Mustang News - February 4, 2020

C AL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO ’S NE WS SOURCE

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A "Golden Age" for Mustang Daily comes to an end as Troy Petersen bids a fond farewell to Herb Kamm.

Clearing out your place for Check out the four-page the summer? Check out sports insert for a complete some ways to profit on it. roundup of the year.

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Insert

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M usiang Daiiy

C A L I F

O R N I A

P O L Y T E C H N I C

MAY 31, 1996

S T A T E

U N I V E R S I T Y

F R I D A Y

VOLUME LX, No. 132

S A N

L U I S

O B I S P O

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS

approves 2 Student disappears after party ASI new members

By Sandra Noughton

Doily Stoff Writer

Cal Poly freshman Kristin Denise Smart, who goes by “Roxy,” has been missing since 2 a.m. Saturday when she was last seen walking to her dormitory after a party.

She was walking home from an off-campus party with two friends who last saw her about 50 yards from the entrance of Muir Hall before they separated, said Investigator Mike Kennedy of Cal Poly Public Safety.

The 6-foot 1-inch blonde with brown eyes, weighing about 145 pounds, was last seen wearing a short, black skirt and a gray shirt. She is a speech communication major.

Campus police suspect Smart may have been under the influence of alcohol during the time of her disappearance.

Smart’s father and roommate reported her missing early Tuesday morning, after not seeing or hearing from her since Friday before she left for the party, Kennedy said.

“In the past, no (students reported missing) have been gone for this length of time,” Kennedy said. “The unusual circumstances of this case are that she didn’t take her purse, wallet, makeup or other belongings.”

Kennedy said she had no prior criminal history or problems that

w ould exp lain her d isa p pearance. She did not have a car or a driver’s license.

“It is out of character for her to be gone this long,” said Corrina Jones, a chemistry freshman who has lived across the hall from Smart since she moved in at the beginning of the quarter. “On weekends, she was not around much, but during the week she was here, which is why we got concerned.”

Although Smart is not steadily dating anyone, Jones initially thought she might be with someone she previously dated.

“Now we are worried,” Jones said, referring to other residents on her floor. “She liked to party, but she still completed her own responsibilities. She didn’t lose touch with school — she still had her priorities.”

Jones said she was also concerned because Smart does not have medication for her hyperactive medical condition. Attention Deficit Disorder.

“She is a very outgoing girl and different from other people,” Jones said, citing her interest in body boarding. “Not that many people around here know her, but we are concerned.”

Music freshman Jake Potts, who was at a party with Smart the night before she disappeared, said he was not surprised by her absence.

See M IS S IN G page 10

at last ‘95-96 board meeting

By Steve Enders

Daily Stoff Writer

Wednesday night’s ASI Board of Directors meeting was full of emotion once again, but this time it wasn’t about free speech or clubs demanding more money.

Members expressed sadness over a long, eventful year and wished incoming members good luck as they take on many new issues next year.

Wednesday’s meeting was a carry-over from last week’s as members had created a 164-hour recess to deal with remaining budget items because ASI bylaws prevent regular board meetings during “dead week.”

The board approved two new members for positions on next year’s board of directors. Arc h it e c t u r e s e n io r A r tu r o Rodriguez was approved for the executive vice president position, the third highest on the board of directors. Human development senior Sean McGowan was approved for the vice chair post.

Rodriguez was one of nine being considered for the position, and is currently serving as president of Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano en Aztian (M EXA, formerly MEChA).

He has also served as director of SLO View for two years. SLO View is a community service organization where mostly young, disadvantaged students from See ASI page 10

KRISTIN SMART

THE 23 YEAR INVESTIGATION Kristin Denise Smart was last seen walking to her dormitory early Saturday morning / Photo courtesy of Campus Police

Academic Senate votes to table till next year two proposals to revamp general education

By Josit Miller

Daly Stoff Writer

With new

Tension surrounding two proposals to revamp general education requirements dissolved for now as the Academic Senate voted yesterday to table them to next year.

The proposals were scheduled for vote on Tuesday, but discussion was so intense that Academic Senate Chair Harvey Greenwald scheduled a special meeting to continue the debate.

During that meeting yesterday, John Hampsey, chair of the com m ittee that wrote the proposals, asked the senate to table them, so they could be reintroduced next year.

“These issues are too important, too weighty, too many people are involved to be dealt with now,” Hampsey said.

The proposals had already been am ended, after con siderable discussion, to allow more representation from the professional colleges and Information Technology Services on the GE governing board — the ITS representative threatened to resign from the senate if ITS was not included on the board.

The amendments will no longer be part of the proposals when they are reintroduced.

“That’s not to say all work is lost. I’m sure someone will pick up the pieces,” Greenwald said.

Hampsey also made a motion that his committee, which has been working on the proposals for a year, be asked to return in

the fall with revised proposals.

He then asked the university to continue the discussion started about GE because it provided his committee with v a lu a b le in fo rm a tio n and opinions.

Keeping the discussion alive would also benefit the morale of Hampse^s committee, he said.

The discussion then turned to how the senate could work more effectively on hard issues such as GE. Tuesday’s meeting consisted primarily of a debate between proponents o f the different proposals, primarily from the colleges of Liberal Arts and Science and Math, and opponents, mostly from the other colleges.

The list of people wanting to speak often exceeded normal standards, and G reenw ald repeatedly warned the senate that, unless discussion was sped up, it was not going to be able to vote.

There is no limit on the time each senate member may speak, or on the number of amendments which can be introduced, a loophole taken advantage of by many speakers.

Math professor George Lewis expressed his disappointment with the senate after Tuesday’s meeting.

“I regarded the meeting Tuesday as a travesty,” Lewis said.

“It was one of those meetings that I left having a low opinion of my colleagues.

See SENATE page 9

Academic Senate votes to end developments in credit the case, here’s credit/no grades for GE

FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Police investigating sexual battery case

Ddfy Staff Report

An unidentified photographer on campus, either a student or staff member, is suspected of sexual battery of a Cal Poly student.

Within the past month, a student reported that the photographer asked her to disrobe while being photographed, during which time the suspect committed sexual battery, said Investigator Ray Berrett of Cal Poly Public Safety.

a look back at the disappearance of a Cal Poly freshman

|

DaMy Staff Report

Senate meetings.

Without any student input, the Academic Senate voted Tuesday to discontinue the credit/no credit grading option for general education classes.

Though a student representative is invited to the senate meetings, no one from ASI has attended any this quarter.

Senate Chair Harvey Greenwald said.

ASI representative Bakir Begovic said a class conflict made it impossible for any student representative to attend

Greenwald announced the decision at Wednesday’s ASI meeting. He said the decision was meant to put GE classes on equal level with major courses.

Professors at the senate meeting said when many students are taking a class for credit rather than a grade the atmosphere of the class is less conducive to learning.

Greenwald cited studies that showed that students taking classes for credit are more likely to get a C.

MUSTANGNEWS.NET

Campus police have been investigating the reported incident and plan to submit a complaint to the district attorney.

“We suspect that similar incidents like the one reported have occurred,” Berrett said. “We are asking anyone else who has experienced this to please contact us. It can be anonymous or confidential.”

Campus police can be reached at 756-7410.

2

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

Digital Director

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 4, 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 50 people gathered for a candlelight vigil at Santa Rosa Park to show they refuse to forget about Kristin Smart. The vigil was organized by Warriors for Kristin as new evidence is announced by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff.

D ESI GN Solena Aguilar Director Von Balanon Samantha Shin Lucy Houghton Sophie Kroesche

CAMILLA BRIA KLASSEN | COURTESY

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

UNIVERSITY POLICE

HEALTH ADVISORY

UPD K9 Zeus brings home $1,000 in contest

Campus Health and Wellbeing issues coronavirus advisory

University Police K9 Zeus is bringing home $1,000 as the sixth-highest vote getter in a recent national contest. The 3-year-old German shepherd beat out nearly 400 other K9s from across the country that were nominated in the Aftermath Services LLC grant contest in October. The grant gives police departments across the country the opportunity to win funding for their K9’s training and maintenance costs.

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

facebook-f Twitter Instagram

@cpmustangnews

Campus Health and Wellbeing is actively monitoring the outbreak and known cases in the United States in collaboration with the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department and California Department of Public Health, according to an email sent to all students, faculty and staff.

Coronavirus is a type of virus that causes diseases ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory disease, according to the email. The novel, or new, coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and has since resulted in hundreds of confirmed cases in China.

Cal Poly is following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and local health officials, the email said. So far, there have been six confirmed Cases in California, according to the CDC.

SUSTAINABILITY

$225K grant to add recycling containers

A $225,000 state grant will help Cal Poly increase beverage container recycling and support other campus recycling programs. Cal Poly’s Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability Department will use the funds from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to purchase and install about 690 blue beverage container recycling bins in interior/exterior hallways, courtyards and student dorm rooms, as well as a dozen sets of Big Belly solar compactor stations — smart, sensor-equipped waste and recycling stations.

COVER STORY ..

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CAMPUSj

O p in iO n

A "Golden Age" for Mustang Daily comes to an end as Troy Petersen bids a fond farewell to Herb Kamm.

O R N I A

P O L Y T E C H N I C

MAY 31, 1996

CSU could receive $2 billion from march ballot vote

5 Master Plan reimagines what campus will look like in 15 years

7 Cambria ‘Castle of Junk’ risks falling away to time

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Insert

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M usiang Daiiy

C A L I F

4

Clearing out your place for Check out the four-page the summer? Check out sports insert for a complete some ways to profit on it. roundup of the year.

Page 4

Si«IVB<t V

S T A T E

U N I V E R S I T Y

F R I D A Y

VOLUME LX, No. 132

S A N

L U I S

O B I S P O

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS

17

approves 2 Student disappears after party ASI new members

By Sandra Noughton

Doily Stoff Writer

Cal Poly freshman Kristin Denise Smart, who goes by “Roxy,” has been missing since 2 a.m. Saturday when she was last seen walking to her dormitory after a party.

She was walking home from an off-campus party with two friends who last saw her about 50 yards from the entrance of Muir Hall before they separated, said Investigator Mike Kennedy of Cal Poly Public Safety.

The 6-foot 1-inch blonde with brown eyes, weighing about 145 pounds, was last seen wearing a short, black skirt and a gray shirt. She is a speech communication major.

Campus police suspect Smart may have been under the influence of alcohol during the time of her disappearance.

Smart’s father and roommate reported her missing early Tuesday morning, after not seeing or hearing from her since Friday before she left for the party, Kennedy said.

“In the past, no (students reported missing) have been gone for this length of time,” Kennedy said. “The unusual circumstances of this case are that she didn’t take her purse, wallet, makeup or other belongings.”

Kennedy said she had no prior criminal history or problems that

w ould exp lain her d isa p pearance. She did not have a car or a driver’s license.

“It is out of character for her to be gone this long,” said Corrina Jones, a chemistry freshman who has lived across the hall from Smart since she moved in at the beginning of the quarter. “On weekends, she was not around much, but during the week she was here, which is why we got concerned.”

