Mustang News June 12, 2024

MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly student becomes youngest climber to accomplish Washington Bulger

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CAL POLY’S SPANISH-SPEAKING DEBATE TEAM: THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE U.S.

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THE AFTERMATH OF DORM DAMAGES: STUDENTS EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL DANGERS

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CAL POLY LEOPARD TORTOISE COLONY SEEKS NEW HOME

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CAL POLY STUDENT CELEBRATES THIRD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WITH HER LATE BEST FRIEND

CAL POLY MEN’S BASKETBALL NEEDS A FRESH START: HOW MIKE DEGEORGE IS THE RIGHT FIT

CAL POLY’S SPANISHSPEAKING DEBATE TEAM

AND BOLD GAMBLE’ CAL POLY STUDENT BECOMES YOUNGEST PERSON TO CONQUER WASHINGTON’S 100 PEAKS THE AFTERMATH OF DORM DAMAGES: STUDENTS EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL DANGERS

Richard Gearhart MNTV Adviser Stay Connected! Subscribe to the Roundup Newsletter!

Poly is in tiłhini, the Place of the Full Moon. We gratefully acknowledge, respect,

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Cal Poly student celebrates third wedding anniversary with late best friend

BY FIONA HASTINGS

Lainey Cauffman has worn a thin, silver ring on her right ring finger every day since she was 17, when she became a wife and a widow.

At that age, Cauffman experienced loss like never before, one that would follow her for the rest of her life.

As their junior year of high school came to a close, Cauffman proposed to her terminally-ill best friend, Kyle Bollar. A week later, they married on a sunny day in Newport Beach. Now a psychology sophomore at Cal Poly, Cauffman marks her third wedding anniversary without her wife.

“It was never about me,” Cauffman said. “It was never my wedding in a sense, it was all about just the light that she brought.”

Cauffman and Bollar became inseparable as they moved from volleyball teammates to classmates in a summer biology course after their freshman year of high school. Later, they solidified their connection in a close-knit friend group.

During high school, Bollar was distinctly social; An admired volleyball player by many, she held dreams of attending Stanford University, according to Victoria Burch, a close friend of Bollar and Cauffman.

After previously beating two cancer diagnoses during high school, Bollar received a third and final detection toward the end of the girls’ junior year.

“It came back and there’s nothing they can do,” Bollar told Cauffman during a phone call.

Bollar was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a rare type of sarcoma in the wall of the digestive system, according to Cancer Research UK. A cancer seen more in adults, only 2% of all GIST occurs in children and young adults.

Kyle’s friends jokingly called her a “unicorn” due to her consistent rarities – having ginger hair and blue eyes, both recessive traits

– and her battle with a rare cancer, according to Cauffman.

Since the phone call where Bollar broke the news, Cauffman’s perspective on life changed entirely. She started taking each day with “big strides” and spent nearly every day after school at Bollar’s house with other close friends, cherishing the little time they had left with her.

Graduating high school alongside friends, attending college, getting married and having children were among the milestones Bollar listed to Cauffman that she would never achieve.

“It’s so unfair, she deserves all these things,” Cauffman said.

However, there was one thing Bollar could beat cancer to: the opportunity to walk down the aisle.

Dining one night at a “Benihana style” restaurant, Bollar and her mother went to the bathroom, leaving Cauffman fighting back tears and expressing her frustration towards the cancer taking over Bollar’s body and wishes to her own mother.

“My mom kind of was like, you can help with some of these things,” Cauffman said. “I was like, ‘I can’t make the cancer go away, what do you mean?’ Then I realized what she was saying.”

That thing was marriage – something Cauffman could help Bollar accomplish, even though they did not share a romantic relationship.

Cauffman turned a moment of uncertainty into a proposal celebrating life, friendship and a win against cancer.

“It felt like nothing was wrong,” Cauffman said.

Bollar dressed in a traditional white wedding gown; Cauffman wore a black pantsuit. The two married on April 10, 2021. The wedding was funded by Make-AWish, a nonprofit organization fulfilling the wishes of children with a critical illness. It was officiated by Cauffman’s godmother, Vedica Puri, who opened the ceremony with “I’ll Be There For You,” the theme song from the ‘90s

wedding day and the event itself.

I hereby pronounce you best friends forever.

VEDICA PURI Lainey Cauffman’s godmother

“I hereby pronounce you best friends forever,” Puri said in the video where she officiated the newlyweds.

Ten days later, friends and family gathered at a reception with a theme meticulously chosen by Bollar.

“Our entire family was wearing weed socks,” Cauffman said.

Burch was one of their maids of honor during the wedding and delivered a speech at the reception.

“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because it was basically like a eulogy, but while she was alive and looking at me,” Burch said.

A mother-daughter dance occurred between Bollar and her mother, “a rough but bittersweet moment” described by a reception attendee and another one of Bollar’s close friends throughout high school, Cal Poly psychology sophomore Kiana Hosseinzadeh.

“I know it was very hard for

everyone to be there and picture what could have been kind of, but also I know this was so unbelievably important to Kyle,” Hosseinzadeh said.

Following the wedding, Cauffman embraced the marital experience with Bollar.

“We had a few really fun months of just joking about being each other’s wives,” Cauffman said.

“I was one of the sisters now, I was married into the family. It just brought such a nice distraction, such a nice piece of just unconditional love.”

Bollar died on October 3, 2021, at the age of 18 – a milestone age she aspired to reach.

“She’s still such a guiding figure in my life,” Cauffman said.

“And it sucks that I can’t tell her that, I want to be able to tell her that because she’s the best wife ever.”

TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2024

LAINEY CAUFFMAN | COURTESY Lainey Cauffman and Kyle Bollar on their wedding day.

Cal Poly Men’s Basketball needs a fresh start:

How Mike DeGeorge is the right fit

BY JONATHAN SZE

After two historically bad seasons, the Mustangs have a much-needed fresh start.

Hired on March 26, new head coach Mike DeGeorge represents the potential new era of Cal Poly Men’s Basketball, and it’s time to celebrate that fact.

Cal Poly Men’s Basketball has recently been, for lack of a better descriptor, not great. The long losing streaks at the end of the past two years of 18 and 20 games, respectively, make it difficult to find anything positive to look back on.

With an overall 12-53 record and a 1-38 mark in the Big West during the past two years, it’s time to look forward to the future.

SUCCESS IN THE REBUILDING PROCESS

DeGeorge is fresh off of rebuilding Division II Colorado Mesa, a program that was on a downturn before he arrived and has racked

up 19 or more wins in all five years at the school.

That sounds kind of like the state the men’s basketball program is in as DeGeorge takes it over.

It would be a little bit ambitious to assume we can jump from four wins all the way to twenty, but even double digits would mean a massive step in the right direction and the first double-digit season since 2016-17.

It also would serve as a step towards breaking a troubling pattern within the program’s history. As a Division I team across 30 seasons, Cal Poly has only had eight seasons at or above .500 winning percentage overall, with the last season at that mark being the 2012-13 season.

NAVIGATING ACADEMIC LIMITATIONS

One of the biggest challenges for any Cal Poly athletics team is the academic level demanded by student-athletes.

