January 22, 2015

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More than the media: Understanding Islam at Cal Poly

GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS MUSLIMS ON CAMPUS

| Members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) don’t often feel targeted at Cal Poly, but they face campus-wide ignorance about their culture, president Munir Eltal said. to learn about Islam. The event’s announced title was “The Five Pillars of Islam,” but Eltal suspected the discussion would quickly digress from that topic — and that’s exactly what he wanted. “The five pillars don’t address issues I think people are more interested in when they talk about Islam,” he said. “People are curious: What’s a Muslim? What are they doing? Why do they seem to hate us all?” Though Eltal had prepared a PowerPoint presentation and 90 minutes’ worth of talking points for last Thursday’s event, his plans were quickly overrun by questions from the audience. They asked about topics ranging from women’s roles in Islam to the Qur’an’s approach to violence. Eltal wanted to educate the audience as much as possible. “If you want to stem the tide of any Islamophobia, any ignorance, all you can do is educate,” he said. The Charlie Hebdo massacre presented Cal Poly students with a crucial opportunity to learn about Islam. Eltal wanted to take advantage of the successful turnout to educate about issues most San Luis Obispo residents wouldn’t normally encounter. “We live in the San Luis Obispo bubble where everyone’s happy and jolly,” Eltal said. “It’s the happiest place on Earth, and relatively, there are no issues here. No one’s persecuted for their faiths or beliefs.” While Muslim students might not feel targeted on campus, he said, it’s not necessarily because their peers know better — it’s because they don’t care. Apathy is the main perpetrator of ignorance about Islam on Cal Poly’s campus, Eltal said. “When you don’t have issues around you, it’s really hard to feel for them,” he said. “People here don’t know Muslims. It’s a minority group, so it’s no one’s fault. How are you going to meet them? When you don’t know someone or can’t connect with them on a social, personal or spiritual level, you’re going to be apathetic as a result. And that’s what you get at this school.”

Brenna Swanston @brenna_swanston

Eight days after Muslim extremists attacked French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Cal Poly’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) president, Munir Eltal, stood before a crowded University Union (UU) conference room. It overflowed with spectators in chairs, on the floor and lining the hallway, all anxious

see MSA, pg 2.

The Expendables return to SLO Brew

SARAH ABDEL | COURTESY PHOTO BOWL FOR BREW | The Expendables will play for a sold-out house at SLO Brewing Co. this Sunday for their Winter Blackout 2015 Tour.

JAY THOMPSON | CAL POLY MAKING HISTORY

| Patrick finished third overall in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the highest finish of all time by a female driver.

Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangNews

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick speaks to packed audience at Cal Poly Jen Silva @jesilva345

Danica Patrick, known to millions for appearing in bikinis in GoDaddy commercials, spoke at Cal Poly as a bold, strong woman who has set multiple records as a professional NASCAR driver. Growing up racing cars, Patrick never thought of herself as a female race car driver, she only thought of herself as a race car driver. That’s what Patrick, the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500, told hundreds of people gathered in the Chumash Auditorium on Tuesday.

“I wasn’t taught to be the best girl, I was taught to be the best driver,” Patrick said. A NASCAR star and GoDaddy spokeswoman, Patrick was introduced by San Luis Obispo resident Blake Irving and GoDaddy’s chief executive officer. Patrick told the audience that being a female driver was never something that was pointed out to her until she started getting more attention for her racing.

see NASCAR, pg 3.

The Expendables will head back to San Luis Obispo for their Winter Blackout 2015 tour on Sunday for a sold-out performance. SLO Brewing Co. will welcome the reggae band with open arms and a packed crowd eager to hear classics such as “Bowl For Two” and “Let Her Go,” as well as songs from their 2014 album “Sand in the Sky.” The Expendables rocked out under the limelight of SLO Brewing Co.’s stage last spring and it’s evident, by tickets selling out a week before the upcoming show, that they have been sorely missed. The Santa Cruz natives will hit Sacramento on Jan. 27 and Chico on Jan. 28 before leaving the state. They will return to play in San Francisco on March 12 and Santa Ana on March 13. Fortunate Youth and Katastro will open for The Expendables. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 25.

