the worst thing that can happen on the field. But I’m thankful that I’m striving toward being healthy right now.”
Lee was a standout player at San Luis Obispo High School with a batting average of .437 over the course of his high school career. Lee recorded 122 hits with 28 doubles and struck out just 22 times out of 328 plate appearances. In his senior year as the Tigers’ shortstop, Lee hit .405 at the plate with 13 doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI. Following his junior season, the switch hitter was named Pac-8 Player of the Year and earned a first-team All-CIF-Southern Section Division 3 selection. Lee was drafted to the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. The selection came after Lee was ranked No. 41 among prospects in Baseball America’s Top 100. Prior to the MLB draft, Lee received invitations from the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks to attend tryouts. However, Brooks chose to honor his prior commitment to play under
his father, head coach Larry Lee, at Cal Poly. He turned down $3 million offers in the process. Brooks goes to rehab three times a week for 2 1/2 hours and calls it “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” However, having the time to work on his mental and physical strength is something Brooks said he is grateful for. “My development has been a huge part since I’ve been hurt,” Brooks said. “I’ve gotten to lift my upper body almost everyday ... I give as much effort that I have and do anything I can for our team. We have a ton of great ballplayers, and if I’m up there with them, it makes it that much better.” Even without him out on the field, Brooks said he has a lot of faith in his team’s abilities as Cal Poly heads into the 2020 season. “I think our team is going to do really well this year,” Brooks said. “We have everything we need honestly.”
BY GARRETT BROWN
ful.” “It’s just about longevity and doing it a long time, and with the wins come a lot of losses,” Lee said. “It doesn’t really have a lot of significance for me. I’m not really a numbers guy.” For someone who is not a “numbers guy,” Lee has amassed some impressive statistics during his time as Cal Poly’s head coach. Since Lee took over, the team has accumulated
SPORTS
As he heads into his 18th season with Cal Poly Baseball, Larry Lee remains the only Big West Conference head coach to amass more than 1,000 wins in his career. Lee achieved his 1,000th win during last season’s final conference series against BlueGreen rival UC Santa Barbara. Lee recorded all of his wins on the Central Coast between his time at Cal
Poly, which started in 2003, and at Cuesta College from 1987-2002. Lee won 460 games at Cuesta, which was the 15th highest all-time for community college coaches in California. Lee was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010 after leading the Cougars to the State Final Four on four occasions. However, Lee said his wins “are only important if they’re meaning-
to coach Lee is undoubtedly his son, freshman shortstop Brooks Lee. Brooks echoed his father’s stance on earning 1,000 wins, saying the achievement “wasn’t that big of a deal for him.” “He just wants to win,” Brooks said. “That’s all that matters. He doesn’t care about the plaques that he receives, or awards. He just wants to have a good season every single year, and that’s all he cares about.” Despite his rich history as one of the winningest coaches at the collegiate level, Lee said he remains focused on the future of the program as it moves forward. “I think winning is an important part of recruiting,” Lee said. “You’re better able to get quality recruits. Recruiting is getting more difficult. There is a bigger discrepancy between us and the bigger conferences like the PAC-12.” Regardless of the ever-growing odds of a Big West team taking home a national title, Cal Poly Baseball can take comfort knowing they have a 1,000-game winner at the helm of its program. “[1,000 wins] is great,” Lee said. “And maybe when I’m done coaching, it’ll be something I’ll look back on and say, ‘You know, it was pretty good.’” But in typical fashion, Lee could not finish his message without brushing off the accomplishment just one last time. “All that stuff just means I’ve been coaching for a while,” Lee said with a smile.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
BASEBALL HEAD COACH REFLECTS ON 1,000 CAREER WINS AS HE ENTERS 2020 SEASON
541 wins and has never had a season with a sub .400 winning percentage. Lee’s most successful season with the Mustangs was the 2014 campaign, where the team was briefly ranked No. 1 in the nation in mid-May and clinched a Big West Conference Championship. From 2012-2014, Cal Poly averaged 41 wins per year, totaling 123 victories — more than any other Division I team in California. Under Lee, Cal Poly has produced 43 first-team All-Big West players, nine All-Americans and seven freshman All-Americans. A total of 70 Cal Poly players coached by Lee have signed professional baseball contracts, with eight of those players reaching the major leagues. Lee’s career total of 1,001 wins puts him significantly ahead of his Big West Conference peers, as the second-highest win total belongs to Hawai’i head coach Mike Trapasso at 501. Only 57 coaches have reached 1,100 career wins dating back to 1909, when the NCAA began recording career win totals. With around 60 games each year, Lee is assuredly on track to hit the 1,100-win mark within the next handful of seasons. As Lee downplayed the significant milestone, the players who see him every day said its no act. “He kind of just takes it like the way he teaches us, where every game is just another game and you’re just playing baseball,” junior pitcher Taylor Dollard said. “When you’re playing against a game, you’re not playing against the opponent.” The player with the most exposure
MUSTANG NEWS
FILE | MUSTANG NEWS
Head Coach Larry Lee has amassed impressive statistics throughout his tenure with Cal Poly Baseball.