DeGeorge has experience with

that balance since he was a child. Degeorge said in his introductory press conference that listening to his father make calls to potential football recruits at Beloit College helped build an understanding of how to navigate high academic situations

He put it into practice at his stop before Colorado Mesa with the Rhodes College Lynx.

Although it is unrelated to the prestigious Rhodes scholarship, Rhodes College is highly committed to academics, with 133 student-athletes on the honor roll for Fall ‘23 alone.

During his eight years at Rhodes, the Lynx only finished sub .500 twice, one of which was his first year at the helm.

A MODERN OFFENSE

One of Mike DeGeorge’s first jobs in basketball was at Division III Grinnell College under David Arsenault.

If Grinnell College sounds familiar, you might have seen one of

the many NCAA scoring records set by players at Grinnell under Arsenault’s “The System” offense.

The tenets of that offense are pretty extreme: shoot only threes and play an aggressive form of pressing defense.

Under Arsenault, Grinnell set the individual single-game NCAA records for points (138) and assists (37) and holds the team record for most threes made (42) and threes attempted (111) in a game.

Colorado Mesa shot the fifth most field goals in Division II basketball and hit them at the eighth-highest percentage. One team in the nation (Indiana State) had a higher effective field goal percentage than the 59.6 percent mark.

Only 16 Division I teams shot more attempts than Colorado Mesa, and most played more games than the Mavericks. This is the exact opposite of Cal Poly in the recent past, where a slow offense and less than stellar looks led to an offense that was bottom 10 in the nation. Even if the efficiency is the same as it has been

in the past the volume of shots that go up will inflate the scoring numbers.

Despite this, DeGeorge is a staunch defensive coach. He is his own Steve Spagnuolo to his own Andy Reid. He said in an interview with Chris Sylvester

If you’re not going to defend, you aren’t going to get on the floor.

MIKE DEGEORGE Men’s Basketball Head Coach

Those numbers about how dominant Colorado Mesa was on the offensive end, not just in Division II but also in Division I, did not cost his team on defense.

Although this article has gone

OWEN ROBERTS | MUSTANG NEWS

DeGeorge is expected to implement a whole new and dynamic style of offense that emphasizes a fast pace style and efficient shooting.

on about the program’s lack of winning throughout its history, Cal Poly has had moments to hang its hat on.

Going to No.11 UCLA as 20-point underdogs and climbing out of an 18-point hole to win at Pauley Pavillion is one of the all-time college basketball upsets, and it put Cal Poly on the map before its 2014 NCAA run.

The 2014 run with David Nwaba, Chris Eversley, and Ridge Shipley taking the team through the Big West Tournament made Cal Poly Men’s Basketball the show in San Luis Obispo.

My dad brought home thundersticks from his job on campus adorned on one side with “Go Mustangs” and the other “Cal Poly”. Much to the chagrin of my mother, I banged them together as they got past their First Four matchup against Texas Southern. Even against Wichita State, the number one seed in their region there was that sort of puncher’s chance mentality.

The issue is that both of those happened a decade ago. The Cal Poly thundersticks my dad brought home from work have long since

deflated. The puncher’s chance mentality is all that is left.

I’m old enough to have participated in the optimism about the program’s trending direction after the 2014 NCAA tournament run.

I’ve seen optimism slowly decline since the buzzer sounded after their loss to Wichita State in St. Louis a decade ago.

It’s time to be optimistic again. No, we didn’t beat a ranked opponent on the road or make it to the NCAA tournament, but that is fine.

DeGeorge has experience rebuilding programs and navigating academic restrictions, and he’s here at Cal Poly to do both. The three commitments that DeGeorge has already gotten are a great start and with some of his players from Colorado Mesa still in the portal, there could be some experience with the system incoming to the Central Coast.

Hopefully, in the near future, the cold winter nights of San Luis Obispo should feel a bit warmer in the near future after leaving Mott Athletics Center.

RICK ORTIZ

OWEN ROBERTS | MUSTANG NEWS

New Cal Poly head coach Mike DeGeorge is introduced at a press conference by Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman.

CAL POLY’S SPANISHSPEAKING DEBATE TEAM

The only program of its kind in the U.S.

BY KIMBERLY AHMADI, JOSEPHINE WALL, ANGEL GAYTAN, OWEN LAVINE

Alejandro Valentin comes from a family of migrant workers. He himself has spent some time under the beating sun, working the fields.

Valentin grew up in Salinas to descendents of the Bracero program, a now extinct migrant farm worker program that facilitated the migration of Mexican farm laborers into the United States from 1942 to 1964.

“My grandparents worked in the fields, my mom worked in the fields for a little bit, my family has a lot of history regarding immigrant farm workers,” Valentin said.

Valentin spent most of his youth speaking Spanish at home with his grandparents, who raised him. So, when he got to high school he didn’t find Spanish to be an important class to take. Nonetheless, Valentin said his mom “forced” him to take it — a decision he would not regret.

“We don’t want you to lose your native tongue, it’s what defines you, it’s part of your culture,” Valentin’s grandparents reminded him.

Valentin enrolled at Cal Poly as a chemistry major with a history minor in 2020, but by his sophomore year he switched to his true passion—Spanish.

That’s where he discovered Cal Poly’s Spanish-Speaking Debate Team in Professor Marion Hart’s Spanish 302: Advanced Conversation and Composition class.

Valentin fell in love with debate despite his unfamiliarity and a year later, he’s now the captain of the Spanish-Speaking Debate Team.

Cal Poly’s Spanish-Speaking Debate Team is the only universityfunded Spanish-speaking debate program in the country, according to Hart. Hart said other teams exist within urban debate leagues and there are also student-led debate teams which raise funds independent of their institution,

We’re the next generation of people that will be in the workforce and some of us could even be in high-end positions, and I would much rather have somebody who has a good notion of the world that is to an extent conscious of how the world is spinning, be in that place of power.

ENZO GIANOLA

Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS) Debate Team Captain

but none receive university funding like Cal Poly’s.

It’s one of the rare communities at Cal Poly that centers Latinx and Spanish-speaking students and the issues that they and their communities face, according to Hart and Valentin.

“One of the things my grandpa also told me was always like, if you know something’s wrong, like stand up for yourself,” Valentin said. “We’re not doing it for the competition.”

The debate subjects are similarly topical and reflect the realities of those debating them, according to Hart. In their 2023-24 Legados debate series, Cal Poly’s team went up against Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS), a school in Tijuana, Mexico debating topics such as H2-A agricultural worker visas, unregistered cars in Mexico called “auto-chocolates” and agricultural water usage.

“You want to choose topics that are reflective of our communities,” Hart said. “A lot of our

Spanish-speaking communities have agricultural experience…we don’t want to get into the kind-of isolated ivory tower of debate.”

From Mexicali to San Luis Obispo and back

One of the most rewarding parts of the Spanish-Speaking Debate Team, according to Valentin, is the opportunity to travel to Mexico every year to CETYS Universidad in Tijuana for a debate tournament. CETYS and Cal Poly are a part of a one-of-a-kind debate league, Legados or “legend,” according to Hart. Each year, the teams travel to and from Mexicali and SLO to compete at their respective schools.