Although Smart is not steadily dating anyone, Jones initially thought she might be with someone she previously dated.

“Now we are worried,” Jones said, referring to other residents on her floor. “She liked to party, but she still completed her own responsibilities. She didn’t lose touch with school — she still had her priorities.”

Jones said she was also concerned because Smart does not have medication for her hyperactive medical condition. Attention Deficit Disorder.

“She is a very outgoing girl and different from other people,” Jones said, citing her interest in body boarding. “Not that many people around here know her, but we are concerned.”

Music freshman Jake Potts, who was at a party with Smart the night before she disappeared, said he was not surprised by her absence.

See M IS S IN G page 10

The Kristin Smart investigation through the last 23 years

at last ‘95-96 board meeting

By Steve Enders

Daily Stoff Writer

Players reflect on Kobe Bryant’s death

Kristin Denise Smart was last seen walking to her dormitory early Saturday morning / Photo courtesy of Campus Police

Academic Senate votes to table till next year two proposals to revamp general education

By Josit Miller

Daly Stoff Writer

Tension surrounding two proposals to revamp general education requirements dissolved for now as the Academic Senate voted yesterday to table them to next year.

The proposals were scheduled for vote on Tuesday, but discussion was so intense that Academic Senate Chair Harvey Greenwald scheduled a special meeting to continue the debate.

During that meeting yesterday, John Hampsey, chair of the com m ittee that wrote the proposals, asked the senate to table them, so they could be reintroduced next year.

“These issues are too important, too weighty, too many people are involved to be dealt with now,” Hampsey said.

The proposals had already been am ended, after con siderable discussion, to allow more representation from the professional colleges and Information Technology Services on the GE governing board — the ITS representative threatened to resign from the senate if ITS was not included on the board.

The amendments will no longer be part of the proposals when they are reintroduced.

“That’s not to say all work is lost. I’m sure someone will pick up the pieces,” Greenwald said.

Hampsey also made a motion that his committee, which has been working on the proposals for a year, be asked to return in

Wednesday night’s ASI Board of Directors meeting was full of emotion once again, but this time it wasn’t about free speech or clubs demanding more money.

Members expressed sadness over a long, eventful year and wished incoming members good luck as they take on many new issues next year.

Wednesday’s meeting was a carry-over from last week’s as members had created a 164-hour recess to deal with remaining budget items because ASI bylaws prevent regular board meetings during “dead week.”

The board approved two new members for positions on next year’s board of directors. Arc h it e c t u r e s e n io r A r tu r o Rodriguez was approved for the executive vice president position, the third highest on the board of directors. Human development senior Sean McGowan was approved for the vice chair post.

Rodriguez was one of nine being considered for the position, and is currently serving as president of Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano en Aztian (M EXA, formerly MEChA).

He has also served as director of SLO View for two years. SLO View is a community service organization where mostly young, disadvantaged students from See ASI page 10

the fall with revised proposals.

He then asked the university to continue the discussion started about GE because it provided his committee with v a lu a b le in fo rm a tio n and opinions.

Keeping the discussion alive would also benefit the morale of Hampse^s committee, he said.

Academic Senate votes to end credit/no credit grades for GE DaMy Staff Report

Senate meetings.

Without any student input, the Academic Senate voted Tuesday to discontinue the credit/no credit grading option for general education classes.

Though a student representative is invited to the senate meetings, no one from ASI has attended any this quarter.

Senate Chair Harvey Greenwald said.

ASI representative Bakir Begovic said a class conflict made it impossible for any student representative to attend

Greenwald announced the decision at Wednesday’s ASI meeting. He said the decision was meant to put GE classes on equal level with major courses.

Professors at the senate meeting said when many students are taking a class for credit rather than a grade the atmosphere of the class is less conducive to learning.

Greenwald cited studies that showed that students taking classes for credit are more likely to get a C.

The discussion then turned to how the senate could work more effectively on hard issues such as GE. Tuesday’s meeting consisted primarily of a debate between proponents o f the different proposals, primarily from the colleges of Liberal Arts and Science and Math, and opponents, mostly from the other colleges.

The list of people wanting to speak often exceeded normal standards, and G reenw ald repeatedly warned the senate that, unless discussion was sped up, it was not going to be able to vote.

There is no limit on the time each senate member may speak, or on the number of amendments which can be introduced, a loophole taken advantage of by many speakers.

Math professor George Lewis expressed his disappointment with the senate after Tuesday’s meeting.

“I regarded the meeting Tuesday as a travesty,” Lewis said.

“It was one of those meetings that I left having a low opinion of my colleagues.

See SENATE page 9

Police investigating sexual battery case Ddfy Staff Report An unidentified photographer on campus, either a student or staff member, is suspected of sexual battery of a Cal Poly student.

Within the past month, a student reported that the photographer asked her to disrobe while being photographed, during which time the suspect committed sexual battery, said Investigator Ray Berrett of Cal Poly Public Safety.

Campus police have been investigating the reported incident and plan to submit a complaint to the district attorney.

“We suspect that similar incidents like the one reported have occurred,” Berrett said. “We are asking anyone else who has experienced this to please contact us. It can be anonymous or confidential.”

Campus police can be reached at 756-7410.

CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER GIVING THEMSELVES SUBSTANTIAL RAISE for the mayor.

If approved next week, the changes will take effect January 2021.

The goal of the proposal is to reduce barriers for candidates to run, according to council documents.

The compensation committee surveyed the city about how compensation might affect someone’s decision to run.

In 2018, the City Council voted to increase the mayor’s salary by 15 percent and council members by 2 percent.

FILE | MUSTANG NEWS

City council members will vote on the potential raise Tuesday, Feb. 4.

BY AUSTIN LINTHICUM The San Luis Obispo City Council will consider raising their salaries at the Feb. 4 council meeting.

The compensation committee is recommending a 63 percent salary increase for council members and a 46 percent increase for the mayor, according to council documents.

This would bring the monthly compensation for council members from $1,224 to $1,990 and the mayor from $1,725 to $2,508.

The recommended increases were based on the area’s median income of $47,777. The median income was prorated using the average number of hours worked — 20 hours per week for council members and 25

This would bring the monthly compensation for council members from

$1,224

up to

$1,990

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FILES CHARGES AFTER POSSIBLE HIT-AND-RUN

GETTY

A video obtained by Mustang News shows two people being hit by a car that does not stop.

BY SABRINA PASCUA The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against 20-year-old Corban B. Kinloch in connection with a possible hit-and-run.

Kinloch was charged Monday with two counts of felony hit-andrun causing injury, according to court documents. Kinloch is set to be arraigned Thursday, Jan. 30 in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

University Police first received a call of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident Saturday, Jan. 18, after an 18-year-old man and 19-year-old woman were hit by a car near the Performing Arts Center.

A video, obtained from a livestream of the Vista Grande Dining Complex construction, showed the two college-aged victims entering the crosswalk on Grand Avenue and getting hit by an oncoming vehicle soon after. The car continued driving without stopping.

Both individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment for what appeared to be moderate injuries, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier.

Kinloch was taken to San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of hit-and-run and was released Jan. 20 on a $50,000 bail bond, according to court records.

CAROLINE SILVA | MUSTANG NEWS

The Smoke and Vape shop sells a variety of flavored nicotine products that the FDA labels as “attractive to minors.”

of selling e-cigarette products to minors.

“We are not going to risk our income, our life with [selling to] minors,” Mahmoud said. “We’re trying our best to be in the middle, to meet

the city in the middle. We don’t sell to minors, but still, there are people [who] have rights to get their product too, and we have the right to live.”

NEWS

“We’re going to be out of business,” owner of Smoke and Vape Fadi Mahmoud said.

E-cigarette products comprise about 50 percent of Smoke and Vape’s sales. The profit margin on vape products is about 35 percent, whereas the profit margin on cigarettes is only six percent.

Mahmoud employs five people, and his rent is about $5,000 a month.

“How am I going to pay $5,000 and employees?” Mahmoud said. “How am I going to pay that, if I can’t sell [e-cigarettes]?”

Part of the reason city council will consider banning e-cigarettes is to prevent minors from using them.

“I do have a high school student, and I do know that they have access [to e-cigarettes] in very easy ways,” City Council member Erica A. Stewart said at a City Council meeting on Jan. 21. “This will not stop it all, but it will stop the ease.”

However, Mahmoud said they always check ID cards to avoid the risk

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

A rainbow of e-cigarette products lined the shelves behind the cash register of Cork ‘n’ Bottle Liquor Store. The manager, Zack Kridi, gestured to a few of the candy-colored boxes.

“This will have to go, and this will have to go,” he said, while gesturing to flavored products with names like “fruit medley,” “blue razz” and “lemonade.”

By Feb. 6, companies will no longer be allowed to sell flavored e-cigarette products because they are attractive to minors, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news release. Menthol- and tobacco-flavored products may still be sold.

The FDA flavored e-cigarette ban will cause most e-cigarette products to disappear from Cork ‘n’ Bottle’s shelves.

The San Luis Obispo City Council will consider banning all e-products in San Luis Obispo, including men-

thol- and tobacco-flavored products, at the Feb. 4 City Council meeting.

The potential City Council ban includes a ban on vape juices, according to City Council documents.

“This is a big part of our our business right now,” Cork ‘n’ Bottle owner Tom Kridi said. “I mean big. It’s going to hurt our businesses, our families and our employees.”

Cork ‘n’ Bottle has been selling e-cigarette products for about 10 years, but sales increased significantly about two years ago when e-cigarette company Juul became popular, Zack Kridi said. Since then, E-cigarette sales have replaced a significant amount of regular cigarette sales.

“We’re going to lose a lot of revenue,” Tom Kridi said.

Since Cork ‘n’ Bottle is a liquor store, the store can still rely on the sale of other products after the ban takes effect, Tom Kridi said. However, some smoke shop owners said they are worried they will experience more financial loss.

MUSTANG NEWS

E-CIGERETTE BAN AND FDA FLAVORED NICOTINE PRODUCT BAN WILL AFFECT LOCAL BUSINESSES

BY STEPHANIE ZAPPELLI

3

4

CAL POLY’S TUITION FEES REMAIN HIGHEST OF CSUs A tuition audit will be completed in April

CSU COULD RECEIVE $2 BILLION FROM MARCH BALLOT VOTE

BY HAILEY NAGMA

Cal Poly remains the California State University (CSU) with the highest campus-based mandatory fees at $4,201, increasing $127 from last year according to the 2019-2020 annual campus fee report released Jan. 28. The report was released at the Board of Trustees meeting.

Mandatory fees go toward health services, instruction, materials services and facilities, quality of academic programs, student association and the student center. The board is responsible for oversight and adopts rules, regulations and policies for the CSU, according to their website.

The system-wide average increase for mandatory fees was $59, according to the 2019-2020 Student Fee Report.

Cal Poly’s mandatory fee increase was two times more than the average for all CSU campuses.

Some campuses increase fees to keep pace with inflation, according to the 2019-2020 Student Fee Report.