BRIAN TRUONG | MUSTANG NEWS
Baseball recruit Brooks Lee turned down several MLB offers to play at Cal Poly.
DEAL OF THE WEEK VALENTINE’S DAY AT 805 KITCHEN Whether you like to celebrate with your significant other, your BFFs, or simply by yourself, Valentine’s Day is a chance to do something special! This year, enjoy a delicious, upscale dinner that includes Shrimp and Lobster Flambé, Beef of Baron, Sweet Potato Bar and eight (yes, eight!) dessert stations. Come out and treat yourself to dinner and live music! 805 Kitchen. Thursday, Feb. 13 from 5:30-7:30pm.
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Save some cash this year with new value menu items, found at dining venues across campus! Get value priced breakfast sandwiches and burritos at The Ave, select sandwiches and quesadillas at Poly Deli, a junior salad at Red Radish, quesadillas and breakfast sandwiches at Campus Market and yummy frozen treats at 805 Café and Lucy’s. Look for the value item icon for tasty savings! calpolydining.com/menus
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‘GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH’
11
Engineers Without Borders works to provide basic needs to communities locally and abroad However, Ennis said the difference in excellence for the Cal Poly’s EWB chapter lies in the amount of support they are able to receive from professors and faculty on campus.
Faculty Member’s influence in EWB
CAL POLY’S ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS | COURTESY
Engineers Without Borders, Team Thailand, works together with the community on implementing a new filter tank and carries it to the construction site.
BY SYDNEY SHERMAN
How EWB works
According to Ennis, 80 percent of
EWB’s challenges Working with the communities so closely has been both a challenge and a learning experience for club members. “Typically engineers fall in love with a design that they really like for a certain type of thing, and then the community says, ‘No, we don’t want that, we want something different,’” Ennis said. “Now we’ve learned that we really need to listen to what the community wants, because in the past when we say, ‘Oh no, we know better,’ it has pretty much always gone wrong.” Romeo said that the most challenging aspect for him was figuring out how to answer questions halfway around the world, in a place he has never been to, and not being able to see what he is working on.
We’ve learned that we really need to listen to what the community wants Mechanical engineering senior and President Kyle Ennis said.
Alaniz said he loves working with EWB students, and believes they are passionate about their projects. “They’re humble, so they know that they don’t know everything when they arrive in the country, and that they have a lot to learn from the people,” Alaniz said. Because of the challenges they face working overseas, Alaniz said that students will be more equipped to handle the various challenges of the workforce post-graduation. “It’s one thing to build a building in San Luis Obispo,” Alaniz said. “It’s something completely different to do it in a rural part of Nicaragua.” CLA anthropology professor and EWB faculty advisor Dawn Neill has been working in Fiji since 2002, writing a dissertation as well as partnering with EWB since her start at Cal Poly in 2008. Before she became involved largely, EWB had been working on a project in India. By the time Neill came in to help, the project was ready to
As well as working globally, EWB is also involved in projects in the country’s own backyard. 95 percent of the work they do is in San Luis Obispo, according to Ennis. In Nipomo, the club has partnered with Jack’s Helping Hand, a local social service organization that assists children with special needs and cancer, to help build a more accessible equestrian facility. “So kids and adults that normally are not physically able to ride horses, what they work on is different solutions to get it so they can do that,” Ennis said. Specifically, they will build a washing station for the horses, which Ennis said is much more complicated than one might think, given the weight and size that horses are. Because there are four teams with around 20-25 people on each, EWB is not able to send everyone overseas. “Not everyone gets to go and so we try to be really transparent that if you’re in the club to travel, you’re not there for the right reason,” Romeo said. The club’s next trips will be to Nicaragua and Fiji this Summer Quarter 2020, and they will take about four to six students on each trip.