News... 1-3 | Arts... 4-6 | Opinion... 7 | Classifieds... 8 | Sports... 9-10

NEWS | 2

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Construction of new residence hall brings heavy expectations Jessica Nguyen @xjessnguyen

After Fall Commencement in 2015, parking lots G-1 and R-2 will close for the construction of the new Grand Avenue and Slack Street residence halls, leaving freshmen with fewer parking options near their halls. “There will not be parking immediately adjacent to Sierra Madre and Yosemite for our resident students,” Associate Director of University Police Department (UPD) Cindy Campbell said. But the university has a plan. There are 1,326 parking spaces in the G-1 and R-2 lots, located adjacent to the Sierra Madre and Yosemite towers. Removal of these areas will not prevent students from finding parking, as there are enough spaces on campus to accommodate current parking demands, Campbell said. Residents have the choice of parking their vehicles in the R-1 lot, located behind the red brick residence halls and North Mountain along Klamath Road. The R-3 lot along Vil-

lage Drive and R-4 lot behind Poly Canyon Village on Canyon Circle are also available for residential use. There are no plans to expand residential parking. “We don’t want to run out of parking spaces, so we will have caps and limitations on how many permits can be sold,” Campbell said. “It’ll be a wait list system.” Upcoming students bringing their cars onto campus will have to sign up on a first-come, firstserve basis for their preferred lot choice. Without the G-1 parking lot, commuting students will move toward other general lots located on the opposite side of campus. Increased traffic on Highland Road and California Boulevard is to be expected and may require additional traffic directing at peak times, Campbell said. “We’re working on a mobile app,” Campbell said. “We want you to be able to plan the trip before you ever leave home.” The app will be available for Cal Poly students in Fall 2015 — just in time for the construccent of Muslims actually live in South and Southeast Asia. “We tend to forget the diversity within Islam,” Lloyd-Moffett said. “Yet we embrace it in every other instance.” The 2010 Pew Report estimated there are 1.57 billion Muslims worldwide, spanning many countries and cultural traditions. Islamic traditions meld with their surrounding cultures like all religions, Lloyd-Moffett said, so most controversies surrounding Islam stem from cultural traditions rather than the religion itself. Lloyd-Moffett suggested students go to the Mosque of Nasreen in San Luis Obispo and witness the diversity for themselves. “We have this view that Muslims are Arab,” he said, “but if you go to the mosque you see Iranians, Indonesians, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Africans — the most diverse place on a Friday in San Luis Obispo is the mosque.” President of the Islamic Society of San Luis Obispo County Naiyerah Kolkailah said Islam is the common denominator between countless different traditions. “Islam lays down certain foundations and certain beliefs and certain basic practices, and then it accommodates people’s different cultures,” Kolkailah said. “That’s why it’s important also to understand Islam is not monolithic. The Islamic worldwide community is not monolithic.” 2. Islam oppresses women Kolkailah said Islam suffers from a reputation of repressing women, especially regarding the hijab, a head covering some Muslim women wear in public to uphold the ideal of modesty. Kolkailah, a life-long Muslim, said her experience wearing a hi-