Inflation was about two percent, according to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), however Cal Poly’s Fee increased about one percent.

“It is the ups and downs of financial support provided by the state that drive the necessity of changes in tuition and fees,” Assistant Vice Chancellor for Budget Ryan Storm said at the Board of Trustees meeting.

Cal Poly’s health services fee increased $24 from $612 to $636.

Other campuses including Chico,

Cal Poly remains the California State University (CSU) with the highest campus-based mandatory fees at

$4,201

increasing

$127

from last year.

NEWS

A bond that would provide the California State University (CSU) system with $2 billion for infrastructure and technology improvements will be on the upcoming March ballot.

If passed, the funds would go toward a laundry list of upgrades that the university has piled up over the years.

“About two-thirds of Cal Poly’s physical campus is more than 30 years old, and the campus has an overall need of more than $242 million to address needed upgrades,” University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

These improvements could mean revisiting the renovation of Kennedy Library, which was put on hold last year

due to a lack of funding, according to Lazier. Other upgrades include repairing the hillside behind Fremont Hall and a refurbishment of the Preschool Learning Lab.

The campus has an overall need of more than $242 million to address needed upgrades.

University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Assembly Bill 48 would allocate $15 billion worth of funds to the California Public School system, divided between pre-K to K-12, community colleges, the CSU system and the University of California (UC) system. While $9 billion will go toward pre-K to K-12, each college system would receive the same amount of $2 billion.

Funding for the CSU and the UC will also require both systems to conduct housing affordability and availability studies within their areas. These prerequisites are meant to alleviate the housing crisis among college students in California.

In order to pass, the proposal requires a majority vote on the March ballot.

Humboldt and Maritime Academy campuses also increased their health services fee.

Cal Poly Pomona’s mandatory fee for 2019-2020 is $1,654, which is about 2.5 percent less than Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s fee.

Fee increases vary from campus to campus and range from the lowest mandatory fee in Fresno at $847 to Cal Poly’s $4,201. ”We should be proud our tuition and fees are low and it should not be used as an excuse to raise fees to catch up to other universities,” Board of Trustees member Romey Sabalius said.

The California State Auditor will complete an audit of CSU fees, which will be released in April of 2020.

COURTESY | MUSTANG NEWS

The proposed Kennedy Library renovations would open up the space.

CAL POLY BUSINESS WEBSITE LINKED TO PORNOGRAPHY SITE

MUSTANG NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

BY LAUREN WALIKE

BY STEPHANIE ZAPPELLI

AIDAN MCGLOIN | MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly’s mandatory fees have continued to rise. Source: CSU Finance Report

The Orfalea College of Business website was linked to a pornography site, Reddit user repostheaven posted on Tuesday, Jan. 28. About an hour later, the correct link was put in place, another Reddit user commented.

University Spokesperson Matt Lazier confirmed the redirection.

“Immediately upon learning of this, our team corrected the issue by updating the link to the student organization’s new website,” Lazier wrote in an email.

The link was supposed to lead to the website of student organization Information Systems Association.

After reviewing past iterations of the website, the club once used the domain currently showing a pornography site, but switched to isacalpoly.com in August 2019. Their old domain became available for purchase in October 2019.

The link to their new website was not replaced on Cal Poly’s web page until it was pointed out that the outdated link was directing to pornography.

The domain’s records have been re-

stricted, so it is unclear who owns the old Information Systems Association domain.

“As the web address that had been hacked was not a university page, we do not have information about when or how the site was redirected,” Lazier said.

Cal Poly information technology services checks all websites owned by the university for dead links but does not look at websites “outside of the calpoly. edu domain,” Lazier wrote.

ASSEMBLYMAN JORDAN CUNNINGHAM REVEALED NEW BILLS AT CAL POLY ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUMMIT

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“It’s also important that people wake up to the reality that human trafficking occurs in our city”

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

There have been 12 human trafficking-related incidents in San Luis Obispo County since 2014 — 26 survivors, according to California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI) Business Services Coordinator Danielle Borrelli.

The summit

The organization is made up of six main staff members and about 20 students whose roles vary from data analysis and software engineering to graphic design and videography. According to program manager Martin Minnich, the CCI is just as much about giving Cal Poly students “real-world” as it is about making a difference in California’s cyber security systems.

“In everything we do, we try to make the Cal Poly students the focal point,” Minnich said.

Computer science senior Zahnae Aquino currently leads the augmented reality and virtual reality software created at CCI, including a virtual reality simulation to train law enforcement agencies for real-life situations of human trafficking.

In addition to the appeal of hands-on computer science experience, Aquino said she is excited to be working for a cause that “really resonates with [her].”

Statistics junior Josiah Lashley is a data scientist at CCI, where he said he is tasked with collecting the data necessary to create effective tools that may help prevent human trafficking online.

“Education and awareness are key,

but it’s also important that people wake up to the reality that human trafficking occurs in our city, our region,” Borrelli said.

Borrelli added that there have been various cases in San Luis Obispo.

These cases include those in which victims accepted a false advertisement for a job and were forced to work and live with no pay, cases of sex trafficking where a young female befriended by traffickers was forced into selling sex within our county, cases of illicit massage work where individuals are lured into promising situations only to find out they are stuck with not only loads of debt but must pay off the money through sexual services if they want to return home, Borrelli said.

“We have seen poverty, loneliness, and aspiration for a better life all be used against someone for exploitation,” Borrelli said.

Cal Poly’s CCI will also host its fourth annual California Cyber Innovation Challenge, a statewide cybersecurity competition featuring high school and middle school teams, June 27-28, according to the CCI website.

NEWS

The summit offered specialized trainings for groups involved in all different areas of human trafficking prevention.

The free event took place at the Multi Activity Center on campus and was open to students as well as local resi-

dents and professionals.

The CCI is a multi-agency effort to protect California from future cyber threats through training and research for government, academia, military, law enforcement, first responders and private entities, according to the CCI website. Its partners are Cal Poly and the California National Guard.

The CCI was created in an effort to combat all forms of cyber threats — including human trafficking, which has become increasingly threatening with the use of social media and other online forms of communication, according to Borelli.

“A lot of human trafficking – as far as the solicitation, the recruitment and the grooming of individual – does happen online more now than ever before,” Borelli said.

The institute uses data analytics software to obtain information and create tools regarding online trafficking prevention. These tools, as well as training courses created by CCI, are then given to law enforcement agencies, first responder agencies and direct service providers for free so they may be used to prevent online trafficking.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

There have been 12 human trafficking-related incidents in San Luis Obispo County since 2014 — 26 survivors.

Fifteen of those individuals being minors, according to California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI) Business Services Coordinator Danielle Borrelli. Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham said he is hoping to change that.

“Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, and it’s happening right here on the Central Coast,” Cunningham said. “While we’ve been successful in getting anti-human-trafficking bills signed into law over the past several years, there’s still more to do to protect trafficking victims and increase awareness of trafficking warning signs.”

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham introduced his new legislative package, including three separate bills, at Cal Poly’s anti-human trafficking summit.

The first bill will require states to post a list of lawyers who provide legal services to trafficking survivors probono.

The second bill incorporates human trafficking training into truck drivers’ educational material so they are aware of and can recognize the signs. The third allows dating apps to alert users if an individual they are talking to has been reported for trafficking.

“We have to protect the victims and give them support and resources to rebuild their lives. We have to imprison the perpetrators” Cunningham said at the summit.

All three bills will be heard at the assembly committee in the spring.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Summit was hosted by the CCI from Jan. 26-28. It included a community panel, resource fair, and student project showcase, documentary film, talks with a survivor, and law enforcement training sessions.

MUSTANG NEWS

BY RACHEL GRANGER & SOPHIE LINCOLN

6

CAL POLY | COURTESY

NEWS

MUSTANG NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

The Master Plan includes all present buildings and future structures and parking lots that will be constructed in the next 15 years.

CAL POLY’S MASTER PLAN REIMAGINES WHAT THE CAMPUS WILL LOOK LIKE IN 15 YEARS The Master Plan will redesign four core areas of campus by 2035

BY MAUREEN MCNAMARA

A Cal Poly campus that extends toward Poly Canyon Village with a new hub, double the amount of buildings, and a convergence of Dexter Lawn and Centennial Lawn dubbed the “heart” of campus: this is what Cal Poly’s Master Plan envisions.

The Master Plan, which falls under the plans outlined by the Strategic Plan, creates a future campus quite different than that which current students know today.

University administration recently sent an email to the student body regarding the updates to the 20192024 Strategic Plan, the umbrella plan which incorporates President Armstrong’s Vision 2022, the Academic Plan, and the Master Plan.

The Strategic Plan is a “guiding doc-

ument that establishes the direction for the university’s decisions, funding priorities and actions,” University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

One of these subsections, the Master Plan, “guides the development and use of the university’s main campus.” In other words, the Master Plan determines how the physical layout of the campus will be different in the future. Cal Poly will expand with new residence halls and classrooms and lab facilities, according to the official document.

The Master Plan divides the campus into four main sections: West Campus, North Campus, East Campus and the Academic Core. Expansion is planned in nearly all of these four core areas of the campus.

In North Campus, there are plans for new residence halls, outdoor labs and athletic fields.

In the Academic Core area of campus, there are plans for the future development of a new section of campus called “Creekside Village,” which will hold “teaching and office spaces, recreation, retail and food services, lounge and study spaces [and] the campus Transit Center.”

The Transit Center will offer another stop for public transit. More specifics for the Center have not yet been detailed.

Within the Academic Core, the university hopes to create a “true heart of campus,” which will be the lawn area of a newly converged Dexter Lawn and Centennial Lawn.

The “heart” is supposed to become the central space for gatherings and

socializing for students. New bike paths and walkways will also be put in throughout this area of campus to facilitate more pedestrian and bike traffic.

In the East area of campus, where yakʔitʸutʸu was recently constructed, there are plans for another residential community. However, these residences are not designed for first year students. The Master Plan intends this new community to be for Cal Poly faculty and staff, graduate students, students that have families or are married and students in need of special accommodations.

The new communities planned for the North area of campus, on the other hand, will comprise of housing for freshman and sophomore students in dormitory and apartment styles. The university plans to

increase the amount of undergraduate students from approximately 33 percent, according to the official document, an expansion which will likely result in a two-year on campus living requirement.

These additions to the main academic area of campus are not exhaustive, as the Master Plan is a 200-page document that specifies numerous future building renovations and constructions.

This plan is only a section of the holistic goals of Cal Poly under the even larger Strategic Plan, which President Armstrong wrote in the official document “reflects our current understanding of how to make Cal Poly the best university.”

The Master Plan will be implemented over the next 15 years and is set to be finished by 2035.

‘YOU’NITY BENCH TO PROMOTE DISCUSSIONS ON DIVERSITY

7

The bench is not a “cute, little thing” for these students

ANDY SHERAR | MUSTANG NEWS

The Student Experimental Farm is entirely maintained by student volunteers from the Garden Club.