STUDENT LIFE
all EWB projects end up focused around water. In Nicaragua, EWB members had what Ennis calls a “half-distribution system” that was built 10 years ago, consisting of pipes coming from a water source. However, the pipes were not built deep enough into the ground. Now, they are breaching the surface and are either damaged or broken altogether. There is no proper water filtration system in the community they are working with, leaving locals with only about six months worth of access to a consistent water source. To fix this, members conducted a “standard water distribution project,” Ennis said. This means they drilled a productive well that will not only give locals access to water, but will also supply water to individual homes for everyday needs. In Fiji, club members cannot build as many wells because the country consists of many small islands. However, they are building rainwater attachment systems on houses to collect water for the the dry season. According to electrical engineering sophomore and EWB solar subteam lead Jeffrey Romeo, after the
EWB at home
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
A partner organization in a community first applies to the EWB-USA. Different chapters can then view applications and decide if the project will be a good fit. This depends on how feasible the location is to travel to, and if members have the right knowledge of both the technical and cultural side of the project. Ennis said that Spanish is commonly spoken as a second language among club members, which is beneficial for when they go to Nicaragua, where that is the official language. “That’s a huge help when you can communicate directly with community members,” Ennis said. Although they trust their translators, Ennis said communicating can seem like “a game of telephone” when someone has to translate, for example, from English to Thai and
What EWB members do
club members are finished with implementing these systems, they are projected to double the capacity of water storage on their island. Right now, Romeo and his team are working on creating a solar borehole, a solar-powered pump to distribute water to the community. The boreholes were specifically requested by the community. However, according to Romeo, the project is not sustainable because the more water they use from the well, the more saltwater will intrude and therefore render it unusable. “I think it’s a really good stepping stone to eventually make [the community] entirely sufficient on rainwater storage,” Romeo said.
MUSTANG NEWS
Cal Poly’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is working on four separate projects in Fiji, Malawi, Nicaragua and locally, in Nipomo. “Good intentions are not enough to have positive impacts on our partner communities,” Cal Poly chapter president and mechanical engineering senior Kyle Ennis said. The chapter was founded in 2005, and it partners with both local and global communities. The goal is to help others gain access to basic human needs such as water, food security, sanitation and education — or “the big four,” as Ennis calls it.
then Thai to a tribal language. EWB members recently ended a project in Thailand after 15 years. Although they had some successes, there was not an overall net benefit, according to Ennis.
College of Liberal Arts (CLA) professor and EWB faculty advisor Ryan Alaniz has been involved with the club since he first started at Cal Poly more than nine years ago. Alaniz lived in Central America for about two years and worked there for about 20. “Because of that, I have a really solid knowledge of the culture, of the history,” Alaniz said. When he first started working with EWB, club members had just finished building a $150,000 clinic in Nicaragua. However, the facility could not be used because it was built on private land, he said. EWB members, he said, must consider political consequences as well as social constructs in each community. “Engineers need the social sciences, and social sciences need engineers,” Alaniz said.
come to an end, and many people were shocked that an award-winning engineering project had not produced the results that had been expected. When a project arose in the Fijian islands, EWB reached out to Neill for her expertise. “As Westerners, we have power; we have privilege,” Neill said. According to Neill, a majority of students that come through Cal Poly, as well as many other higher education institutions, are very often white and middle class and possess an idea of “ethnocentrism,” the belief that one’s culture is superior to another. However, Neill hopes to challenge students and people to try to see it from another perspective. It’s about “transformation,” Neill said. “It’s about challenging our assumptions and our knowledge, and doing project-based work on other people’s terms.” Since starting with EWB, Neill said she has noticed a large transformation in the way club members interact with the communities. “There’s more of a culture of internationalization, and global citizenship, that’s grown,” Neill said.