tion on lots G-1 and R-2 — and will provide them with useful information, such as how many spaces are available in a specific lot. Students will be informed when lots are at full capacity and when special events are taking place. Students using the app may be drawn toward alternate modes of transportation during times of peak traffic, such as riding their bikes or using San Luis Obispo’s public bus system, which is free with a Cal Poly ID. “The bus remains a very popular option for students, and we encourage it,” Campbell said. In addition to the new residence halls, there will be a four-story parking structure in place of the G-1 lot. It will be adjacent to the residence halls and will be a general parking area. UPD will respond accordingly to increased or decreased parking demands for residents and general students once the new structure is built, Campbell said. “Understand that next year is going to bring forth a lot of changes,” Campbell said. jab has been far from repressive. The hijab protects women from societal standards of beauty, she said, freeing them to beautify themselves internally. “It saddens me to see so many girls feel pressured to lose weight and look a certain way to please other people,” she said. “You see so many plastic surgeries and extreme dieting, and what for? Because society expects it.” Kolkailah said strangers sometimes react offensively to her hijab without knowing its true meaning. “I had experiences, especially after 9/11, with people making comments in the street and guys in their big trucks yelling things out,” she said. “I’ve had people telling me, ‘You’re in America now, you can take that off.’ Things like that reek of ignorance.” When Kolkailah clarifies the meaning behind the hijab to fellow Cal Poly students, she usually gets positive responses, she said. “When I explain the concept of the hijab and women’s cover, they themselves find it empowering because we are living in a society that objectifies women and uses women’s bodies as sex objects to sell cars, electronics, even cosmetics, using different parts of women’s bodies to sell things,” she said. Lloyd-Moffett said Islamic cultures’ treatment of women usually varies based on geographical region. While some Islamic states practice female circumcision or do not permit women to drive, others have had women as head of state — a line the United States has yet to cross. “If you want to find examples of repression of women, there are plenty out there,” he said. “If you want to find examples of really progressive views on women, there are plenty out there.” Lloyd-Moffett used Afghan burqas, which cover women’s entire bodies except their eyes, as an example of this cultural variance. “There’s nothing in the Qur’an advocating that a woman can

JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS

CARS | More than 1,300 parking spots will be unavailable while new residence halls are built. only show her eyes, but that’s in Afghanistan,” he said. “If you go to Turkey, it’s like a fashion capital for women. Making broad statements about the role of women is difficult because it’s very localized to the place.” 3. Muslims don’t appreciate Christians and Jews Lloyd-Moffett said most people think Islam looks down on Christians and Jews, when in fact Islam reveres Christianity and Judaism, considering them sibling religions and categorizing their followers as “people of the Book.” Islam views many of the Bible’s characters — including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and John the Baptist — as prophets who carried a message from God. “While those prophets had a very clear message, humans didn’t always perceive that message in the right way, so the message of God was convoluted over time,” Lloyd-Moffett said. Muslims believe that while Christians and Jews mistook the prophets’ messages and ended up with incomplete faiths, they still warrant respect. Lloyd-Moffett said Islam’s positive approach to older, related religions is atypical. “Usually if another religion appears in a religion, it’s negative,” he said. “This is one of few times where another religion is called out for honor. They don’t have the complete truth, but they deserve honor because God worked through them.” 4. Muslims worship Muhammad and/or Allah instead of God Monotheism is central to Islam, with God being the only entity worthy of worship, Lloyd-Moffett said. Muslims do not worship Muhammad — while they believe he was the final and greatest prophet, he was also entirely human. Muhammad’s role in Islam was to act as an exemplary Muslim and a mouthpiece for God, who Muslims believe spoke directly through Muhammad’s body in a series of recitations. The content of these recitations is recorded in the Qur’an, the Islamic sacred book. “The Qur’an was not meant to be a written recording of the inspired words of the prophets,” Lloyd-Moffett said, “but rather God speaking directly. It’s the direct word of God without any human intervention.” When Muslims refer to “Allah,” they are not speaking of a god named Allah — Allah simply means “God” in Arabic, LloydMoffett said. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians also refer to God as “Allah.” 5. Islam is inherently violent The Charlie Hebdo massacre is the most recent example of a series of widely reported terrorist attacks categorized as Islamic extremism, dating back to 9/11. The media’s portrayal of such events is often the only means by which Americans learn about Islam, which communicates a skewed image of the religion, LloydMoffett said. “People were introduced to Islam through an act of terrorism, particularly through the Taliban,” he said. “So when people were initially educated about Islam after 9/11, the Taliban became Islam. The Taliban was anti-women, anti-progress, anti-everything, so if that’s where you learn about Islam, that’s what you get. It’s like learning about Christianity from a white supremacist group in the South. If that’s your only experience, you’re going to have a pretty warped view of it.” People who hold this view tend to use Muslim extremism and selectively violent passages from the Qur’an as evidence that Islam promotes violence, Lloyd-Moffett said. In reality, violent Muslim extremists account for a negligible fraction of the Muslim population, and the Qur’an’s violent texts are usually used out-of-context. “There seems to be an assumption grounded in a general ignorance of Islam that these isolated texts you pull out must be the center,” he said. “But when you pull out similar texts from Christianity and Judaism, people just say, ‘That’s only applicable to the time and place.’” Almost all major religions have some violent elements in their sacred texts, Lloyd-Moffett said. “I don’t think there’s anything in the Islamic tradition that would advocate violence more than other traditions,” he said. “And historically speaking, Christians have killed many more than Muslims ever have. But we’re at an era of development in Islam where they’re really struggling to figure out how they fit into the world, and part of the reaction to those developments has been this fundamentalist extremist element.” Kolkailah emphasized that in Islam, it is never okay to kill innocent people. However, the violent actions of a few Muslim extremists have come to represent Islam as a whole. “Recently, after the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, as I walked around campus I could tell who’s been watching the news and scapegoating Muslims,” she said. “You can see in people’s eyes, the way they narrow their eyes at me and look at me as if I’m somehow personally responsible for what these crazy people did halfway across the world.” Lloyd-Moffett said those who want to learn more about Islam should simply talk to a Muslim about the faith. “Muslims are in a different place because Christians don’t need to explain their religion to anyone,” he said. “Muslims are in a place where since 9/11, they’ve spent a decade explaining their religion to everybody. And most of them are pretty good. They welcome it.”