STUDENTS GROW PRODUCE ON EXPERIMENTAL FARM WITH SELF-SUSTAINING AGRICULTURE Permaculture techniques pave the way for new farming methods

BY KIANA HUNZIKER

MEGHAN PICKETT | MUSTANG NEWS

From left to right: Architecture Professor Jonathan Reich and seniors Kevin Marer, Nathan Lundberg, Geoffrey Sanhueza, Andrew Stratford and Leticia Lopes pose on the YOUnity bench in progress.

BY MEGHAN PICKETT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

STUDENT LIFE

A group of Cal Poly architecture students are creating a “YOUnity Bench” outside the MultiCultural Center (MCC) of entirely recycled materials to celebrate how education promotes and benefits from diversity, inclusion and civil discourse by enhancing multi-cultural understanding.

The YOUnity Bench was designed by architecture seniors Kevin Marer, Andrew Stratford, Nathan Lundberg, Geoffrey Sanhueza and Leticia Lopez, with the help of architecture professor Jonathan Reich.

The layout was designed to utilize the entire space so students could benefit from it in a variety of ways, such as through hosting guest speakers or other events, according to Sanhueza.

“We went to the MCC first to get feedback on our original design and see how they would want the different aspects of this area being used, so that we could edit and accommodate for those various activities,” Marer said.

The surface is made of tough, weather resistant material donated to the students by CaliBamboo and is made entirely from recycled bamboo and plastic water bottles.

The fixed seating and counter surfaces line about 25 feet around the

wall outside the doors of the MCC while keeping the patio floor area open.

“The MCC holds events and dialogues every week, such as Talk It Out Tuesday, which I’ve personally been a part of and it gets pretty crowded inside,” Lopez said. “This is a perfect opportunity, especially when it gets nice out, to open up the doors and have people spill out to the outside or just move the entire dialogue out here.”

The team’s goal for this project was to create something that was not only functional, but also an outside extension of the MCC’s positive and inclusive space, according to Reich.

“These projects are meant to be very useful, very durable, principled on themes that we think are important and values that we want to promote for places that we care about,” Reich said. “We’re not just building a ‘cute, little thing’ — we have a lot of deep values behind it.”

The students want to engrave short phrases and positive messages into the YOUnity bench to emphasize the bigger meaning and purpose behind this project.

“This bench is not generic, not mass produced, but instead, siteand people-specific,” Reich said.

“It really is the best aspects of design made by good people.”

MUSTANG NEWS

What used to be an empty space filled with grass and weeds on the outskirts of campus is now a flourishing garden complete with flowers, fruits, vegetables and even chickens.

The garden, located on the student experimental farm, is entirely maintained by student volunteers from Cal Poly’s Garden Club. Their mission is to implement sustainable agricultural practices.

The club was created in Fall 2018 by civil engineering junior and current club president Cameron Lilly, who said his passion for gardening stemmed from his family’s personal garden at home.

“I started [gardening] my senior year of high school, and I instantly got addicted,” Lilly said.

Lilly carried this hobby to his freshman year of college, where he planted the seed for the club by starting a garden in the hills behind the Yosemite residence halls. The university eventually removed the garden, Lilly said, but by then he had officially formed the Garden Club and relocated to the student experimental farm. “[The Yosemite garden’s removal] was like a blessing in disguise,” Lilly said. “We were able to put all our energy up here now, and it’s been pretty amazing what we have been able to do recently.”

Every Sunday morning, club members arrive at the farm and complete various tasks, from planting fruit trees to feeding chickens to harvesting herbs for tea.

The club’s overarching goal, however, is to incorporate permaculture

farming techniques into their gar- working towards.

Through permaculture, compostdening, according to Lilly. Permaculture is a method of sustainable agri- ing and other practices, club memculture “achieved by planting plants, bers said they hope to encourage raising animals, maintaining healthy alternative farming methods.

“The whole goal of Garden Club soil and many other aspects that all work together harmoniously to cul- is to prove that you can make montivate a well-rounded and balanced ey from this regenerative method, system,” according to the Garden where we’re actually helping the environment recover instead of takClub website.

Club members grow select plant ing so much from the environment, species in a particular way so that which is like the current method of they form mutually beneficial re- farming,” Lilly said.

Lilly said he hopes Cal Poly will lationships with each other and maintain the garden’s biodiversity to provide more funding next quarter and paid positions for students so maintain the permaculture system.

“If you provide the right environ- they can make a profit from their susment, [the plants] will kind of flour- tainable farming methods.

According to Lilly, the club consists ish on their own,” Lilly said. “They are an organism on their own and they of students from a variety of backwant to survive as much as we want grounds and majors, from agriculture to liberal arts to engineering. to survive.”

“Anyone can garden,” Lilly said.

Students also incorporate animals into the ecosystem, such as insects “It’s a lot easier than people think.” that eat pests and chickens that help fertilize the soil.

Environmental earth and soil science sophomore Emma Chantegros joined the club in Fall 2019 after a sustainable farming trip to Ecuador inspired her to learn more about how organisms are connected.

“Garden Club focuses on using the things we already have and how plants work together to be more productive,” Chantegros said.

The club also collects student’s food scraps and composts them. Although they do not have an official ANDY SHERAR | MUSTANG NEWS collection system yet, LilJunior Nicole Argueta holds one of the chickens on ly said it is a goal they are the farm that help to fertilize the soil.

8

SAMANTHA SPITZ | MUSTANG NEWS

Once a home complete with running water, gas and electricity for its creator Art Beal, Nitt Witt Ridge is now unlivable.

ONCE A CHERISHED ARTIFACT, CAMBRIA “CASTLE OF JUNK” RISKS FALLING AWAY TO TIME Artist’s house still stands after decades, but it is up for sale once again

FEATURES

MUSTANG NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

BY KAILEY O’CONNELL

Toilet seat picture frames, abalone shell arches and tire rim pillars are just a few components making up what Cambria residents call Nitt Witt Ridge – or the anti-Hearst Castle.

Made almost entirely out of reused goods and trash, the house has existed as a California historical landmark and a Central Coast attraction for nearly a century.

Despite little community appreciation left for the original artwork, neighbors who cannot stand the sight of it and a lack of funding – Nitt Witt Ridge still stands. However, to the dismay of current owner and tour guide Mike O’Malley, it is once again up for sale.

After buying two-and-a-half acres of land atop a hill for $500, Art Beal spent the next 50 years sculpting an intricate, three-story fantasy home out of nothing but concrete and found materials. Although he died in 1992, O’Malley said Beal’s presence still lives on in the house.

“You can feel something here – whether you think it’s pretty or ugly, or whatever – he created something from his soul,” O’Malley said. “That’s true art to me.”

Merriam-Webster defines the term nitwit as a “scatterbrained or stupid person,” but behind Beal’s castle of junk lies elaborate details and a sense of Beal’s whimsical personality, O’Malley said.

Despite what local residents think

of it, Nitt Witt Ridge has worn the title of California Historical Landmark No. 939 since 1981. On the house’s exterior, a large bronze plaque deems the house “a revealing memorial to Art’s unique cosmic humor and zest for life.”

The artist behind the “hysterical landmark” Born in Oakland in 1896, Beal grew up as an orphan. According to O’Malley, the house provided a creative outlet for him when he first moved to Cambria.

“It was almost like he had the imagination of a 15-year-old kid his entire life,” O’Malley said. “He was like a real Peter Pan.” A garbage hauler for 30 years, Beal did not believe in wasting items, O’Malley said. He collected discarded wood, rocks, jars, paint buckets, electrical wire and hundreds of Busch beer cans he emptied himself as building blocks for his creation.

According to Cambria resident Elizabeth Appel, Beal was “the quintessential pioneer of reduce, recycle and reuse.” To this day, she said, his photo still hangs on her refrigerator to remind her of his presence.

“I think he was pleased to show people you can live with less,” Appel said. “You can live within your means, you can incorporate and honor and respect Mother Nature in your space, in your world.”

Although he worked on his home

for five decades, Beal did not stay confined within its walls. According to Cambria Historical Society Curator and College of Math and Science alumna Melody Coe, he hosted poetry readings for children and built fireplaces for families in early residential homes.

“When I was a kid, everyone loved him,” Coe said. “He was very involved with the community.”

Beal was known for his house, but what he loved even more was the city of Cambria, Coe said.

“Certainly we have a lot of unique individuals who have lived in our community,” Coe said. “It has artistic history.”

Elizabeth Appel, who later became president of the Art Beal Foundation nonprofit organization in 1992, said anyone who sought to alter Cambria’s culture were one of Beal’s greatest annoyances.

“He thought they should appreciate the town for how it is and what it is, and shouldn’t try to change it,” Appel said.

As time passed, however, residents who knew Beal well came and went.

Appel took care of him during the last eight years of his life, after he began suffering from dementia as well as a myriad of physical ailments.

She eventually moved Beal from the house he spent half his life building to a Morro Bay nursing home in 1989. Because people were no longer able to meet him, Appel said, a crucial part of the Nitt Witt Ridge experi-

ence began to fade.

“He had a really great heart,” Appel said. “People [new to the city] were never able to experience that part of him.”

Preserved but not protected In its prime, Nitt Witt Ridge was not only intact – it was awash with life, according to Appel. When Beal still roamed the halls, his backyard garden overflowed with fresh fruit and vegetables, and a fireplace warmed the living room.

“He did have a personal sense of aesthetics, of what constituted a welcoming home to him,” Appel said. “It was charming, and it was inviting.”

Now, however, the house is a shadow of what it once was – sporting dust, leaves and cobwebs in every corner.

A tattered blue bathrobe still hangs in the closet, pieces of once-vibrant pink wallpaper still peel off the walls and rows of untouched, 50 years-expired canned goods still line the pantry. However, most of Nitt Witt Ridge’s current disrepair is unintended – an inevitable result of erosion and passing time.

Yet, its landmark status still remains.

To earn designation as a California Historical Landmark, a property must be “an outstanding example of a period, style, architectural movement, or construction, or it is one of

the more notable works, or the best surviving work in a region of a pioneer architect, designer, or master builder,” according to Sec. 5031 of the Public Resources Code.

Although the house meets this criteria, it does not receive funding from the state or from San Luis Obispo County, according to O’Malley.

This means all repair costs come out of pocket, which he said he cannot always afford.

When he first saw Nitt Witt Ridge, O’Malley said it attracted him “like a magnet.” He bought the house in 1999 with plans to bring large tour groups and to add a gift shop, but was quickly stopped short by law enforcement.

Since the building is on residential property, he said, he is unable to do commercial business. This means O’Malley can only conduct small tours at a time, and ask for support through visitors’ donations – setbacks he said that leave him with two choices.

“Either I’ll go broke and lose it, or I’ll die up here,” O’Malley said.

He owns the house, but he does not live there. Since Beal sold the water meter in 1997, Nitt Widge Ridge is unlivable. It is O’Malley’s hope that someone will buy the house from him, he said, and invest money to return it to its former glory.

Due to the house’s current state of disrepair, many residents are sick of the sight of it.