After weeks of intensive research into the debate topic of the tournament, the two teams trade the long trip. In March, the week before finals, Valentin and the rest of the Cal Poly Spanish-speaking Debate team set out on the 10-hour drive to CETYS.

MARION WINROW HART | COURTESY

The Cal Poly and CETYs Spanish-Speaking debate team at a competition.

“[It was] probably one of my best college experiences,” Valentin reflected on his first trip. “It was a huge bonding experience… we’re not just a team… we’re brothers and sisters.”

Sociology junior Alondra Cardoso joined the debate team her sophomore year and said the team has helped her find community.

“I’ve been through so much when it comes to public-speaking, I used to be so bad,” Cardoso reflected on her growth since joining the team. “We all get along, we all feel comfortable giving constructive criticism.”

Cardoso regarded driving down to Mexicali with her debate partners as one of her favorite experiences with the debate team.

CETYS’ team Captain Enzo Gianola found the cross-cultural dialogue between the two teams to be intellectually stimulating and fundamental to bettering society.

“We’re the next generation of people that will be in the workforce and some of us could even be in high-end positions,” Gianola said. “I would much rather have somebody who has a good notion of the world that is to an extent conscious of how the world is spinning, be in that place of power.”

Gianola added that debate helps foster dialogues between different and sometimes clashing personalities.

“I know the word ‘debate’ is very tarnished, honestly,” Gianola said. “People think of [people] screaming at each other and saying very mean things… but I hope events like these can prove that it can be a civil dialogue and it’s about constructing, not destroying each other.”

On April 13, the two teams

met in room E-27 of the Math building for the final debate of the Legados debate series. The debate topic revolved around agricultural sustainability. The event was attended and judged by

It helps students learn how to advocate for themselves and for their communities.

MARION HART

Cal Poly Spanish Professor

faculty from both universities and agriculture industry leaders.

“Like we’re not playing with chess pieces, we’re talking about people’s lives,” Gianola reflected on the debate.

Gianola’s group presented a proposal on the importance of the Colorado river which stretches all the way down into Mexicali and is an integral water source for ranchers and farmers in his locale.

Gianola said, on top of his courseload as a computer science major, he and his group researched their topic for 9 to 10 hours and held three practice sessions in a week. Gianola compared crafting an argument in debate to programming.

“The devil is in the details,” Gianola said.

Similarly, Valentin’s team chose something close to home in the realm of agricultural sustainability.

Valentin’s family relied on the food bank growing up following his

mother’s cancer diagnoses. His grandmother even volunteered at the Salinas food bank for a short period and noticed the incredible amount of food-waste.

“We’re trying to promote the fact that this food that’s deemed not adequate enough for these big markets and really still has some sort of use,” Valentin said.

Valentin’s group advocated for produce capture, the process of rescuing fruits and vegetables which would have been thrown away by grocery stores.

Debates like these are the thesis of the Spanish-Speaking Debate program, according to Hart.

“It helps students learn how to advocate for themselves and for their communities,” Hart said.

The Spanish-Speaking Debate Team started in 2017, despite the English-Speaking Debate Team being Cal Poly’s oldest team, winning the school’s first trophy in 1906, according to Hart. Seven years later, the team numbers 10 committed members.

“What we’re doing now… is to recognize that we have a quarter of the population who speaks Spanish in the U.S.,” Hart said.

But often a lot of those voices are left out, according to Hart.

“It’s kind of few and far between to find those communities on campus and it can be hard for people sometimes,” Hart said.

Valentin agreed; before joining the debate team, he took everything on the cheek and had a “tough it out, who cares, it’ll be over,” mentality.

“After joining the team, if I know something’s wrong… I’ll actually say something,” Valentin said.

STONE

KCPR’S 2024 CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

BY EMILY TOBIASON

THE ADAM EFFECT: A PAC-12 CHAMPION MAKING WAVES WITH THRIFTY BEACHES

BY KAT OROZCO

In this story, owner Adam Kemp sits in the Thrifty Beaches headquarters at 1019 Broad St. retelling his story of achievement and adversity. The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) freshman, who is also a nationally ranked Division I wrestler, spent the beginning of March celebrating a double triumph: the grand opening of the store in downtown San Luis Obispo and achieving the title for his weight class at the 2024 Pac-12 tournament, naming him the third Cal Poly wrestler to earn the 174 pound Pac-12 title.

THE MAKING OF “SWINGING STARS”: HOW THE CALIFORNIA COAST AND SELF-IDENTITY INFLUENCED MAPACHE’S LATEST ALBUM BY

ANGIE STEVENS

To describe the California sound is to play the music of Mapache. A certain West Coast, folk-rock flare produced by the warm harmonies of band members Sam Blasucci and Clay Finch, coupled with layers of instrumentals within each of their songs, leaves listeners basking in images of sun-kissed rolling hills and golden sparkles on waves of crashing blue water. This article explores Mapache’s history and the recording and touring of their latest LP, “Swinging Stars.”

CAL POLY STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE MADONNA INN THROUGH A NEW LENS

BY ALINA JAFRI

Beneath the whimsical themed rooms of the iconic Madonna Inn, a team of four Cal Poly students armed with racks of quirky attire, top-tier cameras and expansive lighting gear embarked on a transformative journey. They aimed to capture the hotel’s essence, turning it into a youthful, fantastical realm through their camera lenses.

CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE: CAL POLY ARTS AND ASI WORK TO SERVE HISPANIC STUDENTS BY FIONA HASTINGS

Cal Poly celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2023 through several community and arts events. In this article, we spoke to Cal Poly Arts and ASI to hear how the organizations are working to support and highlight Hispanic culture, as the university works towards becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

KAT OROZCO | MUSTANG NEWS

ASI | COURTESY

JORDAN MAROZIK | COURTESY

EMILY DUNCAN | MUSTANG NEWS

FOSTERING COMMUNITY THROUGH SOUND: MUSIC LOVERS CELEBRATE SHABANG’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY, TOGETHER BY

ANGIE STEVENS & KAT OROZCO

A recap of Shabang 2024, this article highlights the voices of the die-hard music fans who showed up to rail ride the barricades of their favorite artists, and the ones who were there to connect with the San Luis Obispo community.

FROM FASHION SHOWS TO PHOTOSHOOTS: HOW ONE CAL POLY STUDENT IS TRANSFORMING MAKEUP ARTISTRY ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND BY

ADILENE GOMEZ SANTIAGO

Interdisciplinary studies sophomore Sasha Hopewell was the first ever official makeup director for the annual fashion show put on by Fashion Student Innovations, Trendsetting and Styling (FITS) and Sustainable Fashion Club (SFC) this year. Hopewell’s talent has taken her on many adventures and will soon bring her to the London College of Fashion, where she’ll get to live her dream among other aspiring makeup artists.

PODCAST: WHERE DRAG PERFORMERS MATTER BY KATE HERNANDEZ, AMY CONTRERAS, AND SOPHIA MARTINO

KCPR’s podcast Where Different Matters amplifies underrepresented voices on Cal Poly’s campus and within the greater San Luis Obispo community by sharing the deeply personal stories of its guests and their activism. This episode features a vulnerable and educational conversation with two members of Cal Poly’s Drag Club.