MSA continued from pg 1.

Religious studies professor Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, who teaches the Islam class at Cal Poly, said Cal Poly’s lack of diversity is largely at fault for students’ apathy. “We can easily go a week without the need to encounter someone who’s that different from us,” he said. “It’s an easier place to not be confronted with difference.” And when people don’t directly interact with Islam, they have an easier time making assumptions about it. “It’s very easy to demonize some abstraction,” Lloyd-Moffett said. Muslim students compose a particularly small minority at Cal Poly. For example, the MSA has approximately 30 active members, Eltal said. Few Cal Poly students get the chance to meet Muslims, meaning they miss out on one of the best ways to learn about the religion. “If people start hearing about Islam from Muslims, or just even get to know a Muslim, then they’ll immediately connect with them better and put a face to it,” he said. As it is, many Muslims are burdened by widespread, damaging misconceptions about their religion. Four common misunderstandings are listed below, followed by clarification from experts on Islam in the Cal Poly community. 1. Muslims are all Arab Lloyd-Moffett said one of the biggest misunderstandings about Islam is that Muslims are all Arab. According to the 2010 Pew Report, Arab Muslims are actually the minority, whereas 62.1 per-

Thursday, Jaunary 22, 2015

NEWS | 3

MAYRA MEJIA | COURTESY PHOTO

O U R P R E SID E N T | Orientation for United Raza (OUR) students pose with Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong at last year’s orientation. OUR is now up for a comprehensive review.