“I don’t like the way it looks – it looks bad,” Cambria resident Jeanine Pheoeh said. “I find that it ruins the whole neighborhood.”

In addition to disliking the house’s image, neighbors are also growing frustrated with tourist traffic crowding Hillcrest Drive’s narrow road, especially at its peak popularity in the summer.

Jerusha Greenwood is a College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences experience industry management professor specializing in sustainable tourism. She said residents generally push back in similar ways when they are concerned with losing the quality of life they are used to.

“There are lots of historic places that fall into disrepair and are unfortunately lost to time,” Greenwood said. “So, if that’s the case, Nitt Witt Ridge might be an issue that eventually the community has to address.”With the exception of a roof added by the Art Beal Foundation and intermittent tweaks from O’Malley, Nitt Witt Ridge has undergone no major repairs since its original construction.”

Nevertheless, the original house stands firm.

“I think [Beal] would be pleased people still marvel the place is still standing – that his ways and means of construction, as unconventional as they were, proved to be enduring,” Appel said.

AFTER RECEIVING BACKLASH, ONE STUDENT RECLAIMS HER IDENTITY AS A WITCH

9

Wiccan student discusses realities of growing up in and practicing an uncommon religion

DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS

Junior Helyn Oshrin said the Wiccan belief system prioritizes respect for the earth.

BY OLIVIA MONFORTE

life-giving powers.

Foxen said this power for women in Wicca does not come from built-in rules, but rather the opposite.

“Because it’s not an institution in the way that the Catholic Church is an institution, there’s nothing that’s set in stone that keeps women out of positions of power,” Foxen said.

“It’s fun to look at in a historical sense,” Oshrin said. “This was a way for women to gain a sense of purpose, a sense of power and a sense of control over their lives. Claiming myself as a witch for the first time in my 20 years – it was very empowering to me.”

Consent is also a central issue, Oshrin said. Hollywood depictions of love spells do not fly with Wiccans.

A witch could perform a spell manifesting more love in their personal life, but according to Oshrin it is not how the media portrays it.

“You can’t be like, ‘Oh, that guy over there, I want him to fall madly in love with me,’” Oshrin said.

In her young adult life, she said she has had to piece together her own coven. Not a “culty coven,” Oshrin said. Friends and roommates have been intrigued, with some of them eventually picking up the practice when they learned more about it.

“I explain it to them, and they’re like, ‘Wait a second, that’s what I’ve been thinking about myself this whole time,” Oshrin said. “I just didn’t know what to call myself or how to explain it.’”

She encounters people with this mindset so often that she’s developed a name for it: “in the broom closet.”

Oshrin’s roommate, communications junior Julianna Quihuiz, just

celebrated her first Wiccan ritual with her: making moon water under the full moon. This is a change for Quihuiz, who said she grew up Catholic.

“I really enjoyed [the ritual],” Quihuiz said. “Lately, I’ve just kind of been straying from my faith, because I’ve had a lot of questions with Christianity, but I still feel like I’m a very spiritual person.”

She said she was drawn in by the flexibility of Wicca.

“You find your own footing, so there’s no strict ways of how you need to be, which was something that I had a problem with in Catholicism,” Quihuiz said.

Fully accepting the title of Wiccan has been a slow process for her. Quihuiz tried to open up to her mother about her newfound spirituality, but did not receive the reaction she hoped for.

“I got really bad pushback from her for not wanting to be Catholic or believe in Jesus,” Quihuiz said. “It’s a really hard aspect that a lot of people go through in trying to transition.”

Oshrin said she sees a new wave of Wicca developing, or possibly just the commercialization of it.

From Urban Outfitters selling crystals and spellbooks, to people doing more spiritualistic practices like yoga, meditation and crystal work, spirituality is gaining more acceptance in ways most people would not recognize.

Still, Oshrin said she is doing the work of spreading the word on her own.

“They don’t have a bumper sticker for it yet,” Oshrin said.

BY KYLIE SMITH

away items such as croissants and slices of pie. The Brassiere will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but are still working out the breakfast menu according to Marketing Manager and Cal Poly alumna Kelsey Prins.

There are basic guest rooms, suites, ADA rooms and seven condos available for rent under private ownership.

“Ours is different in the way that it feels like [San Luis Obispo]” Prins said. “The edible garden and copper distillery are all different than what most hotels offer.”

The Brassiere is open to the public and reservations to stay are available.

Room rates vary from $300-$800 per night.

CAROLYNE SYSMANS | MUSTANG NEWS

Hotel Cerro has a rooftop pool and bar available for guests to use.

FEATURES

Hotel Cerro opened its doors to the San Luis Obispo community Friday, Jan. 31.

Beverley and Shaun Matthews joined the development team for Hotel Cerro in 2014 when they decided it was time to open another luxury hotel in a town that was lacking. The couple has opened five other hotels together all around the world.

The new hotel, located on Garden Street, provides guests with access to an edible garden, rooftop pool deck, and spa. The pool deck overlooks Madonna mountain and the hotel owners said they hope to eventually open it up to the public for private

events upon reservation.

The Brasserie restaurant on the first floor celebrated its Grand Opening on Thursday, Jan. 23. The French inspired eatery dishes up everything from burgers to vegan harvest bowls in its scratch kitchen. They also serve several craft cocktails and also support several local distilleries.

“We saw that [San Luis Obispo] had a need, we want to be a part of you and hopefully they want to be a part of us,” Food and Beverage Manager Jonathan Bagley-Rowe said. “The pricing is accessible, it’s a good value for products with high quality.”

The restaurant also features a walkup window for visitors strolling along Garden Street. It offers quick take

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

SECOND LONG-AWAITED LUXURY HOTEL OPENS IN DOWNTOWN SLO

MUSTANG NEWS

For the first time in her life, journalism junior Helyn Oshrin said she claims herself as a witch — but growing up “Jewiccan,” as she put it, was not easy.

Oshrin is culturally Jewish and was raised Wiccan. She said she lost friends who claimed to be afraid of her mother’s Wiccan religious practices. Classmates accused her of worshiping the devil and made violent

threats against her.

Despite recounting painful memories, she said, she tried to see through their eyes with empathy.

“All they’ve had is, ‘Oh, pagans are evil,’” Oshrin said. “And then they run into one. They don’t have a concept of what other things are quite yet.”

At 20 years old, she said she understands this was deeper than bullying.

Through a Cal Poly class, The WitchHunts in Europe (HIST 306) she is putting the pieces together.

Her fifth grade classmates did not hate her, she said – they were pawns in a system built around villainizing pagan rituals.

“In medieval times, it was Christianity or bust, and if you were ‘other,’ you were celebrating evil specifically,” Oshrin said. “That’s how they were able to do all the persecution and witch hunts.”

The ignorance of her peers can be chalked up to how little information there is available about Wicca as a broad practice.

“Each individual person who identifies as Wiccan will have a slightly different sense of what that potentially means to them,” College of Liberal Arts religious studies and women’s and gender studies professor Anya Foxen said. “That makes it both a really interesting thing to study and analyze, but also a really tricky thing to study and analyze.”

In college, Oshrin said she found more self-acceptance away from her high school and hometown.

For her, spells, crystals and covens are all involved, but they do not have to be.

“You don’t have to know any of [the spells] to be able to practice,” Oshrin said. “You can be whatever you want to be as long as you’re good to other people.”

The golden rule — treating others as one would want to be treated — is one of the few basic principles that make up Wicca. Specifically, Oshrin said, it is that whatever energy a person sends out into the universe, it will come back on them three times stronger.

The other ideal is having respect for the earth, she said, with roots in feminism and women’s

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

JUNE & JULY 1996

1996

Kristin Smart’s disappearance shocked San Luis Obispo in 1996. Then and now, the community has pushed for a deeper investigation. 23 years later, new evidence related to person of interest Paul Flores, the person to have last been seen with Smart, is being investigated. This is a timeline of the case.

BY LAUREN WALIKE

MUSTANG NEWS

In February, Gov. Pete Wilson offers $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for kidnapping or murdering Smart.

Flores was questioned during a November deposition — at the Veteran’s Memorial Building — about events regarding Smart’s disappearance. Flores refused to answer any questions, and plead the 5th amendment 27 times.

“On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” Flores said.

Other than providing his name, this is the only answer Flores gave to every question the Smart family’s attorney, James Murphy, asked him at the deposition. Those questions included his father’s name, if his mother had a sister, where he previously held employment and if he had “reported his Nissan truck stolen in San Diego.”

1997

KRISTIN SMART THE 23 YEAR INVESTIGATION

Paul Flores remains a person of interest in Smart’s disappearance. Paul gives his deposition to the Smart family’s attorney James R. Murphy Nov. 14, 1997.

FILE | MUSTANG NEWS

The Smart family files a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit against Flores.

NOVEMBER 1996

On June 5, the contents of Smart’s dorm room are seized as a possible crime scene. Weeks later, on June 26, all the evidence and the case is turned over to the Sheriff’s Department. Investigators search the home of Flores’ father, Ruben, for the first time in July 1996.

COVER STORY

In April, Paul Flores was arrested for a third DUI. In June, Sheriff’s investigators and an FBI Response team search a home owned by Susan Flores, Paul Flores’ mother.

2000

After six years Smart is declared dead.

2002

A new California law, the Kristin Smart Campus Security Act of 1998 is passed in August, which requires UPD to report cases involving violent crimes and missing persons to local law enforcement. In January of the following year, the Kristin Smart Act goes into effect.

1998

According to the Smart’s attorney James Murphy, University Police were slow to respond to the case because the department believed the “troubled girl” had run away.

FILE | MUSTANG NEWS

MAY 1996

Kristin Smart was last seen leaving a party on Crandall Way on May 25 with students Paul Flores and Cheryl Anderson. Anderson last saw Smart and Flores walking towards the Santa Lucia and Muir residence halls at 2:30 a.m.

Kristin was reported missing one day later by her Muir Hall roommate Crystal Calvin to a resident director.

University Police did not immediately report her as a missing person because according to the Smart family’s lawyer, they believed she had run away.

The Smart family tried to file a missing person’s report with the San Luis Obispo Police Department on May 28, but they were told it was too soon.

10

WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE

FILE | MUSTANG NEWS

About six months after the FBI concluded its excavation project on campus, three undisclosed items of interest are still being analyzed.

MUSTANG NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

COVER STORY

True crime podcast “Your Own Backyard” about Smart’s case was released.

“I think Kristin was killed the night that she disappeared,” podcast host Chris Lambert said. “I think she died the night she disappeared, and I think that between the time that she died and the FILE | MUSTANG NEWS morning hours of that same day, Chris Lambert grew up hearing about she was buried somewhere, and I Smart’s story and takes a deep dive into have a couple pretty good ideas of her sudden disappearance in his podcast. where that could have been.”

2019

On Sept. 6, 2016, the San Luis Obispo’s Sheriff’s Office and FBI began digging for remains at the “P” in search of evidence in connection to the Kristin Smart case.

A press release from the Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 9 said that it could take days or weeks to receive results on the three items of interest found on-site.