PUZZLES & HOROSCOPES
CLUES ACROSS 1. Small deer 4. Khoikhoi peoples 9. South African statesman 14. Keyboard key 15. Remove 16. A conspicuous constellation 17. Data executive 18. Retired NASCAR driver 20. Tightens 22. A picture of the Virgin Mary 23. “The Mission” actor Jeremy 24. Confidently 28. More (Spanish) 29. Sports highlight show (abbr.) 30. Hand out cards 31. Distinctive Asian antelope 33. Arabic greeting 37. Of I 38. Hip hop trio 39. Meat roll 41. One’s mother (Brit.) 42. _ _-GYN 43. Belgian city 44. Plucks 46. Leak slowly 49. Denotes a particular region 50. General’s assistant (abbr.) 51. Divides 55. Kid 58. Inland Empire Expanded
Learning Symposium 59. Engaged in conflict 60. Former CBS sportscaster 64. Characterized by unity 65. Working-class 66. Corners 67. _ _ de plume 68. Influential French artist 69. “Very” in musical terms 70. Financial account CLUES DOWN 1. Long, flat abdominal muscles 2. Small Eurasian willow 3. Justified in terms of profitability 4. Required 5. River that starts in Turkey 6. Disfigure 7. A way of communicating (abbr.) 8. Leaks slowly 9. Shady place under trees 10. Made a speech 11. Long, angry speech 12. Mortar trough 13. Autonomic nervous system 19. Southern India island 21. Grab quickly 24. Ancient Mesopotamian city 25. With three uneven sides 26. Football visionary Hunt 27. Primordial matters
*See answers at mustangnews.net/games-answers/
31. Facing towards the flow of a glacier 32. “A Delicate Balance” writer 34. Emits coherent radiation 35. Commercial 36. Groups of foot bones 40. Out of print 41. Partner to cheese 45. German river 47. Concluding speech 48. Spanish dish 52. Prominent California cape Point _ _ 53. Any high mountain 54. Ethiopian lake 56. Mr. 57. Excessive fluid accumulation in tissues 59. Large, flightless bird 60. Oil industry term (abbr.) 61. Something one can draw 62. Officers in charge 63. Greek island
ARIES – March 21/April 20 Align yourself with the movers and shakers, Aries. Sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know. Find a solid team and stick with them.
LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 An important relationship is on the cusp of reaching a milestone, Libra. Enjoy this special time and make every effort to commemorate it in a unique way.
TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Taurus, if you’re already running on fumes, it may not be possible for you to tackle any additional tasks this week. Make some hard cuts and you’ll be better for it.
SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Find a way to cool your jets for the time being, Scorpio. Extra pressure may have you feeling the stress, and you may not be putting your best self forward.
GEMINI – May 22/June 21 You have several weeks to understand how recent changes will affect you, Gemini. You may need to get a few new friends in your circle of supporters.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 Sagittarius, a passing comment rings true to you this week and commands your immediate attention. You do not want to let any opportunities pass over the next few days.
CANCER – June 22/July 22 Cancer, don’t be surprised when someone from your past approaches you for some advice. You may not have all the answers, but you can help guide this person in the right direction. LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 Leo, some new information has put you in a better position to make an important decision. These details have come just in the nick of time. VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Virgo, you may need to make some important decisions regarding your finances in the days ahead. It’s now or never to square away your short- and long-term budget.
CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 Learn how to count the small blessings in your life, Capricorn. Doing so will help you overcome a challenging issue that may pop up shortly. AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 You may need to look inward and make changes before you start suggesting others make their own modifications, Aquarius. Be honest in your personal assessment. PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 There are a few things you are still trying to uncover about a new person in your life, Pisces. Keep digging because the reveal is worth it.
THE HOOF
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CAL POLY AWARDED THE ‘COOLEST SCHOOL AROUND’ AFTER PUTTING UP A LINK TO PORN ON ITS WEBSITE The Hoof is a satire column created to find the humor in the daily life of Cal Poly students. If you’re looking for news, this is not it. If you’re looking for sports, this is kind of it, because we’re having a ball. Ha. Puns. BY HANNAH BENSON
Hannah Benson is a journalism senior and satire columnist. The views represented do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.