SPOTIFY SOUNDTOWN PLAYLISTS BY KCPR STAFF

When Spotify put San Luis Obispo as one of the top “Sound Towns” of 2023, KCPR compiled a playlist of hip-hop, rock and indie pop hits based on the listening tastes of people who were matched with the happiest city in America. Check out the playlist and more at @kcpr913 on Spotify!

AND

SET WITH BLACK

Get an exclusive look into the world of Jay Binnix, known as Black Polish to their thousands of fans, in this article featuring an acoustic performance in KCPR’s studio. Learn about the artist’s musical inspiration, the making of their latest album and more.

WE ASKED THE CAL POLY COMMUNITY, “WHAT ONE RECORD WOULD YOU TAKE TO A DESERTED ISLAND? BY

ANGIE STEVENS

Taking inspiration from the 1978 book “Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island,” in which author Greil Marcus asked 20 writers what one rock and roll album they would take to a deserted island, we asked a mix of Cal Poly students and staff this very question. What came of it, just like the novel, was an array of interesting and eclectic choices, with in-depth commentary from some on their memories and experiences connected to their selected record. Others shared short yet meaningful odes to their choices, letting the songs themselves do the rest of the explaining.

BLACK POLISH | COURTESY

AN INTERVIEW

ACOUSTIC

POLISH BY FIONA HASTINGS AND OLIVE NELSON, VIDEO BY KCPR STAFF

OLLIE LAMKIN | KCPR

AIDON DILLON | MUSTANG NEWS

ELINOR KRY | COURTSEY Courtesy of Sasha Hopewell

Top 10 Multimedia Highlights

ANNABELLE FAGANS | MUSTANG NEWS

TURNING POINT

Cal Poly students counter-protest Turning Point USA speaker panel

RODEO

Cal Poly’s 82nd Annual Poly Royal Rodeo wrangles student excitement

XANDER LEVINE | MUSTANG NEWS

CFA STRIKE

An Empty Campus: California Faculty Association strike for one day at Cal Poly’s campus

MUSTANG NEWS

PARACLIMBING PROFESSOR

Cal Poly Professor Dylan Retsek’s Journey to the Paraclimbing World Championships

MUSTANG NEWS

ST. FRATTY’S

St. Fratty’s 2024 Recap: Property Damage, DUIs and unruly gatherings

FASHION SHOW

Cal Poly FITS x SFC hosts third annual fashion show

KRITHI SANKAR | MUSTANG NEWS

LAUREN EMO | MUSTANG NEWS

FRIDAY THE 13TH

Friday the 13th Flash Tattoo Sale at Tiger Rose

BAILEE ISACKSON | MUSTANG NEWS

JESSICA CARP | MUSTANG NEWS

PISMO BEACH SHELL SURVEY

Digging up an adventure: A Cal Poly Lab’s Clam Project

AIDAN DILLON | MUSTANG NEWS

SHABANG Fostering community through sound: Music lovers celebrate Shabang’s 10th anniversary, together

MCKENNA RODRIGUEZ | MUSTANG NEWS

HOLIDAY TOURS AT HEARST

Hearst Castle prepares for annual Holiday Twilight Tour

The faculty and staff in the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics celebrate you!

MAY YOU ALWAYS REACH FOR THE SKY AND BEYOND.

Cal Poly student becomes youngest person to conquer Washington’s 100 Peaks

BY JACK HILDEBRAND

Along the Bonanza Dark Traverse route, Andrew Okerlund hung in the air with nothing below. A rope was tied between him and a crack in the wall of rocks. Suddenly, he heard his climbing partner Kevin Hsu yell.

His eyes widened as he saw his partner quickly slipping from the snow and falling backward. Fortunately, Hsu was able to stop himself.

The Bonanza Dark Traverse route was one of 100 peaks Okerlund climbed to conquer the

Washington Bulger List.

The Bulger List was founded by a group of climbers known as the Bulgers in the 1970s, requiring climbers to climb 100 mountain peaks across the state. The group discovered the 100 mountains that now make up the list.

On Sept. 11, 2023, 20-year-old Cal Poly student Okerlund became the youngest individual to complete the list. He accomplished the feat in 85 days.

Okerlund highlighted how slowly over time he was able to reflect and understand the magnitude of this achievement. Without getting

much sleep over the course of his journey, his mental state was “a little foggy after completion.”

Okerlund’s familiarity with the outdoors began when he was young. He would ski on Mount Hood, which was located near his hometown of Camas, WA.

Throughout high school, Okerlund continued to backpack with his friends. However, he wondered how he could ascend to the high peaks.

Okerlund started his mountaineering journey with his friends in the summer of 2022 when he climbed all five volcanoes in

On Sept. 11, 2023, 20-year-old Cal Poly student Okurland became the youngest individual to complete the Bulger List.

Washington: Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams.

After climbing the fourth volcano, Mount Rainier, Okerlund had the idea of climbing the Bulger List over the next summer.

“My goal right away was to try and do 100 but I was not sure if it was possible,” Okerlund said. “Just starting, everything was intimidating and scary because there was a lot of unknown stuff.”

Before Okerlund took off on his journey to complete the Bulgers List, he had little experience with mountaineering.

To learn more about the endeavor, Okerlund connected with Jason Hardrath, the fastest person to ever complete Bulger’s list.

Hardrath, who is a physical education specialist from Klamath Falls, OR, completed the Bulgers List in 50 days.

According to Hadrath, the two’s connection deepened when they talked about why the experience matters for more than just themselves.

“It’s not just to be the fastest, not just to be the youngest to do something, not some accomplishment

ROSS JAMES WALLETTE | COURTESY

after, but who we get to become when we engage with these types of endeavors,” Hardrath said.

Even with his lack of mountaineering experience, Okerlund stuck with his plan and began climbing the Bulgers List on June 18, 2023. He also searched for partners to accompany him on each climb.

“It was a big and brave gamble for him to believe the right people will come along,” Hardrath said.

Okerlund planned his journey so that as he climbed more mountains, he would gradually face more difficult climbs and mountains to summit.

He had 12 partners throughout his quest. Out of the 100 peaks, Okerlund said he climbed only about 10 of them alone.

He also said that some of the climbs became so technical to the

point where in certain areas “if you fall, you’ll die.”

‘A SOMBERING CLIMB’

An unexpected hurdle occurred before one of Okerlund’s partners tore his meniscus before the start of the trip.

While looking for another partner, Okerlund met Ross James Wallette by connecting over Instagram.

Wallette ended up coming along on 42 of the 100 peaks Okerlund climbed. But there was one climb together on Jack Mountain that stood out from the rest.

Along their trek, they encountered scattered gear and unaccounted-for backpacks. One of the individuals’ gear belonged to Brian Williams, a climber who died

from a fall after summiting Jack Mountain in the North Cascades on June 26, according to The Seattle Times. The other person’s gear belonged to Williams’ climbing partner.

“It was a very sombering climb,” Wallette said. “Definitely a mood changer. Andrew and I had to talk through that. Were we going to take some responsibility? Someone needs to gather his stuff up and take it off the mountain.”