2016

Ten years following Smart’s disappearance Sacramento political consultant Terry Black offers a $100,000 reward for information leading to the location of Kristin Smart.

“This is a classic example of the system failing so badly on the campus that all key evidence on the case has been lost,” Black said. “That area is driven by the university itself and they have an undue influence over what goes on in that town. They always denied that [the system’s failing] because it exposes them legally and it exposes their lack of ability to protect their students.”

The FBI still had Smart on file as a missing person investigation, with a $75,000 reward for any information leading to finding her at the time.

2006

In January, Denise Smart said she was recently contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and told to be ready for a development that might bring closure to the case.

According to Family Spokesperson John Segale, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is not putting a timetable on the completion of the ongoing investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a news release the department currently holds two trucks in evidence that belonged to Paul Flores’ family members at the time of Smart’s disappearance. Paul Flores remains a person of interest and a key witness in the Smart case.

A total of $62,000 and 7,500 employee hours has been spent on the investigation by the Sheriff’s Office since 2011, FILE | MUSTANG NEWS according to the news release. In addition, the Sheriff’s OfKristin Smart graduated from Lincoln fice said they have served 18 search warrants, re-examined High School in Stockton in 1995. every item of physical evidence seized in the case and conducted 91 interviews. The Sheriff’s Office said no further information will be released about the case at this time.

2020

Denise Smart, Kristin Smart’s mother, announced a new scholarship on the anniversary of her daughter’s disappearance. The Kristin Smart Scholarship is funded by the nonprofit organization Justice for Kristin, which was originally founded to raise money for public awareness and increase the reward for information.

2017

A billboard about Kristin Smart is posted on Highway 101 in a new effort by her parents to discover what happened to their daughter nearly 13 years ago. The billboard, which will be up for about six weeks, can be seen near the north side of the Madonna exit, facing southbound traffic.

2009

On Feb. 2, a judge ruled that the ongoing investigation was not considered cold, which allowed the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department to continue their investigation.

A fourth and final investigation of the Flores residence took place May 23.

2007

11

E CASE, HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A CAL POLY FRESH-

Meet the Speakers of the Upcoming TEDxSanLuisObispo 2020 Conference: Xpanding Horizons On our campus, where many disciplines come together, TEDxSanLuisObispo will hold its fourth annual conference at the Performing Arts Center, Feb. 8 from 4-8 p.m. Ten incredible TEDx speakers will cover a range of diverse topics, including reading human behavior from the perspective of a famous magician, environmental engineering, a dual talk about prison reform and more. Along with the TEDx talks, there will be performances, a student showcase and networking opportunities. Now let’s introduce these 10 inspirational figures whose presentations will not only bring our community together but also expand our minds.

RICH FERGUSON Rich Ferguson is an award-winning magician and mentalist who you may have seen on YouTube, or in shows such as Ellen or the Tonight Show. At the conference, he will share his insights and secrets to reading human behavior, which you can use for sales, hiring, negotiations and life.

JAMES KING James King is a writer. His influences include James Baldwin, Angela Davis, his hometown of Ferguson, MO and his belief that all oppression must be eradicated. He said writes to introduce marginalized perspectives, and he writes to feel whole.

DAVID BARTOLOMUCCI When a life-changing experience during his teenage years altered his perspective, David Bartolomucci developed a new willingness to live life with purpose. He started at Cal Poly as a D1 athlete majoring in finance with a minor in theater, but despite his collegiate success, he was still searching for ways to create meaningful change in his life and impact others. By dedicating his time to a startup business proposal, he found that a traditional college experience alone might not be enough for people in pursuit of purpose.

COURTNEY REIN (ALONGSIDE JAMES KING) As an educator, Courtney Rein said she believes her students have often been her greatest teachers: from young people to students-in-custody.

She seeks to democratize the classroom and to expand its boundaries to include the wisdom that lives at the margins.

ZAHNAE AQUINO Zahnae Aquino, a current computer science senior minoring in psychology, works at the California Cybersecurity Institute as the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Software lead. She dedicates her time to developing a virtual reality simulation to help train law enforcement. She said

she thrives with the intention to be an example for women of color and survivors and hopes to show people what it looks like to be in tune with their power.

OLIVIA LUBARSKY Olivia Lubarsky is a senior on the NCAA Division 1 gymnastics team at Towson University. While at Towson, she founded the Own Your Roar initiative, a model organization for uniting mental health and athletics, further utilizing sports as the platform to start the conversation.

DAVE PRAKASH Dave Prakash is currently working on designing AI-based technology for healthcare. Before that, he served in the U.S. military for 13 years as a bomber pilot, operational test pilot and flight surgeon. At the conference he will discuss the valuable, but often maligned, role that uncertainty plays in our lives.

KATIE PATRICK Katie Patrick designs “Fitbit for the planet” apps that help social-impact entrepreneurs and sustainability professionals implement powerful data, game design and behavior-change techniques that create real and measurable change.

As the founder of Urban Canopy in San Francisco, she leads the startup to create high-definition thermal maps of urban heat islands to empower people to create more urban greening and cooling projects.

ROBERT CROCKETT Robert Crockett is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cal Poly. Prior to joining Cal Poly, he was founder and president of Xeragen, Inc., a San Luis Obispo-based biotechnology startup company. As the lead engineer at McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company, he developed technology evolution plans for the Space Station.

MISA CHIEN Misa Chien is a model and serial entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. While attending Harvard Business school in 2019, Misa began to develop and build her speaking career. In her talks, Misa’s topics focus on vulnerable experiences within her entrepreneurial and her personal life, to help inspire, motivate and connect with others. Expand your horizons with these speakers and your community at the Performance Art Center Feb. 8, from 4-8 p.m.

DEALS OF THE WEEK FEED CAL POLY Donate to students in need through Feed Cal Poly, a new program that helps to ensure all Mustangs have enough nutritious food to succeed.

Student, faculty and staff members can donate to the Cal Poly Basic Needs Initiative at any Campus Dining venue register. Your extra dollars will help provide struggling students with food, resources and hygiene products they need to thrive. For more info about the basic needs program, visit basicneeds.calpoly.edu.

THIS MONTH’S SUPERFOOD You know chili peppers for their heat, but you probably didn’t know the small spicy fruits are also packed with nutrients. Vitamin A, K and potassium are their secret weapon.

You can find them at Campus Market, Village Market and in other recipes across campus.

#CHOOSEWELL

Deals of the Week Now available on print and online.

Eating gluten free on campus is easy!

Not only are GF breads and buns featured throughout many venues, but there is even an allergen-free kitchen, including GF options, at 805 Kitchen. Check out the gluten free virtual tour of campus on our Facebook page.

GRAB DINNER AT yakʔitʸutʸu Attention all yakʔitʸutʸu residents!

One of Cal Poly’s food trucks will head your way each Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. Don’t miss out on fresh, delicious and – most of all, convenient – choices from either Curbside Grill or Central Coaster’s hometown favorites. Visit our Facebook event page for details.

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

@cpcampusdining

PUZZLES & HOROSCOPES

CLUES ACROSS 1. Indicates number of days 6. When you hope to get there 9. Hairstyle 13. Black (Spanish) 14. Expresses pleasure 15. Away from wind 16. Tech pros organization 17. Wile E. Coyote is familiar with it 18. Clean 19. Saints’ signal caller 21. A way to hunt 22. Poetries 23. Automobile 24. Secondary school (abbr.)

25. Indicates before 28. Male parent 29. Short-billed rails 31. It pays to keep yours 33. On occasion 36. David _ _, US playwright 38. Slang for cigarette 39. Vaccine developer 41. Returned to health 44. Toni Morrison novel 45. Period between eclipses 46. Veterans battleground 48. Gang 49. A radio band 51. Jaws of a voracious animal 52. Elaborate garments 54. Chinese province 56. Checks 60. Horizontal passage

61. Steep hillsides 62. Fertility god 63. Dried-up 64. Signs a name 65. _ _ Winger, actress 66. German river 67. Gov’t lawyers 68. Take something somewhere CLUES DOWN 1. _ _ Blyton, children’s author 2. Colleague 3. “The African Queen” writer 4. Crater on the moon 5. Toward 6. Overhang 7. Identifies something close at hand 8. Sign language 9. Unbroken views 10. Ancient Greek City 11. Stretch out to grasp 12. Alcohols that are unfit for drinking 14. Humorous stories 17. Long song for a solo 20. Barrels per day (abbr.)

21. City of Lights 23. A place to sleep 25. Advanced degree (abbr.)

26. The back 27. Furniture-makers Charles and “Ray”

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

29. Songs to a lover 30. Gland secretion 32. 10 meters 34. Disfigure 35. Stores grain 37. Sacred book of Judaism 40. Catch 42. Promise 43. Challenges 47. Russian space station 49. Banking giant 50. Served as an omen 52. Drenches 53. Type of sword 55. Minor planet 56. Messenger ribonucleic acid 57. Japanese ankle sock 58. Obtain in return for services 59. Waste matter 61. A proposal to buy at a specified price 65. Unit of loudness

ARIES – March 21/April 20 Transitional issues pop up this week, Aries.

You are not quite sure which direction you should go. A close friend or advisor can help you navigate the way.

TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Taurus, you are a team player, but this week you may need to fly solo for a bit to get a handle on all of your tasks. Once things get settled, the team mentality can be restored.

GEMINI – May 22/June 21 Gemini, if you feel like your hard work is not paying off, then you may need to use this opportunity to speak with a supervisor. This can spark changes you feel are necessary.

CANCER – June 22/July 22 Cancer, there are some major changes in the way you feel this week, and it could take a few days to work through all of the emotions. But you’ll get a handle on things.

LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 Big news arrives this week with much fanfare, Leo. The excitement will start early in the week and culminate by Thursday or Friday. Expect to be surprised.

VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Relationships can’t be the stuff of movies all the time, Virgo. Sometimes you have to go with the flow and make the most of the small daily moments.

LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 Your time has been stretched too fast and too much, Libra. The stress may be on and you’re feeling it. However, the remedy is to delegate some of your tasks and lighten your load.

SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Scorpio, you’re not one for being overly emotional and sappy, but this week you can’t hold back the feelings any longer.

Don’t hesitate to share your feelings.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than the close friends or relatives who are around you. They will have plenty of ideas that can get you fired up.

CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 You have plenty of events coming up to keep you busy, Capricorn. You may have to pick and choose which ones to attend because you simply can’t do them all.

AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 Aquarius, even though you think certain situations require your undivided attention, you’re really not involved at all.

Avoid reading into things and wait for news to come to you.

PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 It is time to assess your priorities, Pisces.

What do you want to get accomplished over this week? You can knock out one or two items.

THE HOOF

OPINION

13

CELEBRATING THE FREE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ON COLLEGE STUDENTS ADOPT STUDENT PRESS 'MINIMALISM' FREEDOM DAY 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.

BY AIDAN McGLOIN

Aidan McGloin is a journalism senior, a Mustang News administrative reporter and the founder of The Hill, Mustang News’ data team. The views in this editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of Mustang News.