SAM SHIN | MUSTANG NEWS
Once again, the Mustangs have been labeled the “Best” by a website that no one quite understands, but that your mom always posts about on Facebook when she mentions the institution taking all your money. The U.S. News and World Report announced it's yearly university rankings with Cal Poly , San Luis O bispo securing the top spot in the “Coolest” category. This report was released shortly after a link to a pornography site was found on the university’s College of Business website. Those in charge of the rankings cited this to be “no coincidence.” “We originally were going to give it to all the California community colleges who are now tuition-free
and understand the impact of education, but then we watched — I mean heard, about Cal Poly’s porn and we thought, ‘Yeah, pretty cool,’” U.S. News and World Report spokesperson Rich Whitemen said. This is the first time the university has ranked in the “Top 100 Coolest” in all its history. Meanwhile, Cal Poly’s typical high achievements in the “Best Regional Universities West” and “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” have plummeted due to all the scandals attempted to be covered up and that New York Times article that was super telling of the campus climate. But, at least the school has porn. “At first, we were expecting the rankings’ loss to be a P.R. disaster, but the porn saved us,” said so many administration members that I lost track of all the names — everyone wanted to tell me this. An appreciation for the porn site is shared by the student body as well. A previous label, such as, “#1 in Top Public Schools” is seen as an inadequate excuse during times of social injustice. “Finally!” business senior Amy Beershack said. “I’m so proud to be a Mustang! After four years, the school is actually standing for something I believe in: sexual liberation.” After the success in the virtual world, Cal Poly is now looking to implement porn on campus with viewings in the University Union and the fifth floor of the Library. Stay cool, Mustang Nation.
OPINION
Tessa Hughes is a journalism sophomore and opinion columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.
charts, downright impressive, and the spectacle of the whole ordeal is something that has become the “norm” for performers, male and female alike. Last year no one had a problem when Adam Levine decided to strut his stuff and strip down on live TV during Maroon 5’s halftime show, but as soon as Shakira and J. Lo did the same thing, America riots. Honestly, most of the criticism is surrounding J. Lo’s bodysuit and pole dance, but her outfit covered everything it needed to and looked spectacular. The issues emerge from people who feel uncomfortable with being exposed to it, but newsflash: no one is forced to watch the halftime show. This is not the first time this dou-
ble standard has been present during the halftime show. Remember “Nipplegate” of 2004? Justin Timberlake ripped off Janet Jackson’s top during their performance, exposing her right breast on national television. This wardrobe malfunction rocked the nation, with Jackson at the forefront taking the blame. Television networks and radio stations blacklisted Jackson. Her music and videos were not to be aired, and for what? Because a man exposed her? Where is Timberlake’s punishment? He was the perpetrator, whether intentional or not, yet he remained unscathed. His career continued to flourish as Jackson’s plummeted. At this point, women are being
OPINION
For those who don’t watch football — aside from commercials and the Puppy Bowl — the halftime show is the highlight of the whole Super Bowl. This year was no different as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira took the field to SLAY for 15 minutes. These women are known to be performers and last Sunday night they lived up to their set reputations. I honestly aspire to be like Shakira when I’m 43 and J.Lo when I’m 50, I mean who wouldn’t?
Well, I guess the answer to that question is everyone who felt the need to slut-shame these empowered women for how they chose to perform. Once again people took it upon themselves to criticize these women not for their show, but for their physical appearance and dance moves. Now it would be one thing if the critiques were about how Shakira and J. Lo chose to lip-sync or their song selection, but most of the remarks were straight attacks surrounding the fact that they are women embracing their sexuality. This year’s halftime show is definitely not one of the best in Superbowl history. Personally, the old rock acts are my favorite, but the talent exhibited was off the
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
BY TESSA HUGHES
MUSTANG NEWS
SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW: A POWERFUL EXHIBITION OF FEMALE SEXUALITY
reprimanded for simply having a sexuality. J. Lo should not be bashed for her pole dancing routine, but applauded because that takes skill. The performances that J. Lo and Shakira alike gave took months of hard work, dedication, and effort, and to have prude minds attack it so fervently is disrespectful. The show is being dismissed because it was given by two women. If a similar display was given by a man, no one would bat an eye. However, since the notion that women must remain conservative and pure in the public eye persists, an inspiring show is being tarnished. Both performers celebrated their Latin heritage and young women throughout their time, as J. Lo brought her daughter and other young teenagers on stage to sing with her. This was a moment for women from women and conservative America is attempting to destroy that.