Okerlund and Wallette packed an additional 50 pounds of gear and continued to hike for a dozen more miles with heavy weight on their backs. The next morning, Wallette returned Williams’ gear to his widow.

Okerlund infrequently ran into climbers until he moved into the North Cascades National Park

Looking back on the experience, Okerlund is happy that he pursued it.

Throughout his whole adventure to 100 peaks, Okerlund documented everything and updated his Instagram followers on his learning throughout the process.

You start removing yourself more from people and things because you are so far from civilization and are surrounded by mountains. Everything is grander and the places you are in feel a lot more beautiful and real.”

ANDREW OKERLUND

Computer science junior

“I loved how he talked about what he did on social media,” Hardrath said. “How he spoke about the learning and experiences he shared with people who came alongside to help him.”

Hardrath hopes Okerlund can continue to invite others into the “spirit of adventure” as he searches

for his next adventure.

Okerlund and his team have been creating a documentary about his adventure up the 100 summits over the past nine months. A Seattlebased company called Range Meal Bars is sponsoring the film.

“100 Summits, Bulgers in a Season” premiered in theaters in Camas, WA and Seattle in early June. In the past week, Okerlund’s film also premiered in Portland, OR and at the Palm Theater in San Luis Obispo. Okerlund’s documentary will be made available to the public June 14 on Youtube.

“Came together in a way we did not imagine in the beginning,” Wallette said.

He served as the videographer and animator for this feature documentary.

Looking forward to what’s next on Okerlund’s mountaineering journey, he has workshopped the idea of doing everything “human-powered” between each peak.

Rather than traveling by car between mountains, human-powered would present another challenge by biking between every summit. He mentioned the possibility of reaching new nights on El Capitan and trying a different style of climbing.

As Okerlund looks back on a summer that he will never forget, he emphasized what he was most proud about after completing the Bulger’s List in 85 days.

“I survived and enjoyed the style that I did it in,” Okerlund said.

Mustang News Sports Top 10 Cal Poly sports moments of 2023-2024

1. CAL POLY FINISHES FIRST PLACE IN THE DENNIS FARELL BIG WEST COMMISSIONER’S CUP

MATTHEW HO

For the first time in Cal Poly history, the Mustangs finished first in The Dennis Farell Big West Commissioner’s Cup. The award is given to the Big West institution that has the most success in all men’s and women’s sports conference-sponsored sports.

Every placement in a sport is awarded a point total. The total points for each institution is added up and divided by the number of Big West sports each school has.

The Mustangs finished with an average of 149.4 points, which is a record for total points scored in a year. Long Beach State finished in second with 130.6 points. The school securing first place signifies the successful year Cal Poly Athletics has had across the board.

2. Beach Volleyball reaches Final Four of NCAA Tournament — Ammar Khan

2. BEACH VOLLEYBALL REACHES FINAL FOUR OF NCAA TOURNAMENT — AMMAR KHAN

The 2024 Cal Poly Beach Volleyball team ended its season as the highest-rated Cal Poly team in program history.

The No. 5 Mustangs defeated the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles 3-1 in the quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four. The decisive victory marked the first time in program history that a Cal Poly team advanced to the NCAA Championship Semifinals.

Despite being swept by No. 1 USC, the team’s historic season reached unprecedented heights not only within the program but Cal Poly Athletics as a whole.

3. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SWEEP BACK-TO-BACK BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS

DYLAN ALLEN

This year marked the second consecutive season in which both the men’s and women’s cross country teams won the Big West Championship under the new head coaching duo of Ryan Vanhoy and Michelle Chewens.

The men’s team was led by graduate student Davis Bove and junior Aidan McCarthy, who crossed the finish line in first and second place, with six Mustang runners inside the top 14.

Their highest finisher on the women’s side was redshirt junior Schuyler Gooley, who finished in fourth place.

4. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD SWEEP BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP OLUWALANAYO SOMOTUN

Cal Poly Track and Field became the first school in 14 years to sweep both the men’s and women’s Big West Championship.

In their first time ever hosting the event, the Mustangs capped off a phenomenal regular season in which school records were broken, and national recognition was earned in multiple events.

On the men’s side, Cal Poly swept all top three podium finishes in the distance events on their way to their first-ever men’s Big West title.

On the women’s side, sophomore Tatiana Cornejo and junior Melody Nwagwu’s victorious finishes in multiple events helped them earn their second-ever Big West Title.

5. CAL POLY WOMEN’S TENNIS WINS SECOND-EVER BIG WEST TOURNAMENT JACK BYNUM

For only the second time in program history, the team won the Big West Tournament and moved on to play No. 3 USC in the NCAA Tournament.

The team rallied together at the end of the season to dominate the Big West Tournament to send off their seniors with a championship.

14 Cal Poly athletes would earn a bid to the NCAA West Preliminaries.

Although none advanced to the NCAA Championships, the season was one that Big West Coach of the Year Ryan Vanhoy has to be proud of.

Even without anybody inside the top three finishers, the women secured the championship with a clutch finish from junior Carissa Buccholz. 1 4 5

Graduate Melissa LaMette and senior Delanie Dunkle left the school as champions in their last year with Cal Poly, they both rank at the top of the program’s record books for singles and doubles victories.

Coach Ellie Eldes Williams was awarded the Big West Coach of the Year for leading the Mustangs on the championship journey.

MIA-ISOBEL CRAIG Women’s Beach Volleyball

6. JESSICA CLEMENTS WINS BIG WEST SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR OLIVER MARBURG

Redshirt sophomore Jessica Clements took home Big West Player of the Year honors, a fitting conclusion to a stellar season from the Mustang center fielder.

Clements finished fourth in the nation in batting average, boasting .464 average. Through April 12, Clements had a batting average of .500, picking up a base hit in half of her at-bats.

Batting leadoff and playing center field, Clements led the way for the Mustangs in their first winning season since 2017 and a top-three finish in the Big West conference.

Clements is the first Cal Poly softball player to win Big West Player of the Year since Sierra

8. JOE YORKE BREAKS CAL POLY CAREER RBI RECORD SERGIO ROMERO

The season’s highlight for Cal Poly Baseball happened when fan favorite and senior first baseman Joe Yorke broke the program’s career RBI record.

Yorke broke the 25-year-long record on Sunday, April 7 in an 8-3 road win against Big West Conference rival UC Riverside with a two-RBI single up the middle.

Yorke passed former Mustang Steve Woods’ 160 RBI total to break the record.

Yorke finished his senior season and four-year Cal Poly career with 176 total RBIs, firmly etching his name at the top of Cal Poly’s record books.

ANNABELLE FAGANS Women’s Baseball 6 7 8

10. ADAM KEMP WINS PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL TITLE SERGIO ROMERO

Adam Kemp took home his first 174-pound title in the PAC-12 tournament.

The No. 9 ranked wrestler in his weight class was the only Mustang to take home a title in the tournament but was one of five total wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Kemp battled an injury all season but managed to take down Arizona State’s Cael Valencia to take home the 174-pound title.

Kemp came out of the tournament with a 16-3 overall record before advancing as far as Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament.

Kemp faced tough competition but held his own against the likes of three-time All-American Carter Starocci of Penn State.