Kiana Meagher is a journalism sophomore and satire columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS

Business senior and Mustang News Editor in Chief, Austin Linthicum leads the newsroom in a weekly meeting.

met with week-long email chains among administrators, with reporters left in the dark about their status.

We understand some of that fear is due to our own occasional misgivings. Another share of it is due to phantom pressure by administration.

To clear up the record: state employees have every right to speak about every aspect of their jobs.

Policies of prior restraint, including policies to refer to spokespeople prior to speaking with the press, are presumed unconstitutional.

In the 1998 federal appeals case

A free press is only as free as the students, faculty and sources who speak their minds.

Aidan McGloin wrote.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

OPINION

Harman v. City of New York, in which government employees were asked to contact a public information department before releasing information to the media, the court wrote, “The kind of approval procedure mandated by the City is generally disfavored under First Amendment law because it chills potential speech before it happens” In the 1981 case Barrett v. Thomas, in which a patrolman was fired for calling the sheriff a paranoid person with a “Hitler mentality,” the court ruled he punishment unconstitutional. “Although promoting loyalty, discipline, and efficiency in the department is a legitimate goal, these rules sweep beyond their intended ambit and impermissibly chill protected speech by the department’s

employees,” the court said.

In the 2017 case Moonin v. Tice, which took place in California’s Ninth Circuit, the Nevada Highway Patrol punished an officer who broke policy in speaking about the department’s K-9 program. The court ruled the department’s policy infringed on the officer’s First Amendment right: “Avoiding accountability by reason of persuasive speech to other governmental officials and the public is not an interest that can justify curtailing officers’ speech as citizens on matters of public concern.”

Mustang News has been told there is a process at Cal Poly — and that we must respect it — when it comes to reaching out to sources, employees and experts at Cal Poly. While I respect the individual right of employees to defer to others or to decline for comment altogether, this forced routing only causes a disservice for all involved in Cal Poly’s community.

It does a disservice to the students, the primary stakeholders in the educational mission of the university, who deserve the truth Mustang News seeks to report. It does a disservice to faculty and staff who would otherwise talk with members of the media, whether it be Mustang News, New Times or the Tribune.

It does a disservice to the students who came to Cal Poly to learn how to meet with people, individually, free from the control of others, and write stories about their important work.

We urge employees to understand their rights. We urge the recent re-routing process to be dropped, with the understanding that it chills free speech. We urge an open and free dialogue with members of the community.

When Netflix premiered the show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, on Jan. 1, 2019, no one had expected the cultural phenomenon that it quickly spread. More than a million people watched as Kondo folded her way into the homes and hearts of unorganized, American households.

This trend has made its way into Cal Poly’s campus as students have been adopting the practice of minimalism into their daily lives.

Freshman roommates Sierra Padre and Melissa Muir were inspired by minimalism after watching the show together. Through Kondo’s practices, they were able to cut their closets in half.

“We feel so liberated,” Padre said.

“Our lives were controlled by our clutter; now we only keep items that intentionally spark joy.”

Sparking joy is an essential part of the KonMari method, which helps people realize what is most important to them, letting go of what does not emit feelings of happiness.

After the life-changing closet clean out of shoes, scarves, and snow gear, the girls decided to adopt minimalism to all aspects of their lives, starting with throwing their homework desks in the dumpster.

“Homework doesn’t spark joy, so it was only natural to remove it from both of our lives,” Muir said. “Now I have more time to focus on things that excite me ... like making latte art.”

Sophomore Easton Foothill found that adopting minimalism was as easy for her roommates as it was for her. After the first few weeks in their apartment, the roommates developed a dislike for doing the dishes.

“Doing the dishes did not spark joy,” Foothill said. “So we threw them all away.”

Now, Foothill and her roommates eat out of their hands for meals.

“It’s not a big deal to eat out of our hands for sandwiches, but it gets a little more complicated for Soup Saturdays,” Foothill said.

MUSTANG NEWS

On Student Press Freedom Day, we recognize the importance of a free press.

We recognize the importance of a free exchange of ideas.

A free press is only as free as the students, faculty and sources who speak their minds. While Jan. 29 is remembered for the 1983 Supreme Court decision in Hazelwood v.

Kuhlmeier, which allowed administrative censorship of high school newspapers, there are more ways than redaction to silence a press.

Hungary forced the closure of its largest paper, Népszabadság, in 2016.

Peter Thiel bankrupted Gawker Media through funding multiple lawsuits against the company.

LA Weekly was gutted in 2017 by owners who disagreed with the paper’s liberal stance.

Our advertising team’s work has freed us from reliance on university funding which could change at administration’s discretion — unlike Utah’s Dixie State News, which had their revenue slashed by unfavorable student government.

Cal Poly’s status as a state school guarantees campus employees have no right to change our paper. All writing and editing is done by students.

We have it good in California, where First Amendment protections offer more than the national standard, and where the state quickly overruled the Hazelwood decision and gave the right to freely publish back to high school students. But we are not without problems.

A recent re-routing in interview requests has slowed down stories and built a barrier between reporters and campus employees.

My freshman year, an inquiry into a story would lend me an interview with a campus vice-president. Now, a request for an interview is passed along to a third-party, who asks for the complete lists of questions I would ask, who says no one is available and who sends back responses I cannot in good faith publish.

Requests for interviews have been

BY KIANA MEAGHER

She claimed that having to wash their hands and mop the floor is “still better than doing the dishes.”

History junior Trent Teagle was actually unfamiliar with the concept of minimalism until he started getting compliments from friends.

“Whenever my buddies would come over they would talk about how much of a trendsetter I was,” Teagle said. “For weeks, I thought they were talking about my clothes; It didn’t even realize that I was pushing fashion boundaries through my apartment.”

A peek inside Teagle’s humble Bond Street apartment, you’ll find nothing but a throw blanket and a dragon Pillow Pet on top of a single mattress.

“I found the mattress on the sidewalk on Kentucky and it brought me so much joy,” Teagle said, who also admitted to taking the pillow pet from a first-year during freshman move-in.

Known as “The Minimalist” among close friends, Teagle has since immersed himself in the lifestyle. Teagle stopped brushing his teeth, eating vegetables, and doing laundry because they do not spark joy in his life.

“Hey man,” Teagle said, sitting cross-legged on the dragon pillow in his empty room, “I got all I need.”

Art and design senior Cal Paule works part-time for Campus Dining in 805 Kitchen. Most days Paule’s found at the food waste post, where he monitors the freshmen’s used dishes. Paule started watching Kondo’s show after a friend recommended he "needed a little joy in his life.”

Paule was watching freshman scrape taters tots at the food waste station during his shift in 805 Kitchen when it hit him: 805 Kitchen did not spark joy.

“We’ve always talked about quitting the Kitchen,” mechanical engineering senior Lane Baker, Paule’s coworker and girlfriend, said. “I just couldn’t believe he actually did it.”

Following this epiphany, Paule immediately chucked his Campus Dining uniform into the cereal bar and ran to the street. Standing at the corner with his thumb up, it was only a few minutes before Paule was picked up in a green Volkswagen bus.

“I’ve never seen someone run so fast,” Baker said.

Mustang News was unable to get a statement from Paule.

“This morning a ‘Greetings from New Mexico’ postcard came in the mail,” said Baker. Paule’s note on the back?

“Sparking joy! Love, Paul.”

16

A LEGACY TO HANG YOUR HAT ON The impact of Swimming and Diving head coach Tom Milich

BROOKE CASHIN | MUSTANG NEWS

Tom Milich watches his team compete against UC Santa Cruz in Milich’s last home meet of his career. Cal Poly beat UCSC in all 32 events of the meet.

SPORTS

MUSTANG NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

BY NAYTHAN BRYANT

Before Tom Milich arrived at Cal Poly in 2006, there was not an olympic sized pool on Cal Poly’s campus.

Practices were not held twice a day.

Athletes did not swim between nine to 10 miles during training, and the program had not sent a swimmer to the NCAA Championships in more than four decades.

When assistant coach Phil Yoshida met Milich for the first time, he said he knew things were about to change.

“Hearing his plan, even at that point before we ran a single swim practice, he knew what he wanted to do,” Yoshida said. “He knew how he was going to go about doing it. He got me to buy in right away. When you believe in something, you’re willing to work for it.

Twenty individual conference titles, 28 program records, 157 conference all-academic honors, a state-ofthe-art facility renovation and five NCAA Championships appearances are all part of Milich’s achievements during his 14-year career as Cal Poly Swimming and Diving head coach.

But the impact and legacy of Milich, who announced his retirement this year, stretches far beyond the start-

ing blocks and diving boards of Cal Poly’s Anderson Aquatics Center.

Diving into a career of coaching

Milich’s interest in coaching water sports began as a staff member of the U.S.A. National Youth and Junior National teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Milich was part of the U.S. Water Polo staff that saw swimmer Janet Evans finish as a triple gold-medalist — an achievement Milich described as the highlight of his career.

Evans was just one of 61 high school All-Americans coached by Milich prior to his move into collegiate coaching.

“I think that’s what kinda hooked me in. All the travel across everywhere throughout the world made swimming and water polo a little more fun,” Milich said with a smile.

“It’s hard to beat the Seoul Olympics.”

After a brief stint as the head men’s water polo coach at Fresno State from 1989-1992, Milich continued his coaching success as the Aquatics Director for the Clovis Swim Club in Clovis, California.

In his 16 years with the club, Milich coached five swimmers who later

represented the U.S. in international competition as well as seven swimmers who competed at the NCAA Championships.

Milich’s coaching experience at the national and international levels eventually landed him at what would be the final chapter of an extensive 46-year career — head coach of Cal Poly Swimming and Diving.

Making a splash

Milich arrived at Cal Poly in 2006 to coach both the men’s and women’s programs. Over the course of 14 years, the Mustangs’ success increased dramatically both in and out of the pool.

Cal Poly broke all 28 individual and team program records several times over, won 20 individual conference titles and sent five swimmers to the NCAA Championships under Milich’s leadership.

In Cal Poly’s final season in the Big West Conference, which included powerhouses like UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and UC Irvine, Milich coached both the men’s and women’s teams to third-place finishes at the conference championships — the highest-ever placement for the program before switching to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Despite all the accolades and awards, Milich said he will miss the relationships he built with student athletes the most.

“This past year I think I went to 11 weddings, and they’re all like mini reunions,” Milich said. “[The students] are part of why I coach. I said a long time ago that I would keep coaching as long as it was fun, and they kept it fun.”

Senior swimmer Amelia Feick is one of several athletes who have won conference titles and broken program records during Milich’s tenure.

Feick said she attributes her success to the coaching, the facility and the tight-knit team culture that Milich helped foster.

“Our team is a family,” Feick said.

“You spend all this time with these people, it’s people you can lean on, people who become your friends, your roommates. It’s a great team culture and I feel lucky to be a part of it.”

An integral part of the Swimming and Diving team’s family-oriented culture is a heavy emphasis on academic success, something Milich went the extra mile for in his time as head coach. Unlike most coaches at Cal Poly, Milich holds practice twice a day in order to accommodate a diverse set of majors and heavy class schedules.