OUR orientation up for review student is able to participate and there isn’t a financial hindrance,” she said. OUR is a weeklong orientation program for students of multicultural backgrounds, firstgeneration and transfer students. It has historically been a less expensive alternative to WOW and incorporates off-campus activities throughout the week, according to coordinator and computer engineering junior Alexis Carranza. “It’s easier for people from the same background to come together and have a little family,” Carranza said. “We try to give them that opportunity of what else is there to do in SLO other than staying on campus.” The program was created by Mexa, an ethnic club on campus, and is supervised through New Student and Transition Programs. However, OUR creates its own agenda, which this past year was managed by Carranza, environPatrick came to Cal Poly to encourage students to go onto more careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and emphasized how important the relationship is between the engineers of each race car and the drivers. “I would emphasize everyone and anyone — especially kids — to try everything,” she said. Though she is widely known, Patrick did not plan on being a mental engineering junior Denise Mann and graphic communication sophomore Mayra Mejia. Prospective OUR leaders must complete the spring training required of Soar and WOW leaders prior to summer and fall orientation. OUR coordinators provide additional meetings and workshops to educate their leaders on various ethnicities and backgrounds. “There’s a lot more that you have to be aware of,” Carranza said. “We go in more depth with what’s going on with people from different cultures.” OUR also provides a similar summer orientation program called Summer Institute (SI). Over a three-week period, students live on campus and complete six units by taking a general education psychology class and two workshops, as well as attending certain presentations provided by the Soar staff. “It gives them the actual college role model and did not even have her own role model. Rather than looking up to somebody else, Patrick focused on being her own person. She advised the crowd to not be like her, but to strive to be better than her. “I always wanted to be the first me, not somebody else. And I always wanted to be better than them,” Patrick said. “No one is in control of your happiness but yourself.” experience in just three weeks,” Mejia said. “(We help them) understand what they need to do these next four years to prepare.” One benefit OUR values is its low-cost orientation fee. History freshman Christopher Hernandez said he appreciates the less expensive option OUR provides in comparison to WOW. “For me (the driving factor) was money,” he said. “I come from a low-income family and it was a really good option.” Kaiwi-Lenting assures financial assistance is a priority when it comes to orientation programming. “It’s really important to me that we don’t hike up a fee for the sake of a fee,” she said.

Samantha Pryor @sammpryor

With Soar and Week Of Welcome (WOW) now mandatory for all incoming and transfer students, Orientation for United Raza (OUR) and other orientation program alternatives are in the process of being evaluated, according to Andrene KaiwiLenting, director of New Student and Transition Programs. Other orientation programming available for incoming students includes, but is not limited to, the Mustang Band, Cal Poly Athletes and a fairly new program, Quarter plus, offered to students who want to jumpstart their college experience. The evaluation criteria is not yet fully determined, KaiwiLenting said. However, OUR will need to be run at a reasonable orientation fee. “I have to make sure that a

OUR orientation will not be replaced, according to KaiwiLenting. She emphasizes that is not the conversation at hand. “We are looking to make sure that every student gets an orientation experience before we start saying somebody’s not offering it enough,” she said. “We are not looking to replace anything.”

NASCAR continued from pg 1.

Patrick started off in commercials for GoDaddy in tank tops clutching a beer, and has helped her image evolve with commercials that portray her as a strong woman. Patrick said she appreciates humor in the ads and says the GoDaddy commercials now have a “kick” to them.

ARTS | 4

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Orchesis to debut 45th annual show Friday Annie Vainshtein @annievain

The Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department will present the Orchesis Dance Company’s 45th anniversary concert, opening Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre. The concert, entitled “Release,” was curated through the work of three guest artists: Mike Esperanza, who directs the dance company BARE; Mark A. Haines, a professor at Riverside City College;

and renowned choreographer Nancy Cranbourne. The ending portion of the concert, constructed by Esperanza, will feature a variety of Mumford & Sons songs. The concert will feature dance styles across all genres, including modern, jazz, ballet and contemporary. The three guest artists, all established in their field, have worked with the company’s dancers and helped select participants in the show. “It’s a big deal to bring in

people of such caliber to this university,” assistant professor of dance Christy McNeil said. “We try to bring in people that will give opportunities to our students on a professional level that they wouldn’t normally get in such a small town.” After its opening concert, “Release” will continue Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Jan. 29 at 8 p.m., Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online and cost $12 for Cal Poly students and $20 for general admission.