7. KOBE SANDERS SURPASSES 1,000 POINT MARK CHARLIE WILTSEE

In his final game as a Mustang, senior guard on Cal Poly Men’s Basketball Kobe Sanders joined rare company. Sanders became the 26th Mustang in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

Sanders finished 25th on the all-time scoring list with 1,008 career points.

Sanders saw improvement in nearly every statistical category compared to his previous three seasons at Cal Poly. He finished the record-setting final game with 30 points, which he accomplished seven times over his senior season.

Sanders announced that he would be transferring to the University of Nevada for his final year of college eligibility in the 2024-25 season, but his achievements as a Mustang were truly outstanding.

9. CAL POLY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REACHES WOMEN’S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT RYAN GIACOMINI

The Women’s Basketball Team made their fourth-ever Women’s National Invitational Tournament this season.

Without their star player Natalia Ackerman, who led the Big West in blocks and field goal percentage, the rest of the team would have to step up.

The Mustangs would get key contributions from a pair of freshmen, Mary Carter and Jordan Hoffman but would fall short to University of Pacific.

In just two seasons, the program has seen dramatic improvement under head coach Shanele Stires. Reaching the WNIT is another step in the right direction.

HONORABLE MENTION: CAL POLY VOLLEYBALL SECURES FIVE WINS BY REVERSE SWEEPS TY SORIA

Cal Poly Volleyball earned the name “Cardiac ‘Stangs” this year after recording five reverse sweeps throughout the season including the postseason.

The Mustangs played exceptionally well in the fifth set, going 10-2 in games that went to five sets this season.

Cal Poly played in the first-ever Big West Tournament for women’s indoor volleyball, which took place

at the Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State.

In round one, the Mustangs made their miraculous fifth reverse sweep of the season against UC Davis.

The Mustangs didn’t hit their stride until about halfway through the third set. The attackers mixed up their hits and the back row figured out how to defend against Davis’s tricky jump spin serves.

Once again they took the game to five sets and successfully pulled off the reverse sweep 15-13 in the final set.

BRANDON BOMBERGER Men’s Basketball

BRANDON BOMBERGER Women’s Basketball

MIA-ISOBEL CRAIG Men’s Baseball

Hyland in 2010.

The aftermath of dorm damages: students experience physical and financial dangers

BY ARCHANA PISUPATI

It was April 2023. Computer science junior Adi Gottumukkala descended the stairway to Estrella’s fifth floor apartments in Poly Canyon Village (PCV), excited for a celebratory day ahead for his friends’ combined 20th birthday parties.

His walk took an unexpected turn — a detached exit sign came loose, slamming into his head.

Having previously received a concussion his freshman year, the collision caused Gottumukala a second-impact concussion. He remembers the rest of his sophomore year as “foggy,” a feeling that persisted into his junior year. The extent of his concussions could lead to brain hemorrhaging, swelling and seizures, exacerbating symptoms. These symptoms can occur at any time following a severe concussion, not just immediately after the impact. After consulting with the Health Center, Gottumukkala was asked to miss two weeks of school.

University Housing launches investigations to find residents responsible for damages when incidents occur. The Housing Fee Schedule includes estimated prices for each common damage throughout the residence halls. On average, an exit sign damage costs $300 to replace. Regardless of the

damage, the minimum fine on the schedule is $5 per person.

Gottummukala hopes University Housing improves their investigative processes overseeing damage cases, to prevent future injuries like his own. He received no compensation or aid from the University, aside from a notice to miss classes from the University Health Center.

I should be able to walk in my own apartment and feel safe, right?

ADI GOTTUMUKALA

Computer science junior

Gottummukala’s experience is not unique — student residents commonly experience the dangers of broken ceiling tiles, black mold, unsafe water filters and frustrating financial burdens to restore these damages.

According to University Housing

$300

policy, “residents have the right to environments conducive to sleep and study, environments respecting human dignity and clean and safe environments.”

In March 2024, a wave of damages cascaded Muir Hall during the early hours of St. Fratty’s Day.

Following the damages, students shared their grievances with the University Housing protocol.

As a result, some residents camped outside their halls for hours, in friends’ cars or other buildings’ common rooms.

University Housing is investigating the incidents around St. Patrick’s Day, with no confirmed total cost of damages.

University Housing explained given the extent of damages incurred, individuals may be identified for specific portions of the damages that took place, while other damage costs “may need to be shared among residents of particular areas,” according to a February 2024 email to Mustang News,

University Housing has not commented on an update regarding the damages after following up in May 2024.

The residence halls accumulated 3,075 incidents in the 20232024 academic year, according to an email to Mustang News. The

RED BRICKS ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST

SUM OF DORM DAMAGES

Nearly a mile away, Santa Lucia residential advisor (RA) and biomedical engineering sophomore Jake Larson found himself on the receiving end of a similar experience. Spring Quarter 2023, Larson heard four students running through the hall and smashing ceiling tiles.

Awoken by the noise, he opened his door to students he had never seen before– students who were not residents of Santa Lucia.

“They broke into a sprint,” Larson said. “I got up and chased them out of the building.”

While chasing them, Larson was pushed into his doorframe, among the broken tiles and dust. He was later diagnosed with a concussion. Larson was also among the Santa Lucia RAs who had to pay for the damages with the building’s party fund.

Each year, RAs are given a budget to host “programming” events for their residents which provide “social opportunities and educational experiences for residents,” according to University Housing’s

$25

Larson expressed frustration. He said the damages weren’t caused by residents or RAs, yet they were still being punished.

“It deprived our dorm of a budget that we did not deserve to lose,” he said.

According to University Housing, most damages from 2018 to 2022 occurred in the Red Bricks halls. Cleaning fees and ceiling damages accounted for 25% of all residential hall damages from 2018 to 2022.

When individual liability cannot be identified, each resident is charged with a share of the repair cost, according to University Housing Assistant Director of Outreach & Communications Nona Matthews. This practice has become increasingly prominent as damages have multiplied across residence halls.

“Incidents of vandalism are reported to CPPD and investigated by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities (OSRR),” Matthews wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Meanwhile, low-income program Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) have significantly less damages. TRIO

Achievers, Cal Poly Scholars and EOP students are all low-income programs on Cal Poly’s campus.

Historically, the low-income program RLCs are placed in the Red Bricks because rooms are priced lower, but in the 2022-23 year, the programs requested its participants be in yakʔitʸutʸu

According to Matthews, “Cal Poly Scholars, EOP and TRIO jointly decide on the placement of their RLCs. Offering a lower-cost option has been a consistent request over the years.”

Additionally, University Housing consults annually with campus partners on the locations of RLCs, allowing them to either rotate or stay in the same locations based on feedback from both residents and campus partners.

When students apply for housing, University Housing intentionally prioritizes the term RLC to encourage student community, rather than focusing on the building features.

Despite these efforts, each building earned a reputation — Red Bricks known for its chaos, the Yosemite towers consumed by black mold concerns and the yakʔitʸutʸu halls are the ‘luxurious’ dorms, according to business administration freshman Purajit Ghosh.

“yakʔitʸutʸu kids live in a bubble,” Ghosh said.