Cal Poly Athletic Director Don Oberhelman said he does not know if he has seen many coaches go out of their way for academic success like Milich has in his entire career.

“He’s not somebody that’s ever going to brag,” Oberhelman said. “But if he were, I think he would spend a lot of time talking about the number of engineers and architecture majors and other high achieving students that have come through his program that also excelled in the pool.”

While 100 percent graduation rates among his students athletes is no small feat, Milich’s goal-oriented approach goes beyond academics alone.

“I have a way”

In 2009, Milich spearheaded the development and renovation of the swimming and diving team’s current facility, the Anderson Aquatics Center. Although the pool itself was funded primarily through the university, the state’s budget fell short in funds for the rest of the facility.

As a result, Milich set out to continue its improvement by fundraising for new starting blocks, diving boards and a brand new $100,000 scoreboard — all of which have since been implemented at the center.

“I wish everybody could operate that way,” Oberhelman said. “[Milich] identifies a problem, figures out a solution, and then comes and tells me what he wants to do, how he’s going to do it and when he’s going to get it done by. I can’t tell you how much me, as an AD, appreciates

that in a coach, in terms of their ability to say, ‘I have a way.’”

Yoshida, who has been on the coaching staff for 19 seasons, echoed Oberhelman’s sentiment.

“He pushes staff and athletes to rise to his expectations, and he’s got a way of doing it that pushes you to be better yourself,” Yoshida said. “It’s one thing to want to do things, but it’s another thing to lead people and get them to move in the direction that you want them to move.”

Among those willing to work towards Milich’s goals are students athletes like Feick, who said Milich brought a light-hearted sense of sarcasm that made practicing 20 hours a week easier.

“He really loves the song Crazy Frog,” Feick said. “If you’ve ever walked by the pool when we have practice, he very frequently will play Crazy Frog full blast on the speakers. It’s really odd. I think he sees it as punishment. Whenever we start to enjoy it, he’ll turn it off and change it to something else.”

Milich identifies a problem, figures out a solution, and then comes and tells me what he wants to do, how he’s going to do it and when he’s going to get it done by.

Athletic Director Don Oberhelman said.

“Swimming has to be fun,” Milich said. “I’m pretty sarcastic … you’ve got to keep it fresh. Swimming is a sport where you’re just going back and forth up and down a black line.

It’s pretty difficult to stay motivated unless you have some fun out here.”

As for what’s next, Milich said he plans to get a real estate license in hopes to work alongside his daughters, who are architecture and engineering majors.

“It’s something we can maybe do as a family,” Milich said.

While Milich’s impact on Cal Poly Swimming and Diving is immeasurable in many ways, one aspect of his time as a Mustang is undoubtable — Milich will leave the program in a much better place than where it was when he arrived. That, Yoshida said is “a legacy you can hang your hat on.”

“The culture has changed,” Yoshida said. “Leading the athletes to understand [our goals] and leading them down that path of making the not so easy choice in order to excel athletically, he’s done it. There’s no argument there. He’s gotten these kids to rise above.”

THE LOSS OF AN ICON

Players reflect on Kobe Bryant’s death DIEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEWS

Sophomore Junior Ballard wrote, “R.I.P Kobe Bean. I’m meant for this”, on his shoes as a tribute to Kobe Bryant’s passing.

Ballard scored a career-high 32 points in Friday’s game to which he said, “8+24”, in commemoration of Byrant’s two numbers.

BY GABE ARDITTI

On Sunday, Jan. 26 Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine passengers who passed away in a helicopter crash on a Calabasas hillside.

While Kobe Bryant may be gone, his international legacy will live on as a model for preparation, competitiveness and work ethic. These traits influenced countless members of the basketball community and beyond, including members of Cal Poly’s Men’s Basketball program.

Redshirt junior forward Nolan Taylor said Bryant is one of his idols because of the way he approached the game of basketball.

“Kobe used adversity as his way

to overcome everything in life,” Taylor said. “He’s blessed me with the opportunity to think a different way that no hooper to come before him or even now has ever thought.”

Bryant became one of the winning-est basketball players the sport has ever seen during a 20-year career that included five NBA Championships, two NBA Championship MVP awards, four All-Star Game MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals. Bryant’s approach of never being satisfied with his current state is what set him apart from every player who came before.

Freshman guard Colby Rogers reiterated Taylor’s sentiment on Bryant’s influence through his over-the-top work ethic.

He’s blessed me with the opportunity to think a different way that no hooper to come before him or even now has ever thought Redshirt junior forward Nolan Taylor said.

“I mean, a lot of players put in hard work, but his was just on a different level,” Rogers said. “Like you have

hard work, and then you have Kobe work.”

After Bryant’s passing, athletes from around the world expressed what the star player meant to them.

Several tributes have poured in, including athletes wearing Bryant jerseys before games and speaking about how he impacted their lives.

Some have taken their tribute to another level of respect, such as Lebron James and Anthony Davis, who both got tattoos to immortalize their friend.

Sophomore guard Junior Ballard wears Bryant’s No. 24 for Cal Poly as a nod to his favorite player. Ballard said he has worn the number since he was in elementary school.

“Kobe meant a lot to me,” Ballard said. “I wear 24 for a reason.”

In his first game following Bryant’s death, Ballard wrote the phrase, “R.I.P. Kobe Bean. I’m meant to do this,” on his basketball shoes. Ballard went on to lead the Mustangs with a career-high 32 points in a dramatic 101-100 overtime win against Cal State Fullerton. Ballard later commented “8+24” on social media in commemoration of Bryant’s two numbers.

Like Ballard, graduate guard Malek Harwell’s fandom of Bryant began at a young age.

“I had a Lakers Kobe Bryant jersey, purple No. 8,” Harwell said. “When I was little, that was my favorite thing.

I think I wore that thing two, three, four days out of the week. My parents got mad at me, forced me to take it off and wash it sometimes.”

Assistant coach Justin Downer said Bryant’s mentality set a new standard. As a member of Vanguard’s coaching staff last season, Downer

met and spoke to Bryant as a result of Gianna’s basketball team practicing inside Vanguard’s gym.

“Anything short of what Kobe did, or his mentality, right, the ‘mamba mentality’ — it’s just an excuse.”

Downer said. “I think for the culture and especially a lot of the young players, both on our team and in the NBA now, he was the standard for them. He was the ‘why’ for them.

And I think that’s why it’s hit us as a community so hard.”

Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, was also lost in the tragedy. Bryant’s apparent love of being a father and Gianna’s immense potential as a rising star made the loss that much greater.

“Someone like me that has two daughters, and that’s close with my daughters, it hit home with me,” head coach John Smith said. “And I feel sorry for Kobe that he didn’t get a chance to see his daughters get to the level that I’ve seen my daughters get to, because [Gianna] was definitely going to be the difference in the [Women’s National Basketball Association].”

While he was never the biggest, fastest, or strongest player, nobody was willing to sacrifice more to win than Bryant, and that is what made it so easy to be a fan. Millions of athletes, coaches and fans alike lost an inspiration, an influence and a role model. Despite Bryant’s tragic passing, those closest to him can find comfort knowing he inspired an entire generation of future superstars.

“The older generation, they had Michael Jordan. This new generation, they have Curry, Lebron,” redshirt junior guard Keith Smith said. “When I was born, we had Kobe Bryant.”

BY RAFAEL MEDINA

5 from beyond the arc.

Within the first minute of the second half, sophomore guard Damion Squire scored a three-pointer to extend the Aggies’ lead by eight points at 33-25. A Jaakkola jump shot gave gave the Mustangs their first points of the half, cutting the deficit to 3327.

Both teams exchanged buckets throughout the second half, but the Mustangs were unable to complete a comeback.

Cal Poly pulled within four points at 39-35 after a layup from Colvin with 12:02 remaining, but the four point deficit was the closest the Mustangs came to evening score.

The Aggies distanced themselves with a 13-4 run to go ahead by 13 points at 52-39 with six minutes remaining. However, the Mustangs

responded with seven unanswered points to cut the deficit to 52-46.

Mooney ended the Mustangs’ run with a three-point jumper to put the Aggies up by nine at 55-46 with three minutes left in the game.

A pair of free-throws by Manjon granted the Aggies’ their biggest lead of the game at 66-49 with 31 seconds left on the clock. Freshman guard Colby Rogers scored the Mustangs’ final points with a two-point jumper as the game came to a close at 66-51.

Cal Poly was out-rebounded by UC Davis 37-32 and committed 18 turnovers compared to UC Davis’ 15.

Cal Poly will look to bounce back in its next game against Long Beach State Wednesday, Feb. 5 inside Mott Athletics Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

SPORTS

by freshman guard Ade Adebayo to take an 11-9 lead with 12:56 on the clock. The Mustangs answered with a 5-2 run, granting them a lead that lasted over three minutes at 14-13.

Over the next seven minutes, the lead changed seven times until a three-point jump shot by redshirt freshman forward Kyle Colvin evened the game at 24-24 with 1:52 remaining in the half. The Aggies converted free-throw opportunities in a 6-1 run to put them up 30-25 at halftime.

In the first half, the Aggies were led by Mooney and Majon with nine and eight points, respectively. Cal Poly kept pace with UC Irvine thanks to six points from Ballard and four points from Jaakkola. In the first half, the Mustangs made 3 of 9 three-point attempts while the Aggies made 2 of

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Cal Poly Men’s Basketball fell 66-51 to UC Davis in a match that changed leads 11 times on Saturday, Feb. 1 inside The Pavilion. Each team came into the game with a conference record of 2-4 in search of their third win.

Sophomore forward Tuukka Jaakkola and sophomore guard Junior Ballard kept Cal Poly (5-16, 2-5 Big West) within distance with a teamhigh 10 points each. Freshman forward Alimamy Koroma finished close behind with nine points. Senior guard Joe Mooney led UC Davis (914, 3-4 Big West) to its first home win in conference play, leading all players with 19 points.

Despite exchanging leads in the first half, the Mustangs failed to lead

in the second half and were kept to 36 percent shooting from the field compared to the Aggies’ 42 percent.

Redshirt junior point guard Keith Smith opened the scoring with a three-point jump shot two minutes into the game. Shortly after, freshman guard Elijah Pepper scored a pair of free-throws to open the Aggies’ scoring and bring the score to 3-2.

UC Davis took its first lead after junior forward Kennedy Koehler scored a jump shot to bring the game to 4-3. Ballard reversed the lead after scoring back-to-back jump shots followed by a free-throw to put the Mustangs up at 9-4 five minutes into the first half.

The Aggies responded with a 7-0 run, which included a pair of freethrows followed by a three-pointer

MUSTANG NEWS

MEN’S BASKETBALL LOSES MOMENTUM IN 66-51 LOSS AT UC DAVIS

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2nd Annual SLO Housing & Food Fair

FEBRUARY 13th

Dexter Lawn | 11 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 PM Free Food, Find Housing, & Win Prizes MUSTANG NEWS