KAMIL KONRAD | COURTESY PHOTO

KIEL CARREAU | COURTESY PHOTO

KIEL CARREAU | COURTESY PHOTO

KIEL CARREAU | COURTESY PHOTO

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

ARTS | 5

Trombone Shorty to blow away the PAC

LISA WOSKE | COURTESY PHOTO S H AW TAY

| Trombone Shorty led his first band as a 6-year-old, earning him his stage name. Since then, he’s not only gotten taller but also toured the world, topped charts and been Grammy-nominated. said Trombone Shorty was one of his favorite live artists because he engaged and excited his whole audience, making them a part of the show instead of just observers. “He’s one of the most energetic, enthusiastic, high-energy guys I’ve ever seen onstage,” Lerian said. “The tricky part of this for us will be keeping people from standing on their seats and jumping up and down.” Trombone Shorty draws from older genres of music but puts on high-energy performances, making him appealing to all ages, Lerian said. “The cool thing about him is he’s as relevant for old gritty blues people as he is for 20-year-olds,” Lerian said. “It’s more like a rock concert than a blues show. It’s so powerful. It’s almost like being at an EDM concert in some ways.” Tickets are still available online, ranging from $36 to $62. Will call starts at 6 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Lerian suggested Cal Poly students check with the Performing Arts Center box office Friday about the availabi lity of $10 student rush tickets.

Brenna Swanston @brenna_swanston

Trombone Shorty will bring his unique blend of funk, blues and New Orleans jazz to the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center this Friday, Jan. 23. Cal Poly Arts director Steve Lerian has seen Trombone Shorty — born Troy Andrews — perform three times. Lerian

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Thursday, January 22, 2015 MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93410

OPINION | 7

Women: The underdogs of athletics Amelia Parreira @CPMustangSports

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Every four summers, the world comes together for four weeks to watch soccer players from all over the world compete for the sport’s highest honor — the World Cup — hoping and praying in joy and in tears that the most desired team will walk away from the final match as the next champion. Every October, America tunes in to experience the intensity, sometimes even mind torture, of baseball’s World Series. Then once more in February for football’s Super Bowl. And again in the springtime for the NBA Finals. No matter what time of year it is, I always manage to find people out there in the midst of a good sports discussion. However, I noticed a pattern in all these discussions: None of them are ever centered on women’s sports. Now, I have to admit that I myself have never particularly paid much attention to women’s sports. But now I think to myself, why haven’t I? The bigger question is why women’s sports are overshadowed while men’s sports are overpraised: Why does the nature of our culture do so little to bring about equality in the athletic world? These questions first crossed my mind during the Cal Poly soccer season. As I attended each women’s soccer match, I noticed how few people attended to watch, especially during the

Sunday games. At first it didn’t really bother me too much because I figured that many people had other things to do on an early Sunday afternoon — until the Blue-Green Rivalry matches kicked off. Games against Cal Poly rival UC Santa Barbara are among the most popular events in San Luis Obispo. In fact, the men’s soccer rival match sold out within the first few days of ticket sales. That’s right — more than 11,000 seats in Alex G. Spanos Stadium were filled on Nov. 2. However, the women’s soccer team held its rival match just one week before, where spectators filled barely half of the stadium. This left me more confused than anything else. Women’s soccer finished the season with a home record of 5-4, which just about equaled the men’s home record of 5-4-2. So why did the women’s team receive less recognition than the men’s at its own home? This is only one of many examples involving this same problem. ESPN doesn’t allow women’s sports to air on the same channel as men’s sports. Instead, there is a separate channel known as ESPNW dedicated only to women’s sports. Not only does ESPN isolate women’s teams from the men’s teams, but the women’s channel does not even come with basic cable. You have to get this channel separately, making it less available for all viewers. Why can’t they just make it easier by letting the women’s teams air alongside the

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS

men’s teams on one network? The lack of recognition for women’s sports teams is an issue that has continued far too long. It is time for a change. Instead of separation, we need coexistence. All teams should have the opportunity to air alongside one another instead of undergo-

ing segregation by networks. All athletes should have the chance to be recognized for their talents and potentials, regardless of their gender. This change starts with us, as students, faculty and the world’s next generation. So, ladies and gentlemen, the next time you

plan on attending a basketball game, a soccer game or whichever sporting event grabs your attention, show an equal amount of support for both the men’s and women’s teams. Change up your style. Show your Mustangs that you are there for them, all of them.

WRITE A LETTER Mustang News reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of Mustang News. Please limit length to 250 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly email account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the email. EMAIL editor@mustangnews.net ADVERTISING EMAIL advertising@mustangnews.net MAIL Letters to the Editor Building 26, Room 226 Cal Poly SLO, CA 93407 ONLINE mustangnews.net

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

SPORTS | 9

BASKETBALL continued from pg 10.