14
ATHLETICS DIRECTOR SAYS NCAA RULING ON BOOK STIPENDS CASE IS A ‘SAD DAY FOR THE NCAA’
KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS
SPORTS
MUSTANG NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Athletics Director Don Oberhelman said the decision “further exposes the hypocrisy of the NCAA.”
In our view, the NCAA has sidestepped its responsibility to fairness and sensible treatment of the very student-athletes the association is supposed to protect. Athletics Director Don Oberhelman said in a statement. CAL POLY ATHLETICS | COURTESY
Cal Poly Baseball’s 2014 Big West Championship is one of the records that may be vacated as a result of the NCAA’s sanctions.
BY NAYTHAN BRYANT
Cal Poly Athletics Director Don Oberhelman spoke out following a NCAA decision to punish Cal Poly Athletics for misallocating textbook scholarships, saying the ruling “further exposes the hypocrisy of the NCAA.” “This should never happen to a student,” Oberhelman said. “The very reason the NCAA exists is to help protect the rights of student athletes. And not only did they fail, they took those rights. They punished — unfairly — the innocent. How is that a system of justice?” Cal Poly was sanctioned by the NCAA on April 18, 2019 for giving out $800 textbook stipends to some student-athletes from 2012-2015. The NCAA found a total of 72 student-athletes across 18 of 22 sports received an average of $175 in ex-
tra stipends. Cal Poly submitted an appeal of the decision, but the NCAA announced Thursday, Feb. 8 that the appeal was ultimately denied. As a result, Cal Poly is under probation for two years, has to pay a self-imposed $5,000 fine, and will be forced to vacate the records of teams and players found in violation. “If this is the new day for the NCAA, that national office staff is going to have a heavy hand in their own demise, because I don’t think the membership is going to put up with this kind of stuff for very long,” Oberhelman said. It is currently unknown which sports will be affected by the NCAA’s punishment. Oberhelman said the NCAA and Cal Poly disagree on the number of student athletes who received improper book stipends. As a result, Ober-
helman said both parties will be “sorting that out over the next 30 to 60 days.” “[We will be] scouring our records and seeing who was impacted, when did they compete and did that competition impact the outcome of a contest, and what was the meaning of that contest?” Oberhelman said. “We’ll do that over the course of the next several weeks and month and then report that to the NCAA, and then they’ll do their own work and see how we align.” When the university is made aware of the specific sports affected, Oberhelman said the student-athletes who received extra book stipend money will hear from him directly. “That’s going to be a very emotional and challenging conversation to have with those student
athletes,” Oberhelman said. “I’ve heard from several of the former student-athletes, ‘Hey, am I involved?’ And we’ll let them know in person when that time comes.” Oberhelman also pointed to similar cases in which the NCAA handed down lighter punishments to other universities. The University of Nebraska found it had improperly distributed nearly $28,000 in textbooks and other school supplies to 492 student athletes in 2012. The university received two years of probation, paid a self imposed $38,000 fine and did not have to vacate any previous records. “[That] case from 2012 is factually incredibly similar to ours. It does not deviate,” Oberhelman said. “The only difference is their case involved a greater number of student-athletes over a greater
period of years involving a greater dollar figure, and they did not have to vacate records. So what’s the difference between the University of Nebraska in 2012 and Cal Poly in 2015?” Cal Poly self-reported the mistake in 2015 immediately after realizing the error. Oberhelman said the NCAA’s punishment sets a bad precedent for future universities who decide to self report errors to the organization. “God forbid we give our students textbooks, right?” Oberhelman said. “But, it was still a mistake on our part. I think the disappointing thing is after we owned it and admitted it and were honest about it, we were treated as though we would have not cooperated or lied. And, and I think that’s a sad day for the NCAA right now.”