Ghosh lives in Trinity, a Red Bricks building, as a resident of the business college RLC. He and his fellow floormates have experienced up to $60 in fines throughout fall quarter.

“I feel like after a while, these damages don’t become shocking,” Ghosh said. “They just become

frustrating because they’re happening over and over and over again in charges being given to us.”

Ghosh said he feels the current policies to prevent damage fines don’t actively protect the students.

Due to increased nightly vandalism and damages during the 2023 Fall quarter, University Housing introduced an outside vendor, Miller Security, to monitor activity and maintain security from Thursdays to Sundays.

They work closely with University Housing staff and CPPD to report and address issues within the residential communities. However, these precautions were recently amped up even more.

In response to the destruction of St. Fratty’s, University Housing launched on April 4 the Community Support Program specifically in Muir and Tenaya.

Shifts are from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. and residents can only access the dorm through the front entrance and check in with a community service leader (CSL), according to past Mustang News coverage. CSLs are allocated between four shifts per evening, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“Nothing’s actually being done to prevent these charges,” Ghosh said.

“I feel like there’s no need to go to such extreme measures if they just have more standard measures.”

Ghosh suggested installing cameras as a solution. With cameras, he explained that RAs would not have to stay up all night to patrol the halls and University Housing can easily identify if those responsible for damages.

“It shouldn’t have to come to that fact that police are involved and we start ID scans,” he said. “It can be prevented much more efficiently

before it becomes that big of a problem.”

WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING DAMAGES?

Business administration sophomore Anahi Marquez-MarquezSilva lived in Tenaya as a resident and RA. As a resident, she paid nearly $200 to $300 in damage fees. In fall 2023, her residents paid $60 in fines each.

“In a building like Tenaya, damages seem to remain constant and I think if these damages were to start affecting low income students there should be exemptions given, especially if they are not contributing to the damage,” Marquez-Marquez-Silva said.

According to Matthews, there is no financial support for low-income residents.

“Resident income isn’t available to the committee that reviews damage appeals,” Matthews said.

“If a resident feels their financial status is something that should be considered during an appeal, they can include that information in the Housing Damage Charge Appeal Form.”

When receiving a notice of individual damage, students are given five days to complete the Housing Damage Charge Appeal Form, which comes with its own set of restrictions.

The appeal is only considered if the damage charge was incorrectly applied, the student presented new information or there was a special circumstance to be considered. In the case of a damage investigation, a student would have less than a week to plead innocent to the charge.

This process considers some damages to be extreme cases – in the case of Muir Hall, residents still have not been charged as a result of the ongoing investigation of the 2024 St. Fratty’s Day celebration. For many instances where damages do not launch into an extensive investigation, low-income students may experience the depths of University Housing’s fining process.

With the TRIO, EOP and Scholar halls being primarily in the yakʔitʸutʸu, low-income students benefit from fewer damage charges than other halls.

Electrical engineering sophomore Alejandro Maldonado said he is glad to be part of both TRIO and Cal Poly Scholars. Living in the yakʔitʸutʸu residence halls last year, he paid a total of $5 in damage fines.

Maldonado said he was not responsible for any of the building’s damages and felt like it did not make sense for the entirety of the floor to be charged for someone else’s damage. He added there was an active attempt to avoid damage fines in the community.

“We took care of trash and made sure everyone knew to take care of the floor, or else we would be charged,” he said. “I believe the university should hold the guilty party accountable instead of distributing charges to all residents.”

UNIVERSITY HOUSING HAS IMPLEMENTED BUSINESS CHANGES

Housing was unable to provide Mustang News with the corresponding damage fees with each

damage available from 2018 to 2022 as well as all 3,075 damages due to system changes.

In 2019, Housing began transitioning into a single system of record for maintenance and to automate billing. This is a “multiyear software consolidation project,” according to Matthews.

As of spring 2024, Housing is still working through the final phase of this transition to achieve “operational efficiencies.” In this process, Housing lost access to data from two software systems that were retired and are no longer being used.

Prior to this transitional time frame, Housing was operating on this fee schedule. As of October 2020, this updated fee schedule recognized some change in verbiage and charges; most prominently, ceiling tile damages, which account for nearly a fourth of all damages, were lowered from $50 per damage to $25.

MAKING AMENDS

Before moving out, psychology sophomore Riya Mahtaney and her floormates decided to memorialize the chaos of the Red Bricks. When the damages were out of the residents’ hands, there was only one thing left to do – remember the good times each of them shared.

“At the end of the year, we each signed a piece of the broken ceiling that was already damaged,” Mahtaney said.

However, it’s a last resort effort to make amends with what created so much chaos. Accepting their fates living in the Red Bricks, students like Mahtaney keep the chaos as a memory, despite still wishing for increased security.

Until then, Cal Poly’s on-campus residents share one common goal. Regardless of whether or not they receive it, all they ask for are the promises University Housing outlines: “environments conducive to sleep and study, environments respecting human dignity and clean and safe environments.”

19

MAYA ROTSTEIN | MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly leopard tortoise colony seeks new home

BY EMMY BURRUS

At the top of Cal Poly’s campus at the poultry center lives a colony of leopard tortoises. These seventeen tortoises are taken care of and studied by students in ASCI 290, the reptile husbandry enterprise class.

Offered every quarter – including over the summer – the class typically consists of fifteen students, each with three to four weekly shifts to check on the tortoises.

Two students are there in the morning, at midday and in the evening to take care of the animals and their enclosures, while collecting data.

During the morning shift at 9 a.m. the tortoises are fed, enclosures cleaned and data collected based on the environment including the temperature of their mats.

The midday shift is a one hour period anywhere between noon and 3 p.m., where students get to take the animals outside for sun exposure, while checking that they have water and everything the tortoises need.

During the evening shift at 7 p.m., additional data on their environment is collected, the food they ate is recorded and the space is cleaned and closed up for the night.

Animal science senior Mira Meckel is currently taking the class for a second time and plans to help with the colony this summer.

“You kind of get attached to the tortoises, in a way,” she said. “It’s kind of a nice part of your day just go through routine.”

The tortoises were born in 2004 and were donated by the National Zoo in Washington D.C., which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. They’ve been on campus since 2008.

The National Zoo needed further space for tortoises with a higher conservational need, as leopard tortoises are not endangered.

Mark Edwards, who began working at Cal Poly in 2007, has been with the colony ever since.

“I really appreciate how many students have been able to take advantage of these animals and learn from them,” he said. He says that these students are

developing standards for the leopard tortoises, as there is not a lot of information on them. So this class shares their data through publications and presentations to the public.

The students provide all of the care to these animals, while managing the facility and the equipment that goes along with this. The program is built around how these animals develop when they’re fed a specific diet and maintained in a specific environment by a rotating group of students.

This class allows students to work with a different type of animal than the others on campus through consistent evidence based animal care applicable to other animal management systems. Some of the students who have worked with the colony are now working in over twenty zoos and aquariums across the country.

“They’re giving you freedom and like kind of autonomy to learn what it’s like to actually like work in the field,” she said.

The leopard tortoise colony has been located in this temporary space since the pandemic, but they are now seeking donations for a new location next to the incoming animal health center.