Hannah Gilbert and senior forward Taryn Garza have dominated the paint, averaging 5.4 and 6.6 rebounds per game, respectively. The combination of strong guard play and strength inside has been a catalyst for the Mustangs’ success.

Cal Poly will now head on the road for the weekend, first against Cal State Fullerton and then to UC Riverside. The Titans are 8-8 overall and 2-1 in conference, similar to the Mustangs’ record, while the Highlanders are 10-8 overall but just 1-3 in the Big West. Thursday’s game against Cal State Fullerton is set to tip off at 7 p.m.

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS SWEET 16 | Senior guard Kristen Ale has started all 16 games for the Mustangs this season. She is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.6 points per game while also averaging almost 30 minutes of play per contest.

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Thursday, January 22, 2015

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS HIGH FLYER | Averaging a team-high 13.3 points per game, junior guard David Nwaba has led the Mustangs in that category. He has maintained a 44.5 percent field goal rate in the 15 games he has participated in.

Men’s and women’s basketball continue Big West play Nick Larson @CPMustangSports

Despite both teams posting an even 8-8 record on the year, the Cal Poly men’s and women’s basketball teams are off to very different starts in Big West Conference play. The men’s side had a relatively successful preseason, highlighted by wins over Santa Clara, San Francisco and Delaware, a No. 13 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament. It also featured losses against California and No. 3 Gonzaga, both of which were closer than the final score suggests. The Mustangs escaped the tough preseason schedule with a 7-5 record. However, Big West play has

been entirely different. After a big overtime win on the road in Hawaii to open the conference schedule, the Mustangs have dropped three straight. The next matchup was in Mott Athletics Center against rival UC Santa Barbara, and despite holding a three-point lead at halftime, the Mustangs lost by five. The next two games would have an eerily similar ending. On the road against Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge, the Mustangs would again lose by just a handful of points — two against the 49ers and seven against the Matadors. All three of these most recent conference losses could have

gone either way. In all three contests, Cal Poly had been leading at halftime. They also failed to eclipse the 50-point mark each time out but were able to hold two opponents to 50 points and the other to 55. The finishing power to close out a team late in the game has simply been lacking. The Mustangs will need someone to step up late, put points on the board and seal victories. Junior guard David Nwaba leads the team with 13.3 points per game over the whole year, but in the last three games he hasn’t scored more than his average once. Junior forward Joel Awich seems to be the answer of late, averaging a team-high 12.7

points in the last three games, including nearly a third of the Mustangs’ points (15) against Cal State Northridge. The men’s team will look to get back on track Thursday night against Cal State Fullerton, the only winless team left in Big West play. The home game is only the second in Mott for the Mustangs in the last 46 days. Returning home will surely be welcomed. As for the Cal Poly women’s basketball team, Big West play has gone according to plan. The Mustangs are 3-1 in conference, knocking off Hawaii to start with in a 70-65 victory at home, followed by a demolition of UC Santa Barbara on the Gauchos’ home court.

The third and fourth conference games were against the two toughest teams in conference — Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge. The 49ers have been on a rampage this season. They are 17-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big West. Their nonconference schedule was no joke, featuring teams like LSU and San Diego State, both of whom the 49ers handled with ease. Their sole loss came in overtime against Southern California, a tough matchup for anyone. Long Beach State also received 10 votes to be in the Top 25 in the nation in the latest AP poll. The Mustangs hung tough with the 49ers but couldn’t keep pace with their opponent’s 50

percent shooting night from the field and lost 85-74. Cal Poly rebounded resiliently, though, in its next game against the defending Big West champions, Cal State Northridge. The Matadors returned all five starters this year, but the Mustangs were still able to knock them off, beating them 63-54. Senior guard Ariana Elegado has been on fire, averaging 15.8 points on the year, leading the team. Her experience and leadership have been pivotal in the success of the young Cal Poly side. Sophomore forward

see BASKETBALL, pg 9.

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