This animal health center is now in the design phase of planning. Edwards said that if the two facilities are built simultaneously, they can be more efficient with their budget.

Currently, the tortoises are in a

You kind of get attached to the tortoises, in a way. It’s kind of a nice part of your day just go through the routine.

MIRA MECKEL Animal science major

Edwards teaches the reptile husbandry class, which meets as a whole group every Thursday from 3:40 to 5:30 p.m. for the students to take measurements of the colony.

To track the growth of all seventeen of the tortoises, every week they take measurements of their shell, carapace, weight, plastron and height.

The carapace measurement is the depth of the scoots in the tortoises’ shell and the plastron is the underside of the animal. These measurements are all cataloged by the class, including by animal science sophomore Annabelle Kao.

biosecure area to limit exposure to pathogens. Specifically, the temporary location lies within the biosecurity perimeter of the Poultry Center.

In the space closer to the center of campus, the design will allow for more people, including the general public, to come see, appreciate and learn about the tortoises.

“We’ll be in a place where we can share these animals and their story with the other students on campus, the campus community, and the community of San Luis Obispo at large,” Edwards said.

The program is hoping to raise $250,000 for the 2,500 square foot structure, with a total goal of $450,000 as the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) has already pledged $200,000 in state funds.

Donations to support the new habitat for the leopard tortoise colony can be given through CAFES Giving by identifying “LEOPARD TORTOISE HOUSING PROJECT” as the fund for the donation.

As you pursue your dreams, we hope you stay connected to the Cal Poly community through Career Services by:

Letting us know your post-graduation plans! forms.office.com/r/LSFTpt1Q8i

Networking with alumni and students on the Cal Poly Career Connections platform! careerconnections.calpoly.edu

Using our career services and resources for alumni! tinyurl.com/6pyja67y

805-756-2501

ank You

STUDENT LEADERS in

University Housing

CONGRATS GRADS!

1055 Olive Street, San Luis Obispo

7-2pm, 7 days a week

(805) 543-6403

CLASS OF Kendall harris

Bachelor of Science

Liberal Studies

And minor in Spanish

CONGRATULATIONS, KENDALL ROSE!

We are so proud of you. You will be an amazing teacher and positively impact the lives of your students. We love you very much.

Mom and Dad

Congrats, Mustangs!

2024

CLASS OF LINDSEY AMARO

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE MATHEMATICS

MINOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

YOU DID IT!! Behind you, all your memories. Before you, all your dreams. Around you, all who love you. Within you, all you need.

All our love Mom, Dad, and Ashley

2024 JOSHUA

CLASS OF KAILIN MORRIS

Bachelor of Science Public health

CONGRATULATIONS!

Celebrate this accomplishment and keep on shining. You are just getting started! We are so proud of you and look forward to your next chapter at Boston University. Mom and Brady

CONGRATULATIONS

CONGRATULATIONS!

ARI SOphia LOPEZ

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE | JOURNALISM

DOuble minor in Global Politics and Law & Society

ARI, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. WE WISH YOU THE BEST IN ALL YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Love, Grammy and Grandpa

Elli Grace Rouse

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE | Child Development

HAPPY GRADUATION!

Your inspirational journey has been marked by extraordinary resilience and determination. Like a butterfly spreading its wings or a wildflower blooming in sunlight, you’ve grown stronger and wiser. We love and cherish you.

CLASS OF

Ari Sophia Lopez

Bachelor of Science Journalism

Double Minor in Global Politics and Law & Society

CONGRATULATIONS!

Ari, “Behind you, all your memories. Before you, all your dreams. Around you, all who love you. Within you, all you need.” – Lilli Viahere

Now the adventure begins!

Zach Olson

BACHELOR

OF SCIENCE

| BUSINEss ADministration

CONGRATULATIONS YOU DID IT!!

Congrats Zach! Starting college in 2020 certainly was a curve ball for you and your class, but you adapted and came out stronger! We’re so proud of the smart, funny and kind man you’ve become. Keep chasing your dreams!

CLASS OF 2024

CLASS OF

Ella Bovetti

Bachelor of Science

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration

Ella, we are so proud of you and everything you have done at Cal Poly. Now on to your next adventure!

We Love You,

CLASS OF Alex Aquino

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Graphic Communication

Concentration: UX/UI

CONGRATULATIONS ALEX!!

We are beyond proud of you and all you have accomplished at Cal Poly. Keep having fun and never stop growing, learning and challenging yourself in life’s adventures. We love you!

Mama, Dave, Papa, Alicia, Natalie, Giana, Katelyn & Josh

CLASS OF

CAMERON LANE

Bachelor of Arts History

Law and Society Minor

We are so proud of how kind and compassionate you are on top of being exceptionally motivated and highly driven toward your goals. We can’t wait to see where your life takes you, next up, UC Davis Law School! I know you will accomplish all your dreams! Love you to the moon and back and to infinity and beyond!

Mom and Dad

CLASS OF

2024

Lily Catherine Rafanan

Bachelor of Arts Sociology

CONGRATULATIONS, LILY!

You have never let challenges limit you, and look where the journey has led.

We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished and the dreams you are pursuing.

All our love, Mom, Dad, Ava, Nana, Pops & Sparky

2024

CLASS OF Gabrielle Moreno

Bachelor of Science Mathematics

CONGRATULATIONS!

With your hard work, dedication, and perseverance you have accomplished so much. We love you, are immensely proud of you, and will always be by your side to support you! May God continue to guide, advise and watch over you.

Dad, Mom, and Justin

Jacqueline Pickel CLASS OF

Bachelor of Science

CONGRATULATIONS

We

Ashley Hanna Wise CLASS OF

Bachelor of Science

Experience Industry Management

WHAT AN AMAZING FOUR YEARS!

We are so proud of you and your many accomplishments. Enjoy all that life has to offer, work hard and shine bright as you always do! We love you!

Mom, Dad, Brandon, Evan and Family

CLASS

CONGRATULATIONS, NATHAN!

We’re so proud of you, and excited to see where the road takes you from here. Enjoy all the adventures along the way. You make the world a better place. We love you!

Mom, Desiree & the entire family

Mckayla Bollinger CLASS OF

Bachelor of Arts

Dad, Jules, Cam, Mel, Grandma and Grandpa

CLASS OF

2024

Rachel Ann Phelps

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Human Nutrition

with a minor in Biology

CONGRATULATIONS RACHEL!

Thank you for inspiring others with your compassion, discipline, and integrity. You rocked Half Dome, which shows how you conquer life with strength and determination. We are so incredibly proud of you! As you continue to pursue your dreams, know that we are your biggest fans and will always be here to support you!

Love Always, Mom and Dad

CLASS OF

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CONGRATULATIONS, DYLAN!

We are so incredibly proud of you! Follow your dreams and God’s path for your life. The Lord has blessed you with extraordinary talents—go change the world! We love you so much!

Mom, Dad, and Tyler 2024

Soto Boys

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering & Agricultural Systems Management

CONGRATULATIONS BOYS!

We closed our eyes for but a moment and suddenly three amazing men stood where three sweet boys used to be. We are never prouder than telling others that you are our sons. May God give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. For through him, all things are possible. We love you forever!

Your Family